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Normally in situations like this, Garrus had two things in his favor: strength and the toughness his species was renowned for. Throw in an increased resiliency to damage and heightened stamina, and he was more than a match for any opponent.
Only the Collector-harvester was tossing him about as if he were as flimsy as a salarian, rendering all advantages useless.
Garrus grunted in pain as he slammed against the wall. Though his armor absorbed most of the force from the impact, still he felt tremors traveling from the back of his head to his shoulders. The vibrations affected the right side of his face, adding to the nagging ache already present. It incapacitated him for a moment, forcing his eyes closed. When he opened them his enemy stood over him, its arm drawn back for a punch. Garrus, pushing past the veil the throbbing agony had cast over his mind, managed to catch the fist intended for his jaw. Forcing himself to his feet, he headbutted the Collector-harvester right in the face. Just before he leaned back, he heard the sharp echo of breaking bone and thought it the nicest sound in the galaxy. The blow stunned his enemy, allowing Garrus to reach for his holstered pistol. He'd had enough of this hand-to-hand combat. Time to put this thing down.
He had just drawn the weapon when the Collector-harvester, having recovered from the initial attack, smacked the gun from his hand and lunged forward. The next thing Garrus knew, he was trapped within the other's arms and lifted off the floor. But it was a clumsy hold, which enabled Garrus to free his right arm. He drove his fist into the Collector-harvester's left cheek with all the strength he could muster. Its head snapped to the side, arms loosening enough for Garrus to break free. He followed up by grabbing his enemy by the shoulders and hurling it into a stack of broken crates. It hit with a throaty growl and was on its feet before Garrus had the chance to think of his next move. All he could do was brace himself as it charged. The resulting impact sent him propelling across the floor.
He fell to his hands and knees, looking up in time to capture the Collector-harvester's wrists as it bore down on him. It snarled and gnashed its teeth, spraying spittle into his right eye. Its nose was nothing but a caved-in, bloody hole in the center of its face. Putrid blood spilled from it, dangling on thick streams of fluid that swung perilously close to Garrus' mouth. He headbutted it again, but that only seemed to make it angrier. The Collector-harvester leaned closer, gradually turning its hand within Garrus' grip until he saw the seeker embedded within the palm stir. The legs uncurled, extending past the surface of its hand. It tittered in a tiny voice, almost as if it knew what was about to happen. Garrus had no intention of being trapped in a stasis field and acted.
Straining from the effort it was taking to keep it trapped, he let out a strangled cry and shoved it back. The Collector-harvester's arms bent closer to its body, the seeker in its palm twitching nervously. The relief he felt was momentary; his left arm, already weakened from their battle, gave out. The Collector-harvester reacted with lightning reflexes. It reached for him, hand splayed open to show the seeker in its full glory. All Garrus could do was watch it descend, drawing closer, closer, to his face. At this proximity, he could see thick, pronged stingers emerge from the seeker's feet.
Rapid, light footsteps echoed across the way. Garrus caught a brief glimpse of yellow armor, the flash of a pistol, before a gunshot sounded. The bullet pierced the Collector-harvester's hand, punching a hole through the seeker with a fleshy crunch. Knocked off balance, it could not prevent Garrus from standing up, taking hold of its arm, and launching it across the room. It crashed into a metal shelf, toppling it and burying the Collector-harvester beneath various lab equipment. The items hadn't even settled into place when Garrus dropped to a knee, head bowed, his breathing labored. He hadn't felt this exhausted since Omega.
A moment passed, and Shepard was beside him, one hand straying to his shoulder. When she spoke his name he lifted his gaze to hers. Though they had only been separated for a short time, seeing her again was nonetheless profound. He could see the same feeling in her eyes. "How are you holding up?" she asked.
He managed a chuckle. "About as good as someone forced to fight a genetically enhanced monster can be. In other words," he added with a wan smile, "I feel like hell."
