Other than Kala, Shira, and Taseer, only two other crew had managed to reach the bay door; a Turian and the Human that Falkris had saved from the husk. The Turian was firing his Avenger blindly into the group of husks piling in on the center of the cargo bay, yelling. The human, who had lost his rifle when the husk had attacked him grabbed the predator pistol from Shira's hip and likewise fired at the mass of husks.<br/><br/><span style="color: Indigo">"Falkris!"</span>Shira'Va yelled after him, firing futilely from their position.  She started forward, but Taseer grabbed her arm, yanking her back.<br/><br/><span style="color: navy">"We have to leave him!"</span>She yelled.<span style="color: navy">"He's already dead! We have to go!"</span>Shira fought against the hand restraining her, firing at the group of husks until the thermal clip was spent.<br/><br/>The husks, as many as there were, still seemed hell bent the Turian commander that they had overwhelmed, and even as Taseer yelled for Shira to abandon the him, shots rang out from the center of the husk pile, the high powered rounds punching straight through the mass of husks, sending streaks of blue gore through the air.<br/><br/>They had run out of time, though, the window to leave unharmed closed as a husk that had been scrambling across the ceiling dropped down in their midst, landing just shy of the human, and grabbing at him. He shouted in surprise, trying to aim at the husk, but it was too close, grabbing his arms. The Turian fired, the avenger knocking off chunks and blasting small holes in the husk, making it scream in its machine voice, then flail as he kept firing.<br/><br/><span style="color: green">"Die! Die you fuck die!"</span>He yelled. Taseer let go of Shira'Va and likewise turned her avenger on the husk, firing at it until it hit the ground. Shira reloaded and put a blast straight into its chest, the power of her modded Scimitar spreading the husk across the bay door in a blue smear.<br/><br/>More of the husks had realized they were free, and were already advancing, crawling across the ceiling toward them, a few even leaving the group attempt to deal with Falkris. Every one of them that had a gun started firing at the advancing husks, but their rounds went wise as they sprayed at the distant, closing targets, precious rounds being wasted.<br/><br/><span style="color: navy">"Shira, its over! We have to go!"</span>Taseer yelled at her, firing madly at a husk scrambling across the ceiling toward them.<br/><br/>The Quarian didn't want to admit it, didn't want to turn and run, didn't want to leave any of them behind... but she knew that if they lingered any longer, they would be dead with all the others. She bit down hard, clenching her jaw and fighting against the sorrow at leaving Falkris. She didn't hear the growing roar behind her.<br/><br/><span style="color: indigo">"Go...!"</span>she managed to choke out.<span style="color: indigo">"Go, go!"</span>She turned, and stopped, caught by surprise by the brilliant light seemingly floating outside the bay, swaying slightly illuminating the husks within.<br/><br/>She realized suddenly what she was looking at and yelled,<span style="color: indigo">"Down!"</span>She grabbed Kala and yanked her to the ground, shortly after the shuttle opened fire, the twin guns firing into the bay at the husks, cutting swathes in them as each round carried enough energy to rip through the entire horde and barely slow, smashing into the bay walls and floor, leaving dents and shattered metal, decimating the cargo crates that were struck.<br/><br/>Over the comms Mickey's voice yelled over the thundering weapons,<span style="color: MediumTurquoise">"Get clear!"</span><br/><br/><span style="color: indigo">"Mickey; Falkris!"</span>Shira'Va yelled, but she didn't need to. The husks were moving, trying to get away from the flying artillery, abandoning the attack on the Turian. from the pile that remained, more shots cut through them, severing limbs and heads until a Turian crawled out from beneath the corpses, splattered with blue, his left arm held close to his chest, its forearm twisted at an unnatural angle.<br/><br/>Falkris kicked a husk off him, firing again at the few that remained, bearing down on him. He reached with his gun arm, dragging himself free of the pile of husk corpses. He pulled himself with his one good arm, unable to stand, which would have been more dangerous than beneficial as the shots from the shuttle's guns roared past overhead.<br/><br/>Shira saw him and, abandoning her safety as the shuttle overhead kept firing, she got up and started running.