Normandy Cargo bay – in orbit of Eos
When they reached Eos, the Tempest detached from it. The alarms began to blare inside both ships.
"Multiple Kett cruises detected." Suvi said over the comms.
"Do they detect us?" Shepard asked. Both teams were already inside the LCV-143 Centauro.
"No, we've gone silent the moment we dropped of HyperSpace."
"Alright. Drop us as close as you can from the outpost. After that, signal the Fleet to send help."
"Acknowledged."
The Normandy entered the atmo. When it reached an altitude of 750 meter from the ground, the Sweeper was launched out of the cargo bay.
The LCV-143 Centauro was a prototype land transport/tank destroyer. The vehicle is an 8-wheel drive, it resembled a BTR-90 with a softer, independent suspension. It has a turret armed with a 105 mm autoloader, with triple-barreled 12.7 mm machinegun. All and all, a multi-role vehicle.
When they reached 100 meters of altitude, Shepard activated the thrusters slowing their decent.
"I thought that the alliance had stopped doing this." Cora said, taking shallow breaths.
Shepard's team were used to it. The Pathfinder team was another story, minus Drack, who appeared to be indifferent.
"I don't think I want to do this anymore." Jaal said scared.
"They stopped long ago, Harper." Santos crouched of the turret, laughing. "We do this because we want to."
Jonathan accelerated the Centauro, going top speed through the dunes. Ryder was by his side, working as a navigator. Gabriela on the turret. It took a couple more minutes until they reached the outpost.
It was under Kett attack.
Mayor Bradley was taking cover in the side of one of the pre-fabs, when an armored vehicle jumped down one of the cliffs that encircle Prodromos, landing on the edge of the colony. The IFV speed up until stopping next to him, all while the 12.7 mm gun barked against the Kett. A 2 meters tall human stepped out of the back of the vehicle, followed by other human, an Asari and a helmetless Quarian? What the Hell is happening?
From behind them, the Pathfinder team stepped out, taking cover next to him.
"Hey Mayor, needing some assistance?" Ryder took cover beside him.
"John, take position on top of one of those building. Rayla, cover our flank. Elora, take cover behind those pillars and blast them with biotics!" Shepard was already coordinating his team.
"Yes sir!" they responded in unison.
"Wait!" Bradley said. "There is a sniper in that mountain, on the right." Jonathan could se the flash, coming from one of the elevations on the left side of the mountain, 200 meters always from them.
"Santos, did you hear that?" He didn't get a response. The turret turned 60° to the left, 26° up. The main 105 mm cannon shot a HE Shell towards the Kett. The side of the mountain exploded, sending dirt all over the place.
"What the hell was that!?" An Initiative soldier yelled.
"There is a tank firing at the Kett." Other said.
The Centauro stayed stationary while they advanced. The Kett had taken cover in the first half of the outpost, where the water was. Jonathan advanced, opening fire at the Kett, his gun clicked dry. Before he could reload, a Destined ran at his direction with a Carfalon. Shepard used his strength to hold the Kett by its chest with his right hand, using the Kett momentum to fling it over his head, slamming the Kett headfirst into the ground, killing it. Other tried to attack him, thinking he was distracted, but Shepard was faster, using his left hand to hold the Kett by the neck, with a squeeze of his hand, he broke it.
Ryder used his jump jet to jump over Shepard, slamming the ground, were three Chosen were in the open, with a nova blast. The two of them were in the front. Elora and Cora teamed up to attack with biotic combos, while Drack and Rayla killed anything that got too close. Blackbeard serving as a spotter, also picking up targets as they appeared.
The Kett did not seamed prepared for it. With their attack ruined, the began to retreat. The people of Prodromos cheered.
"Don't celebrate just yet, they will be back." They took Shepard's advice o heart, everyone capable started to mount covers and prepare to the next attack.
He reloaded his weapon, a M108-A2 Assault Rifle, specially made for Spartans since only they could hold the recoil, an assault rifle with kick of DMR. He walked towards Ryder and Bradley.
"So, the Pathfinder just told me who you are." Bradley began. "600 years in the future, that's nuts. But thank you anyway, without your help, who knows what might happened."
