Unsung Heroes ~ Mass Effect (EuRo x Lumeneire

[EuRo]

“Like hell you mean that.”


“I do mean that!”


“No you don't!”


“Yes I do!”


Bickering back and forth, a sister and brother glared at each other, both with the same stormy grayish blue eyes.


“Oh come on.” The brother sighed. “You're telling me you've never been on a vacation? At any time? Bullshit.”


“I have not been on vacation out of the Earth” The sister stated, folding her arms across her chest.


“What about that time we went to Illium?” He added.


“I was five!”


“It still counts!”


“No, it doesn't!”


“Okay, Anne, anything before you turning seven doesn't count.” He said, his comment dripping with sarcasm.


Anne did nothing but turned her head to look out the ship, glaring at the swirling nebula in the distance. “Fine. I'm not talking to you the rest of the way there, Virgil...” She replied, sticking her tongue out like a child and turned back to the window. The nebula of swirling stars around the blackness of space was the only thing Anne was paying attention to at the moment, glaring at their bright light with a hint of irritation.


Virgil mockingly stuck his out his tongue as well. “Fine. It's quieter anyway..” He pushed dark brown slightly curly hair from his broad forehead and stared at the next seats in front of him.


Both Virgil and Anne, both being brother and sister, argued like this often, but today was different. Today was Anne's birthday. Turning twenty-one, her brother decided to be nice and take her to see the Citadel, since he was going there anyway. He needed a vacation, get away from Earth as fast as he could.


Right now, he was regretting that decision.


The Alliance civilian vessel, named the Apathy, took a sudden deceleration, making the entire cabin rumble. The only passengers were Virgil and Anne, a couple of merchant Volus far to the right of the cabin, and a few new Alliance privates. Careful not to raise their own voices, the Volus kept to themselves, sending a few looks Virgil's way.


The handful of privates looked nervous, as Virgil could tell, sitting only a few rows in front of them. He and his sister's argument seemed to have spread through the cabin, with none of the privates looking him in the eye. One of the privates with a short blond crew cut glanced over in Virgil's direction with a confused and panicky look in his eyes. At first Virgil thought it was because of his rank, but once he observed the private more, he let out a small chuckle, knowing exactly what the grunt was thinking.


“What's your name?” Virgil asked, shifting in his seat to face the private.


“My name?” The marine's face didn't change, looking around him, wondering if Virgil was speaking to someone else. His accent was light and airy, a Scottish twang to his words.


“Yes, you. You have one, don't you?”


“It's Carson.” He replied, getting a good look at Virgil. His eyes flicked up, panicky when he saw Virgil's Alliance uniform, marked with various holographic pins and medals. Upon his left shoulder, his rank of lieutenant made the private stiffen up and give a quick salute. “It's Carson, sir.”


“Easy. I'm not on duty. Yet.” Virgil consoled him, motioning with his hand to relax.


“Yes..sir. I mean, Yes.”


“Good. Is this your first space flight, Carson?” Virgil asked.


Carson nodded rapidly, flinching to the sound of pressure escaping outside. He glanced out his seat window, fearing the entire ship was going through something dramatic. White billowy smoke rushed out about his window, pushing the vessel to starboard. His eyes jumped back to Virgil, who had a small grin forming on his face.


“No need to worry, Carson. These things are like flying the trams back at home. Just...with more space. Stay focused on me. Where you from?” Virgil assured, nodding gently.


“Uhm...” Carson glanced back at the window.


“Hey, on me.” Virgil ordered.


“England.” Carson gulped, a little bit of sweat forming beads on his forehead.


“Ah, England.” Virgil mused. “I heard it's wonderful this time of year.” He added, looking the nervous private in the eye.


“Oh, yes. It is, sir.” Carson nodded, giving a poor excuse of a grin.


“What's it like, Carson?” Virgil asked.


Carson's eyes flickered from the window back to the lieutenant warily. At first a brief moment passed between them, unsure what to say to the higher-ranking officer. But as Virgil motioned him to spill the details with a faint smile, the private opened up. Over the next few hours, Carson explained everything he could about his beloved country. His body wasn't as stiff anymore, no more did he have the panicked look on his face. Instead, he gave vigorous details on his home, giving some very descriptive stories of him and his brother escaping their troubles, much to the anger of their mother.


Virgil listened intently the entire time, making sure the private's attention was focused on him.“It sounds like you two were annoying to your mother.”


Carson let out a breath, rubbing at his chin, a bit of blonde scruff starting to show. “Yea, we were....”


The captain of the Apathy's voice crackled on the loudspeaker, making Carson jump slightly in his seat. The small distraction already wearing off.


“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, it is now 9:43a.m. , we just now reached the Citadel and we'll be landing shortly. Please put your tables up to their upright position and remain in your seats, as we'll be landing soon. Thank you.”


The lieutenant gave a shrug of his shoulders. “Now, I'm on duty. Good luck private.” Virgil nodded, returning to his seat with a loud sigh. He heard the private pipe up with a thank you, but it died down at the cabin shook, turning starboard once again.


Virgil leaned to Anne and spoke through the side of the mouth. “Well, you can talk to me now, since we're here now.”


Anne snapped her seat belt in with an angry glare and turned back to the window, her long maroon locks staring right back at him.


“I take that as a no...” Virgil muttered, doing the same.


The ship slowly dipped in the vacuum, humming as it slowed to a stop near the docking bay. Taking only five minutes to land and dock, unload it's passengers and numerous amounts of medicine and weapons. The bay was bustling with Alliance activity, moving crates and sergeants barking orders at their subordinates. Virgil took in the sights of the Citadel, breathing in the smell of Eezo and oil. Content on just staying at the docks, he muttered a little prayer under his breath. The sound of air hissing out of the bay doors to the Apathy shook him from his trance, watching his sister walk by with long strides.


He sighed heavily, taking a black duffel bag and swinging it over his shoulder. Imprinted on the side was the Alliance symbol, along with stickers and postcards of various planets and cities. Most of them were of him standing with a cheesy grin with the city in the backdrop.


Anne was still not talking to Virgil as they both walked out of the bay. Her face was stoic, but her movements gave her anger away. The silence between the two was tense, as they continued to the Citadel Wards.


“You know, you can go back home if you want, if I'm that much of a problem to you.” Virgil said, breaking the awkward silence between them. The central courtyard of the wards reaching a rumbling drone from the amount of people insde, Anna stopped and looked at her brother. A sigh escaped her five foot six small frame, her pale lips puckering in thought. “No..I'm sorry. I just thought Mon and Dad would come with us.”


Virgil eyebrows furrowed and his mouth twisted into a slight smirk. “Well, yeah, at least you've got me.”


Anne raised an eyebrow, walking over to him and playfully bumping into Virgil. He reached his side in a fake, mocking pain, with a funny look on his face. It at least got her to smile slightly, along with a small chuckle.


“Thanks bro.”


“No problem sis.”


“Now. Where is this...friend..you speak of?”


“He's there.” Virgil stated, pointing to the far end of the courtyard. Nestled near the bars and small shops, a long staircase led down farther to the apartment complexes. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small slip of plastic, handing it to her with a stern gaze. “Don't loose this. Show this to Metrica at the door, and she'll show you to where you'll be for the week.”


“Okay...” she mused, taking the bright plastic chip and shoving it down her pair of black slacks. “Where are you going?” She asked.


“Have to go tell the Alliance I'm here.” He sighed. “My CO wanted me to come in as soon as I touched down. So...”


“So...” She trailed off, brushing Virgil's shoulder with a small mischievous smirk. “Don't go dying on me, you hear? I want that birthday dinner you promised.”


“I won't. Besides, you're not getting rid of me that easily.”


The two embraced each other, Anna letting out a breath and sticking her head under Virgil's chin. Her face showed a hint sign of sadness, mixed with concern at her brother. Just barely seen each other, and already he was leaving. They haven't seen each other in a couple years, during his missions and extra training, he wasn't able to return home. Until recently, only to have his leave canceled. The thought of her brother not returning this time was enough to make their embrace last for minutes.


