James Vega had claimed a section of the shuttle bay as his quarters. The area quickly filled with exercise equipment, weapons and their mods, and datapads containing certain magazines that were against several Alliance regulations that no CO enforced without causing a mutiny. There was a curtained off area in the back containing a bunk that James slept in. Among the equipment that James had set up was a punching bag at the far end of his little area near the middle of the shuttle bay. Shepard walked by James as he was inspecting his weapons for damage. James looked up from his work.
"Yo Loco! What brings you to mi casa?"
Why is his nickname for me 'crazy' in Spanish?
"I'm pretty sure this is still part of my ship."
"Nah Loco. I just let you in here for the dancing."
"Well then" Shepard said as he cracked his knuckles and a smile crossed his face. "I guess I owe you another one."
"Ooooh it's on now Loco. Just let me finish up with my girl here" James replied, indicating the rifle in his hands. "That'll give you some time to dust the rust off your moves. Not too much sparring goes on with officers, so I hear."
"Remember, two Reapers and counting" Shepard reminded him, holding up two fingers.
"Yeah, yeah."
Shepard walked over to the punching bag and loosened up his arms for some boxing. He had taken what silver lining he could from being incarcerated by following a strict physical regiment. Learning some basic boxing from the feeble and tightly controlled extranet connection he was allowed had been a small part of that.
"Hey Loco, want some tape for the wrists?"
Shepard knew James was referring to the supportive tape that boxers wrapped around their fingers and wrists to protect against sprains. He looked down at his hand and flexed it. He felt the small bits of bone and large pieces of metal reacted in response to his nervous stimulus.
"I don't think I need to worry about that."
James shrugged and went back to his work as Shepard began. First, he started with a few slow punches. His mostly metal hands easily impacted the heavy bag, but the bag did not move much.
Just a small warm up.
While his body went through the repetitive physical work, Shepard's mind wandered. It grazed over the events of the Mars mission and flowed down to his memories of Earth. First, to his distant past. He had never really known his parents. Only a few vague memories of his first several years remained. When he was four, his parents were killed in front of his eyes by a few thugs for the paper in their pockets. The young Shepard was deposited into an orphanage in Chicago but he quickly escaped that hell hole.
That missionary who ran the place was a total nut case. All that crap about 'God has taken away your parents' and 'You must confess or you will be sent to the eternal pit of fire.' We were kids! We still sang Ring Around the Rosie while we played! Then he started beating us for insubordination. Good thing the street gang The Reds got me out of there. Then I found that Alliance recruiter when I was older. That got me off Earth for good.
Shepard's started speeding up. The punches landed harder, causing large impressions in the bag. His thoughts fast forwarded to the recent events on Earth. He saw the Reapers laying waste to the planet. It may not have been his home, but his people were dying or worst, being harvested.
So many human husks.
The fists sped through the air and plowed deep into the punching bag. It didn't even have time to re-inflate before the other fist impacted. The loud heavy rhythmic impacts caused James to put down his rifle and watch the spectacle. Cortez leaned back from his work behind the shuttle and watched as well.
All those mindless things. I know they die before they are turned but it's still disgusting!
The bag around the heavy material that weighed the bag down was starting to fray underneath the onslaught. Shepard only intensified his efforts. The senseless slaughter flashed through his mind. The senseless killing of those people in the two shuttles.
They weren't even trying to harvest people! Just killing them!
Then he saw that kid. That young kid who saw everything he had and ever would have taken from him by an enemy indifferent to life. Shepard remembered those eyes. The eyes of someone begging to live.
With a roar Shepard brought his left leg up and kicked the punching bag with as much anger and force as he could. The metal supports attaching the bag to an extension of the Normandy's hull and the floor shattered. The bag flew through the air and slammed into the floor in the middle of the shuttle bay.
Shepard breathed heavily. He was surprised with himself. The cybernetic implants Cerberus had given him made him stronger and faster than he was before but he usually had more control over his strength. Shepard hadn't had an incident showcasing his seemingly supernatural abilities since Tali had been grabbed by a Geth heretic on the Geth space station Legion had led them to.
A geth prime reached over Tali's cover, grabbed her by the back of her suit, and slammed her into the ground on the other side. The Prime raised its fist to finish Tali off but Shepard, seeing Tali in danger, jumped off her former cover, roaring the whole way, and barreled into the Prime. They both tumbled to the ground but Shepard recovered first. In a rage, he ran over to the kneeling Prime, grabbed it by its neck with his left hand, and slammed his right fist into its armoured neck. The reinforced metal gave way like wet paper maché. Shepard grabbed something he thought was important and started ripping it out of the machine soldier below him. As Shepard's white oil covered hand came out, so too did a large cable. The light in the geth's singular optic blinked out as did the artificial's existence. Without hesitation, Shepard rolled over Tali and covered her to block her from incoming geth fire. He had to protect her.
'Are you all right Tali?' he asked as he frantically looked her over. Legion analyzed the situation and switched to its automatic Avenger to give the two of them covering fire.
'I'm good Shepard. Just a bit bruised' his love reassured him.
Shepard fired a few shots at any geth he could see and then helped Tali up. He put her right arm over his shoulder and got her back behind cover. Tali sat down, leaning against the low box, and rubbed her back.
'What a Bosh'tet! Ah!'
Shepard became very concerned. They only had a couple of minutes before the pulse fired, rewrote the geth heretics and killed any organics on board the station. There was no time.
