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If you want to be on the Supporter list, PM me for details or join our private server for details. Hope you enjoy reading my stories, please leave me a comment to let me know if you did, or where I can improve. Link here, where able to be seen : /2UZncAm

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Beta(s) :

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"Vitals monitor." Doe called over as they entered the room and he stepped up to the stasis pod. The monitor was a simple one, a little terminal on a rolling cart, connected through half a dozen adapter cables into ports along the pod's bottom. He flicked a look over it and grunted, "Numbers don't add up, but they're staying stable."

"Numbers shouldn't add up." She grunted, joining him and looking it over. BPM, oxygen levels, blood pressure - it was all off, as he'd said, but stable enough. Turning away from it, she leaned over the pod and grunted. "Input here - keypad of some kind."

"Don't suppose you know the pass…"

"And how would I?" She scoffed, shaking her head and stepping around the stasis pod to another terminal linked into it against the back wall. The video was weak, staticy, but… "It's got a multi-stage manual release sequence. Stage one is recorded here. Check the other-"

"Uh, Commander…" The man shook his head from a console further up and met her gaze as she turned. "Nothing here but static."

"What?" She scowled, storming over and bumping him aside. On this one was another video, different from the last, and she flicked him a look - suspicion rising - and said, "This one has the input sequence. Or, most of it- Half is blocked out by one of the Protheans' bodies."

"What?" He grunted, shaking his head and backing away. Turning, he found a third terminal and turned it on its stand. "This one? Static for me."

"It's rough, but…" She flicked him a look, "It's from the pod's point of view. The rest of the code. And a mention of some… Carrier signal."

"I got nothing." He shook his head, turning and looking over the cluttered work-table until he found a tablet and picked it up. Skimming, he turned and held it out, "Here, says the coding is Prothean. They were translating."

She took it and frowned, "Prothean bio-codes embedded… How does that even work on an audio-visual medium?"

"No clue, ma'am." Doe shook his head, cocking his head and jogging back to the first door as someone thrummed quietly, echoing to reach them. "Kodiak just passed by overhead. Didn't land, but-"

"Probably spotted the bodies, yeah." She nodded, turning and flicking her Omni-Tool up, opening a channel to the Normandy. "EDI, get ready for an input code and carrier signal. I need it banded together."

"Understood, Commander."

"Yeah and, uh, guess stealth's off the table?"

"It is, Joker." She sighed, punching in the code segments she'd gotten and turning to link her 'Tool into the last terminal wirelessly. "Kodiak passed by, bodies outside. What are your odds on them missing that?"

"Well, they were pretty alright…"

"Until?"

"A Cerberus corvette turned and oriented towards you." He sighed, "EDI?"

"Compiling now." She answered, "Bring us down, Joker. I suspect the Commander will want an expedient extraction."

"You suspect right, EDI. A susual." She grunted, turning her head, "Eyes up, Doe. Might have company."

"On the door." He grunted, leaning against it and watching the sky with his Avenger in-hand and a thermal clip balancing on a ridge in the wall beside him. Like an old pro, enough that her brows furrowed. Was he really…

"Commander?" EDI chimed quietly, "Code sequence inbound."

"Thanks, EDI." She nodded, moving over to the stasis-pod and raising her Omni-Tool to its ancient, weathered input. As the code went in she frowned and sighed, "Here goes nothing smart, but one for history… Always works out well."

After a moment, the pod hissed open…

And the hatch flew off, propelled by greenish Biotic fury.

"Fuck!"

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John spun when he heard the Commander scream, Avenger snapping around and lining up on the woman as she stumbled back from the pod and a red-armored, green-scaled, bug-eyed… Thing scrambling out after her, greenish fire rolling off it in waves. Shepard tried to recover as her back hit the counter a couple feet away and it lashed out, hand flashing and lighting her ablaze in the same fire and fury. She swore, slapping at the fire, and John snarled as he charged the alien.

Another flick of its wrist and his stomach turned as he was launched up, into the ceiling so hard it caved a bit. Then he came down just as hard, rifle snapping under him. Wheezing, he tried to force himself up before a boot caught him in the side and he rolled over, staring up as the alien glared down at him, hand curling into a Biotic fist.

"Fuck you!" He snarled, yanking his knife free and burying it in the things calf.

"Moktar!" It roared, staggering away before Shepard came barreling in like an interceptor missile, slamming shoulder-first into its sternum and driving it out the door.

Wheezing yet, he pushed himself up and staggered after in time to see it yank the Command up, hand snapping to the side and shattering her helmet. She hissed and staggered to the side and, bellowing, the alien followed, hands closing around her throat. She grabbed its wrists at the same time and then went ramrod straight, groaning out a low, guttural sound as the alien hissed and its head snapped to the side, eyes rolling.