Hand on back of her head, he ruffled her hair with a deep sigh. “Enjoy yourself. There isn't a shortage of stuff to do here.” He added, giving a quick peck on her forehead. The two pushed away, Anna wiping away a small tear.


“I'll see you soon, Phoenix.” He joked, shifting his duffel bag.


“Right back at yah, Darwin.” She laughed, her pain subsiding.


With that, the two made their separate ways. Anna weaved her way through the crowd and down the stairs, away from his sight.


Virgil glanced back at the trailing curls of his sister and melted into the crowd, wishing he never stepped off Earth.


The Alliance Transit and Registration station was packed full with new privates, never had Virgil seen so many before. A wave of nostalgic memories flew through his mind, to his own days first as an Alliance Navy Private. He doubt many of them would even make it, but then again, none of them had his marksmanship skills and adaptability. He caught a look at the nervous private from the Apathy. Not too long ago he was a nervous wreck, now he was laughing, joking with a couple other men near the sitting lounges.


He was glad for Carson. Already on the Citadel and made a few comrades.


'If only it were that easy for me..'Virgil thought bitterly.


The Registration clerk behind the counter looked up through black rimmed spectacles, typing into the holo-board beneath her fingernails.


“What can I do for you, sir?” Even though she gave him a 'sir' at the end, she spoke like she was tired of working, with a condesding tone that made Virgil quirk an eyebrow.


“I'm reporting in.” He stated, reaching into his Alliance jacket pocket. “Serial 421 Tango Whisky 3.”


The receptionist muttered back his serial, looking down the holograms with tired eyes. “Ah, yes. Virgil Myendraili?”


“That's me..” He brought up his omni-tool, glowing a dull orange. He slid a document over to her console, with more information on his credentials.


She clicked her tongue, tapping a few more keys. The silence between the two made Virgil shift on his feet.


“Okay. Your CO wishes to see you. Through that door.” She motioned to the hallway adjacent from the desk.


“Uh, alright. Thanks.” He walked away, a puzzled look contorting his face. “Have a nice day.” He added, knowing full well she wouldn't return the thanks. And to be a little shit.


His CO's office made Virgil feel small, even though he was a height of six four. The room was made for someone much smaller, not requiring as much room. Swinging around in a coaxial chair, his CO looked upon him with stern eyes. The small man motioned Virgil forward with his hand, his other bringing up his omni-tool. “Come in, Myendraili.”


Virgil strode over to his desk, standing at attention. “At ease.” The commander muttered, typing into his tool.


At his full height, Virgil seemed to tower over the man. His dark head of slicked back hair and matching full beard was neatly trimmed, standing out against his olive-toned skin. His attire matching Virgil's own, only with a number more ribbons and his rank of Commander on his chest. He stood up and brought up images on his tool. With a quick flick of his wrist, he sent them to Virgil, who looked down on them incredulously.


“Zion. This planet has a Helium-3 plant there, giving fuel to our nearby colonies. Recently, the facility went dark.” He added, folding his arms behind his back. “That plant helps our foothold in the Terminus systems, and having it go dark is not something we want. That's why I'm sending you.” The commander motioned to Virgil, who looked up with a quirked eyebrow. “Me? Alone, sir?”


“Yes, of course. Your superior officer, Martin, spoke highly of you over in TacDef and Recon. Says your very good at what you do. We need someone who can get in and out without attracting any attention, if there is a problem, you are to find their origins and signal for backup. If not, well, then this will be a walk in the park for you.”


Virgil was very surprised that Martin would recommend him for a solo-op. What with him always barking in his ear on how horrible he was, he didn't think Martin was capable of giving praise. “Well, sir. I'm honored..but..”


“But what, lieutenant?”


“I'm not much of a solo-operative. Why send me?”


The CO's eyes stared right through Virgil, bending over his desk and getting near his face. “Because. This is an opportunity of a lifetime, lieutenant. Finish this mission, and expect more like these in the future.”


Virgil stiffed and nodded, backing away from the CO's stern glare. “Will do, sir.”


“Good. Now get out of my office. Your transport leaves in a few hours. I suggest you take it.” He finished, shooing Virgil out of his office. 
The light humming of the frigate ship made Virgil feel at ease, although not as much as he liked. Feeling the artificial gravity beneath his feet and the slight ringing hum always made him love the cold vacuum of space. Like riding in an expensive, well made car, it was the ride that mattered, not the destination. The wind whipping through his hair, the smell of asphalt and blacktop. Although the lack of wind was apparent in the vacuum of space, the rumbling the vessel gave in Virgil's spine didn't make him feel less at ease.


Stressing about his assignment made him tense and volatile, ignoring the subtle comfort the ship gave him.


Aboard the Alliance vessel the Shanghai, he had placed himself near the weapons bay, adjacent to the gun's workshop that had plenty of grunts working on their weapons nearby.


Having a bench to himself, Virgil toyed with a small round object, observing it with curious eyes. The infra-red scope adapter was useful for his sniper rifle, but it lacked the situational awareness that he always craved in his scopes. Getting a better view of his battlefield was a first priority to him, and how to adapt to it was the way he landed the name 'Darwin.” As in Charles Darwin's theory of selection: “Only the most adaptable survive the changing environment, always ending up on top.”


He was proud and often told people who asked about his call-sign. Though he wasn't much of a show-off, he loved to at least tell them that. It was a proud moment for him, like pinning a medal to one's chest and showing it off. The idea of a call-sign made him shiver in anticipation when he was just a cadet. 'I wonder what they'll call me?'


He grumbled something under his breath, tossing the scope piece near his sniper. A M-92 Mantis laying on it's side, was Virgil's prized rifle. Painted a dark navy blue coat, it had slight scuffs and marks near it's main body. Seeing as much action as he had, the rifle was the standard for every sniper or solider in the Alliance, but what made it special was the elongated barrel and internal mechanisms that Virgil implanted himself; A couple of extra vents to keep the gun nice and cool and allow for more shots, regardless of the thermal clip. A mod here or there, usually depended on what mission he was taking.


Get him talking about his Mantis, and oh boy.


The thought of his first solo-op bothered him considerably. Obviously it made him second guess every decision he made, often followed by a bitter thought and trashing the concept. His sniper rifle was changed, cleaned, and modified so many times since he stepped foot four hours ago on the Shanghai, he could of made seven different variants of the rifle.


Normally, he would carry just the basic Predator pistol given to basally everyone in the Alliance, but recently he acquired a M-5 Phalanx, at a great cost of money and pain. Surprisingly, the holder got a hold of his record with pistols and was hesitant to give it to him. What with throwing it straight at a charging Krogan when he ran out of clips, and nearly destroying a few when he tried to put a bigger chamber and barrel for larger rounds, it was no wonder that he was looked upon with skepticism.


'It is a nice pistol' Virgil thought, glancing up at it near his rifle's adjustable stock. Pristine and looking like it was just removed from it's packaging, Virgil didn't bother trying to modify it now. First he need to test it in combat before he would make a few tweaks to it's system. Hopefully without damaging the gorgeous paint job.


He fumbled again at the rifle's barrel, he threw the entire weapon down with an angry breath. “No, that won't work either!” The rifle landed with a clunk. He leaned against the bench, tapping his fingers angrily in thought against the steel.


“Maybe you should try keeping it as it is.” He heard a familiar voice, tuning to his left to see Private Carson staring back at him.


Virgil coughed, clearing his throat and standing up, adjusting his dark jacket. Wearing his civilian clothes, he didn't have to be on mission site in till another three hours. Though, the thought of jumping alone in a dark zone was enough to make him keep his weapon nearby him at all times. A cold comfort, touching plastic and steel against his fingertips, knowing he could protect himself with his rifle. Whether by mental or physical stress.


He patted down his pants, searching for something in his pockets. “I don't plan on making it as it is, Carson.” He replied, rather perturbed.


“I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to pry.” Carson nodded, a little hesitant in talking to the tall lieutenant.


Virgil sighed heavily, pulling out a few Alan wrenches from his pocket. “No, you're fine, Private. I only meant it as a fact. My next drop isn't going to be a pleasant one.” He stated, tossing the wrenches on the rifle.


“Sir? What drop?”


