Chapter 28
Teyra Estate - Republic of Serrice - Thessia
It had only been an hour before Liara and Wrex returned with her armor. After the request from the judge, Shepard had put in a notice with the asari government of her presence, and of her intent to help the judge make it to the courthouse the next day to prevent any international incidents from going down. If she had to shoot a Thessian citizen because they tried to kill her, then she wasn't about to raise her hands and let herself die.
Luckily, she got a response almost instantly from the Conclave of Serrice with the approval of her mission, as well as approval from Tevos. Shortly afterward, she got a personal call on her comm.
Opening the call, Shepard was surprised to see the face of the asari Councilor herself. "Greetings Spectre. I hope I am not intruding," she said pleasantly.
"Not particularly. I'm watching the house at the moment and making sure that nobody tries to sneak in and do anything funny. What can I help you with?" asked Shepard curiously.
"I wanted to thank you for accepting the mission to protect Judge Teyra. As it happens, she is my mother, and I'd very much like to see her live until the galaxy takes her spirit back naturally." Shepard's eyes immediately widened at the claim.
"Teyra is your mother?" she asked, shocked at the happenstance.
"Indeed. We have a close relationship, but despite this, she kept her shady judgments from even me. I'm both proud that she's confessing, and angry that she waited so long," said the counsilor with a stern glare.
"Yeah, it's easy to do the right thing when you're already knocking on death's door. Even so, I'll take a good deed over doing nothing at all," said the spectre with a sigh.
"As will I. The reason I called is to give you information on the groups that will be attempting such a brazen attack. The names she gave me correlate with an increase in the number of gang-affiliated individuals flocking to the city," she said as she closed her eyes for a moment. "The biggest group you'll have to deal with is the Sisterhood of Serrice. They are local and know the city better than any of the others, making them the most dangerous. Chances are, you might also have to deal with traitors among the commandos that are protecting her. So, watch your back, Jane."
"Thank you for the information. How about the other groups?" she asked as she ran a hand through her red hair.
"The others are small groups. The Althiryte have a little over a hundred total, and most of them won't be here. But you might meet a few, and I'd advise against turning your back on them. There's also another local group that's made up of a family of asari, the N'Ani family. They are less likely to get involved, but they do have a few high-ranking members that will be implicated when she testifies. So, if someone approaches, make sure your DNA scanner is running while talking to people," she replied cautiously.
"Thank you, Councilor. You've made my job a lot easier," said the spectre with a smile.
"I'll do what I can to help, Jane," she said with a quick smile. "So, have you fully interpreted the visions that have been plaguing you?"
"Unfortunately, no. The cipher took a while to settle in my mind. At first, all I got was white noise when I saw them again. But... I've also been having help with the nightmares," she said vaguely as she avoided the topic of Liara spending nights with her.
"I'm happy to hear you are getting assistance. When you do finally manage to unlock what it's saying, please contact me. I'd love to be updated on what exactly the beacon was showing you," said the councilor with a bow of her head. "May the Goddess shield you, Jane."
"Thank you," she finally said as she finished the call. Suddenly, she was alerted as the bell rang to signify someone at the door. Taking Tevos's advice, she activated her omni-tool and began running her DNA scanner immediately. Walking to the door in full armor, she opened it and saw an asari woman in full armor. Immediately, she reached for her weapon, but the asari woman held up her hands.
"Peace, Spectre. I am here at the request of the Honorable Judge Teyra," she said with a grin. Shepard looked the woman up and down. Her scalp was bare of any marks, similar to Liara, but her eyes were shadowed with the darker blue that arched up over her brow. It was potentially one of the most unique natural birthmarks she had ever seen.
Shepard looked down at her scanner as it gave her a positive ID. [Farah T'Laya - Citadel Special Tactics and Reconnaissance]
Her eyes widened slightly as she looked back up at the woman. Releasing her hold on the pistol, she nodded. "So, you're Operative T'Laya, the other Spectre she mentioned?"
"I am indeed. I am Farah T'Laya, and I've helped Matriarch Teyra on many of her cases before," she said with a widening smile. "I've also heard a lot about you, Shepard."
Shepard cocked an eyebrow curiously. "Oh yeah? Like what?"
