Artkel, Part Two
The ship cut its sub-light engines and coasted to a gentle stop above Artkel. The ride down through atmosphere had been bumpy, but not difficult in the Kodiak shuttle. It was what it was designed for after all. Miranda freed herself from the piloting chair's harness and moved into the back of the shuttle.
Samara stayed seated at the front, her hands dancing across the computer screens arrayed before her, "There are readings on the planet. Almost directly below us."
Miranda grunted her confirmation, "That's right. This is the place."
Samara turned back to look at her, "Here?"
"Well," Miranda shrugged as she pulled a rifle free from the gun-rack in the back, "Below us, technically. It's where Karnak's station fell. There's a crater nearly a kilometre wide. It's littered with the wreckage."
Samara unhooked herself and then stood slowly, stretching her limbs, "We'd best prepare ourselves."
"I'm ready," Miranda nodded, "I'm always ready."
Samara shook her head slowly, "An unprepared mind is an unsharpened blade."
"Good thing I don't intend to challenge anyone to a duel then," Miranda smiled.
"What is waiting for us down there?" Samara asked, sliding a pistol free from the gun-rack and holstering it against the small of her back.
"If we're lucky, an old friend," Miranda said pointedly, ejecting the thermal clip from the rifle and sliding in a fresh one.
"And if we are not?" Samara asked expectantly.
"Trouble."
"Then we'd best prepare," Samara retorted quietly.
Miranda simply sighed and attached the rifle to her back.
Behind them, in the cockpit, a warning sound blared.
"Missile lock!" Miranda yelled, diving back into the pilot's seat and wrenching the shuttle hard to the side.
A streak of smoke and fire cut across the windscreen and exploded above them. The shuttle was thrown hard to the right with the force of the explosion. Thankfully the shuttles shields held. Two more klaxons sounded and Miranda gritted her teeth as she activated the shuttles countermeasures.
"Looks like a nest of AA-turrets set up around the crater," Miranda hissed through her clenched teeth, "Probably mobile or portable ones, that'd explain why they only pinged us now."
Samara slid down to her knees and closed her eyes in concentration. A single teardrop of sweat dripped steadily down from her forehead.
Two rockets lanced their way through the air towards the shuttle, Miranda took the aircraft into a quick, tight roll that sent them under her. They turned and tracked her movement, chasing the shuttle with unerring accuracy.
A stream of bright flares exploded from the back of the shuttle. One of the missiles exploded with them. The other kept coming, intent of finding its prey. A third rocket joined the fray, arcing upwards from the ground far below the, fuel exhaust spitting and streaming from its rear.
The rocket chasing them slammed into the back of the shuttle. Fire exploded along its length and engulfed it as its shields failed. Another warning bell joined the chorus of screeching alarms that sounded in the cockpit.
"Shit!" Miranda cursed as the third rocket arced towards them, "Engines are gone, we're going in!"
The shuttle spun as it died, fires arcing from its destroyed engines as it twirled downward toward the ground.
Miranda realized what was about to happen, but was powerless to stop it. The rocket shot straight through the windshield and vaporised the shuttle in the blink of an eye. The falling aircraft exploded into nothingness as a great ball of smoke and fire replaced it in the sky.
Samara's hands trembled as the energy they held disappeared, "I cannot keep this up."
The biotic shield that she had conjured around them, saving both their lives a split second before the shuttle's disintegration, vanished as the Justicar fell into unconsciousness. The two women hung in the air for a second, then plummeted downward toward the ground far below.
Far below Miranda could see the crater. She twisted in the air and caught Samara a second before the howling winds and air whipped the Asari away. Her own biotics kicked in. She'd learnt long ago that flying using biotic power was difficult for an Asari and near impossible for a human. So instead, she simply fell, allowing a whisper thin biotic field to appear underneath her and ride the air current to the earth far below.
A split-second before she touched down she intensified the field. It was like falling into a swimming pool filled with jelly. She rolled and crashed down the slope of the sand dune she'd steered the two of them toward and landed in a heap at the bottom. Not the most impressive landing, but it was better than splattering against the countryside, or even worse, landing in the centre of the crater.
The biotic shield dissipated and she let out a long, relaxed sigh. Darkness began to creep into the edge of her vision. Exhaustion closed her eyes a moment later.
Shepard stood just behind Joker's chair. Her hands were clasped behind her back, her face set and serious, "Scan the planet as soon as you bring us in, Joker. Find their shuttle."
