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Requested by : Laurel

XxX-XxX-XxX

In spite of the situation, the hospital was in shockingly good order, and Doctor Michel emerged with plenty of volunteers to help them move the Cerberus corpses outside and reinforce the doors. The barricades were as ramshackle as the old one had been, but a few tables and crates would provide decent cover. And they set it right in the door, to let them have the best view possible outside while discarded Cerberus thermal clips and grenades were heaped up between the two doors. Riks and Arak took over duty there, in cover with sharp eyes focused on the blood-soaked concourse outside.

"John…" He turned as Michel approached him, flanked by a pair of Asari in loose maintenance jumpsuits, crackling with Biotics.

"Yes?"

"There is something you should see." She said, turning and waving for him to follow. "But first, this is Liana and Raya. Sisters trained in militias back home."

"Useful." He nodded - they were likely a lot of why Huerta had held out long enough for their rescue, he realised. "I'd say it's a pleasure, but…"

"A wee bit too bloody to be a pleasure, yeah." One answered in a rough voice, her face lined by bright scarlet face-paint in the Turian style. Something her sister lacked, which struck him as the tiniest bit odd - Asari typically took that from their parents, and they were sisters. "We served in militias, like Doctor Michel said, but we've been working here for years."

"At Huerta?"

"Sorry," she shook her head, "I meant on the concourse."

"We work freight area maintenance." Liana offered quietly, "The Keepers handle most of it, but… We handle plenty."

"And I need to see this because…?"

"Just explaining." She shrugged, holding up an arm and activating her Omni-Tool to display a luminous map of the concourse. Long lines of varying shades of blue ran along the edges of walkways, columns and storefronts, and she pointed at them. "These are power lines. Our 'Tools are coded to get a live read of the area's power usage."

"It all looks fine…" He nodded, "Doesn't it?"

"And that's the problem." The other sister said, "It shouldn't look fine."

"Different places draw more or less power when in use." Raya explained, pointing at the hospital and adding. "Huerta is a power hog, for instance. Yet this is reading that the draw is the same…"

"In spite of the fact that the rest of the stores are empty, not to mention damage that would have disabled a lot of power draw…" He murmured, understanding her meaning. Stepping closer on the other side of the display, he looked over it again. The sub-sections they had come in through similarly showed the same power usage, and they had been pitch black. The conclusion was obvious, "They're accessing your maintenance data-feeds?"

"They have to be." She nodded, "And if they are, there's a reason."

"Why, though?" Michel asked, "What does this tell us?"

"That they're jamming systems are set up on our grid." John answered smoothly, "And we'd be able to find their base with maintenance monitoring."

"Exactly." Raya nodded, "We can give you codes to use, and coordinates to the primary maintenance terminal. Only we have those codes. Well, us and C-Sec."

"And you want to give them to me," he filled in, "so I can find them?"

"Yes…"

"Good." He nodded, turning and calling out to the Drell sitting a few paces away from a window in a lounging chair of sorts, "Thane! Are you mobile?"

"Technically, no." He answered, rising smoothly and turning to face him with a small smile. As he approached, he added, "But actually? Yes. I presume we have work to do?"

"Only if you're up for it."

"Doctor Michel," he spoke, turning to her, "do you have any of those stimulants we discussed?"

"Yes, I do. Three doses - more than enough." She frowned, though, anxiety and disdain etched into every line of her face. "But, Thane, the side-effects will…"

"I am aware." He nodded, smiling warmly and resting a hand on her shoulder. "I will do what is needed regardless. Lives hang in the balance, and I will not value one already doomed over all of them."

"Very well…" She nodded, turning to leave, "I will get it ready."

"Thank you."

He dismissed the Asari right after, letting them go off to handle whatever tasks they could. One had mentioned trying to polarize the glass, or intensify the kinetic barriers on it to obstruct sight, but he paid it little mind. Instead, he considered Thane and the mysterious 'stimulants' he'd asked for. Stimulants that frightened Doctor Michel. Every part of him wanted, needed, to know what the side effects were. What it did. But Thane only smiled, met his gaze, and bowed his head in silent apology.

