Their advance was inexorable.
The highway, a wide and long path of some grey material the Protheans had used was high above the white fog that seemed to cover the planet, unsupported by pillars yet unmoving against the winds that must have been beating down on it for millions of years. Yet now there were holes in it, craters from explosions having dug into it and at places even punching holes through it.
To Michael's right a tank from the colony's defence-force lay in two shorn halves, fire raging in the great rift, a corpse having fallen out of the front part was now but a blackened skeleton still sizzling as the fire consumed it. To his left the smashed remains of a Geth barricade lay, two Geth troopers lying among the rubble, one breaking apart with a crunch under the uncaring wheels of the rolling Mako.
Everywhere the signs of the combat that had raged perhaps a few hours ago, along with that of their slow advance, lay.
A few scattered dead lay here and there, many obviously having fallen while running, some still clutching their weapons, others luggage or even white flags...and some too torn apart or burnt to tell.
Two Geth Armatures lay in broken heaps ahead, the Mako's main gun having ripped them open, smoke lazily drifting from their opened hulls. Another barricade ahead was broken apart too by a grenade from the Mako, the Geth troopers around it laying face up, bodies opened by high-calibre shots from the infantry's sniper rifles.
It was a scene that had been repeated for a near mile now.
And Michael felt himself tense with each step on the road. Stalling skirmishes, no Geth massing for a serious attack. He glanced up, seeing the main tower and base of operation for the Exogeni colony grow closer. They must hit us soon or lose an advantage, indoors we can bottleneck them, yet no attack... "Tali'Zorah? Anything?"
His comm instantly beeped as the Quarian inside the Mako just behind and to his left pivoted the turret left and right. "Nothing Shepard, no hostiles inbound."
With Liara still injured from the attack on the Geth base, and Wrex still in the cargo hold working feverishly to fix his armour, the group had diminished somewhat in strength. Michael had therefore found it necessary to bring the Mako with them, despite the attention it could bring. Not only that but with Wrex too exposed without armour Michael had been forced to have Tali as the gunner...which had gone surprisingly well so far...though he would have preferred her on foot where she could use her omni-tool and scanner more extensively.
Their column was as efficient as he could make it though. With Tali at the guns and Kaidan driving the Mako was slowly rolling behind the three at the front, a heavy support under which bulk the infantry could hide if need be. Meanwhile he, Ashley and Garrus all had their sniper rifles out, Ashley up front with Michael at her right and Garrus on her left, both a few paces behind so as to not get caught in any blasts from enemy fire.
Drone.
Michael moved his scope to zoom in on the lone piece of movement far ahead and to their right...a thump against his shoulder and the whizzing head-sized Geth exploded into sparks and pieces of broken machinery.
"Nice shot." Garrus mumbled, making Michael realise that the Turian had inched a little closer, the man's mandibles low as a blue tongue came out over his sharp teeth, eyes worried even as he continued to scan the horizon. "Commander, something isn't right."
A snort came out loud, Ashley's head shaking even as she continued her rigid advance, rifle raised: "If you keep saying that I will take this rifle and bash you over the head with it..."
A small chuckle escaped Garrus, and to Michael's frustration, him too. Dangerous, evade, avoid...focus! He embraced Garrus' words, hoping they would ease him back into the mission where he belonged: "The Geth aren't attacking despite the numbers they must be able to throw at us, it's almost as if they're retreating even."
"Agreed." Michael nodded, teeth gritted. Primary objective to secure data about Geth and Saren's movements and location, secondary survivors. Primary objective in danger of failure... "They are retreating, their mission complete."
"But what mission?" Garrus snorted. "This is nothing but a ball of rock and ruins, nothing of importance..." A low growl, the Turian's head turning to look back from where they came from, eyes narrowing in suspicion at the distant tower where the Exogeni director and his remaining staff had hid away. "...that we know of."
"This is a Prothean world..." Ashley replied with another snort, the human shaking her head a little...only to stiffen as her rifle moved to the left...and thumped against her shoulder, sending a hazy outline of a Geth sniper flying over the edge of the highway and falling down towards the distant clouds. "...maybe there's something about the Reapers here?"
Reapers...Michael shook his head violently, pushing the impending vision aside with a force of will. "The Geth are massed at Exogeni headquarters, we will find out what they're after there."
"Yes..." Garrus shook his head, the Turian once more shooting a glance backwards. "...about that, didn't that Exogeni man seem a bit...reluctant for us to go there and clear out his tower?"
"He did." Michael agreed, remembering all too well how the little man with his small moustache had flailed about in near panic only after Michael had told him his intentions to continue on, with or without the guards the man had left bunkering up in the broken down garage.
"Not to mention that he didn't want to go back to Zhu's hope where it would be safer..." Garrus added with a murmur, had coming up to scratch his brow-plate.
"Jeez you're paranoid..." Ashley sighed, the marine's rifle constantly scanning left and right for foes even as she listened in, knowing by now that Michael allowed opinions to be shared freely during missions so as to make sure no single officer missed something important. "...not everyone can be soldiers you know, he obviously doesn't dare moving over the open even after we cleared the path." A small scoff: "Civs..."
Michael shook his head, shooting Garrus a look: "Agreed Vakarian, we do not have all the data, their actions are nonsensical so far. Zhu's Hope's in particular."
