Astella Garrison, Nevos
Day 1, 1230
"Alright, ladies! Get downstairs, start rigging up barricades! This is not a drill!"
As Tarenna barked at her company, sending them scurrying off towards the elevator or the edge of the roof, many of them with supplies in hand, Andersen stepped back to give her some space, pulling his two companions with him into a huddle of sorts.
"I believe captain's orders for this eventuality were to 'get the hell out'," he muttered, quietly. "Thoughts?"
"I… would not hold that against you," Saffiya admitted, "but in accordance with the Code, I would ask your blessing to stay and help defend these people. Alone if need be."
"Alright…" Andersen sighed. "Helpful suggestions only from now on. Lynus?"
"Not worth sacrificing the crew for the ground forces here…" the salarian muttered, "…objectively. Nonetheless, recommend we stay."
"Not averse to the idea, but I want to hear why."
"Supplies. Enough in this drop to outfit several regiments. If abandoned to the Reapers… would cost more lives than we would save."
"Makes a certain kind of sense… can't risk the Cambrai, though. No way we'd get those supplies loaded before the Reapers arrive, and she's a sitting duck here."
The three of them nodded in some kind of agreement, and bowed heads thoughtfully, even as the asari scrambled past, panicked chatter filling the air. The rest of the Cambrai's team were all wandering in from their posts, watching the lieutenant carefully for orders.
"Captain Tarenna!" he called out, eventually.
"Lieutenant?" she frowned, turning on her heel.
"That highway," Andersen asked, jabbing his arm out to the west, "where does it go?"
"Out of the city. Runs across the bay, then up into the foothills."
"Any settlement up there?"
"Couple of abandoned farmsteads. Evacuated."
The two engineers exchanged a look, as Rilum finally seemed to catch on to what the human was thinking - Andersen didn't mind admitting, that moment's delay filled him with a little bit of pride.
"Then here's what we're going to do!" he continued, calling out to both his men and the asari. "We get these supplies loaded onto your trucks, send them west across the bay, our ship bugs out and meets us there for pickup!"
"Excuse me?" Tarenna frowned, hands moving to her hips. "Lieutenant, I've got orders for this contingency. Dig into defensive positions, and try to keep a supply line open to the regiments in the city."
Andersen sighed, shoulders sagging slightly as he mulled over how exactly to go about convincing her. Before he could even start, however, a loud voice from one side beat him to it:
"Captain!" Alec barked, taking a couple of steps forward. "You ever seen what the Reapers do to a city?"
"I have not."
"Well lucky for you, I was on Earth. So I can shove it through your skull that in an hour's time, those regiments in the city'll be dead under the rubble, or outta reach, whether you and your girls evac or not. Two hours, you won't get any ride out at all, Reapers'll have full air superiority. You want to die here, that's fine, long as you know what you're getting into…"
The lieutenant nodded appreciatively to the N7, but Alec didn't notice - his eyes were still locked on the asari captain, and hers on him. There appeared to be a moment of raging indecision on Tarenna's features… and then she glanced around at her platoon, with a sigh.
"Keep working on the barricades!" she yelled. "And get those trucks loaded to move, bay exit!"
She swept around on her heel, making for the elevator, and Andersen's shoulders sagged in relief for just a moment.
"Cambrai," he muttered, into the radio. "Going for an airlift here, supplies and personnel. Bug out, get as far from the city as possible, and activate stealth systems. We'll rendezvous on the far side of the bay."
"Copy that, lieutenant. You sure?"
"Sure," Andersen bluffed.
"Copy that. Taking the engines up, bugging in thirty."
"Anyone up there who's armed and armoured, we could use some more hands. Drinks on me when we get back."
"Deal," a voice grunted, though the speaker was obscured by the clatter of movement and the rising din of the engines.
"Lynus," the engineer continued, wheeling around to face his squad on the ground.
"Andersen."
"Take the krogan and Araya. Get those trucks moving out over the bay, and set an RV for the Cambrai. We'll mount a defence, give you a head start on their infantry."
The salarian nodded, in wordless approval, and waved quickly to his three colleagues, who gathered around him.
"Saffiya?"
"Mm?"
"If you'll permit it, I want you attached to that platoon down below. Justicar'll be a big boost for their morale, and I want to know there's at least one person down there I can count on to hold their ground."
"Of course," she nodded, checking her pistol.
"Alec, Aeryn, we'll dig in on the top floor. Roof's too exposed to enemy air support, but we don't want to give up the high ground."
"Carter!"
Alec glanced over curiously - as did the rest of the squad - at the outburst, from Dax of all people. Without pausing to explain, the krogan reached down to his hip, pulled a weapon stock from one of his hardpoints, and tossed it at Carter. The marine caught it in one hand, giving nothing but a small, approving grunt as it unfolded in his arms. An odd-looking rifle, round-nosed and with the whir of a kinetic generator.
"Falcon?" he muttered. "Shiny."
Dax just grunted, and then swept off on his heel towards the cargo elevator, quickly followed by Lynus, Yui, Araya and the justicar.
"Ground team, we are bugging out," Akito murmured, over the radio. "Everybody clear of the cargo ramp?"
"Jumping now," a voice grunted.
Andersen wheeled around, reaching for his helmet absent-mindedly, and his features broke into a wide grin. Ethan and Sam were in the act of hopping down from the cargo ramp, Zel and Kan a few paces behind, all of them gripping rifles and helms and other bits of gear.
"Better be a big goddamn tab," Cash chuckled, clapping Andersen on the shoulder as he approached.
"Deal," the lieutenant echoed, pulling his helmet over his head. "Defensive positions, people!"