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[sH0tgUn jUliA]

On The Citadel LXVI

Prangley was the first to see it. It was huge. The mainframe AI took up an area that was the size of the Council Chamber. There were Keepers working around it, tending to it at several points that appeared to be nodes. The rest of the team made it up the ladder.

"Holy ****!" Jack was in total disbelief. "Okay, sarge, if this is what I think it is you made the right call."

"T, Ranassa! Set up and hold this area around the ladder. Prangley, Watson, and Pierce: stay back here with them. The rest come with me." The sarge led them into the chamber. "Nice and easy. We don't want to disturb anyone."

The AI glowed a bluish rose color which wasn't the best for seeing. The ceiling of the room was about 10 meters and the machine was about 8 meters tall, and was about three meters deep and had 3 rows running 30 meters long each. The area between the row was 15 meters wide.

"Ereba, start setting your charges, and set an arc grenade in each. Try to set them at the nodes, if you can. Do not disturb these creatures. Cloak. Give me half your charges. I'll do this half of the room." The sarge ordered.

Ereba split the charges with her sergeant. Nasyra and Ereba cloaked and moved to the far end of the room and planted the first charges. Nasyra noticed there were other Keepers in the chamber that definitely were not the docile Keepers that they had seen elsewhere. These had pincers. Nasyra planted two charges with a detonator on a what she believed was a plasma conduit. She then moved to the first node. Ereba was on node 3 on her side. The Krogan was moving the nuke into a more central location. Erikka and Bellarmine were helping him get it set up.

The sarge had returned to the nuke. "How are we doing? I saw some strange Keepers back there with pincers. Never saw them before on the Citadel. These workers don't look normal either."

The Krogan just nodded. Erikka answered. "We're almost ready. We'll have to get 1 km away to be at minimum safe distance. This structure will provide some protection. I suggest we hurry. This device is old. If our detonator sends a signal prematurely, we're screwed."

Ereba was setting the last charge and the Keeper moved and Ereba tripped over it. The Keeper let out a shriek and tried to grab Ereba. It missed. Ereba ran and made it back to the group.

She was huffing. "Sorry sarge."

"Shhh. Listen." The sarge said. "Do you hear that?"

"What?" Jack asked.

"That rustling." The sarge said. "Someone is going to have to stay with the bomb. I'm sorry."

The Krogan volunteered. "I will."

"Don't be crazy you won't last five minutes." Erikka said. "I've got a barrier. I'll stay."

"And I'll just slow everyone down." Seanne said.

There was a pause. Marisa gave Seanne her Locust and ammo. The sarge listened again. The noise had gotten louder. She nodded. "Okay. I'm sorry. The Goddess be with you if you believe in that. Everyone else. Run! Prangley call the elevator!"

The aggressive Keepers started pouring into the chamber and moving toward Erikka, Seanne and Xalrath who were guarding the nuke. Ranassa opened up and was splattering the keepers coming in on the right while everyone else was sliding down the ladder rails. Xalrath was taking out those he could with his shotgun. Erikka and Seanne were using their weapons so as not to drain Erikka's barrier. Ranassa cleared the right side and paused momentarily. Time seemed to stop. Ranassa and Erikka gazed into each other's eyes to say goodbye. Ranassa's eyes pooled as she disappeared down the ladder. Erikka threw up her barrier.

The soldier Keepers were working on Erikka's barrier. It was holding for the time being, but they were wearing it down. Once it was down the three of them were dead, and that bomb? Who knew where it was going to be?



The elevator actually worked. Everyone got in and took it down to the lowest level it would take them. Ereba had her omnitool calibrated to measure distance from the bomb. The elevator was fast. 200 meters, 300 meters.

400 meters, 500 meters. Ding. The doors opened. That was the end of the line. They got out of the elevator into a lobby. Prangley impatiently hit another call button on the adjacent elevator. "Come on! Come on!"

The door opened, and a banshee greeted them, leaning over and screaming. Ranassa greeted the banshee with a hail of bullets from her LMG. She and T kicked the banshee out. The rest of the squad got in the elevator. Shayrana hit the button.... 600 meters, 700 meters, 800 meters.

"How tall is this tower?" Nasyra asked.

"Two kilometers." Ereba replied. "900 meters."



The Keepers broke through Erikka's barrier and was about to grab her with its pincers. Erikka was exhausted. Xalrath shoved his foot in its face and shot it point blank with his Claymore. The Keeper crumpled to the floor. Xalrath let out a bellow when another Keeper speared him with the large sharp point of the pincer, Seanne opened up with her Locust on it killing it, but it was too late. The Krogan was dying fast. Erikka and Seanne had their backs to the AI row and were firing at everything. They were being swarmed. A soldier keeper grabbed the bomb and began carrying it toward the back.

"No!!!" Erikka screamed and opened up on it with her assault rifle, the armor piercing rounds ripping it in half. She was out of ammo, and beat a worker over the head with it. She drew her side arm and started firing in futility.



1000 meters. *ding* The doors opened. The sarge and the rest of the squad ran out of the elevator into another lobby. "Minimum safe distance reached. Hit it." Ereba shouted and pulled the power cell from her omni-tool as did half the squad. The rest didn't remember to do that.

The sarge hit the detonator. The building shook, and building material fell from the ceiling, metal buckled, and the lights went out in their area. But the area was dimly lit with emergency light. There were reaper troops in the area, and they suddenly appeared confused. The squad made easy work of them and secured an area.

"We'll remember Erikka, Seanne, and Urdnot Xalrath who sacrificed their lives for the mission and for us." Nasyra remembered for the squad. "But it seems that something happened."

Jack commented. "Yeah, the reaper troops appeared to be confused, like they didn't know what the **** to do."

"Good job on the elevator, Prangley." Shayrana patted him on the shoulder then went to Ereba. "I hate this ****ing war."

*******

Admiral Gerrel vas Neema of the Quarian Fleet contacted Admiral Lidanya.

"Lidanya here."

"Admiral Lidanya, have you noticed anything strange in the past few minutes? The reapers don't seem to be operating with any cohesiveness like they were a few moments ago."

Lidanya studied her battle map. "No they don't. It's like they've become a bunch of individual predators rather than a pack like they were. There is no coordination at all. This could be an opportunity. I wonder how things are going on the ground?"

Modifié par sH0tgUn jUliA, 09 novembre 2013 - 08:25 .

[Kel Riever]

Groon was growing impatient. “How many parts for that thing do you need?”

“It’s not a thing,” Gizmo gruffly answered. “It’s…It is going to have very important programming inside.”

“Is that why we had to go turning this whole place over for your computer chips? We’re supposed to be moving out.”

Frustrated, Gizmo walked ahead of Groon back into the old storage space in the vehicle pool area where he had worked on the Valkyr. “If I don’t do it now, I may never get the chance,” Gizmo explained. “I need this…especially if things go badly.” The two approached a LOKI mech that had only one arm. Upon seeing it, Gizmo gave a worried expression and then examined the motherboard he had in his hands. “Son of a…”

Groon snorted, “What now?”

“This won’t work. I can’t swap a Plantrell board with an Ariake. They’re totally incompatible.”

The young krogan began to growl when an alert sounded from Gizmo’s omni-tool. Thankful for the distraction, Gizmo quickly answered, “Momma?”

“No, this is Rea. I asked Momma to patch me through because you weren’t answering.”

“I’m kind of busy,” Gizmo said, but glanced at Groon. “Um…maybe I can spare a minute.”

“Come on outside.” Rea then cut out.

“Heh, uh…,” Gizmo nervously told Groon, “I should see what’s needed.” Gizmo then briskly made for the entrance to the armory. Groon grumbled and followed.

Rea waited just beyond the armory door, on the Starscreamer with Rothan. Gizmo, still impressed with the work done on the jet bike, paused to admire it before finally asking, “What’s the problem?

Lowering her head, Rea looked directly into Gizmo’s eyes. “Mia.”

“What about her, she’s okay, right?”

Rea was silent. Her glare, however, drew the words out of Gizmo.

“I…I have to do work. For Momma,” Gizmo confessed. “You know, Mia’s awesome. If I weren’t so busy…and I can’t get down to the bunker right now, anyway…okay, so maybe I avoided her. I was going to find her anyway and I just didn’t want to be distracted.” Gizmo’s face started to turn red. Groon watched with growing interest.

“Someone would like to have a word with you,” Rea said in a cool tone. She flicked a control on the Starscreamer’s readout, allowing the sound system to patch through a communication loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.

“Son,” Momma’s voice lectured from the speakers, “you are not going to leave that girl wondering about you.”

“But,” Gizmo protested, “I’m working on stuff for…”

“No excuses. You’ve got plenty of time to do whatever you are up to and let people know what is happening. Miss Rea was nice enough to inform me about this girl Mia, and you have no idea how lucky you are to have someone like her care about you.”

“Yeah, but…”

“No buts,” Momma modulated her voice to become a bit more cross. “Now you didn’t install me to be just some other program. And a good son listens to his mother when she tells him something important. And what is important is that you get on the com right now. You are going to apologize to Mia and tell her what is going on with you.”

Gizmo’s jaw dropped. He didn’t know what to say.

“I don’t hear you getting on your com, dear.”

Gizmo used his omni-tool to activate the small microphone installed in his collar. “Um, I take it you can patch me directly through, Momma?”

Momma’s voice became more compassionate. “You are connected now.”

“Excuse me,” Gizmo pardoned himself. “I should have this conversation in private.”

Rea, Rothan and Groon observed as Gizmo stepped a few meters away and began speaking through his com. His face became a deeper shade of red and his eyes watered up. Several times, Gizmo nodded his head and once he wiped his nose with his sleeve. After a time, he began to chuckle and swept aside a couple of tears that had fallen. When Gizmo was done, he came back.

“Everything all right?” Rea inquired.

“Yeah.”

Momma praised Gizmo, “I’m proud of you. It feels better, doesn’t it?”

Gizmo laughed, “She said it was fine and just to make sure to find her when I get to the bunker.” He then shifted uncomfortably, “Is it all right if I go on, now?”

“Of course.”

Both Gizmo and Groon headed off. As they left, Groon’s voice was audible, “Your mom’s tough. I like that!”

Once out of earshot, Momma spoke again through the sound system, “Thank you Miss Rea, for the advice.”

“All the good advice came from my own mother, Momma,” Rea reflected. “She raised nine children over more than two centuries, so I’d say she knows a thing or two about being a parent.”

Modifié par Kel Riever, 09 novembre 2013 - 05:41 .

[Redbelle]

The building had stood, foreboding now that the hustle and bustle of the Bastion supply crew had moved everything out and the building stood empty. Babylon had looked into the dark of the blown out section of wall that the supply team had destroyed to form an entrance. The mobile lighting, that had once illuminated all four corners of the lower floor, were likewise gone. Stepping inside she had to wait for her eye's to adjust and Babylon found herself wondering what Padre could be doing in a place like this.

Momma had told her that his investigation had pointed him towards the Misqueen. It didn't make sense. Two people murdered in what looked like a racially motivated assault using exotic methods and the Misqueen was somehow implicated?

…...

…...

Well the exotic part Babylon could swallow. The rest, she needed Padre to explain when she found him. Her eye's slowly became attuned to the dark and she took a few steps before her foot caught on something hard and metal. Whatever it was made a loud clang which reverberated through the building.......

What the hell was Padre doing in here in the dark anyway?

Come to think of it, what was the Misqueen doing in this place?

And where were they? If they were here.... where was the light? The sounds? Anything to suggest that people were in here.

Looking around she finally gave up and activated her Omnitools flash light. The spot she stood in went from inky darkness to brightness and Babylon blinked as she pointed it away from herself and swept the beam across the room. The beam cut through the darkness, illuminating anything that it fell across.

Then she saw it.

It was black in the beam, a thin trail of something glistening that lay on the floor. Babylon passed the beam of light up to follow the trail. The beam revealed a wide brimmed, black hat that Padre always seem to carry with him. As the beam continued to follow the blood trail the light illuminated a body and Babylon's hand went to her mouth.

