"Detection task force signal." The Normandy was flying low along the valley, a strange and beautiful area. A large number of unexpected islands are scattered in the middle of the light green ocean. The water between the islands is shallow and clear, and the water depth can only reach a person's knees. It looks more like a valley submerged by sea water.
"We seem to be in trouble... Look at those defense towers, we can't land directly." The pilot joker said. When the spacecraft approached the task force's signal source, the lidar detected dense defenses ahead. Almost on the top of every "island", there are geth anti-aircraft turrets standing in twos and threes, with fire lines crisscrossing like a net! This kind of defense tower is composed of the Geth "Colossus" tank converted into air defense mode, indicating that there will be a large number of Geths ahead...Joker is trying hard to let the Normandy avoid these turrets.
"We need to airdrop the gray tip shark. We need to catch up with the task force first and then confirm the next plan." After thinking about it for a while, Shepard decided to proceed according to the original plan.
"Okay, I will land you in the blind spot of the radar..." joker said.
When the Grayfin Shark Tank carrying Shepard and three others was hoisted to the airdrop area. Sister Xue, who was standing on the roof of the car, looked back at the boarding deck. Unfortunately, she could not find Annie... Shepard jumped into the car with some boredom, closed and locked the alloy door of the cabin.
The tank, which was full of six people, only held three people. The trunk of the vehicle was filled with a large number of reconnaissance robots, supplies for rescue, and communication equipment. The space in the car is packed to the brim.
"Ready?" "Finished!" "Start the countdown!" All the lighting in the car was turned off, and only the fluorescence of the virtual image of the driver's seat could vaguely distinguish three fully armed people in the car. Personnel wearing helmets. Shepard noticed that the person in the driver's seat communicating with Joker was Caiden, whereas in the past it had usually been Ashley. Today Ashley was wearing her red and white armor, holding a gun and sitting silently in the passenger seat, seeming a little dull.
Before Shepard could think too much, a warning came from Kaiden's side, "Stick your body. Prepare for impact!"
The body felt weightless as it was fixed in the seat, and the tank left the Normandy. This is an ultra-low altitude airdrop. The gray tip shark looked more like it had been smashed down. Just three seconds later, the car body vibrated heavily, and then began to sink slowly.
"We fell into the water!" Caiden said loudly, turning on the monitor outside the car. The external equipment clearly saw the Graytip Shark Tank plunge into the beach on the seabed, stirring up a large amount of turbid sewage. After taking a look at the radar, Kayden started the tank and drove up the shallow seabed. "Let's temporarily embark on a wonderful underwater journey... we will land in five minutes."
Obviously, Caiden was trying to tell a joke to make everyone relax, but Shepard felt inexplicably anxious, and Ashley turned her head directly out the window. Sister Xue realized that she could not continue like this. She could only try to calm down her emotions, and then focus on the current task.
What follows is a boring skirmish. Reconnaissance - shooting, this continuous cycle, the combat intensity is quite limited. They encountered four waves of geth. It was a combat team composed of about 6 geths of different types. In the middle, they also solved a defense tower and occupied a tidal power station...
With the cooperation of detection robots and combat vehicles, the Shepard team's assault was very smooth. They were like sharp pineapple knives, sharply peeling off a layer of peel on the geth's defense system until they and Te The detachments meet up.
Because there was originally a disabled Salarian infiltration task force hidden in this radar blind spot. They also attack from all sides from time to time. This caused the geth to mistake Shepard's raid for the same team. Therefore, it did not attract more attention from the geth...
*****
As a strange and reserved race, Lu Yuan didn't know the Salarians as well as the Asari and Turians. Because they have neither many heavy warships nor a large army.
The military thinking of the Salarians is to "strike first" and "conquer the enemy without fighting." They eliminate small, elite units, infiltrate high-risk areas, gather intelligence and prepare for special operations. In their thinking, using a bullet to end a dictator's life to prevent a war is a successful military measure.
The release of the "phage gene" virus against the Krogan people completely demilitarized the entire Krogan race and eliminated the threat the Krogan people posed to the entire galaxy. This is a very successful operation in the social culture of the Salarians... When they need to boost the morale of their soldiers, they often use this as an example... This is why the krogan hate them so much!
When Shepard took "Ashley" and Kayden to meet with the Salarian Task Force, they found that what they saw was different from what they had expected - in Shepard's mind, This disabled Salarian task force should be suffering from heavy casualties, low morale, lack of supplies, and in urgent need of rescue...
