Chapter 17
Things were starting to look bleak for the battle over Invictus. Most of the planet surface was ablaze and clearly visible in orbit. Wreckage floated high above the planet, some debris began to enter it's atmosphere and descended onto the planet as flaming fireballs.
A handful of Reaper ships laid in ruins, a couple one fire, but the ratio between Reaper and Turian was far outnumbered. There wasn't much left of the defense fleet the Turians had sent in. The Normandy itself was flying on half power. The crew did their best to put the ship back together to keep going, but it seriously looked like they had missed their window for escape.
"I lost long range communication!" Liara shouted over the alarms. Miranda quickly got up from her chair as she grabbed her hand gun before joining the security detail at the airlock door. "Liara get to the Navigations station, we lost a man there." Miranda commanded.
"I can help!" Liara protested as she stood from her seat. Miranda shook her head as she glimpsed at the Asari. "I'm sorry, strict orders from the Commander. I wont be the one to catch a bullet if you get hurt." Miranda said with a cheeky smirk. She meant it in humor though she was serious as well.
Liara muttered as she quickly ran down the corridor into the CIC and took up navigations. "Edi I need a forcefield around the cockpit." Miranda then ordered. Joker looked over his shoulder at the woman as a barrier field shimmered into existence. "Warning, enemy presence outside airlock door." Edi announced as a few more men and women joined the security detail.
"Don't let them on this ship. We stand our ground, at all costs." Miranda said firmly to the humans around her. They all nodded as they readied weapons, pointing them at the airlock door. The airlock door swished open as half a dozen husks came pouring in, arms out stretched as they charged the group. Behind them mechs with heavy arms began to open fire, as the humans did likewise.
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"Shepard, the Normandy has hostiles detected." Edi announced over her com. "Move people we need to get back to our ship!" Kate yelled out firmly as they pressed for the ramp that lead to the next deck below them. Guns roared in response at more husks and mechs as the group backed away from them.
The Reaper they were on shook from a resulting explosion. "You're attempts to stop us will fail. The cycle cannot be broken." The reaper commented over it's loud speakers. Shepard growled at the voice that tried to discourage them. It was probably the start of it's attempt at indoctrination. Shepard wasn't that weak willed however. It would take more then words to convince her.
"Last time I heard those words I made Sovereign eat them." The Spectre retorted as she began to descent down the ramp way. She quickly unloaded her used thermal clip inserting another one before locking it into place. The Reaper fell silent, for now.
"Joker, status report." Shepard called over her ear piece. For a moment there was silence. She felt a sinking in her stomach over those few long seconds. "We've suffered casualties, the ship has taken some heavy damage. We can still make the pick up but I'm not sure we can get out of here." Joker finally said over light static. Shepard cursed.
"Kate, you need to hurry." Liara then came over her ear piece. She glimpsed up at the team as they finally made it onto the ramp. Kate moved quickly to pry off a panel and worked to lock the door before them to slow down the enemy numbers. "I'm working on it." Kate said firmly.
Once the door was locked she grabbed another tube of medi-gel before ripping the cap off. She applied it to her left leg sparingly before she passed it on to Jack. Jack quickly applied the rest onto her shoulder, where a Husk had managed to grab and tear into her skin. "We're running out of this stuff." Jack then muttered as she tossed the tube aside.
"Tali where to?" Shepard then asked the Quarian as she trotted down the ramp. She quickly checked both corners. The coast was clear... for the moment. "To the left." She replied as she came up behind Shepard, shot gun in hand. Kate nodded once as she brought her weapon up before scouting ahead.
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The Alliance finally dropped out of FTL speed and immediately grabbed Reaper targets and opened fire. "Joker, talk to me." Ashley said as she hailed the Normandy. "Is it good to hear your voice. But it would've been nice if you'd shown up sooner." The pilot of the Normandy replied dryly. Ashley glared at her console.
She ignored it any further then that. "What's the damage?" She asked as her people began to relay attack coordinates with the other ships. "We're still holding together, the Turians suffered heavy losses, the planet is done for, and we've lost some people on our end." Joker replied through a crackle of static.
Their com systems must've taken some hits as well, she figured. "Alright lets focus fire here, where's Shepard?" There was a delay in the pilots reply, but she could hear gun fire in the background. "Joker!" She yelled out. "I'm here dont wet your panties." He retorted annoyed. She glared again.
"She's on a downed Reaper ship delivering a farewell package." He then said as she looked out the window watching multiple explosions, and even more burning wreckage. She nodded once. This would be the biggest fight of her life, even bigger then the battle on the Citadel all those years ago.
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"Hold them back!" Miranda yelled as more husks came pouring in behind the mechs. It must've been packed in that pod. More gun fire sounded in the entrance to the air lock. Some of the husks managed to slip into the line of defense before, took out two people. More of the crew was joining in the fire fight however, mowing down the husks, but the robots were too much.
Miranda glowed with her biotics building as she sent a warp field at the mechs sending them flying back into their pod. "Edi seal the damned doors!" She commanded loudly. Edi popped up on a terminal next to the entrance. "Bypassing their firewalls." she replied.
