Chapter 38 – On the Horizon

Shepard stood impatiently as the elevator moved down to the CIC, tapping her foot constantly on the floor.

It's not like he can do anything to me. He needs me to cooperate.

Once the elevator came to a halt, the doors opened into the CIC.

He gave me the access to that data.

Shepard gave Jacob what she hoped was a friendly nod as she passed him in the armoury.

He's invested Billions of credits in keeping me alive. He needs me.

The large table had already receded into the floor, giving Jane access to the QEC pad.

And he knows I'm only tolerating him.

The lights in the conference room dimmed as the holographic display rose around her, bringing the familiar image of the Illusive Man into view, sat in the same chair in front of the same star, smoking what might as well have been the same cigarette.

He might even be willing to give me some details to keep me on board.

"Shepard. I think we have them! Horizon, a colony in the Terminus Systems, just went silent. If it isn't under attack, it soon will be."

This isn't about me searching for Liara?

"Has Professor Solus delivered a countermeasure for the seeker swarms yet?"

"Err..." Shepard straightened up, making sure to push her shock aside and focus on the immediate needs. "No, not yet."

"Let's hope he works well under pressure. Lieutenant Moreau is plotting a course, but he insisted on your order before enacting any course changes."

"That sounds like Joker," Shepard smirked. "We'll change course immediately."

"There is something else you should know." The Illusive Man chose this mam to take a long dragon his cigarette. "One of your former crew, Ashley Williams is stationed on Horizon."

Shepard paused to activate her omni-tool. "Joker, set in a course for Horizon. Fast as you can, and bring us in under stealth."

"Aye, aye, Commander. Course laid in."

Jane shifted her attention back to the Illusive Man. "Last I knew, Ash was Alliance. What's she doing out in the Terminus Systems?"

"Officially it's an outreach program to improve Alliance relations with the Terminus Colonies. But they're up to something. Since they sent Chief Williams, it must be big. Perhaps you should take it up with her."

Shepard crossed her arms. "The Collectors just happen to pick a colony with her on it? I'm not buying it."

"It shouldn't be a surprise the Collectors are interested in you, especially if they're working for the Reapers. They might be going after her to get to you."

Jane frowned. "We'll update you on what we find."

"This is the most warning we've ever had, Shepard. Good luck," The Illusive Man said before closing the connection.

Shepard didn't wait for the interface to lower to the ground before she left the conference room and heading into the Normandy's lab facilities. Mordin was the sole occupant, standing front of a sealed isolation chamber.

"Mordin, please tell me you've got something?" Shepard asked on entering.

Mordin jumped, clearly startled, but grinned when he turned to face her. "Shepard! Just in time. Quick. Need control group. Observe sample reaction." He quickly waved her towards the isolation chamber.

Inside was a single large four legged insect, hovering lazily in the centre.

"Sample. Collected from the last colony. Cerberus team found it trapped in prefab."

They both flinched as the insect slammed into the glass, flying towards Shepard.

"And no one found one of these before?" Jane asked before it made another attack at the glass.

"Any number of possible reasons this was the first found. Small, easily overlooked, fast," the salarian theorised. "Perhaps no one simply knew what they were looking for until you found footage. Important thing, test sample."

The insect hit the glass once again. Each time it had been focussed on flying towards Shepard and appeared to be completely oblivious to Mordin.

"So, you're testing something now?" Jane ventured.

"Since capture, has constantly been trying to escape. Trying to get to anyone nearby. Even through solid enclosed containers. No way to see anyone nearby." Mordin paused for a breath. "Scans indicate extreme sensitivity to electric fields. Able to sense even the smallest changes. Neural Impulses, for example."

Jane gave the salarian a doubtful glance. "You're saying these things find people using by detecting neural impulses in the air?"

"No. Electric fields. Pass through almost anything." Mordin tapped the isolation chamber. "Including glass."

Shepard took several steps to the side, watching as the bug followed her. "But it's not interested in you?"

"Bio field dampener," Mordin exclaimed, pointing towards a flat metal box strapped around his waist. "Hides field detected by swarms. Spent days trying to get me. Had to confirm it stopped because of the dampener."

"This is fantastic. Mordon, can you make enough of these for everyone in the squad? 4 humans, a turian and krogan? We're on route to a colony we think is under attack."

"Will get to work!" Mordin declared. "Ongoing attack, lots of data. Will need samples."

"How long left?" Shepard asked Joker over the comm as she stepped off the elevator again.

"We're still an hour out from the relay to Iera, Commander," Joker replied.

"Let me know before we jump," Shepard ordered as she entered her quarters. Her gaze passed over her assault rifle that had appeared propped against her fish tank.

She'd spent the last hour ensuring that every member of her squad knew everything she did about the situation they were about to drop into, including explaining to Grunt three times that she didn't know what a collector's head being shot with a shotgun sounded like. Jack had appeared to almost be high at the prospect of getting to kill something, and Garrus simply continued cleaning his rifle. Miranda had already informed Jacob and started writing up a report on each member of the team's pre-combat routines.

Relieved that everyone was making their own preparations, Shepard had returned to her quarters to begin studying the intelligence on the colony. It was only as she sat at her desk that her eye spotted the rifle that had been missing for almost a week, even before they'd obtained the pod containing Grunt. Cautiously, she moved over to pick it up, shaking her head as she examined it and pulling a cleaning kit out of her desk.

