Ch.4
You can go a long way with a smile. You can go a lot farther with a smile and a gun.
Al Capone (1899 - 1947)
I'm running towards the settlement and stop dead. I see it Sovereign a reaper the one trying to push the galactic reset button. I see geth dropships in the distance I reach a section of the field, I hear gunfire in the distance screams I reach a portion of the field thats burning. I'm reminded of my dream its okay I breathe she's back at the ship. I continue on sneaking forward I see a group of marines engaging some geth in a firefight. I begin to head towards them when a dropship comes to a stop over them, damn it they have no chance. I ignore the sounds of battle as I sneak past I see a single marine break off from the group and head into the forest she was wearing white armor. Ashley I think okay gonna find Shepard soon I head off to follow her. I learn its hard to be stealthy and move fast. I manage to keep her in sight at all times though.
"Man I miss the ship," I think the calm quiet of space, an image flashes through my head Liana's face inches from mine. I shake my head gotta stay focused. My cloak gets caught on a branch "oh you've got to be kidding me." I tear it free and keep moving I see the spot Shepard arrives at to save Ash. I see the two geth drones coming in behind her I pull out my pistol and begin firing towards the drones and I manage to take one out and get the attention of the other but before it can move, it bursts into flames and crashes to the ground.
I hear a dragon's teeth extend I look over and see a pair of geth who put a body on the metallic spike. I turn towards them pull the trigger and click oops forgot a new thermal clip fumbling around for another one, both geth start shooting at me. Yeah even with shields being shot at can scare the crap out of you. I dive behind a tree dropping the thermal clip I was trying to put in the pistol. I hear the gunfire intensify and stop I look out and see a man and two women talking I step out of my cover and start walking towards them.
"Yes ma'am," I hear Ashley say as I approach a twig snaps under my foot and everyone turns drawing guns.
It's confirmed Shepard and Alenko are here, but with her helmet I can't tell what she looks like, I think all this as I raise my hands the pistol still in my hand noticing this I drop it. "This is a warm welcome," I say with a nervous laugh.
"Chief Williams do you know this man," Shepard asks holstering her gun. Alenko and Ash follow suit.
"No ma'am but when I got hit by those drones there was some fire coming at them from the direction he came from," she says sizing me up and staring at my face hidden by my hood, "and the geth had started firing into the forest towards that direction."
I slowly put my hands back down, "Yeah that was me," I say I begin to slowly bend down to pick up my pistol.
Shepard looks closely at me "Remove your hood," she says with a tone of military command.
"Remove your helmet," I say right back, "its only fair you show your face I show mine." time to see if it's paragon or renegade Shepard.
She calmly reaches up and pulls her helmet off, okay, she looked just like the default appearance for Shepard in Mass Effect 1. I slowly reach up and grab the edges of my hood I pull it down to my shoulders. "My name is Will Doe," I say with a smile, "Commander Shepard I presume."
Shepard calmly introduces Kaiden and Ashley, I greet each in turn feeling a small twinge in my stomach, Virmire. "Now then Mr. Doe care to explain what your doing here," she says, she has this calm aura around her it was refreshing.
"Please call me Will," I say what little tension I have flown I hold my hand out towards her. She reaches out and shakes.
"Mr. Doe what are you doing here," Kaiden says.
Hmm what to say amnesia was the first thing to come to mind, but I can't pull that off apparently. "My girlfriend and I were just landing, to look around," I say laughing a bit.
"Where is she," Shepard asks.
"You left her alone," Ash says looking at me incredulously.
I start sweating a bit, they have a point. "She can take care of herself I came out here to see if I could be of assistance."
"Strange..." Kaiden says.
"What," I say looking at him, "you gonna look a gift horse in the mouth."
Kaiden drops it but I feel like he's analyzing me.
"Let's continue on and look for survivors we'll get the rest of your story later," Shepard says putting her helmet back on, pull my hood up and my HUD reappears.