She rushed forward. Padre was lying face down on the floor. The reached to turn him over and as he rolled she saw that his armour had punctured by several rounds. His eye's were open and staring lifelessly up into the ceiling. Casting a glance further into the building she saw a trail of blood that went further inside.

“Padre”? Babylon's voice felt small as her words were swallowed by the room. She had to get out. She had to get help. Tell someone!

Her thought's were interrupted by a muffled voice. Looking down she reached into Padre's jacket and came out with a bag. She recognised it at once as she loosened the drawstring and pulled out the LOKI head. The head looked at her.

“Hello”. It said. “I have a message for anyone who is not a Salarian”. It paused. “Pardon me asking..... but what's a Salarian”?

Babylon shook her head at the senselessness of it all. “What message? Who did this? Was it the Salarians”? She felt her voice going up in pitch and suddenly realised that whoever did this could still be in the building. The head however seemed more intent on her questions.

“I have a recorded message.....”. It explained. “....which should tell you what you need to know”.

The head abruptly switched tracks and Babylon heard the tell tale recording background hiss. Padre's voice came out of the head in her hand.

“This is Padre”. Came a strained voice that broke down into a wet cough. “And if your hearing this....... I need to report my own murder”!

Modifié par Redbelle, 10 novembre 2013 - 12:07 .

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Somewhere near the Charon Relay....

Admiral Hackett was viewing the battle over Earth on his holo-map in the CIC of his dreadnought. He noticed some strange things going on. "Son of a ****! He did it!"

"Who did it, sir?" His first officer asked.

Hackett smiled. "Shepard. I knew he had it in him."

First Officer Crowley checked over the battle reports. "Sir, I'm still reporting that Hammer is still making its way to the beam, and they're blocked by a reaper destroyer."

Hackett wrinkled his forehead. "Then what the hell just happened?"

Crowley read further down the page. "Remnants of an Asari commando unit and a Biotic Squad out of Grissom left Camp Bastion with a mini-nuke. Rumors are that most of them made it just as Harbinger was landing. They used Hammer as a diversion, sir."

Hackett smiled. "So the conniving pole-dancers made it. Whatever they did, they created a stir. Now if they can get the damned Citadel open."

Crowley continued. "We're getting reports from the Asari, Quarian, and Turian fleets, sir. The Turians have already counter-attacked and are being joined by the rest of the fleet. From Turian Admiral Octavius: 'Their line is broken! Now is our chance! Hit them with everything we have!'"

***********

The fleet engaged the reapers, and made their first pass. Hackett received the report from the fleet. The reapers lost eight capital ships and ten destroyers. Allied losses ten cruisers. Still this was going to be a slog, and would it last?

[Redbelle]

Babylon ran!

She ran as fast as she could as soon as she had heard the message Padre had left with his dying breath.

He'd figured it all out. And he'd been killed for it. He'd found the murderer. Found the motive. Found everything! And when he had known he wouldn't be around to do anything with the information, he'd passed it on to Bobby, the Loki head. Because apparently he'd been calling the head Bobby and now that was what it answered to.

Her lungs were bursting as she drew near the motor pool looking for Steiner. She had to tell him what she knew, if he was still around. If not, she had to get to him. Tell him what Padre had left them. If they were going to get justice for the Human groom, his Asari bride and Padre then everyone had to know!

She slowed as she saw a large gathering ahead of her in front of a parked Mako. Hoping she had found Steiner and his Rifles she drew up to the outside of the crowd and peered over the head of everyone there. All she could see was a crowd of yet more heads in front of her and she wished her husband was around so she could borrow his box.

She turned to one of the people standing next to her, a civilian she noticed. Then started as she realised she knew him from Armitages campaign staff. “What's happening”?

“Only what we've been working for all these years”. He said grinning as he turned and saw Babylon. “Bab's? Where have you been? You missed all the action”!

Babylon nearly issued a sharp retort about the kind of action she'd been involved with when she thought better of it. “What do you mean? What we've been working for”?

The man shook his head and sighed. “Bab's...... Armitage got Radcliffe to check us all out. All of Terra Firma are clear of indoctrination. Armitage made that the price for staying quiet on the murder's that happened. The Alliance military have found no indoctrinated agent's in our political party”.

Babylon felt her gut's go cold. “Tell me he's not.....”.

Mistaking her lack of enthusiasm for disbelief, the man nodded. “He did it Bab's! He got the military to endorse Terra Firma! We're the only un-indoctrinated party on Earth! We're the only ones advocating fighting the Reapers! The seat of government is empty and we're the only one's who can fill it”! He beamed as he pointed towards the crowd. “Armitage is being sworn in as the Alliance Prime Minister right now! We did it Bab's! Terra Firma is in charge of government”!

Babylon's felt he blood run cold as she turned towards the crowd and began shoving her way in through them. She heard her colleague behind her shot her name but she didn't turn back. She had to get to the centre before the oaths were finished. Maybe if she disrupted the ceremony.... Stopped it before it was finished...... The people needed ceremony to attach value to event's, she told herself as she pushed through the crowd. If the ceremony had a spanner thrown in the works then maybe she could talk to Armitage and tell him why Terra Firma could not be in power. He'd be mad as hell to be sure. The reigns of power were nearly in his grasp. For the good of humanity, assuming humanity lived, Terra Firma had to forfeit government control.

As she felt the crowd before her open up, she heard a cheer rip through the crowd. Feeling her hopes sinking she burst through out into the front of the crowd in time to see Armitage raise his hand off the bible the woman before him was holding out to him. Turning to the crowd he waved at the cheering crowd with a triumphant smile on his face. “So help me God”! He called out, repeating the last line of his oath of office.

Babylon looked on as all around her cheered and spotted the Misqueen standing behind him. Politely applauding while her face was a mask of contented cheer.

Babylon shook her head. God help us all, she thought.

Modifié par Redbelle, 11 novembre 2013 - 11:04 .

[Kel Riever]

Urdnot Bruug stood half way out of the top front hatch of the Tomkah, observing the vanguard convoy roll out from Camp Bastion. The foot troops would be on the march, but the krogan vehicle and the convoy were to head across to the far side of the Thames after receiving the all clear. Each vehicle in the group was sealed and rugged enough to drive under the river, along its bed. Most also had thrusters to assist them if there was trouble. In the Tomkah’s case, it simply had raw power. 
 
Inside the Tomkah, Urdnot Krayder maneuvered the Tomkah behind a Mako it was set to follow. The gates of Camp Bastion were passed and once again, the streets of London were at the mercy of the six-wheeled tank. It wouldn’t be long before the Thames was reached, and though there was some light resistance from Reapers on the prowl, heavy guns made short work of them. Urdnot Plog worked the Tomkah’s turret, and he chuckled in satisfaction as he let loose occasionally with twin mass accelerators. The concussive force of the gunfire would, at a minimum, injure any other species leaning out from the exposed hatch, but Krayder knew for Bruug it simply made him excited.
 
As the krogan approached the Thames, and the lead Mako could be seen launching itself into the river, Krayder banged the roof above him hard. “Time to get inside, you spawn of a maw!”
 
Bruug climbed down and pulled the hatch closed above him. “Bah, what’s a little flooding among clan brothers?” 
 
Urdnot Zahn, who sat with a small squad of humans along for the ride, chuckled. “Not everyone in here can hold their breath long enough for the trip underwater.” Zahn eyed the humans, who would ordinarily have plenty of room in the cabin meant for krogan, but were pressed tightly in to make room for the missiles, and to give Clanless a wide berth. For that, Zahn didn’t blame them. Clanless sat upon a stack of secured crates…the standard krogan benches being too small for his oversized frame.
 
Corporal Banes, the least bothered of the humans, addressed Bruug. “I don’t understand. Why don’t you just use the Tomkah instead of handing it over to us once we’re across?”
 
Everyone inside felt a heavy jolt as Krayder pitched the Tomkah into the river. Instinctively, both krogan and human reached for handholds. For a short while, the Tomkah floated, and then as its wheels touched down on the river bed, a sense of stability returned. 
 
“Those are the orders we got from this operative you humans have in charge of the missiles,” Bruug answered. “Truth is, when the fighting starts, everyone is going to be better outside on foot. Especially us. We also don’t need the Tomkah to haul the missiles once we are close enough.” 
 
Banes was experienced enough to know what Bruug was alluding to. “You mean the Tomkah is going to be a target.”
 
Zahn sighed thickly, “Human, you know what we know. And this thing is built tough. Your squad is going to deploy, but you still could use the firepower from the turret. And, not to insult, but for those you leave inside to crew it, the Tomkah is going to help them more than it helps us. None of us care, though. If you want to ditch it when we’re on the other side, go ahead.”
 
“Nah,” Banes agreed, “More guns are better. But for once, krogan, we’re going to be the distraction for you. How do you like that?”
 
The krogan, except for Clanless, laughed. Plog barked from the turret controls, “You got that right, human. You get all the glory!”
 
“Had my three square,” another human remarked. “Ready to die.”
 
The squad of humans joined in the laughter.
 
“We’re breaching the surface on the other side in a minute or two,” Krayder called back into the cabin.
 
Banes ordered, “Everybody firm up! Weapons are ready and you are out of this can in ten seconds!”

Urdnot Bruug warned  , "Clanlessis first out. You don’t want to stand in his way.”
 
The Corporal gave a nod and looked over at the Warlord. He saw Clanless’ fingers wrap tightly around the handle of his hammer.
 
Krayder accelerated and the Tomkah engine roared. There was the momentary feeling of wheels slipping, then another jolt as they gripped. Something was crushed against the front of the formidable vehicle but didn’t slow it down.    The engine roared again and then as the brakes were applied, a grinding noise filled the cabin. Clanless rose and the heavy metal side doors of the Tomkah dropped open with a clang.
 
Clanless roared as he stepped out, followed by the majority of the humans and krogan. Bruug was the last krogan to leave, as he hauled the missile rig onto his back. After Bruug, the Tomkah doors closed. Then the Tomkah, under its new pilot, began to roll slowly forward. The humans followed behind it, using it as cover.
 
Banes saluted Bruug and the other krogan, “Good luck. Not that you need it.”
 
Bruug flexed his arms as he felt the full weight of the missiles on his back, “Hahah! Let’s go crack some skulls!”

Modifié par Kel Riever, 13 novembre 2013 - 10:17 .

[Redbelle]

As the crowd began to disperse Babylon moved forward, only to be intercepted by two men wearing white Tee-Eff armour. Looking up she found herself reflected in the dark glasses each wore.

“Amy Babylon”. She told them. “I work for Armitage”.

“That's Prime Minister Armitage Ma'am”. One of them said. “And he's being moved to the bunker”.

Babylon made a noise of exasperation and called out. “Wilson”!!!

Armitage, hearing his name, turned with a frown on his face, that dissolved as soon as he saw who it was. Taking a step off the Mako boarding hatch he motioned for the two security men to back off and Babylon wasted no time darting up to Armitage. “Wilson.....”. She began.

Armitage's frown returned. “That's Mr Prime Minister now Amy”. He said gently. “Your the one whose always telling me that appearance’s matter”. His frown abruptly disappeared as he became aware of other's looking in their direction. “Amy.... I'm glad I caught you.....”.

Babylon interrupted. “You've got to stand down”.

A confused look broke through Armitage's smile. “What”?

“It's complicated”. Babylon tried to explain. “Those murder's..... They weren't racially motivated. They were a ploy to spur you into taking action. It's the STG”. She went on. “They have a plan..... They want you and Terra Firma in power. Their positioning humanity in case we win the war against Reaper's. They want.....”.

Armitage's face was becoming stonier the more Babylon spoke. “Amy”..... He interrupted. “Those murder's had the words, human scum written on them and hung from a ceiling! What could be more racially motivated than that”?

“Padre figured it out”. Babylon told him, stumbling over her words. “He investigated and found out what it was towards. The STG want you in power. They want your policy's in place. They want humanity to be either be an isolationist power or something they can incite against ourselves! Don't you see? It's like what they did to the Krogan! Only instead of biological warfare, it'll be political warfare! The Salarian's want too....”!