"You look like it, too," she observed with a frown. She touched the right side of his face. A sharp jolt of pain coursed from his temple to his right mandible, causing him to flinch. Her frown deepened. "Just as I thought. Come on, let's get out of here before that thing comes back. We don't have much time."
"What? We can't just leave it," he protested, forgetting all but the need to get rid of Saleon and his harvesters. Even the pain from his wounds seemed muted. "It's too risky, Shepard. Listen, I'm fine. Let me-"
"Absolutely not, mister," she interrupted firmly. Before he could respond she gripped his hand, very tightly. Her eyes flashed with anger and determination. "Damn it, Garrus, Kaidan's got a broken leg and you've taken a hell of a beating. If you think I'm going to wait around to see what else will happen you're wrong. We're getting out of here and that's that."
Conditioning to obey his superior officer's command superseded the distinct want to shoot Saleon. Though unhappy to be thwarted the opportunity, still he admired Shepard's instincts. She knew just what to say to get through to him. But before he could tell her so, he heard the shifting of boxes. Shepard, having also heard it, stiffened, her eyes narrowed. Glancing at the collapsed metal shelf across the way, he sighed and thought, Too late.
The Collector-harvester burst from beneath the pile, scattering debris in all directions. Shepard and Garrus separated to avoid being hit. He steadied himself first, setting his assault rifle in hand and unleashing a stream of bullets. Pulling her gun, she joined in the onslaught, succeeding in blowing a chunk of its face off. Thick, yellow blood, more like pus, dribbled from the open wound. A foul stench permeated the air, strong enough to make her gag despite the distance between them.
Though it shuddered from each impact, and more bits were shot off, still it kept coming. She grit her teeth as she ejected another clip. This thing was as stubborn as Harbinger!
Thoughts of her old nemesis brought on another, which quickly turned into a plan of action the moment she spotted an explosive canister lying among the debris. Shepard signaled Garrus to keep shooting. He acknowledged her order with a nod. He backpedaled for cover, all the while keeping the Collector-harvester at bay. A concussive shot knocked it even closer to the canister. Once again in awe of how in sync they were during battle, resulting in a little rush of excitement to course through her, she called up her omni-tool and primed an incinerate blast. Just a little bit more, and-
With an infuriated growl the Collector-harvester leapt straight into the air, its robe billowing out like wings. It landed atop the section of cabinet Garrus used as cover, one clawed hand extended for him. Garrus brought his gun up with the intent to shoot, but the Collector-harvester grabbed its end and snapped it off in a surprising show of strength. Shepard then saw the glimmer of a knife and acted quickly.
Darting across the way, she aimed the incineration blast directly at it. The flames caught the end of its robe, traveling swiftly up the rest of its body. Garrus broke away, tossing the useless assault rifle aside and drawing his pistol. Both he and Shepard unloaded full clips into their writhing enemy. Screaming, it fell back, the flames quickly spreading to the rest of the room. The room grew so hot Shepard witnessed some of the metal paneling on the wall beginning to melt. She rushed over to Garrus, latched onto his arm and pulled him after her. Together they bolted from the smoking room, bursting into the hall just as an explosion sounded at their backs.
Shepard led the way to the room where she had left Kaidan. He was still seated on the crate, one hand gingerly touching his right leg. Perspiration cast a sheen upon his skin, and his eyes were glazed with pain. He needed medical attention, stat. "What happened?" he asked in a breathless whisper, wincing as she took his arm and looped it around her neck. "I heard an explosion."
"Just our way of saying goodbye to this place," she responded, winding her other arm round his waist. She pulled him to his feet almost effortlessly. She looked to Garrus, saying, "Take the lead. Get us out of here."
"Understood," he replied with a short nod. With that they hurried on.
The fire had set off more explosions, rocking the base to its very foundations. Along the way she could hear harvesters screaming her name in anguished voices. Suddenly they burst from side doorways, announcing their arrival with ecstatic moans before zeroing in on them. Shepard swore and yanked her pistol free. Garrus, dropping back to snatch the assault rifle right from Kaidan's back, hit the button to restore it to its true size and started shooting. Harvesters dropped left and right, exploding into dozens of pieces that ricocheted off the floor, walls, even their bodies. Shepard had no time to express disgust at having a dismembered hand slap against her thigh. She was much too busy dropping them.
