Kaidan shot another three cannibals with his rifle before popping back behind cover and taking a deep breath. Even though he was trained to fight in conditions like this, it was still as taxing as ever. Not to mention the overwhelming force of the Reaper troops didn't help; there truly was strength in numbers and it seemed as though the Reapers intentionally designed their troops that way. To whittle away their stamina and, in the case of marauders and banshees, his patience. The overwhelming numbers of husks and cannibals was starting to tire Kaidan out. The arrival of marauders didn't help the situation one bit. As Kaidan looked over towards Kacey and Garrus, the latter of which was also showing signs of exhaustion also, he noticed how Kacey seemed to remain at peak performance, despite everything.
The shootout had been going on for a few hours now; Kaidan was still feeling a bit roughed up from the crash. However, it seemed that, despite getting thrown about worse than himself and Garrus, Kacey seemed almost…unfazed by the whole ordeal. He was then reminded of how Anderson had previously said that Kacey fought for nearly twenty-three hours during the Skyllain Blitz. Between those two feats and the falls that she had survived…something seemed off. Kacey was a mystery, that was for sure.
"Cortez!" Kacey shouted, "Situation?"
"Swapping out the parts, Commander!" Cortez said through the comms, "Hang on!"
More husks started to swarm in, attempting to box the trio in. Kaidan used his biotics to send a large group of them flying off into the air. They were about to be overrun by the husks.
"Cortez!?" Kacey shouted again.
"Almost there, Commander!"
Kaidan started to use his biotics more to thin down the number of husks to a more manageable size. Kacey already had her shotgun out and took advantage of its widespread shots to cut the husks clean in half with every shot while Garrus picked off the rest of the troops.
"Cortez, what happened to 'almost there'?" Kacey shouted once again.
"Had a development, Commander! Fixing it now!"
"And just in time for a brute." Garrus quipped.
Kaidan was grateful that he had put in the extra practice; using reave now was a lot less taxing than it used to be. Not to mention it did a number on the brute's armour. Couple that with a shower of grenades and fiery concussive shots and the brute went down, only for another to appear.
"Commander! I'm airborne!" Cortez said.
"Give us some cover fire!" Kacey ordered.
"Copy that!"
The Kodiak did a good job covering the trio, allowing Kaidan to catch his breath for a few moments before jumping back into the line of fire. The Reaper forces were unrelenting, and the trio of veterans were not going to give up now. Everything was going well enough until a weird sound rippled through the air.
"Another pulse hit me!" Cortez shouted through the comms, "Flight controls scrambled!"
"Damn it! Cortez is in trouble!" Kacey shouted, "Get to him!"
Kaidan didn't need to be told twice. After jumping over a small gap between both parts of the ship, Kaidan saw Cortez fighting of a few cannibals and had lifted them into the air, making them easy pickings.
"Okay, I think we're clear." Kacey said.
"Good, but there's been a development, Commander." Cortez said.
"Status."
"The shuttle's a mess, Commander." Cortez said, "That pulse knocked it right out of the air. We're not going on anywhere."
"The Normandy could come and extract us." Garrus suggested.
"Same thing would happen to her…and the landing won't be as pretty." Cortez explained, "I'd say Leviathan has some sort of defence mechanism in place."
"Then we aren't getting out of here until we find it." Kacey replied determined, "So…uh…how do we do that?"
"Well, you might be able to use a mech." Cortez said, pointing towards a mech hidden in storage, "Looks like it's rigged for diving."
"A diving mech?" Kacey questioned, "Would that even work?"
"It's a Triton model. Military grade repurposed for deep-sea exploration. As long as the seawater hasn't corroded it yet, you should be good to go."
"If you say so." Kacey replied, "Let's get started."
She couldn't be that crazy right? Kaidan couldn't help but have a bad feeling about all of this. Whatever Leviathan was, it was capable of doing so much harm, both to people and the Reapers. And the very fact that none of them knew what Leviathan was, was setting off alarm bells for Kaidan.
"Wait a minute here." Kaidan said, hesitant, "Are we seriously considering…?"
"First, we'll need to restore power to get the cargo door open." Cortez explained.
"How?" Kacey asked.