“Amy”! Armitage said her name sharply, bringing her to a halt. “Amy.....”. He continued, more gently. “You've been working hard. I know. I appreciate all you've done for me up until now. But let's slow down. Rewind and see what's really happening to you. You left us in the bunker and faced the rigours of a war you were not prepared for. You were hunted by a Banshee and escaped death. You had to marry a Volus of all things.....”. He said, his face twisting a bit in an expression that was half amusement, half revulsion. “......And lately it's come to my attention that you've been moonlighting between your job as my campaign co-ordinator, a news reporter”? He said incredulously. “And supposedly an Alliance solider”? He shook his head. “Amy..... Amy..... Your jobs a hard one. I know.... I've seen people come and go in your line of work. The pressure gets to them. So I'll tell you what...... jump in the Mako. We'll head to the bunker. We'll wait out the war and when it's over...... How about a long vacation? A chance to let go of all that stress. Your clearly not thinking straight”.

Babylon shook her head and reached to pluck up the bag on her waist. “Don't take it from me. Padre can tell you himself”.

“Where is he”?

“Dead”.

Armitage blinked. “But then how.....”?

“Talk to the head”. Babylon said as she started pulling open the bag. Only to find Armitage's hands come down on hers. She looked up to see his face overcome with a worried look.

“Amy..... please tell me..... That's not a man's head in there”.

Babylon narrowed her eye's at the simpering idiot “Of course not! It's a LOKI called Bobby”!

By now the two security service men had approached and Babylon could feel their presence behind her. “Is there a problem Mr Prime Minister”? One of them asked.

Modifié par Redbelle, 13 novembre 2013 - 12:08 .

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

On The Citadel LXVII

There was a break in the action. Jack and Captain Soniri tried to contact their fleets to no avail since the closed Citadel seemed to make that impossible. It had something to do with the way the Citadel was constructed. Nasyra checked their communicators to see if they got caught in the EMP, but that wasn't the case. The squads gathered in groups nearby and took a short break in the dimly lit elevator lobby.

Prangley was standing watch while Pierce and Watson were talking with one another. Anne Pierce was about 5'6" with brown hair and blue eyes. Her face was oval shaped. She had a let her eyebrows grow natural and had a small beauty mark on her right cheek. She wore her hair with bangs and in a single braid that went to the middle of her shoulders. She was not exactly what one would call beautiful, although she did not come from anywhere close to the ugly branch of the tree.

Tom Watson stood 6' tall with dark ash blond hair he wore short and brushed to the right. He had narrow gray eyes and a fair complexion. He had a scruffy beard that he usually kept in a 3 to 5 day growth. He was very pro-human, and it bothered him that Jack had seemed to cede the leadership to Asari. Asari of all races. 'They're strippers.' He thought. 'That's all they're good for, and they think they're so superior.'

T sat down against the wall. "Erikka. ****. I used to make fun of her all the time and give her **** about playing games on her omni-tool. Damn. Then that b*tch goes and does this? Without hesitation."

"B*tch was a sister." Ranassa sat down with T and grabbed her hand. "It was funny when she tackled you underground though."

"That was some nasty ****." T laughed while tears rolled down her cheeks. "I don't know if I can forgive her for that."

"B*tch, you started it." 'Nassa slapped at her playfully. "I'm gonna miss her. She was quiet, but she always had your back."

Shayrana walked over to the humans who were seated on a bench near the elevator. "I'm sorry about Seanne. I liked her. I wish I could have done more for her so she could have walked better, but I'm not a medic. I was just learning when the war started, and they shipped us out."

"There was a hospital here on the Citadel. We should have gone there first." Watson shot a glare at her. "Now go away!"

Ereba was nearby. "Hey, she's just trying to help. And second, we didn't know where the hell we were."

"I don't care about her, or you. Get away from me, Asari!" Ensign Watson stood up.

Ereba stood her ground and began to flare calmed, but flared again. "Don't even. Look, I know you lost friends. Two on the ground and Seanne. I know you're hurting. I lost friends, too. Nineteen just landing in this city, and one just a few minutes ago. So don't give me any of this bigotry ****, because I could have been back on Thessia defending my own people. My people are here bleeding purple for yours! So shut the **** up!"

Jack and Nasyra ran over and separated them before anything happened.

"What the **** is going on here?" Jack shouted.

"Nothing was going on here, Jack." Shayrana turned and walked off with Nasyra and Ereba.

"Cut your Terra Firma crap, Watson. Save your anger for the Reapers." Jack went over to see Prangley.

Shay was noticing Ereba was on edge and tried to lighten the mood. "What were you going to do next? Head butt him?"

"Well, maybe. You know I probably should have. If Xalrath was here, he probably would have loved it. Worst I would have done is stasis."

Nasyra spoke quietly after they got far enough away. "I'd just leave the humans alone. Prangley and Jack are fine, but those other two just kind of stayed to themselves."

"So what now Sarge?" Shayrana asked.

The sarge pointed at the elevators and at a fire door. "Jack and I think we should keep going down. I don't know if the elevators will keep working. We should check, but I doubt the one to this level does, so it'll probably be a stairwell or maintenance shaft again."

"Do you trust them to watch our backs?" Ereba asked.

"The two? No. To watch their own hides? Yes. Are we necessary for that? Yes. Just don't expect any extraordinary effort out of anyone except Jack and Prangley. I get an idea the young woman is more reliable." The sarge replied. "I think Watson has been trying to impress her, and I think you made a fool of him, Ereba. Don't count on him for anything."

[Redbelle]

As the two service men approached her from behind, Babylon felt her moment of opportunity begin to slip away. The look on Armitage's face told her that he simply could not, or would not believe her. Her! Of all people not to believe.... he wasn't prepared to listen to the woman who had helped manage his campaign through the PR nightmare that was a single pro species party. And in that moment, Babylon knew that she was about to be fired.

She could see the calculation's beginning to form behind his eye's before the frown appeared on his face. She knew that from the the last five minute conversation, he had come to the conclusion that she had become unreliable. She wasn't just off message. She was trying to change the message that Terra Firma had been promoting for years. That Terra Firma could be trusted to lead the human race. Now here she was, telling Armitage that Terra Firma had to let go of power, almost on the heels of them having acquired it through being the last party standing!

But the issue at hand was bigger than anything she had ever imagined.

“Wilson.....”. She tried one last time, speaking calmly. “You and I have been working outside of galactic circles to bring Terra Firma to the fore front of the political scene. And now we have the reins of government, I know you think we've done it. Job done. Now to govern”. Babylon shook her head. “But what I've found...... What an Alliance investigator uncovered..... was that while we were ignoring the galaxy, the galaxy was not ignoring us”.

Babylon leaned forward. “Terra Firma was noticed. Plans were laid out. And now those plans are in motion...... just in case.....”. She let the words hang in the air for a moment. “.....Just in case we win the war against the Reapers. Because I'd do the same thing. If I knew of a way to screw over those who were against Terra Firma, I'd do it! If we all die in this war, then it won't have ever mattered. But if we live,...... If we live, we come out on top. Game theory! The cost of taking action versus inaction”! Babylon saw Armitage cross his arms and stare down at her and she knew she'd lost him. But she couldn't let the issue go. “Dammit Wilson! I have evidence that the Salarians are positioning to take over the galactic council..... To knock the Asari off the top spot! And Terra Firma are what the Salarians will use to keep the humanity aspect down”!

“Did someone say Salarian's”? Came a high pitched voice from behind her.

Armitage's frown was immediately replaced with that easy smile he kept in his arsenal as he looked behind Babylon. “Your majesty”. He said, with just, what Babylon thought she noticed, was a hint of a sneer. To what do I owe the pleasure”?

Babylon turned and saw the Misqueen. Her ridiculous appearance of a woman in a formal suit dress, holding a handbag in the crook of her arm while her wig spilled out from under an ostentatious hat that was part lace, part ribbon. Babylon couldn't remember the Misqueen having it from before.

The Salarian leader of the Misfits approached them, followed by two of her own guards, clad in red tunics. The Misqueen inclined her head slightly. “I only wanted to congratulate you darling”! She declared. “That was a wonderful speech! I've never seen the oath of office spoken in person. Truly darling, I think you inspired more than one person this day! Humans do enjoy their ceremonies do they not? When news spreads from here of a new Alliance leader emerging from the fire's of Earth..... why.....”. The Misqueen said with a slight rise in the corners of her mouth. “I expect it will have quite an influence on the hearts and minds of your people”.

“Thank you”. Armitage said stiffly. “I've already asked our Home-front Information...... Verification Exercise...... network......” He cleared his throat and went on. “…..to broadcast the news......”. Armitage was wincing as he rolled the latest name of Babylon’s news network off his tongue.

The Misqueen likewise, winced. “Darling..... Change the name”.

“It was her idea”. He said nodding towards Babylon, who suddenly came under scrutiny from everyone standing around her.

“See....”? She explained out loud. “This is why we should have given the consumer testers a place in the bunker”.

Armitage let his eye's linger on Babylon for a moment before lifting himself to his full height. “Well..... I think it's time we left and let the military take it from here. Amy..... He said turning to Babylon and fixed her with a frank look. “I expect you'll be told which Mako you'll be assigned to later. I hope I see you again when this is all over”.

Babylon just gave him a dirty look. She could already tell there would be no Mako for her. Armitage was cutting her loose without making it look like he was firing her. It might have fooled those idiots he kept on his staff. But she'd built her career on predicting and anticipating what other's would do in the future. And she knew that she and Armitage were finished.

“You should have talked to the head”. Was all she would say.

Armitage's eye's narrowed slightly as he turned and boarded the Mako, but he paused, and then turned in the hatch. “Your majesty. Under the circumstances I think you would be better off in the bunker. I have room if you want to come with me now”.

Babylon nearly face palmed as she heard the invitation. Knowing it came from his desire to be seen in a good light in relation to aliens..... It was a good tactic, she reflected. The offer was a good one and when reported, would paint Armitage in a good light with those humans who viewed Terra Firma in a bad light. But it made Armitage vulnerable too.....

Sure enough the Misqueen shook her head. “Darling..... I think if we spent enough time in each other's company we would be in danger of doing one another an injury. I intend to stay with my people. No matter what fate falls upon us this day”.

Babylon felt a smile tug at her mouth, and had to school her face to stillness as she looked up at Armitage. You've been served, she thought as his face reflected recognition that his offer had been turned on it's head. His kind offer had been flung back in his face. And the Misqueen's courage in the face of death, in the eye's and ears of all those around, now a certainty. While Armitage, running to the safety of a bunker, could be questioned.

Babylon smirked. Welcome to the grown up table. She wanted to say to him as he disappeared into the Mako. Babylon turned away as Armitage's service men disappeared with him as the hatch was closed. She found herself looking over at the Misqueen as the Salarian gazed back at her.

"I want to talk to you”. Babylon told the Queen.

“Grand Darling....”. The Queen replied. “....Because you and I have much to discuss”.

Modifié par Redbelle, 17 novembre 2013 - 11:10 .

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

On The Citadel LXVIII

The sarge wasn't content with leaving the crap that just happened go. She had to deal with it. She called everyone together. "Everyone, gather around. Ranassa, T, you, too. Everyone." The groans and grumbles were evident. People were tired. Many had been awake now almost 20 hours and were running on fumes. Tempers were short.

"Look, just because we blew up that thing up there doesn't mean this is over. I'm not going to lie to you. We're in Hell. We're in Hell here, people. I know it, and you know it. We're all tired and on edge. We just lost five good people in the last hour." She looked down momentarily. "Seanne Bellarmine. That could have been me up there. Jack is not going to be the one to tell her brother Reilly how she died. I am. Me. Because her brother helped me walk to that hospital at Camp Alpha. That is if we get out of here. I'm saying if, because I'm looking around, and I'm not seeing a commitment yet, and well, we've got a long way to go.

