Chapter 3: Therum Deployment
As Seven led Tali back to the docks, the computer in him went over the database contained within it. The list of names was one shorter, Tali's being crossed off and with labels 'secured' and 'recruited' next to it. The timestamps said that soon he would encounter one Urdnot Wrex. A different man would question how it could be predicted when he'd meet a specific person, but he was used to acting on such intel.
The lack of intel was another thing. He did not know who this individual was, what he would do, and how to react. Thankfully, the runtime responsible for information analysis, with some help from Avei, had identified him as a Krogan.
A 1500-year-old mercenary, in fact. So, the Spartan prepared accordingly. His pickaxe was discarded as it was deemed ineffective against Krogans by his Operating System. The algorithms changed his equipment on the fly, most changed to plasma weaponry. All his firearms were discarded, only the modified Smart Pistol on his chest and P2016 in its holster remaining. Folded down, a Shard Diffractor was digitalized and clamped down on his back, an Override Booster installed. Thanks to his larger-than-average frame, Adam could move, even when firing the boosted beam, albeit slowly. He had scavenged and improved the laser weapon while surviving in the caves of Hoxxes and was rather proud of it. His hardlight blade stayed at his left forearm armor plate, but he attached another to his other forearm. Additionally, he got two energy shields he 'acquired' from Jackals back in his days as a Headhunter with Six. For bigger prey, an Energy Sword he got in a similar way on Reach was materialized on his hip. And, to finish off the loadout, an amped L-STAR, mashed with DRAK-25's heat sinks and a couple adjustments to allow 'aggressive venting'. A true showpiece from his digital armory. He also had Avei ready multiple Plasma Bursters and Grenades in his hammerspace, to complete the list.
As he continued walking, not minding the stares received form the civilians around, Tali mustered enough courage to grab his arm, her intent to question the man? machine? whatever the tall figure was.
That courage faltered quite a bit when she was met once again by the soulless gray visor.
"Wh- What are you?"
"Classified." Tali had heard the rough voice some time before, but it still made her flinch, even if a tiny little bit.
"Then who are you?" she stammered out, half-expecting the entity towering over her to snap her in half like a twig.
"Callsign Seven. Further information will be provided once in a secure location."
"Oh… ok." Tali's quiet sigh was left unanswered as they neared the Normandy's dock. Approaching a corner, Seven stuck his left hand out, a micro-camera on it allowing Avei and him to peer around unseen.
There, Avei stated in Adam's head, is our Krogan. Looks like he's just standing there. Could be waiting for Shepard.
Affirmative was Seven's response, as usual. He too, could clearly see the red-crested Krogan Battlemaster, the alien's deep red armor glistening slightly in the corridor's artificial lighting.
As he took out hit L-STAR, his right hand came up, stopping Tali in her tracks. Confused, her head snapped up, once more seeing the visor of Seven's helmet.
"Unknown contact. Hold position and maintain silence. Wait for Commander Shepard and further orders."
"okay" The small Quarian whispered back, going to lean against the wall, hidden in Seven's shadow.
He himself, meanwhile, stood rigid, his weapon shouldered, but at low ready. There was no sound in the space, sans Tali's quiet breathing and the almost non-existent whirr of the L-STAR's coils. And so, they waited, for 10 minutes and 34 seconds, according to Seven's integral chronometer, until Shepard came into the corridor, with the rest of her team filing out of the elevator behind her.
The commander glared at the soldier, a hateful expression twisting her face. Seven remembered the anger Shepard expressed when he neutralized the two civilians in Chora's Den. He was, however, still confused as to why the commander was so pissed. No matter. He needed to convey the information gathered to his CO.
"Commander. There is a Krogan Battlemaster waiting at the entrance to the Normandy's dock. Subject has been identified as Urdnot Wrex, mercenary. Subject is armed but isn't openly hostile. Recommended course of action?" Palming her face, Jane answered with a sigh.
"Well, I suppose we'll just go and meet him." with a crisp nod, Seven moved out the way of the N7. Rounding the corner, she turned back briefly, gesturing to Garrus.
"Oh, and Garrus is a part of the crew now. Garrus, Seven. Seven, Garrus. Now come on."
The Spartan-II looked at the Turian, the click of the alien's mandibles still tripping off alarms in his head. He would've pierced Vakarian with his Energy Sword and thoroughly smolder the corpse with the Shard Diffractor, but the OS stuck in his head kept negating any of his attempts to try and do so.
His grip tight on his weapon, Seven moved after the commander. Her safety took priority. Always.
He took position behind and to the left of the redhead, following his CO. The Krogan, Wrex, had noticed them the moment they rounded the corner, sizing up both Shepard and Seven, paying no heed to the rest of the team.
"Shepard." the Battlemaster stated, his voice rougher than Seven's, surprisingly.
The Spartan himself didn't listen, however. This reminded him of something. Back on Reach. When he and Six… Noble Team.
UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO MEMORY BANKS
SYSTEM REBOOT
ACTIVATING SUPRESSION MEASURES
As he tried to remember the rest, the computer in his head forced a hard reset, freezing Seven in place. His body shut down, and he could barely make out Shepard standing before him. Then, all his senses stopped working, as if by a flip of a switch. He couldn't see or hear anything and was unable to move. The cold feeling of the computer taking over enveloped his mind, as the algorithms and subroutines beat him into submission.
Finally, he broke. System checks were run, confirming the OS had control. Straightening, Seven looked at the commander, who stood in front of him, a tinge of worry in her voice as she spoke.
"Seven? You good?"
"Affirmative." His voice was even more deadpan and emotionless than before, even though it seemed impossible. It was disconcerting for most, though they thought nothing of it. Jane was not most, and her concern about the tall soldier was steadily rising. And even if she didn't know it, the AI with was concerned as well.
Slowly turning around, Jane raised her voice, calling the now ground team of the Normandy aboard. They had a job to do now. Her first task as a Spectre: secure doctor Liara T'Soni on Therum.
As the Normandy left the Citadel's dock, it was followed by many eyes. The dock's workers, the Alliance marines stationed there as security, and many civilians looking out their windows.
Among them, some more attentive than others. Most quickly turned away to whatever task they had. Those few kept their eyes on the ship, as it made its way to the Relay, disappearing in a blue flash.
