.
Loyalty and Limerence
Part 2
Chapter 23
The Normandy SR2
"Okay, everyone. Refueling is done, next stop is the Omega 4 Relay." Shepard's voice echoed through the ship's comm system, and Garrus quickly finished pulling his shirt on, "I want everyone suited up and in the CIC in ten minutes. We've got a crew to rescue." Garrus looked at Jane where she was sitting on the edge of the bed putting on her boots. They'd had a blessed few hours of peace where he'd been able to avoid thinking about the impending relay jump, for the most part.
"Looks like reality's come knocking." Jane muttered as she stood, seeming to have read his mind. She moved toward him, placing a sweet kiss on his mandible before moving toward the table to begin gathering the dishes up. As soon as he was finished dressing, Garrus moved to help. Jane carefully picked up the small, paper bouquet, smiling at it. He felt his chest flutter with pride and happiness at her clear joy in them.
As soon as they'd dropped off the dishes in the mess hall, they made for the barracks where they joined the others in getting suited up. Jane carefully placed the bouquet among her belongings, her eyes lingering on it for a moment before she smiled at him.
Before they knew it, the entire ground team was assembled in the CIC, and Shepard stood before them, his face stoney as he surveyed them. The room was silent except for the creeping anxiety that seemed to have infected each and every one of them.
"Listen up. EDI may be able to handle most of the responsibilities day to day, but we need all hands on deck for the jump." Shepard began, his voice reverberating around the large space, "We don't know what they're flying into, so I need all stations manned. Thane, Jacob, Samara, Mordin, I need you all here in the CIC, EDI will assign you where she thinks you will serve best. Zaeed, Grunt, Jack, I want you guys on standby, armed and ready in case we're somehow boarded again. Tali, you will lead a team in engineering, including Kasumi, Jane, Garrus, and Legion."
Tali and Legion glanced at each other in unison before looking back at Shepard, nodding in understanding. Garrus had heard about their run-in the day before, but it seemed as though the Commander had managed to smooth things over between the two.
"Miranda and I will be overseeing everything from the cockpit with Joker." Shepard took a deep breath, gathering himself before he continued, "This is it, guys. It's finally time to bring the fight to the Collectors. I won't pretend that I like going into this nearly blind. But I do like one thing- That I have a team who can handle it." Shepard's smile was grim but proud, and there was a chorus of agreements around them. With that, they dispersed, and Garrus joined the team heading down to engineering.
The elevator ride was a quiet one, each person caught up in their own musings. But as soon as they stepped foot into engineering, Tali began giving out directions. They each moved into position accordingly, and Garrus couldn't help but smile at how far Tali really had come since they'd first found her on the Citadel those years ago.
Sooner than he'd anticipated, he heard Joker's voice through the comm system, "Approaching Omega 4 Relay. Everyone stand by." Garrus looked up from the weapon resources allocation display, and his eyes met Jane's across the room where she was stationed at another console. They nodded to each other, and Garrus tried to convey some of the sentiments they'd shared with each other just hours before. He hoped she understood. He hoped he looked more confident than he felt.
"Reaper IFF activated. Signal acknowledged." EDI stated, and everyone's attention was back on their consoles in an instant. All of a sudden, it became obvious that something wasn't right. Power levels spiked and alarms went off at more than one station. Tali and Kasumi took a few steps back from the drive core as it began vibrating with an intense energy Garrus had never seen before. "Drive core electrical charge at critical levels."
Moments later, it glowed bright orange, and Garrus felt the familiar tug of a mass relay.
As they filed into the comm room, Garrus noted with some small relief that his were not the only legs that seemed shaky after their fight through the debris field and crash landing on the Collector base. By some miracle, they'd made it. Shepard and his team had fought off whatever had breached the hull, and the Thanix Cannon's debut performance had gone perfectly. Garrus felt more than a little proud, but it was hard to focus on that with what loomed ahead.
As Shepard entered the room, the entire team holstered their weapons and stood a little taller. He slowly made his way to the head of the table, his expression focused and thoughtful.
