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Mass Effect: The Helldiver Saga, The Collector War	By : Veyron722skyhook Category: +M through R > Mass Effect Views: 6240 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect or it's characters. They belong to Bioware and EA. No money/profit is made by me from this.

Chapter List
- 29
- 30
- 31
Back at long last and back in style!
First of all, I do apologise that this chapter took so long, but I'm certain it was worth it.
Secondly, I thank every single one of you for being patient with me. These are the sort of fans I like to see.
Right, this chapter should be very significant. It's significant because it's mostly all action. I did say I was trying to improve on that and I think I've done a very good job here. There are a few references I think you'll see in here, in particular I've even made a reference to the upcoming Crysis 3, which I am so looking forward to!
The beginning bit I got the idea to do from Skyfall, and most of the big fights where choreographed from The Avengers, RVB, and also Leena's fighting moves where choreographed from Assassin's Creed 3.

Also like to quickly reply to two guest reviews I recently got (This is the only way I can reply to them)
The first one suggested that I do a separate story that's all codex entries.
While I would like to say I'd be interested in doing that, I will quickly ask if you read the first Helldvier story, because that one has a chapter which does actually elaborate on some of the things you mentioned. Nevertheless, I will keep that in mind. Perhaps maybe when I've finished ME2, I will look into doing the codex as a separate fic.
I do appreciate that you are trying to help. Even I do sometimes forget a few things which can eventually lead to accidental plot holes or annoying changes. So thank you for that, and I am glad at least that you are enjoying the fic.
Thanks for also saying I rock.

Second guest review asked if I'd ever use Shepard and Liara's telepathic link (which was mentioned in ME1)
I can tell you now that you're prayers have been answered in this chapter. This is where they finally discover how to use it.
Also, if you do have any suggestions on how I could develop Shepard and Liara's relationship further, please don't hesitate to show me them. I listen to all kinds of feedback and ideas. I seek to make a brilliant story after all.
Thanks for review. I'm also looking forward to doing ME3 as well. Because I have so many story changes planned for it, I'm actually pretty eager to do it. It was originally planned to be mostly the same as ME2, but with a happier ending, but my ideas have now evolved to the point where I'm working on doing full rewrites of the main plot (not all of it, but most)

Anyway, I've talked long enough now. I'll let you read.
Hope you enjoy this chapter. Not only did I put a lot of effort into it, but it was good fun to do.

Chapter 30
Alpha Fights Back
Steam filled the room as Austin relaxed. The Helldiver had recently discovered that apparently his cabin seemed to have a bath tub as well as a shower. Unable to resist the thought of a steaming hot bath, he'd instantly run it and was now relaxing peacefully. All around him in the separate room was several scented candles which added to the atmosphere. Austin had also dimmed the lights so that only the candles provided any illumination.
The Helldiver was so relaxed, that he didn't even notice the door open and a figure stepped in. Despite this though, Austin was able to hear the figure. He didn't worry at all. After all, he knew who it was. The Helldiver smiled even more as he heard the sound of clothing being removed.
Within a few seconds, he felt two soft hands start to massage his shoulders. He opened his eyes and looked up, straight into the eyes of a naked Liara.
"Enjoying yourself?" she smiled.
"Now that you're here, I am." Austin smiled back as he and Liara kissed.
The Asari surprisingly seemed to pull back a bit, rubbing her lips a bit.
"You... need a shave, my love." she said, almost order like.
"Do I?" Austin asked teasingly as he moved one his hands up to his face and felt it.
She was right, his face was starting to feel a bit bristly and he was developing a stubble.
"Oh, you're right. I do." he said.
Austin reached for some shaving foam and his razor, as he went to apply the foam however, Liara grabbed both his wrists.
"May I?" she asked naughtily.
Austin simply nodded and put the foam in her hands. The Asari then started rubbing it all over his jawline. It was actually quite relaxing to have someone else do it for him. Having Liara do it, was even better. Her smooth and delicate touch made him sigh in bliss. After a few seconds, she stopped.
Austin then heard the sound of water rippling. He opened his eyes to see Liara climbing into the bath. As she sat down, her tits seemed to float slightly. It was a very exotic sight. Austin couldn't help but chuckle slightly at this, and even Liara found it a bit funny.
"So, shall I?" Liara asked as she took the razor in her hand and moved in front of her bond mate, her large breasts jiggled slightly as the water rippled around them. Austin did his best to stay focused and not get aroused by her wet skin.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked hesitantly.
"Aw, don't you trust me?" Liara asked innocently.
"I do. It's just that you've never done this before." Austin replied.
"I've seen enough of your memories to know how to do this right. I promise you, I'm not gonna give you another scar. If I do, well you can punish me... any way you like." said Liara. As she said the last bit, her free hand reached into the water and gave Austin's currently flaccid, but very warm and relaxed, member a stroke, causing him to jump slightly at the sudden touch.
"Fair enough, alright." he smiled as he hugged Liara closer to him, squashing her breasts against his chest.
"Hold still then." Liara smiled, and she slowly moved the razor across his face.
Austin laid back and relaxed as Liara made several strokes across his face. She took it slowly and gently so as to not cause any cuts by accident. After a few minutes, she finally finished and moved back slightly to inspect her work.
"Well, how did I do?" she asked as she took a small mirror from the side of the bath and held it up in front of Austin's face.
The Helldiver moved his face from side to side as he inspected it in the mirror. There were no mark, missed bits of hair or anything, and it was super smooth. Liara had done an absolutely flawless job. Not even he himself had done this well.
'Perfect. Simply perfect. I dare say I've never seen better." he said.
Liara smiled and moved up close to her boyfriend again and kissed him deeply. As the two hugged each other close, Austin rather sneakily slid both his hands down her body all the way to her ass. The Asari jumped slightly in surprise when Austin grabbed both her cheeks rather tightly.
"Hmm, still smoother." he said slyly.
"I thought the term was used for babies." Liara smiled, obviously getting what he meant by that.
"Yeah, but I don't think yours has lost any smoothness at all." Austin smiled.
"You do know how to flatter me, don't you." said Liara
"Of course I do. I love you." said Austin as he kissed the Asari on the cheek.
"I love you too."
Liara then pushed Austin right up against the edge.
"This actually feels very familiar. You remember how we first made love?" Liara asked, remembering when they had swam together on the Citadel over three years ago. That had indeed been when they first had sex.
"How could I forget?" Austin smiled.
"This feels a lot like we're doing it again, only more romantic." said Liara as she planted a few kisses on her bond mate's neck.
"Oh, but it gets better." Austin smiled slyly as he pressed a button on the edge of the bath.
There was a low hum and then suddenly the whole surface of the water became distorted by bubbles. It was a Jacuzzi, as well as a bath.
"Ooooh! That feels so good!" Liara sighed.
"I knew you'd like that." said Austin.
"Make love to me, Austin. Please..." Liara nearly begged as she reached down and grabbed his penis very tightly, causing him to start getting hard.
"Alright then, my blue goddess." said Austin, slightly surprised by Liara's forwardness, but pleasantly so.
As the two once again started kissing, this time way more passionately, Austin reached for a small remote near the bath, pointed it at the door and pressed the a button. The door closed itself, leaving just him, Liara, and a warm Jacuzzi that would very soon be full of love making.

