Cover.
Shepard whirled back into cover, pressing his back against the steel pillar as a stream of bullets tore through the air he'd stood in a moment ago.
Assess.
Ignoring the continuing hail of bullets from the panicking enemy Shepard looked over his shoulder and at the others.
With him holding the rightmost corner of the rectangular room the one closest to him, occupying the other corner of the square pillar he was covering behind, was a focused-looking Alenko. The man's stance was wide, the pistol in his right hand nearly resting against the pillar as it again and again barked out death across the room in a crossfire, his left hand lowered and glowing with barely contained biotic energy, ready to unleash it at any Cerberus agent daring to break cover.
Further off, at the centre of their side of the room, a bulky computer that so far had proven surprisingly sturdy shook and creaked under the fire aimed its way. Forcing Tali'Zorah covering behind it to crouch low, muttering in her alien tongue as her omni-tool glowed a deep orange, the pistol in her other hand smoking with the overheat her random firing back from her cover had achieved.
Urdnot on the other hand, sharing the cover, was monstrously large in comparison to Tali'Zorah. As such he had no option but to rise high enough to return fire, his shotgun again and again firing away across the room, smashing asunder the walls when he missed, or sending the crates the surviving Cerberus operatives were hiding behind flying, often sending one of the enemy flying back as well, usually with a curse and a flare of struck shields.
At the other end, holding the pillar there, Williams was moving left and right, again and again glancing around the cover on both ends and firing away small bursts at the enemy, practically able to keep the entire flank pinned down even without the threat of Alenko's glowing biotics.
The only one that recently had gotten any kills was Vakarian however, the Turian hiding in the doorway behind Tali'Zorah and Urdnot from whence the group had come, his sniper rifle barely sticking out from his cover as more and more Cerberus fire poured towards him in order to keep him pinned.
It had gone well so far. The Cerberus bases on Binthu had been caught unawares, The first one had even had its doors open and defensive turrets powered down, allowing the team to parachute down and annihilate the entire garrison, most having been asleep, in under one minute.
Shepard had timed it.
The second had been more difficult, sentries had been up and the turrets activated, spitting rockets at them the moment they had moved within range. Shepard had managed to take himself closer under the other's covering fire though, drawing the attention of the turrets until Moreau had swooped in. The Normandy's guns had been guided by Vakarian 'painting' of the target...and with the spectacular annihilation of the turret, not to mention the roof of the bunker-like top of the base, the resistance there had crumpled, leading to a somewhat easy mop-up operation.
The third one however...the tall mountains had prevented the Normandy from doing any bombing runs, not to mention the dozen turrets spread around the bunker itself.
Automated defences however, always went for the most dangerous threat.
Which meant that Shepard in the Mako had drawn every rocket fired. Together with a Williams throwing unhelpful curses at him and his evasive driving and an Urdnot hooting as he fired away with the Mako's turret at the enemy base and the defenders there.
The turrets had kept missing...and with Tali'Zorah having masked their signature...the rest of the team had snuck up to each in turn and placed explosives upon them.
When the surviving defenders of the outer bunker had begun to retreat in the face of the evasive Mako and the exploding turrets Shepard had exited with the rest of the Mako's crew and managed to rush the closing door, and when the others had closed the distance it had turned into a running battle of pursuit and annihilation of cornered pockets of resistance.
That had been until they had entered the main laboratory of the facility, the narrow corridors had opened up into a large rectangular room held up by four large metal beams in each corner, between each a large computers stood. Unfortunately it had been been an even distribution of cover, and the far end was packed with cylindrical crates behind which the more numerous Cerberus survivors could regroup and put up a powerful last stand that was by now close to push the Spectre-led force back.
Between the two sides a single man in dress uniform lay, Kahoku... Unimportant at the moment.
Now wait.
Turning his head back to his corner of the skirmish Shepard listened as the woman screaming curses continued to pour the hail of bullets into the pillar. Within three.
"You fucker! I'll kill you!" Even above the din of multiple firing weapons and scouts he could hear the woman roaring, berserk with an anger he didn't understand. Understanding is irrelevant, she's sloppy, use it.
Within two.
