11/4/2186
Aria's flagship.
"You have got to be fucking kidding me..." Mads muttered. Before stood two men he had hoped he wouldn't see again, or at the very least one of them. It felt like some sick joke Aria was pulling on him. This was her A-team? They were more screwed than he thought.
"Come on, Romanov. This will be wonderful. We'll finally be able to work together." Rorke's attitude wasn't helping one bit.
"Where is Aria?" Mads demanded to know. If he had to stay in a room alone with Rorke, there was a high chance he would shoot him.
"At the bridge. Come on, follow me." William said. At least William was somewhat agreeable in a sense. He wasn't a psychopath. "If it is any consultation, then I'm no more happy to be here than you are. But the people of Omega are being oppressed by Cerberus." William tried to reassure him.
"I can handle you, Sheridan. But this сука?" Mads gestured to Rorke. "No, absolutely not."
"You best calm down, Romanov. Whether or not you like it, we're family now. Sons of the Alliance makes us Brothers." It was like Rorke enjoyed pushing his buttons… Which he probably did.
"Listen here, Мудак. We are not friends, not now and not ever. I'm here because this is vital to the war effort. I could care less about you and Aria's ambitions." Mads replied with a harsh tone, but it probably fell on deaf ears. Luckily, Aria was just in sight now. She was talking with one of her lackeys about the fleet's strength.
"So glad you could make it, Romanov." Aria greeted as she closed the call.
"I see you have captured a Cerberus vessel. What do you intend to do?" Mads asked. He was curious about her battle plan.
"We use the cruiser to get in close. Distract them. When the time is right, we use all its firepower to take out their flagship. When that's done, we'll bring in the entirety of my fleet. Punch a big fat hole through their line and land on Omega." Aria explained.
"And you actually think we can win when you have this asshole here?" Mads pointed back to Rorke.
"As far as I'm concerned, Romanov. I can't lose. Either we win this, and you will get your ships, eezo and soldiers and I get to go back to being a happy little pirate, and I'll even forgive you of past sins… Or: We both die, and I get to spend eternity in hell… Tormenting you." Rorke answered.
"Then I hope we fucking win this." Mads remarked.
"Romanov. Whether you like it or not, you and Rorke have to work together. I know there is bad blood between you two, but I need both of you if I want Omega back." Aria all but ordered.
"I can keep my temper in check, if he can." Mads reassured Aria.
"Oh me? I'm as cool as a cucumber." Rorke laughed, and that fucking laugh made Mads want to kick the shit out of him. But, he would keep his promise to remain calm.
"Aria? We are about to enter the relay. Are we ready?" Bray asked.
"Are the guests of honor ready?" Aria turned around and asked. They all nodded.
"Yes we are. I don't think we'll get more ready than this." Mads replied, and everyone agreed.
"Good." Aria simply said. She barked some orders to Bray, who was at the steering wheel of the Cerberus cruiser. Bray flew through the relay as the only vessel. Aria certainly had this planned.
"So how did you get caught up in this?" Mads asked Sheridan as he closely watched what unfolded between Aria's pilot and the Cerberus flight control center.
"Rorke approached me on the Citadel. Played on my good nature to lure me out here. If it wasn't for the fact that he basically promised you would be here as well, then I might very well have walked away. But I need you to promise me something, Romanov." William lowered his voice to make sure that no undesirables would hear them. "I'm here to help the locals. They are being treated like Trash. Lined up against the wall and shot. I know that Rorke will back Aria up at every turn, feed her ego and all that. But I need a counter weight to all of this. I know you care about the innocents, so please help me in making sure that Aria doesn't completely fuck them over." William requested.
"I'll try. But my priority is still getting those resources. I won't hurt the locals in anyway, I can promise you that much." Mads reassured him.
"Thank you. I made contact with one of the Gang Leaders on Omega. I didn't get a name, but they requested I help them in saving the lives of the innocents." William informed him.
"What gang?" Mads asked.
"They are called the Talons. It can't be the previous leader, since all he cared about was money. My best guess is that someone with an actual heart made their way into the leadership position." William replied.
"Or maybe they are playing you? Like Aria and Rorke are playing you." Mads suggested.
"Maybe, but my guts tell me this is legit. But, let's not vent these ideas in front of Rorke and Aria." William requested again.
"Sure." Mads accepted. Mads knew that William card deeply about those less fortunate than him. He had been in their shoes multiple times. Growing up alone in some shit hole city on Earth must have been rough, but then again; you never had anything to compare it with. Seems like each of them had been dealt a bad hand in life. Rorke had his entire family slaughtered at the hands of Batarian slavers, Sheridan lost his entire unit on Akuze… And Mads lost his entire family when he was shot. Gone in the blink of an eye.
"Get us in close. Nice and slow." Aria instructed Bray. They had used a recorded line from the previous captain to get in close. No doubt that information had cost the Captain more than a few fingers. Aria seemed confident in her plan, but something told Mads that Petrovsky wasn't a pushover. He would fight just as hard as Aria to remain in power. "FIRE!" Aria ordered. The cruiser fired upon the Cerberus Command ship, destroying it in seconds.
"Nice one!" Rorke remarked as he watched the damage unfold on a screen.
"Send the entire fleet through!" Aria ordered. Within seconds, the entire terminus fleet poured through the relay to join their fight. But even with this backup, it was clear that they wouldn't last too long out here, as exposed as they were. "We're through. Head straight for the station." Aria requested.
"Copy that… We're being hailed by the General." Bray replied.
"Put him through. This should be interesting." Aria granted. Bray did as requested and put the General through the comms. Petrovsky looked human, at least compared with his colleagues within Cerberus. He probably represented the more conservative elements within Cerberus, if Mads had to take a qualified guess.
"Aria. I knew it was you. You're the only one reckless enough to attempt something like this. You'll never make it, so I would suggest you call it off now." Oleg advised.
"I'm afraid you can't really convince me to do much of anything, General. But maybe my partners have something they wish to share." Aria replied. Mads, William and Conrad stepped up.
"My, my. What an unlikely trio. Your lover and most loyal lackey, Mr. Conrad Rorke. The sad Alliance and Cerberus failure, Mr. William Sheridan… And last, but not least, the famous Captain Romanov; The hero of the Citadel, killer of the Collectors, The Red Eagle!… So many great titles." Oleg certainly held little love for the other two, but it was clear that there was an underlying tone of sarcasm.
