Author's Note: Thank you to Jules Hawk and Vorcha Girl for the comments on the last chapter, as always they are much appreciated. I love hearing what you think. Here is the rest of Virmire. Please read and review. Enjoy. - TLC
Chapter Twenty-Four
At Kirrahe's word Shepard, Kaidan, and Garrus hopped over the wall to enter the back of the facility. Their weapons were drawn and Kaidan ran a quick scan over the area. Kaidan gave the all clear as Kirrahe reached out for a quick comm check. Shepard signaled for them to follow her as she took point and lead them towards the facility. Kirrahe had asked that they keep an eye out for any ways to frustrate and slow the geth's defenses taking some of the heat off him and his men, and in turn off of Ashley.
Just a little ahead of them, they found the first station that was being heavily protected by the geth. It was simply a staircase leading to an elevated floor with a tower overhead. Thankfully, the area was being guarded by the smaller machines, and with the help of the element of surprise, they were able to take out the troopers within a few moments. "Alright, let's see what they were defending," Shepard ordered as they searched for a control panel. They spotted it towards the back of the structure and Kaidan hacked it and shut it down, effectively disrupting the geth communications. As they were leaving the now useless building, they were rewarded when they heard Kirrahe over the comms, "Something scrambled their targeting. We've got a shot! Chief Williams, take the heat off Mannovai!" Shepard turned towards Kaidan and Garrus briefly and they could see the satisfaction on her face at the fact that simply shutting down that one system had given the other teams an opening.
They remained silent to avoid alerting any geth in the area to their approach. Kaidan could hear his heart pounding in his ears. He could feel the sweat beading on his brow and back beneath his suit. They found another station, which was similar to the first, but this station was connected to a walkway that lead to the main building of the facility with a large satellite at the top. They found cover among some boulders near the station. Shepard signaled for Garrus to take out the satellite at the top while she and Kaidan would handle the geth. She gave a quick count – three, two, one – then, the signal to move out. Shepard and Kaidan ran towards the stairs, firing off their biotics. They managed to lift the geth nearest and then take out the remaining two with their rifles before turning their gunfire back to the helpless geth floating overhead. The confrontation ended with the satellite above them exploding, and Shepard gave the signal to head further into the area.
Her eyes held none of the warmth Kaidan had grown used to outside the missions. She was just as anxious as he was to get this mission over with and get everyone back together on the ship. Kaidan knew not having Ashley here with her was bothering her more than she let on. It was in the firm set of her jaw, the white in her knuckles around her rifle, the crease of her brow. It was eased momentarily when they heard Ashley over the comms, "Aircraft heading to perimeter stations to recharge. Bunker up before they come back!"
Shepard ran.
As Kaidan and Garrus followed, it took Kaidan just a second to think back to the map of the area. They were near the refueling platform. Geth and Krogan mercenaries would attack as they ran, but Shepard paid them only enough attention to Throw or Lift them as she ran, her focus on reaching the platform before the aircraft went back to the site of the frontal assault. From around the corner, they saw the large fuel tanks and the assault drones high in the air. Shepard gave the silent signal for Garrus and Kaidan to sabotage the drones and they pulled up their omni-tools without hesitation. As soon as the first two drones exploded, Shepard unloaded her rifle on the fuel tanks. They detonated with a violent roar and spectacular flames.
They continued to follow the walkway towards the main building and Kaidan heard Shepard let out a deep breath when they heard Kirrahe reference the assistance they had given, "Air threat has not materialized! We may be getting some help from Shadow!" As they reached the main building, they were stopped momentarily by a handful of geth snipers and Krogan mercs. Garrus had taken a spot on the bridge while Kaidan and Shepard moved in. Garrus was able to fire at the sniper and take him out when he stood for his own shot. Kaidan watched from cover as Shepard stood and took a shot at the Krogan who stumbled back a few feet but continued towards her. Kaidan leaned out from cover and Threw him backwards. He flew back, sliding across the floor while Shepard took out the nearby geth as Kaidan moved to finish off the Krogan.
