Resistance Chapter 40, a mass effect fanfic

Chapter 40 – There's Method In This Madness

Kaidan stood on the bridge of the Orisoni beside Aethyta, looking at the live feeds from the beacons over Parnack. Though they'd planned it so they'd be launching their attack at Parnack's dawn, and there was barely any movement below, it was evident the yahg force was far larger than it had been during their first visit, like each yahg had duplicated in the week that had gone by. The size of the encampment had grown substantially.

"Damn," breathed out Aethyta.

"Yeah," drawled Garrus, from behind them. "Now you know what you missed. Can't say I'm glad to be back, either." He shook his head at the scene. "They mean business."

"So do I." They all turned to the deep voice of Wrex as he trundled towards them. "We ready to go yet?"

"Good timing. We'll be making the drop-off in ten," informed Kaidan.

"I have to say I was surprised you were up so soon after that work-out I gave you," Aethyta smirked at Wrex.

"I'm in prime condition," retorted Wrex. "It'll take more than that to wear me out."

"That a challenge?"

Wrex just gave that low, slow, rumbling laugh.

Garrus stared at the two. "Wait a minute. Please tell me that you two didn't…. No." He raised his hands as though to fend the thought off, backpedalling out of the cockpit. "Forget I asked. Not going there."

"What's the matter, Garrus?" taunted Wrex, following him out, enjoying the opportunity to freak his turian friend out. "Don't you want all the details?"

"La-la-la! I can't hear you!"

Kaidan suddenly felt awkward next to Aethyta. Then she was moving after them, but not before she'd slapped his, thankfully armoured, backside.

"Coming hot-stuff?" she called over her shoulder.

Ignoring the sniggers from the nearby asari crewmembers, Kaidan inwardly sighed. The things he had to endure to save the galaxy….

oOo

"How are we doing?" Already in her armour, Shepard walked into the AI Core where Adams stood with Edi.

"My systems are backed up," said Edi. "Liara is storing all data as per your request. She has also set up a link with an isolated server that will continue to receive data from me from here on out. That way, any information I pick up along the way need not be lost if I am unsuccessful in my bid to control the Intelligence."

"Okay, sounds good. What's Enlighten's position?" She was referring to the designation of Kaidan and his teams.

"Currently two clicks away from their target safe zone."

"Then they'll be there in less than 15 minutes. We need to get going. Ready, Edi?"

"Yes."

"Joker. We're now about to go into ship systems only."

"Understood, Shepard. Hey, Edi… Come back, okay?"

"Of course. Someone has to keep an eye on you," Edi teased.

"Okay, Adams. Shut it all down," ordered Shepard.

In less than a minute, the AI terminals were dark.

"How do you feel?" Shepard asked Edi.

"Disconnected. Like being locked in a dark room; many of my senses have been lost to me. But it is only temporary."

"Absolutely. Joker, any problems without Edi?"

"Nope. Edi made sure everything would function well enough, though it won't be the same without her."

"We'll just have to make do. All right. Notify Admiral Hackett that we're good to go, then take us in." She headed out, Edi and Adams with her, their destination: the shuttle bay. If things got ugly, it was the best place for a fight.

Exiting onto the bay, Shepard went to get her weapons, Cortez and Adams doing the same, though their own role would be support only. Knox was already equipped and waiting. Edi walked into the middle of the shuttle bay and then simply stood there, motionless.

Laying his rifle within reach on a work-bench, Adams linked up a diagnostic with Edi. It would be the only way they'd have any idea what was going on, as getting a commentary from Edi was a risk; she would need all her attention, or rather processing power, on her task.

A torrent of data ran down the screen, and Adams nodded at Shepard.

They were ready.

Joker was in his favourite seat, with Altair co-piloting. Before they'd even approached Parnack's atmosphere, he was surrounded by a sizeable number of fighters and interceptors from nearly every race. Some of those were PPP-enabled; their sole purpose to keep the Normandy from falling foul of the pulses, because she needed her shields. The Leviathans were sure to make his ship a primary target when they neared the surface.

In unison, they broke through the outer atmosphere, every little tweak he made to the ship's position, quickly mirrored by those around him. Pretty cool, Joker decided. He toyed with the idea of doing a little spin just to throw them all off, but he doubted Hackett, or Shepard, would find it amusing. Altair would love it though. Restraining his rebellious urge, Joker focused on their destination.

Flying straight towards a yahg maelstrom sounded insane, but this was Shepard. 'Crazy' should probably be her middle name. Did she even have one?

"Oh my…" hushed out Altair as she took in the scene below them. "This is worse than last time!"

"Yep. That's how it goes. Hope you're ready, because it's tough if you're not."

"Who could ever be ready for this!?"

"We have to be," he said, simply.

