Saren and Nihlus ducked as they came out of the cavern, the sounds of gunfire all around them. The single gunship still hovered in the sky, and its guns swung from one side to another as it tried to eliminate those that were shooting at it. Using whatever cover they could find, they made their way down to where the turian squads had taken shelter from the ship.
"Situation?" Saren asked the soldier he was crouched beside behind a large rock.
The turian saluted before replying. "Our guns are ineffective and they seem to know it, sir. They aren't targeting us as frequently, instead concentrating on the snipers."
Saren let out a frustrated growl. Nihlus looked over at him.
"You know, Shepard spent a lot on our gear. I think we should see just how good this stuff is."
"I doubt it will stand up to a hit from that ship."
Nihlus shrugged. "Maybe not, but I bet our guns will do more damage than what our forces are currently using."
"True. Nihlus, make your way around to the other side." Saren pointed at several soldiers around him. "You're with him. Maybe between the two of us we can get their attention. We need to give Shepard and Vakarian a chance to bring their heavier weapons to bear."
Nihlus nodded and pulled the pistol off his hip and offered it to one of the turians assigned to him. She gave him a dubious look.
"Sir, no offense but I don't think that will do much against that ship."
"I bet it packs a better punch than what you currently have."
She nodded and took it. Nihlus led the small group out and around to the opposite side of the ship. Saren watched as they disappeared into the dark. He unhooked the rifle, now glad that he had taken one for himself. He looked at the soldiers remaining.
"Which of you is the best shot?"
They looked between each other for a moment before one stepped forward.
"I was the best in my unit before the war, sir."
"Good, take this. I don't know if it will do more damage, but it should get their attention."
Saren thrust the rifle out at him. The soldier took it, almost afraid to.
"Sir?"
Saren waved him off. "I prefer my pistol. Now we give them something new to shoot at."
Saren stood up from behind the rock and aimed for the pilot. His soldiers followed his example. The canopy of the cockpit held, but it got the pilot's attention. The ship swung towards them and they dropped where they were as it opened fire on their position. But the other two groups were not idle. Gunfire erupted on two fronts now as both the snipers and Nihlus's band joined the fight. The ship darted upward, the bays holding its missiles swinging open.
"Get out of here! She's bringing her rockets online!" Saren barked out.
Everyone scattered. Saren had no chance to see whether or not the other groups made it out of the immediate area before explosions rocked the ground. Hunks of earth and vegetation rained around them as he and his people ran from the ship.
The hum of the engines broke the stillness of the night in the aftermath. The ship dove back down and hovered over the scene of destruction. Its lights flipped on as it checked for survivors. Saren broke cover and ran back the way they had just come. His soldiers were only a few steps behind him. He glanced back and from what he could see, his people had emerged unscathed. The ship's rockets must have been directed at one of the other groups.
"Get directly under it. The guns can't target you there!"
The ship continued its search, unaware or unconcerned that it had enemies under its belly. Looking up, he aimed for the pivot point on one wing and pulled the trigger. When the gun clicked, he ejected the heat sink, slammed another home, and continued shooting. His people followed his lead and that was enough to draw the attention of the ship, but it was too late. A bullet or possibly two damaged the joint controlling the thruster. The ship tried to maneuver away, but instead spiraled towards the ground. As it lost control, several turians were illuminated, including one with distinctive cream-colored markings, before it plowed into the earth.
"You," Saren said, pointing to those on his right. "Go look for our snipers." A talon flicked out at two individuals. "You two, watch for any sign of our enemies. The rest of you with me. That ship looked like it fell on top of a group of our soldiers."
Desolas and the Primarch stood waiting for news, any news. The earth trembled around them, a sign of the fight going on topside. Victus motioned for the runner currently on duty to approach him.
"Spirits! Get me a report on what in hell is going on up there."
"Yes, sir!"
She saluted and strode out and into the corridor. She was back far faster than she should have been.
"Sir! A rockslide has covered the entrance."
"Why didn't anyone notify us?" Desolas snarled.
"They are still assessing how much rock is blocking it."
Desolas flicked his hand towards the hall. "Make sure everyone is awake and all efforts are concentrated on removing the slide. Keep us informed."
"Yes, sir!"
A quick salute and she was gone again. Desolas rubbed his brow with one hand. They were trapped in here, while his brother and the others were outside. It had been a sound decision, but he regretted now that they had had to make it. A beep and a light flashed urgently on the QEC, drawing their attention.
"Get Sparatus in here while I answer this," Victus said.
Desolas saluted him and left to find the advisor. Victus squared his shoulders and took a deep breath before pushing the button on the machine. An image of Admiral Anderson appeared before him.
"Primarch, are you ready?"