Which told him enough about what they did, and how much it would matter…

XxX-XxX-XxX

Once more, John made his way along the dimly lit access-way, his path lit by flickering lights overhead and little else. His Vindicator swept around every obstacle as they passed, sweeping for fresh surprises as they advanced in near-total silence. Silence only broken by his breathing and the distant echo of weapons fire, filtering through the walls. The elevator opened quietly as they passed it, and he almost flinched at the light that sprang out of it before he stepped in, hit the 'down' command' and stepped back to let it go on its way. Ideally, anyone that saw the light would assume they'd descended.

Ideally…

He moved past it soundlessly, stepping close to the wall as they moved forward, into unexplored territory.

"Ahead." Thane whispered almost into his ear, close enough John swore he could feel his breath on his neck. "Nine feet - a corner, and no hallway stretching past."

"I see it." Barely, he didn't add. They reached the corner and, slowly, John peered around, only just able to recognize the dull orange light ten feet up flicker to red before he ducked back and a burst of mass accelerator fire ripped through the air where his head had been. Shaking his head, he grunted, "Turret, ten feet."

"I will erect a Barrier on you." Thane nodded, "And use a Throw to destabilize its aim."

"Will that last long enough?"

"I believe so." He nodded, "Once there, we disable the power. Did you see the pylon?"

"No." But after the turret should have been the last turn into the wider maintenance area, where the main terminal was. "Watch for Engineers. On three."

Thane nodded and John held up a hand, counting down slowly until…

He slipped around the corner, the faint static of Biotics making his skin itch as he rushed towards the turret. Two long strides crossed a third of the distance before it managed to lock onto him again, light flashing red. It opened fire just before the Biotic cannonball hit its flat side-piece, one round sparking off his Barrier before its aim was broken and more rounds ripped through the roof. Two feet away from it, it reoriented and John grit his teeth, ducking suddenly to the side in an awkward three-step that disrupted the turret's predictive algorithm as Thane shot by, leaping up and punching a Biotic fist into the ceiling to let him swing up and over the arcing burst of fire that missed the two of them by inches.

In the muzzle flash, John saw the thick cable running from the turret and, a foot away, dove for it.

He landed on top of it and rolled onto his side, putting a burst through the cabling. The turret died just as bright light washed over him and he looked up into the glare of someone leveling a blocky pistol at him. A flash of blue struck them, throwing their aim off just in time for the shot to punch into the wall beside the ODST, and then Thane was on them.

Literally.

He leapt onto the enemy soldier sideways, wrapping his legs around his right shoulder and pushing off the wall with his hands, hurling him down in front of John. Who put a burst through the man's visor and snapped up to fire another into a second Engineer as she rounded the corner, too. Thane rounded the corner as the ODST rose, and he heard two more bursts of weapons fire, both from the Drell, before he rounded it.

The maintenance area was wide and relatively open, with a little computer cubicle in one corner and shelves that had once filled the rest, now shoved against the walls. Tools, spare parts, cabling and more had been similarly thrown against the walls to make space for a large generator in the precise center of the room, a cable running past him - presumably to the turret they'd just gotten past - matched by the exact same kind rounding the corner up the other access hallway.

Which Thane ripped in two with a flare of Biotics, turning and smiling, "Better safe than sorry, hm?"

"Yeah." He nodded, turning to the last piece of equipment - a sort of pylon, with a blocky computer on one side and little else aside from a thin cable running over to the computer in the corner cubicle. Quietly, he asked, "Think shooting this will disable the jamming…?"

"In our area," Thane hummed, "perhaps. But…"

"The jamming goes both ways." John guessed, "And they'll probably notice it go down?"

"Indeed." Thane nodded, "We cannot protect Huerta in that case…"

"The hospital has barriers."