When the last of them collapsed Shepard gestured for Garrus to keep moving. He slid the assault rifle home and hurried on, rounding a corner. Suddenly there was an explosion, swallowing him and his surprised cry in a cloud of smoke. Shepard, forced back to avoid inhaling the smoke, gave a hoarse shout of his name, Kaidan echoing it. For a long, tense moment neither saw any sign of Garrus. Her heart beat so fast it felt as if it were about to burst from her chest. No. Oh, no, she thought, her throat tightening.
A hazy silhouette appeared, moving gradually toward them until breaking clear of the smoke. At seeing the familiar broad shoulders Shepard heaved a relieved sigh. But the relief was short-lived. Garrus' steps were clumsy, his head bowed, one hand draped over his middle. Scenes from the Collector base flashed in her mind, rapidly alternating between visions of her squad mates dying on Akuze. Moving as quickly as she could, practically dragging Kaidan after her, she grabbed Garrus by the arm and drew him aside. One hand pressed against his abdomen. Blue blood streamed from between his fingers. "Garrus-"
"It's not bad," he rasped, applying medi-gel to it. The clear coating gripped to his wound, halting the blood flow. "A piece of the wall cut me as it went past. I was careless," he finished, sounding irritated.
Now that she knew he was all right the panic that had nearly taken control was reduced to nothing. "This whole place is a time bomb waiting to go off," Shepard reasoned. "Can we press on?"
"No. That way is blocked," he reported grimly. "We'll have to find another way out."
"Damn." Shepard frowned. "Do we even have the- Kaidan?" she asked, feeling him stir against her. "What is it?"
His head lifted, his dark eyes shifting to meet hers. "...make one," he murmured, slipping his arm away from her neck. When he attempted to take a step his expression screwed up into an agonized grimace. Shepard couldn't believe what she was seeing. What the hell did he think he was doing?
"Kaidan!" Garrus exclaimed, reaching out to steady him. Kaidan latched onto the proffered arm, using it for balance as much as to steer himself so he faced the blocked corridor. Shepard saw blue energy beginning to coalesce around him. Nearby objects started to tremble as they were caught in the field. Kaidan, visibly straining from the effort, slowly glanced over at her. Get back, his eyes implored. Quick to realize his intent, she tightened her lips, nodded and put some distance between them. Garrus, unable to seek cover due to his having to support Kaidan, sent her a look that fairly said, How did I get myself into this?, when Kaidan's powers flared.
Shepard heard Garrus grunt and Kaidan's sharp cry before she was forced to cover her face. Dozens of heavy objects collided noisily as they were thrown, heavy metal crashing into hollow containers, the harsh ping of canisters, the loud hiss of live wires tearing from the ceiling. Thick smoke billowed into the hall, stealing Shepard's breath and making her eyes water. Almost immediately a rush of wind dispelled it, carrying with it the scent of fresh air. Blinking back tears, she opened her eyes, first the right, then left.
Shafts of sunlight, speckled with dust, stretched across the floor. Garrus leaned against the wall, whole sections of his already-fractured collar blown off, Kaidan's limp body draped over his arm. Shepard approached them, her want to reprimand Kaidan for pulling such a stunt stilled by relief and admiration. His dedication to teammates was on par with her own; she should have known he wouldn't let his injury prevent him from helping. Garrus shared this trait.
"I never want to go through that again," Garrus remarked when she joined him. He rubbed at the right side of his face, Shepard quick to see blood staining the material. "Damn but that hurt!" he groused good-naturedly. "If he wasn't already unconscious I'd knock him out cold for it."
