Spoilers: obviously content from the games including the Ending.
For the most part this will follow ME lore, just adding and adapting.
Rated M since i don't want to limit what i can and can't do as the story progresses.
Shepard
Kaidan sat in the shuttle bay, all they could do now was wait and see if Styx and therefor Deimos would take the bait.
Waiting made him uneasy, if his plan failed he was risking most of his crew. But if they succeeded well what then? He didn't know for sure. Live happily ever after? Not likely, then they still would need to find out what had happened.
Everyone was a bit tense, Garrus had checked his Black Widow at least 5 times, James had reworked his rifle collection over and over again.
Even Cortez was going through the Shuttles checklist one more time.
"Liara tell me again why I'm doing this?"
"Because you are the only one who can pass as Kaidan's mother."
"But I don't do ground missions. Last time I got caught up in something like that... We... The collector base..."
"Don't worry Karin, Grunt will see to your safety. Just keep those tranquilizers ready." Liara guided her towards the house.
"If it weren't for some crazy mission, I could really imagine enjoying this place for a while."
"I'm sure once this is all done, we can all take a bit of a vacation."
"Hah, as if. The Normandy has a habit of getting in the middle of the action."
Liara pointed to the light shinning through the trees. "Don't forget you're Emma Alenko and I'm an Asari orphan you took in."
He watched out of the small window in the shuttle door. "How long till we get there?"
"ETA 5 minutes." The pilot responded.
Only a few minutes left until he could spring his trap upon the traitors. He went through the Intel once more. Two stories house no basement, a large Orchard around the house. No other houses in the direct vicinity. The target was a 64 Year old woman, husband went MIA. Only a handful of civilians on the premises and a single Krogan.
The Krogan was the biggest unknown but it was only one guy against a dozen of Styx's troops. The good thing was they only needed to make sure that someone called the traitors for help. Then wait and bunker down in the house. Should be easy, but something felt off. He got the distinct feeling there was more to this simple task then Phobos had told him. But before he could question himself again the soft whispers in his head reassured him.
"Sir, approaching LZ."
"Good everyone, do exactly as you where told." He holstered his gun and jumped out of the shuttle.
"Kaidan was getting nervous, what the hell was taking so long? He couldn't stand the idea of waiting. But finally the words he had been longing to hear sounded over the Normandy's internal com systems.
"Distress call from Alpha Lima Echo November Kilo Oscar two. Objective Sierra Confirmed."
It didn't take 30 seconds until they where seated in the shuttle and ready to take of. This was their chance, maybe the only one they would have.
The mission had sounded too easy to be true, of course it had to go south the second they got in open combat.
He had considered that the Krogan could be a problem, he had even thought there might have been some kind of alarm system.
But no one had told him there would be a whole fucking squad of highly trained alliance marines. To make things worse the Krogan had been toying with them, going as far as letting him get in the house before starting to pick of his men in close quarters.
Now he was trapped with only half a dozen of his team in the living room. If they tried moving forward to the old woman the big Krogan would have the advantage of close quarters and a big ass shotgun. If they tried moving outside, the Alliance guys outside would take his men apart. He needed a plan and quick before he lost even more men.
"Just tackle the Krogan." The Whispers where back.
"He's no match for you."
The whispers where right off course they where always right. He shifted his weight, preparing himself to storm in to the hallway where the Krogan stood. "You three cover the windows and keep the Alliance out. The rest of you give me cover and follow me once I'm through." He ordered his men.
He took a deep breath and ran to the door, warping the Krogans shields the second he caught sight of him.
The Krogan lowered his gun a bit, a big grin appeared on his face. "Ha, SHE-PERD finally you come out and dare to engage me personally. This is going to be fun."
The Krogan stomped with a foot on the floor.
Deimos grinned, "No idea who this Sheperd is, but I'll enjoy ripping your ugly ass apart." Quickly he charged up his Biotics and threw a shockwave to the Krogan. Framed pictures and vases flew through the room shattering upon impact. The Krogan however charged straight into him.
Kaidan ran through the familiar trees to the house. The ground felt familiar under his feet, the air remembered him of the times he played hide and seek with friends among the trees. He knew every corner of this place something that would give them a huge advantage over the Styx mercenaries.
Suddenly someone grabbed him and pulled him back behind a tree. Garrus and James immediately raised their guns.
A woman raised her hands in a defensive move. "No offence sir, you where just about to run in sight of their snipers."
"Damn, who are you?" He signaled James to secure the perimeter.
"Lieutenant Smith N6, Spec Ops Team Delta." She saluted.
"Okay Lieutenant I guess there is a story as to why you're here, but we have no time for that. My target is around here somewhere and my crew inside the house. So give me the quick rundown of the situation."
"Sir, the hostiles have control of the ground floor. By our estimates the leader and six of his men should still be inside. Miss ehm... Alenko, the Krogan and an Asari are trapped inside the house with them. They have three men shooting anyone who comes within 60 meters of the house. But we can't get a clear view of what's going on inside."
"Okay Lieutenant, I want you and your team covering all exits, don't let any of them escape. But under no circumstance can anyone kill the leader of these hostiles, I need him alive."
"But Sir!"
"No but, if we can't capture him alive we let him run. That's an order." Kaidan pointed with his finger at the woman. She seemed a bit unsure what to do.
"I understand Sir. But there is no way inside the house."
Kaidan let out a soft chuckle. "Good thing then that I grew up in this place."
Deimos blinked that last punch from the Krogan made his ears ring. They had been going at it for several minutes already but the Krogan didn't seem to tire out.
