Mass Effect: Duty

Start of the Assault

In the pre-dawn gloom, the acrid scent of fuel and the unmistakable metallic musk of anticipation clung to the air. A harsh symphony of engines whirring to life echoed through the sprawling encampment, vying for dominance over the scattered murmurs of the forty-two battle-hardened Turians selected for duty. Their faces, etched with countless scars and the shadows of untold stories, were stoic masks as they were herded onto shuttles and vehicles in a calculated dance of military precision. As they settled into their seats, the tension was palpable; a tangible undercurrent that hummed in harmony with the shuttles' engines. A mere two squads were given the honor - or perhaps the curse - of leading this daring assault, their task to poke and prod at the enemy.

"Alright listen up," the captain's voice boomed through the communicators as the ship quieted. It was a loud voice, a commanding presence that was able to wrangle those that were speaking. "We have two mission objectives, find our scouts, and destroy the base. The bomb is arriving on a truck, alongside the majority of our assault group. Our objective is to skirmish with the enemy so that they waste their clips." The captain stopped speaking, looking around at every turian who affirmed their mission statement with a stiff nod. "Who are we!?" The captain bellowed.

"The seven-seven!" The turians replied, except for one.

"Who are we?" The captain repeated.

"The seven-seven!" The turians replied again, except for one.

"Go! Go! Go!" The captain barked out as the shuttle doors opened, and the view of the Cerberus camp was in front of us.

The shuttle touched down with a jolt, and the turians poured out, weapons ready. There was an eery calm in the air. The turian felt it. Something didn't feel correct as the camp in front of them seemed empty. "Maybe they've left?" A turian voice spoke out. But it wasn't until he finished speaking that the turian noticed a slight glint coming from the window, and before he could yell out to duck, a hail of gunfire erupted from the Cerberus positions. The turians scattered, seeking cover behind boulders and in shallow underground depressions. The turian threw himself behind a nearby boulder, his heart pounding in his chest as bullets ricocheted off the rock. He gripped his rifle tightly, waiting for a lull in the gunfire.

"Suppressing fire!" the captain shouted over the din of battle. "Squads, advance and flank!"

The turian popped up from behind his cover, firing a burst towards the enemy positions. He saw a human soldier fall, clutching his chest. The rest of the turians were moving now, darting from cover to cover as they tried to close the distance to the Cerberus defences.

Suddenly, there was a deafening explosion to the turian's left. The turian turned to see a plume of smoke and debris rising from where one of the other squads had been advancing. "They have heavy weapons!" someone yelled over the comm. The turian ducked behind another as another explosion shook the ground nearby, showering the turian with dirt and pebbles. The turians heart raced, and his breath came in rapid bursts inside his helmet. This was far more resistance than they had anticipated from the Cerberus forces. The turian's brain was filled with hatred, to waste a whole night allowing Cerberus to shore up their defences.

"The two of you, with me!" the captain barked over the comm, looking right at the turian. "We need to take out that heavy weapon before it decimates our whole unit!"

"Acknowledged," the turian replied, steeling himself. He glanced over to see another squad member crouched behind a mound of rubble nearby. Giving him a tight nod.

They broke from cover on the captain's signal, keeping low and moving quickly. The turian led the way, darting between boulders and the burned husks of those hit by the heavy weapons. Bullets whizzed by, kicking up puffs of dirt and ricocheting off metal with high-pitched pings. The heavy gun fired again, the ground shaking beneath their boots as the explosive round impacted somewhere behind them.