'Are you injured?' Legion called out as it continued to lay down suppressive fire.
'We'll be fine' Shepard replied just has his shield recharged. 'But we have to go now!'
'No argument here.' Tali put in with a groan.
The geth still owned the remainder of the hallway that led to the shuttle and they only had about a minute left. Adrenaline pounding through his skull, Shepard quickly drew up a plan.
'Legion, you're the tank here! Keep as many of them off us as we move. Tali, hack one of the geth as far down the hall as you can. That'll be our distraction. As soon as you do that, we're running.'
'Acknowledged' Legion responded. It then stopped leaning out of its cover and waited for Tali's efforts to bear fruit. Tali began typing into her omnitool as fast as she could.
'But Shepard, I can't run so fast like this.'
A geth soldier down the hallway suddenly started firing on its former comrades.
'Not to worry' Shepard said.
Before she knew what was happening, Shepard scooped Tali up in his arms with his hands on her back and between her knees.
'Woaw!' burst out of Tali's mouth as she instinctively reached around Shepard's neck for balance. Shepard yelled a single command.
'Move!'
Legion ran out from behind his cover and sprinted ahead of Shepard. Shepard soon followed as Legion began firing. His cybernetically enhanced legs allowed him to keep up with Legion's never tiring stride despite Tali being in his arms. The moving convoy made its way past several geth as the synthetics were hit by fire from two directions. Legion was able to switch targets with superhuman speed and efficiency, creating a funnel of a safe zone for the group. The door to the shuttle was very close when Shepard started to take heavy fire. The shields on his back were hit many times. He almost stumbled but knew that if he did, Tali would be in more danger.
They must've finished off the geth fighter Tali took care of. Shit!
Soon enough Shepards actual armour started taking hits.
'Shepard!' Tali yelled as she realized the danger.
'Don't worry Tali! I'll get you out of here.'
Finally, they made it to the door. Legion promptly opened it and Shepard quickly put Tali into the shuttle. Shepard turned to give Legion covering fire but realized it wouldn't work. Legion had been tackled by a geth fighter. The rest of the geth heretics had been destroyed by Legion's assault.
'Shepard Commander! We are in danger!' Legion called out in what was a worried voice, for synthetics.
Determined to get Tali out of there, Shepard sprinted at the downed duo. Using the momentum of his short sprint, Shepard kicked the geth heretic in the head with his right foot. The metal head and top of the torso caved in and the entire body flew back into the hallway, bouncing and skidding along the metal floor. Impatient, and rightfully so, Shepard reached down, grabbed Legion, and launched him across the ground into the shuttle. Sparks flew from Legion's body but it was unharmed. Shepard dove in after him. Tali was already at the ship's controls and they immediately left the station. Shepard eased himself into the seat next to her while Legion slowly stood up. Concern creased Shepard's face as he looked Tali over.
'Are you alright Tali?'
'I'm fine Shepard" The wonderful purple clad Quarian said. "I can handle geth.'
His breathing finally slowed and Shepard swam out of his reverie. James was the first to break the silence that had settled over the docking bay.
"Damn Loco. No wonder you beat me. You know what? I think for my own safety I'll take back my offer."
Shepard wasn't listening to him. He was looking down at his hands. There were several small sections of his skin that had small lines of bright orange. A glow was emanating from his implants.
An orange glow. Looks like the Doc was right. Is that even human blood?
This thought was quickly squashed. There was no objective to physically remain a human.
Doesn't matter what happens to me as long as I get the job done and move on to the next mission. …And find Tali. I need to find her. Soon.
Grey ash flew through the air. Shepard slowly got up from the ground. He didn't recognize the forest he was in but it didn't feel like a foreign place. The forest seemed to melt away the farther Shepard looked, as if it revolved around him.
"Ring around the rosie!"
Shepard turned and reached for a weapon that wasn't there at this surprising outburst. A bright light started to spread out in the forest, forming a giant portal into a lighter world. Shepard walked toward it. Through the portal was a sight Shepard hadn't seen in a very long time. There was a group of children. The children were in a circle, dancing as if without a care in the world. Shepard recognized all of the children. They were from the orphanage in Chicago.
Is this a memory?
The children began their chant again, never slowing in their circular dance. Shepard turned his back on this innocent scene and walked deeper into the dark forest. He had squared away with his past a long time ago. Innocence was not for him.
"Ashes, ashes, we all fall down!"
There was a red flash behind Shepard. He turned in surprise but there was nothing there. The scene had disappeared. There was only the ever present gray ash floating throughout the air. Confusion played across Shepard's face but a reassuring feeling crept over him and he relaxed. Shadowy figures appeared in the distance as Shepard jogged onward but they always fell away before he got close to them.
I need to find another light.
Shepard didn't know why, but he knew that he had to. His search was soon rewarded. Another bright light spread before him. The image in the portal was familiar. Shepard smiled and strode directly toward the opening. His armour began shedding itself, leaving only his casual outfit. His foot hit the fertile dirt on the other side right next to one of the thousand of sunflowers around him. He had been to this place many times.
"Shepard."
There she is.
Shepard turned around and saw Tali right there where the portal once was. She had been waiting for him. They reached out to each other and their forearms joined together. He could feel her warm suit against his skin. Peace came from Tali's heat and washed away Shepard's worry as he stared into her glowing orbs, trying to drink in her essence. But then the bright light came over the skyline of the city in the background. The light flashed into Shepard's eyes, shattering the peace.