"You're welcome, sir. But this isn't over yet. There is several Kett cruisers in orbit. I ordered for a battlegroup to accompany me here. But they will take some time to arrive."
An explosion in the sky interrupted them, as one of the Kett ships broke orbit, in flames. The ship fell next to the Kett base, exploding. The base's shield protected the base from any damage. Shepard looked up, as two Quarian gunships began sweeping the area, eliminating all hostiles around. One of the gunships hovered next to them, from it, a squad formed of a Geth Juggernaut, two Geth soldier and three Quarrian soldiers. The Juggernaut walked towards them.
"Sir. I'm Captain Battalion, and this is Fonn'Xoras, my second in command." The Juggernaut and the Quarian saluted, with his left hand over his chest. "We eliminated the targets in the immediate area, they all retreated to that base over there. We believe that that tower houses the Jammer."
"Thank you, captain. I want you to work with the people here to better settle the defenses."
"Yes, sir." They were in their way to make what was asked, but Shepard stopped them.
"What about the battle in orbit?"
"We won, sir, but a Kett Dreadnaught jumped into the system. We destroyed it but we lost the Wailing Wind." The Wailing Wind was one of the Geth Heavy Cruisers. "I'm sorry sir."
"Shit!" Jonathan though. "You are dismissed." He finally said. He turned to Ryder and Bradley.
"We need to take that jammer down." Ryder said.
"Agreed." Shepard turned his attention to Bradley. "Mayor, I will leave these soldiers to your care, if you don't mind."
"I never thought I would work with Geth, but I will manage." He said, walking away. Ryder put his hand in his ears.
"Everyone. Rendezvous in the Centauro."
They gathered around the armored car, were Ryder explained the plan to invade the Kett base and destroy the Jammer. They all entered the vehicle and Shepard began to drive.
"What are those?" Cora pointed to the Kett SMGs that Rayla was carrying.
"I believe they are called Silhesh, that is Kett for "disorder", they fire plasma like thingys. I just fell in love if them." Rayla replied.
They arrived the Sheer Top, as it was named. The place was open and flat, the Kett ship in flames over there. With the Kett base in the edge. There were some Kett guarding the gate, but the team rapidly took them out. Ryder, with the help of SAM, hacked the gate. They entered the place guns blazing.
"SAM, there is a way to drop the shields?"
"You can use the terminal in front of you, activate it, and the other two others I'm marking, and I can overload the shield."
They followed the instructions provided by SAM. When the shield deactivated, they could hear the voice of Invictor on the loudspeaker.
"I will not stand for this insult. Reinforcements, overwhelm these animals!" More Kett shuttles began to arrive in the base.
"We just destroyed their fleet in orbit. Where the hell these reinforcements are coming from?" John spoke while he shot one of the Ascendant.
"Just keep moving, we need to get to that tower." Ryder spoke as they advanced throughout the base. They eventually arrived in what appeared to be a lift. Rayla hacked the control. Only to a hatch to open beneath them.
The fight ended with them battling the Invictor himself. They shot his orb until his shields dropped. Blackbeard finished him with a headshot that tore his head off. They deactivated the power, tuning of the Jammer. Shepard then ordered the battlegroup to stay in orbit of Eos and recover the bodies of those who died in the Wailing Wind.
They left the tower. Santos started planting charges around the base of the tower, the weight of the thing would be more than enough to take the base down the cliff.
"What is she doing?" Ryder asked.
"Planting explosives." Shepard answered. "We need to make sure that the Kett can't use this base anymore."
After everything was set, they exited the base, looking for a safe spot to detonate the explosives.
After they reached safe distance, Gabriela activated her omni-tool, exploding the charges. The tower came down towards the base, the weight and the force making the supports brake. The base collapsed into the precipice.
"Well, I call that mission accomplished. Let's go back to Bradley." Ryder said. They all entered the Centauro, and Jonathan drove then back to Prodromos.
They arrived and went to speak with Bradley. He said that the work is going to keep the colonists busy but thanked them both for their help. As the sun began to settle, they decided to pass the night in the outpost. Ryder sent a message to Moshae Sjefa, explaining why he didn't show up in their meeting. After talking for a while, they decided to call it a day and rest in one of Prodromos dormitories.