"This isn't how we planned this mission, but this is where we're at." He started, bringing his hands to rest on the table before him, "We can't worry about whether the Normandy can get us home. We came to stop the Collectors, and that means coming up with a plan to take out this station."
The discussion quickly began, team members pitching in thoughts and observations. There appeared to be some sort of central chamber, and it was generally agreed upon that the kidnapped crew members would most likely be there.
"Looks like there are two main routes. Might be a good idea to split up to keep the Collectors off balance, then regroup in the central chamber." Jacob suggested as he used his omni-tool to highlight the routes on the main holo map above the table.
"No good." Miranda replied tersely, "Both routes are blocked. See these doors?" Miranda, too, used her omni-tool to draw their attention to something specific on the map, "The only way past is to get someone to open them from the other side."
"It's not a fortress," Shepard mused, leaning one forearm onto the table as he examined the map before him, "There's got to be something." He narrowed his eyes, and a moment later he inhaled sharply, "Here. Maybe we can send someone in through this ventilation shaft."
There were murmurs of agreement, and Garrus could hear Jane chuckle where she stood nearby. She leaned in toward Zaeed to whisper something, and the older man smirked and rolled his eyes. Garrus vaguely remembered a story Jane had told him once about her experiences with navigating ventilation shafts on Omega.
"Practically a suicide mission." Jacob's overly cavalier voice interrupted Garrus' thoughts, "I volunteer."
"I appreciate the thought, Jacob," Miranda interjected, shaking her head, "But you couldn't shut down the security systems in time." She turned to face Shepard, "We need to send a tech expert."
"It's your call, Commander. Who do we send into the shaft?" Jacob asked, and Shepard's eyes slowly shifted from person to person as he considered the options. It would be a dangerous task, and it was apparent that it wasn't a decision he wanted to make lightly.
Garrus quickly began running through the options. Tali, obviously, was the most experienced technical expert, but she lacked physical prowess and stealth training that would be necessary to make it through the shaft unnoticed by the enemy. Kasumi came to mind, she possessed both stealth training and technical ability, but-
"Send me." Jane's words cut through the silence, and all eyes fell on where she stood, her arms crossed and her face set. Garrus felt his chest clench painfully.
"Why?" Shepard replied instantly, his sharp voice betraying his distaste for the idea.
"I'm clearly the most qualified. I possess the necessary skills, and I'm the one most capable of defending myself should I meet with opposition before I'm able to open the doors." Jane explained evenly, her voice ringing with self assured confidence. After a moment, she glanced at Kasumi and Tali, "No offense guys."
"None taken." Kasumi grinned, "Ventilation shafts have never been my favorite." Shepard seemed about to argue, but the siblings' eyes met, and they seemed to wage a silent war of attrition as the others watched on.
"Fine." He finally snapped, begrudgingly convinced, and Jane nodded. Garrus bit down the disappointment that they wouldn't be facing this battle side by side.
"I won't let you down, John."
"The rest of us will break into two teams and fight down each passage. That should draw the Collectors' attention away from what Jane's doing." He continued, his voice grim as though he was personally prepared to insure she went unnoticed. Garrus was well acquainted with Shepard's fighting tactics, and 'attention drawing' was definitely a word he would use to describe them. Loud explosions and biotic light shows were regular tools in his arsenal.
"I'll lead the second fire team, Shepard." Miranda spoke up immediately, "We'll meet up with you on the other side of the doors."
"Not so fast, Cheerleader." Jack called out from across the room as she pulled herself up off her forearms, pushing away from the table, "Nobody wants to take orders from you." She sneered, and Garrus had to admit, she had a point. He had nothing against Miranda, personally, but despite technically being the ship's XO, she hadn't really done anything yet to command the respect of the crew beyond being a good soldier. She had started coming out of her shell somewhat during the last few weeks, particularly during the crew's social get togethers. But it seemed as though most of her actual duties centered around being the go-between for them and Cerberus. Given most people's feelings about Cerberus lately, even the human crew, that probably didn't endear her to many.
