Darcy's Starry Sky

by Theodore Daniels

  haskotserbov attack began immediately. Shepard had the impression that each new trip-level protection of sabotage device makes haskotserbov throwing into battle new fresh division - as servants of three-headed dog did not want to lose this device. Captain remembered that according to intelligence reports there could be many such devices, so that's such attack will pursue all otryadovtsev in all sectors of the territory of the Communication Center.

  And he was right. When Saren and his partner managed to turn off the last layer of protection and access to the control console, completely brutalized tserberovtsy: the attack on Shepard's group were thrown Avengers, phantoms, engineers and centurions. On foot and rocket men, and can not speak - they were ten. And they all climbed on the snout, where it was diversionary device. Leslie, to prevent the possibility to deactivate this miracle hostile technology.

  -They've got hot. - Said Svetlana, -zastaviv themselves distracted from the contemplation of the screen, transmit video information about what is happening on Ontarome.

  -Yes. - Agreed Titov, giving another batch of orders. - But at least, at tserbov now just will not be reinforcements from orbit. We have destroyed three backup landingtransport and one tried to cover the field of stealth cruiser, who was lying in wait. A Anderson at any time withdraw a frigate to the point at which it will be possible to carry out effective shelling of any part of the territory of the Communications Center. Now, it is exactly in its place, and under his command the frigate reliably cover up landing party.

  -No doubt, Glory. - Nodded Streltsov. She has already got used to the fact that Titov commanded the cruiser to the full, and she ... she can safely be given to the care of children, and to help their expectation volgovtsami rest otryadovtsam everything they can. - No doubt. - She said, stressing again look at the screen, upload video to Ontaroma. She was scared. Scared to let John go, even the most rigorous way ordering its best commandoes to protect him from any and all troubles. In them, his people, she was sure. But also she was fully convinced that Shepard will not hide behind them. There will be no sitting on the rear positions, will not back down. And because Svetlana was terrible. It is terrible to lose John there on Ontarome when the servants three-headed dog probably already know that he, too, is involved in the confrontation.

  Saren and his partner otryadovtsy covered very carefully, do not forget to monitor the behavior and XO, limiting the maximum the possibility of a risk.

  - Nearly all the groups who came to conduct battles with haskotserbami, captain of the locations of the diversionary devices. - In a low voice, using coded communication channel outputted directly to the PHONES Speaker, reported Sgt XO-paratrooper.

  - Orbit? - Said the first mate.

  - To achieve the last few amphibious transports. We can assume that reinforcements from haskotserby orbit now just do not get - wiped out in reserve and ambush ships with all their inhabitants. - Consulting the instrumentronom and making several accurate shots on successful approaches the site haskotserbam, said Marine. - After a few tens of minutes - or rather can not - can be expected to approach our first amphibious transports, with a contingent of forces of protection and defense. I'll have to clean up their sites for the landing technique. Landing - we, not they.

  - Good. - Shepard nodded, changed the cover and leaned for a moment, assessing the situation.

  - Sabotage device is deactivated. - I heard a report to the Speaker PHONES Saren. - I expect a wave of attacks, Captain.

  - Go! - Observer reported, stingy gesturing direction. - On the sunny side! And they - a lot!

  - All - in the shelter. Do not stick your neck out! Snipers - into work. The rest - to fire in support of the snipers. Do not let the enemies close! - In a low voice, trying to keep calm, she ordered the captain, counting on the heads of the advancing haskotserbov. - Too much of them.

  Enemies really had a lot of - this time a few hundred. And they immediately opened fire, trying to suppress the firing points, hastily erected otryadovtsami. Lowering the filters on the visor, and normandovtsy volgovtsy fired back, yet without showing the entire defensive firepower to haskotserby did not have the full picture. The battle with the attacking tserberovtsami lasted more than an hour - "Cerberus" gave the group to get to diversionary devices, almost all of the survivors of the Avengers.

  - Captain, is the radius of the second subversive device. - I heard in the speaker's voice Saren. - We're moving.

