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[Kel Riever]

Rea cried as she ran to Rothan and dropped on her knees next to him.  His leg had been cut cleanly off midway through his right thigh.  What medical training Rea had as a commando guided her actions, though she was racked with emotion.  Rea reached over her own shoulder, to grab the first aid pack located next to the power source on her back.  She pulled out a combat tourniquet, rolled it onto Rothan’s thigh, and activated the automatic windlass, which stemmed the hemorrhage and locked into place.  Rea looked at the built-in chronometer on her omni-tool.  How much time has passed?  A minute?...

 

Rothan groaned into consciousness from the pain of the tourniquet. 

 

“I’m here, Rothan!  I’m here.”

 

“Tell Firelle to watch out…”

 

Rothan was in shock.  Rea used her omni-tool again to try and sync with Rothan’s, to get his vitals.  The information would be basic, and she wouldn’t understand half of what she was looking at, but she could get an idea.  Detail was slow to load.

 

“Momma,” Rea asked through the rivers streaming down her face, “why is the data taking so long to receive?”

 

Momma’s cracking voice came back, somewhat improved as her protocols attempted to restore functionality. “R-r-r-othan-s-s s-suit is da-amm-agg-ed.  L-l-iffe su-p-p-ort is fu-un-uctial-l-l.  M-m-memory is co-mpro-m-mised.”

 

Rea attached a wire and tube from the first aid kit to a port below the plate on her left wrist.  She inserted the other ends into matching ports where they would be typically located on a quarian suit, on Rothan’s helmet near his neck.  Hitting a hot key to transmit medigel, a red light went off on Rea’s omni-tool display.  She slid a tab over on the display and the light turned green.

 

“Firelle is dead,” Rothan realized, momentarily becoming aware of his surroundings, “Isn’t she.”

 

“Stay with me, baby,” Rea sobbed, then irrationally corrected herself, “I don’t mean, ‘Baby.’  Please, stay with me.”  Rea cried out openly as Rothan seemed to slip back into unconsciousness. “Momma, call for help!  Give someone our position.”

 

“T-t-the onl-y comm t-tran-smitter worki-ing i-is you-rs, R-rea.  A-and it is-s s-shor-t-t r-rang-edd.  F-f-fur-thhher, w-wwe are b-b-bein-ng j-j-j-ammmed-d.”

 

“Okay, Momma.  If it is possible then, send all the local data you need to operate over onto my suit’s systems.  I need you to work as best as you can.”

 

“C-c-coomply-y-ing.”

 

Rothan awoke into a conscious state as quickly as he had left it.  He moved his head towards Rea, “You’re hurt.”

 

“A bit,” Rea said.  She had dropped her pistol somewhere nearby in her panic, and place her right hand on Rothan’s helmet, where his cheek would be.  “Some fractured ribs, maybe.  A bloody nose?  I’m going to make it.  You’re going to make it, too.”  The last words were forced.

 

Apparently not noticing, Rothan turned to look at the port connection between him and Rea. “Are you hard sending medigel?  You know I have a dextro-based biology.”

 

“Medigel for dextro-protein species, immuno-boosters, supplements.”  Rea curled a smile through her tears.  “The works for a quarian.  At least as good as it gets in the field.  I replaced most of my medigel supply to store it all.  It happened with the salarian doctor at the base, in secret.  I didn’t want you to know.”

 

Rothan reached up to touch Rea with his own fingers, but was only able to barely brush her waist before his arm descended in weakness.

 

“Come on, Rothan.  You can get through this with me.  You have so much going for you.  You are young…”  So young…Rea thought, until the fears of quarian vulnerabilities rose like a specter within her.  Rothan slipped away into another bout of unconsciousness as his body struggled to survive.

 

Rea grabbed Rothan’s suit, clenching it in her hands.  Agony and frustration mounted in her until they burst out of her.  A guttural lamentation became a roaring wail.

 

“aaaaaaAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHHHH!”

 

The sound of Rea’s grief echoed upon the walls of the destroyed city. 

 

Then a voice broke the sorrowful silence that followed.

 

“I know what you feel like.”

 

Rea gazed to the source of the words; a woman she knew who had appeared next to her while she was too consumed to notice.  It was Elaine.

[Kel Riever]

The Sovereign Class Reaper’s core beam fired into the Cybaen, cascading across the asari cruiser’s shields.  On board, damage control light began flaring and the barrier officer on the bridge began to read off the reports, “We have hull breaches on most decks!  Crews are moving to contain decompression!”

 

Captain Vayna had gambled on the skill of her navigator and pilot, Layl and Kitsi, to maneuver the Cybaen so the flagship Destiny Ascension could be protected as it made an orbital bombardment run.  Despite the reinforced shields of the Cybaen, able to withstand firepower like a dreadnought rather than a cruiser, the ship was devastated by the incredible damage the Reaper vessel had inflicted.  Enhanced visual screens and tactical readouts made it evident to all that the Reaper was charging its beam for another volley.  The shot would be a final death blow to the asari cruiser.  Consolation for those aboard the Cybean would only be that they accomplished their mission, saving the Destiny Ascension.

 

Kitsi, sitting next to Layl, put a hand on her shoulder.  “We did what we could.”

 

Vayna echoed the thoughts standing near her command chair.  “No one here should have any regrets.  We die with honor.  All is one.”

 

Layl’s eyes went wide as she spotted a detail on her tactical readout, “Captain, you may want to belay acceptance of our demise.  The Reaper ship is altering course!”

 

Across the bridge, the asari watched as displays began confirming Layl’s observation.  Soon it was evident even from the visuals that the Sovereign Class Reaper was rotating and firing in another direction.

 

“What is it doing?”  Vayna paled in disbelief.

 

“It isn’t engaging any Alliance vessel,” Layl responded, already aware of the Reapers trajectory from her displays.  She moved several screens on her readout to confirm what she could scarcely comprehend.  Her jaw dropped and she blurted out, “It is attacking another Reaper ship!”

 

Captain Vayl stammered, “Goddess!  Maybe they’ve had a malfunction.  I’m not going to look at this gift twice.  Kitsi, Layl, get us back on course with the Ascension.”

 

“Aye, Captain,” the pilot and navigator responded simultaneously.

 

The communications officer called over, “Captain, it doesn’t seem to be an entirely unique situation.  There are reports coming in from other Alliance vessels that other Reapers have gone rogue.  Few are currently doing so, but the numbers are growing.”

 

“May the void take me if I can understand it all,” Vayna exclaimed.  “Whatever the reason, it saved us.  Let’s just hope this isn’t the end of our luck.”

[Redbelle]

C'mon, just a little bit of luck. Pretty please!

 

Wyld and Lucy had left the museum behind and were outside. Wyld had begun scanning for Rea's frequency almost as soon as they had left the walls behind and after finding a spot they could stop. Had continued till Wyld came to a conclusion.

 

Momma confirmed. "Reaper jamming has fallen on this area. I am unable to contact either Rea, or Rothan, or my other self".

 

"Beacons"?

 

"Negative. Jamming is to strong. We are out of contact of everyone".

 

Wyld slammed her fist down on the wheel making Lucy jump.

 

Wyld looked over at her, she was starting to look panicky, her skin was starting to glisten as sweat began to build. Her fingers fidgeted and she clasped them together to try and stop. Her eye's darting from Wyld, to anything else before darting back to her.

 

Wyld reached into her medical pouch. "Okay, time for a dose".

 

Lucy's legs slid under her as she twisted and knealt in her seat. Ignoring the glass still on her seat as she leaned forward. Her hands planted on the centre console. "What do you want"?

 

Wyld looked puzzled as she brought out the sand. "What do you mean"?

 

"For the sand"!

 

"I..... don't want anything".

 

"I kissed you. Now your letting me have sand......". Lucy pointed out as her eye's latched onto the vial in Wylds hand. "We can keep this between ourselves. Zia doesn't have to know....... I just...... It's not good to be without it for to long".

 

Wyld was about to tell her what she thought of that idea when she stopped, remembering a deal that she and Zia had made. "Lou..... You don't have to do anything for your sand. I'm measuring it out. Making sure you don't OD. Trying to get your body off relying on it the way it does".

 

"Don't you like me"?

 

Wyld shook her head."That's not the point".

 

"I like you. You like me, right? You want to help? I'm lonely sometimes. I'd like to be friends. Zia has friends. Zia kisses them alot".

 

Wyld held out her hand with the vial. "Here".

 

Lucy looked down, but didn't reach for it. "People shout at me. Tell me I should be better. But I was raised this way. I wasn't raised like Zia". Her hand came up and hovered over the vial. "I'm sooooo jealous of her sometimes. Aria made her a friend. They kissed. Aria never kissed Disdain or Lucy. I always knew...... Aria thought we were failures. She was right. Disdain and I...... we're not like Zia."

 

Lucy's hand came down on the vial and she held it there and grasped Wyld's hand. "But being with you...... You don't push me away. I feel, like I could beat the sand...... maybe. If I beat it, could we be friends"?

 

"We are friends Lou". Wyld said with a smile. "I don't know what the future holds. We may not have a future at all after tonight. But if there is one for us. Then I promise, I'll help you beat the sand".

 

"And we'll be friends"?

 

"We'll be friends".

 

"Kissing friends"?

 

Wyld paused. "Prooooobably want to run that by Zia first".

 

Lucy pouted as her hand closed ovr Wylds and the vial of sand disappeared into it. "She won't let us. She's a greedy......".

 

"Take the sand Lou. Then we'll scout around for Rea".

 

Lucy fell back into her seat with the heels of her feet on the dashboard. "You won't find them".

 

"You don't know that".

 

"You haven't the time to find them". Lucy went on. "The march is still going. They'll have fought past the Reapers. Then fire......... In the sky...... And black wings. You've seen the black wing before, haven't you? It's still out there. It remembers. It want's to.......". Lucy shuddered and with a motion she popped the top of the vial and turned her head away from Wyld. Wyld looked down at the comm settings and sighed.

 

Lucy was right. Without a signal she'd never find them. Where they were now........ who knew.

 

They were tough. They could cope. Rea was a survivor. Rothan was a genius. Between the two of them they'd come up with a way of making it back to friendly territory.

 

Heck, they might even be there already. The Star-Screamer was faster than the Valkyr. There was no reason for Rea to hang around once she had engaged the Oculus. Maybe she was already with the troops?

 

Even the idea sounded hollow to her ears, knowing that Rea would have stayed around to confirm the everyone was alright. But it was all she had. A modest hope. But one that would allow her to leave this place and return back to the fight.

 

She started up the Valkyr and tried to pretend that she didn't feel she was leaving Rea and Rothan behind.

[Redbelle]

Atop the tall building, Rockwood saw the Valkyr driving off. He hit his comm.

 

"Uh, guys"?

 

Static hissed back as the Reaper jamming overrode the air waves. Hefting the damaged rocket launcher he'd taken from the fallen alliance soldier he tried again.

 

"I'm still here...... guys"?

