I would to thank Rafen Ventris for Beta Reading and helping me edit these past few chapters.
Chapter 9: Virmire
Setting up The Pieces
"Virmireis a lush frontier world, ideal for colonization by carbon-based species. Its vast seas and orbital position on the inner life zone have created a wide equatorial band of humid, tropical terrain. Unfortunately, the political instability of the nearby Terminus Systems has impeded colonization efforts — the high risk of raids by pirates and slavers makes it an unappealing homestead."
This is the location that the Illusive Man gave to Horus. This is the location that a Salarian STG team went missing. This is where Shepard is going to try and stop a major threat to the galaxy. This is where he will meet one that is greater. Saren is not a foolish or stupid leader. While he builds his Krogan army here, his fleet of Geth ships wait at a more remote location trying to decipher the clues about the Mu Relay. The loss of Benezia was unfortunate but not a total disaster. The fact that the Thorian lived long enough to give Shepard the Cipher was. This puts a major time crunch on his plans, a crunch that has angered Sovereign. Still his plan to lure Shepard to this world is working. He let out the garbled message sent from the Salarians. With his army of Krogan and Geth Shepard will be overwhelmed and destroyed, paving the way for the Reapers return.
On the Normandy, Shepard is going over the intelligence that the Council has given him. It is not much, just a garbled report that shows the presence of unknown hostile forces. The Council fears that the team, assigned to find Saren, is in danger. The Alliance does not have much more on the planet except that it is close to the Terminus Systems. Shaking his head at the lack of intelligence Shepard goes to bridge as the Normandy leaves the Relay, flying blind. "Joker," commands Shepard as they reenter real space, "Cut the drives and Run Silent. I don't want Saren, if he is here, to get spooked."
"Aye Aye Commander," replies Joker. "Sir I am also picking up a radio signal, it seems that we have found the Salarian team."
As the Normandy closes on the planet, they slide into a high orbit like a thief in the night. Joker activities the scanning suite and it highlights a large compound on one of the smaller islands near the equator. The island Kaidan remarks, "Check out those defense towers. They would shred the Normandy if she got close."
Shepard nods in agreement, "We can get in then we will be cut off until we take the towers down. Joker takes us in, I want Garrus, Tali, and Kaidan to join me in the mako. The rest of you are stuck on the ship until the strike team clears an LZ." The four soldiers head down to the hangar deck to get their weapons and armor ready. Joker meanwhile is slowly deorbiting the Normandy to ensure that its heat trail is not picked up. The team has all of their weapons modded with Frictionless Materials and Sledgehammer rounds. This will help achieve fire superiority and provide a heavy hit against some of the larger Geth units. Their armors have increased shield generators and omni-tools equipped for high-yield damage to synthetics. With that done they climb in the Mako and wait. Garrus has the gun, Kaidan passenger so he can work the navigation and sensor gear, Tali the rear compartment to repair critical power relays just in case of damage, and Shepard seals the drivers hatch and begins the pre-drop checklist.
As the Normandy is silently slipping into Saren's layer, the Deus ex Aquila just reentered real space. Its captain, Von Speer commands, "Pull us out to our maximum sensor range. Activate all jammers. If we are detected punishment will be grave." The battlecruiser is lost in white noise as it hides behind the planets moon. Watching the sensor screen, Speer has learned well from Hoeth. He commands absolute respect and obedience due to his rank and command presence. "Hmm…" Speer thinks to himself as a shadow descends upon him. Turning he sees and feels the Primarch standing before him. Dropping to a knee he begins, "Milord we have hid behind the moon while we figure out what is on this throne forsaken rock."
"Rise," commands Horus, "You are the master of the vessel, my sons and I are just passengers." With a grin Horus leaves the stunned captain and tours the rest of the ship. Though not the most powerful vessel in the fleet the battlecruiser is prefect for the Primarch because it will still command respect and the Crusade is not deprived the power of the Asgardia. "What do you think we should do First Captain?"
Zephyrus bows his head slightly and replies, "Once we have found the target, take the drop pods and destroy it. The corpse of this Saren will be more than enough to impress the humans of the Systems Alliance."