"Who left you there I wonder?" She went back to studying the intel as she set about cleaning the rifle.

"Breaking atmosphere," the pilot announced. "Hold on to your seats!"

Grunt laughed as the shuttle shook.

"Interference is present on this channel," EDI's stated. "The source appears to be the central courtyard of the colony. All communications outside the system have been blocked."

"Have they detected us yet?" Jacob asked.

"There is currently no signs of anti-air activity. Your approach is clear."

"EDI, is there any way we can maintain ground to orbit communications?" Miranda asked.

"The colony transmitter should have enough power to- -through the inter- -retarg-"

"There goes the connection," Jane sighed. "Try to keep together on the ground. We'll probably lose short range communication on the ground, meaning we'll be dependent on line of sight and audible range. Kasumi, you're the exception."

Kasumi flickered out of sight as he cloak activated in her seat. "They'll never see me."

The shuttle shuddered as it dropped below the roofs of the colony. Shepard hit the door release.

"Find cover!" She was the first one on the ground.

They had landed in the grounds of one of the colony's main schools. Its location, surrounded by taller residential structures, had kept their approach hidden. It was evening on the colony, so Shepard had hoped the building would be clear of people, but so far they hadn't seen anyone moving on approach. Two things, however, had been clearly visible from the air. The collector vessel, towering over the colony, and swarms of seekers covering the colony. Waves burst through and around buildings as they swept the colony.

"You're sure this shit will keep us safe?" Jack asked Mordin, not bothering to find cover as she gripped the shotgun she's chosen from the ship's armoury.

Mordin had compacted his dampeners, allowing most members of the team to simply insert it in their armour. Jack however, due to her lack of armour and refusal to wear any of it, was forced to have it hanging from the heavy belt holding a baggy pair of cargo pants up.

"Certainty impossible. But, in limited numbers, should confuse detection, make us invisible to the swarms," Mordin explained.

"Should?" Jack didn't look convinced

"Experimental Technology. Only real test is contact with seeker swarms. Will be sure to improve upon technology with any data from mission."

"Just don't do anything to piss them off," Shepard ordered. "Grunt, that means don't shoot at them!"

The krogan lowered his gun and head, almost as though the krogan was sulking. He had been watching a swarm moving close to them above a three story stack of prefabs.

"The Collector ship is in the centre of the colony. We need a find a way to disable it and stop the Collectors from taking the colonists." Shepard got up from behind her cover and waved for the team to follow her. Kasumi was already absent from the group. Shepard had noted that she didn't appear to like being around other members of the team, or relying on them. Something she found surprising given the thief's playful personality. Her scouting skills however were invaluable.

They quickly moved around the school buildings, heading towards the heart of the colony. Although they tried to keep their visibility minimal, Jack and Grunt weren't showing even the slightest effort to avoid detection. They reached the yard exit without difficulty, although a hum was becoming audible in the distance. As they passed between several deserted residential buildings the noise became noticeable louder.

"What is that?" Garrus eventually asked.

He was answered by Kasumi decloaking beside him. "There's scouts incoming, flying. Guess they aren't too happy we stopped by."

"These bugs have wings. Everyone in the buildings. We'll form a crossfire as they past. Garrus, Miranda, Grunt, on the right," Shepard ordered. "Mordin, Jack, Jacob, with me. Kasumi, get eyes on them."

The thief began climbing up a nearby wall before cloaking as she shimmied up the gap between two prefabs. The remainder of the team took up position overlooking the road they had been using into the colony. Keeping out of site, although Grunt had taken some convincing by Garrus, they waited.

"Targets in sight," Kasumi eventually announced over a fuzzy comm link. "Two hundred metres out. Flying level with the third story. One hundred metres. Seven hostiles. Fifty metres. Twenty. Ten…"

"Fire!" Shepard ordered.

Flashes of gunfire and biotics flooded the street. Three of the Collectors fell in the first volley, each crashing with a crunch into the ground. The remaining four sought cover. Three touched down on the ground, finding shelter in the lower floors of the buildings. One ended with a single shot from a shotgun, followed by the deep laughter of a Krogan. The other two were thrown back out into the open by Jack's shockwave, where Garrus and Shepard executed them with a shot each. The fourth had taken vantage on the roof before being simply dispatched by the unseen Kasumi with a disabling surge of electricity and a single bullet to the creature's head.

"Seven down." Jacob stepped back out into the open.

"There's a lot more than that. Their ship's at least the size of a cruiser. There could be thousands on board." Shepard followed with Mordin and Jack right behind.

"Curious," Mordin said moving to inspect the remains of one of the Collectors. "Natural armour. Far denser than any known insect. Thickest on the chest. Weakest around the neck, eyes and upper legs. Large gaps between plates on the rear."

"Interesting weaponry too," Garrus observed. "Directed beams."

"We should collect some to study further. We need to learn more about them." Miranda suggested.

"They die if you shoot them," Grunt bellowed. "That's all I need to know."

"Thanks for the tips Mordin, but we need to get moving." Shepard looked up at the giant ship in the distance. "I'd rather get as far as we can before they mount a defence. And, give them as little time as possible to take people."

