MASS EFFECT: ENTANGLED
CHAPTER 19
Bray huffed through his nostrils at the refugee dock's scan tone as he walked through. The C-Sec salarian officer eyed him warily behind the counter. "No weapons are allowed down here, even with a permit clearance. I will need to lock up what you have. You can pick up when you leave."
Glowering at the order, Bray hesitantly handed over his sidearm and combat knife. He felt so naked without them, despite still wearing his body armor. It was times like these that he wished for biotic abilities. At least, they were still lethal. If it came down to it, then it would have to be fisticuffs. "Fine." Mumbling hotly under his breath, he walked on towards his destination. He was there to find someone on behalf of Aria T' Loak. Keeping his eyes straight ahead, he spotted his query near the back end of the makeshift encampment. A bald human male in his late forties was sitting around a card table along with another male, and two turians. All of them were in civilian clothing, but that was just a front. The bald man was Vossk, the leader of the Blue Suns group on the Citadel and his companions were also gang members. Vossk noticed Bray's approach and grinned as he leaned back in his chair to take a puff on his cigar. "Look, boys. It's the lapdog." The others chuckled in amusement as they turned their heads toward Bray.
"Aria wants to know why your forces have not checked in for the attack," Bray ignored the remark and stopped at the opposite end of the table.
Vossk took another drag on his cigar and then tapped the ashes off the end into the tray beside him. "Well, General Oraka is still a pain in the ass and hurting our business on this station. Aria hasn't carried out her side of the bargain, so why the hell should I help her?"
Frustration seethed from Bray as he already predicted the retort. Shepard ignored Aria's request to help her in uniting the gangs under her rule on the station. Aria could order a hit on the five-starred general, but it most likely would bring a lot of unwanted attention to her. She needed another approach and Krysta was the answer. Aria needed the mercs to attack Omega from the outside. Plans were in place, but even she hated to admit that she needed more help this time. It would not be as easy as threatening to crush them like before. A lot had changed over the past few months. "It would be in your interest to cooperate. You know what happens to those that cross Aria," He firmly reminded.
The threat didn't faze Vossk. He snickered at it and set down his cigar. "This isn't Omega, four-eyes. She doesn't have any authority on the station, and she knows it."
"She has a list of every Suns member here. I'm sure C-Sec would love to know that information," Bray tossed a sideways grin. This sparked a few angry faces from the other Suns seated at the table.
One of the turians spat at the floor towards him. "She wouldn't dare. It would hurt her reputation."
Vossk nodded his head in agreement and leaned back, satisfied that he was winning this fight. "I told Shepard what I needed her to do and I told Aria what I wanted." He gave a sadistic grin. "When Shepard gets the general off my back and I get Aria on hers, then I will do what she wants." His friends snickered at the crude comment. Bray tensed his hands into fists at his sides as a low growl came through his clenched razor-sharp teeth. Noticing that he was striking a nerve, Vossk leaned over to retrieve his cigar once more to take another puff. "Tell you what, Bray," His eyes twinkled through the smoke. "I don't want bad blood between us and Aria. I have another proposition if she can't take Oraka out of the way."
"What is it?" The batarian fumed through his still-clenched teeth.
The Blue Suns leader bit his bottom lip gleefully as he seemed to bask in private thought. "Shepard has a pretty nice body: Tits and all. I want her; maybe her and Aria. The Suns are worth a lot right now, ain't that right, boys?" The men openly agreed and laughed. "Hell, I bet my men would love sharing them. It's been a while since we all had a good fuck since the damn reapers spoiled it all." The others celebrated the offer and playfully hit each other on the arm. Bray narrowed his eyes to slits at the twisted request. He tightened his fists to where the points of his gloved fingers were digging into the palms of his hands. He could feel every muscle in his body tightening to a breaking point. "Can you imagine it?" Vossk prodded merrily. "The Blue Suns screw the Spectre savior of the Citadel." A beat. "Literally."
That was the last push. A savage snarl escaped Bray's throat as he leaped across the table and delivered a hard blow with his fist to Vossk's face sending the man careening backward a few feet off his chair. Vossk guffawed as blood oozed down from his nose to his upper lip. He staggered to get back up to his feet. "Are you jealous of me having Aria, lapdog? Did you want that pussy too? Fine. I will just have Shepard then; probably a better fuck."
"Wrong answer," Bray hissed as he stormed at Vossk and struck him hard again with a cross jab to the face once more. This time before he was able to deliver another hit, he was swarmed with the other Suns' mercs. The male human jerked him backward away from their boss causing him to stumble a bit. He regained his footing and pivoted to deliver a swift kick in the man's abdomen. One of the turians caught Bray from the back with both arms pulled behind him while the other turian took the opportunity to deliver several direct hits in his exposed torso. Struggling fiercely, Bray got enough leverage from his captor that he was able to extend an unexpected kick to the turian in front of him, putting more distance between them.
