The Captive
Disclaimer: Bioware owns all.
Chapter 13: Final Hope
The shuttle jerked through the torrential atmosphere. All was quite. Solemn. Knowing of the tough battle to come.
Shepard leaned on her rifle. Her eyes caught Vitani, they held each other's gaze momentarily. Shepard nodded her head in a peace offering. The turian woman looked away sharply in disgust.
The shuttle gave another rough jerk. Shepard's shoulders bumped into Garrus'. His legs banged into hers. She felt the steady descent and stood slowly. Her helmet clicked into place.
She felt Garrus' chest brush her back. Her mind flooded uneasily as her gut clenched in worry. Nihlus stood beside her, his blazing green eyes captured hers. He nodded his head, and spoke softly. "Let's do this, Commander."
Her heart soared with the courage Nihlus offered her. She nodded her head in response. The doors to the shuttle slid open, rain pelted the ground in large splashes. Her boots sloshed in the heavy and slick mud. Her rifle lifted to it's sights as she swept the area and moved forward quickly.
The building loomed before them treacherously. It was massive. Shepard stared in awe at the lightning capacitors near the roofs as lightning struck over and over again. Thunder roared in the distance but got louder and louder, it felt like a shock wave when it hit them.
She could hear the shattering of the shields as they were knocked to the ground by it's force.
"We need to get inside!"
Shepard grabbed Garrus' hand and hauled him to his feet. They sprinted for the doors; Garrus made short work of the alarm and the lock. Shepard went in first, her rifle at the ready as she cleared the hallway.
The echo of their boots seemed to go on and on. It was deadly silent and the roof seemed to go up forever. The door whirred shut behind them. Nihlus grunted, "It's...huge."
Shepard nodded her head. "Lots of room for beasties. Stay frosty."
As they entered the next corridor, their boots began to have an even larger echo. Garrus mumbled, "Notice the echoes?"
"Yup. We're walking on hollowed ground." The small woman murmured.
They slowed, Nihlus gave a small jump. The building made an enormous rumbling sound, they froze. The ground began to shake beneath them. A wall appeared before them and behind them. Shards of the flooring began to disappear.
Shepard sprinted towards the wall, Nihlus backed into her as another wall fell down in between the squad. Garrus grabbed Vitani trying to haul her to her feet, out of the way. "GARRUS!" Her scream was drowned out by the crashing of the wall against the floor.
As the dust cleared, the building became silent once more. Shepard slammed her fists into the wall, she called on her radio, "Garrus? Vitani? Can you read me?"
There was no reply. Shepard looked to Nihlus. Her eyes were wide. "What the fuck just happened?"
The turian looked just as worried as her. He scanned the newly formed room, his voice rumbled. "It would appear as if we're being herded, Shepard."
She gave him a confused look.
Nihlus pointed his gun at the end of the room. She turned to be faced with a green light of an open doorway. "The question is: Who is the cattle? Us, or the monsters?"
A feeling of dread roared through her body as she moved towards the doorway. "One way to find out."
As she moved forward, there was a distinct scratching sound behind her. She stopped and turned slowly, fear coursed through her body violently. Her breath hitched in her throat. She barely guttered out, "N-Nihlus?"
He was gone.
She was alone.
Shepard swallowed as she looked around the room, the door behind her had been the only exit. Where the hell did he go? Worse. Who took him?
The woman turned around again and flicked her flashlight on as she walked through the darkened hallway. It was the true meaning of pitch black. She cursed the range of her flashlight as the moans began to reach her ears.
She chewed on her lip as her heart roared in her body. The silence was deafening. Her boots clicked along the floor. The air was stiff. Shepard swallowed nervously as sweat beaded across her forward.
She moved forward slowly. Something moved near by and she whirled only to be hit in the face. Her gun hit the ground with a clank as Shepard whirled around.
