Chapter 17: The Darkness Revealed

Shepard rolled his neck as he walked up towards the retreating mercs, most of which had their backs to him and was starting to run. Zaeed was right; this was all too easy for his liking. Shelving the thought, he stopped in his tracks as the pirates ran past him and tore into any merc unfortunate enough to straggle behind. The rest of the Blue Suns had run out of the club, the main door sealing behind them. He saw Anto run up to a control panel to the side of the massive door and punched a few keys. There was a hiss and whir of unseen machinations, effectively locking the door. Several seconds of silence passed, with only the ragged breathing of those around him breaking the quiet, before the cheering started. They had retaken the upper Afterlife. They had won.

They'd won alright, but the cost was too high, Shepard thought as he looked down at his feet to see the myriad of corpses, both pirate and mercenary, littering the ground. He saw some of the pirates begin rummaging through the dead, no doubt to identify survivors and deceased allies and to loot trophies from the dead suns or finish off those barely alive. That last part didn't sit right with him, but this was the harsh reality of war.

Men were cheering, singing, just happy to be alive and see their friends alive. More than a dozen pirates had crowded around Shepard, giving him a pat on the back or clamping a hand on his shoulder, each bringing words of praise for him.

"Fucking great job, Commander!"

"Saved my hide, you did!"

"Guy's a regular killing machine!"

"I've never seen anybody take someone out with a discarded helmet 'til you came along, sir!"

Shepard brushed off the commendations humbly. The pirates all laughed heartily, eventually letting him off and mingled with their comrades. He walked up to where the giant door had sealed shut, fists clenched and weighing his options. The cheers were starting to annoy him; this victory was a small one at best. Out there, Omega was still in chaos. Battles were still being fought, men and women were still dying, and here he stood, cut off from all of that. He wanted to urge the pirates to take the fight to the Suns outside, to take back the district. But these men were wounded and tired. They were thugs, not soldiers. If he did convince them, and odds are he wouldn't, he'd only lead them to their deaths.

He took a sharp breath and flipped open his comm, trying to reach the Normandy again, but to no avail. The signal was still being blocked, and Shepard tried not to let his mind wander into the grim implications. He wanted to run out there, to run back to the Normandy, but he knew better. That's what a commander does, to keep faith. His people were strong, formidable and reliable. He had to have faith in his crew, his team, his love. Tali was strong, maybe even stronger than him when it came right down to it. Right now, the ones who needed him the most were his people here. He shifted his frequencies and hailed Miranda. "Shepard here, we just cleared out the upper level, but the pirates are unwilling to pursue past the door." He began, "How are you holding up down there?"

"Commander, the Suns down here are also slowly withdrawing their forces into a fighting retreat." She replied, gunfire in the background. "It could be a feint, but we'll be able to push them back in a matter of minutes."

Jacob's voice was strained, sounding like he was heaving something heavy. "Minutes? More like moments. We've barely even taken it to them and they're already high-tailing it out of here!"

Shepard furrowed his brow at the news. "Keep your guards up, something isn't right here. Shepard, out." He changed the frequency and hailed Thane. Still, the assassin did not pick up. "Damn it, Thane…" he said as he started walking back into the Afterlife, still trying to contact him.

The room was dark, save for the light that hung from the ceiling, flickering on and off every now and then. There were two people in that room, and only one of them would leave it come the time when this would be over.

Thane's entire body was shaking as he stood in front of the naked batarian strapped down on the operating table, a gag muffling his cries and an IV line in his arm. He approached the batarian, barely able to contain the shiver down his spine. It wasn't fear, nor was it anger, but excitement that wracked him from head to toe.

The batarian struggled against his restraints, but struggle as much as he did, there would be no escape, no respite, no reprieve. There was something dripping on him, but he couldn't see what it was with the ceiling covered in darkness where the flickering light could not penetrate it, and his head bound securely against the table.

Thane walked over to a small table by the batarian's bedside, lined with razor implements and tools of various shapes and sizes. He picked up each instrument, one at a time, inspecting it thoroughly and making sure to show it in the batarian's field of vision. He settled with a small knife, looming over the bound batarian. "If you are holding out hope for help to arrive, well…" he pressed a button on his omnitool, and a blinding white light illuminated the room. "So did they."