"I'll shove my gun so far down your throat you'll shit lead!"
Within one. Shepard took a breath, the assault rifle clicking into place on his back even as his shotgun smoothly clicked into readiness in his hands.
"I'll-!" And then there was no firing, the weapon overheating. "...fuck."
Engage.
Shepard whirled around, the shotgun jerking in his hands and tearing a gouge in the pillar the woman was hiding behind even as she in a flare of struggling shields jumped back into cover.
Proceed with flanking.
He charged, another blast from his chosen weapon smashing into the pillar, making the woman cry out.
He was halfway across the room, leaping forward as the woman cried out: "Help me!"
Probability of assistance arriving in time – A man whirled around the corner, assault rifle levelled – a hundred percent. The weapon fired away, a vicious volley smashing into Shepard's chest only to burn away as his shields flared away. Shields will hold for three more-
A hiss and the gun in the man's hands clicked to a stop, the man looking down at it, perplexed, then he stumbled as an explosion of white light enveloped him as his shields were violently overloaded.
Note, commend Tali'Zorah for quick acting during briefing.
Shepard's shotgun barked, and the man flew back into the wall with a grunt, hands dropping his weapon and coming up to clutch at his armoured chest...only to drop to his sides as the second blast dug into the dented armour with a crunch of snapping bones and tearing flesh.
Shotgun has one shot left until overheat, not enough to break through shields, engage at hand to hand.
Ignoring the dying man Shepard rushed towards the corner, just in time as the woman once more appeared in a crouched position, her assault rifle discarded in favour of a pistol that her right hand was now aiming up at him.
The shotgun fell from Shepard's hands.
The pistol fired once, Shepard's shield flaring with the impact..
Then his left hand wound around her wrist, pushing the weapon aside and pulled. The woman stumbled forward...before Shepard's right fist crashed into the visor of her helmet and smashed her into the pillar with a crunch of breaking ceramics. Her left hand moved, to perhaps attempt to push him away, or to reach for something...she had no opportunity to act though as his right hand grabbed her shoulder and pulled her towards him...where her chest struck his thrusting right knee.
A grunt and she stumbled back, her wrist slipping from Shepard's grip as his right hand closed around the knife in his raised boot.
The Cerberus warrior moaned as the arm holding her pistol swung about...only to be parried by a Shepard's forearm as he stepped forth and swung his right hand down in an overarm swing.
A crash of shattering glass.
A crunch of breaking bones.
And the woman fell back against the pillar with the knife smashed through her visor and into her skull, eyes wide open in shock.
Shepard's boot swung, striking her in the side of her head and sending her rolling away from the cover he needed.
Ignore knife and shotgun, prioritise flanking.
Slamming his back against the pillar, the blood and brains of the woman staining the steel smearing the back of his armour even as he pulled his assault rifle free and risked a glance around the corner.
There were near a dozen men and women in the grey coloured armour Cerberus seemed to favour crouching behind the cylindrical crates and the other pillar, one or two throwing a glance in the direction of him, but not yet having spotted him or the lack of defenders.
Only have seconds, more then enough.
He lowered his rifle in his right hand and reached up with his left, freeing a grenade from the bandoleer around his chest with a beep of activation as his thumb swept over it on instinct. One, two three...
He threw it around the corner.
A clack of the small metal ball hitting the ground.
A shout of warning.
Then the ground shook and pieces of shorn metal scythed past Shepard's cover – marking the wall next to him with burning debris – quickly followed by a cloud of dust and fiery smoke as the heavy incendiary secondary charge was released.
Screams.
Of agony, fear and confusion.
Engage.
Whirling around the cover in a low crouch and raised rifle Shepard quickly took in the carnage. Most of the crates had been knocked over, the cover for most of the Cerberus soldiers ruined in the shock wave. Most were too shocked to notice though, one laying in gory pieces of fleshy and shorn armour. Another simply standing there, clutching at the stump of his arm with his remaining hand and staring at it in utter confusion. A woman screaming, arms flailing as her armoured shape was covered in chemically enhanced flames...
Shepard fired...