"Well, let's just say I was a fan before you became a Spectre. Mostly because of your work on Elysium," she said as she stepped into the house. The two began walking together inside and made their way up towards the matriarch's personal room.
"Yeah, I guess that became kind of a public thing thanks to the news reporter on site," she said as she scratched her head. "But at least the person I'm working with knows what I'm capable of. And it helps that you've worked alongside the judge as well."
"Yes, it does. I hope we work well together, Shepard," she said as she opened the door and entered the room.
Defense Station One - Teyra Estate - Republic of Serrice - Thessia
"So, we have the authorization to destroy anyone trying to assassinate the judge, correct?" asked Wrex with a small grin.
Shepard eyed him with a cheeky smile through her faceplate. "Yes, but still be careful where you're shooting that thing. I don't want you taking out any assisting commandos in the process."
"Hey, Shepard. Are you going to make a habit of roping us into trouble?" asked Garrus as he walked by fully armed.
"That's what you get for being on the A-Team of a Spectre," said the woman as she watched the cameras like a hawk.
"I don't know if I should feel honored or horrified at my potential future," said the turian with a chuckle.
"That makes two of us," said Ashley from across the room. "Normally, I'm good with a decent firefight. But all of our opponents are biotics, and likely highly trained in them."
"Don't worry, human. I'll protect you from the evil space magic," said Wrex in amusement as he left the room to check the grounds again.
Ash glared at him as he left, then looked to Shepard. "You have some kind of plan?"
"I always have a plan. Sometimes they work, and sometimes you jump into a crane when it doesn't," said Shepard with a smile.
Ash chuckled and shook her head. "I'll always be here to watch your ass, Shepard."
"Good," said the spectre as she touched the surface of one of the hard light displays and zoomed in on it. "Huh…"
The gunnery chief walked up to the display and looked over the area. It was out back in one of the many lush gardens that surrounded the estate. "What is it?"
"An oddity," said Shepard as she opened her comm. "Team Four, are you in position?"
"Team Four is in position and ready to defend the estate," responded the asari.
"Have any of your team entered the garden itself?" she asked curiously as she zoomed in on the camera.
"Negative. We all entered from the front of the manor and have been set up here ever since," responded the team leader.
"What is it?" asked Ash as she stared at the screen. It was an almost immaculate zen garden fashioned after those in Japan. The asari had taken to Japanese culture almost immediately as soon as the First Contact War ended, leading to a mimicking of their zen culture on Thessia. But this garden, while still beautiful with its asari symbols raked into the sand, had one flaw. Half of a footprint had disrupted the lovely purple display. "A footprint?" she asked as she looked up at the spectre.
"All teams report. Has anyone on the grounds been in the garden outside of Defense Station Four?" she asked hastily as she turned away from the camera and headed for the door. They all replied back to her with negatives. "Team Two, send me one of your squad to meet me in the hallway leading to Station Four," she ordered as she headed for the door. Ash followed her as she exited the room and began descending the stairs. "Wrex, Garrus, and Liara assemble at Defense Station One in case someone tries to enter the room while I'm away."
As she hit the bottom, she beelined for the hallway itself. As they arrived, the soldier nodded to Shepard. "Tiffa S'Anna, Spectre," she said, introducing herself.
"Good to meet you," said the commander as she patted the woman on the back. "We're all three going to split up and search the rooms in this hallway. Someone may have entered the grounds using stealth, so watch your back and use laser targeters on your weapons," she ordered as she tossed both Ash and Tiffa a device for their weapons.
"Why the laser targeters?" asked Ash as she added the mod to her weapon.
"Cloaking devices refract light to make you invisible. If your laser runs over a target that is using modern cloaking devices, then it'll refract the laser too, lighting them up," she said as she opened her omni-tool.
Ash nodded and turned the device on as she looked towards one of the doors. "I'll take this room over here," she said, getting a nod from the spectre before she dashed off.
"I'll then take this one," said the asari commando as she opened a door and entered.
