Just a quick little chapter while I get back in to the spin of writing this story. Thanks for pushing me in to continuing this one! I enjoy writing it!
3
Garrus was tracking with Nihlus. It was a weird feeling, following a spectre. Garrus couldn't say that it was an unwelcomed feeling. Despite his sister's vocal protests, he had jumped at the chance to train under Nihlus. Regardless of the fact that he had come back from the shopping center weeks ago smelling like Shepard.
He never smelled like the human again so Garrus was certain there wasn't anything physical going on… Yet. He wasn't sure it would stay that way and it bothered him. Why did it bother him?
His species had invaded a portion of her planet. Their collective species were attempting to kill one another. She wasn't supposed to be friendly with them as they weren't with her.
But here he was, wondering if she was alright and hoping that she hadn't wound up dead yet.
Nihlus was leading Garrus to the edge of the human compound. They were on a tree covered hill overlooking a courtyard. It wasn't a main part of the base and seemed to be used for storage and training. Nihlus had shared enough of the mission for Garrus to know that they were simply observing.
A shuttle had managed to slip through their blockade and they were tasked with finding out what the cargo was. They guessed that it was just more soldiers, but it seemed like a risky maneuver just for some soldiers.
Shepard had been too used to working on her own; having a squad here for her to babysit was obnoxious on a good day, but having a bunch of people who were enhanced the same ways she was happened to be downright obnoxious.
She had three people assigned under her; Alenko, Jenkins and Williams. Kaiden Alenko was a by-the-books fellow if she had ever met one. It wouldn't be so bad if he didn't cite regulation every time she tried to do something. Ashley Williams was eager to be there, eager to speak her mind, and eager to kill aliens. Vienne didn't know what to think of her, really. She thought the alien hate, while justified, was a little psychotic but she enjoyed the fact that the woman called people on their shit.
Jenkins was just a kid and an overeager one at that. He was probably going to get himself killed, as morbid a thought as that was. He would rush out from cover too earlier in all of their training exercises and she didn't see that tactic working well for him in a real fight.
All three were altered just as she was. Alenko for his biotics, Williams for her strength, and Jenkins for movement and flexibility. They were the three to her one. She was surprised to see that the doctors had apparently tapered off their experimenting and decided that one enhanced trait per person was better.
Fuckers didn't give a shit about torturing the fuck out of her in the name of science and war-winning. Maybe that was why she didn't care so much about befriending the enemy and taking a less involved look at the entire situation. Not that she told anyone that she was friendly with the aliens… They didn't need to know that. She didn't need to spend another night in the brig to 'think about what she had done'.
God she hated this base and pretty much everyone on it.
She was always segregated, despite being the one that often went off to scout for supplies. She took most of the infiltration risks while everyone else just sat back and prettied themselves up for their praise on finding all the information.
Her and her team were heading to the make-shift training area to show off for the big wigs. She was going to make a show of it for once, she needed to instill some of the 'I am the motherfucking boss' in her new team. She didn't trust them yet and they didn't trust her. At the very least they needed to trust her abilities.
Nihlus and Garrus were well camouflaged in the tree line by the time there was movement in the base below. Four soldiers were escorted to the vacant area and appeared to be locked in. Without warning and the soldiers without their weapons security and battle droids started to pile in to the area.
A training simulation of some kind? Seemed a waste to kill off soldiers like this, especially when they didn't have many quality ones.
Just ask Garrus was going to ask Nihlus about the strange human behavior a loud and violent explosion rang.
One of the heavy mechs had just been obliterated by the smaller female soldier. Garrus looked down his scope to get a better view of her.
It was Vienne Shepard. She had the unmistakable blue aura of a biotic and had, without armor, decimated the mech. She looked bored and a little pissed. She gestured to her stunned compatriots to join in the battle… Exercise… Whatever the hell this was and they reluctantly listened.
She was a soldier and a damned effective one at that. Humans weren't supposed to have biotics and what was with this strength? He wasn't aware that humans could withstand forces like this.
The other woman seemed to be equally as strong but showed no sign of biotics. The taller man was obviously primarily a biotic and the other man was… Well… Nimble, for lack of a better word, and fast. He was able to traverse the battlefield quickly and pick off smaller targets efficiently. It was obvious who the main force was, and it was the woman he had been stuck with.
He wasn't sure what to think of her now. She was acting different; she seemed cold and calculating. Not at all the friendly and harmless looking woman who had exchanged pleasantries with him while dressing his wound.
Which was the real woman, he wondered, and was he going to have to kill her by the end of this?
Damnit, Vienne was exactly what he was supposed to be searching for. The humans had been experimenting on their own, and he had subject alpha in his possession twice now.
He had let feelings cloud his mission. He needed to find a way to get in to that base or get a message to her. He was certain she would meet up with him and it was more of a matter of convincing her to come with him rather than stay.
Though given her penchant for befriending the enemy, he didn't think she felt much loyalty to her own species. He couldn't say he would either if she had been subjected to the things their spy had reported was being done to some of their test subjects.
The nimble one had gotten overwhelmed with mechs – he wasn't working well within the team and seemed to get cocksure too quickly. Vienne had to take a hit for him from the last heavy mech and was sent flying in to a wall.
The wall crumbled around her and Nihlus was about to do… something, spirits know what he could do, when she climbed out of the rubble looking shaken and furious. With one final charge and biotic flare the mechs were down and her team was knocked back.
Yelling instantly erupted from a tower where someone was observing the entire scenario. Vienne took one look upwards and sneered.
From what Nihlus could make out through the muffled loud speaker she was being reprimanded for not controlling her team. One of her team, the other woman, moved to respond and Vienne silenced her.
She was protecting them from something. The way she was standing with her back to the tower and the way she tensed when another order was given were telling in and of themselves. Her team collected themselves and watched as she raised her head high then walked straight for another portion of the base further down.
Nihlus motioned for Garrus to follow him. Sticking to their cover, Nihlus followed Vienne's progress as best he could. A large portion of the outer base wall was within sight of the forest covered hill – it was a popular scouting spot for the turians.
They never took sniper shots at anyone in the base because the humans had enough short-range artillery to demolish the hill and it was a damned good spot for spying. Turians didn't give up resources if they didn't have to.
Finally Vienne stopped in an area with small blocks cordoned off. It seemed like a barracks area only there were no ceilings. Punishment and exposure to the weather. It was probably more successful that way – if not more cruel.
The walls were tall and rimmed with spikes and what appeared to be sharpened wire… He doubted many had escaped.
Vienne was shoved in to one of the outdoor cells and left there. Judging from how casually she walked over to the cement bench and laid back he would guess that this was a rather normal event in her life.
They watched for hours trying to get a good idea on how long the 'punished' were left in these crude cells.
It was nighttime before they had to call their mission and head back in for new orders. This was supposed to be a scouting mission and nothing that was supposed to take more than a few hours out of their day.
She was still in the cell when they left.