Victus stepped onto the plate and nodded. He could hear gasps coming from the Admiral's side.
"Admiral, Councilors and members of the galactic community-" Victus began.
"What is the meaning of this," a woman's voice hissed.
He was glad the device had a translator built into it or this would have been a disaster with Shepard and the others trapped outside.
"The meaning of this," he replied, forcing his voice to remain calm, "is that no more will the treatment of the turian people go without notice by the rest of the galaxy. The asari have waged a war on my people for the prothean artifacts we have. They have killed us, imprisoned us and sold us as slaves. This will stop."
The room that Anderson was in erupted in shouting as so many of those there tried to give voice to their thoughts.
"Clear the room," the same woman said.
"No! The galaxy will know what has been done on Palaven by the asari in the name of your greed to control the knowledge left to us all by the protheans," Anderson said.
"You are not a member of the Council. You have no standing here," she replied.
"But I do," a new voice said. "As the salarian councilor I want to hear what is going on."
"You would stand against the asari?"
"These accusations explain your desire to see the batarians added to the council. I will know the truth."
"The truth, Councilor -," Victus paused.
"Valern, it's Valern."
"Thank you, Councilor Valern. The truth is that the asari came to my world and when we failed to let them see our artifacts, they began a war on us. Many of my people are interred in prison camps and I know some have even been sold as slaves, while many more have been lost in battle. A battle that is being waged right now on my planet. This must stop," Victus growled out.
Desolas and Sparatus returned just then. They moved up beside him and waited for an order.
"This is a fake. Turians are not intelligent creatures. The humans somehow staged this farce."
"Councilor Tevos, I figured you might say something like that. But perhaps in all the excitement you failed to realize that everyone in this room understood Primarch Victus. This is because Spectre Shepard managed to obtain a copy of their language and we pushed it across the galaxy," Anderson said.
"Impossible!" Tevos said.
"Incorrect," a new voice said. "Difficult, yes, but not impossible. Helped Shepard obtain this data. Interacted with turians on personal level, enjoyed working with them. Hope to do so again."
"Thank you, Doctor Solus," Valern said.
"Valern, I think we should meet in private to discuss this," Tevos said. Her voice tried to maintain the serenity her people were known for.
"Councilors, this needs to be dealt with here and now," Anderson stated. "The turians are no longer isolated and alone. We have forged an alliance with them and I know they have one with the krogan as well. I strongly suggest that Councilor Tevos contacts someone further up the chain of command to end this whole terrible situation."
"I need to retire and contact my legislature," Tevos said.
The slight quaver in her voice gave Victus some hope that perhaps this would be over soon. The sounds of people exiting and talking excitedly came through the machine, but all he could see was Anderson's face.
"Primarch, please stay nearby. I'm taking the QEC back to our ship and I'll confer with you there."
"Of course, Admiral. I will wait for your next call."
Anderson turned off the QEC and quickly motioned for the techs to gather up the device. He had nearly reached the door when one of the reporters who had been invited to the unveiling moved to stand in front of him.
"Admiral, a few words, please."
"And you are?"
"Emily Wong from FCC News."
"I'm sorry, Miss Wong, but I don't have time for interviews right now. There is more at stake here than ratings."
"Oh, I know. How in the world did you manage to get the other half of your new QEC to Palaven, a system I know is under quarantine?"
"No comment. Perhaps after all this is over, you can get your interview."
Anderson strode out of the room, his guard and techs close behind him. He kept one hand on his pistol as they made their way back to his ship. Although assassinating him now would only further enrage the galaxy, he wouldn't take any chances. Some of the tension left his body when he finally stepped foot on the deck of the Tokyo. He didn't stop until he reached the main conference room. His techs bustled about, getting the QEC up and running again. The techs left him once the machine was put back together. He activated it and stepped on the pad. After a few moments, the image of the Primarch appeared.
"Primarch, what's the situation on your end?"
"It is tense. We had a wave of armored vehicles and now there is a fight topside with some gunships. However, we do not know how that is going, as a rockslide has us trapped in here while some of our forces are up top fighting."
"Understood. Hackett informed me that the ground troops will be deployed shortly. They nearly have the ships around the relay dealt with. Hold on."
Victus snorted. "Waiting is all we can do until we can clear the entrance. I am more concerned for those trapped above ground. Your Shepard is among those."
Anderson nodded. "I'll make sure Hackett is aware of the situation. Anderson out."
He stepped off the pad and watched as the machine powered down, the lights dimming slowly on it. He scrubbed his face with one hand. If anyone could survive the situation on Palaven, it was Shepard.
~My usual shout out to Mordinette for all her help, thank you! And a thank you to the readers, I'm delighted so many of you are enjoying this story, so thank you!~