"I'm looking around, and I'm seeing a bunch of young people. You know... when you get older things get taken from you. It's part of life. I'm older than I look. But what I've learned is that we can either choose to stay here, in Hell, or claw our way out one inch at a time. Life is a game of inches. If you're a step too slow or a step too fast you don't make it. But you get back up and you crawl for that inch. You claw with your fingernails for that inch. It all about those six inches in front of your face. That's the difference between living and dying people. In any fight the person who comes out alive is the one who is willing to die for that inch. That's what living is about. 

"As a squad we need to do this as a team. Look at the person next to you, and at the person across from you, and I don't care what they look like, if they're asari, human or what, but I know that deep down, (she looked at Watson) you'll find someone in there who is willing to go that inch with you.  Are you willing to go that inch with them? (Watson looked at her dead in the eyes)

"Well, it's up to you. We can put our differences aside, go those inches with our squadmates, win this damned war, and live to tell about it. Or we can all die as individuals. I can't do it for you. What do you want to do?"

"Let's do this!" Ranassa shouted, and was joined by other.

Watson walked to the sarge and stared at her in the eyes. Ereba came over, and the sarge motioned Ereba away and just stared back and extended her hand. Watson took it. "Alright, Sarge? You want to go that inch with me? Let's do it."

"Let's. Ranassa, T, take point. Everyone in pairs. We'll use the stairwell down. We've got a long way to go." The sarge motioned to the door marked stairs next to the elevators.

Modifié par sH0tgUn jUliA, 19 novembre 2013 - 06:14 .

[Kel Riever]

You’ve got yourself in it good now, Delexia thought to herself. The young Turian Cabal had come to the end of an alleyway, only to find it end in a wall instead of another street. She tried the one door nearby. It was reinforced for security and locked.
 
The sound of ragged breathing dragged Delexia’s attention to where she had run from. Three husks ran towards her from the alley entrance.
 
The Turian leveled her Phaeston and began firing. Delexia put down one husk, but a second was only staggered before her clip was expended. As the two remaining husks got closer, she let the Phaeston hang loose in one hand while she aimed the other and launched two close range volleys of nightshade blades. The venom tipped blades sunk deep into the husks and paralytic venom caused them to collapse. Though the venom would bring about an end to the husks, Delexia didn’t wait. She reloaded and shot to finish them off.
 
Delexia began heading back towards the alley entrance but before she could take more than a few steps, the hulking form of a Brute appeared and blocked the only way out. More than ever, Delexia wished she had learned how to transport herself with biotics through walls like other members of her unit could. She fired the Phaeston again, but the shots barely did any damage to the armored Brute.
 
Desperately, Delexia called out, “Someone, help! “
 
The Brute’s lowered its head and prepared itself to charge. More Phaeston shots landed, but the creature began running towards the turian. Then, for some reason, the Brute pulled up and halted. Delexia reloaded again.   She aimed, but held her fire as the Brute remained docile.
 
What is going on?
 
A palpable feeling coursed through Delexia that she couldn’t place. The sounds of distant combat still could be heard, but it was distinctly dominated by Alliance gunfire now. The Brute had momentarily ceased to be a threat, although it continued to prevent her from leaving. 
 
From behind the Brute, an animal barked. The Brute did not react. There was a second bark, and then the retort of a single round. An armor plate on the Brute was flung off from the impact of the shot, and then the Brute responded. It turned around to face the source of the shot and moved up the alley towards the entrance.
 
Beyond the Brute, Delexia heard a male human voice, “That’s it, ugly. Keep heading this way.”

[Kel Riever]

With a guttural roar, the Brute charged whoever was talking at it. As the lumbering horror breached the alley entrance, a charge exploded beneath it, knocking a hole straight up and through the creature before it was engulfed in fire. The beast collapsed and smoldered. 
 
Delexia asked warily, “Who’s there?”
 
A four-legged animal stepped around the corner of the alley entrance. Delexia recognized it as an Earth dog. It sniffed at her before its master, a man in an irregular suit of armor, came into view behind it. In a gruff voice, he spoke to the animal. “What do you think?”
 
The dog gave a quick woof.
 
“Yeah, I’ve seen smarter. Getting herself all trapped in a dead end with no way out. And quieter too.”
 
Delexia scowled momentarily, and then relaxed her expression at the man and his dog who saved her life. “Thank you,” she said sincerely, “I panicked. My name is Delexia but please, call me Dex.”
 
The man twisted his mouth to the side, “Name’s Rob. You, uh, hurt beyond your feelings?”
 
Shaking her head, Dex answered, “No. I’m fine, aside from the stupid mistakes.”
 
“Good.” Rob straightened up and called to his dog. “Come on, let’s go, boy.” He began to walk off with his companion.
 
“Wait!” Delexia felt like she was being abandoned. “Are you with a unit? I’ve been separated. I need to link up with someone. It’s better if we stick together, isn’t it?”
 
“I’ve been working on my own and it’s turned out all right so far.” Rob studied the turian and settled his shoulders back, “But…if you can keep up, I suppose it won’t hurt. Mind you, saving people isn’t my specialty, so if you plan on getting in trouble like this again, you should head another direction.”
 
Dismay flashed through Delexia, but then she saw the faintest curl of Rob’s lip. “I have no intentions of getting myself stuck again, and if I do, I’ll punch my way out.”
 
Rob motioned his head in the direction he was walking, “Moving out, then.”
 
Delexia stepped over the corpses of the husks and exited the alley. Rob, Dex and the dog set off at a steady pace.
 
For some time, they travelled in silence. Dex was about to break it with a question, but then the dog tilted its head behind. Rob noticed and stopped.
The dog barked twice, just before the roar of a large engine became audible. 
 
“Mako?” Rob asked the dog. It barked once. “Okay.”
 
The engine’s owner, a 6-wheeled Mako, came into view from a side street about a hundred meters away. Rob and Dex watched as it sped down the road past them, then jammed on its brakes. The Mako rolled in reverse to their position again, the top hatch popped open, and the vehicle commander stuck himself half-way out to look at them with wide eyes.
 
“You two…three…better get in,” the commander shouted in exasperation. “This is the last taxi out of the area and you don’t want to know what’s coming!”
 
Dex looked at Rob who simply rolled his eyes and nodded. She called up to the commander, “Open up we’re coming.”
 
The Mako’s side door unlatched so Rob, Dex and the dog could enter. Inside, the Mako was packed with a squad of hardened alliance troops. Rob and Dex squeezed themselves into seats between other warriors and the dog hopped up on Rob’s lap. 
 
The commander buttoned up and buckled himself into his own seat. “Name’s Patterson. I’m not sure where you came from but we’re about to cross the Thames and make a go at the conduit. It’s going to get as hot as it can, but the area we are in now is getting overrun anyway. Sorry to shotgun you into this mess but there isn’t much of a choice anymore. Ready for a bit of hell?”
 
Nervously, Dex affirmed with a simple, “Yes.” 
 
Rob, on the other hand, looked to his companion, who gave a loud woof. Rob said, “You just picked up two of the best demo experts you’ll ever see. At least now you’ve got a chance.”

[Kel Riever]

In a span of time so short as to be incomprehensible to any single sentient being in the galaxy, the Reaper knew it had been severed from that which had controlled it. The Reaper’s conscience, an entire species of beings, debated as to what to do. Although much was considered in the decision, the final answer took only seconds.
 
Continue.
 
There would be issues. Communication had been re-established with the others of its kind. But there was no longer a unifying voice, or signal, that held sway over all. Hierarchy had been established again, but the Reaper could no longer be overruled directly. Assessments had been made. From the time the Reaper had landed, it had encountered unanticipated difficulties. They had resulted in the loss of a critical processor, and culminated in a combined strike from enemy ground forces and a starship that incapacitated the Reaper temporarily.
 
The Reaper has risen again, of course. Those who had struck it had fled. There was the debate of retaliation, but at the time, the Reaper had been overruled. Instead, the Reaper had been instructed to release the Maw; the creature that had been discovered on another world, indoctrinated and assimilated. With the loss of the processor, the Reaper had been ordered to make use of the Maw, to continue the purge. 
 
Now, the loss of unquestioning unity led the Reaper to conclude the threat of the enemies it faced was even greater than before. Mistakes had been made. The enemy who wounded it should have been hunted down immediately. If it had, further losses would not have ensued. This would be corrected without further hesitation.  Retaliation was not a diversion from the plan. It was the highest priority of the plan.
 
There were many directions to pursue now. The Reaper would have to use its many tools to accomplish its goal. Those in space would be dealt with directly. Those on the ground, the largest group, would be sent the Maw. 
 
The Reaper wanted its enemies to know it was coming for them. It bellowed loudly and long. There would be a reckoning!

[Redbelle]

As the Misqueen looked upon her, Babylon saw out of the corner of her eye's her personal guard moving around to encircle them. Surrounded as she was, she was not worried......

Well..... Maybe a little worried.

But the future of her people was at stake. And this........ Malformed....... Depravity........ Of an alien masquerading as a symbol of hope.......

Using the symbol of the monarchy that the country she stood in had clung to...... fending off numerous attempts to do away with symbol that royal blood implied.......

This Salarian...... Who had made a calculated effort to raise an army of Misfit's..... All to rise to power in the war torn streets of London. And use it to stab deep into the future of her race.......

…....

…....

Babylon had only been angry once in her life..... Really.... Really angry! She remembered blood. Her blood. Coursing through her so fast she felt her veins would burst open. Her focus so set on one person that her vision had tunnelled until her whole universe condensed to the desire to strike at that person with all the power she had, and more that her anger promised her. The simple and primal urge to kill someone who suddenly stood in the path she wanted, her life......

No......

…...All human life, to take, she knew as she stared into the Salarian woman’s eye's.

Oh yes, she knew anger on the day her father had told her she couldn't have a pony. And on that day, she'd understood that there were people who asked for ponies..... and those who grasped reality and twisted it so that the pony would become a reality instead of a pipe dream that would never come to be.

Staring at the Misqueen, she knew this was a woman who knew how to twist the realities of those around her. Padre had perhaps glimpsed a small part of her overall scheme during his investigation. When he had discovered that the Misqueen had ordered the deaths of her own people. All so she could feign ignorance and shock, while whispering all the right words into Armitages and Radcliffe's ears...... all behind the scenes so that when Armitage was sworn in as prime minister, they would swear to their dying breaths that the drive and ambition had been theirs, and theirs alone.

As the circle of guardsmen closed around them, she looked the Misqueen square in her huge eyes and asked. “Why kill Padre and leave him? You had to know he'd be missed. That there was a chance he'd be found”!

“Yes, darling”.

Babylon waited. Then when nothing was forthcoming she prompted. “That's it”?

The Misqueen stepped forward and past her, looking towards where troops were beginning to move towards the gates with Mako's running along behind them. She tilted to look back at Babylon. “I hardly need to ask you this dear. But do you know the secret to power and influence? It's not about the number of backers behind you......”. She went on, without waiting for an answer. “It's not about making those who also want power to submit to your will. That is impossible”. The Misqueen finally turned fully to face Babylon, and smiled an unpleasant smile.

“The secret, is to be unseen. And let event's dictate the course of action of those around you. And if you are unseen, then those of us who are invisible can shape the course of event's to influence those in power. I knew Armitage wanted power. Poor man. He could have taken it on his own of course. He didn't need the unfortunate deaths of that poor happy couple”. She sighed. “He must have been overwhelmed by this war. Or else he has been working for so long to achieve an impossible dream that his vision has become...... short-sighted, shall we say”?

“Why kill Padre”?

The Misqueen looked at her blankly. “Who”?

“The man in the hat”!

“Ah yes, him. I did not have him killed. He simply came to me looking for one of my guards. It seems one of my redcoats has suffered a mental break. Used a variety of means to acquire an exoskeleton and has been killing one or two people. We left your Padre in good health. Of course, I explained to him how we intended to use event's to serve the needs of the Salarian Union. Your Padre threatened to expose my intentions. And well...... as I was saying. When the secret to true power is when.... and how..... events unfold. Well, letting someone dictate events can lead to some..... unfortunate results”.

“So you killed him.....”.