"I never wanted to see these things again!" Garrus shouted after putting a shot through the skull of a husk.

Shepard emptied a clip into one charging for her. "They still die the same!"

Grunt charged at the last collector while Jacob and Miranda kept it pinned down. He knocked it back and into the wall of a prefab before raising his shotgun. The shot struck the creature in the head, shredding the bone and cartilage, spraying the soft tissue over the white wall. Grunt let out a small laugh. "Heh heh. It squelched."

"That's just disturbing." Jacob cringed at Grunt's joy.

"I guess this proved it," Miranda sighed. "The geth got the technology to make husks from Sovereign."

"Shit, so the Illusive Man was right. The Collectors answer to the reapers," Jack gasped. She frowned when Miranda gave her a shocked look. Shepard and Garrus were looking at each other, slightly impressed. "Fuck you, Cheerleader. I read the files. Guess this answers what happened to the colonists."

"Husks before were made on spikes the geth had. They impaled them. We haven't seen any." Garrus looked up to the ship. "They brought the husks here."

"And they're taking the colonists with them, alive." Jane shook her head. "We need to stop them from taking any more. Let's move out."

"Yes Ma'am," Miranda replied.

Shepard froze in the middle of un-holstering her rifle. "Miranda, no. Just… no."

Jack couldn't resist sniggering.

"Move out," Shepard barked again, bringing the stock of her rifle to her shoulder.

They ran into another group of Collectors and husk in the next clearing in the colony. This group had been moving pods out of the surrounding buildings and sending them back towards the collector vessel. The pods stacked up against the sides of the buildings were empty, each large enough to hold an adult. Presumably, the ones they had been taking weren't.

These drones didn't prove any more of a challenge than the two groups before. They did however manage to slow the team down. Once the last was lying dead in the mud, they were finally able to take stock of the situation.

Miranda was the first to speak as the group gathered. "They were people… In those… coffins."

"They were the colonists. See if anyone's left. Check the buildings," Shepard ordered.

The team split up, checking the nearby buildings for anyone that the Collectors might not have had time to take. Jack had barely bothered to move, leaning just inside the nearest prefab, and Shepard was fairly sure that Kasumi would be unable to resist her kleptomania every time she saw something of value. The first one to say anything was Grunt.

"I found one. It's not moving," the krogan bellowed without using his radio. "It's looking at me."

"Grunt! Just wait there!" Shepard sprinted into the nearest building in the direction of Grunt's voice. "Mordin!"

"Coming, Shepard. Chance to analyse victim."

Jane groaned with her comm off. "Can't he do just a little empathy? Sympathy? Mild concern?"

Passing through the prefab, she found Grunt nose to nose with the colonist. They appeared to be frozen in some form of energy field, their eyes moving frantically between Grunt and Shepard. Grunt, however, appeared to be sniffing them.

"Smells funny. Wrong."

"Don't worry. We're not going to hurt you. We're here to help."

Mordin arrived moments later, panting as he climbed the steps. "Fascinating. Localised stasis field. Contained to victims body. Renders them unable to move. Leaves them conscious."

"Can we get her out of it?"

"Tagged by seeker swarms. Collector vessel likely source of stasis."

"There's two more upstairs." Miranda joined them as she walked out onto the stairway, closely followed by Jacob.

"The only thing we can do for them is fight off the Collectors. If we disable that ship, cripple its power source, we can save the colonists."

"I guess we're going to need some really big rifles," Garrus stated, his sniper over one shoulder as he leant against the prefab above them.

"Is anyone else curious why there's a small hanger on the other side of the colony with an Alliance emblem on it?" Kasumi de-cloaked leaning against Jacob's muscular arm. "Mmm. Nice, marine."

Shepard turned back to the colonist in front of them. "We'll save you. I promise." She looked back at Kasumi. "Show me."

"They're guarding it? Why the hell would they be guarding it?" Shepard asked as the stared down the barrel of her sniper rifle. She and Garrus were on the top floor of a building being used as office space overlooking the entrance of the Alliance hanger. The building appeared to be locked down, with the entrances into both the storage facility and landing pad sealed. Outside of it, a group of more than a dozen Collectors had gathered.

"I'm not sure they're guarding it," Garrus commented. "Look at the scorching on the door. I think they're trying to get in."

"Then we need to get in there. Anything they want is something we need to stop them from having."

"We can get a crossfire set up. The parking lot should provide enough cover from the east."

"South west has stacked cargo. Looks like basic supplies. No munitions." Shepard lowered her rifle and looked over to Garrus. "Take Jacob and Jack. Wait for my signal."

"You got it. They won't know which turian got them."

Shepard couldn't help but smile as the two of them went back down from the roof. They split up, each taking their group with them as they silently flanked around the enemy position. Across the opposite side, the large form of Grunt could be seen moving towards the car bays outside the Alliance hanger. Garrus and Jack were far harder to pick out as they ducked between the vehicles.

One they were in position, the first shots were fired. Shepard stripped the barriers from an exposed drone, before Miranda and Mordin killed it with a shot each to its head. A wave of gunfire and biotics followed, sweeping across the Collectors. Jack's shockwave managed to force one of the Collectors out from behind their cover where Grunt and Jacob's shotguns made quick work of it.

