HOLOCAUST
CHAPTER FIFTEEN:
KING OF THE BOY SCOUTS
June 9, 2186
1739 hours.
Docking Tube A1, Control Center, Jon Grissom Academy, Vetus System, Petra Nebula.
The Reaper War, Petra Campaign: Cerberus Raid on Grissom Academy.
Captain Marcus Lee Shepard, Military Advisor Garrus Vakarian, Master Thief Kasumi Goto, Soldier Javik, Chieftain Urdnot Wrex, EDI, Second Lieutenant James Vega, Second Lieutenant Imogen Keeling, Shadow Broker Liara T'Soni, Flight Lieutenant Steve Cortez.
"Hangar is in sight, Shepard," Cortez declared, a view of the docking bay coming into view as they raced towards it at full military thrust, "ETA is imminent."
"Good job Cortez," Marcus complimented, slapping the man's shoulder as he unhooked his mattock from his back, turning into the troop bay, "Land there and we'll lock the door behind us."
Cortez gave a brief nod as he brought the shuttle through the compression field and down into Docking Bay A1, the bottom almost skidding against the ground due to the speed they hit it at. Marcus was almost jolted from his feet by the sheer impact, him and the rest of the squad, but they quickly repositioned themselves, making towards the hatch as the Spectre took point, Garrus at his side.
Returning to the Vetus System was something Marcus hadn't done in a very long time; he had come here, once upon a time. And he wasn't talking about a year ago when he came to Grissom Academy directly to drop off David Archer; an autistic savant used as a lab rat by his brother, Gavin, both working for Cerberus, in trying to create an advanced AI that can control the geth called Overlord, something which he put a stop to, believing David would be safe on the Academy. No, he was talking about years before; a long time before the Battle of Eden Prime, and the Normandy SR-1.
Elysium was the gleaming, cosmopolitan capital of human civilization in outer Alliance space. Not only was it an Earth-like world that fully supported levo-based life, but it was also a symbol of human advancement; like Eden Prime was a symbol of human outer space colonization. Unfortunately, as much as Elysium was humanity's shining metro jewel as Illium was the asari's, it was also subject to a dark past; Marcus had been there during the Skyllian Blitz, when a mercenary army had invaded Elysium, hoping to enslave the population and force the Alliance from 'batarian territory.' Of course, the attempt failed because he stopped it; single-handedly halting an army of 10,000 batarians before reinforcements stopped the invasion altogether. It was also where Marcus lost his first girlfriend; a girl named Roshia. It was a day he had always hated.
And now he had returned, although not directly. The Petra Nebula was surrounded; Reaper forces were reported to be advancing upon it, which is why a general evacuation call was sent to all human colonies, including Elysium, to abandon the nebula and escape. This was a big time in human history, but dire nonetheless; Elysium was being evacuated, which meant the station in its orbit had to leave to; Jon Grissom Academy, named after the great human pioneer himself who helped settle the first worlds after the Mass Effect discovery.
Unfortunately for Grissom Academy, that evacuation wasn't going to happen thanks to Cerberus.
They had arrived at the Academy to find it held hostage by a Cerberus Cruiser named the CAW Hannibal, and a squadron of Cerberus coloured SX3 fighters, which were likely there to shoot down any escaping shuttles, or motivate them from doing so. Either way, it wouldn't remain that way. As quickly as him and his team deployed in the shuttle to the station, Joker used the Normandy as a distraction, and before he knew it, Joker had caught the frigate in a high speed chase with the fighters, and executed enough turns and spins to keep the Hannibal from locking onto it, forcing it to leave its blockading orbit and chase after the frigate, giving the shuttle enough time to land. And here they were now.
The hatch shot open, and Marcus and Garrus were there instantly to greet any unwanted hostiles. Finding the bay empty except for some abandoned and stacked crates and a few forklifts, the spectre moved forward and landed on the ground, weapon still brandished as he raised it, aiming at the doorway while Garrus remained on his left, Keeling joining him on his right. Liara, EDI, Javik, James, Kasumi and Wrex quickly joined them on the shuttle, the krogan giving a mild grunt as he landed. Marcus hadn't even asked the battlemaster, but Wrex had insisted on going; said he was getting bored of sitting around and needed some action. He asked Mordin, but the salarian said he was free to go; and that he himself had a cure to synthesize, and couldn't join them. Just Wrex, then.
He pointed to the door, "Kasumi, get that door open; nice and quietly," he turned to Keeling, "You're sure this is the docking bay opposite the control center?"
As the master thief danced over to deal with the door, Keeling gave a tactile nod of acknowledgement, "I showed you the schematics of the station in the War Room; this is definitely it. Besides, all over docking bays are likely occupied by Cerberus. This offered the best entry vector. That, and with the control center in our hands, we'll have control of all the Academy's major systems."
"Shep!" Kasumi cried out, standing as the door opened, "The door is open. You can clap for me later."
Marcus nodded, motioning Garrus and Keeling forward before following, the squad taking up the rear in defense.
Wrex laughed as they entered the sterile white corridor of the control center, shaking his head, "I've missed this, Shepard."
Marcus quirked an eyebrow at the warrior, a little smile creasing his lips, "What, rescuing scared children from a psycho terrorist group working for the Reapers? Doesn't ring a bell."
The krogan slapped him on the back, claymore in his other hand before gripping it with both as he grinned, his full set of teeth made visible as his lips peeled back, "No, fighting side by side. Three years of politics and mewling has gotten really boring. Its good to be in back in action," his grin lessened a little, scratching his chest armor, "Pity it's only for a bit."
"There's plenty of room on the Normandy," the spectre offered.
The krogan shook his head, "Sorry Shepard, but if you want the krogan for your UGC alliance, then you'll need me in charge, and I can't do that from the Normandy. And I'm not leaving that idiot, Wreav, in charge again. He may be my brother, but I certainly don't trust him to not 'wreak revenge' on the salarians after the genophage is cured. You'll need me to keep him in his place."
"Oh well," he shrugged, "Enjoy it while you can then, Wrex."
The krogan grinned once more, "I intend to."
As they moved through the corridor, they quickly noticed a deserted security checkpoint up ahead; noone nearby, and all the consoles were cold; only the door showed any life, and it was bright red. Kasumi wasted no time in making her way over, hacking into the door and opening it in no time.
As it did, they were gifted to a view of a fireteam of assault troopers, led by a centurion, as always, with a combat engineer knelt before the control room door, attempting to hack into it while the centurion shouted at someone behind the door, "Open the door, Sanders! There's no point in resisting any further! The Alliance isn't coming to save you, and we have the entire station under our control! All the kids are ours, so you might as well give yourself up!"
There was no answer. Obviously this 'Sanders' was not yielding any information.
The Cerberus soldiers seemed completely oblivious to the Normandy crew on their right, so, as one, Marcus and his squad raised their weapons to aim at the soldiers, fingers on the triggers.
The centurion managed some final demands, "Open the damn door, you stupid bitch! It's over! You cannot-"
The corridor was filled with the noise of different forms of gunfire, and it all lasted under ten seconds before all went silent. When it was over, there was smoking gun barrels, and the corpses of five dead Cerberus troopers, bodies slumped on the ground and red blood pouring from their riddled cadavers.
Reloading, the squad quickly made their way over, James using his Revenant to roll the dead engineer's corpse over onto its back, its ruptured visor spotted with red blots and husk face cut and split by the broken shards of glass. James simply grunted, and went about doing the same with the rest, ensuring they were dead. Marcus had been about to knock on the door when it suddenly shot open, and a lone form stood behind it, dressed in alliance navy blue.
She was beautiful for her age, he'd give her that. She had golden hair that was puffy and lay over her left shoulder, and her uniform was thick, but tight. Her eyes were bright blue, and her skin a tanned-creamy color, but smooth. She walked with a grace, and she would have looked harmless if it wasn't for the Scimitar shotgun she held in her hands.
She saw the N7 initials on Keeling's armor and sighed in relief, letting the weapon slack in her grip, "Thank god, Alliance reinforcements. I thought they'd abandoned us."
Marcus shrugged, "You were ordered to evacuate. The Reapers are invading the Petra Nebula as we speak."
She looked up, shaking her head as she dropped the shotgun on the ground, turning away to head over to a nearby control console, "Oh, we tried. Then that cruiser just had to show up. Now we've got a lot of dead staff and alot of frightened children either hiding, running or captured. I don't even want to know what Cerberus wants with this Academy, but it can't be good."
Marcus tried to think of just why Cerberus would want this place, when it hit him; the Ascension Program; helping human biotics harness and control their abilities, and learn how to use them. Cerberus had tried their own program, except theirs was more brutal and violent; full of torture and conditioning and ruthless experimentation; it all conjured memories of the Cerberus facility he had found on Pragia, an installation called the Teltin Facility.
It was where Jack had been brought to when she was kidnapped by Cerberus, and where they turned her into the powerful human biotic she was today. Through torture and meddling. And now, Cerberus wanted every biotic the Academy had to offer; kidnap them and do what with them? Take the biotics and implant control chips in their heads? Then it dawned on him; dragoons. The Illusive Man is a tenacious piece of shit. He wants to kidnap these kids, implant control chips in their brains, and make them into more dragoons for his army. Or, at least that's what he thinks he wants; maybe its just more of the Reapers' commands.
Ordering his squad to hold position outside, he quickly approached Sanders at the control console, where she was furiously typing. He holstered his mattock, "I'm Captain Marcus Shepard, Alliance Navy, and Captain of the SSV Normandy SR-2."