"Yeah, we are." Garrus sighed.
"These old Ballard-class ship are equipped with exterior power sockets." Cortez answered, "They use 'em for emergency repairs. We can strip the cells from the shuttle and use those for juice. Hang on, I'll get you started."
"Are you two going to be able to cover me while I plug these in?" Kacey asked.
"We can try." Kaidan said.
"Good thing I brought these then." Kacey said, pulling two heavy weapons out of the shuttle.
"Okay back up." Garrus said, "You actually stole those from Cerberus?"
"These are Cerberus weapons?" Kaidan asked, confused.
"Technically this grenade launcher is." Kacey said, "This one is a Collector Beam. And trust me, that thing will tear through anything the Reapers throw at you."
Kacey handed Kaidan the Collector Beam; it was an odd organic looking weapon. As Kaidan inspected it, Garrus took the grenade launcher.
"Oh, and before you ask," Kacey added, "I had these hidden in another hidden compartment on the Normandy. Which is why the Alliance doesn't know about these."
"Well, then what are we waiting for?" Garrus said as husks began to flood the area.
…
Kaidan had to admit that the Collector Beam was the exact type of weapon they needed ages ago. As Kacey had said, the beam tore through the Reaper troops like tissue paper, sawing the husks clean in half and incinerating everything else.
Despite having superior numbers, the playing field had evened with the use of the grenade launcher and especially the Collector Beam. The large swarm of numbers that the Reaper troops had ultimately did not matter; the cut through them at such a quickened pace that by the time Kacey got to the mech suit and got inside, one rocket was all it took to destroy the last of the husks.
The thing that had Kaidan on edge the most, however, was that Kacey was seriously going down to confront Leviathan by herself; it was way too risky for just one person to face whatever eldritch horror was awaiting them down there. He had already lost Kacey once, and nearly did again. Things were way too close to comfort for Kaidan.
"All right, Commander." Cortez said, omni-tool out, "Let's get you out of there, and I'll do systems check."
Kaidan headed over towards Kacey, making sure Cortez was out of earshot, "Kacey, I've got to say…I'm not to crazy about this plan."
"We've come way too far to stop now, Kaidan." Kacey replied, "The way home is through Leviathan."
"I know that, but this seems crazier than usual."
"I know you're worried, Kaidan." Kacey said calmly, "And I understand why, but I've got to do this. I promise to be as careful as I can be."
"Okay. If, you are sure." Kaidan replied.
"Okay, seals check out." Cortez said, "Oxygen pressure is normal. Systems are a go. It's as ready as I can make it."
"Let's go." Kacey said, "Closing hatch."
It wasn't long before Kacey had dived beneath the dark and cold waves, into the deepened depths below. Leaving Kaidan and Garrus to hold everything together until she got back.
…
A few hours had passed, and Kaidan was starting to worry. No Reaper troops. No Kacey. No Leviathan. Something didn't seem right.
Cortez had spent the time fixing up the shuttle, a good distraction all things considered. The pilot simply focused away on his task without a backward glance, something that Kaidan wasn't all too bothered with. Meanwhile, Garrus was working on his sniper rifle while sitting atop a crate nearby, seemingly fixing up the specs on his rather advanced rifle. Kaidan wished for a better distraction; the wait was agonising.
"Kaidan, you are going to run yourself into the ground if you keep pacing around like that." Garrus said, after a long silence.
"I know. It's just…I'm worried about Kacey, okay?" Kaidan said.
"I know, but driving yourself into madness isn't going to help." Garrus replied, "Can I ask you something, Kaidan?"
"Sure."
"Why were you in the hospital? You know, before the coup?" Garrus asked.
Kaidan looked at the turian confused, "You don't know?"
Garrus shook his head, "Kacey mentioned you were there but didn't elaborate. I asked Liara and she told me you were hurt on a mission on Mars, and it had something to do with the body EDI now uses."
"Right." Kaidan sighed, "And the reason Kacey might not have wanted to talk about it was because I…I kept asking her if she knew why Cerberus was there."
"I see." Garrus said, "So you two fought again, huh?"