"Major, this is urgent."
The Arkane council stood before Austin, who was already decked out in his armour since he and Alpha Squad had been just about to do a training exercise in the simulator.
"I'm all ears, councillors." he said.
"Another colony has been attacked. This time however, it's not the Collectors." said Tarnack.
"What do you mean?"
"It seems the Batarians have suddenly decided to try and take advantage. A small band of slavers have invaded the colony of Terra Nova." Spartan explained.
"Normally, we would send a different squad in your place, but this time we feel it best we send you. After all, you have a lot of experience, and you personally know one of them from Elysium." said Tarnack.
"Balak?!" said Austin in surprise.
He knew obviously that the Batarian terrorist had escaped from Helldiver custody about a year or so ago after he'd been captured on the asteroid over Terra Nova, but he hadn't expected that Balak would show this face again this soon, let alone in an attack like this.
Spartan nodded.
"If at all possible, we'd very much like to see him back behind bars." he said.
"We'll head straight there." said Austin.
"Rescuing the colonists is your top priority, Shepard. If however there's a chance you can recapture Balak..." said Tarnack.
"We'll all bear that in mind, Councillors. Shepard out."

It was no coincidence that Balak had attacked Terra Nova. He had tried to destroy the exact same colony over three years ago. Naturally of course, that attack had been foiled by Austin. Austin did have to admit though that he was interested in seeing the look on Balak's face when he saw the Helldiver alive and well again. News of his return still wasn't public knowledge, even if some people had seen him in person.
All of Alpha where packed into the Hellhound dropship. Although they had to cancel their training exercise, they were still in high spirits. They encountered the Collectors so many times that they were almost happy to be returning to fighting a more familiar enemy. An enemy that their exosuits had first been created for and they'd been trained to fight in the first place.
"Are we parking?" Griffin asked as he felt the Hellhound shudder.
"Indeed we are. They're right below us." Said Austin as he stood up, keeping one his hands on the ceiling railings for support.
"How far below?"
"Do you really wanna know?"
"Probably not. Do I wanna know?"
"70,000 feet." Austin replied.
"That's high." Said Griffin.
He then noticed that Sandra, who was sat next to him, looked a bit pale. She looked as though she was going to be sick.
"You alright?" he asked concernedly.
"She gets a bit air sick from time to time. Not very often, but it does happen." Alaara replied as she patted her wife reassuringly on the back.
"Yeah. So fair warning, I might throw up on you." Sandra groaned.
Although Griffin knew he shouldn't he did nudge himself away from Sandra ever so slightly.
"What's the plan than, Shepard?" Ventra asked as he checked that all the new gadgets on his bow worked correctly.
"Well, we know they're ready for us. I figure they have defences pointed in every direction, except…" said Austin.
"Except they're not looking straight up." Said Kraan.
"Dive bomb and jump?" Dash asked, excitedly.
"Oh no. No, my stomach can't take that." Said Sandra groggily.
"You'll be fine, darling. Just keep picturing me naked. That should help." Said Alaara.
"Yeah, I don't really know how to do that under stress." Said Sandra as she took several deep breaths. She always removed her helmet when she was like this, it did help a very small bit since she no longer felt concealed.
"I do." Said Alaara as she touched Sandra's head and her eyes went black.
"Ah, much better." Sandra sighed dreamily as an image of a fully nude Alaara came into her mind.
"Anyway, if we did a dive bomb, our engines would register on their thermals." Said Austin.
"Hmm, what if we tried something else?" said Leena.
Everyone, except for Griffin, Liara, and Garrus knew what she meant.
"How did I know you were gonna say that?" Austin sighed. He then turned to the others. "Everyone, you might wanna tighten your harnesses up."
"Oh no!" said Sandra as Alaara lowered her harness over her. Everyone else did the same for themselves.
"Breath slowly, love." Said the Asari calmly as the drop ship started to shudder even more as its engines cut out and it began its decent
"Then stop projecting an image of us having sex into my mind!" Sandra yelled.
"Sorry. Got a bit carried away." Said Alaara.
The drop continued for several long seconds with Austin monitoring the altitude.
"Prepare to fire engines on my mark." He said. "5… 4… 3… 2… 1…"
The Hellhound gave a massive lurch as the thrusters fired and their decent stopped.
"Alright, everyone out! Go! Go! Go!" Austin yelled as the doors opened and everyone jumped.
"Let's move it people!" Alaara yelled as she and Sandra jumped.
"Yeah, let's move." Said Dash as pushed himself off the wall to give himself more running speed.
The sheer force of all the Helldivers landing at once shook at least 5 of the Batarians in their area.
Guns blazed as each Helldiver ran to suitable cover in order to better survey their environments.
They quickly saw that the Batarians where slightly better equipped than Alpha Squad had originally thought. They had surprisingly good weapons, better armour and even a few small rovers with mounted guns, one of which fired at them, causing the squad to split up.
Dash was quick to dodge the shot and he ran at the rover. It fired several more rounds at him, but his enhanced speed made him too fast. The Helldiver scout jumped up onto the bonnet and continued running. He then jumped again, and soon he was up on a balcony of the main building the Batarians where guarding.
"Kraan, stay behind me!" Alaara yelled as she and the Krogan took cover behind one of the many cargo crates around the colony in order to avoid fire from the other rover.
"Go! Go!" she yelled.
"Griffin, move up!" Leena yelled as she and the demolition expert bolted out from behind another crate.
"On it!"
The second they came out however, the rover that had previously been firing on Dash shifted its attention to them. It fired a shot which impacted very close to the both of them. Leena was unaffected by it, but Griffin was smashed against the crate by the force of the blast.
"Fuck grenades." Leena swore as she continued running. The rover fired another shot, but she managed to roll away from it.
The two rovers then accelerated and attempted to surround Leena, but the Quarian had anticipated this. She quickly activated her omni tool and brought her hand against the ground very hard as she remained crouched from her roll.
The EMP burst from her hand immediately brought both rovers to a halt and the drivers were forced to abandon them. Right as they did however, Austin was quick to gun them both down with his Revenant.
"Clear! Move up!" he yelled.
The rest of Alpha Squad followed and they began advancing on the main building.
Dash had taken the high ground so that he had the squad covered. There were more Batarian on the roof which he was quick to fire on. However, his dual pistols weren't really much good and their suppressing fire soon had him pinned behind cover.
"We've gotta time this just right! Wait for my mark!" said Alaara.
She and Kraan, along with the others, had caught up and had the Batarians in their sights.
"Call it, T'onrak." said the Krogan.
From on the roof, another Batarian joined the other snipers. This one however was different. He had a very dark red set of armour on that was fitted with spikes in certain places. Austin knew this wasn't Balak, but that sort of armour looked familiar.
"Okay, what have you got for me?" said the Batarian he drew a sniper from his back and started scanning for a target.
"Alright, boys. Me first." said Liara as she took a grenade from her belt and threw it.
Only a few seconds after it left the Asari's hand however, it exploded as the Batarian sniper shot it in mid-air. Alaara and Kraan however, took this is the signal and came out of cover to attack.
"NOW! No wait, not now, not now!" said Alaara quickly as she pulled Kraan back into cover to avoid the incoming fire from another rover.
"Come on." Kraan groaned.
"Dammit!" Liara swore as she retreated back into cover next to Austin.
"Ventra, we're pinned down. I need you to take them out!" said Dash into his comm.
Said Turian was also pinned behind a much smaller cargo crate next to Leena was blind firing a few shots from her shotgun.
"I'm on it." he replied.
Ventra reached behind his back and unclipped his newly upgraded bow. It was very different now from the last time he had used it. Recently, the Turian had spent a few late nights tinkering around with his weapon of choice. He'd also been spending a bit of time with Dell who had helped him with some of the many new upgrades he'd made. Now instead of it being a traditional bow that had been used for hundreds of years, it was a highly advanced bow outfitted with some of the latest technology best suited for hunting and combat.
Ventra had managed to eliminate the need for the quiver of arrows on his back by outfitting an automatic reload system into the bow in the form of a small box attachment which now carried some brand new telescopic arrows that Dell had designed. The tips could easily be changed inside and outside the box and could also still be detached if Ventra needed to use one of the arrows as a melee weapon, as he did tend to do in close up combat.
The two ends of the bow now had a small wheel on each end which allowed better pull backs of the string and the bow to have even more force when firing an arrow. Dell had also fitted a PS energy support hydraulic system to allow the two light ends of the bow, which needed to bend in order for the bow to be pulled back, so that they would move in accordance with the string.
Ventra himself had also fitted a long range laser do for better targeting and he had also redesigned the bows body from scratch, not just to improve lightness and looks, but also so that it could now collapse and fold up for easy carrying and so that he could now carry it even more easily on his back. Overall, it now looked like a bow out of this century, rather than a traditional old fashioned one.
"Don't let me down now, baby." he said as his thumb pressed the small button which opened up the reload system and an arrow flipped out. It instantly settled itself onto the slot where the arrows where fired from, and the end of it extend until it had attached itself onto the main string.