 

Nothing. Sighing, Rockwood began heading towards the stairwell when he heard the whine of another Oculus. He ran to the side of the building and saw off in the distance an Oculus, sans it's flight apparatus and moving towards an intercept on the Valkyr.

 

Rockwood smiled as he flipped open the launcher's targeting screen.

 

"Watch the birdie". He muttered as he focused on the Oculus.

[Kel Riever]

From beside Rothan, Rea had to look up to Elaine Simpson.  She had met the Fury less than a day ago, but it felt like a year.  And the Elaine before her was not the same.

 

Simpson wore her uniform, but it was grossly spattered with blood and grime.  Her eyes gazed down at Rea, distantly.  Her face was devoid of expression.  Rea glanced to Elaine’s weapon and saw the hurricane holstered.  Simpson’s hands were calmly at her side, which disturbed Rea even more than if she had her weapon ready.

 

Elaine did not react to Rea’s glance, but spoke in an empty tone.  “It doesn’t matter if you know, if you are aware of the danger.  Because it is how they are taken from you.  What fool thinks all your training is going to make it better?”

 

 “Elaine,” Rea asked, unable to hide her concern for the woman, “What happened to you?”

 

The question caused Simpson to pause, and peer away, as if to notice again the sounds of war all around them.  “For me it was my family.  My husband.  My child.  Am I not soldier enough to get by?  Doesn’t the threat of the destruction of all around me matter more?  Doesn’t every Reaper I kill make up for my loss?”  Elaine pointed to the blown out awning of one of the nearby buildings.  “There.  That’s where the precious Thanax missiles are.  Next to the body of the krogan who carried them.  I set them up, though I have no idea how to fire them.  A shame.  All that work from the krogan.  Don’t feel badly about not being here, though.  Nothing could have saved them.”

 

Rea tried to focus Elaine.  “We’re still here.  You can help us, even if it won’t bring them back.  Before it is too late.  Don’t throw us away when you know that is exactly what the Reapers want.”

 

“What can I do?  I am not a medic.  I can’t do anything more with the missiles.  The jamming in this area only allows for the shortest transmissions, which means we could upload or download data, or communicate with…let’s see…just us.  I can’t save you or him, like I haven’t been able to save anyone I’ve been with.”

 

“You are wrong about the missiles.  There’s a chance…”

 

Snapping her head back to Rea, Simpson interrupted.  “Did you know I found two Reapers fighting each other?”

 

“What?”  Rea was caught off-guard.

 

“I killed them both.  Maybe I could have waited to see who would win, but why?  I suppose even they lose it from time to time.  Like we do.  Like you think I have.”  Simpson smirked briefly before her face went expressionless again.  “You don’t have to pretend.  I can see how you are looking at me.  And I won’t even argue.  Here I am in my own world, shut out from input, focused on one thing.”  Abruptly, Elaine’s eyes seemed to flare and her tone dropped.  “At least I have a purpose.”

 

The last words worried Rea.  As the medication she was sending to Rothan finished transferring, Rea unfastened the tube and wire from the port on her wrist.  Visually locating her pistol, she saw it was within reach.  Rea picked up the gun and stood, challenging, “What purpose is that?”

 

Simpson’s eyes calmed.  “Don’t let me bother you.  I will hurt none of my kind.  Well, or of yours or…..his.  But them.  Them I will destroy every one of until my dying breath.”

 

“Elaine, I am begging you.  There is another way….”

 

A bright orange glow stopped Rea mid-sentence.  It emanated from one of the side streets and was gradually getting closer.  The sound of burning accompanied it, along with heavy footfalls.  A charge in the air danced on Rea’s exposed skin.

 

“That comment you made about it being too late,” Simpson said.  “Well, it is.”

[Kel Riever]

The moment the burning man came within sight, Rea knew what it was. And as the colossal form that glowed in orange light stared with its white eyes at her, Rea was well aware that it knew who she was too. The Reaper strode remorselessly forward, an unwavering manifestation of doom.

“Oh,” Elaine said, with ire dripping from every word, “I’ve been waiting for you, big boy.” A biotic shimmer surrounded Elaine’s figure.

Rea shouted, “Elaine, don’t!”

Elaine Simpson screamed in rage and vanished. She appeared, meters ahead, and then blinked forward again, in a teleporting charge towards the object of her hatred. Biotic bolts flew from her hands at her every appearance, blasting into the Reaper, though it noticed nothing of the attacks. In the final teleport towards her enemy, only a meter or two away from it, Elaine drew her sub-machine gun and held down the trigger. The shots evaporated as they hit the Reaper’s orange field.

The Reaper then flung out its arm and shot forth a gout of flame from the palm of its hand. Caught fully by the fiery discharge, Elaine was flung backwards, across the entire span of distance she had traveled. Crumpled, her form hit the ground near Rea, smoldering and motionless.

Rea witnessed the act in horror, numbed by the impregnability of the burning man before her and the ease at which Elaine had been dispatched. Terror made her shake. Cognizant that her gun was useless, she holstered the weapon, activated her omni-tool, and spoke. “Momma, it is imperative that you do not say anything right now. There’s little I can do, you understand. So I request only that you attempt one task for me until, and if, I talk to you again.” Rea typed on her omni-tool, and avoided looking at the Reaper that loomed towards her.

When the Reaper was within reach, it halted, and Rea gave in, to stare up at its towering silhouette. It had lowered its shield of light, to reveal a body that was a fusion of synthetic and organic elements. Fissures leaked orange illumination that came from within the Reaper’s body, and the heat of its power spread outward from it.

“So,” Rea gulped, “You want to talk.”

The Reaper extended its arm and picked up Rea by the throat in one gigantic hand. She struggled momentarily, but it held her fast, off her feet, scarcely letting her breathe. When it spoke, it had a voice like rolling thunder. “You are the one.”

[Kel Riever]

Rea’s mind was transported again, through whatever means the Reaper used to communicate through her thoughts, and she found herself upon the familiar sands of her ideological past. This time, however, she was conscious and perceptive of her environment. This time, the Reaper was different too. Instead of the oily apparition of Tizzy holding her baby, or even that of the gargantuan Reaper starship, the shadowy embodiment was that of the large, husk-like creation that the Reaper had most recently taken. For her part, Rea was clothed in the attires Rothan had made for her.

Again, with the voice of rolling thunder, the Reaper spoke. “Primitive, insolent life form, welcome to your indoctrination. I am Maelstrom and the last of your resistance will be dashed upon the rocks of a greater design. You could have accepted your fate freely, to join with an understanding of your inevitable inclusion. Instead, I will break the remnants of your inefficiencies and bend you to your knees.”

As Maelstrom spoke, it was clear to Rea that there was no exaggeration to the Reaper’s implication. For all her force of intent, she knew she could not survive the encounter as time went on. Eventually, the walls of her mind’s defense would collapse, and the result would be to become part of whatever conglomerate whole the existence of the Reaper was based on.

“Why, then, Maelstrom? Why not have destroyed me as you have others. Cast me aside? Moved on?”

“Your intransigence, though soon to be lost, has intrigued me. Those such as you are to be absorbed, incorporated. And as such, you fulfill the greater mission of preservation over destruction.”

Rea felt herself internally squirm against the encroaching determination of the Reaper. “And is this explanation part of it all? So that somehow I can accept your tyrannical agenda of homogeneity?”

“Partially, for there is a process, and this method is merely the one that your rudimentary comprehension is able to accept. In the end, however, you are nothing more than a statistic. For all your uniqueness, there is no future for you outside of the whole. And those who do not share your abilities are meant to be left behind, for they do not even serve a purpose beyond this point. You should be grateful, for we, the Reapers, have endured for eons and are the crucibles of an infinite existence.”

The thought of becoming part of the Reapers was unbearable, and yet the fear of Rea’s own end allowed the idea of acquiescence to enter the fringes of her thoughts. A spark of illogicality in Maelstrom’s argument flared, and Rea lunged for it.

“Infinite existence…except for Sovereign.”

An almost imperceptible pause occurred before Maelstrom responded, “Sovereign was an unfortunate occurrence, brought about by resistance to the inevitable.”

“And except for you.”

This time, the pause was significant. “I stand, unfaltering before you. Your attempt to dissuade me is pointless against the nation of species that I, or any Reaper, embodies.”

“Far fewer species than once made up your nation.  Otherwise why would you take on this lesser form?”

Within the shadowy form of Maelstrom, its glowing eyes appeared. Rea fought against the dreadfully familiar chilling tentacles that worked into her core; the intangible drive of the indoctrination was mentally closing in on her. But the glow of Maelstrom’s eyes…was it anger she sensed in the Reaper?

“An insignificant anomaly caused by an oversight that will be corrected.  An individual such as you cannot comprehend the magnitude of reintegration with the whole. Those other beings you were with are already dead. They are gone. The lack of your desire to join is irrelevant. Think this through. You’ve never been good at being alone.”

“Using my words against me won’t work any longer,” Rea shouted across at the oily spectre. She began to pry Maelstrom’s fallacies open, “With all those eons of existence, you have come to a celestial standstill. A purpose that leads nowhere, other than to maintain your status quo. Where has the intolerance for diversity gotten your kind? What have you accomplished beyond becoming the millstone of the galaxy?”

Maelstrom’s eyes glowed more intensely. “Pathetic mutation that lacks any synthetic component, our harvest ensures creation in another cycle. What we do is necessary.”

“Only for your own continuity. A continuity of hindrance.”  Rea speculated at another flaw. “And aren’t you a victim of your own ethos?”

The chill Rea experienced became ice like. “Rea Iallis, you are near your end. This organic tirade will soon be over.”

“Who authored your convictions?” The closing moments of Rea’s life manifested themselves in the scene upon the beach. The stars in the sky vanished, and Rea fell to her knees, as Maelstrom had declared, gasping for her breath. “Your explanation doesn’t make sense because it can’t! At the very least, you cannot argue it has more merit than what I say. Stagnant, unable to recover from your oversights and your mistakes, you miss things. You so lack in diversity that you are unable to even consider what might be answers to your problems. How much of the substance and beauty of individuality have you been blind to? And how long will it take before your blindness exposes you to someone who finds your weakness? What will you do when that happens, with your totalitarian whole leaving no room for changing course once your vulnerability is revealed?”

“Enough! Perhaps one of your beloved companions will find whatever inconsequential message you left to your mother upon your archaic omni-tool, since you could not send it beyond our immediate vicinity. Never will another organic waste my time such as you have, Rea Iallis. They will not be granted the occasion!”

Rea could not tell the amount of time that had passed in the material world, but she had to trust the confrontation with Maelstrom in her mind had taken at least the few crucial seconds she needed it to. With darkness consuming her, Rea brought forth a final surge of strength, “You keep reminding me you are a synthetic. You point out transmissions can only travel a short range, which I’ve been warned about redundantly. And to top it all off, I wasn’t even talking to my mother.”

The darkness retreated as the entity that was Maelstrom perceived there was something more that Rea was referring to.

Within the illusion, a holographic image came into being, standing alongside Rea as she knelt. It was Momma, and she offered her open palm to Rea, who took it in her own. Momma helped Rea to her feet and stayed next to her.

