Of all the planets to send me to, it had to be a water world, it just had to be a water world! Little settled my stomach as the Starquake pushed through the stars, back into danger. My teeth found my lip, careful not to bite too hard. I couldn't show weakness yet, we'd barely begun. Mat'al stepped beside me, frowning at the screens surrounding me. We waited in silence as the seconds counted down until we hit the Helix Cluster. This system was close to being overrun, but there was hope and time. The ship shuddered, the engines pulling back as we dropped out of FTL, secure within the Helix Nebula. But not Kahje. My eyes scanned the stars and screens, searching for... my jaw swung as a group of ships hovered in the shadows, emissions low. The Starquake sailed towards the three dozen ships. Most carried no flags, but there was no mistaken who they were, the ragtag 'merchant' ships were anything but. No merchant ship carried that much power, guns or armour. The minutes ticked by as we joined the convoy. A ship pulled up beside us, the airlock bridge extending out and locking itself into place. My shoulders rolled back, leaving the bridge to cross to the airlock. Mat'al followed like a shadow.
They had gutted the merchant ship. All rough steel welded together, old storages walls torn down and new ones put in place. Walking down the dark, dank hall, the line of windows on either side showed the massive holds below, steel plates rolling into place to split the holds into much smaller ones. Vertically as well. At the end of the hall, an asari waited with a datapad, lips pressed into a fine line. She looked up as Mat'al and I stopped before her.
"Captain Shaik?" she asked. My head nodded, so stiff my neck ached. "We don't have time, we have 3 stations to clear and not much time to do it. You need to infiltrate, kill anything that tries to kill you and get those people out,"
"I know what I have to do, 'Lieutenant', don't snap at me," I growled. The asari's frown worsened. "I'm here to speak to the other defence teams," The asari breathed hard through her nose.
"Down the hall, second door on the right," she said.
"Thank you," I said, keeping my voice sweet as we weaved around her. She glowered after me.
"Ah Dell, you love making new friends," Mat'al chuckled.
"I don't have time to be babied by a bitch," i rumbled under my breath. "I have questions about this damn mission brief,"
"But why? It was such a clear, concise document," Mat'al said, smile growing with every word. It set my teeth on edge.
"Oh it's a wonderful document, full of fluff and rainbows to make the kiddies squeal," I said, pushing open the door. Mat'al straightened his expression, but he wanted to grin. We shared the same sentiment.
The small room fell silent, a mixture of asari, turian, human and the odd krogan shifting their eyes towards the door. The tiny room smelt burnt, like the welders only left an hour ago and didn't vent the damn room. It was dim, a single light from above like a bad gangster movie. Only a small table sat in the middle, the dark grey block that used to be a storage container sparse of anything except a mass of paper and datapads. A turian by the desk straightened, the dark silver plates clenched as he assessed the small human and her salarian companion
"Can we help you?" he asked. My eyes narrowed. This must be Iovino…
"Yeah, you can. Captain Shaik, Starquake. Da fuck is this?" I asked, throwing the datapad down on the table, the mission brief scrolling on it. The group blinked once, turning their heads back to the simmering human. "Where's the backup plans? The coordination, the roles, the goddam plan of attack if shit goes down? I am putting a lot on the line for this, and I refuse to go anywhere near that planet until I have something concrete! God fucking dammit, my plans for taking a shit are more detailed than this!" I snapped. Iovino frowned, mandibles locked to his cheeks.
"The plan is sufficient-" he said.
"The fuck it is!" I barked. Mat'al smothered the grin behind me. "All it says is swoop in, grab people and run. What about which fucking station it is? What is the state of the station? Do we need to bypass through another station because landing on the target one is impossible! How does the fact there could be god knows what hiding in that ocean that the Reapers have ready and waiting! And don't get me started about your bloody rendezvous point. In the middle of the tiny continent? That won't be safe! That is the opposite of safe! Reaper foot soldiers as far as they eye can see safe!" The group stood there, silent. "Did anyone do proper recon before arranging this shit?"
"We... sent scouts," an asari shuffled. Reena, I presumed.
"And?" I asked.
"And... they said they couldn't see much," she said.
"So you're lovely estimate of 12'000 people hiding on these stations has the high probability of being overblown? Did your scout even go to Kahje?" The people glanced to each other, shuffling. "I want to see the scouting report,"
"We don't have time, the Reapers-" Reena snapped.