Ventra took a deep breath as he wrapped both his two fingers around the string with the arrow in-between and he drew it back. He then very slowly and calm pointed it upwards.
"They say the best offense, is a good DEFENCE!"
He let the string fly and the arrow shot up into the air and very high speed. It gradually slowed and then started plummeting down. The tip went bang on target into the ground next to the feet of the Batarians. Instantly, a large shield formed itself around them.
"What the... hold your fire! Stand down." the sniper ordered.
"Heh. I got this." said one of the Batarians as he pulled out his pistol and pointed it at the shield.
"No, wait!"
The Batarian fired and the shot simply bounced right back, going straight through his helmet and killing him instantly. The shot continued bouncing and did the same to all the others. The whole of the inside of the shield became covered in Batarian blood as the shot went through each one several times before they all feel and the it finally disappeared, leaving several torn apart bodies.
"Did I get 'em?" Ventra asked.
"You got 'em alright." Dash said, rather impressed by what he'd seen.
"Nice shot, Robin Hood." Said Sandra.
"I'll never hear the end of that, will I?" Ventra sighed, but he said it in a happy way. He knew his team mates meant that is a compliment. "High ground's clear. Griffin, you guys can handle this from here right?"
"Think so." Griffin replied.
Right as the demolition expert finished speaking however, several shots hit the wall next to him. More and more Batarians had come out of the man building, all of them concentrating on Alpha Squad.
On the plus side however, they could at least now get all the colonists out and away from the settlement.
All of the squad except for Austin, Leena and Ventra had headed to where the Batarians had been keeping the colonists. Though it was clear now, the colonists would still be in danger from incoming fire and the slavers where making a push.
"We need time to evacuate the colonists. They're fish in a barrel without us." Said Austin.
"We got this. It's good. Go." Said Leena.
"Do you think you two can hold them off?" Austin asked.
Ventra turned to the Major, grinning under his helmet.
"Major…" he pressed one of the buttons on the handle of his bow and another arrow automatically flipped out of the box, this time with a different tip. "It would be my genuine pleasure."
The Turian then popped out of cover, drew the string back and fired an arrow which impacted right into the head of one of the Batarians. The arrows tip even shot a small circle of bullets which killed a few more others which had been standing near.
Leena also stood up and started firing with her shotgun while her plasma cannon was set on automatic and was targeting and firing for her.
Austin meanwhile ran to join the others as they worked on getting the colonists out.
"Everyone keep moving! Don't stop." He said as he and the others laid down suppressing fire.
"Just like Palaven all over again." said Leena as she fired several more rounds, Ventra made sure to cover his girlfriend with arrow fire when she needed to reload her shotgun.
"You and I remember Palaven very differently, Leena." said Ventra as he fired two more arrows.
The Turian was quick to react though. He swung his bow at the Batarian's legs causing him to trip up. At the same time, he took the already set arrow from the bow in his free hand. As the Batarian fell on his back, Ventra twirled it a few times before he then plunged the tip right into his enemy's heart.
Though the arrows where primarily meant for shooting, they could still function as melee weapons when it came to close combat, as did the two blades that Ventra had fitted to his bow.
Leena meanwhile was on another Batarian's back and was wrestling with him. She both her omni tools set to electrify anyone that she touched. Like her boyfriend's arrows, these where handy weapons in close combat. Of course Leena's favourite melee weapon of choice was her Tomahawk and combat knife which she used at the same time. When the Quarian had first joined Alpha squad she'd only used the Tomahawk, but Ventra had slowly taught her how to use a knife as well which she was eventually able to at the same time.
Despite Leena's best efforts though; the Batarian she was attempting to stun wasn't going down. He was just too endurable.
"Shoot him… please!" she called as her attacker tried to throw her off.
Ventra quickly reacted and fired an arrow straight into the Batarian's forehead. The alien's visor smashed as it went straight through.
Another Batarian suddenly charged Ventra and tackled him to the floor. Ventra was quick to return attack though as he used another arrow as a melee weapon and stabbed it into the Batarian.
Leena meanwhile hopped off of the now limp Batarian. Two more ran at her from either side, but she was ready for them. As the one on the left attempted to melee her with the butt of his rifle, the Quarian unsheathed her combat knife in her left hand and blocked the attack as she held it backhand. Her right hand then unsheathed her tomahawk which she used to trip her attacker. As the Batarian hit the floor, she brought the Tomahawk right down on his head, smashing right through his helmet and into his brain.
Leena then turned back to other one that had been running at her to see that another had joined him. No matter though, she could still take them.
As the first Batarian lunged at her, she parried his gun with her tomahawk and pushed him away, causing him to lose his balance and topple onto his back. The other Batarian then came close, but Leena simply embedded her tomahawk in his left shoulder, stunning him from the pain.
The other Batarian meanwhile that Leena had just thrown to the floor had managed to roll onto his back and had pointed his gun right at her. The Quarian quickly brought her still stunned opponent right on front of her and used him as a shield as the downed Batarian fired. The shot hit the other Batarian square in the chest and he dies instantly. Leena then seized her chance. She threw the now dead Batarian shield out of the way and jumped onto the downed one. Right as she landed on top of him, she sank her tomahawk into him.
All the while, Ventra shot two more Batarians as they kept coming. Leena resorted to laying down cover fire with her plasma cannon. Another Batarian swung at Ventra, but he was too slow. The Turian skidded under the Batarian. As he slowed down, he got back up, whirled around and shot the Batarian clean in the back.
More Batarians came, but then several rounds tore one apart. Both Helldivers looked to see that Griffin had joined the fray.
"Nice of you to join us, Griff." Said Leena as she pinned another Batarian's gun down with her tomahawk and slashed his neck.
"Not about to let you have all the fun." Said Griffin as he punched and knocked several other Batarians down with his gauntlet and minigun.
They finally finished the last, and the area seemed clear.
"All civilians evacuated." came Austin's voice.
"We done here then?" Ventra asked as he set about gathering back what arrows he could. He only had so many he could use, it was use to reuse them as much as possible.
"Not quite. Our secondary objective is to capture Balak if we can." Austin replied.
"How did I know he was going to say that?" said Leena.
A sudden punch from behind sent Leena flying. Griffin looked to see a heavy Batarian standing right behind him, dressed in the same red armour that the sniper had been in. Were these guys like an elite squad or something?
The red Batarian punched Griffin as well before he could react in time and he landed next to Leena.
"You alright?" he groaned as he got back up.
"Bought the same as you." Leena replied as she too jumped back onto her feet.
"That bad, huh?"
The red heavy Batarian had now whipped out a rocket launcher which he instantly fired. The explosion caused both of them to fall again, but this time Leena fired an EMP blast from her shoulder cannon which disabled the launcher.
As Griffin got up again however, he failed to notice another rover which was now heading in his direction.
"Uh-oh! Car!" he yelled as he ran to avoid getting run over.
"Bosh'tet!" Leena swore.
Right as she turned back to the Batarian heavy, he swiped her shotgun out of her hand. The Batarian then charged straight into her, knocking the Quarian to the floor.
Before he could deliver another blow however, Dash, who was still up on the high ground, fired at him forcing him into cover. The Helldiver scout then noticed the rover chasing Griffin.
"Oh fuck, no you don't!" said Dash as he jumped and kicked the rover's gunner as he landed.
Right as Dash went to deliver another blow however, the Batarian kicked him off. The two started to fight one another as Dash was forced to holster his pistols.
All the while, Leena had managed to get back on her feet and ran to pick her shotgun back up. The heavy Batarian however got in her way and she resorted to hand to hand combat with him. Despite that she managed to retrieve her shotgun during the fight however, the rover, which still had a driver, suddenly did a power slide and knocked her right into a nearby crate.
"Ow! My helmet!"
At the same time, Austin had been behind cover observing the battle. He could already tell that things were starting to get out of hand.
"Okay, time to fight fire… with fire!" he said as he took a homing beacon from his belt and threw it.
There were a few quick beeps, and then a large container of some sort landed on the ground. Some of the Batarian's backed away cautiously. The front of the container flew off and a large robot stepped out.
"Who's ready to rumble?!" said X-5 as he smashed both his fists together.
The Batarians raised their guns at him.
"I thought so."
Another rover then appeared and made straight for X-5 as it attempted to run the robot over. X-5 quickly grabbed the bumper and pushed. The rover's tires skidded as it tried to push against the strong robot. At first, he did appear to be only just holding the rover back, but then the blue hologram which served as X-5's eye changed to a bright red.
"Combat protocols online. X-5, smash!" he said in a now extremely deep voice which sounded completely different to his own.
Sure enough, X-5 gave the rover a violent push, ripping the bumper off the front in his hands as the vehicle was on only its back wheels for a moment. As it came down, the robot then kicked the rover and it was sent flying, forcing several of the Batarians to jump out of the way.
"Well, well. The Red Skulls. What a pleasure to see you again." said Alaara as she stood over another one of the red Batarians, recognising the symbol on the armour.

