Of Clichés and Tropes

Chapter 2- The Mission

Sakura Ryder and her team were in the garage getting their gear ready.

The Pathfinder had put on a blue and white Angaran designed armor. And attached her Remnant sweeper assault rifle, Isharay sniper rifle, and Ushior pistol to their magnetic attachments and sheathed her Firaan to her holster.

Jaal was now dressed in a black under-suit and armor with his purple rofjinn over it, and had a visor over his right eye, his modified Kett designed Lanat sniper rifle attached to his back magnetic attachment on his armor.

Peebee was now in silver Asari armor, with her pistol holstered.

The plan was to go in with the Tempest in stealth mode, silent running. Land, and go to the source of the problem.

Kallo was heard over the intercom. "ETA Eos ten minutes."

Kallo had flawlessly gotten the Tempest landed, the Kett no wiser.

And now Sakura stood with Peebee and Jaal near Kandros, along with several APEX and Angara Resistance squads. The rest of the Pathfinder team was nearby.

Sakura looked to Kandros. "What is the situation?"

Kandros spoke, his tone serious. "The Kett are preparing something. And we've detected a signal in a cave, but the Kett could trap us in there without a diversion. So we and the Resistance will be the diversion, while you and whoever you bring with you will investigate."

Sakura nodded once. "Peebee and Jaal will come with me." She turned to Cora. "I am making you the squad leader of the others of our team. Help Kandros."

Cora stood at attention. "Understood."

Kandros spoke. "Ready?"

Sakura turned to the Turian. "Yes."

Thanks to the diversion Kandros and the others were causing, there was sparse resistance leading to the cave.

SAM intoned. "Pathfinder, a mysterious signal is coming from within the cave."

Sakura nodded. "Noted. Jaal, Peebee, stay close."

Into the cave the three went. At first it was all natural, then they noticed bits and pieces of green Kett tech. Around a corner they noticed what was emitting the signal. Some kind of Kett transmission device.

And heard the voice of, unmistakably, an Ascendant. "You've walked into it this time, Pathfinder!"

The team looked up to the ledge.

And saw the green armor clad, bony skeletal figure of a Kett Ascendant.

Next to the Kett was a new horror- an Exalted Asari. Head fringes of bone, black piercing eyes and slender body.

Sakura gasped. Exalted Asari had only showed up since the previous week.

Peebee's voice had a hint of horror. "By the Goddess..."

Sakura knew she was horrified, she rarely said 'By the Goddess' unless it was something like this, or something extremely sad.

Sakura threw a biotic Lance at the Kett Ascendant, who then blocked it with an orange-red corrupted bioelectric barrier.

The Kett glanced at the Exalted Asari. "Bring the ceiling down. But be careful, want that Angara alive."

Sakura glared. "That won't happen-!"

The Asari unleashed a biotic storm, catching everyone off guard.

Sakura was thrown against the cave wall, and knocked out.

Sakura opened her eyes and coughed. She realized she didn't get crushed by rocks, and saw Peebee nearby, who was getting up. The Pathfinder stood on her feet and spoke through the comms. "Jaal? Are you okay?"

Jaal's voice was pained. "Ugh...no...I..." then silence.

Panic settled in Sakura's stomach. "Jaal! Where are you?! SAM! Any idea where-?!"

SAM intoned. "I am detecting a neurodepressant compound in his system."

"No!" Sakura saw that the rockfall was too thick for her and Peebee to move quickly with biotics, and ran towards where they entered from, Peebee close behind. "I won't let you have him!" She ran fast with her biotic aura alight. They left the cave system and headed around the mountain. She saw a drop ship in the distance, and the same Kett from earlier dragging Jaal into it. One of them took notice of them, and hurried with take off.

"No!" Sakura threw a Lance, which flew past the drop ship as it took off. She screamed.

Peebee put a hand on her shoulder, getting her attention. "I see another arriving drop ship, we can hitch a ride!

Kandros was heard over the comms. "They're pulling out! Heading to their cruiser!"

The two women looked to see a cruiser lifting off, likely preparing to go into orbit.

Sakura's despair turned into a burning resolve. "Let's go!" They ran to where they saw a drop ship arrive to pick up Kett awaiting extraction. Sakura connected her comms to her team and the Tempest. "Return to the Tempest, we're boarding that cruiser. They took Jaal, and I am not losing him like this!" And they gathered the energy they could muster, jumped, and landed on top of the drop ship. And with biotic infused hands, punched into the hull and hung on as the drop ship shot towards the cruiser.

Once the drop ship was in the cruiser's hangar bay, the Pathfinder and Asari waited as it landed, and the Kett left.

Sakura looked at Peebee, and nodded.

The Asari did likewise.

The two flared up their biotic auras and jumped down, flattening several Kett. And the survivors were finished off down to a single individual quickly.