"Aye aye, ma'am," Was the pilot's only response as he tapped in commands. He understood Shepard's moods and behaviours better than any of them, and right know that intuition was telling him to shut up and do his job.
Shepard turned to face the large figure behind her, "Grunt."
"Shepard," The Krogan gave a slight nod.
"Get down to the hangar, prepare the shuttle, you're going in with me," Shepard pushed past the large alien and headed toward the CIC. Jacob stood at attention beside it.
"Get Chakwas," Shepard ordered him, "Tell her to be ready, we could be bringing back casualties on this one."
Jacob nodded, "Aye aye, ma'am."
"Jacob?" Shepard called after him. The Cerberus soldier turned back to face her, "Miranda's going to be fine."
"I know, Shepard."
She stirred. Samara's face stared back down at her.
"I thought you weren't going to wake," The Asari said, concern edging her voice.
Miranda rolled her head around and cracked her neck, "Why? How bad are my injuries?"
"There are none," Samara said, gently pulling the human woman up into a sitting position, "So I thought you would be too exhausted to do anything. I was preparing to leave and attack the crater when you began to speak."
"I don't sleep-talk," Miranda said pointedly, standing up.
Samara said nothing, she simply stared at the woman with a resigned look.
"What did I say?" Miranda sighed, drawing her rifle.
"Private things."
"Fine," Miranda said, turning away, "You've been to the crater then?"
"Yes. Twice now," Samara nodded, stepping up next to her.
"What's it like down there?"
"Not good," Samara took in a deep, slow breath of air, "You were right about to expect. There are a lot of soldiers down there. At least thirty, possibly more. The wreckage offers good cover."
Miranda nodded slowly, thoughtfully, "Anything else?"
"Yes. An Asari woman in the centre of the wreckage, she is tied to a spar of metal there, a captive," Samara paused, hesitantly before continuing, "From her appearance, I would guess she is the old friend you told me of."
Miranda nodded, "Yes. I thought as much. Alteia wouldn't betray me willingly. At least, I thought we'd parted on better terms than that. You didn't see a Turian down there, did you?"
Samara nodded cautiously, it was the only time Miranda had ever seen her this way, "Yes."
Miranda sighed, "Come on then, let's figure this out."
"As you wish," Samara responded.
The walk to the crater took only a little over ten minutes. As they walked, Miranda surveyed the landscape as they walked. Artkel had once been a garden world, long ago, but the Batarian mining effort and the station's crash landing had wiped the immediate land clear of all foliage. Salt-rock and sand stretched as far as the eye could see.
It looked like hell. It smelled worse. The acrid stench of sulphur filled the air. Behind her she could hear Samara experimentally sniffing the air. The edge of the crater rose up before them, like the lip of some grand, long-dormant volcano.
They lay down at the top of the steep, upward curve. Miranda drew a pair of binoculars from her belt and peered downward through them.
The wreckage of the station drove a cold wedge into her heart. She could almost piece together the various parts of the station she'd seen on her approach all those years ago. Her eye wandered across the wreckage-filled crater. It was abuzz with activity. Soldiers in yellow armour scurried to and fro as they prepared weapons and piled together defences.
On the other side of the crater a long line of sand-hoppers, small and agile vehicles designed to traverse dangerous terrain quickly, sat around the lip of the crater. A series of cables and tow-lines stretched upward towards them, explaining how the soldiers got down into the crater and how they planned to get out.
"They look like they're digging in for a war," Miranda murmured.
"Then they must know we're coming," Samara responded flatly.
Miranda smiled, but didn't say anything. Her binoculars panned over the crater and settled on the lone figure in the middle. They'd hit her, that much was clear. The blue-ish blood that stained the front of her tunic told Miranda that much at least. But she was alive, the gentle gasping motions of her mouth and the flickering of her eyes indicated that.
"Alteia," Miranda said softly. Her grip tightened on the binoculars.
Samara shifted her weight next to her, "And the Turian?"
"I can't see him," Miranda said quietly, swinging the binoculars around.
Samara nodded and slowly rose up onto one knee, "How do you want to proceed?"
Miranda frowned as she surveyed the crater, "We don't have a lot of options. But we need to get Alteia out of there at the very least."
"I can carve a path toward her," Samara nodded confidently, "If you can distract them."
Miranda shook her head slowly, "No, we go down there together. This place is a maze of wreckage, they know the area and they know it well. If we split up, it'll just make it easier for them to flank us and cut us down."