"Will kill us if we don't do this right! Report!" I demanded, hand out-stretched. Goddam, the things I did to get what I needed. As the seconds ticked by, it only threatened more blood vessels popping from the pressure. A krogan groaned and grabbed my datapad from the table. He flicked between datapad and his omni-tool before tossing it to me. His aim was questionable. Seeing as it swerved wide around me, but Mat'al lifted an arm to snatch it from the sky. He offered it with a smile. My eyes skimmed the report.
Of course they left out the important details. The station we wanted was so bombed from Reapers that the access from the surface was impossible. We needed to use underwater connections and bridges to reach the station and the potentially - stressed 'potentially' - thousands of people inside. Now, how true those numbers were... I didn't want to go on a guess. Reaper forces haunted the stations around it, fighting to reach the survivors locked inside the massive undersea and surface stations. And there were rumours of something massive patrolling the sea. They didn't stay to get a good look, the only thing noteworthy was a massive red beam of light powering past them from below. Oh goodie, that sounded like Behemoths! ...Just what I always wanted on my water world...
"Yeah, no, you need a more concrete plan than this bullshit. You'll be shot out of the sky before you get close... like the previous attempt if this record is anything to go by," I said.
"It was only a single ship, we'll be fine with more ships now," a black hailed human said.
"More people dead you mean," I grumbled. "No, we are not through with this bullshit, not when I have so much on the line here," Iovino clicked his mandibles.
"Look human, we are running what we can on the funds and resources we've been able to scratch off the Council's ass, they didn't leave us time to plan efficiently with misinformation spreading like a disease," he said.
"No excuses, I've had to work with less to get more. If I can do that, anyone can. Now shut up and listen," I said. The turian narrowed his eyes, rolling his shoulders back. "There is most likely going to be anti-air, whether from Reapers or husks. Either way, we need a diversion to get these merchant ships onto the neighbouring stations. The teams on the station, mine included, will then locate the safest way to move people onto a more stable platform for evac and deal with whatever stands in our way. I presume the stations have defence systems,"
"Shut down, but yes," a krogan said, brown crest matching the state of the previous plan. I.e. messed up beyond recognition.
"Then get another team working on those damn things then! We need something to keep the enemy at bay so the ships can come down, load up and get the hell out," I said. Honestly, charging in hoping enough ships got in and out to make the effort worthwhile... "The merchant ships stay here until called, whatever defence ships you have will have to deal with any Reapers in the system,"
"Blessedly few, Kahje isn't a priority world. The inhabitants aren't turian," the human chuckled.
"No but they are no less important," I said, glowering in his direction. The man coughed, shuffling under my stare. "Rally your defence ships, we're going in,"
"Uh... Y-Yes ma'am," a brass turian said, glancing towards the others for help. With one final glare, Mat'al and I left the tiny room, marching back down the hall.
"They will die," I said.
"Perhaps not. These are not your standard issue ships. You feel the ezzo?" Mat'al asked. My lips pressed into a fine line.
"Fast ships won't do much if they don't have the handling for it," I said, evacuating the ship and back into familiar grounds. "Lanster, get us moving! We're in for a helluva ride!"
"Aye, aye, Captain. Dropping the rotary," Lanster called, the ship vibrating as the rotary disengaged. Val glanced up from his place in the Control Ring.
"Well?" he asked.
"If we get even a fraction of the people in there out, I'll be amazed," I said, sighing. "This shouldn't be that difficult,"
"Desperate people wanting to help with Council backing and no forward thinking. Bodes well for times ahead," Val sighed.
"Just keep an eye out," Mat'al said as the ship jumped into FTL. "Something feels... off,"
"In what way?" I asked.
"Those people in that room aren't rookies. I recognised a few faces. They have something else planned here," Mat'al said. "The 'suicide' plan may be a diversion to hide the true intent from Saboteurs and Indoctrinated servants," Mat'al frowned. "Just prepare for the unexpected,"
"My favourite," I said, tone drying. Indira bounded to my side, eyes tight.
"Seth is babysitting Gideon." She said. She got a short nod, my neck muscles too tight.
"Give me the rundown on this station," I said, passing the scouting report. Indira flicked through the report, jaw taut. Her eyes lifted to the screens above our heads.
"In Glorious Station is a networked station of originally 5 stations, connected via sub-sea floating tunnels. In her peak, she boasted vast living stations of drell with the latest arid humidity technology. The stations are designed as new cities for the drell," Indira bit her lip. "...I lived there," My eyes squeezed shut, my earlier anger shimmering down.