However, the actual situation is very different from what was imagined! The Salarian Task Force did suffer heavy casualties, but their morale was not low at all. Even though the team was half disabled, under the command of the captain, they were still attacking in all directions in an orderly manner, looking for weaknesses in the geth defense circle and actively planning to destroy Saren's base. When Shepard handed them the supplies carried on the tank and told the task force that the Normandy was the only reinforcement, the Salarian captain didn't seem surprised.
Perhaps for the Salarians, they have recognized two realities from the beginning: First, this is the Realm Star Domain, so there is no possibility of large-scale reinforcements; second, Saren's base has broken through the "Phage Phage" Gene" restriction, able to reproduce krogan on a large scale. This has violated the taboo of the Salarians, so this base must be destroyed at all costs!
The whole contingent from the beginning. They completely ignored the consequences of "all killed in battle".
"You have a stealth ship?! That's the best thing I've ever heard! We were carrying a nuke that could destroy that base, but the vehicle was destroyed by the turret, and now you've made up for it. This Great...it shows that our plan can be implemented smoothly..." Shepard was helpless. Because that's what it sounds like Captain Salarian is really interested in.
"Nuclear bombs cannot be dropped directly from the spacecraft." He opened the electronic version and showed Shepard the full picture of the Saren base that the task force had detected through continuous attacks over the past period of time. "Only by manually placing it in this position can the entire base be completely destroyed! Therefore, I will lead the task force to attack from the front first. Attract the geth's attention and destroy the anti-aircraft turrets in this area. When we attract the enemy's attention After the force is released, you sneak in from the back. Open the dome of the base...and then the Normandy breaks in from this side and transports nuclear bombs into the base. This is our entire plan!"
"This is a good plan, but once your people attack from the front, there will definitely be heavy casualties..."
"We are much stronger than we look, Commander." Captain Salarian said firmly. "You are right, but we never expected from the beginning that many people would survive to complete the mission."
"Sorry, is there anything I can do for you?" Shepard said apologetically and admiringly.
"I need one of your people to act with us. He needs to be familiar with the communication rules of the Star Alliance to coordinate the actions of both of us... Of course, this is very dangerous!"
"I can, Commander!" After hearing Captain Salarian's request, Kaiden said first. But "Ashley" straightened her gun. Then he walked over and stood behind the captain. Although she didn't say a word, her attitude was quite firm!
"Okay..." Tasks on both sides. Whether it's to attract the geth's attention head-on, or to sneak into the base in a roundabout way, it looks dangerous! Shepard looked at Ashley who was already standing opposite, hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded, "Lieutenant Ashley Williams will act with you."
She ultimately chose Ashley because Ashley was an elite warrior. But Caiden is more than just a warrior, he's a technician. Taking into account the need to install nuclear bombs next. There was definitely a need for a team member who could solve technical problems at any time, so Shepard chose to keep Kaiden.
…
"Take care, Ashley!" Shepard and "Ashley" said solemnly when bidding farewell. Shepard could feel "Ashley's" gaze passing through the opaque visor, staring deeply at her, but in the end she said nothing...
*****
"Ashley? Why are you here!" After Shepard sneaked into the base with Kaiden, opened the dome, and guided the Normandy to land. She was surprised to see that it was Ashley pushing the nuclear bomb down the boarding deck! Suddenly, I didn't know what to say.
"It was the vice-captain who informed me that the mission was cancelled, and she ordered me not to leave the dormitory before 3 o'clock, Captain." Ashley answered quickly.
"Damn it!" Shepard roared angrily, and she waved her hands vigorously at the others, "Deploy the defense line immediately and install nuclear bombs!" Then Shepard retreated to a corner and angrily opened the door with Sera. Rui's communication channel.
"Ashley! Answer me~Ashley!" Sister Xue shouted loudly.
"This is Ashley... we are... holding on to the air defense tower... the casualties... are huge..." The communication situation didn't seem to be very good. The intermittent voice of "Ashley" came from the earphones, as well as fierce retorts. Voice.
"Fuck! Annie! Ashley is right in front of me, how long do you want to continue to deceive me?!" Shepard shouted into the microphone. There was silence on the other side, and after a few seconds, she heard the voice of the communication suddenly become steady. "This is Annie, may I have any instructions? ...Captain."
After Annie finished speaking, both ends of the communication suddenly fell into silence. In the headphones, in addition to the fierce shooting sounds, even each other's breathing can be clearly heard...