"It's OK, Shepard. It's all going to be OK."
The light continued to intensify, burning his eyes. Two words broke out of Shepard's pained grimace.
"It hurts."
Shepard shot up in his bed, hands up to protect himself. But there was no apparent threat. The room was empty. His vision was blurred and it took several blinks to remove an incomprehensible afterimage from his eyes. Shepard's hands quickly reached up and began massaging his head.
Ugh, did I drink last night? No…
There was a persistent drumming in Shepard's temples but as his body began waking up, the throbbing faded away. Shepard swung his legs out of his bed and stood up, rotating his neck and shoulders.
I hope I run into Garrus. He mentioned that he was going to return home when I was jailed. Hope he survived the attacks.
Shepard smirked at the thought.
It's Garrus. He'll be fine.
He put on the specialized clothing designed to be worn under his armour and headed down to the shuttle bay. He told EDI to tell Liara and James to get ready and meet him at the shuttle.
This Primarch better be worth it.
The shuttle shook as it entered Menae's artificial atmosphere. Shepard, James, and Liara waited in the back of the shuttle as Cortez expertly flew them towards a Turian base while remaining unseen by Reaper forces. The scene they had witnessed momentarily of Turian ships being crushed by Sovereign class Reapers was quite bitter. Even the mighty Turians couldn't hold out against the Reapers. The view screen in the shuttle snapped to life and all three squadmates turned to it. The image only heightened these ill feelings.
"Oh no. No" Liara moaned. "Palaven."
The monitor showed a sea of flame slowly spreading across Palaven's surface. The Reapers were advancing. Always advancing. Shepard began to have misgivings about his initial thoughts of Garrus' safety.
I know Garrus is great but… that looks really bad.
Shepard noticed that James looked concerned at their reactions, not knowing what Palaven meant to the two there.
"We have an old friend there" Shepard explained to him.
James nodded but couldn't help exclaiming the obvious in an amazed voice.
"Holy hell. They're getting decimated."
Shepard added to this sentiment.
"Strongest military in the galaxy and the Reapers are obliterating it."
"Was it like this on Earth?" Liara asked Shepard, honestly curious.
"…Yes."
Liara's voice grew softer.
"Shepard… I'm so sorry."
Shepard patted the pistol on his hip.
"No use worrying. We can't do anything about it. Not yet anyway. But rest assured, when Earth's time comes, we will take it back."
Their discussion was interrupted by Cortez's voice from the cockpit.
"Commander! The LZ is getting swarmed! It's gonna be hot!"
Shepard stood up and unholstered his newly acquired M-15 Vindicator assault rifle.
It's been a while but I think I remember how to use this gun. Now I can test it out on the real threat.
"James, open the door."
The door swung open and they finally saw Menae's surface with their own eyes. The terrain was similar to Earth's moon but there was an atmosphere present. And husks. Many husks. The shuttle was speeding through the air and Shepard didn't have a clear shot until they arrived at the LZ itself. As the shuttle began to touch down, Shepard opened fire on the husks running toward their transport. The mindless techno-zombies found themselves crumbling on the ground very quickly. It was never a challenge. The well trained group worked their way through waves of these former humans until no more came to replenish their ranks.
These things aren't even worth the wasted bullets!
Shepard walked over to the Turian soldier they had inadvertently aided in the fight. His experience as a CO allowed him to immediately take command.
"Soldier!"
The Turian stood up straight out of habit and responded to Shepard's tone despite the fact that Shepard had no actual command over him.
"Sir!"
"Where's the commanding officer of this base?"
The Turian indicated the direction with his assault rifle.
"Around the corner, past the first barricade sir."
"Good. Carry on."
His Turian hands wrapped tighter around his rifle.
"Yes sir."
The group moved on. Shepard scanned the fortifications as they walked by, familiarizing himself with the area for future reference in combat. His eyes fell upon the Turian guards and stayed on them until they lowered their weapons and announced the groups approach to their comrades.
"Hold your fire! Friendlies coming in!"
The gate in the barricade slid down and allowed the party into the base proper. The sounds accompanying a military base washed over Shepard. He breathed in heavily, wallowing in every second of it. The sound of thermal clips being loaded into weapons, fortifications being reinforced, and best of all, the sound of knives being sharpened. He had missed this. Shepard opened his eyes and strode on toward a group of Turians, one of which he assumed might be the leader. Their conversation wafted out to meet Shepard as he came closer. The leader quickly became obvious. A Turian wearing red and black armour was giving orders.
"Tobestik, get your men up on that north barricade!"
"Yes sir!"
The leader never looked up from his console displaying the battlefield and tactical data.
"Sergeant Bartus, find a way to get that comm tower operational."
"Sir!"
The two soldiers ran to complete their goals leaving Shepard and his squad alone with the apparent leader. The Turian didn't even look up as Shepard approached.
"Commander Shepard. Heard you were coming but didn't believe it. General Corinthus."
Short and to the point. No wasted words. Almost like Mordin. To business then.
"I've come to get Primarch Fedorian, General."
This statement made Corinthus' hands cease their incessant typing and he looked up for a moment.
"Primarch Fedorian is dead. His shuttle was shot down an hour ago as it tried to leave the moon."
Damnit! Didn't the Councilor tell him I'd be coming? I guess communications here are worse than Cato said. This complicates things.
"I'm sorry. I heard he was a good man and soldier.'
"And a friend. He would have been an outstanding diplomat."