They met at the door to the facility. Kirrahe's voice rang out over their helmet comms, "Shadow team must be getting close. Hold the line, men! Hold the line!" They entered the building and found themselves on a walkway that ran the length of the facility. There were a few short bridges ending in doors that would lead into the main area. About halfway down, they spotted a terminal and Kaidan hacked into it without needing the order to do so.
"Commander, we've got access to base security. We should be able to cut the alarms from here. We might even be able to trigger alarms on the far side of the base. It will clear out the guards for us, but it might be too much for the Salarian teams to handle," Kaidan warned as Shepard watched him work over his shoulder.
"No, just disable the alarms. We can handle any guards inside," Shepard ordered, placing a hand on his arm briefly and he nodded and turned his attention back to the console as Shepard and Garrus moved to wait for the door to open.
Once inside, it seemed like time sped up. Biotics fired, bullets flew, Krogan charged, and indoctrinated Salarian scientists screamed as they were Lifted or Thrown. They were making their way through the facility, taking out the geth forces they encountered on the way. In one of the research areas, they found a Salarian scientist studying husks. Kaidan suppressed a shudder as they fought their way through the room. He kept an eye on Shepard, ensuring no enemy flanked her and Garrus was to his right and slightly behind them, which gave Garrus the chance to fire off with his sniper rifle while Shepard and Kaidan distracted the husks.
Once they moved from that room, they were on an outdoor walkway again that led around the building. They dispatched another Krogan and a few geth before they reached the other door. They entered an office and noticed an Asari hiding under a desk at the far side. Three weapons trained on her as she slowly came out from under the desk, her hands up, "Don't shoot! Please, I just want to get out of here before it's too late."
Without dropping her weapon, Shepard spoke, her presence filling the room and causing the Asari to fall back a step, "Who are you?"
"Rana Thanoptis, neurospecialist, but this job isn't worth dying over… or worse," Rana introduced herself, her hands still up. Shepard stared at her for a dozen heartbeats, the silence stifling them. Kaidan could feel his biotics thrumming along his nerve endings. Shepard lowered her weapon, but didn't holster it, as she asked what Rana meant. "You think the indoctrination only affects prisoners? Sooner or later, Saren will want to dissect my brain, too!"
"I thought this was a breeding facility," Shepard stated simply and Rana lowered her hands, hoping that offering information would work in her favor.
"Not this level, we're studying Sovereign's effect on organic minds. At least, that's what I assumed. Saren kept us in the dark as much as possible," Rana sounded jaded, and frustrated. She filled them in on what they had learned about Sovereign: That the indoctrination signal is strong and if you're near the ship for too long you begin to feel the effects. It compels you to do things, though you don't know why. You just obey, and eventually, stop thinking for yourself.
"So, you helped him and you don't even know why?" Kaidan asked her, his tone laced with disbelief.
The Asari's dark blue eyes turned to Kaidan and her voice lost some steam. She sounded almost sad as she answered, "I didn't have the option of negotiating. This position is a little more… permanent than I'd expected. The man I replaced was the first to lose his mind to Sovereign. Honestly, I think Saren is… afraid it might be affecting him. We have learned that there is a balance, though, between control and usefulness. The less freedom a subject maintains, the less capable it becomes," She shook her head with a sigh and walked towards the elevator, "Listen, I can help you. This elevator behind me goes to Saren's private lab. I can get you in," Rana called the elevator and the doors opened. Shepard looked quickly to Kaidan and Garrus. "See? Full access. All of Saren's private files," Shepard moved into the elevator and Kaidan and Garrus followed. "Are we good? Can I go?"
Shepard spoke simply, "I'm going to blow this place to hell and gone. If you want to make it out alive, you'd better start running," and she pushed the button to close the elevator on the woman's frantic yell as she turned and fled the building. Shepard turned towards Kaidan, grinning.