She struck out deftly and landed a punch, a grunt of pain followed. She was knocked to the ground and a body straddled her. She growled against clenched teeth and whipped her omni-sword out. The blade lit up the area around her.
Shepard bucked her hips wildly as her knees came crashing down on the arms striking her. The blade immediately went to the throat of her attacker. She paused. Blue eyes. Terrible scars, but human all the same. Her chest rose and fell wildly as they stared at each other distrustfully.
His hips lifted her up and she growled, slamming her weight back down into his pelvis. The grizzly voice growled in response, "Get off me ya' stupid bitch."
She stared in a shock. "Who are you?"
"None of your goddamn business." His accent was thick and rich and his vocals were gravelly. She pressed the blade against his throat with more malice. "Tell me who you are and what you're doing here."
"Name's Zaeed Massani. Alliance contracted me to take out this turian base."
"Turian?" Her voice was incredulous as she crawled off of him.
"Yeah. The Alliance fucked up. Who's surprised?" The mercenary stood before her. She held out her omni-tool light.
"They sent a mercenary here alone?"
"Their precious Commander Shepard was killed in action a month and half ago. They needed someone to lead a team."
"And the team?"
"Dead or crazies by now I imagine." He crossed his arms, looking her up and down. "Alliance sent you here to find me?"
She shook her head and holstered her weapon. "I'm here with the turian military."
The man's eyes narrowed. "You're human."
"Nice observation skills."
The mercenary growled a warning as he advanced towards her. Shepard tilted her chin in defiance. "This place- I'm not sure what it is-"
The mercenary cut her off. "A breeding grounds for all the crazies."
"I knew that. I just don't know what for."
The man stepped away again and crossed his arms. "It's not the turian military running this place, thats for sure."
"That was the reason you were sent here?"
"Yeah. A turian is running the place, but I think the bird is more interested in keeping the war going. Making it appear to the Alliance that they're experimenting on humans. There are all sorts of aliens here. This is a galactic wide thing."
"I ran into a ship full of them a couple weeks ago. Blew it to hell."
Zaeed frowned down at her. "What's your name?"
She gave a short, wry laugh. "This is going to sound crazy, but I'm Commander Shepard."
He appeared unsurprised. "Goddamn idiots. I thought it sounded strange that a measly maw got a hold of you."
She shrugged. "Oh, I did get into some shit with a maw, but the turian military saved me."
The man picked up his weapon. Shepard spoke quickly, "I could use your help."
He laughed. "I'm a merc, sweetheart. No creds, no help. I'm getting out of this god forsaken hell hole."
The small woman growled. "So you're just going to leave me here?"
"That's the plan."
Shepard raised her gun. "Or I could shoot you."
Zaeed lifted an eyebrow. "No you won't."
"What makes you so sure? You're of no use to me."
The large man crossed the threshold and twisted the gun against her chest roughly. He pushed her against the wall. Shepard struggled as he spoke, "If you meant to shoot me, you would've already."
Shepard spat, "Fuck you, asshole. Just go save yourself."
The mercenary backed away. He chuckled gruffly. His grizzly voice called back to her as she watched his back fading into the darkness. "You've got guts kid, maybe that'll give you a chance against the crazies."
Shepard could scream she was so irritated. Fucking asshole. She forced herself back into focus as she crept down the hallway. Her breath was controlled and quiet. She saw a light ahead, her steps quickened. Desperate to be where she could see again.
Shepard breathed a sigh of relief, only for it to be washed away again. The new corridor she was in revealed a long hallway with flashing signs on doors. Red, green, red, green. They flickered incessantly and at maddening speeds.
She holstered her rifle and pulled her pistol out for the small hallway. Close quarters and assault rifles didn't mix well. Her eyes darted around as the lights continued to flicker as she passed them by.
A door whirred open and before Shepard could turn, her body was slammed against the door behind her with an incredible force of ferocity. She yelped in pain as the creature against her roared angrily. His eyes were so black. So, so black.