"Yes, Sir," she exhaled, drawing herself together again.

Then they were in the thick of it. The alerted yahg surged out of the innumerable habitats, and Joker sent a heavy rain of fire down in order to scatter the yahg close to the coordinates Edi provided for the camouflaged blast doors. A pulse radiated out at them, but the surrounding ships absorbed it. Missiles were being fired up at them, but only a couple got through to impact their shields as the interceptors lived up to their name.

The rest was up to Edi.

"She's bypassing scramblers." Even Adams sounded on edge, barely even blinking as he stared at the screen.

Shepard stood tensely a short distance behind Edi, her pistol feeling heavy in her hands. Knox was like stone beside her.

"Edi's through…."

Seconds ticked by excruciatingly slowly. The outside noise, and the odd shake as the ship's shields were impacted, barely registered for her.

"Contact initiated!"

They all tightened their grips on their weapons. An unseen fight was about to begin.

Kaidan could hear the fight in the distance. From their cover behind a range of densely packed, huge jagged spears of rock, he signalled to the teams to advance. His biotic squads went first, threading their way through the narrow gaps between the stone, then fanning out as he'd instructed. Kaidan led the others on a direct path, through the strange thick fog that clung to the ground and reached up past their knees. He checked his omnitool, the beacons constantly updating the position of the yahg leader. Straight ahead.

The first image they got as they closed on the base was the grisly display of decapitated heads Kaidan had known to expect. What he wasn't prepared for was the foul stench from the decaying flesh that filled the air and forced its way down his throat, threatening to make him retch. He quickly shoved on his helmet, the others following suit.

"Got a visual on our target," said Garrus, through his comm, lowering his sniper rifle and indicating.

Stood atop a tank-like vehicle in the midst of a large group of yahg who all looked like the lower part of their legs had been consumed by the haze, the imposing figure of the leader Kaidan had come almost face to face with not long enough ago, was shouting something in a guttural tone. They were all looking in the opposite direction, the air attack working well to distract them. Kaidan could even make out the Normandy in the background.

"That's one big-ass yahg," commented James under his breath as they crouched low, using the fog to help conceal them.

"Size ain't everything," retorted Jack, unimpressed with what she was seeing.

That created snorts from Wrex and Garrus.

"Uh oh, Vega. Don't feel bad," cracked Garrus, keeping his voice low so as not to give away their presence, and his eyes ahead.

"You can't be krogan-sized in every department," ribbed Wrex.

"Shut your dumb mouths," Jack warned, her quiet tone no less menacing. "He's got nothing to worry about, that's for damn sure." She removed her mask now they were far enough from the smell, and sent a hot look over to a grinning, but also red-faced, James. "In fact, I bet he's more impressive than either of you."

"Oh yeah?" challenged Garrus.

"Wanna check it out?" Wrex leered at her.

"No, she doesn't," blurted out James, frowning at Wrex as he put himself between the krogan and Jack, who was laughing, dirtily. "Just gonna have to take her word for it," he finished with a smug grin, then facing forwards again.

"Jack could just go ask Liara's father," added Garrus with a shake of his head.

"What!?" gasped Liara, her mask hanging loosely. "Father! You didn't!" she hushed at Aethyta.

The matriarch sniggered. "Don't worry. The turian's just got a dirty mind."

"Earlier, you said you'd given him a work-out!" spluttered Garrus, faltering in his advance.

"She did," rumbled Wrex. "In the cargo area of her ship-."

"I said I didn't want details!" Garrus whispered, harshly.

"With an audience."

"Oh, spirits!"

"By the Goddess, father!"

"We were literally sparring, Liara." Aethyta smirked at Garrus. "I hear you like sparring, too, Vakarian. Though I get the impression you've given the term a whole new meaning. Sounds like my kind of fun."

Garrus groaned in embarrassment. "Bury me now."

"That's enough." Kaidan had barely registered the exchange, his gaze fixed on the yahg they were here to obtain. They were so close now. They'd be spotted any second….

Like his thought had been heard, the yahg leader suddenly swung round and just watched them with dead eyes, while all those around him swarmed towards Kaidan and his team.

"All teams: engage!" Kaidan ordered.

Now his biotic squads came to the fore, leaping up from the ground where they'd used the fog to crawl closer. Some sent out biotic blasts that threw the yahg back, others provided protective barriers around their respective teams because here they were mostly out in the open, just a few boulders barely breaking the murky surface. Kaidan's own team were using a similar strategy. Aethyta's commandoes were providing the barriers around their larger squad, Kaidan, Liara, Jack, Javik and Aethyta were pummelling the charging yahg with their biotics, and Wrex, Grunt, Garrus, James, and Bau, who'd personally requested to re-join them, were focusing on taking out those yahg who looked like they would cause them more trouble as they reached for heavy weapons to fire.