There were others watching, too. Lightyears away, from a place few knew existed, and even fewer saw. A single pair of eyes, belonging to an aging man, a cigarette in his hand, a chair beneath him.
As he let out another puff of smoke, the recording on the screens before him cycled again. The tall soldier, clad in armor of an unknown make, as he tore through Chora's Den.
Though he didn't show it, the man was excited, if one could call what he felt excitement. The weapon he was promised, after all these years, had finally arrived. Now it was his turn to use it and sharpen it. And when he was done, he'd pass it along.
"Agent Leng." the man's head turned to the side as another approached from behind.
"I have a task for you."
Shepard was once again going around the ship, talking with the crew, 'doing her rounds' as most called it. She had just know talked to the last person in the mess and thought to go down to the hold. At this time of the ship's day cycle, most of the ground team would be there, sans Ashley and Kaiden. The rest couldn't fit in sleeper pods or didn't want to, so they slept down there. It would be a good idea to ta-
"WHY ARE THERE AI HERE?!" a screech from below made jump, as a curse unbecoming of a Spectre and captain of a ship escaped her lips.
It seemed she'd have visit the hold anyway.
The elevator felt even slower than normal now, as if to build suspense. Maybe if she could get Tali to calm down, the Quarian would speed it up.
She had to drop that thought for now, as the doors in front of her slid open revealing an interesting scene.
Tali, standing over Seven, who was again sitting cross legged under his Titan. The tarp the covered the giant robot beforehand was taken off, and neatly folded next to its metal feet, most likely by Seven himself. On the Spartan's shoulder 'sat' an avatar of the second AI, the purple figure waving in greeting as Jane exited the elevator.
The bulky pistol she'd seen him carry in the holster on his chest was… Floating. Oh. She forgot he could do that. The handgun was in pieces, each parts floating away from others, probably for cleaning. Now, it came toghether in a series of clicks, as Tali kept berating Seven, and was put back into its place.
The helmeted head the snapped up, the grey visor staring at Tali's purple. The sudden movement startled for Tali a bit, enough for Shepard to take a moment to look around the hold.
Wrex was laying on some mats, next to Cray's corner. Surprisingly, he was fast asleep, the ruckus caused by Tali's shouting not bothering him one bit. Underneath the other wall of the hold, on a bench, sat Garrus, his eyes flicking between Shepard and Tali, as if begging the N7 to do something. At least that's what Jane picked up, since she still haven't gotten the hang of reading Turian expressions.
Meanwhile, Seven had stood up, towering over the frail Quarian.
"I am assigned to a smart AI, serial number AVI-1902-7. I cannot remain separated from her unless not from my own volition." As he spoke, Avei's avatar flickered, the small figure now standing on the Spartan's palm.
"That is why she is present on the ship." he continued in a deadpan tone, as Jane approached from the side.
"Similarly, I am assigned to a prototype Vanguard class Titan, chassis number CR-0207. Upholding directive requires that his chassis is ready for immediate deployment. Therefore, it needs to be stored aboard."
"But it's an AI. I can't work with them! We need to get rid of them!" Tali protested, turning to the commander "Shepard! Please, we need to dispose of these two things before something happens. Please!"
"Ok, Tali, calm down."
The commander's voice was calm as ever. Now that she thought about it however, Jane too was worried. The possibility of the two AIs they found with Seven going rouge was concerning.
"Seven, those two aren't going to kill us all or something?"
"Negative, Commander Shepard. Protocol dictates I cannot inflict bodily harm upon my Pilot, and anyone he considers an ally." Cray spoke up with his thundering voice.
"And I'm just a copy of a human uploaded into a computer. So I really don't want to kill you." Avei added.
"Besides, how would I do that? I don't have a body." She said, her small avatar having gone back to sitting Seven's shoulder.
"But you are in his head." unexpectedly, Garrus put his two cents in, pointing one talon at the mentioned individual.
When the small purple woman opened her mouth to answer, Seven spoke instead.
"The only data the data chip receives are lifesigns, data from the operating system, and sensor data form the armor and nanites."
"Wait, you've got an operating system? You're a machine too?" the revelation caused Tali to almost start another scene. Almost. With only Jane knowing where the situation was going, she stepped inbetween the Quarian and the human super-soldier.
"Doesn't matter. He's a human, don't worry." After a moment's consideration, Jane continued:
"Seven, take off your helmet, show them your face for once." At that, he obediently grabbed the headwear and, twisting it slightly, took it off. The helmet then dissolved into blue pixels. No one noticed that, as they were all looking at the Spartan's face. The stubble on his jaw was thicker now, obscuring most the scars underneath. It didn't conceal the long thin line running down his left cheek, another horizontal one under his right eye with a patch of burned skin on his right temple. The rough burn mark was clear for all to see, silencing the three for half a minute.
"See? He's a human." it took all her willpower for Jane to keep her voice from wavering.
A weak chuckle came from Garrus as a response.
"Well, we finally found someone uglier than you." the Turian stated, twisting his mandibles in his version of a grin. Jane found herself at a loss of words, as she looked to the aforementioned someone.
Seven was apparently even more confused than her, his head tilted to the side in a silent question.
"Orders, commander?" he asked quietly.
As the Normandy neared the Knossos system, the intercom of the ship blared throughout the metal halls, Jane's firm voice heard by all souls on deck.
"Normandy ground team, report to the CIC in 10 minutes, repeat, Normandy ground team, in the CIC, 10 minutes."
As she stood before the displays and consoles of the CIC, her team slowly trickled in one by one. First were Ashley and Kaiden, with Seven in tow. Unlike everyone else, the man was still in his armor, only his helmet off as she ordered him previously, all the weapons still on his person and ready for use. As he took a place under a wall and covered his face with his scarf, the new team members came in. First was Garrus, with Tali behind him, taking the ship in. She was given a tour of the frigate by Shepard, but as a Quarian, her life was dedicated to ships. So, she soaked in every detail she could see, no doubt to send it back to the Migrant Fleet. It was an issue Jane would have to talk about with Tali, but it could be put off for some time.
Last to come in was Wrex, the armor-covered Krogan managing to squeeze into the room. He looked at Shepard, and grunted in greeting. It seemed she could get him to operate with her team.