With three bottlenecks and the Geth largely ignoring the colony Michael had expected perhaps three dozen dead among the three hundred colonists...instead it had only been that many survivors left, the rest were gone, taken by the Geth according to the survivors.
Survivors that had acted...strangely. Only Fai Dan, their leader, had been coherent enough to ask for help with the water and food for the few survivors of the colony, and to tell of the repeated Geth attacks that had killed so many of them. They had enough guards at the bottleneck to hold the Geth, why so many losses?
The rest had been walking or standing around as if in a stupor...only acknowledging the group when approached but otherwise ignoring them and the rescue they represented. Normally people would have been rushing at the group asking for help and thanking them...but not these ones, they had instead seemed oddly...calm...docile even.
Shell-shock? No, too widespread, symptoms not matching well enough. Note – further contact is to be performed with caution.
"We should be careful." Garrus echoed Michael's thoughts with a mutter, the Turian's mandibles twitching along with his hands, eyes narrowed at the tower now near them.
Michael nodded, head craning to look at the tower properly.
It was large. A peak rising high above the clouds below even before rising further, nearly touching the end of the planet's atmosphere for all Michael knew. Its black surface was criss-crossed by grey beams, making it look like a blackened tree covered in cobwebs. A tree that at places had been rent open with great gaps, it was a tribute to Prothean engineering that it hadn't collapsed with such damages wrought upon it. Not to mention the four large Geth cruisers attached to its side like giant purple fungus...
There were no lights upon it though, not from any window or holes, or from Geth troops looking down at them.
It was still.
Geth forces likely within, likely also retreating to their ships, have to hurry. Door five hundred meters away, once inside we will be safer from snipers or aerial assaults...
As if reading his mind Ashley spoke up, her rifle waving forward. "There's the gate..." The large grey doors were probably large enough for the Normandy to fly through. Yet were only opened wide enough for the Mako currently, the pockmarked surface of them bent at the edges from some great blow, most likely having made them inoperable. "...should we make a run for it?"
Michael nodded, looking to her to reply...only to find his words failing as he watched her ready gait as she continued her advance, her stiff shoulders as she continued to aim while walking, the way her hips somehow managed a slight sway despite the way she was advancing...
Danger!
He looked away, a spike of anger shooting through him before he put a lid on it.Mission a priority, mission, mission, mission! A shake of his head. Shouldn't have let her take point... And another shake. No, mission takes priority, she should be on point, discipline failing, not choice, focus!
Garrus' voice, expectantly: "Commander?"
Failure unacceptable. Michael's eyes narrowed and he glared over at the doors ahead, body tensing as it felt his disapproval of himself burn him...and his voice was but a growl: "Agreed, Mako continue advance and watch the tower, infantry...double time!"
And then he was running, brushing past Ashley as he holstered his sniper rifle, eyes taking in the lack of cover ahead with a snarl.
Movement.
Michael's hand darted down...and then he had his pistol in hand and fired...and the Geth swinging forth from the cover offered by the massive door fell, its neck opened by thrice impacts.
"Moving!" Ashley's voice was a distant thing as another Geth appeared in the doorway...only to fall with its leg torn off as a sniper round took it in the knee.
It tried to get up, looking up at them...and Michael's pistol barked...shattering its eye.
Movement.
Jumping to the right even as he continued to run full pelt Michael felt the shots from the Geth trooper in the entrance narrowly whiz past his left...as his pistol once more barked.
The Geth's fire slackened, its left shoulder pulling back with the impact of the hit...and then Michael's hand closing around its right arm and pulled it out of its cover...right into a the butt of his pistol.
A shower of glass over his face...and the machine bounced off his chest and fell in a heap by his feet even as he with quick looks left and right checked the interior within the doors for more foes. A second later he coldly called out: "Clear." Sentries, they know we have reached the tower.
"Aren't I supposed to be the one running full pelt into enemy fire?" Ashley chuckled as she came up to him, the woman gasping ever so slightly for air as she leant against the door to rest from her run, her chest heaving...
Michael looked away from her, grip tightening on his pistol. "Tactical rush needed, nothing more."
"Right..." Garrus grumbled, the Turian too breathing a bit heavier as he with a pistol in hand stepped through the doors, he too checking the interior. "...normally all three do that though."
Correct. "Apologies, was no time, spotted enemy movement." Michael lied, back stiff as he kept looking away from Ashley...and advanced into the tower, all too aware that she was following.
They were in what might have once been a garage, the large open space suggesting it, though much of it now being covered in rubble and fallen pillars. A pile of dead humans lay in a corner, but other then that there were no signs of Geth activity, the room largely dark with failed lights. Far ahead there was one light however...showing a single door laying in pieces by the foot of a broken doorway.
"Alenko, take the Mako in and have you and Tali'Zorah dismount."
"Roger that, Commander."
Michael eyed the entrance intently as he heard the Mako come to a stop behind him and those within clambering out. Drawing his assault rifle he took a step forward, the others falling in behind him. "We're going in."
And then he heard a voice, familiar, rough, dangerous: "Commander Shepard..."
His gaze moved up, towards a balcony above he hadn't spotted, his body tensing at the sight.
"Saren..."
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Thanks to Abydos Jackson for saving this one.