"Yeah." Kaidan said, looking a bit sheepish, "It was stupid. I was stupid. I just…didn't want to listen. I didn't want to believe it was really her. After two years of grieving…I don't know."
"I don't blame you." Garrus replied, solemnly, "I couldn't believe it when I saw her on that bridge on Omega. Honestly if she hadn't shown up when she did, I'd probably would've died."
"It was that bad?"
"Yeah, it was." Garrus replied, "Still, I thought you two would've made up while she was on Earth."
"I didn't see her when I was there." Kaidan replied, "I knew she was there, but I was constantly sent out on missions. Didn't have time I suppose."
"Didn't have time, or didn't want to see her?"
"A little bit of both, I guess."
"At least you're honest about it." Garrus replied, "So, what did the android body do to you that landed you in the hospital?"
"The android body that EDI uses, it was a spy for Cerberus." Kaidan explained, "It took the information on the Crucible, and we chased it outside. It got in a shuttle, but James crashed into it, stopping the android from escaping. But as I went to take the data back, it grabbed me by the throat and, on the Illusive Man's orders, pounded me into the side of the shuttle. I lost consciousness right after that."
"Damn." Garrus replied, speechless, "That explains a lot."
"Does it?"
"Yeah, it does." Garrus confirmed, "I knew the Illusive Man was going to try something like that. Especially after we stole all of that tech and information. Pretty sure he wants our heads on a stick."
"Seems to be a running theme with Kacey these days." Kaidan said, smirking, "Either you admire her or want to kill her."
"She pulled us all through to the end though, all things considered." Garrus mused, "Even if the Illusive Man did try to kill us."
"What?"
"Oh, you haven't got to that part?"
"What part?"
"The part where he used a fake turian distress signal to get us to land and invade a Collector Ship that nearly got everybody killed?"
"No."
"Oh, shit."
"You know something else, don't you?"
"Kind of." Garrus said, "As it turns out, it was the same ship that was on Horizon and…uh…killed Kacey."
"What?!"
"See, this is why you were probably better off not participating in that mission." Garrus replied, "The whole thing was a bunch of suicide missions."
"Every mission with Kacey is a suicide mission." Kaidan remarked, "I would know. I've spent nearly ten years under her command."
"Ten years? How are you still alive?" Garrus laughed.
"Honestly, I ask myself the same thing." Kaidan mused.
The pair's conversation was interrupted by the arrival of more husks, as well as several marauders and cannibals.
"Well, aren't you happy you didn't have to bring out your swim gear, Garrus?" Kaidan smirked.
"Yeah, cause this is way better!" Garrus shouted back as they both ploughed through the Reaper forces.
Once again, the Collector Beam and the grenade launcher were absolutely critical. The husks and cannibals never stood a chance. The marauders did, however, put up a bit more of a fight, although even their shields fell apart after being blasted by the Collector Beam.
Kaidan ducked and dived as he fired the beam repeatedly at the incoming horde. He couldn't believe that Kacey had hidden these weapons on the Normandy, much less hidden them from the Alliance. The Collector Beam especially, since it was something that came from the Collectors themselves. It was too useful a tool for the Alliance to take it.
It seemed that the Reaper above the pair had finally noticed that Kaidan and Garrus had tipped the playing field and sent two brutes their way alongside more husks and marauders. While the beam helped manage the horde of husks, the brutes were something else. Kaidan was able to do some decent damage to the brute's armour, but the brute's tendency to rush into Kaidan and Garrus, forcing the pair to separate briefly before luring it away to the other side and returning to their defensive position near the shuttle.
After a few minutes however, a large bang came from the edge of the wreck; as Kaidan finished shooting the head of a husk, he saw the diving mech finally came up topside, with Kacey inside. However, Kacey didn't look okay; she seemed really pale and, as the hatch opened, she fell onto the ground, barely conscious and struggling to pull herself of the ground. The brutes seemed to have noticed her and headed her way, despite Kaidan and Garrus' best efforts to stop them. But then, something strange had happened.
All the artifacts on the ship began to glow brightly; causing one brute to pause in place. In the space of a few seconds, the brute attacked the other viscously. As the brutes fought, Kaidan turned to face Garrus.
