I was going to post this next week but i figured what the hell, i might as well do it now since I've written it already. More story bits and my interpretation of a certain Cerberus bloke. For me, this was the part of the story that really began to put pressure on Shepard, when all that loss and the genuine desperation really began to hit home.
It was warm and humid in the late afternoon air; they were in the tropics and the altitude was less than five hundred meters, though the prevailing winds, spilling down from the continents mountains, kept the temperature moderate and just tolerable for her human physiology. Shepard was stood on what had been the wall of some glamorous building and a shuttle lay up-ended against the wall next to her. She looked around as sweat dripped beneath her helmet, and frowned as a Reaper disappeared over a mountain ridge to the west.
A stretch of monorail lay strewn around the bottom of a steep-sided valley, like pieces of a toy after a child's tantrum. Some of the carriages had been upturned onto their backs, their undersides naked and vulnerable, pointing pathetically upwards to the patchily clouded sky. Smoke and steam drifted down the valley on the wind.
They climbed over the rubble in front of them, ducked under a twisted section of ripped metal, and jumped off the other side. Another explosion shook the ground and Shepard used her rifle to sight the front of the temple entrance. They were nearly there.
"Friendly up ahead" Shepard indicated a small platform just in front of them "Commando?"
"Asari Sniper" Liara answered.
"Let's move" Shepard jogged the last of the distance to where a lone Asari lay face down on the ground, hand's over her head as another explosion sent debris raining down on them.
"Outpost Tykis?" Shepard asked as she crouched down next to the prone soldier.
"What?" The Asari glanced up. There was blood on her face and her lip was split "Commander Shepard?" she rolled over and lurched into a crouch "You're looking at it, I'm all that's left"
"Reinforcements?" Shepard peered over the ridge at the amassing troop of Reaper ground forces that were heading towards them.
"I thought you were it?" The Asari picked up her sniper rifle "We had air support but the damn harvesters picked them out of the sky"
"We're on our own then" Vega mumbled.
Shepard slapped him on the top of his helmet "We've been in worse positions" she said.
The Asari put her finger to her comm. for a second, then looked back at Shepard "The Reapers have air support incoming" she paused "Watch the skies"
There was an ominous growl and then a dull thud of flapping wings as a harvester screamed overhead. They ducked instinctively and all watched as the large grey shape disappeared over the sunset-rouged summits of the hills to their right. Another two shapes flashed across the valley, making hideous squawking, screeching noises.
"You have ordinance?" Shepard asked the Asari, looking suspiciously at the long black box by her feet. A great roar of noise slapped down on them and they all ducked again.
"We have missiles" The Asari shouted.
The air was filled with a dull humming noise and there was a flash of light behind them. Shepard half heard, half saw a blur of movement to one side as something fell into the rubble just to their side and then exploded.
Everything stopped. Silence, as the wreckage tumbled out of the sky around them. Sound came back slowly; Shepard's ears began ringing. There were several other explosions in the confusion as the wrecked Asari gun ship lay burning. Shepard had been blown backwards by the blast and was busy picking herself up; Garrus loomed over her, looking stunned, his face bloody.
"We have to move" he yelled.
Smoke was everywhere. She saw Liara and pulled her to her feet. Vega was dusting himself off and the Asari sniper was just sat, blinking and looking surprised.
"Go!" Shepard roared, shoving Liara forward "Make for the temple doors, don't fucking stop" she grabbed the black case on the ground and then she was gone, out of cover, staggering and running. She followed Liara and Garrus; Vega ran at her side.
Further up, two more gunships burned fiercely, pools of bright orange fire beneath bulb-headed columns of smoke. It had been a massacre.
Another Harvester screamed above them. Explosions crackled. She kept her head down, hearing shrapnel zip through the air and thud into the ground in front of them. They ran for a low wall, meters in front of the temple and the only safe cover. Liara and Garrus dived over, Vega vaulted; she jumped, falling into a patch of rocks and barely getting out of the way of the Asari sniper as she fell. She wished she didn't have her helmet on as she shook the sweat from her eyes and looked up.