Miranda reared her gun back as she smashed the butt of it into a husk's face sending it sprawling onto it's backside. The mechs were quick to get onto their feet though as they opened fire at the woman considering her higher threat now. Her barriers dropped quickly and before she realized it she felt a sharp heated pain in her stomach.
She looked down as she stumbled back behind the rest of them. "Miranda!" Joker called out as he looked behind himself. She fell to her knees as she gripped her stomach, blood pouring from the wound. "Well this could be problematic." she muttered before she fell onto her side. "Liara! Miranda's down get a med evac!" Joker called over the intercom.
Liara quickly abandoned her post as she ran down the corridor grabbing hold of the former Cerberus agent and dragging her away from the ongoing fire fight. "Medi-gel! Get some damned medi-gel!" She called out to anyone who was in ear shot. She pressed her hands hard down on the human's stomach to slow the bleeding.
Miranda gasped in pain and for air as she looked up at the Asari trying to help her out. "Stay with us." Liara said desperately as Miranda laid half limp in her lap on the floor. A woman quickly ran up to them, med kit in hand as she fell onto her knees throwing up the small box as she grabbed a handful of medi-gel tubes.
She quickly tried to apply it to Miranda's stomach but the woman was fading and fast. "Tell Kate I said sorry." Miranda managed to choke out before she fell limp, her head rolling to the side. Liara closed her eyes as the ship rocked violently under her as she slowly laid the woman onto the floor.
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"Captain, we're starting to lose ships!" Someone behind her called out as their own ship shuddered and creaked. Ashley calmly looked to her gunner. "Keep firing as long as the Normandy is still firing you keep firing, five-by-five?" Ashley asked just as calmly as she looked.
Her gunner nodded her head quickly as she continued her efforts against the Reaper they circled around. The situation was beginning to look grim. There were more Reapers then not at this point. But Ashley Williams would not go down without a fight. She planned to go down with the ship if it came to it.
"Captain! I'm picking up new ships on sensors!" her helmsmen called out with an excitement. She quickly look over his chair and at the read outs. She recognized the signatures. "Damnit, it's the Geth!" She yelled out.
"Lock targets!" she called out over the sparks that came from her navigator's terminal just behind them. "Wait!" came Joker's voice over their com link. Ashley held her hand out to delay the order. "Look!" The helmsmen then cried out as he pointed out the window. From what she could see in the darkness dimly lit by fires and explosions the large Geth ships started firing onto the Reapers.
"We are Legion of the Geth. We are here to assist Shepard-Commander against the Old Machines." came an electronic voice over their com systems. "Well I'll be damned." Ashley muttered.
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The battle in space grew heated once more. The Geth came by the hundreds. It was a chance against the Reapers as they began to fire against them. The Reapers still out numbered them but it was still a chance. New explosions rang in silence above the planet Invictus as a new effort against the Reapers rose in desperation.
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"Last door!" Shepard called over the gun fire. They were wall banged up by now, long since out of medi-gel. Tali swimming in anti-biotics and her own medi-gel system but she was already showing signs of getting sick. Shepard could only hope the young girl could hold together a bit longer.
"Come on Shepard!" Jack yelled as she fired the last shot she had on the thermal clip for her shot gun. She ditched it as she quickly drew out her pistol. Low on ammo, and beginning to get tired the foursome quickly piled into the room behind the door as Shepard slammed the button to close it.
"Tali, stay with me." Shepard said as she approached the girl. Tali wobbled in a slight daze as she nodded her head. Kate allowed to touch her forehead against the Quarian's faceplate before she let her go to look for the com terminal. She had always viewed Tali'Zorah as a little sister. She wasn't about to let her give up.
"What do you guys think?" Shepard asked as she looked one over, trying to make out the symbols. Tali brought her omni tool slowly as she tried to pull up what little info they had on Reaper's symbols from the crashed ship on the Citadel. "I think this is it." Tali rasped with a cough.
Shepard quickly drew out the containment unit that held the virus. "Your efforts will be futile." The Reaper said, though it's synthesized voice began to fade in volume. It was on it's last leg. Shepard ignored it altogether however as she quickly inserted the OSD plug in to the console. "Mordin, what do I do now?" Shepard asked of the Salarian scientist. His voice came back as he spoke quickly. "Should auto execute." Kate watched the console carefully as she waited for a sign, any sign. Finally she could hear a whir of electronics and as the console lit up a bright red.
She then heard the Reaper pipe up again, "Transmitting code." it's words were garbled, and flared with noise resembling the Heratics so many years ago. Tali's omni tool chirped as she wearily lifted her arm and hit a few buttons. "It's working.. system's.. overloading.. the core is going to blow.." She said tiredly as she began to fall over.
"Tali!" Shepard called out as she caught the falling girl. "I can't.. 15 minutes till it breaches, get out of here." Tali said sounding like she was giving up already. Kate quickly picked up Tali in her arms as she turned to the other two. "Let's move!" She shouted as she began to run towards the door they just came through.
Jack took point as Grunt was right behind her, Shepard behind them with Tali in her arms. The quarian was panting heavily and out cold in her arms and Shepard knew she had to get her back to the Normandy fast. "Gogogo!" she yelled as the door opened to be greeted by more husks.