Virgil rubbed at his chin, deciding what details to reveal to private. “Only thing I can tell you it's a dark zone. Other than that, it's classified.”


Carson let out a low whistle. “Dark zone? Must be moving up in the world, eh sir?” He joked, a smile cracking on his pale face.


Virgil sent a stern glance at him, watching the private fidget and mutter something his breath. “Indeed I am, Private. Now, are you going to tell me what you came down here for?”


“Sir?”


“You didn't come down here to make idle conversation, and since you have no weapon on your person, you don't plan on using the benches. So, speak.”


Carson was hesitant on talking to Virgil. What with his ranking, and his intimidating demeanor. So he tried to form his words carefully. “I..wanted to thank you. For what you did on the Apathy for me.”


Virgil looked Carson up and down. “I have no idea what you're talking about.” He said coolly, shrugging his shoulders.


“Oh...I'm sorry to have bothered you then.” He replied, backing away. “I'll...I'll just go then...” Carson gave a salute, quickly turned on his heels, walking away a bit faster than usual.


Virgil watched with a stoic face, but let out a deeply troubled sigh. It was normal for him to receive that kind of gestures and wariness in his direction. Being a tall man, with deep hooded icy steel-blue eyes, he seemed to be always staring angrily at the world. Though, it was his stoic face, and didn't often show his anger unless under extreme stress. It was his cold logic that made him everyone else around him guarded and careful how they formed their words, lest they try to incite his 'wrath', whether misguided or not.


'Making friends once again..'


Virgil tapped his finger's against the side of his thighs, getting lost in his thoughts once more.


Now that his assignment was nearing it's start, Virgil finally decided in the three hours to change a few minor things in his rifle. Satisfied, he threw his weapon upon his back, clutching hard against the dropship's ceiling. Although he was nervous and panicking over every detail on the ship, he was eerily calm when descending into Zion. Wearing the Duelist light armor, always his armor of choice due to it's high shield capacity, he placed his matching helmet under his arm.


The Mako turned in the blowing wind, the nitrogen-rich atmosphere clouding the pilot's view of the Helium-3 plant. Thought, through the infra-red display, the pilot easily maneuvered to the station and landed with a slight thump near the entrance.


“We're here, sir. Just signal when you need a pick-up.”


Virgil strapped on his helmet, taking one more deep breath. “Will do.” He replied, bashing the side of the Mako with his fist. The door opened, showing a long metallic catwalk. Small and narrow, it seemed only one person could fit through. Why his pilot choose such an odd landing zone was Virgil's idea. Wouldn't want to attract attention through the front of the facility.


The wind howled around him, making him stagger and trying to push his way into the airlock door. He groaned under the pressure of the wind, nearly throwing himself into the airlock.


“Sheesh. Barely here two seconds and I'm already annoyed of this place.” He muttered. With a small flick of his omni-tool, he closed the airlock.


Observing the darkness that swelled around his visor, Virgil felt the airlock suck the nitrogen rich air out of the room, replacing it with safe breathable oxygen. With a steadying breath, he clicked up his visor and lower mask, thankful of the fresh taste of air in his lungs. A bright pale orange light flickered on in the airlock, Virgil rolling his shoulders in an attempt to loosen his muscles. Getting ready for the start of his mission.


“Alright. Here goes nothing.”


Before he opened the door to the inside of the facility, he took a quick glance through the pitiful sized window, only seeing nothing but darkness and pipes. Satisfied, Virgil pushed it open with a small grunt, aiming his Phalanx in front of him.


He waited a few quiet, tense seconds, in case something was waiting for him just inside the facility. He didn't want to take any chances, not on his first solo op. His eyes darted around to scan his surroundings as soon as he exited the cramped airlock.


Standing on what looked like the third floor, the expansive room seemed to make Virgil feel small and insignificant. Thousands of pipes snaked their way in and out of the walls around him, from what he could surmise, the liquid Helium-3 fuel was stored and processed in this metal vault. Reaching at least a hundred feet above his head, and twice as long, it was a massive piece of architecture. Sometimes he forgot how much the human race did to keep their way of life alive, so much subtle and intricate details and massive manpower to just keep a ship flying through space.


Feet clanking against the steel beneath his feet, Virgil made his way through the catwalk on his floor with his pistol near his hip. His muscles tensed at the complete silence, only hearing the sounds of escaping steam every few seconds. It was odd to have a expansive plant such as this to be so silent. There should be the sounds of machinery clamoring in the corridors, and shouting of men barking orders. While Virgil preferred the quiet over anything else, this deadly silence made his the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Nothing was coming to his ears. Not even the ghosts of automated machines performing their duties without their human masters.


It was too quiet.


Having made halfway into the facility, he made a mental note of where each corridor led, in case he needed to escape back to the airlock. An escape plan was his first priority, and having marked one of the walls with a small chip, he had done just that. The small chip quickly blinked a sage light, marking that corridor as his way out.


Continuing on his way, Virgil stopped dead in his tracks, observing and taking in the details of the scene before him.


Leaning up against the cold steel wall, a body of a woman was slumped over the body of a man twice her size. From what he could tell, Virgil noted the three dead center shots to their chests, making a mental note that whatever killed these two engineers had deadly precision. Edging closer to the bodies, he also took note of the plasma burns through their clothing, suggesting the shots had some distance on them when fired. Though he was cautious, he was no fool. 'Better safe than sorry' was the mantra he lived by, it was the very essence of the way he handled missions. And so far, it hadn't let him down.


Who killed them was still a mystery to him, but something broke his concentration, and the stillness in the air. From what he could tell, it sounded like weapon fire. Followed by the thunderous trademark boom of biotics.


The thought of him not being alone made his muscles bunch in anticipation. Taking one last glance at the two bodies, he quickened his pace into the dark corridors.


His priority to find other survivors, the dense adrenaline of knowing he was going to enter a firefight seeped into his veins. Replacing his Phalanx and looking down the scope of his Mantis, Virgil picked up two tall shapes in the dark. Far across the other side of the complex, near the entrance of the facility. High above on the fifth floor, from what he could tell, a biotic-wielding lone solider was fending off one other silhouette. Of what, he couldn't make out. Until he heard it.


Clicking. The chattering of mechanical blips in his visor. A solid screech echoing in his mic-bud against his ears.


“What the hell?” He muttered, tapping on the side of his helmet. Convinced it was nothing more than static, Virgil propped his bipod on the steel rails and aimed down range. He didn't know what the firefight was about, but he was going to get as much information as he could before even considering taking a shot. His job was to get in and get out, quietly. Helping this lone biotic was not his priority. Though he kept a quiet, hawk-like gaze, observing the shape disintegrate under the biotic warrior's fury.

 

[Lumeneire]

​

Leyla D'antaius

​

Leyla swung her legs over the edge of her seat and dangled her arms over the side out of sheer boredom. She swung them back and forth, tapping the plastic edge and clicked her tongue in annoyance. She was acting like an immature child and she knew it. She had been called into the office again and the Commander was giving her a look of disapproval. "Now Leyla, I know that you're the best at what you do, but that doesn't give you the right to do what ever you want!" The commander in front of her was an Asari just like her, but the white armour and the holographic medals pinned to her chest showed that she was of a much higher rank. Leyla had a serious problem with authority and showed no respect to the commanders superiority.


She sat up and adjusted herself, whilst smiling innocently. "I know, I know and I'm sorry. But if I didn't break the rules every now and again, nothing would ever get done." Leylas voice was soft but rebellious. A tone of sarcasm always lay in the words she spoke whether she meant them to or not. The captain eyed her up and down and let out a sigh of defeat. "I know you only do what you have to Leyla." She spoke whilst sinking into her big fancy chair. "I swear you should have been born a Krogan. You have the temper and the stubbornness of one." Leyla scoffed at the comment whilst scrubbing off a stain from the kneecap of her armour.