In the sky, the Harvesters circled in front of red, sunlit clouds. A deadly line of ruby tinged shapes casting shadows on them from above.
"That was the last of our air support" The Asari snorted back blood as she heaved.
"We're nearly there" Garrus said, limping heavily, face still covered with blood.
"You good?" Shepard glanced at him as she opened the black case.
"For now" he replied, wiping blood out of his eye.
"Down!" Liara shouted. The screech of a Harvester came almost instantly. The ground pulsed beneath them and rocks pelted off the top of the low wall. They waited for the debris to stop falling and then looked up. A crater had been blown in the pathway in front of them and water was pooling into it from some broken underground pipe, creating a steaming, smoke-shrouded hole.
"Shit" Vega said, his voice trailing off he watched Shepard pull the massive missile launcher from the box.
"its a hundred meter straight sprint over uneven terrain" Shepard spoke as she tore open the missile tubes and loaded them "Then up that ladder" she pointed to a rope ladder at the front of the temple which had been thrown down to replace the shattered staircase "We'll be completely exposed" she hefted the gun "You'll make the run under my cover"
"Shepard" Garrus started to speak.
"Go" Shepard didn't give them time to argue as she threw the missile launcher over the wall and heaved herself up. She ran forward some twenty meters and took a knee, banging the side of the weapon and muttering to herself "Get!" she shouted into her comm.
Two Harvesters turned towards her, each leaving thin grey tubes of vapour behind them, curling from their wing tips in the humid air. Shepard watched as they twisted in the sky and bellied down on her, committed to their attacking run. She held the weapon in both hands, the weight of it resting on her shoulder. She fired.
The recoil was immense and the light too bright. She closed her eyes momentarily, and then squinted as the two harvesters became cerise spheres. The world pulsed and quivered, shockwaves hammering into her already ringing ears. The harvesters were completely destroyed; only glowing bits of burning flesh were left, falling all around her, smoking in the surrounding debris. The third Harvester swept overhead, climbing and turning hard. Shepard fired again, her ears still ringing, wrists aching. This time the explosion was closer and Shepard looked away, confused as something thudded into her, on top of her, putting the light out. There was a moment of stillness and then the weight on her lifted. She opened her eyes to see Garrus standing above her, eyes bulging, mouth hanging open.
"Do you know how close that was?" he shouted.
"You idiot" Shepard got to her knees and eyed the missile launcher "I told you to go!"
"You go!" He yelled back.
Shepard smirked at him as shrapnel tinkled against the far wall. Bullets started to sing off the rubble as a group of marauders appeared on the pathway.
"Let's both go" Shepard suggested.
They leapt the wall, stumbled down across the debris field and ploughed through the water filled crater, heads bowed, slipping on submerged rocks, bullets whizzing above. They came to the lip of the crater and splashed out, Shepard pausing to help Garrus, who was limping badly now. Tall splashes in the water announced bullets falling around them and they staggered on, nearly at the bottom of the ladder that would lead up to the temple entrance.
Shepard all but picked Garrus up and threw him halfway up the ladder, watching as he hauled himself up, hand over hand. Shepard shoved her rifle on her back, gripped the ladder and climbed behind him. Liara and the other Asari reached over and grabbed Garrus, pulling him up, then the Asari sniper turned back for her.
"Can you believe it Commander?" she said, grasping Shepard's hand "we made it!" she grinned, blood smearing her teeth as shots thumped around them.
Shepard was about to say something when suddenly the Asari slumped heavily on top of her and tumbled, slipping forward.
"No!" Shepard grabbed at her but missed and she fell past the Commander, bounced off the wall and landed slackly on the rubble beneath her, limbs flopping, spread around her.
Shepard hesitated, looking back down as plasma rounds cut into the rock around her. The Asari lay on the ground, staring up at the sky, eyes open, blood pouring from each side of her head. Hands appeared and held Shepard's shoulders.