"Senior Program Coordinator Kahlee Sanders. And I know who you are, and it makes me all the more glad that you're here," she stated, turning to him with a smile, "David's told me alot about you."
"David? As in David Archer?" Marcus asked, confused.
"No," Kahlee stated with confusion, shaking her head, "David, as in David Anderson."
Marcus' eyes widened instantly, "Wait...you know Admiral Anderson?"
"Know him?" Kahlee laughed, shaking her head as she looked at the terminal sadly, "Hell, I love him. And he loves me. Our relationship is something of a lost cause among all our jobs, but we hope to mend it at some point," she sighed, "Maybe when this war is over, I'll see to that."
He nodded with a weak smile, "You're not the only one who has someone to see to after this damn war is done with," he shook his head, dispelling the thought, "Kahlee, just what is the situation here? I know there's a Cerberus Cruiser and fighters here, so they must want these kids pretty badly; the Normandy is distracting them momentarily, but we need to think up a plan," he gulped, not liking the following words coming from his mouth, "Are...is there anyone on this station left to save?"
Kahlee let out a breath of air, typing into the terminal more and nodding as she seemed to find the results she wanted, "Well, there's good news and bad news. Bad news, most of the children have been taken by Cerberus. Good news...well, there's two groups of children left on the station; one seems to be locked in the armoury for the security guards in the Ascension Block, and one seems to be trapped in the main Mess Hall, although I sent that group there; good to see they arrived safely. Although, considering their teacher, I'm not surprised. She's quite the powerful biotic, with an extensive history with Cerberus, I believe."
Wait, powerful biotic? Extensive history with Cerberus? No, that's either the galaxy's biggest coincidence, or she's...no, that can't be. "Wait, do you mean Jack? Is her name Jack?"
She frowned at him, slowly nodding, "Yes, that's her name. You know her?"
He nodded, "She was part of my crew before my arrest. I was wondering where she went off too; last I saw her, she was recovering in Huerta Memorial on the Citadel."
"Yes," she nodded, smiling, "The Alliance took notice of what she did with you to stop the Collectors and, due to her exceptional abilities, offered her a position here as a teacher. Given her psychological profile and anger management issues, we thought she would refuse, but...she almost leapt on the opportunity. And while she is quite strict, she has been producing results...and she...well, the kids love her. She's like a mother to them. And she'll do anything to protect them; when Cerberus attacked, I watched her tear apart a squad of soldiers trying to restrain Rodrigez."
Jack, a motherly figure? Protective of children? Maybe she's changed. Maybe she's finally grown up. The thought brought a smile to his face, but he quickly washed it away, shaking his head, "While I'm happy to know Jack is here, why didn't you evacuate sooner? You knew the Reapers were invading since Earth fell; that was seven days ago. You had plenty of warning, but didn't leave?"
"Many did," Kahlee stated, sighing as she ruffled a hand through her hair, "Some decided to stay. Some in the Engineering Corp wanted to help with preparing prototype technology, and others from the Ascension program, our biotics, wanted help in preparing themselves for...front-line warfare. We planned to deploy them as biotic artillery, Captain."
"Biotic artillery?" He questioned, face creasing in anger, "Cerberus is here to use these children for war, yet the Alliance wanted them to do that anyway?"
"It was the very reason Jack was here to train in the first place. And these children, these young adults, voted to stay. Jack is a powerful biotic and she's seen battle, which means she's perfect for training them," Kahlee shook her head, "We're training them for dual roles; either they will serve as biotic artillery for the UGC, or as biotic support for marine contingents."
Marcus rubbed the back of his neck, nodding. He knew he couldn't judge; he had dragged Kasumi, a thief, into this war to be a soldier, and these children had chosen to help. And in retrospect, with the UGC so vulnerable at present, they needed all the support they could get. Which meant the Ascension Program needed to be saved.
"Well, it's too late to argue the semantics of evacuation now," he leaned against the wall, practically looking down on Kahlee as he spoke, "We need to get these children out of here. The Normandy can evacuate the rest of the station and have you taken to UGC HQ, but not with that cruiser nearby, which means we need a shuttle until it can be dealt with."
"Can't you just destroy it?" Kahlee asked.
He shook his head, "It's too close, and it's refusing to move its orbit too far. If we destroy it, the debris will damage the station...possibly destroy it. No," he shook his head, "We will destroy it, but only once we've saved and evacuated everyone we can."
Kahlee nodded, bringing up a camera feed of the mess hall on three terminals up above her and hanging from the ceiling, images of students huddling on the upper level easily seen while occassionally Cerberus soldiers rushed their positions, only to be torn apart by mass biotic assault. Cerberus was halted, but not for long. They'll bring in an Atlas soon...they won't stand a chance, even with Jack...He unholstered his mattock, turning to face her, "Where's the mess hall?"
She opened her omni-tool, and sent the coordinates to his, "I've sent you a NavPoint; should take you straight to it. You'll meet alot of Cerberus resistance, no doubt. They're all over the place."
He smiled, "We'll deal with the soldiers, you deal with finding us an escape shuttle."
She nodded, getting to work on the terminals as he walked back outside, his squad having taken up defensive positions all over the corridor, covering the rear and forward entrances and exits. Meeting them, he whirled a finger in the air for all of them to form up on him, uploaded the NavPoint to his HUD, and then moved forward down the hall, Kahlee overriding the door at the end and opening it before they even reached it.
Running down the hall, they turned left and through another door to come into a T-shaped corridor, two doors at each end; the left one locked with no interface, and the right one unlocked with a green interface. The wall infront of them was glass, and they could see the other T-shaped corridor on the other side...where a student was currently being dragged across the ground by an assault trooper, who was surrounded by other troopers and a centurion leading them, a dragoon taking up the back. The student kicked and screamed, obviously a engineer as he didn't use his biotics, but the trooper seemed to barely faze with the effort of dragging him. Marcus wasn't about to let them get away with it.
Seeing how thick the glass was, he ordered Javik to use his superhot particle rifle and James to his light machine gun to burst the glass, signalling Kasumi, EDI and Liara to ready their SMGs to fire. Marcus pulsed his biotics, ready to deal with the dragoon, and Garrus took aim with his sniper rifle on the centurion. Wrex also readied his biotics, ready to come to Marcus' aid.
With a thrum of energy, accompanied by a steady staccato cough, Javik and James opened fire, the glass either shattering outwards and raining on Cerberus or melting from the sheer heat of the prothean's rifle. The shattering confused the troopers as they whorled around, but the assault began in earnest.
Three troopers dropped as they were riddled with SMG bullets, and Liara sent a warp flying into the one dragging the young teenager, the blast stunning him as element zero ate away at armor and flesh, but the soldier did not scream, merely dropping his avenger. Another trooper went for his Hornet SMG sidearm, but EDI whirled around with speed only capable of a synthetic, reloaded and fired again, the trooper's head splitting like a melon as he fell backwards, dead.
The centurion fired at Kasumi, the mattock tearing her shields apart but not before Garrus landed infront of her, crouching, taking aim and firing, his Reaper easily blowing the commander's helmet and skull open as his red viscera spread over the floor, coating it.
The dragoon launched a biotic shockwave that staggered EDI and Liara, both falling onto their backs, but in seconds Wrex appeared at his side, laughing maniacally as he clenched his fist and then back-handed the soldier across the face, head reeling back as it almost snapped from the force. The dragoon tried to bring his biotics to bear again, only to be picked up and slammed into a wall by the krogan, Marcus backing off as the krogan brought his shotgun up, shoved it into the dragoon's chest, and reduced his torso to red matter with a single shot, viscera and blood painting the wall like a thick paint.
The kid shakily got to his feet, blinking, as if trying to come to terms with what just happened; one moment he was being dragged away, and the next his captors were all dead. He got up, wiping the drying blood from his pants and looked up, watching his rescuers come into view. He stumbled, backing up against the wall as his eyes danced between them, but then they finally landed on Marcus', who had removed his helmet.
"You're...you're Commander Shepard, aren't you?"
Marcus nodded, "I am, but I'm actually a Captain, now. We're here to help; this is my squad. What's your name?"
The kid gulped, letting out a sigh of relief, "Sean...S-S-Sean Wight."
"Well, Sean Wight," he moved up and placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling the kid's shivers. He's terrified. "You're safe now. You should go to the control room," he pointed to the corridor behind them, "Sanders is there, she'll keep you safe. You don't have to be afraid. Cerberus...we're going to stop them. Me and my team."
"You're going to save us, aren't you?" Sean shakily asked, swallowing, "You're going to stop Cerberus and the Reapers, right?"
Marcus didn't even hesitate in his answer, "I know we're going to stop them. No matter the cost, I swear, we'll end them. But I need your help, and I need you to get to Sanders in the Control Room."
"Okay..." he breathed, "But...my sister...could you find my sister?"
He nodded, "What's her name?"
"Hillary," he stated, rubbing the back of his neck.
"We'll find your sister Sean, and we'll bring her back to you. I promise," he turned away, turning away, "Now go Sean. We've got to find the others, and your sister, and I can't bring you with me; it's too dangerous. Go; Sanders'll keep you safe."
Sean quickly nodded, taking a second to understand what had just happened before rapidly hurrying off and over the barrier seperating the two corridors, before moving up the steps on the other side and disappearing around the corner. Satisfied that the kid was now safe, Marcus turned to the left, seeing a door at the end that had a green interface. Before he could do anything however, Keeling came up to his side.