His men in the other room had only been able to scratch the big guy a bit but after that he seemed to enjoy this fight even more. Deimos had the feeling the Krogan was only trying to stall him and what the hell was up with the name? Why did the Krogan insist on calling him Shepard all the time.
Finally one of the otherwise useless mercenaries had the bright idea to throw a flashbang grenade in the room. Giving Deimos the precious few seconds he needed to rain down his biotics on the Krogan. Throwing him in the wall. Now he could get to his target. He didn't care anymore for the plan of luring the traitors out. It should suffice to just take the old woman with him and keep her hostage for now.
The second he reached the top of the staircase he heard the Krogan fired his shotgun. He spun around and saw how the Krogan had just shot one of his men. The realization hit him in that instant. The Krogan had not once fired his shotgun during their fight. A memory tried to resurface, a nagging feeling overcame him he had seen the Krogan before. Dark cold Caves, the smell of blood and explosives in the air, a blood dripping figure emerging, relief washing over him forcing sadness away.
Deimos wasn't paying attention to his surroundings when a hard kick hit him in the back. He tumbled over and rolled down the stairs landing directly in front of the Krogan again.
"Need any help Grunt?" He heard coming from the top of the stairs. An Asari stood there gun drawn, pointing at him.
"Nah, just cleaning the house." The Krogan roared with joy as while he shot another one of the mercenaries point blank.
Kaidan was close to the hatch, the crawlspace was barely large enough so he could fit. He had crawled through this space often as a kid, his parents had laughed about it when he had dug the tunnel as a kid. They might have found it silly but still dad had reinforced the tunnel once it was clear that Kaidan wasn't giving up on his project. Never would he have guessed back then that one day he would get to use it on an real mission.
"Okay I'm at the hatch, change ammunition." He whispered in his comm link.
Lieutenant Smith and her team would take care of the mercenaries so they had only one target left. He had sent Garrus to barn from where he would have an advantage point overlooking the front side of the house. James was covering the rear exit prepared to rush in the moment they could dispose of the snipers.
Kaidan opened the hatch. Jumping out from under the Kitchen floor he could see one of the snipers standing near the window. Kaidan Froze the guy in place and pushed him out of the window. He heard a few gunshots and new someone must have gotten a clear shot at the guy.
Kaidan walked towards the hallway, taken cover at the kitchen door, he could see Grunt locked in combat with a mercenary. When the mercenary got thrown back in to the wall Kaidan overloaded his shields. Grunt took the opportunity and finished of the mercenary.
From the corner of his eye he saw someone move near the kitchen door. Deimos knew he hadn't much time left to finish the job. This mission went wrong in more ways then he ever could have imagined. The only chance he saw was getting to the target and using her as a hostage.
In his head he went through his options, the second the third of his men got shot he launched a shockwave up the stairs towards the Asari. Deimos hoped he was right in his accession that no one was going to actually shoot him, the Krogan hadn't even if he could have.
The Asari stumbled only a bit but it was enough to leap to the top of the stairs and push her aside. Deimos ran for the master bedroom and saw his target.
The elderly woman had compassion written all over her face. But it wasn't the woman he had seen in the picture on his briefing.
"Shit." he murmured.
"Shepard let me help you." The woman closed the distance between them.
The Voices in his head yelled out. "TRAITOR!" He grabbed her and with a smooth fast move hold her tight in front of him. Holding his gun against her head.
Kaidan ran up the stairs pulling Liara back up to her feet. "Everything okay?"
"Kaidan he is in the room with Karin. It's I just couldn't..."
"Grunt take care of the hostiles in the house."
The Krogan grinned and stomped of towards the living room.
"Liara cover me, don't let him get out." She nodded.
Kaidan opened his comm link to everyone of his team, just to make sure everyone was prepared. The he walked in the bedroom gun raised. Shepard had Karin as a hostage using the woman as a shield.
"John, let her go. We can help you."
Deimos looked in to the eyes of the marine in front of him. "Brown Eyes" he whispered under his breath. A memory was scratching in his head trying to claw it's way back to the surface. But the Voices took hold of him before he could truly remember. "I am Deimos, the personification of Terror! Drop your gun traitor or the woman dies."
Kaidan was unsure what to make out of this statement. The man he once knew wasn't noticeable under the hard words and aggressive attitude. Kaidan saw Dr. Chakwas' hand move to her pocket.
If he could provide her with an opportunity she could use the tranquilizers.
Kaidan looked at the window, if John would just move a little bit to the right Garrus should have a clear shot. "John, I'm going to put my gun down okay please don't hurt her."
Deimos saw the caring and compassionate Brown eyes, he could lose himself in those eyes. Something about them seemed familiar.
He shook his head, he had to stay focused. The marine slowly lowered his gun putting it on the floor left of Deimos and his hostage. Then he raised his open hands up in front of him and came a step closer.
"Don't move or she dies!" He stepped a bit to the side.
"Please let her go, I will order the marines to let you go unharmed if you let her leave with me." Kaidan stretched out his open hand towards Karin. He sure hoped Garrus would take the hint.
Deimos stepped back when the marine came to close, the next thing he knew he heard glass shatter and a burning stinging pain in his right arm. The gun dropped out of his hand. He tried using his Biotics but he couldn't get a hold of himself. Before he could run he felt a sting in his leg, looking down he saw a syringe sticking out of his leg. The whispers in his head died down, before the world turned black a single word passed over his lips.
"Kaidan"