The Red Skulls where a special group of Batarians. Each one of them wore a suit of red armour that had been extensively modified. A few years or so ago, the Batarians had attempted to copy Helldiver technology so that they perhaps stood a better chance against their enemy.
Resources for the Batarians however where scarce, not to mention that it was impossible for them to get any Helldiver tech to reverse engineer since Helldiver armour always vaporized itself when it's user died.
Capturing Helldivers as prisoners never worked either as the armour could never be removed by hand and they had all sorts of defence mechanisms, the lockdown being the most hated.
Despite this though, the Batarian had eventually managed to make some armour that could in some way compete with a Helldiver. Although this had worried many Helldivers at first, those who had encountered them simply said that compared to their technology, the Batarian versions where nothing but cheap knock offs. In some ways, they were right. The Red Skulls, named mostly due to the colour of their armour, in truth only had enhanced strength and not many of the other features that Helldivers had. The suits where indeed cheap knock offs.
However, what the Red Skulls lacked in technology, they gained in their advanced training. Unlike the suits, their training did actually help them. It very easily rivalled that of a Helldiver's and enabled the Red Skulls to compete with the Helldivers not just on a physical level, but also a mental level as well.
Even Alpha Squad often broke out a sweat against them since they fought so well. Last time they had met however, Austin had managed to kill their leader which had forced them to retreat; hence they hadn't been seen in a long time.

