Chapter 8: Stopping the Asteroid

The bullet hitting her shield with no damage to her. "Oh god!" The stranger exclaimed.

Shepard gave him a quizzical look putting a hand up to give the order to her companions to hold fire. The stranger puts his hands up and approaches Shepard. "I didn't mean to … I'm sorry."

"It takes more than one shot to bring me down." She reassured the stranger.

"Sorry didn't I didn't even realize you were human until… well guess I'm not much of a soldier."

"That's why we are hear." Shepard told him.

"Right, my name is Simon, Simon Atwell, I'm the chief astronaut on this rock." He introduced himself. "Listen we don't have much time, the Batarians fired up the fusion torches, you've got to shut them down before we hit Terra Nova, there are four million people down there I … my family, they live on Aronas."

"I understand the situation we will shut down the fusion torches before impact, but this doesn't make any sense the Batarians run criminal gangs and make a profit if they destroy a human world then the Alliance would launch a full scale war against the Hegemony home world and any of its remaining colonies." Shepard told him.

"I don't know, but I think they are working on their own." Atwell elaborated.

"Regardless ,if they succeed then the Alliance will have to declare war and start the war with the Batarians all over again and the Terra Nova party might get enough power to force the Alliance to separate from the council which will isolate us further." Alenko states this time.

"You were on the ground when this happened how many have you seen?" Shepard asked.

"They landed at the main facility, it's locked down now; they changed the pass codes and so I a have no idea what's going on inside."

Williams sighed in aggravation. "I did see groups head to each of the torch facilities, can't say how many though just enough to give you all a fight."

"Any clue on who might be the leader?" Shepard asked.

"I heard a couple of them of them talk about a Balak it sounds like he is the one in charge, sounds like they are afraid of him."

"Anything that we should know before we get going?" Shepard asked.

"Yeah, I activated land mines in the surrounding areas of one of the torch controls." He admitted.

"Why?" Nihlus asked this time.

Atwell finally took notice of the Turian and widened his eyes. "To keep the Batarians out the only problem was that the mines didn't activate until after they entered the torch control area."

"This just gets better and better." Alenko said.

"Alright I have Joker updating the fifth fleet they won't be here in another 20 hours but by then they might sabotage the station to force the asteroid to go faster so we have no time to lose."

"Also the Batarians also have our science team as hostages or worse."

"Alright we will get them out after we stop the asteroid from hitting the planet, but you keep your self hidden until the Alliance takes control back."

"You got it commander, please get the rest of my people out of here."

"We will now, get yourself somewhere safe." Shepard ordered him.

"Right!" Simon exclaimed before heading into the interior.

"Alright lets move." Shepard lead them out.

"I do have concerns about the land minds surrounding the torch controls." Liara stated voicing everyone's thoughts on the matter.

"Thank fully though we have gear that detect when we are close to one." Alenko pointed out.

"Doubt the Batarians will let us cross freely though?" Williams said as they entered the Mako.

"That's why you will be sniper support while the four of us make our way through the mine field."

"Got it."

The Mako stopped near the mine field. Williams saw a hill and climbed it and when she reached the top of the hill she verified her position. Shepard then nodded to the rest of the ground team and they entered the mine field. As they walked through the mine field they noticed that a group of 6 Batarians exit the facility. One of them was down with a shot to the head. The team in the mine field kept moving through it avoiding any of the mines. The took cover as four Batarians fired at them while a sniper was battling Williams. After 3 minutes the Batarians were taken down. Shepard then went to the switch for the mines and switched it off. The four entered the torch facility and took care of the drones and the Batarians stationed there. They turned off the torches and headed back out and found the mako in front of the facility. "I decided to move the mako so that we can get to the other torch faster." Williams explained.

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Shepard said in gratitude as they entered the mako.

The mako drove to the third torch facility and took out the turrets guarding the facility. They entered the facility and quickly took care of the Batarians guarding the torch controls. They deactivated the final torch stopping the meteor from hitting Terra Nova. They were about to head to the exit when they were confronted by a group of 6 batarians and two variens. "Halt, this doesn't have to end in bloodshed." The lead batarian ordered.

The five approached the group. "Don't come any closer, we can do this the hard way or we can end this peacefully." The batarian leader offered aggressively.

"I got nothing to saw to you." Shepard told him.

"Look I am just doing my job, hijacking this rock was not my idea." The Batarian explained. "I signed on to make a little profit a little slave grab nothing more."

"Then who's was it? Balak's?" Nihlus demanded.

"Yeah that's him, once he saw this asteroid he had this idea in his head he couldn't be talked out and the last person that pointed out that the humans will attack our systems if we go through with it was shot and killed."

"You know that we don't have to fight and we can take care of Balak for you." Shepard explained. "You can start your own pirate band in the Terminus system."

"Appealing, and I won't have to worry about the Hegemony executing me by leaving Balak behind." He agreed. "Hear is the key to get into the main facility but be careful he's got 25 warriors ready for you."

The Batarians then left the facility quickly. "You know we could have just killed them." Ashley stated.

"True but then we wouldn't get numbers and he could have destroyed key in the melee." Shepard explained.

The five then went back to the mako and headed to the main facility to deal with Balak. "Commander, this is Admiral Hackett." A rough voice came over the comms.

"This is Commander Shepard, what's your status?" Shepard inquired.

"A platoon is 20 minutes away from your position." Hackett updated the commander.

"Understood, meteor has been stopped on our way to apprehend the mastermind."

"Good, fifth fleet out."

The ground team reached the main facility and entered the facility. They made their way to the atrium where they are instantly attacked by the batarians. The five kept moving a shooting batarians and drones that were programed to fire at them. After 15 minutes of fighting, it was over and the ground team not having lost anyone. The five were beginning to feel exhausted. "Enough!" A gruff voice yelled from the top of the stairs of the atrium. "It seems the dreaded humans and their enablers were the ones behind stopping this asteroid from delivering justice."

"What have the colonists of Terra Nova have to do with this?" Shepard asked.

"Nothing but you humans treasure this colony and will do a crushing blow to your species." Balak started monologuing. "We are proud race we were expanded then you humans showed up and ruined it for us, territory that was rightfully our were taken over by your species while the council allowed it to happen to appease your hateful species."

"You had the right to develop in the verge you just didn't like it when the council did not give you the exclusive rights to it." Nihlus pointed out.

"It was ours by our divine right but I see that talking is pointless so you will be letting us go or the humans left are going to meet an explosive end."

"Do you honestly think that you won't be hunted after this, you will be on every wanted bulletin in the galaxy." Nihlus stated.

"Regardless the Hegemony will reward me so either we go or those workers die, oh and don't try following us as the bombs are on a timer." He said with a wide grin before he and his men started running.

The ground team fought more drones and deactivated the bombs before freeing the hostages. "Oh my god you saved us, you actually saved us." One of the hostages exclaimed. "I though for sure that you would let us die."

"I couldn't let you die, besides the fifth fleet should be capturing Balaks ship as we speak."

Outside the Asteroid

Balak and the remainder of his men just got out of the Asteroids orbit when it encountered a flotilla of Alliance ships. "Balak disarm your weapons and be prepared to be boarded." An alliance ordered message played.

Balak had a look of furry on his face before he gave an order that would lead to his final downfall. "Fire and fight to the last man."

His ship fell in less that 10 minutes.