"I am assuming direct Control!" a metallic voice boomed.

Shepard felt a shiver run through her. "Where the fuck did that come from?" She shouted slamming her back into a container and struggling to breath.

"Where did what come from?" Jacob asked.

Shepard didn't get a chance to answer before a flash of light caught their attention. One drone towards the back of the group was being suspected a metre above the ground and appeared to be resisting something. Streams of dark energy burst from the creature flesh, engulfing it in a flash if red light. Shepard looked back around to find that the creature was now back on the ground. It appeared to have grown significantly taller than the other drones. The armoured plates appeared to be charred black, as red light and dark energy emanated from the exposed flesh between them.

"You will know pain Shepard!"

"That thing's talking!" Shepard shouted.

Jacob Looked between Miranda and Mordin. "I don't hear anything."

"Shit that's hot," Shepard cursed, pulling at her glove.

"What's wrong?" Mordin asked a few moments of watching Shepard puzzled.

Miranda and Jacob continued laying fire and biotic attacks on the Collectors, while the roars and cheers of Grunt drowned any other noise from the parking lot.

"My hand's burning," Shepard cursed. She pulled her glove off to show undamaged skin. "What in the-" Shepard didn't finish her sentence before a raw scream tore its way through Shepard's throat. Her eyes clamped shit as she began frantically pulling at the parts of her armour.

Miranda glanced between Shepard and the controlled collector that was advancing towards them. "It's hacking her. Take it out." She threw a warp field into the monstrosity, bringing down its barrier.

Barrages of gunfire continued hitting it, impacting the plates of the enhanced drone, barely slowing it down. Shepard gritted her teeth and pushed herself up get a line of sight on the collector. She reached for her shotgun. As she raised it to aim, a high velocity round struck it in the back of the head, blowing softer tissue out the front of its skull.

Gasping for breath, Shepard collapsed forward. The collector quickly disintegrated as uncontrolled dark energy surged through it.

"We heard a scream. Is everyone okay?" Garrus asked, running towards them clutching his rifle. Jack and Grunt were close behind.

"Everyone appears fine. No physical injuries. Problematic revelation however. Singled out Shepard." Mordin replied. "Curious."

Jane struggled to her feet as she pulled her glove back on and closed clips she'd managed to undo. "Do you have any idea what that was?"

"I have a guess," the Cerberus agent replied with no certainty. "But I'll need to so an analysis once we're back on the Normandy to be sure."

Shepard sighed. "Fine. We've still got a mission to complete first. Any guesses why they're so interested in this hanger?" she asked as they approached it.

"The alliance could be shipping weapons," Jack replied, .

"Or platinum," Kasumi chirped in as she uncloaked in front of the locked door.

Jacob couldn't help but laughed. "Unlikely. So far they've only been interested in colonists. They haven't even been taking resources."

"Can you get this open, Kasumi?" Shepard asked the hooded thief.

"You do know who you're talking to, right?" She asked as the door lit up and slid open.

"I never doubted you," Jane replied with a grin. "Keep sharp people. "If someone is in here, that doesn't mean they're friendly." She was the first to step into the building, keeping a firm grip on her gun.

The main space in the hanger was used for cargo storage, with a small control room overlooking it. A few crates were stacked up next to the side wall, marked as food and supplies. Large doors on the far side opened up onto the landing pad, allowing access for freight and personnel. Shepard quietly surveyed the area, her footsteps the only noise breaking the silence.

"Is someone in here? We're here to help."

"Looks empty." Grunt stomped in afterwards, followed by Mordin and Miranda, while Jacob and Garrus remained outside the entrance keeping watch. Kasumi had once again cloaked.

"I'm human," Shepard shouted into the room. The sound of metal skidding across metal came from the direction of the stacked containers. "Show yourself. We're not going to hurt you."

The room stayed silent for a few moments, while everyone waited expectantly.

"Found them!" Kasumi eventually shouted.

A middle aged man fell backwards from behind the containers and crashed into the metal floor. He made several frantic motions to scramble backwards until he spotted the group in the middle of the bay watching him. "What are you doing? You'll lead them right here!"

"Pretty sure they knew you were in here, judging from the attempts to open the door. And then there was the dozen Collectors we had to shoot to get in," Shepard replied sarcastically, holstering her gun and crossing her arms.

"Those things are Collectors? You mean they're real?" the man asked in disbelief. "I thought they were just made up. You know – propaganda, to keep us in alliance space."

"Collectors have been attacking colonies for months," Miranda stated.

"No! They got Lilith. I saw her… And Sten. They got damn near everybody!"

Jane took a deep breath as they both stared at each other. "Who are you? What do you do here?"

"I'm Delan, one of the colonies mechanics. I came in here to check on the satellites after we lost out comm signal. Then I heard screaming. I looked outside and there were swarms of… insects. They just… touched people and…"

"They were frozen, like the people we've seen outside?" Shepard offered.

Delan nodded. "I sealed the doors…" His expression darkened. "All of this… it's the Alliance's fault! They sent that Chief Williams here. They built those defence towers too. They made us a target!"

