Mass Effect Andromeda Series II: Chapter 38
It had been months since they destroyed the Collector base and even more time after that when he returned to Palaven to talk to the Primarch. Commander Shepard was arrested by the Alliance due to implications from the fallout after thousands of Batarians died in the Bahak system. Just like it was when he first teamed up with Shepard in their fight against Saren, no one wanted to listen. Everyone thought they had more time to prepare and deal with the "Reaper" threat. A lot of Turians shrugged it off as being a "human" issue.
So much had happened after he left Andromeda on the Citadel before stopping the Collectors. Apparently, Cerberus kidnapped her and used her for some type of test subject. Turian military managed to attack the very outpost she was at and Tyran took her back to Palaven for sanctuary. Just like fate, they met up with one another again on Palaven. Their love for each other had become stronger. Even they thought they had more time…. they were wrong.
"What in the spirits is that?" One of Garrus' men asked as the pale face looked up from into the night sky.
As he followed his gaze, he didn't see anything at first, but then a horrible horn thundered across the sky. A red hue filled several buildings about a half mile from where he was standing and then they crumbled in an explosion. Screams of agony filled the streets. The horn sounded again and then more horns. It was the Reapers. Panic filled everyone as they desperately tried to come to grip on what was happening. Unfortunately, by the time some of them managed to calm themselves enough to think of an idea, they were obliterated in a red hue. "Andromeda!" Garrus looked off in the distance where his family lived to see more Reapers near that location. Feeling the adrenaline pumping his veins, he sloppily grabbed ammo packs and his weapons. "Lieutenant! Grab what you can and some men! Follow me!"
"But, Garrus, sir!" His Lieutenant protested. "Should we hold this position?"
Looking back to the other side of the base to see multiple Turian soldiers firing wildly at the landing Reapers and being overtaken by oncoming husks, Garrus shoved the young soldier's gun in his hands. "If you stay here, you will die! Come on!"
"Y-yes, sir!" The Turian saluted and then motioned for two others to follow.
Running as fast as he could to get away from the base, Garrus darted through backstreets, but kept looking back to make sure he didn't lose his men. "That base is probably gone by now."
"What?!" One of his men exclaimed in shock. "How-How can tha-"
"The Reapers are methodical. They are machines. Logically, they would take out the threats first. Ships, fighters, bases, then work on civilians." Garrus answered as he kept running, keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of ambush.
"What were those things?!" Another one asked out, his voice shaken. Probably a new recruit, Garrus suspected. He didn't think the Primarch took him too seriously when he put him in charge of a task group by giving him new fresh blood.
"Husks. Indoctrinated humans. They are to flush out the 'game,'" Garrus slowed up and raised his fist to signal his men to stop. They were near his parents' house. He could hear the Reaper's death horn nearby. This neighborhood would be crushed soon. He had to evac everyone as he could.
"This is General Corinthus Garrus, do you read?" His radio came on.
"Garrus here."
"The Primarch has ordered mandatory evacuations of all non-military off Palaven."
"Understood. I figured that would be the order. I'm in route now to gather the first round of evacuees."
"You were right, Garrus. Sprits, why didn't we listen to you?"
"We can think about that later. Any other word from Central Command?"
"No, witnesses state that some of these creatures are taking prisoners."
"Prisoners?" Garrus tilted his head to ponder the idea. After all his incursions with the husks, he never knew them to take prisoners.
"I'll reach out to you as soon as we get word from the Primarch. Right now, we are trying to mobilize much of the fleet as possible. Corinthus, out."
"Should we stay and fight? We need more support," The same soldier spoke up.
Garrus whirled around to address their scared faces. "Look, Palaven is being targeted. Until we get direction from Central Command, we need to evac civilians and get them to safety. Start knocking on houses. One of you radio in for an evac shuttle. See where they can arrange a pickup." His men saluted him. He then darted for his family's house. He overrode the security shutters to gain access inside. Inside, he saw the familiar faces of his family and Andromeda.
Unable to restrain herself from the pent-up emotions, Andromeda dropped her pistol and ran over, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. "You're alive!" She exclaimed through the tears.
The shuttle jarred violently as it avoided fire from below. Garrus remained silent as he looked across the way to see the look of troubled faces of other Turian soldiers. Some of them were nervously checking and rechecking their weapons while others desperately tried calling loved ones back on Palaven. The order was given…all military including him were to fall back to Menae, Palaven's moon. They had to have more room to maneuver and regroup. The tough decision was already brought before him: He had to leave his family and Andromeda back on Palaven with the hope that they would make it to the nearest evac shuttle with Tyran to depart the nightmare. With his duties, he knew that he would have to make tough decisions, but he never thought it had to be this soon or with someone he really cared about. Turians, pretty much, knew how to handle themselves, but combat against husks and cannibals were nothing like mercs. Their grotesque form made it hard not to stay strong and the Reapers were endlessly landing on Palaven and vaporizing every structure and person on sight. This was a fight they could not win…not alone. Even Andromeda's new biotics would not stand a long fight against them. He just prayed that all of them could make it off Palaven before all the shuttles would be destroyed.
Garrus Vakarian was the first out after the landing on the surface of Menae. Just as he did, the sound of shuttle craft overhead caught his attention. He knew that it was the refugees fleeing towards the destination: The Citadel. He just prayed that Andromeda was safely on board.
"Garrus, over here!" General Corinthus called to him.
"On my way."