"Hey, didn't you tell me you could handle just about anything?" she countered in teasing tones, summoning her omni-tool to scan Kaidan. He had passed out, as Garrus said. Dismissing the glowing tool, she brushed the top of his head very lightly, silently conveying her thanks. "No sense standing around here anymore," she remarked. "Come on."
"Okay, but you carry-" Garrus cut himself off, his head snapping up, eyes alert. At hearing high-pitched, maniacal laughter Shepard spun on her heel, gun at the ready.
Saleon stood behind them, his hands wrapped around a pistol that trembled as he did. There was an insistent beeping coming from the apparatus he wore on his wrist. His eyes were wild, unfocused. Blood poured down from his brow, streaking both cheeks like the tattoos already present on his face. The stitches appeared raw, as if he had been scratching at them for some time. "No, no, no," he chanted amidst laughter. "Not leaving, Commander. Not yet. I will be immortal! I must do it before he comes!"
An explosion echoed far beyond, causing ceiling panels to crash down around them. Shepard glared at the crazed salarian. What was he getting at now? "Who's coming?" she demanded, aiming her pistol at him.
He laughed in absolute delight. "He is," he replied, reaching up to claw incessantly at the stitches at his neck. Flesh came away this time, sticking to his fingertips like globs. "He wants you, but he won't get you! You're mine! Mine!" he emphasized, patting his chest as he moved closer.
Shepard halted his progress by lodging a bullet into his shoulder. He jerked awkwardly to the side, head bowed, voice rising on a gurgling laugh. Garrus stepped forward, pistol raised. "You're not going to succeed, Saleon," he swore.
Saleon lifted his head, wide eyes shifting from Shepard to Garrus and back to her. He then let off three poorly aimed shots. One bounced off the floor and struck the pistol right from her hands, sending it into a pile of burning debris. By the time she recovered she saw that Saleon used the opportunity to make a quick getaway. "Take Kaidan back to the ship and wait for me," she commanded, stripping Garrus of his pistol and ejecting the half-empty clip. "I'll take care of Saleon."
He looked ready to protest. But all he said was, "You better hurry. The charge is probably about to blow." His expression turned serious. "I don't want to lose you again."
It was not unlike what Kaidan had said to her before. Then, her heart had filled with a surge of affection for a lifelong friend. Now, as she stood across from Garrus, the feeling that coursed through her was a mixture of love and regret that he wouldn't be by her side. "You won't," she assured him, her voice thick with emotion.
He bowed his head, looking perplexed for a moment. Then he leaned forward and pressed his forehead to hers. The sensation of his fingers grazing the side of her neck sent little shivers down her spine. Without a word he turned away, managing to drape Kaidan's unconscious body over his shoulder. She waited until he had vanished in the sunlit doorway before taking her leave. Slapping the pistol into place at her hip, she broke into a run, following the blood trail Saleon's shoulder wound conveniently provided. It was time to end it, once and for all.
Fire blazed in all areas, reminding Shepard of the Normandy's final moments. But, as back then, her every thought was attuned to the task at hand, leaving such things as fear, panic and unease behind. She simply couldn't afford to be frightened.
The blood trail led to a room that somehow managed to survive the explosions that riddled the base. Shepard ducked inside, her pistol at the ready. It was a second lab, only this one featured dozens of tanks along the walls. A single operating table was present, the knives atop it looking as if they had been arranged with purpose. The case containing the dismembered Collector arm stood at the foot, a pair of gloves beside it. She heard Saleon's cackling before she spotted him. He sat in front of one of the tanks, arms wrapped around his drawn knees as he rocked back and forth. Its interior light enabled Shepard to see the glob of flesh within. Tubes extended from all sides, orange liquid feeding into it and causing it to pulsate. Somehow she found it far more disturbing than the incomplete bodies she had seen earlier.
"Beautiful," Saleon murmured as she cautiously approached him. He seemed disinclined to acknowledge her, so absorbed in his observations. "Genetic perfection and immortality, existing within a single entity...so close, so close," he went on, extending a trembling, bloodied hand. By now Shepard stood in his line of sight, gun leveled with his forehead. This time he deigned to look at her. She noticed how the left side of his face was completely unresponsive to his expressions. It made for a very unsettling sight.