“..... He died, darling.” The Misqueen's voice held a dangerous edge. “I could not tell you how he came to die as I had left while he was still alive. I do however suspect one of my guards had a hand in the deed. That guard has since gone missing during one of the troop marches”.

“Convenient”.

“He will not escape justice of course”. The queen said. “We shall capture him once the wars over. Though there is no telling how much damage he could do in the meantime. You see, our Omni tools are STG in manufacture. They monitor our vital signs. And my unfortunate guardsman seems to have ingested a vast quantity of...... well. Let us just say that he is out of his mind right now. Perhaps forever? When the war is over we will catch him, as I said. Give the poor boy the help he needs”. The Misqueen smiled.

Babylon just stared at her in incomprehension. “Why are you doing all this”?

The Misqueen's face became a mask. “Have you wondered why the galaxy is the way it is right now? The Asari keeping their secrets from us all. The Turians posturing at anyone or anything? The smaller races all clamouring for a council seat. And then you humans...... Being given so much in so little time. What could have been if you all had just sat down and listened to your intellectual superiors! If the Salarians had been given the information on the Protheans, the Reapers, the collectors, all of it! If we had been given due consideration in unearthing the secret history of this galaxy. We would not be in this mess that you other races have driven us into”.

“The Dalatrass waved off the Reapers as a myth”! Babylon said incredulously.

“In public. And maybe she continued to think that.... right up till they invaded. But some of us took the warnings seriously. Our research into pushing the technology of war and the countermeasures we could have employed has made breakthroughs that yours has not in half the time...... That Thanix cannon? A child’s toy! Our designs could have wiped out this threat if we had but been given the time to finish our prototypes and start manufacture. But no. While we had the intelligence to plan for war, the means to create these weapons was denied to us because the humans failed to convince the council that the Reapers were a reality and not a myth”!

“No Ms Babylon. The blame for all this lies at your feet and every other council species who would not listen to us from behind the scenes...... And just to add insult to injury. It's become known that the Reapers have decided my people are genetically inferior to your own? It seems the Reapers do not understand that through intellect, all obstacles can be overcome. The Reapers think we are weak and short lived? Well, once the war is over with, I suspect you will be seeing a new breed of Salarian. And with the work done here on Earth to place a lame duck prime minister in the seat of power, who will inflict, perhaps everlasting damage on the inroads to some idea of galactic unity for all species, The Salarian union will be in the perfect position to replace the Asari as the council elders. After all. When information is shared so that none may benefit from secret intelligence. It is the Salarians who will always come out on top while the rest of you squabble and bicker like the child races you are”.

“Your crazy”.

“It's for your own good. The Salarians can keep galactic event's like Reapers from ever happening again. We simply need the reigns of power. And I believe we can have them when the war is won. If we don't win? Well..... whatever I do hardly matters then, does it. So why the long face darling”? Before Babylon could respond a call came from the where a Mako lay waiting and the Misqueen chuckled. “Fabulous! We have transport”!

Babylon moved to cut her off as the Misqueen strode away, only to find herself suddenly surrounded by her guard who hemmed her in with hands on their weapons. She looked over their shoulders. “So what happens now! Padre's killer goes free while you run off to get ready for what ever happens next”?

The Misqueen came to a stop and slowly turned. “No darling”. She said. “Now, I'm going to take this Mako to the front lines. Get out of this ridiculous outfit and go back to being Colonel Kreegen. Retired STG. Now, I'm going to do my level best to win this war. And afterwards..... well. Things are going to change for the better in this galaxy. I assure you. With everything I've heard from the front lines of Reaper forces amalgamating species into one form..... Well, Salarians have the most advanced gene therapy techniques in the galaxy. I think after the war a little bit of tinkering to iron out those Reaper perceived flaws might not go awry”. She grinned. “You think the Salarian Union is a force to be reckoned with when our best and brightest have only a forty year life span? Imagine the scope of our influence when we push that back. Sixty years. Eighty! One hundred”!

“And as for the man who killed this Padre of yours....”. She went on. “If you find him before we do..... I won't question any action you feel you have to take in capturing him. Or the consequences your efforts entail”.

“You..... Want me..... to clean up after you”?

The Misqueen shrugged. “It's your choice darling. But as near as we can tell. He appeared to have left around the time those Ensfield Rifles departed. Perhaps your Padre told him of someone he had worked with in his investigation”?

Steiner!

Babylon’s eye's went wide as she heard a call and beyond where the Misqueen stood, she saw half the Alliance forces begin moving out. Shaking her head she stepped up to the guards who encircled her, and at a gesture from the queen, they parted. She approached her till they stood toe to toe.

“From one professional to another your majesty. I'm impressed. But I have a recording that Padre left behind. I can stop you”.

“Silly child. Had that recording come to light before Willy Armitage was sworn in, it might have been enough to stop the wheels being set into motion..... Now though? It'll be a scandal. His ceremony was captured and has already been beamed across every channel available. So by all means child. Let people hear your recording of a dead man spinning conspiracy stories. It will simply serve to aid my efforts. Though from one professional to another...... Maybe air it after the war. Yes? We do have to win after all, before we turn our attention to other matters”.

Babylon fixed her with a glare. “Your plan still won't work”.

“Really darling? Why is that”?

“You lack vision..... and you don't believe”.

The Misqueen cocked her head. “Belief”?

“If you were serious about the possibility of the Reaper threat. You'd have found a way to push your ideas into the public light. Built your weapons to defend your home world at the least. There's only been one man..... one human who ever took the threat of the Reapers seriously..... And I bet you never approached him to share your concerns.... did you”?

“Putting aside his early years..... his death, his incorporation into a terrorist organisation and his incarceration, all these make him a very undesirable human to be seen getting close to”.

Babylon smiled. “And that's why you'll fail making the Union the seat of galactic power. Your not interested in the galaxy. Your interested in yourself”.

“So is your prime minister darling. And he's ascended his throne as I will mine”.

“You don't get it. There is no throne. No seat of power. There's nothing except the people who will go to any lengths to do what must be done. And right now..... I have to stop you from screwing over my people...... And I will. Whatever it takes”.

“Your own Prime minister has rejected you. You are but one human among many. And your just not as smart as a Salarian on their worst day. I am not impressed by your bluster Ms Babylon”.

“We'll see”. Babylon stepped around her and walked away towards the group that was rolling out. Off to the side she saw a group of men who looked to be locking the tops of weapons crates down when she jogged up to them. “I need a rifle”.

One of the men looked up and frowned. “Roll out’s started. Your late”.

“So give me a rifle already! Times wasting”!

Huffing the man bent down and undid the catches on the crate he'd just dogged closed.

Babylon looked over to the gate and saw that of the half of troops who were leaving, nearly all of them were through the gates. The man looked up and followed her line of sight.

“You'd be better off taking the second rollout. Their staggering the lines in case one gets hit. The other can move in and cover. They'll both form into one when they get far enough out”.

Babylon shook her head. “I can't wait. I need to catch out to the Ensfield group”.

The man reached into the crate and drew out a M-96 Mattock. “Terra Firma right? Here's a gun you ought to get along with. As Babylon took it, the man reached in again and withdrew an M-22 Eviscerator. “Normally I'd be court marshalled for handing something like this over to a civilian..... but it's all I got left”.

Babylon looked at the two piece's of hardware and hmpfed. “Funny. I came into Bastion with guns like this”.

The man raised an eyebrow. Then nodded to the gate. “Better run. They'll be closing the gate soon”.

Babylon nodded and ran. As she did she saw the Misqueen boarding her Mako. Perhaps never to be seen again she shed her identity to take back her real one. She turned and looked at the gates and saw squads of mixed Alliance and Misfit forces, mingled with Loki mech's that seemed to make up the front ranks of the column. While on either side, Mako's screened the flanks of those who advanced out of Bastion's relative safety and back into the war torn city.

Babylon managed to clear the gates before they closed and ran up to join the back row. She had to find a way of moving forward faster to catch up with the Ensfield's and Steiner. If the Misqueen could be believed, then a crazy, drugged out of his mind Salarian with a strength enhancing exoskeleton was stalking the street's looking for Klaus.

It was funny the way things went in politics, she thought

Modifié par Redbelle, 25 novembre 2013 - 08:28 .

[Redbelle]

Wyld gritted her teeth as she reached up in the dark of the elevator shaft. Her low light vision provided by the Kestrel barely illuminating the shaft walls. Her feet were working well as her Prosthetics allowed the soles of each foot to stick to their surface like glue before pulling away.

Finally though..... she stopped and moved an arm to wipe away the sweat that was beginning to build, only to bump her arm against her helmet.....

"Huh......Feels like I've been climbing this shaft for weeks"! She grouched.

Modifié par Redbelle, 25 novembre 2013 - 10:03 .

[Kel Riever]

Elaine crouched low inside a building ruin, peering out into the London street through the corner of a crack in a wall. She had gone ahead to scout again, after the perimeter on the far side of the Bridge had been secured. Her squad was behind, and had linked up with another that was supported by a Tomkah. The two units moved forward, trying to find the best way to the beam. But Elaine had ordered them to stop when she had seen what was currently in front of her.
 
Private Laurent’s voice came through on the com, “Lieutenant, maybe we should take a different approach.”
 
“I said, ‘Hold position,’ and I meant it. This isn’t going to be different on another approach.”
 
“Pardon my gumption at the possibly end to the galaxy,” Private Laurent challenged, “But what is happening up there?”
 
With submachine gun ready, Elaine crawled toward the edge of a window, who’s glass had long been gone, to get a better view of the Reaper forces that filled the avenue no more than fifty meters away. Counting more than two score of Brutes, she had never seen so many in one place. And yet they ambled about purposely. No Reaper in the war up to this point ambled about without purpose. They had a purpose as long as anything was left alive.
 
“Get the other squad leader on with us, Laurent,” Elaine ordered. “What was his name, Banes?”
 
“Yes,” Laurent answered. He was silent briefly before speaking again, “Corporal Banes is now on with us.”
 
Elaine resisted the urge to leap out the window and simply charge the Brutes. So much anger had built up in her from the Reapers that had destroyed her family. But she held her anger in check because she was bent on making sure what was about to happen was a slaughter instigated against the Reapers, for once. She forced herself to be calm as she spoke to Banes and Laurent, “Listen, I have no idea why, but I’ve come across a massive pack of Brutes and they seem to have no idea we are here. We’re going to rip every last one of them to shreds. They are certainly between us and the conduit, so roll up until you have a visual and get them in your sights.”
 
“Ma’am,” Banes reminded Elaine, “Our squad is to protect the Urdnot krogan with the Thanax missiles and we’ve been doing that by working with you and screening their flank.”
 
“Yes, Banes, I am aware,” Elaine snapped back. “Look at your map readout. The krogan are going to end up moving through on the other side of these Brutes. Do you want them in the Brutes’ charge lane when they hit the right intersection?”
 
“I do not, ma’am. Rolling up.”
 
Banes and Laurent were quiet again until it became clear that they spotted the Brutes. Banes exclaimed, “What in the name?....”
 
“It’s like they don’t know what to do,” Laurent cut in.
 
“Everyone pick their targets,” Elaine commanded. For a few more seconds, she watched the haphazardly wandering Brutes. “Are you ready?”
 
“Affirmative,” Banes said.
 
“We are,” Laurent confirmed.
 
A Brute turned to Elaine, seeming to stare straight at her with dead, unintelligent eyes. She looked back at the beast, and let her anger build. A blue, biotic glow began emitting from her form.
 
“Fire!”
 
The Tomkah cannon was the first volley to release, and with a crack, it obliterated the foremost Brute. Small arms impacted the Brutes, putting thousands of holes in their thick hides in an instant. Dust and blood formed a fine mist around the creatures and they started to react, heading towards their assailants. But as they marched, they fell, one by one, to the storm of slugs shooting into them.
 
Banes shouted into the com, “Lieutenant! The Tomkah has imaging picking up Cannibals moving to support from beyond the Brutes!”
 
“How many?” Elaine asked.
 
“Thousands!”
 
