The trip back to the Normandy was uneventful, and once they arrived, Shepard immediately set their course for Illium, while Tali took the elevator to engineering where she and the two Cerberus engineers installed the new power couplings, with surprisingly little conflict.
Rocket and Kara delivered the ingredients Sgt. Gardner had requested, then proceeded to the docking bay.
Rocket hopped off of Kara's shoulder, and onto one of the larger crates nearby, and turned to look at her. She had that look on her face, where she dipped her head ever so slightly and had a slight scowl. You could see the gears turning in her head.
"What're you thinkin'?" He asked, curious.
"I'm reviewing footage of our engagement with the Collectors." She tapped the side of her head, and Rocket donned his helmet, and heard Kara already talking with the rest of Artemis. "Their weapons were vastly more advanced than any we've encountered so far. We'll need to make sure we're fully geared up next time we engage them."
Rocket heard a few grumbles over the comm. A Hunter's unique sensory system made it so most of them didn't wear clothes, it was like wearing a blindfold to them. Even soldiers wouldn't wear armor if hostile forces didn't pose enough of a threat to warrant it, hence why Artemis hadn't been wearing theirs so far. That, and there wasn't much reason to wear armor if you could regenerate from practically any injury, and bullets bounced off your skull.
Serina spoke up over a private channel between Kara and Rocket. "Sorry to interrupt. We're on route to the planet Illium, we'll arrive in two hours."
"Thank you Serina." Kara said, before switching channels and addressing the rest of Artemis. "That is all, keep doing what you're doing everyone. Kara out."
"What have they been up to?" Rocket asked.
"Laura and Nora are headed to Omega, for some wetwork. Machiko and Samantha are trying to find out the locations of Cerberus facilities for when we move against them."
Rocket nodded, and removed his helmet, then gazed warmly at Kara's body. "So… two hours."
Kara noticed the way he was looking at her. "Yeah. I'm sure we'll find something we can do to occupy ourselves in the meantime." She said as she began to unzip his suit slowly.
Rocket placed a hand on Kara's claw, stopping her. "Like cuddle?"
Kara hesitated. "Is that a euphemism, or…?"
"No, I just really feel like cuddling."
"Well then, come here you adorable little teddy bear." Kara said as she pulled him into a warm embrace, and cradled him like an infant against her breast. Rocket practically purred as he basked in her warmth, and the softness of her body against his. It didn't take him long to drift off into blissful sleep.
Rocket was gently roused from dreamless sleep as Kara delicately shook him awake.
"Rocket? We're ten minutes out."
He grumbled a sleep intoxicated response, and blinked rapidly, trying to clear his blurry vision as he woke. Kara leaned down, and he swung his legs over the edge of her arms and stepped onto the ground. He stretched and yawned, feeling a pop in his spine.
"Sleep well?"
"Like a baby."
"I can see that, the fur on your face is messed up. Here." Kara handed Rocket a comb. He took it, and began to fix his fur, giving it that "scruffy" look.
He'd finished just as the Normandy docked, and Kara waved him over. He handed the comb back, and followed her into the elevator, where he climbed onto her shoulder.
They met Shepard, Tali, and Garrus by the docking umbilical, where they stepped out onto the surface of Illium. Kara's head immediately snapped back, and she made a sound as though she were choking, followed by a snarl.
Everyone immediately turned to look at her. "What is it?" Shepard asked.
"The smell. I hate sprawls like this."
"Hunters don't have cities like this?" Tali inquired.
"No. When you get tens of millions of people concentrated in an environment like this, it overwhelms our senses."
"So what are cities like on your planets?" Garrus asked as the five of them stepped out of the umbilical.
"We don't have sprawls. My species live in small, scattered settlements dotted across Runith's surface. The largest settlement I've heard of has a population of a little over two thousand. But the majority of the other species that live on Runith live in spires."
Kara went silent as the group was greeted by an Asari. "Hello Commander. It is my pleasure to be the first to welcome you to Illium. I'm sure you're here for business, and not pleasure. To that end, you should speak to Liara T'soni. She is most eager to speak to you."
The Asari activated her omni-tool, and sent Liara's location to Shepard, who dipped her head in thanks.
