Mass Effect: Objects in Space - Chapter 3...

The continued tale of the crew of the Normandy SR2, as they transpire AFTER the events of Mass Effect 2. For those who haven't played it - SPOILERS will ensure. You have been WARNED!

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He watched the indicator light flashing as the elevator moved between floors, past the crew deck and toward engineering. The hanger was listed at the very bottom, but he didn't like the idea of exiting an elevator right into a fire fight. The balcony overlooking it on the engineering deck would be a much more tactically viable position. Besides, the recent damage done to the windows there during the battle with the collector occulobe would allow him to fire down on the Cerberus boarding party from above, hopefully providing Thane with a crossfire. He just hoped EDI shared his assessment.

The indicator hovered over the number four - the engineering deck - and the elevator began to slow its decent. Clearly EDI did agree with him, trusting him to pick his own strategy rather than choosing his path for him as he had originally asked. It would have been easy for her to override his choice of deck and take the elevator down to the lowest deck.

As the doors began to open, the initial hiss of escaping air as the pressure seals parted was quickly lost to the sound of gunfire, the report of assault rifles mingling with pistol shots and shotgun blasts. The tell tale crack of a sniper weapon assured him that Thane was still alive. Stooping low, he swept from the elevator, checking right then left, his rifle leading. He paused for a second when he spotted the doors to the cargo bay Grunt had made his home had been welded shut. Last he had heard the krogan was sleeping in his tank, but Cerberus were smart not to take any chances.

Even a cursory glance told him that there was no way he'd get that open without cutting tools. Shame, he could have used the big scaly bastard right now. Still, it also told him that despite Thane's resistance, at least some members of Cerberus were loose on the ship. That made Tali'Zorah and the other engineers even more of a priority for defence. He'd have to gauge the situation very carefully, or something could go very wrong, very quickly.

Dropping into cover against the balcony wall, he risked a look over the lip of the window frame, carefully taking in the scene in the shuttle bay whilst using the broken glass still in the frame to help conceal him from the enemies below.

A Cerberus lander had touched down at the far end of the hanger bay, and around two dozen troopers were firing from covering positions, cowering behind machinery and crates of god knows what. Back toward the elevator, Thane and four members of the Normandy crew fired back from behind a stack of crates, with a fifth crewman slumped against their cover holding a nasty gut wound and screaming for a medic. From the looks of things Thane had kept firing discipline in the crew, and they had done damn well to hold off their attackers as long as they had. Still, time was running out for them, unless he did something soon.

Checking his rifle one last time, he selected the disruptor ammunition setting on the side of the gun, and popped up out of cover firing a burst with deadly precision, stripping the kinetic barriers from one of the Cerberus officers. Thane did not miss the opportunity, and put a rifle round through the man's faceplate before the shields had time to recharge. The man went rigid and toppled backwards like a felled tree, his armour clattering as it hit the deck. The corpse began to spasm, and he knew with some satisfaction that the kill had been clean.

That damn Drell was almost scary sometimes...