The door behind her opened from the pressure of her back against it. She tumbled backwards and the krogan landed on her. Her mind flashing back to the pod. Terror ripped through her mind and body as she struggled against his pummels and head. His teeth clamped closely to her face. Shepard became very aware of the moans in the room. Her eyes looked around wildly at the soulless eyes moving towards her.
She cried out in fear as she struggled against the krogan. She had to get away. Now. They crawled, stumbled, and staggered towards her. Shepard bucked her hips wildly. She screamed in effort, her muscles trembled against the ferocious resistance.
Her omni-sword flipped out and she began stabbed into the monster repeatedly. An asari grabbed her arm and pulled, another grabbed her helmet and began pulled at her head. Not like this. Not like this.
"NOT LIKE THIS!" Shepard roared angrily and with every ounce of her being she rolled her body backwards, tossing the krogan into her attackers. Her fist beat into the face of the asari. She tucked and rolled away from the mob.
Shepard's hand wrapped around her pistol and she fired into the mob. Once. Twice. Again and again, the bodies began to fall as she backed out of the room, firing with the rage that came with the desperate need to survive.
Hands grappled at her back and Shepard whirled around to be faced with the creatures trying to force a door open. Their arms flailed through the opening, grasping and tugged. She threw her arm up violently, knocking their hands off of her.
Shepard turned again and began firing on the advancing enemy. She broke into a sprint down the hall, the doors began to and the beasties poured from inside each room. Shepard saw a large opening ahead that had a control panel. Doors.
The last door of the hallway opened and creatures sprinted from inside. They were incredibly fast and wild in their movements. They stopped and their eyes, the black peered at Shepard.
Shepard ducked their attack and sprinted as fast as she possibly could run away from the crazies. She could hear the soft steps of the creatures after her. The fast ones. She didn't shoot a glance behind her, and forced all her energy forward to escaping.
A body jumped on her back and she felt the teeth ripping at the armor, the shields shattering. Shepard tripped and rolled to dislodge the monster. She landed on her back and began firing quickly. They began to fall, but one dodged her shot and leapt on her body heavily.
She felt her helmet being ripped from her head. Her scream never left her mouth as the creatures head exploded all over the wall. Her eyes stared up at the blue ones of Zaeed Massani. He extended his hand roughly. "We need to go."
Shepard grasped his hand as he pulled her to her feet and shoved her forward. He fired his gun a few more times. Shepard whipped her sword out and settled her pistol on her forearm and began firing quickly.
They backed past the doorway, Shepard leapt onto the controls. "Hold them off!"
"That was the general idea." He muttered. A creature jumped towards the entrance. Zaeed met his body with a powerful kick to his chest. Shepard tackled the mercenary to the ground as the doors slammed close. Her chest heaved wildly as she sat up. "You came back."
"Nice observation."
"Thank you." Shepard spoke softly as she stood.
Zaeed muttered, "Don't thank me, you're gonna owe me a lot of creds when we get through here."
Shepard gave a small, crooked grin. "Asshole."
The room was enormous and circular in shape. A rectangular bridge extended to the console at the front of the room. It was completely plain besides the windows that showed a view to the outside planet, where the storm raged angrily.
"Never been in here." The mercenary muttered.
Shepard ignored him as she saw a turian kneeling near the center of the room. It was Nihlus. She gasped in surprise and ran towards him happily, "Nihlus!-"
The smile left her face as she saw the glistening pool of blood around him. His body heaved when he collapsed to the floor. Shepard dropped beside him. Her eyes looking over him wildly. There was a single gunshot wound to his chest, his unreal, blazing green eyes stared into hers desperately. She felt tears prick dangerously.
He struggled to speak, his body trembling. He choked, "V-Vitani-" He gasped in pain as his body seized.
"Vitani what?" Shepard asked desperately.
