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[Kel Riever]

Delexia deftly sprinted up the steps. A Marauder entered the stairwell on the landing above her. She leapt over his head as he took aim, and slashed him as she passed with her venom gauntlets. The Marauder staggered, and doubled over, its systems tainted with the fatal poison. Delexia didn’t wait to watch its demise. She needed to get to the rooftop.
 
Death followed, kicking the Marauder to the side as he passed. Below, in the stairwell, other Reapers were coming. Death aimed his Crusader through the spacing between the flights of steps, and shot the nearest pursuer. Its cranium exploded and as it fell, other Reapers were slowed as they tried to get around the dead body.
 
“Almost there,” Dex called back to Death. She dispatched a Cannibal before climbing the last set of stairs that got her to the rooftop door. It was locked, but the mechanism appeared to be simple. Delexia activated her omni-tool and in a few seconds, the door opened. Both she and Death spilled through. Dex sealed and locked the door behind them.
 
“They’ll break it down, eventually,” Death warned. He placed the Crusader in its clip on his back, and then drew his monofilament blade. “I’ll keep them at bay while you use that marker light.
 
“Aye,” Dex agreed, and then headed for the rooftop edge. The Thresher Maw, somewhat far, still loomed large enough for a clear view from the height of the building. Delexia pulled out the marker light and took aim at the Maw, knowing that as soon as she pulled the trigger, she’d be drawing a clear line between her and it. She hoped it had enough to worry about that it wouldn’t concern itself with her targeting device. Wishful thinking, she told herself. There wasn’t much point, however, if nothing could use the marker light’s designation. Delexia used her com and contacted Captain Radcliffe.
 
“Captain, we are in position. Are the bombardment assets online?”
 
Radcliffe’s response was measured, “I know you aren’t likely familiar with this sort of thing, but if we can get ships to fire, it will be for a fraction of time. You need to mark the target and keep it lit until we can do the strike or I call you off. Do you understand?”
 
Delexia sighed. She muted her com and spoke to Death. “You know, even if this is successful, we’re going to be stuck up here until the end. Unless some Kodiak pilot gets it in their head to start looking for stragglers. Not a likely story at this stage of the fight. Is there anything you want to say before we really make a mess of things?”
 
Death glanced over his shoulder, the moonlight reflecting off his painted visor. Dull thuds emanated from the other side of the closed rooftop door, announcing that the Reapers had begun trying to break through. Death made a quick flourish with his blade.  “You better get started.”
 
One deep breath later, Delexia aimed the marker light and pulled the trigger. As she did, Dex prayed out loud, “The intangible is unstoppable. Kabalim, I trust your training. If there ever was a time that I wished not to be seen, now would be it.” 
 
The Reaper Maw didn’t react at first, continuing to attack those it was already focused on. Dex’s eyes squinted with satisfaction. That satisfaction was replaced by dread as the Maw took pause, and rotated in her direction.
 
“Well,” Delexia muttered, “At least we got its attention.”

[favoritehookeronthecitadel]

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"Did someone say 'The end of the galaxy' " Ricky Rockwood smiled. Avery eyed him with bitter impatience. The rest of the unit were standing, adjusting their guns and looking at the horizon through a window 6 feet long and 10 feet wide. Connel was shining his shotgun and looking impatiently back and forth at the window. The Reapers were blasting ahead at a distance. Damon and Matt were cracking jokes at eachother.

"Hey Damon."
"Yes?"
"What's the difference between my ex and an angry Krogan?"
"What?"
"Krogan's taller."

"Cut the chatter." Avery quipped. "Look who's finally arrived."

"You told me to be here in 5. I came in 3." Rockwood grinned.

Avery clapped. "Fine job, FF4. However, you missed the meeting today."

Rockwood looked down. He knew he made a mistake. He rememberd the whole night he spent at Armax. "I'm very sorry about that, ma'am. That will never happen ag-"

"Can it. I don't care what happened. You ****ed up, the details don't matter." She walked forward at Rockwood. "Don't ever spout them away like I care. The point is, you missed the meeting. If we all die, you're fired." 

Rockwood made a slight effort not to smile at Avery's comment. Always with some sarcasm when she spoke, she kept the mariens in line, and her cold wit made it more scary under her command. She turned around and looked at the other 3 men fully listening to her. Rockwood eagerly awaited the details of their assignement. He figured what it was. The Reapers were bad. The group kept out of it from the most part, keeping survelence on the planets as they were being decimated. They had all hoped this issue would go away and the Alliance or Cerberus would solve it, which ever one could get it done first. But they had failed, and now time was nearing for the big battle on London. There wouldn't be a better chance, it was time for the unit to activate. 

"What did I miss?" Rockwood asked.
 
"One detail. Operation Dark 8 is in effect."

Rockwood nodded.

"We have a matter of hours. I suggest you eat and take a nap. This might take over a day before the Reapers are dead."

"Ugh" Matt moaned. "No snack breaks?"

"Hell no." Avery clechned her eyes.

Damon elbowed Matt. 

Avery turned to Rockwood. "Don't wander off." She left the room. Rockwood peered at the floor and then walked to his friends. "Hey Ball nuts." He said as he smiled.

"Hey Ball nut." Damon smiled.

"What's been going on? Did you get laid??"

"Uh, I think? Last night was a crazy night. I played at games the Citadel for a day and a half."

"Yikes. Once we've toasted the Reapers, you're gonna want to sleep in." Damon laughed. 

"Yeah." Rockwood chuckled. "Yeah."

----------

Rockwood laid still under the pile of bodies as soldiers were running and blasting at the Reaper. Covered and blood, he grinded his teeth and held back tears. It took a few moments, but after pulling a piece of shrapnel out of his leg, he screamed as he pulled himself out of the bodies. Covered in blood, he looked dead, but he was just getting started.

"Hey! Over here!" He could hear a voice yell.

Modifié par favoritehookeronthecitadel, 14 janvier 2014 - 08:13 .

[Redbelle]

From underneath the walkway where Zia, Lucy, and the seven surviving alliance soldier's stood, the wall exploded.

Masonry blew inwards as something collided with it and carried on through to the tune of a roaring engine and the squeal of brakes as the Bucky Valkyr tore through the wall separating the nine from the outside and came to a halt just below them.

The Valkyr's barrier's dropped and Zia heard the calm tones of Momma's voice emerge from the vehicle.

“Come with me now if you want to live”.

Zia looked over to the soldiers who were peering at the Valkyr's unusual appearance. “Get in”! She ordered as she pushed Lucy away from her shoulder to look into her eye's. “Lou”? Zia could feel Lucy shaking in her arms and her eye's had a faraway look. “Lou”?

“Sand please”. Came back Lucy's small voice. “It's.......” Her eye's closed as a spasm rippled through her and her arms came up over Zia's to grab her head as her leg's buckled. “.......it's hurting! Sand makes it better. Now. Please. Thank you”.

As she spoke The soldier's dropped into the Valkyr, bags of shopping being passed between them as they did so. Lucy's heist Zia saw, and would have told them to stop except she was wrapped up in the fact her sister was collapsing in her arms. She'd never seen her do this before. Suddenly she wished Wyld were here. But Wyld had left to recover Naomi out the front. Zia cursed. She'd shouted at her for putting Naomi in harms way and now that she was off trying to fix that, suddenly Zia found she needed her here to fix Lucy.

Well at least she'd stopped crying.

Dragging her over to the railing where the Valkyr waited patiently below Zia somehow managed to get Lucy over the side and into the hands of the waiting soldiers before dropping down herself. It was a tight squeeze but Zia ordered the back seat cleared so she could lay Lucy down. Beads of sweat were starting to form on her skin and she whimpered over and over.

Come back Jan. Zia wished. Come back.... I don't know..... what to do.

“Heads up”! Came a call from above.

Everyone looked skyward as a figure in white armour dropped down from above. Zia saw it was Wyld, dropping at a steady rate from the undamaged grapnel line in her forearm armour. As Wyld alighted on the back next to the tri mount weapon systems she looked up at Zia and grinned.

“Just paid a visit to the manager's office. The PA's ours. Ready to get Naomi”?

“Jan”! Zia pointed to Lucy.

Wyld took one look and dropped down onto the seat with her medical scanner out. “What happened”?

“I don't know! She started shaking and then she just seemed to lose it! Now she's like this”!

Wyld put her scanner away and, putting her hands under Lucy's head, pulled it up and placed it on her lap. “She's a sand addict right? Nothings happened to her while I was gone”?

Zia shook her head.

“Okay..... Where does she keep her stash”?

Zia blinked. “In her belt pouch”.

Wyld looked down and found it. She pulled it open and pulled out a bag. Looking inside she saw vials of red powder inside. Wyld grimaced. “Damn. She's got enough here to feed Bastion for a day. When did she dust last”?

Zia shook her head.

“Withdrawal”. Wyld said grimly as she took a vial and opened it. She poured some out onto her gauntlet as she took a small scalpel from her belt pack and divided it out. “She's going through a massive withdrawal episode. Her body wants what the sand gives her. If you don't give her sand? This happens”.

Zia frowned. Then grabbed Wyld's knife hand. “Then..... she's going to be okay? We can just let this run it's course and then she'll be better later”?

Wyld glared at Zia. “If she doesn't get a sand hit soon her body will go into shock and die”. She stated, waving Zia's restraining hand off her. “The body is a huge chemical production factory that makes a little bit of what we need to live. Drug addicts take drugs to artificially boost certain chemical amounts in the body to achieve highs”. As she spoke she scraped a quarter of what Lucy had in a vial back into it's container. “The body is lazy though. If it senses it's getting it's naturally occurring substances from another source it shuts down it's own chemical production over time. That's what withdrawal is. It's the body protesting being cut off from an alternative source. Long term users can die if they can't get a fix because they've lost the natural ability to produce the trace amounts of what their bodies need”.

Wyld bent over to talk to Lucy. “Listen. I have what you need. I need you to get ready to inhale as sharply as you can. When I tell you, okay”?

Zia looked at Wyld in disbelief. “Your not going to give her that stuff! Are you”?

“Zee”! Wyld barked. “I don't have time for this! Lucy needs more help than I have time to give right now and the only cure I know which will stop her from dying of shock is the poison! It doesn't make sense! I know! But trust me. Giving her some of the sand she's got on her, is the only way I can help her”.

Zia blinked back tears that threatened to form in the corner's of her eye's.... Then nodded.

Wyld brought the quarter full vial around to Lucy with the hand that had held the knife. “Okay Lucy”. She said softly. “Here's what I need from you”.

Modifié par Redbelle, 21 décembre 2013 - 06:08 .

[Redbelle]

People who claimed to have seen red in their lives, through fits of anger or rage, would consider their experiences a pale contrast if they could have seen and felt what Naomi saw and felt.

It had been a blur. Th sound of Wylds voice. The gloating she heard as she told her of the Reaper who intended to take her Zia away from her. And his hoard of friends.

Had she stopped and thought about it she would have perhaps questioned the picture Wyld was painting before her and realised that Wyld was yanking her chain.

But Lucy had given her Red Sand. Her thinking was clouded. Her desire to take action untamed. The sand making the Biotic potential inside her easier to reach and draw out the untapped power that Cerberus had planted inside her cloned body.

She felt also a whisper in her mind. Something prodding at the edge of her conscious. She'd snarled back at it and the next thing she knew the Reapers had turned their guns on themselves and blown their heads off their shoulders.

Something else had happened too. She was sure. Because now she was outside. Her biotic barrier's flaring under the onslaught of Reaper fire as she dimly heard the mall's PA blaring out some music out through the collapsed front wall of the building she had blasted through.

She also seemed to have a Banshee stuck on the end of her arm right up to the elbow. She looked up with her burning eye's and saw her own biotic shackles keeping the thing immobilised. She gave a feral grin.

“Turn arounds a ****, you think”?

Spinning on her heel she flung the banshee towards a pack of Marauders and flung a shockwave after it for good measure. The ground exploded right to the pack and then they were all flung upwards, how high Naomi couldn't say. They still hadn't landed when she turned around. So many buzzing annoyances. And after them all.

Wyld.

That prissy..... stuck up..... lying...... snake in the grass was right at the top of her to do list. And not in a good way.

She stumbled forward as the world seemed to grow dim, then light back up. She started to become aware that she was aching, her lungs were burning.

No matter. She'd kill all these Reapers then have a nap. Then deal with Wyld.

Her barrier was huge. It covered her like a dome and stopped anything from coming close unless she allowed it. The banshee's had been a problem but she was sure she'd just dispatched the last of them. The dark ichor on her hands and arms paying testament to her work.

She felt free. Freer than she ever had been. Finally she had power. Real, usable biotic power! And it felt soooooo good! But something was starting to feel wrong.

Ignoring the feeling she stepped over several cannibal bodies as she fixed her sights on another pack of huskified enemies and raised her hand to eliminate them from existence.

Her arm wouldn't move. It felt like dead weight to her now she was focused on the fact. The world tilted and she stumbled to one knee. Her barrier around her starting to shrink. Taking a deep lungful of air Naomi then realised she was gasping to draw breath. She felt sick. And her insides......

Everywhere she felt the Red Sand had revealed the tingle of her Eezo deposit's that gave her the power to manipulate mass effect fields...... they felt like hot needles that were digging into her. She felt her stomach lurch and slowly, she began to rise off her feet.

This wasn't right. She was not going to back down now. She had been useless to everyone around her since the start of the war and now she was having trouble using what fate had given her?

No.

No.

NO!

Reaching deep inside herself she shored up her barriers and tried her other arm. It responded, but fatigue was setting in as her body swayed.

How many more Reapers were there?

Maybe a flare?

The moment she thought of building up and exploding her biotic power she found herself shying away from the thought. Somehow she knew in her current state it would be the end of her. And she wanted to live. Wanted to see Zia again!

She flung a warp. It was all she felt she could do while maintaining her barriers, which with the incoming weapons fire was all that was keeping her alive.

In the background of her mind she thought she noticed that the world was becoming less red. It was her imagination, she thought . She was.......

She was......

She was coming down off the drug that had allowed her to tap the power of her biotics.

Fear pounced on the heels of that thought. She was weakening. She remembered now, her lessons from Grissom. Biotics could not sustain their powers for long periods of time. Even if the Eezo in her didn't need a break, even if Cerberus had made her body immune to it's toxic effects....... The stress and strain on the rest of her as she channeled the effects would eventually overcome any biotic.

…...........

She was going to die.

Again!

Modifié par Redbelle, 23 décembre 2013 - 06:18 .

[Kel Riever]

Dale shouted to the nearest soldiers and civilians as they came across Tower Bridge. She had those with long range weapons help target the Husks still climbing the sides. They were thinning with the added firepower. Dale noticed that her own Revenant was empty, and was reloading it when she received an incoming call on her com.
 
“This is Captain Grelk. There are enough people to replace your teams covering the bridge. Get yourself and your gunship troops up by me for further instructions. I’m by the southern-most Mako. And keep low. It gets worse up here.”
 
“Affirmative,” Dale responded, before she relayed Grelk’s coordinates to her command and gave them her orders. “We’re being pulled.  Put someone in charge on each side to take out the Husks, and follow me to the position I’m sending to your omni-tool.”
 
Dale appointed one of the Misfit turians to take her place, waved her team over, and crouched as she led them. The air was filled with rounds, and it was only because of the crowd of buildings that stood still that those on the south shore weren’t rent to pieces. Soldiers of Grelk’s command and the Ensfield Rifles who had crossed were entrenched in cover, with several Makos assisting to hide them behind their armored hulls. Dale saw the second gunship team approaching to join up with her, and they were carrying a body. She recognized it immediately.
 