"While that is no doubt an easy solution. It lacks closure Zephyrus. This galaxy is different. The motivations different than the destruction of Humanity. I want to solve this mystery. That would impress the Citadel more. Also I want to convert Shepard to our side. He is a powerful figure, a Primarch if you will."
"Shall I ready my brothers and me for deployment?"
"Yes. Be sure to take your plasma weapons. The barriers of the galaxy offer no defense to them." Zephyrus walks off to find his battle-brothers and prepare for the mission. Once they are finished preparing their war gear and offering prayers to the Emperor. Horus walks in, he is carrying a roll of parchment and hot wax. "My sons here my oath, "I swear on honor before the Emperor, my father. That I won't falter in this mission. That the enemies of man will meet swift dead at my hands. That my foes will be crushed and remembered as examples of humanities right to rule the heavens." With that finished the roll is attached to his armor and they board the shuttle. Wrapped in its electronic cloak the Kodiak enters Virmire atmosphere.
The Normandy flying low against the waves pulls up fast and banks sharply, throwing the Mako into the islands perimeter. As the Normandy roars by overhead, Joker checks in over the com, "We got a clean drop Commander. The guns didn't see us."
Shepard responds, "Good job Joker. Now stay out of range and continue evasive maneuvers until I bring the AA towers down. No need to alert Saren that we're here."
Joker replies, "I know the drill. Meet you at the camp once the towers are off-line. Joker out."
Shepard guns the Mako and heads inland. As the tires kick up a spray of water, the Kodiak shuttle is following them from the air. The Mako encounters dozens of child size crabs but no Geth. Rounding a corner a trio of Geth drones activate as the Mako trips a proximity sensor. Sending the sighting report through the network, the drones move to attack. In the Mako, Kaidan was just about to remark about the planet when the Mako's shields were struck. A dozen light mass accelerator rounds and a rocket slam into its protective barrier. The crew is braced as their harness stiffen holding them in their seats.
Garrus swings the turret shouting, "Contact right."
Shepard swings the Mako in a tight turn, "Garrus light them the fuck up. Kaidan jam whatever systems you can hit. Tali any damage?"
As Kaidan taps through the various frequency his shouting is drowned out by the heavy railgun opening as Garrus sends a 155mm round screaming down range. One of the drones disintegrate as the tungsten slug hits it. A follow up burst of the coaxial machine gun fire kills another drone. Shepard hits the jets and jumps a rocket barrage, Kaidan hacks the drone and stops it from strafing the mako. Garrus dispatches the helpless target with a single round. As they move past the ambush site Geth forces throughout the island activate and move to defense positions. On the shuttle Skeiron sensitive mechanical and computer inserts have detected the data bursts from the Geth drones to a nearby frigate for air support. Alerting the rest of his battle-brothers, Horus orders the shuttle to divert to deal with this new threat, Shepard and his team will be without their unseen guardians for the time being.
The pilot spins the shuttle rocks off into the storm wreathed sky. Flying through the rough weather the craft bucks and rattles, when moving swiftly through the grey sky is the white insectoid profile of a Geth frigate. The shuttle climbs above the warship and aligns with its profile. "This takes us above its engine block, we will cripple its reactor" commands Horus over the intercom. The pilot's acknowledgment is ignored as the small craft drifts over its bone white hull. Hovering the hatch slides open revealing the jump pack equipped Astrates. They leap and descend on a trail of fire. Denting and adhering to the weak metal hull, Horus notions to Skeiron in battle-chant to pry open the hull. Skeiron's Mechadendrites spread to their combat positions. The melta equipped limb fires several times, the barriers do nothing to prevent the searing plasma from liquidizing the hull. They jump into the hole, Olympias first. They form a circle, plasma and bolt guns pointed outward melee weapons glowing with power. Horus lands in the center of them standing a head and shoulders above his heavily armed sons. "Let us find the reactor and destroy it. Time is of the essence."