"Someone call C-Sec!" A female human refugee shouted out nearby as the violent scene sparked panic in the hold.
Many turians from the nearby encampment rushed out to aid in stopping the brawl. Before Bray was able to hit another Sun, he was pulled away by two of the refugees while the Suns were stopped by others. Moments later three C-Sec officers hurried over to the commotion. "C-Sec!" A male turian officer spoke up first. "Stop or you will be brought in for disorderly conduct. Is that clear?"
"We were done anyways, officer," Vossk wiped his bloody nose as he glared knowingly at Bray. "He was just leaving here."
The officer looked over at Bray. "We don't need trouble down here. If this happens again, you will be arrested and barred from the refugee camp. Is that clear?"
"Crystal," Bray muttered.
"Thank you, officers. Your presence here is appreciated," Vossk smiled widely as they left and then walked up to Bray, ignoring the blood still trickling down his busted nose. "Be careful. The Suns are all around here. We don't want anything bad to happen to Aria's lapdog. Be a good boy and go back to your master. I think she's calling you."
"Wrex, when I said I could take a nice break to chat, I didn't think you meant on Tuchanka," Krysta spied the vast wasteland and ruins of a former culture.
"I missed the Normandy, but it's too cramped," Her old krogan squadmate murmured as he led her along the military site that he brought her to from the comforts of her ship. "Besides, I wanted to show you something and not in front of the turian."
"You mean Garrus?" She teased him with a hidden smirk.
He snorted as he turned slightly to look her way, unamused at her playful jab. "The Primarch."
"Hey, I need you both to play nice if this alliance is going to work. The fate of the entire galaxy is riding on this."
"Work together is one thing, Shepard. Trust is another. Look at what the salarians were planning for Eve and the others. I'm surprised Eve made it."
"She's strong, Wrex. Mordin will take good care of her. I trust him," She emphasized.
"I don't," He snapped icily.
Defeated, Krysta rolled her eyes at his back. There was no way to get through his thick hind at this point. "So, what exactly are you going to show me out here?" Their arrival destination was far from his camp. The military site needed some tender love and care.
"That," Wrex beamed proudly as he pointed off to his right. A large interplanetary defense cannon protruded from the surface, pointing directly at the planet's atmosphere. "Teams are working on getting her online."
Shepard nodded her head in appreciation. "Figures. Krogan love their big guns."
"Shepard!" A familiar voice roared in joy.
She turned her head from the control station to see Grunt running eagerly over to where they were. "Grunt?" She stepped quickly to meet him and embraced him in a welcome arm gesture. "It's so good to see you!"
Wrex pouted as he joined them. "I didn't get the same reception on your ship." Shepard playfully smacked him on the shoulder. He grinned. "Baby pyjack here is proving his worth as part of Clan Urdnot now."
"They still can't get the cannon to work yet," Grunt grumbled to his leader.
"They will. I will kidnap a salarian if I have to," Wrex responded calmly, then looked over at Shepard with his red eyes. "Can you spare Mordin for a few days?"
"Not if you want the genophage cured any time soon," She returned the smirk and crossed her arms.
"You're in luck, Shepard," Grunt turned towards her. "Uzin's Wrath is on its way. Should be here in about twenty minutes."
Krysta scratched her head in confusion. "A what?"
"Sandstorm named after the god of vengeance, Uzin," Wrex explained.
Shepard looked up at the eerie reddish tint sky. "Explains why it looked so dark here. I have seen some dust storms in my life. I take it that they are unique like everything else on Tuchanka."
"Deadly," Grunt chuckled. "They generate a ferocious lightning storm with them. Get caught out in of those and you're toast."
"Lovely," Shepard grimaced. "Too late for a pickup. Can't chance it. Wrex, you just had to bring me down here now."
"Not scared of a little lightning now, are you, Shepard?" He jeered then he flagged his warriors hanging out for protection. "Go find some shelter. Let's meet up once it passes." Then he motioned Grunt and her to follow him up the ramp towards the control room. "We can go here. Maybe you can look at this for me."
"I'm not a tech expert," Shepard moaned and then flinched from approaching cloud-to-ground lightning flashed off in the distance as the sky in the same direction turned more of an ominous bloody red. A shiver went down her body. Why was everything on Tuchanka so freakish? None of the krogan was skittish and seemed to move about like it was business as normal. "Just how often are your Uzin's Wrath spectacles?"
"Twice a year," Wrex shrugged.
"Clan Leader!" A krogan called to them as he raced from another side of the base as fast as their sluggish forms could move. All turned to look his way.
A dark silhouette outlined the form of a familiar vessel off towards the east as it touched down. Shepard's eyes widened in dread. "Can't be."