The memories of Elaine’s husband and child appeared in her mind. She was wrenched by sorrow and then smiled at the thoughts of them. It’s all I can do for you now, Elaine told the images of them in her mind, before she teleported through the wall and charged at the Reapers. 

[Kel Riever]

(Note: the following was a collaboration with Khambilo)

“All right, let’s get up there,” Rea said to Rothan as she quickly went though a checklist displayed on her heads-up display. She then asked over her shoulder, “How is it looking?”

Rothan examined his own visor display, “Everything is green.” He instinctively pat Rea on the shoulder.

Rea smiled at the sign of affection. She contacted Commander Jahangir through her com unit, “Tempest One. We are ready.”

Farzam replied, “Good. Tempest Two and Four, report.”

“Tempest Four, ready to go.”

Rhys answered next, “Tempest Two, ready. Let’s go booming, tigers.”

“We’ve got a hell of a job,” Farzam came back, “And I wouldn’t want anyone else on my wings. Don’t get pulled away by loose bogeys unless you clear it with me. Rothan and Rea, your operating zone information has been entered. You are up in thirty after Tempest’s launch.”

“Affirmative,” Rea replied.

The whine of the Mantis Gunship engines filled the streets and Tempest squadron lifted off, approximately twenty meters from the jet bike. Rea and Rothan watched them as they rose, like birds of prey, heading towards the south. Though it was only a matter of seconds, Rea and Rothan could count their heartbeats as they waited in anticipation.

Finally, Farzam broke the moment, “Rea, you are a go.”

Instrumentation readouts flittered with a life of their own as the Starscreamer began its ascent. Once again, the music of the engine crescendoed. Rea took the jet bike up, slowly at first, and then accelerated. An array of battlefield information cycled past the eyes of Rothan and Rea. Leveling off, Rea hit the throttle. The bike rocketed in the direction of the river.

For the first few seconds as the air rushed past them, Rothan smiled uncontrollably. It was exhilarating and entirely reminiscent of his first ride on the Starscreamer with Rea. At their speed, it wasn’t long before they reached the Thames and shot low across its surface. Within seconds they were on the other side, and the thrilling moment quickly faded as they maneuvered into their first trouble.

“You see that?” Rothan asked, pointing forward.

The red light of Cannibal gunfire reflected off ruined buildings with such intensity that Roth and shuddered to guess their number.

Rea glanced at her display, attempting to see what the VI could come up with. Her silence was the first clue to Rothan about their odds.

“That bad?”

“That bad,” Rea confirmed.

Miranda’s voice filled Rothan’s helmet. “Begin diversion maneuvers.”

“Copy that,” Rothan said. Before he could reiterate the order to Rea, she had cranked the throttle, hurtling the Starscreamer in the direction of the Cannibals.

“Head on,” Rothan cried. “You can’t be serious!”

“At least we’ll have the element of surprise,” Rea yelled. “Coming in hot!”

Rothan quickly amassed his concentration, throwing a biotic barrier around the nose of the Starscreamer.

Red and blue explosions cluttered the view. Even without know where to shoot, Rothan jockeyed the gun mount forward and fired. A stream of projectiles was hurled from the barrel of the machine gun mounted on the jet bike and carved a line through the Cannibals below. The hail of gunfire responding was beyond comprehension in volume, but the speed of the bike nullified the vast majority of its threat. Both Rothan’s biotic barrier and the hard light shields were strained with the still significant salvo that hit, but they held. As Rea darted past the Cannibals, Rothan dropped a shockwave into their midst, impacting them like a series of cluster bombs, causing even more devastation. With a flick of the controls, Rea whipped the Starscreamer around a building corner and out of the enemy’s line of fire.

“I might recommend you for a psych evaluation after this,” Rothan pretended to chide.

“Well, it certainly got their attention,” Rea said, breathing heavily from her adrenaline rush. “We’re not going to try that again, if that has you worried.”

“No…,” Rothan said, then paused. He felt a chill as he watched thin, blue colored targeting lasers track the jet bike. The Starscreamer’s VI set off a blaring alert in his ear. Rothan shouted, “Ravagers! Break now!”

Within seconds, the Ravagers began firing, their salvos exploding too close for comfort. Rea swung the Starscreamer into a series of hairpin turns. The intensity of each turn caused Rothan to grit his teeth. A split second later, he composed himself and leveled the controls of his gun towards one of the Ravages and fired relentlessly.

He watched without flinching as swarmers and noxious green slime pour forth from the gaping orange sac. A moment later, the Ravager had fallen, but that did not stop the next Ravager from picking up the slack, tracking its blue targeting beams towards the Starscreamer.

"Rea!" Rothan yelled.

But it was too late. Despite Rea's attempts to dodge the incoming fire, the Ravager hit the Starscreamer on its broadside, sending Rea and Rothan into a lurching roll. Rothan's white-knuckled grip on the controls tightened once again as the Starscreamer hurtled violently. Unsure of what was up or down anymore, Rothan squeezed his eyes shut.

The intensity of the air rushing past Rothan slowed and when he at last opened his eyes he saw that Rea had somehow managed to level out the bike. Rothan let himself breathe for the first time in what seemed like ages.

"Holy....s**t." He huffed.

Rea seemed unfazed as she arced the bike around once more. "Still in one piece back there?"

"I am," Rothan said. "As for the side omni-shielding..."

Rothan sighed as he looked to the blinking panels where the Ravager had struck.

"They won't take another hit like that."

Rea glanced back, "I’ll compensate.” Her tone then became steeled as she focused forward again, “Just keep giving me that second pair of eyes you have.”

Modifié par Kel Riever, 27 novembre 2013 - 07:52 .

[Kel Riever]

Riptide walked with her new companions, the members of Terra Firma. They had taken her in as if she had been an old friend. Moreover, they had fitted her in one of their new suits of white armor, handed her an Avenger assault rifle, a combat knife, and a packet of gear. They laughed when she couldn’t stop thanking them, explaining that there was no point to holding back at the galaxy’s end.
 
Two of the members Riptide had first met were at her side now. One was a stocky, barrel-chested man named Joshua, who also happened to be Riptide’s direct commander. He checked in on her, “How are you holding up?”
 
Born and raised on the streets, Riptide couldn’t set aside the tough image she was always trying to project, even though she appreciated Joshua’s inquiry. “Fair enough. They say I should be hiding in a bunker.”
 
Marco, the other companion, was lanky and prone to hysterical laughter when he was nervous enough, commented, “No one will tell if you don’t. Keep your helm on. Besides, nobody will care when the shooting starts and you are saving lives with the rest of us. Even alien lives. Though we’ll see if they appreciate it.”
 
“Oh come on, Marco,” Joshua scolded, “You heard Steiner. We all want to win together, even the aliens, so we can all go home. Why get bent out of shape when the first thing they’ll do when this is over is go back to their worlds so they can rebuild them?”
 
Marco became snide. “I wish they’d all go.”
 
One of the Turians nearby turned his head, and Joshua sternly warned Marco, “Enough! Let’s focus on the job at hand. And keeping our newest member secure when all hell breaks loose. Take a gander at Steiner, up there. We’re going to win this; you can tell!”
 
Riptide glanced ahead about ten meters to where Steiner walked alongside his men, the Ensfield Rifles. They were the role models of professionalism, at the front of the unit, placing the first footfalls onto London Bridge. The bridge’s unique towers made the scene picturesque. Riptide felt her confidence increase, even though on the opposite side of the Thames, gunfire flashes and sounds heralded the fighting. Just behind the Ensfield Rifles, two of the Geth Primes strode impressively, helping to build the scene, but Riptide decided it was best to keep that thought to herself. “Steiner looks like a great leader.”
 
“That he is,” Marco agreed, “Even if he’s got a soft spot for the aliens.”
 
Overhead, eezo engines wailed as the three A-61 Mantis gunships Riptide saw at Camp Bastion passed. Their guns blazed when they did, striking positions on the opposite shore. The experience was frightening and thrilling at the same time. Nothing Riptide had ever seen was like this; every military action she witnessed since the invasion was a retreat or a desperate attack. Steiner shouted something loudly and then he began to double time march with the Ensfield Rifles. Units behind followed suit and soon, Riptide found herself picking up the pace. She saw Joshua examine his omni-tool.
 
Riptide asked, “What’s going on?”
 
Joshua’s expression wasn’t visible through his helm, but his voice was worried, “We’re getting across as fast as possible. It looks like the Reapers on the other side are pushing to get us trapped on the bridge.”
 
Marco panicked, “We’ll be sitting ducks if they do!”
 
“That’s the point, I think,” Joshua stated. “Keep it together, like we drilled!”
 
Riptide felt her stomach become queasy. The new suit of armor didn’t seem to protect her from that.

[Redbelle]

Zia waited on one of the first floor walkways going over the plan in her head.

Wyld was in the elevator shafts climbing up in the dark. With the buildings power out she had no choice. She would reach the top and then hide somewhere.

That was when Zia would call out her sister, Lucy.

The plan got sketchy form that point on. But the general idea was that Lucy had to think Zia was alone and come down after her. While that happened, Wyld would locate Naomi and get her out of harms way. That left her and Lucy.

…....Lucy.

Aside from herself, the only surviving daughter of Aria, and Sister of Fury.

Zia had never contemplated life the galaxy without those two being in it. While she had yearned to get away from Omega and Aria, she had never once desired to actively escape her fellow sisters. The only ones who knew what life growing up had been for them......

Only now it seemed her leaving Omega had created a division between herself and them. Though now she had a moment to herself, she was beginning to question that idea.

Disdain, or Dizzy as Wyld had quickly dubbed her. Typical Jan, she thought as she remembered Wyld telling her that Disdain sounded ugly and that she should focus on what was good about her. Dizzy had always been the one who relished causing hurt and suffering. Not much good to remember there. While Lucy had always been..... scatter brained. Not quite together. Zia could not remember a time when Lucy had ever held a vendetta against anyone. Out of all three of them Lucy was the one who had always been the most docile, lost in her own red sand induced world. Only showing her talents as a biotic when directed to, or in defence of herself or her sisters. Seeing Lucy as an avatar of Disdains idea of retribution didn't make sense to her.

Zia looked up to the floors above. She hoped she could talk to Lucy like they used to. She could be the most unpredictable person in the galaxy when she got really got hopped up on sand. But she had never tried to hurt her sisters when she was high. Unlike Dizzy, Lucy always knew who her friends were.

Zia just hoped Lucy still counted her among them. Or that the sand hadn't driven her from Lucy memory.

No more dead sisters Zee. Jan had promised her.

Zia shook her head and took a moment to look over her surroundings. Store fronts lay open and abandoned on this floor. Exactly like the one's on ground level were they had entered. The railings were a polished metal and glinted under what little light there was in the building with hardened glass beneath, serving as a barrier to stop people from falling to the ground. Nowhere to hide in cover. Unless you counted the containers that were filled with dead plants dotted around the floors.

Something that was picking at the back of Zia's mind demanded attention and she suddenly found herself seizing a thought that had been with her for some time now.

Why was she in love with Wyld?

Zia sighed. The question was out of place under the circumstances where she might find herself engaged in conflict soon. But now she had asked herself that question, she couldn't let it go. Why was she feeling what she felt when Wyld came into her thoughts?

Growing up on Omega it wasn't as if she hadn't been educated early in her life on the pleasures that a person could bring to another. Growing up under Aria had seen to that. And then the other's who had been simple flings, but ultimately lacked the passion that Aria evoked in her when she pinned her down and showed her things her wildest imagination could not have conjured up.

And then amid all that, a medic with a big mouth and a handicap had emerged from nowhere...... ignored her at first, fixated second, And then engaged her in what Zia would only describe as the least fulfilling sexual encounter she had ever had the first time.

The second had been better though......

And that third time.......

Hmmmmmm.........

Wyld on the other hand had loved every moment of every time they'd been together. Her lack of experience had been evident, but her sincerity.......

….........

…....Sincerity? When had sincerity become part of the package?