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"Joker get us the fuck off this ship!" Shepard yelled over a garbled transmission. He quickly typed in the new corrodents as he swung the ship around quickly. They had taken care of what remained of the assault team that had boarded their ship, the pod unattaching itself with efforts from Edi's hacking abilities.
"On our way!" he replied as he made for a nose dive, winding the ship around wreckage and other still mobile ships. The Geth had done the impossible, holding of the Reapers long enough to by the others time. "We're heading for the cargo hold air lock." Shepard then said before the ship gave an earth shattering shudder knocking out their com systems.
"Hurry!" Liara cried out clutching onto the pilot's chair to keep her balance. He gritted his teeth as he silently willed the ship to move faster. He was just as desperate to get the team off the ship as Liara. He wasn't going to lose the Commander again.
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The three ran as fast as they could, given the new assault against them. Shepard's shields had failed her biotic barrier hanging on by a thread as she felt exhaustion over take her senses from using what she had left in erecting the barrier. She felt a gun shot to the back as her barrier crash, but caught most of the impact as the round nestled itself into her armor.
"Grunt take Tali!" Shepard yelled over the roar of bullets around them. He quickle threw the quarian over his shoulder before he began to bolt for the las corner until they reached the cargo hold. "Fuck!" Shepard then yelped as she felt a bullet land into the back of her right lower leg.
She fell over as she rolled onto her back letting off a spray of bullets from her assault rifle. "Get the fuck out of here!" She called to Jack who tried to double back. She shook her head stubbornly as she tried to approach. "GO!" Shepard yelled as she flung what little she left in biotic power at the woman.
"Damnit!" Jack cursed as she flew back into Grunt's waiting arm as he picked the lithe woman up off her feet. She began to thrash in his hold as he turned and kept running for the cargo hold. "We can't leave her!" Jack cried out as she pounded her fists into his arm. "She's trying to save us, human!" he barked as he rammed his unoccupied shoulder into a mech knocking it off balance as it fell over.
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"Opening airlock." Edi warned as the Normady attached itself into Reaper airlock. A small band of armed men guarded the door as Liara waited anxiously behind them. It didn't take long before Grunt was spotted as his large frame ran fast for the open door. Tali was draped over one shoulder as he held tightly to a thrashing Jack.
They came running in and he dumped Jack onto her ass as he gently handed Tali off to one of his fellow crew mates as he quickly carried the girl to the elevator for the med bay. Jack panted heavily in anger as she stared at the Krogan. "Where's Kate?" Liara questioned frantically.
Grunt shook his head as Jack's gaze fell to the floor. She had grown attached to the woman over the years, she had helped her in more ways then one. She gave her a place in life. A purpose, a home. A family. She was angry with the Krogan for having abandoned her.
"Liara we have to go!" Joker called from the cockpit. She shook her head as she took in a deep breathe, her heart pounding. "No! We can't leave without her!" She screamed out as she tried to make her way down the hall that lead to the Reaper vessel. Several people grabbed her however as she flailed in their grasp.
"Katelyn Shepard you get your ass back here!" She screamed down the long hall. She heard no reply as she grasped the arms around her chest trying to keep her from running into danger. "Liara come on!" Joker tried again as tears began to run down her cheeks.
She stopped thrashing long enough to take in a ragged deep breathe, her chest heaving at the oncoming sobs. But just as the man who had let her go went to close the door she let out a wail as she grabbed him. "Stop! Look!" She cried out pointing down the corridor.
"Hold the door!" a voice rang out as Jack and Grunt took to looking as well now. Shepard gimped down towards the entrance as best as she could, having lost her gun somewhere along the line. Grunt quickly ran to grab his battlemaster as Jack joined him, each grabbing her arms and pulling her along quickly.
"Kate!" Liara cried out as they let her go as she fell to her hands and knees as the door closed behind her. Liara quickly threw herself onto the woman as she looked up. "Joker punch it, this thing is about to blow!" she yelled in pain as she grabbed hold of Liara's shaking form as she planted kisses all over her cheeks.
"Don't have to tell me twice." he muttered as he undocked with the reaper. "Ash, get your people out of here." Shepard said on her ear piece as Liara lifted Shepard to her feet helping her over to a chair to sit on. "Roger, I'll let the Geth know." Ash replied before the line was cut. Shepard only shook her head too tired and too hurt to ask.
She looked up at Liara with a half assed smile as she panted for air pulling her fiancee into her lap ignoring the pain that came with the action. "I told you I'm always coming back." She simply said as the Normandy took off and activated it's FTL drives.
Liara glared at Kate a moment. "Don't ever scare me like that again." She lectured before she grabbed her human's face before their lips crashed together in a fierce kiss. "Get a room." Joker commented at the two behind him, but they apparently ignored him.
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I know, two chapters in one night.. I couldn't help it. Wide awake and this whole thing has been on my mind for a while xD Also Miranda will not be simply forgotten. I'll update that in the next chapter.
Well.. the next two.. to three chapters will make for the conclusion. Stay tuned though, fluff will occur. Like extreme *heart* moments that makes you go awww.