Author's Note: Just a bit of explanation: I hated my previous Chapter 27 so much I deleted it. It had no importance and flow with the entire story. I guess i was getting desperate to and sloppy. This is the new chapter 27. Sorry for all the confusion.

Chapter 27

Sean's senses returned to him, very slowly. Whatever room he was in it felt very humid. Sweat dripped down his forehead and neck. His body felt weak. His eyes felt heavy, as if they were forcing him to fall back asleep. He was resting against something soft, something wet. His eyes snapped open as he realized where he was. He was inside one of the Collector pods. Panic set into his body and his heart began to pound against his chest. They must have transported him out of the Normandy inside one of these things. He was going to end up like the test subjects he had seen. He pressed his face to then barely translucent lid of the pod and began to pound on it with his fist. The lid didn't budge.

Shit. He thought to himself

You need to get out of here. His mind responded.

There's no way.

There's always a way.

I have barely enough room to breath.

You can do it. Since when have impossible odds stopped you? Sean nodded and he began to twist and turn, trying to force some workable room. An idea snapped into his head. He remembered his knife. Twisting and knotting his body together he managed to force his fingers to his boot. They barely skimmed the hilt of his blade.

"Come on! Damn it!" Sean cursed aloud as he slowly began to unsheathe the blade, inch by inch. With one last twist he finally got a firm grip around the hilt. Smiling, he lifted the blade up to his chest. He began to scan the entire pod, looking for some sort of a seal. Locking onto a small line of separation between the lid and the wall of the pod, Sean thrust the knife into it. He then began to shimmy the knife back and forth, trying to pry it open.

Sean suddenly began to feel the pressure in the pod rise. He looked around and saw a green gas slowly being pumped into the pod from the top. As he inhaled the gas, his body became weaker.

No! You have not come this far to be stopped! His mind yelled at him. Sean took one last breath of air and returned to his work.

Come on! He yelled to himself as he began to furiously work the knife back and forth. He heard a quiet hiss as the lid slightly budged. Yes! It was working! He was almost there. Sean gave one last pull on the knife to force open the lid entirely.

As if fate was toying with him, the blade of the knife snapped. No! He looked at the broken hilt of the blade, eyes wide in terror. No! Not now! He banged his head on the lid of the chamber, accepting his inevitable fate.

His ears perked up as he heard a muffled voice from beyond the lid. He pressed his face against the lid again looking out. There in front of him was Shepard and her team.

"Hey!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, using up the last bit of air in his lungs, as he pounded against the lid. Their heads snapped up and locked onto Sean's pod. Sean struggled to stay conscious as his lungs ached, begging for air. They immediately rushed forward, working together to pry the lid open. His vision grew blurry and grey.

With a loud hiss the door swung open, as Sean flopped forward. He hit the ground hard, returning his senses to him instantly. He was helped to his feet as he gasped for air.

"You came…" Sean wheezed.

"No one gets left behind." Shepard said, clasping him on the shoulder.

"Thank you." Sean said, as he stumbled forward.

"Sean!" Tali said running forward and embracing him tightly, "I thought you were dead."

"I did too." Sean said hugging her tightly back.

"The ship- I thought they had-" Tali said stumbling on her words, not letting go.

"I'm fine. Are the rest of the crew alright?" He asked, quickly glancing around the room. He looked around to see that the rest of the team was prying open the other pods, revealing the other crewmembers of the Normandy. "Oh thank god." He said. He turned to see that the squad and crew had assembled in a semicircle around Shepard. They entered it, listening into the conversation.

"I'll keep the defenders busy, you slip around the back." Garrus said.

"What about the rest of the crew?" Chakwas asked, "We're in no shape to fight."

"I can still fight!" Sean spoke up, raising his hand.

"Sean no!" Tali said, quickly pulling his hand back down.

"Sean, you heard the doctor, you're in no shape." Sheaprd said stepping towards Sean.

"I can still fight!" Sean said.

"Sean. You're going back with the rest of the crew. The gasses in there fatigued you. I can't have you passing out in the middle of a firefight!"

Sean opened his mouth to respond.

"That's an order!" Shepard quickly said, cutting him off.

"Yes ma'am." Sean said, morale draining out of his voice.

"We can't afford to go back, Shepard. Not now." Miranda said, jumping into the conversation.

"They'll never make it without help." Shepard responded, "I'll send someone with you." She quickly scanned her squad. "Mordin. You'll escort the crew back to the Normandy.

"Joker, need location of Normandy landing zone. Will meet you there." Mordin said punching on something on his omnitool.

"We all have our assignments. Let's move out.