Book 3, Chapter 14 - Sacrifice
*****
"Sure you don't want to come, Grunt?"
"I'm sure, Shepard. I'll leave Cerberus for your team. Give me a call if the Reapers make an appearance."
"Fair enough. Once we sort this issue out, depending on the progress of the cure, we might make a detour to the Citadel to restock. We'll probably have to considering what you're all eating."
Grunt snorted. "What can I say? Aralakh Company has healthy appetites."
"I'd call you all gluttons, but then again, you're krogan, so it's different."
The rest of my team was waiting for me in the shuttle bay. As always, I was taking my entire team. EDI might prove of great benefit as she would surely be able to hack into any Cerberus networks. The rest of us would be happy to kill anyone wearing that symbol, particularly Miranda. I was left thinking she now hated them more than me.
During our approach, we linked up with Victus and his shuttles. They were taking heavy fire, so needed to set down a ways back from the bomb site. So did we in the end, but before we touched down, we learned the whole truth about the bomb and why Victus had been so determined to recapture it from Cerberus.
It had been planted by the turian centuries before, just after the Krogan Rebellions. In the event of another outbreak of violence, the turians intended to detonate the bomb and likely wipe out millions of krogan warriors. The power of the bomb wasn't quite an extinction level event on a global scale, but it would have neutered krogan strength to the point where they would likely have been even weaker than they were with the genophage.
We also knew what detonation meant. Any sort of alliance, between the krogan and turians, between the turians and humans, even between the krogan and humans, would end. In fact, the krogan would lose any inhibitions in attacking both of us. They'd find a way to wage war against us.
Just before setting down, we cut the link to Victus as Garrus stood next to me by the door. "Think Wrex knows about this?"
"Definitely."
"How will he react?"
"I'll calm him down. He'll try and give me some bullshit, I'll tell him he's telling me bullshit, he'll glare, I'll glare, then we'll laugh. He won't trust Victus, but as long as your people can work together, that's all that matters."
"Hmmm. Don't think that's ever happened. Bitterness and hatred runs deep on both sides. Still think they hate salarians more though."
Victus and his troops would be flanking Cerberus, as their objective was the bomb itself. Our job was the draw Cerberus forces away from the bomb, hopefully make their life easier. As the shuttle started to descend, the two shuttle doors were opened, Vega and I taking position at fixed machine guns. "Okay, Cortez. Loop the fucking loop!"
Though we tore Cerberus troops to shreds, more than one missile came far too close for comfort. We circled a couple of times before I ordered Cortez to set us down and we'd take the rest out on foot. While not exactly surrounded by Cerberus as we landed, there was no waiting around for them to start focusing their fire on the shuttle. First off as always, I ordered everyone to move into cover, before telling Cortez to get away and wait for further orders.
"Those buildings," I pointed, "We'll have to make our way through them. We'll split up for once, see if we can split their forces further." I paused and assessed further. "Fuck that, no. We'll stay together. If one of our teams gets trapped, we're fucked. So usual rules of engagement."
"Prisoners?" Miranda asked.
"Not today."
"Good. Didn't feel like talking to anyone in that symbol anyway."
The path towards the bomb wasn't straightforward. When is it ever? And Cerberus had been there long enough that they were dug in, and had defences set up the entire way that meant we had to battle for every inch we took. Victus kept in touch, letting us know their progress. There were grumbles that they were making better gains than our own, but as long as they got to the bomb and defused it, that was the only thing that mattered to me.
Whether Cerberus figured out what we were doing, I don't know. But we killed them by the number. It was one of the few times I could remember that I relied solely on my assault rifle, working in tandem with Vega and Javik. Miranda and Liara mixed up their biotics, EDI was the master of tech attacks as always.
Weaving our way through collapsed buildings, it was obvious Cerberus was trying to lure us into more than one trap. EDI was able to give us warning most of the time, but my keen eye picked out more than one, while Javik had enough experience that he simply knew we were being led down a false path more than once. Cerberus tried flanking, pincer movements, and simply blowing us up. None of it worked. Delayed us, sure, but while shields failed and armour was scuffed, they didn't injure any of us. Remarkable, if I was being completely honest.
"Victus, report?"
"Light opposition, Shepard. We're trying to get to the bomb as silently as possible."
"Works for me. Heavy opposition and more seem to be heading our way. We'll keep it loud, keep them off your backs. Report in when you make it to the bomb."
"ETA to the bomb; ten minutes."
"Copy that. Shepard out."