They walked through the door behind the Asari, and were greeted with a breathtaking sight. The sun had begun to set, turning the sky a warm orange, and bathing the Asari city in its light.
They stared, for several seconds, before proceeding. "You were saying something about spires? What are those?" Tali asked.
"They're towers that are five miles wide and long, and are as tall as Mt. Everest back on Earth."
"That's… pretty damn big." Shepard muttered.
Kara nodded. "We do that because sprawls like this," She gestured to the city before them. "Are considered a waste of space, not to mention the damage they do to the local ecosystems."
"Why do you keep calling cities sprawls?" Shepard asked.
"Because that's what they're built like. Like somebody trying to take up as much space on a couch as possible."
"But wouldn't everybody living in towers be worse? You said concentrated populations mess with you Hunters too much." Garrus responded.
"They do. There are very few Hunters who live in spires. The ones who do usually do so, so they can be part of the community service initiatives."
"What are those?" Tali asked as the group passed the market on their way to Liara.
"They're organizations that perform everything a community would need to sustain itself. Everything from farming to policing. Hunters usually take the hardest and most dangerous jobs since we are the most physically suited for them."
"What kind of species make up the population?" Shepard inquired as they reached the staircase leading to Liara's office.
"Humans, because they're everywhere, and the Krithkan. Essentially giant butterflies."
"Giant butterflies? And I thought the Hanar were weird…" Shepard muttered. She reached the top of the stairs, and an Asari receptionist stood from her chair, and bowed in greeting.
"Welcome Commander. Liara is right through there." She said sweetly, gesturing to the door across from her.
"Thank you." Shepard dipped her head, and proceeded through the door.
Liara's office had a stunning view of the city behind her, But Liara's attention was focused on the holographic image of a Human man. "I apologize that the information you received was unpleasant, but we still had an agreement. Pay me, or I flay you alive. With my mind." Liara cut the line, and turned her attention to Shepard. She spread her arms wide as she approached, and the two hugged. Liara breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh Shepard, it's so good to see you again. I'd heard the rumors of course, but to see you for myself…"
"It's good to see you too Liara. How've you been while I was gone?"
"Busy." Liara sighed. "Very busy."
"Anything I can help with?"
"Perhaps later. You have your own business to attend to first."
"How do you know about that?"
"I've been building my own intelligence network while you were gone. We were fumbling in the dark when we were tracking down Saren, and I don't want ignorance to be our downfall. And I've been fairly successful in that endeavor. I know you're here looking for people to help you with your mission against the Collectors, and I can tell you where they are."
"I'd appreciate that Liara."
Liara nodded. "Thane Krios, the Assassin, has been hired to eliminate Nassana Dantius. I expect you can find him when he attempts to infiltrate her towers. Next is an Asari Justicar, Samara. My sources don't know why she's here, but authorities on this planet are worried that her presence here will cause a diplomatic incident. I'm sure they'd be more than happy to help you recruit her."
Shepard nodded. "Thanks for the help Liara. When I get the chance, I'll give you a call and return the favor." Liara smiled and nodded as Shepard turned to leave.
As they left, Serina spoke over their comm channel. "We should be able to utilize public transportation to take us to either Nassana's towers, or the docks where Samara is currently located. I'll mark the nearest location on your map."
"Thanks Serina." Shepard whispered, trying to avoid looking like she was talking to thin air, when she caught an Asari waving, and when they saw Shepard spotted them, they beckoned her over. Intrigued, Shepard obliged. "Do I know you?" Shepard asked as she came within earshot.
"No Commander, but we have a mutual acquaintance, one you met on Noveria, and who asked me to pass on a message if I ever saw you."
Well that was a little ominous. "Alright, let's hear it."
The Asari dipped their head, closing their eyes. And when they opened them again, the light had gone dark, their eyes a blank void. "Shepard. We survive, we rebuild. We know you seek those who tainted our mothers songs. When the time comes, our musics shall join yours, and our chorus will burn the darkness clean."
The Asari blinked, and their eyes returned to normal. "You met the Rachni?" Shepard asked, stunned to hear from them.
