MASS EFFECT ANDROMEDA SERIES II

CHAPTER 23

Death. It was all around him. The putrid smell and the silence…the eerie silence. It was hard to believe that just days ago, everyone was laughing and bragging about what they were able to recover from the merc raids. Now here they were, piled up in different rooms with blankets to cover their massacred bodies. There was no time for proper burial. Hard to tell what mercs were positioned outside waiting for his return to the bloody nightmare. He stared down at the covered corpse that was once his friend in C-Sec. The last one he managed to talk to before his untimely death. He gripped his sniper rifle firmly. His jaw clenched as he suppressed all the rage inside him. He had to remain focused. The mercs figured he would turn tail and try to book the first transport off the station. No. He was alone and he was going to fight to the end.

He held his head as he thought to when he came back to the base after his run into Garm. Sidonis was becoming worried about what all the attacks were leading to. His priority was to get Andromeda and he chose justice, justice that cost the lives of his friends. But where was Sidonis? His body was nowhere among the killed. It didn't make any sense. Standing back up from a kneeling position, he worked to prepping the warehouse. He didn't know how long he would have before the mercs banded together to overcome his base of operations. He would make it hard as hell to get to him.

Going downstairs, he went over to the table where his Salarian STG pal was working on his bomb for their next raid. A raid that would never happen. Looking out of the base's main entrance that fed out to a bridge, he planted the bomb right at the doorway. If the mercs thought numbers could get them inside, they would be gravely mistaken. He would be ready for them. Patting the bomb, he synced it up with his omni tool and then gave a weak smile. "Thanks, friend. I'll make sure I put this to good use." Pausing for a moment longer, he turned and opened up the cabinet that housed their ammo. Picking up several ammo packs he began to go to each room strategically placing them. He had to make sure he was ready and ration himself. Looking over at the covered bodies once more, he took a deep breath. "Time to pay the Blue Suns a visit. If it's going to end, then I'm not going to wait."

It didn't take long for him to trail a Blue Suns merc to Tarak's hideout. Tarak, a Batarian, was the leader of the Blue Suns currently on Omega. Garrus was determined to end that term. Seeing Tarak move back and forth for different rooms of the hideout, he moved into position quietly with his rifle ready.

Days later...

The siege against him was lasting longer than Garrus anticipated. With sealing the lower entrance to the warehouse, that left one way inside: Across the bridge and into the path of his scope. First the mercs came in waves and then they became more timed. He was able to predict when they would strike and would schedule his resting between those times. Of course, they got smart and began to attack randomly making sleep impossible. Adrenaline kept him going. He was beyond exhausted and he didn't know how much more he could take. The ammo was becoming depleted in the room he was in. He mentally kept a tally on what he had left in each room. Failure crept in the back of his mind. He failed at releasing Andromeda. He would never see her again. She would have to live on this station for the rest of her life. He failed his men. He knew he could be better than that. Seeing the mercs prep for another hit, Garrus sighed. He had to do something, just in case. Tapping into his omni tool, he reached out to the one person he would never suspect he would call…his dad.

"Hello?" A voice answered

"Dad." Garrus replied as he leaned up to take shots. The mercs were wasting no time in moving forward.

"Garrus? Is that you? What's that noise?" His dad's voice filled with concern. He could barely make out what his dad was saying over the gunfire.

"Just a little target practice."

"Then call me back later."

"I don't think I'll be able to do that. Too many targets."

"I see."

"Listen, I don't have a lot of time. I wanted to say…you were right about things. A lot more than I gave you credit for. And I'm sorry we butted heads so much." Garrus ducked down as the mercs fired up at him.

"Forget about that. These targets you're practicing on…they're moving fast?" His dad's voice was calm over the other end and almost gave Garrus a sense of peace despite the turmoil that raged outside.

"So far. Not fast enough. But they're learning," Garrus peeked over to see some of the injured mercs retreating back as their teammates helped them up.

"No matter how bad things are falling apart around you, as long as you have at least one bullet left, you can still get the job done. Understand?" Garrus aimed at some freelancers coming across with a group of Suns. One caught his eye. He moved the scope over to zoom in and there coming across the bridge was Andromeda. His tired mind was not playing tricks on him. "You finish up what you have to do there, and then you come on home to Palaven. We have a lot to sort out." His dad continued to speak over the communicator.

Garrus' eye never left Andromeda as he continued to shoot the mercs around her. "Yeah we do. Thanks, Dad. For everything. I have to go now. Don't worry about me…I'll make it home when I can." For a brief moment as he talked, he lost her.

"Archangel?" He heard her voice below calling out to him.

Moving fast to the bannister inside the compound, he saw her looking around trying to find him. He moved his rifle towards her position. He could hear the mercs on the other side of the bridge cheering for their so-called team member. He knew what he had to do…taking aim, he fired.