Shepard paused to look at Miranda, who was looking as shocked as Shepard felt, before turning back to Delan. "Chief Williams?"

"Some big Alliance type," he shrugged. "Supposed to be some hero or something. Didn't mean anything to me though. Rather she'd stayed in Citadel Space."

"She's here to set the defence towers up?"

"So the Alliance says. I recon she's here for something else. Spying on us maybe. We had to build a massive underground generator to give the system enough juice, and now we can't get the targeting systems online. Stupid things can't even shoot straight."

Shepard couldn't help but roll her eyes. "The guns work though, right? Where are the controls?"

"You'd have to rewrite the targeting controls first. They've never worked right," Delan protested.

"I think we can figure it out," Garrus chuckled.

"Whatever, the controls are in the colonial hub building. It's the tall one with the transmitters on the roof. You can't miss it. All the colony's systems are routed through it."

Jane checked the clip in her rifle. "Lock the door behind us. Keep your head down, but if anyone else comes looking for shelter, you'd better let them in." Shepard glared at the mechanic until he gave a scared nod. She turned back to face her squad. "If that glowing collector decides to show up again, blow his fucking head off his fucking shoulders!"

"New hostile spotted," Kasumi warned over a static filled line. "It's…"

"We know, Kasumi. There must be at least thirty between us and that building!" Shepard shouted into her helmet as threw a grenade into the path of five husks that were making a break towards Garrus's perch on stairwell.

"No, there's some kind of new husk coming towards you. It's… worse."

"What could be worse than reanimated corpses?"

"Your attacks are futile."

"Enhanced on the field!" Shepard shouted as her grenade detonated, throwing grey flesh into the air. She reached for her shotgun.

"I will show you true power."

Jane looked out from behind the collector pods she was crouched behind. Her shotgun followed her line of sight. She fired as a collector drone filled the crosshair. Before the first had hit the ground, Shepard had the barrel pointed at a second collector and fired. The blast deflected off of the drone's barrier as Shepard fired again, this time blowing a hole through the creature's torso. The final shot in the clip went towards the enhanced collector as it walked out into view, firing towards Miranda's position. It turned to face her as Jane's shot hit its barriers. Without pausing, it threw a ball of glowing red dark energy towards her.

Why is that red? Jane dropped back behind her cover. "Biotic!"

The ball of energy detonated on the pods with a strong blast of energy. Shepard stumbled back several feet as the wave pushed her out of cover. She threw an arm up to protect herself, and a barrier along with it before making it into position behind an elevated garden holding a small tree. Her attention was pulled away at the sound of a gruesome wail from between two nearby buildings.

"Kasumi, you were right," Jane gulped.

The husk like creature approaching them was clearly created from humans, but was twisted almost beyond recognition. The primary body was clearly defined, with the left arm absent and the whole body leaning to the right, almost crushed beneath what resembled a large bladder, filled with pulses of eezo, produced from another body fused onto the back of the first. The missing limb was replaced with what appeared to be a large cannon, formed what use to be one last person.

"Jack, Grunt. I want that thing turning to dust!" The only response was a war cry as Grunt charged headlong at the new creature. Shepard however, flinched, dropping her shotgun as it began to feel increasingly hot in her grasp. "Fuck! Not again!" She pulled her assault rifle back out. "Garrus!" Her shots sprayed the enhanced's barrier until it failed. "Between the eyes!"

A single shot flew overhead, hitting the collector in the front of the skull, obliterating the face of the creature before the remains disintegrated in ripples of energy.

"This body does not matter. It is merely a vessel."

"Shepard, it's taken a drone at the edge of the field," Garrus announced before firing a round through the head of one husk and crippling another's leg.

Shepard flinched as a new wave of blistering pain overwhelmed her senses. Scalding heat surged over her back. She bit down, to stop herself screaming as she clutched desperately onto the edge of the garden she was behind.

"Kasumi, do we have any more incoming?" Shepard asked through gritted teeth.

"There isn't any more movement in your direction." Kasumi replied over the crackles filling the comm line. "You've just got what's already engaging."

Shepard looked up in alarm as the hulking form of grunt was thrown over her head by a powerful shockwave, and into the branches of the tree.

"Miranda. Team B needs to go. Now!"

"B is go," Miranda plied. "Hold onto your tits, Jack. Help's coming."

"Fuck you, cheerleader!" Jack screamed as she held a barrier to block an attack from the lumbering monstrosity.

A warp field flew in from behind the creature, striking it in the large bulbous sack on its back. Several high calibre gunshots followed, striking it in its lopsided skull as it attempted to turn and find the source of the biotic attack while Miranda advanced on her target

Jack exploited her opening by launch a warp field into its back. The skin of the creature distorted and shifted, tearing the flesh apart, before it burst, spraying out a thick fluid and large amounts of eezo. The two looked at each other as the remains collapsed to the ground between them, finding they were both covered in the puss.

"Great job," Miranda drawled as she tried to wipe her eyes clear.

"Fuck you," Jack repeated.

Jacob and Mordin had attacked from the other side of the field. They focussed their attack on flanking as many Collectors as possible in cover. Garrus's perch allowed him to safeguard them from above, taking out any drones or Collectors that attempted to reposition. Grunt joined once he was back on his feet. Jack and Miranda soon followed, pissed off as they launched ranged biotic attacks at any withdrawing hostiles and blocking any biotic attacks from the enhanced. It was quickly the only one left.