"Yes Commander... Maybe if I was a Krogan, I wouldn't have these infuriating Asari traditions of etiquette holding me back. Or these ridiculous rules about being the most intelligent race and always having to act like it." She finally made eye contact with her superior and started paying attention to the situation. "Look, I'm sorry I'm the way I am. I didn't mean to crash that hover cab into that medical center on Vermire. But if I hadn't, those slavers would have gotten away with all of those doctors and then what would all of those sick patients have done, left alone and helpless? Don't put a bounty on someone's head if you want their capture to be discrete." The commander slammed her fist into the table with ferocity and authority. Leyla whilst shocked, jumped in her seat and gained a more of a respectable posture, realising how serious her boss was now. She was not used to her Commander getting this angry, she usually let her misgivings slide. But this time, Leyla had really pissed her off.


"The Doctors became the patients! For the love of Athame, you collapsed an entire wing to capture one prisoner. You have skills of stealth, I've seen it, so why don't you use them once in a while? The council are all over me about it. The Salarian councillors grandfather was in that hospital you idiot!" The Commander sat back again, her brow furrowing with age and anger. "They've demanded that I punish you... I'm sorry Leyla, you're my best agent, but you're grounded from leaving this planet for a week and when that times up, they have a mission they want to send you on personally. One that will involve you staying away from populated places." Leyla stood up and stamped her foot in defiance.


"There is no way I'm staying docked here Commander. You know I have important business to attend to on Thessia!"


The Commander slammed her fist on the table again and jumped to her feet. She loomed over the desk and stared right into Leyla's eyes. She looked intimidating and Leyla knew that her boss really meant business. She took a step back as her superior had the the last word. "I don't care. Do as you're told. Follow your Oath! I will contact you when the details for your mission are finalised. Now get out of my sight..." The commander spat the last words through gritted teeth then collapsed into her chair. Leyla scowled at the woman, span on her heel and stormed out of the door, making sure to slam it hard enough behind her that the glass cracked.


Leyla was still in her Maiden stage, only being 231 years old. Although many of the other races would perceive that to be an elderly age, Leyla was in fact still a child in Asari eyes. Like many other of her kind, she was reckless and sought out adventure. She had found an aptitude for mercenary work and put it to good use as a bounty hunter for the Asari council. In her spare time though, she could be found on illium in the bars working as a dancer. With her aggressive dance moves and sexy demeanor, she was one of the most sought after performers. She would only work a few nights a month to blow off steam, and the money the bar owners would offer her was more than tempting and sealed the deal.


With Leyla being grounded, she decided to spend the week at her second job. It would keep her mind busy and help her to forget how infuriated she was with the Council. This was the busy season for the capitol of Illium, Nos Astra. Species from all over the Galaxy chose it as a sight seeing destination. Illium was one of the first colonised settlements for the Asari out side of their own solar system. Most of the residents that resided there were young and foolish and that meant a lot of business for Leyla. Whether it be dancing or bounty hunting. Nos Astra was a diverse and busy city. Many outsiders would visit it as a tourist trap and be sucked into the incredible culture and the fascinating sexuality of the young Asari. It was rich in money, knowledge and sights to be beheld.


Leyla shook the hands with the bouncer. The great hulk of krogan stepped aside and let her through the automated door of the "Hypnotic Biotics" Bar. As she entered the room, the atmosphere hit her like a brick wall. Music and chatter bombarded her ears, lights and smoke clouded her vision, the smell of sweat and alcohol filled her nose. She was home. Leyla smiled, the trouble from the day washed away by the thrill of dancing again. She pushed her way through the dance floor which was crowded by a group of humans. Humans had only just started to travel frequently to Nos Astra. At first they were afraid of the more superior species, but as they saw more of the fun side of the Asari culture, they became addicted and revelled in their way of life. Most Asari went through the stage of embracing their sexuality, with dancing, casual sex and frivelant drinking and spending, but they grew out of it by the age of 350. Humans however only lived a fraction of that time and never grew out of enjoying the wilder side of life.


Leyla held in her stomach and raised her arms, sliding past the sweating and writhing bodies on the dance floor. Some of the humans turned to watch her as she scooted by. Both men and women ogled at her beautiful blue skin and slim body. Leyla just rolled her eyes and laughed. If they were drooling over her now, wait until they saw her on the dance pole. With a new beat pulsating through the room, the humans attention was drawn to the hypnotic lights of the dance floor tiles and Leyla hurried on quickly. She ran up to the bar and waved frantically at the Turian serving a group of Salarians, all of which frowned quizzically into the glasses he was handing them. When he noticed Leyla waving, he quickly slid the Salarians drinks across the bar and didn't watch to see if they had caught them. They hadn't. One of the flashing blue vials slid onto the floor and the other containing a viscous red liquid splashed up against one of their white lab coats. The Salarian briskly tried to scrape it off as it began burning at the suit, whilst the other patrons pointed and mocked. The Turian reached his tall bulk over the side of the bar and embraced Leyla. She wildly swung her arms around him and patted his back. When he let go, she hopped up onto a stool and slung her bag containing her dancing clothes on the one next to her.


"So nice to see you again Leyla. What brings you dancing this time of year? I thought you had important business with the Council?" His voice was deep and raspy. He was the embodiment of the most masculine Turian.


"Well lets just say things went a bit sour. Don't get me wrong, I got the job done, just not to their picky standards..." The Turian picked up a glass and began cleaning it out with a cloth. Swirling the fabric around haphazardly.


"Hmm let me guess, you destroyed something or other, caused a lot of damage that could have been avoided and killed someone important in the process?"


"What makes you think I'm that reckless?! He didn't die. The Salarian councilor's grandfather just had his leg broken..." The two looked at each other and tried to look serious before simultaneously bursting out with laughter. The Turian pulled out a bottle of green liquid and poured it into his newly cleaned glass.


"How are the fresh meat doing?" She asked referring to the newly hired dancers. The Turian passed her the glass of green alcohol and poured one for himself.


"Oh you know what it's like Leyla. They're so young and eager to please the other species, they forget about their own culture. No one moves it like you do babe." They both lifted their glasses in unison and clinked them together in a toast before downing them. Leyla slammed her empty cup on the bar and gritted her teeth against the sour taste that hit the back of her throat.


"Listen Leyla. I know you love your job as a bounty hunter, but me and some of the other guys have been talking and we want to hire you full time. I know you've said no before and I know other places are offering, but we could talk serious money." Leyla wiped the remnants of the alcohol from her lips and smiled at her friend.


"Larrett. You know how much I love working here, but it's just an escape. I couldn't give up bounty hunting even if I wanted to. I'm using it to help me find my sister and you know that. She's still hiding on Thessia somewhere with anew identity and I have to stop her before she hurts anyone else." Larrett gave her a sympathetic smile and poured her another glass. Some human customers were shouting to be served at the other end of the bar but he ignored them.


"Ley, I know it's hard for you having an Ardat-Yaskshi in the family, but it doesn't mean you have to ruin your life and sacrifice so much to make up for it. No one blames you. It was your mothers choice to mate with another Asari. Having a 'Pureblood' sister must be difficult, but it shouldn't be your burden. For god sakes, your father is a famous Krogan. What would he say if her was still alive today? He'd damn well want you to live your life and not concentrate on such trivial things." He passed her another full glass and she downed it without a second thought.


"Maybe your right Larrett."


Leyla's omni tool pinged and and informed her that the commander was trying to get hold of her. "I have to go now Larrett. Looks like I'm not gonna be able to dance tonight after all. Train up the fresh meat good, you hear me. Someone out there will be as good as me." She winked at him and reached over for another hug. He sighed in disappointment and skulked off to serve the shouting humans at the end. Leyla made her way against the dance floor once more and smiled at the Krogan bouncer as she skipped down the steps two at a time. "I'll see you soon Larry!" The Krogan smiled and waved in his usually slow and hulking manner. She turned the corner to a quiet courtyard and pressed a few holographic buttons on her Omni tool. After raising the Commander, the two spoke as if the previous argument had never taken place.


"It seems your suspension has been cut short Officer." Leyla rolled her eyes but smiled at the same time. She was gutted that she wouldn't get to blow off some steam through dancing but greatful that she could get back to her other pleasure.


"What's my assignment Commander?" She spoke with a respectable tone.


"It would seem that the Council wish to send you to Zion. Theres a Helium-3 plant there that supplies fuel for the nearby Human Colony."


"Excuse me Commander, are you telling me that the Council wish to send an Asari Officer to capture a fugitive on Human territory?"