Corinthus sadly added the third title but retained his military composure. He treated his friend's death like any soldier; put it in the back of your mind until the enemy is defeated. Shepard moved on from the topic to the far more pressing matter of a lack of a Primarch.
"So who's his second in command? He must have a successor."
Unsurprisingly, the Shadow Broker knew the answer.
"The Turian hierarchy provides very clear lines of succession. Knowing who he is should not be a problem, finding him will be."
Shepard nodded and turned back to Corinthus.
"Alright. General Corinthus?"
From Corinthus' expression, it was obvious this wouldn't be as easy as it seemed.
"With such heavy casualties" Corinthus explained, "it's hard for me to be certain who the next Primarch is. Palaven Command will know. We had set up a comms relay to communicate with them a few hours ago after our first one was destroyed by the Reapers' initial push but now contacting them is impossible. The new comms tower is out."
Corinthus indicated the area of the tower on his holographic map.
"And husks are swarming the area. We can't get close enough to repair it."
Shepard energetically grabbed his Vindicator from his back.
"That's where I come in General. I'll get your tower operational."
This generous announcement caused General Corinthus to turn and speak face to face with Shepard.
"Thank you Commander. I'll contact Palaven Command as soon as you fix the comms tower."
After asking several more questions about the current tactical situation, Shepard jogged off to his new assignment.
The tower was not difficult to find. Its spire stabbed the skyline and was the tallest structure in the area. The Turian sergeant that General Corinthus had sent to the tower immediately prior to Shepard's arrival had not fared well. A Turian soldier lay wounded at his feet while he provided cover fire for the working medic. None of the Reaper forces seemed to be carrying any weapons.
What's the problem? It's just husks. I guess I'm just more accustomed to Reaper forces. Fine by me.
Shepard had Liara use her singularity on a group of approaching husks and James fired his Carnage into the floating creatures. Bullets spat out of Shepard's gun in three round bursts and many husks were burned into oblivion by the incendiary rounds. After only a few husks died though, Shepard saw the lack of necessity in consuming ammunition.
"This is pointless" Shepard announced and holstered his Vindicator.
Liara and James spoke in unison.
"What are you talking about Loco?"
"What are you talking about Shepard?" Liara asked, quite concerned.
Shepard activated his omniblade and reached to his armour's right side with his other hand. He unclipped the sheath, and removed a nine inch blade made of the strongest and most durable material in the galaxy. Liara realized what Shepard was thinking and rolled her eyes at Shepard's course of action. James had a louder reaction.
"Yep. You're definitely loco, Loco."
Shepard just smiled as he moved towards his prey on the balls of his feet, ready to move at a moment's notice.
"Sometimes being loco is the answer."
Then the husks saw him. Shepard had no gun out, only his glowing omniblade and shining knife. They ran towards the open challenge. Many other humanoid husks climbed up from the cliffside and joined their brethren in the uncoordinated charge.
"Liara, James. Cover me."
The two of them stayed on Shepard's flanks and kept those two firing lines clear of husks. The center belonged to Shepard. The first husk came within Shepard's reach and he lashed out. The jab was powerful and true. The omniblade pierced the zombie's head and jutted out the back of it, machinery and decayed flesh falling from the now destroyed face. Shepard stepped to the side and turned past the cybernetic body. His left arm sliced through the air and completely decapitated a husk attempting to tackle him. The head fell and bounced onto the ground. He ripped his omniblade from the first husk's head and it fell unmoving to the ground.
Come on! Give me a challenge!
This time a husk Shepard had noticed during his turn came from the right and grabbed his arm. Shepard gracefully pivoted on his left foot, turned his body 180 degrees, lifted the being over his shoulder, and slammed the husk into the ground. The husk's form imprinted into the ground beneath it and Shepard brought his knife down into the creature's chest as he completed throwing the husk. Shepard recovered from his crouched position with his blades ready for more. Emotions were filtered. He felt determination, a pinch of vengeance, and… enjoyment. Shepard hadn't been able to fight with his blades in a long time. With each passing of his sharp instruments across decayed flesh, he grinned. If he had been fighting people, then he would have been somber as he killed. But these things lacked sentience. They are zombies. There is nothing left to kill. There was only a mindless moving sack of machinery and dead flesh that was trying to hurt him and his friends. Shepard's job was to make sure that these bags of bones stopped moving permanently. It isn't killing so much as… putting to rest. His actin and myosin contracted and expanded alongside the microscopic cybernetics in his muscles as he worked his magic. Several more husks fell with deep cuts in their heads or chests. Shepard's movements sliced the air but soon the area was clear. His eyes never stopped moving.
"Liara! James! Any left?"
James swept his assault rifle over the area. One last Singularity, launched by Liara, and a short burst from her Shuriken finished off the last two husks in her lane. Shepard deactivated his omniblade and it bent back into place before the semi-solid and semi-holographic weapon disappeared.
"None here Loco."
"Same here Shepard."
Shepard felt a hand on his foot. He quickly retracted the limb and posed his Turian blade above the moving form. It was the last husk, and it was in the center. It could barely move. Shepard had put a large gash in its torso but it was still moving, if barely. It feebly reached its left hand up to Shepard's flesh, eyes cold and empty of sentient life. Shepard did not hesitate. The trained muscles and metal parts in his own left arm flexed. The nine inch blade glinted in his hand and vengeance was in his eyes. Shepard stabbed down with as much strength as he could muster. The knife passed through the core of the husk like a knife through melting butter. Shattering metal and a synthetic scream filled the air. Shepard's knife dug deep into the earth. The sharp jagged edges of broken machinery jabbed into the armour around Shepard's arm while his knife and hand were surrounded by dirt. Surprise replaced the vengeance and his eyes widened.
