Sorry this one took a little longer to post but I had started a different event and decided against it. Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing and reading. I am really having a blast writing this. Its a nice escape and having others enjoy it makes it all the better. Please continue to read and review, and if you have anything you would like to see in the coming chapters or if there was a mission I skipped that you want to see, pm me and let me know. Now without further ado, chapter 32...hey that rhymed! Enjoy!
Claire stood in front of the Mako rubbing her chin. The mission on the supply ship was not sitting well with her. There was no response from the crew and the fact that they stumbled across the connection to Cerberus on Noveria. The thought of fighting more feral rachni or Cerberus commandos was not exactly appealing.
"Claire, who do you want on the boarding party?" Mallory asked stepping to her sister's side.
"All Alliance team. You, me, Kaidan, and Ashley. Have Luke, Garrus, and Tali on standby on the Normandy, but had Wrex and Liara secure the airlock after we board. I want everyone to stay close. While we are on board we hold formation, move fast, and get out." Claire said.
Mallory nodded and sent the assignments from her omni-tool to the rest of the crew before starting back toward the elevator.
"Mal, am I doing right here?" Claire asked. Mallory stopped and looked back over at her sister. What was Claire thinking? Of course she was doing the right thing.
"What do you mean?" Mallory said. "Cerberus is a threat and so are the rachni. We have an obligation to take them out."
"I mean am I doing the right thing about going after Cerberus while Saren is still out there?" Claire said making her way over to the armory.
"We have nothing to go on. I'm not just saying this as your sister. I'm saying this as part of your squad. Cerberus cannot be allowed to exist. They are terrorists." Claire started to strap on her armor and place her weapons in their spots. She agreed with her sister but Saren was the greater threat. Shouldn't they be looking for more leads to follow?
"I want you to get in contact with Anderson and see if he can use Udina's connections with the other races. See if we can get any information about Saren from the other intelligence organizations." Mallory nodded as she strapped on her shoulder plate.
"I will, but Claire, put Saren aside for now. Focus on the mission in front of us. We need you sharp."
Claire nodded and charged her shields. She had to focus. Feral rachni were no picnic and Cerberus commandos were not your average thug. Both had a ferocity in their combat technique that provided a challenge for everyone. The rachni attacked with a disorganized ruthlessness that bordered on the suicidal. Commandos on the other hand were talented soldiers that used tactics matched with high grade weaponry. She had to be ready for either opponent.
000
There had been nearly no resistance on their way through the ship. It was almost eerie how empty the freighter was, but there was a nagging feeling at the back of her neck that they were being watched…hunted. The Alliance soldiers moved as they had in their training, quiet and vigilant.
"Commander, these crates look like they were set up to house something living. Like an attack dog or something." Kaidan said kneeling to examine one of the empty crates.
"They couldn't have been storing rachni in these things. They'd get loose." Mallory said looking around.
"They probably did." Ashley said grimly. Claire waved everyone on. The cargo hold was completely empty as they approached the living quarters and bridge. Inside one of the rooms, they found a data module that was still salvageable. Kaidan immediately started at data mine to try and find whatever he could, not only about the ship they were on but anything that could help them destroy Cerberus. He found a list of projects and a roster for the Cerberus team based on that ship. He also found a journal of the commanding officer for the project.
The recording started up. "This is Major Elena Flores. The barracks and munitions have been stored and loaded. We will have room for two full platoons of Cerberus commandos." Claire crossed her arms as Kaidan looked back at her.
"If there were two platoons of commandos here, where are they now?" Claire asked. Everyone looked around slowly, but Mallory turned to Kaidan.
"Play the next entry." Kaidan nodded.
"We received the firsts units similar to the ones being developed on Noveria. These should be more controllable. Something about them being developed in proximity to the master control unit. We have detected a group of pirates setting up camp in a nearby system. I think we will try deploying them there first."
No one spoke. These monsters unleashed rachni on pirates. True they were pirates as probably deserved to be shut down, but no one deserved to have rachni unleashed on them. Kaidan wet his lips and played the last entry.
"They escaped containment, clever bastards. We treated them like animals we should have treated them like POW's. They're spreading, boarding the supply ships and sending them to random destinations. They'll be all over the cluster in a week. General, if you recover this message my advice is screw the rachni, they're too smart. Use one of the other projects. This is Flores signing off for the final time." As the speaker recorded the last few works, rachni screams could be head in the journal as pounding against the metal door got louder. Claire turned the journal off and looked over at the others.
"If rachni got on supply ships and have been sending themselves to random destinations, we need to find them and kill them." Ashley said.
"I agreed. These are feral rachni, they will kill anything and anyone that gets in their way. They have to be found and destroyed. As for this ship, I don't think all the rachni are gone." Claire said looking around. Mallory nodded. She had had the same feeling as her sister did on their way in. There was likely an ambush of rachni waiting for them in the cargo bay. Though she would have had an ambush waiting in at the door to the cargo bay forcing an enemy straight into their line of fire, the rachni were more comfortable fighting the open because of their size and tentacles.
"Wrex, Liara, head back to the ship and bring everyone else into the ajoining airlock and kill anything that is not human." Claire said softly into the radio.
