Shepard slammed his foot on the brake, turning quickly to avoid yet another pool of lava. A boyish grin teased at his lips. He fucking loved the Mako.
His team let out a unified groan in back, Garrus barking out some untranslated turian word from the gunbay – no doubt a choice turian curse.
"Shepard." The krogan grunted out from beside him, having scored shotgun simply by being too large to fit in with the others.
"Wrex." He swerved to avoid an overlook, then gunned it towards a few geth. They made a satisfying crunch.
"I have lived for over a thousand years. I have fought alongside great krogan clans and skilled asari commandos." Wrex growled, red eyes falling on Shepard, assessing the human. "None of those warriors have tried so hard to kill me while I'm still in their vehicle."
Shepard grinned. "Don't worry. I'm a professional." More groans from the back answered him.
He barreled the vehicle forward into a geth armature. The machine crumpled, spinning back into a river of molten lava. The commander let out a whoop, then drove them around a bend. Three turrets greeted them.
"Only a fool punches a nathak in the mouth. We should sneak around and pull its tail." Wrex grumbled beside him.
What the hell is a nathak? Shepard shook his head but did as the krogan suggested, eyeing the large encampment behind the turrets. He spotted an offshoot of the road and quickly turned into it, swearing as another turret greeted them. "Garrus, a little help?" He called up, and the turian obliged by firing the Mako's rocket. The turret exploded. A small smile played on the commander's lips. "Nice."
The team shot through the encampment, picking off the geth without much consequence. When they finally reached a point where they couldn't continue on in the Mako, Shepard stepped out of the vehicle casually. He readied his weapon, checking their surroundings. "Clear." He called, watching as his squad stumbled out. Each of them looked disgruntled, Tali wrapping her arms around herself. Williams leaned weightily against the Mako's hull.
"Thank you God." She murmured, helmeted head tilted up towards the sky. Alenko was doubled over nearby, hands on his knees.
Shepard rolled his eyes at the lot of them. "Come on, let's move out. It shouldn't be much further to the mine."
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"Can you hear me out there? I'm trapped! I need help!" A suspended asari called out to the team as they approached. No shit, Sherlock. Shepard looked over the barrier surrounding her and contemplated what the hell they were going to do next.
"Dr. T'Soni?" He questioned, still examining the edges of the barrier.
"Yes. Listen, I need you to get me out. There's a control room that should deactivate the barrier somewhere behind me. But you need to get to it. This is a Prothean security device, I can't move."
"I can see that." Shepard murmured, glancing behind them. There was stairs leading lower. Maybe they could find a way around? "Are you safe from the geth in there?" The asari nodded, opening her mouth again to speak. "We'll be right back. Hang tight." He couldn't resist adding with a smirk as he cut her off. The commander motioned to his squad to move out.
A few more geth attempted an ambush and were rewarded with dual shotgun blasts from Tali and Williams.
"Fucking flashlight heads…" Williams murmured. Tali nodded, clearly agreeing with the assessment.
Shepard approached a mass of abandoned mining equipment. He eyed the largest piece suspiciously. It looked like a gun. "What is this?" He called out, questioning anyone willing to answer.
"A mining laser, I think." Lieutenant Alenko came up beside him, poking over the large instrument. "Looks intact."
Shepard glanced at the rock wall beneath where the asari was trapped. "It probably is pretty efficient at digging tunnels, right?"
"Yeah, I guess, why…?" Alenko followed Shepard's gaze. "Commander, I don't know if that's such a good idea." The man added quickly as he put two and two together. "Who knows how to aim this thing, and I doubt these mines are that stable. We could cause a collapse and…" The lieutenant trailed off again, noting his commander's distinct lack of interest in his cautious objections.
"Can you calibrate it so we don't carve a hole through the Doctor's little resting room?" Shepard asked. Alenko shook his head.
"I can." Tali hurried over to them eagerly, glancing over the machine. "My people use similar models to mine resources for the Flotilla. It shouldn't be hard." She announced confidently, three-fingered hands getting to work on the laser's computer. It screeched slightly as it repositioned itself towards their target. "Ready?"
Shepard nodded, motioning for everyone to stand back. "Blast it."
Tali fired the laser, and it carved easily through the rock wall into the open room on the other side. Shepard grinned. The sheer number of explosions he was enacting today was putting him in a great mood. "Good work, Tali. Let's go save us a damsel." He said happily. Williams snorted in disgust.
"How did you get in here? I thought there was no way past the barrier!" The asari said in disbelief as the stepped off the lift and into her prison.
Funny, because you sent us looking for one. "Mining laser." He said simply. He glanced at a nearby console and walked over to deactivate her static binds. He paused. "Before I let you out, I need to know I can trust you."
"What? Why?!" The asari cried out.
"Your mother is working with Saren. He's a traitor to the council, and her association makes her a threat." Shepard said bluntly, eyeing the asari's face for any hint that she knew.
"What?! She… she wouldn't…" Her voice was broken, and she shook her head. "I am not my mother. I don't know why Benezia would have joined Saren. I want nothing to do with that turian bastard!"