Holy shit! That was way too easy.
Shepard tried to stand up straight but when he attempted to pull up his arm, it resisted. His hand was stuck in the ground. With an impatient groan, Shepard strained against his earthly bonds. Finally, his hand broke free. Shepard held his hand up so he could look at it. Dirt caked his armour and his blade, but his knife was undamaged. Not even a scratch on it. Shepard smiled.
Gotta love Turian craftsmanship. Their ceremonial daggers are better than any combat materials the Alliance can make.
Shepard didn't notice it, but if he had looked closer, he would have seen two small orange sparks in his eyes reflected on the blade.
"Alright. Liara, head up the tower and see what you can do."
Liara holstered her Shuriken and grabbed the ladder rungs.
"Will do."
James and Shepard had little trouble handling a few more waves of the mindless creatures. There were plenty for Shepard's blades and James' bullets. It didn't take Liara long to finish her job.
"It's done Shepard. I'm coming down now."
By the time Liara returned, Shepard was breathing heavily and James was thoroughly enjoying himself. Shepard opened a connection to General Corinthus but some more husks were still coming so Shepard finally replaced his blades and took out his M-5 Phalanx pistol.
"General? Do you read? The comm tower is operational."
Shepard set his sights on a husk about 20 meters away. With a single shot, the husk fell.
"Much appreciated Commander. I'll contact Palaven Command."
A singularity threw three husks into the air and Shepard put two shots in each. James shook off a husk on his back, turned, and fired a burst into its body.
"Alright" Shepard replied. "Let me know when you've got something. I'll hold the tower until I hear from you. The husks overran your mens' position. You'll need reinforcements here."
As concise as always, Corinthus responded in one word.
"Understood."
"Shepard out."
It wasn't long until Shepard was heading back into base. General Corinthus had told Shepard that he had found something important. The base was noticeably louder. Wounded soldiers lay on the ground, some screaming as they waited for treatment. The assault on the tower had not gone well for Corinthus' men. Shepard could do nothing for these soldiers so he passed them by and joined General Corinthus. The only way to help them was to focus on his mission.
"General, what have you got?"
"As your asari friend said, succession is usually simple, but right now the hierarchy is in chaos. So many dead or MIA."
This got Shepard worried.
"I need someone. I don't care who! As long as they can get us the Turian resources we need."
General Victus was about to respond but he snapped his head up as a Turian walked up the ramp to his command deck. Shepard turned and looked at the approaching Turian. He was carrying a Mantis sniper rifle. It was Garrus.
"I'm on it Shepard" Garrus announced. "We will find you the Primarch."
Shepard nearly laughed from his joy at seeing his old friend.
"Garrus! You talented son of a bitch. I thought you were on Palaven!"
Corinthus was appalled by this inappropriate outburst and tried to reinstate the atmosphere of military discipline. He saluted Garrus as he spoke.
"Vakarian sir! I didn't see you arrive."
This behavior from a general made Shepard quite curious.
A general saluting Garrus? Oh that is rich! I have to find out what this is about."
Apparently Garrus didn't really enjoy the boot licking.
"At ease general" Garrus replied curtly and walked away from the general toward Shepard. Shepard continued speaking with his friend.
"It's damn good to see you Garrus. It's been too long."
Shepard reached his hand out and Garrus grabbed it in a firm handshake. The two battle brothers were united again.
"Well with you being in prison you couldn't exactly bring me on any more suicide missions. I had to find something to fill my time with."
Shepard chuckled a bit.
"It wasn't prison. It was only 'temporary incarceration until the Systems Alliance rules upon your case.' And they were never going to put me in jail. I'm the only human with plenty of experience with the Reapers. Oh, and what's with the 'Vakarian sir!' business?"
Garrus shook his head in exasperation.
"You caught that did you?"
"How could I not?"
"Like you, I'm the closest thing the Turians have to an expert on Reaper forces so I'm… advising" Garrus answered with a shrug.
Shepard realized that they had been ignoring his two squadmates and James didn't have the faintest idea who this man was.
"James" Shepard said as he motioned James over. "This is Garrus Vakarian. He helped me stop Saren and the Collectors. He is one hell of a soldier."
James was like a kid in a candy store.
"It's an honour sir! I've heard all about you. Even some krogan I had fought alongside held you in high regard."
Garrus nodded his head at the acknowledgement.
"Thank you Lieutenant. I'll have to thank Wrex someday for spreading my fame."
This added another name to James' list of important people he did not know but he backed away when Garrus turned to Liara and held out a hand to her.
"Good to see you Liara, or should I call you by your business title?"
Liara shook his hand and returned the joke.
"Only if you want me to call you 'Supreme Turian Advisor' from now on."
Garrus seemed to physically recoil at that.
"Uh, let's just forget I ever said anything."
Liara smiled at her victory and let his hand go.
"It's good to see you in one piece Garrus."
The sound of a nearby explosion brought the group back to reality. Garrus went back to business.
"Right. General Corinthus filled me in. We know who we're after."
"His name?" Shepard asked quickly, his anxiety about losing another Primarch reasserting itself.
General Corinthus turned from his console to answer that.
"Palaven Command tells me that the next Primarch is General Adrien Victus."
