Day and a half later Barla Von's crew is still working on the shuttle's CPU, the damages are more serious than they expected. They can do nothing except waiting to obtain any information about who is behind the conspiracy. Liara, already recovered from her wound, is taking a shower to relax. Shepard finds her tense, and knows most of that is due she hasn't got her powers back. She suspects that what they injected her was an omega-enkaphalin improved variant, easier to inoculate and of much faster effect, but whatever the substance was the doctor didn't find anything. While water falls through her torso she feels strange, foreign to herself. She has had biotic all her life, and now she finds herself… incomplete. She doesn't know if she'll be as always, but she can't do anything. She sighs.
Shepard: -From the other side of the door- Liara, Barla Von has found something.
Liara: -She turns off the faucet- Finally! Give me a minute. -She dries, gets dressed and opens the door of the bathroom-. Come on, I'm impatient to see what they have.
Once in the bridge…
Barla Von: Commander, Broker, we've hardly been able to get data from the CPU, but from the little we've retrieved we have fragments of the flight recordings. Most places where it has been frequently are spaceports, nothing unusual, except one place: Anaern.
Liara: Anaern? It doesn't sound familiar to me.
Barla Von: It's a frozen planet, uninhabitable. Not even its atmosphere is breathable. It's dead.
Shepard: It's very suspicious.
Liara: True, who is behind everything must be hiding there.
Barla Von: That's what I think, we're on the way. Go to the arsenal and take the weapons you want. I will go with you as well.
Liara: Any help is welcome. Judging by your score, you trained a lot in the Armax Arsenal Arena.
Barla Von: When Cerberus tried to seize the Citadel by force I heard a centurion giving orders to his men to seek out several agents and contributors of the Broker, including me. It seems they were on your best operatives' trail, to see if they led them to the Crucible… Since then I've been preparing for anything.
-O-
The Normandy waits near the relay with the Alliance reinforcements.
Joker: -In connection with the SSV Logan- Have you found anything?
Admiral Singh: Negative. No trace of them up to now, and the remains of the refugees' ships have also disappeared… You were right to watch over the relay, in this way we know they're still here. We've almost combed the entire sector, we'll find them very soon…
Joker: I hope your ships are ready to face them.
Admiral Singh: They won't break our blockade. Their small fleet is no rival to the Third.
-O-
The shuttle descends over Anaern towards the coordinates obtained from the CPU. Armed with Avengers, Shepard and Liara check their equipment. Barla Von, instead, observes the exterior from the cockpit next to the turian pilot Arnius: they fly in a storm which beats the immense mountain chain whose expanse goes beyond the eye can reach. To avoid detection they almost border on the frozen surface. Continuing along the range, when they are at less than two kilometers from the objective, he glimpses something in the distance. The Commander, who has already put on the helmet, gets in the cockpit and also sees the artificial construction: a hidden complex in the middle of nowhere, in a planet where nobody can find it. At first sight it's formed by a single trapezoidal building, in addition to the landing zone. Covering the abyss between both there is a long wide footbridge. The shuttle lands on the platform, and Shepard, Liara and Barla Von get off. They look at their setting, they only hear the whistling of the blizzard. The Kodiak leaves. The only thing in the landing zone is an old eroded metallic box.
Shepard: With caution.
Barla Von takes his Phaeston while they approximate to the footbridge. The storm intensifies, they hardly see beyond a few meters. A dull noise is heard in the distance. The sniper's shot misses for not much. The three cover behind the box. The Commander shows up and when he sees a glint he quickly bends. The bullet steps over his head.
Shepard: We can't cross! There's nothing to take cover in the whole bridge!
Liara: We can't stay either! With this cold we won't last long out here!
Barla Von: Follow me!
Shepard: Wait!
The shooter brings down the volus' kinetic barrier, but he activates shield boost.
Barla Von: Come!
Shepard and Liara place themselves next to the volus and staying close they run exposed along the footbridge. More snipers join the target practice, but each time they eliminate their shields they regenerate thanks to the volus' tech. The wind begins to gain strength, complicating their running. Several heavy mercenaries appear to harass them with rocket launchers, forcing the team to avoid the projectiles, but they fail to stop their advance. When they reach the other end the enemies return to the interior of the building and Liara starts to hack the door.
Shepard: Well done.
Barla Von moves his head in a gesture of approval.
Liara: Open!
A gust of warm air comes from inside. When they pass and the door closes the ventilation system pressurizes the room again. They advance a little, a dim light illuminates the entrance to the complex. No one is there. Shepard and Liara take off the helmet, the temperature is pleasant. They go down on guard along the ramp up to a gate which opens when they reach it. Several mercenaries are waiting for them, but the team quickly shots down all the enemies. They continue along the corridor, with Shepard ahead and Liara in the last place. Suddenly an energetic barrier raises and divides the group in two: Shepard and Barla Von; and Liara. The Commander hits the barrier.