"Yes. I was on a freighter shot down by pirates. When my ship crashed, and they began to comb through the wreckage, I thought I was going to die. But we had crashed near a Rachni nest. They killed the pirates, and saved me. The galaxy owes you a great debt, Shepard, the Rachni are a beautiful species, and the galaxy is a better place with them as part of it."
Shepard thanked the Asari for delivering the message, said her goodbyes, and the team proceeded to the waypoint, only to be stopped again when they heard a voice shouting. "Hey! Hey!" Shepard turned, spotting a young Human woman. She was walking towards Kara, albeit shyly. "Um… Hi. I don't know if you remember me…"
Kara's head tilted as she gazed at the young woman. "You were one of the colonists on Eden Prime. Grace, isn't it?"
The woman was visibly surprised. "Y-you remember me?"
Kara smiled and nodded as she crouched, allowing Grace to look at her without straining her neck quite so much. "I never forget a face."
"I- uh… I just wanted to thank you, y'know, since I didn't get the chance before."
"Don't worry about it, I'm glad I could help you."
Shepard watched in intrigue as the two exchanged a few more words, and Grace walked away. Once she was out of sight, Kara stood and exhaled, almost as if she were embarrassed, and shook her arms as she turned to face the rest of the team. "You alright Kara?" Shepard asked, a sly smile creeping its way onto her lips.
"What? Yes, yes I'm fine."
Rocket smirked. "Oh, she's lying. She's nervous."
Tali balked at that. "Kara, nervous?"
Kara turned, and growled at Rocket, who's smile only grew wider and more mischievous. "Oh yeah. You see, she's completely calm when somebody's tryin' to kill her, but say thank you, and all of a sudden she's a nervous wreck."
"Shut up!" Kara hissed, feeling her cheeks flush. Nobody could see her embarrassment, but they could definitely hear it.
"Ah, she's so cute when she's flustered." Garrus said, the Turian equivalent of a smile on his face.
Kara growled, but bit her tongue, refusing to give them the satisfaction of a response. "Don't we have a job to do?" She sighed.
"She's right everybody, let's go." Shepard said, trying to reinstate a semblance of professionalism.
The ride to the towers was uneventful. At least it was until Serina spoke up over their comms. "Communications from the Tower just exploded, I'm trying to sort through it all right now… Oh… oh god."
"What is it?" Shepard barked as the towers came into view. She spotted a small bridge connecting the two, and swore she could see brief flashes of light. Muzzle flashes.
"Nassana caught wind our assassin's after her. She just ordered her private security to start slaughtering her employees."
"Keelah…" Tali muttered.
"Can this thing go any faster?" Shepard yelled as she unholstered her rifle.
"I'm pushing it as fast as it can go!" Garrus barked back.
Kara slid the door open, and peered out, before stepping over the edge. Rocket grunted, and readied his own weapon. "See you down there." He roared as he donned his helmet and jumped out of the moving vehicle.
He heard the wind whipping against him as he plummeted towards the ground. He adjusted his gaze, and saw Kara hit the ground at their LZ, having allowed gravity to do all the work. He activated his flight gear, and landed gently atop her shoulder.
"Shepard, I'll push into the lobby and clear an LZ, but I can't wait for the rest of you. I'm going to push as far into the building as I can." Kara said, as she unholstered her rifle, and slammed her body through the glass doors.
"Affirmative. Try to save as many people as you can."
"That's the plan." Kara snarled, as a pair of civilians, a Turian and Salarian, came running from around a corner. Kara could feel the armored footsteps of mercenaries hot on their heels, and she dashed forward. The two civilians stopped dead in their tracks as they saw her bolt towards them, not knowing her intentions, just as the mercenaries rounded the corner. Kara crouched, and spun on her heel as she passed the two civilians, shielding them with her body as the mercenaries opened fire.
Her shields flared as the rounds impacted, and Rocket gripped tightly onto the fur on Kara's neck with his left hand and spun around, hanging down her back, allowing him to return fire. Four rapid shots spat forth from his weapon, impacting each target center mass. The plasma burned through their shields, and scorched their armor, as well as the flesh underneath, killing them.
"It's safe outside the tower, run!" Kara barked gruffly, before standing and turning back to face the lobby. The two civilians hesitated for a moment, before running off.