"This isn't a popularity contest. Lives are at stake." Miranda rolled her eyes as she looked to the Commander, "Shepard, you need someone who can command loyalty through experience."
This decision didn't appear to need nearly as much consideration, because a heartbeat later, Shepard turned to face Garrus. He felt his trepidation rising at the words he somehow knew were about to come out of the other man's mouth.
"Garrus. You're in charge of the second team." The words were spoken with a confidence that humbled Garrus, as though he were the only logical answer. While Shepard's faith in him was something to feel proud about, he mostly felt dread settle in the pit of his stomach.
Clearly, Shepard had forgotten what happened the last time Garrus had been in command of a team. He hadn't, though, and for the first time in a long while, he felt the sting of ten pairs of eyes drilling holes into the back of his head. Garrus forced his face to remain an emotionless mask as he nodded, yet unable to form words. He prepared, bracing himself for the inevitable cries of displeasure from around him.
"Well, at least he knows what he's doing." Miranda stated as she shrugged, stepping back slightly from the table. To Garrus' surprise, he heard a number of murmured agreements and saw nodding heads as he glanced around the room.
"I don't know what we're going to find in there, but I won't lie to you." Shepard began, forcing Garrus' mind back on task. "It's not going to be easy. We've lost good people. We may lose more." The weight of his words caused the room to sober, many with eyes downcast. Shepard shifted his weight, bringing his hands to clasp behind his back, "We don't know how many the Collectors have stolen - thousands, hundreds of thousands. It's not important.
"What matters is this-" Shepard's hand came down with each of his next words as emphasis, "Not one more. That's what we can do, here, today. It ends with us." It had been a while since Garrus had heard one of Shepard's truly impassioned speeches and Garrus felt it stir something in him, as he knew it did for most people. Shepard was a born leader, he had the ability to bring a ragtag group together into a tight knit, cohesive unit, and then motivate them until they felt like they could take on the world. And they usually could.
Shepard's finger suddenly darted forward as he gestured toward the map of the Collector base displayed before them, "They want to know what we're made of? I say we show them, on our terms." He jabbed his thumb back toward himself before finally settling back. He brought his fist crashing into his open palm as he smiled with determination, his brows knitting, "Let's bring our people home."
With that, nearly everyone let loose an energized cheer, some thrusting fists in the air and others simply smiling as they nodded their heads in agreement. Once they'd quieted down, Shepard began breaking them into their groups.
"Okay, I want Samra, Legion, Jack, Mordin, and Zaeed over here on this side with Garrus." Shepard barked as he pointed to one side of the room, and as they began sorting themselves, he continued, "That leaves Miranda, Tali, Kasumi, Thane, Jacob, Grunt, and Jane on this side. You guys will be coming with me. Jane, you will stay with us until you separate to enter the ventilation shaft. Kasumi, I want you ready in case something goes wrong."
"Understood." Both women nodded at him before turning to grin at each other.
"Any questions?" Shepard asked, and after fielding a few minor ones, it appeared as though they were as ready as they ever would be. The teams started for the door, but Garrus let the others pass him by as his eyes landed on one person in particular. Catching Jane's arm, he pulled her aside as the last few people trickled through the exit.
"Jane, promise me you'll be careful." Garrus murmured as he pulled her into an embrace, their armor clacking together solidly as they wrapped their arms around each other.
"Of course I will. I can't promise I won't take any risks, not given how important this mission is, but I'll do my best." They pulled apart slightly, their faces only millimeters apart as they savored what might be their last few moments together. "You take care, too."
"I don't like being separated, I can't watch your six like this." He growled without any real anger, just frustration at a situation far outside his own control.
"I know," Jane nodded, "But I'll get that door open for you. We'll see each other soon." She promised before reaching up to press a slow, lingering kiss to his mouth plates. In a way, the kiss itself felt like a promise.
