The Firefly (Mass Effect Andromeda)

Chapter 14

The secrecy of the project had largely depended on its autonomy. The members on Eos lived outside of society, only connecting to send a sporadic email or two before vanishing off the grid again. But appearing to send large amounts of data to the Nexus had exposed them, and the Kett clearly must have picked up on the signals suddenly being sent. They had come, not in force, but in a small, armed dropship to investigate. Still, it was enough. These people were scientists and doctors, not soldiers.

"Get everyone who can't fire a gun inside!" Vee had yelled at them. "Any weapons you do have, get out here."

"Biotics?" An asari called to Lyora.

"Absolutely." She nodded, the two of them forming a barrier as the gunfire started. Kett warriors jumped down from the dropship, immediately opening fire.

Olivia ducked into where Kendra was handcuffed, hearing the chatter of bullets behind her as she did so. The scarred woman looked rattled, her eyes dilated with adrenaline. "Kett?" She asked succinctly.

"Yes." Olivia nodded, loading her pistol. She had given the assault rifle away already to another of the scientists and could hear it being fired as Nunok dragged as many of the staff as he could indoors.

"Release me." Kendra ordered. "Release me and I can help. I'm experienced in combat and I've survived out here a lot longer than you have."

"Are you mad?" Olivia replied, "I'm not letting you out. You'll try to kill me again. We literally locked you up days ago for murder."

"You don't have to trust me." Kendra snarled. "You just have to let me shoot Kett. I promise to surrender peacefully afterwards but I'd prefer not to die." They heard an explosion and a scream from outside and both jumped. Olivia looked over her shoulder, sweat beading on her forehead. Her friends could be dying out there.

"I swear if you don't surrender, I will shoot you next time." Olivia promised, removing the handcuffs, and handing the other woman a gun.

"You won't regret it." Kendra charged past her and into the firefight, immediately ducking right and taking cover.

Olivia stepped out, dropping down as a volley of fire passed over her head. She huddled down, her heart rattling. This was worse than when she and Liam had been pinned. She'd been scared then, but nowhere near as terrified as she was at this moment. They were going to die, all of them. She could see a human body not far from her, and an Asari. Her heart stopped for a moment until she realized it wasn't Lyora.

Her friend was throwing enemies into the air with her biotics. The casualty was the one she had been holding the barrier with. Vee was on the other side of the cluster of buildings with two humans, all of them firing at the invaders. They were making a difference, and there were Kett bodies on the ground but the aliens were pushing forward.

Kendra was not far from Liv, and she was firing clean, precise shots that hit their mark every time. She had been right, Olivia realized, she was the best shot they had, other than Vee.

Olivia popped up from cover. She fired twice blindly, neither hitting anything. The third time, she aimed more carefully, feeling like she was going to vomit. A bullet struck a Kett soldier's arm, knocking him off balance, and a laugh of disbelief and adrenaline burst from her lips.

She fired again, and again, until finally a bullet took one in the face, and it dropped, dead. She had just killed something. She felt a sense of dread and relief all at once that was overwhelming. It had been so easy to take a life in the heat of battle. It didn't feel real to her.