“Arok…”
 
A young man from the second team carrying the drell shook his head, “Stray round. We don’t know how it happened but it penetrated his back armor. Must have come from all the loose fire we’re getting.”
 
“Put him down,” Dale said. As Arok was placed on the ground, Dale knelt over him. He seemed peaceful, and Dale stroked her hand over his chest. “Go with Kalahira.” She bit her cheek to prevent herself from crying, and then beckoned the teams to move on with her to the Captain.
 
When Dale reached Grelk with her teams, the Captain was standing at his full height behind the lead Mako. Captain Steiner was there, along with a woman Dale had never seen in black and yellow striped armor. Two junior sergeants, a krogan, and a white armored Terra Firma member rounded out the group. Grelk was observing a display on his omni-tool while Steiner and the oddly armored woman were having a tense discussion.
 
“What are you doing here, Babylon?” Steiner seemed annoyed.
 
“Klaus,” the black and yellow armored woman answered, “Padre’s dead. The salarians killed him.”
 
Confused, Steiner inquired, “You mean the MisQueen and her group?”
 
“Right, not all the Misfits, I mean…”
 
Steiner raised his hand, “Later. Not now. When there's time. Stay with me and I’m putting you with a group to clear anything on my left. I’m plowing through these mothers....”
 
Captain Grelk interrupted, “Nobody is plowing through anything just yet. We’ve got people still coming off the bridge, and we’re not going to be able to get going until there are more of them behind us. I lost two squads ahead, and their commander is out of communication. Not to mention a Thanax missile team is in jeopardy. To top it off, Radcliffe says that the huge Maw behind us is still able to catch our rear, and all our firepower can’t seem to tip the scales.”
 
With a belting tone, Steiner addressed Grelk, “Captain, sir! If we don’t fight our way forward, we’ll be as bottlenecked here as on the bridge. The first two geth Primes are getting to this side of the river in a matter of minutes and with my team, we can stab some headway into the enemy!”
 
One of the Mako’s and an M-080 to the west exploded simultaneously. 
 
“Steiner,” Grelk scolded, “You are one of the best but we need a disciplined approach. Even if you did your job, you’d be cut off if I couldn’t follow it up. What are you going to do then?”
 
“Give me the krogan,” Steiner battled back, “He’s worth ten. We’ll cut a line straight to the conduit ourselves if we have to.”
 
Dale interjected before the situation between her two seniors got ugly. “Send the krogan with me.”
 
Grelk and Steiner sized her up.
 
Lifting her visor so the two could see her expression, Dale made the most of her hard looks. “Add in some of your up-gunned civies. I’ll take my teams and we’ll support to the right. Maybe we won’t make as much headway, but we can pull fire. If it is a two-pronged press, we’ll do better. And you won’t risk your center if you keep cover here, Captain. You can still protect those crossing.”
 
“Bold idea, private,” Babylon jabbed, “But do you think you’re really going to do as good a job as Commander Steiner? Do you think you or anyone else here is as capable?”
 
Dale glared at Babylon, and spoke icily. “We’ll do the job. I’m not hauling a giant suit of destroyer armor, but the people I’ve got are good enough. Besides, do you have a better idea?”
 
Babylon paused, but before she could retort, Grelk stepped in, speaking to Dale, “I know you were the one who came up with the idea to cover the bridge. You’re capable. I’m giving you rank and holding you responsible for the attack to the west, while Steiner goes east. Coordinate with the Commander. He’s still above you. You’re a sergeant now, Dale. Get to it.”
 
Dale gave a sharp salute and slammed her visor down.
 
Grelk looked between Steiner and Dale. “You both better be right.”

[Kel Riever]

Aboard the Cybaen, Layl Iallis was focused on her control panel, recalculating formulas and trajectories. Though there were almost a dozen asari on the bridge, she was in a world of her own, and spoke only in the shortest phrases to relay her critical navigational information to Kitri, the cruiser’s pilot. Kitri had been at Layl’s side since her first day on board, guiding the Cybaen through space. The crew said the two were so close they might as well be bonded. Together, they had kept the ship alive in the war fought above Earth, by using its first line of defense which was not being hit at all.
 
The battle had been on for hours, and the Cybaen’s role proved crucial. Captain Vayna Callis commanded the cruiser, which had accidentally fitted with an overly large drive core, allowing it to generate dreadnought-scale kinetic barriers. The drive core could also add to the vessel’s mobility. Without the unique core, boosting both maneuverability and barrier capacity, the Cybaen would have already been lost to Reaper cannons. 
 
Vayna had ordered the ship to stay close to the Destiny Ascension, like so many other vessels, protecting the asari dreadnought armed with the greatest firepower in the fleet. They were close to the dreadnought, and it was prominent on a bridge view screen, its guns flaring. The Captain was a veteran, and though inside her emotions churned, her expression was relaxed. Born with a white facial marking that crossed both eyes like a thick stripe, the effect was to add to Vayna’s persona of confidence. At the moment, she was most concerned with ensuring that confidence passed down to the navigation and helm duo sitting in front of her command chair.
 
A priority communication alert flashed on one of the smaller of the Captain’s virtual displays. It was from the Destiny Ascension, specifically Matriarch Lidanya. Vayna opened the channel, “Cybean, Vayna Callis, in command.”
 
Lidayna’s image appeared in the display as she spoke. “Vayna, we’re going to make a bombardment run on Earth. Admiral Hackett wants one of the distraction forces covered. I don’t know why it is so important as to divert our arsenal, but we are going with this. You’ll coordinate with one quarian and two turian cruisers. We need you all to make sure we are clear for the shot. There is a closing Sovereign class Reaper at the coordinates I am marking. Bring it up. It is coming for blood.”
 
“Affirmative.” Vayna reconfigured displays to put the Sovereign class vessel on another view screen for the bridge to see, along with a list of critical statistics. “Layl and Kitri, bring us around alongside the Destiny Ascension, and keep an eye on the ancillary enemies as well. I don’t want a destroyer or oculi swarm slipping through.”
 
“Aye,” Kitri acknowledged. Layl was adjusting the course trajectory, and fed the information to the helm. 
 
The display with the Reaper vessel showed it firing its cannon. In another second, the Destiny Ascension lit up with the cascading energy of the beam hitting its barriers. A series of small explosions could be seen detonating on the asari dreadnought’s hull as its protection was compromised.
 
“Destiny Ascension!” Vayl lost her calm momentarily. “Are you all right?”
 
Matriarch Lidayna came back, “We’re scarred but we’ve had our fair share of damage in this fight already. Another hit like that before our barriers regenerate, though, and it’s the end.”
 
Another voice broke into the communication. “This is the turian cruiser Bielren. We are moving to cover. Those Reapers are fast but we can get there.”
 
Vayna put up displays of the Bielren and the two other cruisers they were working with. She knew that unlike the Destiny Ascension or the Cybaen, the turians could not sustain a hit from the Reaper vessel. Her voice was filled with urgency, “Layl, Kitri, get us between the Ascension and Reaper now. Tell engineering I want them to push that core!”
 
Layl interrupted her focus for a moment to turn and look directly at the Captain, “If we put too much into the drives we won’t be able to take the hit. I can get us there, taking a shortcut across the quarian’s bow. It is going to be tight.”
 
“What vessel is that?” Vayna peered down at her display. “The Ketsa. I’ll send her captain a message. Plot your course.”
 
Speaking in short code, Layl relayed her course correction in the finest of details to Kitri, “Pitch and velocity are established. Change only the roll, bring us down six digits past point, and on my signals, go to oh-eight, then oh-nine. Ready?”
 
“That will put us right through the front of the Ketsa,” Kitri worried.
 
“Trust me on this,” Layl stated firmly. “I know what I’m doing.”
 
One of the other asari on the bridge, the barrier officer, called over, “We can sustain one hit from the Sovereign class, if it is direct, but we’ll suffer damage like the Ascension did. Maybe more.”
 
“Understood,” Vayl remarked. “Everybody, make sure your emergency gear is at hand.” The Captain then enlarged the view screen and data with the Ketsa. “I want to see this up close.”
 
“Go now,” Layl told Kitri.
 
The pilot altered course.
 
There was a gasp from another asari. “We’re within a few hundred meters of the Ketsa!”
 
“Oh-nine on my signal. Ready?” Layl’s tone was even. “Go now.”
 
Kitri maneuvered again.
 
The Ketsa loomed large, causing the camera relaying the view to zoom out. Eventually, it was unable to compensate for keeping the entire ship in its display and the vessel grew in size so that the minutia of its hull could be seen, including its name in Keelish, painted on the side.
 
Other displays showed the Sovereign-class Reaper fire again, and the Bielren vanish in an explosion. At the same time, a yellow warning light filled the bridge, with a loud, audio voice from the onboard VI. “Collision imminent.”
 
“We’re within one hundred meters!” One of the asari yelped.
 
Vayna leaned forward. “Layl…”
 
“Kitri, go to one-one!”
 
The pilot followed.
 
On screen, the Ketsa was no longer a ship, but an alloy wall that filled its screen. The range was shown in a bright red that seemed to blaze its information, ‘3.06 meters.” Two asari screamed.
 
Then the Ketsa vanished from view, to be replaced with the void of space.
 
“We are past!” Kitri yelled out. “We are covering the Ascension.”
 
Lidayna spoke through the open com, “Thank you for getting our back, Cybaen. We are commencing bombardment.”
 
Several of the asari on the bridge sighed in relief and a few clapped. Kitsi faced Layl, “Nicely done. Even I thought you were going to wreck us. What are you thinking of right now?”
 
“Right now?” Layl wiped sweat from her brow. “Right now I’m thinking of a sister I have fighting on the planet below. She’s right in the heart of that battle in London, and I think she’s better off with her feet on the ground.”
 
Vayna was silent. She was staring at the view screen with the Reaper. The data stream next to its visual showed movement. “Front and center. Layl?”
 
Layl looked up at the Sovereign-class and the data. She turned, her skin pale, to stare back at the Captain. Her expression told the Captain everything she needed to know.
 
Vayna stood up and shouted, “All power to barriers! Brace for impact!”

Modifié par Kel Riever, 24 décembre 2013 - 07:33 .

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

On The Citadel LXXV - Naleena

Weapons fire erupted in the lobby as the reapers poured in after the STG squad. Naleena and Marisa remained hidden in the Earth Ambassador's office and didn't make a sound. Marisa started to speak several times, but Naleena kept threatening to shoot her. They heard noises of cannibals passing in the hallway followed by brutes. Then the banshee screams. They were right outside the door. The weapons fire and occasional grenade explosions became more distant, but not less in quantity. STG was retreating, but it sounded like they were giving them hell. Naleena was disappointed. After the banshees passed, Naleena gave Marisa the signal to move quietly out of her hiding spot.

Naleena cracked open the door and peeked out into hall. It looked clear in the direction they were heading, but in the direction where the STG squad went, she could see the back of the banshees about 15 feet away. She quietly opened the door and motioned for Marisa to sneak toward her and keep her head down. There was a corner they could duck around about 10 feet away. The corridor made a T like so many of these did in this section. There was a middle section with elevators, the corridors would go around these with offices on the outside. Then on the other side there was a reception area and the corridors would rejoin into one.

Marisa came toward the door and stumbled, but caught herself before she fell. "My foot fell asleep," She mouthed.

Naleena shook her head, and motioned her to come toward her. They left the room, and made it around the corner to the right. A marauder was hiding there and grabbed Naleena, and Marisa started beating on the head with the grip of her pistol. Naleena took out her secondary silenced .22 cal pistol and put the barrel under its chin and fired three times. The marauder twitched and collapsed.

"Thanks." Naleena mouthed.

They quickly moved down the corridor away from the fray. The Turian Ambassador's office was on the right, but with STG so close Naleena wanted to head to the Salarian Ambassador's office. She did a scan of the building area with her omni-tool and found an air duct that ran from the Turian office to the Salarian office. It was a round about way, and one had to go through a couple of junctions, but it wouldn't be as obvious. She motioned to Marisa to watch, and she hacked the Turian Ambassador's door.

"Okay are you watching this time?" Naleena asked.

"Yes, but I really don't see the point, " Marisa replied.

Naleena chided her. "Come on, you're no fun at all. Just humor me and play the game. This one is a little more complex than the last one, so pay attention." Naleena bypassed several connections and was now about to make the final connection. "Okay, red, yellow or green? If you were paying attention it's obvious."

"Uh, yellow," Marisa said, "but make sure you close the panel well this time."

"Oooo. Look who is getting picky. And correct. Good catch, though," replied Naleena as she carefully replaced the panel, "that was sloppy of me last time. If you get good at this I might have you doing the actual B&E soon."

"I got lucky that time. I guessed." Marisa said.

'So did I.' Naleena thought.

They entered the Turian office, and closed the door. Naleena locked it behind her. The weapons fire faded in the distance.

"Same routine as last time?" Marisa asked. "Uh, these files are locked, could you...."

Naleena walked over to the file cabinets. "Marisa, these are easy. You just be real careful and do you see this instrument I'm using? Slip it in right here on the side and move it up and circle it to the right and you'll hear a click like that. The drawer should open like this. Now the real important stuff they'll keep in that wall safe."

"What wall safe?" Marisa asked.

"The one behind the painting of the Primarch. Turians are so traditional." Naleena laughed. "Shhhh. I hear voices."

"Hmmm... wonder where they went?" one of the Salarians said. "Could be in Turian office."

"Would you be quiet." Another Salarian said, then Naleena heard a door quietly click.

"They're waiting for us in the Salarian ambassador's office. When we move on, you wait here." Naleena said as she went over to the computer terminal.

"Got it," Marisa said, "Hey, it looks like the Turians were just about tapped out. They pretty much surrendered Palaven and sent everything they had to Earth. They fought a valiant fight at home it looks like."

Naleena was hacking into the databases. "I agree. It doesn't look good. The Reapers really hit them hard. If we get out of this alive, they won't have much left. The Alliance just retreated to cover working on the Crucible while the Turians fought and got pounded.

"Hold it. Hold it. Check this. Goddess! Intel was still alive. The Salarians weren't doing ****. They were going to uplift the Yahg? Holy f***! Do you remember anything about that?" Naleena looked over from the terminal and asked.

Marisa stopped looking through the files and ran her fingers across the folds in the back of her neck. "Yes, I do. We sent a delegation to that planet, and the Yahg ate them. Gross. And they want to uplift them? Anything else?"

"Only that the Council didn't know about it. It was part of some top secret STG funded project. The Turians confronted the Salarians about it and the Salarians said 'Show us the proof,' so they did, and when they did, the Salarians just laughed at it. Turned out it was just a ruse to 'keep the Batarians in line.' But I think that's bull****. I don't trust those toads as far as I can ******." Naleena said. "I'm downloading this **** anyway, and download the **** you can to your omni-tool."

Marisa followed Naleena's instructions. "Hey and back there, with that Marauder. I didn't know they still made those."

"They don't," Naleena smiled. "That's a relic from a past era. It's too bad. It's probably the best weapon for up close and personal assassinations ever made. Kinetic barriers made them obsolete, but if you can get close enough a barrier won't help you. I make my own ammo."

Marisa asked. "Okay, now what?"

"Let's check that safe," Naleena walked over to the picture and pulled it open on hinges, and said, "hmmmm. I don't like it. I could do it, but we could trip an alarm if I miss. I'm good, but this isn't my target.

"We're going duct crawling again," said Naleena as she stood up and stretched, "I changed my mind. You're coming with me. Give me a leg up on top of the cabinets."