"I'm sorry," I said. Indira heaved a large breath.
"You can make it up to me by helping me decorate my new place when we win the war," Indira said. My lips tugged up.
"Deal," I said. "I'll be counting on you to help me out here. Are these places big?" Indira closed her eyes.
"They were..." She mumbled. She passed back the datapad. "Before the Reapers sunk Stations 4 and 5, if my reports are right,"
"What was Stations 4 and 5?" I asked, though I knew the answer.
"...Homes," she said. "...Easier to drown thousands than send in the foot soldiers,"
"The hanar did what they could," I said. Indira shook her head.
"We still have Station 2, most of the survivors are there from that scouting report. It's the main business hub, many people were at work when the Reapers hit. But surface access is impossible now. The surface rig is gone, so we need to get on either Station 1 or Station 3 and work our way through the tunnels," Indira said.
"I'm amazed they haven't destroyed those tunnels," Val said.
"They started to, before realising they could use them to herd people into a singular spot and mass harvest. They are busy on Station 1 and 3 to push people into Station 2 to repeat what they did to Station 4 and 5," Indira said.
"I do not like the idea of drowning and being crushed by water pressure at the same time..." I said, a shiver trembling my spine. Of all the ways to die, that was close to the top. Of course, since all this Saboteur business started, I'd learned of a lot more ways to die than I wanted to. Indira bit her lip.
"I don't think we will win this fight..." Indira mumbled.
"The war or Kahje?" I asked. Indira shook her head.
"I don't even know anymore," she said. Her eyes rose to mine. "The sooner we start, the better,"
"Agreed. Val, you have the ship," I said, turning with Indira towards the starboard doors.
"Aye, aye. Stay safe," Val hailed. Mat'al shadowed us as the bridge closed behind us.
"Be honest with me, Mat'al. What can I expect?" I asked.
"Picture Khar'shan. Multiply that 10-fold. Desperation brings out the best and worst in people," he said. The elevator doors closed behind us. "You are certain you only need Indira and a small team?"
"Mat'al... I'll be blunt. If this goes south, Gid will need you. I trust Val to look after him, but I need you to keep training him if he's to stand a chance," I said. Mat'al's cool eyes narrowed, focused on the wall before him.
"Understood. Does Valérien know?" he asked. I nodded, the doors opening. We moved to the weapon lockers. "I presume he isn't happy with it,"
"He understands. Val's more concerned with holding everything together and keeping Gideon safe. He might not like it but he isn't arguing against it," I said, locking the Locust and Paladin to my hips.
"I will do my best to aid him as well, Captain," Kala chimed. My throat tightened for a moment, pausing before grabbing a bulky belt with filled pockets. Dammit, I was not used to an AI listening in on me! Not after so long without Marshal watching my every move.
"Thank you, Kala," I said. Indira loaded up, waiting at the door. Mat'al walked us there. "ETA?"
"10 minutes, weapons are loose and warmed, all combat systems active. The crew are prepared for evasive manoeuvres," Kala said.
"Keep everyone safe, Kala. Even if you need to abandon Kahje," I said. A moment of hesitation befell the AI. "That's a captain's order, I don't care what Gideon ordered,"
"...Understood, Captain Shaik," Kala said. The team waited in the shuttle, eyes twitching, hands fidgeting as Indira and I joined them onboard. Mat'al raised his hand over the close door button.
"Radio for help if anything crops up," he said. He got a brief nod before the door clicked closed. The side of his fist banged on the door as he walked off. Everyone in the shuttle belted up, the interior cameras hooked onto the Starquake's 360 cameras. My hands grasped the harness, tension holding me still until everything burned. Indira was no less calm.
The Helix Cluster wasn't my favourite place in the galaxy. Between the water world and the previous experiences of Saboteurs, this cluster sat at the bottom of my holiday destinations. Despite the tiny continent being a hotspot for tourists. Not now though. Not with the heavens full of Reapers. My throat worked hard to swallow. There weren't as many wrecks here compared to Khar'shan. But It was no less bloody. Space stations lay in shattered pieces, large chunks sailing through the atmosphere in a flaming ball of destruction. Ships danced in the darkness, some still fighting. Most lay in torn wrecks. There wasn't many places to hide, we'd just have to hope no Reapers looked this way. If they had cameras. Kahje loomed in the distance, a sparkling blue marble marred with small spots of orange. Indira tensed, nothing friendly in her face as she stared at the world.
