Chapter 3

"Alenko! Throw those bastards!" Alaya called out as a trio of geth troopers were advancing from behind the station, and once they were down, Ashley had gunned them down while Alaya herself had dealt with a sharpshooter that had taken position near a landscaping tractor, the geth learned the hard way that a riding lawnmower doesn't stop hypervelocity tungsten. With the flanking force dealt with, they returned to the front just as more were geth were coming through the front doors.

"You two cover the front, I got this," Ashley said as she headed to the stairwell with her weapon at the ready. "All right, you piece of fiirkan shit, time to die," she growled under her breath, much to the surprise and amusement of Alaya.

In the meantime, Alaya and Kaidan had bolted to the front windows and returned fire on a trio of geth troopers that were near a monorail support column while they heard a burst of fire and moments later, she could see a geth trooper withdrawing but what surprised her was that Ashley was closing the distance and then saw something really out there. Moments later, something protruded out of the geth's chest. It was a sword, a Sobani longsword to be exact, something she thought they carried around only for ceremonial purposes.

This seemed to confuse the remaining geth as they seemed to disengage and began to pull back. Not knowing if this was a real withdraw or merely a regroup, they had to take their chances and the two of them went downstairs to meet with the third in their party who had gone medieval on the synthetic.

Walking out the front door, they could see the woman with her boot on the back of the synthetic that wasn't quite dead and was squirming around while Ashley was trying to pull the sword out of its back. "Little help?" She said, looking back at the pair with a somewhat wild expression on her face.

Alaya was more than happy to oblige as she took out her sidearm and shot the synthetic in the head, allowing Ashley to work the sword the rest of the way out of thing's back and then returning the bluish white blade back to its scabbard. "That should about do it, the geth are pulling back and I think we should get moving."

"I don't know, maybe the geth are rethinking this and worried that knights might be pouring out with Lancelot, here." To which the three of them could not laugh a little.

"Yeah, looks like I had a bad feed on my mag, the thing jammed on me and I didn't exactly want that one getting away, so I improvised."

"Hardly surprised," Alaya said with still a grin. "Give it to a Sobani to find a reason to kill something with a sword in the modern age. Come on, we need to get to that beacon."

The three of them began to advance along the monorail, covering each other and all the while being careful as they strained to hear anything that sounded like movement and as well noting the lack of forests sounds that was unnerving to say the least until they reached the dig site. It was Prothean, there was no mistaking the linear architecture cut at right angles but with a composite material that seemed to shine in stark contrast to the steel and concrete of the Alliance.

"Would have thought that this beacon would be larger, Ashley where is it exactly?"

"Must have been moved," Ashely said as she looked through a spotter scope. "The lack of bodies is a clear sign that it wasn't moved by the geth, must have been moved before they showed up. We should probably check the transit station, it is just up the hill and past those prefabs and really the only way you could effectively move something that size."

"All right, let's take this one slowly," Alaya said as she got up from her position and looked back at the other two. "We already know that the geth favor ambush over a direct fight and they are glass cannons when their shields go down. We advance from cover and watch your sectors for possible flanking attacks, let's move out."

Moving again, they passed some hastily erected barricades and something was bothering Alaya as there was traces of blood, but she had yet to see a body. As she rounded the corner, she could see something that made her own blood almost turn to ice. There were dozens of tripods of sorts with large spikes in the air and hanging from the end of each spike was either a colonist or a member of the garrison what were impaled through the center. She wanted to take the charges out of her pack and blow the tripods so they could get the people off the spikes but the rational part of her brain told her she didn't know what this technology was.

"Oh frak me," Ashley exhaled as she got a look at the spikes herself as the trio passed by with a certain level of caution, the spiderweb of blue lines seemed to emanate from the bodies and Alaya had stooped down beside one of the spikes and picked up something from the ground. Human hair.

"Alenko, anything you can tell us about the bodies?"

"They are being infused by some sort of nanite technology and the change in hue combined with hair follicle death probably has to do with some sort of cellular animation. Unless you find a way to get them down, it's impossible to tell from here." Almost if on cue, the spikes began to lower and the three of them were able to stand back, as the spikes retracted from the bodies, there was a shower of electricity and to the surprise of all, the bodies began to stand up and approach them, but the blue glow of the eyes told them all they needed to know.