Wrex looked on then Grunt spoke the obvious, "It's the Collectors." He pounded his fists eagerly. "Finally. I get some action."
"They work for the reapers," Shepard explained to the older krogan.
"I thought we took them out beyond the Omega 4 Relay," Grunt asked.
"I did too…" Her voice trailed off as she glanced around her surroundings for key attack points, then grimly glimpsed at her old teammate. "Looks like the reapers have interest in the krogan too."
He bucked at this. "I love to see them try."
"We can't risk getting caught in that storm. Let's fortify a position and remain at the control station to defend the cannon's system."
Wrex gestured to half of his warriors standing by. "Greet our guests. The rest on me."
"I got you, Shepard," Grunt took to her side as they hurried up the ramp.
This stirred a genuine smile in her. "Thanks, Grunt."
As they waited, Krysta checked her clips and then armed her Avenger assault rifle with modified cryo rounds. Wrex and Grunt took point with their Claymore shotguns at the ready. A thunderous boom echoed throughout as if the entire planet was opening, followed up by a bright display of lightning. The wind intensity escalated quickly to fifty miles an hour and rain poured in sheets. Wrex looked her way. "Did I tell you the rain is acid and could break your shields within minutes by direct contact?"
"Not helping, Wrex!" She yelled over the roar of the wind. Their visibility declined drastically to five percent from the sand whipping as if they were caught in a monstrous tornado. It seemed like the entire base was shaking. The krogan at her side didn't even flinch.
"Radios are down," Grunt said to his leader.
After a few minutes, the winds began to dissipate. Wrex tapped his comms. "What's your status out there?" No one patched in.
"Think they're dead?" Grunt posed.
"Could be the comms," Krysta felt her heart sink. The krogan out there were smart and most likely found decent shelter to ride out the storm. The Collectors were fierce foes. If the reapers sent a large force, they could be heavily outnumbered. She tensed as she heard the familiar insect-like noises scattering along the base below them. "They are here." She risked peeking around the bend and saw multiple Collector Drones and Assassins scurrying about, surrounding their position. Up on a beam, lightning flickered in the sky to give the perfect backdrop to a Collector Captain hovering down with his wings to join them. Towards the rear was a pair of scions and a Praetorian. She swiftly moved back inside. They would be cut off in all directions if they remained stationary in the room. "I think we know why your men are not reporting in." This news seemed to capture the krogan off-guard and his mouth opened slightly in shock. "We have one hell of a fight ahead of us and we are going to be dead if we just stay here."
"Can't abandon this cannon," Wrex shook his head.
"I agree. We'll keep a team back for a final stand, but I need most of your men on me."
"I'll go with you," Wrex turned to Grunt. "Stay here with two. I'm counting on you."
"The Collectors are dead meat," Grunt moved to another position.
Shepard ran to the exit to see what was going on outside. "We need to draw them away from here. Though, this rain will make it tricky. Watch your shields and do not engage until the levels are back up." She gave one final look to Grunt and his team. "Stay safe back here." The tank bred said nothing. She then reverted her look back to Wrex. "Collectors have a score with me. I'll take the soldiers. Divert the Praetorian. Just keep an eye out for the scions. We'll deal with them last." Taking a breath, she darted out into the torrential downpour. Her shield alarm blared as the damaging droplets depleted her barrier. Firing off a few rounds at the closest drone, she gritted her teeth and used her biotics to create a barrier for another layer of protection. "Want payback, assholes?!" She rolled to cover to avoid their counterfire. The drones broke away to follow her. The Praetorian screeched as it spotted her. Deadly electrifying lasers shot out from both "eyes" of the abomination structure in a parallel stream that crisped the very surface a good thirty feet and over where she was. She tucked her head as far as she could downwards to avoid being nailed. "Wrex! That thing is on my ass!
"You want a piece of this krogan?!" Wrex bellowed in a thunderous roar as he fired at the Praetorian with his shotgun to draw its attention. The rounds did little damage to its thick exterior epidermis. Like clockwork, the Praetorian shrieked at its new opponents and hovered to where Wrex and the others were leading it off to.
Chancing it, Krysta lifted her head out of cover to see the playing field becoming widely open. The Collector Captain and the Scions were nowhere in sight and that was what troubled her. She ducked once more as beams from the Drones' Particle rifles scorched the very top of her cover. Diverting dark energy flow, she unleashed a biotic shockwave that scattered two drones in a violent force. Their bodies slammed into unnatural positions against the base's walls. She was now down to one more drone and two assassins. She could hear the chilling screeching from the Praetorian off in the distance and wondered how Wrex and his team were fairing. This was their first time encountering such a foe. Grunt, on the other hand, was seasoned in it and she hoped that his familiarity would keep him alive.