...and the bullets swept past the woman and smashed into the man moving to try and put her out, his already failing shields and torn armour allowing the bullets to tear right through his gut, drawing a strangled grunt from him and sending him tumbling forward and dropping onto the organs and blood pouring out of him.
Then the screaming woman was sent flying, the purple energy of Alenko's slamming into her side and sending her flying like a thrown torch before slamming into the wall in a crash of ash, burnt flesh and blood.
She stopped screaming.
All along the defensive line Cerberus troops stumbled and cried out, exposed, dazed and mostly with their shields down they were suddenly being torn asunder by Shepard's team as unmolested, they were allowed to open up against foes unable to return fire.
Annihilate.
Michael fired a burst, then another one, and another one...
Men and women jerked, screamed, fell.
And then there was silence.
Shepard rose, weapon still pointing at the enemy, just in case. He knew they wouldn't get up though, their armour and flesh torn open by the intense fire having ripped through them. The stench of bowels torn open and burnt flesh heavy in the air.
Stepping forth he let his gaze wander over the dead, searching for any signs of life, for that little twitch...
There was none.
Primary objective complete, admiral dead, recover and research.
Turning, he found the others having stepped to the middle of the room, weapons lowered all but Urdnot, looking down on the prone shape of admiral Kahoku and the pool of blood around him and his opened skull. The Krogan however was already looking over the dead, around Shepard, not moving just yet, just assessing which might hold most on his or her pocket...part of their deal was after all that the Krogan would be allowed to keep any credits he looted during missions.
Michael put his assault rifle back to its place on his back as his free hand pointed away. "Williams, guard the door, Alenko, check that corpse. Vakarian and Tali'Zorah, I want you checking these computers for any information that might be of use." He glanced at Urdnot, the Krogan regarding him with a small smirk. Shepard nodded his head. "Go ahead."
With that Shepard turned and couched by the nearest dead, pushing the man onto his back as he looked for the hidden pockets in the armour, hearing Urdnot lumber forth to the other end of the destroyed firing line for some other corpse, the others too moved to do their work.
Except... "That corpse?"
Shepard didn't turn, though he found himself a bit surprised that it had been Williams and not Alenko who'd protested. Marines protect marines, Alenko might look at things more logically, will make a note of that. "Yes, Admiral Kahoku's body must be checked for anything of value or clues to any further Cerberus activity."
"I..." William's voice caught a bit as she struggled with herself. "...sir! This is an Admiral! A man we talked to only a day ago! Shouldn't we...pay our respect or something!"
Religion...no place for it when deployed. "Later."
"Later!" He could feel William's glower at his back even as he found the first pocket, opening it and fishing out a somewhat singed chit of two hundred credits. "And now you have Kaidan...looting him! Not to mention you yourself just...they're not even cold!"
Correct, still warm. Shepard shrugged as he pushed aside a piece of torn entrails from the corpse and found the next pocket that unfortunately had melted shut, forcing him to rip at it. "We are not paid by the council, nor by Alliance since a Spectre can't be on a single citadel race's payroll...must look for alternative sources of income."
"Yes but...it's...immoral!"
Irritation.
Shepard shrugged it off. Feelings irrelevant, her further protest is bad for morale though, and impeding her setting up a guard, silence her. "Survival is not immoral, I once killed a man for a single credit."
Had been a cold winter... Michael shook it off, explaining was pointless, excuses as well, it just...was.
"I..." Williams muttered...and he could feel her scowl of dislike burning into his back, making all but Urdnot's movements hesitant and wary. "...it's..."
Irritation.
This is unacceptable. Shut her up, now. "There is nothing wrong with taking from the dead, they don't need it. I once looted the corpse of my own mother, so you will..."
Glazed eyes staring up at me...
Gaunt face still smiling, blissful...
Having to pry the half-empty injector out of her bony grip to sell...
He shook his head, hard.
No, irrelevant.
He coughed, clearing his throat: "...so you will comply with the orders or be tried for insubordination."
Silence.
Shepard realising that the entire group had gone quiet and still, perhaps even staring at him...he didn't turn to look, refused to turn.
Unacceptable.
He found himself barking the order: "Get to work!"
8
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8
Thanks to the far too easily pleased Abydos Jackson. :-)