Marisa did. Naleena took the vent off the ceiling and reached down to pull up Marisa, then she climbed up into the vent. Marisa followed. "Watch my back," Naleena whispered, "and really be quiet. Hang back if you have to. I'll flash a laser for an all clear."

Naleena moved like a spider through the ductwork. She checked her omni-tool periodically to see where she was heading. She stopped and took her breathing apparatus out and put it over her face when she saw light from the vent she needed to drop down. She could fee air flowing and this was definitely the inlet. The Salarians had two outside in the corridor. Their leader was sitting at the desk with his feet up.

"Go check on the Turian office." He gave the order.

Naleena took out a capsule of sleep gas, and cracked it open, then waited five minutes. She crawled to the opening and the three in the room were out. The door was closed. She flashed a laser back at Marisa. Then she dropped down, took out her .22 and put three rounds in the head of each of the three Salarians sleeping in the room. Then she locked the door.

"Now I need see if this thing links with the STG database. Check the files. They probably have them unlocked." Naleena said. "****! It doesn't. But Holy f***ing Athame!" Naleena turned a very pale shade of blue and backed away from the terminal. "Watch the ****ing door. Watch the ****ing door. Shoot at anything that comes in. Kill it. Just empty your weapon into it."

"What is it?" Marisa asked with an alarmed voice. Naleena had been so calm. Now she was scared.

"There may be more STG here," Naleena said, "and I'm going to have to pull the best operation I've ever done in my life out of my blue ass or the entire Asari Republics are ****ed if we win the war." She looked over at Marisa. "I've been playing around so far trying to be the big hero. This is bigger than me. I'm going to get absolutely ruthless. Can you handle that?"

"Shooting these three Salarians in cold blood wasn't ruthless?" Marisa said looking puzzled.

"No. It was personal. This is for the Republics. If they want to throw my blue ass in prison afterward, fine." Naleena replied.

"Really? Why the change of heart? You're probably the most self-centered b**ch I've met. Your motivational speeches don't come from the heart, but your people buy them because they want to believe. You want to win, not for the people, but for you so you can go back to doing what you do best. Your combat medals? You got them to impress your squad so they wouldn't believe the rumors that you were a mere desk jockey, and they'd follow you." Marisa went off on her finally.

"True on all counts, but I'm serious about this," Naleena walked over to her, "I liked things the way they were before the war. Peace and prosperity were good for business, and good for everyone. No poverty. People were educated. Low crime. The whole bit. Come on, we all liked it." Naleena replied, "and now the damned toads want to take it away. I intend to find out what they're doing and put it out in the open.

"The real answers are downstairs in the STG office. I'm expecting to have to pull something out of my ass down there. Do you have an energy bar?" Naleena asked.

"Yeah, here." Marisa reached in to her pack and grabbed one.

"Peanut butter flavor? ****! It'll do. Thanks." Naleena smiled.


(P.S. Merry Christmas!)

Modifié par sH0tgUn jUliA, 24 décembre 2013 - 08:01 .

[Redbelle]

Everything stopped.

The weapons fire.

The music.

The noise of Reapers wailing in that way they did.

Naomi fell to her knee's. Her body was exhausted, though her mind stayed active. Hurling curses at her own weakness.

Her barriers collapsed.

…...

…...

Nothing.

Not a shot of opportunity. No step forward to lay a hand on her.

What was going on?

With great effort she looked up and surveyed the area in which she engaged the Reaper army and would have laughed were she not fighting her stomachs effort's to empty itself.

All around her, Reapers of every type she had ever known, lay on the ground, dead. Those that had survived had run off to find cover and had been taking shots at her while she strode through the battle field like a angel of death.

No one was firing now though. Even in her current condition, she wondered why.

The silence of all but her own gasping breaths was interrupted when from inside, through the demolished front of the building, the malls PA crackled to life.

Taptaptap.

“Hello”? Wyld's voice came through the speakers. “Hello? Is this thing working”?

“Yes! It's working! Just hurry! That's flesh pit's moving”! Came the muffled voice of Zia.

“Nay”? Wyld again. “Nay? Look, I'm sorry for how things turned out between the three of us. I've been speaking to Zia and she says that maybe...... there was some things that needed to be said..... that weren't said”.

Naomi squeezed her eye's shut. Now? Of all times? Jan wanted to start placing blame now?

“But I don't care one whit what happened between the three of us. Or how this all turned out. I want one thing. I want to be happy. And I want you two to be happy”.

“That's two things”. Came an unfamiliar male voice.

A sound and then Wyld's muffled tones. “It's happiness. It's one thing”. Naomi just made out what Wyld was saying as she removed whatever she placed over the pick-up. “Nay. I know your still alive out there. Something s happening. The Reapers are stopping for something and now's your chance to get to us”. A pause. “But your going to have to charge. Momma says the pits energy is spiking and we're at the back of the building. You need to come back inside now”.

Naomi opened her eye's. She felt drained as she tried to lift herself to stand. Around her, the Reapers noticed her movements.

“Naomi”? Wyld's voice persisted. “I'm no good at this. But I want you to know. I was the one who told Zia that she shouldn't just drop you. I know we cheated. But...... I can't believe that you and her are just over! I know Zia feels something for you and I can't understand why what she feels for me gets in the way of that”!

“Jan”? Came Zia's voice once more.

Naomi, with a huge effort, rose to her feet. Fire, ichor and bodies lay around her. The Reapers had been moving back to the entrance of the building as if entranced. Now they saw Naomi move they began to turn and bring their weapons up.

“I'm saying nothings over dammit”. Wyld called out. “It's not over till you give up and let something precious just slip away! And I'm not giving up that you can't come back to us Nay! Now get that lazy ass over here private! Or I'm coming over there to get you”!

As weapons came to bear Naomi reached deep inside for one last push. Her biotics luminesed around her. Trailing there tendrils of light all across her form as she focused, past the stairs, past the entrance, into the building and beyond.

She had no idea where she was aiming. Just that Wyld wanted her to come to her. And that Zia was waiting by her side.

Good enough.

As she catapulted herself into the air, her exhausted limbs trailing behind her, the Reapers opened fire. She was off and away though and a few Reapers fell in the cross fire.

As Naomi's charge power came to an end she felt her body go limp. She was utterly spent, but still conscious. Looking down as she arced through the air she saw the pit. It was reaching upwards, revealing itself to be a long worm like creature. Who knew the gallons of broken down human flesh it contained.

Then she was past it and she saw out of the corner of her eye, the Valkyr. As her eye's drifted shut her last thought was the realisation that she was going to over shoot and hit the ground behind it. And at the speed she was going......... 

Naomi drifted off.

Modifié par Redbelle, 24 décembre 2013 - 10:49 .

[Redbelle]

Wyld saw Naomi, the human cannonball at the same time Zia did.

“Jan”! Zia shouted as both she and Wyld saw the danger as Naomi's limp body sailed towards them.

Lucy, her eye's glowing a soft red saw her too. “She's flying”!

Raising her arm Wyld fired a grapnel line up and into the ceiling. The next thing Zia knew she up in the air, suspended and in the perfect position to catch Naomi.

Lucy pointed. “And she can fly......”.

Naomi sailed into Wyld who made an oomph as the impact knocked the wind from her. She still maintained the presence of mind to wrap her free arm around any part of Naomi she could. Looking down, she saw Naomi was out cold. Her leather suit was torn in several places and though she saw blood, saw that they were scratches at worst. Still she had to get her back down and check her out.

As Wyld triggered the descent command she saw that the impact had swung them backwards. As she descended however the Valkyr suddenly reversed and with pinpoint precision, landed Wyld and Naomi into the back-seat with Zia, Lucy, and the unlucky soldier's who had to fold themselves into the foot well. Lucy, looking better for the sand Wyld had given her, grabbed Wyld's arm and tugged.

“Me too”! She giggled. “I wanna fly”!

“You already are”. Wyld said, trying to get her breath back. She passed Naomi's body over to Zia who gripped under her arms and hauled her over to her side if the Valkyr. She looked at Jan.

“Is she.....”?

“Just wiped out, I think. Momma”! Wyld addressed the front. “Get us out of here”.

“By your command”. Came Momma's gentle voice.

As the Valkyr began to withdraw out the hole in the wall it had entered by, Lucy dove towards one of the bags she and the soldier's had brought. Diving her hands inside they emerged flourishing a large, red coat, festooned with golden buckles that would have fallen down past Lucy's feet.

With another flourish Lucy draped it over Naomi's unconscious body, then leaned forward over Wyld to brush a lock of hair out of her face.

She simply said. “She's a butcher”.

Zia brushed her back. “No she's not”.

“She's got a bit of Disdain in her I think”.

“She's nothing like Disdain. She's.....”.

“Angry inside”. Lucy interrupted. “She'll lash out when it gets to much and then it'll be like it was before”.

Zia shook her head. “What do you mean? Like what was”?

Lucy looked Zia in the eye. “We'll be a new sisterhood of course. The Butcher who cut's. The Baker who feeds. And the candlestick maker who sees”.

At the mention of the word Baker Zia's eye's narrowed. “You kept calling us that when it was me, you and Disdain back on Omega. But those days are gone Lucy. We're not going back there”.

“The cutter, the feeder and seer”. Lucy went on as if Zia had said nothing. “But you went and messed it all up. You met her”. Lucy jerked a thumb towards Wyld. “She's nice though. She understands the sand. She can't be a sister though”.

“If you knew what Zia and I have been up to.....”. Wyld mummered, “Then you'd be thankful for that”.

Lucy turned to look at Wyld. “Your the doctor. There's never been a doctor”.

“Medic actually”.

“The one..... who makes it better”. Lucy said, her voice suddenly sounding very tired. She yawned. “Think I'll close my eye's for just a moment. I'll try to fly in my dreams”.

Settling back by Wyld, Lucy snuggled down into her arm and promptly fell asleep.

As the Valkyr exited and turned to begin moving away from the mall Wyld looked up into the sky. “We should have some air support soon. Maybe then we can put this behind us”.

“We can't Jan”. Zia told her. “I saw what happened back there. You threw yourself in harms way again. You put Naomi in danger and we almost lost her..... And you gave my sister that Red sand ****”.

Wyld looked over and saw Zia's stony expression. “Zee.....”.

But Zia shook her head. “Oh not now..... sir”. She said, jerking her head towards the rescued soldiers who rode with them. “Later. But not now”.

From overhead, Wyld heard the thrum of engines and several Kodiaks, two with under-slung Mako's on there belly's, flew down out of the cloud's and began circling an area far ahead of them.

Wyld nodded. “Later. There's still work to do”.

***:wub:Merry Christmas 2013 for all those who follow and write for this thread! We love you guys:wub:***

Modifié par Redbelle, 24 décembre 2013 - 10:58 .

[Redbelle]

The war was going badly.

For some however, it was going less badly than it could have otherwise.

Field Medic Jerry-Ann Wyld, recently promoted to the position of Commander, was one such person for which the war had become a mixed blessing.

While on the one hand, she still an amputee from childhood who had to rely on Quarian prosthetic legs to get around, trapped on Earth in the middle of the war to end all wars, where defeat meant extinction for her, her species, and every other species in the known galaxy.........

She'd found someone who loved her.

At least, she thought it was love. Had been convinced, finally, that it was the real thing. Growing up, she had not exactly been an outgoing individual Losing her legs at the point of preparing to begin a professional dancing career had seen to that. As such, as she had matured, so had her own raging inferiority complex that stemmed from being cut down at the point where her life had been about to take off. When it came to matters of the heart, she was woefully under-qualified. But Zia had broken through her defences, her doubts and fears and made her accept that someone could love her.

It was a surprise to Wyld however to discover that the one who loved her was another woman, raised among Asari.

Hadn't seen that one coming. Especially not in the middle of a war zone, where it was important to keep a professional distance from those around her. It was hard. But as a medic, she knew when to maintain the proper emotional distance.

That didn't make it any less hard to watch the ones she cared for face down Reaper hordes.

As the Bucky Valkyr, a converted Cadillac chassis with a modified Mako suspension and drive, clad in weapons and barrier emitters, churned up the ground underneath them, she looked over at Zia.

The mysterious Zia sat next to her. Her hand stroking the hair of Naomi who now lay asleep with her head in Zia's lap. The woman who had died a husk. Come back to life from a Cerberus cloning experiment, and now was, quite possibly, the strongest biotic in the galaxy.......

…...Who had no idea how to tap that power on account that she'd somehow cheated her way through the Grissom academy biotic school........

…...And had been a lover of Zia not but a few hours ago before Zia had dropped her for Wyld......

Wyld grimaced and looked away from Zia and Naomi, over at the figure now rested on her shoulder.

Lucy. Zia's Sister of Fury. A Nickname given to three women who had worked as enforcers for Aria on Omega. One, a woman who had discarded her name and everything about herself who had had taken the name Disdain. Now dead by Zia's hands. Zia herself. The woman who had dared dream that life could offer more than what Omega and Aria allowed her.......

And Lucy.

…........

From what Wyld had seen Lucy was both a Red Sand addict and a powerful biotic. All the Sister's of Fury were biotics. But as Zia had explained, Lucy was the one who had been developed on a diet of biotic training and sand which allowed the speed of her training to increase as the sand allowed her easier access to her own innate ability. Sadly, her trainer had either miscalculated or hadn't cared about her dosage as Lucy had developed an addiction. Her body literally craving her next sand fix. Without it, Lucy's body would go into shock and without intervention, most likely die.

Wyld had already stepped in and stopped that from happening once already. Zia had been upset. Seeing the sand as the reason for her sister's condition. She wanted her sister off the sand, yet didn't comprehend how dangerous a cold turkey approach would be to her sister. When Wyld had administered a controlled dosage of sand, Zia had been understandably upset. They'd be talking about that soon, Wyld felt.

There was so much to talk about though that Wyld didn't know where to start.

For one thing, Naomi had been abducted by Disdain, all for some internal feud that come to exist within the sisterhood, and handed over to Lucy before Disdain's demise. Lucy in turn, had given Naomi Red Sand and unleashed her biotic potential.

And a murderous rage that Wyld had met full force. Her and Zia's infidelity having brought the previously sweet and gentle Naomi's anger to the fore.

Between a murderous Naomi and the Reaper army that had appeared, with live Alliance and Outcast prisoners, what had started as a simple rescue had quickly turned into a battle to survive. A fight Wyld had skewed in their favour when she'd brought Naomi and the Reaper army together. What happened next was beyond anyone's imagination. Naomi had all but massacred the Reapers. Though the effort had left her comatose, she'd saved them all. Giving Wyld, Zia and Lucy time to extract the surviving prisoners and evacuate in the Valkyr.

The Valkyr began to slow. The onboard AI Momma having guided them to a rendezvous destination with a straggler group of Hammer Forces who were heading for the Reaper Beam. Four Kodiak's with 3 Mako's slung under them.

Wyld looked at the small force and then turned to look back at where they had fled.

Behind them lay what had once been a shopping district with a Mall standing. Within, a Reaper creature Wyld had never seen that liquidated live and dead prisoners. For what purpose Wyld didn't know. But she knew she couldn't leave it alone. The Reapers were attempting something and it was her duty to see that they failed.

The Valkyr came to a halt and as the survivors disembarked, Wyld cast her eye's over the small makeshift army she had before her.

A plan began to form.

•••:innocent: Happy 2014 all!:innocent: •••

Modifié par Redbelle, 02 janvier 2014 - 11:49 .