Shepard's body screamed in protest as she picked herself up. Her skin felt like it was being seared off, but she forced to focus on her target. She gripped her shotgun before launching herself forwards. She flew across the battlefield in a streak of red light, passing a ball of biotic energy that had been aimed at her. Jane slammed into the enhanced drone, knocking it back into the wall of a prefab and shoved the barrel of her shotgun into its gut. "Stay out of my head!" Jen fired a single shot, tearing a whole through the abdomen of the oversized insect. The plating covering its torso cracked and split. Shepard stepped back as fluids poured out of the holes in the front and back of the creature.

"These attacks are pointless!" It burnt up like all of the hosts before, leaving the familiar pile of ash.

"Good work," Shepard panted. Her skin was still tingling as the sensation of burning faded. "Miranda. We have having a very serious conversation back on the Normandy."

"Shepard, I've got no idea how this could be happening," Miranda stated.

"Later. Right now we need to focus on saving this colony. That's still our first priority." Jane rolled her shoulders, trying to stretch out her tense muscles. "Mordin, any idea about those new husks?"

"Appear to be made from multiple sources of organic material. Weaknesses on head a vulnerable eezo sack. Evolution of standard husk. Evolution of design. Ranged attacks. Need name. Suggest… Scion?" Mordin rattled off as they ran up the last road towards the HUB.

Shepard shrugged "It'll do."

The colonial hub was less than a hundred metres from the landing site of the collector vessel. The front of the building protruded out into a plaza. The building appeared to have been designed with some element of dependability in mind. A single entrance was positioned facing out into the plaza on the corner of the building. The ground floor was laid out as a large reception and waiting room for the comm centre and colonial affairs. To their relief, the Collectors weren't in sight.

"Everybody in," Shepard ordered. "Now! Garrus, I want you as high up as you can get. Kasumi, find the transmitter, and get us connected to the Normandy. Jack, Grunt, anything steps through that door, I want it turning into pulp. Everybody else, barricade the windows. I want this building locked down." She followed Garrus towards the stairwell. "I'll clear the first floor."

The first floor was all office cubicles. No Collectors were anywhere to be seen, but neither were any of the colonists. Jane reached the front of the building in time to see two scions entre the plaza from the direction of the ship. "We've got company. Are you done downstairs?"

"As ready as we'll ever be," Jacob replied.

"Furniture poorly constructed. Unlikely to withstand assault," Mordin added.

"Garrus, are you in position?"

"The governor has a pretty swanky corner office up here. You can see half the colony. Shame about the window."

Shepard looked up in time to see a shower of shattered sheet of glass falling past the window, before it shattered on the ground below. She ran back downstairs as Jacob and Miranda moved the last of the tables and benches into position covering the building's windows, leaving only slits for the squad to fire through. "Building's clear," Shepard stated as she joined Miranda at the windows on the north wall of the building. "Jacob, Mordin, you've got west facing."

"On it Commander," Jacob replied as they moved into position.

"Kasumi, how's that transmitter coming?"

"Have a little patience, Shep. I'm still realigning the transmitter. It wasn't built for this," the thief replied. "It'll take a minute."

"We've got husks," Garrus announced. "And Collectors… a lot of them."

"We only have to hold them off," Shepard replied as husks flooded out from the buildings on the opposite side of the plaza. They were easily outnumbered before even considering the collector drones descending towards the plaza. "Garrus, keep them away from that transmitter." She performed one last check on her assault rifle. "FIRE!"

Jane only had time to fire several bursts before Kasumi happy announced "Got it!"

"Normandy, come in. This is Shepard!" Jane shouted over the noise of their gunfire.

"Joker here. Signal's weak commander, but we've got you. And please stop trying to deafen us all. What's the situation down there?"

"We're under attack, but our position's secure. It's time for us to show these bastards that humanity can give as good as we get," she replied while she replaced her thermal clip. "EDI, this colony has a series of defence towers. We need you to bring them online!"

"Bypassing security protocols." EDI paused for a moment. "There appears to be several mathematical errors in the targeting software. They are easily corrected, however I will need time to bring the system to full power. "

"Don't worry, we're good," Shepard replied as the first of the husks that had survived the barrage reached the building.

Jack was throwing shockwaves out of the entrance like a madwoman, sending bodies flying into the air. "We play piggy in the middle while she sorts out the batteries?"

"The more of them there are, the harder it is to miss," Grunt laughed as he repeatedly fired his shotgun at whatever was stupid enough to charge at a krogan.

"Garrus, update on the scions?" Shepard asked before a shockwave of energy hit her barricade. The makeshift cover was thrown back into the room, landing on top of her.

"Not easy working out which grey, decaying head belongs to which grey, decaying body," the turian replied.

"Initial start-up complete. Power levels at twenty-seven percent."

"Thanks for the update EDI," Shepard groaned as she climbed out from underneath a table. She picked it up with her, before forcing it back into the gap, crushing a husk that had tried climbing through the gap.

"The increasing power levels have been detected. More hostiles are on route."