"General Oleg Petrovsky. I have heard a great many things about you as well. The Alliance brands you as a brilliant Officer… But Aria here has… Less than flattering things to say about you." Mads replied
"Well, that probably stems from the fact that she is not used to being defeated- It clouds her judgment. And it's a pity you left Cerberus, Romanov. With talents such as yours, we could have gone far together. Though, we all sabotage ourselves in ways. I guess your sense of morality is your greatest weakness… The same could be said about you, Sheridan. Your biotic skills were to be applauded, but you would rather hold an old grudge than to recognize all the good we have done for you." Oleg theorized about each of them. He knew that Aria was considerable stronger when these three men were backing her up.
"So I'm supposed to forget the fact that Cerberus killed my entire squad and poisoned me, and then lied to me? I don't think so." William replied. His anger was noticeable, but it was probably justified.
"And somehow Aria thinks that seeing you three will unsettle me. No matter. Now it's my turn. My sensors show that you have upgraded the ship with Silaris armoring… What a waste. While you were gone, Aria, I took it upon myself to improve Omega outer defenses. My cannons shall cut through you at my command.
"Not going to lie... he sounds pretty confident." Mads tried to reason with Aria.
"Yeah, he does..." Aria agreed.
"So, I'll say it once again. Turn back. This is my final warning." Oleg threatened.
"Let's see what you got, Oleg…. End transmission!" Aria ordered to Bray, who did as asked. "So that went rather well… Set preset course- We're ramming the station. Everyone: Brace for impact." Aria warned.
"What? Ram the station? Are you mad?" Mads asked.
"Now, the fun can finally begin." Rorke remarked.
"Omega has very good kinetic barriers to stop my ships from landing. I upgraded this cruiser with disrupters to take it out on impact." Aria explained, Mads looked at her with a very skeptical expression. "Don't worry your pretty little head about it. We'll probably survive the crash." Aria reassured him, though it wasn't that good of an insurance.
"Unbelievable." Mads muttered as he watched the crew carry out Aria's orders. It didn't take long before Oleg decided to show his power. His upgraded cannons were certainly improved. It cut through the cruiser like a hot knife through butter. It didn't take long before the entire ship was beginning to fall apart. Most sensible people could see it was beyond saving.
"Shields gone! All systems failing!" Bray called out as he desperately attempted to save the Cruiser.
"We can make it!" Aria insisted.
"Don't be dumb, Aria. The ship is gone, call the fucking evac!" Mads practically ordered.
Aria thought about it for a split second. "Urg, fine! Reprogram the pods for the station!" Aria ordered her crew, who did as commanded.
"Come on everyone, let's get going!" William advised the crew. This ship would fall apart in just a few moments.
5 minutes later…
In the chaos of the moment, it seemed that they had gotten split up. Aria and William had ended up on the same shuttle, but Conrad and Mads had ended up on another on entirely. This day couldn't get any worse than this. Not only had Mads learned that Oleg Petrovsky was no push over, but he was forced to fight alongside Rorke.
These fucking ships and Eezo better be fucking worth it… Mads thought to himself as he secured the perimeter. Rorke jumped out of the escape pod and landed straight on a Cerberus trooper. He killed him with his knife. A slow and agonizing death for the Cerberus trooper, but it was to prove a point. Whether or not it was a showcase for Cerberus or Mads, he wasn't sure.
"Aria? Sheridan? Are you guys still breathing?" Mads asked as the last Cerberus trooper fell.
"We are… Rough ride though. Hold on, I'll patch Aria in." William replied.
"Rorke. Status update." Aria demanded.
"Romanov and I survived the crash. But no one else did. We have cleared this building of Cerberus. What is our current objective?" Rorke informed and asked.
"We are going for the defense center. If we don't shut it down, it will blow the rest of my ships out of the sky. Try and meet up with us there." Aria ordered.
"Understood. We'll make our way there." Rorke replied and hung up the call. "Well Romanov. This is your place to shine. Aria believes you are an expert at ground assault. So, do your magic." Rorke said.
"Thank you Rorke. As long as you can follow orders, we'll get there in one piece." Mads replied as he began to move forward. He changed the magazine in his AK as he prepared himself to open the door. Mads really didn't like fighting with Rorke. All records indicate that he is a loose cannon, one that can't be trusted. Mads didn't need variables on his side. Though, Rorke seemed to follow his lead when it counted.
They moved forward, and Mads had to admit that they were deadly when they fought on the same side. The Cerberus troops didn't stand a chance against them. Rorke fought dirty, and Mads' superior tactical know how was invaluable. Together, they made nice headway.
That was until they got to a locked door. Mads began to hack the lock with the hacking software on his omni-tool. Rorke stood behind him, observing him. Just as Mads finished with the hack, he could sense Rorke wanted to do a move. Mads tried to intercept him, but Rorke managed to get in knife out in time and placed it dangerously close to Mads' throat.
"I could kill you right now. It would be so easy… Then pin it all on Cerberus. Tell me why I shouldn't." Rorke requested.
"Because you'll be dead a dozen times if you did." Mads gestured to the Magnum that was pointed at Rorke's stomach.
"I was happy in the Alliance. It gave me purpose. Hannah Shepard was the only one that cared for me when my family was dead. She uplifted me…. And then your snot nosed nephew came along. Fucker couldn't handle real war, and so he took away the only thing that mattered to me." Rorke was furious, and it would seem that the threat of getting shot wasn't much of a threat at all to Rorke. "I might not be able to kill Joseph Romanov… But at least I could get my revenge through his famous uncle: Mads Romanov." Rorke was seriously thinking about cutting Mads' throat. Like it was some sort of lifelong dream for him. Death be damned as long as he got his revenge.
"Rorke. I don't like you, and you certainly don't like me… But you have got to get over being mad at me, and start being afraid of the Reapers… Because they will kill us all if you decide to kill me. I can damn well guarantee it. Now: I am sorry that your family was murdered by Batarians and that you got dealt a shit hand, but the Alliance rules are the Alliance rules. You can't change them… I mean, for Christ sake, the Alliance was ready to offer me on a silver platter to the Batarians after my actions at the Alpha Relay..." Mads explained. Rorke, for his part, remained quiet. He wasthinking about what to do next. Seconds felt like hours, and if Rorke didn't back down soon, then both of them could very well die.
But, Rorke seemed to rethink his revenge plot a bit. He let Mads go and holstered his knife. "You're-… You're right Romanov. Killing you will get me nothing… At least not now..." Rorke finally admitted.
