Chapter 5 Therum

The Normandy was approaching Therum when Joker called Nihlus and Shepard to the cockpit. "What is it Joker?" Shepard asked him.

"We are detecting a ship, the design and markings show that it is apart of the Blood Pack fleet." Joker relayed.

"Alright Joker prepare for a mako drop." Shepard ordered the pilot as she headed to the cargo bay. "Williams, Alenko, Nihlus to the cargo bay we are preparing for a Mako drop."

When Shepard arrived Williams and Nihlus were waiting for her. Alenko arrived 2 minutes after Shepard. "Alright, get your gear and be ready to drop in 20 minutes, the Blood Pack have sent some of their troops, most will either be Krogan or Vorcha." Shepard explained.

"Vorcha?" Williams asked.

"They are species that are mostly found in the Terminus System, their society is not space fairing and only found their way to space by stowing away on ships stopping by their home planet." Nihlus began to explain to the human. "It's best if you kept shooting them until they are unmoving as they harden and heal themselves if you let up after a certain amount of time."

"Joy." Williams sarcastically remarked.

"They are pretty easy compared to the Krogan of the Blood Pack." Nihlus stated trying to reassure the Lieutenant.

"Our mission is to get in and get the doctor before the Blood Pack get her to who knows where." Shephard announced to the three.

Shepard enters the drivers seat of the Mako while Williams, Alenko, and Nihlus enter the seats in the back of the ship. After 19 minutes, Jokers voice comes from the loud speakers in the cargo bay. "Attention ground team prepare to drop in 60 seconds as we are approaching the drop zone, mind the bump when you land."

"I have never done one of these before." Nihlus confessed with a bland voice.

"It does it's job but it is very rough when you land, you'll live though." Williams said in a slightly bitter tone that Nihlus picked up.

"Initiating Drop." Joker called.

The Mako fell from the hanger and landed roughly leaving Nihlus shaken for a moment before schooling his face into a cool professionalism. "Everyone alright back there." Shepard inquired of the ground team.

"All good commander." Williams said rubbing her head a little.

Moving forward the mako easily dispatched the mercenaries. A vorcha running away was ran over by the mako killing it instantly. The mako continued its way until it encountered the facility with a wall not wide enough for the mako to get through. "Allright people this is where we get out, be on our guard the Blood Pack will not go easy on us."

"Roger commander." Alenko acknowledged as he got out of the mako.

The two went between the wedge and went up a small incline and saw two vorcha guarding the door. The two vorcha were easily taken care of as the four entered the tunnels of the dig site. The four slowly made their way down and see a three vorcha and a krogan in front of a barrier. "How long does Asari plan to wait in there?" A vorcha demanded of his krogan boss.

"When the rest of the pack turn off the shield so we can capture her and sell her off." The krogan told the vorchas in his command.

Shepard pulled out a grenade and threw it at the four. The grenade exploded killing two of the vorcha. Shepard and the ground team then fired on the rest killing them in a matter of seconds. "Alright let's keep moving." Shepard commanded.

They moved to the barrier and saw an interesting sight. They saw an asari lifted by the same barriers that were keeping the team out. "Can you hear me out there?" The asari asked them. "I'm trapped, I need help."

"Liara T'soni?" Shepard guessed.

"Thank the goddess I did not think anyone would come looking for me." Liara praised. "Listen this barrier is a Prothean security device, I can not move so I need you to get me out it alright."

"How did you end up like this?" Shepard questioned to see anyway to get her out.

"I was excavating the ruins when the Blood Pack showed up and I hid in here."

"And the barriers?" Shepard inquired.

"I activated the barriers because I knew that they would keep them out, but when I activated them I must have hit something that I wasn't supposed to and now I am trapped in here you must get me out please."

"Allright will get you out." Shepard reassured her.

"There is a control in here that should deactivate this thing, you'll have to find someway past the barrier curtain."

"All right hang tight."

The four turned and looked for something that they could use to get inside the chamber. Before they went down to the ground floor, Shepard raised her hand to signal to hold position. Voices of vorcha could be heard. "Why can't we use drill?" One of the vorcha said.

"Because boss said so."

"I think…" A third vorcha was about to enter his own argument when they noticed a grenade. "Grenade!" He exclaimed before jumping on it covering it with his body.

One vorcha was pulled into the air then Williams shot it until it was dead. While Nihlus and Shepard shot the last one was lifted into the air by Shepard while Nihlus shot him to death. Williams then went down the ramp to the dirt ground. "It's clear." Williams shouted.

The other three follow her. They start to look around until Alenko finds something interesting. "Commander I think this might be useful."

Shepard and crew look at what he was referring to and notices a large lazer drill pointed to the ground. "Nice job lieutenant."

Shepard heads to the drill control and accesses it. "Alright turning the drill on." Shepard stated.

The drill activates making a hole deep enough to go under the tower and go up from there. They go to the other side and go up to the floor where Liara is located. They entered the chamber and Shepard set to work to get her. Liara was released and she landed on her face. "Thank you." She said in gratitude than noticed the spectre.

"Spectre Nihlus, what are you doing here?" Liara asked.

"The council sent me with the Alliance to retrieve you and head to the citadel it will be explained on the Normandy." Nihlus answered.

Suddenly they hear the facility shake. "The drill must have caused a mini earthquake we need to go now." Shepard commanded as the tunnels continued the shake.

"We have to hurry the whole cave is caving in." liara stated urgently.

"Joker, lock on to my signal get the Normandy here on the double mister." Shepard ordered through the comms.

"Ah ah commander, ETA 8 minutes." Joker confirmed the ordered.

The five went on to the platform and allowed it to take it up towards the exit. When they got to the top level they noticed 5 vorcha and a Krogan Battlemaster approach them. Shepard brought up her arm to indicate to be ready. The battlemaster approached the group. "Surrender or don't, doesn't matter."

"In case that you haven't noticed the whole place is falling apart." Shepard pointed out.

"More fun now hand over the Asari the Blood Pack can get a load of credits for her with the Citadel wanting her for her expertise and a powerful matriarch as a mother I will have more credits than I know what to do with for the ransom and if they don't pay the Batarian's will be more than happy to have an Asari scientist as a slave." He said with a big grin.

"She will stay with us." She said with cocky grin.

The krogan grinned even wider before he noticed his vorcha in a singularity field. He then turned ready to charge only to be shot multiple times with assault rifles killing him after 30 seconds.

"Let's move!" Shepard shouted and ran to the exit and jumped into the ship with ship still in the air and the cargo bay door open. They went further into the Normandy as the door closed.