Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my MechWarrior/BattleTech - Mass Effect crossover.
I am really happy to see that all of you enjoyed the previous chapter. To be honest, I'm glad that I saved one of the major characters of that story arc. We're going to see how interesting it can get.
Now, we're going into the Citadel DLC sub-arc. There'll be lots of sneaking around, a few explosions, and some intrigue.
As always, leave a review, and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own the MechWarrior/BattleTech or Mass Effect franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of BioWare, Electronic Arts, FASA Corporation, FASA Interactive, Catalyst Game Labs, Piranha Games Inc., etc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their respective developers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises is of my own invention. I do not own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to it's original composers and/or artists.
TDS Fury II
Rannoch
October 5th, 2186
The next few days had been quite busy, but less so than when they had initially arrived. Shepard, who had returned his 'Mech to the DropShip before coming aboard the Fury II, was more than happy to have some peace and quiet for a few days, since they needed around three more days to recharge the K-F Drive. Now was the day that they would head back to the Relay system and work out their next decision from there.
At least the Ma-at system is nearby, Shepard mused. That way, if the Reapers cause trouble for the Quarians, the Federated Commonwealth can come and stomp on them. Plus, the Quarians could use some FedCom tech to help get onto their feet again.
As he walked along towards the CIC, he found that he wasn't the only guest onboard the ship. Walking into the CIC, he found Legion inside of the CIC, with Carmichael speaking with him nearby. Tali was also present, though she was taking the time to look around, rather than actually scanning everything she could. Spotting him, she smiled and said, "This is really cool."
"I agree," Shepard nodded. "I'm always impressed by how efficiently the naval crews of a WarShip conduct their work. Captain Carmichael is especially good at it. Did you know he used to be a DropShip Captain?"
"No," Tali replied. "I didn't. He piloted something like what your 'Mech was stored in?"
"Yep."
"That's impressive."
"Not all that impressive. Captaining a WarShip is much like being in charge of a DropShip, only it's much bigger, has more armor and guns, and can travel at FTL velocities to other star systems. DropShips can FTL as well, but that's generally for within a star system. Inter-system travel is usually conducted via K-F Drive."
"I see," Tali nodded. "Still, that's quite impressive, having your own form of FTL drive. I wish we had gone down the same path as they did."
"Same here," Shepard agreed. "It would've made things much easier, and the Reapers wouldn't know where each world was. Still, we can't cry over what could've been. We just gotta focus on what we can do now."
"Fair point," Tali conceded.
They were about to continue speaking when Carmichael came over. "Shepard, Hackett forwarded a message for you to me. Apparently, he wants you to take some R&R."
"May I see it?" Shepard asked. At that, Carmichael handed over a small noteputer that had a message on it's screen. Taking a moment, Shepard closely read the contents of the message, which read like this:
From: Admiral Hackett
Commander Shepard,
I'm ordering the Normandy into dry-dock on the Citadel for much needed repairs. She's seen a lot of action, and needs a little TLC.
A small army of techs from the Alliance and Federated Commonwealth will take care of the details once you arrive, so let's get your crew out of there. You're all on shore leave: that's an order. We need everybody at their best.
One more thing: Admiral Anderson has an apartment on the Wards. Head over there when you arrive. I hear it's a nice place.
Admiral Hackett.
Closing the noteputer, Shepard smiled once he finished reading it. Still, he had a question on his mind. "I didn't know FedCom technicians were already at the Citadel. How'd they get set up so fast?"
"The First Prince had them head there, and the Archon sent some to the Citadel as well," Carmichael explained. "Plus, they had a few DropShips with the necessary equipment as cargo. They got set up pretty quickly as a result. Docking Bay Theta-4, I hear, was given over to the Federated Commonwealth to service some of their DropShips and the Normandy. Either way, it looks like you're going to get some much needed rest."
"Indeed," Shepard nodded. "Your medic even said something about that. Either way, I agree in that I need some rest to get back to 100%. We ready to head to the Citadel?"