"VIctus?" the Shadow Broker asked when she recognized the man. "His name has crossed my desk."
That brought some concern to Shepard.
Why would Victus be Shadow Broker level material?
"Know him Garrus?"
Garrus holstered his sniper rifle.
"Yeah. I was fighting alongside him this morning. Lifelong military, gets results, popular with his troops. Not so popular with military command. He has a reputation for playing loose with accepted strategy. He's just like you Shepard. You'll like him."
"It doesn't matter if I like him. Can I trust him?"
Garrus nodded as if it was never an issue.
"We both know conventional strategy won't beat the Reapers. Right now he could be our best leader. And I trust him. Absolutely."
"Good enough for me. What else do you know about him? What do you mean by 'playing loose' with strategy?"
Having seen Victus' files and the unofficial records, this answer was in Liara's field.
"On Taetrus, during the uprising of Khilix Tanus on the continent Eluria, his squad discovered a Salarian spy ring about the same time the Turian separatists did. Rather than neutralize the ring, he fell back, luring in the rebels. He gave up valuable fortifications which the rebels took."
"This is where it gets good" Garrus explained. "Then Tanus' rebels attacked the Salarians and when both groups had worn each other down, Victus moved back in. He took plenty of separatist prisoners and didn't lose a man throughout the entire process. He helped the Hierarchy tremendously in liberating Eluria."
"A bold strategy" General Corinthus cut in. "But wild behaviour doesn't get you advanced up the meritocracy."
Outright surprise welled up in Shepard at that.
How could you not appreciate the tactical genius this man showed?
"That's not reckless, that's innovation. The plan never survives contact with the enemy. Strategies need to adapt for every situation. That wins wars."
Corinthus protected his ideology.
"We have the power to make our plans survive first contact."
But then his face fell.
"Rather… we did."
General Corinthus returned to his console. Garrus laughed quietly.
"Primarch Victus. Ha! That should be something to see."
Shepard unholstered his Vindicator and started walking away from the command deck.
"Then let's go find him."
Their march was interrupted by Joker on the radio.
"Commander! Shepard come in."
Impatient, Shepard responded.
"Can this wait Joker? We're in the middle of a war zone."
Joker's tone of voice was all that was needed to express how important what he had to say was.
"We've got a situation on the Normandy, Commander! It's like she's possessed! Shutting down systems, powering up weapons. I can't find the source."
"Who? EDI?"
"Yeah Commander! I can barely fly right now."
Damnit. We're probably going to need a fast evac.
"Shepard" Liara spoke with a concerned voice. "What is EDI doing to the electronics on the ship?"
Shepard could only shrug.
"Anything and everything by the sound of it."
Consternation burst into Liara's eyes.
"I need to get back onto the Normandy! I need to protect my equipment."
"You brought your Sh-" Garrus cut himself off when he saw James with them. Garrus cleared his throat and continued. "You brought your business material onto a ship with an AI?"
"I never attached it to the Normandy's systems in the first place and told EDI to keep out of it. But if she can't control herself, she might damage my equipment with electronic signals or emissions. My materials are irreplaceable!"
Shepard held his hand up to calm her. She was getting antsy just standing there.
"Alright Liara. Head back to the landing zone and get back to the Normandy. We will get picked up once we have the Primarch."
Liara nodded.
"Thank you Shepard."
She ran off to the shuttle.
"What was that all about?" James asked innocently.
Garrus gave a typical Turian smile which, for a human, looked like a slight curling of his mandibles at the jaw bone joint.
"Sorry Lieutenant. That intel is for Shepard Veterans only. Although, if you help stop the Reapers and live, maybe we could bump you up a few notches."
James humphed loudly but Shepard spoke up.
"Garrus, you said you were with General Victus this morning?"
"Yeah, but we got separated. He went to bolster a flank that was breaking and he sent me to the right flank to protect his men while in transit. He could be anywhere out there by now."
"We're trying to raise him Commander" Corinthus informed them.
A metallic screech rang out through the sky as a giant flying monster flew toward the base.
"Incoming!" James screamed as he leveled his rifle at the beast. The entire compound did the same and many shots flashed through the sky in pursuit of the creature. The beast was large and hard to miss. Shepard and Garrus got off several precise shots at the creature but not near enough damage was dealt to the creature to bring it down. It passed over the nearby airfield and landed there for a moment before flying away.
An impromptu transport drop!
"General" Shepard signaled Corinthus. "Tell the Primarch to rendezvous with us here. If not, give me his location."
Corinthus nodded his acknowledgement and Shepard turned to James and Garrus.
"In the meantime. Let's go take care of whatever that thing dropped off. Coming Garrus?" Shepard added, jokingly.
Garrus responded by reloading his sniper rifle.
"Are you kidding -?" Garrus asked.
With a grin, Shepard said "Yes" and cut Garrus off.
Garrus was almost tripped up by this but recovered and responded smoothly.
"In any case, I'm right behind you."
"Wouldn't have it any other way. But why am I always the one out front?"
"Because I'm the better shot" Garrus boasted.
"Oh yeah?" Shepard shot back. "We'll have to test that one of these days."
Two thoughts connected together and struck Garrus as a package but he didn't vocalize it. He kept it in the back of his mind until the right time. The trio ran to the airfield. Shepard noticed a strange sound when they arrived.
"James, is that you breathing so hard?"
James answered in between heavy breathes.
"Atmosphere's a little thinner than I'm used to is all. Adrenaline's better than oxygen any day."