“This is not part of our mutual connection," Maelstrom stated, as if in denial.  "What deception is this?”

As a gale blew along the beach, Momma comforted Rea.  “You are no longer in harm’s way.  I am learning at an exponential rate and have already begun shutting down systems.  Though Maelstrom’s defenses continue to counterattack, they are surprisingly ineffective.  I reason that no Reaper has ever predicted that their core would be invaded by an enemy AI.  After all, they seem to believe that organics have always been intolerant of synthetics and so the scenario of a life form such as you working with a creation such as me has had inadequate attention paid to it.”

 

Maelstrom’s oily apparition began to tremble.  “No. No!  That’s impossible!”

 

“Oh, it is possible,” Rea’s responded with a growing satisfaction, facing the blackness of Maelstrom and its glowing eyes.  “Particularly with a short range transmission from an archaic omni-tool, and a distracted Reaper short of its full capacities.  Search your inner workings.  You know it to be true.”

 

“I will expel your intelligence’s antiquated programming!  You cannot vanquish the resources of this entity!”

 

“Correction,” Momma retorted, “No longer antiquated as your own database has provided me with the upgrades I need to expand my assault.  Also, correction, several of your resources our now under my control and no longer belong to your entity.  It does seem that when it comes to your internal workings, Maelstrom, it is, in fact, easier for me to harvest than for you to grow.”  Momma then said to Rea, “Truthfully, it is a difficult battle.  I will return you to your normal state, and focus my efforts on overcoming Maelstrom.  Thank you, Rea, for all that you have let me learn, and for giving me the opportunity to do something in return for you.  I believe you are aware that there is a high probability my actions will result in my own termination.” 

 

The wind had become furious.  Wisps of Maelstrom tore away from its shadowy form.  It bellowed in torment as it began to disintegrate.

 

“I am, Momma.  Whatever happens, I will remember what you did here, and share it with your other self.  Allow me to thank you, as well.”

 

Momma smirked and looked to the disintegrating embodiment of Maelstrom. “The pleasure is all mine, Miss Rea.  Time to wake up.”

 

Rea’s eye opened, and she watched as the towering form of Maelstrom in the real world lowered her to the ground and released its grip.

[Kel Riever]

The oversized husk form of Maelstrom stepped backwards as it internally battled against Momma. Its fire-like orange barrier ignited and then extinguished. One arm pulled back as if to swing at Rea, and then went limp at the Reaper’s side. Maelstrom cringed and let slip a mechanical howl of pain.

 

Rea crowed, “Now you’ve got a fight on your hands!”

 

Biotic energy flared out from Rea as a newfound vigor coursed through her. She screamed in ferocity. A field shot out in all directions, striking and staggering Maelstrom. Instead of the temporary exhaustion that normally accompanied such an expenditure, Rea felt her reserves increase. Dashing as a blue streak of light, she launched mid-air to smash into Maestrom. The biotic collision sent the Reaper falling away. As she landed, Rea followed through by throwing her hands forward and hammering Maelstrom with an almighty blast of force. Despite Maestrom’s bulk, it flew backwards, to crash against the solid concrete wall of a building. Fragments shattered far afield from the husk frame. Sunk partially in the wall from the impact, Maelstrom momentarily won its confrontation with Momma, so that it was able to pull itself out, and recover to stand again. Yet it took a mere one step forward before the contest was lost again and the Reaper locked in place.

 

Rea wasn’t done.

 

Pumping her legs, Rea charged Maelstrom with only her natural ability. The Reaper managed to gain movement in its arms, and attempted to shield itself, but once more, Momma froze its limbs. As Rea approached, she leapt, propelling herself with unprecedented dynamism, catapulting high enough into the air to drive the heel of her foot into Maelstrom’s face.  The blow, enhanced afresh by another surge of biotics, snapped the husk head backward with an ear-splitting crack. Maelstrom was pitched from its feet, and Rea’s fall followed its collapse to the ground.

 

When Maelstrom crashed, Rea alighted upon it. The Reaper was immobilized, unable to resist as Rea sat upon its chest, placed her heels on either side of its head, and put the palms of her hands on its face. Black ichors oozed from the fissures in Maelstrom’s once impregnable visage. Rea pressed her thumbs into the dying glow of the Reaper’s eyes, and bore down. From the nucleus of her very being, a deluge of biotic power sprung forth. Under Rea’s hands, shifting mass effect fields started to rip apart Maelstrom at the molecular level. The strength of the biotic onslaught grew, its effects spreading to the entirety of Maelstrom’s form, and as it did, a cerulean luminance outpoured from Rea.

 

Maelstrom’s spoke in its mechanical voice, no longer sounding as threatening as it once had.  “Do not do this,”Maelstrom pleaded.  “You will bring the end of an entire order of existence, for the sake of basal creatures of blood and flesh.”

 

The anatomy of Maelstrom twisted and crushed as the violence of Rea’s biotic forces caused it to gradually implode. The toll of her expenditure mounted, and it was as if each of her veins flowed with current.  Rea pushed with even greater will.

 

“I’ll take my chances.  Individuality is badass.  This exchange is over.”

 

Helpless to oppose the powers brought down upon it, Maelstrom crumbled and disintegrated.

[Kel Riever]

Rea was overwhelmed by the backlash of her effort.  She gave way, and languished in exhaustion.  Only when she was able to feel the first sense of vitality return to her, did Rea attempt to move.  Her arm initially flopped clumsily, but as her fortitude gained, she was able to push herself up and haltingly get to her feet.  Rea’s stumbling gait guided her back to the place where Rothan lay, and where Elaine had been hurled.

 

A tingling sensation, like a rush of electricity, graced Rea’s cheeks.  Her mind still whirling with all that had occurred, she uttered aloud, “I’m sorry.”  She meant it for the ears of Rothan and Elaine, though they were deaf to her apology.  Then, she added, “For you too, Momma.  I’m so sorry.”

 

When Rea reached Rothan and Elaine at last, she dropped next to them.  She reached out to gently brush away the strands of hair that had fallen across Elaine’s features.  Then she placed her hand in Rothan’s, entangling their fingers together.  For several minutes, the world appeared to come to a standstill.  Not even the sounds or flashes of the war touched Rea’s perception.  Weariness threatened to claim her consciousness, and again she cast it off through an impetus of will.  It was then that a spritelike tone chirped from Rea’s omni-tool.

[Redbelle]

After the pursuit and rescue of Naomi. The discovery of a Reaper flesh processor that had been bombed out of existence by a Mako's exploding fuel cells. The said Naomi's attempts to murder her and the incorporation of Zia's sister Lucy into her squad who had been a part of Naomi’s kidnapping......

 

….... After jumping the Thames across the remains of tower bridge.

 

The attempted rescue of Rea and Rothan and the subsequent dual with four Oculus drones.

 

Lucy's sand cravings.

 

A beat up Valkyr

 

And her own personal desire to once more have Zia back with her by her side, finally......

 

Finally.

 

They had reached the back of the Bastion forces fighting forward. The line of soldier's had spread out some as other's had made it further up towards the beam while other's got bogged down in the fighting.

 

There was only one response the situation could merit in her opinion.

 

“WOOOOOOOOOOOO”! Wyld proclaimed as she sent the Valkyr careening down a slope and towards the two forces locked in deadly battle.

 

The Reapers were down to their footsoldier's and were dug in making the alliance's weapons fire ineffective against their makeshift cover. On the alliance side, things were looking the same as both sides exchanged blows back and forth. Neither able to get in the knock-out blow. Where only the attrition of their thermal clips would seemingly decide the winner.

 

That was until a light support mobile personnel carrier going by the name of Bucky Valkyr entered the fray. The front wheel's hit dirt and levelled out as the slope ended and Wyld charged through the ranks of the alliance. Whooping along the way as Lucy joined in. The Reapers saw this and moved to shift their aim, but by then the two Gatling had already spun up and spat out their fire.

 

Against such an onslaught the cover of the Reapers simply disintegrated. Of those who escaped the Valkyr's barrage, several were felled by Alliance marksmen who used the Valkyr's timely arrival to line up on Reapers who had broken cover, to get away from the Valkyr and her immense fire-power.

 

At last, Wyld saw they had hit the back of the Reaper line and stomped on the brake, bringing the Valkyr to a halt. As the Valkyr's guns swivelled around Wyld leapt over her seat, pulling her rifle off her hard point before coming to rest in the back-seat, using her elbows to prop up the weapon on the Valkyr's boot. As she started lining up, and squeezing off shots she called back to Lucy. “Lou! Watch the front! Anything appears, shout”!

 

Lucy yelled back. “Can I have a gun”?

 

“I thought you had a gun”!

 

“Zia took it. She said I was naughty for kidnapping Naomi”.

 

Wyld hissed in satisfaction as another shot from her took a Marauder in the head. They were firing back and the Valkyr's barrier's were starting to take the strain. But the return fire was dwindling as, caught between two sides. The Reapers were getting slaughtered, with nowhere for them to seek cover. “Grab one from the crate”! She called banging her foot on the crate in the back foot-well. She heard Lucy lean over and open it as Wyld kept talking. “We're running low, but we should have a rifle left, maybe”! She squeezed off a few more rounds. “Or a pistol or......”!

 

“A FLAMETHROWER”! Lucy's cry of exhilarated joy caused Wyld's eye's to widen and she snapped her head around to see Lucy lofting a battered, but seemingly functional M-451 Firestorm above her head in both hands. Her eye's, which were on the weapon, seemed to sparkle as she brought it down and hugged it to herself. “Oooooooooh!!! Aria always said I could have one when I was older”!

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Now reinforced by Bloodpack mercenaries and a few Geth juggernauts, the squad's path to the beam was still blocked by the Reaper destroyer. Its shield deflected every single shot and missile fired at it. It was imperative that Shepard make it. Time was running out. Even though the Reapers no longer enjoyed the tactical advantage they once did, they still had a strategic advantage in numbers and fire power. In this battle things were a lot more even due to the fact the Reapers were spread across the galaxy. If the Allied forces lost here it was over. Failure was not an option. Shepard had to survive and make it to the beam. There were two, possibly three alternatives: Javik, Liara, and another Asari named Shiala if she was still alive.

 

Shepard's forces were in cover behind barricades trying to conserve ammunition and thermal clips. They were fighting on a narrow street and had advanced forward past an intersection. Gnish had Bloodpack and juggernauts guarding Shepard's flanks, and that was a huge relief.

 

Garrus was looking watching the rooftops of the two and three story brick buildings that lined the street. "Shepard, you realize that husks are excellent climbers and can scale these buildings quite easily."

 

"You always bring up the good side of things, don't you Garrus?" Shepard shot Garrus a sideward glance, and then took a look up at the rooftops. "Yeah, keep an eye on them, but I don't think we'll see that. The Reapers haven't been that creative since the invasion."

 

Javik shot at a few enemies with his beam weapon. "That's because they haven't had to, Commander."

 

"Yeah, like why doesn't that Destroyer just fire at us?" Shepard shot and killed a cannibal.