Wrex looked at Seven, having to look up due to the Krogan's head being lower, despite his hump leaving him taller than the Spartan turned Pilot. The soldier stared at Wrex in turn, their form frozen still as a statue. Chuckling, Wrex ended the staring contest, whispering to Seven as he passed the armored human.
"You. Me. Fight later."
Being a Krogan, his whisper was more on the level of normal conversation for others. Because of this, he got a glare from Shepard, which only elicited a grin from the rugged mercenary.
Seeing that everyone on the ground team was in the room with her, Jane, clapped her hands to get everyone's attention, not that she didn't have it beforehand, and spoke.
"Okay. Now that you're all here, we can go over our objective. Since I'm now a Spectre, the Council has given me my first assignment: capture Saren. We don't know where he is, and our only lead on him now is rather weak. Anyhow, it's our only option." Leaning down, Shepard pressed a couple of buttons on the console next to her, a holographic image appearing in the air before the assembled team.
"This is doctor Liara T'Soni. An Asari archeologist. She the daughter of Matriarch Benezia, one of Saren's most important associates. Our doctor here has been of the grid for two years or so, but was seen lately in the Knossos system. As she is an expert on Protheans, she'll probably be in some sort of dig site. We'll need to find her, and secure her."
As Jane finished her impromptu speech, she looked all of her ground team in the eyes. Ashley and Kaiden were, as before, calm and collected, as proper marines, and gave her quick nods in return.
Tali gave Shepard a nervous nod, fidgeting with some of her pouches of her belt. The N7 gave the Quarian woman a reassuring smile, getting a nod as a thanks.
Garrus, meanwhile, had a small grin on his scaly face as he put a three digit hand on purple-suited woman's shoulder.
"No worries, we'll have your back. And if anything gets too close, it'll be scared off when it sees these two." The Turian pointed one of his talons at the two hulking individuals on the other side of the room. Surprisingly, both Wrex and Seven stood still, calm and silent as they listened to the commander.
Tali had to give it to him, they did look rather fearsome. Enough for her to fear them, especially the tall scar-faced human.
"Ok, let's go down to the hold. Get moving, team." She was taken out of her thoughts when Jane raised her voice, walking out of the CIC. Williams and Alenko went after the commander without a moment's notice, with Seven marching out of the room soon after. That left only the ship's alien residents in the Combat Information Centre, as Wrex moved to the door. Noticing the staring Quarian he turned back with a chuckle, he looked at Tali.
"Are you going to move or no?"
Now in the Normandy's cargo hold, the ground team stood in a line before Shepard. The three humans stood at attention, as was Garrus. Tali, having next to no military experience, did her best approximation of a such a pose. Wrex, well…
Wrex, frankly, didn't give a shit, and Jane didn't even try to change that. She shrugged mentally, and spoke, looking over her little unit.
"You all know our objective. We will need to accomplish it as a team, and to be honest with you, I do not think we are truly a team yet. We will need to work toghether, and so, I was hoping you'd all tell me what you can do. Anything you're capable of, anything you've got in terms of biotics or equipment. We're still out by about an hour from the Knossos system, and as such we've got time to work out what who'll be doing what planetside. So?" Jane clapped her hands "Let's get to it, shall we?"
As Kaiden and Ashley were the first in the row, they quickly went over their capabilities. There was nothing out of the ordinary, as they were, even if exceptional, just Alliance marines. Kaiden did lift Ashley with his biotics, though. Garrus was next, and he proudly unfolded his precision rifle. Not to anyone's surprise, Shepard designated him the team's designated marksman. The Turian only nodded in response, stowing back his rifle on his armor's backplate.
Tali, being a Quarian, was an unmatched technician and hacker, and with her deployable drone, could short-circuit any weapon and shield into oblivion.
The last in line were Wrex and Seven. Jane looked at the two, both towering over her and the rest of the crew. Even Garrus, who had a head over most, was shorter than the two heavyweights by about 10 centimeters. It was quite obvious what their role in the team would be. Just to be sure, however, Jane asked both what they could do.
"Heh. I'm a Krogan, Shepard. It speaks for itself. Biotics are useful, though." the Battlemaster answered, barring his teeth in a predatory grin.
Shepard nodded, her hand on her chin in deep thought. Looking up, her piercing gaze found the grey-blue eyes of the super-soldier. They were darting to and fro, as if seeking targets. She noticed how they lingered on the entryways to the hold: the elevator and the two doors to Engineering. Odd. Once again, she noticed how the skin around them and the eyes themselves were crisscrossed by faint lines. They looked like a circuit board, making the man look even more alien than before. Then, Jane noticed another odd detail. Seven's mouth and jaw were hidden under that faded, blue scarf around his neck. As if he was trying to hide himself. Very odd. His face was blank however, as if frozen in a neutral expression.
"Hey. Seven." she said in a calmly, said individual turning to her in the blink of an eye.
"Mind telling us what that fancy armor can do?" Ashley said first, breaking the momentary silence. Now everyone's eyes were firmly on the armored man, as most saw what he was capable of, either on Eden Prime, or in Chora's Den. The only person that didn't, was Wrex, and he wanted to know what this weird-smelling human could do anyway.
Jane could see the tiny flicker of panic in Seven's eyes at the question, but it was extinguished almost immediately. As if by somebody else. The comparison between Seven and a machine was making more sense.
"Query: Will current armaments suffice for the presentation?"
"What, you have more? Where are they?" Kaiden raised his voice.
"We've got more weapons in hammerspace." Avei replied, her avatar flickering in on Seven's shoulder once again.
"Wha- You know what, scratch that, what can you do? Or the armor? Any weird ability or something?" Jane asked.
Seven looked at her, and with an 'Affirmative' materialized his helmet on his head. With a hiss, it sealed the MJOLNIR and the HUD came to life. The headgear glowed faintly, the dots on the visor alight with a brilliant blue. From it, sounded a modulated, yet clearly recognizable voice of the tall Pilot.
"MJOLNIR armor system is online. Initializing active cloak." with these words, Seven's form shimmered, and, piece by piece, he disappeared from view, leaving Avei's avatar floating in the air, until she disappeared with a wave of her hand and a smile on her violet face.
Everyone recoiled, with Tali drawing her pistol in panic.
"Where the hell is he?" she shouted.
"I have not moved, handler 'Zorah." The monotone voice came from the same place as before, only now, the speaker was unseen.