Come to think of it, Zia could not remember a time in her past when anyone had been sincere in any of her relationships. Everyone had wanted something from her. The same way she had wanted something from them. Thinking back, every encounter she had before arriving on Earth had been based on mutual understanding of desire. Aria had been different though.

With Aria it was about asserting her dominance when it had been just them alone. They had played a game, and Zia understood the rules to that game, all to well.

To the casual onlooker, Aria dominated. She gave everything she had to please Zia while denying Zia the opportunity to do the same unless she allowed it. It was not however, because Aria was a controlling personality type....... Well, not entirely....... The real reason was that Aria wanted to show Zia, on every level that if she ever left her, she would never again reach the heights of gratification that Aria could take her too. To instil in her the sense that no one could come close to what Aria could offer her. Aria had never sort to crush her spirit or bind her to her will. Only to give her multiple opportunity to reach the conclusion that if she left, she would be leaving behind something she would never find again.

And in truth, she never had. And the lust for the memory of what Aria could do to her and pushed her towards finding someone who could, if not reach the heights of Aria's expert manipulations, then at the very least, come close to it. And every time she had, during the time she had wandered the galaxy after Omega, to joining the Alliance fury program she'd been disappointed. Aria had screwed her in that respect. And while Aria had shown her the best of times....... There had been something important missing. Something that coloured how she came to view Omega and the way it's people lived.

So she'd left. Travelled. And found her way now to Earth.

Coming to Earth though..... finding Jan? A noob who had gone her whole life leading a loveless existence and discovering a well of passion inside of her....... And a lifetime of frustration's that now she had been released from that state, wanted out.....

Zia craned her neck around to do a sweep of her surroundings again. She had to focus. Wait for Jan's signal.

…....

…....

Jan had issues........ that she saw and wanted to help her work through, she suddenly thought. She'd picked up on a few of them. Foremost was Wyld's seemingly massive inferiority complex regarding the intimacy of their relationship. It seemed like Jan was always looking for a way to get an, 'I love you', out of her. Just to check if that was still the case. As if Zia could suddenly switch it on and off and Wyld was checking which way the switch was flipped. Jan was slowly coming around to being comfortable with someone loving her, Zia felt. But a lifetime of self recrimination and what Zia saw as self loathing had inflicted a wound across her psyche. Something she apparently got through by being selfless and focused on doing good for other's. Regardless of the cost to herself.

Offering to have an affair while Zia was seeing Naomi had, ironically, been the most selfish thing Wyld had done since she'd known her. And it had resulted, perhaps not directly, in Naomi being kidnapped. Enter Wyld's inferiority complex. Stage right. Begin trying to make it better so she can feel good about herself.

Zia suspected where it had come from. On more than one occasion Jan had dropped her mother's name in conversation and not to fondly. Growing up with her sisters, her biotic's teacher and then Aria, Zia knew that how one was brought up could directly affect how they saw themselves. Perhaps Jan's mother had unknowingly raised her with an overdeveloped sense of guilt?

It didn't matter. Wyld was hers. They had both come from so different backgrounds and were two so very different people. But Zia saw things in Wyld that she saw in herself. Wyld was dedicated and funny and focused on what had to be done. Attaching herself to Jan allowed Zia to experience direction in her life. She found herself sharing Wyld's goals. And Wyld was empathic enough to bridge their desires so that their goals were one and the same.

Her love life was getting complicated and she was over thinking things, Zia decided with a smile. Maybe Wyld was rubbing off on her.

Her Omni tool buzzed. That was the signal. She opened her mouth. Took a deep breath ready to call out her challenge above when a sound from below made her stop and crouch down.

Oh ****, she thought as she looked down to the ground floor. Not now!

Modifié par Redbelle, 28 novembre 2013 - 08:00 .

[Redbelle]

“Do you feel it”? Lucy asked as she took back the empty vial of red sand. “Do you see the things I see now? I want you to see the three”!

Naomi shook her head from side to side, she jerked her head back breathing through her mouth, then threw it forward and down as she blew air out of her nostrils. It was already to late though. Without warning Lucy had produced a red vial, jammed it up to one of her nostrils while her other hand had jerked her head back. Her intake of breath had been purely involuntary. Now, after the damage had been done, Lucy was moving back and away from her as the outer edge of her vision began to turn red.

“See the world through my eye's”. Came Lucy's voice as Naomi tried to blink back the redness. “You'll hear voices soon. They come from underneath. They tell us to do things. We have to ignore them and focus on the future..... or maybe they are future's.....”. She corrected. “There are always three. A Butcher. A Baker. A Candlestick Maker. Sometimes the Butcher kills the Baker. Or the Baker kills the Butcher. But the Candlestick maker finds a candle and makes another. Only I don't know what will appear after you melt.. Maybe you'll be a Baker. Or a Butcher. It could all go out of balance but now your burning and I can't stop it. A sister of the three will come back soon. And you'll be ready to take the place of the fallen sister and we'll be three again”.

Lucy reached forward and ran a hand through Naomi's hair. Naomi saw as she blinked rapidly and felt the sensation of Lucy's hand on the back of her scalp. She felt she was looking through eye's that were not her own as she sense the ground start to wobble. Or maybe it was the walls. Things were not staying in place!

“I see why Zia tried to love you. She can't love anyone after Aria was done with her. No one can out do the mother of the sisters. But Mother played favourites. Mother was mean and the sister's fragmented. Zia was first. Disdain was second which means I was third. I'm always last. Picking at what is leftover from the others. But I always knew what was to come first. It's my secret that I kept from the others. Your the first I've told my secret too. But it's only possible firsts. The first time can take any shape. We shape ourselves as surely as a wax candle can be shaped into any form. But a candle's shape is meaningless. It burns. The fire shines light but it burns everyone who gets to close as the wax melts”.

Naomi managed to move her lips even as her vision descended totally into red. “What's....... happening”?

Lucy drew her face close to Naomi and for a moment, Naomi thought that Lucy was about to kiss her.

Lucy titled her head and moved her mouth to Naomi's ear. “I'm being a bad sister. If Disdain finds out I'm doing this she'll keep hurting me. But she hurts me all the time. So it' doesn't matter. The sand makes everything easier. It's the key. I understand. All that power. No way to bring it out. Use the sand. Let it unlock what you could never grasp for yourself. Become like me”. Lucy crawled till she was hovering over Naomi. Then reaching around, grasped the back of her neck, pulling her up. Which in Naomi's current state, made her feel as if the ground had just given way, as Lucy pulled her face to chest. She wrapped her arms around her head and whispered. “Oh please be another me. I don't want another butcher. The butcher cuts and hurts. I don't want to be alone. Please little girl. Do so please burn to be me”.

As Lucy spoke Naomi could feel pinpricks beginning to make themselves known throughout her body. Little spikes of what felt like fire.

“It'll be bad”. Lucy told her. “You are so strong. The stronger you are, the more it hurts. I haven't dusted since you arrived. I want to remember this”.

The pinpricks of heat inside of her were growing. Naomi was surprised at how good it felt.

“It won't stop for awhile. Brace yourself little sister. I'll be her.....”. Suddenly Lucy's Omnitool shrilled a tone. With Lucy's arms were wrapped around Naomi's head, her alarm went off in Naomi's ear and Naomi shrieked even as Lucy dropped her and sprang up, leaving Naomi to fall back down onto the floor.

“She's here”! She cried out and began hopping around the room. “She's here, she's here, she's here”!

As she pranced with a multitude of unsettling giggles amid her cries, she reached for her Omni tool. As she checked it, her look of gleeful anticipation began to fade. “That's not right”.

The light's in the building suddenly came on, startling Naomi and Lucy who whimpered. “This is wrong”. A moment later   the faint sounds of music from the open door of the room that led to the hallway came wafting in . “It's all wrong. Disdain never said this would happen! Why is this happening”!?!?

She fled the room without looking back leaving Naomi tied up on the floor. Rolling herself onto her stomach she managed to struggle to her knee's and she looked around the room. Everything was red. It was all red and getting redder. And hot.

It was so hot! She imagined that feeling this hot she would be soaked with sweat. But her skin felt bone dry. The heat was rising still. Rising and running through her. Beginning to rise into the discomfort zone. It was getting hard to breath. Her breath starting to turn into desperate gasps and Naomi had a sick feeling that the woman Lucy, despite sounding like a crazy person had been right about one thing.

If this kept up, she was going to burn. From the inside out.

Modifié par Redbelle, 04 décembre 2013 - 05:59 .

[Kel Riever]

A Mako raced through the North entrance to Camp Bastion and the gate was closed behind it. On the ground, a marine signaled Corporal Wong, who stood on the gate wall. “That’s it, sir. Sealed.”
 
Wong called back, “Nobody else gets in. Stragglers are to be directed out of the area…if there are any who show up. I’ll be relieved soon, but those instructions stand and come from the top.”
 
The marine gave a thumb up. Bastion was abandoned, mostly, except for the marines left behind as a screening force. Tension was running high, since the few who were left behind knew full well that the Reapers were going to hit the camp. There were a few Kodiak shuttles meant for escape, and the Bastion had been rigged with explosives. Every soldier knew nothing was guaranteed, however, and the minutes that passed only served to increase their agitation.
 
Then the distant sound of ripping earth reached the ears of the guards at the gate. Down the wide and straight street that lead to the encampment, about a kilometer away, the giant, Reaper possessed, Thresher Maw lifted itself out of the ground. 
 
Another marine on the wall shouted, “There it is!” 
 
Sporadic flashes of gunfire could be seen, either from outlying recon forces or other survivors who couldn’t make it to the camp. It was hopeless for them, but Wong used the optics in his helmet to zoom in as best he could to see what was happening. He could make out no survivors directly, but surrounding the base of the Maw and the terrain it had torn up, a mass of shifting forms moved forward like a mob. They were husks, hundreds of them, and they filled every available path alongside the Maw. 
 
Corporal Wong faced the turret gunner on the wall and commanded, “Fire that thing! Aim at where it broke through the street!”
 
“But, sir, what about the people fighting over there?”
 
“That’s an order!” Wong looked the gunner in the eye to convey what they both knew…and that those past the wall were already dead. The gunner locked his head forward, swiveled the turret, and began letting out controlled bursts from the cannons. Snipers placed on the wall added their rounds. 
 
The Thresher Maw roared. But instead of the fearsome, primal roar that Wong had seen on almost every nature wildlife vid since he was a child, this roar hung heavy with a horribly distorted, artificial sound. The Maw turned its gaping mouth toward the gate, leaned back, and then vomited forth a shower of putrid liquid. 
 
Wong yelled, “Run!”
 
The Corporal jumped off the wall and so did one or two others, before the spray of corrosive juices showered the gate. The screams of those who hadn’t moved or couldn’t disentangle themselves filled Wong’s ears. He hit the ground and intense pain shot through one of his legs as he landed badly from the leap off the high gate. Still, as the Wong fell to the ground, his plight was less heart wrenching than the scene unfolding as he looked back to the wall. Everything, living or inanimate, was melting. The cries of the soldiers didn’t last long before their bodies, the turret, the wall and the gate itself became a mass of ruin. 
 
Corporal Wong activated his com, already set for a direct link to the Camp’s Demolition Officer. “Get out! Everybody out and blow the camp!”
 
“You’re in the blast zone, Corporal.”
 
“Do it!”
 
“Affirmative. Peace on your journey.”
 
Wong crawled, but he knew he’d never get away in time. The whine of the Kodiak engines increased and he saw troops from the other gates making a run for the shuttles. The last Mako that came through the doors was at the intersection of the camp, idled, its accelerator cannon steadily firing at the Maw. Wong looked again to the Maw, expecting it to release another corrosive attack. Instead, it arched and slammed down into the pavement, burrowing beneath the surface. 
 
The seconds passed and there were no explosions. Wong called the Demo Officer again on his com, “Why haven’t you started to blow the buildings?” He waited for an answer. “That Thresher Maw is going to come up right in the middle of this base! Blow everything!”
 
There was no response.

Modifié par Kel Riever, 02 décembre 2013 - 11:30 .