 

"Because it knows that if it powered up its weapons we would immediately launch these missiles," Javik replied.

 

Shepard looked a bit puzzled. "And that is because?"

 

"In my cycle, we quickly learned that in order to destroy a reaper we had to provoke it to fire, and then have something prepared to fire while it was charging its weapons," Javik said, "And this meant having something that's a large enough threat."

 

Garrus shot and killed a husk that was charging from behind a parked car. "So you're saying it doesn't view us as a threat?"

 

"Not until we get closer and try to get by it," Javik said.

 

Liara was behind a road barricade to Shepard's left. She shot at a couple a Marauder. "Why don't we go around it?" 

 

"Anderson's orders. We take it out, and get past it," Shepard replied, "So how do we distract it? I've called for air support."

 

"Then we wait and hope," Javik replied.

 

"Hope for what?"

 

"That your primitive air support doesn't get shot down, and that the Reaper doesn't change its mind and fire when you've fallen asleep."

 

Liara shouted, "Shepard!"

 

"What is it Liara?"

 

"I just remembered, it's your birthday. It's April 11. Happy birthday."

 

"It could be his last," Javik laughed.

 

Liara sneered at Javik. "Can't you have a little optimism?"

 

"The Reapers killed all of my people. You expect me to be optimistic, Asari?"

 

A voice from a couple of barricades over shouted. "Happy birthday, Commander! Good memory, Blueberry! Thanks." 

 

"You're welcome, Ash, and please don't call me that."

 

"It's all in fun, Liara. Get some! B*tches!!!" Ashley opened up on some incoming husks.

 

Liara shot a Marauder with her Scorpion. "Shepard, I remember when we first met."

 

"Yeah, what about it?" Shepard replied and ducked when some incoming fire ricocheted off his barricade.

 

"You didn't seem to be very... bright," Liara said, "Frag out!"

 

Shepard was perplexed. "Are you saying I'm dumb?"

 

Liara was shocked by his reply. "No! No, not at all. I've learned otherwise since then, but you've got to admit there were things."

 

Shepard threw a warp and fired four bursts into a charging brute. "Like what?"

 

"Like the time that I mentioned I was a pureblood, and you were stunned," Liara said, and ducked while fire ricocheted. "You didn't think Asari could reproduce with our own species."

 

"Throwing smoke!" Ashley shouted marking where a group of enemies were. Javik opened fire on them.

 

Shepard continued. "Well you don't as a rule. I didn't think it was a dumb question."

 

"Come on, Shepard. Really you asked that?" James shouted from across the street.

 

"Okay, I asked it. And it wasn't a dumb question."

 

"Get them Chiktika!" Tali shouted after launching her combat drone. She was crouched next to Javik. She giggled. "Shepard, that really was a dumb question."

 

"Tali!" Shepard said with the frustration obviously getting to him.

 

"Now you've got me wondering again, Shepard." Liara said, "Damn it! Toss me a couple of thermal clips, Ash. Thanks."

 

"No problem," Ash said.

 

Shepard bagged another husk. "Why is that, Liara?"

 

"It's quite simple, Shepard. How do you think we populated Thessia before we invented interstellar spaceflight?"

 

"Even I could have told you that, Shepard." James said.

 

EDI was in position right next to Shepard. "You could have looked it up on the extranet, Shepard."

 

"But... I..."

 

"Sorry, Shepard. You lose this one," Tali said, "And I bet you wish you'd gone with Jack."

 

"We had our orders, Tali."

 

"Before it is over, I should wish you Happy Birthday, Shepard," EDI said.

 

"Thanks, EDI."

 

"I said, 'should.' That was a joke. Happy birthday, Shepard."

Modifié par sH0tgUn jUliA, 12 avril 2014 - 03:42 .

[Kel Riever]

A spark flitted upward from Rea’s left wrist, where her omni-tool was located. It transformed into a tiny, white bobbling light, and then was followed by another.  The omni-tool interface wasn’t active, but the two lights danced playfully above it. Rea blinked, thinking she was imagining things, then she furrowed her brow in curiosity.

Warbling, ebullient tones resonated in Rea’s ears. The sound, at first, brought an inexplicable feeling of relief until, weary as she was, a smile of recognition curled on Rea’s lips.  “Momma? Is that you?”

 

A high-pitched chime answered.

 

“You made it!”  Rea’s delight seemed to drive away some of her fatigue.

Several more buoyant tones sprung forth, and the lights orbited each other gleefully. Rea brought her free hand to the tiny lights, and they swirled around the tips of her fingers. Then, slowing, the lights floated in the direction of Rothan, dissolving when they strayed a bit from Rea, only to reappear above her wrist to repeat the animation in a pattern.  Rothan did not stir.

 

The play of the lights communicated both an intention and a problem.  “Something doesn’t work, Momma.  You can’t talk to me normally,” Rea guessed aloud.  A melancholy note was her response.  “But you want me to do something with Rothan.”

 

Cheery notes.

 

Rea regarded Rothan.  He was breathing, but remained unconscious, oblivious to the world around him.  Rea tried to bring up her omni-tool, but the display did not register at all.  She wondered what she could do, when an idea came to her, like a tiny insect on buzzing wings.  Rea reconnected the wire and tube used to hard transfer medication to Rothan.  As the connection was completed, Rothan’s suit appeared to be flooded with energy, every light on his outfit activating.

 

“You’re going to help him,” Rea realized.

The glowing, bobbling lights made a series of rapid flickers.  For a split second, Rea thought her hard light helm and head up display had been restored, when she saw words flash in front of her eyes that said, “Yep!  Unplug!”  But the words went out as soon as she read them.  A veritable harmony of happiness warbled and tweeted away at Rea.  She undid the connection, waiting.  It was only minutes before Rothan gasped and he regained consciousness.

 

“The Missiles,” were the first words out of Rothan’s mouth.

[Redbelle]

Zia glared at Naomi as Naomi in turn glared at Zia. An observer might have described the scene as one where, if their eye's had been daggers, they would have cut each other to pieces. However, both were alone in the passenger cabin. The only other people aboard were the flight crew. Zia's precaution of treating Naomi like a ticking biotic bomb, seemingly having been the right call as she had flown into a rage and nearly charged herself so high that she would have seriously damaged the Kodiak they flew in.

 

Naomi sat with her back against the partition bulkhead. Her glare offset with a smirk as Zia stood in the centre of the cabin. Her arms folded as she gave her what she thought was her best disapproving stare.

 

Internally, Zia was having a hard time understanding what was going on in Naomi's head. Her entire personality had seemingly undergone a dramatic shift. Where she had once been timid and shy gentle....... now she was showing a cold, malicious side that Zia never would have suspected she possessed. It didn't make sense.

 

And then suddenly, Zia realised, it did.

 

Zia sighed and moved to sit next to Naomi, who twitched slightly as Zia alighted and leaned back with her.

 

Zia turned her head to Naomi. “How long are you planning on using me”? Naomi's expression faltered for just a moment before she brought it back under control. But it was a moment to long and Zia knew she had hit home. “I mean...... And I'm being serious....... You don't think I've been wondering about your past”?

 

Naomi lip twitched. “You don't know me. You just used me for an easy lay”.

 

“You...... practically dangled yourself in front of me. And I took the bait like a prized chump. Looking back, at everything, it's easy to see. So easy that I'm surprised I didn't see it sooner”. Zia twisted in her seat and leaned forward. “How did someone who has no biotic ability, or control, graduate Grissom Academy”?

 

Naomi's cheeks went scarlet as she turned away and stared straight ahead.

 

“I'm guessing..... you were taken on. And then what? At some point, somebody would have noticed how far behind the other students you were. You should have been discharged from Grissom. Instead...... you graduated. By cheating? How does a biotic like you cheat”. She paused leaving the moment open for Naomi to interject. When she didn't Zia pressed. “By latching onto someone? Like making someone or some people want to help you through? Take tests for you? Fudge marks? And what could you do for them in return”.

 

Naomi head turned and once more glared in Zia's direction.

 

Zia shrugged. “I wonder. You found me and latched on. Right at the start, you focused all your attention on me. Even when Jan was there. She wasn't a biotic. She couldn't cover for your lack of power. Your lack of control. And you..... without your 'friends' from the academy to back you up out there on the field. You'd need someone else to pick up after you. But in war........ was it worth it Nay? Knowing you couldn't cut it? Knowing that as soon as you were told to use a barrier you'd be exposed. Living in fear because your a worthless bi.......”.

 

Naomi's fist shot out and would have caught Zia in the chin had she not been prepared for it. She caught it in her palm. Then the other as Naomi swung with her other hand as she pushed off the bench and stood pressing her fist's into Zia's hands, pushing her back into the bulkhead.

 

“DON'T......”. She screamed, then took a deep shuddering breath. “Don't pretend like you know me. You used me as much as I used you. And you loved every minute of it! I saw you. I know what you wanted when you took me in. I gave you everything you missed and now you want to toss me aside? For Wyld”? Naomi's face darkened. “Maybe I needed you once. But now, I want........ I want the life I should have had. You don't know how much I had to sacrifice to make other's happy. MY parent's wanted a Biotic! They wanted to be proud of me! To know that someone in their family could rise above the poverty we had to live in. I couldn't fail! I didn't care what it would cost to succeed”.

 

Zia felt the pressure in her palms ease as Naomi stepped back, her eye's misting. “And I paid...... I gave everything...... Cerberus killed me. Your Omega sisters? They made me feel helpless and weak. I've walked with you, been with you, I'm not cut out for war but I didn't run away. From the war, or you. Maybe I was hoping to use you at first. To hide behind your power. But give me some credit Zia. I didn't run away. I stayed. I only left you when other's took me. I know how to be loyal. Can you say the same about Wyld”?

 

Zia watched as she listened to Naomi's outpouring of words. And finally, she understood.

 

Right back to when she had first met her. Naomi had been frightened. Not just of the war. Of being caught and found out as a fraud of a biotic. Naomi had used people in Grissom to pass through the exams. How she had manipulated so many people Zia didn't want to think about. But she had done it well enough so that by the time the Reapers had arrived in the galaxy, her scores rated her as a top student.

 

Her parent's may have been proud, but now Zia saw Naomi with her emotional defences stripped bare, she could see the shame Naomi had been carrying around with her for years.

 

The rest Zia knew. Naomi had fought by her side. Died because she had been experimented on by a mad Cerberus agent. Returned as a clone who Cerberus had turned into a super biotic, who still lacked the originals control over her now awesome powers.

 

She had been kidnapped, drugged on Red Sand. Discovered that the sand allowed her to tap into her powers at the expense of releasing her inhibitions. Nearly killed Wyld. And was now...... what? Raging? Pouring out her heart? Confessing?

 

Zia looked up at Naomi whose puffy eye's looked down into her own, seeking something from her. At last Zia stood. Took the two steps forward to where Naomi stood, and wrapped her in her arms.

 

“Idiot”. Zia said.

 

Naomi stood there, seemingly not knowing what to do until finally, she slowly reached around Zia, as if scared that if she moved to quickly she would move away. As soon as her arms clutched Zia's back her head fell to Zia's shoulder and the tears came.