Further back, more yahg were pressing forward to join the fight, but now the rachni were playing their part. Thanks to the Leviathans, the rachni were already interspersed throughout the encampment, and began to box in the yahg, cutting off one area from another, limiting the numbers that could be focused on either his teams or Shepard and the air support. It was damned effective at easing the pressure on them, and what's more, it proved the queen's 'song' was once more being heard by her children.

As they pushed forward, Kaidan saw the yahg leader was still atop the vehicle, surveying the chaos around him. When the yahg swung back to face them, the ferocity in its face was then vocalised with the roar directed straight at Kaidan.

The Leviathans weren't happy, and that was just fine with him.

All he had to do now was isolate that yahg, use the tranquiliser Chakwas had devised, and get the hell out of here. If only things could be as simple as they sounded.

Edi had been so inert for the past ten minutes that when she began to shudder, they all jumped. It was a constrained but violent movement that lasted for minutes. Then it stopped instantly, and they stood there watching her back. Waiting….

Knox went to move forward, but Shepard reached her hand out and grabbed his shoulder plate, exerting enough pressure that he understood she wanted him to retreat. They did so together. Shepard had a bad feeling and suddenly having a little more distance seemed like a sensible idea.

With Shepard's second backwards step, Edi spun round and sent out an incinerating blast at them. Throwing herself into Knox to knock him aside, she felt the intense heat skim across her back, even through her armour. Knox's breath came out in an audible whoosh as he hit the ground and she landed on him, but he was as ready to push himself up within seconds, as she was.

The Intelligence had overcome Edi. This was Shepard's worst scenario, but that thought wasn't helpful. She'd adapt to the situation, as always.

As it reached out to grab Cortez, his gunfire pinging off EDI's exterior casing ineffectually, Shepard sent an overload program to interfere with its systems. Before it could recover, Shepard ran forward and spun, swinging out her leg at the same time, sending her whole weight into the kick that sent it flying across the bay floor and away from her people.

Her hacking program wouldn't be successful with such an advanced system, so they had only their weapons to disable this unit. Shepard now knew that it took a precision shot to a weak spot to take Edi's body down - something she'd done through pure luck back on Mars, and hadn't even realised until Edi had told her just a few hours ago, to ensure she could stop her should it be necessary. Knox was firing, but wasn't hitting anything vital.

EDI was upright again, but then it was shuddering just like before.

"Cease fire!" Was Edi still in there, fighting?

Stilling again for several seconds, it then lurched to its feet with frightening speed, running at Knox, and slamming him into the side of the shuttle.

Another overload had it stuttering for enough precious seconds to enable Shepard to pull it off a dazed Knox, but it recovered too quickly, turning out of her hold and grasping her by the neck. Her throat constricted, Shepard could feel her feet leaving the floor as she was lifted. At the same time as she was waving back Cortez and Adams who were about to rush over to try to help her, she raised her own pistol up at that vital spot – the base of the throat which would give access to the important circuitry that ran through the spine. Even with the stars bursting behind her eyes with the lack of oxygen, she couldn't miss. EDI was rearing back a fist to strike her, but once again that shuddering took over the shell. Despite the tightening at her throat, Shepard loosened her finger on the trigger.

"NO!" voiced Edi in outrage.

Though the eyes were looking at her, Shepard knew that was Edi, and she was talking to the Intelligence. Then there was more shaking before she stilled again, and the pressure on Shepard's neck immediately eased, her feet meeting the floor. Edi was back.

"I have contr-."

Knox's hands had gripped her head and twisted hard, cutting Edi off in mid-sentence. The snap sent Edi collapsing to the ground to Shepard's shout of horror. But the damage had already been done.

"Shit!" she rasped, her throat raw. "That was Edi. She broke through." She crouched over the prone body, Adams and Cortez rushing over.

"You alright, Shepard?" worried Cortez.

"Yeah," she answered, distracted. Was Edi trapped inside here? Working loose the panel at Edi's nape, she checked the state of the severed connection inside, then exhaled in frustration. "Adams, this looks a mess. Tell me there's something you can do to get her up and running."

The engineer did a quick study. "I can, but not quickly."

Shepard nodded in acceptance, straightening. "Figured that would be the case. Do what you can."

"Admiral," swallowed Knox, looking pale. "I'm sorry. I didn't realise-."

"It's okay, Knox. I know. Thanks for the back-up." She patted his arm in reassurance.

"We were relying on her, and I've just made things harder."

"You didn't know," she stressed. "Besides, easy's boring," she waved it off, casually, though the thought of the delay didn't sit well with her.