"Barriers will fall quickly to gunship autocannons." The assassin pointed out dryly, "Not to mention heavy missiles…"

"Yeah…" And why wouldn't Cerberus hit it? It was an obvious hold-out location, with decent access to the maintenance zone and a very dead force already delegated to it. Shaking his head, he asked, "Ideas?"

"One…" He hummed, "We were given maintenance overrides, yes?"

"Yes…"

"Then perhaps instead of simply deactivating the jammer," Thane suggested, moving over to it and raising his Omni-Tool, accessing the system while he talked, "we infiltrate it."

"You know how to do that?"

"I may not be as adept as Tali or Kasumi ever were at infiltrating programs." Thane admitted dryly, sounding somehow… Tired, all of the sudden, before he took a breath and seemed to recover entirely. "But part of my training was systems infiltration, for obvious reasons. Cerberus protocols were something I studied thoroughly while aboard the Normandy."

"Just in case?"

"Just in case." Thane nodded, smiling thinly as the corner-cubicle's terminal lit up. "I have access. Using the maintenance systems, I can access the rest of the Citadel. At least, it's low level systems."

"Such as?"

"Monitoring for power and water systems, basic life support monitoring…" Thane's smile widened just the least bit more, "And emergency broadcast access, including C-Sec's evacuation channels. With them open…"

"C-Sec can coordinate." John realised, thinking quickly, "Can you hard-lock it before we disable jamming?"

"I can." He nodded, setting to work, "Head to the main terminal and input codes as I order…"

Nodding, he went to work.

XxX-XxX-XxX

Shepard ducked under a line of automatic fire as she advanced up the center of the walkway splitting C-Sec's primary air-car landing port, peppering a Cerberus portable barrier a few yards away. Garrus advanced up the raised right side, his sniper rifle cutting down Troopers with every report while a handful of surviving C-Sec officers held the corner ahead of him, forcing the Cerberus soldiers into a fight on two sides. And, on the other side, Javik advanced with crackling biotic fury, backed up by Liara who set off explosive combos working with him. As their advance began to slow, and Shepard slid into cover, the doors into C-Sec itself opened up and a familiar man leaned around the corner, tossing a few grenades out that blew apart the last bit of Cerberus around the door.

And, after a few last cracks of rifle fire and Biotic power, the room finally fell silent.

"Bailey!" She called out as her team regrouped and the C-Sec survivors limped inside.

"Commander." He grunted tiredly, pressing a hand against a bloody tear in his side. A tear she eyed worriedly, until he grunted, "Flesh wound - grazed me, I'm fine. Just stings like a… Well, a gunshot, frankly."

"That would probably be because it is a gunshot…"

"Really, Vakarian? I hadn't noticed." Bailey sighed, "I tell you, Commander, no one kept him around for his brain."

"Hurtful…"

"You'll forgive me." Bailey snarked, "I've been shot, see, so I'm irritable."

"Status." Shepard grunted, shaking her head and cutting the banter off - as nice as it was, she needed to know what was going on.

"Bad, but… Better than it was an hour ago." He answered, waving for her to follow him inside. As they went, he explained quickly, "Cerberus hit the Wards two hours ago, and the Presidium an hour before that. They knocked out communications, though, so a lot of the Wards didn't know anything was wrong until the atack expanded. Cerberus jamming was still up and universal until fifteen minutes ago."

"You managed to weaken it?"

"No." Bailey smiled, sliding around a desk and getting to work at a terminal. "Someone got into primary maintenance out under Huerta, and gave us back our emergency channels. Hard-coded 'em, so we can't change anything. But Cerberus can't shut them down anymore."

"Huerta?"

"Yeah."

"Gee, I wonder who managed that…" Garrus grunted, flicking Javik a look when he smiled toothily and actually laughed.

"Whoever did it," Bailey stressed, "Huerta has been getting hit ever since. I dispatched a couple dozen men to relieve it, and they've mostly stalled the attacks. A couple of the units I sent were Citadel Defense soldiers, and their anti-air weapons have kept Cerberus' gunships back. It's stagnant, there, but stable."