"Would you prefer that I go and protect Coordinator Sanders, sir?" Keeling asked, face set in a grim line, "The team is strong as is, and while Sanders may have combat experience, it would do good for her to have an escort, as well as that adolescent."
He raised an eyebrow at the N7, "You sure Keeling? We work better in a team."
She shook her head, "And this'll be for nothing if one more civvie dies or is captured by these Cerberus SOBs. Can't let this get anymore TARFU. Sanders and that kid need escort, and I'm an N7. I'm the best choice."
"Very well," he saluted her, and the N7 returned it firmly, "Be careful, Keeling, and keep Sanders and Wight alive. Here's hoping we find Jack, the students and his sister. Not. One. More. Cerberus gets no more. Protect them at all costs, but do not let Cerberus get their hands on them. I know you understand me, Keeling."
The N7 gave a firm nod before dropping her hand and wielding her rifle one final time, turning and sprinting the same way Sean did. The squad turned around to face the door again, James a little bit weary, "You sure she should go alone?"
"I'm sure James. She can handle herself; she's special forces," he motioned to the door, "Garrus, Javik, you two are on point. Everyone else, on me. Let's push forward and get to the mess hall."
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June 9, 2186
1819 hours.
Orion Mess Hall Access Corridor, Ascension Block, Jon Grissom Academy, Vetus System, Petra Nebula.
The Reaper War, Petra Campaign: Cerberus Raid on Grissom Academy.
Captain Marcus Lee Shepard, Military Advisor Garrus Vakarian, Master Thief Kasumi Goto, Soldier Javik, Chieftain Urdnot Wrex, EDI, Second Lieutenant James Vega, Shadow Broker Liara T'Soni.
The last Cerberus soldier fell as Wrex slammed his foot into his chest, causing his ribcage to cascade in on itself as his blood and viscera spread across the floor from the heavy force. Chuckling, the krogan backed off, allowing Marcus to stalk forward and past the dead troopers upon the door at the end, which was currently green and active, door itself coated in bloodstains from the combat that took place just now.
He quickly fell into a crouch, taking a swig of his canteen before reattaching it to his belt, readying his rifle as he let an escaping drip of water trickle down his lips and onto the ground before reattaching his helmet. He placed his head against the door, instantly hearing the shouting and cursing that remisicent of Jack, and the gunfire and cybernetic voices of Cerberus forces. Then he heard the cries of the kids. Yes, they are definitely here.
He turned to his squad, motioning for James to crouch behind him, and for Garrus to take position on the other side, Kasumi behind him. Wrex took position infront of the door, EDI behind him, with Liara taking the rear, ready to provide support along with Javik. Seeing that his team was in position, he quickly keyed the door, watching it slide open.
The sound of gunfire and shouting intensified a thousand fold as soon as it opened, making it seem alot closer than it was. The smell of sulfur made the presence of explosions a down-right fact, and the staccato beat meant avenger assault rifles and Hornet sub-machine guns were hard at work.
Turning around the corner, he saw the massive Orion Mess Hall. Rows upon tables and columns of support struts lined the room, with two entrances on the left and right. Stairwells lay on each side leading upstairs to a closed, upper observation deck where he could see numerous children currently hidden, occassionally dropping bombs of dark energy upon the Cerberus invaders. Below the deck was another corridor leading down a stairwell to a door at the end that had a red interface.
Both sides were being swarmed; centurions led squads of assault troopers, guardians, combat engineers, dragoons and phantoms. And among all of them, he watched one Atlas awkwardly try to duck under a doorway until it finally decided to simply burst through the wall, sending chunks of debris flying in all directions, raining down on its own troops. And in the middle of the approaching attack force or rather, their destination, continued to shout and curse.
"-you fucking assholes! That the best you have? You fucking pansies! You pieces of shit! I'll wipe the floor with your fucking viscera!"
Multiple flashes of blue occurred from her location, and each one accompanied a trooper being sent flying, either collapsing into an ally or slamming into a wall, but most ended up dead. One by one, they fell like flies, crying out every single time as they feebly tried to save themselves. Marcus could only smile as Jack finally got what she wanted; the ability to kill waves upon waves of the people who wronged her on Pragia.
His team prepared to move forward and he quickly swung around the corner, rifle raised as he took aim at the nearest assault trooper. He opened fire, his shot splitting open the kneecap of the soldier as he fell onto one knee, a shot through the back of his head ending whatever pain he may have felt. Wrex quickly tackled with a guardian, tearing the shield off of him and tossing it away before ramming his claymore into his gut and blowing him asunder. The rest of the squad added their own assault and soon, Cerberus found themselves under a two-pronged defensive and offensive.
He managed to see the sight of two children, a young woman and man in their later adolescent years, both maintaining a weak, but strong enough biotic field around an unseen form of who he assumed was Jack. They seemed to be struggling, and it wouldn't be long before they broke; and if that Atlas managed to get off a single shot, that barrier would shatter. He needed to act fast.
Unhooking a grenade from his belt, he primed and tossed it, bringing up his omni-shield and quickly aiming in the general direction of the blast zone. He was quickly greeted by the sound and feel of the blast on his skin; beads of heat and fire dancing around him as they licked at his energy shield, protecting him but leaving the many enemy soldiers around him to be blown apart and their limbs tossed around.
He brought the shield around and down upon the head of a charging phantom, the shear heat acting as a molten sycthe as it travelled down and completely chopped the assassin in half, sacks of white hot meat collapsing to the ground in a heap, katana sword clanging on the steel floor. He continued forward, a pulse of energy sounding behind him and tearing into another assault trooper, followed by a sniper shot slamming into a nearby dragoon, tearing him apart. EDI appeared and ducked under one centurion's swing, pinning her SMG into the crook of his neck and then firing, bullets tearing apart his throat in a geyser of blood. James' Revenant roared and dropped troopers unbelievably quick, and Liara and Wrex joined their biotic powers to send a ripple of liquid fire down the Cerberus ranks, scattering the enemy even more. Surprised by the new assault they were only now paying attention to, the enemy began to retreat.
But the Atlas continued to approach like a silent sentinel, the pilot's red eyes totally fixed on Jack. Marcus could only watch as everything thudding step brought it closer, slowly raising its rocket arm to take aim, the clunk of an explosive projectile being loaded into the chamber easily heard over the break in gunfire.
Once the enemy had fallen back sufficiently, they renewed their attack, attempting to keep a field of fire on them. Marcus winced as a shot impacted a pot plant, sending up a plume of dirt that stuck to his visor and forced him into a crouch to avoid being shot while he wiped the dirt from his helmet. Suddenly, his HUD began screaming at him, and he realized his shields were gone. He ducked out of the way too late, but was saved by a field of biotics that sent him flying faster, and he slammed into another pot plant, his vision becoming fuzzy for a moment.
Rolling himself over, he saw Jack laughing as she suddenly appeared before him, as if having biotically teleported. She looked down on him, grinning, "Shepard, what the fuck are you doing here!?" she ducked as a shot glided past her, "Actually, forget that question. Help me protect these guys!"
He nodded, about to motion to his squad when he realized they had already taken positions around the room, each keeping back the Cerberus advance. But what they couldn't hold back was the Atlas, and all it did was get closer and closer. She turned to Marcus, motioning to the massive combat mech, "Let's go kick some ass."
He smirked in return and hefted his mattock with renewed purpose, leaping to his feet as he followed the teacher's example and charged up his biotics, beginning to hit the mech with a non-stop barrage of warp fields. Again and again they reverbrated off of its kinetic barriers, only causing the Atlas to divert its attention towards him.
Which is exactly what Jack had in mind.
He watched the dismembered arm of a dragoon slam into the cockpit, followed by Jack, covered in red, landing ontop of the cockpit, growling as she swam in biotic energy. She raised a biotically enhanced fist and quickly brought it down on the hatch control panel, sending sparks flying as the hatch automatically opened; a failsafe to stop the destruction of the control panel from trapping the pilot inside. Grinning wickedly, Jack leapt inside as the pilot desperately trying to get out and escape. Punching him in the face, Jack then followed up by grabbing him by the back of the head and tossing him out, casually ignoring him as she leapt from the cockpit after him, showing no interest in the death machine.
Quickly moving up, Marcus managed to land a shot through the pilot's head just as he moved to unholster his Hornet sidearm. Looking up, he saw Jack muster all her biotic might before sending it spiralling forward in a dark energy hurricane, the force toppling the mech and sending it backwards. Marcus could only look on in awe as he heard the numerous cries of alarm from Cerberus troopers using the mech as cover and trying to scramble, only to be caught under it and completely crushed, their cries cut off.
Looking away from her handiwork and meeting his eyes, Jack could only cry out in impression at her own work, her students seeming to oddly cheer her on as she did, "F-hell yeah! Cerberus fuc-scumbags!"
He perked an eyebrow at her, although he doubted she'd see it from under his helmet. He suddenly remembered the firefight they were in and quickly raised a biotic barrier around Jack, saving her from a stray hail of bullets. Nodding her appreciation, she turned to deal with the enemy while he contacted his ally, "Sanders! I'm in Orion Hall but Cerberus is constantly closing! We've pushed them back, but they'll send reinforcements soon! Can you do anything on your end?"
"I can lock the doors to the hall. They'll hack through them eventually, but it'll buy you time to get out of there," she replied. A few seconds later, she spoke again, "There, all the doors are locked; I've locked them with the station's best security coding, but it won't last long against them. Please be quick about them."
"Copy that," he turned to his squad's comms, "Okay team, doors are locked and the hostiles in here are the ones we've got. Prioritize and eliminate. No survivors, you know the drill. Bag 'em and tag 'em."