Shepard: Liara!
Barla Von: What do we do now?
Liara: -Through the intercom- Go ahead. I'll look for a way to catch you up.
Shepard: -He accedes- Be careful.
Liara: You too.
They both get going, but Shepard looks back one last time.
-O-
On board the SSV Logan…
Communications officer: Sir, one of our reconnaissance frigates has spotted the enemy fleet.
Admiral Singh: Location?
Communications officer: They're leaving Dis system. They were hiding behind the star, concealing their heat emissions. I'll put it on screen. -A moving red dot appears on the map- There they are. They know we've detected them and they're going to jump to FTL speed.
Admiral Singh: Don't lose them. Wherever they go, to leave the sector they'll need to go through here. We'll be waiting.
-O-
Shepard and Barla Von, after finding a locked gate, they try to dodge it taking a shortcut through the infirmary, a spacious rectangular room where more mercenaries have gathered together to kill them.
Shadow Broker Agent: Don't let them go through!
Shepard covers behind a column while Barla Von throws a recon mine, detonates it and eliminates two enemies. The floodlights of the ceiling explode, sparks blow up around them. Somebody hits an oxygen bottle that ends flying and bursts in the middle of the skirmish. The mercenaries fall one by one. The last tries to escape, but Barla Von finishes him.
Liara: -Through intercom- How are you doing?
Shepard: We're finding resistance, but nothing we can't handle. And you?
Liara: I managed to pass the barrier through the ventilation ducts. I keep going, I think I already see the exit.
After leaving the infirmary they reach a large chamber excavated inside the mountain. The ground is solid rock, but it is partially frozen. Numerable containers cover what seems to be the magazine. A red spot appears on the Commander's forehead. After a shot a dead body falls from the balcony situated in front of them.
Liara: -Through intercom- Don't mention it.
The asari is in an observation platform on their left, several meters above, from where she has an utter view of the chamber.
Liara: Move! You have company!
A squad comes to stop the Commander, but with Liara's support they easily finish them. However, a trapdoor in the ceiling opens and a turret deploys, aiming at her. She quickly turns round, gets out of the platform and runs through the glazed corridor which crosses over the chamber under the heavy fire of the quad cannons. The windows blow up into a thousand pieces with the shots. In the last meters Liara impulses and throws herself to the ground to reach the robust wall of the end of the corridor. When she stands up she goes towards the door, but it's locked. Meanwhile, a second turret deploys and aims at Shepard and Barla Von, forcing them to run in the open up to the exit of the chamber. Once there they contact Liara.
Shepard: Have you got out of there?
Liara: No, I'm trapped! -She slightly slides towards the broken windows, but the turret opens fire, so she moves back- I can't go back because of the turrets, but I can't go forward either! The door is sealed and it's impossible to hack it from here. I need you to open it!
Shepard: Understood.
They abandon the chamber and the only accessible way leads them to a grotto, hundreds of meters separate the footbridge from the depth. The walls, rich in metallic traces, cause interferences in the communications.
Barla Von: Here they come!
Another group of mercenaries appears at their backs, too numerous to contain. When they have crossed, Shepard covers the volus while he brings down the footbridge with a mine.
Shepard: Good, it will take them a while to find a way to cross.
Not very far they find the security room and they burst into violently to eliminate the five mercenaries who are there. Shepard finds the controls of the door and opens it.
Shepard: -Through intercom- Liara, it's done. -There is no answer- Do you receive me? -Nothing-.
Barla Von: Communications should work here.
Shepard: I don't like this.
Barla Von: She may be hidden and can't respond.
Shepard: Let's continue, by staying here we won't figure it out.
-O-
Gunnery officer: Admiral, we've just finished analyzing the data sent by the Normandy. -The galaxy map disappears to show a hologram of the enemy ship- Our firepower will be insufficient to destroy the Colossus before it reaches the relay. Its shields are very strong, just as the hull's armor.
Admiral Singh: We can't let it escape… And what if we concentrate fire on their engines to stop it? -The hologram enlarges showing the rear part- If we positioned the fleet at one side of its trajectory we would have them in range.
Gunnery officer: But even so to destroy the twelve thrusters we would need more time.
Communications officer: -She interrupts them- The captain of the frigate which is following the enemy has news.
Admiral Singh: Put him in the main channel.
Captain of SSV Trafalgar: Sir, the fleet has just stopped in the middle of the void.
Admiral Singh: Any idea of what is happening?
Captain of SSV Trafalgar: Wait a moment, the signal is moving again. It has gone to FTL, but… it has split into five parts, and they are taking different courses.