"Weapons free," Alaya ordered, even though Kaiden had already unleashed a biotic attack and Ashley had opened fire with her rifle as she spoke. Somehow, these altered humans had some sort of shielding and it took them longer to take down the targets than expected. The last one released some sort of short range EMP, Ashley staggered to the ground for a moment as she had been the closest to it.

"You okay, Ash?" Alaya said as she began to approach but Ashley held up her hand to tell the commander to stop.

"Yeah," she said as she nodded her head. "Pretty sure that it was just electrical," she said as she managed to her feet and looked over at Kaiden who was knelt beside the body. He had out a small scalpel and was cutting into the tissue of one of the bodies, the two women looked over at him with an unmasked look of disgust on Ashley's face.

"I can preserve a tissue sample to give us a clearer picture on what we're dealing with," Kaiden said as he did not look up from his task. "From the timestamp on the initial SOS, whatever is doing this acts very quickly. Clearly working on the molecular level."

"Airborne?" Alaya said the question that she knew was on everyone's mind.

"Unlikely," Kaiden said as he glanced over at the tripod. "Most likely those spikes are the vector, or else our Sobani friend would have already joined the walking dead by now."

"But we can't be certain. I want everyone to activate your biohazard warning on your armor transponders. If this shit is airborne, we can't risk it getting off Eden Prime," Alaya said as she activated her Omni-tool, Kaiden did the same and Ash used the wrist device in her armor to do the equivalent.

"Shepard, do you copy?" The voice was that of her scout, and she was surprised to hear from him even though it was stranger that he had not reported in by now.

"Nihlus, what do you have?" Alaya said as she turned from the others so she wouldn't be interrupted.

"I've encountered humans that have been altered by unknown technology. You should know, I had to put down hostile humans. I have also engaged Quarian technology."

"You mean the Geth?"

"Affirmative," the Council Spectre said as his voice sounded labored.

"We have encountered similar things. We have encountered a Hiigaran infantry officer and she has been attached to my command."

"Good to know we're up an extra man. Listen, those humans were altered on tripods with large spikes. I did some checking and they appear to be set to proxy sensors. As long as you stay at least twenty meters from them, they should not lower. I'm sending you a route from the dig site to the central tramway that should keep you clear of most resistance. I'll wait for you at the station." The comm channel ended and Alaya's Omni-tool beeped with a route that would bring them through the settlement.

"I take it we have a plan?" Ashley said as Alaya turned around and looked at the pair.

"Nihlus is going to meet us at the station, we have a path that should keep us clear of enemy forces," to which she could see Ashley shift but she didn't say anything but knew what soldiers were like.

"I'll take point," was finally what she said and headed up to the buildings. The route took them through a locked prefab and just before she was about to kick it in, Kaiden stood beside the locking mechanism and the door opened up.

"Probably don't want to announce everyone to our presence," he simply said to which Ashley nodded and took out her weapon at low ready, turning on the mounted light as they swept through the building, coming into a small backyard with clothes still on the line. It was a sobering moment as the group had it brought home that this was not a game, and that only a few days ago this prefab had a family living in it and they were as real as Jenkins had been.

"Watch your targets, there still might be civilians hiding," Alaya cautioned, but it was more a way of trying to bring hope to the situation and the commander found herself wishing to see civilians in this war zone. She didn't want to think that they had failed everyone on Eden Prime—that they had sacrificed entire families for the sake of the Alliance's political ambition.

Her mission, Alaya forced herself to focus on the mission as she could not be in her head when it needed to be on a swivel and ready to make snap decisions if they engaged the enemy. Backyard, sweep the fencelines and look for high points. No snipers. Okay, back gate. Ash is opening it up and Kaiden is watching the left, turn around. Okay, no one following us. Into the back alley.

Alaya continued this mantra as they moved silently through the town, and it was silent as there wasn't a single dog barking, a single bird in a tree or any other of the subtle sounds that normally marked a habited world. She had been on covert operations in a civilian AO and none of them were this quiet, she could sense that the others were just as unnerved by this.