The last surviving Kett in the hangar bay was being held by Sakura by his under-suit, her voice betraying her rage. "Where. Is. Jaal?!"

The Kett laughed. "Soon, you'll lose your Angara. It'll be one of-GACK!"

Sakura had punched him into a wall with such fury it dented, then chucked a crate into the helpless Kett. "SAM, mark the holding cells!" She knew that's where Jaal would be, this wasn't her first time boarding a Kett cruiser. She had done so with another when she helped Bain Massani and his team free captive Angara on the ship.

SAM was heard. "On it, Pathfinder."

Sakura ran down the metallic green halls of the Kett cruiser, washed in blue and green light. We're coming for you, Jaal!

Peebee kept pace beside her.

SAM intoned. "We're currently in Faster Than Light transit. Long range FTL mode. Tempest in pursuit following FTL wake, thanks to quick thinking from Kallo."

Long range?! Shit! Sakura quickened her pace. "Any idea where they're going?"

SAM's reply was quick. "Unknown. But long range points to the possibility they're leaving the cluster.

"We don't have much time then, before we're out of range." Sakura was now running at maximum speed with Peebee beside her. "How's the Tempest holding?"

Sam intoned. "Kallo is fighting to maintain their position in the wake. Unstable. Estimate thirty minutes until he is forced to leave the wake, no more."

As they neared the holding cells, they had to fight several Kett soldiers and Wraiths. SAM was quick to deal with obstacles in their path in the form of locked doors quickly.

Before long, the Pathfinder and the Asari stood in front of a large set of green doors.

SAM was heard. "I can unlock, but biotic assistance is required."

"Right, locked down tight." Sakura's eyes furrowed in concentration. "No problem. Peebee, let's do this!" Her biotic aura was alight.

Peebee flared up her aura too. "Right."

Both women directed their biotic energy at the door. Sakura's at the top half, Peebee to the bottom half. The energy, combined with SAM unlocking, forced both doors open.

SAM intoned. "Observe before rushing in."

Sakura knew he was being a bit worried. He had grown as a AI, being connected to her. And now had an awareness of her ways.

Inside was, as expected, a large holding area. Half a dozen Kett and an Kett Ascendant.

And the Ascendant was standing next to...

Jaal! He was in a stasis field similar to the one the team was caught in on the Archon's flagship.

Jaal's facial expression. Sakura's heart hurt at the terror he must be experiencing. More terrified than when we were caught in that trap in the Kett flagship… She spoke through gritted teeth. "With me." She ran in followed by Peebee.

The Kett Ascendant lifted Jaal's chin with his hand, and the Ascendant's face was close to his. A sneer. "The Pathfinder will never see you again. And you'll never see it again."

Sakura's biotic aura flared. "Get away from him!"

SAM's concern was audible. "Stay away from the markings, possibly stasis field projectors."

The Asari whipped her pistol out. "I'll deal with the soldiers!" She threw Pull orbs at the Kett soldiers and dodged the fire of the Kett Soned assault rifles of the Kett Anointed.

The Ascendant turned to his left upon hearing the Pathfinder yelling, running footsteps, gunfire, and biotics. He saw the Pathfinder was steps away, fist and arm surrounded in a blazing blue-white biotic aura. He was frozen in shock.

Sakura landed a rock solid biotic punch to the Kett's chest with a sickening crack. "Keep your filthy claws off of him!"

The Kett Ascendant went flying for dozens of feet before slamming into a wall and sliding down, unconscious or dead, she didn't know, but the Ascendant didn't move.

Two Kett Chosen still stood a distance away.

One had his weapon pointed at Sakura but was trembling and petrified with fear.

The other turned and ran, before Peebee's Pull struck him from behind lifting and pulling him up. A biotic Lance followed, hurling him haplessly into his comrade, the force sending both into the wall with enough force to dent it.

Sakura brought her breaths under control, biotic aura dissipated. Even if they were monsters, she still knew that Chosen and Anointed were once Angara before they were twisted into monsters by the cruel process of Exaltation, so cruelly snatched from their friends and families and their souls gone forever.

Jaal whispered, his voice strained. "Sakura."

Sakura turned to the lone active stasis field, and the relief on the Angara's face was visible. "Jaal!" She ran to him and quickly activated her orange omni-tool. "We're getting you out of here!" She pressed some buttons. "SAM."

"On it." A few seconds passed and SAM spoke, his tone one of urgency. "Disconnecting field, there might be disorientation. Might set off alarms. Use the side corridors."

Peebee was at Sakura's side. "Taken care of the ones here."

Sakura nodded once. "Keep a lookout."

"Will do." the Asari walked, keeping lookout while avoiding the stasis field projectors on the floor.

The golden field flickered, and vanished with a crackle.