"Okay… Seven, show me what you can do while you're cloaked." Jane said after Tali holstered the handgun.
"What would that be, commander?" a smirk split Shepard's lips at the question.
"Try disarming someone." she said "Without them noticing." Now her smirk was a full-on grin.
"Oh, yes, do it. This is gonna be fun!" Jane could practically see the AI's avatar trembling in excitement.
"Affirmative." Seven's voice came from a different direction now, and it threw everyone to high alert. The team split apart, most standing with their back to wall or crates. A tense silence settled in the hold, as everyone took stock of their gear.
"Where is my pistol?" Kaiden was the first to ask. Garrus couldn't help but grin, but it vanished from his face when he felt for his beloved rifle and couldn't find it.
One by one, the members of the ground team found themselves without one or more weapons. Wrex's favorite shotgun was nowhere to be found, Ashley's shotgun and rifle were both gone, and Tali had lost her pistol.
Shepard was about to call out and tell Seven to stand down, when with a quiet sound, Seven decloaked two meters before her, his hands full with all the mass accelerator guns he snatched.
"Objective accomplished, Commander." he stated.
A loud laugh erupted behind the Spartan.
"I like this human!" Wrex bellowed.
As the Normandy flew into and through the system, Jane stood behind Joker's seat. The pilot's hands darted back and forth over the holographic displays, as the ship flew through the interplanetary void.
"System's mostly empty, Commander. No signal or readings from any planet except the second planet from the star. Some settlements on the surface. Seems like a mining colony. And wouldn't you know, there are Prothean ruins there." the bearded pilot looked up to the N7, smirking.
"Bingo. Ready your team, Commander. ETA: 15 minutes."
"Thanks, Joker." Jane walked out of the cockpit, and down into the elevator. As before, her team was all in the hold, this time resting before the mission. Kaiden and Ashley sat next to each other on a bench, talking quietly. Wrex was laying on his mat, sleeping again. Garrus was at a workbench, calibrating his prized rifle. Tali stood next to him, and listened to him explaining the process. When Shepard entered the hold, the entire squad acknowledged her, each in their own way.
The two marines rendered a salute, Garrus gave her a polite nod, Tali a small wave, and Wrex grunted in greeting. She couldn't find Seven, however.
"Commander. Unit ready for deployment." Well speak of the devil, and he shall appear. It was still beyond her how someone this big and heavy was this quiet. It didn't matter now, however.
"Ok, everyone. Our objective has been found. Doctor T'Soni is in a dig site on Therum. We're approaching the planet now. There's no LZ close enough to drop on foot, so we're doing a drop with the Mako." Shepard pointed to the wheeled 'tank' sitting at the edge of the spacious room. It looked impressive normally, but with Seven's mech kneeling nearby… It looked more like a toy rather than a machine of war.
Nevertheless, the team piled in. At least they tried, since three of them were much bigger than normal humans. Garrus managed to fit in a seat, somehow. Wrex had barely clambered inside, and took up enough space for two or three men, leaving Tali and Kaiden squished against the front of the drew compartment. Thus, Seven could not fit inside the vehicle.
As Jane scratched her chin in thought, he turned to the redhead.
"Commander."
"What is it, Seven?"
"There is a SOEIV stored in my hammerspace. It can be dropped from orbit. I can use it, and rendezvous with you after drop, Commander."
"A what?"
"A Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle. Most sane people call it a metal coffin, and do so for a reason." the scowl on the AI's face could be heard, which was a first for Shepard. Then again, there was a first for everything.
"Ok… How will we drop it? We don't have a launch bay or anything on the Normandy."
"Cray will be able to drop it from the ramp, Commander."
"Affirmative."
With a sigh, the woman waved the two of. She had questions, but she'd ask them later.
"There is another detail, commander. The SOEIV is much faster than the Mako. I will drop when you land and join you as soon as possible."
"Ok, we'll meet planetside. Good luck." Jane clambered inside the driver's seat, as Joker's voice came in through the ship's intercom.
"ETA to drop point, two minutes. Get ready, everyone."
As the Mako dove off the ramp and weightlessness took over, Jane looked up through the window. The Normandy was becoming but a small speck between the stars, finally leaving her vision as they broke atmosphere. Looking back at the controls before her, Jane activated the decent thrusters, slowing the vehicle's fall.
Breaking the clouds, she got her first look at the surface of Therum. The glowing pools of lava painted the horizon a hellish orange-red, the brown rocks making for an unwelcoming sight.
With a loud thud the IFV landed, and Joker spoke over the comms.
"The dig site is a couple clicks north of your position, Commander. The readings are weird, though. Like, off the charts weird. Watch out down there, Commander."
"Roger that, Joker. We're moving."
Jane floored the pedal, and the vehicle surged forward, bouncing up and down on the uneven surface.
As Shepard maneuvered the Mako between pools of molten rock, a Geth dropship flew overhead, kicking up dust with its engines.
Through the dust, Jane could see two big shapes drop from the synthetics' ship. With a snarl, she once again hit the gas, and with a whine of its engines, the six-wheeled tank leaped forward.
"Ashley, open fire on those! Everyone, hang on!" she shouted, the looming silhouettes of the two Geth approaching rapidly. She could faintly hear Tali scream about Armatures, as she activated the thrusters on the Mako's hull. With a lurch, they flew up, gliding over the two Armatures. Upon landing, they speeded away, thrown around by the 'tank's' bouncy suspension.
Jane could feel the hull of the Mako tremble as the cannon fired time and time again, shelling the Armatures behind them.
"This thing really needs some calibrations." She could hear Garrus mutter.
"I think I'll even help you with them." Kaiden responded, sounding as if he was about to throw up.
The next couple minutes of the drive were spent in silence, the low thrum of the Mako's engine creating a calming background noise for Jane, as her hands relaxed on the IFV's controls.
"Commander, the settlement you are now approaching is occupied by Geth forces. I will drop there and assist in securing the outpost. Please confirm." the silence was broken by crackling comms.
"Read you loud and clear, Seven. We'll go in once you drop."
"Affirmative, Commander." Jane now heard, although muted, the characteristic whoosh of Normandy's engines as the frigate zoomed overhead. The ship went into a steep climb, and she could see a small egg-shaped object fall out of the cargo bay's doors.