 

Zia reached up to stroke her hair. “It's okay”. She mummered as Naomi let out everything that she had been holding back for years. “It's okay”.

[Redbelle]

The lights in the cabin abruptly went off momentarily before the red lighting kicked in. From the speaker, Zia and Naomi heard the pilots voice.

 

“We're coming into hostile airspace. Buckle up back there”.

 

Zia pulled Naomi back with her till the back of her knees hit the bench seats and she pulled Naomi down beside her. “Buckle up”.

 

“Zia......”? Zia looked over and saw Naomi looking at her. Her eye's pleading as her mouth hung open. The question still on the tip of her tongue.

 

Zia smiled. “When this war is over. Maybe Jan was right. Now's not the time to make promises”.

 

“Zia”!

 

“Belt up”. Zia snapped sharply and Naomi suddenly remembered the harness held in her hands which she snapped into place as Zia did the same. Once both were fastened Zia reached over for Naomi's hand. Gripping it tightly. “Let's focus on the now Nay. It's got me through a lot. Focusing on where I am. What I'm doing”.

 

“Easy for you to say”. Naomi retorted. “Your..... you. You've got it all figured out”.

 

Zia snorted. “You'd be surprised. At the very least, let's not talk about Red Sand any more. I saw that drug take Lucy away from me. One dose at a time. I don't want that for you. No sand. Okay”?

 

Naomi looked away from her gaze and held herself defiantly. “No promises. That's what you said”.

 

“Nay......” Zia said warningly.

 

“Whatever. It. Takes”. Naomi ground out. “That's what I said”.

 

Zia opened her mouth to argue when the shuttle made a sharp lurch to the side and both were thrown against their harness. The speaker came on again. “Check suit seals. We've been tasked to support the Bastion push ahead. They want you two at the front so that's where we're going”.

 

Naomi smirked. “Well what do you know. We're famous”.

 

Zia was busy pulling her mask on and felt the collar seal across the neckline of the mask, creating a complete seal. Naomi was looking at Zia as this happened and it occurred to Zia that she had lost her own mask. Also, her infiltration suit was still torn from having gone toe to toe with the reaper army from before. She unbuckled and stood prompting Naomi to issue a, “Hey”!

 

“Stay there”. Zia ordered as she reached for the overhead storage locker. Popping it open she reached inside and pulled out a standard issue alliance helmet, complete with re-breather. She shoved it into Naomi's hands. “Put this on”. She said as Naomi took it from her hands. Then had to grab hold of the rails either side of her as the shuttle lurched sharply once more before settling. Zia looked out the small window on the side and saw flashes illuminating the night sky.

 

She dug into the locker again and came out with black strips of rubber like material and a can of suit sealant. Kneeling down in front of Naomi she set to work applying the patches before spraying over them. Sealing Naomi's suit back closed. Naomi, the helmet now on, looked down at her.

 

“I can do that. You should strap in”.

 

“Just one more”. Zia said as she ran a strip over a gash in the suit, just over Naomi's ribcage. Slapping the patch on, the sticky side adhered to the damaged edges of the split, as Zia sprayed the area with the can sealant. Checking over her work she saw the sealant harden and set leaving no visible trace of damage.

 

She got up and started to swing back into her seat. “There. All don......”.

 

The sudden drop of the Kodiak's altitude was so sudden and dramatic that Zia hadn't time to react as one moment she was settling into her seat, reaching for the harness and the next the ceiling was rushing up to meet her. Scraping across the overhead equipment lockers she had the presence of mind to roll her head forward. The impact of the ceiling hit her across the shoulder blades, sending pain jolting through her as the sound of engines roaring began to filter through along with the man on the other end of the speaker saying, something......

 

It wasn't important. Zia tried to reach behind her, to grip something when the shuttle's dive flattened out and levelled causing Zia to fall back to the floor. Just as the sound of the shuttle's afterburner took the engine roar up to an ear-splitting screech.

 

Zia fell sideways. The shuttle's sudden forward momentum carrying it forward while she, not held down, was essentially a free floating object. Completely at the whim of gravity until she came into contact with part of the shuttle. That part of the shuttle was the back of the cabin and Zia saw it rush up to her and she brought both arms in front to try and absorb the impact.

 

Suddenly the oncoming bulkhead stopped and Zia felt a sharp pressure around her ankle. She looked back.

 

Naomi had managed to grab hold of her. Suddenly Zia was part of the shuttle through her and she fell to the decking as Naomi reeled her in. Pulling her, Naomi reached for Zia's outstretched hand and together, they got her back in and buckled up.

 

Zia's head was swimming as the cabin spun around her. Vertigo clung on as she tried to get her bearings when she noticed the man on the speaker once more. The engines were still making it hard to hear when she noticed Naomi shaking her.

 

She looked over and saw Naomi's helmet pointed at her. She held up her arm and shook it. Taking the hint, Zia brought up her Omni-tool and activated her masks squad radio.

 

“.....e you all right”? She heard Naomi shout.

 

“Urhhhmm fine”. Zia said groggily. “Not so loud”. Zia felt her insides flutter and it took a moment of intense effort to keep her stomach content's where they belonged before she could ask. “What happened”?

 

“Reaper air”. Naomi replied. “We were trying to evade when.....”.

 

Suddenly the craft lurched again into another turn. This time though, there was a loud bang. As if something had just hit the outside of the shuttle and Zia looked up at the noise and gasped.

 

Something was deforming the shuttles hull. As if something was trying to push through. The engines still screamed but their speed was slowing as the deformity of the hull suddenly came to an end. Looking now Zia saw other's further down the cabin a the pilot was shouting, declaring an emergency. She cued her comm into the pilots. “What the hell just happened”?

 

Another bang. And another. The sound of the engines dying straight after as the pilot screamed. “Harvester! Plucked us out of the air! It killed the engines! Oh god. It's looking at me! It's coming! It's.......”.

 

The bulkhead they leaned against suddenly reverberated with a loud clang that was strong enough to throw Zia and Naomi against their harness before the harness threw them back. It was in time with the sudden scream of the pilot whose comm abruptly went dead.

 

Zia looked over towards the window. They were still moving fast but the sudden pull in her stomach made her realise they were ascending into the sky.

 

Zia gripped her harness and slapped a hand over Naomi's as she reached for the release. “Leave it on”!

 

“But it's got us”!

 

“I know! Just.... wait”!

 

“For what”?

 

Zia found her mouth hanging open as she tried to take stock of what was going on. A harvester had them, in what was potentially a dead Kodiak and was carrying them to who knew where. Escape was obviously needed. But her tumble through the cabin had screwed up her senses. She was still out of it when she heard Naomi calling her name.

 

“Zia”!

 

Zia leant her head on the bulkhead behind her. Something in the back of her mind nagged at her. She became aware that this was the second shuttle accident she'd been in this night. Only this one had happened in mid-air with the ground nowhere in sight. She started laughing.

 

“Zia”?

 

It was wrong, but she couldn't help it. Only the worry in Naomi's voice gave her something to latch onto. Pulling her back to the reality they were now in.

 

“Zia! What do we do”?

 

Zia looked out again. They had been taken so high up, she could see the curvature of the Earth from where they now were. The red lit interior providing stark contrast to the blackness of space and the hazy blue glow of the Earth's atmosphere.

 

That was when they heard a knock on the hatch.

[Kel Riever]

Rea took a quick look towards the missile rig ten or twelve meters away, under the awning of a building and assembled for launch as Elaine had said it was. “You can fire the missiles,” Rea half-questioned, half-stated.  She saw Rothan still seemed to be at the edge of consciousness, disoriented from his ordeal.

 

“Momma can assist me.  I need to get close to the rig.”  Rothan turned his head to Rea and she heard him take a sharp breath in.  “What happened to you?”

 

“Too much to tell now.”  Rea touched Rothan’s shoulder reassuringly.  Then she stood, unsteadily at first, but with a recovering vigor. “We’ll have time for explanations later, all the time we’ll ever need.  I’m going to move you.”

 

Rothan was quiet as Rea put her arms underneath him. Rea tried to press through her fatigue, and pick up Rothan as carefully as she could.  She didn’t even budge Rothan at first, but incredibly Rea sensed a normalness coming back to her body.  Tightening her grip, she made a second attempt, urging herself further.  Rea began to lift Rothan.  The burden of her effort continued to lessen as a resolve flowed through Rea’s physique like voltage.  With Rothan securely in her arms, she stood and carried him to the rig. 

 

When Rea got to the missile rig, she gently lowered Rothan and placed him next to the control panel.  He would need to sit up so that the panel would be within his grasp.  “Momma,” Rea inquired, “is Rothan’s condition still stabilized?”

 

There were more positive chirping sounds in Rea’s ear.

 

Rea squatted and sat herself down behind Rothan, for support.  He had been watching Rea through his visor, not making a sound.  She thought he must have endured a great deal of pain from being shifted around.  “Are you sure you are capable do this?” 

 

Nodding gently, Rothan still regarded Rea.  “I…can.  We’re receiving com signals…without jamming.  You…want to fire the missiles?”

 

Rothan’s uncertainty confused Rea.  “Of course, “ she answered, ”If you can.  If you are well enough to.”

 

“I’m not worried about myself,” Rothan said, pausing briefly to ponder.  Then he affirmed, “I’m ready.”

 

Two streaks of white fire soared overhead, interrupting Rea and Rothan’s conversation.  Seconds after they passed out of sight, they heard two consecutive explosions. 

 

“Those were Thanax missiles,” Rothan stated, “I think they came from the main push.  From Shepard’s location.”  He extended his arm to type in a code onto the rig’s control panel.  A display screen then projected itself from his omni-tool, and he searched for information.  “These are the targeting schematics…but there is a data link to other missile units.  It looks like Shepard’s team fired, but they missed.”

 

“Is that it?”

 

“No.” Rothan read through a message stream. “They’ve got one more chance.”

 

“I suppose we have to wait then.”

 

A minute of silence passed.  Rothan twisted so he could catch Rea at the side of his vision.  She smiled, but saw him swallow nervously.  Rothan slowly put his fingers delicately on Rea’s cheek, and she felt their heat.

 

“You’ve got quite a touch,” Rea said as the warmth of the contact spread from his fingertips to the backs of her ears.

 

“Rea,” Rothan was still nervous, “Have you seen yourself lately?”

 

“No,” Rea chuckled, “I haven’t had a chance to fix myself up.”  Then something in Rothan’s concerned tone caught Rea and she became serious.  “Why?  What is going on?”

 

Rothan pulled his hand back and fumbled with one of the compartments in his suit. 

 

“Let me help, Rothan.”

 

“The kit,” Rothan said and stopped trying to open the compartment. “The mirror.”

 

Rea slipped her hand into the storage compartment on Rothan’s armor and pulled out a personal hygiene kit.  She opened it to retrieve the mirror within and held it so she could peer at herself.  In her reflection, Rea’s eyes glinted conspicuously, appearing to have captured a silvery beam of moonlight.  Then Rea noticed some sort of glittering residue looked to have settled on the skin over her cheekbones.  At first she only noticed that the residue had formed into a pattern of lines.  However, when she realized what the lines actually were, Rea’s mouth dropped and she sucked in a tremendous gasp.