"See you soon." Garrus replied before releasing her reluctantly. They followed after the others, one last look passing between them before he turned to lead his team toward the airlock. One by one, they disembarked the Normandy, jumping down to land upon the hard ground. Like the Collector ship, it seemed oddly as though they were walking upon a rocky surface, but he couldn't help but wonder how that could possibly be. Metal and stone seemed seamlessly integrated in a way that bent and confused the eye, in a way that seemed unnatural and disturbing.
Garrus directed his team alongside the Normandy until they reached a safe passage down toward the secondary entrance to the base, the one leading toward the route they would be traversing. As they started their descent, he chanced a glance up toward the Normandy, watching as the other team began disembarking as well. Just before turning back to focus on his footing, Garrus watched Jane jump down from the airlock. He tried not to wonder if it would be the last time he'd see her.
"Okay, let's get ready." He turned, pitching his voice to carry to each of his team members as they took up positions, "We'll hold until Shepard's team is ready. When we get the signal, we need to make as big a splash as possible, draw as much attention off them as we can." There was a chorus of affirmative replies and mechanical sounds as they checked their weapons and equipment. Just behind them stood the broken and battered Normandy, silhouetted by the intense light bending around the center of the galaxy.
Garrus took a moment to scan his team. It was a good combination of people, well balanced and focused. Okay, so he originally wouldn't have counted Jack amongst those he would like to have under his command, but she'd come a long way in the months since he'd met her.
Honestly, what surprised him was that they'd been so willing to follow his command. None of them had argued, none of them had given him any reason to doubt their commitment or loyalty. He hadn't even gotten a sarcastic eye roll from Jack, which he was pretty sure was at least fifty percent of her vocabulary.
"I appreciate the respect and professionalism you've all brought to this mission." Garrus finally stated soberly to his team, "I know it can't be easy having one of your own placed above you, even temporarily, but I promise to lead to the best of my ability."
Samara smiled at him softly in a way that reminded him oddly of his mother, even given the vast differences between their facial features. "You are more than qualified to be given this command." Garrus blinked at her sudden praise.
"I'm just happy you're not the fucking cheerleader. Anything's better than that Cerberus bitch." Jack grumbled, shrugging as she checked over her pistol.
"Archangel's team accomplished extraordinary feats on Omega." Mordin chimed in a moment later, his voice as matter-of-fact as always, "No qualms serving under qualified leader."
"Shepard-Commander has faith in your ability. This is enough for us." Legion added, causing Zaeed to nod as well. Garrus felt all the weight of their approval, both the gratitude and the fear of letting them down settling upon his shoulders.
"Thank you, everyone, I-"
"I'm inside the ventilation shaft." Jane's update over the comm system interrupted whatever he'd been about to say. "It's fairly hot, definitely not comfortable, but it seems clear. Should be pretty easy."
"Second team, are you in position?" Shepard asked, and Garrus's eyes scanned over them one last time with a slow nod of his head.
"In position." He replied through his comm, "Meet you on the other side of those doors." Garrus nodded to his team as he hefted his rifle. "Okay team, time to make an impression."
"Fuck yeah!" Jack thrust her fist in the air, and he couldn't help but smile at her exuberance. Turning, he led the way through the entrance into a large, dimly lit corridor, booted feet trudging after him.
Occasionally, light filtered in from above to illuminate their way, but more often than not, they picked their way across the uneven floor to the light of eerie, glowing panels in the walls that looked almost like insect webbing. The organic quality of the corridor almost made it appear as though it was a tunnel deep within the ground, adding to the general claustrophobic atmosphere.
Carefully, they picked their way through the corridors until it opened up into a large, foggy room, the ceiling of which disappeared far above their heads, columns stretching up into a blue haze. Garrus quickly ducked behind cover as he noticed movement ahead. Peeking out, he registered a small group of Collectors working at consoles nearby.
He gestured to Jack, who nodded and crept closer. She darted into position, and he waited a moment before signaling her. Standing suddenly, Jack released a vicious roar as she brought her fist up, glowing with crackling biotic energy. A shockwave smashed into the Collectors, sending a number of them flying backwards.