The next minute was spent systematically vanquishing any of the Cerberus soldiers remaining in the Hall. When they were done, the hall was literally filled with the dead, all of them Cerberus. Jack had definitely gotten what she wished for.
His squad took a breather, all of them taking time to look over the carnage. Tables had been overturned or blown over, gunholes littered the ground or said tables, and corpses were slumped all over the place, blood dripping and swirling over the floor and walls. It was bloodbath for lack of a better term, but they had exacted a heavy toll on the Cerberus forces; they were going to have to be careful from now how they attacked.
Holstering his rifle, he turned to the sound of chuckling, turning as he saw Garrus shaking hands with the ex-convict turned teacher, the biotic herself smiling like it was christmas. Many of the children gathered around, some choosing to say situated above on the observation deck where they felt safest. He removed his helmet, pinning under one arm and let his squad continue to recover, moving over to speak with Jack in the meantime.
Now that he got to actually look at Jack fully, he immediately noticed how different she looked; she had changed drastically over the six months they had not seen each other, not just mentally, but physically as well. The Jack from last year was bald, covered from head-to-toe in tattoees of numerous purposes, tanned skin, harsh eyes, plump red lips and was almost totally naked except for multiple straps around her torsos that just barely hid her nipples and area inbetween her thighs; everything else was open to the world.
But now she was almost entirely different. She had now let some actual hair grow, dark brown, shoulder-length hair now covered her scalp, all tied up in a ponytail. The gold ear piece she had wrapped around her ear was still present, and her eyes now took on a cooler, less hostile quality, and her lips looked more proper and less inflated. She was still covered head-to-toe in tattooes, but instead of simple leather straps to cover the necessities, she now wore a proper vest to cover her chest and most of her torso, along with some tight jeans. All in all, Jack looked like a proper person now, not a tough girl trying to prove something. She really had grown up since last he saw her. Those eyes...and the way she fiercely protected her students...hell, I'm still coming to grips with the fact that she's a teacher. Let's not add motherly tendencies into the mix.
He continued his approach until he was infront of the girl, and he smiled in welcome. He didn't get what he expected, being forced to duck as she swung her fist at his head, the instinct coming out of nowhere. He frowned at her in confusion as he stood up, a tinge of annoyance in her eyes, "What the hell, Jack?"
"You fuc-bloody idiot!" she growled, "I told you Cerberus would come and bite us in the ass at some point!"
Garrus merely shook his head in response, voice flanged, "You're not telling us anything we don't already know, Jack."
"But its good to see you too," Marcus added, grinning as the teacher seemed to deflate, getting over her random outburst.
"Yeah, it's about time the king of the boy scouts turned up," Jack exasperated, shaking her head as she turned away, looking at the students. Nodding to them, she turned back to Marcus, "I was wondering when you'd turn up."
"I'm sure Jack," he rolled his eyes, "Although I'm surprised to see you here. I didn't think you'd be the teaching type."
"I'm usually not," she stated, "Let's just say that a certain justicar convinced me to do something greater than I was doing, and the boy scout king urged me along a little with his words of wisdom...or some crap like that. And here I am."
"The psychotic biotic!" one kid remarked, a young man in his teenage years.
"I will destroy you!" another girl shouted from above, clenching her fist to accentuate her point with a grin.
Jack sighed, turning to look up at her, "Go drink your juice, Rodrigez. You couldn't destroy wet tissue paper," she turned back to Marcus, shrugging, "And this is the shit I have to put up with. These kids are retarded, but they are my retards," she hissed, clenching her fists, "And Cerberus picked one hell of a time to attack this station, but I'm not complaining. More assholes for me to kill."
"As much as I know you are enjoying this," Marcus remarked, grinning, "Time is out. The Reapers will reach this system soon, and they will destroy the Academy when they get here. Which means we need to leave."
"Well shit," she rubbed her temples, "You hear that kids!? We're getting out of here!"
The kids cheered, whooing their teacher as they waved their arms in the air in celebration, one girl seeming to latch onto her boyfriend up above. Marcus shook his head, drawing Jack's attention, "We'll contact Joker and have Cortez deploy a shuttle here."
"Who the fu-the hell is Cortez?" she asked, frowning.
"Our new shuttle pilot," Kasumi appeared, dematerializing infront of her as she smirked, "He's quiet on the outside, but screaming on the inside. I read that in a poem once. Interested, Jack?"
"Piss off Jap," Jack snarled, and the thief quickly disappeared, giggling all the way. Wrex came up next, grinning the whole way.
"You must be the girl who got herself knocked out on the Shadow Broker's ship," the krogan stated with appreciation, "I can respect that. You're a warrior. Glad we got to meet, face to face."
"Uh-huh," Jack rapidly dismissed, turning to Liara, "I guess you brought bluey too, huh?"
Marcus swore he heard James say 'see, I'm not the only one!' under his breath, but he shrugged it off, simply smiling as he contacted the Normandy, turning towards EDI's platform, "EDI, tell Joker to send Cortez in; we're ready for dust off."
"I cannot recommend that," EDI replied, "The Normandy was only able to distract the Hannibal and its fighter escort temporarily and the cruiser has moved back into position over the Academy, with the fighters keeping the Normandy at bay. I can order Joker to open fire and destroy the warship, but not without a 83 percent chance of damaging or destroying the station."
"That's too high a risk. We'll find another way out," he stated, turning to the squad, "You heard her, we're not leaving through extraction so we need to find another way off this station." Reaching a sudden epiphany, he keyed his comm again, patching into the control center, "Sanders, are you still here?"
"I'm here Captain," Kahlee responded.
"Shuttle extraction is a no go. The Hannibal just reentered orbit over the station and has resumed the blockade," he scratched his stubble, trying to think of something but coming up empty, "We need a second option."
"I can't give you one. There's no other way off the station ex-" she stopped herself, pausing to think about something. Then, suddenly, she spoke again, "Wait!" the sound of typing could be heard, and he had to wait a few seconds before she spoke again, "Yes! There's a Cerberus shuttle in Docking Tube B9; its the one connected to the Jon Grissom Memorial Hall. Jack will know where it is," she stated, "If we hijack one of their shuttles, the Hannibal will recognize the IFF and not open fire. By the time it realizes what's happening, we'll have landed and the Normandy can take the cruiser out."
"What about you, Keeling and Sean?" Marcus asked, "How are you going to get out?"
"I know a way there through the ducts. We'll meet you there. Keeling can help me take the shuttle. Sean will be safe," she stated, "But we have to go now. That shuttle could take off soon to pickup more troops, and they can't know what we're up to. Just follow Jack; she'll take you straight there."
"Very well. Good luck Sanders. With luck, we'll see each other on that shuttle," he declared.
He heard the sound of a terminal powering down as she replied, the feeling of a smile easily palpable in her voice, "Of that I have no doubt. Good luck, Captain. Sanders out."
He nodded, switching off the comm as he turned back to Jack and his team, "Sanders has found a Cerberus kodiak docked in Docking Tube B9. We're going to hijack and use it to bypass the Cerberus blockade and reach the Normandy. The tube itself is located at the Jon Grissom Memorial Hall," he looked directly at Jack, "She said you'd know where that is."
She nodded, pointing to the door leading down through and under the observation deck, Kahlee having taken the initiative and unlocking it, "Yeah, we attempted to evacuate to B9 when we found the place littered with Cerberus assh-scumbags. We had to head here instead, and that's when Kahlee ran off to send out a distress call. The place is probably crawling with Cerberus shitheads."
"It's better than staying here," he firmly stated. Before he went any further however, he looked back at Jack, brow frowning inquisitively, "Wait, is there a Hillary Wight here?"
"Yes! That's me!" one of the girls from earlier, the one holding up the barrier to protect Jack, excitedly declared, "Is there something you want, mister?"
"We found your brother Sean. He wanted me to find you and find out if you're alive," Marcus smiled, "I'm glad to see that you are. Sean's with Kahlee and will see you at the evac point."
Hillary had already clamped her hands over her mouth by the time he finished, letting out a little sob as she let it sink in, "S-s-Sean's alright? H-He isn't dead? Oh thank God. Thank God, Thank God, thank God...Thank you!" she wrapped her arms around him, surprising him by the verocity and suddenness of the gesture, "Thank you! I thought he was dead...or worse!"
"It's what I do," he calmly reassured her, prying her arms from his torso and turning her to face him, "But if you ever want to see him again, we need to get moving."
Hillary gulped, nodding, "Yes sir! Let's get the hell of this station!"
"That's the spirit," he encouraged, turning to face Jack, "Angry, powerful biotics lead the way."
She glared at him, "Oh fuck y-"
Suddenly, a loud, british voice laced with cybernetics spoke over the PA, causing everyone to flinch at the sudden noise, "Students of Grissom Academy, we have the station surrounded. The Alliance soldiers cannot save you. All they can do is get you killed. Surrender and you won't be harmed. That is all I say; the rest is up to you."
Marcus gritted his teeth, while Jack couldn't help but spout out, "Cerberus cunts!" Noticing the shocked faces looking at her, she rolled her eyes, "Oh, get over it for fuc-for god sake! Its just a goddam word!" she groaned, "Now I sound like that Massani jarhead!"
"So my hearing isn't impaired?" Kasumi muttered, "Jack is actually cutting off her own cursing? She is learning."
"Indeed," Marcus quipped, about to speak when the Cerberus soldier spoke again.