<span style="color: green">"Argh... "</span>the Turian yelled angrily,<span style="color: green">"Fuck this!"</span>and he too got up and started running down the bay to help, knowing the Quarian wouldn't be able to haul the Turian commander on her own.<br/><br/>Both Taseer and the human watched the two run out to rescue the downed Turian, then both stood, running out to help, shooting to cover them.<br/><br/><span style="color: red">"Mickey!"</span>Falkris coughed,<span style="color: red">"Watch the flanks! Covering fire and watch your damn aim!"</span>He saw the group running to get him and stopped struggling to move himself, instead rolling, managing to half sit up and continue firing on the husks that were brave enough to try and attack. He felt Shira and the Turian's hands on him, grabbing his arms and hauling him up.  He clenched his jaw tightly, and growled to stifle the shout of pain as they hauled him to his feet, though he could only hobble at best, his right leg being broken in several places.<br/><br/>Taseer and the human fired at the husks, doing an amateurs job at it, but never the less playing their part in covering the group as they hauled the Turian out of the bay, all the while, the shuttle focused on firing at the walls and ceiling, never slowing its firing as it picked husk target after target, the damage slowly dismantling the entire bay.<br/><br/>Taseer and the human led the way down the ramp, waving everyone to follow.<span style="color: navy">"Come on, come on! Let's move!"</span>The shuttle hovered above firing in at the growing number of husks trying to stop the group from escaping.<br/><br/>As the group of survivors moved down off the bay door to the planet's surface, the shuttle above them swayed suddenly, veering left. Over the comms Mickey, frustrated, growled,<span style="color: MediumTurquoise">"Shit...!"</span>The husks were dropping down off the nose of the freighter on top of the shuttle.<span style="color: MediumTurquoise">"Go, go! Get to the ship! I'll cover you!"</span>He yelled, struggling to keep the shuttle under control, unable to do anything about the husks who were now trying to dismantle it.<br/><br/><i>Cover us?</i>Shira wondered,<i> From what, we're clear?</i>But as they turned to see the Acheron ahead, white light of the cargo bay illuminating the obsidian earth, she realized why they needed cover. The husks in the bay weren't the only husks. Skittering across the black lava rock, down the sides of the freighter and up onto the Acheron, charging up the bay ramp were dozens more.<br/><br/><span style="color: navy">"Fuck..."</span>Taseer muttered.<br/><br/><span style="color: MediumTurquoise">"Just go!" </span>Mickey yelled, pitching the shuttle around to fire at the husks between them and the ship, his aim wild and veering as he struggled to keep the shuttle on target.<br/><br/>The group moved, shooting at the husks breaking off the advance on the ship to attack them, many of them disappearing in an explosion of obsidian shrapnel  as the shuttle's twin guns landed a hit. As the group got closer to the Acheron, they could see the defensive line inside, firing from the crates that they had set up, at least ten crewmen firing out at the husks fighting to get up the ramp, while Cantenelli stood at their heart, shouting orders and firing. He saw the survivor group getting close and yelled,<span style="color: blue">"Alpha, Bravo, cover the survivors! Delta, watch those flanks! Survivors, move your ass!"</span><br/><br/>As the survivor group reached the foot of the Acheron's bay, stepping over the twitching bodies of husks, the roar of the shuttles engines became fluctuating. The husks had finally torn open one of the thruster walls and had began ripping into the machinery, blasting high powered fuel out and causing the thruster to stop firing, and the shuttle to begin spinning out of control before crashing into the planet's surface and exploding in a blazing fireball of blue, purple and white, throwing debris across the surface a distance away from the Acheron.<br/><br/><span style="color: MediumTurquoise">"Fuck! Captain, the shuttle's toast, do we have everyone on board? Repeat, can we take off?"</span>Mickey said over the comms.<br/><br/>Cantenelli ran down the ramp as the survivors were half way up, helping to carry Falkris inside, behind the line of shooters. As they crossed the threshold, Shira, Taseer and the two other survivors quickly took up positions and began firing at the husks fighting to get up the ramp, and shoot the ones who had scrambled up the side of the ship to try and enter unnoticed across the bay's ceiling.