The rest of the team opened fire immediately, taking out a few before they could even register they were under attack. Their confidence was short-lived, however, as a nearby door opened and another wave of Collectors stormed in. Garrus continued to direct the team as they shifted positions to go on the defensive. He found that the old habits of command seemed to drift up to the surface of their own accord, almost like an old childhood skill left dormant, but never truly forgotten. Maybe Shepard's faith wasn't entirely misplaced afterall. It was too soon to say.
They finally began pushing the Collector forces back, one position at a time, gaining ground as they fought around the edge of the room toward the corridor they needed to follow. As they finally made it to the mouth of the corridor and took up positions, Garrus decided to check in with Shepard.
"Garrus here. We're taking heavy fire, but we're moving forward."
"Good to hear. Keep me updated as you continue. We've just engaged with the enemy, but it looks like you've managed to draw a number of them your way. Keep your eyes open and wits sharp."
"Roger that." Garrus' smile was grim as he returned his focus back to the sights of his rifle. The more enemies they attracted, the less Shepard and Jane would need to worry about. He could live with that.
"There's some sort of gate blocking my path up ahead. I think you're going to need to find some controls, John." Jane's voice came over the comm, making him pause. "Ah! Whatever that was, it did the trick. Looks like I'm clear to continue on."
"Shit, it's more of the flying ones." Zaeed growled as they entered another room that opened up onto a chasm, "I hate the flying ones, hard to pretend they're not gigantic bugs." He tossed a grenade and everyone ducked as it went off with a loud explosion. "At least they burn as easily as bugs."
"Another one of those gates. Going to need a hand again, John." Jane continued to make her way through the shaft, occasionally requiring assistance from the other team. Garrus would be lying if he said that it wasn't reassuring to get to hear her voice through the comm. Knowing she was going to be there to get them through the door was good motivation, too.
Garrus pushed his team as they continued to fight their way forward, taking advantage of lulls to hurry through the corridors as they neared their goal.
"Garrus here. We're making good progress. Meet you at the rendezvous."
"Good. We'll be there." Came Shepard's terse reply, and he could hear the faint sound of gunfire in the background.
"Shame we lack time for scans. Speed necessary. But would love to deepen understanding." Mordin mused as he loaded a new heat sink into his pistol as they ran. "Collectors genetic descendants of Protheans. Much to be studied."
"They are an abomination. Even if the code did not demand their deaths for the atrocities they have committed, it would still be considered mercy to kill them." Samara stated firmly as she used a biotic attack to smash a Collector against the wall with a sickening crack.
"Damn it, there's another gate up ahead. You're going to need to find another valve somewhere, John. Getting hotter in here." Jane muttered urgently, and Garrus could hear the strain in her voice.
"Come on guys, focus. We need to press forward." He told his team, and pressed the enemy even harder. With each shot of his sniper rifle, another Collector fell with a hole through the head, the mantra playing through his mind - We've got to get there in time. We've got to get there in time - He knew their speed in no way affected the ease of Jane's task, but he sure as hell was going to be there when she needed him.
"Perfect, there it goes. Heading through the gate now."
As they rounded the next turn, Garrus could make out a giant metal door at the end of the corridor and felt a moment of elation. That had to be it. They quickly took down the few Collectors guarding the door before he directed the team to take up defensive positions.
"Should be getting close to the end," Jane stated, "You're going to need to find the controls for the final gate, John."
"She's going to have this door open any minute now, we need to hold this position until then." Garrus barked at his team as they held off a renewed onslaught by the Collectors that had been hot on their heels.
That was when he began to hear a dull, far off sound that barely registered at first, but slowly grew in his awareness as anxiety prickled in his belly. The droning vibration began to grow in pitch and volume until he suddenly registered what it was.
"Seeker swarms incoming!"
"Counter measure helps prevent detection." Mordin began as the swarms turned the corner and began rushing toward them, a cloud of vibrating, furious insects that made Garrus' jaw clench, "Not as effective against these numbers."
"Craaaaap." Jack growled as she brought up her hands and sent a wave of energy crashing toward them, knocking the seekers back but failing to completely deter them. Samara did the same moments later, but the swarms continued to press down toward them at an alarming rate.