"You enjoyed that," Kaidan accused returning her smile, even Garrus's two-toned chuckle rumbled in the confined space.
"Damn straight," She answered as she turned towards the now open doors of the elevator. Shepard led them out of the elevator and across another outdoor walkway and through a closed door. They were faced with another elevator which they activated and when it dropped them off they entered a larger room.
They walked down a ramp and Kaidan recognized the structure in the corner and called out to Shepard, "Commander, look over here. It's another beacon… like the one on Eden Prime." Shepard was next to him in an instant and she walked closer to the beacon. Kaidan felt the bile rising in his throat as he watched her reach out and touch the controls. He feared for her safety, and knew there was no stopping her from activating it and that there would be nothing he could do for her once it was started.
He felt the gentle pull of the beacon until it caught her and lifted her off the ground, arms outstretched, just like on Eden Prime. He glanced nervously at Garrus and opened his omni-tool so he could monitor her vitals. Her heart rate was steady and a normal sinus rhythm, even though her face was twisted in pain and her hands were clenched in fists. After what felt like forever, it released her and she dropped to her hands and knees, her breaths coming fast and short. Kaidan went to her and helped her stand, his hand on her arm as he ran a quick scan over her. "Kaidan," She whispered and he could feel the concern in his twisted brow and pressed tight lips as he finally looked to her eyes, "I'm alright." She promised and he nodded, their eye contact was heavy but reassuring even though she broke it sooner than he wanted her to.
She didn't say anything about what she had seen, she just made her way to the room's exit. She stopped, though, when Garrus spoke up, "This is not good." Shepard and Kaidan looked over their shoulder and saw a large, holographic image of Sovereign glowing red in the center of the room. Slowly, she turned and went closer to it.
Then, it spoke, "You are not Saren." Its voice was deep, distorted, and sounded oddly mechanic.
"What is that? Some kind of VI interface?" Garrus asked, and neither Kaidan nor Shepard answered.
It continued, "Rudimentary creatures of blood and flesh. You touch my mind, fumbling in ignorance, incapable of understanding."
"I don't think this is a VI," Kaidan whispered and was unable to look away from it. Shepard's spine was ramrod straight, and her hands were clenched in fists at her sides as they listened to it.
"There is a realm of existence so far beyond your own you cannot even imagine it. I am beyond your comprehension. I am Sovereign!" The room nearly shook with the volume of its words. He watched as Shepard shuddered, and was surprised by her reaction. What had she seen from the beacon?
Shepard spoke, under her breath and to her crew, "Sovereign isn't just some Reaper ship… Saren found an actual Reaper…"
It heard her, "Reaper? A label created by the Protheans to give voice to their destruction. In the end, what they chose to call us is irrelevant. We simply are."
"The Protheans vanished 50,000 years ago. How could you have been there?" Kaidan found it hard to believe, even though the proof was staring at him.
"Organic life is nothing but a genetic mutation, an accident. Your lives are measured in years and decades. You wither and die. We are eternal. The pinnacle of evolution and existence. Before us, you are nothing. Your extinction is inevitable. We are the end of everything," its voice was one of the most frightening sounds Kaidan had ever heard, and he suppressed his own shudder as Shepard spoke back to it.
"There is an entire galaxy of races united and ready to face you," Shepard spoke firmly, though Kaidan could feel the erratic flow of her biotics and knew her voice was hiding her own true emotions.
"Confidence born of ignorance. The cycle cannot be broken," It replied, unaffected. Can a machine be affected? Garrus spoke up and asked it what it meant by cycle. Had Liara been right all along? "The pattern has repeated itself more times than you can fathom. Organic civilizations rise, evolve, advance, and at the apex of their glory, they are extinguished. The Protheans were not the first. They did not create the Citadel. They did not forge the mass relays. They merely found them, the legacy of my kind."