The batarian was momentarily blinded by the white light, but when his vision returned, he wished it hadn't. Terror gripped him as he started to scream so hard, it was barely muffled by his gag. It was blood that was dripping on him, from the severed heads of over a dozen other batarians that hung from the ceiling. He recognized the agonized faces of the dead; it was the remains of his men.

"You sought to make me angry." Thane began; bringing the batarian's attention back to him. "Congratulations, you have made me very, very… angry." He traced the blade lightly over the batarian's chest, enough to break skin and draw blood from the shallow wound.

The batarian shook in unbelievable pain, screaming despite the gag.

"I have flooded your system with pain receptor agonists…" Thane explained casually as he continued to run the blade across the batarian's chest. "As you are no doubt experiencing, it heightens the pain sensation by a hundredfold." He cut him all the way down to his navel, only to stop and move back up next to the initial incision and cut all the way back down again.

He had cut a dozen parallel wounds across the batarian's chest and abdomen before speaking again. "Hmm, I think this has been a suitable warm up." He said, ignoring the agony on the batarian's face as he put the blade back onto the table. "I've also flooded your system with enough stimulants to keep you awake and alert for days, so don't worry about passing out from the pain…" Thane paused as he chose what tool to use next, before picking up a sinister looking device not unlike a buzzsaw. Pressing a button on the handle, the blade rotated with a menacing whir in the air. "I was able to keep one of your men alive for four whole days before he expired." He began as he loomed over the batarian, holding the buzzsaw against his captive's face. "Let's see if we can break that record…"

And break it he did. Thane stayed in that room for over a week, slowly, methodically mutilating and breaking the batarian. So thorough was his work that the remains could hardly be recognized as anything anymore. And when it was all over, Thane slumped against a wall, covered in blood and gristle, torn between wanting to laugh or cry. He had killed them, all of them. He butchered them like animals and desecrated their corpses. His need for revenge was satisfied, but why was this satisfaction so empty? He didn't want to lead this life without her. He didn't want to be alone. But the truth was always bitter. He knew that even after all this, his love, his reason to live, wasn't coming back to him. And even if she did, would he be able to look her in the eyes after the things he had done? And what about their son, Kolyat? The boy didn't need a monster for a father. "Oh, Irikah…" He buried his face in his hands and started to sob quietly. "No… Wait…" he forced out between sobs. "This is… This is…"

"Only a memory." He finally muttered, coming back to the present. His vision cleared, and he saw Miller floating in front of him, unbearable pain etched on his face.

Aria was taking her time, slowly, methodically breaking each and every single bone in Miller's body, grinding it into powder and rupturing the flesh around it. Miller's mouth was clamped shut, but Thane could still hear the muffled screams from his throat.

He had told Aria to make it hurt, but why? It was because of that face; that self-satisfied grin and cocky expression that he wore. It reminded him of those that slew his wife. When he fought this man, he realized he did not just want to kill him. He wanted to murder him, to end his life in every maliciously conceivable way. That was against everything he had lived for these past few years, but it had felt so... right. "Stop." he said out loud, shaking the cobwebs from his head.

"How about no?" Aria replied. Her tone was mildly amused but her face had bloody murder on it. "And weren't you the one to tell me to 'make it hurt'?" She shot back. "I don't take orders from anybody, much less let live those who try and order me around. But I give special leeway to men who save my life."

"You've beaten him already, this is unnecessary!"

Aria cocked an eyebrow at Thane's pleading. "I'm sorry, but as far as I recall, this monster tried to rape and kill me." She began coldly, twisting Miller's arm in an unnatural fashion and relishing in his screams. "Besides, I heard what Miller said. You're Thane Krios right? You of all people should understand, after what you did to those batarians who raped and killed your wife."

The last remark was like a slap to the face, and Thane stood up, anger quickly rising in his otherwise calm face.

"See?" Aria said, sneering at him. "The very thought of it still drives you wild." She turned her gaze back to Miller. "This is very necessary, Thane Krios. Now I suggest you shut up and enjoy the show before I forget that I owe you my life."

While the two were bantering, Miller was quietly whispering something under his breath in between gasps of pain. If he could just make it loud enough, he could activate the voice recognition interface of his omnitool. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, he finally activated the transmitter beacon and opened his comm. Now all he had to do was survive long enough until help arrives.

Thane opened his mouth to say something but thought better of it. Whatever he thought, Aria was within her rights to do this, to acquire satisfaction in her own vengeance. It left a bad taste in his mouth seeing the hate on Aria's face. It reminded him so much of himself.

