** Garrus POV **
"Cerberus is attacking the Citadel," Wrex replied. "There's a group of us making our way through, but we're pinned at the C-Sec headquarters."
Garrus growled. Of course they were. How long had Cerberus been planning this? One of his priorities was to find Mina.
"Head over to C-Sec headquarters," Garrus ordered.
"We're on our way," Serus replied as he maneuvered the THS Talek'ahr toward headquarters.
"Chellick, Vaia," Garrus said as he left the cockpit and headed toward the shuttle bay. "Be ready to engage Cerberus troops."
"Yes, sir," they replied in unison.
"Nihlus," Garrus called out.
"I'll follow your lead," he replied.
"The shuttle bay is opening," Serus announced. "Can't stay here long though."
Garrus tightened the grip on his customized sniper rifle.
The shuttle lurched violently. A section of the hull peeled back with a shriek of tortured metal, revealing the carnage below. Cerberus troops, sleek black armor contrasting with the scorched remains of Alliance infrastructure, were systematically executing a desperate last stand. Laser fire crisscrossed the air, punctuated by the guttural roars of heavily armored combatants.
"Now!" Garrus roared, a primal sound of battle.
As soon as there was enough room, Garrus, Nihlus, Chellick, and Vaia jumped out and landed in the middle of the firefight.
Cerberus troops and the surviving C-Sec members were in a tight battle. Neither side was willing to give up. As soon as Cerberus noticed the new arrival, they began to fire upon them. Garrus hit the ground rolling, his rifle already spitting fire.
"Those are combat engineers," Chellick commented as he headed for cover.
"Take them out," Garrus instructed as Vaia, and he also took some cover.
Chellick and Nihlus laid down a steady stream of suppressive fire. They moved with a practiced efficiency that spoke of years spent in firefights, directing the shots to the most immediate threats, providing cover for Garrus's more precise shots.
When he got a moment to take a breather, Garrus scanned the battlefield for Wrex. It didn't take him long to find him. Nihlus had already made his way toward him. Garrus fought his way over and took some cover next to them.
"How did this happen?" Garrus asked, taking out one of the turrets.
"Don't know much about how they managed to get on the Citadel, but one minute I'm talking to Commander Bailey and the next they're coming out of everywhere," Wrex said, shooting off a couple of rounds.
"They came in undetected?" Garrus asked, surprised.
"We don't know all the details," Wrex replied. "We should keep moving."
"What about the Cerberus troops?" Garrus asked.
"Shepard can take care of them," Wrex replied, opening a nearby service door.
"John made contact a few minutes after you landed," Wrex clarified. "He's on his way to headquarters as we speak."
"Where are y'all headed?" Garrus asked as both Nihlus and Wrex headed through the door.
"To save Aster," Wrex replied. "John can save the Citadel when he gets here."
"Mina?" Garrus inquired. "What? She was captured?!"
"Think about it," the krogan said, turning around. "Cerberus attacked and made it their priority to capture her. I heard chatter when I left the Citadel. I didn't think much of it, but now it makes sense.
"Udina has turned traitor and somehow is behind the capture of Aster. He orchestrated all of this just to capture her. She must be some valuable asset."
"We have to save her before Cerberus takes her off the Citadel," Nihlus said from inside the corridor. "Where is she being held?"
"I don't know for sure," replied Wrex. "We'll need to patch through Cerberus communications."
Without hesitation, Garrus followed after Wrex and Nihlus. Chellick and Vaia joined them shortly after. Nihlus seemed to know where they were going since he didn't hesitate when the path before them split in two. He turned to the right and kept going.
"Have you seen Solana?" Garrus asked no one in particular.
"She should be with Aster," Wrex replied after a few minutes of silence. "When Cerberus attacked, Solana said she would find Aster."
Garrus thanked him and stayed silent after that. He needed to stay focused. Knowing that Solana was safe helped ease the tension on his shoulders. More time went by, and Garrus had begun to wonder if Nihlus really knew where he was going.
"We're getting close," Nihlus said from up ahead as Garrus heard the sound of battle in front of them.
"Get ready," Nihlus instructed them. "We want to take them by surprise and make our way toward a private holding area. This is where Mina should have been taken after being captured."
Nihlus opened the service door, and the three of them crept up on the unsuspecting Cerberus squad, who had their back toward them. They appeared to be distracted by the female turian in front of them.
"Get her!" one of the Cerberus troops said.
"Why don't you worry about us instead?" Wrex fired several rounds of his shotgun.
"Wrex," Solana said, walking over to them. "About time you showed up. What took you so long?"
"We found more help," Wrex said, tilting his head toward Garrus and his group.
"It's a good thing you arrived when you did," Solana greeted.
She went over and gave Garrus a quick hug.
"Mina should be nearby," Solana continued. "From what I heard on the radio, she's being heavily guarded."
At first, Garrus wasn't sure where they were, but he saw they had emerged at the Presidium Commons after a quick look.
"Lead the way," Solana said, taking a look around. "Doesn't seem like Cerberus troops know that we've secured C-Sec."
Wrex checked his weapon and led the way toward the private holding area. This area was meant as an overflow in the event that C-Sec's holding cells ever became full. The six of them moved strategically through the area. Using cover and anything they could find to avoid being detected.
"Just around the corner," Wrex said softly. "Garrus, there is a panel nearby. See if you can locate Aster."
Garrus quickly plugged in his omni-tool to the panel and hacked into the system. His fingers were dancing across the holographic interface with a focused intensity. His finger was flying across the keyboard. Green lines of code flickered across the display, then solidified into architectural schematics.
"There!" he exclaimed, a note of triumph in his voice. A cell on the fourth level of a secluded, unmarked facility highlighted itself. "Level four, sector gamma. Looks like a standard confinement unit. Two-point-four-meter walls, reinforced door, standard magnetic locking mechanism."
"It's a new resident, the cell has been in use for 6 hours," Garrus continued.
"That must be where they are holding her," Solana deduced.
"Exactly," Garrus confirmed, already zooming in. "Proximity sensors on all access corridors, multiple cameras, and… ah, yes. Guard patrols. Heavy. Minimum two elite Cerberus troopers per patrol cycle, augmented by a mech at key intersections. This isn't just a holding cell, it's a fortress."
Wrex cracked his neck. "Good. More to smash."
The team moved like a well-oiled machine. They slowly made their way over.
"Three Cerberus troopers, twenty meters ahead, coming around the corner! Two heavily armored, one biotic," Garrus called out.
The ensuing firefight was brutal and efficient. Wrex charged, a living battering ram, shrugging off laser fire as he pulped the armored troopers with his shotgun. Nihlus and Solana peppered the remaining guards with a flurry of precise shots, dropping them before they could even raise an alarm. Vaia took out a distant camera before it could capture their entry.
They reached the cell block, a sterile, gray corridor lined with reinforced doors.
"This is it," Garrus whispered, his omni-tool glowing as he pressed it against the door lock.
The magnetic seals hissed, then clicked with a soft thud. The door slid open, revealing a familiar figure huddled in the corner.
"Oh spirits," Solana said, hurrying over to Mina. "Mina, can you hear me?"
Mina looked up, her eyes widening in disbelief and then relief. "Solana? Garrus? You came."
Garrus offered a small smile. "Of course we did, Mina. Now, let's get you out of here."