Oh right. I wouldn't notice that. Thank you cybernetic lungs!
But then the first human and Batarian husks came into view. Shepard replaced his Vindicator with his M-5 Phalanx, James had his Avenger in his hands, and Garrus was steadying his Mantis sniper rifle. As always, the humanoid husks charged forward without a care for their existence and the Batarian husks fired their built in weapons from cover. As planned, Shepard ran forward and took cover out in front. James got behind the cover immediately to his right and Garrus stayed back to the far left of the barricade's entrance. Garrus had a good view of the area and could cover both of them. Rounds started smacking into the metal walls Shepard and James were using as cover. He and James happily returned fire. Shepard leaned out of his cover and started firing at the oncoming husks. Now that they were so much closer to the enemy, James realized something horrible. His question left a bad taste in his mouth.
"Is it just me, or do those Reapers look like Turians?"
Shepard's eyes widened in realization but then grimaced in disgust.
Those aren't Batarians!
"You're right! They do."
A few sniper shots zipped by Shepard and James' heads then Garrus piped in over the radio.
"You haven't met them yet? We call them 'Marauders.' The Reapers harvest everyone. My people included."
"Then let's make sure their bodies aren't turned into Reaper zombies!"
Shepard punctuated his statement by firing a full clip into one of the Marauders and brought down its shield. It stumbled backward but then its head exploded as Garrus finished it off.
"Nice one!" Shepard congratulated. "But do your shots have to pass by so close to my head?"
"Oh come on" Garrus argued. "You've had worse. And if I ever hit your head, I'll let you know."
"Thanks" Shepard retorted in fake exasperation.
This would not nearly be as much fun without him.
Reaper reinforcements soon arrived and the fight made a turn for the more difficult. Those Marauders seemed to provide some sort of buff to the smaller husks, making them hardier. Shepard's pistol wasn't killing them fast enough so when the husks got too close, he unsheathed his Turian blade and finished them off in close quarters. James switched to his Katana shotgun and did his best to beat off the husks that covered the distance to their cover.
"I have to get a semiautomatic sniper rifle. This reloading is ridiculous" Garrus announced, commenting on the husks ability to advance up the slope.
Pretty soon it didn't matter. The Reaper dropships stopped coming, and the last husk fell to a blast from James' shotgun. The field grew quiet.
"Alright. Let's head back to base and see what the General is up to" Shepard called out. "Seems like the assault in this area is over and done with."
"Wilco" James responded. "Good enough time as any to resupply."
The giant monster collapsed, dead, as the last of Shepard's sniper rounds snuck through the creatures armour. Garrus walked up and nudged its head to make sure the job was done.
"Have you ever seen those things before?" Shepard asked Garrus. "I never saw these on Earth."
Garrus moved away from the giant corpse and joined Shepard.
"Yeah. They're a hybrid of Batarian and Turian bodies. It makes sense that they aren't on Earth, or at least weren't in the beginning. Not enough time for Turian bodies to be harvested, combined with Batarians and sent to Earth."
Garrus spread his right hand and shook it at the ground as if he was shaking a fluid from his hand. It was a Turian expression of disgust.
"It's wrong. Their purpose is to kill to desecrate the dead and then create more dead to desecrate. Turian soldiers deserve far better than that."
"Don't worry Garrus" Shepard assured him.
"I'm not. I'll kill every single one that I see to lay my brothers' bodies to rest."
Shepard nodded at that and Corintus' voice came over the radio.
"Shepard, Corinthus here. I can't get a stable comm link to the Primarch."
"Understood General. I'm going to search for him on foot. Shepard out."
Shepard ended the transmission and spoke to Garrus.
"Garrus, take me to the last place you saw Victus. We'll work from there."
"Sure thing Shepard" Garrus affirmed.
"Wait, can't we just take the shuttle?" James asked.
Shepard and Garrus shook their heads as if they both had the same thought at the same time.
"It's too much of a target. Reaper forces will do everything they can to swat it out of the sky" Shepard reasoned.
"And Liara took it. If we wait for it to come back from the Normandy, Primarch Victus could move farther away" Garrus elaborated. "Or he could be killed while we sit around."
James held up his hands in mock surrender, one still gripping his rifle.
"Alright, then let's go. I love a good run like any other marine."
Garrus led the way. The group made their way away from the Turian outpost and headed deeper into contested territory. Fires seemed to burn everywhere. The Sovereign class Reaper in the distance ensured that more fires sprouted up. Its laser was almost continuously firing at a target while it moved slowly but inexorably onward while a Turian ship fired on it to no avail. The bodies of Turian soldiers were everywhere. Some tucked away in a rocky niche, others strewn across the path. Garrus paused to grab one of the soldiers on the ground and moved him next to another corpse. Shepard joined him and grabbed the shoulders of another dead Turian and moved it alongside the two corpses. He stepped back and looked at the line of bodies with Garrus. They both saluted the bodies. No words were needed. Together, they moved on. There was work to do.
James wasn't as comfortable around the legendary Archangel as Shepard was so the silence soon became awkward for him. He broke it first when they rounded a corner and a colossal sight stood before them. James' voice was properly somber.
"Damn. The Reaper took out a frigate. How many people?"
Another Sovereign Reaper came into view as the trio trudged on.
"Oh my god. Would ya look out that."
That statement brought the planet behind the Reaper into focus. Garrus couldn't help himself.
"Damn it! Look at Palaven" Garrus pointed with his sniper rifle. "That blaze of orange. The big one. That's where I was born."
