Finding a way: Mass effect 3

Finding Dr. Garneau

They arrived just under thirty-six hours later and he, EDI and Garrus joined her as they made for the small mining operation in the asteroid belt that had been Dr. Garneau's likely destination.

"Commander, I'm picking up Reaper forces in the asteroid field," Cortez alerted them as they approached.

"If they were shadowing the field teams as Dr. Bryson suspected then their presence is a good sign that we're on the right track."

"Shepard, you do realize you just used the word 'good' in reference to the Reapers, right?" Garrus said.

"Yep. Might need to have Dr. Chakwas check me for brain damage when we get back," she joked.

Cortez chuckled as he dropped them off at the landing pad and they made for the entrance to the facility. Unfortunately, they found a couple brutes and half a dozen husks at the door, too, trying to beat their way in.

"EDI, focus on the husks, we'll get the brutes!" Aubrey ordered.

Garrus quickly threw a clip of armor piercing rounds in his rifle and started firing at the closest brute, while he and Aubrey sent a combined warp at the other and followed it up with bullets. He sent a warp at the one Garrus was shooting at before going back to helping Aubrey.

The brute charged them causing her to dive left while he dove right to get out of the way. He rolled to his knees to see Aubrey on hers, holding a barrier up against the claw-like arm of the brute that was trying to crush her. He sent a warp at it, which distracted it long enough for Aubrey to abruptly drop the barrier causing it to overbalance at the sudden loss of resistance and stumble forward. She spun to the side and darted around behind it while it was off balance, staying close enough to stick a grenade in between the armor plates on it. She kept her forward momentum to put some distance between them while he kept the brute's attention with his warps and bullets. Just as it was about to charge him the grenade went off and sent bits of the creature splattering across the floor and walls...and him.

He tried not to think about it as he wiped the inky blue-black liquid off his cheek with the back of his hand.

"Oooo, that's...um...sorry, honey," Aubrey said running her eyes over him and biting her lip to try and stop herself from laughing.

He sighed and shook his head, trying to hide his own smile.

They turned to find that EDI had taken care of the husks and had helped Garrus get the other brute down.

"Let's get in there and get Garneau before reinforcements arrive," she said.

They hurried to the door and EDI hacked their way in.

"Welcome to T-GES Mineral Works," an automated system said as the door opened. "All guests please sign in at the reception desk."

He had been expecting to see an armed security detail prepared to repel the invading Reaper forces that had been trying to get in ahead of them. Instead, they found everyone calmly going about their business. He shared a worried glance with Aubrey and Garrus.

"I was expecting a bit more...panic," Garrus said.

Chatter around them died as they passed, all eyes turning to watch them walk to the reception desk.

"That's not at all creepy," he whispered.

"I'm Commander Shepard with the Alliance," she introduced herself to the two gentlemen working the desk. "Were you not aware that you had Reaper forces attacking your front door?"

"Are they still there?" one of them asked in a monotone voice, just like Hadley's had been. He saw that Aubrey had noted it, too.

"No. We took care of them for now," she replied cautiously.