"SOEIV release successful. Prepare for landfall in 10 seconds." Cray stated.
Crackling, the comms went quiet as the Mako came around a bend. Looking out the window, Jane could see the outpost Seven mentioned.
The gate in front of them was guarded by two turrets, which immediately swiveled to aim at the Mako upon noticing them.
"Light 'em up, Ashley!"
"On it skipper!" the mass accelerator cannon sent tremors throughout the Mako's hull, as the Geth turrets were blown apart by 155mm slugs one by one.
Shepard sent out Tali and Garrus to open the gate on her mark, and waited for Seven's confirmation of a successful drop. Her answer finally came as Avei's voice sounded in her ear.
"Shepard, we've made it. Get over here so this idiot doesn't get himself killed."
At Shepard's mark, Tali opened the gate, giving the team a clear way forward. They could see the small crater that Seven's drop pod made, and the hatch the man kicked off, laying off to the side. It also allowed them to witness the carnage Seven had wrought upon the synthetics. The man was stained with white hydraulic fluid from top to bottom, as he charged another Geth Trooper. The blue plasma of an Energy Sword shined in his hand, as he pierced the torso of the screeching machine. Lifting the Geth off the ground, he grabbed the torso with his other hand, and ripped the synthetic in two. Not waiting to see the results, the armor clad Spartan ran forward, slashing and weaving inbetween the remaining Geth, jump kit ablaze as he moved. Even with their machine precision, the Geth's shots missed him by millimetres as he skewered a Destroyer with the plasma blade.
The Mako rolled through the gate, the loud report of the cannon announcing its arrival. The vehicle stopped in the middle of the outpost, lowering the ramp in its back. Wrex and Kaiden stormed outside, both cover in the blue flame of biotics. After the Mako, Garrus and Tali went in, Vakarian's rifle barking loudly as he began to pick off Geth platforms.
Opening the front hatch, Shepard jumped out of the driver's seat, her fist already aglow with a blue flame, as she used a Throw on two Troopers trying to take cover from Garrus behind crates.
"Ash, covering fire!"
The Gunnery Chief didn't give an answer, the chatter of the machine gun and roar of the Mako's cannon serving as one instead.
Confident in her squad, the N7 charged into the fray, using her biotics to throw any Geth out of her way and into her team's lines of fire.
The staccato of the teams weapons was joined by a loud whine as Seven opened fire with the laser gun he'd shown them in the hold before the mission. Jane hadn't believed it then, but now she got to see as the Shard Diffractor fired at the synthetics, melting their armor and insides as the kinetic shields failed to stop the orange beam. As the last platforms collapsed into heaps of melted slag, Seven folded the weapon onto his back, approaching the Commander.
Saluting with his fist to his breastplate, the tall soldier spoke.
"Commander. All hostiles eliminated. Permission to retrieve entry vehicle?"
"What? Oh. The drop pod?" a short nod "Yeah, go on."
Without another word, the Spartan walked back to the SOEIV, leaving a trail of white splotches of hydraulic fluid as he went. Meanwhile, the rest of the team approached the Commander, all covered in dust and dirt.
"What is he doing, Shepard?" Tali asked with a tinge of suspicion in her voice.
"I have no idea. We'll see soon enough." as they spoke, Seven walked up to the drop pod, it's main body wedged into the earth. The metal coffin lay in a small crater, a sing of the force of the impact.
Going up to it, Seven dragged the kicked-off hatch behind him. He hefted it up, and attached it back in its place. With that done, he stepped back, and let the SOEIV dissolve into shining blue dust. It too disappeared, leaving no trace of his drop, besides the crater. Turning back, Seven saw the whole team staring at him, with even the Mako's turret turned in his general direction, making it look as if even the vehicle was staring at him.
"Commander? Is there something wrong?" he asked, tilting his head.
"Nothing, Seven. Everything's fine." Jane looked around. There, a road forward. Just as bumpy and uneven as the one before.
Damnit.
Shepard managed to squeeze the team inside the IFV. Well… Mostly.
Seven could not fit inside without accidentally squishing someone inbetween him and Wrex, so he had to stay on the roof of the Mako. The drive was very rough, with only his mag-locked boots keeping him in place. Though, fortunately, he managed to stay there throughout the drive to the coordinates Joker provided. Until Williams knocked him off with the barrel of the Mako's cannon.
The IFV had stopped before a rock formation, the Martian-like rock preventing the team from driving to their destination. The group filed out, taking positions as directed by Shepard. Williams was on edge, half expecting Seven to lash out on her. He said nothing, however, and did as he was ordered by the commander.
Jane asked him to go forward, and scout using his Active Cloak. He nodded, and sprinted forward, before activating the camouflage and jumping onto a vertical rock. For everyone else, it looked as if he vanished, with even his footprints ending next to the rockface.
Shepard waved them forward, going through the rocks. Garrus stayed back, ready to blow off any Geth's head, should they show themselves. Wrex had taken point with Alenko, both enveloped with biotic barriers, their weapons at the ready. The two remaining team members, Ashley and Tali, stayed close to Shepard, scanning the rugged cliffs around the formation for hostiles.
With a crackle, the comms came to life. It was Seven, some alarm in his voice.
"Commander, there are fifteen Geth Troopers, two Snipers and a Geth Prime approximately 80 meters in front of you. Additionally, a Rocket Trooper is hiding on the left cliff, along with two Troopers. They are likely waiting to ambush you. Instructions?"
Bringing a fist up, Jane kneeled behind an outcropping, everyone following her example and taking cover wherever they could.
"Have they noticed you yet?"
"Negative, Commander, I have 25 seconds of cloak remaining. Permission to engage the Rocket Trooper?"
"Granted. Take it out, stay on the high ground and provide cover fire. We'll advance on your mark."
"Affirmative, Commander." The comm went silent after that. Shepard barked orders, and readied her shotgun.
Then, Seven's voice sounded again.
"Hostiles destroyed. You are clear to advance, Commander."
"You heard him, everyone. Move up!"
They began their advance, jumping inbetween cover, slowly closing in on the Geth.
Then, all at once, the synthetics emerged from behind the rocks, all opening fire on them. The Prime's shield flared as the squad focused on it. Garrus' rifle boomed from behind them.
"One sniper down." the Turian called out.