"Shepard!" Liara saw Shepard tense as she looked down at the Asari, getting ready to leap off the ladder "Shepard!" she shouted and the Commander looked up at her, her eyes almost obscured by the misting of her faceplate.
The Asari lay still, twenty meters away.
"You can't help her, she's dead" Liara screamed, sagging with relief as she felt Shepard take her hand and allow herself to be pulled up.
Shepard took a last look over the edge at the Asari's body, motionless on the ground, a dark 'X', like something pinned out and sacrificed to the encroaching enemy.
Shepard shook her head as she moved away, out of the line of fire.
"We got another problem" Vega said "The temple is surrounded by some sort of barrier, I can't get in"
"Let me see" Liara said as she walked past him and accessed the control panel near the entrance "its military grade encryption" she mumbled as her hands flew over the console.
"Seems strange for a temple" Garrus said, limping up behind her.
"Indeed, especially since so few people follow the Athame doctrine" Liara bit her lip "Got it" The barrier vanished in a fizz.
"Good work" Shepard reloaded and took a slow walk forwards "Bring the barriers up behind us, it might buy us some time while we figure out what we're looking for"
"It's pretty quiet in here" Garrus said.
"Yeah" Shepard agreed "A bit too quiet"
The VI flickered, filling the hall with green pools of illumination.
"I will interface with your systems and assist with the catalyst too" its voice stuttered as the image of the Prothean twisted, turning to look behind them "Indoctrinated presence detected, ceasing operations" the image shrank and spun, forming a sphere as it moved behind them and back towards the beacon.
Shepard turned around and braced her hand against the harsh light. A gun ship rose, hovering ominously in the temple doorway as two Cerberus soldiers , one Dragoon, one Phantom, walked towards them.
"Cerberus" Liara spat the word.
"You killed the scientists" Shepard drew her pistol, smiling when her three crew mates did the same "What do you want?" she asked.
"You're attention" The Dragoon activated his omni tool and a grainy, distorted image of the Illusive man appeared before them.
"Shepard" he said in his deep, thick voice "It's so good to see you again" his eyes opened wide as he took in the beacon, his pale blue irises shining.
"How did you find this place?" Shepard kept her gun trained on the Dragoon.
"The archives" he smiled widely "or did you're shadow broker here miss that?"
"Why don't you show yourself?" Liara muttered, her hands flaring with biotic light "I promise I won't miss"
There was the muffled sound of spluttering laughter and then the illusive man grinned "Stick to your talents doctor T'soni" the hologram moved between them but Shepard didn't follow it. She kept her gun trained on the Dragoon "You've helped uncover the key to subjugating the Reapers" his holographic hand passed through the Prothean VI.
Shepard smirked "You're kidding?"
"Damn it Shepard don't laugh at me" The hologram moved towards her "Destroying the Reapers gains us nothing, why would you want to destroy them when we could control them?"
"You" Shepard finally looked at the hologram "Are insane"
"Really?" The holographic imaged flickered and then stabilised. The illusive man seemed to think, and then he smiled broadly "The Commander has something I need" he looked at the two soldiers "Relieve her of it and then bring me the data"
Shepard didn't wait for the Dragoon to acknowledge the order, she jammed her finger on the trigger and fired three shots at the soldier's head. He staggered backwards but not before he chance to relay orders to the gun ship.
"Target the supports!" he roared as the phantom beside him ducked low, bringing her sword up and making a beeline for Garrus.
"Get the VI!" Shepard roared as the gunships lights flared, blinding her momentarily before letting off a stream of rocket fire.
One of the projectiles screamed past Shepard and she flung herself to the floor. The wall behind her flared and a heavy detonation erupted; a blast of light followed by a body shaking tremble beneath her feet made her lower her head. Grey smoke drifted up and along the ceiling filling the entire hall. Shepard was completely blind.
She leapt up, hearing Liara shout and then Garrus grunt as a dull thud sounded and another stream of rocket fire ploughed through the hall. Shepard heard the illusive man laugh in the distance.