A shot rung out and Zaeed collapsed to the floor with a yell of pain. Shepard whirled around to see the turian woman advancing towards them, her gun raised. Shepard reached for her pistol.
"Don't you dare, or I'll kill him." Vitani snarled.
Shepard paused, staring at the turian woman. Disbelief clouded her thoughts, "It was you all along. You were the leak."
Vitani cackled, "Took you long enough."
A terrible feeling of dread washed through her, "Where's Garrus?"
"He became a snack for my projects."
The rage roared through her unlike anything else. Garrus, her turian, was dead. "You shot Nihlus."
"Yes, I did. And I enjoyed it." She smirked sickeningly.
Shepard's blood boiled, she forced her words through gritted teeth. "You'll die for that, bitch."
The turian gave her another sneer. She pointed her gun at Zaeed and clicked her mandibles menacingly. Shepard moved in front of the mercenary, protecting his body with hers. Her eyes bore into the turian's with the utmost hatred.
"Why, Vitani?" Shepard gestured to the chaos of the building.
Vitani shrugged. "I don't expect you to understand. Something big is headed our way, I needed to ensure this war lasted. They're after you humans."
The woman gave a laugh of disbelief. "You allied yourself with a force so powerful it could wipe out any race so that they will hopefully protect you?"
The turian growled, "I'm giving them what they want, they'll see our use-"
Zaeed muttered through his pain, "Stupid bitch. They're gonna let us wipe each other out, and then kill us all."
Vitani snarled angrily and fired a round at the mercenary. Shepard stepped in the way of it and nearly collapsed as the bullet pierced her hip. She grunted in pain, and forced herself to straighten and ignore the feel of warm blood trickling down her stomach and leg.
Her breath deepened as the pain speared her body, nearly crumpling it. Vitani laughed, "This hurts you Shepard, now move. I'm going to blow this place to hell, and make it appear to the humans that the turians blew it to cover their asses, and reveal to the entire galactic space the monstrosities you human's are."
Shepard growled. "No, you aren't. This ends here."
Vitani pulled up her omni-tool. The door on the right side of the room slid open. "It wasn't a challenge, Shepard. My pet will handle you easily."
There was a terrible roar, far more fierce than any krogan's she had ever heard. Out of the depths of darkness leapt a terribly huge creature. It's skin held a reddish hue and it's teeth zippered up each side of it's face.
The turian woman smiled, "Meet my yahg. He's the perfection of my experiments. Completely obedient to me."
Zaeed stood slowly, his breath drew sharply. Shepard murmured softly, "Get out of here, Zaeed. I've got this one."
"Like hell. Take care of the bitch, I'll hold this beastie off."
She nodded her head slowly, she looked back to the turian who was watching them with narrowed eyes. Shepard leapt forward and pushed the barrel of her gun away. They tumbled to the ground, the gun falling several feet away.
Shepard growled at the pain in her side as she fought the woman desperately. She saw her omni-sword withdraw in a flash and come down towards her neck. Shepard blocked the blow with her own sword, enjoying the look of surprise on the turian's face.
She bucked her hips and escaped Vitani's grasp. They stood, circling each other in a predatory manner. Vitani struck out quickly and Shepard blocked, ducking and diving out of the way of each of the turian's life ending moves.
Vitani's leg swept Shepard's out from under her. She fell on her back painfully, near the edge of the bridge. She brought her leg up violently in the turian's chest. Shepard launched her boot into her chest once more, tossing the turian backwards.
Shepard looked to Zaeed. He stumbled out of the way of the creature, firing his weapon. He reached a corner, her heart leapt in fear. She pulled her pistol out and went to fire when from the balcony dropped a turian in between the mercenary and the yahg.
He held an incisor sniper rifle and was covered with all sorts of colored blood. As the yahg charged, he butted him in the face with the end of his rifle violently. Temporarily disoriented, they moved from the corner. Shepard's heart soared. Garrus. He was alive.
