Kinetic barriers, for all their appeal, were nothing more than a counterpoint in Erudon's combat analysis. Sticks and stones were a necessary evil. Erudon's stones consisted of incendiary grenades, capable of burning through flesh and bone in mere seconds. His assortment of sticks included, among other things, a grenade launcher.
Unfortunately for Erudon, incendiary grenades were substantially hampered in wide outdoor spaces, particularly where the sand was moist if not altogether submerged in crisp tropical water. Flaming shrapnel collided uselessly against the silvery cliff walls, plopping pointlessly into the puddles below.
Damn water.
"Get over there, keep shooting!" he commanded the geth infantry. Despite his frantic movements, the geth held the line in an orderly fashion. Half his team took up firing positions along the jagged bits of cover that poked out just beyond the water's surface. The other half advanced steadily on the broadest gap in the cliff.
One shock troop settled in behind the largest rock, exposing its head only briefly to survey the enemy position. By the time its sensors identified the severity of the threat, it was too late. Perfectly sheared particles of tungsten carved its synthetic body with sublime precision. Glistening shards from the geth's external frame drifted across the water's surface, bobbing serenely upon the ripples sent from its fallen parental unit.
Geth shock troops did not fall quickly, and Erudon could neither see nor hear the detonation of a tech mine. There was only one type of warrior that could cut down a shock troop so quickly.
"Stay where you are and keeping firing!" Erudon shouted, drawing a sleek assault rifle from its magnetic holster.
Like many krogans, Erudon was a skilled biotic. To face another biotic of comparable skill on the battlefield would be an intriguing test of his abilities as a warrior. However, Erudon was not truly interested in proving himself to anyone.
He just loved a challenge.
"Let's go, get moving!" someone bellowed from the farthest end of the cliff. It sounded distinctly krogan, which did not make sense to Erudon. Was he being attacked by a defector? That would explain the suddenness of the ambush, how they managed to sneak up from behind.
Erudon peered out from his cover and sprayed haphazardly, concealing himself only when his barriers were nearly gone.
"You're on the wrong side of the fight, krogan!" he hollered, glancing at his HUD. Why did it take so long for his shields to recharge?
"I'm not the one hiding behind a rock", came the gruff rebuke.
Erudon did not wait for his kinetic barriers to return to full strength. Blinded with rage, he emerged from his cover just in time to witness the last of his geth crumple and splash into the sapphire waters.
"Freeze, krogan!" came the resonant croak of a rifle-wielding turian. At his side stood an asari, tiny tentacled head topping sleek black armor. Erudon guessed from the softness of her eyes that she was no commando. There was no krogan in sight, though.
"Hi there", a voice rumbled from his unguarded side. Erudon was flat on his back before he could even turn to face the speaker, and his ribs burned tremendously as he struggled to his feet.
"Who the hell hired you?"
"No one", the elder krogan replied. "Wanna take the mask off, or should I kill you as you are?"
"Wrex, wait!" the asari called out. "This krogan may wish to surrender".
"And you may wish to shut your yap, asari", Erudon chortled, prostrate before the enemy krogan who kept a single foot firmly pressed against his shoulder.
"She's right", the turian added, closing carefully with his rifle sighted. "He might hold valuable intel".
"No", Wrex spoke flatly. "This krogan is already dead".
A deafening boom echoed throughout the storm-polished cliffside.
Liara T'Soni stared incredulously at the krogan still standing, though her comely features soon softened into sober acceptance. Wrex holstered his shotgun, bloody gaze thirsting for vengeance. Garrus exhaled through his nasal cavity, and lifted his eyes to his companions.
"Alright. We'd better regroup with Shepard".
The trio departed, leaving only a mess of fractured machinery and the silvery armored husk of a once proud warrior.