"That we are," Carmichael nodded. "Captain Dallas has assured me that he'll make sure that all's well. Victor Steiner-Davion's also going to be taking some R&R as well, so expect him to come over to the apartment as well."
"Alright," Shepard nodded. "Take it away, maestro." Carmichael chuckled at the comment, even as they began jump operations.
. . .
It wasn't long before they reached the Citadel, with Shepard taking a shuttle to the docking bays. Once he was there, he took a sky-car to the area that Hackett had informed him about. From what Shepard could tell, the apartment was near an area where a casino, the Silversun Strip, was located at. After that, it was easy to get there.
Walking out of the elevator that had taken him to the floor where the apartment was, he proceeded past a series of doors and came to a stop in front of one that had a green panel. When it opened, he got his first look at the interior of the apartment.
He had to admit, it was quite the snazzy place. The floor was made from polished wood, with the wood being a light gray color. In front of him was a large rug that was well kept, and laid with nary a crease onto the floor. To the left, he could see a couch, a coffee table and a sofa that were in a small depression in the floor that had black tiling.
A piano was present on the side as well, and there was what appeared to be a fireplace, though Shepard knew it was likely one of those 'fake' ones. Large windows allowed him to see outside, with the view being mostly dominated by the bright lights outside, as well as sky-cars that flew past.
To the right, he could see what looked like a fully stocked kitchen, complete with oven, stovetop and many pots, pans, spatulas and tongs. The wood here was a warm brown color, giving the kitchen a warm and homey feeling. A set of stairs led to the second floor, though he couldn't really see much here.
He was about to proceed inside when he heard Specialist Traynor contact him via his personal comm. "Commander, I've got Admiral Anderson on the QEC," she reported. "Patching him through to you now."
Spotting a nearby comm terminal, and a screen on the wall, Shepard walked over to it. Pressing a button, he watched as the screen winked to life, revealing the face of one of his closest friends. Admiral Anderson was a middle aged man, though Shepard knew he himself was approaching the same age. The man's dark skinned face was wrinkled from age and stress, though his brown eyes belied that aged visage with a youthful vigor and energy.
Apparently, he was happy to see Shepard again, as he said, "Shepard, good to see you."
"Admiral," Shepard nodded. "How are you holding up?"
"Day by day, Commander," Anderson replied. "The Reapers have been hammering us hard ever since this war began. I've been hearing news that you managed to find us some allies that we could desperately use. Correct?"
"That's correct. Hackett's likely sent you the information by now."
"That he did. If I didn't know you as well as I do, Shepard, I thought you'd have made up a story of traveling to another universe. Hackett's report, however, told me otherwise. You seem to always have the strangest things happen to you."
"I've noticed as well. I wonder if it's because I'm a 'strangeness' magnet, or if it's something else. I don't go looking for this kind of thing intentionally."
"I hear you on that. Still, this is the biggest thing you've ever managed to win for us. I'll be waiting for the day the Federated Commonwealth comes to start kicking the Reapers asses over here."
"Me too," Shepard nodded. "Hackett mentioned an apartment in his message. I take it that it's this one, yes?"
"That's correct," Anderson confirmed. "I want you to have it. Take it off my hands."
That had Shepard surprised, and more than a little curious. "Seriously?" he asked.
"You need a place that's yours," Anderson explained, "-somewhere to recharge, clear your head. Kahlee wanted us to settle down there. Thing is, the longer I'm on Earth, the less I want to leave, and I want as few loose ends out there as possible. Like I said, you'd be doing me a favor."
"That's very generous," Shepard admitted.
"It's practical," Anderson corrected politely. "We need you in the best shape possible. Rested. Focused."
"If you say so," Shepard conceded. "Thank you."
"And make yourself at home, damnit. It's yours now."
"I'm sure I can manage."
"Okay. Good. Been meaning to do that for a while now. I'll talk to you soon."