"I'm going to rip your head off!" She growled, squinting through the smoke as debris began to fall more heavily.
"I'm sure you will" The illusive man spoke with mock seriousness "The fact remains Shepard that you do not benefit from the presence of a friendly gun ship, whereas I do. As well as, as you may have already noticed, two very capable soldiers"
The air in the hall seemed to fill and streak with fanned white light, intensely bright; it almost looked like the smoke filled air was being lit by lasers, it was astoundingly bright. Explosions shook and battered her from both sides and then suddenly she was sliding, slipping as the floor seamed to heave and twist. She shouted as the floor gave way beneath her, dropping her pistol as she fought for purchase to stop her fall.
Shepard looked down into the abyss beneath her. Her fingers hurt and her arms and shoulders burnt from the strain of having to support her weight and the weight of her heavy armour. She closed her eyes and inhaled. She couldn't pull herself up, she didn't have the strength.
"Come on" She yelled at herself, hearing footsteps above her.
"Cerberus thanks you for your hard work" The Dragoon's mocking voice was oil through sand. Sickly sweet and poisonous.
Shepard growled and stretched her right hand further up the crumbling floor, grasping with her aching fingers at loose bits of rubble, anything that could move her closer to the ledge above. With a grunt she gained purchase, got a foothold, then another. Just a few more and she'd be there.
"No" Shepard got her forearms onto the edge just in time to see the Dragoon walking away from the beacon and towards the waiting gunship through a swirl of thick smoke. She couldn't see Garrus, Vega or Liara. No.
There was a sudden, shuddering crack as the ground beneath her shifted and the huge panel of floor she'd been climbing up disconnected and fell away. She gasped as her feet fell away, dangling down into the bottomless pit beneath her. Legs flailing, arms burning, she clawed at the crumbling ledge, desperate and gasping, but she couldn't get purchase. The more she struggled the more the ledge gave way.
With a shuddering, wracking sigh, she stilled, one hand holding on, and looked down. After everything, would falling into that blackness be so bad? Her fingers slipped.
"Shepard! Hang on" Rubble rained onto her face as Liara skidded to a halt on the edge, her hands taking purchase on Shepard's forearms. Her crystal blue eyes, wide with terror, bore into Shepard's as she tugged the Commander up and over the ledge.
Shepard didn't wait, didn't mutter so much as thanks as she sprinted towards the pistol on the floor and ran after the Cerberus troops. She knew she couldn't make the shot, knew they were gone, but she fired anyway. Six shots ricocheted off the hull of the gunship as it pulled away.
Shepard lowered her pistol and stared, squinting into the orange sky of Thessia.
"Anyone on this frequency?.." Shepard's comm. system cracked with the sound of a desperate Asari voice, heavily laced with fear "This is Lieutenant Kurin, my squad is trapped!"
"This is Shepard, we're on our way back" she pushed her finger against her ear, trying to amplify the transmission. Behind her, she heard footsteps.
"Give us your location!" She barked uselessly as the transmissions of the Asari dissolved into desperate screams.
"Oh Goddess, no!" The scream cut to static as Shepard watched two Reapers drop from the sky, silhouetted against the dying evening sun, a great eye casting rainbow ribbons of light out across the tortured planet.
Instinctively she rocked back but her momentum was stopped by a familiar presence at her back, a palm pressed against her shoulder. She turned to see Liara, her face desperately sad, eyes moist with unshed tears.
Meeting her eyes, Shepard felt the full weight of her failure as real as a physical blow. She opened her mouth but no words came out, she felt herself begin to shake, go cold as the shadows cast from the Reapers danced across Liara's face. She shook her head, frowned, looked back at the visage of destruction and then walked away. She'd failed in the worst possible way.
"Cortez" she barked into her comm. "Come and get us"
"Aye Ma'am"
Shepard sat on the floor of the shuttle, her back to the door, legs stretched out in front of her.