"This shouldn't be hard to calculate," the man stated, firmly believing the shit he ranted, "Captain Shepard cannot save you, as he is just one man. We have a cruiser, fighters and the advantage of time on our hands; you either come with us or we leave you to the Reapers. It is your choice!"
The Reapers are already here. He turned to the children, "Ignore him, it's a trap. You give yourselves up, and it's over."
"But what if he's right?" Prangley asked, "What if you can't save us? Maybe we should sue for a ceasefire!"
Rodrigez nodded her consent, "He's right! We can't keep fighting like this!"
"You give yourselves up, and you'll find yourself turned into the very things you've been fighting off. That is what they want to do to you. That's why they are here," he stated firmly, standing right infront of the two kids, "They will capture you, experiment on you, and then condition you. They will load you with so much Reaper tech that eventually you won't remember who you are, were, or what even what you are; all you'll know is death and how to follow orders; you won't even be human. The Illusive Man will turn you into his personal puppet; another pawn for him to use. Is that what you want?"
"Cerberus isn't going to play all nice like that boy you took to prom," Jack spat in Rodrigez's face, "So grab your balls from your purse, and let's kick some ass." Jack said this with such firmness and ferocity, he could see Rodrigez's eyes widen in their sockets.
"Y-y-yes. Y-yes ma'am!" Rodrigez replied, nodding erratically to prove she understood Jack's words.
Jack turned to Marcus, smiling before turning back to her kids to prepare them. The Cerberus commander moved to speak again, but Marcus simply unholstered and raised his SMG, destroying the speaker with a single shot as it sparked and spat, the soldier cut off. Turning back he nodded, taking point as they moved out. Time was running out, and they couldn't waste it with these Cerberus clowns.
{Loading...}
June 9, 2186
1857 hours.
Garden F, Security Block, Jon Grissom Academy, Vetus System, Petra Nebula.
The Reaper War, Petra Campaign: Cerberus Raid on Grissom Academy.
Captain Marcus Lee Shepard, Military Advisor Garrus Vakarian, Master Thief Kasumi Goto, Soldier Javik, Chieftain Urdnot Wrex, EDI, Second Lieutenant James Vega, Shadow Broker Liara T'Soni, Senior Teacher Jack, Student Rodrigez Paltarons, Student Prangley Scooner, Student Hillary Wight.
He lined up the sights with the now exposed combat engineer's head, and pulled the trigger once, twice, thrice, four times. The first shot stunned him, second depleted his barriers, the third blew his helmet and skull open, and the fourth shattered his neck, bits of blistery gore flying away in chunks to land on the ground or paint the walls. Not even a gurgle was heard as the engineer simply lost his grip on his phalanx pistol, weapon clattering on the ground as he simply fell where he stood.
He turned his rifle, this time aiming at a phantom that was rapidly approaching his position, unloading two shots into her chest. They harmlessly bounced off her overtly powerful kinetic barriers, and she quickly cartwheeled behind a table, knocking it over with the edge of her blade and taking cover behind it. Confident he was covered in the support department, Marcus let James and Kasumi pin the enemy while he sent a biotic shockwave cascading through the floor, ripping up panelling as it raged like an angry bull towards the table. It impacted with the force of a bomb, shattering the table into multiple fragments, and quickly revealing the crouching phantom, who flew into a wall from the force, but kept her grip on her katana firm.
He holstered his rifle and quickly pulled out his shotgun, pumping the chamber as he speed-walked towards the fazed phantom. Before he went any further however, it got up and raised its unoccupied hand, palm revealing its palm cannon as it charged. He widened his eyes, moving for a combat role, but was too late as it fired, hitting with the force of a shotgun as it annihilated his shields instantly, sending his barriers into overheat.
Still rolling to the side, he managed to get up, fully aware he was now vulnerable. Before he could do anything, the phantom was before him, slashing forward with her sword in an attempt to disembowel him. He strafed to the side, wincing as the sword grazed his side. But the phantom was quick, pulling back and then bringing the sword down with lightning speed, prepared to ram it into his helmet. Out of instinct, he fell to one knee and brought up one arm for a block.
He cried out as the katana seemed to cut through his armor like butter and dug into his arm, his whole appendage feeling as if it was on fire, instantly dropping his weapon. The phantom seemed to scream its triumph, and ripped the sword out, bringing it in to decapitate him.
But Marcus was faster, lashing out with his free hand to clasp around the phantom's throat, and beginning to constrict. The assassin began to struggle, desperately trying to break free as she continued her downward arc. He headbutted her, letting go of her throat as she reeled back, and then reached forward again, grabbing her arm and bringing his elbow slamming into hers.
A screech, and the sword fell from the broken arm, now twisted in an unnatural direction. The phantom fixed its red eyes on him and began to wriggle free when he ducked down, activated his omni-blade, spun it around and rammed it into her gut. She bent over from the blow, the sound of a choking, wheezing sound leaving her mouth, before she effectively went limp, and he ripped his blade out, letting her body crumple to the ground in a heap, blood pooling from the wound in her stomach.
He turned, only to find himself propelled onto the ground from a biotic fist to the gut. Looking up, he saw a dragoon looming over him, preparing another biotic fist.
A loud crack broke the air and Marcus' helmet was coated in thick, hot blood, dripping down his visor and onto his chestplate. Looking up, he saw the dragoon's helmet torn apart, revealing a dismembered head, part of the man's remaining jaw hanging off a flap of gum. The man's eyes looked down at him, lifeless and then a second shot echoed, destroying the rest of the man's face as he flew forwards and onto Marcus. With a groan, he shoved the dead man off of him and wiped his visor with his gauntlet, wiping it enough to restore vision. He reached over and retrieved his shotgun, latching it onto his back and was about to stand up when Garrus reached him, grinning slightly, his smoking sniper rifle laying on his shoulder.
"This has become too familiar," Garrus smugly adjourned, mandibles cracking in an all too familiar smirk.
"Get fucked Vakarian," Marcus replied and the turian held out his hand, Marcus taking it as his brother-in-arms helped him stand. He wiped himself off, suddenly conscious of just how much of the dragoon's essence he was covered in.
"Shit Shepard," Jack whistled, "You look like fucking Satan."
Marcus noted his blood-soaked form, smiling wickedly, "I do make quite the appearence."
"You look like a true krogan," Wrex observed, grinning as he always did during hot combat, "Covered in blood and claymore in hand. Its almost comical."
"Better inform all the suitors," Garrus joked, "Shepard's a krogan. That shortens the list."
"Again," he poked the turian's shoulder as he moved up the steps, "You can sincerely get fucked, Vakarian."
The rest of the squad arrived at the top of the stairs, and the children quickly joined up with them, Jack leading them as always. Liara had given the woman her carnifex hand cannon, and the biotic powerhouse had barely used it; being the most powerful biotic in the galaxy tended to make conventional weapons a bit pointless. Why shoot them when you can rearrange their body's cells with element zero and telekinesis? That's half the fun, as the saying goes.
"Casualty check," Marcus declared, coming to stand infront of them, looking upon them, "Anyone hurt? Did we lose anybody?" This attack hadn't been precedented. They had wondered into a garden area where Cerberus had proceeded to ambush them. They had only escaped by the skin of their teeth.
"Noone's hurt, except Rodrigez took a bullet to her shoulder," Jack hissed, slapping the student across the back of her head, "Because she didn't check her barrier!"
"I-I'm fine! Really!" the girl hurriedy reassured them, "Richard added some medi-gel! I'll be fine."
"You damn well better be!" Jack growled, "Do you know how close your incompetence brought you to death? Do you realize that you almost died? A little higher, and you wouldn't be with us right now! You almost got yourself killed, Rodrigez! So don't tell me that you're fucking fine!"
"Jack," Marcus calmly said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Calm down. Rodrigez is okay. She's not dead, which means we've denied Cerberus what they want." He had been surprised by how distraught the prospect of Rodrigez's death had made her. Damn.
Jack glared at him, "What the fuck do you know? They're not your kids!" she slapped him on the chest, "They are my responsibility! They became my responsibility when I signed up for this fucking job! Everytime I look at them, Shepard," she pointed at all of them, who looked terrified of Jack's wrath, "Every single one of them. Everytime I look at them, I see Cerberus ready to take them and experiment on them. You know what I see? I see me. Bald, covered in tattooes, and desperate to kill something. Now these fuckers have attacked the station and tried to take them from me, and Rodrigez goes and almost gets herself killed! She's not fine and neither am I!"
Marcus took a step back, and James whistled at Jack, a prompt glare from said person shooting down any other gestures he made. Before he realized it, Marcus spoke, "Jesus Jack, you really care for them, don't you?"
Her glare softened, and she looked at them, mouth opening and closing with every attempt to speak. "I-I don't," she shook the thought away, "They're my students, of course I fucking do."
Oh, but I think its more than that Jack. I think you see them as the children you could never have, people who could have been wronged like you, and you sought to stop that from happening; the way a mother protects her son or daughter. You care for them because they represent the children you couldn't have with me. Marcus realized just how stupid the last bit sounded, but it had been true; he hadn't forgotten the encounter he had with Jack a year ago. We never had anything together, she knows that. But I will not deny her this; its not my right. I'm just glad she found a group to love...to associate with without the need for violence.
"Shep, don't mean to break up the heartwarming moment," Kasumi quipped, "But we really should get going. Cerberus all around us and Reapers are coming. You know, the deathly stuff and all."
"Kasumi's right. We don't have time to dwell on this," Marcus declared, placing his helmet back over his head, "We need to get to the docking tube ASAP."