"Be careful out there, Anderson," Shepard added.
"You too, Shepard," Anderson nodded. A moment later, the comm transmission winked out.
That allowed Shepard to explore the place some more. Behind one of the partitions, he found a fully decked out bar, as well as a large sofa and a massive TV on the wall. There was a smaller one inside another room, though here he could see a pool table, as well as a table where one could play blackjack. There was also a few bathrooms that, while small, were well stocked with everything one needed. The upstairs rooms were mostly bedrooms, as well as an exercise area and a few other things, mostly a living room and a small garden.
That wasn't all, though, as Shepard found a number of datapads that he found out detailed parts of Anderson's life. Sounds like he's going to be writing a few memoirs, he noted. Not surprising. I plan on doing some too, plus a lot of historical figures, like Ulysses S. Grant, wrote memoirs of their days in the military. Some of the datapads were downright hilarious, with one detailing how Anderson had joined the military due to a dog he had trouble with, while a few were quite somber.
He was about to listen to one when he heard a ring at the door. Walking over, he found Victor Steiner-Davion standing outside. "May I come in?" he asked.
"Sure," Shepard nodded, permitting the Major to come inside. "Come in. Make yourself at home."
"Will do," Victor nodded. Walking inside, he whistled at the interior of the apartment. "Not bad," he noted. "My father tends to have more luxurious places, but this is not bad at all. This is what I generally stay in." Noting the datapads, he said, "Let me guess: memoirs?"
"Good guess," Shepard nodded. "Apparently, Anderson's planning on writing a few. These just have his general thoughts on things that happened in the past. Want to listen to one?"
"Sure," Victor nodded. A moment later, Shepard hit the play button, with the two listening to Anderson describing a part of his life.
"Embarrassing moments? I've got more of those than anyone else will ever know. Only way to learn something, but if I had to pick one to share… I had just gotten promoted to N7. Full of myself. King of the castle.
"Found myself buying drinks for undesirables in some rundown bar in the Wards. They toasted my recent promotion. Hell, they would've toasted Batarian slavers if it got them more drinks. About the time my money ran out, my new 'friends' turned on me.
"I was outnumbered. Things didn't look good. My plan to get out of there involved lots of punching. That worked for a while.
"Then a table hit me… or I fell down. When I came to, I saw a Salarian putting the rest of the troublemakers down. A Salarian! Moved like a damn cat, I swear. When everyone was out cold, or running, he walked over and helped me up. 'N7?' he asked.
"'Yes sir', I replied.
"He looked over my collection of unconscious friends, nodding. 'Not bad, human,' he said. Then he walked away. I had met my first Spectre. Learned an important lesson that day: no matter how good you think you are, there's always someone quicker, faster, and a helluva lot smarter than you are just around the corner. That little lesson's kept me alive more than once since then." A moment later, the audio log ended.
Victor nodded as he mulled those facts over. "Interesting," he noted. "Still, that lesson holds true even in the Inner Sphere. It's probably why my father has lasted as long as he has. Somewhere out there, he knows there's someone smarter, tougher, faster and quicker than he is."
"I agree," Shepard nodded. "That lesson's one reason why I defeated Saren: I always assumed that he was one step ahead of me. For the most part, he really was."
"I see," Victor nodded. "You never really did tell me what happened to Saren, though."
"True," Shepard admitted. "Saren attempted to kill himself to keep Sovereign from using him as a puppet, but the Reaper took his body over and forced him to fight me. However, I managed to find out that Sovereign was using an implant in Saren's head to force him to comply. What surprised me is that he burst into tears and kept thanking me when I fried the implant."
"Really? Why?"
"I found out when Liara did a mind meld with him. It turned out, Saren had actually been a prisoner in his own mind. Sovereign, when Saren first encountered it, used an ability it had to knock him unconscious, then it implanted him with some husks it had and took control.