"Shepard! Edi did it! The blast doors are opening!" Joker announced, provoking a round of relieved faces on those in the shuttle bay.

"Yes! Edi, you beauty. She's still with us." Shepard went over to the armoury, handing Knox more heat sinks with which to replace his spent ones, along with several grenades, which she also equipped. Though he looked confused, Knox didn't ask.

"Preparing to re-position. I'm gonna take great pleasure in helping to take out that damned thing."

"Negative. Hold our current position, Joker."

"…What?"

"No questions. Could you get Clay down here, please? Adams, forget Edi's body for now, and get the AI Core back on. I want contact with Edi, a-sap, and she might still be able to do that through the ship. Then you'll need to man Engineering. I need Clay to fly the shuttle."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Shepard. What's going on?" Cortez's face was now a permanent frown, as Adams disappeared into the lift.

"Good question," griped Joker.

"I said 'no questions', and you do not contact anyone in Enlighten, are we clear?" She was jumping inside the shuttle, and starting the engines.

"Damn, Shepard…." Joker's concern filled his voice. "You're doing something that'll place you at serious risk, aren't you?"

"Taking risks is part of the job," she murmured.

"Yeah, but-."

"Knox. You physically okay to go groundside?" she called out, not allowing Joker to carry on.

"Yes, Ma'am." He got in and sat in place, still mystified, but staying silent.

Cortez settled in the co-pilot's seat, and Clay hurried in to take over from Shepard. Once the young quarian was at the helm, she stood behind him.

"Take us down through those blast doors, Clay. We'll have an escort."

"Yes, Admiral."

The shuttle was lifting, turning, and then heading towards the lowering ramp, the noise from outside increasing as the scene beyond was revealed.

Shepard realised she was holding her breath, and let it out, slowly. Now it was her turn.

oOo

The Leviathans seethed at the renewed rebellion. Losing their control of the rachni was unexpected.

Shepard. Without her, there would be no cohesion amongst the other races. Her interference had caused all this. They wanted her gone as much as they had the Reapers. Her refusal to bow down and accept her fate was irritating. Her very existence was an affront.

"They continue to resist," observed the Second.

"We witnessed them persevere during the harvest, and destroy our bane," replied the Third. "It was a certainty they would remain defiant."

"They seek to obtain the one known as Chu'Tak; to destroy the Intelligence, and the fragment with it."

The First's mind spoke over the others, demanding they listen. "The one yahg is irrelevant. Losing the rachni is irrelevant. We have an army at our disposal, and they will protect the fragment with their lives. Shepard will die."

oOo

With Enlightens biotics in full flow, the yahg couldn't get near them, and Kaidan and his team carved an almost effortless path towards their leader. Then their target was jumping inside the tank, only it started to head away from them, not towards them, its heavy guns swinging round, firing huge shells in its wake, that breached their barriers and had them diving to evade being struck.

"We've got to stop that tank!" shouted Kaidan.

"I got it!" Jack yelled back, emerging up from the fog that had completely covered her, to launch a powerful shockwave that sent the ground shearing upwards, taking the tank with it and rolling it on its side.

James, Wrex and Grunt raced forwards, Garrus and Bau working hard to cover their flanks, while Kaidan and his fellow biotics forced back the majority. The strain of the sustained biotic use, was beginning to manifest. For him it was a headache, whereas his squads were starting to look physically drained. Even the asari commandoes were struggling, all except for Aethyta, who appeared to be enjoying herself immensely.

"Kaidan," said Liara from beside him. "We cannot maintain this."

Javik looked grim next to her.

"We almost have him. Hold firm," ordered Kaidan. He was striding forward, swapping his rifle for the tranquiliser gun. James was faster than his krogan friends, and reached the tipped tank first, carefully approaching. That's when their target burst through the metal roof and barrelled into James who was flung an impressive distance, right into a group of yahg beyond.

Jack screamed in fear-fuelled rage, and immediately let loose a chaotic blast of energy. Kaidan quickly detonated it before it threw the yahg that now held tight to James' limbs – it would only have succeeded in helping to pull Vega apart - and followed it up with a wide cryo-blast that nearly over-heated his omnitool. It froze them all, including James, but at least they now had time to rescue him in one piece.

While Wrex and Grunt threw themselves at the yahg leader, knocking him off his feet and pinning him down, Garrus and Bau were sending precision shots into the frozen yahg, shattering them into gory pieces before the freezing effects wore off. Kaidan and Liara then worked to throw any other yahg away from Vega as Jack rushed forwards to protect him, her face one of absolute fury. Once she was stood over a recovering Vega, Jack was sending waves of her energy out, literally tearing apart any yahg taking a step towards them.

Kaidan was worried she'd burn herself out. "Jack!"