[Redbelle]

The Valkyr arrived at the Kodiak landing zone and drove into the middle of the diamond landing formation. Kodiak crew and marines were already outside waving them to a stop as others kept watch. Slung under three of the Kodiak's were Mako's. Two mounted with missile platforms while the remaining one carried the usual 155mm Mass Accelerator canon.

Zia watched as everyone disembarked. Naomi remaining asleep on the Valkyr's back seat. Lucy staring around with wide eye's as she asked what was happening. Eventually she disappeared over the side and mingled with the troops, chatting incessantly.

Zia looked for Wyld and found her talking off away from the other troops. From where she was it looked like Wyld had gathered the squad leaders and Kodiak flight officers. They were in a heated conversation with one of the squad leaders, wearing the insignia that he was Mako qualified, looking upset. Zia saw Wyld give him a hard look and the man deflated under her scrutiny.

Zia shook her head and climbed down from the Valkyr and grabbed the arm of a passing marine.

“Where's the medic in this bunch”? She asked.

“No Medics”. Was the reply. “We lost the Kodiak with the medic on our way here”.

Zia winced as she let him go. Then turned to see what Wyld was doing.

Several of the Kodiak and Squad leaders had walked off. She could see them ordering equipment boxes out of the Kodiak holds and the rescued soldiers diving in, pulling out sets of protective armour and weapons.

The remaining officers remained around Wyld, looking over a data pad where they took turns pointing as they discussed something in earnest. Then they stood back, nodded. Saluted smartly and turned back to their vehicles.

Wyld turned, and looked in Zia's direction. Zia jerked her head, indicating a spot round the back of one of the Mako's and, without looking to see if Wyld was following, strode off.

Zia rounded the Mako, disappearing from everyones sight and pulled her mask off. She was tingling again. The deep unsettling feeling of her desire to take action. She could feel it crackling around her body as it had once before this eve. Only it was different this time. This time it was a roiling turbulent force inside of her that demanded she vent as opposed to the cool burn that she often kept a lid on.

Wyld turned the corner of the Mako, tugging off her Kestrel helmet. “Hey Zee”, she said by way of greeting. “What's u......”.

Wyld never got to finish her sentence as Zia grabbed Wyld by her weapon harness and slammed her against the Mako. In her armour it scarcely hurt her, but Zia throwing her against the wheel of the Mako caught her off guard. Even as her arm came up to grab Zia's she found herself pinned by Zia's arms holding her at her shoulders.

She didn't struggle.

Zia's face was a mix of rage and grief. “Whats up? Was that what you were about to say? What up”? Zia face contorted. “You tell me whats up Jan! I saw what you did! What you let happen back in the centre! And now we're here and Naomi's in a coma! And your to busy playing commander with the seniors when you should be taking care of her! And don't start with me about giving Red Sand to Lucy! What's next? You pump more of that crap into Naomi and fire her off against another army? Pray she lives through it so you can use her again”?

“Zee......”. Wyld started to say, but Zia just pulled her back and slammed her against the Mako wheel once more, though the force was gone.

“Void take it Jan......”. Zia said as her eye's brimmed red. “What's happening to you? What happened in the centre”?

Wyld was silent for a moment. “Naomi tried to kill me”.

Zia blinked as her vision became obscured for a moment. “Naomi wouldn't do that”.

“But she did. She knocked me off the top of the centre and I would have fallen into the mouth of that flesh processor if you hadn't caught me”.

“Maybe Naomi didn't know about the processor”?

“She had to have known about the fall Zia. And before that she was firing off warps that would have done some serious damage if I'd been hit by one”.

Zia's hands twisted as she tightened her grip on Wylds harness. “So that's why you tricked her into fighting the Reaper army? Why? Did you hope they'd kill each other”?

Now Wylds face twisted in dismay. “Is that what you think”?

“I think that as soon as I saved you from the fall you ditched your weapons and jumped over the side to be a Reaper prisoner”!

“Naomi was targetting me. It was the best way to get her and the Reapers in the the same vicinity”.

“You didn't care if you lived or died”!

Wyld's face became a an inscrutable mask. “Zia..... I care. I want to live. But we all have a job to do. You think I'm happy with how the situation span out of control”? Wyld now pulled Zia's hands off her shoulders and pushed her back. “A simple rescue! That's how this whole thing started out! We go get Naomi from your Fury sister! Only it all went to hell when the Reaper army arrived! And I said to pull out! Didn't I? That things were getting to dangerous”?

Wyld placed a steadying hand on the Mako. For everything that had happened the battle of the centre had taken a toll. “Retreat wasn't an option! If we'd tried to fight the Reapers Naomi would be on us and we'd have been overrun by the army and fed into that processor. If we'd tried to contain Naomi the Reapers would have fed the prisoners into that processor and then send up squads to find out what all the fuss was about. We'd have been overwhelmed....... and then you, me, Naomi, and Lucy would be fed into that processor”.

Wyld looked up at Zia. “I had to play for time while the Valkyr made it's way to us. I had to stop us from being sandwiched between the Reapers and Naomi”.

Zia looked on as Wyld's condition became apparent. Dried blood still clung to her bottom lip where the Marauder in charge had kicked her. “Just look me in the eye and tell me....... you didn't hope Naomi wouldn't make it out of that. That there wouldn't be anything to come between us”.

Wyld face dropped as she stared at Zia. “For the love of...... Is that what you think? How the hell did I ever sink so low in your opinion that you think I'd ever be capable of something like that”? Wyld straightened up as she took her steadying hand off the Mako. “Naomi was on sand Zia. I know the signs. I know what she did when she nearly killed me was partly because of the Red Sand she had in her. But that doesn't mean that she isn't responsible for dropping me off four floors of building! I was face to face with her when she tapped her power! When I saw the army on the way down, I knew she was the only thing we had in our arsenal, that could keep them back long enough, to effect a rescue on the prisoners..... was Naomi”!

“We were supposed to rescue her and you put her in even more danger”.

“What danger? You mean Lucy? I just met her and believe me....... dangerous isn't what I'd call her”.

“You don't know her”.

“Well it's clear you still don't know me either”! Wyld shot back.

Both went quiet. Wyld was the first to break the silence.

“Look Zee. I'm sorry. I know that last mission was hard on you. You just lost a sister......”.

Zia's corner of her lip twitched. “I killed Disdain Jan. I didn't lose her. I killed her because she held a grudge against me for leaving Omega”.

Wyld slowly nodded. “Okaaaaay. Then you went into another situation with another sister on top of that and had to face down the prospect she might resist”.

“Jan......”. Zia said exasperated. “Lucy is unpredictable! If she's lulled you into a false sense of security then just know this. A lot of people who felt the same way ended up as wall decoration after Lucy painted the places they lived with their blood”.

Wyld was silent, then. “.....Okaaaay. Then there's the fact that you still feel something for Naomi”.

“Jaaaaaan! We've been over this! Naomi was a fling! She was there. I was there. I pressed her. She reciprocated. It wasn't serious”!

“Naomi seems to think otherwise.......”. Zia blew out a long breath and turned away just as Jan mentioned. “And you still feel responsible for her in some way”.

Zia's head turned to look at Wyld. “What”?

“Remember when I said your a good person? And then I said that Naomi needs you? Didn't you see how Naomi was using you as a support throughout this war? Naomi was infatuated. Maybe she still is. Hell, she still thinks you saved her from that Brute when you were both trapped in the Kodiak”.

“That was you”. Zia noted dryly.

“Naomi seems to think otherwise”.

Zia looked down at her hands. She tried to relax them. But the memory of how she had been about to shockwave through Naomi's body caused her to tense. If she had, she'd have never come to know her the way she had. Sweet, gentle, soft. Everything Omega and it's people had not been. The decision had made sense at the time. Forced by necessity until Wyld had intervened and lopped the Brutes head off with an axe.

Forced by necessity........

Wyld was right. Things had gotten crazy back in the centre. And Wyld had met the crazy with more crazy of her own. Adapting in the blink of an eye and taken such action that they and nearly all the prisoners had escaped certain death.

Zia took deep steadying breaths. As she did, she felt arms slide around her waist and felt Wyld's breath next to her ear.

“Zee.....”. She breathed. “Are we okay”?

Zia relaxed into her embrace. “No.....”. She muttered back. “But we will be...... right”?

She felt Wyld squeeze. “Right”.

Zia's hands alighted on Wylds where she held her around her midriff. “Your the only medic here”. She told her. “These people lost their's”.

“....Damn”.

“And Naomi...... won't wake up”.

“She's asleep”.

“How do you know”?

“Because I downloaded remote monitoring software into your Omni-tools ages ago. I've been keeping an eye on all your vitals. Naomi's exhausted. She just needs rest”.

“You sure”.

Zia felt Wyld stand on her toes to bring her mouth closer to her ear. “No one messes with my gals Zee. And if they do, I'll know about it”.

Zia felt a shudder run through her body as she loosened her grip and turned in Wyld's embrace. Wyld cocked her head. “Zee”?

Zia's hungry mouth found Wylds as once more, Zia pushed her back up against the Mako wheel. Memories of the first time when they had done so against the Valkyr. Except this time...... Wyld didn't flinch. Didn't try to get away.

Her hand came up and slid around the back of her neck. Pulling her deeper.

Zia felt hot streaks run down her cheek as at last, they parted. “Goddess”. She said to Wyld's flushed face. “I needed that”.

Wyld smiled. “You okay”?

“Are you”?

Wyld sighed. “I'm fine. Really”.

“No death wish”?

“Only for the Reapers”.

Zia nodded as she pulled herself away from her. “So what were you talking about back there”?

Pushing herself off the Mako, Wyld ran a hand over where the Reaper Marauder had kicked her. Dried blood flecking off. “We're going to head over to the rest of the Bastion force. Word is there bogged down over at Tower Bridge. We're leaving one Kodiak behind though to take care of that processor and whatever Naomi left of the Reaper army”.

“How”?

Wyld grinned. “Bombing run”.

Zia immediately saw the problem. “We don't have any bombs”.

“Actually, we have Hydrogen bombs slung underneath the Kodiak's”.

Zia opened her mouth to ask what she meant, but stopped and looked up at the Mako behind Wyld. One that was strapped to the underside of the Kodiak. She winced. “Your going to use the hydrogen fuel cells of the Mako to blow up the centre”?

“Yeah. Remove the safeties and adjust the fuel burn mix, A Mako is a potential Hindenburg waiting to happen. If you know how to do it”.

“Do you”?

Wyld shook her head. “But all Mako driver's have to attend a week course on fuel cell maintenance and safety. Which means they know how to prevent a fuel cell detonation. Which means they also know how to make one happen if they throw the safety regs out and start tinkering. On top of the missiles? I think we can wipe out that Reaper force at the cost of one Mako”.

Zia rubbed the back of her neck as she considered the proposal. “Jan....... Where did you get the idea of converting Mako's into bombs and dropping them on Reapers”? Wyld hesitated and Zia persisted. “Jaaaaan”?

Wyld sighed. “Issue one hundred and sixty one of the Amazing Asari-Girl. It's an extranet indie comic.......”.

“Yeah...... Lucy introduced me”. Zia said.

“Well in that issue Asari-Girl was wounded and hid in a scrap yard where she meant Hank Hankerson' who later appeared when she went to work for the Alliance Secret Service......” Wyld stopped as she registered the look Zia was giving her. “Anyway. Hank pointed out the sky cars that still had their fuel cells installed and Asari-Girl threw them at the enemy who found her”.

“Your basing your strategy off that stupid comic series”?

“No. I”m basing it off the word of the pilot's and driver's who say they can make it happen”.

Zia was quiet for a moment. Then she laughed. Then as Wyld opened her mouth to question what she laughing at she rushed forward and wrapped her in her arms as she caught Jan's open mouth with her own.

“Zia”?

Lucy's voice came from around the corner.

Modifié par Redbelle, 03 janvier 2014 - 09:21 .

[Redbelle]

“Zia”?

Both Zia and Wyld quickly broke away from the other as Lucy appeared around the corner of the Mako. As she did Wyld quickly scrambled for her helmet while Zia smoothed the front of her uniform. Lucy caught them amid the flurry of activity and tilted her head to the side.

“Lucy”! Said Zia cheerfully.

“Hey”! Said Wyld fumbling for her chin strap. “You look better. We were just.....”.

“.....Talking”. Zia interrupted.

“.....About the mission” Wyld added.

“Yeah”. Zia said nodding. “The mission....... which is........”.

Lucy watched on as both seemed to grasp for words before offering. “You mean, the beam run”?

“Yes”! Wyld exclaimed. “That one”!

Lucy looked between them both, then fixed her eye's on Zia. “I lost my sand bag”.

“What”?

“My sand bag. It's not here”. She gestured to her belt and Zia saw it was missing from it's customary place. “We need to go back. My sand's back there and the last dose wasn't strong enough”.

Wyld made a noise in the back of her throat. “Actually....”. She started to say, and dug into her medic pouch. When she pulled her hand out she held Lucy's bag between her thumb and forefinger.

Lucy's reaction was immediate. She lunged at Wyld shrieking, “GIVE THAT BACK”! Her body crackling with biotic power.

Wyld managed to grab one arm while Zia grabbed the other. Together they pushed her back against the nearby Mako wheel, all the while Lucy shrieked and kicked and even tried to bite Wyld before Zia threw her forearm against her throat and pinned her back.

“Lucy”! Zia said as her struggles died down. “Lou, this is Jan”.

“Jerry-Ann”. Wyld added helpfully.

“Jan's a medic and she can help you”. Zia kept saying. “You said you knew what the sand was doing to you..... back in the centre. Well, you want to be better don't you? To get off the sand”?

Very slowly, Lucy nodded.

“Then let her help you. Let her hold onto the sand and she'll help you the way I can't”. Zia told her as she looked at Wyld. “That's right. Isn't it”?

“That's right”. Wyld said as she slowly eased the pressure off holding back Lucy who was staring at her with those dull red eye's. “The dosage I gave you stopped your body from crashing. I don't know the right dosage to give you yet. But what you were taking...... it was to much. You need to ease back off the sand. Let your body start recovering from all the......... What's this”?

Zia looked over at Wyld who noticed that as she had held Lucy's arm, Lucy's sleeve had dropped just enough to expose skin. A scarlet red line appeared between the exposed flesh and as Wyld tugged down, it revealed more lines. Newly healed flesh.

Scars.

Wyld turned to Lucy. “These are cuts”. Lucy shivered as Zia held her other arm and pulled down the sleeve. More scar's appeared just as Lucy jerked her arms out of their combined grip and wrapped them around herself. She was trembling like a leaf as Zia asked.

“Lou....... what happened”?

“You left......” Was the response. “You left and Disdain said it was my fault. She was right. She's sometimes right. So she said that I had to be punished and that I deserved it. And she made me say nothing or she said she'd leave too”. Lucy blinked rapidly. “Only Disdains dead so I can tell people. But there's another butcher asleep back there. I don't want another butcher. But there's always a butcher. And the baker keeps the butcher from cutting. But the baker went away and the butcher cut the candlestick maker and the sand wasn't powder anymore and.......”.

Wyld spoke softly. “Lucy”. Lucy looked up at her and Wyld brought her hand up to grasp Lucy's. Wyld activated her Omni-Tool and, bringing Lucy's up, pressed a few of the holographic buttons. There was a ping.

Wyld took her hand away. “I just downloaded a monitoring program to your Omni-Tool. I'll watch over you. We both will. Right Zee”?

Zia looked over at Wyld. Her helmet's visor was up and she could see in her eye's that her mind was made up.

Lucy was part of the squad now.

The only circle of friends that, since Omega, she felt accepted. Both she of them, and they of her.