Rocket let go of Kara's fur, and activated his aero-rig again. Kara looked at him. "There's someone hiding under the reception table. Get them out, then we'll move onto the next floor."
"Got it." Rocket said as he moved to the front desk. He landed on top, and peered over the edge, seeing a young Human woman with her hand clasped over her mouth, terror etched into her face, her eyes snapped shut. "Hey."
She let out a yelp, and she pushed herself further into the desk as she opened her eyes and stared at him. Rocket rolled over the edge of the desk, landing on his feet. "I ain't gonna hurt you, I'm here to help. Nod if you understand me."
The woman relaxed slightly, then nodded. "Alright, come on. The lobby's clear." Rocket offered his hand, and the woman gingerly extended her hand and grasped his. He walked backwards slowly, and she reluctantly followed. Once she was outside, Rocket cast a glance at the entrance, spotting Shepard, Tali and Garrus.
"It's safe, get outta here." The woman numbly ran past the newcomers, and out of the building as Shepard and her team reached Rocket.
"Sitrep." Shepard said tersely as she came within earshot.
"Lobby's clear, we're movin' up a floor."
Shepard nodded, and followed Rocket as he moved to join Kara by the stairs. Nobody brought up the elevators. With how paranoid Nassana seemed to be, it was probable that taking one would just get them stuck at best, killed at worst.
"Heads up everyone." Serina stated over their comms. "I've hacked into enemy comms. Most of the floors are empty of hostiles, they were going to clear the tower from the top and bottom, working their way to the middle. We took care of the mercs on the ground floor, so we won't have to worry about clearing each level. But just in case, I'll activate an emergency alarm, that should clear most of the civilians out of the building."
"Thanks for the heads up Serina. See if you can scramble their comms." Shepard said as they began their ascent.
Just as Serina had stated, Nassana's paranoia had led her to keep most of her security with her on the top three floors, meaning that Shepard's team encountered no resistance during their ascent, aside from civilians scrambling down the stairs in response to the alarms blaring throughout the building.
As they reached the top of the stairwell, Shepard began to listen more intently to the comm chatter. Nassana had ordered them to reinforce their positions, meaning that Shepard and her team would encounter stiff resistance.
They paused for a moment of respite as they came to a stop behind the door, everyone except Rocket and Kara panting from the exertion. Shepard's heart was beating so hard it felt like it would explode out of her chest. She forced herself to take several deep breaths, as deeply as her burning lungs would allow, before she was ready to proceed.
She looked to the rest of her team, and they nodded, ready to go. Shepard spared a glance to Kara. "Is the room clear?'
"No, there's a lot of movement. Get ready, from here on we'll have to fight the rest of the way."
Shepard sighed, and readied her rifle, before taking position beside the door. Kara took position across from her, and nodded. Shepard reached for the door handle, and swung the emergency door open, before ducking back just as bullets began ripping through the air she'd previously occupied. Kara burst through the hail of gunfire, Rocket riding on her back. Her shields withstanding the assault, she returned fire at the group of a dozen armed Eclipse mercenaries, who'd moved desks and cabinets to form a makeshift wall.
Her shots were intended to suppress, rather than kill her targets, but she still scored two kills before they could duck back behind cover. Shepard burst out as Kara began to fire, and ran into cover behind a support pillar to the right of the door. She paused for a moment, then swung around the right side of the pillar, trying to get an angle, but she couldn't get a good sightline.
A sudden roar ripped Shepard's gaze back to Kara. The Hunter let loose a bone rattling, deafening thunder, and Shepard barely caught the sound of the mercenaries begging for reinforcements over their comms. No answer came, Serina's jamming was working.
Shepard caught a glimpse of Rocket hopping off Kara's back, and running around the mercs left flank, just as Tali sprinted up to Kara's six, where she and Kara both resumed firing over the mercenaries heads. Shepard felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to see Garrus behind her. "What's the plan?"
Shepard scanned the room, and spotted a desk ahead of them. It wouldn't protect her or Garrus from retaliatory fire, but it gave them an angle on the mercs. That, and the combined fire from the rest of the team, and their shields would keep them safe. "See that desk?" Shepard asked, pointing it out. Garrus followed her finger, and nodded.