Shepard sighed to herself as she entered a room on the opposite side of the hall from the others. Slowly she entered and peaked inside with her pistol aimed down. It was a music room with many asari instruments from almost every variety of woodwind, percussion, and string. There was even a human piano sitting in the direct middle of the large space. The spectre peeked around the room before finally entering with her weapon drawn. Running the laser over the room, she confirmed that nobody was in the open with cloaking. Despite that, her instinct told her that she was in the right place.
"I know you're here. I'll give you one chance to show yourself and leave here in cuffs. If you try to resist, you will be either horribly maimed or killed," she said as she stayed near the door.
Unfortunately, she had forgotten to inspect one place upon entering. Directly above her, a shady figure dropped down and slammed heavily into Shepard, sending her to the floor. Shepard groaned as she spun onto her back with her weapon drawn, but she immediately froze as a biotic stasis was put on her. She tried with all her might to fight it, but she was utterly encased.
"Poor poor human. Trying to play in the big leagues with the rest of us as you fumble around in other people's business," came the sing-song voice of another asari. Shepard could finally see her, and her weapon was aimed directly at her. But she couldn't pull the trigger due to the stasis. "And now you are going to do my work for me," she said as she walked around to where Shepard's head lay. Reaching down, she gripped Shepard over the mouth where her helmet didn't cover. The stasis shattered, but it was too late.
As the asari's bare hand gripped her exposed face, her eyes shot wide open as she felt an invasion into her mind begin. Her memories sprung up rapidly and she heard a voice inside her mind. "You are going to kill the judge," said the woman as the overwhelming biotic attack nearly crippled her. Suddenly, her body went limp and she stared at the ceiling.
The asari jerked her hand back and held her head gently as she glared at Shepard. "You're a pain in the quad, you know that? But nobody escapes the domination," she said confidently. "Now stand up." Shepard rolled onto her stomach, then stood up and faced the asari. "What are you going to do?"
"Kill the judge," she responded in a monotone voice.
"Good. Now, go do your job" ordered the asari with a wicked grin.
Shepard stepped forward and moved towards the door. But as soon as she got within range of the asari, she immediately lashed out with a fierce punch. She had aimed for the woman's throat, but the asari's reactionary dodge caused it to crash into her cheek instead, sending her bodily into the piano. Shepard glared and dashed forward hastily, despite the fact that the woman had drawn a gun and aimed at her.
Firing a shot, the round bounced off Shepard's shields. Soon after, the spectre threw another punch into the woman's face, sending her sprawling on the ground. "Poor poor asari, trying to play in the big leagues with me while fumbling around in other people's business," said Shepard as she sent a kick directly into the woman's face.
The asari landed and coughed heavily, looking up as the spectre stood over her again. "Damn…" Suddenly, she exploded with biotic power. Sending out a massive wave of dark energy, she lifted Shepard from the ground as well as herself in a field of blue.
Snorting, Shepard smiled as they were both trapped. The field didn't harm her, it just lifted her off the ground in an attempt to hinder her. Reaching down, she activated the device on her belt causing her pistol to jet from the ground stick to the device.
Gripping the weapon, Shepard then aimed it directly at the woman's head. One shot was all it took for her execution. The woman died instantly and the biotic field vanished, causing them both to hit the ground harshly. Shepard groaned as she placed both of her hands on the ground and pushed herself to her knees.
The door burst open instantly as both Ash and the asari rushed in with their guns ready. "Shepard! Are you alright!?" asked the chief as she rushed to her side to help.
"I'm fine," said a panting Shepard as she finally got back to her feet. "She tried to dominate me."
Ash's eyes widened at the claim. "I... I see…"
Shepard put her pistol away as she looked at the gunnery chief. "While I'm almost certain I fought it off, I can't guarantee the judge's safety around me," she said as she opened her omni-tool. "Alenko, I took down an infiltrator in the music room. You're in charge of guarding Judge Teyra. I'll be taking the rounds out here."
"Affirmative Commander," came his response as Ash walked with her back into the hallway.
"Commander, we've got company," came the familiar voice of the asari spectre.
"Where at?" asked the commander as she stopped.
"The front door. Either some very unlucky gardeners are coming back for some last-minute maintenance, or they realized that their infiltration attempt failed," said the spectre, whose statement was pronounced with a loud shot from a long range weapon.