Shepard whipped around just in time to block Vitani's omni-sword. She whipped the pistol across the turian's face and kicked her back against the console. The turian snarled and kicked the weapon from Shepard's hand and tackled her to the floor.
Blood dripped from her mouth, the sneer on her face was almost psychotic. Garrus stooped to a crouch, resting his rifle on his arm and leaning his elbow against his thigh for support. The yahg screamed horrifically and charged him. The ground shook as he fired over and over again. The movements slowed, but he was still coming.
Garrus sat patiently. He waiting until the yahg jumped through the air towards him. The turian ducked and rolled out of the way, the yahg screamed as he fell over the edge into the endless abyss.
Shepard pushed Vitani away, and was able to hold off her assaults until Vitani's knees came down on her arms. The blade of her sword pushed against the Commander's neck, cutting menacingly into the skin. Shepard stopped struggling instantly and held still as the turian smirked wildly.
"Garrus will be next. Don't worry. I'll be sure to make it nice and slow for him and the human. I want you to hear their screams just as you start to drift off into the hell you belong in."
Shepard snarled, "You're disgusting. You've betrayed this entire galaxy."
"I'm saving this galaxy. Except for you humans. The galaxy doesn't need you." The blade pressed harder, Shepard's breath was short and stiff as the blood trickled down her neck.
"Do you want to know the way Nihlus sounded when I shot him? While I watched him lay dying? Pitiful, weak, mewling creature. Undeserving just like those fools, Treynnus and Jantor-"
Shepard roared angrily, she bucked her hips and cut the blade of Vitani's sword with her own, her knees caught the turian in the chest. Shepard jumped forward and slammed her into the ground. She didn't waste any time and delve the sword deep into her chest and tugged upwards, tearing at the bone and hardened plating.
Vitani screamed. Shepard hissed. "Scream. Scream like the coward you are. Tell me who you're working for."
The turian gave a final defiant smirk that was marred with the pain she felt. "You can't stop them. My leader will make sure this happens. They can't be stopped, you will die Shepard, and I can't wait to watch you burn in hell."
Shepard snarled, "I hope you burn for eternity for what you've done." The snapping of her neck satisfied the Commander to no end. She rose to her feet slowly and turned to face Garrus and Zaeed.
The mercenary held his chest, hunched over in pain. Garrus handed him a medigel packet. He approached Shepard slowly, he was colored in every type of blood imaginable. She spoke softly, "I thought you died."
The turian smiled weakly. "Takes more than a few raving beasties to take me down."
The woman smiled, she walked towards Zaeed. "I can't even express how much your help today has meant to me. You've saved my life-"
"You took a goddamn bullet for me you dumb bitch. Consider your debt paid." His grizzled voice cut in.
Shepard released her breath with a weak smile, "Thank you, Zaeed."
He grunted. The woman strode towards the console weakly. "Guess we better set the charges and get the hell out of here before we have to deal with more crazies."
"What about Nihlus and Vitani?"
"Grab Nihlus. He deserves a proper burial." Shepard said sadly. She looked at Nihlus, the anger rising in her once more. He didn't deserve this.
Garrus nodded his head and carefully shouldered the dead turian. The console began to click down on the count. They exited the building without resistance, the shuttle awaited them. Shepard sat down carefully, her body finally feeling the full toll of the battle that had just occurred. Every ache and pain ruptured through her body violently.
Garrus spoke in alarm, "Shepard! You've been shot."
She looked down at the blood oozing from her body, her eyebrows quirked as her face was written in exhaustion. Zaeed muttered gruffly.
"Rage is a hell of an anesthetic."
Sorry for any mistakes. I corrected the chapter, but I usually need to go through a couple times to get all of them. It's so weird how difficult it is to correct your own work, but reading other's work, it's like mistakes are highlighted haha. Anyways, here's y'alls new chapter, I hope you guys enjoyed it :)