Samara bowed her head slightly, "You are correct."
"Reassuring."
"Well," Miranda said, clipping the binoculars back onto her belt, "Let's go."
There were no more words between them. No communication as they descended the slope of the crater. They slid down, using their hands and feet to slow their fall as they approached the bottom. Gunfire kicked up all around them, picking up dirt and sand and throwing it up into the air. They arrived at the bottom unharmed. A shot creased Miranda's temple and she flinched away instinctively, ducking into cover behind a large, twisted piece of steel that had been embedded in the sand years ago.
She thrust the barrel of her gun out over the top of her cover and squeezed the trigger. The shots went wild, smacking against steel, sand and shields, but they got the soldiers to duck. Which was all Samara needed. The Asari hurled herself over the steel wall between them and the soldiers, propelling herself with a biotic field. She smashed into one awestruck trooper and sent him flying through a metal wall. Another fired at her, the shots pinged harmlessly off the field that surrounded her. She raised her gun and put a hole through the trooper's chest without a second thought.
Behind her Miranda watched, simultaneously stunned and horrified as Samara set about decimating the soldiers that faced them. Bullets swung in from every direction, smacking off the metal that littered the area and bouncing off Samara's shields as the Justicar did what she did best. Snapping bones with biotically charged blows and cutting soldiers down with quick, brutal bursts of gunfire.
Miranda kept up as best as she could as they pushed their way towards Alteia. There was far more than thirty soldiers down in the crater, but it hardly seemed to matter anymore. Samara was a whirlwind of destruction. Centuries of combat experience drove her hand as she led the way. Any that survived her biotic powers and weapon prowess were dispatched by Miranda, her rifle blazing as she followed in the Asari's wake.
They found the Turian in the centre of the crater. He held a long, slender pistol in one hand. The barrel was pressed to Alteia's temple. The resemblance was unmistakeable. But not quite perfect.
Miranda levelled her rifle and pointed it at the Turian's head. The soldier on either side of him raised their own rifles to point at the two attackers.
"You're not him," Miranda spat, "You're not Arctys."
The Turian gave a short, dry laugh, "Of course not, Lawson. You killed him, remember?"
Miranda sighed as she slowly let the barrel of her gun drop. Beside her Samara did the same.
"A son," Miranda shook her head ruefully, "I should have known."
The Turian nodded slowly, "So clever. Yes, I am Anthys, son of Arctys."
"You'll die the same way," Miranda said steadily, softly.
"Murdered by the broken spear-point of a group of racists?" Anthys laughed again, "I think not."
"I'm not with them anymore," Miranda tossed her rifle down onto the ground and stepped forward, "Anyway, I was referring more to me caving in your face while you screamed for mercy, like he did."
Anthys grip tightened on the pistol, "My father didn't beg! He was the Pride of Palaven! A fierce soldier the likes of which the galaxy had never seen!"
Miranda allowed a small smile to cross her features, "Until I came along."
Beside her Samara tensed.
"Drop it!" One of the soldier's hissed. Samara reluctantly let the rifle drop from her hands.
Miranda stepped closer again, "The Pride of Palaven? That's a pretty hefty title for someone who died so quickly."
Anthys whirled the pistol around and pointed it directly at Miranda's head, "He was a soldier, to the end! Everything he did was for the Turian! But then you're precious Alliance got word that he was being experimented on as part of the enhanced soldier program and they had it shut down! He was disgraced, cast out!"
Miranda sighed theatrically, "And so he became a terrorist."
"A freedom fighter," Anthys hissed and stepped forward, the cold barrel of his gun pressing against Miranda's cheek, "Free from the shackles of the council and their human lapdogs. A revolutionary."
Miranda gave a short, dark laugh, "Who bit off more than he could chew."
"Shut it!" Anthys pressed the barrel deeper into her face, "You caused this, all of it!"
There was an impossibly loud boom-crack. Like that of a gunshot. Miranda flinched instinctively. Anthys looked up. The sky darkened, a shadow consumed them. Far above in the sky, the outline of a star-ship blinked into existence.
Miranda smiled. The Normandy was here. Not what she'd planned, or what she'd expected. But it was a welcome reprieve.
She sprung into action, her hand closed around Anthys wrist. He wore two long, round bracers. It would be impossible to break the bones there. Instead, she pressed her palm against the hand that held the gun to her head and whispered a single word.
"Houdini."
What happened next, happened very fast.