"Got it." Shepard raised her Omni-Tool and grunted, "Cortez, have Joker send a team to Huerta. Whoever we can spare."

"Yes, Commander."

"More importantly, right now…" Bailey grunted, spinning his monitor to show a feed of a wide, open office area with a quartet of dead Turians laid out in it. "That is the Executor, at the far end of C-Sec headquarters. I've been calling who I can back to try and punch through Cerberus between here and there but, now that you're here, I want your team to get there."

"Why?" She asked, "What's the priority there?"

"Councilor Valern's access login was registered fifteen minutes before the attack." Bailey explained simply, "If he's still alive…"

"He'll be there." She nodded, frowning and thinking quickly. If her whole team went, and Cerberus came back to retake this section, then Bailey's tiny band of survivors wouldn't stand a chance. And, when they collapsed, Cerberus would hit them in the rear. That couldn't be allowed, so she half-turned to speak to her team as much as Bailey, "I'll take Garrus and head there, then. Liara and Javik will reinforce you here. Bring as many people as you can spare in - C-Sec, civilians, it doesn't matter. Your officers can secure the path we clear, and we can use this area as a safe zone."

"My men will be relieved to hear it." Bailey nodded, grabbing a badge and handing it to her. "Here. Full-access pass-badge throughout headquarters."

"Got it." She nodded, turning to leave, "Don't get shot again."

"Ha." Bailey called after her, "Very funny!"

XxX-XxX-XxX

"Sir!" Riks called as he and Thane returned, stepping through Arak's doorway. When the officer had decided to start calling him that, John had no idea. But he only nodded for the Turian to speak. "With the emergency lines up and running, I managed to get a short report to C-Sec headquarters while you were gone."

"And there's news…?"

"There is." He nodded, "Fighting is all over the Citadel, but being organized through the emergency channel. We also have limited reinforcements coming."

"C-Sec?"

"No, Sir." Riks shook his head, "Alliance. From the Normandy."

His gaze shot up to meet the Turian's, and Riks snorted at that while Arak's laugh boomed from across the room, "I told you that'd get his attention…"

"Shepard is coming?"

"No." Riks shook his head, just as a Kodiak cruised by a dozen yards in front of their windows, angling so they could see its Alliance colors. Satisfied they had, it pulled away, towards the open concourse. Speaking to his back, Riks explained, "She's moving towards the Executor's office, and securing the rest of C-Sec headquarters. They intend to use it as a staging area to combat Cerberus in the surrounding area, while Citadel Defense conducts landings. Who she can spare is coming to reinforce us here."

"We have orders?"

"Secure the concourse in its entirety," Riks nodded, "to do the same here. I've been officially drafted to serve under you, Sir."

"I see…" He sighed, already tired just knowing what they were about to have to do… But at least now he knew why Riks was so stiff, all of the sudden. "And I'm assuming Citadel Defense has drafted me?"

"No, Sir." He shook his head, "As you are technically independent and, ah… Krogan, technically, at least- Your cooperation is requested on behalf of the Council."

Requested, not demanded. Not ordered, or directed, or dictated, or commanded. Requested. Shaking his head, he murmured, "It's been a long time since someone requested I do something…"

"Doe!" He turned as Vega's voice boomed out across the mostly empty hospital front, thundering into the room with heavy, armored boots. He was flanked by a pair of armored Alliance Marines, and hefted the heavy crate in his arms with a wide, toothy smile, "Brought you a present!"

He set the crate down and cracked it open, and John smiled as light glinted off his visor.

"Hehe…" Arak rumbled, "Now the real fun begins."

He held the helmet in his hands for a moment before he turned and said, "Riks, you, Vega, and the Marines prepare to push out. Arak, you head out now, check the area out - and smash the turrets out there. Just in case."

"Yes, Sir."

"Understood, Cousin."

"Michel!" He turned, calling out for the doctor while he pulled off his filthy clothes and reached in to pull out the padded under-armor suit in the crate, "We need to prepare emergency triage out here! We'll probably have wounded coming in."