[Kel Riever]

 

Modifié par Kel Riever, 02 décembre 2013 - 07:58 .

[Redbelle]

From far away, a lone figure sat on a mechasteed, watched from afar as the horizon, over the shattered buildings illuminated, died, then lit up again and again as weapon fire could be heard. Even from so far away.

The figure grimaced. His mouth visble over the torn blanket that he had thrown around his shoulders and tied off. He reached down to his side. One time out of many, many others. His hand moving past a rapier in a battered scabbard. As he brought his hand back up he saw it was covered with blood.

"Dash it all". The figure cursed, reaching for a medigel applicator. One of many that he carried in a satchel over his shoulder. Reaching for a full one he jammed it into his side and the faint stab of pain receded to a dull ache.

"Ahhhhhh". He sighed. "Well if that isn't the ticket"!

He dropped the applicator into the satchel and reached up to scratch the underside of his nose. His bushy Mustache scraped his finger as he ran the underside over the spot. Feeling as well as he could under the circumstances, reached forward and grabbed the handle bars of his mechasteed.

"Onward and steady girl". He said. "There's war about! And this Brigadier's been to long out of it! Onward"!

He revved the throttle and the legs of the mechastead, a giant, white, horse like contraption that had been found in one of the hotel's nearby parking facilities began to walk forward. Whereby it picked up speed and broke into a gallop.

The wind threw back the hood of what he wore and a pale looking man with a bristling mustache and a beret that glistened in the lights was revealed.

Baldurjack galloped onwards, to victory!

Modifié par Redbelle, 03 décembre 2013 - 09:21 .

[Redbelle]

Everyone was waiting on her for this half cocked plan to kick into action. She had to hurry.

Wyld pulled herself up to the last level of the elevator shaft leading to the top floor. Her helmet's visual pickups just about allowed her to see the sliding doors as she braced herself and worked her fingers into the gap. Finding purchase, she deep a deep breath. Half exhaled, and began to pull one of the sliding doors apart.

It resisted at first. Stifling a grunt Wyld put more pressure on and at last the doors began to slide open. As they did she quickly stuck her armoured glove through the opening and the doors closed upon it till just a crack remained.

Wyld listened intently for about a minute before deciding the cost was clear and, making certain her feet had good anchor holds, brought her other hand up to pull the doors apart wide enough to open and drag herself through. Keeping hold of the doors as she exited the shaft she allowed them to close slowly behind her, then paused again. This time looking up and down the dark corridor. Taking her time to get her bearings.

One branch of the corridor led towards the wide open area of the main shopping arcade. The other direction led to a series of doors and a turn in the corridor further on. She was about to move in that direction when she noticed something protruding from the wall and halted in her tracks.

Assuming she was close to their target it made sense that there would be trip sensors embedded near where the target was located. Wyld nearly missed the ones in the corridor. High up where wall and ceiling joined. A dark shaped wedge where further along and back down the corridor there were none.

Alarm bells rang in Wylds mind as she regarded the wedge, Then looked over to the other side of the wall and sure enough. Another wedge was in the same place as the first.

It could simply have been paranoia. Or a feature of the building where internal structure demanded two protruding metal pieces in the wall. Wyld glanced up and seeing no similar wedges above her, began to climb. Squads or individual's who lived by taking risks generally didn't last long. And with Zia relying on her to reach Naomi, she wasn't about to rush into a situation on a wing and prayer. Hiding from the Reapers with Babylon, in what felt like a lifetime ago, had made her familiar with the concept of false ceilings. And as her prosthetics and new gloves allowed her to scale the wall where she could push up on of the ceiling tiles, she found this building to be no exception.

Drawing herself up into the over space where vent ducting and building internal scaffold was hidden away from public and employee eye's alike, Wyld crawled forward, over and past the spots where the two innocuous wedges were without incident. Up in the over space it suddenly became apparent just how much floor space lay beneath her. As up here, the wall partitions were absent, allowing her to see as far as her low light enhanced vision would allow. Moving as silently as she could given the cramped conditions, she decided to follow the general plan of the corridor below, taking the same turn that she had seen and proceeding along without incident.

It was not long before she heard the sound of voices. Coming from up ahead and off to her left. She paused. Then proceeded in that direction till she was nearly over the top of the where one of the voices was talking. Moving herself so that she could balance while bringing her head down to the tiles, she reached out and lifted the side of one and peered down.

Naomi was there. And someone else with her back to her clad in a green version of Zia's fury uniform, partly obscuring Naomi from Wylds sight.

Found her, Wyld thought as she slowly and gently laid the tile down and withdrew back into a more comfortable resting position. Bringing her Omni tool up in it's silent setting she buzzed Zia's and waited. Listening to the two blow talking as she did.

She did not have to wait long.

From below she heard the one she presumed to be Lucy suddenly start crying out in joy. “She's here, she's here, she's here.....” before her tone changed to first disbelief, then panic. Then her comm chimed in her helmet. Silently acknowledging the call she heard Zia on the other end of the line.

“Jan. Don't talk. Listen. Reaper troops just entered the complex from the front. Some of them are carrying these things on their backs, like scarabs. Okay, the force just split. The scarab guys are putting those things on the walls and........ Oh”!

All around Wyld the upper levels of the building began coming to life. She heard the hums of the lighting as the recessed illuminated strips began blinking till they burst into light. From where she lay the air conditioning began a throaty groan as they coughed and wheezed. Turning for the first time since they fell silent when the Reapers destroyed the power stations.

Amid it all was the sound of Lucy. Her panic filled voice starting to turn hysterical. Clearly, what was happening was not of her doing. Moment's later Zia came back over the comm and confirmed.

“Jan. I think those Reaper scarabs are some kind of wireless power transfer device. The whole place just came alive”. As Zia spoke Wyld heard the faint background sound of music coming from over their connection. “Looks like they're making the ground floor ready for something. There are two Marauder's in the middle of the floor. They're pouring something onto it. Big circle. Nearly as big as the floor space. I can smell it from here. Smell's....... like it might be explosive based?”.

At that point Lucy wailed and bolted from the room. Wyld immediately brought her hand up and toggled the transmit on her helmet. “Sister's on the move. Naomi located. Moving in”.

Modifié par Redbelle, 03 décembre 2013 - 09:21 .

[Redbelle]

Wyld counted to ten. Then swung herself around and dropped through the ceiling tiles. They gave way easily under her and she landed amongst them, a stray piece bouncing off her helmet before she rushed to Naomi's side.

Naomi was not looking well. She had managed to get to her knee's but was now bent over, her her head to the floor, making a pained sound from the back of her throat. As if she were in so much pain but refused to let the full force of what she felt escape her lips.

“Naomi”?

No response. Just ragged breathing and amid the occasional guttural grunts. Wyld pulled off her glove and reached around to place a hand on her forehead. She was hot to the touch. To hot. Wyld was worried as she looked around and saw a vial on the floor not far from them. She quickly reached out and picked it up to examine the content's and saw a light coating of a red powdery substance coating the walls.

Oh no. Wyld thought as she reached into her medical pouch at the small of her back. She's taken sand.

Under normal circumstances Red sand was a bad drug to be on. The supposed biotic powers it gave were weak at best. The effects to fleeting to learn how to control them for any useful purpose. And with the trend of dealers cutting red sand with other substances....... Naomi could have anything running through her system now on top of the red sand. And despite all her training, Wyld had no idea what effect it would have on a woman with more Eezo nodes scattered throughout her body than any other biotic known!

Activating her medical scanner she ran through her options. Under the circumstances the safest thing to do would be to evac Naomi and run a blood screen to find out what was in her. But with her spiking temperature and her sweat glands refusing to work she was in serious danger of suffering a heat stroke. And moving her anywhere would be complicated now that Zia had reported Reapers downstairs. With just the two of them, with Wyld carrying Naomi they would have to creep out of the building undetected to stand a chance to surviving. That was the best course of action then. Stabilise Naomi's temperature. Evac the three of them. They might try and bag Lucy on the way out but if Lucy encountered the Reapers she might provide enough distraction for her to get her team out. She'd not be keeping her promise to Zia about saving Lucy but the options under the current circumstances were all bad. Saving the squad she was responsible for took priority now the situation was fubar'd.

Her comm pinged again. It was Zia speaking in a whisper. “Jan. They've got hostages”!

“What”?

“More Reapers. And they're marching people in. I see some of our guys in the mix. The others have patchwork jackets. Civilians”.

Patchwork jacket's?

“Outcasts”. Wyld growled. “Zia, I have Naomi. Pull back, we're evacuating. This situations getting to big to handle”.

“Jan”!

“It's the two of us versus a small Reaper army! And Naomi's out of it! Lucy gave her sand and Naomi's not looking good”.

“Sand? Dammit! Wyld, keep her sedated. In a biotic that stuff can mess with your head”.

“I need to stabilise her first”. As she spoke Wyld drew out an applicator. Taking a cartridge from her pouch she slapped it into the applicator and held it up to Naomi's neck. Naomi seemed to be whispering something over and over in a frenzied tone.

“Here”. Wyld pressed the applicator to Naomi's neck and pressed the stud.

Naomi shuddered...... then relaxed. Wyld withdrew and was readying a sedative per Zia advice when she heard her over the comm again.

“Jan! I see her! Lucy just appeared on the top floor”. A pause. “Oh for..... Okay she's seen me”.

“What's happening”? Wyld asked.

“Lucy's seen me...... she's waving. Okay now the Reapers see her”. Another pause. “LUCY YOU IDIOT! DON'T COME DOWN! STAY THERE”!!!

“Zia”!

“Reapers have made us both. Lucy's coming down, Reapers are coming up the stairs. They're not firing though.....”.

“Not firing”?

“Prisoners. They must want us alive. If we don't shoot back I think we can drag this out.” Another pause. “Jan, that stuff they spread in a circle. It's thermite! They're burning through the floor. It's hot as hell down here”!

At the mention of temperature Wyld turned her attention back to Naomi, reaching out to untie to her arms and legs when she stopped.

Naomi was glowing. Not glowing per se. More like, she was becoming shrouded. Wrapped in the tell tale blue light of biotic energy that seemed to grow denser as she watched. “Naomi”?

Naomi rolled her head over to one side and looked up. Her eye's were ablaze. As if the fire's from the deepest pit of hell existed inside of her and shone of her sockets. Her hair, which had come loose sometime during her captivity, was beginning to float away from her body, as if suspended on the currents of her power. She mouthed words.

Wyld leaned forward. “What”?

“Kill..... you”. Naomi's voice growled.

Wyld actually flinched back. Naomi took the opportunity to raise herself off the floor and turn so that she was kneeling in front of Wyld, her arms and legs still tied.

“You did this...... to me.......”.

Wyld took a step back. The unbridled fury in Naomi's voice matched her blazing eyes as biotic energy swirled around her. “Nay..... if this is about Zia......”.

“........followed you........ fought for you....... tortured and died....... came back........ you....... took everything......... and again.........captured......... help......less.........”. Naomi's breathing was becoming laboured as she spoke and Wyld took an uncertain step forward.

“Nay.......” She started. “.......Are you......”. She paused again, and gulped. “.....Nay, now is a really bad time to flare on us”.

“Us”? Naomi's head looked down at her body, as if noticing that she was tied up for the first time since Wyld had met her. “Is Zia here too”?

Wyld nodded.

“Good......”. Naomi looked up again with a frenzied grin. “......Then she can be...... first...... to see your body”.

Naomi's biotic's surged from her and she rose from the ground. The restraints holding her snapped and clattered to the ground as she was suspended off the floor by her own power. Her hear whipped and thrashed around her face, partly obscuring her vision as she raised a hand and launched a ball of warp energy at where Wyld had been standing.

Wyld was already moving. Dashing backwards she caught the door frame and, using both arm and frame as a lever, used her momentum to pivot around, just in time for the warp to flash past her and hit the wall opposite the door.

The wall exploded. Showering Wyld with plasterboard and wood as she shoved herself away from the door and started running.

Modifié par Redbelle, 03 décembre 2013 - 04:01 .