Zia smirked. “Mother hen”.

“Angel”. Lucy piped in.

“What”?

“Guardian angel. With white wings...... Ear's....... Ear wings”. She said looking at antennae mounts on Wylds modified Kestrel helm. “I read about them. They carry harps and spears”.

Zia leaned back and spied the Lancer on Wyld's back.

Close enough. She thought as she leaned back and offered Lucy her hand. Lucy took it and Zia pulled Lucy into an embrace. “Lou...... Omega's behind us now. We don't have to live like Butcher's, or Bakers......”.

Lucy sniffed. “You are a Baker”.

“....... Or even Candlestick makers. We can put that behind us and start new lives. There's nothing to stop us from doing that. And this could be a wonderful thing for you because Jan understand's you in a way I can't”.

Lucy peeked out from over Zia's arm as she turned to look at Wyld. “Does she like The Amazing Asari-Girl too”?

Wyld crossed her arms. “Original series or the reinvention run”?

“Original of course”.

“love it”.

“Outfit”?

“The sari look”. Wyld affirmed. “That combat armour in the later series was too sexualised to take her character seriously. Asari-Girl supposed to be a civilian”.

“I know”. Lucy said as she pulled her head out of Zia's arm. “That was when the series got handed over to a new production group......”.

“......Who completely misunderstood the core virtues of the character”! Wyld said with a bit heat creeping into her voice. “And those idiots on the extra-net forums who just wanted reinvention for the sake of reinvention......”

“......Didn't understand that the direction they made the production take severed her from her root's as a character and comic book icon”! Lucy said pulling herself out of Zia's arms to stand in front of Wyld. “You don't just take a character loved by billions and turn them into something their not because the writing and artist changes.......”.

“......The new team has to continue in the spirit of the production while bringing new aspects of the character out for the audience......”.

“.....Who are even more invested than the producer's......”.

“.....Who rotate in and out every year or two and....”.

“Stop”!

Both Wyld and Lucy turned to look at Zia who was holding a hand to her head. She sighed “Goddess save me. It was bad enough when it was just Lucy”. She looked up and fixed Wyld with a look. “Jan...... I think we should move out now”.

Wyld opened her mouth to say something. Then saw the look Zia was aiming at her and had the grace to look a little sheepish. “Okay......Good idea”. She looked back at Lucy. “She'll make a good commander one day. Don't you think”?

“Don't even joke about that”. Zia said sharply and turned and walked away.

Wyld and Lucy watched her turn the corner as Lucy leaned towards Wyld. “You excited about the new Asari-Girl run next year too”?

Wyld held a fist up to Lucy. “Totally”.

Lucy grinned as she brought a fist of her own up and bumped it with Wyld's.

Modifié par Redbelle, 06 janvier 2014 - 03:23 .

[Kel Riever]

Rea sunk deep into the seat of the Starscreamer as the vehicle sped around another London building to avoid shooting from below.  She had just made a third pass, with Rothan unleashing his biotics and the jet bike’s machine gun into the Reaper troops, when a sight caused both asari and quarian to glance skyward.
 
Out of the war torn and star filled night, a cluster of blue-tailed streaks descended from the heavens. The cluster might have appeared as a tightly knit meteor shower, except for that none of the streaks arced as their lead points moved, and the speed of the projectiles was far faster than any freely falling body would generate. As the cluster came closer, the air was lit by the growing luminescence of white fire.
 
“What is that?” Rothan asked, his mind removed from the battle at hand.
 
Rea had never seen a sight like the one she now witnessed, but she recognized what it meant immediately. “The Destiny Ascension.”
 
Then, in a flash, the cluster struck its Earth-bound target. Rea and Rothan could not see the impact, but the scores of explosions drowned all other noise even at their distance. Momentarily, the brilliance of the collateral explosions brought daylight to the battlefield, before diminishing to reveal a mushroom cloud that seemed to combine all of the hellish devastation inflicted as it spread upwards. 
 
Rea banked once more to begin another attack run. With Rothan at her back, she dared to believe that the war could be won.
 
~ ~ ~ ~
 
Dale watched with the others nearby as the cluster of projectiles arrived like the thunderbolts of a god. The target of the bombardment was the Reaper Maw, rearing on the northward side of the Thames. The Maw had reversed itself to launch acidic bile at some threat behind it, before rotating to bring its attention back to the bridge crossers. When it did, the Maw’s last action was to lift its head upward towards the harbinger of its own destruction. 
 
There was nothing more to see than a monumental flash of white light that caused Dale’s polarizing visor to blacken. The brilliance was still enough to overcome the protection for her eyes and she instinctively closed them. Next, a shockwave followed that knocked those standing to their feet, while blasting all with a gale like wind. Multiple, deafening detonations made Dale wonder if she would hear again, and vibrations shook through her suit. When she opened her eyes, fire rose from the place the Reaper Maw had once been.
 
Dale thought she heard someone shout, “Son of a b***h!” And then she was sure she heard the krogan, Arkeer, screaming a battle cry. Focusing once more on the enemy that kept coming from in front of her, Dale signaled for her team to advance. Though the enemy had been stunned as the Alliance had, they were recovering to continue their relentless assault.
 
“Nothing quite like a mass accelerator orbital strike, is there?!” Arkeer roared, and held his Claymore high.
 
“No,” Dale said, “But I bet we can do better.” She knew she was provoking the krogan, in what she hoped would be a useful way.
 
Arkeer grinned with a toothy smile. “I can. I hope you humans will be able to keep up!”

Modifié par Kel Riever, 06 janvier 2014 - 07:18 .

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

As we left off the main squad of Asari and what was left of Jack’s Grissom squad was back in Citadel Flight Control. They had the door locked and encrypted in case Reaper forces tried to get in and close the Citadel to prevent the Crucible from docking. Naleena had taken Marisa to the Citadel Ring to try and rescue the Council. They helped out C-sec, then ran into a Turian Spectre near the Spectre Armory, but a squad of Salarian STG agents saw Naleena and one of them ID’ed her and took a shot and missed killing the Turian. Naleena had her gun drawn and the camera angle looked like Naleena took the shot, so they pinned it on Naleena and reactivated her file. Naleena and Marisa used the Turian’s palm to get into the Spectre Armory. Since then they’ve uncovered a plot to undermine Asari leadership in the galaxy and put the Salarians on top after the war is over. For the first time in her life, Naleena is thinking of someone other than herself.

Naleena pulled up the floor plans on her omni-tool. “Hmmm. It looks like we have to go outside again.”

“****. I hear voices,” Marisa said. “Hide.”

Marisa hid behind the doorway and had a large heavy desk lamp over her head. Naleena had her .22 drawn. The two Salarians were talking.

“No sign of them, Sgt.,” the one said as they entered. “I wonder where they could have gone.”

“Probably to the Human embassy. We should check there,” the other said and he entered.

*Clunk* Marisa hit the last one on the head with the lamp, and he collapsed to the floor. Naleena threw a stasis on the first Salarian while he was drawing his weapon and came out of her hiding place. 

“Aren’t you going to kill him?”

“Later. I want to interrogate this toad, first,” Naleena said. “Check the first one to see if he’s still alive. This one is a sergeant. That one looks like an officer.”

“He’s still breathing.”

“Good. Keep a gun on him,” Naleena waited for the stasis to wear off.

It finally did, and the Salarian Sgt. said. “You’ll never get away with this.”

“We’ll see about that. So why don’t you start by telling me what your government is planning?” Naleena asked.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Cut the crap. Uplifting the Yahg? And otherwise not doing **** during this entire war. We’re down there bleeding purple and you guys are sitting smug back on Sur’kesh with your entire fleet, except for a few squads of STG that some Major sent to Earth,” Naleena said. “Our fleet is out there getting torn up and your fleet is sitting intact ready to assert Salarian dominance when the war is over. Why don’t you start explaining? I’ve seen the files, and I’ve got the drives.”

“Oh dear,” the Salarian said.

“So you do know. Where are the rest of the files?” 

“I don’t know.”

“How many of you are there?”

“I’m not telling you anything.”

“You live what, 40 years max? You’re what? About 18? That’s a real short life for a toad, isn’t it?”

“Asari military don’t interrogate like that.
”
“I’m not Asari military. I’m a criminal, a murderer who is facing the rest of her life in prison, aren’t I, Marisa?” Naleena said, and Marisa nodded. “So I’ve got nothing to lose, but you? You have everything to lose. Check the other one for a pass code.”

Marisa started checking the lieutenant’s pockets. She found a pass card, but the lieutenant was conscious and grabbed her. Naleena used the sergeant as a shield.

“That pea shooter isn’t going to do anything to me,” the lieutenant said. “So why don’t you set it down on the table.”
“It will do something to him, though, like scramble his brains,” Naleena was almost laughing. “You don’t have a gun either.”“I’ll snap her neck.”

“Try it. If you succeed I’ll put you through so much biotic pain you will wish you were dead.”

The lieutenant pushed Marisa toward Naleena and ran out the door. Naleena killed the sergeant. “Oops.”

Marisa slapped Naleena. “Try it? And you'd let him live?”

"At first, yes. I deserved that, but did you have to hit so hard?" Naleena winced.

"Yes."

“Well, you’re still alive. Okay, the floor plan says we have to go out the door turn left and go down to the next office on the left. There’s a floor vent that leads to the STG office. I’m assuming our lieutenant friend ran screaming down the stairwell to the same office to warn them we’re coming and they’re going to be waiting for us. This is going to get nasty. Do you know what I’m thinking?”

“You’re probably thinking of going down the stairs and seeing if we can find a group of reapers somewhere and lure them to the STG offices,” Marisa smiled.

“You read my mind. And we come back up the stairs and use the vents. Oh see if any of these idiots have a tactical cloak. I’ll show you how to use it.”

Modifié par sH0tgUn jUliA, 08 janvier 2014 - 01:19 .

[Redbelle]

When Wyld and Lucy emerged from around the Mako into the bustle of activity of the landing zone, Wyld saw Zia standing talking to a couple of pilot's.

They did not look happy.

Finally Zia threw her hands in the air and turned and walked away. Towards Wyld. She jerked a thumb behind her at the pilots. “Jan.... Can you talk to them? Pull rank maybe”?

“What about”?

Zia bit her lip. “I think...... we need to split up for awhile”.

Wyld found herself blinking as Zia's words struck home. “Why”?

Zia, seeing the expression on Wyld's face, groaned. “It's not like that Jan. It's about Naomi. When she wakes up I don't know what will happen. She might be powerless. Or she might still have some sand power in her. She might flare. She might...... do anything...... And as her trainer I need to have her alone. In a controlled space. Somewhere where I can manage her if she lashes out...... If she's still capable of lashing out”. Zia added.

Wyld looked from the Valkyr, to the pilot's, to the Kodiak without a Mako strapped to it's belly and back to Zia. “You want to put her in a Kodiak”?

“Yes”.

“What about the soldiers”?

“They'll have to divide up in the other shuttles. This is important Jan. I need Naomi alone. I have to talk to her. We...... haven't really talked...... Not since Bastion and.......”.

“When she found out we were......”.

“Exactly”.

Both went quiet as they looked at the other. Lucy stood nearby and looked back and forth between the two. Finally Wyld broke the silence. “I don't expect the pilot's are happy to think that they'll be flying with a biotic bomb in their passenger compartment”.

“That pretty much covers it”. Zia confirmed.

“I'll talk to them”.

“Thanks”.

“Can you help her”?

“....... I don't know”.

“Try”?

Zia grimaced. “I don't know what to say. I've never been in this position. Ever. I just...... wish she'd never found out”. As Zia spoke, her eye's slid over to Lucy.

Wyld caught the shift in attention and when she realised where she was looking, she moved a hand around Lucy's shoulder. “She's with me. I need her close to monitor her sand dosage. Don't worry. She'll be fine”.

Slowly Zia nodded. “Lou. Jan's a very important friend of mine”.

Lucy giggled. “You got naked with her. Didn't you”.

Zia became aware that she was standing with her mouth open. Wyld meanwhile just reached up and snapped her visor shut. That did nothing to hide the spread of redness in her cheeks as Zia shut her door so hard her teeth clicked.

“..... a very..... very, important friend”. Zia added with more force than necessary. “You understand”?

Lucy folded her arms across her chest. “But she's not as good as Aria, I'll bet your thinking”.

Zia narrowed her eye's. “Lucy.....”.

“Don't Lucy me”! She snapped. “I know what's happening. You don't want me or her near your other lover so she won't explode”.

Zia looked over at Wyld whose face was now hidden behind the faceplate of her Kestrel. She couldn't make out what she was thinking.

“Naomi's not my other lover anymore”.

“Zee”. Wyld interjected. “Just because you chose me over her doesn't mean she's nothing to you anymore, right? She's probably feeling alone and hurt. And when she wakes up, she'll probably try to tell you how she feels. You should listen to her. Then tell her where you and her stands”. Wyld paused. “There's no point telling her we're an item. She already knows. Naomi need's the delicate touch right now”.

Lucy nodded enthusiastically. “Aria liked Zia's delicate touch. When Aria let her use her hands”.

Zia winced. “I'll, think about it..... but right now”. She gestured again at the pilots. Wyld nodded and moved over to begin the discussion.

When the talking was done, and the personnel had been moved Wyld found herself once again behind the wheel of the Valkyr. It was like coming home. But things were not the same.

Lucy now sat in the place that Zia customary took at her side. Practically bouncing in her seat after Wyld had given her another measured dosage of Red Sand. Two lieutenant J.G's sat in the back who Wyld didn't know, space on the other Kodiak's now at a premium since one of the shuttles was now reserved for Zia and Naomi. The other was heading away from the group towards the shopping centre that they had escaped from with a mission of it's own. That left two shuttles packed with soldiers and underslung Mako's. With manoeuvring severely hampered by the extra weight Wyld had offered to go ahead and scout the route ahead.

They all began moving out. Their destination, a lone bridge over the river Thames where the rest of the army of Bastion were said to be crossing.

Modifié par Redbelle, 07 janvier 2014 - 04:49 .

[Redbelle]

“.....And the day after Aria took Zia away for two days..... she couldn't walk till the evening”. Lucy said to Wyld as they bounced along the uneven tarmac that had been ripped apart by the war with the Reapers. “Disdain didn't like that. She wanted to be Aria's. But I think Aria saw the worst of herself in Disdain. I'm not sure what Aria saw in Zia, but Disdain envied them being together......”.

Wyld was grateful for her visor. With it's faceplate down and covering her eyes it hid the sympathetic wince that had grown out form Lucy's constant monologue of how Aria and Zia and once been lovers.

Kind of.

Lucy had also gone into detail about Aria's extensive..... love life? Wyld supposed she had to call it. If you called no strings attached flings of passion with those she either had in her employ or were people of interest to her.

Listening to Lucy going on Wyld had the uncomfortable feeling that she was a voyeur in a side to Zia's life that Zia had hinted at, but never told her in detail about. She was surprised to find as Lucy, went on, a growing resentment towards Aria. She took a deep breath and buried that feeling down. It was unworthy of her. What had happened in the past belonged in the past, Wyld reminded herself. She had no claim on whatever Zia had done or been, no right to judge her for actions she had decided for herself to take.

The last thing Wyld wanted to be was judgemental about Zia's past. What mattered was their present. And more importantly, their future.

Zia had, after all, been understanding about Wyld's interest in a certain comic character that she and Lucy shared an affinity for.

She became aware that she had zoned out of Lucy's constant babbling when Lucy stopped. And turned to the two marines in the back of the Valkyr.