Struck by an unexpected feeling of pity, she lowered her gun. "Give it up, Saleon," she said quietly. "It's over."
"Over? Yes," he agreed. Very slowly he rose, left arm hanging limply at his side. The apparatus at his wrist warned of imminent degradation. He spared it a tired glance, then looked to Shepard. "My darlings, all gone. Without them, I will expire. This life is over."
Though her every instinct demanded she remain wary, Shepard took a step closer to him. His left leg trembled, as if unable to support him any longer. "Let me help you, Saleon. It doesn't have to end like this."
His right eye fluttered closed, the left looking anywhere but at her. "Ah, Shepard. I thought you'd never ask."
Shepard caught sight of the item in his right hand and reacted on instinct. He had just lifted it, mouth half hanging open in a guttural cry when she shot him between the eyes. Saleon fell backward, the impact rupturing the stitches at his throat. As his head came away from his shoulders the apparatus' warnings died in a single, drawn-out beep. She shot him two more times, just to be certain.
Emitting a relieved sigh, she turned her attention to the tank. While Saleon had not described the entity within, she had a very good idea of what it was. Angered and disgusted at his intentions, Shepard fired four shots into the power cords. The tank went dark. A moment later, the glob dropped to the bottom with a subdued thud. Feeling justified, she strode away from the dead salarian for the operating table. She was about to destroy the Collector arm when a very familiar, very distinct voice, sounded directly behind of her. Her heart skipped a beat. No, impossible!
Whirling round, Shepard witnessed the Collector-harvester, preceded by the sickening stench of burnt flesh, amble into the room. Its footsteps dragged, head tilted back, eyes flashing bright yellow. Its whole body was blackened, bisected by glowing red crevices. Shepard immediately started shooting. "You cannot escape the inevitable, Shepard," Harbinger declared, unaffected by the bullet storm she was orchestrating. He kept moving forward, head lolling to follow her as she dropped back. "Resistance is pointless. You know this."
Shepard wasn't going to waste time in verbal byplay with Harbinger. She'd had enough of him already. Calling up her omni-tool, she sent an incineration blast for him. It swallowed Harbinger's body in a column of fire. What should have been a surefire way to kill him was rendered useless as the overhead sprinklers, responding to the smoke in the room, activated. Harbinger emerged from the flames so charred the human half of the body it possessed nothing but a skeleton. The Collector half, however, was still intact. Shepard saw it preparing to shoot her with a biotic blast and dove behind a tank. It shuddered from the impact, jarring her senses.
Peering around the edge, she unloaded a full clip at Harbinger, one hand upon her ear. "Garrus!" she cried, flinching as Harbinger sent another biotic attack her way. "I need some help here! Tell me you're- ahh!!" The words died in her throat the instant she was thrown by the blast. Struggling to her hands and knees, she lifted her head, having to push back her water-soaked hair. Harbinger had not stopped his gradual approach. His left hand was aglow with energy. She braced herself for impact.
The far side of the wall abruptly caved in, Saleon's body and the remaining tanks buried beneath rubble. Shepard had a glimpse of the front end of a ship before scrambling to her feet and running for it. Clamoring up the debris, she lifted her head at the sound of a doorway sliding open. Garrus emerged, one hand extended for her. She latched onto him, allowing him to pull her to her feet. He regarded her soaked uniform with lifted brows. She didn't give him the chance to question what wasn't important. "Get us out of here!" she shouted the instant she stood within the ship. Garrus hurried to do so. Shepard remained where she was, pulling her sniper rifle and taking shots at Harbinger until the craft lifted safely off the ground. She had a fleeting glimpse of a ball of yellow energy headed their way when the doors closed.
Tossing her rifle onto the floor near the couch Kaidan was laid out on, Shepard rushed to the cockpit. Garrus sat in the pilot's seat, jerking his head in her direction as she threw herself into the second seat. "Was that Harbinger I saw?"