While she and a few nurses got to work clearing space, throwing up privacy curtains, and rolling out gurneys that would have to double as beds, John got dressed.

"Battlemaster John Doe, it is a pleasure to see that you're alive and active." EDI's synthesised voice spoke when he was done, visor polarizing comfortably. Rolling his shoulders, he listened to her go on, "Commander Shepard has already retaken most of C-Sec headquarters, including Citadel Defense's control offices. You should see us mobilizing inward now that the defense guns are disabled any minute now."

"I see it." He grunted, looking along the Ward arms as several heavy warships entered the arms, surrounded by splatters of smoke as Cerberus tried - and failed - to slow them down. "When will they mobilize properly?"

"As soon as air superiority is established." She answered as a trio of fighters shot by Huerta, pursuing a Cerberus Kodiak until it tried to cut low across the water, and one blew it apart. "They are attempting to minimize collateral damage."

"Have our objectives changed?"

"Negative." EDI answered as the Normandy herself appeared, coming in close near Huerta. Missiles slammed into its belly, but its Barriers held, and EDI went on, "We have been loaded with forty Citadel Defense soldiers to direct to your command, Battlemaster."

"Why Battlemaster…?"

"You are, technically, a Krogan." She answered dryly, "That is the most recognized command rank for Krogan by the Council. At least, aside from 'Warlord', but you do not command your own clan. As such, that rank does not apply."

"Alright then…" He chuckled, "Battlemaster it is."

"Indeed." EDI answered, "With that explained, I am patching you through to Commander Shepard."

"Isn't she fighting?"

"She was quite clear in her instructions." EDI said, amusement filtering in through her voice, "I was to connect you to her immediately upon dispensing your orders. She was quite insistent, I'm sure you understand."

"I'm sure I do." He snorted, "Go ahead."

"Connecting now…"

He knew the connection had been established when muted gunfire echoed in his helmet, sudden and sharp enough he ducked on pure instinct. The other soldiers all flinched in response, aside from his bodyguard who straightened instead, as if he wanted to draw whatever fire John had noticed. Which, in all likelihood, was exactly what he wanted. When he relaxed and waved them off, though, they slowly relaxed in turn and continued to work, while Doctor Michel watched them all nervously, directing her staff in their own work.

Finally, voice hoarse, Shepard spoke, "Doe?"

"Shepard." He smiled, in spite of everything, "You sound tired."

"Bitch punched me in the throat." She grunted, "I'm alright. You?"

"Apparently, I'm a Battlemaster." He grunted, explaining in brief, "At least, since I'm also a Krogan, according to Citadel law."

"Huh…" Shepard grunted as something impacted something else, and a rifle went off painfully close to her. But, like nothing was wrong, she added, "Neat."

"Yeah."

"Status?"

"Green, Ma'am." He answered, "I'm setting up a forward base out of Huerta, under Citadel Defense's directions."

"EDI filled me in on that part, just not the promotion. And cross-species, uh, thing." He heard her sigh, and then she went on, "We've retaken most of C-Sec headquarters, but Cerberus has entrenched in the Spectre armory section. I have reinforcements coming from behind me, but they've managed to get into the special weapons stored there, and we're pinned down. Anyone coming-"

"Will just end up rushing into the heavy fire," John finished for her, "or pinned down in turn."

"Yeah…"

"Orders?"

"Technically," she quipped, "I can't give you orders anymore."

"I know." He smiled, "Orders?"

"Your clear-zone will be the closest one to that end of C-Sec headquarters, and one of only two with a land-link at all." Shepard explained shortly, "I need you to send something fast and heavy enough to matter to hit them in the rear. Or, failing that, infiltrate the Executor's office."

"The Executor's office?"

"According to Bailey, a Councilor's biotag is present there, and they checked in earlier. Before the attack." Shepard said, "Cerberus hit C-Sec hard. And unlike everywhere else, they've been entrenching here, rather than subdue the area and withdraw. EDI believes most of their strike forces are here."