They move down the length of corridor, toward a large heat signature that their helmets auspex systems have picked up. Despite their size and bulk they leave no sign of their passing. Internal monitors however detect the presences of biological intruders and send Geth platforms to intercept them. A small squad of troopers emerge from a side passage. Before they register the location of the Astrates, Plasma rounds and bolts are already being fired. The Geth do a rapid search of the hallway, register their targets and die. Their thin metal bodies do little to stop the diamantine tips from entering, the small entry is more than compensated for when the bolt explodes less than a second later. The corridor is quickly filled with melted metals and torn twisted husks. "Hmm…," Skeiron muses, "I detected a large amount of data being transferred through the robots. Analyzing, they are a form of AI, they are an ABMITOABLE INTELIGENCE! They must be purged before they evolve any further. Their existence is a direct heresy of Omnissiahs Laws."
"Calm your humors Brother and focus on the battle at hand," Commands Zephyrus as he takes point and they move down the corridor. Several more squads of geth are routed to stop them, they fail. Their pseudo-plasma weapons do little but scorch the outer ceramite covering of their armor. The geth however are melted by plasma, blown apart by holy bolter, purged with fire, and cleaved with blade as the Second Legion moves through the ship like an unstoppable storm. The Geth soon realize that normal troopers and rocket gunners are insufficient and vector in a number of destroyers and primes. All of those heavy combat platforms gather to protect the engine room.
The Geth activate kinetic barriers in front of the various doors as obstacles, they die after a few bolter strikes. The doors themselves part before the power weapons that Zephyrus and Horus wield. Several Geth Destroyers move out from cover and open fire. The rockets connect with Horus's tactical dreadnaught armor and does nothing. The farthest geth is melted as a plasma bolt hits its torso. The two closest to the Primarch are sliced apart in two cobra quick lunges. More destroyers move to engage. Olympias with without thought snaps off a quick burst of bolter fire, killing two geth. Septentrio summons bolts of flame and fills the passage with fire. The geth are wiped out with a wall eldritch flame. Skeiron and Notus move to open the door. Skeiron's mechadendrites grasp the two sections and pulls. As the metal twists and groans Notus sticks his bolt pistol in the widening gap and fires the whole clip. The primes inside are peppered with shrapnel, their shields hold and they are untouched by the storm.
Opening it further Notus and Skeiron roll a pair of frag grenades in the room. The closest prime has its lower torso shredded, it is now a stump bleeding hydraulics and coolant fluid. The Geth reply with a withering barrage of rockets and grenades. Several deploy combat drones. They are halted by a powerful Force Dome projected by Septentrio. Olympias pulls his storm shield close to his chest, blade braced at his side and charges the weakened metal with a cry, "FOR THE EMPEROR! FOR THE WARMASTER!" With a resounding clang he breaks the partially torn door and runs into the center of the multi-tiered room. He pushes the skewered prime off his power sword and adopts a defensive crouch. The Geth quickly react to this target and open fire. Sheets of blue-white railgun rounds hit the protective barrier of the shield and ping off his armor. Seeing that bullets aren't working they shift to rockets. As the rest of the squad rushes in, Olympias was rocked back several feet as a dozen missiles slam into him. Zephyrus fires off a long string of plasma rounds, covering his brother and melting a pair of primes. As the rest of the command cadre opens fire and forces the primes to take cover, Horus enters the fray. His wrist mounted storm-bolter announces his presences as three primes are shredded. His blade, one like the sword that Zephyrus wields, blazes with blue power. It cuts through the heavy armor of the primes with little effort. He weaves and dodges through the return fire and missiles. What few rounds hit him are deflected by his powerful terminator armor. It takes the space marines only seconds to clear the compartment. As the flames of Skeiron's flamer dies away, Olympias hands him the melta bombs to plant. Notus and Septentrio guard the corridor as their tech-marine rigs the frigate to explode. With their task complete the Astrates move back to their breach point. As the shuttle peels off and heads back to shadow Shepard, the frigate erupts in gouts of white flame as its reactor explodes. The shockwave buffets the tiny craft as it enters a diving spiral to avoid the rapidly expanding fireball.