"Why construct the mass relays, then leave them for someone else to find?" Shepard asked, simply trying to gather as much information as she could. There was no telling what would be important later.
"Your civilization is based on the technology of the mass relays, our technology. By using it, your society develops along the paths we desire. We impose order on the chaos of organic evolution. You exist because we allow it, and you will end because we demand it," It continued, and while it was answering their questions, Kaidan had the suspicion it was still only giving them the information it wanted to.
"They are harvesting us, letting us advance to the level they need, then wiping us out," Kaidan choked out around the knot of anxiety in his throat. What chance did they have to defeat them?
Shepard asked why, what did they want with the organic life? Like a hostage negotiator, just keeping it talking, hoping to reveal a weakness, "My kind transcends your very understanding. We are each a nation, independent, free of all weakness. You cannot even grasp the nature of our existence," It answered, without answering, and Kaidan could feel Shepard's frustration when she asked who created them. "We have no beginning. We have no end. We are infinite. Millions of years after your civilization has been eradicated and forgotten, we will endure," It answered, and its answer sent a chill down Kaidan's spine. It was talking like they were gods. Shepard asked how many of them there were, and this question sent Kaidan's stomach to his toes, "We are legion. The time of our return is coming. Our numbers will darken the sky of your every world. You cannot escape your doom." It spoke with such an assured sense of authority, and while it terrified Kaidan, and he could see his fear mirrored in Garrus, Shepard just seemed annoyed.
She spoke simply, her tone angry and insulted, "You're not even alive, not really. You're just a machine…" She paused and took a step closer to the hologram. "Machines can be broken." There was no doubt her words were a threat, and Kaidan felt a rush of confidence at them. When he looked to Garrus, he could see he felt it, too. They would follow her into any battle, even if it meant the end of civilization.
Sovereign, however, was not deterred, "Your words are as empty as your future. I am the vanguard of your destruction. This exchange is over," With that the image blinked out and the windows in the room shattered as it shook.
Shepard turned to look at Kaidan and Garrus, the silence thick and before she could break it, Joker's voice rang out over their helmet comms, "Commander? We got trouble!"
"What's wrong, Joker?" She asked as she led them back towards the elevator.
"That ship, Sovereign? It's moving. I don't know what you did down there, but that thing just pulled a turn that would shear any of our ships in half!" His voice was tinged with equal parts fear and reverence. "It's coming your way, and it's coming hard! You need to wrap things up in there – fast!"
She thanked the pilot and activated the elevator to make their way down to the breeding grounds, "It's time to plant that bomb and get the fuck out of here."
They left the elevator and made their way back through Saren's office. Kirrahe's voice was loud in their ears, "The geth are turning from your position, Jaeto. Looks like Shadow kicked a sensitive spot! Williams, head them off! Hold them out here!"
They picked up the pace, moving back through the facility to get to the breeding grounds. They were confronted by more geth assault drones and Krogan mercenaries, but nothing was going to stop them. Garrus and Kaidan had their tech attacks ready for the drones as Shepard handled the Krogan without stopping. Kaidan had been working along side Shepard for months, but right now he was amazed at the biotic power she was throwing around and the speed that she was able to maintain with the attacks. They reached another elevator and once inside Shepard supported herself by leaning a hand on the wall and taking a few deep breaths. He made a mental note to make sure she refueled once they were back on the Normandy. He knew how drained he was feeling, and he was relying more on the tech than his biotics.
They reached the breeding grounds, and were halted momentarily by a group of Krogan. Kaidan used his stasis to hold them in place and allow Garrus to take them out with his sniper rifle as Shepard Lifted and took out the others. The Krogan's bullets bounced off their shields and Kaidan knew they had to end the fight quickly, or their shields would be useless until they recharged and if the Krogan were left standing they would be in trouble. Luckily, the last one fell just as his shields went down and he heaved a breath of relief as they moved to the door that would open at the targeted site for the bomb.