"Most." John grunted, watching three Kodiaks and a heavy gunship rocketing towards them, low over the market district, where he - and the Citadel Defense fighters that trailed them - knew survivors would be hiding. "Not all."

"John…"

"I have contacts incoming." He grunted, "But I agree with EDI. After the initial attack, they went too quiet. They must be pursuing surgical objectives."

"And our back-liners?"

"I will do what I can, Commander." He nodded, raising the Mattock Vega had brought him and resting the Vindicator on his back as he strode towards the doors, watching heavy mass accelerators score across Huerta's protective Kinetic Barriers. Apparently satisfied they would hold, and none of them could shoot through at it from Huerta itself, the Cerberus gunship spun up, back towards them, to engage the Defense fighters, forcing them away with heavy missiles.

Quietly, watching it fire, he said, "Be safe, Commander."

"You too, John." She answered, "Out."

He paused to take a breath, and strode for the door, swinging around the corner in time to see a dozen Troopers disgorging from the first Kodiak. Three of them dropped immediately, bodies bucking with rifle fire from Riks and the first unit of Citadel Defense soldiers disgorged by the Normandy. As the Troopers spread out, taking cover wherever they could a half dozen yards away in storefronts and behind debris, their Kodiak withdrew and another came to take its place. This one opened to allow half a dozen Guardians to drop down, heavy shields already intercepting rounds as they formed their phalanx for the five Troopers that landed behind them, and their Centurion commander, who threw two smoke grenades out in front of the formation to screen them.

He could tell this was going to be a real fight, in spite of the next unit Cortez lowered to drop off fifty feet behind them.

But why are they coming in so hard…

The reason was obvious when he realized the third Kodiak was missing and he turned, snarling, "Arak! Take a squad and get into the maintenance zone! Secure it!"

"Yes, Battlemaster!" He bellowed, stepping around the corner as the unit Cortez had just dropped off came running to join the fight, and stumbled to a stop on seeing him. Waving for them to follow, he snarled, "Come!"

They would hold the maintenance zone, and keep the emergency lines up and running no matter what Cerberus could do - or thought they could do, even. But that meant he only had a couple options for who to send back, as Shepard had requested…

"Vega!" He barked, turning, spotting a rifle pointed his way, and ducking as a round ricocheted off his shields. "Krios!"

"Yes?" The assassin spoke, somehow directly beside him and turning, hurling a Biotic orb that Pulled two of the Guardians' shields away, exposing them for the precise rifle fire that cut them both down in long arcs.

Vega, meanwhile, only answered by advancing to a piece of cover ahead of them, hurling a grenade that sent the phalanx reeling and let a couple of their better shots pick off a pair of Troopers. Then he turned, flashed Doe a thumbs up, and tapped his helmet, right by his ear. A wordless, distant sign that he was listening through squad-link. Smart ass…

Cuing it, he turned to explain to the Drell, "You two, fall back. Take a team and make your way towards C-Sec headquarters. Shepard is pinned down, and you need to extract a VIP code-tag V1, then reinforce her position."

"I understand." Thane nodded, starting to stand before John grabbed his forearm and stood, leaning close.

"Thane…" He whispered, "Don't die out there."

"I assure you." He smiled, "I will not."

XxX-XxX-XxX

Thane Krios ducked back and out of the way of the sword coming for his throat and twisted in the same motion, kicking up and under the Phantom's arm. It off-balanced her, combined with her unsuccessful swing, and he jumped on the spot to spin another kick up from the other side, heel-first into her throat. Indoctrinated or not, she only lasted a couple moments, staggering away and swinging widely, before she started to suffocate and collapsed. And, indoctrinated or not, he heard her wheezing, desperate begging, barely audible through her words.