She couldn't hear him, her rage so great there was only the yahg threat. He had to calm her… but then Wrex and Grunt were thrown off the yahg leader who leapt back to his feet with another roar. With everyone around him caught up in their own fights, Kaidan was stuck between preventing Jack from harming herself, and fulfilling his mission. But Vega was getting to his knees already, his first response as he became cognizant again, to grab up his rifle, and Kaidan was reminded that he was looking at an N7 now. "Vega! You've gotta calm her down before she kills herself!"

With James staggering to his feet, and practically throwing Jack over his shoulder to retreat back, Kaidan was free to concentrate on the yahg as it ignored everyone else and thundered towards him. He would have to trust the others to watch his back. This would need every bit of his focus.

oOo

Under the covering fire of the various fighters, the shuttle descended inside the room. The Reaper-like shell of the Intelligence glimmered as light hit it. There wasn't enough room to land the shuttle, so Clay got as close as he could, Cortez advising where he could make adjustments to their position to get even lower.

Shepard jumped down first, followed by Knox, who instantly unclipped his rifle, uneasily looking up towards the surface like he expected yahg to come pelting down through the fog above.

"With the amount of firepower covering those blast doors, they're more likely to come from the tunnels." Shepard indicated up the short corridor that led to the gap where the thick door had once been, now reduced to pieces scattered across the ground beyond.

Knox quickly took up guard duty at the entrance to the room.

"Shepard. I am here," came Edi into the comm-piece.

"It's good to hear you, Edi. You whole?"

"It tried to destroy my primary systems, but I had embedded a back-up system in my redundant ones. As I assumed, it over-looked those, and so I was eventually able to re-gain control of myself, and then the Intelligence. Luckily, I had immediately transferred a duplicate of myself directly into the Intelligence's shell. It meant that with the dysfunction of my own body, I was not completely lost."

"Thank the stars for it. Are you inside the Intelligence now?"

"No. I was eager to return to some semblance of myself, so I am back within Normandy. I still, however, have full control of the Intelligence."

"Okay, Edi. Open the arms."

Instantly, the arms of the Intelligence opened, the glowing artifact gradually being unveiled.

Hackett stood at the bank of screens that were feeding back images from Parnack. The scene below may have looked like chaos, but it was organised. There'd been some losses, but other ships had immediately filled any void. Human, turian, quarian…it didn't matter. They worked together seamlessly, as though with one mind. The Normandy sat in the centre of the activity, the calm in the storm, and below that was Terra.

"Are we able to get any visual on Shepard?" he asked his commander.

"No, Sir. The fog's obscuring all views."

"Sir," called out his comm specialist. "Our ships are reporting a sudden surge from the yahg. They're practically throwing themselves at the rachni, no defensive manoeuvres at all."

"The area around those blast doors?" Hackett checked with his commander.

"Our aerial firepower's keeping them back; no way they'll get close. But the bulk appear to be aiming for the buildings."

"The tunnels." Hackett made a decision. "Decimate those buildings. Nothing gets in." He just had to hope it wasn't too late.

"Artifact energy reading locked in, and linked to the galaxy map," advised Edi.

Shepard had spoken to Edi privately about her plan, and Edi's part in it. In case she hadn't survived her battle with the Intelligence, Edi had set up the framework so Traynor would be able to do it aboard the Normandy in her stead. Thankfully, that wasn't required.

Taking a deep, shoring breath, Shepard let it slowly out, though her heart still pounded in her chest as she looked at the active artifact. Faith…. She raised her omnitool-.

A succession of explosions sounded not too far away, sending tremors up through the ground at her feet, and Shepard had an idea what it was.

"We've got company!" called out Knox.

Shepard rushed over, her assault rifle out. The silhouette of a yahg could be seen emerging from the tunnel straight ahead, clouds of smoke billowing out behind it. As she suspected, her father must have seen a need to destroy the buildings that led to the tunnels. Two more yahg appeared from the left tunnel, and another one from the right. That made five that she could see, and together with Knox, they loosed a barrage of gunfire into the area beyond. Unfortunately, these powerhouses were unyielding, continuing forward. Swapping to her sniper rifle, she aimed for the eyes of the nearest one. It roared as she hit her target, its body twitching, but still it came. Another shot, and another. The fourth shot brought it down – the brain too damaged for the Leviathans to use it. The other four were pressing forward despite Knox's gunfire, so Shepard unleashed an incinerating blast that sent them diving to the ground in order to roll to douse the flames. They then lurched back to use the tunnels for cover. It appeared the Leviathans were taking greater care with the remaining yahg.