"Wrex, you stay with Alenko. Team Two, move up to secure the judge. I'll be taking your place," she ordered as she headed for the entrance.
Defense Station Two - Teyra Estate - Republic of Serrice - Thessia
"We've got an entire squad of commandos charging the gates. You're about to get hit hard," came the urgent call from the hidden asari spectre.
Ash snorted and patted the weapon at her side. "They're about to run into the biggest wall they've ever seen."
"Glad you're prepared," said Shepard with a smile as she ducked behind the barricade that they set up on the front door.
"Fifty meters out. Damn, watch out, biotics are lit!" said Farah through the comm as her long-range rifle fired again.
Immediately, Ash grabbed Shepard and threw both of them out of the way as a wild shockwave of biotic energy slammed into the barrier. Unfortunately, the defenses didn't block it, as the dark energy attack phased directly through it, sending two commandos flying.
"Dammit! Get up and drive them back!" shouted the spectre as she got to her feet and raised her own sniper.
"Sons of bitches, I've got something for them," shouted Ash as she pulled her weapon off her back. "Commander, how far out are they?"
"Thirty meters! Why?" she asked as she looked over at the chief. Suddenly, her eyes widened as she saw the new heavy weapon laying across the barricade.
"Take cover now!" shouted the gunnery chief as she pulled the trigger on the weapon. It charged for a moment as the asari ducked behind the barricades, then fired a glowing shot into the distance. In seconds, the bolt exploded, sending out more explosives and detonating in a cascade of fire and death on the landscape that pounded against their barrier with debris. "Direct hit!"
"Good! Now switch to conventional weapons. If you fire that thing any closer, it'll take us out too!" shouted Shepard as she changed to an assault rifle and began firing at the incoming death squad.
Defense Station One - Teyra Estate - Republic of Serrice - Thessia
"What the hell was that?" asked Kaiden as the floor shook beneath them.
"Probably the chief giving whoever is stupid enough to run headfirst into Shepard a taste of her new toy," said Wrex with a smirk. "It's a shame I got left up here. But I'll probably still get to kill someone."
"Let's hope that's not the case," said Kaidan as he opened his omni-tool and looked at the position of the rest of the stations. Every entrance of the mansion was covered by at least four asari commandos that were hired to help. Garrus was currently at station three, checking on them, while Tali was roaming the halls checking on Shepard's intruder alarms. And Liara was currently on her way to station one to help Shepard.
Despite their assistance, Kaidan was warned of potential betrayals from the commandos. Thessia was mostly run state by state rather than having a one world government like the Alliance. This was mostly due to the fact that the asari homeworld was 90% water, and most of the nations were divided by vast oceans. Serrice was the largest and most well connected, making it the head of the Council's representative arm. That said, any of the asari here could be a hired hit. He would have to place himself firmly between any of them and the matriarch.
Looking up at the mercenary, he waved him over. Wrex plodded over to the human curiously. "I need you to keep a close eye on the commandos here while I continue to monitor the situation outside," he said with a serious face.
Wrex grunted, then opened his omni-tool. Kaidan chuckled as he slowly activated a few programs, no doubt still learning the process through Tali's teachings. "I'll keep an eye out. But watch your back. These commandos aren't a joke," warned the krogan as he turned away and walked around the large room towards the asari.
Nodding, the human sighed and glanced at the omni-tool again. Suddenly, a call came from station four. "We've got an intruder near the garage! Requesting assistance!"
Kaidan looked up and nodded to the asari in the room, and all but one of them left for the call of assistance. "I'll stay behind just in case," said the last one.
"I'm gonna go help them out," stated the krogan as he too left the area.
After a few seconds, it was just him and the asari. She looked over at him curiously, her face blank of any markings. "So, how did you get the pleasure of working with a spectre?" she asked curiously as she leaned against the wall.
Kaidan looked up at the asari suspiciously. "I worked with her before she was a spectre. Then, when the time came and she got promoted, she asked that I come with her and help," he responded as he opened a program on his omni-tool.
"That's pretty convenient. You got a lot of experience in special ops?" asked the woman as she moved closer to the man.