"No Officer. The Council wish to send you to a Human energy plant to investigate why the place went dark."


"No disrespect sir, but what the hell are they playing at? I am a Bounty hunter. I hunt down bad guys that threaten Asari life and bring them in. Not traipse around on human settlements and figure out why the lights went out."


"I understand your reluctance Leyla, but orders are orders. There must be more to it if the Council are asking you directly to carry out such a mission." Leyla let out a sigh of defeat.


"Fine. Maybe it'll lead to a promotion. Commander, will I be able to run a personal errand after this mission?" The intercom went silent for a moment.


"I give you permission to have leave as soon as this mission is completed. Now get on the ship thats waiting for you at the docking station and get more information from the informant on board. You will be reporting to a Captain Anderson. He has other important missions going on, so will be with you very briefly."


"Captain Anderson, got it. Anything else I should know?"


"Yes Officer Leyla. Don't F@#k it up. Over and out."


Leyla cursed as their shuttle slammed onto the ground. Everything in the small cabin shook and clattered. "Why is it so f@#king impossible for someone to make a smooth landing? I would have piloted this damn shuttle myself, but noooo, I had to be stuck doing a ridiculous check up mission for humans like I'm their baby sitter!" The Asari pilot turned and shrugged her shoulders at Leyla not knowing what to say in response. She had done her job and anything else she really didn't care about. Leyla glared at her and clicked her tongue. "Fat lot of help you are. Thanks for the support..." The Pilot shrugged her shoulders again showing how little she cared. Leyla unclipped herself from her seat and opened the door. It seemed that the temperature was rather cold on this planet and she wondered how any species had really survived in it, let alone humans whose bodies were much more fragile than her own. The pilot looked Leyla in the eye and gave her instructions.


"This facility was reported to have gone dark. Your mission is to find the source of the disturbance and rectify if you can. Report back with any and all information. The Asari councilor is very close to this mission and demands your best work. Reach me on the coms when you need to be picked up. There has also been reported that comms are fuzzy down here so you may not get through. If not, there is a terminal in the center of the powerplant you can use to boost your signal."


Leyla nodded at the pilot then jumped from the cabin landing with a soft thud. She turned and watched at the shuttle slowly lifted and steered off away from the plant. Now Leyla was alone, just how she liked it. She did not want to be here, she did not care for the humans problems but the quicker she resolved the issue, the quicker she could get back to her own problems. She had been dropped at the main entrance and she could see already why no one had had any contact with the plant. A human corpse lay strewn across the floor outside the giant doors. Leyla pulled out her Scimitar shotgun from the Holster on her leg and aimed in out in front of her. She treaded cautiously, aiming her gun in any direction she looked. After a few steps, she crouched down beside the mans body and ran her omni tool over it. The man was definitely dead and a large hole penetrated the side of his face. Something had brutally shot the worker down and left him to die. Leyla reached into his work overalls pocket and pulled out his I.D card. 'Victis Everett, age 36, mechanic.' It seemed that as his last act on this world, he had used is skills as a mechanic to seal the doors shut from the outside, meaning that whatever threat had plagued the plant, had either fled, or were trapped inside. Leyla was not prepared for such a fight and that thought thrilled her.


She swiped the mans I.D card on the pad on the side and stepped back as the large metal doors groaned open. She stood for a few minutes, not making a move and waiting to see if anything would come rushing out. After a while, with her shotgun raised and her position crouched, she stepped inside. The facility had literally gone dark. Most of the power had been cut except for the emergency back up generator. A few lights on consoles and large machines blinked on and off like morse code. Leyla flipped on the light sat on her Scimitar and kept her stance low. Her arm tingled and surged with energy. She was ready to use her biotic powers at a seconds notice and the chill running down her spine told her that would be very soon. She backed herself up against a wall as she heard a noise. It was a clicky and fizzy sound. leyla sucked in her breath and peered her head around the corner. Another blinking light was all she could see, but it stood out more than the rest. She swung her gun around to shine the light on the object and immediately regretted it. A Geth stood there with it's gun pointing in her direction. It fired twice without warning and Leyla ducked to dodge the bullet and hid back around the corner. "S@#t!" She composed herself and charged up the power in her hand. "I thought there weren't any Geth left... What is it doing here?!" Leyla swung her body around the wall and flung her arm out in front of her. Carnage shot out in front of her and enveloped the shooting Geth. It stunned the creature but nothing more. Leyla had forgotten Carnage was more for species with flesh and less for creatures with wires and hard drives. She had never had to fight a mechanical species before. She heaved up her gun and pulled the trigger at it's face. A few pellets got through and struck it in the shoulder but it's shield repelled most of it.


Leyla charged forwards at the speed of light, her biotic powers giving her strength and agility and rammed herself into the Geth's body. Before it could regain it's footing, she slammed her fist in the ground and created a flurry of biotic sparks as the ground shook with her Nova move. The Geth's body flew into the air and slammed against a giant metal tank. It's body shattered and exploded, flinging pieces of wire and metal everywhere. With a loud clank the remainder fell to the floor and the plant was silent again. Leyla ran over and crouched beside the Geth. The light in it's eye slowly faded out into darkness. She ran her omni tool over the remains and logged all of the information she could gather about it. With her tool not accustomed to the energy signature, it bleeped at her and ten red dots sparked into existence on her pre programmed map. "That's not good." Leyla picked up her shot gun and hid behind the metal container.

* * *

​

Leyla pressed her back against the metal railing as she gathered her bearings. “Okay, so, Geth huh? Not such a boring mission after all.” She muttered under her breath whilst fiddling around with her gun. She pulled out a thermal clip from the armour on her thigh and replaced the ammunition in the Scimitar she was holding out in front of her. She slid the half used clip back into her amour in case of an emergency and smiled toothily as the new thermal clip clicked into position. The disruptor rounds would sail through the enemy’s shields like a hot knife through butter. She managed to keep her breathing calm and lowered her stance to a half crouch. She rested the nozzle of her weapon on her right forearm and aimed it ahead of her, read to shoot first and ask questions later. She kept her left hand tightly gripped around the butt of the Scimitar and flicked at the trigger with her finger.


She shuffled forwards an inch, then another and another until she was confident enough to keep a silent but steady pace. She licked her lips in anticipation and let her eyes slip back and forth between the map on her Omni tool and the darkness ahead of her. Her boots were silent across the metal grating, as if she was walking on clouds rather than treading on a solid echoing material. The red dots on her map dispersed further apart and then four of them zoomed in towards each other. It looked as if a centre point had been marked with a magnet and four of the Geths metal bodies couldn’t withstand the strain and were sucked towards the centre point. But Leyla knew they had heard her abrupt fight with her first encounter and were moving strategically towards her in a line. In her mind though, she preferred the magnet idea, it painted a more comical picture of their flailing arms and robotic screams.


She ducked down lower as the first intruder stomped into sight. She could see the bright red light that emanated from its face or rather was its face with no distinguishing features. It scanned the hallway left to right, with its gun poised forwards ready to shoot. Leyla kept to the shadows and slid forwards. Now she was close enough to hear the creature, it seemed to be communicating with the others. It wasn’t in any language she knew. She had had the chance to study the Geth extensively when she was a young girl but chose to pursue a more violent path over logic. She could hear static and strange clicking noises, like code sliding up and down the screens of a control room, chittering and buzzing away. They were talking about something but they hadn’t seen her yet and she would use it to her advantage. She pressed herself up against the railing as hard as she could and her skin burst out in goosebumps as the cold steel pressed into the delicate soft skin of her neck.