"Good. Now, let's at least agree on one thing: Cerberus needs a good ass kicking." Mads requested.
"Agreed." Rorke nodded.
5 minutes later…
Mads and Rorke entered the defense control area just as Sheridan was disabling the controls and shutting it down. Aria was ordering Jarral to get all her ships to her rendezvous point. She also checked in with Bray as the cannons powered down. He informed her that the place was secure and ready for them.
"So where is this rendezvous point?" Mads asked as he reloaded his AK with a new magazine.
"It's a bunker I established on D-Deck for my more… Sensitive operations... It's almost like… What that name you like to use, Rorke?" Aria asked.
"Fort Knox." Rorke replied as something caught his eye.
"Right, it's as safe as it can be. Utterly impenetrable, has it own secret hangar and dock. Independent life support, power source… You name it, it has-" Aria was interrupted by Rorke firing off a couple of rounds into the security camera.
"Seems like Omega hasn't gone blind or deaf yet." Rorke subtlety advised Aria. This was bad; there was a chance that Oleg knew about their meeting place now. They had to get there in a hurry if they were to save it from Cerberus forces.
"We best get going then." Aria suggested. They all agreed, it was best to not linger around too much. Aria warned Bray over the comms to stay vigilant. The entire crew began to move out. They had a lot of ground to cover, and the Cerberus troopers wouldn't make it easy for them.
During their trip towards the hangar/secret base, Mads discovered that Cerberus had rolled out a lot of new toys for their occupation. Like the improved mechs they were using, which seemed like formidable enemies. The troops stationed here were no joke either. But none of that was as annoying as the barriers that Cerberus had constructed. They had separated the station, and unless you knew ways around the barriers, the game was up. Luckily, this was Aria's station, so she knew every corner of this shit hole. And she was more than happy to show them one of them.
It was hidden within a small store front, behind a fake wall. They took the ladder down to the underground tunnels that had been constructed to allow some people to travel unhindered on Omega. It was nice to known that there were things on Omega that even the famous General didn't know about. It might just give them the edge they needed.
In the dark tunnels, Mads could feel something watching them. He waited for the others to come down the ladder. He suspected it might have been another security camera of some sort, but he was gravely mistaken. As soon as the last boots touched the ground, Aria too began to look around a bit. But, she must have dismissed the feeling, as she was heading off once again.
Then, a figure stepped out of the shadows. It was a Turian, and a female at that. It's not often you see those outside of Palaven. Mads didn't know if the Turian was a threat or not, so he pointed his gun at her. It was unlikely she was with Cerberus, but there could also be another reason.
"Come on, step out where we can see you!" Mads ordered.
"Spirits! Look who is back! Aria herself." The Turian female proclaimed.
Aria took a long look at the Turian as she finally stepped fully out of the shadows. "Well, well. Nyreen. What a surprise. What are you doing here?" Aria asked in a less forceful manner than usual.
"I'm just staying alive. Playing cat and mouse with Cerberus. If it wasn't for these tunnels-" Nyreen was interrupted.
"My tunnels. And I'm sure glad I showed them to you." Aria corrected her.
"If you hadn't, then I would be dead… Or locked up by now." Nyreen replied.
"I'm sorry, do you two know each other?" Rorke asked confused.
"Rorke, this is Nyreen Kandros. Ex-Turian military. We go way back. I got a lot of questions, but I guess they have to wait." Aria explained. "You can follow us, we'll get you to safety." Aria offered, and this was unusual of her. Mads' best guess was that she was more than just an old friend. Probably a lover or something like that, which would explain why Rorke had reactivated his territorial senses.
"Ex-Turian military? Then I hope you can work your magic with that gun, because you'll need it." Mads said.
"Oh, Captain. I assure you, I'm more than ready to put my skills to good use." Nyreen replied. She seemed a bit like Garrus.
"Then let's go." Mads suggested, and they all agreed. William told Mads that they had spotted gang signs from the Talons. William reminded him of what he had said earlier. Though, Mads could sense something wasn't quite right with that whole ordeal.
Sometime later, they emerged from the battle victorious. They had managed to beat back Cerberus quite a bit. Which meant that Aria's hideout was safe… For now at least. It was only a matter of time before the General could regroup and attack again. Mads had to respect the General. He knew what he was doing, and Mads didn't think he was a bad man per say. Just a soldier doing his duty, but the fact remained that he was on Cerberus side, and therefore he needed to be handed a crushing defeat.
Mads could see that a lot of people didn't make it. Cerberus had blown a lot of ships out of the sky, and because of that Aria had fewer men to do an attack with. That meant she needed someone else, and William had already suggested using the Talons. Aria seemed to think it was the best option, but not for the same reasons as William.
Mads wondered if what William had been saying was true or not. The Talons were described as low life drug dealers and thugs by Aria, but William seemed to think they were the only good guys on Omega at the moment. But, what intrigued Mads the most was Nyreen. She seemed to pop out of nowhere, and then help them. It seemed like something was going on. Nothing to mention that Aria and her had history.
However, Aria finally called for a meeting. Saying that they should head out and try and recruit the talons in the fight for Omega's freedom. Rorke seemed hesitant to the plan, while William was pushing heavily for it. William then asked Mads for his opinion, probably in order to make this seem like a democracy… Even though it clearly wasn't. But still, Mads took William's side.
Just as they were about to leave, Bray told Aria that Nyreen had disappeared. Aria dismissed it as Nyreen not liking feeling like she was contained, but Mads theorized there was something bigger at hand. It felt like she had been scouting them out or something like that. But it didn't matter now, there were still bigger things at hand.
William's biotics rivaled even Aria's. He fought like hell against the Cerberus troopers. He fought them like they were the demons from hell. It was clear to everyone that he really had it out for them. He was passionate about it. Rorke fought dirty, but he still fought well. He used tactics that were unheard off in the Alliance, but they were rather effective. They looked more like something the Mercs did. Aria's fighting was mostly based on her biotic abilities, but she still fought hard. This was the woman who defeated the Krogan who used to rule Omega after all.
They were right on top of the Talon base by now. They had fought hard to get here. Cerberus had been fighting them every step of the way, but they seemed more interested in taking down the Talons than they did in killing Aria. Which itself was interesting. The Talons had to be a major thorn in the General's side, because he was throwing big numbers at this.