"You're hurt" Liara crouched down in front of her and pointed towards Shepard's face.
Shepard looked at her and dumbly lifted her fingers to her nose, frowning when her fingertips came away covered in blood. She shrugged and glanced across to Garrus who was sat, head back, fast asleep next to a grim looking Vega.
"Shepard" Liara reached out and touched her face, surprised when the slight touch caused Shepard to jump "Are you alright?"
"What?" Shepard frowned at her.
"Shepard, you're worrying me" Liara moved closer, took the Commanders chin in her finger tips and rotated her face until their eyes met. Shepard tried to pull away but didn't have the energy "Don't shut me out" Liara whispered.
Shepard just stared at her, her mind going back to those few seconds where she had been hanging onto that ledge, her fingertips about to let go. In those few seconds, she'd been willing to give up, to let it all go, but that wasn't what was bothering her. What was plaguing her mind right now, was the moment when two beautiful, crystal clear blue eyes, filled with determination and strength had captured hers and seen it all.
"I'm ok" Shepard croaked, her throat oddly raw. She shifted, trying to get up, but winced as the motion sent a shuddering pain down her left side.
"You don't look ok" Liara frowned and moved forward, glancing at the offending area and sucking in a surprised breath "You have a wound, shrapnel I think, It's pierced your armour Shepard"
"Ok"
"Ok?"
"Yes, Ok"
"Can I fix it?" Liara asked, treading carefully. She was painfully aware of how fragile Shepard was right now, how tenuous her grip on her composure was. She'd never seen the commander like this, never seen her so distant and disillusioned.
"Yes" Shepard didn't move, didn't even look at Liara.
"Alright" Liara moved to Shepard's side and started to remove the upper half of her armour. Shepard helped by removing her gauntlets and leaning forward enough so that Liara could undo the clasps on her side. With a grunt, Liara lifted the heavy armour away and placed it down on the floor next to her. Shepard was sat there in her N7 t-shirt, her fingers exploring the wound on her side, flinching as she encountered a particularly painful spot.
"Let me" Liara encased the Commanders fingers in her own and moved them away. With exaggerated gentleness she lifted Shepard's shirt and scanned the area with her omni tool. She looked up briefly and caught Shepard staring out the window of the shuttle. After a few moments she laid her hand on Shepard's stomach and applied a large dose of medigel to the gash that ran along her ribcage. She was about to finish spreading the thick cooling substance when her hands were enveloped by Shepard's surprisingly cold fingertips. She looked up, and froze.
Shepard looked at her, her gaze hollow.
"I'm so sorry Liara" She shook her head when Liara opened her mouth the speak "No. Let me say this" Shepard looked away, swallowed once and then meet the Asari's gaze again "I'm sorry"
Liara looked at her, caught in the oddly intimate moment, and sighed "Ok Shepard" she pulled her hands free and finished applying the medigel "Ok" she would let Shepard have whatever comfort she needed, even if it hurt her to allow it. When she finished tending to Shepard's injury she closed the omni tool and shuffled forward, turning slightly and scooting along the cold metal floor until she was sat next to Shepard on the floor. With a groan she leant back against the shuttle wall and closed her eyes. She might have fallen asleep, or just phased out, but the feeling of Shepard taking her hand and entwining their fingers brought her back to reality. She looked across, through heavy lidded eyes and just watched as Shepard stared straight ahead, haunted gaze reverted, as if looking at something only she could see, her jaw clenching every now and then.
"Hey" Liara muttered, shifting closer as she lay her head down on Shepard's shoulder "Stop it"
"Stop what?" Shepard muttered, still looking straight ahead.
"Going over your tracks, deliberating" she paused "doubting"
"Sorry" her voice was small and quiet.
"And stop that as well" Liara frowned.
"Sorr..." Shepard paused "Can I do anything?" she asked, the smallest hint of something other than sorrow and regret laced her voice.
"Sleep?" Liara reached across and lay her free hand on top of their joined ones "You can sleep"
"Yes Doctor"