<br/><br/><span style="color: blue">"Negative! Mickey we hold until the ground team is clear!"</span>Cantenelli yelled.<br/><br/><span style="color: green">"Captain we have to take off, no way they're still alive! We've got to go!"</span>One of the crewmen yelled.<br/><br/><span style="color: blue">"No! We buy them more time!"</span><br/><br/><br/>***<br/><br/><br/><span style="color: darkOrange">"Fantastic, Ashana, what are your rates these days?"</span>Sorv replied to Darion, taking the heads off of two more husks that were trying to close in on Darion's position. He ran his fingers over his row of thermal clips as he drew one. Four remaining. He reloaded, searching for another target.<span style="color: DarkOrange">"Firas, I'm almost out."</span>He warned.<br/><br/>The Turian, rotated on his knee, firing at a pair of husks that he emerged from a doorway to his left, then catching another husk making a break for the ramp while he had his back turned.<span style="color: blue">"Use mine!"</span>He yelled back.<br/><br/>Sorv spotted two another husks making a break across the walls and dropped it, then quickly ran back down the ramp a short distance to Firas, pulling three thermal clips from his set, and replacing the empty slots on his own. He was back up the ramp in no time, taking out another husk. He reloaded and nearly fumbled the thermal clip as Ashana and Milenya's biotic chain went off, startling him. He looked, mouth half open at the lingering blue and purple glow a distance away. There were husks all over the location, but whatever had just exploded had dislodged a number of the partitions. Even the husks seemed to be caught by surprise, pausing briefly as if to recalibrate.<br/><br/><span style="color: blue">"Sorv, what was that?!" </span>Firas yelled from below.<br/><br/><span style="color: DarkOrange">"The Asari, I think."</span>He broke his attention from the sight and looked back down the barrel of his rifle to Darion and Maethia's position. Taking down several more husks.<br/><br/>The husk's movement pattern was changing, following a now moving target as Darion and Maethia got clear of the corridor and were rapidly advancing to the ramp.<span style="color: DarkOrange">"Firas, right flank, incoming friendlies!" </span>Sorv yelled.<br/><br/><span style="color: blue">"Roger!"</span>Firas replied, focusing on the left flank as Darion and Maethia emerged from the mess of partitions and corridors.<span style="color: blue">"Firing squad, let's go!" </span>The Turian yelled, staying on one knee below the line of fire from the sharp shooter behind him, using his heavy rifle and armor as the front line now that 2/3 of the husks were focused on them. Sorv closed turned around, looking to cover Ashana and Milenya's advance now.<span style="color: blue">"Ashana, Milenya! Where the hell are you?! We've gotta go!"</span><br/><br/><br/>***<br/><br/><br/>Ashana stumbled along behind Milenya, fighting just to keep moving her feet. Even though they needed to move quickly, their speed was hampered by the exhausted woman.<span style="color: darkOrchid"><i>Move</i></span>, she repeated to herself, thinking the word over and over.<i><span style="color: darkOrchid"> Move. Just move!</span></i>Husks emerged ahead, quickly being disabled by Milenya as Ashana stumbled behind her, hitting a wall and pushing of fit to keep herself moving.<br/><br/>A husk poked its head over the partition to their right, clambering to throw itself over, but Sorv's rifle took off its head before its second hand was over the wall. She was following Milenya, had to trust that she was going to the right way, her head was in a slowly retreating fog, but too slowly. She had over exerted herself, probably injured herself. It would takes days of exercises to undo the damage, to relieve the stress on the nerve clusters.<br/><br/>It was all a blur in her mind until suddenly the maze of doors and husks was gone, and before them was open space, a road leading ahead, and at its end, four familiar figures, highlighted by muzzle flashes as blazing white rounds zipped through the air.<br/><br/><span style="color: blue">"Move, move, move!"</span>She heard Firas yell, and even though she could hardly feel her feet beneath her, she knew she was jogging, moving as quickly as she could.<br/><br/>And then they were with the group again, one unit, five weapons all firing. But they were far from safe.<br/><br/>Firas had started slowly walking backwards up the ramp, firing at the rapidly swelling number of husks converging on them.