"All that time, it had been controlling him like a marionette. When we destroyed Sovereign, we destroyed the Indoctrination in his mind, which would've allowed Sovereign to control him even without the implant. From what I recall, he's currently serving a life sentence at a Turian labor colony."
"I see," Victor noted.
They would've continued talking, except for the fact that they heard a beeping sound. "What's that?" Shepard asked.
"Probably a message for a laptop," Victor noted. "It sounds like it's coming from the blackjack room." Getting up, both he and Shepard followed the sound into said room, where they found a laptop on a desk that had a bookshelf nearby. Opening it, Victor said, "Huh, it's Joker. Apparently, he's found a sushi place that we can talk with him at."
"I see," Shepard noted. Though there was something about the message that had him slightly suspicious. For one thing, he knew that Joker tended to be sarcastic and descriptive in his messages. There were times, though, where he was short and to the point. Could be he's just waiting to spring a surprise on us. "Well, I say we take him up on his offer."
"I agree," Victor nodded. As Shepard walked out, Victor keyed his private comm. "Have a squad of 1st Davion Guards at the place we're heading to," he instructed the person on the other side of the line. "Sending coordinates now." After that, he followed Shepard out of the apartment.
. . .
The sushi restaurant was quite close to where the apartment, was, and was smack in the middle of the Silversun Strip. Getting out of the sky-car, the two men walked to the restaurant in question, which was lit up with neon blue as well as some red. A long line of people were at a nearby stairwell, while a concierge was checking the names of each person over.
Just then, Shepard watched as two people in semi-formal attire walked over. They seemed innocuous, though Shepard spotted what he realized were concealed weapons. "Bodyguards?" Shepard asked.
"Yes," Victor nodded. "You can never be too careful. Remember, Shepard. I'm the son of Hanse Davion and Melissa Steiner; anyone that's not friendly towards them will see me as a way to get to them, hence the bodyguards."
Shepard nodded. He could understand that kind of thinking quite well, especially given that one time that Maximilian Liao had tried to replace Hanse with a doppelganger. Good thing Ardan Sortek worked out that conspiracy, he said to himself as the guards took up a small formation around the two. Managed to use DNA testing to sniff out the doppelganger while rescuing Hanse.
Spotting them, the concierge waved for them to come down. As the two walked down, the people in the lines looked at them, though when they saw the soldiers, they focused their attention on them, rather than Shepard and Victor. "Ah, Commander Shepard," the concierge beamed, his French accent ringing in the air. "Your table is ready. However, I was not aware that you were bringing friends."
"They're with me," Shepard replied.
"Then they may come in as well. I must ask that they do not damage the premises with any weapons that they have."
"That won't be a problem," Shepard nodded. "Victor?"
"That's right," Victor nodded. Turning to the others, he said, "Weapons tight, people. Don't fire unless I give the order. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," the guards replied.
"There we go," Victor nodded. "Either way, thank you for your hospitality."
"You are very welcome," the concierge beamed. As the two walked on, Shepard spotted Joker, who was waving at them.
Moving through the crowd, Shepard began to analyze the place with the careful gaze of a soldier. From what he could tell, the sushi bar's floor doubled as the ceiling of what appeared to be a massive fish tank. He could see quite a few species of fish swimming around in the water below him. Hopefully the floor's been reinforced to handle the weight of dozens of people standing on it, Shepard thought. I have no intentions of going for a swim.
Still, he put his mind at ease as he walked over to Joker's table. "Hey, Shepard!" Joker beamed as the former sat down. "Hey, Victor! Not bad, huh? This sushi place is serious. Like, 'French guy at the door,' serious. Only had to save the galaxy twice, or rather thrice, to get a table here. Did you see the line outside?"
"I did," Shepard nodded. "Victor and the others got to come inside when I told the concierge that they were with me."