"Agreed," Jack curtly declared, turning to her kids as she motioned them forward, "Come on, we've got some more ass to kick before we evacuate. Hillary, protect Rodrigez. Everyone else, form around them; Shepard's squad will keep you safe! Let's move you little shits!"
And so they continued, up the last flight of stairs and through a door on the left, where they entered a security corridor that veered off to the left. It was straight and bland, but was littered with dead security guards and Alliance soldiers; but they weren't without their merit. Many assault troopers lay dead around them, and there was even a dead combat engineer with a missing arm, and one Nemesis' body lay crumpled in a heap, torso shredded from a shotgun shell. They took quite a few bastards with them. But despite their defense, it was clear security was quickly overrun.
He could see the armoury at the end of the corridor, along with two switchoffs; one on the left and right. The armoury was locked, so that was out of the question. Rifle still pointed at the end of the corridor, he motioned EDI and Liara to watch the corridor while he turned to Jack, "Where to next?"
"The turnoff on the right," Jack stated a-matter-of-factly, "It takes us to an evacuation corridor. If we follow it it'll take us straight to the Memorial Hall. From there, we can reach Tube B9."
He nodded, turning back, "Javik, Wrex, on me. Garrus, hang back with Kasumi and James and protect the kids with Jack. Everyone else, scatter and cover the rear. Check your barriers and watch every corner; take no chances with these assholes." And as one, like a well-oiled machine, they all moved forward as one mass, carefully stepping over every dead body.
They quickly reached the end of the hallway, Marcus quickly checking it was clear. He nodded, and everyone continued forward, only to stop when Marcus raised a closed fist again, turning to the armoury with a frown.
A thud. Voices. Another thud, a yelp. All these sounds came from behind that door.
Turning his rifle away and pointing it at said door, he motioned for EDI and Liara to take either side of the doorway. Satisfied the position was secure, he spoke, loud enough for the armoury's occupants to hear him through the door, "Whoever's in there better show themselves immediately. We know you're in there."
No answer. The sounds had suddenly stopped.
He licked his lips, "I'm Captain Marcus Shepard of the Alliance Marine Corps, and I'm ordering that you open this door and show yourselves immediately. I will not ask again. Comply now."
No further sound was heard. When all seemed to be lost, he watched the interface turn green and the door slid open...
...to reveal three frightened students, one a young woman, the other two men. They all seemed to be relieved when they confirmed it for themselves, the woman dropping her omni-shield, deactivating it. Behind them was a massive store of weapons for security, ranging from assault rifles to heavy weapons like the Firestorm or ML-77 Missile Launcher. He lowered his rifle, motioning for his team to follow suit, and was addressed almost immediately by the woman infront.
"Thank God you're here!" she exclaimed, "When Cerberus attacked, we hid in here and locked ourselves in. We thought we were going to die, until you showed up. Thank God..."
"I don't recognize 'em," Jack noted, waving a dismissive hand, "They aren't Ascension biotics. Probably from the Engineering Corps."
"Yes! I'm an engineer, so are my friends Michael and David," she motioned to the two behind her, "I'm sorry for the confusion, but we didn't know if you were Cerberus or not. We had to be sure."
"It's okay. You're safe now," he smiled reassuredly, and he scanned the three of them. The woman looked unharmed but was covered in grime, her hazel eyes darkened by her situation and dark hair matted. She was dark-skinned, had a slightl limp in her step, and didn't look the fighting type. The man on her right, Michael, had short, blonde hair, a red shirt and blue jeans, and his both skin was disturbed by a cut on his cheek, the red blood coating it having crusted awhile ago and now dry as paint. Then, his eyes landed on David, and he widened his eyes.
The man was bald-headed, with a smooth scalp. He was huddled, arms crossing over his chest protectively and his patient blue eyes gave away his innocence. If the looks didn't confirm it, what he said did, "The square root of 906.01 equals-"
He smiled dimly, "-30.1," he finished.
The man looked up, smiling slightly, but his eyes gave away his nightmarish past. Images of metal wires digging into skin, screaming synthetic voices, wide, terrified eyes and stretched skin. He shook them away, not wanting to remember. He did so just as David spoke, voice shy, "Hello, Commander."
Michael frowned, looking across to him, "Wait, you know him?"
"The Commander saved me. Rescued me from my brother," David anecdotally recollected, "He stopped the voices. Made them go away."
"PLEASE! MAKE IT STOP!" David's voice echoed in his mind, and he once again shook it away, a still image of the man's holographic face appearing into his mind. To think Cerberus could have gotten their hands on him again...finish what they started on the poor kid...
"I see," the woman stated, "My name is Octavia, and it is good to know just who you are, Commander."
"Captain," Marcus corrected, "A recent promotion, not that it matters much; I already commanded a ship, so the rank seems rather pointless now. If you follow us, we can get you to a shuttle for extraction. That's where we are headed."
"Can you do that?" Michael asked, uncertain, "I mean, isn't Cerberus all over the docking tubes?"
"We've killed alot of them," Garrus noted, "We'll kill some more."
"This is why I love this team," Wrex grinned, "I like the way you guys think."
"Come on, let's get going," the captain ordered, turning back to the doorway as David, Michael and Octavia molded into the already large group of students, "I doubt Cerberus is just going to hang around for us to get there."
Moving forward, he tapped the green interface and the door opened, to a sudden surprise.
Right there, in the open corridor, was an Atlas mech. To ther jubilation, it was parked and unmanned, a combat engineer under its carapace and seeming to be fixing one of the joints. The driver, an assault trooper, stood behind him, seemingly complaining while a guardian, shield on the ground and leaning against a wall resting, and another assault trooper, guarding the opposite doorway, stood watch.
"Come on! I need this thing moving soon or Shepard'll get here and we'll be defenseless!" the trooper complained, but the engineer didn't really seem to give a shit, if his response meant anything.
"Unless you want your mech limping every few steps, then you'll shut up and let me do my job."
"Just fix the fucking thing!"
"That is what I was doing. What I'm still doing."
"Oh for christ-"
As they continued complaining, he turned to Kasumi and silently nodded, the thief understanding immediately. While he drew his omni-blade, Kasumi ducked forth and came up behind the guardian, quickly driving her knife through a crook in the back of his armor, switching off his auditory filter as he slowly died from heart failure. The guardian taken care of, Marcus moved forth and came up behind the pilot.
"-I swear, if Shepard gets here, and this mech isn't ready, I'll leave you to deal with him."
When he was finished, Marcus brought up his blade and sliced it across the trooper's throat, opening it from cheek to cheek and he gently lowered his body to the ground, blood leaking from his mouth and nape. Standing up, he quickly approached the engineer.
"Mitchell? Yo were saying? I've fixed it!" he moved to turn, "I've told you-"
He grabbed him around the ankle and pulled him down, the engineer collapsing onto the ground next to him. The thud was enough to attract the guard's attention, but he was downed by a single shot to the head by EDI before even got to raise his weapon. The engineer rolled over to face him, reaching for his phalanx, but Marcus was too quick and drove his blade into the man's face, shattering his helmet and digging into his skull, killing him instantly. Ripping the blade out and letting the sizzling blood leak out, he deactivated his blade and turned towards the mech, smiling.
"Fixed, eh?" he mused. Suddenly, he holstered his weapon and looked for a grip, finding purchase on a rung and pulling himself up and into the cockpit.
"Marcus, just what are you doing?" Garrus asked, confused.
"Yes, enlighten us Shep."
He turned, taking a seat and strapping himself in, "We've got a perfectly good mech to use here. I think we should put it to use. You guys advance behind me, and I'll advance into the hall and clear any resistance. It'll be fun!"
"You crazy motherfucker," Jack cursed, smiling, "I fucking love it."
"Big guns," Wrex added.
With a smile of his own, he closed the cockpit, the mech's HUD appearing before him. He did a quick check, making sure he understood the controls. Its just like walking, just a dozen feet taller. Bringing his arms up, he turned around, and began moving towards the doorway before suddenly stopping, bringing the heavy cannon to rear and prepping a rocket. Lining up the shot, he fired.
Chunks of metal frame and twisted circuits blew apart as the door was torn from its hinges by the rocket's impact, sending the debris flying into the hall. Then, the wall above it blew apart as Marcus' Atlas emerged, practically unscatched from the heat or the steel it burst through. He casually walked right through it and up the stairs, everyone else right behind him as they moved into the hall.
It was huge, and a large statue of Jon Grissom himself stood tall and proud in the middle, unscatched by the events of the battle. Two dead guardians lay against it, and he guessed that had been Jack's work. And he could only smile at the surprised faces of the three squads of assault troopers and three centurions standing before him. To add to the euphoria, he raised his heavy machine gun and ran a scan...with bullets.
Bodies crumbled, limps flew and blood flowed. One by one they were torn apart piecemeal. Centurion's shields meant nothing as they torn asunder, bullets chewing them up as they hungrily blew apart flesh and viscera in clouds of red and black. The odd, lucky soldier might have rolled out of the way or looked for cover, but most were torn apart. Some even returned fire, but the shots merely pinged off his thick armor, and they met their fates pretty quickly. It was a killing field, and he ruled it.
His HMG finally needed to reload, and as the mech began the automatic process, he looked over the carnage. Only a few stragglers survived, and they were quickly picked off by his team. A few had missing limbs such as arms and legs, causing them to either drag themselves across the ground in bloody swaths or attempt to stem the flow of their agony, but it nothing for them, and they quickly succumbed to death.
"Holy fuck Shepard," Jack exclaimed, grinning as she moved up the stairs and into the main hall, "I've been talking about kicking ass, and you let loose with a HMG on a few squads and rain hell. Fuck me sideways if I'm not impressed."