The first Geth stomped further forwards until it was stood straight in front of Leyla. It looked towards her, but only scanned the area at its head height and didn’t think to look down. As it swung it’s head the other way, she gently lifted the nozzle of her gun higher until it nicked the nape of its neck. Leyla pulled the trigger and watched as the bullet soared up into the Geth’s head and explode out of the top like an erupting volcano. A flurry of wires and oozing liquid spilled down it’s caved in metal skull and the body began to slip to the floor. The sound of the powerful shotgun still echoed through the darkened hall like a wailing ghost and was quickly outshone by the sound of heavy metal slamming onto the steel grates as the dead weight collapsed. The three Geth behind it turned in Leyla’s direction now and marched forwards like soldiers on a suicide mission. She let out a manic laugh and nimbly straightened her body into a fighting stance. She slid her prized gun into a slot on her back and kicked at the dripping corpse lying at her feet. “What’s wrong boys? Or girls… I don’t really know how gender works with your people. Can I call you people?” One of the Geth squeezed the trigger of his pistol and a bullet soared past Leyla’s gut. “Now that was just rude.” She retorted in a mocking tone. Her brows furrowed and a hungry grin dashed across her face. “Come and get me Geth.”


All three of them shot at her at once. She slid to the left to avoid one bullet, dropped her body to the floor to avoid the second and rolled to her right to miss the third. She leapt to her feet and charged forwards. The Geth ran towards her with unprecedented speed and the first collided with her barrier and flung to the side. It’s back slammed against the railing and a flash of light burst into life as sparks danced into life between the enemies body and the steel of the barrier. They had ran so fast into each other, that mixed with the force of her shield, it had not only broke its back on the walkway, but had been thrown over the edge to the level below as well. “Didn’t expect that did you Jackass?!” She screamed out over the barrier as the lifeless machine shattered onto the floor below. She slid her hand back over her Omni tool and danced her fingers over a few settings to disperse the power evenly across her armour after having sneakily diverting it all to the shields strength.


With only two left and this close up, she would have to resort to using her biotic powers. The first tried to shoot her in the face with its machine pistol but Leyla pushed up her palm into the gun and sent it flying over its body and sliding onto the grating behind them as the Geth’s grip had loosened. She smacked it in the jaw with her elbow and the head snapped back unnaturally. She let out a triumphant huff but then sucked it back in through her teeth as the giant light of a face flung its head forwards and struck her back. Its metal elbow cut her cheek and instantly a black bruise started blooming under her eye. It appeared the Geth had copied her and it had been more successful in its methods. Leyla spat on the floor as a drop of blood dribbled from her lip and she ducked as the last Geth attempted to shoot her in the shoulder. Whilst crouched, she kicked out her foot at the armed enemy’s ankle and her bones jarred she struck its solid steel mass. She gritted her teeth and kicked out again within a split second and the Geth faltered slightly and lost its balance. The other one grabbed the back of her neck and tried to force her face into the metal grate beneath them. She was usually stronger than most of her opponents but these creatures were tough and she grimaced as the grip dug into her scalp. She punched out in front of her but the other Geth grabbed at her wrist and tried to bend it at the wrong angle. Leyla screamed out in pain and with all her might thrust herself forwards into them. She managed to slip from their grasp and push them far enough away to give herself an inch or two to manoeuvre.


“That enough!” She grunted and slammed her fist into the ground to create an explosive nova. One of the Geth crumbled into a dozen pieces and an ear piercing screech escaped the other one. Leyla stumbled backwards and gulped as the grating beneath her groaned. As the blue haze of energy dissipated from the attack, pieces of the ground beneath them began to fall away. It crumbled like ashes drifting away from an open fire. Then larger and heavier pieces began to break away and slam into the level below them. Leyla scrambled backwards and tightly grabbed a piece of intact railing to her right. The rest of the grate in front of her began to slip away and she edged back even more. The last standing Geth stepped forwards and loomed over her with a pistol in its hands and as she looked into its face, she realised that she could not decipher any malice or regret nor any compassion or fear. It was a machine. A cold hearted killing machine. A pit sank to the bottom of her stomach and a lump seized her throat as she tried to swallow. She stared ferociously into the barrel of the gun pointed between her eyes and then smiled as she saw the creatures foot begin to slip. Another piece of grating fell away from beneath them and the Geth plummeted to the dark depths below with a bang and a flash of light.


Leyla flung her other hand onto the railing she was holding and grunted with effort as she used her upper arm strength to hoist herself up to her feet. She had been dangling over emptiness and the only thing keeping her from falling was from the purchase of her hand on the pole. She placed her palms on hers knees and hunched her body to catch a breath. She licked the blood from her lips and heaved her chest in and out. It had been a long time since anything had really managed to hurt her like that. It made adrenaline surge through her body and the taste of iron in her mouth tantalized her taste buds. She gathered herself and her thoughts and looked at the map on her Omni tool. She had taken four down and there were six left to go and she knew now brutal force was more effective than the stealth she had first attempted. Her eyes danced over the red dots swimming across the orange glow and she puzzled over the numbers. There were seven red dots left but she had definitely killed four Geth. She spun on her heel and pulled the Scimitar from the slot on her back. The readings on the new dot read Human and it was very close. It could be a survivor but it was better to be safe than sorry. She crouched low again and adopted the aiming stance she had before and shuffled forwards, keeping to the shadows.

 

[EuRo]

As the sniper-lens drew into focus on the target, his view cleared to catch the blue tint of skin and womanly figure in the shadows, slouching forward and trying to remain hidden. 'Asari.' Virgil assumed, as not many feminine creatures in the known galaxy had skin like an Asari. He watched with a wary gaze, finger on the trigger and feeling it gently push back against his fingertip. His crosshairs had a bead right between her head and shoulders; the 'T' section. Familiar to all marksman, it was part of the organic body that included the spine, neck, head and brain in a T shape, any bullet put inbetween that section was considered a kill-shot. And right now, Virgil had an inkling that maybe the lone Asari had taken the facility; aiming down his scope right in that general area. So far she seemed to be the only creature alive in the station, a human station, and had a weapon on her person. It was improbable, he knew that, but taking every possibility into account was his job after all. And who was it to say that one biotic fury couldn't take a mining Helium-3 plant with a shotgun and a few sweeps of her hands?


Still. Hard to believe, but Virgil kept his steady scope on the back of her head while he watched her slink through the shadows, up to-


Wait. His throat caught his breath when the chattering clicks return in his helmet, eyebrows knitting together in concentration as he gently pulled back on the magnification. Turning from x4 to x3, Virgil received a bit more awareness on his sneaky target to catch the glimpse of a pure red light a few feet up from the steel grate floor. A silhouette of a pistol in the 'light's' hand drew Virgil's attention, shifting his feet and tensing his muscles for the chaos to follow; placing his aim right on top of the light. But he did not fire, as to not give away the Asari. As to why, he figured it would be best not to give away anyone's position, the shot-gun biotic the least of the problems. It was the Geth, that he was sure of. As he wasn't alive at the time of their appearance, Virgil heard stories of their piercing red 'eye', staring into your own like a cold laser point. Putting that together with the incessant chittering in his helmet, and the fact his radar was frizzing slightly, all of it screamed mechanical synthetic beings with no kind disposition to anything with a heartbeat and blood.


He stayed silent, as he witnessed the Asari demonstrate her shotgun (a Scimitar or Eviscerator, by the sounds of it) to the oblivious Geth's skull. It fell with a metallic shriek that made Virgil lip twitch, glancing farther down to three of the machine's comrades moving to avenge their fallen comrade. But they were met with a very mouthy biotic, even though Virgil couldn't make out what she said, apparently she had a lot to say to them. She had guts, he could give her that. Not too bright though; trying to punch and kick metal a foolish way to end a machine such as the Geth, and their resistance to her bludgeoning clear enough. After kissing the metal grates, the floor crumbled and slowly broke off from her quick blast of energy, and the last enemy falling to it's death(Which he almost put a hole between it's shoulders had not the floor gave way), Virgil observed the Asari shove herself to her feet and view her Omni-tool. He considered opening the channel and speaking of his presence; determine if she was a friendly or not. That would put him and her in jeopardy to the rest of the hidden Geth patrolling the facility. While the Asari seemed to attack without question, Virgil was more of a cautious being. To put the whole compound on alert would not be smart nor stealthy on his part. So he elected to stay quiet.


Removing his Mantis rifle from the railing once the Asari returned to the shadows, Virgil did the same and kept near the railing. Pulling up the radar via his Omni-tool, his eyes scanned over what looked like seven more dots, excluding the Asari. He already made it easy by tagging her as a gray dot instead, neither friendly nor enemy. Until otherwise.