The Starquake coaxed her way forward, mimicking typical Reaper speeds, using what cover there was between us and Kahje. Lithe ships from the defence teams popped into existence, the emission readings rocketing. It attracted the Reapers. Blessedly, they dropped from FTL far from us. My eye scanned for more ships, spotting a few flanking the Starquake. There weren't many Reapers focusing on the planet, many were moving towards a second relay in a nearby system. We ducked behind a space station, the hula-hoop in 5 pieces while a Reaper turned to intercept the new ships. The small robots - I say small but they are two humans standing on top of each other in size – danced through the darkness, weaving towards the distraction team. With our path clear, the ships powered down to the planet. Everything shook as we ionised, the butterflies in my stomach erupting. When the flames vanished, a watery horizon stretched to the horizon and back. Plumes of black smoke rose from the surface, thick clouds creeping closer with thunder boiling within. We stayed high, masking ourselves within the thickening storm. Turbulence rocked us. The refurbished Merchant Ships took cover in here, close enough to swoop in without being in direct line of sight. They dropped their emissions to mimic airborne weather stations. The ground crew shared looks, anticipation rising higher. A tense breath escaped my lungs, the first for what felt like ages as the ship finally dropped lower, out of the clouds and into the rain.
Ahead sat our goal. Debris sprawled over the surface from sheets of metal to clothing, a thick ezzo slick mixing with sea water to make it shimmer like liquid diamond. Only two stations remained standing, wafts of smoke bubbling from below another spot. One station, once towering high above the waves sprawling in every direction, was reduced to an ashen platform, meagre access via a no doubt broken elevator. It was like a table in the ocean. The other held some structure still, 3 or four levels of burnt remains with new pieces peeling into the sea every few hours. Limp cannons sat sparsely over the remains. Husks trawled this platform; Husks, Hunters, a single Wraith floating on a cloud of blue. But there was no doubt Reavers waited for us, the Drell husks. They would hide, ready to strike when our defences were down. The shuttle's engines hummed as a handful of ships dropped from the clouds to help pull attention from us.
"Shields at 98%. Reavers," Kala hailed. My eyes squeezed shut.
"Get ready back there, this is going to get bumpy. Ready for sliding eject," Bralem called from the front. My heart thundered. Oh no, one of those... The cargo door creaked open, the shuttle lifting off as the Starquake spun to take another bullet to the shields. The shuttle escaped, the Starquake spinning around again to rain hell down upon the platform. The other ships opened fire. Safe to say we wouldn't be using this platform much longer. The shuttle scurried away, aiming for the second platform. The harness slipped off with shaking hands. Phentos opened the shuttle door away from me, the team preparing. Bralem rolled the shuttle over the flattened platform. We slid from our seats, out from the shuttle and freefalling towards the metal below. My teeth clamped together as the jump jets powered on, smothering the landing from a bone breaking crunch to a light clatter. But we couldn't catch our breath. A high pitched whistle flew past us, the team sprinting for dear life to the hole on the platform. Phentos led the way, sliding the last metre to snag a thick line tipped with a pronged hook on the edge. He vanished from sight. My eyes squeezed, a quiet prayer to whatever deity listening before sliding after him with the team, rotating to go feet first down the hole and my face facing the sea.
Phentos was already down a fair way by the time my gauntlet snagged the rope with a mass effect field, slowing me down as water surrounded the tube. People cascaded in above me, each needing more or less time to slow down. We dangled, sliding down the shaft as sunlight vanished above us as darkened water reduced us to night vision. No torches. Not until we knew what was going on. The helmet felt too tight, too little oxygen as Phentos landed at the bottom. He waited, grabbing my unlatched arm for me to brace against him and land with an inaudible tap. He snapped the mass effect field off my gauntlet, letting me step away and assess what awaited us as everyone else descended. Bless him, he knew I wasn't used to these types of descents.
A sprawling metropolis stared back. We sat near the top, staring down as the cylindrical city plunged ever deeper down, tiers of buildings akin to Omega, only bright and airy. Had there been lights. Everything lay in darkness, only a scattering of lights from the odd generator, the power stations long silent. The bottom was in darkness, only speckles of floors visible with the sparse lights. Between the towering spires, thickened glass lay cracked, the dark sea just on the other side. The sound of gushing water from below didn't fill me with hope. A slow breath eased the tension in my shoulders as we crept towards the connecting tunnels to the other stations. Indira took point. The sound of chattering Hunters kept our feet light as we edged towards every stairway, creeping down 3 floors before Indira branched off. One tunnel lay sealed off, a rough splatter of paint in a hurried warning. Indira gnashed her teeth before circling towards another tunnel. My eyes fell on Algenis, every loyal to my side.