"You were ordered not to interfere in events," a voice in my head says. We head off and I purposely fall behind a bit.
"Who is this," I say without any real knowledge if the voice can hear me.
"Liana there's a mod in your head a communications device," she says, "you were ordered not to interfere."
"I was also ordered to discover what's going on," I say I catch a glance from Kaiden, ok a little too loud.
"And," she says impatiently.
We move forward I fire at geth as we reach the dig site I duck behind cover when my shields nearly deplete due to heavy fire. "Shepard is going to find out whats going on," I whisper to myself while sitting in cover "so I wont have to due anything beyond a few fire fights and we'll get all the answers we need."
We reach the dig site I know this dialogue already, so I'm not really listening and if I miss anything Liana can tell me. I look up and notice everyone's looking at me, apparently I had been asked a question.
"The guy asked why you were talking to yourself," Liana's voice in my head said.
"It helps me to remember information," I answer calmly.
Kaiden gives me a suspicious look I stare right back not blinking.
"We should keep going," Ashley says breaking up the tension.
We begin heading up hill I fall behind again, I whisper to Liana, "Thanks for the save."
When we reach the top Kaiden warns, "It's a good place for an ambush keep your gaurd up.""Oh, god! They're still alive."
"What did the geth do to them," I hear Ash say. I look up and see the dragon's teeth retract and husks disconnect themselves. I begin firing rounds as we all open up one makes it through our storm of fire and sends out an electrical pulse killing my shields. I kick it in the chest and put a bullet in its head. I hits me how ungory the game is as a hole appears in the husks head.
We search around after finishing off the husks I spot the building that in the game at least, held two scientists. I point it out to Shepard, "Hey this doors locked."
Alenko walks by me and hacks the door.
"Oh thank god," a woman's voice says when I enter the building.
I could get used to this I think. "Ma'am are you alright," I say turning towards the two figures a man and woman in lab coats.
"We're so glad to see other humans," she says as Shepard, Kaiden, and Ashley enter the shed. Shepard immediatly takes over the conversation, we eventually learn they took the beacon to the star port.
Nihlus is about to die, I think as we walk down the path next to the sheds. We hear a gunshot and I flinch, man I woulda wanted to meet him. We turn towards the starport and see Sovereign lifting off the ground what seems to be red lightning flying out around it. I hear Kaiden and Ash's exclamations as Sovereign lifts into the air. I hear the metal scraping of dragon's teeth I look down and sure enough there the husks are. I begin firing my pistol and moving towards them. The geth in the star port start firing at me, but I manage to get into some cover. A husk comes around the edge of my cover electricity crackling from its skin. My shields get blown away in one shot. I sweep my leg out and break the husk's leg, I pull out my pistol and put half a clip in it. Thud I roll forward with the hit and turn another husk had snuck up behind me while I was distracted with the first, my vision goes fuzzy I point my pistol at the husk. I see it start jittering around and fall over, its back was riddled with bullet holes. I look up and see ash with her assault rifle cooling she holds her hand out towards me and helps me up.
"Thanks," I say shaking the disorientation away.
She walks back to Shepard and Kaiden now that everything had been taken care of they head to the shed I know has the smugglers in it. I decide to head up the ramp to the space port. I see Nihlus I hear something move and turn my pistol leveled, it was the dock worker the one who tells you about Saren. "Your lucky I didn't shoot you," I say putting my gun away.
"I know what happened to the turian the other one shot him," the guy says.
Got to play along for now at least, "What other one," I say forcing a confused look.
"The other turian," he says, "I think he called him Saren, but this one dropped his guard the moment he saw him."
I turn to look towards Shepard's squad and shout, "Shepard over here."
After a few moments Shepard's squad was standing besides me getting the story straight from the horses mouth. Just like in the game Nihlus had met up with Saren and had dropped his guard just to get shot in the back. He tells us the beacon has been moved to the station farther down at Platform 2.