Virgil switched to his sidearm and continued down the walkway of the fifth floor vantage point, staying above the ground floor for a better view and the higher ground. Clutching the Phalanx with a hardened steel grip, he tried to control his beating heart from going into overdrive, quieting the thrumming in his ears from the blood rushing to them. If the Geth were in the building, then Virgil had to assume there wouldn't be much survivors, if any. The machines were not known for their taking of prisoners, so he heard, yet how they were unaware of the shadowy Asari until their comrade's head exploded made Virgil wonder if they weren't as throughout as everyone claimed them to be. They were machines after all, and one would think that the Geth would be meticulous in their searching for any organic life-forms. Or the survivors were very good at hiding. Zion's facility was a big place; easy to miss a few stragglers cowering behind a few pipes or underneath their metal noses. Their....long metal noses...


Virgil journeyed deeper into the facility, aiming for the loose cluster of six remaining dots. How they crowded around each other would tell him what their plans were, other than destroying the population inside. He had a few ideas as their motives, but it was only compounded on the destruction concept when he neared the gentle whirring of drills still on; working without their human masters, and the language of the Geth filling his visor and mic-bud. Much of their force was spread out, setting their respective charges on some of the drills and others along the Helium barrels. Already there was a number of them on a few key pipes that filtered the raw, untapped Helium to the processing side of the plant, and anyone with a brain knew that Helium plus fiery explosive equals huge bang.


The deep and sudden 'click' of a charge magnetized itself to one of the drums of the Helium. A rocket Geth typed away at the keys, priming the charge as its comrades worked on covering its back. They were already on alert, it seemed, the Asari's little display of good welcoming cheer putting them on the defensive. And they were in a hurry; judging by how even a Pyro Geth was handling a big explosive near a console of one of the drills.


Virgil counted six in total, three regular soldiers with rifles, two rocket Geth with..well...a rocket, and a single flamethrower totting Geth, but as he moved on the catwalk, staring down at the ground-floor, three new blips entered his radar radius. But he could not see any signs of Geth in those new contacts. They must be farther down into the facility...


'Click!' Another charge went up, and Virgil's stomach dropped to his knees at the timer counting down on a few charges: Ten minutes and slowly ticking away. Not much time, but he was going to have to make it quick then.


The sniper cloaked himself, melting away to a slightly flickering silhouette as he got into position. Across the catwalk and hugging the north wall, a small jut of metal held a number of strong Alliance crates, a few plastic lounge chairs, and a cooler. It seemed like a place to sit and relax, but for the bodies slumped in their chairs, two men with caps over their faces and holes in their chests, it was their grave as well.


Virgil wished he could find a better vantage point, but time was short. So he maneuvered quickly and quietly across the thin-sheet bridge with his hands working on setting his pistol back against his hip and adjusting his rifle scope. From 3x to 1.5x. Even though he was on the fifth floor, he was only less than thirty feet up. And hardly covered except for the crates. So he was going to have to adapt and fight with only the benefit of the high ground. And the hope that the biotic wouldn't mind fighting more Geth. His position was to the left of the Geth, and pinned them between himself and the Asari, should she intervene as well. Creating a crossfire moment to hopefully confuse and spread the Geth thin before they could recover.


Once his knees skidded to behind one of the crates, his cloak melted away. Checking to see if he had his disruptor rounds set, and pulling the bolt back on the Mantis to see if thermal clip was nestled inside, he took in a deep breath and steadied his hands.


'Alright...' He assured himself, slowly easing into position and peeking his rifle between the small nook of two crates. 'Rocket troops first. They would rip me apart up here. Then rifles. Pyro last...' With that tactic playing over in his mind, the human placed the back of the nearest Rocket Trooper between his crosshairs.


The bark of the Mantis reverberated against the metal interior of the facility; masking his origin to the machines as they tried desperately to scan their immediate surroundings upon the Rocket Trooper's long 'nose' exploding in a steely crunch and squish of oil.


Another shot rang out just a moment after the first, implanting a molten hot slip of metal into the remaining Rocket Trooper's neck. It tore through it's shields and passed straight through, but it was still alive; barely. Scrambling for cover as the rest of the Geth searched up high. They raised their rifles up to the small nook where Virgil was hiding, finding his rifle before he could set off another shot. A rain of hot rapid plasma jetted to the crates, smacking against them with clinks and metal digging into hard plastic.


Virgil sent out a globe of bright orange from his Omni-tool, arching up and over his cover and rapidly shot down right on top of the wounded Rocket Trooper's head. Screeching in pain (if the damn things could feel pain) it melted into a puddle of wires and pale white goo, a fire still smoldering in it's gelatinous remains. Virgil reloaded another clip into his rifle and pulled it out of the crevice, hiding behind the crates and waited for the right moment to fire again.


The Pyro Geth continued his work quickly on the charges, keeping his frame away from the sniper above. The thing was dedicated, as his comrades kept him covered from return fire.

 

[Lumeneire]

​

Leyla D'antaius

​

Leyla slinked down a few steps to the level below, then another and another until she was on the last level. She kept her back to the wall and sidled her way across the floor. The room was filled with screens and dials that bleeped and flashed tiny colourful lights that clouded her peripheral vison. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes to block out the scene around her. She emptied her mind and concentrated on the task at hand. There were six Geth left and an unknown human assailant. This mission had taken a strange turn and she had to start using her head as well as her muscle. As she exhaled, she opened her eyes and focused on the scene in front of her. Just off in the distance she could see the faint red glow of Geth faces. They seemed to be busy at work and oblivious to the carnage that had just pursued. Or they were rushing what they were doing because Leyla had made such a big bang.


She lumbered forwards, almost on her tiptoes and gracefully melded into the dark shadows of the flashing consoles. The area where the synthetics stood was open ground with metal canisters that sparkled with red glints from the Geth’s ever watching eyes. There was a Pyro Geth from what she could tell that worked busy ahead of the pack, two rocket and three regular rifle wielding foes. A flood of tactics rushed through her mind and her training told her to go for the rocket Geth first. She could easily dodge the bullets with her natural grace and any strays would be repelled by her shield, but an explosive rocket would shatter her defences and tear her to pieces. Asari were incredible warriors but they were built more for stealth operations than heavy firing battle. She would have to think smart to take out her opponents and survive to report what she had seen here.


Leyla took cover behind a console towards the left corner of the room and checked her ammunition. Her corrosive rounds were almost full in her Scimitar and the new pistol she had recently bought were full of normal rounds but had amplified marksmanship upgraded in the barrel. As she stroked the edge of the weapon, she smiled at the memory of the purchase. She had stood for half an hour in the Cerberus Skunkworks warehouse bargaining back and forth with the Volus merchant who had been determined not to sell his prized piece. A Harpy VII with amplified kickback recoil and a Krogan bone trigger. It was a work of art and a powerful reminder of her ancestry. Leyla kissed the nozzle of the gun and peeked her head around cover of the console.


She aimed the gun at the closest Rocket Geth and she squinted down the sight to get a clear headshot. A slither of a second before the tip of her finger twitched the trigger, the nose of the synthetic crumpled under the pressure of a bullet. Leyla trailed her eyes upwards and spotted the shooter as another bullet sailed from his rifle. An expensive and well maintained sniper rifle from what she could tell. She couldn't really see the details of the man from where she stood, the shadows were too sheer up above and the flashes of light from the surrounding consoles greedily stole her vision. She could tell it was a male though, with heavy set shoulders and with a quick glance to her Omni tool, she realised it was the human that had mysteriously appeared. For now it seemed they were after the same enemy so in her head she called a truce. They would work together and then she would deal with him.