"Flooded," he murmured. My head shook, focusing ahead as we moved to a neighbouring tunnel. The bulkhead door lay half open, as if power had failed on one side. Indira poked her head in, peering around.
"Open. Stay low," she said. Nods flew, people crouching as we edged into the tunnel.
Imagine those tunnels in Sea World where the sharks float effortlessly above your heads. That's what this tunnel was like. My stomach plunged. Last time I was in an underwater tunnel, Julian had to carry me out while my hands covered my eyes, mum and dad giggling beside us. The memory stung. Hard. The tunnel was wide enough for 3 shuttles side by side and not crash into each other. Benches lay tipped on their sides beside the chest high wall of steel, flower beds torn and burning above them. Desert trees lay broken in pieces, the leafy avenue a burning wreck. Bodies lay limp on the floor, both drell, hanar and husk. Guns lay abandoned on the ground, used heatsinks cold. Bullet holes littered every surface, anything that could be used as cover pelted straight through. Large gashes from Hunters cleaved more than a few bodies in half. My throat tightened, edging along the walls. People had started putting up tarps and bolting metal sheets to the glass, to give cover from the monsters in the water. They were patchy, but there was at least a chest high wall between us and the glass. The krogan crawled, everyone else crouched as we slithered down the tunnel, careful to keep every noise to a minimum. The tunnel acted like an echo chamber. Everyone kept silent. Indira paused by a corner, a branching tunnel disappearing into the depths before she jogged past it, waving us by. We followed, we feared what stalked outside in the sea. We couldn't be too careful.
Finally we arrived in Station 2. Power was still going here, lights blinding the night vision as we emerged from the tunnels. A sharp pop jerked me back, my shields wavering before I turned it off and see what tried to shoot me. Indira grit her teeth as she poked her head around the rough barrier between us and the Station. The night vision snapped off, moments passing as my eyes adjusted. A line of barricades stood between us and entering the station, drell and hanar alike staring down gun sights towards us. Indira tore her helmet off, half standing.
"I'm not a husk!" Indira barked. "Stop shooting us!" The guns wavered, the armed aliens staring.
"She works for them, must be!" one thin male drell managed.
"Bitch if we were servants of the Reapers, why the hell would we be skulking around?!" I snapped from behind the cover. A long pause followed. I shuffled up beside Indira, poking my head over the barrier. "Captain Endellion Shaik of the Reaper Repulsion Task Force. We're here to help," Eyes travelled between them, a sea of coloured hanar so blinding it ached, drell in a mixture of green, blue and amber. One by one, the guns lowered. Finally, my legs could stretch, standing. The team eased out behind me.
"We need to get you all out of here, before the Reapers sink this station too," Indira said.
"Oh hell no! have you seen the other stations?" An emerald drell trembled.
"Which station did we come through?" I asked.
"One," Indira said, narrowing her eyes. "What's Station 3 like?"
"Overrun. Most of the monsters moved from one to three to round up everyone there. Station 1 is empty of everything," an amber drell said.
"This one believed they will strike from Station 3, as they have done many times already," a diamond glittered hanar said.
"Well, that explains why Station 1 was so quiet. Aside from the Hunters," I said.
"An observation force," Phentos said. "To watch for anyone using it to escape,"
"How many people do you have here?" I asked the drell. Looks passed between them.
"Around 9000, give or take a few hundred," A deep blue drell said.
"Not as many as in the scouting report... but still a fuckton," I said. "How the hell are we going to get these people out?" I mumbled more quietly.
"With difficulty," Algenis said. "What of the other ships?"
"Well this is the question, isn't it?" I rumbled. "Tell everyone to prepare for evac. We're grabbing as many as we can and getting out of here. I need to touch base with the Starquake and those useless mugs," I said, shuffling to the back of the team to have my calls in peace. The radio buzzed while Kala secured the connection.
"Dell, how are things down there?" Val's voice came through. A scan of the surrounding city, all delicate spires and plazas tiered like a nice cake for a Reaper.