"Not a ton, but I've worked with them a few times. Mostly on Earth," he said as he gazed at his omni-tool. Suddenly, a notice popped up. [Nia N'Ani/Tess Faya/Na'aru Tonali]. As soon as he saw the name, he looked up at her curiously. "What was your name again?"
"Tess Faya. I worked with the Sisterhood of Eclipse myself. It gave me plenty of experience in infiltration," she said as she waved her hand. Kaidan went to stand, but immediately got caught in her stasis. "Now, you sit right there. I'll be right back," she said with a cheeky grin.
Kaidan focused his biotic power outward in an explosion that ripped the stasis off of him and threw the woman against the wall. Reaching out, he grabbed her again with his biotics and tossed her away from the matriarch's door and into another wall. "I'm sure it helped you a lot. But while you may have the experience of a few hundred years, we humans learn fast."
"I can see that. No wonder you're on the Spectre's squad," she said as she got to her feet again. She lashed out and tried to grab him with biotics, but he threw his own and the dark energy collided in the middle, causing an explosion that knocked both of them backward. Kaidan slammed into the wall next to the door, gasping as the blow drove the wind from his lungs. He got to his hands and knees again to catch his breath, but unfortunately, the asari woman was already up and glaring at him. "Humans may learn fast, but it looks like you didn't learn fast enough. Never fuck with a commando," she growled as she readied her biotics again. Her body was crackling with power as he tried to reach back for his weapon, but he knew he had no hope of catching her.
Suddenly, the woman gasped in horror as a loud shot sounded across the room. Instead of launching her attack, she fell forward onto her face with a blank stare, now leaking purple blood from the corner of her mouth. And as soon as she fell, Kaidan saw what happened, as Wrex stood in the doorway with his shotgun smoking. "How long?" asked the krogan.
"How long what?" asked Kaidan as he stood again and regained his wind.
"How long did you hesitate after finding out she was related to the N'Ani family?" asked the mercenary as he stepped up to the woman's body, then blasted her once more in the spine to make sure she was dead.
"Too long," said the human as he pulled his sub-machine gun off his back and readied it.
"That's right. Don't hesitate. Hesitation means the difference between life and death," said the krogan firmly as he pointed in the human's face. "You humans are always too quick to give the benefit of the doubt. And mercenaries like her take advantage of that courtesy. When you're fighting against thugs like her, you need to drop the formalities."
Kaidan stared at him a long moment before finally sighing and nodding. "You're right. I should have shot her as soon as I saw her affiliation," he said with a smirk. "It's always a rare treat when a grumpy old krogan teaches you a lesson."
"Heh, get used to it. We're going to be working together to find Saren, so you're going to get a lot more lecturing," said Wrex as he held his shotgun up.
Suddenly, a thought passed through Kaidan's mind, causing him to stare narrowly at the mercenary. "Wrex, why did you come back?"
"Back on the Citadel, Tali helped me pick out a new omni-tool with a lot of features on it. I had scanned her before I even left the room, and instead of following them to the obvious bait call, I waited outside the door," he said with a smirk.
"So, you knew she was an infiltrator, but let her attack me... because…?" he asked with a stern glare.
"I wanted to see how you handled it," said the krogan matter-of-factly.
"Right," responded Kaidan with a roll of his eyes. "In any case, we've got a case of cry wolf among one of the teams who tried to bait us out. We need to find out who made the call and apprehend them," he said as he raised his omni-tool. "Garrus, your detective skills are needed at Station Four."
Defense Station Two - Teyra Estate - Republic of Serrice - Thessia
After the shockwave, Shepard growled and ducked behind the barrier. Ash groaned as she too rose to her knees and took cover as well. "Damn. Not sure how many of those I can take."
"You won't have to deal with too many more," said the spectre with a growl as she activated her omni-tool. "Cover your ears and close your eyes, both of you. Whatever you do, do not look over the barrier until I've given the all clear," she ordered, and both the chief and the asari nearby followed the order. Hitting the button on her helmet, Shepard's face disappeared as the full cover sealed itself over her mouth, working to deafen her to what was about to come. Using her omni-tool, she switched herself to thermal vision. "Spectre, you might want to look away for a moment."
"Understood," came the return call. Raising her computer again, she hit a trigger and suddenly a blast of light erupted on the other side of the barricade. Screams of horror were heard shortly after the same device let off a concussive blast that deafened anyone in the area that wasn't prepared.