"Jack!" one voice called out, "What have I told you about teacher professionalism? No cursing infront of the students! You're a bad influence!" Everyone turned, including Marcus in the Atlas as he came up the steps, to the left to watch as Kahlee appeared, flanked by Keeling with her raised weapon and Sean. A cry of delight was heard and Hillary took her brother in a hug, which he happily reciprocated. Kahlee ignored the reunion however as she glared at Jack, who seemed to shrink back from it. That caused Marcus to grin. Someone who actually intimidates Jack? That's someone worthy of respect.
"Yeah, I fuc-I hear you," Jack stated, turning to glare at any students who were giggling, but none of them did; all of them too terrified and self-defensive to let something like mirth distract them from protecting themselves. Jack, satisfied she was not being laughed at, turned back to Kahlee, nodding as Keeling approached Marcus, looking up at him.
"I see you've acquired heavy armour sir," Keeling quipped, and he swore he could hear a smile in her voice.
"The heaviest Cerberus has to offer," he snarkily replied, "Fall in, Keeling. It's time to get out of here."
"The shuttle hasn't left yet. There's still time to get on it," Kahlee reassured them, pointing to a door at the end, "We should-"
Mechanical whirring could be heard, followed by a rhythmic thud, thud, thud of heavy footsteps from a hulking mech. He rolled his eyes, knowing what was coming and pinpointed the source to the main entrance to the hall; on the right. Don't these assholes just give up? He looked down at them, looking directly at his turian friend, "Garrus, you're in command. Take the squad and escort the students to the shuttle bay; I'll deal with this Atlas."
"You sure about this Marcus?" Garrus asked, a little worry creeping into his voice.
A clunk was heard as a rocket loaded. Marcus smirked, "No, but my rocket launcher is."
The turian could only shake his head and smile as he turned around and barked orders to the squad, all of them falling into formation immediately and beginning to move to the shuttle bay, the students right behind them and Jack and Kahlee providing cover. Satisfied they were heading for safety, Marcus turned towards the entrance, preparing every weapon his lumbering Cerberus iron man had.
Standing there, seeming to gaze at him, was an Atlas, weapons lowered but slowly approaching; behind it was a rapidly advancing squad consisting of eleven assault troopers, one wielding a missile launcher, lead by the usual centurion, and behind them, was a dragoon. Suddenly, his shields were being riddled as the enemy squad opened fire, and his barriers flinched as the rocket trooper fired and the missile exploded on his shields. The Atlas seemed to stop for a second before continuing its momentum, Marcus moving it forward, step by step.
The Atlas finally raised its heavy machine gun, and it fired. Luckily for him, his kinetic barriers had recharged by that point and absorbed all the enemy fire enough for him to close the distance. His shields failed just as he reached the mech, three rounds wedging into his armor as he decided to mix things up alittle, sending the HMG arm of his mech and using it to bash the other mech.
The force sent the Atlas reeling to the side, like an organic does when slapped across the face. Using the distraction to his advantage, he lowered the rocket launcher at the enemy squad and pressed the trigger, hearing it explode against the floor, chewing up metal and organic matter. Most of the troopers were killed in the blast, but the others had the wits to take off and hide behind their armoured support; unfortunately for them, the blast had taken the life of their rocket trooper.
The enemy Atlas spun back around, repeating what Marcus had done, resulting in the same outcome, but this time, the pilot didn't have a squad to deal with. Before Marcus knew it, it had wedged a machine gun into the back of the crack seperating torso and legs and fired, tearing apart motors and circuits, disabling his legs. Unable to support its weight anymore, the mech collapsed forward, and Marcus watched the cockpit crack with the impact.
Hearing the Atlas approach and soldiers gathering around, Marcus rolled the mech over, sweeping his arm across the floor as he did. This motion sent the lead centurion flying like a rag doll, slamming into a wall and snapping his neck with the force. The blow sent two other assault troopers away, but the dragoon was able to use his biotics to lift him out of the way. Marcus, now facing his enemy, raised his cannon and fired, again and again. Shell after shell pounded into the shielded mech, forcing him to retreat. He raised his HMG to fire, but the shells continued to stun him, making the ability to retaliate an absolute nightmare.
With a final grunt, having heard the familiar clunk, he switched to rockets and immediately fired. One boom later and the Atlas collapsed against the wall, denting the wall as its shields blew open, revealing its vulnerable carapace. Raising his HMG arm, he aimed at the cockpit and let loose, but not before the Atlas raised its own rocket arm and fired at the same time he did.
Collapsing into a fetal position, Marcus merely felt the heat wash over him as the rocket arm on his mech likely exploded, the blast ripping the arm asunder and destroying the mech's torso and shredding the useless legs of the mech apart. After the heat died, Marcus looked up to survey the damage. What he could tell immediately was that his mech was finished, and couldn't be salvaged. The cracked cockpit had now been welded shut from a piece of debris, and the mech was practically destroyed. However, it wasn't without its merit.
The enemy mech wasn't totalled, but it wasn't moving; its cockpit was shattered and its pilot lay in a pool of his own blood, shredded by Marcus' HMG. The mech simply lay back against the wall, unmoving and unoccupied except for a single corpse. Grunting, he began to undo his harness.
He cried out suddenly however when a hand thrust its way through the already broken cockpit, raining glass over him as it latched onto the collar of his armor and pulled up. He was thrown into the air with supernatural strength, and he flew over the mech and onto the ground, the wind blown from him as he landed on his belly. He wheezed as he breathed new air, his vision fuzzy as he struggled to look up and identify his attacker.
He quickly found out as a kick to his helmet sent him rolling onto his back, the front of his helmet banging against his face and causing uncomfortable pain. He winced, but did not cry out; he would not give his enemy that satisfaction. He reached to his holster and pulled out his SMG, but a blur of blue and it was swatted aside like a fly, skidding across the floor. Growling, he looked up, his vision clearing.
The dragoon stood over him, clouded in blue. He reached down now to pull out his claymore, but suddenly found himself in a stasis field. He gritted his teeth as all his limbs became numb and limp instantly, unable to move a single muscle as he simply watched the soldier loom over him, seeming to take him in. Yeah, that's right. The asshole who killed Captain Shepard. I'm sure you'll be able to gloat to all your Cerberus buddies at how you killed me. He thought of Tali in that moment, and how she wasn't even around to know if he died or not. A pity we didn't see each other again before I died. I'm sorry, Tali.
After waiting, the dragoon finally formed a warp field in his hand, charging it up to make it as powerful as possible; wouldn't want him surviving, would we? Of all the things, its a fucking biotic dumbass who kills me. Not geth, not Reapers, just a random Cerberus dickhead who had too low a pay grade to not become a worthless tool for the Illusive Man. No name. No face. Not even a fucking personality. Fuck me, most embarassing way to die ev-
Suddenly, the dragoon reeled back as he was hit, full force, with a warp field, one of the most powerful Marcus had ever seen. The charging warp in his head evaporated, and he turned to face the new enemy. Marcus knew there was only one person who could form a field that powerful. He smiled.
Another hit him, and he stumbled. This time he raised a barrier, but it barely deflected third one. Dropping his barrier, he prepped a biotic fist only for Jack to cry out and quickly punch him across the face, the sound of a cracking nose being heard as he stumbled further back. With noone to maintain the field, Marcus regained control of his motor functions, but was too exhausted from it to be any help; he could only watch the battle play out.
"Fuck. You! You. Piece. Of. Shit!" Jack spouted, her hands a blur as she punched the soldier with biotic fist after biotic fist. All of her energy was channelled into this one battle, and it was clear it was one-sided; the dragoon, despite all its enhanced abilities, was rendered incapable of defeating Jack. All it could do was feebly resist. In a last ditch attempt to kill her, it formed a singularity and sent it shooting forward, but Jack seemed to simply vanish as her energy consumed her, and then just as quickly appeared behind the dragoon. The soldier himself seemed confused as his singularity passed through nothing, but he suddenly found his adversary through her voice.
"You can greet the Illusive Man at the gates of hell," Jack roared, "I'll be sending him there shortly!" And with that, she picked him up, lifting him twenty feet into the air. However, Marcus began to notice something else happening to him as he lifted himself up, and he widened his eyes; blood seeped through the man's armor and down his legs, and that could only mean one thing. She's reaving him.
The man's body jerked and shook like a puppet's strings being pulled and cut, blood spurting from the cracks in his armor or sent flying from his spastic movements. Finally however, his silent agony ended, and his entire body went limp, now soaked entirely in his blood. I haven't used reave since...since...He remembered Noveria when he had used it on Kiara Sterling, after she threatened to pop Tali's suit. It had been one of the first pieces of evidence for his growing feelings for Tali. But also one of his darkest moments. Noone deserves that. Noone. Reave literally tore the body apart, from the inside and out, vaporizing everything. It caused wounds to sporadically form all over the body, and then just as quickly pop, causing blood to flow; it came from their eyes, noses, ears, scalp, even the genitalia. It was one of the most brutal ways to kill someone with biotics, and even Samara frowned upon its use; only the most cruel or evil used it.
She finally dropped the dragoon's body, letting go of it like it was nuisance. Turning, she hurriedly moved over to Marcus, barely exhausted. She looked down at him, grinning as she held out a hand to help him up, and he took it without hesitation.
"You came back," Marcus growled, "I thought I told you to head for the shuttle."
"I don't serve on the Normandy anymore," Jack spat back, taking his arm around her shoulder as she helped move his exhausted body towards the extraction zone, "So you can take your orders and shove them up your fucking ass."