Aria caught him staring at her and laughed. "You hypocrite, you're enjoying every moment of this, aren't you?" She chided.

"No." He calmly replied. "I most certainly am not."

"Whatever you say, killer." She taunted, trying to incite his rage. "You don't have to watch if you're squeamish, so relax, Krios… Besides, you should answer your comm, it's been ringing for ages."

Thane was now suddenly very aware of the beeping coming from his comm. "Thane here," he answered hurriedly, turning away from Miller and Aria.

"Thane!" Shepard's voice was tinged with relief. "What's your status? I've been trying to hail you for a while now."

"Forgive me, I was preoccupied." He replied, "We've neutralized Miller, but he has more bombs stashed away inside of the Afterlife..."

"Well that explains the hasty retreat…" Shepard muttered. "We've routed the Suns, and the lower Afterlife is close to ridding themselves of their own problems. Are the bombs disarmed?"

"Negative, but we have the detonator, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"Fair enough." Shepard conceded. "Still, it'd make me feel better once we've disarmed those explosives. Any idea where they're stashed?"

"No, but I can ask."

"Ask? I thought you said Miller has been neutralized?"

"To Aria, that seems to be a slow and ongoing process."

"I see… Where are you? I'll be over in a second."

"The cat walks in the middle. There's a maintenance ladder to get up."

"Got it, Shepard out."

Thane turned off the comm and turned back to Aria. "There is still the matter of the bombs…" he offered her.

"What about the bombs?" Aria replied, busy twisting Miller's foot in odd angles. She held out a cube shaped device in her hand, showing it to Thane. "I have the detonator right here, so his bombs are as good as useless right now."

"Are you willing to risk that much…" Thane began gesturing to the club around him, then pointing a finger at Miller. "For this?"

Aria regarded him for a second, a frown on her face. She was obviously a woman who was not used to people telling her what to do. With a disgruntled sigh, she flipped Miller around to face her, his armor was shattered in most places and blood ran freely, being held in the air by her biotics. "Alright Miller, let's play a game." She began, walking up to him. "I'll ask you a question and if you give me what I want to hear, I promise a quick and relatively painless death."

"Fuck you, you bitch…" he cursed at Aria weakly.

"Wrong answer." With a wave of her finger, Miller's left hand started to distort until the sickening cracks of bone snapping and his screams filled the air. Aria smiled. "Let's try that again."

Jacob blasted his shotgun through a group of mercs, sending them sprawling onto the ground like ragdolls. This was now mostly a clean-up operation; the Suns taking into a full retreat, leaving stragglers for dead. He waved his hand and a biotic field pulled a mercenary into the air, leaving the turian open to the half dozen guns that unloaded into it. He cocked his shotgun and looked around. There doesn't seem to be anymore mercs willing to fight, and that was a good a signal as any to stop. The pirates were of a more vicious mindset though, killing any and all they could get their hands on, not that he could blame them. "This doesn't feel right."

Next to him, Zaeed had already set aside his weapon, pulling out another cigar from somewhere on his person and was currently in the middle of lighting it. "Seems to me they're scared of something other than us…" he said sagely, before taking a deep drag of the tobacco.

Jacob pulled up a chair and slumped down, resting his tired body and plopping the shotgun down on his lap. "I'm not complaining, though." He said, taking a deep breath as he decompressed. "Looks like we live to see another day."

"Day's not over yet." Zaeed said grimly. The distinct clicking of high heels announced Miranda approaching them, and both men turned their heads in her direction. "Miranda, good of you to join us." Zaeed called out to her as Jacob merely waved a tired hand at the X.O. "Thoughts on our enemies' sudden change in tactica?" Before anything else could be said, Miranda walked up to Zaeed and slapped him in the face, knocking the cigar from his mouth. Jacob covered his mouth to try and suppress the laugh he wanted to bellow out loud with minimal success while Zaeed merely rubbed his cheek, shrugged, and pulled out another cigar.

Miranda stepped back from him and took a deep breath, before speaking as if nothing happened. "I don't like it either." She began, flipping open her comm on her omnitool. "Shepard, this is Miranda, we've routed the Suns down here, but I suspect there's more to it than that."

"Copy that, Miranda." Shepard's voice replied. "The Suns seem to have planted more bombs in the Afterlife and are hoping to detonate it."

Jacob suddenly stood up from where he sat upon hearing the news while Miranda's eyes widened. Zaeed however, was busy trying to light his cigar.