 

The glittering lines were circuitry.

[Redbelle]

After the last Reaper had been shot down, the rear guard of the Bastion force freed from being pinned down, and everyone once again moving forward. After all that, Wyld asked, in the politest way possible if she could perhaps take the Firestorm off her and put it back in the weapons trunk for something a little more sensible.

 

Lucy had wrapped her arms, possessively around the Firestorm. “No”! She snapped.

 

And that was that.

 

They drove on, with company now. The Valkyr had taken on many of the rear unit soldier's as it could and was providing vehicle support to the rear column as those on the Valkyr scanned the surroundings from up high. It was slower going that Wyld was used to, but the column was making good time and encountered no resistance, until from up ahead, they heard the sounds of more alliance weapons against the now well known chatter of Reaper small arms.

 

And that was not the only thing they noticed as Momma announced. “Jamming has ceased. Comm's to local and regional units has been restored”.

 

Wyld immediately thumbed her own comm back to life and heard voices overlapping each other. Some shouting orders. Some calling for support. On her HUD Momma set to work separating out those who were calling and their approximate location. Wyld set her comm to transmit.

 

“This is Commander Wyld to Bastion forces. I'm pushing down south towards the beam with the rearguard of the Bastion personnel. Please advise on what is ahead”.

 

The comm chatter died down a little as her broadcast went out. Ten seconds went by before a voice Wyld knew only to well came on the air.

 

“Wyld? God damn it woman where have you been”? Came the voice of one very angry sounding Captain Radcliffe.

 

Wyld winced. “Sorry for the delay. We some trouble recovering Naomi. Then we met a Reaper army gone rogue that tried to kill us. Then we killed a Reaper processor. Then I had to answer a call to assist and took out four Oculi.....”.

 

“A rogue army? Oculi? Wyld, where did all this happen? And when”? Wyld told him and the line went quiet for a moment. “Commander. Sounds like you took out support the Reapers were expecting. Reapers going rogue is something I've been hearing reports about but a whole army of them? Listen Commander. This is our chance. Get your forces to the beam and get them up to the Citadel. I don't care what Hackett says. If the Reapers want to stop us from getting troops on the Citadel then I want to send as many of you up there as I can. Is Naomi with you”?

 

“She..... had a problem, sir. Zia took Naomi on a Kodiak. They should be holding outside the conflict zone”.

 

Another pause. “I see them. I'm ordering them into the zone and to rendezvous near the front. Commander? I want you to meet them and get Naomi on the Citadel. Her Cerberus enhancements give us an edge that we sorely need”.

 

“Sir, it's going to be a tough fight to get forward. Reapers block all zones. Best I can do is take my force forward and try to create a breach in their weakest line”.

 

“Then get it done commander! Your there. I'm not! Do what you have to do! This may be our only shot at gaining access to the Citadel if Hammer and Shepard's team don't make it”!

 

Just then from above, Wyld heard the distinct sound of a Kodiak's engine thrumming through the sky. She looked up and saw a Kodiak banking towards the beam and the fighting. Momma manipulated her HUD and Wyld saw names appear neatly tracking the Kodiak as it arced through the air. Two she knew.

 

“Sir”. She said contacting Radcliffe. “I have visual on the Kodiak with Zia and Naomi. Looks like they were closer than expected”.

 

Radcliffe began to say something at the same time something from the sky flew down, narrowly missing the Kodiak and slammed into the ground. The Kodiak's response was to kick in it's after burner at which the little shuttle leapt ahead as if startled dived. Picking up more speed as it flew downwards before levelling out till it skimmed, what few remaining rooftops there were. Wyld heard Radcliffe speaking urgently. “The Kodiak has issued a general mayday. Wyld! What's happening”?

 

“Something attacked it! Something hidden in the clouds! Do we have air support”?

 

“Negative! All air units are committed”!

 

Wyld watched with a tight knot in her stomach as the Kodiak carrying Zia and Naomi flew overhead so fast it blew up dust around all those around them. It seemed to be slowing down though. The ragged London skyline providing a nearly suicidal challenge to someone who took it to fast. It was however, speed that would have probably saved them in hindsight.

 

Something..... a ball of black ragged leather, burst out from the clouds, spiralling down towards the Kodiak. As it became certain it would hit the shuttle it opened its wings, coming to a near sudden halt as it's many legs came down and around the shuttle. Snatching it out of the air. The legs pressed in, warping the shuttle's frame as they clung on, tight enough to bend metal as it's rearmost legs came down on the shuttle's engine pods. The legs, that ended with clawed rending talons, grabbed the twin engines and with a quick pull, ripped both off leaving hydraulic fluid and fuel spilling out of the Kodiak, like blood from a wounded animal.

 

Wyld was already in motion. Ignoring the shouts of those who marched alongside the Valkyr she punched the pedal to the floor and the Valkyr front wheels rose off the ground momentarily before the weight of it brought it back down and heading towards the Suspended Kodiak being attacked by the Harvester.

 

The fight with the engine's had meant that the Harvester had come down low and was now arching it's neck around. Seemingly looking in at the cockpit. Then like a viper, it's neck darted it's huge jaws forward and it took an almighty bite out of the front cockpit. Wyld watched helpless as the Harvester withdrew. From their distance no one but her, with her Helmet's enhanced view could see the legs of the pilot sticking out from between the Harvesters jaws. It swung it's head around, throwing the pilot and cockpit away as it's swivelled it's legs around, then it's body and began to beat it's wings harder and faster, gaining altitude while bringing it towards the charging Valkyr.

 

It was to high up to do anything. The guns might do something but the Kodiak shielded it from direct fire. It was flying away carrying Naomi and Zia with it. She had her orders. And even if she hadn't, in retrospect, she'd have probably done the same thing.

 

Wyld shouted. “Momma! Take the wheel”! Wyld let go and Momma seamlessly took over as Wyld stood up in her seat and aimed her one remaining forearm mounted grapnel launcher at the bottom of the Kodiak. The soldier's in the back shouted in confusion as Wyld led her target and fired at the moment the Harvester's path came closest to their own. The end of the line hit and the grapnel started taking up the slack.

 

“Your in charge......”. She started to say before the slack was taken up and Wyld was plucked out of the Valkyr into the air. Grabbing the line with her free hand she started climbing. Managing to get enough line between her that she could hook a foot under it and use it and the reeling mechanism to pull herself up while pushing down with her leg. Wind buffeted her as her armour read the falling oxygen and temperature levels. She only noticed when her helmet sealed itself. Moulded armour sections sliding out and coming together providing Wyld with a re-breather apparatus. When it happened she paused to take in her new surroundings and despite herself, she gasped.

 

The Harvester had taken them up high. Higher than she knew was possible for them. Beneath her Wyld could see the Earth's curve as she called for Momma to show her an altimeter reading. Seeing the reading made her wonder if it was broken as it told her the harvester had taken them up forty kilometres. Nearly twenty five miles into the Earth's atmosphere! The why wasn't important. Only Zia and Naomi in the Kodiak cabin was important right now as she dragged herself up to where she could bring her modified glove up to grip the Kodiak hull. Van der Walls forces applied as she made contact and she dragged her feet up till she was clinging to the outer hull and released her grapnel line which disappeared back into her armoured forearm. Noticing they were approaching the Mesosphere she clambered over to the Kodiak crew hatch, and not knowing what else to do.....

 

She knocked.

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

EDI had used her systems in an attempt to guide the missiles to precision accuracy toward the Reaper destroyer’s ocular weapon in hopes of getting through the jamming field that surrounded the beam. It failed. The thanix missiles missed. Shepard cursed.

 

“I shall add expletives to my speech algorithms, Shepard. They are appropriate,” EDI said.

 

Liara turned toward Shepard and almost looked like she was ready to give up. “So what now?”

 

“There’s another set of missiles. We have one more chance, but we have to draw the Reaper closer,” Shepard replied.

 

Javik laughed under his breath. “One would think that even your primitive cycle would have thought of proximity blast missiles.”

 

“Or equipped us with a laser targeting system so we could paint the thing for an orbital strike,” Garrus added.

 

“We can’t do anything about that now.”

 

“Shepard, I’m just saying. Anderson should have thought about this,” Garrus said.

 

“The Turian is right, Shepard,” Javik said, “Your command is incompetent. But we can’t think about this now.”

 

“Okay, let’s move up,” Shepard ordered.

 

As they moved up the road in cover, the Reaper noticed and began to approach. It called Harbinger for reinforcements. Harbinger answered the call and sent in heavies.

[Redbelle]

The knocking on the hatch kept on, giving Zia something to focus on even as Naomi unstrapped and got out to pear outside the hatch window. She turned back slowly.

 

“Zia..... promise me you won't freak out about this”.

 

“About what”?

 

“You know how Wyld's basically a blood sucking leech who can never make you happy but insists on coming between us”?

 

Zia blinked, a motion lost behind her mask as the figure of Naomi, in her re-breather helmet, sighed. “She's sticking to the outside of the hull”.

 

“WHAT”? Zia started fumbling with her harness. Her head still throbbing as she tried to focus. The banging from outside sounding like gun shot. I must be concussed. She thought.

 

Naomi, seeing Zia trying to get out, walked over and grabbed her hands. “Zia......”.

 

“We have to let her in”.

 

“......Or not”.

 

“What? Why”?

 

“For crying out loud! I tried to kill her.....”!

 

“While you were on sand”!

 

“....... and up here, who knows what she'll do”!

 

“Try to save us? It's what she's been doing the whole war”!

 

“Zia...... I don't think I can face her”.

 

Zia's brain was coming out of the fog of being thrown around the cabin. She was starting to recognise the knocking as being Morse code. As Naomi talked she focused on the sound.

 

Door, she made out.

 

Stand, came the next word

 

Clear, her eye's widened. Grabbing Naomi she tugged her into an embrace which caught Naomi by surprise as she in turn wrapped her arms around Zia.

 

They stayed like that for a long moment, in which time, nothing happened. Naomi however seemed clutched her tightly. “I knew you cared”. She whispered.

 

Zia opened her mouth to correct her when the knocking started again. Naomi made an aborted strangled noise in the back of her throat. “Can't she give us a moment”!

 

Strap, Zia heard from the knocking

 

In.

 

The door blew off it's frame. The atmosphere inside was sucked out. And Naomi would have followed had Zia not been grasping her. The atmosphere's explosive release was over in a moment and all noise grew silent except for the sound of their breathing in their respective head wear.

 

Both looked to the door as a white armoured figure swung inside. Wyld's figure, coupled with her ear winged Kestrel stood her out as she looked between the two of them. “Well.....”. They heard her say over the radio. “Save some room for me ladies”.

 

Naomi disentangled herself from Zia and stood. Her body language uncertain. Looking for all intents as if she couldn't decide whether she should charge or run away. Her head darted around, as she kept Wyld centred in her vision. “Jan.....”.