They reached the bomb site and heard Kirrahe give the order to set the charges for one of the AA guns. Shepard turned her rifle to the large gas tanks flanking the landing area and took them out in a spectacular, fiery explosion. If they were bringing the Normandy in that close, the less chance for damage to the frigate the better, and Joker must have agreed as his voice rang out over their helmet comms, "All right! Nice work. That's one less thing to worry about. Commander, I'm bringing us in. I'll get as close to the site as I can."
Moments later, the Normandy appeared and hovered over the site. Its bay doors opened and a few of the engineers carried the nuke off the ship to the agreed upon spot with Kaidan supervising the placement. Once it was set he turned to Shepard, and looked to her eyes as he announced over the comm, "Bomb is in position. We're all set here."
Ashley's voice rang out, sounding slightly panicked, "Commander, can you read me?!" He watched the fear flash momentarily across her eyes.
"The nuke is almost ready. Get to the rendezvous point, Williams!" She ordered as Kaidan went back over to the nuke.
Kaidan glanced away from the controls on the nuke to Shepard as Ashley responded, "Negative, Commander! The geth have us pinned down on the AA tower. We've taken heavy casualties," There was a brief pause before Ashley spoke again, "We'll never make the rendezvous point in time." Her voice was resigned, as if she'd already accepted her fate.
Shepard's voice was harsh, and loud, "Get them out of there, Joker! Now!"
"Negative," Ashley responded again, "It's too hot! Can't risk it. We'll hold them off as long as we…" The transmission was cut off by gunfire and Shepard turned distraught eyes to Kaidan.
"It's okay, Commander. I need a couple of minutes to finish arming the bomb. Go get them, and meet me back here," He offered and she held his gaze for a long moment before she nodded.
"Vakarian, Wrex! Up to the AA tower! Move!" She shouted loudly and Wrex hopped off the Normandy's bay door and Shepard led them back through the breeding grounds as Kaidan went back to work on the bomb. The Normandy took off to head closer to the rendezvous point. Kaidan could feel the sweat dripping down the sides of his face, and his stomach rumbled with the need for sustenance. He chanced a glance over his shoulder as Shepard disappeared behind the doors to head to the AA Tower.
He was distracted after only a few moments when Ashley reached out to him over the comms, "Heads up, L.T. We just spotted a geth troop ship headed to your location." Kaidan looked over his shoulder as the geth ship landed.
"It's already here. There's geth pouring out all over the bomb site," He paused in the arming sequence and fired off a few shots with his pistol to take out the geth approaching him and the bomb.
Shepard's voice was almost desperate in his ear, "Can you hold them off?"
He took a few more shots and watched as the geth took out a few of the engineers that had been left with him, "There's too many! I don't think we can survive until we get here," He answered, his heart in his throat as he watched the injured engineers try to crawl to cover. He swallowed as he realized his role in this. He wasn't meant to survive. He would have to arm the bomb and stay here to protect it to give Shepard time to get to Kirrahe and Ashley and get them out of the blast radius. He was surprised by how calm he was amidst the gunfire and the realization that he was in his final moments. He turned back to the nuke, and completed the sequence, "I'm activating the bomb." He was surprised by the tranquility in his voice.
He was even more surprised by the shock and anger he heard in Shepard's, "Alenko! What are you doing!?"
He sighed as he turned and leaned against the nuke with his rifle out. He fired in rapid succession at the approaching geth as the engineers fought too. "I'm just making sure this bomb goes off, no matter what," He answered and though he heard Shepard start to say something, to argue, he cut her off, "It's done, Commander. Go get Williams and get the hell out of here." He knew he was out of line in his attempt to order Shepard, but what's done was done and he wanted to make sure his sacrifice was worth it. There was no point in him dying if Shepard didn't get to walk away from this.
He nearly growled when Ashley's stubborn reply came over the comm, "Screw that! We can handle ourselves! Go back and get Alenko!"