They managed to break through to the hangar, and when they did, they saw Cerberus troops questioning, rather roughly, some of the captured Talon troops. Soon, they were in a standoff with Cerberus troops. It was only a matter of seconds before it would escalate further. Only neither they nor Cerberus fired the first shots, it was none other than Nyreen. Who dawned Talon armor this time around. They all knew what the clock had struck. Nyreen pretty much cleared all of the Cerberus troops by herself. She was certainly an excellent soldier in that regard.
Nyreen barked some orders to her men, telling them to take care of the wounded and get a move on. William looked pleased as the others called her 'boss'. That meant he had completed his first objective.
"Looks like we found the Talon leader." Mads remarked as he holstered his AK over his back.
"Indeed we have." William added as he and Aria approached Nyreen.
"My, my… Nyreen, aren't you full of surprises?" Aria asked as she came up behind Nyreen.
"The deception was necessary. I had to know what your plans were." Nyreen informed her.
"I hadn't expected you to be the leader." William remarked.
"Sheridan. It's good you could finally make it. I couldn't risk letting Aria know who I was, and since you hitched your ride here with her… Well, I'm sorry I made your job more difficult." Nyreen replied.
"It's no worry." William reassured her.
"I haven't met a street gang that focused on helping people before… That's certainly a new one." Rorke added.
"When Cerberus invaded the Station, the Talons were a mess. I brought… New direction, I guess you could say. And as such, the General has been hunting us ever since. They are currently attacking one of our outposts, so that's where I need to be." Nyreen replied. She began to check something on the Terminal as one of her soldier came up to her and said they were ready to leave. "Aria. Whatever you came here for, the answer is no. Sheridan, I would hope you would come and help." Nyreen requested.
"Certainly. I think you can count on the others as well." William said as he looked back at Rorke, Mads and Aria.
"We have to get Cerberus off this station. We might as well start here." Mads agreed.
"Does Sheridan and the Captain speak for you as well, Aria?" Nyreen asked.
"Not exactly how I would have put it… But yeah." Aria answered, and she looked over at Rorke, who let out an audible sigh.
"I guess we are doing this then." Rorke caved in.
And as such, they all followed Nyreen's lead to where they needed to be. Which was easier said than done. Just how many troops did Cerberus have posted on Omega? It seemed to be almost a division strong or something like that. More blood was spilled on the streets of Omega than usual, which is saying something.
It did confirm Mads' theory that Nyreen was doing something behind the shadows, he just hadn't expected her to be the leader of the Talons, and it seemed like William hadn't either. But, he seemed pleased with the choice he ended up with. Nyreen was fighting the good fight, if that was even possible on Omega.
So, they fought for a long time to get to the outpost, which was under attack. They moved well together, and they all fought hard against the Cerberus troops. All of them had different reasons to hate Cerberus, so there was no lack of motivation on their part. As they moved into the outpost, Nyreen was briefed by one of her men on the current situation of the place. And something called an adjutant was mentioned.
"Excuse me… But what the fuck is an adjutant?" Mads asked confused. This was the first he had heard of them.
"Creatures created by Cerberus. They eviscerate their victims' DNA and make them into new adjutants." Nyreen explained as she handed Mads a Data pad with information on them.
"Some kind of Reaper tech weapon. I fought them before, and they are a nightmare." Aria elaborated.
"I'll second that motion." Rorke agreed.
"They got worse after you left, Aria. Even the General doesn't have control over them. They tore apart the gangs and attacked everyone in sight. As far as I heard, they are mostly locked down. Cerberus did contain the situation..." Nyreen was deeply horrified of them in some way.
"Jesus Christ. That's what Cerberus does… Create things they can't control. It must have been hard." William sympathized. He knew firsthand what Cerberus was capable of doing.
"I saw my closest friends get turned into monsters…. And I had to kill them… Now, If you'll excuse me… I have an outpost to defend." Nyreen replied.
"The adjutants really got under her skin." Aria remarked and Rorke nodded. William went to join Nyreen at her post, while Rorke and Aria stayed behind to discuss something. That left only Mads to roam around and see how the situation was going.
These people were barely holding on to life. Cerberus was making their life a living hell, and made sure they got no time to rest. This must have been a hard place to hold out. So many people displaced, so many people oppressed. How could anyone drive themselves to do such things? Mads had seen it all by now, and somehow he was still surprised by just how cruel man could be.
Mads went up the stairs to check on Nyreen and Willian, who were both bust planning what to do next. There was still a great many things to attend to. Cerberus hadn't even been dealt a big defeat yet, the numbers they lost were nothing compared to how much each life meant for the gang. Just as Mads was listening in on what Nyreen and William were talking about, Aria and Rorke appeared.
"You have done well, Nyreen. But I'll be taking over now. You know what happens to people who argue with me." Aria demanded, and even left a little threat in there.
"And what if I say no? You'll just kill me and take over? My people won't stand for that." Nyreen pointed out, and she did have a point. From what Mads had seen so far, these men and women were committed to Nyreen and her cause.
"Yes… They do seem… Annoyingly loyal to you. But, either way, I'll get what I want." Aria stated.
"Not this time." Nyreen disagreed, which could prove a fatal mistake when in the company of Aria. But Rorke slowly unholstered his knife and prepared for whatever came next, William flared up his biotic to show teeth as well. The situation was tense.
"That's enough!" Mads ordered, and they all looked at him confused. "Cerberus is the one we shall be fighting, not each other! If we want Cerberus off the station, then we have to work together! Otherwise… We'll all be painting houses in heaven." Mads reminded them. It seemed to calm the whole thing down a bit.
"You might be right, Romanov. But the people of Omega are my priority." Nyreen replied.
"And mine as well." William added.
"You take over one gang and suddenly you think you know how to run Omega? Nyreen my dear, watch and learn." Aria said as she stepped away to do something on her omni-tool. It soon turned out that she was going to make a little speech. She was attempting to rile them up, get them ready for the big push. So that was Aria's plan? Throw the citizens at the problem? Nyreen didn't approve as well, and she certainly told Aria as much when she was done with her little speech.
Aria seemed confident in her ability to play all sides. Nyreen and her own. From what Mads could make out from Aria and Rorke's conversation, is was pure fact that Aria knew Nyreen better than most. She knew just what buttons to push to get the right reaction. They both discussed how to best play this situation to their liking.
Suddenly, a new alarm was heard. This outpost would soon be under attack again. "Looks like I wasn't the only one who didn't like your speech, Aria." Nyreen remarked as she got her rifle ready for battle.