"Desperate tactics. Not use to facing resistance," Mordin theorised.

Miranda forced a bench in behind the table, helping secure it in position.

"One scion is down!" Garrus cheered.

One husk tried reaching in threw the hole Miranda had been shooting through, before a burst of gunfire shredded the dead flesh around the bone. "Zombies really aren't the best choice of shock trooper," Kasumi commented as she decloaked. "They should try berserkers, or samurai."

"I'll be sure to pass on the advice," Jane laughed a she depleted another clip.

"This delay is pointless. You struggle against the inevitable."

"He's back!"

"You haven't spilt his guts enough for him already?" Grunt laughed childishly.

"Does anyone see the enhanced?"

"Back of the field, next to the scion?" Garrus replied before firing a shot. "Or, what use to be a scion."

"Power levels are up to forty-five percent," EDI informed them. "All errors in the software have now been repaired."

"Why isn't that enhanced coming any closer?" Shepard asked as she continued firing on the slowly thinning hoard.

"Buying time?" Jacob shouted across the room.

"Unlikely. Already detected power build-up," Mordin commented. "Awaiting reinforcements."

"That's reassuring," Shepard sighed sarcastically.

"I have detected an airborne object leave the collector vessel." EDI warned. "Now heading towards your position."

"Missile strike?"

"No," Garrus replied. "I've got line of sight. It's too big and too slow."

"Power levels are at sixty-five percent."

"Then what the hell is it?"

Shepard's question was answered as a large black object impacted the ground. A cloud of dust was thrown up around it, blocking it from view. The team continued firing, taking down the last of the drones and Husks, leaving only the new arrival and the enhanced. As the dust settled, the glowing blue eyes of husks began to appear through the cloud of dirt.

"Husks!"

They team froze as four more glowing blue eyes appeared over the others. "I don't think those are just husks."

The lower pairs of eyes disappeared as the four eyes on top surged will brilliant blue light. It burst forwards in a beam. It scatted across the building's walls, scorching the clean white surface. Once the attack shopped, Shepard looked back out of cover to find a large armoured, crab like monstrosity hovering over the plaza. Large metal plated covered the front of it, concealing where the husk eyes had been. Its barriers were lit up, shielding the creature from the gunfire Shepard's squad was throwing at it.

"Power levels at eighty percent. Syncing targeting systems with the Normandy."

Its barriers faded under the onslaught, leaving it vulnerable to fire. It screeched, opening the front armour as gunfire hit its armour. The horrific noise was coming the gape jaws of the husks within the creature. The whole body dropped, slamming into the ground. A bright blue barrier formed across the surface of the creature, deflecting everything that touched it. Slowly, it lifted itself up on the ends of its four fragile looking legs.

"Biotics, can you guys do anything against that thing?" Shepard asked, looking at Jacob, Miranda and Jack.

"We warping should knock its barriers out," Jacob replied.

Jack threw a shockwave out, trying to knock it off its balance. It died on contact with its barrier. "It's too big to start throwing around."

"Mordin. Any guesses what's with the heads in it?"

"At a guess, appears to be constructed from multiple humans, like scions. Using multiple nervous systems to control?" the salarian guessed.

"So those husks are, what, networked?" Shepard reasoned. Mordin thought about it for a second before shrugging. Shepard checked her belt. "Does anyone have any grenades?"

"Haven't used any," Grunt answered from where he and Jack were taking cover besides the door. "More fun to shoot or hit them."

Shepard moved over to the large krogan, narrowly dodging the creature's beam as she passed the door. With all of Grunt's grenades in her hands, or attached to her armour, she peeked around cover at her target. "I've got a plan, but you need to take its barrier down. Then, give me some covering fire. Try to distract it while I get close."

"You're not going to run at that thing?" Miranda looked disgusted at the idea. "I didn't spend two years stitching you back together just for you to die doing something stupid!"

"Shepard always did have to be the hero," Garrus mocked as he walked into the main room of the building. "You get used to it."

Jane rolled her eyes, "Everyone ready. We need to keep this thing off balance." She snapped a fresh thermal clip into her rifle. "Fire!"

"Power levels are at one hundred percent. I am firing."

Miranda's Jacob's and Jack's biotics all lit up, detonating against the barrier protecting the tank like unit. Mordin, Garrus and Grunt all fired from their cover while Shepard stepped out, charging towards it with her assault rifle kicking back as she fired continuously. She rolled across the ground to dodge a beam it fired towards her, carving a swath through the air inches above her.

Shepard pulled two grenades from her belt as she sprang back up to her feet. The creature hovered in front of her, a metre off the ground as it charged the particle lasers again. A shot from Garrus's rifle flew over her head, penetrating its barrier and hitting the far right eye. The beam fired, swerving wildly off target.

Jane armed her grenades. With them both in her right hand she moved forwards. As she raised her arm to throw them, the beam cut down into her arm. She recoiled in pain, dropping the two grenades on the ground. Holding her right arm close, she reached out to grab at the blinking grenades. Shepard grabbed the closest as the beam stopped, but the second was too far to reach. Diving to the ground, she threw her injured arm out to reach for the second grenade. She grabbed it as blood leaked between the damaged armour plate on her forearm.