He buried her own sword in her heart and laid her hands on her chest in one motion, frowning as he stood and put a shot into the knee of a second when Vega's heavy shotgun broke her barriers. Her knee exploded and she fell to the floor of the Executor's office, screaming until another shot from his heavy pistol granted her mercy as well. His instincts screamed at him and he spun and crouched under a cloaked sword coming in for his midsection, standing in the same motion to drive her arm up and then whipping his arm around, Biotic fury wreathing his fist. The blow caved in her ribs and hurled her into one of the metal desks the Executor's office used with enough force it dented around the woman, and ragged metal ripped at her sides.

She tried to rise even then, before a heavy shotgun blast ripped her breast open and sent her spinning.

"Damn…" Vega gasped, sounding exhausted but unharmed as he replaced his spent Thermal Clip. "They don't know when to quiet, eh?"

"No." He murmured, flicking a look to the two women that had come with them, fighting through a fifth of a district only to be cut down as soon as they entered the room. "They do not…"

"They'll be remembered." The man said, resting a hand on Thane's shoulder as he turned, looking over the room. "More importantly-"

He almost missed it, as he turned to face the man. The shimmer standing beside them, almost imperceptible in the air as it backed away and something moved in its arm. He snarled as he turned, summoning his Biotics and raising his hand to meet the Biotic blast head-on. It hurled him away, into the table beside the Phantom he'd done the same to. But he recovered as he hit it, leaping up and rolling over the top of it rather than breaking on its edge. He stull stumbled as he landed, though, arms and lungs burning from a combination of so much strain and inhaling the Biotic fury.

Still, his side-arm came up, barking two shots as the man appeared, hand snapping out to the side to ward off his shots while the other cut at Vega, who used his shotgun as a shield as he backed away. The masked man ignored Thane, following Vega as he reached for the Avenger on his back and yanked it out, spraying inaccurate rounds at the man as he stumbled away. The attacker never let him recover, keeping on him until Thane leapt onto the table and started trying to circle to his back.

Then, finally, he spun to face Thane, other hand snapping out a Biotic blast that sent Vega reeling, armor smoking and caved in along his chest, and rifle shattered while he sucked in breath.

"Thane Krios…" The man almost purred, spinning his sword in his hand, "I've read a lot about you."

"Oh?"

"Studying you was a part of my training process, after I was… Improved." He smiled, turning when Vega tried to stand and flicking a wrist to hurl him away with Biotic power. He hit the wall in a ball and fell, shielding his head but only struggling to stand for a moment before he collapsed and lay still. Turning back to him, the man said, "My name is Kai Leng."

"A pleasure." He grunted, dropping the empty Clip he'd replaced in the moment of distraction Vega had bought him with broken bones.

"Indeed." Kai Leng smiled, "The last you shall ever experience."

"I doubt that."

"That," he shrugged, falling into a low crouch, sword held back and behind him and Biotic fist held out in front, "is your mistake to make."

Kai Leng moved almost as soon as he finished speaking, apparently knowing better than to let Thane have any more of the rest he so desperately needed. The Drell's shots only managed to spark off of his Biotic protection as he charged and lept, spinning in the air as he brought his sword down on him. Thane followed the blade as it came down, accelerating impossibly quickly, and swung his heavy pistol up to catch it on its flat and deflect the strike. The other assassin recovered quickly, though, landing and spinning, bracing his free hand on the floor and driving a kick into Thane's ribs.

He wheezed as he was driven back, sucking in air, and Kai Leng smiled.

He'd read up about him… So he knew about his illness, and was happy to target it.

Thane flicked a hand, throwing a gentle Warp at the man's feet that he leapt over, firing a Warp of his own down into Thane's shoulder. It ripped at his Barrier, destabilising it as Thane rolled away. He landed and turned on a knee, firing up into Kai Leng's chest as he charged him, ignoring the shots entirely and letting his Barrier sear the shots away. The gun whined in his hand and, where practicality failed, he opted for something a bit more in line with Shepard's book of tricks-

And hurled it, wretched in Biotics, at the man's face.