A loud grating sound rent the air and there was a whoosh of air just behind him. Garrus felt a rush of relief seep through him as he realized what it was. He fired off a few rounds before turning and darting through the open doors.
"Look out, seeker swarms!" He warned Jane as he covered the rest of the crew hurrying through the doors. She nodded, watching as each person cleared the door before returning her focus back to the controls in an attempt to get the door shut again. Samara let loose another wave of biotic energy, keeping the swarms from passing through into the room, and they did their best to keep any Collectors from getting close.
"We're in position." Shepard said through the comm, the distinct sound of heavy gun fire in the background, "We need this door open now!" Garrus glanced over at Jane who was cursing under her breath as she struggled with bypassing the security protocols. Hurrying over to her, he shoved her in the direction of the other doors.
"Go, get the other doors open, I'll cover you." He told her firmly, and Jane didn't waste any time as she ducked and ran across to the other set of controls. Garrus kept himself between her and the open door, his rifle raised along with the solid belief that nothing was going to hurt her unless it was climbing over his dead body first.
The moments dragged on, and eventually he chanced a glance back to see Jane's fingers moving across the keys frantically.
"Shit, shit, shit- Something's wrong!" She yelled back at him, "It won't budge! I can't-" She devolved into a string of profanities as her fingers seemed to pick up their pace.
There was a sudden clunk of something large and mechanical falling into place, and the doors snapped open a moment later as she cried, "Got it!"
Shepard's team quickly backed into the room, their guns blazing as they held back a wave of Collectors, including one crackling with glowing light that seemed hellbent on following them through the doors.
"Here they come!" Shepard barked as he fired off a biotic wave, "Fall back!" He ordered, and Garrus directed his team to take up a defensive position, and they hurried to obey.
"Suppressing fire! Don't let anyone through that door!" He yelled over the sound of gunfire and biotic explosions, the unintelligible chittering sounds of dying Collectors barely audible over the din.
The doors seemed to jerk suddenly, and moments later both sets closed in unison. The sudden silence was deafening, and the entire team slowly seemed to register the victory at once. Multiple people sank to the ground, nursing wounds and catching their breath. More than one congratulations were offered as they each acknowledged those they'd fought alongside, a fight well fought.
"Good job, Jane. I knew I could trust you to get the job done." Shepard panted as he came to place a hand on Jane's shoulder. He shakily helped her to her feet before pulling her into a tight hug. As they pulled away, Shepard's lip curled in amused disdain, "Ugh, I really hope that's water or sweat, and not… something else."
Garrus got his first good look at Jane and realized she looked nearly soaked, not unlike when she'd taken her helmet off on Haestrom. She brought a hand up to wipe across her face, her hair sticking together in damp clumps as a trickle of sweat dripped down her cheek. He honestly didn't care, just the sight of her alive was a beautiful thing.
"I told you it was hot in there! Don't give me that look! I knew I should have let Kasumi or Tali handle it, now I probably smell gross." Jane grumbled as she brushed strands of hair out of her face.
"No, that's okay." Tali laughed as she pulled up her omni-tool to apply medi-gel to a minor wound on Jacob's shoulder.
"Yeah, we were happy to let you take one for the team." Kasumi added as she chuckled, and Jane rolled her eyes.
"How's everyone holding up? Any major injuries?" Shepard turned to scan the occupants of the room, seeming to do a quick headcount. Garrus looked around as well, noticing only minor issues, all of which were quickly being handled. Just as importantly, everyone gazed back with steadfast, determined expressions that told him they were ready for whatever was to come. "Well done, everyone. I'm proud of each of you, I knew we could make it this far." He clapped Jane on the shoulder before nodding in Garrus' direction.
Garrus felt the warmth of pride bloom in his chest at the acknowledgment of the other man. He'd had doubts about his own ability to handle the command given him, but it'd worked out so far. Maybe he hadn't been a hare-brained choice afterall. Maybe.
"Shepard." Miranda's voice echoed across the room, and everyone turned to see where she stood, gazing into the next room. "You need to see this." Shepard made his way over to her, slowly followed by the rest of the team.