Then, the characteristic whine of Seven's weapon could be heard. Looking out over her cover, Shepard could see two Troopers melt to slag with a ear-piercing screech. The orange beam shifted targets, staying on each Trooper for no more than two seconds, collapsing their shield almost instantly, and leaving only piles of melted metal, ceramics and plastic.
"Kaiden, Lift!" Jane shouted, herself glowing with biotics. She thrust her hand up, mass effect fields trying to lift the Prime off the ground. Kaiden joined in, and the synthetic was thrown upwards, helpless as mass accelerator rounds pelted it's shields. Strangely, Seven didn't open fire on the floating Prime. As the Geth platform fell, now nothing more than a bullet-riddled mess, Shepard looked around. The whole team was there, expect for Seven. With a shout, the team fell back into formation, and she tried raising the missing soldier. Her answer came quickly as Seven emerged from behind a rock, knife in hand, dripping with white hydraulic fluid.
"Commander. I have managed to gather data from a Geth data core before it self-destructed. There is a sizable enemy force on this planet, in an attempt to stop us from securing Doctor T'Soni. It seems Saren Arterius intents to capture the Doctor for himself."
"Then we gotta move. Come on, step on it!"
As the team neared the entrance to the dig site, the dispatched more clusters of Geth. There were, fortunately, no significant injuries, with only Garrus and Ashley being scratched when they were jumped by Hoppers.
Moving into the cave, they tightened their formation, Seven and Wrex in front, serving as moving cover for the rest. Most took out their shotguns, and Seven switched to his L-STAR. Red energy crackled around the weapon's barrel, as its mechanisms whined quietly.
The winding tunnel led them further down, finally opening up to a sizable cavern.
"Keep your eyes peeled, people. There could be Geth hiding here somewhere." Shepard said quietly "Find the way forward and hold position there."
Seven went in a random direction, just as the rest. Tali happened to go the same way as he, and tried to strike up a conversation.
"Hey." She said, prodding lightly at a part of his arm not covered in armor or pouches.
Without a sound, Seven's head snapped left, the grey visor once again locking with Tali's purple tinted glass.
The lavender-suited girl sputtered, almost dropping the shotgun in her hands. Tilting his head, the Spartan spoke through the external speakers of his helmet.
"Awaiting orders." he said. Shaking her head, Tali protested.
"No, no I don't- Why would I give you- ? What- ? I- No, I mean- I just- I just wanted to thank you for helping me… back on the Citadel. If you weren't there, who knows what could've happened." During her short monologue, her head dropped down as she fidgeted around her weapon.
Now, she looked back up to see that Seven was still in place, looking straight at her. Soon, he straightened, and began scanning the surrounding walkways and scaffoldings again.
"Acknowledged." he stated after a moment. Then, he stepped forward, leaving Tali to her thoughts. She heard the man's voice on the comm, though paid it no mind.
"Commander, the door has been located. Suggest you converge on my location."
"Received, Seven. You heard the man, everybody." Jane called out on the radio.
"The door requires a hack. Will anybody do it, or do I make him pry the door open?" Wait. The AI. Tali's grip on her shotgun tightened.
"I think I may be able to open it." she spoke into her own radio.
"Okay, Tali, get to the door and try to hack it open. Everyone else, hold your angle, Wrex, Seven, be ready to breach."
A series of affirmative came through the channel, as Jane approached Seven's location. Most of the team was already there, both heavy-hitters waiting with weapons pointed at the doorway. Tali, kneeling down next to the door, was taping away at her omni at a furious pace.
Jane crouched down next to her, her rifle out and pointed at the door. "How's it coming along?" she asked, pointing at the omnitool with her chin.
Clicking on last key, Tali looked up to the Commander. "Done. At your signal, Shepard."
Just then, a orange wave-like pulse went through the ground and walls around them. The redhead frantically looked around, trying to identify the source. She noticed Seven standing closer to the entryway they all were waiting in front of, a kunai-shaped knife in his hand and stuck into the metal. After a second, he stepped back into position, yanking the blade out. Once he shouldered his weapon, he spoke through the door.
"Eight hostiles identified beyond the door. One seems to be a Juggernaut, the rest are Troopers. There may be more outside the Pulse's range." Pausing, he looked at Shepard "Ready for breach, Commander."
"Roger. Breach on my mark." Jane looked back to Tali, both women nodding to the other.
"Mark."
The door slid open with a hiss, revealing a corridor, boxes of supplies strewn about. And the Geth, who opened fire not a moment after. The hail of projectiles zipped past Seven and Wrex, as they stood in place defiantly. The rest of the squad jumped back from the doorway, not wanting to test their kinetics against such volume of fire.
With a battlecry, Wrex rushed forward, his massive shotgun sending shot after shot at the synthetics. Seven opened fire as well, dropping an A-Wall to allow the rest to open fire too. Stimming, he ran after the red-crested Krogan, the L-STAR in his hands. He jumped onto a wall, kicking off it milliseconds later. With all his momentum, he flew into a grouping of Troopers, the first getting kicked in its flashlight head. Landing with a roll, Seven threw a Firestar at a Trooper, before letting loose with the LMG.
The crimson bolts splashed against the platforms' shields, short-circuiting them in two-three shots. As the Geth Troopers fell from Seven's energy weapon and Wrex's shotgun, the Juggernaut came around a stack of crates. With a shrill, the heavy synthetics fired a rocket at the old Battlemaster. The projectile hit Wrex's biotic barrier, as he took cover, snarling curses to himself.
Before the platform could exploit the opening, it was hit by an Arc Grenade thrown its way by Seven. Screeching loudly, it let loose another rocket, which blew apart some crates. Now, however, the Geth was exposed, for all the team to see.
Shepard was not about to let it fix that mistake. "Fire!"
Mass accelerated pellets flew through the air, sparking against the red armor of the Juggernaut. The tall synthetic tried firing back, but its weapon was pierced by three rounds, before exploding in the machine's hands. Knocked down to the ground, the Geth tried to get back up, only to be stopped by Wrex lifting it into the air with his biotics. Then, Seven vaulted over his cover, sliding underneath the floating platform, his jump kit propelling him forward. He got to his feet as his left arm shot upwards, the Grapple on it firing. The three-pronged hook latched onto ceramic armor, as Seven used his momentum, yanking the Geth down to the metal flooring beneath them.