Kai Leng's eyes widened at the last second, and he only just ducked to the side of it, but the distraction worked. Thane leapt for him, close enough he could not swing his sword, and pummelled a series of Biotic-backed fists into his chest. The first few drew hisses of pain from the man as he was driven back, but as Thane followed, fire started to creep into his arms. His stimulants were wearing off and, combined with all the stress of the day, he could feel darkness creeping in all around him. And a cold that seeped into his fingers and toes as the fire withdrew from them, and advanced up his arms.

Finally, Kai Leng saw an opening and drove a knee up and into Thane's sternum, hard enough he heard ribs break. He brought his sword up and around, aiming for Thane's head-

Before a glob of Omni-Gel induced flames caught him in the side of the head and he spun away, reeling and snarling as a Salarian appeared in the shattered office window above. The Councilor had a gun in his hand, and fired down at him, but Kai Leng ignored the fire as Thane staggered away and he pursued. The sword dipped down and then shot up as Kai Leng leapt, and Thane roared as he brought a fist up and down, cracking it across the man's jaw hard enough he saw blood fly and felt bone crack.

Still, wheezing, he felt the cold agony in his chest, his hand having only just maned to divert the blade a few inches to the side, away from his heart.

"Thane!" He heard a familiar voice scream, turning as Shepard finally appeared, blood-stained and battered. Idly, he picked out a cut along her brow, and a hole in her shoulder where someone had managed a lucky shot.

But he could only smile, seeing her alive and moving, raising a clearly stolen C-Sec Vindicator to pepper Kai Leng with fire as he swore and withdrew.

She was at his side in seconds, almost catching him before he fell, and pressing her hands to his wound when he did. Her hands trembled and she looked down at him, eyes wide and afraid in a way he'd never wanted to see. Still, all he could do was smile, looking up at her. He reached up with a hand covered in his own blood to touch the cheek of her helmet.

"I am glad…" He rasped, "To see you."

Then, darkness, and a distant, broken, "Thane!"

XxX-XxX-XxX

John slammed his head forward, into the face of a Phantom, with enough force to shatter her nose. As she reeled, he brought his rifle up in one hand, hosing her front in mass accelerator rounds. A Guardian, missing his shield and an arm, rushed him but a shot ripped through his helmet before he could reach the ODST. And, as he fell, John reloaded and looked out across the field of dead Cerberus soldiers. Only a few were left, now, and they quickly fell as what were left of his Defense soldiers moved forward to bring them down, and the ODST was glad to be able to find a seat.

"John…" He heard Shepard's voice over the comm-line, broken and empty.

"Shepard?" He grunted, surging back to his feet, "What's wrong? Did Thane get the VIP? Do you need-"

She cut him off with a broken laugh, and he listened as she went on, weakly.

Roaring, he turned and emptied his rifle into the Guardian that had charged him. Then, when his rifle whined weakly, he hurled it down and sucked in long breaths. As Riks rushed at him, he sank to his knees and stared out at the Cerberus corpses.

"No…"

XxX-XxX-XxX

So I have NO idea which of the ME1 humans are alive at this point…

I can't remember lmao. Apologies. Didn't come up in this chapter, obviously, but I'll decide before next chapter what I wanna do - feel free to offer input. Or just remind my dumbass who I mentioned and when. XD

As for this chapter-

The thing we all knew would happen. And surely I found no way to make it hurt more. Right?

XxX-XxX-XxX

Anonymous Pumpkin :

Something sad I have been trying to demonstrate is that for John, being surrounded by devastation and loss is normal. Comfortable, in a way. Which is why he gels well with the Krogan. They're all used to loss and strife in a way thats hard to measure. So yeah, he's MOSTLY fine, but like you said politics be politicking.

Lea :

They knew the targets - but having the targets surprise gank you in the rear, with extras on hand, was not in the plan lmao. That said, even on seeing them, the Engineer kept digging into the data…

Curious, eh?

Haywire Eagle :

Right? Or, if he was an engineer, he could explain ODPs and help develop them. Alas, he is but a ground pounder.