The fight so far on Menae was exhausting and hellish. Some of the Reaper forces broke off from Palaven and focused their attack on Menae. Now the war was on two fronts. Garrus found himself moving from trench to trench, trying to keep away from husks, but using organized attacks against the Reapers themselves. Heavy weapons had to be used to take them down and they were lacking a lot of that. Turian Dreadnoughts were inbound but even the hardened military vessels were no match. It had been weeks or even months since the attack on Palaven. Garrus never kept his eye off the burning form of the planet in the distance. Did Andromeda and his family escape? If they didn't, he couldn't imagine what they were up against there at ground zero. It was probably ten times worse.
"Garrus" His radio came to life again, but this time it was General Corinthus. He was in charge of a commander center on Menae that was South of him.
"Yes, General."
"I have received word. The Primarch is dead."
Not the kind of news Garrus wanted to hear right now. "Who's up next?"
"We are working on it…my communications are being scrambled. I have received word that Commander Shepard just landed near my location."
"Shepard? I'm on my way." He looked at his men who were still banking up on supplies. "I have to go over to General Corinthus. That way should be clear of hostile forces for now. I want you all to join Victus' team."
When Garrus reached the command center, he overheard the Commander speaking with Corinthus. The Commander seemed to be accompanied by another human in military gear and Liara T' Soni. He was shocked by her presence as well but seeing them both brought a warm memory to his heart of his old C-Sec days when he was investigating Saren and not dodging Reaper lasers. When Palaven was still alive and vibrant with life…and not on fire with millions dead.
"I need someone, I don't care who. As long as they can get us the Turian resources we need." The Commander raised his voice in frustration. Apparently, he must have been made aware that the Primarch was dead as well.
"I'm on it, Shepard. We'll find you the Primarch, "Garrus said as he walked up the ramp that led to the command unit that Shepard and his squad were at with Corinthus.
"Garrus."
With technical issues on the Normandy, Liara went back to the Normandy to check on things. Garrus volunteered to lead Shepard to Victus, who was next in line for succession to be the Primarch. Dead Turians scattered their path along with scrap pieces of fighters that were shot down. "Damnit! Look at Palaven," Garrus stopped and pointed to the burning planet above them. "That blaze of orange…. the big one. That's where I was born." Just seeing it as an inferno now was so surreal to him that it felt like a bad dream that he couldn't wake up from.
"That's rough. You still have family there?" The marine known as James Vega asked.
"My dad…a sister and Andromeda."
Shepard looked over at him with a surprised look on his face. He wouldn't have suspected that the troubled young woman would be staying with Garrus on Palaven. Perhaps, his relationship with her was a lot deeper than the commander suspected. "Garrus, I'm sorry," his voice filled with sincerity.
"If they only listened to you…maybe we could have been ready," Garrus continued to lead them, but his mind was flustered. What if they did listen? What then? They could have doubled their military and have more of a fighting chance. For all he knew, his family and Andromeda were dead on Palaven and it was because he didn't convince anyone to listen to his warning.
"Maybe. Hard to prepare for something like this," Vega countered.
A Harvester roared through the sky over them as he flew in the direction they were traveling. "Crap! It's after the Primarch!" Garrus quickened his step with Shepard and Vega right behind him. However, incoming husks and cannibals were welcoming their approach. Vega blasted a few with his M-37 Falcon. The incendiary ammo addition set the indoctrinated agents ablaze.
"Ugh! This is bullshit! I should have never left Earth. Where's the meat? Where are the Krogans and the Batarians?" James grumbled once he cleared their path.
"The Krogan still blame the Turians and the Salarians for the genophage and most of the Batarians were wiped out first," Shepard answered.
Hearing gunfire up ahead, Garrus paused to scan his surroundings. The post was crawling with husks and Brutes: A fierce rendition of an indoctrinated Krogan. Marauders signaled their charge. "We have a lot of company! Shepard, you have anything like your Blackstorm?" Garrus took aim at the nearest Brute. The Brute's thick skin made penetration of the ammo difficult.
"I guess I forgot to pack it," Shepard joined in the fight against the Brute.
"Compadre, we are in serious shit," Vega picked off a few husks.
"Tighten formation and move towards the Primarch!" Shepard darted forward and rolled to the side for cover. He kept firing at the Brute as it changed its course to intercept. Finally, the rounds hit their mark, and the Brute fell over, dead. More cannibals and husks arrived in its place.
Garrus looked up to see the Primarch looking their way as several of his men surrounding him took aim at the approaching husks. "Shepard, his men can't stand against that many husks!"
"Then we need them to come to us. Open fire on all of them," Shepard ran and ignored a few rounds that pinged his shields from the Marauders. He unleashed a volley and took out majority of the husks.
Vega and Garrus fanned out to hit the remaining pockets. Finally, the Reaper forces were gone for now and the Primarch was safe. The white tattooed face Turian looked down upon them. "Garrus."
"Primarch, sir," Vakarian saluted dutifully.
"We need you to come with us," Shepard lowered his weapon as he approached the commanding officer.
"No," Victus shook his head. "I can't leave Palaven."
"We can't fight the Reapers alone. We need help, "Garrus urged him.
"Garrus is right. I'm hosting a summit between the Krogans, the Turians and Salarians. If we are to stop the Reapers on any front, we need to work together."
The Primarch remained silent and clenched his mandible as he looked back at the battles taking place on Menae and Palaven. With a deep sigh, he closed his eyes for a moment before looking back down at them. "You are right, Commander. I will give the orders here and come with you. I just hope this summit works."