Standing up immediately, the spectre raised her pistol and jumped over the barrier as she saw the red silhouettes of the four remaining asari stumbling around in the darkness holding their eyes and ears. Walking close enough to bypass their barriers, she blasted two directly through the skull as the device continued to erupt with cascading light. One of the asari tried to use her biotics, but without her vision, her attacks were all but useless as the commander simply stepped out of the way. Planting the barrel of her pistol directly against the exposed woman's neck, she fired and ended her flailing.
The last of the four survivors of the initial onslaught was on the ground, gasping as purple blood gushed from her mouth. Shepard eyed her curiously, noting a hole that had punctured her armor directly into her chest cavity. Looking over at the building with her visor protecting her, she wondered where the other spectre was, and if she were responsible for the rogue shot. Kneeling down, she placed her pistol against the woman's head and ended her suffering.
"I take it that was you, T'Laya?" asked the commander as she deactivated the device, allowing for the others to see again.
"I always come prepared," said the woman from who knew where.
Shepard noted that as she leaned down and picked up the disruptor mine. Should she ever find herself at odds with the spectre, she liked to know her enemy. "Glad to hear it. Do you see any more activity on the grounds?"
"After your little distraction went off, I got word of a group of vehicles headed this way. So, we might need to expect... more," said the asari as her voice trailed off. "On second thought, they're here. So, you might want to ready yourself for a squad of aircars."
"Don't worry, I always come prepared," said Shepard with a smile. Opening her omni-tool, she activated her secret weapon, then headed back towards the house.
"Spectre?" asked the commando as she approached the door and hopped over the barricade.
Suddenly, explosions began lighting up the night sky again in the background. Reaching up, she placed her hand on the shoulder of the asari woman who had a look of sheer terror on her face at the sight of magnetic mines blasting the reinforcements to pieces. "See that? That's what happens when you fuck with me," said the commander as she looked over at the woman. "If you want to survive the night, you keep both your biotics and your weapons pointed at them. Do I make myself clear?" she asked threateningly as her grip tightened.
The woman's gaze turned to Shepard, still holding the look of horror as she realized her affiliation had been discovered. Shepard could see the woman's biotic aura dancing over her skin, but she knew due to the impotent power that it was more of a nervous reaction from her lumaline than any kind of attack. Finally, she nodded.
"Good. Hopefully, when this is over, you'll be able to live your life without relying on their kind," she said as she turned towards the smokey landscape.
"Shepard, you have some survivors from your welcoming committee advancing over the grounds. And they do not look happy at all," said the asari spectre.
Shepard could hear the smile in the woman's voice, making her chuckle lightly. "Then let's lay out the welcome mat," she said as she pulled her sniper off her back again.
"Shepard!" shouted Liara as she finally stumbled up to the barrier in full armor.
Looking at the doctor, Shepard smiled behind her helmet. "Good to have you, Liara."
"Apologies! This place is so large!" she said as she stepped up next to the barricade. "Did I miss much?"
"Got here just in time actually. We've got another wave of dogs who need their noses smacked," said Ash as she readied her assault rifle.
"S-Spectre…" said the commando, her expression still in shock as she tried to speak. The spectre looked at her curiously. "This wave will have heavy weapons."
"What kind?" asked Shepard curiously as she looked the woman up and down. It was clear that while this asari was a commando that was hired to disrupt the defense forces, she was a fairly new one. A more experienced commando might have attacked when threatened or even kept the information to herself.
"Lightning arc weapons. They were only to be used as a last resort…" said the asari as she gripped her weapon tightly. "I... I do not wish to die here, Spectre."
Sighing to herself, Shepard turned towards the horizon. "Liara, can your biotics stop them?"
"I'm unsure, Shepard. But I'm willing to try," said the doctor as her own biotics flared up too.
"I will assist her," said the commando.
Activating her comm again, Shepard nodded. "T'Laya. We've got troopers on the ground with heavy weapons. I need you to take them out as soon as you see them light up."
"Understood, Shepard," replied the asari as the comm went dead again.