"It was," she responded darkly. "Get the weapons ready. I want that base a smoking hole when we're done."
"Got it."
Garrus turned the ship round, the exterior view nothing but a blur of color before the base came into sight. The charge Kaidan had set chose that moment to go off, sending the entire north side in on itself. Fire had already laid claim to much of the south, extending to the Eclipse shuttle. Of Harbinger, there was no sign. Shepard wasn't going to take any chances. The instant Garrus announced the weapons were online she punched the button, waiting for the fireworks.
There was a groaning from below, but of any fireworks, there were none. "That can't be right," Garrus said, a note of shock in his voice. He tried again, with the same results. "Damn!" he cried, slamming his fist on the console. "Must have overloaded the system when I fired on the base. I'll have them back online in a few."
"Don't bother," Shepard said, her hands flying across the keys. "Take us to the Eternity."
"Why go there- huh," he murmured, realization entering his gaze at seeing she had called up the ship's schematics stored within the computer. "I never would have thought of that," Garrus commented thoughtfully. He glanced over at her and offered a smile. "Guess that's why you're the one in charge."
She nodded, her smile wry. "Don't you forget it."
"I'm afraid of the consequences if I do forget."
Leaving Garrus to pilot the ship, she ventured to check on Kaidan. He was sprawled on the couch in such a way it seemed that Garrus had just plunked him down. She began to arrange him in a more comfortable position when she heard his murmur of her name. Kneeling on the floor beside him, she reached for his hand. Kaidan's eyes squeezed shut, his mouth turning down in a grimace. At length he opened his eyes to gaze upon her. "...safe?"
"Yes. Go to sleep," she encouraged. Kaidan heaved a sigh, smiling a little when she touched his brow before he lapsed into unconsciousness.
"Shepard," Garrus called, "I just spoke to Miranda. They're waiting for you."
She acknowledged him, then touched the communicator at her ear, switching to the channel that connected her to the ship. "Normandy, this is Shepard," she announced. Almost immediately a chorus of relieved voices sounded, but Miranda's rose above them all.
"We're getting a read on your location, Shepard," she informed her, her normally calm voice carrying an urgent edge to it. "Is Garrus right? Are there Collectors there?"
"I can explain everything when we get back," Shepard replied. The relief at being connected to her entire squad again was invigorating. "Right now we have some unfinished business to take care of. Have Chakwas and the medical staff on standby. Kaidan needs to be looked after the moment we return."
"Understood, Shepard." There was a pause. "It's good to hear from you again. You had us all worried, especially Tali and Chakwas. Joker, too, though he'll be the last to admit it."
Shepard chuckled. "I'll be sure to give him a great big hug when I get back. Shepard out."
By now the ship had left Lorek, the cloud streaked blue sky giving way for the more familiar view of stars. Eternity was a mid-sized elongated silver blip on their screen. Shepard eased into the second seat again, her mind going over recent events. Saleon was dead, his research destroyed and harvesters eliminated. She had stored copies of archived messages exchanged with Harbinger. Further study could point them in the right direction when it came to seeking the Reapers out. Shepard was fairly certain that wherever Harbinger was, the others weren't too far behind. But before that, there were allies to be gained, technology to be shared and new, more powerful ships and weapons to build. Through Tali, there was the entire Migrant Fleet. Legion, the reprogrammed geth. The rachni queen had also promised assistance, if she was interpreting its message correctly.
Why, then, did Shepard feel uneasy? This unnatural quiet she experienced before the thresher maw showed up was exactly the same.
A blip on the view screen caught her attention, drawing her from her thoughts. What she saw made her frown. Someone was aboard the Eternity, and had brought the weapons system online.
"It's got a lock on us! It's firing!" Garrus reported.
"Evasive maneuvers!" she shouted. He steered the ship hard left. Shepard gripped the edge of her seat, watching the twin missiles follow their trajectory. She held her breath. This fight wasn't over yet.