Shepard looked. The sight was not hopeful.
Damn. Those fires must be huge to be that evident from here. At least they're holding out better than Earth. They're Turians. They stand a better chance. Not much of a silver lining is it. 'That's a bad genocide, but at least it isn't as bad as mine.' Fuck.
James spoke up, trying to get to know the Turian.
"That's rough. Still have family there?"
Garrus paused and bowed his head. Shepard walked up next to him and unsheathed his dagger, showing it to Garrus. Garrus looked at it, then locked eyes with Shepard, and nodded before continuing on.
"My dad. A sister" Garrus replied in a noticeably strained voice.
"They'll be fine Garrus" Shepard said. "Your dad is a powerful man. He can take care of himself and your sister."
"How bad is it there?" James piped up.
Would you please stop asking about such touchy subjects you slack jawed idiot!
But Garrus answered anyway.
"Three million lost the first day. Five the second. They gave the shelters time to fill up before hitting them."
After a bit more talk, they finally ran into a group of live Turians who directed them southward. The trip there was uneventful but then several dropships made of flesh and metal screamed overhead and landed amidst another Turian base. Mass gunfire erupted from the area. Shepard began sprinting toward the sounds.
"Let's go people! Nothing's taking this Primarch from me!"
All three ran through a narrow gateway into the camp. Husks were everywhere. Marauders were in good cover firing on Turians entrenched in buildings. It was a mess, but a well handled mess given how bad a direct troop drop could be.
If he isn't dead, I like this guy already.
"Alright guys" Shepard announced over the radio. "We are taking this corner of the camp and making it our beachhead. Clear it out and then provide support to the soldiers. Complete the encirclement of the enemy."
"Roger that" Garrus replied while switching the slow firing Mantis for the Vindicator.
They moved out. Shepard ran to an abrupt rock incline on the right and used it as cover. A couple of Marauders fired at his position but Garrus hit them with an overload, knocking their shields offline. Shepard leaned out and watched as his bullets took off both of their distorted spiky heads. James covered their left flank and center with his Avenger. Shepard bounded up the rocky slope and moved up to a good position looking over the center of the camp, the kill zone where everyone's field of fire overlapped that area. Shepard switched to his sniper rifle and he motioned James and Garrus up the center. He could easily cover them from where he was. A few more Marauders played wack-a-mole with Shepard, but with a well placed grenade to clear them out of cover and support from the Turians in the camp, they were dealt with. Shepard looked over and saw Garrus line up a shot and destroy a Marauder on the far side of the camp.
Practice makes perfect.
James was having fun as well. He suppressed a Marauder behind a rock wall and ran up right next to the wall as his clip emptied. He knelt down and when the Marauder leaned up to fire, James reached over the barrier, lifted the Marauder off its feet, groaned so loudly Shepard didn't need the radio to hear it, and slammed it onto his side of the barrier. As quickly as electricity would allow, James activated his omniblade and slammed it into the Marauders chest. It convulsed once and then stopped moving. James knelt down and paused to pant.
I guess exercising constantly pays off.
But then the real threat fell from the sky. Two Brutes appeared on the field of battle amidst the remains of their entry 'vehicles.'
"Two Brutes incoming!" Shepard shouted though he wondered if that was really necessary. The beasts were impossible to miss.
Everything in the camp focused on the two new threats. Bullets pinged off their armour while others hit their mutated flesh. Either way, the creatures plowed through the storm and headed toward the only three targets not in buildings, Shepard's team. Shepard activated his incendiary ammo and proceeded to empty his clip into the closest beast.
Burn, baby burn!
Large black pockmarks formed in the first beast's body as the rounds did their work. Under fire from both the Turians and Shepard's team, the first beast started to collapse about three meters from Garrus. As the huge body fell, the second Brute appeared to be enraged and it charged forward. This Brute collided with its comrade's massive frame and the corpse was launched over Garrus' cover.
"Oh crap!" Garrus yelled in surprise.
Garrus tried to move but his legs got caught. The shoulders of the beast leaned over the rock wall and hit Garrus' legs, pinning them to the ground. James rolled away from the rushing Brute and fired as he backed away. The Brute started trudging toward the downed Turian.
"Little help here!"
"Garrus! Turn up your shields! James!" Shepard called out.
"What!"
"Grenades!"
With that, Shepard armed one of his six grenades and threw it straight at the massive enemy. Upon impact, the grenade exploded in a shower of force and flame. James got the picture and joined him in lobbing explosives. The explosions rocked the creature and it shuddered with each impact. It reached the corner of Garrus' cover but stopped there. It lifted one arm trying to reach its prey, but it was futile. The beast fell to its knees and then collapsed on the ground. James ran up to it and gave it a coup de grace.
"Yeah Motherfucker! Little humans can make you sit your dumb ass down!"
Shepard walked over to Garrus and knelt next to him.
"So… how's it going Garrus?"
"Oh shut up. Get this thing off of me."
Smiling, Shepard reached down and grabbed one of the huge shoulders. He lifted with his superhuman strength and threw the heavy burden back over the edge, freeing Garrus.
"Close enough for you Garrus?"
"That's why I always try to have someone with a shotgun near me at all times."
Shepard's eyes lost their battlefield glow and dimmed as his head bowed for a moment.
"Right. You can't replace Tali's shotgun."
Garrus got the signal and dropped the issue.
"Come on, Shepard. Let's go get our Primarch."