Mass Effect Betrayal Act 1- Shepards Revenge

Chapter 18

Two hours later aboard the warship Enterprise:

Shepard is at her locker on the Enterprise, prepping herself for the upcoming assault on a Quarian Orbital Platform. Phoenix has been gathering intelligence on the mercs who took the platform. It was quickly deduced that they may be mercs, but they are following Alliance orders. Shepard reviewed a few minutes of video from inside the platform. The mercs killed the Quarian marines and captured the platform personnel. Shepard can still hear some fighting. She figures it is the Geth troopers stationed on the platform. The merc detachment is very large so she has to play it smart. Luckily, the Normandy is not here yet, but they can't just sit around and wait. Shepard grabs her SCAR Variant Rifle and her enclosed helmet, and makes her way to the shuttle. Her team is sitting next to their shuttle. Karin is sitting on a crate overlooking her own SCAR. Next to Karin, Gibson is going over his tech gear, making sure it is in working order. Aubrey is finishing cleaning up her rifles. Sara is sharpening her prized combat blades. As she gets to the shuttle, she sees Tali walking toward her with five Geth troopers in tow.

"Ready, Tali?" Shepard asks as she walks onto the shuttle.

"Yes...I will be in the second shuttle. You will lead your team on the main concourse and head to the control room. While I and my men will head to and take engineering," Tali states. Shepard remembers a time when this particular Quarian would never call the Geth hers in a leadership role. Shepard sees and acknowledges three other Quarian marines walking quickly to their admiral's shuttle.

"Solid copy, Admiral. Good luck, I will see you in the command center," Shepard says as her own team enters their own shuttle. Once inside and the doors shut, she starts her briefing. Tali may have provided the broader objectives, but Shepard is going over the specific details of what needs to be done. The Conclave and the Geth have all agreed that the mercs are to be killed and only those in charge are to be taken alive. Phoenix has agreed to this. Knowing this could lead to something grander, Phoenix has decided to broadcast the Phoenix assault live. All members of the Phoenix assault team will have helmet cameras. Shepard grabs a magazine from her pouch and slips it into the magazine well.

"Sixty seconds!" screams the Phoenix pilot. Shepard turns to her team.

"Jack, Aub, head left and take the main security room. Sara, Karin, with me. We will take the command center. Once we take the center, we will have to hold," Shepard orders as the light in the shuttle turns red. Shepard puts on her helmet and turns on the camera, and the rest of the team does the same. Shepard pulls back the bolt, loading a thermal clip as the shuttle light turns green. A few moments later, the side door opens and slugs start to slam inside the shuttle and all around them. The shuttle hovers just above the ground. Shepard and her team jump off the ledge and land behind some crates.

Shepard crouches behind the crates as the mercs continue to fire at her and her team. Shepard starts to hear the crack of a Widow Sniper Rifle. Shepard sees many enemy mercs hit the ground as Widow shot after shot cracks loudly all around them. After a few moments, Shepard sees the mercs start to target Aubree. Shepard does not waste this opportunity. Shepard raises her rifle and starts to fire at the mercs who are now shooting at her sniper. Karin, along with Shepard, moves forward slowly as they press on their advance. Shepard sees the mercs pull back. Shepard's bolt latches open, as her last clip in her magazine flies out. She quickly reloads another magazine. The mercs pull back and move out of the hangar. Shepard and Karin stack up against the hangar personnel door. As Gibson and Sarah stack up on the other side, Aubree quickly stacks up next to Gibson. Shepard has Gibson open the door with his padd as the mercs locked the door from the other side.

"Anything?" Shepard asks as he detaches his padd from the door.

"Yeah... Main Security is heavily defended. The main command center is not as heavily defended."