"Relax," Shepard added as if predicting their reactions, "We're in possession of the detonator, but I'll rest easier once we've disarmed all the bombs."

"Be that as it may, we're still sitting ducks in here." Miranda replied curtly, "The exit to the lower Afterlife opens up to the marketplace, not like the open plaza in front of the upper afterlife. A small group can easily maneuver past the Blue Suns forces. From there, we'll try to make contact with the Normandy and provide support over to your end." She paused, "I recommend we take this course of action, commander."

"Noted. No heroics, do you hear me, Miranda? Just run and gun. If you meet heavy resistance, fall back."

"Copy that, commander, over and out."

Zaeed took a deep puff of his cigar and looked at Jacob. "Told ya, Taylor. Day's not over yet."

Jacob sighed as he slumped back down to his chair again. "Damn it, Zaeed, I hate it when your right."

Miranda clapped her hands twice to get both of their attentions. "Come on. Up! Up! We have a job to do."

Shepard walked carefully over the fallen corpses that littered the floor towards the main hub of the nightclub, careful not to step on any of them. He wasn't squeamish by any means, but ruthlessness in combat and respect for the dead were not two mutually exclusive things. The deeper he got into the club, the more civilian casualties began to show up; the people who weren't quick enough to escape the crossfire. In combat, the fighting would seem to go on for an eternity, but afterwards you realize just how fast the conflict had started and ended. It was only then that the horror could overtake you. Shepard wondered how this place could be used for so much merriment in the future after all the death that has happened today. Then again, this was Omega, so who knows how many people have already bled to death in the Afterlife before tonight?

He approached the main hub, the smoke had cleared and he could clearly see the shining blue silhouette of a man crucified in a biotic field, flanked by Thane and Aria. "Boy, Thane wasn't kidding…" he mused as he got a better look at the state Miller was in. He looked around and easily found the ladder Thane spoke of and made his way to it. Suddenly, a hand clasped down on his shoulder stopping him in his tracks.

"Shepard, it seems I have missed the battle." A booming voice announced behind him. "A pity."

Shepard turned around and saw a scarred krogan dressed in ornate but battle worn heavy armor. "Patriarch?" Shepard said as he finally recognized the man he was talking to. "Good to see you alive." He continued, "Where were you?"

The Patriarch let go of his shoulder and took a few steps back. "I was hiding in my private lounge." He began, looking away with just a touch of shame in his voice. "I'm old, I thought, too old for battle." He turned to face Shepard once more, a fire now burning in his eyes. "But when the darkest hour seemed upon us, I decided I'd rather die fighting. Imagine my surprise when I come out prepared to join glorious combat, I find you in the center of things again."

Shepard looked around the ruined club. "I didn't mean for this to happen."

"We don't mean for greatness, it just happens."

"Greatness?" Shepard snapped, trying his best to control his temper. "Tell me, Patriarch…" he continued, gesturing towards the dead. "What about all this death says 'greatness' to you?"

"Greatness isn't about who dies, but who lives." The krogan replied unfazed. His gaze shifted upwards, towards where Thane and the others were. "That would be Aria dealing with the Blue Suns commander, I assume?"

"Yeah, excuse me Patriarch, but I have to get up there." He started to make for the ladder when the Patriarch put a hand on his shoulder again.

"Shepard, wait." The Patriarch began, "I've been meaning to thank you, about what you did for me. I know it was because Aria asked you to do it, but you didn't have to. You could've just let me die, but you didn't. I feel like a warlord again, all thanks to you."

Shepard was about to reply when a massive fist crashed into his head, breaking through his shields and shattering his helmet, sending him flying several feet across the club. He landed roughly on a table and broke it on impact. His vision went white and he tasted the coppery sting of blood in his mouth.

"Which is why I'm going to spare you, just this one time." The Patriarch growled as he walked over to where Shepard lay beaten on the ground. He picked up Shepard's pistol, which had fallen to the ground next to him, and casually threw it aside. The krogan warlord loomed over the stunned commander, his face an unreadable mask as he regarded Shepard with a piercing glare.

"Why?" Shepard tried to get back up, but his body wasn't listening to him. "Wha- What are you doing this for?" He managed to say weakly.

"I am taking my life back." Grabbing Shepard by the collar of his armor, the old krogan lifted him up into the air with one hand, Shepard's feet dangling as he hung from the Patriarch's grip. With a primal roar, the Patriarch threw Shepard across the room and sent him slamming into a wall.