"Glad I got his attention." Aria replied smugly. There seemed to be little rest on Omega. Petrovsky was throwing numbers at this problem, probably in the hopes he could tire them down as much as possible. Now, it was onto fighting again. And as such, the next hour would be heavy fighting in order to defend the outpost.
These Cerberus troops seemed a cut above the rest. They used better tactics and seemed to have better training. They fought harder and smarter at the same time. The pushed aggressively, but they loved to flank and distract. Mads could almost admire them, and he suspected it was due to the General. Mads still hadn't formed a full opinion on the General. In some ways, he seemed twisted, but he also seemed honorable. Apparently, he had promised everyone who put their guns down safety, and he had kept his word. He seemed to be just a little bit better morally standing than the rest of Cerberus high command.
Not that it really mattered either way. One way or another, Petrovsky was going down. But the question just remained if it would be a jail cell or a body bag that would be the final chapter in his book. That was a decision he would make when the time came. It was clear that Aria and Rorke wanted him dead; they hated the man with a burning passion. While Willian and Nyreen had some underlying respect for him.
It was nice food for thought as Mads fought against the Cerberus troops who tried to overrun this outpost. He did also wonder just what the Normandy was doing while he was away. He had been the Commanding officer aboard the vessel for a long time now, and it was weird to leave it to someone else. Though he had full trust in Kaiden's abilities as a CO.
Nyreen promised them the Talon's support, but she insisted that she remain in charge of them. Failing to see any alternative, Aria agreed. Though she was less than pleased about it. So, as they returned to the station where Aria had her troops lined up, they began to discuss what should happen next. It was pretty clear to all that the force fields needed to go down if they were to have any chance at winning. If they could do that, then it was just a matter of mass assault. Overpower the enemy and capture them.
But there were many problems with this plan. Shutting off the force fields could have deadly consequences if it wasn't done properly. But, if they could figure out a solution to that, then there were pretty much golden. And Mads had to say, he wasn't as mad about this mission as he thought he would be in the beginning. Rorke mostly kept to himself and Aria after their disagreement. William was proving himself capable, and Nyreen was a nice addition.
They all had a meeting to see where the power for the force fields was coming from. One of Aria's men had located it, and it seemed to be deep in the bowels of Omega's Eezo mines. Ahz, her Salarian assistant remarked that the force fields were blocking access, but luckily Mads and William both spotted the only path through a dark area. One of the many places that had been shut down to give power to the fields.
It was the only option, and so that's what they all agreed to do. Everyone went to prepare before the mission started. Nyreen and William went to discuss something by the medbay, and Aria and Rorke gave out some last minute orders to the pirates and mercs. Mads decided to go and check up with both groups before they headed out. Whether or not he liked it, he was pretty much the middle ground in this. He had no personal stake in this, other than to get the resources for the war. He didn't hate the General like the others did and he wasn't feeling overly sympathetic to the people of Omega like Nyreen and William were.
He understood both of their viewpoints well enough. He wanted to give Cerberus a good kicking, but he also wanted to help those who needed it. He placed himself more in Nyreen and William's camp than the other one, but in the end he would be the one to decide most things. The others couldn't agree on anything at all.
So after speaking with all of them, even Rorke, Mads decided it was time to get the show on the road. It would be another hard day, but it seemed like that was just every other day nowadays anyhow.
On second thought, perhaps going through the powered down processing plant wasn't the brightest idea they ever had. There was certain a reason as to why Cerberus had decided this place needed to be off limits, and the many bodies that decorated the place had to be a warning to outsiders. Nyreen knew right away what was going on here. It was the adjutants he had heard so much about.
It was dark and misty in here, and the smell was all wrong, not usual given all the corpses that were littered around the place. Cerberus had been keen on keeping this thing contained, which meant that the creature was no joke.
"We got to get power back online so we can take the elevator. There has to be a power circuit around here somewhere." Aria remarked. The was indeed the unfortunate thing about it. That elevator was the only way there, and so they had to find the power button.
"Quite so. I would rather fancy leaving the monster room." William replied as they all began to look for a big switch.
"I reckon that if we follow those power lines, we'll find the console." Rorke suggested as he pointed to the cables that ran from the door.
"I got it." Mads said as he decided to follow the cables. They took him up on the roof of one of the station and onto the cables themselves. The others followed him from below as he tried to keep his balance. It was hard to see, his flashlight did little to help him navigate them narrow pipe lines.
"You okay up there?" William asked.
"Like a pig in mud" Mads sarcastically replied as he moved forward. Whatever that adjutant creature was, Mads could hear it roaring somewhere close by. It was only a matter of time before it would strike against them. It was probably waiting for them to be separated, so it could devour them one by one. It didn't take long before Mads reached one of the buildings and climbing inside.
He searched for a little while, but finally he found the power switch. He hit the bottom and saw the light flicker back on. As soon as he did as such, he saw the fucking thing just outside the window, and by God: It was ugly as all hell.
"We might have a problem!" Mads yelled as he prepared to leave the building.
"What do you mean?" Nyreen asked on the other side. Just as Mads was about to approach the door, he got the shock of his life. The adjutant jumped straight through the window.
"That." Mads answered as he heard the others try and open the door to come to his aid, but it appeared to be stuck. Which was just his luck. "Easy feller. I'm not in the mood for another brawl." Mads tried to calm it, but it was rather useful. The adjutant was more than eager to have a fight. "Fine, have it your way." Mads slowly said as he unholstered his magnum. The creature pounced and tried to pin him, but he dodged it just in time. He fired a shot and hit some of the giant Bubos. If anything, Mads figured that it operated similarly to the Reaper made Rachni. Take out all of its bubos, and it will go down.
But one shot wasn't enough. It was just more aggressive than before. It moved fast, too fast for Mads to intercept. It jumped up and down the walls, and tried to charge him like a bull. So, the only way to defeat it was to avoid direct fight and attempt to land a couple of shots after dodging its attacks. After what seemed like hours, the thing finally died and collapsed on the floor.
"Spirits! That thing! It's…." Nyreen was in pure shock. She was afraid of these creatures, and it was easy to see why. They looked like creatures from the underworld. Part of hell's cursed hordes.
"So glad you could join me." Mads remarked as he holstered his magnum again.
"The fucking door was jammed. Looks like you did okay though." Rorke replied as he inspected the corpse. "Eh, you're an ugly motherfucker, aren't you?" Rorke asked the dead creature as he kicked a few times.
"Damn right it is. These things are smarter than they look." Mads advised them. "Let's get going before its friends show up." Mads suggested.