"Ain't going to lie, Val. I'd very much rather not be here," I said. "They gutted Station 1 of life, Station 3 seems to be the active war zone. Once that goes quiet, the Reapers are sinking this station. We have about 9000 people down here,"
Spirits. Understood. We've cleared the platform of husks, although new ones pop up from time to time. Safe to say you won't be using this one then?" Val said.
"Absolutely not. Any sign of those mercs?" I asked.
"Apart from the ships congregating above us, nothing. Kala said she saw one dive below the waves, or presumed crashed we aren't certain. They're waiting for something," he said. My teeth gnashed together. Useless fucks!
Most of the people huddled within the upper 10 floors in a weak hope that if the station sank, they could break the glass and reach the surface in time. Weak hope since no one remembered that suction was a thing. Oh dear God, suction was a thing. Every muscle jolted and trembled. Fuck this! A mixture of Hanar and drell huddled in tight groups, the hanar soothing the worried chatters around them. My jaw clicked when it swung too wide in one direction. The hum of talk reminded me of a certain buzzing sound... After shaking my head, Phentos fell into my sight.
"Opinions?" I asked. Phentos grunted.
"I hope those mercs have a plan, otherwise we might all be sunk," he said. A quiet moan escaped.
"Mercs?" a teal drell asked. I nodded.
"A group of ships helping us evac you all," I said.
"You mean... them?" she asked, pointing to a group of aliens on the next floor down. A pale asari and steel coloured turian sat with a group examining the glass walls. My jaw dropped.
"How the fuck did they get here?" I breathed. Before the drell could answer, she squeaked as she watched me jump down a floor and jump jet myself to safety. Algenis followed, ever by my side. "You!" I thundered. The pair jumped, turning to face me. "You two are twats from that room on the merchant ship!" the turian clicked his mandibles.
"Captain Shaik, I see you arrived safely," Iovino said.
"How?! Why?!" I demanded.
"I'll keep this short, Captain," Reena said, a scowl on her face. "You'll see. Now that you are here, we have a chance,"
"A chance?" I asked.
"There's a hanar here working for the Reapers, but this is no normal servant. We told the Councillor Tevos about them and what they did and she referred us to you. She said you dealt with these things," Reena said. My blood turned cold.
"Saboteur...?" I breathed. Iovino clicked his mandibles.
"They saw it acting like a normal terrified hanar and opened flood doors in Station 4. People assumed they died until we got multiple reports of this thing appearing. We suspect this one hanar downed both stations," Iovino said. "Councillor Tevos said to get you within range of it and you'd take care of the rest. But they stressed to keep quiet about this since they said in the past, these things went to ground. They feared you and the Council had been infiltrated. The quieter we kept things, the better chance you would stop this thing sinking this station," Iovino said. He turned to his companion. "As to how we got here..."
"You'll see soon, but we need to get to work. The sooner you and your team distract this hanar and the thing in the water, we can evac people," Reena said. My heart skipped a beat.
"We are not equipped to deal with Behemoths. The last one nearly killed me when it blew up half my bridge," I said.
"We just need to distract it, you're good at that, or so the Councillor told us," Iovino said. My eyes squeezed shut. Goddam you, Tevos.
"Description of the hanar?" I asked.
"Golden hanar with brown stripes, like one of these stripy cat things from your world," Reena said.
"Tiger, got it," I said. "It was opening flood gates and causing the stations to collapse?"
"Yeah, was seen outside as it pulled a reinforcement girder off. The others couldn't hold the strain. That's how Station 5 sunk," Iovino said.
"Wonderful... where was it last seen?" I asked.
"Near Station 3," Reena said.
"Brilliant. Do what you came to do, I'll go deal with the walking nightmare," I sighed, backing away to the plaza I landed on. The jump jets heaved me back up a floor, the team waiting patiently. They frowned at my expression. "Saboteur," I said. Bodies shuffled, krogan eyes glittered, others pressed their lips into fine lines. "It sank the two previous stations. Indira, we need to head to Station 3, or as close as we can to it,"
"Roger, this way," Indira said, striking of at a near impossible pace. No one complained though, eager to get away from the hopeless faces.