"Holy… shit." Jack whispered, and Garrus suspected most of the team had similar thoughts. The room was absolutely gigantic, the far wall being so far away that it disappeared into a dull orange haze, adding to the incalculable scope of the space. Large rock formations reached up from the depths like huge teeth, giving the sensation of being about to be eaten. In contrast to the rocky, organic structures, were the many cold, metal pipes reaching from the walls up to the ceiling, their purpose a complete mystery.
The walls seemed to be lined with small, bright windows, but as they all took a few steps closer to the nearest ones, Garrus quickly recognized them as the stasis pods used to kidnap the colonists.
"Looks like one of the missing colonists." Miranda confirmed his suspicions as she stepped closer, peering into one hesitantly. Garrus registered a low sound that made his plates crawl, but he couldn't put his finger on what it could be. It was vaguely organic sounding, almost like the flow of thick, viscous liquid.
Shepard took a step closer, bringing a hand up to feel the clear casing on the front of one pod, and Samara called out to draw attention to other pods filled with people nearby. The sound seemed to be getting louder, and suddenly there was a burst of steam from beside the pod, and Shepard gasped.
"My god! She's still alive!" Garrus stepped closer to see the woman thrashing about inside the pod, banging on the window in an attempt to get out. The sound of gushing liquid intensified as steam began billowing out of the pods one by one, screams emanating from each as fists pounded and nails clawed. They watched in horror as the first colonist seemed to melt - there was no better word for it - streaks of red blood left behind as her fingers fought for purchase. "Get them out of there! Hurry!"
Quickly, the entire team burst into a flurry of activity, fists and the butts of guns colliding hard with the pods in a frantic attempt to free the remaining survivors. Samara was the first to discover the hidden latch that would open the pod's doors, each sliding open with a hiss and a horrible sucking sound. One by one, they started pulling shocked and horrified looking humans from the pods, and with surprise Garrus realized most, if not all, were dressed in familiar uniforms.
He knew these faces, knew these people. It was the Normandy's stolen crew.
As the last pod within their reach was opened and the last human pulled to safety, they finally began to slow their frenzied movements. They began helping the gasping, weak crew to their feet, and though Garrus didn't have a moment to count them, he was pretty sure they were close to being all accounted for.
"Doctor Chakwas? Are you okay?" Shepard asked as he carefully took the dazed looking woman from Miranda's arms, lowering her down to the ground.
"Shepard?" Chakwas blinked up at him in confused astonishment, "You… you came for us." It was as though she couldn't process what she was seeing. Shepard smiled as he gently offered her a hand. She took it, and he pulled her to her feet.
"No one gets left behind."
"I knew you weren't going to forget about us." Jenkins choked back a sob as Jane helped him to his feet, throwing an arm around his shoulders as he shivered, his eyes shimmering as he seemed to stare off at nothing.
"Of course we wouldn't forget about you." She murmured gently as he brought a hand up to scrub at his face.
Shepard quickly moved from person to person, checking in with them and ensuring they were alright. Soon, they began to discuss what had really been happening to the colonists that had been brought here.
Garrus shivered as he glanced up at the pipes leading up into the room above. The thought of being melted down, liquified- well, it didn't need thinking about. Not now. The crew was safe, at least. From the sound of it, though, they were going to need to get up into that room above to figure out what the… liquid… was being used for.
"The route is blocked by a security door, but there's another chamber that runs parallel to the one you're in." Joker explained as he examined the ship scans. EDI chimed in a moment later.
"I cannot recommend that. Thermal emissions suggest the chamber is overrun with seeker swarms. Mordin's countermeasure cannot protect you against so many at once." She explained, and Garrus remembered their own experience just minutes before.
"Conventional weapons are pretty much useless." Shepard sighed as he stared up at the pipes above. He turned back to face the team, adding, "They'll tear us apart."
"Maybe not." Samara spoke up, and everyone turned to look at her curiously, "I may be able to generate a biotic field to keep them at bay. I won't be able to protect all of us, but I may be able to get a small team through."