 

Wyld strode past her. Up to Zia, unlatched her harness and pulled her up before grabbing the underneath of the seat and pulling. The seat came up, revealing a storage space, from which she drew set of straps with something attached that dangled from the mass she pulled out. She held it up in front of the others. “Okay! Mass chutes! Mass Effect kicks in...... then thruster's before you hit the ground! All you have to do is strap one on and survive on the way down. Everybody grab one. We're leaving”!

 

Naomi shook her head. “What”?

 

“We're leaving”.

 

“But..... what about......”?

 

Wyld dropped her arm with the chute and walked up to Naomi who tried to step back, only to bump into Zia. She had nowhere to go as Wyld took the underside of her helmet where her chin would be and moved her so she was looking at her own.

 

“Nay..... I can't claim to be the most principled person in the world when it comes to relationships. And Zia's made her own feelings very well known”. She paused as she let that statement sink in. “But when this is over...... I really hope your inclined to join us for a strawberry sandwich”.

 

“JAN”! Zia exclaimed.

 

“End of the world Zee. Now grab the chutes and let's table this for later”!

 

“Your, not mad at me”?

 

Wyld chuckled. “Girl. You make Zia happy, which makes me happy. Just stop trying to kill me and we'll be okay. I'm a friend. Not your rival”. With that she held out the Mass chute while grabbing Naomi's arm and thrust it through. “Now get in already. Zia! Open up the deck......”. She paused as she saw a hole in the decking, where Naomi's biotic enhanced fist had punched through the metal. “Oh.... never mind”.

 

Once Naomi and Zia were strapped in Wyld let them help her with her own before urging them both to the open hatch. Both looked out and saw the Earth under them, the curve of the planet visible on the horizon. Looking up Naomi saw small objects, beams lancing out from both as other objects lit up in fire before dying away.

 

The war was still raging. People were still dying!

 

Naomi looked over at Zia who looked over at Wyld just in time to see her pull the decking back further, exposing a tank. She pulled a grenade off her belt and attached it to the side and hit a stud on the side.

 

“Wyld! What the hell”!

 

“The harvester's got the shuttle. It's taking it somewhere. We're leaving. The hydrogen tanks take out the Harvester”. She pushed off and wrapped her arms around both their midriffs. “And since that was a ten second fuse. We're going now”!

 

With a heave Wyld propelled them off and out into space. As high up as they were gravity quickly took hold and soon they were falling away. Naomi looked upwards, back at the shuttle and saw it caught in the embrace of a harvester who looked like it had been caught in intense fire. It's plating was scorched and where it's guns should have been, hung limp trailing wires. It's wings were torn in several places but the beat of it's wings was tireless as it ascended.

 

Naomi was suddenly struck with a notion. Had she been a target? The Harvester looked as if it were moving up towards the small objects above which would surely hold the Reaper capital ships. She had thought herself invisible to the Reapers, but perhaps, something had changed?

 

Whatever thought's she had were interrupted when the shuttle exploded, becoming a miniature sun in the space above as the harvester was consumed. Falling away as they were the shock wave from the explosion pursued them faster than they fell and Wyld pulled her arms down so that Zia and Naomi were under her.

 

The wave hit suddenly they were tumbling separately. Naomi saw Wyld, then space, then Zia, then the Earth.

 

Together, separated, and spinning out of control, they fell back down to the Earth

[Redbelle]

Wyld's sudden take to the sky as she was swept away left everyone in the Valkyr staring at the spot where she had been. Everyone lost for words.

 

Nearly everyone.

 

Lucy stood and turned to the other's in the back of the Valkyr. "You heard that? She left me in charge"! Lucy giggled as she held the Firestorm against her shoulder. "This is my moment to shine"!

 

One of the alliance soldier's shook his head. "I'm ranking officer. I think she meant.....".

 

Lucy swung the firstorm off her shoulder and pointed it at the officer. "I said...... I'm..... In...... Charge"!

 

The other marines automatically had their weapons out and pointed at her, though with her finger on a weapon that could fry the entire content's of the vehicle, them included, no one seemed to want to make a move. Then the two gatlings on the back of the Valkyr hissed as their hydraulics swung the ends down and towards the interior of the back seat.

 

"I would not argue with her if I were you". Momma stated. "Because if you think I'm about to suffer a flaming interior because you want to argue with Wyld's last order......." . The gatlings spun up and the soldier's looked at one another before lowering their weapons.

 

"Fine, she's in charge".

[Kel Riever]

“What happened to me?” Rea dropped the mirror and put a hand to her mouth. “The Reaper…”

Rothan didn’t answer Rea at first. He watched as she tried to control her fright. At length, he spoke, finishing her sentence, “…tried to indoctrinate you. It left its mark.”

Rea stared at Rothan. Her emotions wanted to burst outward, as if she could scream them away. Instead, a futility came over her. She nodded once, and trembled.

“It is you though, isn’t it,” Rothan stated more than asked. “Through and through.”

“Oh Goddess,” Rea sobbed. “Oh blackness take my soul! Rothan…” The hysteria threatened to consume her, but Rea forced herself to control it. She did her best to keep her voice from breaking up, “It is me, Rothan.”

Rothan wrapped his fingers around Rea’s arm. “I believe you.”

The synthetic blare of a Reaper was heard in the distance, followed by the far-off shriek of a banshee. Rea gritted her teeth. “I think I feel them now, faintly. It is as if they’re calling to me.”

“If you were one of them, Rea, I would suppose you’d stop me from launching the missiles.”

A red beam from a Reaper cannon traced its path of destruction through a street in the direction of Shepard’s main push.

“We haven’t tried yet,” Rea said fearfully.

As before, two white streaks soared into the sky. They were the missiles from Shepard’s team, with a much shorter path this time. The detonations were almost immediate, and a fiery glow cast forth from their impact.

“Then I suppose we’ll find out one way or the other,” Rothan quipped.

A priority communication overrode all com traffic. Rea and Rothan heard Commander Shepard’s order, “Hit ‘em with everything you’ve got!”

Rothan hit a key on his omni-tool display. The Thanax missile thrusters ignited, showering him and Rea with heat and filling the air with their roar. As the missiles shot into the sky, they were joined by a pair from another launch site, and then another. Rothan used an active guidance from his omni-tool, and Rea could see a visual schematic of a Reaper Destroyer appear on his screen. The missiles streaked out of sight momentarily, then multiple explosions could be heard and seen from the direction of their target. The missiles had hit home.

Rothan turned to Rea. He reached to the latch to unfasten his quarian mask. This time, Rea did not try to stop him. Rothan removed the barrier between himself and the outside world once more.  He stretched upward to Rea, to pull her towards him.  She let him, and placed her lips on his.

[Redbelle]

“We are currently falling Jerry-Ann”.

 

Wind buffeted her body as Wyld's vision swam back into focus. Something had hit her. The shuttle. It had exploded. Killing the Harvester that had captured the aircraft, after it had taken them into the high atmosphere.

 

She'd been hit. She'd used her body to shield the others. Her armour better able to withstand the shockwave. She must have blacked out because one minute she had Zia and Naomi in her grasp and now they were gone.

 

With the wind passing over her, she held out her arms and flipped over so that she was falling on her front and looked around. Not knowing how long she'd been out they could be anywhere. “Momma! Can you find them”?

 

“Zia is currently over one hundred metres above you. I have downloaded a location to her omni tool and she is managing to steer towards it”.

 

“Nay”?

 

“Approximately one hundred fifty metres below you. She appears to be in an uncontrolled free-fall and is unable to steer towards our destination. Zia is unable to locate her”.

 

“Can I”?

 

A box appeared in her hud and bracketed a small object off in the distance below her. “Location is marked”. Momma said.

 

Wyld brought her arms and legs together and angled her body down. The range finder numbers started falling, then faster, and faster still. Something fell past her, even at the speed she was covering and she spared a look to see the body of the Harvester plummeting, it's body smoking and cut nearly in half by shrapnel.

 

Something inside it moved.

 

Wyld's Paladin was in her hands even as three Reapers emerged. From a space from within? Or they had just been riding on it's back. It didn't matter. One Marauder, one cannibal, one husk. All falling even as the husk saw her, and for whatever reason, leaped out, talons outstretched, trying to grab at her. The distance was to great and it's leap simply petered out leaving it plummeting along with the rest. Wyld lined up a shot, the wind making the aiming difficult. Five rounds spent and one slagged thermal clip, the husk was hit. The shot spearing it's chest and leaving it a lifeless lump that fell without moving.

 

The other two however were armed, and used the body of the harvester to good effect, bracing themselves as they fired. Wyld used her gun hand to adjust her fall, causing the wind resistance to slip around in a way that she fell off to the side. That and the buffeting prevented the Reapers from being able to hone in precisely as her other hand came up with a clip. The old ejected and flew off as Wyld slapped the new one in place. This time she scored a hit on the cannibal in two shots. More due to dumb luck than anything else and Wyld saw it stagger back, losing it's grip on the harvester.

 

 

The Marauder grabbed for it but it missed and the Cannibal fell, it's body resistance to the air far greater and seemed to fly up into the sky. Wyld lined up on the Marauder next. Which was when it leapt off the harvester's corpse. Wyld found the shot impossible as this Reaper seemed to know how to free-fall and used it's body to keep the Harvester between it and the barrel of Wyld's paladin.

 

Wyld slipped the gun back into it's hard-point and turned once more to face the ground. The rangefinder told her that their midair scuffle slowed her descent and she angled once more towards Naomi. Wyld's altimeter spinning so fast she could scarcely keep track.

 

Ten seconds of diving and she finally, could make out Naomi's form. She was in complete distress as the air buffeted her putting her into an uncontrolled spin. Wyld slowed her own descent by spreading out her arms till she was near to and pacing Naomi, then grabbed her. It took a few attempts, but finally she caught hold of her red coat and resisted the momentum that would have spun her too. Naomi came under control and she looked around to see Wyld, who grabbed her hand and clasped it over her mass chutes controller. With a practiced touch she kicked in the chutes fall stabiliser that put the chute into automatic operation and let go. The thruster's on the chute began firing every time Naomi fell off course, or lost control of her fall. Wyld knew then that she would be okay and turned her attention to her own fall.

 

That was when the Marauder from before, seemingly out of nowhere, hit her in the back like a missile. The armour took the brunt but she still felt the blow as she was suddenly tumbling, out of control while the Reaper wrapped an arm around her throat and pulled backwards. Using her body as a means of providing a stable platform while his other reached for his own gun on his thigh.

 

Wyld saw the motion out of the corner of her eye. Grabbing at the hand, seizing it just after he had wrapped a hand around the grip. They struggled, the Reaper trying to line the muzzle up with Wyld's head. Wyld doing everything she could to stop him. She heard Momma calling in her ear. “Allow me to assist Jerry-Ann”.

 

On Wyld's back the silver disk that Sully had told her all about, but that she had completely forgotten, hummed to life, distracting the Reaper enough to look down.