"If she was with Saren, I don't think the geth would be trying to kill her, Commander." Alenko murmured at his side. Shepard nodded, then pressed a few keys to release the asari. She hit the ground with a rather unladylike umph. Alenko moved forward to help her up, and Shepard caught a glimpse of Williams rolling her eyes.
"Let's get moving before more geth show up." Shepard took a few steps back towards the elevator that had brought them to Dr. T'Soni's chamber. "Will this take us topside?" He asked.
"Yes. The Protheans built the rest of this complex around this main column. This should open up into the top cham –" She paused as an ominous rumble shook the hall around them.
Shit. "What the hell was that?" Williams spat out, voicing his thoughts.
"These ruins are not stable. The mining trigger must have triggered a seismic event." The asari's eyes were wide as she spoke. "We have to get out of here!" Thank you, Captain Obvious.
"Joker! Get the Normandy airborne and locked on to my position. Now!" He commanded with a hand lifted to his ear. He keyed the elevator to move. This thing had better move faster than those goddamn Citadel elevators.
"Aye, aye, Commander. Secure and aweigh. ETA eight minutes." Joker's voice sounded over his comm in a quick reply. Shepard readied his pistol. The others mirrored his action as they approached the surface.
"Nothing's ever easy with you, is it, Shepard?" Garrus drawled beside him as they all saw the geth welcoming party waiting for them on the surface. The krogan leading the machines brandished his shotgun, grinning wildly.
"Surrender, or don't. That would be more fun." The brute growled.
"Kill this bastard. We're getting out of here." Shepard snarled back, Wrex snorting in approval beside him. They opened fire.
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"So, now that that's done…" Garrus muttered, hanging back as the others exited the debriefing room. "How does it feel, knowing how remarkably strong-willed you are?" His mandibles flared in a devious smile.
Shepard barked out a laugh, shaking his head. He had gotten to know the turian a little better on their trip out to Therum. The man was a smart-ass, if a little naïve at times, and Shepard had decided he enjoyed his company. "Don't worry, Garrus. I won't hold it against you lesser minded beings."
Garrus rolled his eyes. "Williams was about to pounce on the good doctor. You're going to have your hands full with those two." He mused.
"Yeah, I'll figure it out." Shepard murmured non-committedly. "You want to show Liara around after the doc is done with her? Tali's busy down in engineering, and I'm not sure I like how Wrex is looking at her…" The krogan had taken an instant liking to the young asari.
"Oh, sure." Suddenly, the turian's talons rose to his plated forehead "Wait- whoa, I'm afraid I'm feeling a bit lightheaded. All of the mental exhaustion, you know. I'd better go lie down."
"Ass." Shepard grumbled, but a smile teased at his lips. The turian threw a wave over his shoulder as he walked out the door. The commander moved to follow him out, but Joker stopped him in his tracks as the pilot's voice came over the intercom.
"Council's on the line, Commander. Want me to patch them through?"
Shepard sighed. "Do it." He turned to face the holographic images of the three councilors, his hands grasping each other behind his back.
"We've received your report, Commander. I understand Dr. T'Soni is on the Normandy?" Shepard nodded in response to the asari councilor's question.
"I assume you're taking all necessary security precautions?" The turian councilor looked at him doubtfully. Shepard nodded again, fighting to keep his face impassive. These assholes are you superiors now. Keep it cool.
"Dr. T'Soni claims she didn't know of her mother's plans. I am inclined to believe her. The geth were attacking her when we arrived, only the barriers she was trapped behind kept them back." The commander explained.
The councilors seemed to accept his word for this, for which he was grateful.
"Then the mission was a success. Good work, Shepard." The asari councilor praised, but the turian councilor was glowering at him.
"Apart from the destruction of a major Prothean ruin. Was that really necessary, Shepard?" The turian seethed. Shepard clenched his fist. He eyed the disconnect button.
"I didn't have time to consider the ruins, councilor." He growled. "The geth were crawling all over them. We barely made it out as it was."
"Of course, commander. The mission must always take priority." The salarian councilor said, sounding more patronizing than Shepard appreciated.
"Good luck, Commander. Remember, we're all counting on you." As if I'd forget.
"Fucking uppity assholes…" He growled out as soon as their holograms dissipated. He stalked grumpily out of the debriefing room and down the stairs. He'd check on Joker later, right now he needed to punch something. He stopped briefly in his cabin to change into some workout clothes – a standard issue close-fitting grey t-shirt and sweats – before climbing into the elevator to the Normandy's hangar.
He stepped out of the elevator into the hangar. Wrex was looking over his armor, offering the commander a short nod before going back to work. Garrus was half-under the Mako, no doubt extracting pieces of the geth Shepard had ran over. Williams met his gaze briefly, eyes drifting over his form, before turning back to her station. He ignored her and made straight for the punching bag erected in the far corner of the room. He keyed his omni-tool to start up some heavy music over his own comm before throwing himself at the bag.
His arms throbbed when he was done. He flexed sore fingers, rubbing his knuckles idly as he turned away from the bag. He felt the tension ease out of him, replaced with exhaustion. And hunger. He was hungry. Looking up from his hands, his eyes met Williams'. How long had she been watching him? He looked over her cautiously, trying to find any hint of aggression. Her hair was down, he noted. That made sense, it was close to lights out and she wasn't guarding red eye this cycle. But looking over her long, dark hair, he realized she looked… different.