They dove behind the desk, and readied their weapons. Shepard spotted Rocket, already in position, and dipped her head.
The three of them opened fire on the clustered mercenaries. Rocket took down two, Shepard and Garrus killed one each, leaving six mercs left.
Caught in a crossfire on their left and right flanks, the mercs panicked, and fell back, only to expose themselves to fire from Kara and Tali. They dropped quickly, and Kara indicated the floor was clear.
They stacked up by the entrance to the next floor and readied for breach. "One hostile, in the hallway beyond this door, more in the room after." Kara said as she took position.
"Don't shoot him, let's see if he'll tell us anything."
Shepard opened the door and walked through, keeping her rifle trained on the man's back.
She stopped six feet from him, before speaking. "Turn around. Slowly."
He visibly stiffened when he heard her voice, but he complied. "Shit…" He muttered as he saw the five armed soldiers surrounding him.
"How many of your guys are between us and Nassana?"
"Why should I tell you?' The man said, suddenly brave considering his situation. "Shoot me, and my team will hear it."
Kara snarled as she lowered her rifle, and activated her plasma blade, an angry hiss filling the air as it crackled into existence. "Who said anything about shooting you?" She growled.
The man's face was hidden behind his helmet, but Shepard could imagine the fear on it, if his body language was any indication.
"Answer the question?" She hissed.
"Five guys in the next room, four with Nassana."
Shepard was about to ask another question, when she heard gunfire from the next room.
Kara's head turned to face the source of the sound, then she looked back at the merc in front of her. She brought her leg to her chest, and launched it forward. Shepard heard the mercs armor, and the bones in his chest shatter as Kara's leg struck him, killing him instantly as his lifeless body sailed through the glass window behind him.
"Was that really necessary?" Garrus asked as Shepard shot Kara an unapproving glance.
"He and his comrades slaughtered civilians, for a paycheck." Kara said with an air of finality, making it clear there was nothing more to say.
The team moved through the door, and saw the corpses of the five aforementioned mercenaries, each with a single bullet hole in their heads, in addition to the bodies of numerous civilians.
Kara gazed at the corpses, feeling her ire rise, then approached a locked door on the left side of the room with a corpse leaning against it.. Shepard followed her. "You see something?"
"Yes, there are people hiding in this room." Kara said as she knocked on the door. "Hello? The mercenaries are dead, you're safe now." Kara felt the room's occupants shuffle, but none of them approached the door. Kara wondered whether the Salarian's would be safer inside the room when Shepard stopped next to her.
"Can you get this door open?" She said, turning to Tali.
"Yeah, just a second." Tali activated her Omni-tool and hacked the door controls, opening it, revealing the three Salarian's inside.
As soon as the door opened, one of them leveled a pistol at Tali's face. Before Tali could react, Kara stepped in front of her. "Stay back!" The Salarian shouted, his voice filled with barely contained panic. Kara looked behind her and raised a hand as she felt the others raise their weapons. "Please… stay back."
Kara stepped back, and the rest of the team followed suit. "It's alright, you're safe now." Shepard said calmly. "We're not one of Nassana's mercs, we're not going to hurt you."
The Salarian swallowed the lump in his throat. The pistol dipped an inch as he realized they didn't look like Eclipse. "Who… who are you?" He asked.
"I'm Commander Shepard, I'm here to help." Shepard looked at the body near the door. "Do you know who killed him?"
The Salarian shook his head. "No… th-they started shooting the other employees, and me and my friends hid in here. That guard saw us, and he was about to shoot us when he... I don't know who shot him. I took his gun and locked the door."
Shepard looked past him, at the two Salarian's in the corner of the room. She couldn't get a good look at one of them, but she could see blood. "One of you is wounded. I've got medi-gel, let me-" Shepard took a step forward, and the Salarian snapped the pistol back up.
"Stay back!" He shouted.
Kara quickly intervened. "Look at me." She said calmly, and the Salarian pivoted to aim at her. "You're okay." She whispered as she slowly reached towards him.
"D-don't-" he began to say, but Kara simply shushed him, as though she were dealing with an emotional child.