The creature above her let out another scream as her team fired a volley against it. Its jaws opened as the husk wailed. Shepard rolled onto her back, staring up as each of the husks stared down at her. She threw bother grenades with her left arm at the heads. Shepard kicked off the ground, pushing herself back towards the building as the creature crashed to the ground. Its barrier light up again as a shockwave formed, kicking Shepard up into the air. Before she had time to crash back to the ground, the grenades detonated. Fire burst from the maw of the monstrosity, carrying charred heads and flesh out of it.

It collapsed to the ground, limp, as Shepard hit dirt. Aching, she pushed herself up to her feet. Behind the now dead pile of metal and cybernetics, stood one enhanced drone, staring at her with an unwavering gaze. The sky above them was filled with light. Mass driver rounds from the colony's turrets were crashing into the hull of the alien vessel.

"What are you?" Shepard bellowed at the alien. "Why are you doing this?"

"I am the Harbinger. You have achieved nothing, Shepard."

Shepard opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by the ground shaking beneath her. A boom came from the collector ship as dirt and dust began to rise around it as the ship began lifting itself off the ground. Opposite her, the collector disintegrated, reduced to ash.

"Are you okay?" Miranda asked as she stepped up next to Shepard, eying Shepard holding her arm against herself protectively.

"It's just a scratch. The armour can take care of it."

"Guess there's no reason to stay," Garrus groaned from behind her, watching as the ship gained altitude. "They got most of the colonists."

"NO!"

Shepard turned around to see the mechanic they had met earlier running up the street behind them.

"Don't let them get away!"

"There's nothing we can do," Shepard sighed as she stopped, panting for breath. "They're gone."

"Half the colony's in there! They got Egan and Sam and… and Lilith! Do something!" The man cried.

"I didn't want it to end this way," Jane sighed. "We did all that we could."

Garrus rested a clawed hand on Shepard's shoulder. "We saved some of them Shepard."

"Shepard?" Delan turned to face her. "Wait… I know that name. Some type of big alliance hero?"

"Commander Shepard. Captain of the Normandy." Ashley Williams walked into the plaza from the direction the mechanic had come from. "The first human Spectre. Saviour of the Citadel." She turned to face the mechanic. "You're in the presence of a god, Delan. Back from the dead."

"All the people we lost, and you get left behind. Figures. Screw this," he spat as he started to leave. "I'm don with you alliance types.

"I thought you were dead, Commander," Ash said in a whisper. "We all did!"

Shepard put a hand out to shake Ashley's. "It's been rough, Ash. How've you been?"

"That's it? After two yours?" Ashley sounded shocked. "You show up after two years and act like it's nothing? I would have followed you anywhere, Commander. I thought you were gone… We all… You were more than our Commander."

"I was gone Ash." Shepard sighed. "I was dead. You can assume that it wasn't nothing to me. And… you've all moved on. A promotion. A career."

"I did move on. Now, here you are pulling me back in," Ash protested. "And, we've got reports about you and Cerberus."

"That's Miranda's fault," Shepard sighed, pointing over her shoulder at the agent.

"Reports?" Garrus asked, his interest peaked. "You mean you already knew?"

"Alliance intel said Cerberus could be behind our missing colonies. We got a tip that this one could be the next one to get hit." Ashley explained. "I went to Anderson, but he wouldn't talk. There were… rumours that you weren't dead. And worse; that you were working for the enemy."

"So the Alliance sent you here to figure out if the rumours were true?"

"They sent me here to investigate Cerberus. I hoped you were alive, but I never expected this." Tears were starting to run down Ash's cheeks. "You betrayed everything you stood for!"

"Ash, you know me. You know I would only do this for the right reasons. You saw what the Collectors are doing to the colonies. And they're working with the reapers!"

"I'd like to believe you, Shepard, but I don't trust Cerberus. And it worried me that you do. What did they do to you? What if they're behind it? What if they're the ones working with the Collectors?"

"Damn it, Williams. You're so focused on Cerberus that you're ignoring the real threat!" Garrus exclaimed.

"If the Alliance would do something to stop this I would be right there at the front. But, you know that. You just can't see it."

"Or maybe you feel like you owe Cerberus because they saved you. Maybe it's you." Ash let out a sigh. "Doesn't matter. I still know where my loyalties lie. I'm an Alliance soldier. It's in my blood." She took a step back. "I'm reporting back to the Citadel. Let them decide if they believe your story."

"Or, you could stay." Shepard offered. "You could join my crew Ash. The unknown enemy. Impossible odds…"

"No, it won't. I might have been guilty of not liking aliens, but Cerberus are extremists. I'll never work for a group like that. So long, Commander." Ashley paused as she turned to leave. "Oh, one more thing. A big sister's got to do-"

Shepard didn't duck. She didn't flinch as Ash's armoured fist came towards her. She felt the punch on the visor of her helmet. If she hadn't been wearing it, Ashley would have easily broken her nose. Everyone else in the squad, apart from Garrus, responded by pulling guns on Miranda.

"That's for Blue."

Shepard gestured for them to lower their weapons. "Say for me, if you see her?"

Ash looked disgusted as she left shaking her head.

Jane groaned. "Joker, send our position to the shuttle. I think I've had just about enough of this colony."