While the two were talking, Victor noticed a commotion near the entrance. A woman in Alliance Dress Blues was trying to get inside, but the concierge was explaining to her that she wasn't invited inside. That had the Major suspicious, enough that he discreetly sent the two guards a hand signal. Both men nodded, their bodies tensing as they began to check for any new threats.
In the meanwhile, Joker kept on chatting with Shepard. "But here I am, drink in hand. Best pilot in the universe, and a rock star." He took a long swig of a glass in his hands.
"Any news from the Normandy?" Shepard asked.
"Ah, you know. Maintenance stuff. It's hard knowing a bunch of strangers are poking around in my ship – er… I mean your ship."
"The best thing we can do right now is to park her, and let the techs do their work."
"Yeah, you're right. Maybe an oil change, space-tire rotation."
"Right. Trust me. I'll do her some good."
"Oh, I trust you, Shepard. Not those shifty aerospace engineers. Always stealing the silverware."
"Let someone else do the work for once," Shepard reassured Joker. "Admiral's orders. We're on shore leave."
"Yeah," Joker grumbled. "Whether we like it or not."
"I'm sure you'll manage," Shepard beamed.
"I may need a drink that comes with an umbrella," Joker mused.
"I'm the first Human Spectre. I'll get you two umbrellas."
"Awesome use of power boss," Joker smirked. "So… your email said it was important?"
"My email?" Shepard asked, confused. "I'm here 'cause I got a message from you."
That had Joker confused as well. "The hell? I didn't send anything…"
Victor, who was listening in on the conversation, frowned. I had a feeling that something was off, he noted. It appears as though someone's hacked Shepard's accounts and is playing ring-around-the-rosie with him and Joker. Already, the alarm bells of his instincts were starting to ring loud and clear: it was a set-up.
"Commander!" a voice rang out, with the woman Victor spotted earlier coming over to them. Bumping into another patron, she said, "Excuse me… sorry. Alliance business. Commander, this is urgent!"
Hearing that, Shepard turned to see the woman coming towards him. Even in a uniform, she was a pretty person, with dark brown skin, braided brown hair and blue eyes. "Who are you?" Shepard asked.
"Same question here," Victor added.
"Commander Shepard," the woman said. "I'm Staff Analyst Maya Brooks. Alliance – excuse me – Alliance Intelligence. There are people trying to kill you."
"Yeah… I think he's aware of that," Joker replied sarcastically.
"No, I don't mean Cerberus and the Reapers!" Maya countered. "I mean other people! New people! They're… it's…"
"Slow down," Victor instructed her. "Take a breath." Maya, complying, took a few deep breaths, with the tension easing from her body. "Now, what's going on?"
"Someone is hacking into Shepard's account," Maya explained. "Comm channels, personal records… they're targeting you, specifically." She motioned to Shepard when she said this. "Also, who are you?"
"Major Victor Steiner-Davion of the Federated Commonwealth." Hearing that, Brooks saluted. Turning to Shepard, Victor said, "Something about this seemed off."
"Personal experience?" Shepard asked.
"More like instinct," Victor explained. "It also helps that I know what happened to my father. This is eerily similar to that."
Nodding at that, Shepard turned back to Maya. "Targeting me?" he asked. "What do they want?"
"The intel isn't definitive yet," Maya explained. "Last time I guessed without definitive intel, we nearly landed troops on a gas giant, which is bad."
Shepard would've continued, except for the fact that one of the guards said, "Sir, we have a problem!"
Looking in the direction the guard was motioning towards, Shepard and Victor both spotted the problem in question. A group of what appeared to be mercenaries were walking down the steps and into the bar. The concierge attempted to stop one, but was knocked out cold when one of the mercs hammered a fist into his face.
Seeing this, both Victor and Shepard instinctively fell back on their training. "Get down!" Victor told Shepard, before upturning the table they were at, providing them with some makeshift cover. The guards, doing the same, quickly pulled out M61B Pulse Laser Rifles that were in their CQC configuration, making them small enough to conceal, while Shepard and Victor prepared their TK70B Pulse Laser Pistols. "Joker, get out of here! Get the crew if you can!"