There was a sound of another shuttle somewhere behind her, but Shepard didn't turn to look. Cortez hadn't felt the need to warn her, and it sounded like another Kodiak. She released a spent heat sink and had another clipped into place in the space of a couple of seconds. Something large whistled through the air at speed, and though she ducked aside, Shepard hissed as the evil-looking spear sliced through her armour and clipped her bicep, before embedding itself in the stone floor of the corridor they were in.

Behind her, boots touched down heavily, the shuttle then leaving, no doubt to alleviate the already cramped air space.

"Spears? What sort of fight is this?" grated the familiar voice.

This time Shepard chanced an unhappy glance. "What in the hell are you doing here, Massani?" He was staring at the primitive weapon sticking out of the ground.

"Doing a mate a favour by protecting that sweet backside of yours, and getting some action in too." He was right behind her, his rifle out before nudging her. "Go do what you came here for so we can get the hell outta here. Hate fighting in tunnels," he muttered.

"They're in the tunnels. We're in a corridor," gritted back Knox, doing a double-take at what appeared to be a mercenary.

"Same damn thing. I like room to move."

The four yahg made another rush forward, testing the defences without Shepard there, and Knox and Zaeed sent some concussive blasts to knock them back.

Shepard returned to the artifact, opening her omnitool. Massani's presence, while irritating, was not altogether unwelcome. She needed to get this done. "Okay, Edi. Taking Defence Field offline."

"What the hell, Shepard!?"

Joker had almost yelled into her ear, and it was joined by Cortez's protest from where he stood at the hatch of the shuttle, looking down at her. But where Shepard could send a 'no arguing' look to Steve who then bit back any further comment, Joker didn't have the benefit of a visual.

"Are you clinically insane!? This is not the time to be testing out those spore things! What if they don't work!? No wonder you didn't tell K-"

"Edi."

Without needing to wait for the order, Edi cut off Joker in mid-rant.

Above her, Cortez was running his free hand over his head in agitation as he watched her.

She would have felt bad for making them worry so, but there'd be time for that later, along with the stern words that were no doubt headed her way. Right now, she had to be the soldier, the superior officer - not the friend; not the sister.

"She cut me off! I can't believe-! She cut me off!"

"I'm sure she's doing what she feels she needs to, Joker," Altair said softly, in a bid to calm him.

"Of course she is! She never does anything without a reason, but…." Then, Joker ran out of words. "Shit." He ran a hand over his mouth. He'd stepped beyond the professional. This was a mission. She was his boss, and he was supposed to follow orders without question. It wasn't his place to second-guess her, but damn it, Shepard wasn't just his superior.

"She's Admiral Shepard," Altair said, quietly. "If she doesn't know what she's doing, what hope is there for the rest of us?"

Joker knew she was right. Didn't make sitting here, just hoping it went okay, any damn easier, though. All he could do to help was continue to send heavy fire into the droves of yahg as the Leviathans forced them to try to get to Shepard by way of the blast doors.

Not on his watch.

His first biotic surge had slammed the yahg leader to the ground, but Kaidan couldn't risk doing so again; they needed this yahg whole. Yet, relentlessly, it was up, coming for him at an incredible speed. The pistol was back in his hand, and everything Terra had taught him to improve his accuracy, flooded back to him: his stance, the way he held the gun, the way he needed to breathe, taking into consideration the weight and type of the ammunition, and the climate. He assessed it all in a heartbeat, along with the best place to aim his shots, and fired. The dart didn't land exactly where he wanted – Terra would have got it first time - but he simply adjusted and fired again as he backed up. Four shots, and though each one had hit dead-on, the yahg was still coming, and Kaidan could now feel the rush of displaced air preceding it. He dived aside, but it foresaw his move, grabbing him, then tearing off his helmet and grasping hold of his head. With the thought it was going to simply crush his skull, Kaidan decided he could at least make sure it went down soon after. Feeling that large hand tightening around his already aching head, Kaidan emptied the clip of sedative into the yahg, which was suddenly surrounded by a blue haze, and he realised someone had placed the yahg in a stasis field. Liara. Wrex and Grunt were either side of him, prising loose the yahg's hand, and Kaidan was relieved to be free.

To deal with the migraine that was quickly becoming a threat all its own, Kaidan swiftly administered his emergency medicine, the cool liquid instantly soothing.

But then Kaidan noticed the clouds of smoke coming from the remains of the buildings that had hidden the tunnel entrances, and wondered why it had been necessary. Checking, he could see the Normandy was still in place over the blast doors, so he could only assume that Edi was having trouble. Had Terra needed to go groundside after all? But it didn't explain why the tunnel entrances had been blocked off. Accessing the blast doors manually could only be done above-ground. After that, the assault on the Intelligence and the artifact it held would be carried out from the mass of ships in the space over Parnack...

It nagged at him. Something wasn't right, and he worried what that meant for Terra.