As a cutting-edge battlefield communication equipment, the communication quality is originally very good. The intermittent sound of the communication was originally a noise deliberately set up by Anne because she was afraid that Sister Xue would discover that she was using a "foley device" to produce Ashley's voice.
"...report the situation, how are you doing there?" Shepard finally asked in a business-like tone. She will falsely convey orders, disobey orders, etc. They all ignored it for the time being.
"I'm sorry," Shepard heard Annie's voice say calmly, and his heart trembled violently. "There are too many geth. My team is trapped on the anti-aircraft tower and may not be able to reach the retreat point, Shepard."
"No! I...I order you! It's not allowed!...Joker, think of a way to deal with her!"
"I can't do it! Captain! The anti-aircraft firepower is too fierce!" Joker, the pilot of the Normandy, said immediately. The air defense tower that Annie's team was paralyzed could allow the Normandy to sneak in smoothly. But if you want to go to the anti-aircraft tower to pick up Annie, the spacecraft needs to cross more anti-aircraft turrets, which is simply impossible!
"It will take a few minutes to install the nuclear bomb...wait for me! Annie. I'll pick you up!" Shepard glanced at Caiden and Ashley who were installing the nuclear bomb. He said through gritted teeth. At this time, she had really started to feel bad... She was constantly sweating. Terrible thoughts came to her mind, making her eager to see Anne.
"Don't... come here! Stay... over there..." Anne's voice in the communication channel became intermittent again!
"Damn it!" Shepard raised his head and clearly saw several more geth troopships in the distance. Land towards the air defense tower. Because only when a warship approaches, the static electricity on the surface of the ship can so strongly affect the short-range communication effect.
"Wait for me..." Shepard whispered, whether Anne heard it or not. She took out the electronic version and quickly searched for the path to the air defense tower from here. However... just as she was anxiously looking through the floor plan of the base, a huge vibrating engine sound suddenly appeared from above her head! Shepard raised his head in surprise, and immediately saw two geth troop carriers landing here!
The geth attacked both sides at the same time!
With the sound of "clang" metal hitting, it was less than fifty meters away from the ground. The covers on both sides of the troop carrier were opened, and the geth infantry jumped down from the battleship in the sky in rows! A large number of geth charged in the direction of the nuclear bomb, and it was obvious that Saren also realized the problem.
"Commander. We are under attack!" Joker shouted loudly, and the landing Normandy stretched out its machine gun and joined the defensive line. Almost everyone on the ship picked up their rifles and started shooting at the geth on the boarding deck, behind the culture tank equipment... In an instant, a large amount of steam smoke generated during the exchange of fire blocked the narrow dome! And the Geth infantry were pouring out of the thick fog one after another, seemingly endlessly...
"Shepard!" The troop transport ship evacuated as the airdrop was completed. Anne's voice finally regained its clarity. However, the firefight on her side sounded more intensive and intense. "...Leave me alone. Do what you should do! After setting the nuclear bomb, retreat immediately!"
"No~" Shepard resisted weakly.
"Captain, take Kaiden to pick up Annie!" At this time, Ashley's voice inserted into the channel. "Let joker drive away in the boat. The nuclear bomb has been placed. I will stay to protect the nuclear bomb..."
Everyone knew what Ashley meant, she wanted to stay and buy time for everyone! After Shepard reaches Annie and retreats, he then manually detonates the nuclear bomb to blow up the base...
"No!" Annie decisively rejected Ashley's suggestion on the channel without waiting for anyone to speak. "No more sacrifices are needed!" Finally, she said to Shepard, "...Shepard, my...friend...you know me!"
There was no doubt about the firmness in Anne's words.
"I know..." As tears flowed from his eyes, Shepard tapped his helmet, turning the visor into an opaque color.
"Set the nuclear bomb to detonate in five minutes! Everyone return to the Normandy...we retreat!" She ordered loudly. When Ashley Williams and Caiden still wanted to refute, they found out helplessly that Shepard had actually closed the team channel and kicked everyone out except Annie...
They knew that Shepard must want to say something to Annie at the last moment... In desperation, Ashley could only set up the nuclear bomb to explode, and together with Caiden, they withdrew the Normandy while shooting. .
"Annie." Shepard said softly in the channel.
"I'm here." Annie fought back, leaning against the shelter of the air defense tower alone. Inside the tower, all the other Salarians in the same team were killed.
"I love you, Annie, I love you!"
——————
ps: Let’s move on, big chapter. (To be continued)