The approaching frigate was undetected by the Mako. Joker however was contemplating launching an attack run as both vehicles sensors registers the explosions. "Damn," remarks Kaidan as the fireball forms like a second sun, "I wonder who did that? They really saved us big time."
Shepard is wondering them same thing but those thoughts are quickly washed away as the Mako encounters a large shield wall and a pair of walkers defending it. Rapidly backing out of the kill zone the shields were knocked down to half strength. Garrus compensating for the bucking of the impact hits, rakes the barrier wall tearing several large chunks from it. As several smaller geth die from the return fire, the Armatures launch their heavy pulse rounds. Shepard jumps one but the other wipes out their remaining shields. As he leaves the line of fire Garrus kills one of walkers with precision shooting. Tali in the rear passenger seat has been fixing and bypassing the damaged power relays has repaired the barrier generators. A hum pervades the compartment as the barriers snap into place. Kaidan readies several EWAR programs for broadcast. Shepard plunges back into the cauldron.
As the Mako is trying to clear the first of three fire bases. The Astrates hit one of the air defense towers. After five minutes they leave as the Mako moves to the site of dead geth and plasma scorched walls. "What do you think happened here?" asks Kaidan. The rest of the squad fans out. Kaidan covers the lower part that is blocked by the gate on the right side. Tali scanning the geth takes other as the other side of the gate, covering the rear. Garrus and Shepard ascend the stairs and are greeted with another scene of destruction. Both soldiers ignore it as they move down the walkway. Garrus draws his sniper and takes an overwatch position as Shepard moves to disable the gate and the tower's AA gun.
Tali's omni-tool beeps, it is done analyzing the wound patterns on the geth platforms. Turning to Kaidan she starts, "You wanted to know what happened to these Geth. The scans show that they have been hit with some kind of high intensity plasma. No one has been able to weaponize plasma, it is not possible."
"Another mystery to solve, maybe they are working to stop Saren like us or a new weapon used by the STG," Kaidan wonders aloud. Shepard is done hacking the console, the gate mechanism whirls as the heavy steel and ceramic barrier recedes. Tali shares her findings with Shepard and Garrus as they remount the Mako. As the team pushes forward more Geth outposts are found. They are destroyed in turn with a combination of machine gun and cannon fire. Approaching the next AA tower several Geth destroyers fire a wave of rockets at the light tank.
The team is rattled as Shepard jumps the rockets. As the Mako slams back down on its heavy tires, Garrus opens fire. Two destroyers are vaporized as the heavy shells hit them. The others move behind cover as basic combat platforms emerge and pepper the Mako's shield with fire. Garrus response with short accurate bursts of machine gun fire. The heavy rounds overloaded and break through their weak shields. Their thin armor was torn and twisted as the rest of the kinetic energy was spent pushing through them. Driving closer Garrus keeps up a steady barrage of suppressive fire, as the destroyers hunker down and fire pot shots. Shepard, Kaidan, and Tali rush to the base of the stairs under the guns of the Mako. As they begin their assault, their progress is being watched and graded above them.
As they get closer to the top, Shepard signals Kaidan to prep an overload and Tali to load a carnage round. A destroyer spots the team and opens fire, as their shields strain under the onslaught Kaidan fries its circuits with overload and Tali shreds it with carnage. Shepard using adrenaline rush clears the top of the stairs and throws a grenade. A pair of geth leave cover to avoid and small death dealing disk and are killed by Garrus. The last destroyers is damaged by the resulting wave of fire and metal and is finished off by a burst of rifle fire by Shepard. He moves to deactivate the AA tower. With that done he radios Joker to tell him to bring the Normandy down by the Salarian camp and wait for the RV. Remounting the Mako they continue into the heart of the island.
Both Saren and Horus watch this unfold. Saren has several Geth ships offload their combat platforms and start to enter an orbital blockage, they are to close for an effective orbital strike. With his ranks bolstered he feels comfortable that his Geth and Krogan can wipe out Shepard once and for all. Horus has his battlecruiser move closer to the planet and begin running to plan for support operations including Exterminatus if necessary. The shuttle lands above the Salarian camp and the Astrates and their Primarch disembark to listen in on what the xenos have discovered on this rock.