"Kaidan! He's coming out of it!" warned Liara.

Surprised at himself for getting distracted in such a precarious position, Kaidan replaced the clip of sedatives with another, coming prepared, but when the biotic stasis fizzled away, the yahg collapsed to the ground.

"Target acquired. Full retreat," Kaidan said into his comm. He couldn't get out of here quick enough. With one last glance towards the Normandy, he was impatient to get some answers.

Shepard's fingers danced over her omnitool, switching off the LPD. She had to believe the spores would protect her.

Immediately, she could feel the chill of the Leviathans descending, and for an awful moment she thought she'd made a terrible mistake… but then she realised that unlike before, it was just at the periphery of her mind.

She could feel them pushing harder, but it was like a single finger trying to shove her when she was standing firm. The fear fled as she understood her new strength. Despite their attempts, the Leviathans weren't able to reach her anymore.

"Tracking signal," said Edi.

Feeling them start to pull away, Shepard mentally held tight to that chill, reaching out her own mind to maintain the connection they now wanted to break, feeling the hatred that spewed from them.

…

A spear smacked into the wall beside Zaeed's head. "Goddamned nutters! Should have expected it with Shepard. Bloody woman attracts them."

"Guess you're right. I'm down here on orders. You chose to," retorted Knox, firing his shotgun at the spear-throwing yahg, who doubled over only briefly before straightening again, its chest bloodied but the damage only skin-deep.

"Cheeky bastard, aren't you? Can't say you're wrong, though." Zaeed was cursing again as he ducked another spear. "What the shitting hell is this? The fucking middle-ages?"

"They're basic but they get past our shields," Knox pointed out.

"Well, I'd be embarrassed to be seen throwing pointy sticks," Zaeed yelled out at the yahg.

Their response was to roar back.

Zaeed shook his head. "Bloody primitives."

…

Shepard was focused on keeping the link open.

"I have their location," announced Edi.

They'd done it. With part of her goal achieved, Shepard opened her mind, just a tiny bit. Enough to open communication, though she blocked them from speaking. They wouldn't be heard today. She faced the artifact straight on, staring down, her voice unyielding and menacing. "I know where you are, and I am coming for you," she promised them, then choosing her words carefully. "Will you continue to cower in the dark, or dare you face me?"

Then she pushed them all away completely. Dismissing them. There was no pressure, nothing. She was impenetrable, but she'd gleaned one suppressed feeling from them amidst the expected fury and contempt her words had induced: fear. Distancing herself, she fired her pistol, the artifact exploding into useless shards.

...

Knox watched two of the yahg falter. It seemed there were some expressions that were universal, and he recognised that look of confusion as they wondered how they'd gotten here. It was a look he'd seen on those children on the Citadel not so long ago.

Unfortunately, the other two had not been indoctrinated, and they continued to attack. Despite their disorientation, the first two followed the lead of the others, and Knox was once more facing four enraged yahg.

...

Shepard shouted at Knox. "Corporal! Situation?"

"We turn our backs and they'll be right on top of us, Ma'am!"

Though she'd been hoping for a better result following the artifacts destruction, she had also expected it to go like this. The yahg were a race ruled by their more primal instincts, acting first and asking questions later. Shepard went to join Knox and Massani, priming all of her grenades. She wished she didn't have to use them; that she could just walk away and leave these yahg alive, but the Leviathans' interference in these people's lives had left her with no choice, and she couldn't fail because she wasn't prepared to do what was necessary.

"Fuck this, shit," Massani was growling, his back still to her. "They're already encased in a tunnel. I say we-."

She threw the grenades, Knox quickly following suit.

"… bury them in it," Massani finished, lamely.

"Take cover!"

They swiftly moved back into the room, using the Intelligence itself as their shield. The explosions shook the ground beneath them, and most importantly, brought down the stone, including that above the corridor they'd been in. Their weapons were aimed as they watched the dusty haze settle, but nothing stirred.

"Bit slow there, Massani," Shepard stated, with a little relish if she was honest.

"I'm ignoring that."

Shepard moved to the shuttle. "We're out of here." She unceremoniously kicked at a counter that housed a terminal until it dislodged from its moorings, then shoved it beneath the Kodiak, and gestured to Knox, who climbed onto it and hoisted himself up into the shuttle. She turned to Massani. "Go."

"What, not leaving me behind this time?"

"Shut up and get in. I've no patience for your bullshit."

"Alright, Shepard. Chill out. I'm going." Once Massani was inside the shuttle, he and Knox offered their hands, and Shepard jumped, relying on them to grab her outstretched arms. They did, hauling her inside with ease. "Think I'm growing on you."

"An unwanted growth. Yep, that pretty much describes you," she flung back.

Knox laughed at that, while Massani scowled, though he was quietly impressed at being one-upped.