Admiral Singh: What? -Speaking to his yeoman- Give me an image. -The woman keyboards the order in her terminal. The hologram of the Colossus disappears and the projector shows the tactical map of the sector- Very clever. We can't defend just one entry point to the system and now we have to control five.
EDI: I may have a solution.
-O-
Adjacent to the security room there is a hall with two elevators through which Shepard and Barla Von go down to the operations center level. When they reach the anteroom they find a security gate, but after an easy hacking it opens. It seems that no one is waiting for them.
Shepard: Stay alert.
Behind the door there is a narrow corridor which ends in the operations center, a D-shaped large room divided in two floors. In the middle of the lower floor there is a big galaxy map, and surrounding it there are several half-buried terminals. Four pillars around it support the vault. Once inside they observe on both sides stairs which link the two floors, and a little further on glass screens with lots of data flickering on them. At the end, three enormous monitors on the curved wall and two doors next to them which lead up to other stairs. Numerous terminals cram the rest of the room. The second floor, where there are dozens of computers as well, is made up of metallic catwalks which cover the entire perimeter of the operations center. Two more entrances are located on that level on both sides of the curved zone. There are enemies working at every terminal. Suddenly a bulkhead shuts behind them and fifteen mercenaries arrive from all directions and aim at them. They are surrounded, but they raise their weapons too. There are troops even on the catwalks and the stairs. Several mercenaries right in front of them move away to let who seems to be the leader pass, a tough salarian protected by a heavy armor and armed with an M-100 grenade launcher.
Salarian leader: You have taken a lot of trouble to find me, but your efforts have been in vain. -He switches on his intercom- Bring her.
The left door of the second floor opens and some mercenaries appear with Liara, handcuffed and with the hands at her back. They go down the nearest stairs and stay at a care distance, next to the map. The leader turns towards the asari.
Salarian leader: It has been a long time, doctor, but I'm sure you still remember me.
Liara: Tazzik… How I could forget the agent to whom I had to snatch the Commander's body before he gave it to the collectors.
Tazzik: -He smiles coldly- I have to admit it was quite a surprise to find out the new identity of the Broker.
Liara: So you do all this for vengeance.
Tazzik: Vengeance? No, you're wrong. We know you've proposed to eliminate this organization, but we won't let you kill us all. We are not more than loose ends to you, it's a matter of time that we end up as the members of the League of One: hunted one by one until all who have worked for the Broker are dead. That's not going to happen. I take the post… for survival.
Liara: You only seek power.
Tazzik: Don't be hypocrite. Destroy the Broker's resources, turn everything into nothing more than ashes, you didn't do it when you killed your predecessor.
Liara: -Enraged- Don't you dare to compare yourself with me. I did it to help to stop the reapers!
One of the operatives stands up from his terminal and comes near the salarian.
Operative: The ship is ready, Shadow Broker.
Silently and undetected Arnius appears accompanied with two turians through one of the doors of the second floor.
Tazzik: Finally. -Pointing to Liara- Take her to the frigate and lock her up. -Looking contemptuously at the Commander and the volus- And…
Before being able to say anything several metal cylinders fall on the troops who surround Shepard and Barla Von. In a fraction of second both roll out of the siege and the flashbang grenades explode, stunning Tazzik's men. Taking advantage of confusion between both they eliminate five enemies while the mercenaries who go with Liara reach the stairs.
Chaos breaks out at the operations center. The twenty operatives in charge of the various terminals stand up to support their companions. In front of the two mercenaries who have Liara prisoner a turian appears out of nowhere armed with an M-11 Wraith shotgun, and before they can raise their weapons they are in the floor with the stomach holed. Barla Von's man breaks Liara's handcuffs, gives her a Phalanx and goes down to help his boss. The other two turians place on both sides of the second level, shooting at the six operatives on the catwalks who have just joined the fight. A mercenary aims his Hydra missile launcher at the turian on the left, ending his life and the catwalk, which kills one of their own when it falls. Arnius, before the mercenary aims at him, executes him with an accurate head shot. Tazzik catches unaware his companion who was going down the stairs, shattering him with the grenade launcher, after which he reaches and throws himself at Liara, punches her to disarm her and seizes the asari again.
Tazzik: -With rage- Where you going somewhere?
He aims at her so that she goes up. Arnius realizes and moves back to eliminate Tazzik, but with the damages suffered the bars of his catwalk give way and he falls to the first floor. Several mercenaries separate from the main group to cover the retreat of the salarian. Shepard runs after him, but one of the enemies who blockade the way to Liara fires his M-560 Hydra, what forces him to jump behind a pillar to avoid it. The eight guided projectiles impact on the column, nicking its base, but it still stands. Barla Von eliminates him before he shoots again, but another soldier with a Hydra catches him by his rearguard. Shepard finishes him, but the mercenary falls backwards with the gun charged and by releasing the trigger the missiles hit the vault, cracking it. Dust falls from the ceiling. Shepard hurries to move away while he sees how the upper end of the pillar already damaged splits and the entire column plunges on the map of the galaxy, bursting the projector and the terminals around in an explosion of white and blue sparks. Adrenalin runs through his veins.