"You're okay." She repeated softly as she laid her left hand gently on the Salarian's wrist. When he visibly relaxed, Kara placed her right hand on the barrel of the gun, and gently guided the Salarian's hands down.
With the situation stable, Shepard approached the wounded Salarian, gently placing a shoulder on the man next to him, moving him out of the way so she could apply the medi-gel.
Once she was finished, she addressed the two healthy Salarian's. "There aren't any more mercenaries in this tower. You should be able to take the elevator down to the lobby."
"T-thank you, we'll go right now." With the medi-gel taking effect, the three Salarian's exited the room, and made their way to the elevator, trying not to stare at the bodies of their co-workers.
Shepard watched them leave, then took point as her team made their way to the bridge connecting the towers. They halted once the reached the door, and readied themselves. Shepard opened the door, and Kara immediately burst through, her shields absorbing the rounds that slammed into her. Shepard peeked from behind the doorway, and saw two dozen mercenaries on the other end of the bridge. "Garrus, snipers!" Shepard ordered, as she swapped weapons.
Kara returned fire, sending screeching orbs of plasma down the bridge, killing three of the mercenaries. Shepard and Garrus leaned out from the doorway, and began to let loose, sending high powered rounds shrieking across the walkway, killing four more of the mercs, the rest ducking back behind cover. Rocket used his aero-rig to jet past Kara, and tossed two grenades into the midst of the Eclipse mercs.
A split second later, two resounding blasts thundered through the bridge, and Kara advanced, holstering her rifle and drawing her sidearms as she prepared to engage in cqc.
The explosions had killed eleven of the seventeen mercenaries. The remaining six were scattered by the detonations, leaving them completely helpless as Kara descended upon them, killing all of them with surgical, cold efficiency.
Shepard's team regrouped at the end of the bridge, and proceeded to the top floor. They stacked up behind the door leading to Nassana's office, and once Shepard gave the word, Kara burst through the door, followed shortly by the rest of the team.
Nassana's bodyguards readied their weapons, but held their fire once she raised a hand. "Commander Shepard. So you're the one who's here to kill me."
"I'm not here to kill you, but after what you've done, I'm awfully tempted to." Nassana's bodyguards tensed, and one of them jerked her head away from Shepard's team.
"What is it?" Nassana asked impatiently.
"I heard something."
"Damn it! Check the other entrances." Two guards moved position, and that was when Thane made his move. He dropped down from a vent behind Nassana's guards and moved quickly, faster than anyone Shepard had seen besides Kara. He broke the neck of one guard, and when the one beside him turned, the Drell lashed out with his fist, striking the man square in his throat.
The mercenary let out a choked sputter, and collapsed as Thane drew his pistol, sending two rounds through the heads of the final two guards. Nassana drew a pistol, and whirled around.
The Drell stepped closer, practically hugging Nassana when she pulled the trigger, the round going off harmlessly behind him. She had only a fraction of a second to realize she missed, when Thane pulled the trigger, sending a round through her gut.
She let out a pained yelp, and started to collapse as the pain overwhelmed her, only for the Drell to catch her before she fell, and gently lay her down on her desk as she died.
He folded her hands over her chest, closed his eyes, and brought his hands together in a form of prayer.
"Impressive." Kara muttered under her breath. Shepard silently agreed.
She took a step forward to address the assassin, but stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Kara, who simply shook her head. Shepard relented, and stood still, patiently waiting as Thane prayed.
Several seconds passed before he opened his eyes, and lowered his hands. "Thank you for your patience, prayers for the wicked cannot be forsaken."
Shepard gazed at Nassana's corpse, mindful of her orders to slaughter helpless civilians. "Do you really think she deserves it?"
"The prayer was not for her, it was for me. I must thank you Shepard, you and your comrades made an excellent distraction. You said you weren't here for her, so why are you here?'
"The Collectors are attacking Human colonies, countless people have gone missing, families. I need people to help me take them down. Cerberus put together a list of people for the mission, and you're on it Thane."
Thane seemed to stare off into space for a moment as he processed what Shepard said. "Hmm. Helping save colonists is a worthy cause, certainly better than my usual line of work."
"So you'll help?"
Thane approached Shepard, and extended his hand. "Yes. I intend to make the most of what time I have left."