"Won't hear any argument from me." William replied.
It wasn't the last adjutant they would see that day. This place was crawling with them. Mads wondered why Cerberus bothered with these experiments. It was clear they always failed, in every way possible. The dead troops should be evidence of that. They managed to take the elevator up, but they had to fight even more troops on the upper levels. Cerberus was working this place hard. It wouldn't last another month, at least according to Aria. Mads wasn't sure just how much firsthand experience she had with the mines.
The entire place was shaking, as if Omega itself would fall apart at any moment. Fighting through the hail of gunfire and not even having a solid foundation to stand on was a hard combination, but they managed. They fought hard against the Cerberus troops, and they forced their way through to the far side elevator where they could ride up to the upper levels where the console for the force fields would be.
The elevator lifted them up at great speeds. With the force fields down, they could start the new phase, but Aria was more than happy to elaborate.
"When those force fields come down, then this war can finally begin." Aria proclaimed with great enthusiasm.
"Hell yeah." Rorke agreed. "I'm gonna give Cerberus an ass fucking, they aren't ever going to fucking forget." He promised, and Mads had to doubt that it was a promise.
"For some of us, this war was been going on for months." Nyreen replied.
"That wasn't war babe, it was merely a warm up." Aria corrected her, and Rorke laughed. Mads kept his cool, there was no telling what would lie ahead for them. A few more seconds, and the elevator reached the desired platform. Straight away they were greeted with the sight of the main reactor, which meant that the command console should be nearby as well. Now it was just a matter of finding it.
They continued forward, hopeful that it would be smooth sailing from here on in. But it wasn't, and they were fools for thinking otherwise. Just as they were passing through an arena, force fields activated around them, imprisoning them.
"What the fuck is going on?" Rorke asked as he stopped just a few inches from the force fields.
"Looks like the General is being a cleaver fox." Mads replied as he looked around for a possible exit. It looked rather grim, and final.
"I don't care what he is. We're getting out of there." Aria said.
"And how do you propose we do that?" Mads asked as he turned around to face her.
"Give me a moment to think!" Aria demanded, and just as she finished saying that, a small drone came forward. It stopped just before them, and began transmitting a hologram of the General.
"I must admit, your plan of attack was unsuspected and very well executed. I admire your tactical brilliance." Petrovsky was not shy of giving compliments.
"How nice to see you General." Mads replied.
"But, that being said… I knew the reactor would be the hard target. It was your only option. So I planned… Accordingly. I forced you to take this route." But Petrovsky wasn't shy about complimenting himself as well.
"It's really too bad you joined up with the Illusive man, Petrovsky. Mother Russia is burning, and you're out here fighting on Omega?" Mads asked disappointingly.
"Don't you dare question my loyalty to the motherland!" Petrovsky almost yelled back in Russian.
"Then you shouldn't be fighting for the wrong side, сука!" Mads yelled back, but he stopped himself before they would have a full blown argument in Russian before every one.
"You're the ones waging a war for the glory of Aria! But now it's over." Petrovsky reassured them.
"This isn't over until your next of kin can't identify you!" Aria replied with anger boiling.
"Your resilience is something to behold, Aria. Stubborn as a mule, but at least have the sense to know when you're beaten! You have been neutralized, and I can leave you here to rot if I so desire. Give it up now." Petrovsky advised her.
"Never!" Aria said as turned her back on the General and went straight for the force field.
"Aria, what the fuck are you trying to do?" Mads asked as he saw Aria step right up to the force field.
"I'm not going out like this!" Aria answered as she stuck her hands through the force field, and actually managed to create a small hole.
"Holy fucking shit!" Rorke exclaimed as he came over to Aria.
"No Aria, don't!" Nyreen almost screamed. Everyone was confused as all hell, even the General.
"What the hell is she doing?" Petrovsky asked.
"Fucked if I know." Mads replied, not even recognizing who he was talking to.
"Пиздец! You're forcing my hand, Aria! So be it, we'll do it your way!" Petrovsky expressed and pressed a few buttons before his hologram disappeared. Mads could see Mechs starting to appear on the other side of the room, slowly coming forward and into this arena of which they were locked in.
"We've got hostiles!" Mads yelled out as he ran for cover. The other reacted quickly and jumped for cover as well. Aria continued her attempt to open the force field with the help of her biotics. It was incredible to look at, but unfortunately they were a too distracted by the Mercs to fully admire it. These Mechs were tougher than any Mech Mads had ever faced before. They were faster and smarter, but they died just the same. The real problem was the numbers they were coming in. If they didn't get a way out soon, then the Mechs would no doubt overrun them in due time.
Rorke went to cover Aria as some of the Mechs went for her, while the others tried to hold all the other ones at bay. Luckily, the ballistic bullets from the AK made short work of the Mechs' armor, and therefore gave them quite a fighting chance. Not long into the fight, Mads heard his name being calling. Aria had produced a pretty big gap in the force field, and apparently they wanted him to go through.
Mads ran like hell to get through it as they others regrouped around Aria. He jumped through just as Aria was about to give up, which almost costed him his left foot. Luckily, there was no amputation and the mission could continue.
"GO! GET TO THE COMMAND CENTER!" Aria yelled as she picked up her rifle and joined the others. Mads gave a quick nod and sprinted for the love of his life to the command center. He hoped it would be easy once he got there. He had no idea how long they could hold off the attackers, so he had to be quick.
Though he wasn't shielded from any actions either. A few Mechs redeployed to try and stop him, too bad he was pretty much unstoppable. He fought hard to get where he needed to be. Without those ring leaders, this fight would be useless. Omega would fall apart quicker than a rusty Lada. So, he fought off those few who tried to stop him, and finally got to the control center. He quickly swung his AK over his back and went to the main console.
He began to see if it was possible to reroute the power. That way, he could avoid the deaths of Omega's citizens. Just as he was a typing away to try and get it done, none other than the General made an appearance in hologram form.
"Captain, I implore you, don't do this. There is so much at stake here. That reactor powers life support systems for dozen of wards across the station. Shut it down and thousands will die." Petrovsky warned him.
"I know. That's why I'm trying to find a better solution." Mads replied as he continued typing.
"What the hell are you talking about, Romanov?! Shut the fucking thing down!" Aria commanded.
"Romanov Don't! Try and reroute the power away from the force fields!" Nyreen suggested instead.