With a sickening crunch, the Geth's 'neck' snapped, leaving it to fumble around on the ground, extinguishing the flashlight-like eye. Seven threw his left down, into the synthetic. The flame shield embedded in his forearm activated, melting the Juggernaut from the inside. Not ten seconds passed, and all that was left from the once-formidable opponent was a steaming puddle of metal, ceramics and plastic.
By this time, the rest of the squad caught up to their two heavy-hitters, Shepard waving Ashley and Kaiden forward with Garrus.
She watched on as Seven extended his left hand, the A-Wall emitter flying off the floor and into his grasp as a frisbee. He attached the disk onto the jump kit on his back, then went after the three advancing team members, weapon raised. Shrugging, Jane went after him as well, Wrex and Tali with her. The ran through the corridor, weaving between crates and excavation equipment, moving from cover to cover.
She shouldn't have let Wrex and Seven loose.
As Jane's group came into the next room, this time smaller, another firefight was already unfolding.
The air was abuzz whit the whine of engines. A flock of Geth Assault Drones was trying to swarm her team, emphasis on trying. Kaiden was using Throw to great effect, smashing the fragile Drones into walls and ceiling. There were already multiple of them crashed on the floor, sparking. It was taking a visible toll on the Lieutenant, however. They needed to get this over with.
Garrus had shot some out of the air, nailing their chassis with his sniper. Ashley was doing her best to help, but tracking targets this fast wasn't her strong suit.
Seven had a… revolver? in his hand, a large suppressor screwed onto its barrel. Odd. Jane saw that the man's weapons were often antique in their design and function. But a revolver? She would ask him about that when they were back on the Normandy. The giant handgun seemed effective, funnily enough.
Now, however, she and Wrex joined Kaiden with biotics of their own, relieving the tired marine. Tali opened her omnitool, hacking and sabotaging the Drones. Some were blow to pieces as they were hit with Overloads.
With the arrival of the last three team members, the tide shifted even more in the squad's favor. It was soon over, the last Drone crashing and exploding with a resounding BANG.
"Status, everyone?"
"Everyone condition green, Commander." replied Alenko "Just tired a bit, is all." He added between breaths.
"Good. You'll get some rest in the elevator. Move, people."
The seven individuals filed out of the elevator, weapons scanning for hostiles. Instead, they were met with the sight of an Asari in a scientist's uniform. The blue-skinned woman, upon seeing the team, called out to them.
"Thank Goddess! Somebody came! Please, help me, I'm stuck in here." she pleaded from inside the blue field.
Shepard picked up the conversation as she approached, the squad making a half-circle around her.
"Liara T'Soni, I presume?"
The Asari nodded "Yes. Who are you, human?" she asked meekly.
"Commander Jane Shepard of the Alliance Navy. Now Council Spectre. Now, Doctor… How did you get in there?" the redhead inquired.
"I… When the Geth came in, they killed off my entire group. I… I ran to here, activated the stasis field, thinking I'd be safe. Well… It is, but now I'm stuck here." the archeologist explained, floating hapless behind the blue tint of the barrier.
"How do we get you out, then?" Jane asked again.
"There is an elevator here. You might be able to use it." the Doctor trialed off. Meanwhile, Seven approached the N7 (heh), confident that the room was clear. The motion-tracker of his armor was, with the help of Avei, a massive boost to his special and situational awareness.
"Commander." once again, he startled said Commander, with how silent he was.
With a distinctly not-Shepard yelp, she whipped around, already glowing with biotics. It took Jane a good second to realize who she had in front of her.
"Sorry. God, how are you that quiet?" the blue fire around her hands dissipated.
"Training, Commander." the redhead glared at him.
Not dissuaded, the Spartan continued "Using Phase Shift, I believe I can cross the barrier. Permission, Commander?"
Sighing, Jane relented "Permission granted. Alright, everyone, find cover and hold position." turning back around, she spoke to the Asari Doctor again.
"He's gonna get you out of there." Shepard stuck a thumb at Seven.
Liara sent a worried look as the grey helmet scanned the chamber she was stuck floating in. This… being. It had… Its head was nearly empty of emotion. Memories, repressed and pushed back. And the cold… It radiated of this human, if one could call him that still. Liara didn't have many opportunities to meet humans beforehand, but she got to see what they… felt like, for a lack of a better word. Their minds, as all the other races, where little clusters of emotion and memories. She had witnessed glimpses, and could now with Shepard, too. But this being next to the Spectre… It was unnatural in every worst way imaginable to her.
And now it disappeared in a flash of grey smoke.
Shepard, seeing the Doctor's unease, tried to calm her "Hey, don't worry. Seven just went through the…"
Jane was cut off when, with a crack of reality being ripped apart, Seven came out of the Phase Shift, revolver drawn. Liara now got an even closer look at this… person.
She was now eye level with them, and she was off the ground by 20 centimeters or something. She gulped.
"How does on turn off the stasis field, Doctor?" the asked, their voice surprisingly polite.
"There should be a console back there. I used it to activate this, so it can probably turn it off too."
The response came from behind her this time "Acknowledged."
Then, the force that kept her airborne banished, and the whine of the mass effect generators died down. It also meant she fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Shepard was the first person near, looking her over for injuries. Finding none, Jane helped the Asari to her feet.
A quick thanks, and Liara was being carried off by the group. They ascended the walkways and tunnels of the dig site, their hurried steps echoing throughout the caves.
Once again, Seven had a feeling of déjà vu, as the rock… and… stone…. whizzed past them as they ran. It seemed so, so similar to something he'd done before. But what was it…
His trip down memory lane, though it would be challenging to call it even that, was stopped when they neared the exit of the cave.
It felt unnervingly similar, and it was a familiarity that set off alarm bells in his head.
He activated Stim, and jumped to the side. The jump kit fired, throwing him onto the cave's wall. He ran, Stim, his prosthetics, the MJOLNIR and the jump kit working in tandem to accelerate him to unimaginable speeds for a human. He bolted past the team, having been at the back before, slid off the wall, and jumped onto the opposing one. The Stim began to wear off, but his weight kept the momentum going, and he flew out of the cave's exit, his scarf flowing after him as a flag. He slid to a stop behind a rock outcropping just in time to see three Armatures drop down from a Geth dropship.