He charged and leapt onto it and her both, bearing them down in an effort to break its hold and, when that didn't work, he grabbed onto its fingers to pry at them-

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John ducked as mass accelerator rounds ripped through the air, leaving a silvery trail of plasma-infused ionized atmosphere in its wake that stung his nose. A few feet away, a Marine screamed as the rounds ripped into his shields and bypassed them, peeling holes in his barrier like a bullet through tissue paper and then finding the weak points in his armor with mechanical precision. He fell, gurgling, and John hissed as her Lancer cooled downand whirred readily.

Standing, he spun on a heel, fingers flicking to Overload the Geth's shields in time with a burst from his rifle that caught it in the shoulder - and disabled its weapon.

Disarmed, it reached for a grenade, but a heavier round took its knees out before it could make a run for him. And then Tali was on it, hands deftly peeling back its housing just below its light-head and plugging a cable in.

"Tali?" John asked, pacing up to her as Garrus sprinted to catch up and, further up the walkway, Wrex ripped a Geth in two.

"Stopped it dumping its memory." She grunted, distracted and out of breath. "Working on pulling out its- Got it. Clearance level across the base. Codes should carry for the next two and a quarter hours, before Saren has them auto-cycling new ones."

"Good work." He nodded, "Wrex, Vakarian, overwatch. Tali, pull what you can about what Saren's been up to here."

"Already on it, Commander." She nodded as the other two aliens moved to do as she'd ordered.

"And…" She flicked Wrex's back a look and lowered her voice, "See where the Genophage cure data is stored. If it can be recovered."

"Commander…?"

"Just do it." She snapped, turning and joining the other two overwatching the forest outside the outpost's wall.

"Woman of your word, Shepard." Wrex grunted, "Appreciate that."

"Don't." She sighed, "Probably won't pull much of anything. Odds on that the clones are cured in-vitro. Not much good for you and yours…"

"Ah, but you're trying." He grunted, "Means something. Long as the Turian keeps his talons off."

"What, and miss out on getting to play 'Keep Away from the Pissed Off Warlord'?" Garrus scoffed, "How could I pass up that kind of opportunity? Classic Turian past-time, right there."

"Fair enough." Wrex rumbled, "I'll break out the Tyncol and kick together a good ol' fashion Krogan cookout for after."

"They serve Turian food at those?"

"In a manner of speaking, sure…"

"Haha." Garrus chuckled, muttering after, "Shepard, if he eats me, I haunt you. Remember that."

"Will do." She smirked, "Will do."

"Commander!" She cocked her head and Tali said, "Got the files. I know where the data's stored. Out of the way, but-"

"Let's move." She ordered, spinning on a heel. "Wrex, front. Vakarian, rear. Tali with me. Watch for drones."

"Aye." They all echoed.

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"I can't just leave you here, Sir." She said, kneeling in the mud and looking away from the distant, burning city to look over the wounded ODST on the ground in front of her.

"You can and you will." The wounded - dying, probably, he noted as his eyes trailed over the blood patterns - man pressed. "Those bastards are comin', Rook. All of 'em. And when they get here, I'm gonna blow 'em all away."

"But sir, that's-"

"The plan." Yevgenny cut him off, wheezing wearily. "Or, what? Did you think I was narrating my memoir to you?"

"...No, Sir." She stood, looking down on him. "I'm sorry, Sir."

"Don't be." He sighed, "Just run. Fast as you can. Drop your kit, your gear- Everything but your gun. And run, like the meanest sumbitch from drill is hot on your heels and fresh out of TTR."

She hesitated for only a second before she nodded and grunted, "I won't forget."

"Yeah." He called out as she ran, cutting the straps to her pack with her knife and then dropping it, too. "I bet you won't…"

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"Back!" He shouted, waving two more of his wounded warriors in as the heavy bunker doors ground closed behind him. Slipping through, he raised his Particle Rifle, searing the handful of Husks who tried to pull themselves through the gap. More came, wedging themselves in and dying as the door closed but wedging it ever-so-slightly open and he growled.

Biotics flashing, he blew them away and turned as the doors sealed.

"Are you wounded?" He asked the two. They shook their heads and he nodded, stepping by and ordering them, "To your pods, then. Victory, prepare them for stasis."

"Understood." The station VI spoke, voice echoing in his ear. John felt the ground under him tremble and frowned as it went on to add, "Minor breach detached - south-east section, five percent of pods compromised."

"Damn it." He drew his rifle, "Divert any remaining nearby forces there and prepare a fall-back seal. I'm on my way."

"Understood."

He took two steps and, suddenly, felt something grip him from behind and pull him back, hurling him to the ground.

The Zealot loomed over him, mandibles wide and teeth bared as it brought its energy blade back and let it flare to life. Another appeared at his side, raising his Plasma Repeater and hosing down his two warriors as they stood and reached for their own rifles. His came around, green fire sparking off the Zealot's shields as it laughed and cut the rifle in two, sending the pieces clattering away and bringing his arm back and down, driving its points into his stomach.

"Argh!"