"That's the idea! Hold tight and I'll get it sorted!" Mads promised as he went back to typing away. He cursed his lack of technology. Everything was still so alien to him in that regard. He used to consider himself quite a tech geek, but that was over 170 years ago.
"Rerouting power to maintain the other systems? Not a bad idea… But, you heard Aria." Petrovsky started, but he was interrupted by the others.
"Have you gone mental, Romanov? Hit that fucking button and get us out of here!" Rorke demanded.
"This is who you are fighting for, Romanov. She doesn't care who lives and who dies." Petrovskyadded, and he had switched to Russian, as if that would make Mads listen to him.
"Don't you dare use our language! You forfeited your right when you signed up with the Illusive man." Mads angrily replied as he continued typing away.
"What the fuck are you waiting for, Romanov? A formal fucking invitation? Hit that fucking overload NOW!" Aria almost screamed.
"She would throw all that life away, and for what?" Petrovsky asked.
"You can't reroute power in time. Just fucking hit that overload!" Rorke ordered.
"Don't! Keep going Romanov. We'll keep them at t bay for as long as you need us to!" Sheridan countered.
"This shouldn't be that hard. Just do it, Romanov. Or is something holding you back? Have you forgotten? Us Russians know sacrifice." Petrovsky remarked as he paced around Mads.
"Fuck you!" Mads spit out as he furiously typed the commands into the console. He would be damned if he didn't do this right.
"Maybe you're starting to think the galaxy might just be better off without her. She'll never learn, she'll never change. Even if you somehow win, then Omega will still lose." Petrovsky was trying to anger him, make him do something rash and stupid.
"Shut the fuck up!" Mads yelled back at the General as he finished the last set of commands. Soon, the reactor began to power down. Things seemed to quiet down as well. Almost instantly, all force fields on Omega went down, and as such… The battle could finally begin. Mads quickly left to get back to the others, who were no doubt very cross with him, or at least Aria and Rorke would be.
They had decided to link up at the control center, so they could figure out what to do next. And true enough, there was quite a bit of tension in the air as they others arrived.
"I should kill you, right here and right now." Rorke said.
"You almost killed us, you idiot. We were getting overrun." Aria added.
"But you didn't." Mads pointed out.
"Romanov did the right thing. He shut down the reactor without sacrificing innocent lives. I feel like we should thank him." Sheridan countered.
"I agree. There was no need to kill thousands." Nyreen agreed.
"Whatever… There is another thing though: Nyreen, you fought bravely against the Mechs in there. It is very impressive." Aria said.
"Where are you going with this Aria?" Nyreen asked confused.
"Why can't you bring the same grit to the fight when facing adjutants? It's pathetic, you tense up at the mere mention of them." Aria asked roughly.
"Hey! That's enough! Nyreen saved your ass back there." William objected.
"I'm trying to help her, Sheridan. Call it tough love. However, that being said, there is indeed a war going on… And I would hate to miss it." Aria replied as she went off with Rorke.
"She was never big on thank-you's." Nyreen remarked.
"Come on, let's get going. We still have a war to win." Mads suggested, and both William and Nyreen nodded in agreement. There was little time to waste.
Some time passed as all hell seemed to have broken loose on the station. Civilians were taking to the streets in numbers, fighting the Cerberus troops every chance they got. But normal civilians could only have the upper hand for so long before Cerberus became organized again and would start pushing back. Which meant they were on the clock. They had to make a coordinated attack on Afterlife, and get the General to surrender. With the General out of the game, the rest of the troops would be easy pickings.
But, there were more troubles to consider. Bray had phoned in and said that Cerberus engineers were rigging the support pillars to blow, effectively making the station collapse on itself. So, they had to split up. Nyreen and William would go and organize the Talons and make sure the fight was progressing as it should, meanwhile Mads, Aria and Rorke would focus effort on stopping Cerberus from blowing the station to kingdom come. Mads wasn't a fan of being selected to go with the wild cards, but he had little say in the matter.
So that's where they were right now. Mads disarming bombs while Rorke and Aria was covering him. If someone had told him a week ago that this would be a reality, then he would have laughed in their face. But alas, many things can come true. Mads was working hard to disarm the bombs, but it was hard to focus with Mechs trying to cut your head off. At least Aria and Rorke were pretty good fighters. They fought very well together, which made sense. They were lovers after all.
"And that's the last one!" Mads proclaimed as he finished disarming the last one. He quickly turned around and shot the head of a Mech trying to ambush him. Cerberus should really redesign these Mechs, they are too loud and easy to spot. Anyhow, they were far from done though.
"Nyreen, what's your status?" Aria asked as Rorke finished up the last ones.
"We're advancing through the Gozu district. We are holding our own, but Cerberus is targeting the civilians. The death toll is… Staggering..." Nyreen replied.
"Save those you can and meet us at the rendezvous point. We'll meet you there." Aria ordered.
"Copy that. We'll do what we can, Nyreen out." Sounded like the fight upstairs was much tougher that what they faced down here. So, they had to get there as soon as possible. So, they moved forward through the venting systems. It was the fastest way to afterlife, and they had to make every second count. Run and shoot as much as possible.
Things were looking grim as they moved on. The adjutants were attacking everyone, civilians and Cerberus. It was a right mess, and no doubt it would make things even harder going forward. They even stumbled across one of the chambers where Cerberus did their experiments on adjutants, and they discovered the foul plans Cerberus had in store with them. It was only right that they shut the whole thing down. Let it all just be a bad memory.
The last stretch was probably the hardest they had done so far. The Cerberus forces were desperate, and it showed in their tactics. They had been calm and collected when they first landed on Omega. Now? They fought like cornered animals. They threw all they had on the table; Mechs, Soldiers and an Atlas. But, Mads, Aria and Rorke's will was like an ironclad. Unbroken and uncompromising. This is what made them so deadly.
And to that end, they persevered towards Afterlife. Never stopping or taking a breath. They were so close that they could practically taste it. But, what remained unsure was how William and Nyreen were doing. Last update they received said that they were going radio silent and attempting some scouting. Mads hoped they were alright.
They passed through a Talon outpost, which were holding the Cerberus forces at bay while tending to the wounded. They passed Mads, Aria and Rorke through and once again told them that they hadn't heard from neither Nyreen nor Sheridan. So, they pushed even harder ahead. They were little time to waste.
They managed to fight their way to the afterlife club, and they all saw Nyreen and William fighting off several adjutants. It looked like it was final for them, but not if Mads had anything to say about it. They had tried to defend the poorly trained civilians from the adjutants, which was noble… But it was backfiring like all hell. Mads had no doubt that both of them would die for the cause without hesitation, but they were valuable alive than with a Halo and a set of wings.