Shit. Do we call Cray? he felt Avei ask. He asked back without words. Yes, I did warn them. They acknowledged, and took cover inside the cave. Now, how are you going to deal with those three?
Tilting his head, Seven gave the AI her answer. Once again, his weapons flickered with a blue light, morphing their shapes, until they were something else. He now had a PGL in his hands, with enough Hyper Propellant shells to blow at least two of those Armatures to bits. Both his L-STAR and Shard Diffractor were gone, with a Thunderbolt Anti-Titan launcher on his back.
His sidearms were left alone for the most part, with the P2016 on his thigh replaced with his Bulldog revolver loaded with Elephant Rounds.
Time to see if one can rodeo an Armature like an Ogre Titan.
It would sure be interesting.
Jane unfolded her sniper rifle, peeking from behind her cover. The three walkers had them all pinned, and more infantry platforms were being dropped in.
They were surrounded, and couldn't really do anything about it. Anybody that had a sniper used it, even if they couldn't hit much. That was because any attempt at sustained fire ended in being fired upon by an Armature and half a dozen Troopers. So, peeking out with a sniper rifle, getting one shot off, and praying to not get shot at that much was the best they could hope for.
Except for Seven, obviously, who was, once again, running and gunning across the whole battlefield that the rock-filled plateau had become. He occasionally dropped by them to drop off that orange shield of his, but most of the time was jumping from rock to rock, enemy to enemy, fighting tooth and nail to lift the encirclement.
Now, Jane was now stranger to firefights, she was an Alliance marine and an N7 for a reason. But combating armored vehicles had not been her specialty, and this was what she and her hodge-podge of a unit were facing. Biotics and tech attacks were a godsend now, since they exposed enemies, leaving the helpless when Seven came barreling down on them.
The handcannon of a revolver barked loudly, each time leaving another sparking Geth Trooper crumpled on the ground, like a puppet with its strings cut.
Now, hiding behind Seven's 'A-Wall' as he called it, Jane watched as the man gunned it for the closest Armature. He took the rectangular launcher-like weapon, aiming it at the quadrupedal robot.
Said robot had other plans, however, and opened fire with it's machine gun. The metal pellets cut through Seven's figure, which flickered and vanished, leaving blue pixels in the air.
Then, he reappeared, firing the weapon on his shoulder. The blue ball-like bolt soared through the air, much faster than a normal Thunderbolt projectile, and smashed into the Armature's shields, leaving the air buzzing with electricity.
The mech's kinetics collapsed soon after, leaving it exposed to the Hyper Propellant rounds. It also had the effect of getting the attention of every Geth Trooper in his immediate vicinity.
His shields would have to do. Pelted by mass accelerated rounds, Seven landed on the Armature. His Grapple held him in place as the heavy Geth bucked and kicked, trying to shake him off, all the while Geth Pulse rifles fired into the golden veil of energy shields coating his armor. With the liberal use of his hardlight blades and Flame Shield, he had ripped off a chunk of plating on the Armature's back. He leveled the PGL on the gash in the white plating, and pulled the trigger.
Shields at 70 percent and dropping.
The 40mm weapon clapped like thunder as the round left the thick barrel at incredible speeds. The high velocity projectile pierced the remains of armor Seven left, and blew through electronics and hydraulic systems making up the insides of the Geth platform.
Shields at 50 percent.
Said platform shrieked in protest, but could not do anything as its power core got nailed by the super dense penetrator. It collapsed to the ground, not much more than a heap of metal.
On this heap of metal Seven stood, reloading the PGL.
Shields at 30, get to cover goddamnit! Avei shouted into his head, as he finally dashed away from the wreck that the Armature was now.
As he charged the Geth Troopers firing away at him, the golden veil surrounding him shattered like glass, rounds now pinging off his armor. They could do nothing but scratch the paint, but they could penetrate his visor if enough of them hit.
Not like he'd let them.
Slashing a Geth in half with the blade on his wrist, he allowed himself to be ripped free from reality once again, whites and greys replacing the red-brown Therum rock as the Phase Shift held him in the black and white, lifeless world.
The relative peace allowed his shields to start recharging as he emerged back into reality, cracking space in a puff of grey smoke, standing over Shepard, the N7 taking cover behind a rock outcropping.
Just in time to get smacked by a ball of blue plasma in the chest, sending him rocketing back into a rockface.
Good to know that Armor Lock is still useful to keep you from killing yourself.
Sighing at Avei's smug remark, he jumped back into cover next to the redhead once the joints of his armor unfroze.
The Commander spared him a glance inbetween bursts of her rifle, some worry on her face.
"Still combat capable, Commander.." He replied, weapons at the ready, as Jane frowned, doubtlessly about to interrupt him.
"…I cannot take out the remaining Armature units, however." He continued.
Then Joker's voice cut in on the comms. "Commander, I'm in position! Hang on down there!"
"Joker? What are you doing? The LZ's too hot for pickup!" Shepard shouted as another plasma projectile blasted their cover.
"The big robot asked me to get in orbit over you, and now it's asking me to open the cargo door. It said this will help you, but I dunno how!" the pilot snarled back.
Jane looked at Seven, who had now kneeled, wound tight like a spring, ready to burst into action once more.
As he spoke, the booming voice of his mech sounded in unison with his.
"Ground team, stand by for Titanfall."
I would like to thank everybody for their patience. I am a lazy bastard, and parental control on computer devices is infuriatingly effective. This means that, at best, I can do less than 2-2,5 hours of writing per day. And it usually clocks in at an hour at most. So yeah. Kind of bullshit.
Still, I am happy that I can finally publish this. It felt like I was letting you all down with how long this took.
Anyways, regarding the reviews.
Rook435 : I will include more stuff from DRG, as you probably saw in this chapter. Though it's hard for me to imagine a situation in which Seven would yell 'Rock and Stone!' at the top of his lungs. I will include the so called 'mining shanty' made by Mat Zenk though. I think it will 'fit the theme' of the character more, so to speak.
To everyone else, thank you again for reading. This is my first try at writing, and if not for you, I don't think I would've continued writing.
Big thanks to B2B_Pen&P for helping with this chapter. Correcting my grammar is a real hell (probably).
Rock and Stone, and have a nice day, everyone.