Ashley sat up on the bed as Mordin made a few more adjustments to her new arm. She had just finished telling John about what the nanites had told her, now all she needed to do was wait for a decision to be made. The commander had brought in several Warlords round to update them on the plan, but with the news about the Reapers coming back they needed to end the war against the New Alliance soon. Her own mind began to think, she needed to get back to Eden prime. That's where it all started and that's where it will end.
"Ahh," she grunted as Mordin mad the last finishing touches to her arm.
"There, all done. Nerves are attached, should work better then your previous arm," he smiled before touching his head.
"You ok?" she asked and the salarian doctor just nodded.
"I'm fine, just dizzy," he admitted.
"Headache?" she replied with only him nodded. "That virus again?"
"Even a doctor must admit when he has gone past his prime, but until I die, I'll still be here," he said with a smile and Ashley just patted him on the shoulder for encouragement.
As she did that John walked in. "You both ok?" he asked.
"We're good," Ashley said with Mordin nodding. "What have the other's have to say?"
"We're all in agreement, Mikyle is too be of a threat for us to call another Article meeting. But we can send you with a small team to Eden prime to find this Prothean commander," he said. "That's about it,"
"Not a problem," she said sliding off the bed. "I'll find him,"
John smiled and nodded. "Good to hear, we're going to be launching an all-out invasion in 12 hours. Nukes are loaded and everyone knows the plan, I'll get you the details before you head out,"
"Thanks John," Ashley smiled walking up to him and kissed him on the lips.
OOOOO
The site of Eden prime brought back memories for Ashley, and not all of them good. She had always been haunted by the geth attack, now she was coming back to end all of this. There was something poetic about that. But she had little time to dwell on that fact as she and her team readied to deploy. She didn't need the Normandy for this mission so brought one of the stealth cruisers. In this case she brought along a team of six storm soldiers and 2 elite rifleman teams. Miranda and Jun were also accompanying her. She needed the back up.
"Ok people listen up," she ordered as she hit her comm bead. "Our mission is a simple pick up mission, our goal is to recover a live prothean and bring him back to Earth. I'm not sure how true it is, but it maybe the case that the Reapers are not dead. So, bare that in mind,"
She got a few conformational sounds before she walked up to the cockpit. The pilot flew near an old settlement that was evacuated during the Reaper war and never resettled. The ravens landed and everyone emerged from their respective transports.
"Spread out and secure a perimeter," Miranda ordered. "I don't want any surprises,"
"Sir!" they saluted before moving out spreading out.
As they did, the team made their way to the pre-fab units. As they did the three saw towers in the distance. Their age was clear given the rust and growth on them. No one was around but they kept their guard up, worlds left abandoned tend to have a habit of being occupied by bandits or scavengers. So, places like this were seldom empty. The solders moved into the pre-fab units and began to set up with the storm soldiers cleared the rooms.
The team approached a dig site and looked around. Something felt wrong, it was quiet. Too quiet, and that meant something was around. Miranda moved up to the main consoled before something appeared before she could get to it. A blue hologram appeared before her of someone she recognised.
"Illusive man," she said making Ash turn with her rifle up.
"Miranda, it's good to see you again," he said taking a puff on his cigarette.
"Wish I could say the same, what are you doing here?" she asked.
"The Prothean," he said as he took another puff. "The Reapers are coming back and I need this Prothean to control them,"
"You still think that will work?" Mira asked with a shocked tone. "Do you know how many people we have seen try the same thing? This will be no different. You will become corrupted by them,"
"So short sighted," he muttered shaking his head. "With the control of Reaper technology, we will be able to bring back the human race, with more numbers than before. We'll be able to take our place as kings of the galaxy," that just made Ashley laugh out loud.
"Kings of the galaxy? Seriously? We are in the middle of a war with a man who shares those ideals," she said. "You think you're going to be any different?" she asked. "I've met people like you, people who thing that their race is the best and should take over. You know what happens? They die quickly, they fail to make full use out of their population due to their own bigotry," she approached the hologram. "Their bigoty fails to let others join their fight, and your mission will be the same. The Alliance is gone, the Council, there's nothing for you here,"
"On the contrary, there is plenty for me here," he said before turning to Miranda. "Operative Lawson, I'll give you once chance to join me,"
"Shove it up your arse traitor. You lost my loyalty when you rejected to help the Alliance," she shot with venom. "I have new loyalties now,"
"So be it, kill'em," he ordered and gunfire erupted.
The three dived into cover as the hologram disappeared. Cerberus forces had positioned themselves across a ridgeline and had a good vantage point around the settlement. They managed to track the Solar empire soldiers as they moved in and took positions inside the pre-fab buildings. The problem that they had was that these soldiers where not just the rank and file. These were elite soldiers, something akin to an honour guard for Shepard and his family.