Homing in on another drone, she relentlessly squeezed the trigger and blasted the insect-like being with her cryo rounds. Within seconds, the Collector froze on site, and then with another precision strike, it shattered into a hundred pieces upon the ground. She then switched to cover again. A nightmarish wailing from a nearby scion grabbed her attention. One was trying to flank her on the left. It stalked her in a lumbering fashion with its ghoulish face on her. "Fuck," She fired a few rounds to knock down its shields before deterring to the right to retake another position. Her shields took damage from the Collector onslaught mixed with the rain. She couldn't lead them to Wrex or Grunt so her only option was to head further away from the console and toward a dead end. Darting behind a wall, she seized the moment to regain her breath and composure. Exchanging clips, she switched to incendiary rounds, then broke out of cover to fire upon an Assassin. The rounds penetrated the Collector's torso igniting it into flames. The creature writhed and howled in excruciating pain before it succumbed to his injuries in a charred heap. "One more," She whispered to herself as she moved behind the wall again after taking note of the remaining Collector's location. He took a posture to her right and was shielded by a barrier. Breaking down the shield would take some time and rounds, but she managed it numerous times fighting his kind on Horizon and their turf. She could do it again.
She could hear the mutated Prothean chatter away and she quietly maneuvered to the opposite end of where she was. If she was lucky, she could catch him off-guard and away from his shield. She had to time it just right to maintain the element of surprise. Making sure she had enough rounds to do serious damage, she sidestepped out and aimed. The barrier was to the left of the Collector leaving him vulnerable. Pulling the trigger, she pummeled his body. He didn't have a chance to return fire and his body ignited like his brethren seconds before he fell. "Got you!" Placing an invisible tally mark in her head, she narrowed their opposition down to the Captain, one remaining unlocated scion, and the Praetorian. The storm was letting up and the hazardous rain was no longer an interference. That gave some relief to her. Her visibility increased greatly as the atrocious sandstorm moved on. There was no sight or sound of a close scion, which meant that it either went towards Wrex or Grunt. Hearing the screech of the Praetorian, she moved in that direction to assist Wrex and the others.
Minutes later, to the far right rear of the compound, she found Wrex and the others still putting on a fierce fight against the Praetorian. They had taken a high-ground stance to give them some advantage, but the creature still had mobility and could easily close in, leaving them surrounded in a tight space. She had to lure it back some, but not fall prey to any predicaments herself. Wrex noted her towards the tail end of the creature. Aiming her rifle, she fired rounds to slowly pick off its shields and draw its attention to her. It menacingly let out a horrific sound of pain and aggravation as it moved upon her. Meanwhile, Wrex and the other krogan didn't let up and fired upon it in rapid succession. Noting her as easier prey, it ignored them and continued forward. She began to back pedal to draw it further. As it closed in, its shields were gone from the damage. "Shepard! Watch your ass!" Wrex yelled.
She glanced over her shoulder to see she was coming to a drop-off point and running out of room! Harnessing dark energy once more, she shouted out and unleashed another shockwave attack. Wrex and the others charged to take the final kill shots. The Praetorian clenched its legs up like a spider that was dead and then evaporated into pieces of charred material. Spent from the use of her biotics, Krysta panted to catch her breath momentarily. "Thanks, Wrex."
"Another time I saved your ass," He remarked teasingly.
"I think I came to save yours," She looked toward where Grunt and the others were. "Let's move out!"
When Shepard and the krogan made their way up to the console, they saw Grunt standing victoriously over the dead captain's body. He was holding onto the severed head as it dripped black oozing blood onto the corpse. The younger krogan smiled when he saw them and tossed the head away. "About time you got here."
Krysta noted that there was no dead scion. "Where's the last one?"
As if it was scripted to appear, the low hellish groan from the scion answered her and the being lurched their way from the ramp at the other entrance. "I got it!" Grunt blasted it several times with his shotgun while the others followed suit. The remaining Collector trooper didn't stand a chance. Puss and blood busted from its bulbous sacs, and it withered down to the floor. Grunt went over and stomped its pulpy head with the butt of his shotgun. "It's dead."
"Sir, their ship is leaving!" One of the krogan beckoned Wrex to the window. The towering ship soared upwards to leave the planet.
"We kicked its ass. It's running away like a volus," Wrex chortled at the triumph.
"And the cannons?" Shepard looked over at the console.
"Still a piece of crap, but they didn't touch them," Grunt remarked.
"We'll get it up and running soon," The Clan Chief reinstated.
"I'll send word to Admiral Hackett. We'll have a tech down here to assist. This cannon system is vital," Shepard reassured him, then she patted him on the shoulder. "How come all my trips to Tuchanka turn into fights?"
"Best trips ever," Wrex quipped.