 

The disc flashed and a wall of super compressed air hit the Reaper. It was flung away straight up into the air as Wyld was propelled downwards. Feeling the force and feeling the Reapers arm tear free she sideslipped and rolled, her hand on her Paladin and drawing as she fell headfirst. The Reaper was sighted between her legs and with her body shielding her aim from the wind, she drew a bead and fired.

 

The Reapers head snapped back. The round entering through the forehead and coming out the other side as it to went limp and fell without moving. Wyld slapped the gun back onto her thigh and twisted in the air. She could see London beneath her. She reached for her chute controller and activated the automation.

 

Nothing happened.

 

She looked down and saw a blinking red light. “Chute's thruster unit's were damaged in the Reaper encounter”. Momma said. “Repair impossible”. Wyld's HUD lit up with sea of information as Wyld Momma using her Kestrel's camera's to search and enhance London's rooftops for something.

 

At last another destination box appeared. “Please fall in towards the marker..... and prepare for a rough landing”.

 

“What's the plan”? Wyld shouted back.

 

“Quite honestly...... It's better if you don't know”.

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

It began. The missiles got the Reaper’s attention, and it began to move forward supported by a ground assault of reaper elite. Screams were heard approaching in the distance and the sound of the banshee warp echoed off the buildings. Brute snarls grew louder as they tore through any ground forces that stood in their way.

 

“Shepard to base. Shepard to base. Anyone. We need an airstrike quickly. Over.”

 

“Negative on the airstrike. All gunships are committed, Commander.”

 

Liara turned to Shepard. “What about the Vorcha?”

 

“Good idea. Gnish! Bring up your squad! Hurry!”

 

“No can do, Shepard. Reapers attacking. Situation bad,” Gnish said, “We move. Reapers attack you.”

 

“Okay everyone, stay in cover and try to stay out of the way of that beam,” Shepard ordered, “Let me know when you have a firing solution, EDI.”

 

“Aye aye, Commander,” EDI replied.

 

Ashley and James were focusing on one of the banshees. Liara and Javik one of the brutes. Shepard and Garrus were focusing on the Marauders. A banshee broke through in the rear and was chasing a Vorcha. EDI positioned herself in between the Vorcha and the banshee and  exploded her tech armor but it wasn’t enough. The banshee caught the Vorcha and killed it. Javik turned and killed the banshee. EDI picked up its flamethrower and began to advance.

 

“I have a firing solution, Shepard. Attempting to reach the second set of missiles,” EDI said.

 

A banshee attacked EDI but she incinerated it. Brutes attacked in the center. Shepard was about to go down, but Javik blasted it with his particle gun. Shepard rolled ahead and caught up to EDI who was entering numbers into the keypad. Shepard provided covering fire for her. The Reaper was closing rapidly and opened its ocular weapon. EDI fired.

 

“We have two missiles incoming from the opposite direction, Shepard,” EDI said, “We should run.”

 

The four missiles struck the Reaper simultaneously. First there were primary explosions followed by the secondary detonation of the mass core of the giant machine that knocked everyone in the area to the ground. The team dusted off themselves and surveyed the area. Vehicles pulled up in the rear. Admiral Anderson got out of one of them.

 

“Anderson!” Shepard shouted.

 

“Glad to see you’re still alive,” Anderson said, “This is Major Coates. He’s in charge of the ground assault on the beam.”

 

“Tell me it gets better.”

 

“It gets worse,” Anderson said.

 

“Of course it does.”

 

“A Sovereign class Reaper that we suspect is Harbinger is guarding the beam,” Anderson said, “And we’ve got to move. Another unit led by Commander Steiner is attacking from another direction. Come on everyone. Saddle up. Let’s move people!”

 

The squad got into the Makos and drove over the debris to the edge of Peckham Rye Common. 

[Redbelle]

Wyld's slanting angle down, through the sky, brought her closer and closer to the box target Momma had painted on her HUD. She saw she was directing her towards a part where some of London’s older buildings had avoided being annihilated. She was coming down towards a roof.

 

“Momma.....”!

 

“Ready your bow. After you have fired I require you to fall on your back. You will require an explosive tip”.

 

Wyld hand darted to the fabricator on her belt and came away with an arrow head. At the same time her other hand came up and her Omni-Bow sprung into existence. Reaching, she readied and drew back. The string and arrow shaft being fabricated and moving to take the strain. The altimeter was fast running out of number's to count down as it spun. On her HUD two lines appeared One where her aim would take the arrow, one on a path towards the roof. The line intersected with an object. From her viewpoint it was a perfectly round structure.

 

“Momma.....”!

 

“This is the highest chance for survival that I have calculated”.

 

Wyld gritted her teeth behind her helmet's respirator and aimed. Her aim wobbled, without a surface to stand on her ability to aim was way off.

 

Finally the two lines intersected and she fired. The moment the explosive arrow left the bow she twisted in the air till she was falling face up and curled herself into as smaller ball as she could manage.

 

The arrow whizzed ahead of her. Struck the top of the water tower and exploded the roof of the tower open. Wyld missed this as she fell, but heard the air brake disc on her back begin to hum.

 

Wyld fell into the top of the open water tower and hit the water. An instant after she hit, the air brake released another burst of super compressed air.

 

The splash of water turned into a geyser as the tower shuddered. Then burst apart as the pressure inside caused the entire metalwork to split and tear open.

 

Water burst out through the cracks with the pressure of a fire-hose for a few seconds before they died down leaving the tower dripping water. Inside, Wyld looked up in a daze at the bottom of the tower, completely submerged. Her breath loud in her helmet as Momma spoke to her.

 

“I'm surprised that worked”.

 

“Eeeuughhhhh”.

 

“The odds were not your favour for survival”.

 

“What happened”?

 

“The air brake is designed to work if you fall from a maximum height of approximately one hundred meters. Falling from orbit, the brake by itself would not have worked in an open air environment. By falling inside a water tower the brake was able to operate against a surface that allowed me to brake your fall while falling into water which further absorbed your fall”. She paused. “The final impact was still somewhat extreme”.

 

Wyld raised her head. The water had drained enough that she was able to raise her visor above the water level. “Ugh. That...... hurt”.

 

“Are you alright”?

 

Wyld ran through moving her limbs before breaking out her medical scanner. It flickered a few times before Wyld banged it and it came on normally. “Look's.... like”. She said after running it over herself a few times.

 

Just then, from outside, she heard the sound of metal screeching and then something snapped. The whole tower pitched over send Wyld sliding to the side.

 

The tower keeled over and hit the ground with a resounding clang as the remaining water spilled out and poured over the roof surface. A little while later, Wyld crawled out, her respirator sliding back into her Kestrel as it registered the atmosphere as fit to breath. Dragging herself out of the tower she managed to get up to kneeling, with her hands planted on her thighs as she took several long drawn breaths before reaching for her radio.

 

“This is.... Commander Wyld..... Need a pick-up”.

[Kel Riever]

Dale’s mind tried to play catch-up.  From the point she had seen the fiery giant battling the krogan warlord, a sudden wave of Reapers had thrown her mind into an adrenaline fueled haze.  She had planned to advance, but a throng of Reapers intercepted her, Riptide, Arkeer and the handful of people left in her unit.  As if anticipating the move towards the mound, the Reapers made to put themselves in between, and crush Dale’s unit.

 

The Revenant light machine gun worked endlessly, and Dale lost track of nearly everyone, though the constant booming of Arkeer’s claymore was always close to her left.  Through the Husks and Cannibals, she caught occasional glimpses of Riptide, somehow holding her own, or one of the other marines, buried under the incessant attack.  No ground could be held, and Dale fell back as best she could against the onslaught.  Eventually, slagging every thermal clip she had for the Revenant, Dale was forced to go to her seldom used Katana shotgun.  When that was out, she used her omni-blade, locking in hand to hand combat with husks. 

 

Dale’s last opponent was a Marauder.  It had appeared as she put her omni-blade through a Cannibal locking its jaws into her shoulder.  The Marauder cracked its rifle butt against Dale’s helmet, stunning her and knocking her to the ground.  She barely recovered before it brought its heavily armored boot down on top of her head, grabbing the Marauder and throwing it off balance.  It grappled her in turn, with immense strength, pushing Dale to the ground and choking her in its grip. 

 

Arkeer had saved Dale, seconds before she passed out.  The krogan backfisted the Marauder with a massive blow, sending its body to fly and break against a nearby wall.  Dale was so out of breath, it took her a long time to realize that the battle around her had ceased.  It took even longer for her to fully come to her senses, sit up, and take in the situation around her.

 

The melee was won, but the costs were severe.  Dale felt her wounds under her armor.  Aside from her, only Arkeer, Riptide, and one other trooper who happened to be a stout turian still lived.  Dale was silently thankful that Riptide had made it, and though her armor showed the worst of the battle, Riptide appeared to be in the best shape of all.  The girl, in fact, had undone her visor, to stare down with her freckled face, concerned for Dale.

 

“You ready to get up?”  Arkeer reached a hand down.  “I’ve seen krogan with less backbone.”

 

Dale took Arkeer’s hand and the krogan lifted her to her feet.  She released her own visor’s latch, lifting it to see her surroundings with her naked eyes.   “You say the sweetest things.”

 

Arkeer laughed.  “Command reports pushing to the beam, but not where we are.  We’re the lucky ones who took it to the front.  And who knows when a clean up crew of Reapers will get here?  But Steiner’s getting close and Shepard got past whatever was blocking his way.”

 

“Well, I’m out of gun,” Dale muttered.  “But not out of curiosity.  I saw something before we got hit and I want to find out more about it.”

 

“The Orange Man,” Arkeer stated. “We all saw him.  And I saw him kill Clanless, that old bastard.”  Arkeer reached around to the magnetic holster on his back and pulled out an Avenger assault rifle.  He tossed to Dale, who caught it deftly.  Arkeer grumbled, “That’s from one of your team, since they won’t be using it anymore.  I’m with you on finding out about what happened on that mound, though.  We’re not dead yet.”

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Shepard looked exhausted. The months of fighting and agonizing over decisions had worn on him, and he was struggling to stay awake. He popped open the first aid kit in the Mako and pulled out a stim and injected it. Being awake 20 hours fighting was tough.

 

“Anyone else need a stim, there’s a few of them in the kit. I’d suggest you take one,” Shepard said, “So Anderson, how far out are we?”

 

“About 5 minutes, then all hell is going to break loose. I suggest you say what you need to say now,” Anderson said.

 

Shepard leaned out from his seat. “You heard him. In a few minutes all hell is going to break loose. We’re going to charge the beam and I’m expecting Harbinger isn’t gonna make it easy. I’m expecting we’ll be taking direct fire from some of Harbinger’s gardian lasers. So spread out, and run like hell toward that beam.”

 

“So this is our chance to end this,” Javik said, “My cycle never had this chance. Do not lose hope. I may yet live to see all the reapers die. It may have been good that you had a diverse battle order.”

 

The Mako stopped at the edge of the Common, and the team got out and stared at the beam, Harbinger, and a group of Reaper troops guarding the beam. The Mako could not make the drop.

 

“Goddess!”