So Mads fired his AK wildly into the herd of Adjutants, which was at least enough to distract them. They were more focused on the new threat rather than their undefended prey. Rorke and Aria joined him in helping Nyreen and William as best they could. Nyreen was completely in shell shock, she had dropped her rifle on the ground, and William was busy keeping the adjutants off her.
They had come just in time, a minute later and they would both have gotten an express ticket to heaven. Luckily, they were both saved. Though Nyreen looked far from battle ready. It was as if the fight had been shaken out of her.
"Are you guys alright?" Mads asked concerned as he came over to check on them.
"I'm fine… But I don't know about Nyreen." William replied as he loaded a new heat sink into his rifle. Mads squatted down in front of Nyreen who was on the verge of tears on the ground. She sat there.
"Are you hurt?" Mads asked as he tried to check her for wounds.
"No… It's just-..." Nyreen had trouble getting the words out. "-I froze up! I thought I could save them… And then- This! I drop my rifle and basically give up! I'm such a pathetic mess!" And now she did let tears out, and seeing Turians cry was indeed a rare things. Mads didn't even know they could.
"Hey… It's alright. We're here. You're safe..." Mads tried to comfort her. Something had happened with those adjutants in the past to make feel like this. "We all have our fears. Our moments of weakness. It is in these times that you remember who or what you are fighting for. I would have said its human nature, but I think it carries across species pretty well." Mads reassured her.
Nyreen looked up at him as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "You're right Captain. We can only move forward." She replied as Mads helped her up.
"Are we done here? I have a General to kill!" Aria exclaimed as she charged forward and into the base.
"NO ARIA WAIT!" Mads yelled after her, but she ran like hell. Destroying anyone and everything in her path to get to the General. Rorke quickly followed after her and tried to catch up to her, but it was proving difficult. The others followed suit and went into the lion's den.
Aria had been so fixated on Revenge, that she hadn't seen the big obvious trap he had laid for her. He caught her in midair trying to kill him, and that left only the four others.
"I'll get you out!" Rorke promised.
"You might as well give up Rorke. If you turn yourself over now, then I'm sure we can find some purpose for you. That goes for all of you. This ends now!" Petrovsky proclaimed from his command center. The former residence of Aria.
"You're right about one thing General. This ends now!" Mads yelled.
"You have killed the adjutants we hadn't finished experimenting on. But these?" The General opened the door down stairs, and several adjutants marched into the room. Looking as hungry as ever. "These are completely under Cerberus control. Though I must admit… I never liked them." Was that a moment of truth? Of Weakness? It didn't matter; the General had thrown a new challenge to them.
And as such, the last fight began. At least four of the best fighters in the universe was gathered for it. They quickly spotted the weak points and divided themselves to go after one each. That way, they could quickly end this. Aria was in considerable pain, it was as if the machine tried to harvest her power, and in turn kill her. No one moved faster and harder than Rorke, he was almost desperate and furious at the same time. The others moved carefully, as to do it right.
As a team, they overcame the General's challenge, quite well in fact. In a matter of minutes, they had all the restrictions down. The last adjutants fell and silence came. There was no more fighting as they heard the General order all troops to surrender and stand down. They could finally breathe a sigh of relief; except Aria, who stormed straight into her former office.
"Aria! Wait!" Mads pleaded as he went after her. He knew she would kill him, suck the very life out of him.
"Captain Romanov. I hereby surrender myself to you." The General said as he stood straight. It did little to calm Aria however.
"That is the most pathetic thing I have ever heard!" Aria proclaimed as she flared up her biotics and bitch slapped him.
"Romanov please! I'm unharmed! And I can give you intel on the Illusive man." The General pleaded.
"You'll say anything to save your skin!" Aria replied as she began to choke the man.
"Aria, lay it off. I need him alive!" Mads said, and it was true. He could prove a valuable prisoner to have.
"But… I- let… You… Escape-…. Omega! I deserve… Mercy!" The General begged.
"Don't listen to him! Fucking kill him!" Rorke all but demanded.
"NO! Keep him alive!" William argued.
"Why are you arguing for the safety of a Cerberus general?" Rorke asked as he spit on the ground.
"Because he was at least honorable. He could prove a valuable informant!" William answered.
"I agree. Keep him alive." Nyreen said. "He gave peace to some of my people." She added.
"Fucking fine!" Aria exclaimed as she released her hold on him and let him fall on the ground. She was still angry, but not as much as before. "Take him with you, Romanov. I don't care what you do with him, just get him out of here!" Aria demanded.
The General slowly got back up and gathered himself. "Captain… Nice to see you could calm Aria down… I tried doing that several times, without success…. I look forward to hearing how you pulled it off." The General said.
"I would shut my mouth if I were you. You should consider yourself damn lucky I think you are worth more than a bullet." Mads angrily replied. "Bray, get him out of here and unto my shuttle." Mads ordered. Bray nodded and grabbed the General by the arm.
"Well Romanov… We did it. I was prepared to kill that man for months, and now? You actually talked me down… Interesting." Aria said.
"Look Aria, I don't care what you and Nyreen do with this station from now on. I just want my resources for the war effort." Mads replied.
"I'll honor our agreement, not to worry." Aria promised. Rorke came up to them.
"It was fun fighting with you Romanov, and don't worry: I won't come after you… Not yet at least." Rorke reassured Mads.
"How great." Mads sarcastically replied as he took out a smoke and lit it up. It felt like forever since he had lost had a good smoke.
"Same goes here, Romanov. It was an honor to fight with you. I do hope we'll fight again someday. I'll make sure to be there when Earth needs to be taken back." William promised.
"Thank you William, and thank you Nyreen." Mads said to both of them.
"I'm the one who should thank you, Romanov. You did a lot to help me and the people of Omega. I will always consider you a friend, and don't worry… I'll make sure Aria runs this place better than before." Nyreen replied.
"I'm sure you will. Anyhow, I have to get back to the Alliance." Mads said.
"Have fun." Rorke replied, and Mads simply give him the finger as he left. This had been one of the wildest things he had done in a while… Actually, no. Fighting the Reapers was still the wildest thing, but this was a close second. At least it was of some use.
Now the matter of returning to Normandy was the only thing left, and then a new mission would come. Though he had no idea just how much he would be enjoying the next mission….