"Shepard, do you have dextro plasma?" Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Nihlus' voice and knew what this question was at the moment she heard it as well as the stress in his voice. The others heard it as well and much of the previous caution had been abandoned as they rushed towards the station. The mission had suddenly become a CASEVAC.

"Contact right!" Alaya said as she fired her weapon with its sharp retort, Ashley's weapon sounded to her right while warping sound of Kaiden's biotics added to the symphony. The geth were the primary targets of engagement as they steered clear of most of the tripods. The staccato of weapons fire could be heard as they neared the station, but there was some confusion when the fire came from Nihlus who was uninjured.

"Don't worry sir, help is here," Nihlus said, loud enough that Alaya could hear and she noticed a trail of blue blood that went around the corner where a Turian with grey plates was clutching his side and bleeding badly.

"Alenko!" Alaya called out, but the combat medic was already kneeling beside the wounded Turian with an application of medigel.

"Nihlus, please don't tell anyone I got taken out by an Exile," the turian coughed raggedly and struggled with a laugh.

"Don't worry sir, in my report I will tell them that it was a Quarian."

"Sir," Alenko said to the wounded Turian as he scanned him with his Omni-tool. "You've been struck with a radiated round. If I don't extract it, the poisoning will kill you."

"Of course it is," the Turian said as he looked up and shook his head. "Saren, you're losing your touch."

"Saren? That's your name? Well Saren, there is no way to make the pain easier. This is going to hurt. Like hell." Kaiden said as he took out a pair of forceps, his armored gauntlets having since been replaced with a pair of surgical gloves, a squishing sound could be heard as they entered the wound and yet the Turian just thumped his head on the ground, being his only acknowledgement of pain.

"Human," he gritted out. "They moved the beacon to the far platform," Saren hissed in pain. "You need to secure it before the enemy takes it off world."

Alaya looked to the wounded Saren and then with who she had with her.

"Nihlus, I need you to provide security. Group Sergeant Soban and I will secure the beacon and radio the Normandy." The situation was not ideal, using a two man team to assault a prepared enemy position was extremely risky but she also knew that whatever Kaiden was doing, she knew that look on his face and it was highly dangerous and might kill Saren with the smallest mishap so someone needed to cover him while he worked, which meant they needed an operator who was used to solo operations. She also knew that the wounded Turian might be more at ease if one of his own was watching over them.

Without saying anything more, Ashley and Alaya pressed forward towards the beacon, taking down more geth as they reached the cargo train and activated it to take them towards the second platform.

"My Kiith Sa is going to be furious," Ashley finally spoke up.

"Oh?" Alaya said as she glanced over at Ashley.

"Saren Aretrius attempted to steal Hiigaran hyperspace technology during a diplomatic mission, he wounded several security officers during his escape. They were Sobani officers."

"Did you know them?"

"I was one of them," the response made Alaya sick to her stomach. "The standing order is that he is to be brought in if encountered."

"Why didn't you?" Alaya almost didn't want to hear the answer.

"This is still Alliance space. We go around arresting Council operatives in Alliance space, the Citadel Council will see you as nothing but our puppets."

"That explains it," Alaya said as she wondered how Saren knew that she had a Hiigaran mother and was reminded that Ashley wore Sobani armor and it all made much more sense. She shook her head at being so self-absorbed. Of course Ashley would be referred to as an Exile.

"Let's wrap this off so I can link up with my people," Ashley said as they neared the other side where more flashlights could be seen.

"Now that's just rude," the two of them approached the beacon and a large device that was rigged up beside it.

"Not to mention overkill. A tactical nuke?" Alaya replied to Ashley's comment, the Sobani warrior already kneeling beside the bomb, but she simply punched in a code and it disarmed.

"Bad guy rule number one," Ashley looked back at Alaya with a smile. "You going to blow up someone's colony, maybe using their own nukes is not the best plan. Especially when you don't lock out their command codes." Alaya didn't respond as she was looking at the beacon that was starting to glow.

"Ash, maybe you want to take a step back from the beacon," Alaya said and before she could react the warrior was lifted into the air.

Alaya didn't think, she just reacted as she ran towards Ashley and grabbed her by the waist throwing her clear as images began to flash through her mind, images that she couldn't understand and voices that were speaking in a language she couldn't understand. It didn't last long before everything went black.