Pain wracked through Shepard's body as he crumpled into a heap on the floor, fighting to stay conscious. He was running past empty, drained from the recent fighting.

Dusting his hands off, the Patriarch turned away from Shepard and looked up to where Thane and Aria were interrogating Miller. They still hadn't noticed what had transpired beneath them, but they were about to in a big way. The krogan warlord reached behind him and pulled out a 4-chambered rocket launcher, hefting the large weapon with ease. He aimed the rockets at the catwalk and pulled the trigger, sending a barrage of warheads flying into the group above.

Thane's eyes widened as he heard the distinct sound of a rockets igniting, turning just in time to see the warheads flying right at them. "Incoming!" He roared as he dove for Aria, grabbing her as the asari yelped at the pain of the tackle. They landed roughly on the floor and Thane immediately covered themselves in a biotic field. The rockets hit the ceiling just above them, raining broken steel and debris on top of the group.

With Aria's concentration broken, the biotic field covering Miller dissipated, and he fell to his knees, quickly rolling off the catwalk just in time as large chunks of debris rained from above. He started to fall to the ground, controlling his descent with bursts from his barely functioning jetpack. The pain was too much, and he finally lost consciousness and plummeted uncontrollably.

The Patriarch threw aside the spent weapon and ran up to where Miller was falling, catching the Blue Suns commander before he hit the ground. Slinging him over his shoulders, the Patriarch looked up to see where the debris had buried Thane and Aria, the catwalk still surprisingly maintaining its integrity under the weight of all that steel and stone. But the wailing sound of metal in the air brought a grim smile to the Patriarch's lips, and the catwalk suddenly begun to warp and dip under the strain of all that rubble. Content to leave Aria to her faith, he turned around and started to walk away.

"Thane…!"

The Patriarch stopped in his tracks and turned around to see Shepard clumsily standing up, clutching his right shoulder as his right arm hung limply to his side. His helmet had a hole that revealed the left side of his bloody and bruised face where the armor had shattered under the Patriarch's blow, blood freely running from his brow and lip. The commander's gaze was locked onto the catwalks where the drell and asari were buried. The krogan's face cracked into a smile. "My respect for you goes up little by little the more you surprise me, Shepard."

"Patriarch…!" Shepard snapped, suddenly turning to face him. He stumbled and leaned back on the wall, trying to keep himself up on both feet. "I thought you were a man of honor!" he spat out. "I didn't expect you'd reduce yourself into a damn flunky for the Blue Suns!"

"A flunky?" The Patriarch's smile eventually split wider into a bellowing guffaw. "Who do you think made all of this possible Shepard? Do you think the merc groups would unite as one for any sum of money?"

"Then you are…?"

The Patriarch nodded sagely. "Yes indeed, I am the architect of all this chaos. With my resources, I enabled the mercenaries to deploy thousands of troops and move virtually unseen into the station. Under my banner, they have a united direction and purpose." He boasted. "How did I do it, you wonder? A simple bit of misinformation here and there goes a long way. Aria had become complacent, a fatal mistake for anybody who holds the throne of Omega. It rightfully belongs to me, and I mean to take it back." He glanced up at the unmoving form of Miller on his shoulder. "This one has fallen short of his objective, but he may still prove useful yet."

But Shepard wasn't listening anymore. All he cared about was that so many were dead just for one man's lust for power. "Aria should've killed you when she had the chance." He snarled. "And I should've let you die!"

"Given your circumstances right now, I agree entirely."

"Shepard! What happened? We heard an explosion and-!" The conversation was interrupted when Anto and his men filed back into the Afterlife, weapons raised to investigate the commotion. He blinked in confusion as he surveyed the scene. "Patriarch? Why are you carrying Miller? What the hell is going on here?"

Shepard's ribs ached as he yelled out to Anto. "He's betrayed Aria!"

"Is this true, krogan!" Anto said, all guns now pointed to the Patriarch and Miller as he and his men formed a firing line at the archway separating the main club from the long entrance hallway. "Answer me!"

"This may be a point of interest to you, Anto." Patriarch began nonchalantly, taking a few steps back. "As of this very moment, there are nearly a dozen more bombs hidden all around us."

"What?" Anto replied, the men around him now starting to feel uneasy at the news but kept their sights on the krogan.