We approached an upper bridge to the station, the sound changed. The buzz of terrified people changed into pops and the vibrations of war. My lips pressed into a line as a stray bullet tore past, the team ducking behind raised flower beds and gardens. We edged closer until the first set of barricades appeared. Most had more than a few bullet holes in them. These aren't designed for actual combat, they made them from whatever people could get their hands on. The nice, neat city walls were wrecks, only the metal structural supports visible as all metal facing slammed over holes in the defences. And they'd been stripping back for a while now, seeing how far away from the tunnels the scavenging reached. We wove between the defences, passing by exhausted or trembling soldiers in makeshift armour and ragtag bits and pieces of actual armour. No one had a full set. My throat tightened as the definite screeches of husks rumbled nearby. With tentative care, my helmeted head poked up.
The tunnel to Station 3 lay littered with corpses, more in the tunnels and more still outside it. A wide range from drell and hanar to Husks, Hunters, Cannibals, Wraiths and the odd Reaver. A high pitched whistle tore through 3 sets of barricades before it stopped. My heart took a moment to restart. More worrying, however, was a bulky mass of flesh and metal lain collapsed on the ground by the door. Half a turian head on something built more like krogan. My heart faltered, taking another barricade closer to the mayhem. A drell glanced over, old blood staining his face. We both winced at the high pitched whistle flying overhead.
"I presume you are friend," he said, reloading his worn pistol. The heatsink didn't settle in right. A frown crossed my lips, snatching the pistol before popping the heatsink free and readjusting the barrel.
"Yeah, we are," I said, snapping the heatsink into the pistol. It clicked without resistance. The drell took it back, emptying the clip before ducking once more. "Give me the rundown,"
"I believe you humans would call this 'Armageddon'," he said. A quiet sound escaped me.
"Accurate," I rumbled. "I'm looking for a troublesome hanar. Seen em?" I asked. The drell frowned as another heatsink slid in.
"This the hanar that some are saying sunk Station 4 and 5?" he asked. I nodded. "Saw her two days ago heading into Station 3. Haven't seen her since," My head popped up, an endless barrage of bullets and bodies. An eruption shattered the air, a wave of 10 Abominations rushing forward and erupting under the answering gunfire.
"Well, we ain't going that way, that's for sure," I said.
"You could try the service tunnel," the drell said.
"I know it," Indira said, eyes shifting to me. "They've not tried storming us through them then?"
"Not yet, most of the populous doesn't know about them so the Reapers saw no need. Maybe that's how this hanar gets around," he said.
"Indira, go. The faster we find this guy, the better," I said. Indira nodded, turning around and moving away from the barricades. We got one step.
"Hydra!" Someone cried. My heart thumped, wheeling around to peer at the carnage. A neon pink hanar, the head encased in angular Reaper plate, rose its tentacles, hovering from a mass effect device below the balloon body. The front opened like a flower, a narrow barrel shimmering in Reaper blue light. Puddles of purple gloop tumbled to the ground from the narrow barrel, smoke rising like acid burns. Every arm held a weapon; the front pair a miniature machine gun, a smaller set of single shot guns on the mid pair and the final pair a metal claw like a crab. The team scrambled for cover, Indira yanking me behind some as a hail of bullets poured in. Like a meteor shower, bullets soared overhead and around us, the metal at our backs pinging like a tin roof in hail. Whoever was stupid enough to leave safety, fell. My eyes fell on Phentos as he crawled on his belly, seeking to escape. I followed, everyone following suit. It took 5 agonising minutes to crawl to the edge of the layer, dropping a level to escape. My breath rushed in massive heaves.
"The fuck?" I managed. Shaul grunted.
"Tailored for cover fire. Can't fight back while under that much fire," he said. "Fucking Reapers, covering every base,"
"...I don't want to fight a Saboteur here," I whined, rubbing my face. Algenis rubbed my back.
"We can retreat," he said.
"No we can't," I sighed. "The Council set this up, if we just leave because of..." my eyes drifted up, to the glittering and cracked glass. "...my discomfort, they will shit themselves then hang me out to dry. Let's just get this over with quickly," My eyes trailed the ceiling above, the pops of gunfire and screams a choir for my next nightmares.
The Timeline, Galaxy Map and Reaper Forces have been updated for this chapter. Please see profile for link to the Archive.
A/N: ...Long time no see! ...As it turns out, MMOs can be quite addictive. But I've got that under control, I'm rounding up part 1 of the other story I'm doing with a co-writer and by co-writer I mean I do most of the work and he puts a crapton of fixes and ideas into the mix. He's basically helping me out more than anything). I wanted to get back into this story for a while now that I've had a super long break from it. The next chapter is just about ready to go, so you'll get one next week as well.