Barla Von: Behind you, Commander!
Shepard turns and eliminates a mercenary who was going to stick his omni-tool in his back while Arnius clears the catwalk by killing the last enemy armed with an M-560. There are still more than a dozen enemies on the first floor and they are running out of time. The Commander runs to reach the salarian eliminating the two agents who blocked the way. The volus and the turian follow him, and Barla Von throws a mine to the vault, which after the explosion fully cracks and allows a large amount of snow to fall on the battered map. When they reach the upper level they go through the door which Tazzik crossed leaving the rest of the mercenaries behind.
Shepard: Quickly! He mustn't escape!
Once they arrive at the hangar it is too late, as Tazzik's frigate is already taking off.
Shepard: No!
Arnius throws it a locator before the ship leaves the docking bay. The mercenaries who were pursuing them advance through the corridor shooting them, but the turian returns to the entrance to hold the line. The Commander joins him.
Barla Von: -Communicating with his ship- Come to pick us up now!
The ship of the volus starts to descend towards the facilities, but Tazzik's frigate is in its trajectory. It tries to avoid it, but the enemy ship goes towards them and fires several torpedoes.
Turian pilot: -Through radio- All power to GARDIAN systems!
Barla Von: Don't face them! Get out of there! -A loud noise is heard- Do you receive me? -He only hears static- No… They have died…
Arnius: -Enemies are getting closer- We need another plan now!
Shepard: Where did you leave the shuttle?
Arnius: It won't work, it's an old model, it lacks an FTL drive.
Shepard: Then, to the communications room! From there we can ask for evacuation!
Barla Von: -He reacts quickly- Through here! Let's go!
They leave the hangar with the mercenaries very close to them. When they find the room they clear it from enemies and close and lock the door to stop the others. Barla Von sits at the controls and he soon understands something is not right.
Barla Von: The computer indicates the antenna is damaged. We have a very limited transmission range.
Shepard: I hope it's enough. -Barla Von presses a button to record- This is Commander Shepard from the Alliance. We need immediate evacuation from the planet Anaern. To anyone who can hear this, we need help.
-O-
Communications officer: We are online.
Admiral Singh: -Communicating with the entire Third Fleet- The enemy fleet has divided to hide through where the Colossus will try to cross our blockade. Two ships are going towards Plutus, other two towards Cacus and the one left will go between both solar systems towards Antaeus. Although we cannot identify them, we have reasons to believe that the shipyard will go to the planet Treyarmus, in the Cacus System. -He gives the floor- Normandy…
EDI: When we infiltrated the enemy ship we discovered their drive charge is almost completely charged. If they want to escape from us they need to discharge it before leaving the sector, otherwise they won't get very far, and Treyarmus is the best place to do it.
Admiral Singh: As we won't have enough time to stop them once they arrive here the Normandy will command an assault group of four frigates and two squadrons of fighters which will ambush the shipyard there before reaching the planet and will destroy part of its thrusters. This should be enough so that the rest of the fleet, which will wait next to the relay, can put a definitive end to the threat. The Colossus mustn't escape. -He makes a pause- Is there any question? -The plan seems to be clear- Good luck.
-O-
Ten minutes later the communications receiver finally shows signs of life, although what is heard is incomprehensible.
Shepard: -To Barla Von- Stabilize the signal.
While he does it Arnius observes the door. The mercenaries are trying to open it with a blowtorch.
Shepard: -Through the communications system- Here's Commander Shepard, can you hear me?
Javik: Commander!
Shepard: Javik?
Javik: Yes, it's me. What happens? Where is the Normandy?
Shepard: It's still on Thessia. We've gotten into quite a complicated situation and… -he looks at the door- we need evacuation.
Javik: We are on our way.
Shepard: Don't keep us waiting too much. Shepard out.
Barla Von: If the coordinates this thing indicates are correct… He is too far. He won't reach on time…
Shepard: How many mercenaries you think are outside?
Arnius: As I saw while we were looking for you there were quite a lot of troops in the complex, but many were going to the hangar.
Barla Von: Maybe they embarked the frigate.
Arnius: I think that there are not more than twenty in the entire facility.
Shepard: I have an idea. Open the door.
Barla Von: What? They'll riddle us!
Shepard: It won't last much longer, in a few minutes they will have come in. If we open it, we will catch them unawares and will eliminate all who are there.
Arnius: That's crazy… sure it works. -The volus is reluctant, but there is no other option and finally he accepts- Ready?