Huh. Garrus felt his brow plates knit as he considered it. He wondered if any colonists had tried protecting themselves against the seeker swarms with their biotics. He imagined it would be hard to keep a biotic barrier up for long periods of time, but both Samara and Jack had used their biotics to push the swarms away from them just before. So it was possible it would work.
There was some discussion as to which biotic would be the one to safely escort Shepard and a small team through the seeker swarm, but in the end, he selected Samara.
"Jack will come with us as backup, and Grunt, you and me, we'll keep the Collectors off them." Shepard turned to nod at each in turn. The krogan grinned as he punched his fists together.
"It will be a fight to remember." He muttered with anticipation in a way only a krogan could.
"The rest of you provide a diversion by going through the main passage. We'll open the security doors from the other side and meet you there." Shepard stated before turning to Garrus, who felt himself stiffen. "Garrus. You'll lead the diversion group."
Taking a moment to steel himself, he nodded. "We'll keep the defenders busy. You slip around the back." He felt a sudden pressure on his arm, and he turned to see Jane beside him, an encouraging smile on her face. At least they were going into this one side by side.
"What about me and the rest of the crew, Shepard?" Came the small, shaky voice of Doctor Chakwas, and the ground team turned to face her and the others, "We're in no shape to fight." And she was right. They were all weak and shaky after being trapped in the stasis pods for as long as they had been, and some of them nursed crusty, painful looking wounds from their initial abduction.
"Commander?" Joker interjected over the comm, "We have enough systems back online to do a pick up, but we'd need to land back from your position." Shepard seemed to consider his options, glancing back the way they came and the large doors they'd just fought through. Miranda noticed his indecision, taking a half step toward him.
"We can't afford to go back, Shepard." She insisted, gesturing up toward the pipes above, "Not now." He looked at her, then to the crew, and shook his head.
"You'll never make it without help, I'll send someone with you." His eyes scanned each of his ground team, and when he finally paused, Garrus was surprised to see who he'd landed on.
"Tali-"
"No." Came the quarian's sudden, hard reply, her eyes narrowing. "No, I'm not leaving you. Not after everything. I can't-"
"Tali." Shapard snapped, his expression caught between pain and anger, "Don't argue with me."
"Shepard! You can't just send me away, I should be here fighting alongside you, at your side, I'm not going to-"
"Please," Shepard's voice became a quiet entreaty, desperate and heartfelt, "Please do this for me. I need to know that you're safe, and I need to know the crew is in good hands." He stepped toward her, bringing up his hands to rest upon her shoulders, "And then when you get back to the Normandy, you're the best person to get it back into working order as fast as possible."
She stared up at him, her eyes seeming to shine brighter than usual. Her shoulders finally slumped as she looked downward with a heavy sigh.
"Okay." She whispered, her helmet falling forward to bump against Shepard's chest. "I don't like it, but if that's where you think I'll serve best, then I understand." Her words were leaden and defeated, heartbreaking. Shepard's arms wrapped around her as he pulled her close to him, and she melted into his embrace, her arms coming up to grip him tightly.
"Thank you." He muttered before pulling back, his hand lingering in hers for a moment before they both let go reluctantly. Turning, Tali's shoulders seemed to square as she stood taller.
"Joker," She pulled up her omni-tool, typing in a few commands, "Send me the location of the landing zone. We'll meet you there." Her voice was hard and determined, not a trace of the distress from moments before.
"Be careful." Shepard stated, and Tali looked back at him before nodding.
"You, too. Please come back."
"I will." After a pause, he turned back to look up at the horrific pipes above. He continued, "We've all got our assignments. Let's move out!"
(Note: I hope you're all having a great holiday season! I've begun writing part 3, and super excited to share the conclusion of part 2 with you all over the next few weeks. Luckily, my next update falls on Christmas Day, so I'll have quite a gift for you all that day. I always love to hearing from you all, please feel free to leave a review with any thoughts (big or small), critiques, or observations. Thank you all, until next week )