“Your too quiet”. Lucy said to them. “Your acting like you don't want attention. On Omega people like you have done bad things. Then Aria would talk to us Fury sister's and one of us would beat the bad out of them”. The two soldier's exchanged nervous glances as Lucy leaned herself forward over the seat to fix one of them with a stare. “Are you a bad man”?

“No Ma'am”. Said the first soldier. Lucy nodded.

“True”. She said. Then swiveled her head to look at the other. “Are you bad”?

The other gulped. “No”.

“Also true”. Lucy said and slumped back into her seat and started fiddling with her gloves. “I'm bad sometimes. Sometimes you have to let it out or it eats you up inside. Laughing helps too. Do you laugh”? She asked Wyld.

Wyld tilted her head to look at Lucy. “Sure. I laugh sometimes”.

Lucy looked up suddenly and fixed Wyld with a wide eye'd stare as she slowly leant forward. Then her gaze darted to the dashboard of the Valkyr “......There's a ghost in the car”!

Lucy darted down into the footwell leaving only her legs sticking out over the seat. Wyld actually hit the brake. Sending them into such a complete stop that the marines behind her flew forward against the backs of the front seats while the rest of Lucy's body shot forward and disappeared into the bowels of the Valkyr.

“Sorry”. Wyld said over her shoulder at the two marines as she unbuckled and leaned over to see where Lucy had gone. “Lou”?

“There's something in here”! Came back Lucy's response. “I think it's alive”!

Wyld saw a foot and grabbed it, yanking back and pulling Lucy halfway out of the footwell. “Your talking about Momma? She's an AI. Her hardware's down there so don't touch”.

Lucy kicked. “I want to see”!

Wyld huffed and reached out with her other hand. Intending to pull Lucy out of the footwell when Momma's voice came out of the dash. “Perhaps if you gave her the other Kestrel helmet I could talk to her”.

Wyld had to admit it was a good idea. The helmet was down where Lucy was. “Lou”? She said. “See that helmet? If you put it on you can talk to Momma. You can see her too”.

Lucy looked towards where Wyld was pointing. Sure enough, Wyld's old kestrel helm, the first one she had received when given the Valkyr was there. Albeit a bit dusty and battered from all the assignment's she had been through since the evening's beginning.

Lucy grabbed the helm, and with a bit of twisting managed to extricate herself from the footwell. She held up the helm and looked at it, then at Wylds. “Where are the ears?”

“Win..... never mind”. Wyld groaned. “Just put it on”.

“It's been bashed”.

“It's my old helmet”.

“It smells”.

Wyld found herself momentarily lost for words. “Do you want to meet an AI or not”?

Lucy seemed to be debating with herself before she tugged back her hood and thrust the helmet on over her head. When she had done so she held out her arms and waved them about.

“It's dark”.

“Turn the power on”.

Lucy started pawing at the helmet. “Where's the power”?

Wyld gave a half sigh, half laugh and leaned over the toggle the power. As soon as she did, Lucy made a long cooing sound.

“It's a load screen”!

Wyld nodded.

“It's booting up now”!

Wyld settled back in her seat and gave Lucy a tug so that she to sat in hers before slowly pulling away in the Valkyr once more.

“Now it want's to know what language I want”!

“Look at English and blink”. Wyld told her

Lucy went quiet. Then mummered. “Safe mode? no. Peripherals? no. System update?........”.

“No”. Came Momma's calm soothing voice. “Allow me to finish the process for you, Miss Lucy”.

Lucy gasped as, in front her eye's, the world came into focus as a pixalated world swam into view from top down. Lucy turned her head this way and that, looking at the world through the Kestrel. “I can see”!

Wyld smiled. Then when Lucy said. “I can see without sand again”! Wyld turned her head towards Lucy with a question on her lips. A heartbeat before she could ask, she heard Momma answer.

“I detected the signs of optical tinting in your retinae and have adjusted the helmet's colour profiling to compensate. You should be seeing the world without the red tint that your condition mandates”.

Lucy looked everywhere. Then when she looked at Wyld she paused. She regarded Wyld, her gaze going up and down her white armoured body several times before shaking her head. “You looked better in pink”.

Before Wyld could issue a retort Momma suddenly issued a warning. “Jerry-Ann. I have detected a personal distress beacon. It is coming approximately thirty degree's to your right three hundred yards ahead. It is Alliance in origin”.

Wyld called over her sholder. “Weapons up. Possible enemy action ahead”.

Modifié par Redbelle, 09 janvier 2014 - 12:11 .

[Redbelle]

The Valkyr came to a halt in front of a scene Wyld could only describe as a blood bath. Reaper and Alliance forces alike had fought here. It had been a major engagement too by the looks of it. Bodies of Reapers lay piled up in places, indicating that the Reapers had been throwing themselves into Weapons fire in their bid to kill their targets.

The alliance though......

Looking around, Wyld saw foxholes dotted around. Burned out sky cars overturned and arranged as barrier's to hide behind while funnelling enemy advances. The whole street had been turned into a series of fire zones. Area's where the enemy would be forced to bunch together into small units if they wanted any hope of advancing forward. Whoever had fought this action had clearly thought through and prepared the ground for taking the brunt of a Reaper thrust.

There had still been causalities though.

Further up the street, past the first wall of sky cars, Wyld saw a body laying just in front of the next wall. One alliance soldier who had been to slow falling back to the next layer of prepared defences and had suffered the price of several Reaper rounds to the back.

Wyld grimaced, then turned to the others. “We go on foot from here”.

One of the marines shifted nervously. “We're safer in the vehicle”.

“We're sitting ducks in the Valkyr”. Wyld told him. “To many high vantage points. One hit could take us all out. We need to spread out”.

Lucy nodded by Wylds side, the Kestrel strap left dangling under chin which made the Kestrel she wore keep sliding as she did. “Good soldier knows how to spread themselves. Bad ones don't”.

“Riiiight”. Wyld drawled as she turned again to the two in the back. “The Valkyr's got a sensor suite but there's to much obstruction ahead to get clear readings. We dismount, use our eye's to scan what's ahead and above us. The Valkyr will back us up and cover our flanks and rear”.

The two in the back looked unconvinced till Lucy pulled the Kestrel off her head. “Sissy's in red”. Was all she said as she dropped the helm in the seat and jumped over the side.

Wyld looked on, then turned back to the soldiers. “We either cover each other or your deadweight to the squad. Either way, your going to be getting out of the Valkyr now”. She paused. “Don't make me order you”.

The pair nodded and disembarked, followed by Wyld who was running behind as she leant over the seat, popped the weapons crate and withdrew an item. Drawing her Lancer and toggling her adaptive camo, her armour took on the colour and texture of the broken ground under her feet and raising her rifle to the ready, she advanced forward.

Scanning head and looking upwards she saw the area was clear and she gestured for Lucy to come over to her.

“You okay”? Wyld asked as Lucy stepped close.

“Yeah”? Lucy replied.

Wyld nodded. “You armed”?

“No”? Lucy replied.

Wyld shook her head. Lucy was making every answer sound like a question. Shaking it off she pulled out an SMG and held it out to Lucy. “This is a M-12 Locust. Not much of clip size but it'll hit what you point it at. And with the rate of fire you can be in and out of cover faster than anyone can pour fire on you”.

Lucy looked down at the weapon. “I used to have a blood pack punisher on Omega. It made people go squish. Does this make people go squish”?

Wyld winced. The BPP Lucy mentioned carried an underslung barrel that fired AP ammo rounds. Most likely the 'squish', Lucy was talking about. She shook her head. “This one's about dumping fire on an enemy. If you need more......”.

“I'm a biotic”! Lucy said snatching the Locust. “I can squish by myself”. She declared as she looked down at the weapon in her hands. “Um, how do you turn off the safety”? Wyld reached and indicated the switch on the side of the casing. “Okay...... and what are we doing again”?

Wyld had to admit that there were times when she wasn't the sharpest tool in the box. With everything going on around her it was easy to forget the little things. And sometimes, the little thing manifested themselves in one big thing.

Lucy was not a soldier.

And as Wyld looked at the Red Sand addicted former Omega enforcer, twiddling the safety of the SMG, who had previously been torturing an important member of her squad, she realised......

Maybe giving her a gun was bad idea.

Scratch that. Taking her out on a mission was a bad idea.

But She'd promised Zia she'd look after her and that meant keeping Lucy with her.

Damn.

How to deal with the situation though. Wyld squared her shoulders. “Lucy..... eye's up”.

Lucy looked up, surprised by the shift in Wyld's tone.

“Listen Lou, I promised your sister I'd help you, so I'm going to help you...... become more like her”.

“Like Zia”? Lucy's eye's lighted up.

“Just like Zia..... but with more Lucy. How would you like to be a recruit”?

“......Like...... A soldier”?

“Exactly”!

Lucy tilted her head as she thought about the proposal. “So I'd be a soldier like Zia. A Fury”?

“Eventually”.

Lucy pouted. “But I am a Fury! I'm a Fury now! We were sisters!…... OF FURY! The clue is in the name”?

Wyld raised her visor and stared her down. “Zia had to go through basic training before the Alliance recognised her as one of theirs. Basic is important. It builds a rapport with among soldiers and drills them to understand how to work together”. Wyld looked around at the devastation around them, then leaned forward and whispered. “But I think your a bit to advanced for basic, so if you want to be soldier like Zia, how about we go through Advanced...... Basic”.

It was all Wyld could do to keep a straight face as Lucy looked at her as if she had told her she'd won her hearts most fervant desire. “Advanced Basic”..... She mummered. “Did Zia go though Advanced Basic”?

“No...... just Basic”.

Lucy gaze shifted to the side and she seemed to be staring into the distance. “I could be like Zia.....”. She whispered. “But beyond basic”!

“Yeah”.

Lucy nodded. “Okay!........ How”?

Wyld half turned back to the wall. “Stick with me. I'll show you. Keep your eye's open and shoot any Reaper that appears”.

“Okay”.

“And Lucy....”. Wyld told her as she starting stepping out in front.

“What”?

Wyld jerked her head, indicating that Lucy move to stand behind her and to the side. “Dying's an automatic fail, so try not too”.

Lucy took up her position. “I'm hard to kill” She said.

Wyld smiled and turned her head back to the front. “I meant”, she whispered to herself. “Try not to kill me”.

[Kel Riever]

Maelstrom reeled. Pain, that of the old, primitive, nervous-system based biological forms that formed part of its construction, was not the source of its anguish. But what occurred when the Reaper Maw had finally met its doom could be called nothing less than pain. Precious resources had been devoted and lost. Maelstrom’s capacities had been diminished.
 
And was there no other that could see the threat of those who had almost crossed the bridge?
 
Or were they simply not looking?
 
Or, worse, had the eldest one…the Harbinger…instructed them not to?
 
Across the battlefield, Maelstrom sounded its mechanical blare. Part in rage, and part a plea for those who would help fight to end this cycle. If none would come, Maelstrom would do what was necessary, without assistance. The future of depended on its success.
 
Maelstrom focused upon the bridge. To devote its most powerful weapon to the task of the bridge was a tragic waste of efficiency, but the loss of the Maw left no other choice. Somewhere else, an important enemy would be spared for the need to put an end to those on the bridge through direct intervention. Somewhere, the enemy would do more damage because of the necessary actions Maelstrom now needed to take. The cost was becoming too great.
 
From within Maelstrom, an incredible power was generated, and coursed through its entirety before being unleashed through its cannon. Red energy shot forth from Maelstrom as a beam and struck the near end of the bridge, melting the structure at that part, and everything on it, in an instant. 
 
The generally insignificant attacks from enemies upon Maelstrom’s hull began to take noticeable effect. There were frigates which struck, the occasional low orbit cruiser, a swarm of fighters which were held off with oculi drones. Enemies that would never have caused harm if Maelstrom had to not repeatedly redirect its resources. Yet the forces at the bridge had to be stopped, and if that meant Maelstrom’s own destruction, so it was meant to be. Maelstrom generated another, maximum energy, beam and launched it at the bridge. Another third of the bridge was annihilated, and the waters under it started to boil. 
 
Damage entered through Maelstrom’s barriers. Momentarily, systems were made vulnerable, until the Reaper was able to compensate for them again. Quickly, minimal barriers were raised again, while point defense systems were activated to fend off the threat. A recalculation left Maelstrom with the conclusion that nothing else needed to be done to the bridge crossing itself, however, enough forces had reached the opposite shore that they would need to be dealt with. Measured counter-attacks were able to restore Maelstrom’s dominance again, at least for the moment. And at least to give time enough to execute Maelstrom’s reassessed strategy.
 
Power was devoted once again, but not to the main cannon. Instead, Maelstrom began to lift off.

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

On The Citadel - Naleena LXXVI

"Do you still have it?" Naleena asked.

Marisa showed Naleena the card and grinned. "No Salarian bastard is going to rip something this valuable out of my hands."

Naleena snatched the card out of Marisa's hand. "I'll take that if you don't mind. That suit of Alliance armor doesn't have pockets. This one does," Naleena hesitated for a moment, "and thanks. You did some quick thinking to hang onto that. You might want to consider hand to hand."

"And why is that?" Marisa asked with a glare in her eyes.

"If you hit a toad as hard as you **** slapped me, you might even knock him silly. That really stung. Cheap shot, too."

"Was not," Marisa said, "and what's this?"

"That, my dear Marisa, is a life saver," Naleena smiled. "Take it off of his wrist, slip it over yours, and come to me my darling."

"I'm not 'your darling.'"

"Have it your way, then. You can't even take a joke."

"So now I'm a joke?"

"By the ****ing Goddess! Just get over here so I can attune the tactical cloak to you."

Marisa looked toward the door. It was clear. "Why do you call them 'toads?' You know the Salarians."

"Hold your arm still and watch the door," Naleena said while she used a very tiny screwdriver on the omni-tool. "It all started about 200 years ago. I was merely a child of 100 dancing in a club. I had a job to follow this very wealthy Turian back to his home and steal an old Turian artifact for a client. My pole had a perfect vantage point where I could see when he was going to leave. I wore my catsuit while dancing. This toad sat right down in front of me and started propositioning me. I told him 'no.' The ****er wouldn't take 'no' for and answer. He wasn't alone. The Turian left and I left.

"The toad and his group followed me out. One of them got in the way. I pushed him aside. I didn't see the Krogan. The toad wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. Neither were his friends. The Krogan had a shotgun. I grabbed the leader and held a gun to his head. Ordered the others to put down their weapons, then killed them, then killed the last toad."

"You shot all of them?" Marisa asked.

"No. We were on the 21st floor. I gave their boss a nice flight. I lost my quarry. The job was fubar. There was a murder scene. I had to get a new alias and new location. They got was was coming to them, admit it."

"Yes."

"And we've got a green..., barely. Now to activate this thing, press this button on your wrist. To deactivate it, press this one. Try it here to get a feel for it."

Marisa tested the cloaking system and everything functioned.

"Did you feel anything strange?" Naleena asked.

"No, everything felt normal," Marisa replied.

"Good, then it worked properly," Naleena said, "I wasn't sure because it's a Salarian model. I really had to push the adjustment on it for Asari. It's the body size. Let's go."

"I didn't see where the Salarian went. I'm guessing he went to alert others."

"Yeah, there's never just one. It's like they spawn. Watch our backs."

Naleena raised her hand and gave a signal to be silent. She scanned the office and signalled to Marisa that there was someone in there. Marisa hit the door latch. It was unlocked, and opened. The two burst into the room guns aiming.

"Don't shoot!" a Turian civilian shouted.

Marisa closed the door. "Quiet! And what the hell are you doing in here? Shouldn't you be in some sort of shelter?"