"Chief." He said simply in greeting, grabbing the towel and water he'd brought down with him. He ran the rag over his face, relishing the feeling.
Her eyes widened, as if just then realizing she had been staring. "Commander." She clipped back, starting to turn back again. Might as well get this over with.
"Got a minute to talk?" He walked towards her.
"I should really get back to work, sir. These guns – "
"It'll just take a minute. I need to know if you can work with the aliens on our team." He said bluntly, not letting her finish her excuse. Her eyes hardened. "You did a good job down there, and your record is spotless. But I can't have a squad that doesn't trust one another." He watched her set her stance defiantly, turning towards him.
"I can work with them, sir. That doesn't mean I have to trust them. I know you're a Spectre now, and things are different on the Normandy... but they're not even Alliance." She shook her head. "I don't think they should have access to all of the ship. They could get a hold of too much information."
"What's your deal, Williams?" Shepard growled, exasperated. He leaned against her work station. "I never figured you for a racist."
"It's not racism!" She spat, her voice growing heated. "I just know that when push comes to shove, they're not going to give two shits that we're allies and look after themselves. Humanity needs to do the same."
"That's a little cynical. Humanity can't advance alone." Shepard said angrily, refraining from rolling his eyes at her. "Our allies only strengthen us as a whole. They're people too, Williams." She looked unconvinced. "You've had to have worked with other species before. Where does this all come from?"
"I haven't, actually." She grumbled, her brown eyes leaving his. She leaned over to fiddle with one of the weapons deconstructed on her worktable. Her thick hair concealed most of her face, making her expression unreadable.
"What? You were groundside?" Her head nodded, but she didn't look up. "How did you never get a shipboard assignment before now? Your scores were exemplary." He looked at her in astonishment. He had seen her in action – the soldier knew how to use a gun. That she'd been stuck on the ground instead of serving with the fleet baffled him.
"You mean you don't know?" She looked at him, the heat in her voice gone. Her face was softer. She shook her head disbelievingly, her brown eyes searching his for something. He met her gaze, curious. Don't know what? "I'm a military brat. My father, grandfather, great-grandmother – all military." She continued after a moment, obviously not planning on enlightening him "My family has defended the Alliance since it was founded. I guess we just tend to think of Earth's interests as our own."
"I can understand that, I guess. But I don't see how Earth's best interests can't at least strive to coincide with the rest of the galaxy's." She gave a shrug, obviously not wishing to argue about it further. "So, military family. Anyone I would know?" He asked, fishing for further explanation. He could tell by her dodge there was more. She frowned.
"Couldn't say, Commander." She said a little too quickly.
He gave her a calculating look. Brown eyes met his in challenge. She so damn stubborn. "Alright then." He grumbled, taking a drink of water. "So, this is your first shipboard assignment?" He backtracked, still intrigued by this fact.
"Yep. I had a short rotation on a space station for ZG certification, but other than that I've been groundside in surface garrisons." She explained, looking grateful for the change of topic.
"That's too bad. One of the reasons I joined up in the first place was to see space. It's one of the big perks of being a marine." He commented casually. She glanced at him, surprised by him sharing something personal.
"Yeah. I still remember my first field exercise on Titan. When we hit mud, that's when it hit me: I'm the first person who's stood here." She grinned, reminiscing. Shepard looked at her quizzically as she let out an amused snort. "Then my drill instructor kicked me in the ass. I went face first into the muck. He spent the next five minutes chewing me out for goldbricking."
Shepard laughed, brows raised in surprise. "Goldbricking? Don't tell me you had Gunny Ellison." His grin was broad and infectious.
"Oh, Lord." Williams laughed. "You went to the Macapã boot camp too?"
"Hell, yeah." Shepard grinned, looking to the ceiling in remembrance as he ran he slicked back still sweat-damp hair. "That bastard reamed me out every day for something. I'm still trying to figure out what half the things he said meant. I mean, what the hell is an inveigler?"
The woman snorted, leaning back against the table beside him. "My favorite was pusillanimous. That guy was a walking thesaurus." She laughed again. "It's good to know even you N7's started out getting your asses handed to you." He glanced back at her, a smile spread across her face. She looked so different like this, softer. For the first time he had to agree with Joker. She was a beautiful woman.
Shepard smiled. "Believe me, I'm surprised I made it past basic with the shit I pulled." He pushed himself up from the table, taking note of the sweat stains decorating his armpits. He returned to their original discussion. "Alright, I can see where you're coming from with this stuff." He sighed, and she nodded. "Just make an effort to get to know them, okay? I think once you do, you'll see they're not so different. This is a multilateral mission, you're going to have to work with them, like it or not."
"It won't be a problem, Commander." She answered seriously. "You say 'jump', I say 'how high'. You ask me to kiss a turian, I'll ask which cheek."
Shepard smirked. "I'll let Garrus know you're interested." He walked back towards the elevator, the woman letting out a groan behind him.