  - Accepted. Cover. Forward. - Abruptly ordered the XO, sitting up on his elbows and getting to his feet. - Move, move.

  Moving to the second location in their area of responsibility subversive apparatus, Shepard took instrumentron on and immediately view information about the situation in other parts of the territory of the Communications Center. While everything was going according to plan.

  Gesture allowing Saren and his partner to do the second burglary sabotage devices, Shepard has given fire sector between otryadovtsami, checked the integrity of the defense system, and barely had time to jump over the armor plates as haskotserby launched an attack.

  - And here them a bit too much. - Through his teeth, he said one of the troopers, sparse short bursts causing haskotserbov repeatedly fall back on otryadovtsev position, leaving slabs platforms and staircases transitions corpses associates ..

  - Protect the device. Jobs such. - Shepard reloaded his rifle, changed and added shelter. - Do not worry, this is the second device in our sector. I hope that no more such devices is not here. - Shepard did not aloud to clarify that internal thinks completely different - it is already expected that suddenly show up at least some of the same devices. Up to a certain point to remain silent and remains in an off state.

  - Confirm. - I heard a voice specialist EW, who has taken refuge in a nearby technical kuboobraznom beam. - More in our area do not have such devices. Active. - Said the expert. Shepard frowned - then not only he, the commander of the group, a nasty feeling that not all "little presents" destroyed.

  - Well, no. - Shepard learned about on instrumentrona bstanovku screen within the inner perimeter of the Center for Communication, gave a few orders, while continuing to destroy the fire with an assault rifle coming haskotserbov. - Active guys. Even more.

  - Polumashiny, what to take with them. - Hissed lying near Marine-volgovets.

  - And it's true. - The captain said at the opening of the final signal instrumentrone sabotage protection device. - All - recharge and check weapons. Now haskotserby will attack again with all available forces!

  Warning exec was timely - fight with haskotserbami who sought to take a group of Shepard in a tight encirclement, was delayed for several hours. A break in the shelling was virtually no on both sides.

  - Do not want us to deactivate and this device. - Marine muttered, sticking itself mobilizer. - To know how many more of these blockheads on the way.

  - Consider it a lot, Sergeant. - Shepard said, reloading his rifle and taking up the sniper rifle. - Clean the centurions, and you keep at gunpoint avengers and phantoms.

  - With pleasure, Captain. - Marine succeeded shelter, close to Number One, located a few steps away.

  Haskotserbov was really a lot. They repeatedly tried to close the encirclement and repeatedly rolled back, short drives away evil precisely accurate bursts. All new and new corpses husks littered the surrounding area space.

  - Captain, found a third device. - Reported by EW specialist, who left them popular among the beams and merged with shooters chain. - I give the coordinates.

  - Accepted. - Shepard glanced at his small screen instrumentrona. - All - take the route, direction and target designation. Let's move!

  Overcoming resistance haskotserbov, sensing that a possible production slips, the band broke Shepard sparse chain servants three-headed dog. According to the data transmitted by EW spices, it turned out that it is the third device, which turned out in an area under the responsibility of a group of XO, it has been activated after a few minutes after the opening of the second protection device. Prior
to that, it does not manifest itself.

  - Sarre, everything. Now I'll do it. - Shepard closer to the device.

  Turian looked around, saw that otryadovtsy already taken a defensive perimeter, nodded:

  - Okay, captain. Good luck.

  - Good luck to all of us. - Shepard said.

  The surrounding area has ceased to exist for the XO. Only he and only device. A few minutes spent on it, to understand it - redundant, connected with the whole network, which permeated the sector area of Communication Center. Not finding his artist Shepard - and all the previous work would be for nothing - Automation of the device, resist fiercely hacking attempts are now being made by Shepard would have brought the device to the operating mode, I would have given a series of commands and almost all of the cup and of the plate to the transmitters were silent. At the time, but would be silent thorough.

  A few more minutes and the first level of protection has fallen. Pointing to himself gain tserberovtsev activity, Shepard tried to regain his former level of concentration - there could be surprises.