Whilst the other Geth were distracted by their new found enemy, Leyla used it as her chance to slip by and take out as many as she could before they noticed her presence. She slinked around the bleeping console and pressed her back as close to the wall as she could get and as far away from the carnage she could muster. Being hit by a flying piece of synthetic shrapnel was not her idea of an honourable death. The three rifle wielders began to shoot upwards in a flurry of bullet and their strange coded speech echoed like a hiss of wind. The large Pyro Geth near the container that seemed to be fiddling aorund with wires was barking orders at the others and they fired aimlessly upwards trying to find purchase on the human. Leyla thrust her hand forwards and commanded her biotic power to throw out a beam of energy and pull the middle Geth back towards her. The other two were oblivious to the coup and fired upwards in a blaze of glory. The floating Geth zoomed towards her hand, with its gun dropping from its grasp and its legs floating about its head, like gravity had completely disappeared from the synthetics existence and had been abandoned to float aimlessly without warning. Leyla yanked it closer still and as it’s back zoomed towards her, she thrust her pistol into the base of its spine and fired two rounds. The echoing sound of Geth fire shielded her own silenced bullets and the creature at her mercy let out an exasperated squeal of pain. She released it from her mental grasp and it collapsed to the floor in a heap. Its lower body was severed from the hip and tendrils of miniscule wires spilled out from its spinal cord like glowing pieces of angel hair spaghetti.


Its upper half however was still fully functional and it thrust out its hand to grab at her ankle. She pressed the barrel of her gun to its lit up face and fired two more rounds. The casing covering its light cracked and fizzled and the red beam slowly faded into nothing. It was dead and still the enemy was oblivious. She doubted she could use that move again without the others noticing the secretly dwindling numbers and formed a new plan. She sank back into the shadows and ran forwards, watching as the two Rifle Geth had to stop to reload their thermal clips. The remaining rocket Geth however shot a round off to the walkway above and an explosive flurry of burnt out crates and disintegrating grating clambered to the ground. Leyla looked up at the carnage above and quickly glanced at her omni tool. The dot for the human still stood steady on her map so at least the fiery ball of death hadn't completely blown him apart. She hoped that the humans aim and timing would be perfect because she would be dead if he didn't have her back with this next move.


She let out a deep breath, aimed her sights and fired her pistol at the Rocket Geth’s head. It barely made a dent in its metal shell but it had gotten her attention. It stood there, a distance away and sized her up. She licked her lips and shot again at its knee. The bullet weaselled its way through a few loose wires in its structure and goo began to ooze down its leg. She was aware now that the Pyro Geth had taken noticed and it had seemed to order the two rifle machines to fire at her as well. But she stood her ground and she shot at the Rocked wielder again and again until it began to reload a new rocket. She waited for it to aim at her, hoping her shield would repel enough of the bullet the rifle synthetics were bombarding her with and as the rocket clicked in place and sizzle as the Geth activated it, Leyla expertly dove to her right as far as she could, barrel rolled and landed with her stomach pressed firmly on the ground. She lay right in front of the rifle Geth and as they pointed their gun downwards, the rocket that had already been activated burst into life and fired towards the three of them. Leyla franticly fiddled with her Omni tool to divert the shields power to her back and then covered her head with her hands. The rocket collided with the two machines behind her and were flung across the room in a million pieces. Sharp pieces of shrapnel and wire bounced off of Leyla’s shield and a few small pieces managed to slither their way through when the power began to fade from the force of it. A sharp piece of finger embedded itself into her shoulder blade and another sliced across her hands. She winced as it cut deep into her blue skin but her armour had saved her from the full force of the initial blow. She kept her head low hoping the human would know what to do next.

 

[EuRo]

Virgil set his head against the hardened container, letting it absorb the rain of hot plasma. Better than letting his shields take the brunt of the fire. That type of weapon would tear through his body like a knife through paper; and cut his first solo-op short. Changing the order of his attack, he set his omin-tool to ready an Overload on the enemy shields, and switching his choice of rounds to Cryo, the Mantis clicked into place to compensate, a jet of heat leaving the opposite side of the body, away from the user. Once there was a break in the plasma-jets, Virgil popped up above the hardened crates and gritted his teeth. Before he could fire off a shot, he found the biotic warrior dispatching one of the troop of rifles, cutting it in two. 'About time she got here.' He noted, both thankful and cautious of the Asari. Though he couldn't complain; she was taking the heat off of him for a moment.


The Mantis cracked with a sharp boom, a cooled round sailing past one of the rifle geth's head, missing it by inches. His nerves were strung tight; especially since his career and a good percentage of Zion was riding on his shots. Tightening his grip to the sniper, he reseted his aim. His breath caught in his throat with the Rocket Trooper Geth pointing the destructive end of it's rocket launcher for Virgil's vantage point. The human dove out and away from the alcove, landing on his right shoulder to skid out of the way of the explosive warhead.


Alliance manuals and training always spoke of ducking and covering from an incoming rocket, but Virgil did not have that option. The shot exploded in a thunderous shatter and shrill screech of steel caving in on itself; melted support beams buckling under the pressure and giving way to the ground floor. All of Virgil's shields disintegrated upon the rocket impact and absorbed the shockwave, thankfully, some shrapnel grazing by his spine just barely scratching the surface of his armor. His visor cracked in the corner once his legs contacted hardened steel floor. The most of the fall reverberated through his bones, yelping his discomfort from the thirty foot unintentional drop. The bodies from the point with him tumbled in separate parts; a severed, charred hand gently smacking the rocket geth in the shoulder.


If Virgil's legs were searing and throbbing, he would of scoffed at the dark humor; as if the human hit the geth from beyond the grave with his own hand. Not entirely hilarious, but near-death did a lot to a man's brain. Especially after living after a nearby blast rattled the same gray-matter. Shaking the ringing out of his ears and fog out of his mind, Virgil blinked to set his eyes straight.


The fall separated sniper from marksman, skidding away a few feet to the Pyro. Rather than charge the flaming geth, Virgil removed his Phalanix sidearm and knelt to one protesting knee. Most of his adrenaline surged to his optical nerves, flooding his view to slow it down considerably. Familiar along marksman, the moment where everything seemed to come to a sluggish crawl and details popped out with vibrant colors. He could see the wires underneath the Pyro geth's flamethrower, pulsing with off-white oil-liquid, it's bright pale light of blue staring straight into Virgil's helmet, and the hazy glow of bright orange and fiery red from the rocket impact obliterating the rifle-geth into unrecognizable pieces.


In that slowed view of the world, Virgil noted the Rocket geth taking cover to reload it's weapon, and the Pyro twisting it's three-toed feet to face Virgil with it's weapon raised. In that moment, Virgil had to decide. Either place a few rounds into the rocket geth, and prevent it's further use in the skirmish, or take the Pyro out of business. Either decision would leave him open to return fire, or liquid fire in the Pyro's case. Virgil clicked on the laser-sight built into the Phalanx, coming to life with a hum and marking the Rocket geth on it's neck. It barked loudly, much louder than his sniper, tearing through synthetic flesh with massive power, opening up a grapefruit-sized hole in it's chest. The geth slumped against one of the charges with a slowly dying clicking; as if it was whining it's life was ending so quickly.


Five shots left in the thermal clip, Virgil noted, and he would have to make them count. He had no idea what the Pyro could take nor how powerful the Phalanx was, still being a prototype model on the market. And unless he could find some way to at least disable it, his chances of not being turned into a roasted human were becoming more slim.


Virgil popped off two shots in rapid succession, squinting his eyes and wincing at the harsh retort of the weapon. They glanced off the geth's superior shielding, raising it's flamethrower and unleashing a wide jet of hot, molten fire. The heat was intense with most of the spray flying above Virgil's head, scorching the wall behind him. It was out of luck that the Geth aimed high, which gave Virgil short time to push off his heels, and roll away, scrambling out of reach as fast as he could. He could feel the heat increase on his thighs, and the dreaded sound of toughened plastic boiling and nauseating smell of burnt flesh. But he was not sure it was his own flesh; as he didn't feel the searing pain that accompanied such burns. Maybe it happened so fast, it seared his nerves in his legs.


Twisting onto his back, Virgil crawled back while blasting the rest of the thermal clip to the Pyro's shield. The three did little to the Pyro's kinetic protection, and none to impede it's slow movements. Out of desperation, Virgil clicked on his cloak and vanished into a fritz of static, hoping to deter the Pyro and give him a time to recover. Instead, the Pyro fired off blindly, filling Virgil's visor with a bright stream of retina-searing gas and fire.

 

[Lumeneire]

(full reply tomorrow, still writing, getting tired.)