"Alright, this is their last shot! Get yourselves ready!" commanded Shepard as she pulled her sniper rifle free.
Defense Station Four - Teyra Estate - Republic of Serrice - Thessia
"So, why are we heading for Station Four?" asked Tali curiously as she followed Garrus through the halls.
"Apparently, the Lieutenant was attacked after someone drew the rest of the non-infiltrating commandos away from Station One. The call came from Station Four and turned out to be fake. So that means that one of the commandos at Station Four set him up," said Garrus as he entered the final stretch of the hall.
"Oh... he's alright, right? I mean, he's not hurt or anything, is he?" she asked as casually as she could.
"He's fine. He had Wrex to help him. But now, we have to figure out who…" he said, then stopped as he saw an asari approaching with her biotics already lit. Raising his weapon, he yelled loudly, "Halt! Take another step and-" Suddenly, the asari waved her hand and the turian flew up and smashed into the ceiling before hitting the ground.
Tali immediately responded with a neural shock from her omni-tool. The asari yelled loudly and held her head as the electric shock stunned her. Garrus immediately rose to his feet and raised his weapon again, but another biotic attack threw both the quarian and turian back down the hallway.
"Ugh…" groaned Tali as she got to her feet and pulled up her shotgun. Quickly, she sent shots down the hallway, trying to score on the commando, but the woman held a powerful shield up that stopped any shots from going through.
"We have to get her to drop her barrier before we can attack. At the same time, she has to drop it in order to attack us," said Garrus as he too got to his feet.
"I have a plan. Here, take this," she said as she planted something in his talons. Looking down, he saw the device and immediately knew what her plan was.
Gripping the electronic device, he dashed forward and shot at the barrier while Tali continued to shoot from her own side. Unfortunately, the woman easily blocked them, then sent Garrus crashing into the wall. As he hit the ground, he rolled onto his feet and began shooting again as he backed up to gain some distance. "Damn. Her biotics hit like an airbus," he complained as he rejoined Tali.
"Almost there. Be ready," said Tali as both of the two stepped backward, wanting to keep their distance from the biotic juggernaut that was marching towards them. Finally, the woman stepped over the device that Garrus had planted on the floor beneath some of the debris that his collision with the wall created. As soon as she stepped over it, Tali activated it and it exploded. But not with fire. Instead, it exploded with so much force that it launched the woman forward.
Garrus moved forward and swung with a kick that successfully landed in her thigh, causing his spur blade to slash open her blue skin and splash the ground with purple blood. Gasping, the woman hit the ground next to a small fountain of water but ignored her wounds and rose up on her remaining working leg.
"Damn. I have to admit, she has resilience," said the turian as he tried firing again, only to be stopped by the barrier once more.
"That's it!" shouted Tali angrily as she charged forward. Raising her shotgun, she blasted the barrier twice before her heat sink ejected. The woman groaned in pain at the strain that the shots caused her, meanwhile, Garrus continued to pelt her shield with more shots. "Lay down, let us cuff you, and we'll dress your wound. If you continue to resist, you will be killed."
The asari glared at her and dropped her shield, attempting to warp the quarian's suit. But Tali moved faster and caught her wrist, sending the biotic attack into a nearby column. The stone crumbled to dust as she kicked the woman directly into her injured leg. The asari gasped and fell to one knee before the quarian spun around and kicked her as hard as she could across the jaw.
The biotic's body flew and landed face down in the water of the fountain. Her biotic aura vanished as she splashed and floated face-down across the rippling surface. Garrus approached and eyed the infiltrator with his weapon drawn. Stepping over the small fountain, he entered the water, then reached down and gently pressed his talon to her neck. "Oh…"
"Oh what? Is she alive?" asked Tali as she held her shotgun trained on the asari.
"Well, I was checking for a pulse, but it turns out that you broke her neck," said the turian as he faced the quarian. "That was a hell of a kick."
Sighing, Tali lowered her weapon. "I haven't used hand to hand in a while. Not since Shepard found me on the Citadel. I guess you kind of lose your sense of control."
"I know a few turian drill instructors who would be impressed," he said as he turned towards the nearly destroyed hallway. "Let's check up on the other asari. With her here, she may have left behind more traitors, or bodies."