"I don't understand Shepard. What is going on?"
"We're about to destroy this ship." Claire said. Mallory looked at her sister in awe.
"Kaidan, download everything from this console onto an OSD for Alliance command. Ashley, Mallory, keep an eye on our six." Claire knelt in front of what looked like a chest covered by a blood stained sheet. As she pulled the fabric back, it revealed a large bomb that was already set. All they had to do was push the button and the timer would start counting down.
"Commander, once we push that button we are going to be hard pressed to make it back to the Normandy before it goes off." Kaidan said turning to look over at Claire.
Claire sighed. She knew that it would be a footrace against time to get off the doomed vessel, but there was no other way to confirm that all Cerberus and rachni forces were taken out.
"I don't care what happens. Everyone stay together and move fast. We don't stop for anything an less you're so badly wounded that you can't walk. 70 seconds to get back to the Normandy and break away. Hear that Joker. Be ready." Claire said pressing her forefinger and middle finger to her ear.
"Copy commander. Ready for immediate break away on your command."
"Claire, its Luke. You better hurry, I think our host knows what you're doing. The rest of us are in the airlock and we are hearing a lot of movement in the cargo bay. You sure you don't want some cover fire?"
"No, we are just sprinting through." Claire responded.
"Okay maze runner, go for it." Luke's response came. Claire smiled and tooka breath.
"Weapons out and safeties off. Load shredder rounds. Make for the Normandy in three…two…one…GO!" Claire slapped the button she hesitated to run only for a second before taking off after the rest of the squad.
She had been right. A room wide ambush of rachni as they launched venom at them. Some of the beasts even tried to charge them but they were either quickly avoided or gunned down.
"Keep moving!" Claire shouted. "60 seconds!"
"Petal down!" Mallory yelled as she shot a rachni soldier that stepped in their path. All four marines kicked it into a dead sprint and sling shot around the corner of the airlock.
"Liara! Wrex! Doors!" Luke shouted. Liara opened the doors to the Cerberus vessel revealing Wrex opening the doors to the Normandy. "Garrus, Tali, cover and fall back!" Luke shouted. The moment Claire and her team were behind them, Garrrus, Tali and Luke all opened fire on the doorway. They slowly backed away laying down a wall of fire that the rachni just could not get through.
"Liara seal the doors. Every one onto the Normandy." Claire shouted. The moment the doors of the Normandy airlock closed, Claire shouted into the radio again. "We're on Joker. Gun it!"
"Aye aye commander." Joker replied. The team lurched as the Normandy took off like a shot leaving the exploding vessel in its wake.
"You know, it's fun being your brother." Luke said patting Claire on the shoulder.
"Why is that?" Claire asked.
"I get to blow up some of the nicest places." The crew laughed in unison. Even Mallory found her brother's joke funny. Although she was probably laughing simply because Kaidan was laughing.
Ashley slumped against the wall and slip down. "Ash?" Mallory asked looking over at the chief. Luke immediately jumped to his girlfriend's side.
"I'm alright…just caught some acid on our way back. Not a big deal." Ashley said glancing at her shoulder.
"I don't care if you got hit with one drop or a gallon, you're going to Dr. Chawkwas to get checked out." Luke said hoisting her up. Liara quickly stepped to Ashley's side to try and lend aid.
"Thanks Liara, but I got her." Luke said as Ashley winced as her arms moved.
As Luke led Ashley down the hall toward the elevator, Claire made her way into the cockpit to sit with Joker for a bit.
"Hey Commander, What's up?" Joker said as Claire leaned back in the copilot's chair.
"You know, the usual. Fighting the forces of evil to save the galaxy." Claire said closing her eyes for a moment.
"Wow, way to go making this sound like a video game." Joker responded.
"I just don't know what the hell I'm doing out here. Most of this stuff I'mjust making up as I go and hoping it works."
Joker nodded. "Flying by the seat of our pants huh? As long as they don't rip and no one craps them I think we'll be okay." Claire laughed softly and looked over at her friend.
"Seriously Joker, what do you think? You think we're doing some good?"
Joker set the controls to auto pilot and turned to face Claire. He leaned forward setting his chin in his palm as he stroked his beard. He paused for a long few seconds trying to look like he was considering his words before he spoke. "I think we're doing good." He nodded and turned back to the controls.
Claire smiled and crossed her arms. "Beyond reassuring, thank you." She said sarcastically.
"That's what I'm here for. Stylish beards, making children laugh, and pep talks." Joker responded punching a few commands into the console. "So were to next commander."
Claire sighed and leaned forward. "I'll have Kaidan send you the destinations of the supply ships the rachni sent out and we'll track them down. After that, we'll see."
"Aye aye commander." Joker said making a comedic salute as Claire got up. She smiled and gently patted her pilot on the shoulder. "One more thing, commander."
"Yeah. What is it?"
"You should probably shower, I think you got rachni blood in your hair." Claire's eyes narrowed as she ran her fingers through her hair. Sure enough, they came away with a greenish ooze that made her gag.
"Oh geez, yuck!" She exclaimed as she wiped her hand on her armor.
"You're welcome." Joker added as his friend and commander made her way down the hall toward the lower deck.