The silence on the comm was deafening, but only lasted a second before Shepard's Commander voice rang out, "Alenko, radio Joker and tell him to meet us at the bomb site."
Kaidan went numb.
It took him a few seconds to answer, "Yes, Commander. I…" He couldn't finish around the knot in his throat. He never hated anyone as much as he hated Saren in this moment.
Ashley cut him off, her voice now fully resigned to the fate Kaidan had thought had been his when he set the bomb, "You know it's the right choice, L.T." She insisted, and Kaidan thought he heard a slight tremble in her words. He heard Shepard apologize, and he sent the message to Joker. "I understand, Commander. I don't regret a thing." Ashley's voice cut off then, and Kaidan swallowed the burning knot of emotion at the back of his throat and took it out on the geth in the area without leaving the bomb. He was surprised when his private comm link lit up and Ashley was there, "Do one thing for me, Alenko."
"Anything, Ash," He answered, as he felt the emotion returning.
"Tell Joker, just… tell him, yes, we do," She asked and Kaidan didn't know what she meant, but he knew Joker would.
"Ashley," He started and she cut him off before he could say anything else.
"Kaidan, make it count, okay?" She asked again.
"I promise," He answered, and her signal cut out as she turned off her comm. At that moment, the doors opened and Shepard returned with Garrus and Wrex in tow. He swallowed the guilt as the three of them worked to clear the area of the geth. Suddenly, there was an explosion to his right as a rocket hit the ground and knocked him back. Shrapnel broke through his shields and pierced his abdomen. He couldn't move as the pain debilitated him. He was blinded by it as he tried to roll to his side to protect his wounded midsection. It was suddenly very quiet.
He felt the chills trace his spine and he wasn't sure if it was from the wound, or his reaction to the voice he heard ringing out over the area, "I applaud you, Shepard," Saren crooned. "My geth were utterly convinced the Salarians were the real threat, an impressive diversion. Of course, it was all for nothing. I can't let you disrupt what I have accomplished here. You can't possibly understand what's really at stake." Kaidan hissed as he rolled onto his back again. He glanced to his left and saw Garrus and Wrex in cover nearby as the area near him was colored by the blood leaking from his suit as the medi-gel attempted to close the wound. The metal piece was still in place, stopping most of the blood flow and hindering the medi-gel.
He felt himself shiver when Shepard spoke, "Why are you doing this?"
Saren sounded nearly desperate as he responded, "You've seen the vision from the beacons, Shepard. You, of all people, should understand what the Reapers are capable of. They cannot be stopped!" Kaidan closed his eyes and tried to put pressure on his wound and remain still to avoid making the injury worse as his medic training overrode his pain addled mind. He listened as Saren continued, "Do not mire yourself in the pointless revolt. Do not sacrifice everything for the sake of petty freedoms. The Protheans tried to fight, and they were utterly destroyed. Trillions dead, but what if they had bowed before the invaders? Would the Protheans still exist? Is submission not preferable to extinction?"
"Do you really believe the Reapers will let us live?" Shepard asked, exasperated. How could Saren be so blind? They had spoken to Sovereign; there was no room in their plan for survivors.
"Now you see why I never came forward with this to the Council. We organics are driven by emotion instead of logic. We will fight even when we know we cannot win. If we work with the Reapers, if we make ourselves useful, think how many lives could be spared. Once I understood this, I joined Sovereign. Though I was aware of the dangers, I had hoped this facility would protect me," Saren explained his motives and all Kaidan could do was groan his distaste as his breaths grew shallow from the pain.
"You're afraid Sovereign is influencing you. You're afraid he's controlling your thoughts," Shepard accused, echoing the concerns of the Asari they had met.