While they were not called it, they did act like it. As soon as the Cerberus forces began to fire, they had already moved into cover and acquired their targets. The storm solders did the same, but as soon as they acquired their targets, they began to open fire. The settlement erupted in gunfire and the team ran to one of the buildings. As soon as they got inside, Ashley hit her comm bead.
"Captain N'talia we're under attack from Cerberus forces, bring the ship in and deploy gunships!" she ordered.
"Understood, moving now," N'talia replied as the team got into cover with the rest of the soldiers.
"COVER THE DIG SITE!" Ashley then followed. "Don't let them near it!" she ordered as she came out of cover and took a few pot shots at a sniper.
The rounds didn't hit much, but they did force him to keep their head down. Garrus was an expert sniper, and he shared what most snipers would do with everyone. Mostly they had one of two mindsets, stay put and focus or move and shoot, with the latter being the most common tactic. If they get spotted, they would move to another secondary vantage point. But this would be an indication of panic and they would likely get sloppy.
Jun focused on a group of Cerberus troopers who tried to move in to try and get into the building. But the storm soldiers forced them away. The weapons that they used were not that accurate but they did manage to take out a few of them. As they moved back the Xia warrior threw a grenade into them. It detonated sending them flying. Her eyes then began to focus on the Cerberus soldiers that surrounded them. Her eyes being more feline than that of the aliens around her, she was a predator and she made use of those honed skills.
Bringing her weapon to bare she switched to semi-auto mod and began to select her targets. Picking her targets carefully she knew how combat in this galaxy worked. Back in her galaxy there was an expectation of respect for the more senior soldiers. You don't target them, until they are the only one standing. But here, while humans used to do that you prioritise targets. And that is what she did here, prioritise the targets in her sights. She fired a few rounds and took out a flame trooper by taking out his fuel tank. It detonated taking out the troopers around him.
While they did have some distance between them, they weren't far enough to be clear of the blast. Shrapnel ripped into them like they were cheese. They fell down dead creating an opening which they could exploit. The Storm Soldiers moved to the opening and began to cause chaos behind the Cerberus lines. As Cerberus forces began to try and counter these vat-born soldiers three gunships descended and began to eliminate the Cerberus soldiers. There was a pause to try and let them surrender but they didn't and the gunships just ripped them into pieces.
With the area secure Ashely walked up to the dig site while Miranda walked up to one of the dead soldiers. They seemed a little off to her, making her question what they truly were. She pulled off the helmet and what she saw almost made her lose her lunch. The Solder was no longer human, but the look of them was too clear in her eyes. They look like husks, TIM was still experimenting with Reaper tech. This was worrying.
Ashely activated the controls and the lift rode up with a cryopod on it.
"Miri," she called and Miranda walked over. "What do you think of this?" she asked presenting the letters to the Scientific officer.
"Humm," she squatted down and looked at the old writing.
She wasn't a Prothean expert, but she could make out a few of the words. "I think we need to wait till we get back to earth," she said. "Let Liara have a look at this,"
Ashley nodded and placed her hand on the pod and her eyes went blank.
OOOOO
"... a few minutes," the Prothean said turning to face a green VI.
"No, the bunker is falling. There is no other option." the VI said as more gunfire and explosions shook the bunker
"There are pods online! Those soldiers are still alive!" the leader yelled not only panicking but demanding to have the soldiers.
"Their sacrifice will be honoured in the coming empire," the leader turned away from the VI in understanding as well as frustration and disgust. "Preparing the neutron bombardment. Get to your lifepod now,"
The leader turned to the VI his lip twitching in anger before running to an open pod and lay in it. The pod closed and retracted into the wall.
"Neutron bombardment underway," the VI announced.
The sounds of explosions and vibrations of the bombardment shook the pod. Soon it stopped and the sound of the building braking sounded sealing it off to the Reapers and the rest of the world.
"The bunker is secure, Commander Javik," the VI announced.
"What is left of it. A few hundred people," he said in a sad tone. "How am I to rebuild an empire from that?" he asked trying to make sense of this whole mess.
"Further adjustments maybe necessary. The neutron purge compromised the facility," That did not sound good, like it or not he needed to know what he was going to be facing in the future.
"Clarify," the Prothean requested.
"Sensors are damaged. Automated reactivation is not an option. You will remain in stasis a new culture discovers this bunker. This may lead to a power shortage," the VI answered as it ran simulations and came to the only logical conclution.
"Do not shut off more pods! I need the few that are left!" Javik demanded.
"Power needs will be triaged appropriately," the VI assured. "You will be the voice of our people,"
"I will be more than that," he said with his teeth baring.
OOOOO
"Yahhhh!" Ashley yelled as she backed up from the pod and fell back.
"Commander, are you ok?" one of the soldiers asked running up next to her.
"Yeah," she said taking deep breath. "Don't touch it, we need heavy lift gear,"
Miranda nodded and backed up. This was going to get interesting.