Jaal landed on the floor and his legs nearly buckled.

Sakura caught him, one arm around his torso, she pulled his arm around her neck for support. Concern in her voice. "Are you okay?"

Jaal breathed deeply. "Not feeling so well, darling one."

Sakura took a look at her omni-tool, at the scanner button, would allow her to know what was wrong. Once they got off the ship...

Alarms blared loudly, pulsing orange lights at the corners and over the doors.

Peebee nearly jumped. "Sakura, we need to go!"

Jaal's eyes widened. "We don't have long."

SAM was heard, speaking like a Salarian in a hurry. "Side corridors, marked them! The way to the escape pods. Run and shoot, use your biotics."

Sakura held Jaal's arm around her neck. "Let's go!" She headed to the nearest door, wary of the markings on the floor.

Peebee took the lead, biotics flaring and pistol in hand.

The door opened, revealing another long corridor.

Through hallways they ran. They could hear Kett, and beasts, coming through doors to the sides moments after they had passed the halls they were in. Twice, Peebee had to send a Throw the direction they had come from at pursing enemy forces.

Whipping around the corner leading to the escape pods, the three came to a halt.

A half dozen Kett soldiers, lead by an Kett Destined, stood at the other end of the hall.

Peebee quickly put up a biotic spherical barrier protecting herself, Sakura, and Jaal.

The Destined was first to speak. "Hand over the specimen."

Sakura glared, if looks could kill, she would have turned the Destined into Kett barbecue. Her voice hid barely contained rage. "His name is Jaal! And he's not a fucking 'specimen', you bony creep!"

Peebee swore she saw the slightest of biotic aura. They keep it up, and they'll learn what 'biotic goddess' means. She took notice of the Kett next to the Destined, she gasped and her blood ran cold. Oh no!

The Exalted Asari was here too. And she looked, for a lack of a better term, angry. "I will drain you dry!"

Peebee stood her ground. Her biotic aura flared vibrant blue and white, the shield itself started to issue blue-white biotic energy. "After I blast them back, go! Get to the escape pods! Will be behind you!" She gathered up the energy into a forward barrier, and despite the pounding the Kett were laying on it, thrust the barrier forward.

The Kett firing at them were blasted off their feet. And the lone standing one, the Exalted Asari, caught her energy stream and advanced, obviously under incredible strain.

Peebee screamed, pushing her biotics to their limits. "I won't let you!" The biotic storm became so ferocious that the Kett getting back up from being blown over in addition to the Exalted Asari were thrown back and pinned to the wall.

Sakura and Jaal quickly ran to nearest escape pod, the way clear.

And soon heard Sakura's voice. "In now!"

Peebee stopped her technique, and despite her exhaustion, dashed for the escape pod. She heard footsteps behind, and threw a Lance back to where she ran from, catching a Kett Chosen in the chest with it and throwing the Kett backwards.

She jumped in, spun around in midair, and threw a powerful biotic Throw at more approaching Kett, throwing them off their feet.

She landed on her back, and heard the door slam shut. Her vision was spotty, one of the first signs of biotic energy exhaustion. She rolled over to crawl on her knees. Grabbing one of the seats, the Asari pulled herself in, and pulled down the restraints. They locked with a click.

Knowing the door was shut, Sakura looked out the window, at the vibrant blue FTL tunnel. "Are you sure about this, SAM?"

SAM was heard while the escape pod prepped for launch. "Yes. Mid-FTL escape pod launches are possible. Inertial dampening must be at max, already are. The problem is you don't know where you'll end up. Since I am still connected to the Hyperion and the Tempest, I should be able to pinpoint our location."

Sakura nodded. "Everyone ready?"

Peebee was heard. "Yes, strapped in."

Jaal's voice still sounded weak. "Yes."

SAM intoned. "Get ready." He begun the countdown. "Launching in 3. 2. 1."

Sakura watched the walls of the tube vanish behind the pod. Everything outside was blinding blue. The inertial dampening reduced the G-forces and turbulence from fatal to a slightly bumpy ride.

SAM's voice was heard, relief in his tone. "Coming upon a celestial body. A planet, Eighty percent chance it is a garden world."

The blue effects of FTL travel dissolved into stars. And a verdant garden world laid ahead. Sakura sighed. "Wonderful, if its levo we won't have to worry about starving to death at least."

Peebee was heard behind her. "Convenient!"

Sakura chuckled a bit. This sounded like all those sci-fi vids with conveniently close planets that are livable waiting for those with problems in space, and how they always seemed to land on them when things went bad. She turned on her omni-tool. "SAM, translate the language, so I can fly us down to the surface.

SAM intoned. "Translating..."

The interface translated, and Sakura manipulated the controls. The escape pod sped up, and headed towards the planet.