Joker, not wanting to stay and watch the fireworks, quickly got up and made a break for an exit door that was nearby. Shepard, who was peering over the table, watched as the mercs fired a few shots to scare away the civilians. Straining his ears, he heard one say, "Spread out, boys! Find me Shepard!"
One of the guards made a hand motion to Shepard and Victor, asking if they could open fire. Shepard sharply shook his head left and right, though he made sure the TK70B in his hands was fully charged and ready. Hearing a shout, he watched as Maya was dragged off by one of the mercs. Just then, one came too close to where Shepard and Victor were at.
Shepard was about to act when Victor beat him to the punch. Pulling out a small stiletto from a booth sheath, Victor stabbed upwards, with the tungsten carbide blade punching through the base of the merc's mouth, through the roof of his mouth and into his brain. The merc went limp immediately, with Victor pulling the corpse over the table, hiding it from view. Spotting the weapon the merc had, Victor stuffed it into a pocket. "Might tell us where they got it," he told Shepard.
"Good thinking," Shepard nodded. "About time we opened fire."
"Go ahead," Victor agreed. With that, Shepard popped out of cover, before he fired this TK70B Pulse Laser Pistol. A pulsing emerald beam of laser light cut through the air and into one of the mercs. Armor designed to stop mass accelerated rounds proved to be useless against laser beams, with the laser cutting into the merc's chest. Said merc coughed as his chest exploded, with the man slumping to the ground, dead.
The other mercs, spotting the laser beam, were about to open fire when Victor's guards obliged them, sending sapphire beams of laser light at them. Mercs fell like ninepins, while others quickly took cover and opened fire. Compared to the guards, the gunfire from the mercs was quite sloppy and undisciplined.
As such, it wasn't long before the mercs were down, and the guards were all that were left. Moving up, Shepard and Victor quickly came over to Maya, who didn't look too badly injured, or even scratched for that matter. "You alright?" Shepard asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Maya nodded.
"LOOK OUT!" one of the guards shouted, firing his rifle. A moment later, a merc fell to the ground dead, but not before a grenade he had in his hands rolled down towards them. Before they could get out of the way, the grenade detonated.
While it was far away enough that they weren't injured, the floor beneath them was another story. "Well, shit," Shepard growled, just as the glass beneath his feet shattered. Reacting fast, he pushed Maya out of the way, before he and Victor fell into the fish tank.
Both men tumbled into the tank, just as the bottom pane broke, sending the two falling through the air. Lashing out with a hand, Shepard caught hold of a sign, with some of the bar LED's breaking off in his hands. Seeing Victor falling, he reached out and grabbed him. That, however, resulted in the sign breaking off in his hands, sending the two tumbling ass over teakettle down a metal incline below them. The two dug their hands into anything that could slow their descent.
Thankfully, their descent came to a stop moments later, with the two coming to a halt on a walkway. Shepard groaned as he got up, his body battered and bruised from the fall, with Victor doing the same. "You alright?" he asked.
"Yeah," Victor grunted, though he too felt battered and bruised. "Remind me not to visit a sushi restaurant that has a floor like that."
"Agreed," Shepard nodded as he checked his TK70B. He need not have worried, as he recalled that the TK70 series were designed to be waterproof. "We've gotta find a way out of here."
Just as he said this, Brooks came in over the comms. "Commander, Major, I found a secure comm terminal. Are you OK down there?"
"Just peachy," Victor groused. "You?"
"I got hit, so I used some medi-gel. A lot. Um… actually all of it. And now everything seems to be a bit bouncy."
"You used too much." Victor frowned. After a moment, he asked, "Any ideas on where we can go?"
"I've got one," Shepard added. Tapping Victor's shoulder, he pointed across the gap In this section of the Citadel that they were at.