Alaara was suddenly interrupted however when another Batarian threw a biotic push at her and she was sent flying. Right as she aimed to fire however, a knife suddenly embedded itself in her rifle causing it to short circuit.
"Pleasure's all mine, bitch!" said the Batarian whom she'd just had her rifle trained on, who surprisingly seemed to be female.
She brandished two more knives in her hands and spun as she lunged at Alaara. The Asari narrowly dodged the attack as she used her biotics to push herself away. She then threw the now useless assault rifle at her attacker, which was instantly slashed apart by the knives as it hit the female Batarian. The female lunged again, but Alaara delivered several hard and fast strikes that knocked her away. The other one that had attacked her earlier attempted a punch at her, but the Asari parried the punches and back flipped. The two Batarians ran after her.
The Heavy Batarian meanwhile had just got up after the rover had knocked him down. As his vision cleared however, he found a big shadow standing over him.
"God's certainly not smiling on you today, pal. Seems your judgement day's come early." Said Griffin as he cracked his knuckles.
The Heavy swung a punch at him, but the Helldiver easily caught it in his right hand and slowly twisted it to the side, forcing the Batarian onto his knees. Griffin had done a lot of working out since his last fight with Batarian slavers and as a result he'd been able to increase his strength and muscles just a bit more.
Griffin then brought his massive left gauntlet back, clenched it into a fist and swung. The force of the punch was so hard that it hit like a ton of bricks and the Batarian's helmet, which still had a head inside it, was smashed clean off. The decapitated body fell to the ground, leaking blood.
"You're dead, that's good, Amen." Said Griffin very quickly as he made a cross with his hands.
The demolition expert then looked up to see Alaara still fighting the two Batarians, this time up on the roofs.
The female Batarian once again swung at her, but the Asari used her biotics to propel herself up into the air and back flipped over her two attackers. The female attacked again, but this time Alaara managed to block the attacks and struck back with a few of her own. Alaara then gave a very sharp punch which sent the female Batarian back again.
The other one however quickly took her place and now Alaara was in a fist fight with him too. The Asari dodged his strikes before she managed to jump, and midway through delivered a sharp kick to his chest.
Alaara back flipped from her kick and landed back on her feet. Seeing that both her opponents where still standing, she reached behind her back and took out her own melee weapon, a telescopic electrified stun stick. With this, the Captain was now able to deliver better strikes and she could now block even better than using her fists.
Using the stun stick was pretty much the same basic principle as using a sword. Austin had even taught Alaara a few good tricks to use with her weapon.
As Alaara clashed with the female Batarian, she kicked the other one in the head so that he was knocked away from the main fight. At the same time, X-5 had now joined the fight. The robot caught the male Batarian as he staggered away from Alaara.
X-5 picked up the Batarian and flung him over his head. He then slammed his enemy down hard, causing even more disorientation.
"The hell with you!" the Batarian growled as he slowly got back up.
X-5 charged. But this time, the Batarian was ready for him. He swung his arm downwards and also moved to the side quickly to avoid the robot's running swing. The strike tripped X-5 up and sent him flying.
At the same time, the female Batarian that was duelling Alaara had noticed this and used it to her advantage. She forced Alaara back with a push, getting the Asari Helldiver in just the right place.
Alaara noticed only too late that X-5 was flying right at her. The robot crashed into her and she was knocked back. Right as the two hit the floor however, they almost instantly got back up. Alaara was back on her feet right away and she ran at the female Batarian.
X-5 meanwhile skidded as he slowed himself down. He then did a combat roll forward and fired a projectile from his shoulder mounted rail gun. The large round zoomed towards the Batarian at high speed. Rather surprisingly though, he threw up a biotic shield and the round bounced off. It zoomed back towards X-5 and impacted at his feet.
For a moment, a large amount of smoke engulfed the robot and he was hidden from view. It seemed as though the Batarian had prevailed, but his joy was short lived as X-5 fired another round which hit the Batarian square in the chest and he was sent flying all the way into the water overhead. Even a Batarian wouldn't survive that.
Alaara and the female Batarian meanwhile where clashing back and forth, knife on stun stick. While Austin's sword skills used more of his fencing training, Alaara's was more martial arts based.
They swung; they kicked, and parried each other's attacks. A sudden accidental miss allowed the Batarian an opening and she kicked Alaara hard in the face forcing her back.
That however only made the Asari angry. As the female Batarian once again attacked, this time Alaara allowed her rage to fuel her attacks and strikes. She then attacked so fast that she then kicked the Batarian so hard that her helmet was smashed off. She slid along the floor and narrowly managed to grab the edge before she fell.
The female Batarian groaned as she slowly tried to pull herself up. Before she could however, a large metal hand suddenly grabbed her and hoisted her up.
"Fuck." She swore as she found herself staring into the skull painted mask of Griffin, his massive left gauntlet holding her tightly.
"May God have mercy on your soul, slaver." He said coldly. He then let go.
The female Batarian screamed as she felt the metal grip loosen and she fell. Her vision went dark as she felt her neck hit something hard, and then nothing.

Things weren't going well. So far, Balak had lost almost all his men and these attackers, whoever they were, we're closing in. Walking alongside him was another Batarian soldier. Not long after Balak had just managed to escape from Arkadia, he had assumed control of the Red Skulls. They had long been disorganised and leaderless ever since Alpha Squad had killed their last one a few years ago.
Behind the two were also two more Red Skull heavies, both carrying large miniguns. They were inside the large loading bay of the colony's main building. Overhead was a massive crane constantly moving different cargo crates from one place to another. Balak suddenly stopped and held his hand up for the others to stop. The soldier instantly pulled his assault rifle from his back and held it up in case they were suddenly attacked.
"We've got company. Cut 'em down!" Balak ordered.
The two heavies obeyed and both fired their miniguns in synch in an attempt to try and force any hidden enemies out of cover and into the open. After a few seconds, they ceased fire.
"Hold this position." said Balak.
A Turian Helldiver then suddenly appeared from out of cover wielding a bow and arrow. He fired two arrows, both of which hit the heavies but did hardly any damage. The two brutes where quick to return fire with their miniguns.
Ventra quickly rolled to the over pillar and retreated into cover from the incoming fire. Leena and Griffin, who had been accompanying him, did the same.
"Helldivers! Pull 'em down!" Balak ordered as he and the soldier left. The heavies remained where they were, still firing without pause.
"Well, we'll see about that." said Leena as she held her tomahawk up in a throw stance "Catch!"
The Quarian threw the weapon and it flew towards the Batarians, spinning like a boomerang. Unfortunately however, that proved to be a disadvantage since it missed the Batarian's head, did a slingshot around them, missed again and it flew right back at its master... embedding itself straight in her chest plate.
"LEENA!"
"Crap! That didn't go so well." Said Griffin as he crouched down to check on the Quarian. He could still sense a heartbeat.
"She's alright. Her suit took the blow, no breaches. She's down, but not out." he said.
Ventra relaxed a bit at this. At least he knew his girlfriend was still alive.
The constant barrage of minigun fire continued. After a few painfully long seconds though, the rest of Alpha Squad eventually showed up. Ventra was the first to notice them.
"About time you guys got here. We're pinned." He said.
"We miss all the fun?" Dash asked as he and the others took cover.
"Hardly." Ventra replied.
"Okay, here's what we're gonna do…" said Austin.
Right before he speak his plan however, Liara ran straight past him, jumped over the two guards and made into the main part of the complex unscathed.
"Hmm, didn't think of that one." said Austin "Cover me!"
The Major then ran out of cover straight into the line of fire.
"Cover me? That's the plan?!" said Kraan.
"Huh, when are those two gonna get married?" Alaara couldn't help but chuckle as she watched Austin perform the exact same move as Liara and he managed to get past the guards.
"My money's on them getting married during a fight. That'd be pretty cool." said Dash.
"I'd rather not make any bets on something like that." said Griffin. "Love makes its own path."
"Oh come on! A hundred credits! Put it towards a lap dance with Miss Lawson, how about that?" said Dash.

