Mass Effect: Another Time, Another Place

Chapter 36: Ilos: Persona Non Grata

Summary:

The crew get to Ilos, getting past some landing complications, they arrive on the planet. They coordinate to wipe the Geth from the planet, and quickly move to apprehend Saren... They quickly make their way into the bunker, and have an interesting encounter. They move to try and catch Saren before he can complete his plan and must follow him through the Conduit...

Chapter 36:

I sighed then and went on the intercom. "All squad, assemble in the Armoury. Get your gear squared away and be ready to go, ASAP. Liara, Tali, Alenko, Shepard, gear up and to the bridge." I gave orders over the intercom, since I had the deck currently. I then turned to Tali and pressed my head against her visor... Everyone quickly made their way down and we all got kitted up. Shepard, Alenko, Liara, Tali and myself headed to the bridge...

We got to the bridge as we were on our approach vector to the Mu Relay... We went through and made our way to Ilos... As we did, Joker spoke up. "Uh, Commanders, we've got company..." Joker warned us.

Liara then spoke up. "Have their sensors picked us up yet?" she asked.

Joker shook his head to her. "Stealth systems are engaged. Unless we get close enough for a visual, they won't have any idea we're here." he stated simply.

Pressly was on the navigation and sensor console and spoke up. "Picking up some strange readings from the planet's surface..." he informed us.

I nodded to him. "SIA, put in my HUD." I requested.

She answered immediately. "Right away, Commander." she said and I saw what Pressly was seeing...

I knew what it was. "It's Geth, a large concentration of them around a certain area. Colossi, Armatures, shock troopers... There's a lot of them." I warned the team.

Shepard nodded to me then. "Take us down, Joker. Lock in on the coordinates." he ordered.

Pressly turned to us and shook his head. "Negative on that, Commanders. The nearest landing zone is two klicks away." he informed us.

I scoffed. "Bollocks, there's always somewhere closer. Just have to find it." I stated in response.

Kaiden nodded at that. "He's right, there's not enough time. We need something closer!" he exclaimed to Pressly.

Pressly shot right back. "There is nowhere closer! I've looked!" he retaliated, going back to the console as I sorted through the data.

Shepard made a decision then. "Drop us in the Mako." he suggested.

Pressly turned back to us and shook his head. "You need at least a hundred metres of open terrain to pull off a drop like that. The most I can find near Saren is twenty." he stated the figures to us.

Kaiden's eyes widened at that and he shook his head. "Twenty metres?! No way we can make a drop in there." he denied.

Liara turned to Kaiden then. "We have to try!" she exclaimed.

Kaiden turned back to Pressly in response. "Find us another landing zone!" he demanded.

Pressly shook his head violently. "There is no other landing zone!" he yelled back.

Tali then shook her head. "The descent angle's too steep." she stated in support of Pressly.

I scoffed at that. "Says who? Safety testers? No, bugger that, I've once shot myself at an enemy helicopter using a fucking human slingshot. Safety schmafety, I say we do it." I stated, folding my arms.

Kaiden shook his head. "It's a suicide run! We don't-" he began before Joker cut him off.

"I can do it." he stated coolly.