The charge embedded in Miranda's palm exploded. It blew Anthys' hand clean off. The Turian fell backwards, screaming. Blue blood poured out onto the sand. Samara lunged forward and slammed the soldier closest to her to the ground with a wave of energy. The one on the other side of Alteia turned, only to be sent flying by another burst of biotic power.
Anthys kicked out with one of his clawed feet as he landed on his back. The raptor-like limb caught Miranda in the jaw and opened a bloody gash along her chin. She grunted in pain as she staggered back. The Turian clambered to his feet and staggered away, sprinting for the edge of the crater.
"He's headed for the vehicles!" Samara yelled, her hands struggling to work the knots that tied Alteia to the post.
Miranda rolled to her feet, clutching Anthys' pistol in her hands. She brought the gun up and drew a bead on the back of the Turian's bobbing head.
"Shoot!" Samara hissed.
Time slowed. Her heart pounded in her ears. Blood rushed through every limb, filling her body with feeling as her finger tensed on the trigger. She had to finish it. Had to end this nightmarish cycle that had brought them here. She couldn't ever let him escape.
The barrel of her pistol dropped.
Then she fired. The shot blew out Anthys knee and sent him crashing to the ground with a screeching whine. Miranda let out a long, low breath of air as she dropped the pistol. Samara stepped up beside her and stared pointedly at Anthys fallen, mewling form. She was supporting Alteia's unconscious body on her shoulder, "Why not kill him?"
Miranda allowed a small smile to crease her features, "Because I don't have to, not anymore."
She let out a relieved sigh and sat down on the ground.
They waited like that, together, until the shuttle from the Normandy arrived.
"Your friend is lucky to be alive," Shepard said at last.
"She's tougher than she looks," Miranda replied.
Shepard snorted, then smiled despite herself, "We'll drop off Anthys at the nearest Turian colony. They should have a prison that will suit him well there."
Miranda nodded, "It's all he deserves."
Shepard sighed, "You're good Miranda, I'll give you that. But that stunt endangered the lives of both you and Samara. I can't let you stay as the XO of this ship if you're going to betray my trust like that."
"I understand, Commander," Miranda said softly, "And I take full responsibility."
"That's good, because I doubt I could reprimand Samara even if I wanted to," Shepard laughed, "I'm relieved you're all okay, however, and I understand why you felt you had to do what you did. But I can't let it go unpunished. As of right now you're relieved of your duties as executive officer until I feel you're fit to take them up again. Jacob will take over in the mean time."
"Good choice," Miranda nodded, a sad smile appearing on her face.
"You're okay with this?" Shepard asked, surprised.
"Not quite," Miranda shook her head, "But I'll deal with it."
"Good," Shepard nodded, "I need you in top condition. I've got an assignment for you and your friend, Alteia. I need you both to go to Hariltonia on a diplomatic mission."
"Hariltonia?" Miranda gave Shepard a quizzical look, "That's a resort planet..."
"Yes, I suppose it is," Shepard smiled thinly, "I thought you might want to see what one looks like, seeing as you so grossly misidentified Artkel as one."
Miranda gave a sly smile, "Thank you, Shepard."
"Get a good night's sleep for once, Miranda," Shepard ushered her gently to the door, "That's an order."
She clasped the Asari's hand with her own, "You okay?"
"Long time, Lawson," Alteia croaked, her throat dry.
"Yeah, long time," Miranda smiled, not quite sure what to say.
"It finished? You finish it?" Alteia looked at her sternly through one blackened eye.
She nodded, "Of course."
"Guess I owe you one now," Alteia gave a forlorn half-smile.
"You're damn right you do," Miranda smiled then stood slowly, "Now get some rest."
Alteia's face turned pensive as she stared down at her feet, "You ever think about the stuff we did together. The missions?"
"Of course," Miranda bent down and placed a gentle kiss on the Asari's bloodied cheek.
"You ever have nightmares?" Alteia asked, her voice breaking slightly.
Miranda stopped at the door and turned back, "Not anymore."
Alteia laughed, "You were always a fucking terrible liar, Miranda."
And then, with a slight, pained smile, she was gone.
Kelly rubbed the back of her neck as she finished her report, "All in a day's work."
She leaned back in her chair and gave a breathy, contented sigh as she stared up at the ceiling.
She stood, walked to the door of her office, and with one last look backwards at the data-slate on her desk, flicked off the lights and headed out to see the rest of the crew.
The End.