Austin quickly caught up with Liara. She was crouched on one side of a locked door.
"That was a bit of a reckless move for you, Liara." said Austin in a somewhat surprised tone as he took up defensive position on the other side.
"Always the element of surprise." said Liara.
"You don't say."
"Careful. That room's guarded by turrets." the Asari advised.
"Think we can get past them?" Austin asked.
"Not by ourselves, and I think the others are… occupied." said Liara.
"Hmm. Anyone? We need you to get the power." said Austin into his comlink.
"We're a little busy here." Alaara replied.
For a moment, it seemed as though they had little options. But then, an unexpected voice suddenly replied through the radio.
"This is Leena. I copy."
"I'll be dammed, she came round." said Austin in surprise. Leena had always been tough, but still... for her to get up so quickly from something like that was very impressive.

"Good show, girl. That's the spirit. Still have a bit of fight in you." Said Ventra.
Leena slowly got back on her feet. She then reached for her Tomahawk and yanked it out of her chest hard. There was no sign of blood or any suit breach, the Quarian's armour was too tough for that. It was fair to say that while Tali had the brains, Leena was the better fighter. She'd had over ten years of working with Alpha Squad to learn much and her own personal reasons for becoming a Helldiver had made her battle hardened.
Leena twirled her Tomahawk between her fingers for a few seconds before she then brought her hand back sand once again threw her Tomahawk. This time however, it didn't miss. The small axe flew directly at its target and embedded itself in the shoulder of one of the heavies. Despite this however, it didn't seem to injure him and he just kept firing.
"So much for that plan." said Kraan.
"Didn't realise they were that tough." said Leena. There was a hint of anger in the Quarian's voice. Most likely, this whole thing was starting to piss her off.
"What now?" Dash asked.
Leena simply remained calm and silent as she pumped another round into her shotgun. She then slowly walked towards cover to properly observe the two heavies.
She waited a few brief seconds before she then jumped out of cover and flipped over the incoming minigun fire, firing a grenade from her shotgun's grenade launcher attachment. The shot hit the ground near the heavy's feet which disoriented them. This briefly caused them both to stop firing and Leena seized her chance.
The Quarian ran, firing more shots as she did. Despite this however, the two heavies where quick to recover from the first grenade and they resumed their minigun fire, which shot all the grenades that the Quarian had just fired causing them all to explode before they hit their targets.
Leena quickly retreated back into cover. The Quarian looked out slightly to try and see if there was anything she could try. She then noticed the massive crane. Leena aimed her shotgun at it and fired at least three grenades at it. As each one hit the massive crane, it very slowly started to malfunction and began swivelling to the side.
Only too late did the two Batarian heavies notice this and they failed to move in time. The large crane crashed right into them and crushed them both as it finally hit the other side of the cargo area.
"Huh, I don't believe it." said Griffin in surprise.
"You go, girl!" said Ventra as he gave Leena a friendly nudge.
"Stop calling me girl." said Leena.

"We're all clear, Shepard. It'll be dark in less than sixty." Austin heard Leena say.
"Balak's in that room. He's got someone else with him." said Liara.
"Then we do this by the book. Nice and carefully." Said Austin.