"He's telling the truth…" Shepard added from where he stood. "The whole place is rigged to blow. But we have the detonator, so it's an empty threat."

"Indeed?" The krogan continued. "These bombs were originally designed to explode in successive intervals upon activation of a detonator signal. But I made certain to install certain fail-safes into these weapons."

Anto lowered his gun, "What kind o-?" He didn't have the opportunity to finish the question as an explosion blossomed under his feet, engulfing him and those around him in white hot flames until they were torn apart by the sheer concussive force of the blast, obliterating the floor and nearby structures as well.

Shepard lost his balance and fell back from the force of the shock wave, showering him with dust and debris. He turned to see a smoldering crater where Anto and the pirates once stood on. "No!" All of those men. The men who he had fought alongside of just moments ago. The men who were simply happy to be alive when the smoke cleared. it didn't matter if they were pirates, not anymore. All of them were now dead.

The Patriarch however, stood proudly against the blast wave, shielding his eyes from the dust. "As I was saying, the bombs explode if they are not disarmed after a certain period of time." He turned to regard Shepard. "Still alive, Shepard? Hah! You are hardy! It was a stroke of luck on my part that the first bomb to go off was right there, wasn't it?"

"You monster…"

"I wouldn't concern yourself with me, Shepard. The next one explodes in less than 2 minutes, followed by another one after that. And another, and another…" He started to walk towards the entrance of the club, Miller in tow. "I'd be disappointed if you died here."

"Stop!" Shepard roared, but the Patriarch merely walked on, ignoring him. "You bastard!" The sound of rubble shifting made him turn around, thinking another explosion was about to rock the place. Instead, the sound was coming from high above, where arcs of biotic energy were piercing through the rubble that lay over Thane and Aria. Shepard shielded his eyes as a burst of blue energy blasted aside the debris, revealing Thane cradling an unconscious Aria in his arms. "Thane!"

Thane leapt downwards, slowing his fall with his biotics as he gently lowered himself to the ground. Aria stirred in his arms, opening her eyes, alarm suddenly gripping her. Thane looked down at her, speaking softly. "We are safe, for now." He assured her.

She looked around her and regained her bearings. "You… you had biotics?"

Thane merely nodded his head in reply, earning a quick slap in the face from Aria.

"Then why didn't you use it against Miller, you idiot!" she snapped.

"I chose not to." He replied, earning him another slap. Surprisingly, Thane just took it, unfazed.

"You self-righteous asshole!" Aria nearly shrieked in frustration. "You could've taken him out handily!"

Shepard shook his head in disbelief and shuffled over to the two. "Hey!" he shouted at them, causing both of them to suddenly become aware of his presence. "We have to get out of here! The whole place is about to blow up!"

Just as he said that, another bomb exploded, fortunately, far off from where they stood, almost right next to where the ruins of Aria's lounge lay.

Aria shielded her eyes as Thane carried her off, unable to walk on her own and too drained for her biotics. "NO! My Afterlife!" she protested, horror gripping her. "There must be something we can do? Please, not my Afterlife…" she pleaded.

Shepard quickly limped beside them, all three of them now desperately trying to make for the exit past the initial crater. "It's too late now, Aria! What's more important? Your bar or your life?"

Aria merely sunk her head in despair as Thane carried her, reserving herself to silence.

Thane looked at Shepard, observing the man as he limped beside him. "Do you require assistance?"

"You've got your hands full."

"And you are lucky to have any limbs left at all, from the looks of it." Thane countered. "So tell me, are we just going to burst out the front door into the arms of the Blue Suns, or am I missing a key element to this plan?"

"Got any better ideas?" Shepard snapped back as another explosion rocked them from behind.

Aria grit her teeth as the pain was slowly coming back to her. It was fortunate enough that Thane's biotics were keeping her wounds from bleeding out. Her eyes widened as realization hit her. "Where are my men?" Aria demanded as she looked around for the others.

"Don't look down." Shepard replied quietly as he and Thane trudged through past the crater and the fallen rubble.

Despite his warning, her gaze wandered downwards to see bits and pieces of charred armor and burnt flesh. "You're joking… right?" Aria said, her voice quivering. "No… No…" Before she could fall into hysterics, Thane struck her with two fingers quickly on the temple with the hand cradling her head, knocking her out in an instant as her eyes rolled over, showing only whites.

Shepard just stared at the drell, who casually shrugged as they hurried out, more explosions blossoming behind them and shaking the very foundations of the building.