Defense Station Two - Teyra Estate - Republic of Serrice - Thessia
Liara groaned as the lightning from the arc weapons smashed against her biotic barrier. The devices sent flashing bolts across the landscape, lighting the scene up as the last wave of invaders tried to penetrate the compound. Shots were heard firing from above, but despite the relentless sniper's attempts, the heavy weapons still fired.
"They're working in teams now. Any time I take one's barriers and shields down, they swap out with another. And unfortunately, my rifle can't keep up with their pace," growled the asari spectre.
"That means we need to assist. Ash, you're with me. You two, hold the barriers until I say to drop them!" shouted Shepard as she looked at the gunnery chief. "You know how to use long range?" she asked as she passed over another sniper.
"I'm not a surgeon like you, but I can manage," said the soldier as she took the weapon and readied it.
"Right. Ready on the barricade," said the spectre as she laid the weapon across the shield. We're both aiming for the same target. Far right, holding arc projector, center mass," she ordered as Ash followed her example. "Ready, drop!"
Liara and the commando both dropped to the ground to avoid the lightning as Shepard and Ash fired at practically the same time. The asari unit holding the arc projector lost her shields, then the second round slammed into her barriers, nearly knocking them down. Suddenly, another shot rang out from above and blasted through the barriers and killed the insurgent. Liara stood and projected the barrier once more with the nervous commando following suit.
"One down, twelve to go," groaned Ash as she allowed her rifle to cool off.
"Shepard," came the call from the spectre. "Perhaps this is a bit unorthodox, but do you think you could aim for the weapons?"
Cocking her eyebrow, Shepard turned her scope towards the weapons themselves. "They're big enough to hit. You heard her, Williams. You go for far left; I'll go for far right."
"Roger!" said the soldier as she turned her scope towards one of the projectors.
"Center mass, exhale, squeeze, fire twice to bypass shields," said Shepard to the chief as she lined up her own target. "Drop!" Immediately, the barrier dropped, and the lightning crashed into the doorway, splintering it as both rifles fired at the same time. The snipers ducked behind the barrier, shielding themselves from the falling debris.
Shepard's target dropped the projector as the entire handle, trigger and all were blasted from the weapon. Ash's target exploded outright, killing its operator as the round penetrated the fuel cell and exploded. And the third and final target managed to discharge the weapon before the round hit, causing it to spin wildly. The lightning swung from the house and scored on one of their own squadmates, cooking her from the inside out before it overloaded and crumbled.
In the span of a minute, all remaining units from the attack dropped the scraps of the heavy weapons and fled the scene immediately. Shepard watched them go over the barrier and sighed to herself as she leaned against the shielded wall. "Good job everyone. Hopefully, they've learned their lesson."
"Everything good on your end, Commander?" asked Kaidan through the comm.
"Finally. All stations report in," she ordered as she stood up and headed inside the shattered door of the manor.
"Station One is secure. We had an incident, but it's been taken care of," responded Kaidan again.
"Station Three is secure. No incidents," replied an asari commando.
"Station Four was taken out by an insider. One casualty, two injuries, and a dead infiltrator," came Garrus's call.
"Station Five is secure. We had one of our own turn, but we put them down ourselves," responded the last station.
"Glad to hear we're still up. I doubt they'll have the means to respond again before Serrice is able to bring in their gunships. By then, it'll be too late," said Shepard as she reached up and removed her helmet, letting out a sigh of relief.
CODEX ENTRIES
Althiryte | Translation | Y'Valtic
A word coming from one of the less commonly spoke asari tongues known as Y'Valtic, althiryte refers to the peak of perfection. Sometimes used when referring to the Goddess Athame, it is more commonly associated with an organized crime syndicate known for its work in drug and illegal firearm trafficking throughout asari space.
Laser Targeters | Technology | Military
Laser targeting was originally phased out of weaponry once mass accelerator weapons began using VI aiming assistance. But it is still commonly used when dealing with infiltrators that use light bending technology for camouflage. When pointing a beam of light directly at a target who uses this form of stealth, their own camouflage bends the laser, making them glow like a beacon. For this reason, many doorways to important buildings have security checkpoints that shine hundreds of lasers into any entrance into the grounds.