The lights suddenly went out and only the emergency lighting was now on.
"Damn it." Balak cursed.
"We need to go!" said the soldier urgently.
"I already told you, I'm not leaving the others!" said Balak as activated his omni blade.
"Most of them are already dead! Besides, if we leave, they have no reason to be here! We don't have much time." said the soldier.
"Actually, you don't have any time." said Austin as he and Liara suddenly deactivated their cloaks and materialised out of nowhere, guns at the ready.
"Shepard?!" said Balak and shock as he saw his old foe.
"Surprised to see me, Balak?" Austin asked, mockingly.
"You're supposed to be dead! You died 2 years ago!" the Batarian said angrily.
"I got better." Austin replied, causing Liara to chuckle a bit.
"And you… I remember you from last time. Your that Asari that's new to his squad." said Balak as he pointed at Liara.
The Asari simply remained silent.
"I'll give you some credit, Balak. You escaped from one of the most technologically advanced and smartest race in the galaxy. Not bad." said Austin.
"They need better security systems." said Balak.
"Perhaps you can tell them that yourselves?" said Liara demandingly.
"My thoughts exactly. You're coming with us, Balak. This is your last chance." said Austin.
"No. He's not going anywhere with you." said the soldier.
"We weren't wasn't asking you." said Liara.
The Asari then aimed her rifle at the soldier and fired. The shot hit the Batarian soldier right in the chest.
"NO!" Balak shouted, angrily.
However, the soldier instantly jumped back up and he unsheathed his extra-large knife. With lightning fast reflexes, he zoomed right up towards Austin and kicked him in Balak's direction.
Balak quickly reacted to this and punched Austin hard in the face, causing him to fall.
"Austin!" Liara yelled.
Balak quickly took out his pistol and fired at Liara, forcing the Asari to take cover behind a nearby crate. She managed to blind fire one shot before the soldier swung at her with his knife. Liara only managed another shot before the knife parried the gun out of her hands.
Right as the rifle flew out of her hands however, Liara instantly unsheathed her sword and it clashed with the soldier's knife.
Austin meanwhile had finally recovered from his earlier punch. He swung his leg, causing Balak to trip on it and fall. The helldiver rolled back onto his feet and went to bring his fist down on Balak's face. The Batarian just managed to troll out of the way as the Helldiver's fist smashed into the floor, creating a slight dent in the metal.
Balak instantly rolled back onto his feet too and reactivated his omni blade.
"This ends here, Shepard. This time you'll stay dead." the Batarian growled.
"Have it your way, Balak. It's your funeral." said Austin as he unsheathed Excalibur from his back and stood up, Balak did the same.
The two opponents attacked and sparks flew as their blades clashed with one another. Austin couldn't help but feel a somewhat nostalgic feel as he once again seemed to be fighting this Batarian. Every time they had fought one another, Balak had always obtained some sort of injury. The most extreme had been when Excalibur had taken the Batarian's eye.
Balak made another swing, but it was too slow, allowing Austin to duck under it and then slide right between Balak's legs. The Helldiver then grabbed him from behind, flung him over his head and slammed him into the ground, hard. Austin then kicked him hard as the Batarian tried to get back up on his feet.
It was now two versus two as Liara battled with the soldier, and Austin with Balak. Both Austin and Liara where no really putting their fencing skills to the test, especially Liara since this was the sort of thing she had trained for.
Both groups clashed back and forth across the room. Sparks seemed to fly each time their blades made contact. The Batarian soldier was proving to be a fair challenge for Liara due to the ferocity and speed of his attacks.
Eventually, both Balak and the soldier forced Austin and Liara together, so they were now back to back. Both Batarians went into battle stances, ready to continue.
"This'll be interesting." Austin thought.
"That it will." he heard Liara say.
There was something slightly different about her voice. It was almost as though...
"Did we just hear each other's thoughts?" he asked in his mind. He'd know if Liara replied in the same way.
"Yes... yes we did." Liara replied, sounding just as surprised as he was.
"How's that possible? How are we communicating telepathically?" Austin asked.
"Do you remember something I said when we had our first union?" Liara replied.
"Not sure I... Oh!"
Austin then remembered what Liara had once said on the night before Ilos when they had first truly joined their minds. If a Union bond was strong enough and done enough time, some side effects could be the ability for bond mates to hear each other's thoughts.
"Yes. You mentioned something about a telepathic link. But why are we suddenly able to do it now? We didn't use to be able to." he asked.
"Must be both our adrenalines. This the first time we've actually thought side by side. Any other times we've just been sparring or fighting other opponents, but never the same." Liara thought.
Still the two Batarians dared not move yet. At least the good thing about this new telepathy was that no one else could hear what they were saying to one another. That then gave Austin an idea.
"You know, this might not be a bad thing. In fact, I think we can use this to our advantage." he thought.
"How?" he heard Liara reply.
"Think about it. We can speak to each other without anyone else hearing. We can warn each other of attacks an enemy's we ourselves might not see. If you ask me, I'd say that with practice, we can use this to coordinate each other's attacks." Austin suggested.
"No bond mates have ever tried it that way before." said Liara. "But that doesn't mean it isn't possible. With some practice, it may work."
"No time like the present then." said Austin.
"Bring it on then."
"We'll have both your heads as trophies." said Balak intimidatingly.
Both Austin and Liara looked at one another for a minute as their thoughts returned to the two Batarians they were fighting. Austin nodded to her and the two twirled their swords before going into fighting stances as well.
"You want our heads? Come and get them!" said Austin.
Both Batarians lunged at their opponents and the fight resumed.
The telepathy did take some getting used to. Talking to each other didn't really do the trick as their reactions just weren't fast enough. Saying things like, "to the left" "behind you" or even "look out" weren't as effective as they could've been.
Soon however, quite by accident, Austin managed to find the secret. He saw the soldier thrust at Liara while her back was turned. His thoughts instantly pictured it. Just as he was about to speak, Liara whirled around and blocked the blow before then delivering a sharp kick to the soldier.
Austin then felt something in his head, something instantly telling him that Balak was right behind him. He instantly looked back and thrust. Balak only just managed to avoid Excalibur's blade.
Now the two bond mates knew how they could use their bond in combat. They didn't say their strategies to one another, they simply had to think them.
Both Batarians where really struggling now. The two Helldivers had suddenly got even better. Every attack they tried was either blocked or a sudden thrust would interrupt them as Austin or Liara would coordinate their thrusts so that they went around the other to then hit their target. A good tactic that had the element of surprise. Sometimes, one of them would even duck so that the other could then swing over them.
In all his life, Balak had never seen such coordination and skill. They practically seemed to fight as though the where one. It even felt like fighting someone with four arms.
"Now we're getting the hang of it!" Austin thought.
"Indeed. All that training and sparring is paying off." Liara thought back.
Austin ducked again and quickly thought it. Liara instantly reacted. She kicked the soldier first and then swung her leg over her bond mate and knocked Balak across the face. The soldier swung at Liara but she then ducked under it as Austin instantly sent a warning thought to her. The continued on for several long minutes. Neither side had the advantage at the moment, but the telepathic bond was proving very useful.
The battle continued to rage on before the two Helldivers eventually gained the upper hand. Liara made several hard strikes against the Batarian soldier before kicking him away. Balak quickly followed from behind. Liara was quick however to parry his lunge and then delivered a kick to his face.
Only too late did Balak notice Austin as he staggered and he was unable to bring his omni blade up in time. Excalibur carved right through his red armour and deep wound was instantly on his chest.
The Batarian soldier meanwhile had recovered and was once again duelling Liara. The Asari's skill and speed however served her well. A sudden uppercut from her knocked the Batarian's knife out of his hand. As it flipped in the air however, the soldier caught it, this time holding it back hand.
Austin was fortunately was able to see this and he quickly sent another thought to Liara so that she was made aware of the Batarian's next move.
As the Batarian swung, Liara back flipped. The knife just narrowly missed her. The Asari then very cleverly kicked the knife with her feet causing it to fly out of the soldier's hand and become embedded high in the ceiling.
Liara then swung leg at the Batarian's, tripping him up. As the soldier slowly got up, he only just noticed Austin swing Excalibur at him and just barely moved in time.
As the soldier rolled out of the way, something rather surprising happened. To Austin's somewhat surprise, the soldier then seemed to somehow split into two. Now there where two soldiers standing next to one another.
"Now that's cheating." Austin thought. "No matter though. Two can play at that game."
Using his free hand, the Helldiver unsheathed his combat knife and he swung both that and Excalibur at the two soldiers. The hologram naturally disappeared due to the distortion while the knife slashed the Batarian's side. Austin then quickly followed this by running him through, Excalibur's Kartalrium blade cleaving right through his armour, flesh, and bone.
The soldier went limp and Austin pushed him off of his blade. Right as he and Liara turned to Balak however, they found an unwelcome sight.
Balak had a colonist in his arms with a gun pointed at her head.
"You sneaky son of a bitch." Said Austin coldly as he and Liar appointed their guns at him.
"You let me leave, or she dies." Said Balak.
"Not gonna make us drop our guns?" said Liara.
"I'm not a fool. I know I can't kill you with this." Said Balak.
"Please! Help me!" the woman nearly cried.
"It's alright. We're not gonna let him hurt you." Said Austin calmly.
"Let me leave and she's all yours. Your try anything and you'll have her death on your hands." Said Balak.
"Alright. Just give her to us." Said Austin.
"How do I know you won't shoot me if I do?" the Batarian retorted.
"There is such a thing as Helldiver nobility, even if you don't think so. Besides, our orders where to take you alive. You're no good to us dead. So for now, you leave us no choice but to let you go." Said Austin.
"This isn't over, Shepard. Not by a long shot!" said Balak.
He then pushed the colonist towards Austin who caught her in his arms. The Batarian then hurried through a nearby door, and pressed a button. The door closed and sealed itself.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" the colonist sobbed into Austin's arms.
"It's okay. You're safe now." Said Austin calmly.
"I thought you'd let him kill me for a minute."
"That's not how we work." Said Liara as she patted the colonist on the shoulder and simply nodded to her bond mate.