"Colorful as always," he replied dryly.
"Who needs colour when the world is full of fucking blood and guts?" Jack replied, "Might as well stick with black and white. Can't see the sick shit that way."
They quickly reached the extraction zone, and he noted the four dead assault troopers lying around, all of them with headshots, excluding one which had the tell-tale marks of having been killed by Javik's particle rifle. Soon, he reached the shuttle, James rushing over to relieve Marcus from Jack's grip and laying him in one of the seats. Satisfied they were safe, James proceeded to head for the cockpit when Marcus cleared his throat, halting him and causing him to turn his attention to him.
"No you don't Vega. No flying for you," the captain declared firmly. He turned to EDI, "EDI, use your cyberwarfare suites on the Normandy and take us into dock. Then, once we're safe, tell Joker to waste that cruiser. I've had enough of Cerberus."
"Affirmative, Captain," EDI replied, standing still as she looked into space. A second later, the shuttle's engines roared to life on their own, the shuttle lifting off and shooting out of the tube. A second later, she turned to him, smiling again, an awkward expression she was still getting used to, "We are now safely heading for the Normandy. Joker has dispatched all remaining fighters and we will dock in two minutes," her smile vanished, "Warning. The Hannibal is diverting course to engage us. It appears its captain has discovered our intent."
He rolled his eyes, "Tell Joker to waste it. No need to delay it any longer. Send that ship into oblivion."
EDI nodded, and silence fell upon them. Taking the initiative to speak in the cramped cabin, Kahlee turned to Marcus, smiling warmly, "Thank you, Captain. We would be dead if you hadn't arrived. You have our gratitude."
"We didn't save everyone," Marcus solemnly replied, "Alot of people died. Good people."
"They'll be remembered. But the students survived. Not all of them, but the majority, and that's a victory in itself, senor," James stated, laying his Revenant across his lap.
"Thanix cannon fired," EDI noted in the background, "Hit confirmed. The Hannibal is breaking up; no escape pods. All Cerberus forces have been neatralized; damage to station is minimal to severe. Memorial Hall destroyed, numerous hull breaches across four levels, and life support compromised. Report complete. We will be docking with the Normandy soon."
"Excellent EDI," Marcus complimented, nodding, "Tell Joker he did a good job."
Kahlee smiled, "Once again, thank you. We simply wouldn't have survived if you hadn't come."
"F-screw that, we kicked some ass," Jack grinned at her students, "Next time we dock, you're all getting inked. My treat." The students seemed to grin at this, and Prangley whistled in excitement, while Rodrigez looked dejected at the prospect of getting a tattoo.
Jack continued, "What do you guys want? Ascension Project Logo? Glowing fist?" she turned to Rodrigez, smirking evilly, "Maybe a unicorn for Rodrigez?"
Rodrigez suddenly met her eyes, glaring, "Screw you, ma'am!"
Kahlee sighed, turning back to Marcus, "Captain, I've been thinking about what you said, back in the control room. You're...right. These students...I don't believe they are ready for the front lines."
"What!?" Rodrigez exclaimed, outraged.
"That's not fair! You can't do that!" Sean objected.
"We volunteered!" Said Hillary and Prangley in unison.
Jack waved them down, "Calm down! Sanders is right," every looked at Jack in surprise, but she simply ignored them, "None of you are ready for battle. Have you ever fought the Reapers? You might think Cerberus is the tip of the iceberg, kids, but I've fought the Reapers; they're pretty scary shit. Even I was bit scared. Those husks are soulless and will tear you apart if they get your hands on you. No pain, no fear and they will not take prisoners unless its to turn you into one of them! None of you, not a single one of you, are ready for full-scale war! You may think you're hardasses, but you're not!"
"Wait," Marcus stated, holding up an arbiter's hand, "Maybe we can make a compromise for both sides."
"A compromise?" Jack spat, wheeling on him, "Don't you even think I'm going to let them-"
"They can serve in a support role. As biotic artillery, but with support," the spectre suggested, "They'll be surrounded by marine squads and reinforced flanks, but will still be able to provide biotic support on the battlefield. They'll be able to fight, but they won't be on the front line, facing the enemy head-on. Everybody wins; we get our biotic troops, and your students are as safe as one can be in combat."
Jack seemed to stop in her tracks, and even Kahlee seemed interested. The students however, did not keep their agreement quiet. Rodrigez shouted 'yeah!' and Prangley whooed in appreciation. Kahlee, accepting the proposal, nodded, "An excellent idea, Shepard. I'm sure Hackett will no doubt agree."
"And I'll be with them, so they'll be safe," Jack agreed, "Okay kids, looks like we're going to war afterall."
That shocked Marcus, "You're not staying, Jack?"
She sighed, shaking her head as the shuttle began to clear the Normandy's docking bay, "The days of kicking Collector ass and blowing shit up without rhythm or reason is over, Shepard. We've all got priorities now; think I didn't notice the bucket-head wasn't here? Of course I did. I bet she's got priorities, and so have I. These are my students," she jabbed a thumb at them, "And I'll fuck up anyone who tries to hurt 'em. Noone fucks with them."
"The Alliance will keep them well protected, Jack. You wouldn't have to worry about them not being safe. They'll be headquarted at the Crucible Project; its the most secret location in the galaxy. Even the Reapers don't know it. Hell, I don't," he noted, "Safest place in the galaxy."
"Yeah, but battlefields aren't," Jack passionately countered, "They would be alone, Shepard. Do you know what these kids are without me? Asses without a badass to lead them. And what happens when the all so secure flank falls apart because the Reapers overwhelm it? My...my kids...they'll be slaughtered...torn apart..." she shook away the emotion, and he swore she almost teared up, but suddenly her face became a mask of irritation, "The Alliance won't keep 'em safe. On the Crucible, maybe. On the battlefield, they'll die without me to keep them safe. They are my responsibility," she grinned afterwards, "Besides, I'm just one more mouth to feed."
"I..." Marcus had no answer, "I...understand. You're making the right choice Jack, I just wanted to make sure you were sure. But you seem to really care about these guys, Jack, and that's quite a thing coming from the person who never used to care," he smiled warmly as he gripped her shoulder, squeezing, "You've grown up. You're an adult now, Jack, and you've woken up to see that life isn't over; you can reshape it. And now you have people to care for. Look after them, Jack. They need you more than I do."
"...thanks...Shepard," she reluctantly replied, nodding as he let go of her shoulder, "I...oh, cut out this sappy shit. I can't-"
"Enough cursing!"
"I don't give a fu-whatever!" she angrily shouted back, annoyed at her inability to curse any further.
"Uh, what the hell was that?" Joker's voice suddenly stated over the PA, apparently having been listening in.
Kahlee replied, and to Jack, her smile would have looked smug, "Jack promised to watch her language in order to maintain the necessary professionalism we expected from our teachers." Jack gave her a glare for that one.
Joker snorted, "What, does she have a swear jar or something? 'Cause I bet if we emptied that thing, we could afford another cruiser."
Jack, finally having enough, stuck her tongue out at Kahlee, something very uncharacteristic of her, and turned to her kids, "Cover your ears, kids," she glared at them until they reluctantly did so, and, smugly grinning at Kahlee, looked up, her grin dropping, "Hey Joker, fuck you you sleezy fucking cunt. I'm going to break every single one of your fucking bones, make you scream like a bitch, and then I'm going to to rip you a new asshole!" She sighed, happy she got that off her chest, "Holy fuck that feels good," she turned to her kids, "Open your ears kids, I'm done."
"Well well well," Joker jested, "The Jack has reappeared once more. I was wondering what Sanders had done with her."
"Shut your month Joker. I can still make good on my promise," Jack threatened, and Joker's line fell silent; wise move, he judged. Turning, he was just in time to hear EDI speak, "Reaper forces are approaching this system; nine capital ships, ten destroyers, four troop carriers, fifty-two Oculi. Evacuation of this system is recommended immediately."
"Inform Joker, EDI. Get us to the Citadel. I'll contact with Hackett. Everyone, dismissed," he turned to Keeling, "Keeling, show our guests to their temporary quarters."
And with that, he stepped out of the shuttle and headed straight for the shuttle. Another mission complete, but still nowhere close to victory.
The Illusive Man will make a mistake one day, and when that happens, I'll be at the door, waiting with a pistol. Until then, he could only wait.
"I heard Harbinger played a trick around about this time."
- Reia'Inas pav Earth.
"Yes, I got the reports on the Citadel of Illium being invaded by the Reapers. And because Liara's father was there, I had to go and help evacuation."
- Marcus Shepard.
"What you didn't realize, was that it was a trap."
- Tali'Shepard pav Rannoch.
"Harbinger invaded an entire planet just to lure me. Still haunts me today."
- Marcus Shepard.
A/N:
My final chapter for a long while; exams are coming. I've got a shitload of Maths homework to do this weekend, and then next week is study week for me, followed by the actual exams the week after. Then, the Sunday after I'm seeing Mockingjay Part 1 with some friends as a reward for surviving the exams. After that, my time'll probably be consumed by Halo: Master Chief Collection. I'll try to juggle my fanfiction inbetween that, but no guarantees. So yeah, no Holocaust for a while. Sorry guys. Should be back around after 5 December. HOPEFULLY.
Either way, laid back chapter next, then after that will be my own creation; the invasion of Illium and Harbinger's trap. Too much Cerberus? Well, time to give the Reapers some spotlight.
Keelah Se'lai, troopers!