"You saw those things out there. The place is crawling with them. I tried to get out, but I saw them and ducked in here," the Turian said.

"But you didn't think to lock the door? You're either dumb, lucky or both," Naleena said, "So who are you?"

"Name is Kuril. I just work in the embassy. I was securing some files when all hell broke loose. Then that big explosion. What the hell was that?"

"That was us opening the gate," Naleena replied lowering her weapon, "We're up from Earth."

"Earth? That's way the hell. No, no. The last thing that happened is that the Reapers were attacking and we were closing the Citadel, and a whole ****load of transports got in, and C-sec has had their handsful fighting them on the ring and in the wards," Kuril said.

"The Reapers towed the Citadel to Earth. There's a big battle going on. We blew up the top part of the Tower, and they're building a reaper in the lower part of the Tower," Marisa said.

"It was costly, too. I'm sorry about Palaven, but look, you can't stay here," Naleena said.

"I'm just an office worker. Where the hell am I supposed to go?"

"I know you know how to use a gun. Every Turian does. There's a squad or more of STG out there."

"Really? They can help, then," Kuril started for the door.

Naleena grabbed him. "No. They're the enemy."

"What? They're Salarian. They're on our side," Kuril said.

"I'm sorry, Kuril. I broke into your offices, and into your computer systems and files. Palaven is pretty much dead. Thessia got hit late, and we're going to be willing to help your race recover, but the toads? They're up to something and it isn't good," Naleena said.

"Tell him about the Yahg," Marisa said.

"The toads haven't done s*** for the war effort, really. And now they're uplifting the Yahg. I have the files." Naleena said. "Their fleet is sitting all nice and at full strength at Sur'Kesh."

"And the humans are bringing it with the Krogan. We can win this, here, today," Marisa said. "Something really stinks, and we've got to find it."

"Your choice, Kuril. You want to live under a republic? or a dictatorship with Yahg patrolling the streets?" Naleena asked.

"F*** that. I'm with you guys. Do you have a gun?" Kuril asked, his face turning more ashen than usual.

"Good choice. Yeah, it's one of those fancy Scorpion pistols. I got it off a dead toad," Naleena said, "You're going to need to be real quiet. We're going duct crawling."

[Redbelle]

With Wyld and Lucy covering the forward position, the two soldier's following behind covering their flanks, and the Valkyr rumbling behind scanning everything that was ahead and behind, the group began moving in through the fire zone street.

As they moved through the first section into the second, Wyld noticed that the number of Reaper dead was less than the first. The Reaper dead were still piled up at the choke points that the sky cars, turned over onto their sides, allowed. Already Wyld's mind was reconstructing the events as they moved deeper through the killing fields.

Whoever had done this had known that the Reapers force of numbers meant that they would be quickly overwhelmed if they allowed the Reaper to bring their number's to bear. Channeling them into small avenues had been a good strategy. The first, and second wall's showed that the kill count of dead Husks, Cannibals and Marauder's was staggering where the Reaper forces had fought back using the sky cars as cover, only for individuals to be pushed out by the piling up number's pushing them from behind.

Wyld counted one Alliance dead between those two sections. The unlucky one whose back had caught the Reaper fire as the first wall had been overrun and the Alliance groups had fallen back to the second wall where the same story was repeated.

From the third wall on however it was a different picture altogether. The wall of sky cars had been toppled forward. The Reapers, most likely, pushing from their side to remove the obstructions that they had to have realised was hindering them pressing their advantage.

That was when Wyld saw the first signs of explosives being used on Reaper positions. Without the benefit of the funnel effect the Alliance had to respond with fragmentation grenades. Bit's of grenade casing was embedded in in the Reapers, the walls, the ground...... The Alliance forces had thrown a lot of firepower at the street to keep the Reapers back, and it had worked for a time it seemed.

Though at a price.

More Alliance soldier's lay dead. Some in open ground. Other's in foxholes where stray rounds or a return grenade had had been thrown. The cost of the engagement had shifted and the Alliance forces had paid a heavier price.

And still it seemed, the Reaper had kept coming.

The forth and final wall had likewise been overturned. Yet Wyld noticed fewer explosive devices had been used. The Alliance soldier's had likely ran out of heavy ordnance and were down to the guns on their backs to hold the Reapers back. Reaper bodies still lay scattered, but now, they weren't localised in or around where the walls had been taken down. Bodies lay scattered along the street. They had breached the defences and were going after the troops who had persecuted them........

Where?

Wyld looked at the bodies laying further afield. From those that lay in a central mass the Reaper ball seemed to have formed a split. Instead of littering an area focused on the centre of the street, Reaper bodies seemed to lay offside the centre, moving towards to the sides of the street while the corpse count in the centre began the thin.

Wyld paused and held up a hand.

The soldier's and Valkyr came to a stop and maintained sweeping the area.

Lucy on the other hand, moved around Wyld and hi-fived her.

Wyld actually found herself chuckling. “Lucy......”. She said in a low voice. “When I hold my hand up, like this, it means stop”.

Lucy looked up at Wyld's hand as she lowered it back to the stock of the rifle. “Usually people screaming at me..... Stop, oh spirit's stop it hurt's, means stop”.

Wyld sighed.

“Or, This one's life will be in mortal jeopardy if the Fury does not relent in squashing it so”.

“Lou, what do you see over there... and there”. Wyld pointed to the sides of the streets.

Lucy's eye's followed. “Buildings. Bodies. Things that broke”.

“If I was fighting a retreat action and all my carefully laid traps had been overrun, I'd be looking for cover”.

“Well the buildings a stupid place to do that”. Lucy declared. “A Ravager shot that one”.

Wyld looked and saw that the entrance way to the building had collapsed. Above the debris were scorch marks of hi yield explosives.

Maybe Lucy was right.

Wyld checked her Omni tool for the distress beacon.

It was coming from that direction.

Wyld turned and gestured for the two behind her to fan out. The Valkyr trundled behind them as Wyld took Lucy's arm. “C'mon”. She whispered as she let go and led the way to the fallen entrance.

Suddenly the sound of a gun being fired from inside the building echoed outside. More discharges.

Someone was alive and fighting inside.

Wyld sped into a run when out of the rubble of the entrance she saw a hand emerge. Pushing smaller bit away. The top of the entranceway was a solid piece of reinforced concrete and it had fallen on one side while the other had only partly collapsed. The gap that it made was partly obscured were rubble had fallen in front. It was from there the hand emerged.

Wyld turned and yelled to the two. “Hey! Over Here”! Before turning back and picking up her pace till she was kneeled down by the fallen entrance. She grasped the hand that was sticking out and bent to look in at who was buried under the rubble.

“Your going to be alright now”.

The eye's that stared back were frenzied. The figure who owned them hidden behind masonry dust and blood. Wyld now noticed the blood on his armoured glove that he grasped her with. His grip squeezed her's so tightly she could feel the pressure coming through her own glove.

“Get......Me......Out”! He hissed through gritted teeth.

Wyld nodded and turned to Lucy. “Start digging”.

[Kel Riever]

The shockwave from the orbital strike caused Farzam to take emergency action. Even though the A-61 Mantis was hardened to resist the effects of a close range impact, it was the pilot who needed to keep it airborne. Fortunately, Farzam was able to bring his gunship under control. Both Tempest Two and Four compensated as well, and the squadron formed up again.

“Could have used a warning,” Rhys said through the com.

Farzam didn’t respond. He studied the mass of Reaper troops that faced the Camp Bastion forces from above. They were spreading around to the sides, where Alliance forces were moving. One arm was led by Steiner and the Ensfield Rifles. The other, he knew from examining his tactical displays, was led by Dale. At first, Farzam thought the Reapers were moving to engage, but on closer notice, he realized a sizeable group of Reapers was moving west, past Dale’s position. Farzam wondered, Where are they heading? He zoomed in on the tacticals in his head up display to focus on what lay further west.

They were heading for Commander Shepard.

Cursing, Farzam opened a direct channel to Dale. “Not to ruin your plan, but the Reapers at your end of the battlefield are looking to hit Shepard’s team from the side! You are going to need vehicles, Makos, M-080’s, trucks, anything, to head them off. I’ll give you support from the air.”

“Got it,” Dale cam back over the com. Then, wryly, she added, “I knew you couldn’t stop talking to me.”

“Dale, I swear, if we both get out of this alive, I’m going to find you someone to give you a dose of your own sarcasm.” Farzam reduced the tactical display and issued his orders to the squadron. “Heading west. Stick together. We’re covering Dale and her team.”
 
Rhys yelled through the com, “Watch out!”
 
Tempest Four, which flew to Farzam’s left, burst into fire as an orange beam sliced through its hull. Farzam yanked his gunship to the right, and observed Tempest Two taking a similar evasive turn. As both remaining gunships accelerated and dodged, an airborne metallic sphere sped past. It pulled up, and came back towards the two gunships.
 
“It’s an Oculus drone!” Farzam knew the Reaper’s version of a fighter, with superior maneuverability and firepower, was more than the Mantis gunships could contend with. Quickly, he radioed Captain Radcliffe. “Captain, we’re getting hit from the sky! We need to get this Oculus off us or we’re finished!”

[Kel Riever]

Dale took cover behind a long, riddled planter. She had always feared the larger Reapers, like the Brutes and the Banshees. Certainly the cannons of the indoctrinated Rachni had also been near the top of her list of concerns. What she never encountered, or even thought about, was how much relentless fire a sea of Cannibals could deliver. Even with the ordinance poured into the enemy, the Cannibals kept coming.
 
Arkeer was on Dale’s left, blasting shot after shot from his Claymore. None of the Cannibals were at short range, but there were so many it was impossible for the krogan to miss. The woman in white combat armor from Terra Firma, who had come with Arkeer, was on Dale’s right, placing her gun above cover from time to time, and firing. The Terra Firma trooper wasn’t completely unskilled, and seemed to have more heart than average.
 
With a half second peek over the planter, Dale assessed the battlefield. She had already called for backup armored personnel carriers or Makos after speaking with Farzam, but none could get to her position without making themselves excessively vulnerable. Besides, the guns on the vehicles were providing crucial extra firepower to hold back the enemy from the bridge. But ahead, Dale’s quick look had confirmed that a convoy of abandoned Alliance trucks was intact, maybe only thirty meters from her position. If enough of a break could be caused in the Cannibal horde, there was a chance that the trucks could be secured.
 
A round hit the Terra Firma trooper’s helmet. Her head snapped back and she collapsed on the pavement.
 
Immediately, Dale leaned down and grabbed the trooper. Her faceplate had been smashed and blood began to seep from underneath it. Dale activated her omni-tool and checked to make sure that the troopers own suit had delivered a dose of medigel. The trooper moved and groaned. Dale checked to make sure that opening the helmet’s visor wouldn’t cause more injury, and then she carefully unfastened the visor and what was left of the faceplate from the helm. When she pulled them away and saw the face underneath, Dale gasped.
 
“Since when did we put kids in suits of armor?”
 
The trooper’s face was bloody from a grazing wound that crossed her heavily freckled cheek. Certainly, the helmet had saved her, and her eyelids blinked open to reveal scared, brown eyes. Dale saw that the medigel had sealed the wound. With her gloved fingers, she wiped as much of the blood away as she could without aggravating the injury.
 
“What’s your name, kid?” Dale tried to calm her voice, though she had to speak loudly with the chaotic noise of war that encompassed everything.
 
“Uh, Riptide. Ma’am,” the trooper responded.
 
“Son of a…,” Dale started, before putting her exasperation aside. “Okay, too late to do anything about it now. Can you move?”
 
“I think I’m okay, Ma’am.”
 
“Dale, just call me Dale. Get yourself low and in cover again, and wear these.” Dale pulled a set of protective goggles she had in a small armor compartment. Riptide nodded and fiddled with them until the goggles were on and under the now open-faced helmet.
 
Arkeer spared a glance over and chortled. “That kid’s from the tunnels under this city. I’ll tell you, that one is a survivor.”
 
With a quick frown at the krogan, Dale considered. “Fine. You can’t go back, kid…Riptide. So you are going to stick close to me and my team.” Riptide shoved herself close to the planter and bumped up against another soldier taking cover. “Not that close. Leave an inch or two of space.” Dale got herself back in position and pulled out two grenades. “Arkeer, take these infernos, pull out yours and nail the front line of Cannibals with them. The burning and the smoke should give us some cover to get closer to the trucks ahead. Whatever you do, do not hit those trucks!”
 
“You’ve got a lot of confidence in my throwing arm,” Arkeer grunted.
 
“I do.”
 
Arkeer squatted and lined the set of inferno grenades on the ground. He growled out “Covering fire,” began picking them up, and tossing them live into the Cannibals as Dale directed. The flames roared up from the explosions and Riptide crinkled her nose from the stench of burning flesh. As smoke rolled upward, Dale gave the order for her teams to advance.
 
But a bright hot beam lanced out of the sky and caused a series of detonations that threw everyone to the ground.
 
Above, Dale watched as an Oculus drone soared past. It came around for another run, and another series of explosions illuminated the area. Dale picked herself up and peeked over the planter again.  She saw the burning hulks of the trucks she wanted to capture.
 
Crestfallen, Dale contacted Grelk through her com. “Captain, I have bad news I need to deliver myself to the Commander.”
 
Grelk came back, “Commander Steiner? Wyld?”
 
Dale’s voice was heavy. “Commander Shepard.”

[Redbelle]

Between Lucy and Wyld digging out the rubble and the two soldier's behind them scanning their surroundings for incoming hostiles, the work was going well until they cleared the smaller rubble away only to be met with a larger problem.

Lucy's attention span.

Lucy stood up. “This is to slow”. She declared loudly. Then suddenly the air hummed as her biotics sprung into being. Her entire body glowed an eerie purple hue.

She grabbed the beam that was trapping the man from above, and prevented the rest of the entrance way from coming down on him, and heaved.

Wyld saw Lucy do all this in the space of a heartbeat and, realising she couldn't stop her in time, seized hold of Rockwood's hand and pulled, throwing her whole behind behind the effort.

The beam shifted, Rockwood was free, for a moment, Wyld heaved.

Then the entire remainder of the archway came crashing down where Rockwood had been laying.

Wyld fell backwards with the formerly trapped soldier in tow and she rolled them both away from the collapsing building front. As they reached a safe distance Wyld sprang up and called into the dust cloud. “LUCY”!

A foot stepped out of the cloud, then the rest of Lucy emerged. Looking completely unscathed as a biotic bubble hummed around her. She beamed triumphantly and held out her hand. “Sand now. As agreed”.

“What agreement? We didn't agree to anything”?

The corner of Lucy's mouth twitched as she regarded Wyld. Then she dropped her hand down to the side. “Okay Doctor. You win this round. But could you put a little on your finger for me? At the very least”?

Wyld rolled her eye's as bent over and activated her medical scanner. She ran it over her patient. His omni-tool’s memory fed back his name, rank and medical history. She didn't bother reading the rest as Lucy slid behind her.

Then Wyld started as she felt Lucy's arms slip around her as she brought her mouth close. “Sometimes Aria would give me a finger. If I was good. Then Disdain found out and she started giving me a finger. The sand's different when it comes from someone. It's like your senses open and you see them. All of them. In ways you never knew and you know them in ways you never imagined possible”.

As Lucy spoke she ran her hands up Wylds armour until Wyld reached up from tending to Rockwood's leg and grasped Lucy's hand.

“Lucy”!