  Saren, shooting from the sniper rifle Avengers, phantoms and centurions with rocket troops sideways watched Shepard. The captain worked quietly, steadily, without being distracted by the surroundings and the changes in it. Otryadovtsy fired on brutally attacked positions haskotserbam constantly changing hiding places and do not give the Huskies advancing close to the ring once again. Several attacks several waves of attackers already drowned, been recorded only in the remaining corpses on platforms husks.

  Leaning over the body of the device, Shepard felt something hard on the helmet slid. Some sniper managed to hurt him with a shot from his rifle. It was necessary to change the situation, but can not - had to crack the basic levels of protection. Because Shepard only bent a little lower. During. A second charge of long-range sniper rifle whistled five centimeters above the helmet. At the same time instrumentron reported on the opening of the following two levels of protection devices. Bowed his head even lower, Shepard almost sprawled on the diversionary device - the next shot sniper dalnoboynik can do already on the case. as it is usually the case.

  - Calculate the nugget that sniper! - I ordered Saren. Acute hearing turian easily isolate the sound of sliding charge helmet captain of the cacophony of battle. - Destroy!

  Order Spectrum was carried out a few minutes later. A minute later to instrumentron Saren acted photograph taken by one of volgovtsev - Hasco-avenger. Headless. Rifle otryadovtsy cut with hand - she was so firmly adherent to the body of the haskotserba. Now it will pack and deliver to the frigate. As a trophy.

  Svetlana came to a standstill, as soon as she heard the grinding sound of the charge on the armor helmet. And when she saw that Shepard is alive and continues to work on deactivation device ... I sigh of relief. And then she saw Shepard almost sprawled on a cubic unit, heard Saren gives the order to find and destroy this craftsman. And I was able to calm down only when she saw beheaded Hasco-avenger. She did not have any doubt that in its John shot over and over again it was he - no, nothing stirred in the mind or in the shower, which would argue even for a sensual, but not at the logical level. So, already know haskotserby Ontarome on that part of the landing party comes Shepard. Hence,

  She was not even able to do reprimand John when he returns to the frigate, cruiser. He still has not recovered, and therefore takes excessive care even with her hand as something unacceptable. His grasp ... is possible, but very difficult. Saren ... I did everything wrong. And John, this time, too, did not climb forward, pushing all behind him.

  Continuing to observe what is happening on Ontarome, in a sector occupied by a group of Shepard, Svetlana did not let out of your control happens in other sectors of the command center for Communication. Time after time haskotserby have received orders not to give normandovtsam and volgovtsam gain control over communication centers, advancing to the position of parts of the group Shepard, apparently, already knowing that back into the orbit of the planet they have not come - there is no ship's delivery, no amphibious assault ship, a single cruiser. Therefore, they are measured, without a shadow of doom, you can even say - in a business-attacked positions of the members of Squad, trying to delay the moment when they will perform against an approach to transport workers to the planet warriors protected part of the resistance.

  The battle lasted until the moment when all the group instrumentrony Shepard did not signal the withdrawal of the last level of protection with just discovered sabotage device.

  Disable the protection, the captain began quickly and clearly outlines deactivate trigger levels. One second, third, fourth. Finally everything.

  - Ship-transport workers - on the way, Captain. - Reported to the specialist, the signalman without leaving his hiding place, using a common access channel commander PHONES Speaker. - Tserberovtsy at any moment take the last attack.

  -Accepted. - Barely had time to tell Shepard as haskotserby really risen and, sparing no charge, tried to attack the position of the group.

  Can I be called this attack attack doomed? Perhaps, but the same attack haskotserby taken over the entire space of the territory of the Center for Communication and members of the landing of the "Normandy", supported by paratroopers of "Volga" did everything to this latest attack was the last haskotserbov precisely husks, but not for them.

  - Eight of the wounded captain. Three paratroopers, our five. - Lieutenant Alenko reported. - Lung - four, the average - two heavily - two. Assistance provided, but all but remained heavy in the ranks. Prepare to evacuate.