"More like Steve than I thought," he murmured, about to close the hatch as they rose upwards, but Shepard stopped him.

Looking down at the Intelligence as they rose, Shepard felt another small chill inside. It was the first time she'd allowed herself to really look at it, as focused as she'd been to get to the artifact. Though it was far smaller than a Reaper it brought back uncomfortable memories of the war, and those lost to it. The thought of this thing potentially being let loose on the galaxy to give birth to that sort of destruction all over again, sent a fiery anger through her. She wanted this thing rendered as useless as the cargo it had protected, broken into tiny pieces - but that was a task for the ships waiting over Parnack.

Then they were through the fog, their escort immediately there when they emerged into the busy sky. Shepard's view had changed to one of horrendous chaos. The yahg were free, their minds their own again, but all they'd awoken to was an invasion, not from the Leviathans, but the Council races. It was that fury that powered them on in their fight, just like those yahg in the tunnels. Considering their temperament, any chance of making them see the truth, any hope of a resolution to this crisis, even short-term, seemed unachievable.

Not wanting to witness any more, Shepard slammed the hatch shut and moved to the front with Clay and Cortez, relieved to be heading back to Normandy, but at the same time anxious about what was to come. ... Joker was going to have a meltdown.

Wrex and Grunt had hauled the yahg to their pick-up zone. The yahg had dogged them all the way, refusing to give up the demands for blood.

A short while ago, Kaidan had thought the Leviathans hold had been broken; many of the yahg had come to stand-stills, looking truly unsettled. Only he could still see the Normandy in place... Then the yahg had returned to the fight, and there was no time to further consider what it was all about.

His squads were really struggling now, so Kaidan relieved them of duty, standing just in front of the large shards of stone that had given them cover at the start. Aethyta was now providing the barrier.

"The rest of you go. Get to those shuttles."

They didn't argue. After a couple of minutes, Kaidan produced his own barrier.

"General. We're all in," advised Garrus. "Just waiting on you guys."

"Aethyta. Go. I'll be half a minute behind you."

"Better be, babe."

When she let her own energy dissipate, Kaidan could feel the tremendous pressure against his own increase. His respect for his squads tripled ten-fold for taking this punishment for so long. It was like holding back a frigate with its engine at max capacity, and the heat at his nape from his implant was burning. In the distance, he saw the Normandy now moving away. Terra had accomplished her goal. The Leviathans hold here would soon end.

Digging even deeper, he gave one last push of that dark energy inside him, propelling the yahg backwards, then turned and ran, fast, weaving through the rock until he emerged onto the clear ground where they'd been dropped off.

All but one shuttle had left with their charges, but as he heard the heavy thuds of a yahg closing in on him, he wasn't sure he'd make it. He was so close... Then he was impacted from behind, the momentum sending him flying off-balance and skidding across the harsh surface on his torso. He spun to see a yahg thrusting one of those spears they liked so much. Everything slowed as he tensed for the strike he couldn't avoid, only the impact never came.

Kaidan was left staring at the back of Javik's armour, the cruel barbed metal of the spear protruding through his back. He'd intercepted the strike….

Jumping to his feet to the sound of Liara's cry, Kaidan called up what little energy he had left, his head pounding again, and his implant on the verge of overheating, and threw the yahg with crushing force into the rocks, then caught the prothean before he could fall. Garrus had jumped out to help haul Javik into the shuttle, and Liara was there to brace her friend so he didn't move the spear in any way.

They were lifting away, but Kaidan was focused on Javik. The damage done by that one spear was catastrophic. Maybe there was something a doctor could do, but…. Shaking away the dour thought, Kaidan knew he needed to do whatever he could to keep Javik with them until the medics could take over. Aethyta handed over the shuttle's med-kit, and he did all that he could.

"We're now receiving a signal direct from the target, Sir."

Hackett was relieved to hear it. "Lock in and fire."

The races fleets all joined in, the firepower concentrated on one area. But Hackett wasn't watching. His interest was on the rising Normandy. Terra was one step closer. She'd gone through one dangerous situation, only to hurtle towards an even greater one. The Leviathans themselves.

"Target eliminated, Sir."

"Enlighten?"

"All a-weigh, with target. Reporting the prothean in serious condition; no fatalities. Our ships are on route to collect them."

It was done. The Intelligence was destroyed, and the yahg had been freed – what remained of them that is. Now they were left with damage limitation. Yet what he wanted to do most was go after Terra, and provide her back-up. But he had to wait. It's what she'd asked of him; said it was paramount. But the thought of her being out there alone for even a short time…. There he stood again, feeling terribly old. He couldn't lose his little girl for a second time.

And soon he'd have to tell Kaidan.

oOo