The Arkane council had been a bit disappointed that Balak had got away, but they were happy that the colony was secure again, and after reading Austin's report on the hostage situation, they understood his decision to let Balak go. Part of the Helldiver code was to never let an innocent life be killed, even if it meant aborting the mission.
Overall, the call to the council had gone slightly better than Austin had hoped for. Since he expected that another crew member would have another mission they wanted done soon, he decided to simply pass the time again. This time, he decided to have a chat with Miranda. See how she was doing.
"Major, what can I do for you?" she asked as she took notice of him.
"Do you have a minute, Miranda?" Austin asked.
"Of course. I'd been meaning to speak with you, in fact." said Miranda as she stood up from her desk and walked over to the couch she had in her quarters. Both she and Austin sat down on it.
"I… wanted to apologise. I didn't fully believe you or this squad would be up to the task when Jacob and I defected. It seems I was wrong. Frankly, based on what I've seen, I'm starting to think that maybe… maybe joining Cerberus was a mistake." said Miranda.
"You don't sound totally convinced. Look, if you have something you want to get off your chest, do so." said Austin.
"Was that a reference too…?" Miranda asked slightly cross
"I… sorry. That slipped out." said Austin, rather embarrassed by saying that. He should have thought about that before saying it.
"Don't worry. I've had a lot worse jokes about my body, believe me." Miranda chuckled slightly "Anyway, you are somewhat right. There are still aspects about Cerberus that I still believe are right, but now seeing things from a different perspective… well..."
"What's bothering you, Miranda? Are you still worried about your sister?" Austin asked.
"No. Not at all. I know that she'll be safe where she has, and she has you and the Arkanes protecting her now. I couldn't be happier with that." said Miranda. "It's just that… I worked for Cerberus for so long. It's hard to see them in the way you see them, to see them for what they really are. I'm slowly beginning to see why it is you and the others have kept your distance."
"You had plenty of opportunities to stab us in the back, yet you haven't' taken them. Plus, the fact that you were willing to trust us with your sister's safety really does say something." said Austin.
"I… I hadn't realized… Thank you. I thought you'd always hate me because I was Cerberus. Thought you'd never forgive me." said Miranda, somewhat lost for words.
"I trust you, but I don't trust Cerberus. Your experiments cross the line." said Austin.
"All the time, yes. But just in the interest of fairness, I'll bet some Helldivers have crossed a few lines from time to time." said Miranda.
"Only when we have to, Miranda. It's only ever as a last resort." said Austin, a bit more seriously this time.
"It's funny. The Illusive Man said the same thing to me, and yet some of those experiments seemed as though they'd been done without a second thought. That Experiment 13 was a prime example." said Miranda.
"What was Cerberus trying to prove by experimenting on children like Jack?" Austin asked.
"A mistake. No question. Not mine." Miranda replied.
"Careful she doesn't hear you say that, Miranda. Even now, she's still looking for an excuse to kill you." said Austin.
"That mistake was corrected once we discovered the extent of the experiments being performed. We helped stop it." said Miranda.
"Forgive me for asking this, Miranda. I expect you've been asked it a hundred times, but with your intelligence, you could've landed any job you wanted. Why choose Cerberus?" Austin asked.
"Because I still envy the time Mordin spent with the Special Tasks Group, working with people as smart as he was. Cerberus never tells me something is impossible. They give me my orders and say, "Do it." said Miranda. "And yet the Arkanes have given you more. Your suit gave you a new life; they gave you a new ship and even their personal attention…"
"What, you disapprove?" said Austin.
"No! I'm just impressed. You're… well, look at you." said Miranda. "You're quite a mystery to many. Few people know where you came from. Even Cerberus doesn't know your full history…"
She then stood up and walked towards the window, looking out into the deepness of space.
"And you've done more than I could. Despite everything my father did to make me perfect, you're… you're the best humanity has to offer, even for a Helldiver." she said.
"No offense, Miranda. But does it always have to come back to this? I get that you were designed to be perfect." said Austin, doing his best to hide the boredom in his voice.
"This is what I am, Shepard. I can't hide it. The intelligence, the looks, the body, even the biotics… he paid for all of that. Every one of your accomplishments is due to your skill. The only things I can take credit for are my mistakes." said Miranda, regrettably.
"I can't admire you're body or your mind? You give your father too much credit. Yeah, he gave you gifts. But you can be proud of what you've done with them." said Austin reassuringly.
"Oh. Thank you." said Miranda, rather flattered by this.
The Ex-Cerberus operative then turned to face Austin, giving a somewhat seductive pose. "Perhaps I wouldn't mind if you admired my body."
Austin quickly realized what he'd just said and how Miranda could so easily take that wrong.
"Oh god." he groaned. "Miranda, I am so sorry. I didn't mean it like that. What is the matter with me today? I'm blurting things out that I shouldn't."
"You're just saying that. Don't try to hide it. I've seen the way you and all the men look at me." Miranda smiled at him suggestively.
"What? No! No, it's nothing like that! I just…" Austin said, now for the first time in many years utterly lost for words. "Excuse me. I'm gonna leave now before I make this any worse."
Without even giving Miranda a chance to speak, the Helldiver quickly left the room, sealing the door behind him.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Austin?!" he cursed in his head as he made his way to the elevator. Spending some time in his quarters would hopefully allow him to clear his mind.
Miranda meanwhile was left simply standing where she was. Despite this though, she still smiled as she watched her doors close.
"You can hide it all you want, Shepard. But I know what you're really thinking. I'm not scared. I'm cautious, but interested. Very interested..."

Uh-Oh! Looks like Liara might have a rival... As a bit of clarification, I'm only doing this for fun. Miranda's body is just too sexy to not at least see naked.There is going to be a sex scene with her eventually, but it will be like the one I did with Kelly. I'm never going to have Shepard willingly cheat on Liara.
Next chapter will be Jacob's mission, and I promise you now that I won't take as long with that one as I did with this one.
Until next time! Please do leave reviews (preferably some very detailed ones if you can) some of them have been a bit sparse recently.
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Mass Effect: The Helldiver Saga, The Collector War