  A few minutes - and in the rear of the attackers began to burst haskotserbov range charge - it opened fire came on the position on the orbit "Normandie". "Volga" by stripping from the neighborhood Ontaroma cruisers and deliverymen "Cerberus", covered the approach to the planet ships transporting units of security forces.

  - Shuttles Squad - operate approach and evacuation. - I reported to the signalman.

  - Accepted. - Shepard changed positions, without letting out of sight deactivated diversionary device. - Get ready to sail!

  Organized retreat after heavy fighting. shuttle drivers tried to bring the car as close to a convenient site as low as possible to let them drop to the surface of the planet. Shepard Saren allowed to close the flap door saloon only when all the other shuttles have left the perimeter of the Center for Communication and Resistance Forces troops arrived in full scoured the area and took her under protection.

  Turian did not utter Shepard, he realized that the XO is right - you can not make mistakes. Leading the way - even more difficult and dangerous operation on the planet, the only significant value which are the most powerful fuel reactors. If there is something jerk ... jerk And maybe - Resistance to lose an important base. We'll have to change, reshape, cut to the quick set of agreed plans, lose the initiative.

  Climbing into orbit a long time did not take. We returned the ladder normandovtsev met Anderson and Chakwas a nurse and nurses. The wounded were immediately sent on a stretcher in sickbay. Chakwas insisted on a stretcher sat or lay down all the wounded, including the lungs. She did not object - Major medical service, and the head of the sickbay was in his exclusive right.

  - John, come then to me. - Evaluating a penetrating gaze on the figure walking up the exec, Chakwas said. - I know that shooting at you. So ... I expect to itself. On inspection. - She turned to the place around and walked out of the hangar.

  Anderson barely perceptible shrug: say, nothing I can do - here its territory and region authorities. While closing the sash lock hangar until fastened shuttles, Shepard and Anderson Alenko and Jenkins in the cabin commander discussed the results of the conducted operations. One of the many. And, fortunately, ended without unrecoverable losses among the personnel of the detachment.

  Immediately after the meeting of all the officers visited the sickbay, we met with the wounded and spoke with doctors. Now it was two days towards the planet to fuel reactors. Navigating greatly elongated circuitous route.

  Ret
urning after uchinёnnogo Chakwas biased medical examination to his cabin, Shepard sat in the dark for a long time, remembering what happened at Ontarome. Too many wounded. Too much. Chakwas and Michelle, of course, do all that is necessary, but ... if not for the paratroopers of the cruiser, landing party frigate would have been crushed by superior forces on Ontarome haskotserbov. Yes, paratroopers cruiser also is wounded, though, is still more of them among normandovtsev. Once it is there, on this planet to fuel reactors? Now John did not even want to remember her name.

  Two days. For two days it will be necessary to reach a roundabout way to the planet, which became the second paragraph of the plan. And then, if you are very lucky and did not happen something extraordinary, they can return to the Citadel. Do not forget to search the plant fuel reactors. Carefully search. To pick up the documentation for the treatment of chemical burns. Who and how it hid it from where it is? The main thing is that it will help save lives tyazhёloranenyh reasonable.

  H7 - fuel reactors. Preventing capture Reapers planet with large-scale production of fuel for kosmokorabley

  - The situation is that, colleagues. - Conducted in CIC regular meeting Anderson was tense and unusually harsh. - We have been monitoring the situation on this planet, and now, when we arrived in this star system, we lost contact with the surface. In fact, one could argue that we have no connection with one of the most important fuel storage and fuel industries in the area of space. Fleet Systems Alliance and the Resistance fleet operating in the area may soon be deprived of fuel supplies, so we need to strengthen the landing group to organize a visit to this store and restore its performance. It is assumed that the Reapers his assault troops have flooded the approaches to the perimeter of the main industrial plant for production of fuel inserts and now enterprise protection forces holding back new attacks, suffering defeat after defeat. The landing will be concentrated, we will need to carry out dropping in a certain area, to take control of one of the most important areas, then successively expand its presence in the enterprise as a whole. Only when the plant defense forces will be updated, we can return to the Citadel. The return is to be produced three or four days running.