Looking in that direction, Victor could see where they were. From what he could tell, they were in a section of the Wards that gently curved downward. Across from them was what appeared to be a sky-car lot, with a holographic sign that said Ciscion Motors in bright orange words. "That'll work," Victor nodded. "We'll head that way now."
"Also," Shepard informed Maya, "contact C-SEC. We're moving out now." Before Maya could reply, the two began to move out. Using a series of ladders, they moved down the area they were at. Once they were at around the level they needed to be at, they began to move through the area.
This, from what the two could tell, was the working class section of the Citadel, as they could see long stalls filled with produce, electronics, fresh meats, and so on, so forth. Moving through a freezer area, they heard Maya say, "So, um, it turns out that C-SEC has the whole area locked down. It's going to be a tiny bit tricky getting you a shuttle."
"We'll handle it," Shepard replied. Looking at Victor, he asked, "Any ideas?"
"Yeah," Victor nodded. "Whoever's targeting you hasn't hacked my comms, so I'll radio for assistance. Either way, I intend to make these mercenaries, and their employers, regret attacking an officer of the Federated Commonwealth. In addition, stay off your comm if you can, and don't contact Brooks. Chances are they'll attack her as well."
"Got it," Shepard nodded. "Still, who are these people?"
"Doesn't matter. We're getting out of here. That's what does." With that, the two continued to traverse the area, moving over the tops of buildings and through alleyways.
They weren't alone, though, as they soon spotted more mercenaries up ahead. Rather than give the mercs a chance to get into cover, both men fired their TK70B's, killing a few of the mercs before the rest took cover. Once the mercs were down, they continued to advance.
As they moved through food stalls, electronics stores and the like, EDI contacted them. "Commander, Major, Jeff told me what happened. The crew is headed your way."
"Roger that," Victor nodded. "Have the crew move to Ciscion Motors. If you want to know where it's at, follow my comm signal. I'll keep the channel open."
"Acknowledged," EDI replied.
Spotting a locked door ahead, Victor moved forwards when Shepard beat him to the punch. Using his omni-tool, he overrode the lock, before they moved out onto a bridge that crossed the gap. "Trouble," he told Victor, pointing at a group of mercenaries up ahead.
"Take them out from here," Victor ordered. "Our TK70B's can kill at that range."C
"Good idea," Shepard nodded, with the two getting into cover before popping out and firing their weapons. Two mercenaries fell to their initial attack, while the others took cover.
"OH SHIT!" one of the mercs shouted. "We didn't know they have laser pistols!"
"Just shut up and -" A moment later, that merc went down when his head exploded, courtesy of a lucky shot on Shepard's part. The two men continued to move up as they fired, with Shepard nailing a mercenary in the head.
Just then one popped out of cover and took aim at Shepard. Before Shepard could turn to engage, there was a blur of motion, then the merc fell over dead. To Shepard's surprise, the hilt of Victor's stiletto was sticking out of the eyepiece for the merc's helmet, with the blade having punched through the eyepiece. "Nice throw!" he told the Major as the latter pulled the blade out. "Where'd you learn to do that?"
"One of my private instructors," Victor explained. "It helps that this isn't your ordinary stiletto. It's a vibroblade my father had made for me. Quite useful when you use them right."
"Definitely," Shepard agreed as they advanced.
Eventually, they reached the area where the sky-cars were being kept at. Hearing gunfire, the two found a pair of mercenaries firing on Liara and, much to Shepard's surprise, Celicia. The two biotics were projecting a barrier that was blocking the rounds. At a nod from Liara, Celicia lashed out with her botics, sending the two mercs tumbling end over end while snapping their necks at the same time. As Victor and Shepard moved through the door, Celicia asked, "Having a bad day, Uncle?"
"You could say that," Shepard conceded. "Also, I didn't know you were here."
"After Palaven was retaken from the Reapers, Admiral Westford decided to have my mom and my siblings go on shore leave," Celicia explained. "When we came here, we were enjoying some time with dad when we heard EDI telling us what happened. Liara happened to pick me up on her way here, as she figured out what had already happened."