<span style="color: blue">"Watch your side! Don't waste a shot!"</span>He yelled, shooting. If he had thought they were outnumbered before, then he was kidding himself.  They were all in the same place now, a single target for every one of the machines. They weren't diving their numbers anymore. They swelled at the bottom of the ramp as they slowly retreated. If they turned and ran, if they stopped firing they would be overwhelmed in moments. Sorv had to stop firing at the husks below and start firing at the husks that were clambering up the scaffolding supporting the ramp as the husks tried to surround them. More of the husks dropped from the cavern ceiling, landing on the platform between them and the airlock.<br/><br/>Ashana stood in the middle of the group feeling her mind clearing, feeling herself cool down, ready to start fighting again. She was taking careful, consistent deep breathes trying to get her body to release its tension for it to allow her enough control to be used again.<br/><br/><span style="color: darkorchid">"Milenya..."</span>She breathed, looking at the Asari.<span style="color: darkorchid">"Pull them." </span>She stood up straight, and threw, setting off biotic blasts alongside Milenya's pulls, once again able to knock out the groups of husks. Firas and Maethia held the line, Darion and Sorv picked off strategic targets and covered the rear and Ashana and Milenya set off blast after blast, managing the horde. But only just.<br/><br/>They were half way up the ramp when Firas yelled,<span style="color: blue">"Sorv! Exit strategy!"</span><br/><br/>The Quarian shot a husk trying to pull itself up onto the ramp ahead of them, paused, looked at the airlock barring their escape. "Roger!" He yelled and started sprinting up the ramp away from the group. He reached the airlock and immediately opened his omni-tool, cracking the systems and setting them to emergency override.<br/><br/>One of the ramp's flooring panels dented outwards, then was suddenly hurtled upwards right beside him. A mass of arms, all flailing like some sea creature reaching through a small hole to reach its prey emerged from the hole, a half dozen husks all fighting to get through the hole at once. A torso pushed through and reached, managing to grab Sorv's leg and pull him down. He grunted as he hit the ground, then lowered his Mantis and pushed the barrel against the husk's head, blowing it off. He pushed himself back, then grabbed a hellfire grenade from his belt, primed it dropped it down among the arms, which reacted immediately, grabbing the foreign object and dragging it down among them like some piece of food to be devoured. The jet of flame from the hole that followed made the Quarian grin.<br/><br/>The airlocks flashed red, warning alarms sounding in the airlock as the doors started opening, the emergency override ignoring all decontamination and atmospheric processes.<br/><br/><span style="color: darkOrange">"Firas, doors are opening!"</span>Sorv yelled, running through the doors into the crisp clean white of the airlock the moment there was enough room for him.<br/><br/>The land crawler was directly ahead of him, and he jumped on top of the cab, dropped down into the bed, ran several steps and dropped onto the airlock floor, sprinting as fast as he could to the airlocks outside, opening his omni-tool and performing the same emergency override procedure.<br/><br/>Outside, Ashana was forced to abandon the detonations as the husks scrambled up the ramp's scaffolding in their way to cut them off. She was tossing them off the ramp the moment she had a target, and she was only barely keeping up. They were getting closer to the airlock, the brilliant white light inside like a beacon.<br/><br/>Suddenly the lights in the excavation site flickered and dimmed then went out as the husks dismantled the power cell keeping them on. The site plunged into darkness, revealing an unnerving undulating sea of blue lights as the husks clambered to stop them from escaping. They were getting close enough that every time his Revenant fired, he could them in flashes and bursts, like terrifying freeze frames of monsters from the stories told by pilots from uncolonized regions of space.<br/><br/>Streaks of blue light followed the biotic attacks Ashana used, occasionally flashing brightly and illuminating as a biotic detonation was triggered.  As they reached the top of the ramp, she felt an immense flood of relief as she looked straight down the way to the outside airlocks opening, and beyond, the fiery salvation of the hell-scape outside.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>