"I have studied the effects of indoctrination. The more control Sovereign exerts, the less capable the subject becomes. That is my saving grace. Sovereign needs me to find the Conduit. My mind is still my own, for now, but the transformation from ally to servant can be subtle. I will not let it happen to me," He explained and Shepard asked about the geth. Kaidan hazarded a glance at the countdown on the nuke, and wondered why Shepard was stalling. Saren explained that the geth were following Sovereign because they believe him to be some kind of god or the pinnacle of non-organic life. To Sovereign, the geth are simply tools. She asked about the Conduit. Saren spat his answer, "The Conduit is the key to your destruction and my salvation. Sovereign needs my help to find it. That is the only reason I have not been indoctrinated."
Shepard scoffed, "Sovereign's manipulating you and you don't even know it! You're already under its power."
"No! Sovereign needs me! If I find the Conduit, I've been promised a reprieve from the inevitable. This is my only hope," He answered her simply, sounding almost tired at the end, submissive.
"Together, we can stop Sovereign! We don't have to submit to the Reapers, we can beat them!" Shepard insisted, and Kaidan was able to work his way closer to the bomb so he could sit, leaning against it.
Saren's voice was gentle when he answered her, "I no longer believe that, Shepard. The visions cannot be denied. The Reapers are too powerful. The only hope of surviving is to join them. Sovereign is a machine, it thinks like a machine. If I can prove my value I become a resource worth maintaining. There is no other logical conclusion!"
Shepard sounded disgusted, and Kaidan looked to the area her voice was coming from. She was well hidden behind her cover as she accused him, "You were a Spectre, you were sworn to defend the galaxy and you broke that vow to save yourself."
Saren continued the argument, "I'm not doing this for myself! Don't you see? Sovereign will succeed, it is inevitable. My way is the only way any of us will survive. I'm forging an alliance between us and the Reapers, between organics and machines. In doing so, I will save more lives than have ever existed… but you would undo my work. You would doom our entire civilization to complete annihilation. For that, you must die!"
She dove from cover then, and was knocked to the ground when a grenade sent by Saren went off at her feet. She flew forwards and dropped her weapon. Kaidan watched, helpless, as Saren's geth cornered Wrex and Garrus as Saren stalked closer to Shepard who was struggling to regain her footing. He lifted her by the throat, and she fought against the grip he had on her neck as her face pinched in pain and turned a light shade of blue. The alarm on the bomb started ringing, signaling there was less than two minutes before detonation. Saren chanced a glance over his shoulder and the distraction was all she needed. She pulled back and punched him hard in the face, and he dropped her. Kaidan watched as she fumbled trying to get to her feet and grabbed her pistol as Saren mounted his hover board. The shots she fired at him ricocheted off his shields as he sped away. Shepard cursed and her attention turned to Garrus and Wrex as they finished off the geth.
Her eyes landed on Kaidan, and her face fell momentarily as she noticed his injury. The Normandy returned with the bay doors open. "Garrus! Wrex! Help me with him!" She shouted as the three of them ran to Alenko and lifted him. Chakwas was waiting in the bay with a stretcher for him. Apparently, she had been watching their hard suit monitors to check for injuries. Once Kaidan was secured on the gurney, Shepard ran for the elevator, anxious to get to the Bridge. Kaidan was taken to the med-bay and Chakwas said nothing as she gently removed the metal and checked for internal injuries. Luckily, it had missed any major organs and blood vessels. She was silent as she cleaned it and applied the medi-gel. It didn't take long for her to finish and Kaidan wondered if they would make it to Ashley in time.
Seconds later, an alarm went off at Chakwas's desk and her face crumpled. It only lasted a second before it died out. She closed her eyes and sat in the seat next to his cot as he laid back and started at the ceiling of the bay. Kaidan didn't have to ask what the alarm was. It alerted her to life threatening injuries of one of the crew, and only silenced when the crew member succumbed to those injuries. He heard her quiet sobs and felt the sadness, helplessness, and anger rise up in his throat and burn behind his eyes. He closed them and offered a prayer to whatever god may be listening.
Ashley was gone.