"Ah," Shepard nodded. "I see. Any way out?"
"Landing pad is over there," Liara added. "But it's behind a locked door. We'll need to find the control panel. Like the outfit, by the way."
"Thanks," Shepard nodded.
"So, I heard you fell through a fish tank with Victor."
"Yeah. We'll talk about it later."
"Pity… I liked that restaurant."
"Um…?"
"Right. Control panel."
As they walked around, Shepard spotted the door that would lead into the office of the salesman that worked here. Pressing it, he frowned when it turned an angry red. He was about to switch his TK70B to cutting mode when Liara said, "Wait." Walking over to a nearby window, she knocked on it and said, "Hello? Could you please open the gate?" Right on cue, the gate leading to the landing pad opened, allowing them to access it. "Thank you," she beamed.
"Heh," Victor smiled. "Sometimes you need a woman's touch." At that, Celicia chuckled.
Just then, they spotted a C-SEC shuttle heading towards them. Apparently, Celicia spotted something that unsettled her, as she said, "GET DOWN!" Taking her advice, the team got behind cover. They were just in time, as gunfire erupted, pelting the cover they were at with bullets.
"Damnit!" Shepard snarled. "The mercs are using C-SEC shuttles! Any ideas?!"
"No!" Victor replied.
Fortunately for them, someone else had an idea. There was a loud CRASH as something fell through the air, as well as a loud roar as, much to Shepard's surprise, Wrex and another man wearing Battle Armor landed onto the commandeered shuttle. The shuttle crashed to the ground, before Wrex and the man went inside, closing the door as they did so. As they did so, Shepard realized who the second man was. It's Edward, he realized. I know that suit of Battle Armor anywhere!
At that moment, the shuttle began to bounce around, as though some giant fox was trying to smash it's way out. Moments later, one of the doors burst open, with a merc screaming as Edward sent him flying headfirst into a support beam with a solid kick to the merc's ass. Wrex was busy punching and beating two mercenaries into a bloodied pulp, before kicking another one out the other door, sending that merc into freefall.
Edward laughed as he walked out. "Ah, nothing like beating mercenaries into a pulp while saving the First Prince's son and Shepard." Walking over, he asked, "You four OK?"
"We're fine," Shepard nodded. Spotting Wrex, he asked, "What are you doing here?"
"Ah, just butting heads with the Council over Krogan expansion," Wrex shrugged as he tossed the two dead mercs away. As he said this, another shuttle arrived, though when the doors opened, C-SEC and AFFC personnel burst out of the shuttle, weapons raised and at the ready.
It was the last individual that had Shepard's attention. "Ardan Sortek?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"
"I was in the neighborhood," Ardan replied. "I heard about what was happening, and so did Hanse Davion, since Liara contacted him. He sent me to make sure you had a safe ride back to your apartment. The 1st Davion Guards have secured the place."
"Good," Shepard nodded as he came aboard the shuttle. "About time we got an exfil." With that, they left, with everyone alive, and a lot of questions.
(Author's Q&A)
edboy4926: Thank you. I'm happy to have saved that character as well.
SulliMike23: I agree. The Reaper's logic is actually circular. By assimilating all organisms into an artificial body, they're actually perpetuating the problem that they're trying to solve. That reminds me of one definition of insanity: repeating the same thing over and over, while expecting a different result each time. That's the kind of insanity the Reapers are suffering from, if you ask me.
IceBite: I'm glad you see it that way. To be honest, that's how you protect data and programs from being lost: make a backup copy of it.
StarBorn Michael: Thank you. I had fun writing it too.
Guest: Thank you.
Violet Toyger: Same here. I did kinda see that plot point as needing refinement.
.nimrod: Thank you. I'm happy to see that I pleased you.
Just a Crazy-Man: Thank you.