We were now pushing Cerberus back towards the bomb. Rather than die needlessly, many were choosing to retreat, firing and moving as they did. Engineers were covering them, putting down numerous turrets than EDI could hack but they'd been learning, and many seemed to be booby-trapped. As soon as she hacked, the turret blew up.
Shuttles appeared from above. So many shuttles, it suggested a Cerberus fleet must have been in orbit around Tuchanka, and is suggested one hell of a force must have been present on the planet. But why would they be bugging out already? Surely they could have taken on our two forces.
"Shepard, if they're leaving..." Miranda started to say.
"Then they must be confident the bomb is ready to blow," Garrus finished for her.
"Double time, people. Move it! Move it!"
Self-preservation and moving carefully went out the window. Now we mowed them down and let our shields and armour deal with whatever damage was sent out way. Liara, Miranda and Javik all went down, the former with simply depleted shields, Miranda and Javik both taking minor wounds, nothing a dose of medi-gel couldn't fix.
EDI reported in we were approaching the crater where the bomb was located. As we reached the edge, we noticed shuttles descended to evacuate remaining Cerberus forces. We opened fire immediately, delighted that more than one shuttle was blown out of the sky with nothing more than rifle fire and the occasional biotic bust. I figured Liara would have been strong enough to practically hurl a shuttle into a nearby building, but our focus was the bomb. We'd killed plenty of Cerberus soldiers already.
Linking with Victus again, we descended into the crater towards a centre of operations once operated by Cerberus but now under our control. Victus explained what needed to be done as EDI gave us bad news.
"We've got incoming, Shepard. I don't think Cerberus has given up just yet."
"Victus, your team concentrates on defusing the bomb. We'll watch your back." As he disappeared with his men, I look upon my team. "Cerberus do not gain a foothold and do not gain a single metre. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," my team replied in unison.
"Take defensive positions. No-one wearing that symbol will remain on this planet alive come the end of this."
Liara and Miranda stayed back. They would provide shields if necessary and pretty much bomb them with biotics. Vega, Javik and I were at the front, assault rifles at distance, shotguns at close range. Garrus found elevation and would do his usual thing. EDI was busy as always, attacking, defending, hacking, reporting progress.
Cerberus threw everything at us, including the proverbial kitchen sink. At first, the shuttles were unloading their troops close to our positions. Barely any of their soldiers hit the ground, at least not on their feet, as we shot them as they descended. Most of them hit the ground already dead.
After half a dozen shuttles, they seemed to realise we'd dug in so set down further away, some soldiers still descending by tethers, others stepping out of shuttles that landed. They tried flanking, spread out wide, but there wasn't enough room for that tactic to be effective. And they simply didn't have the numbers for it to work to their advantage.
"EDI?" I asked.
"He's still working, Shepard. It's not easy. Cerberus has messed with it, as expected." She paused and gestured up. "We have incoming, Shepard."
A fucking Atlas. I was tired of them already, though part of the reason was I didn't have one of my own to use. But we'd figured out how to deal with them, so while they could be deadly if they gained a foothold, once EDI had the shields down, we just focused fire on the canopy. We had to duck down more than once, as machine gun fire raked our positions, almost wanting to kiss the concrete barrier in thanks. Garrus eventually got the killing shot, the bullet going straight through the forehead of the Atlas pilot.
"Shepard!" Garrus called. I turned towards the turian where he pointed to the bomb. High above us, we could see Victus doing... something. I couldn't be sure, but EDI confirmed it was the only way to defuse the bomb due to Cerberus tampering and interference.
"Can he get away?" I asked. She shook her head and I wasn't the only one to visibly deflate. "Damn it."
Two words I'll use to describe Lieutenant Tarquin Victus. Fucking hero. Three more words. Big brass balls. He had climbed knowing he was going to his death. He hadn't hesitated for a second. And when the krogan found out about the bomb, I knew they were going to freak. Wrex would not doubt make threats. I'd make sure he knew the sacrifices made by the turians to make it right.
None of us looked away as the bomb was defused and the young Victus dropped to his death.
"Cortez, we need a pick up. The bomb has been defused," I said.
The remaining troops of the Ninth Platoon returned, aware their commander had sacrificed his life. There were handshakes before their shuttle arrived first. They would return to their fleet for R&R. And they assured the losses sustained, including that of their commander, would be honoured for the rest of time.
In the shuttle on our return to the Normandy, the mood was sombre, most of us sitting with our thoughts in silence. The mission had been a success. Another bloody nose given to Cerberus. Still no idea as to the true intention, but in the end, it didn't really matter. The bomb was no longer a problem, the krogan would be safe, and turian prestige had increased.