Lucy placed her cheek on Wyld's shoulder. “We're all stardust waiting to return. The dust dances in the times in between. We're all connected through ties of stardust that once was and scattered to find new homes in you and me and everyone who is”. As she spoke her voice began to shake. “It hurts to be apart”.

Rockwood looked up as Wyld finished patching his leg. His face clearly questioning the woman who knelt behind Wyld.

Wyld looked around and saw the same look on the two soldier's who were looking at them both.

She cleared her throat. “Lucy..... I can't tell you that what you see on sand isn't real. But there's another world. One that doesn't rely on sand for you to be a part of. It's right here, and it's got people in it who want you to be with them. But you need to choose where you want to be”. She finished up Rockwood's leg and motioned to the soldier's to step forward. “Get him on the Valkyr. That leg will be fine after the medigel takes affect”.

With that out the way Wyld reached down and pulled Lucy's arms from her waist and turned to look her in the eye. “Look Lou. Zia and I...... we're together. I don't know how it happened but that's not important. What matter's is that come the future...... we've got choices to make that will affect the future of each other. And that future includes you”. Wyld took a breath as she saw Lucy's eye's begin misting up. “You and Zia may not be real sister's..... but I know your both important to each other. And what's important to Zia is important to me. I'm here for you. But I can't follow you into this world of Red Sand. It separates you from other's when you go there. Your addicted to the sand Lucy. Physically and mentally. And dragging yourself out of that world is going to be the hardest thing you'll ever do. But if you decide it's what you want..... You'll find so many people waiting to embrace you as a part of our world”.

Lucy's eye's ran as she brought up an arm to wipe her face. “I can see things through the sand. It's important! Disdain told me”!

“Your important”. Wyld told her. “Your worth isn't in what the sand gives you. It's who you are. You don't need to take it, to be someone worth caring for”.

Lucy pulled her arms tightly around her frame. “It gets cold without it. It hurts. I want it so bad”.

“Of course you do”. Wyld told her. “And with the war, now's not the time to kick the habit. But I can bring you down from the amount you were taking. You've been building up a tolerance and to get the same high you've had to take more. It's a spiral that ends up badly”. Wyld reached for Lucy's chin and brought it up. “Trust me Lou. I'm not Aria or Disdain. I'm not going to play games with your sand. We're going to give you measured doses and I'm going to measure the effects each dosage has. I know what I'm doing. We're looking for the exact right amount to give you. The right times to give it to you. And then..... when the wars done......”.

Wyld never got to finish her sentence as Lucy flung herself at her and flung her arms around her. Wyld rocked back on her feet so hard she had to take a step back to avoid being bowled over.

Lucy sniffed from over her shoulder. “I never saw you”. She whispered. “I saw Baker's and Butchers..... I only saw the sisters. The one's Aria made..... The one's who would become after the other's went away. I keep telling people what’s to come but everyone ignores me because they think I'm high. I don't want to be high. I want to be blind like you. To let go of the sand”.

Wyld patted her on the back ever as she felt Lucy's hand move around her body. “If your serious”. She said. “Maybe you shouldn't be trying to get your sand out of my pouch”.

Lucy's hand stopped. Then slowly retreated as Lucy stepped away with a sulky expression.

“And between you and me Lou”. Wyld said, lowering her voice. “I wouldn't tell people about that sandy finger business with Aria and Dizzy. It's..... easy to take the wrong way”.

Lucy cocked her head, puzzled. “Wrong way”? She asked. Then her face illuminated in understanding. “Ohhhhh”. She said. “Zia showed you how she uses her......”.

“Let go”! Wyld interjected. Looking over she saw the other three were in the Valkyr.

Lucy however persisted. “Zia learned everything she knows from Aria”.

“Momma”. Wyld growled. “Any sign of troops inside”?

There was a pause. “Not anymore. There was a possible contact. But it has since fallen of my scanners. All target's were moving through the building so it is possible my sensors are being obstructed”.

Wyld nodded. “Okay. We're not getting sidetracked. We were heading to the front lines so let's pick up the pace”.

As Wyld began moving back to the Valkyr she felt Lucy grab her around the waist once more and leaned in to whisper. “If you want Zia, then Aria will fight you for her. Aria made Zia..... and if she can't have her.....”. The silence grew around them as Lucy paused. “Your outside my sight. I don't know what will happen. But I know Aria. She will be ready”. Lucy then snuggled closer. “I wouldn't mind if you decided to look after me..... Your the nicest doctor I've met”.

“Lucy.....”. Wyld admonished. Grief, she thought as she disentangled Lucy from her once more. I hope Zia's having an easier time with Naomi.

Rockwood, sat in the back of the Valkyr as he watched both woman climb back aboard as Wyld go thte Valkyr moving once more. “Struth”. He muttered under his breath as he watched Lucy lean over and leaned herself against Wyld. “Get a room already”.

Modifié par Redbelle, 16 janvier 2014 - 10:31 .

[Redbelle]

The ride in the Kodiak was bumpy as the airframe rattled. Turbulence, Zia thought.

That and one fight to many.

The kodiak was a deep space capable multi role vehicle made to withstand everything the galaxy could throw at it and keep those inside safe and secure.

The rattle grew worse.

Something was loose.

Back on the ground, when she'd lifted Naomi's unconscious body into the transport she'd had the opportunity to look at the outside. Scorch marks and bullet impacts adorned the side like badges of honour worn by a pit fighter. Only like some pit fighters..... this Kodiak had been in the ring to long, and didn't have much left to give before something put it down for good.

Zia had lifted Naomi into the empty cabin space, ignoring the looks of the troops who now had to squash into the remaining Kodiak's on account that Zia and Naomi had this one all to themselves, and laid her down on the bench in the rear of the compartment. As she brushed a strand of hair out of Naomi's face she reflected. Those who had vacated would be grateful if Naomi awoke.

The girl who died.

The girl who came back.

The girl with power.

With no control

And on top of everything, had been given her first taste of Red Sand. Which, she knew from her sister Lucy, could become an dependance that could spiral out of control.

….....

And she'd tried to kill Wyld.

Actually..... tried, to kill her.

The Sister of Fury that she had been on Omega told her that snapping her neck, right this second, would remove the problem. Would render a world where Wyld and Zia could live without having Naomi breathing down their necks.

The Alliance Fury she had become, knew that doing so was wrong..... practical but wrong. She wasn't Aria's pet Fury living for her praise and affection anymore.

And so Naomi lay in front of Zia, sleeping off the effects of her biotically destructive whirlwind efforts at the centre where she had, in a way, ended up saving them all from the Reapers.

Zia sank into deep thought. When she'd first picked up Naomi, it had been a fling. Nothing more. Just a spur of the moment dalliance as a means of distracting herself from the total horror of the war. It was who she was. Someone who found blessed release in other's. But Naomi had been different.

For one thing, when they had met, she had been like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. Unlike herself, Naomi had never been in real combat. And so Naomi had leaned on Zia to get through it all.

And the more Naomi did, the more Zia liked it. Precious little sweet Naomi. Something innocent, worth protecting from any and everything the war threw at them. Somewhere along the lines, Zia had allowed herself to think that she could shield Naomi. Maybe it was something inside of herself that Omega had never given her a chance to express coming out. Some maternal instinct that she had never known. She had someone who depended on her.

Then Wyld had happened. And she found something else she wanted. Someone who had grabbed her and made her feel like the important person in their life. Someone who didn't need taking care of. But rather, who looked out for her wellbeing.

Zia was torn. She told Wyld she was committed to her, but inside, she was still torn. Wyld had her love. But Naomi......

Wyld had been right. Naomi still meant something to her......

But what?

Naomi stirred and Zia locked eye's on her. It hadn't been so long since they had last spoken. But so much had happened in that short span of time. And from what Wyld had said, and what she understood..... Zia wondered what Naomi would do, what she would say, when she woke.

Naomi's legs rolled to the side and Zia had the chance to look her over. The Leather armoured suit with the front zip pulled so far down that Zia felt ripples of desire for the soft, exposed flesh. The red coat that Lucy had taken for her, now folded and acted as a pillow. The deep cuts in the armour, that had drawn blood from her skin. Testament to the battle with the Reaper army that she had fought and survived.

This was not the same innocent young woman who had frozen on her lap when a brute had torn open that other Kodiak and nearly killed them both.

Naomi's eye's opened slowly and her head rolled towards Zia.

And as Zia opened her mouth she was struck by the fact that she had no idea what to say.

Modifié par Redbelle, 17 janvier 2014 - 10:40 .

[Redbelle]

Rob breathed heavily as he drew back the slide on his pistol and checked the thermal clip.

Slagged.

He'd gone through all his clips, soon after the Maw near what was left of Bastion had moved away to destination unknown. Not that that was a major concern of his right now.

His abdomen was ablaze with pain. Medigel had helped keep the wound closed for awhile, but right after the skull masked man and that Turian woman had departed he'd found himself alone with his dog, in the path of the Reaper followup force.

The followup of the main thrust of an army was dangerous to those who had managed to survive the initial onslaught of the main force. And The main force was geared towards smashing through enemy lines.

The followup was geared towards slaughtering those lucky enough to survive the main force. Rob supposed he shouldn't be surprised that it was a strategy the Reapers would employ.

There would be no survivors from this battlefield this day.

That didn't stop him from trying though.

He found he couldn't walk, so he'd scuttled on his back with his rifle across his belly. It was slow going and he had to stop. Around him he could hear the footfall of those reaper husks. They stayed out of sight though. In hindsight being forced to crawl along the ground was a blessing. The torn up ground provided plenty of cover to move whereas if he had walked he'd have been a ripe target. He looked across to dog and an inkling of how he'd stayed alive all this time, by staying close to the ground brimmed in his mind.

At last, he'd found somewhere he could hide. Two enormous slabs of concrete had fallen against each other in an inverted V against a mound of earth. There was only one way in. One way out. Rob was tired. To tired to keep going much longer and knew that sooner or later, he would have to stop. And once he did, he probably wouldn't move again. He headed for the shelter ahead.

And that was when a husk stepped on him.

It was running, scanning the area, not looking down at the ruts it jumped in and out of. It came out of nowhere and landed on Rob's hand. Rob managed to half stifle his yelp of pain as it continued on.... then stopped.

Then turned.

Then whatever passed for it's brain exited through the back of it's skull as a round from Robs rifle forcibly removed that organ from that part of it's body.

Rob wasted no time. He renewed his crawl. Dog running on ahead only to come back again. Rob looked at his canine friend. “Either find clips..... or help.....”. He muttered between clenched teeth. “....Or get out of here. It's going to get ugly”.

Dog barked once. Then turned and ran. Rob felt a little sad even as crawled into the shelter. Dog had been with him for so long......

It was better this way. This was going to be a last stand. Dog had a better chance of survival outside.

And so after crawling into the narrow shelter, he'd put his back against the mound of earth, set his rifle at the ready against his shoulder, placed his pistol on a nearby makeshift ledge, and waited.

He hadn't waited long.

Husks appeared at the entrance.

Rob fired.

He tried to get the head-shots. To make every round count. It was hard. The husks were in a frenzy. The sight of Rob backed into a corner seemed to illicit a reaction out of them that had them clawing over their dead comrades.

Reloading was the tricky part. The lapse in fire allowed the husks to inch closer and closer each time it happened. The entrance to his shelter helped in that the layer's of bodies had narrowed the passageway in even further so that eventually the husks had to pause to throw their dead aside to work their way in.

Slagged clips littered the ground. Till finally the last one joined them follower by the now useless rifle. The pistol was snatch up in it's place and it's precious clip, nestled in it's frame, was the only thing standing between him and the hands of the husks outside. He took careful aim, letting them get closer. Needing every shot to be a kill till finally, only one remained.

He pulled the trigger.

The weapon hissed back. Unable to fire.

The husk came at him even as he dropped the gun and as it's hand reached for him, he leaned forward and grabbed it by the throat. As the husk's own hands reached to rend him apart he brought out his unsheathed combat knife and plunged it into the base of it's neck, jabbing in and above the collarbone. The husks eye's went wide and it's clawed his arm. His armour making terrible sounds as claws dug deep into the tough carapace shell. Then it's eye's went dark and it stopped moving.

Rob rolled the body off him, breathing heavily. When his heart stopped hammering in his chest he scooped up his pistol and checked the clip.

That was when he heard another sound outside. He looked up.

One more husk stood outside looking in at him.

Rob reached for his knife but found his strength was gone. He managed to grip the handle but found he couldn't pull it out of it's sheathe one final time.

It looked like this was it.

At least dog got away, he thought as he prepared to face this final opponent. His thought's of his loyal hound were so vivid that he thought he heard a bark from far away.

From nowhere, several sharp cracks of weapons fire rang out and, on the side of the husk, bullet wounds appeared accompanied by little gouts of if mist from it's black blood.

Dog ran into the hole Rob had hidden in, his tail wagging he bounded up, put his paws on Robs shoulders and proceeded to lick his face with abandon.

Rob shooed him away. “Geroff”. He mumbled as another shadow appeared at the entrance. He looked up.

The pinkest, youngest, freshest faced private wearing only a standard military uniform stood in the entrance, with one hand on the top of the entrance, the other held his gun down by his side, angled away as he rested one foot on a pile of dead husk's. He blinked as his eye's adjusted and he saw Rob at the back, a trail of husk corpses leading up to him.

“Smokes”! Said the private. “You did all this”?

But Rob wasn't in the mood for conversation. “Medigel”.

The private stooped inside. “What was that”?

Rob realised with annoyance that his voice had come out at a whisper. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “Medigel”.

“I don't have any”.

Rob stopped and used the time, as he caught his breath, to look over the private. “Name”. He said at last when he felt the effort wouldn't leave him winded.

The young man blinked a few time before realising. “Oh.... Private Pike. Your dog found me......”.

Pike paused and Rob found himself irritated by the youngster's hesitation. “Where did he find you”?

Pike cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. “In a.......Krogan...... Latrine...... Sir”.

Rob raised an eyebrow.

“You have to dig them deep you see sir...... And well, Krogan call them latrines..... We'd call them foxholes. So when that thing appeared and Bastion blew up...... Well, I just sort of....... hid”.

Rob snorted in amusement, which his abdomen resented in a way that sent his teeth gnashing together. He looked at the gun in his hand and shook his head. “You spent your clip son. Your empty”.

Pike blinked and looked down at his pistol. It's ready light was red.

Rob picked up his own weapons and slide them back into their respective places. “Got anymore clips”?

“No sir”.

“No”? Rob was incredulous. “What kind of army doesn't kit out it's soldier's with gear before a fight? Didn't they gear you up for the rollout”?

Pike shrugged. “Uhhh, I think they may have forgotten about me”. Pike stared uncomfortably at Rob. “It..... happens...... to me................alot”.

Rob sighed and gestured for Pike who stepped inside and took his arm. Together they managed to get him out and up on his feet with Pike supporting Rob's frame with his own. At Rob's insistence they began making their way towards the supply section of Bastion. Hoping against hope that some supplies had been missed during the hurried nature of Camp Bastion's evacuation.

They made it halfway before they saw it.

A small group of Marauder's stood, tightly packed. They seemed to be communing as they stood in a circle. Rob brought a finger up to his lips and pointed to a piece of debris they could hide behind. Pike nodded. And took a step in that direction.

Neither knew what it was Pike stepped on. Only that it made the loudest crunch under his booted foot either had ever heard leading all the Marauder's to spin in place with their weapons at the ready.

Pike froze, Rob with him.

Rob sighed in Pike's grip as Pike trembled and turned to catch his eye. He said three words.

“You stupid boy”.

Modifié par Redbelle, 21 janvier 2014 - 02:32 .