"Cover me!" he said.
"Got it!" Garrus confirmed, firing more grenades at the husks.
Once Kaidan was certain he was out of the line of fire, he ran over to Kacey and scooped her up. Upon closer inspection, he had saw that she had a severe nosebleed.
"Shepard's back! Cortez, talk to me!" Kaidan said through the comms.
"We're good to go!" Cortez confirmed, "I don't what the Commander did, but the pulse is offline!"
Kaidan quickly bolted towards the shuttle, with Kacey still in his arms. Garrus moved in closer towards the shuttle and got on, covering the pair as they entered the shuttle. Cortez flew off the moment everyone was aboard, not waiting around for the husks to swarm their position. Kaidan had lied Kacey down on the floor in the shuttle, checking her over with his omni-tool.
"Kacey? Kacey, can you hear me?" Kaidan asked, "God, she's freezing!"
Kacey then jumped up, coughing violently, almost like she was going to throw up. Blood still trickled down her nose as drops of it began to stain the inside of the shuttle.
"You okay?" Kaidan asked.
"Yeah…maybe." Kacey replied as she dragged herself to the bottom of the seat, "I'll live. Hell of a headache though. Blech."
"Never do that again."
"Noted." Kacey coughed, still sitting on the floor.
"So, what happened down there?"
"We found it." Kacey confirmed through deep breaths, "It's real, and a lot more than we ever imagined."
"So, was it worth almost dying over?" Cortez added.
"It's hard to say." Kacey said after a long pause, "Either way, we proved it can't hide anymore…that it's a part of this war, just like us. And it's going to help fight."
"How the hell did you manage that?" Garrus asked.
"I might tell you later." Kacey mused.
…
Their return to the Normandy led to Kacey getting hauled up to the Med-Bay by Kaidan; her nosebleed hadn't subsided in around half an hour, and he was getting worried. Despite Kacey's protests that she was indeed fine, Kaidan didn't want to risk it. Whatever happened beneath those waves, whatever Leviathan was, it was something more powerful than anyone could have imagined. Case in point, Kacey needed to be checked by Doctor Chakwas, just to be on the safe side.
"Everything seems to be okay, Commander." Chakwas said, finishing up her scan, "But there does appear to be some signs of head trauma. No physical signs, but internal ones. Which explains your nosebleed. I suggest you take it easy for a while and head straight to bed…"
Chakwas turned to face Kaidan before continuing, "Without any distractions."
Kacey slid off the bed, "To be fair, Kaidan does help me sleep."
"I don't doubt that. But still, I suggest you rest. And take those painkillers for that headache of yours. I'll be telling Admiral Hackett to give you time to recover before he bombards you with more missions."
The pair left the Med-Bay with Chakwas and entered the elevator, heading towards the Captain's Cabin, while Chakwas got off on the CIC deck. Once Kaidan and Kacey got inside the cabin, Kacey flopped down onto the bed, while Kaidan handed Kacey a bottle of water and some of the painkillers Chakwas had recommended.
"It's nice to everyone back on dry land, so to speak." Kaidan mused.
"Nice to be on dry land, headache or otherwise." Kacey mused as she drank some of the water.
"You scare the hell out of me with those risky stunts, Kacey." Kaidan said, before smirking, "but I guess it's also part of what I love about you."
Kacey gave a small smile, her cheeks rosy red, "And I love just how cuddly you can be when I can get you alone."
Kaidan gave a small laugh, "You know, whenever we discover something amazing like that, I wonder what else might be out there…or even right under our noses."
"The galaxy really is an incredible place." Kacey replied as Kaidan sat beside her, "There's so much out there we have yet to explore. It would be pretty cool to out and see what's hiding out there."
"It would be pretty cool."
"Yeah, but first we've got a war to win." Kacey said, "Can't let the Reapers destroy the galaxy before we can go exploring!"
"True." Kaidan replied, kissing Kacey's cheek, "But first, you need to get some sleep."
"So do you."
"I know. And I'll be right here." Kaidan replied, "Cuddling you until you fall asleep."
Kacey smiled and kissed Kaidan before eventually lying down on the bed alongside him to get the sleep they desperately needed.