"Pathetic." The creature rumbled, reaching for his throat. "I will end your mewling, Hum-"

It's flanged head detonated suddenly as a loud, echoing crack echoed across the air around him and, as his vision swam, he let his head loll and turned, watching the armored man kneel beside him. His gold visor met John's and he turned, bobbing his head at him and waving another armored soldier over.

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"Come on, come on!" She shouted, pressing her shoulder to the Warthog's rear end and pushing in time with her squad as a Geth ship warbled overhead. "Hurry! Before one of the bastards-"

A plasma round smacked down in the dirt on the other end of the transport-truck and, before she could even shout, the engine went up. She and her unit were thrown away from it and sprayed in shrapnel, fire and molten plasma. Some of them died, others screamed and cried for help as they dragged themselves away, or were dragged away by their fellows, but she and a few had managed to come out unhurt. Or, enough to stand and fight, at least.

"Prime!" Someone screamed and she turned, ignoring the ache in her fractured rib as she brought her Lancer around, spraying the metal behemoth as it dropped in, hammer coming around and crushing two unlucky Marines too close to it.

Mass accelerator fire raked across it as it leapt onto the burning chassis and then over her, into the largest group of wounded.

She turned as blood, bone and dirt sprayed into the air and swore, reaching for a grenade she hurled into the mess of already-dead Marines. It went off with a 'thump' and killed three of them that she saw, but the monster staggered. And, finally, the other Warthog showed up, raking heavy calibre fire across it, ripping out hunks of metal, oil and circuitry. As it fell, she turned, watching as another round struck the new Hog and wiped it, along wit the rest of her team.

Alone, and terrified, she turned…

And ran.

While the sky flashed with lances of orbital plasma fire.

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John groaned as he came to, rolling over on the med-bed and clutching at his throbbing head. Cool, scaly hands retracted from his neck as a woman spoke, "I-I think he's out of the worst of it, Doctor. B-But I need to-"

"Rest, Liara." He heard Chakwas say, "I'll see to him myself. Check in on Shepard, would you?"

"Y-Yes." She nodded, "Over dinner, perhaps. I have… Developed quite the appetite."

"Understandable. Good evening, Doctor." He heard faint footsteps, and then the door opened and closed. Then, finally, he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Are you awake, Lance Corporal?"

"Unfortunately." He grunted, "Yes."

"Can you sit up?" He nodded and let her help him do it, leaning back against the edge of the raised bed-rails with a pillow between them. Stepping back, she held up a data-pad and spoke, "I have some questions for you, basic tests after your… Ordeal. I hate to press, but with cases like yours, the sooner is the better."

"Fine." He sighed, "Shoot."

"Name?"

"John Doe, Lance Corporal, united Nations Space Command." He grunted, "Serial number-"

"Don't." She cut him off, turning the data-pad around and holding it out. "Write it - neural test."

"Alright…"

On the tests went, for several long minutes. Mostly questions, but also tests - math, physics, engineering, more. He passed them all, of course, with only a few stumbles. But, for some rason, that only seemed to make the woman frown. Make her pace, lips quirked anxiously as she read over his scans.

Finally, he asked, "What's wrong?"

"I…" She paused, flicked him a look, then looked away and sighed. "I shouldn't say. Your mind doesn't need any stressors we can avoi-"

"Doctor." He cut her off, "tell me."

"You… Shouldn't have known the answers to some of those questions, Doe." She sighed, turning to him suddenly and grunting, "Where is, or was, the Alliance governing body housed? And why was that system chosen?"

"I don't understand-"

"Answer, please."

"Arcturus Station, Arcturus system." He answered, "It was chosen as a nexus of several Relay links in Human space at the time, and a near direct link to Sol itself. Placing the governing body there naturally hardened the system, serving strategic and political goals abroad."

"Perfect." She answered, frowning. "How do you know any of that?"

"I…" His mind blanked and his head throbbed, and he clutched at it with a hand. "I… I learned it in school? No, that-"

"Calm down." Doctor Chakwas sighed, "I'll call Javik up. He… Will explain things better than I can, I feel."

"Javik?"

"The Prothean." She explained, typing into her Datapad as she moved for her seat. "He's… The cause of your condition. 'Incidental Neural Blending' he called it. It's… Complicated, so-"

"I'll wait." He frowned and nodded, "Just… I'll wait."

"Right…" She sighed, "Right."

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Couldn't find exact quotes for Gage's words OR my copy of Evolutions, so paraphrased it and tweaked the 'meld' sequence to play up the 'mixing memories' idea more directly. Hope it worked, lol.

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Kayla :

PART of that is just military shit-talking. She's treating him like a grunt right now. This stuff is normal.

The rest is her pushing him, as I said in my response to you. Pushing him. Testing him. Seeing what he'll do to vett his loyalty. Which, as you said, makes her hard to like because WE ALL know he's a good guy.

Sadly, she didn't, lol.

J.E.P. :

She's on her way, lol.

ODST Rules :

That WOULD be funny, admittedly, lol…

Robbeey :

Fun fact, Google Docs keeps autoing your name to 'robbery' lol.

Also, yep!