[i]The Escape[/i]

It was empty. A void of nothingness, cold and uninviting; similar to the vacuum of space but different at the same time. Space was vast, most of it made up of a vacant expanse but at least you could see things out in the distance; knew that life was dotted throughout the galaxy. Here there was nothing. No hope to cling to. Just the distant feeling that something terrible lurked out of view. 

An explosion in the distance reverberated throughout the shipping container, knocking Kysar out of his trance. In front of him lay the cracked orb, patterns of colours churning away mesmerisingly. Feeling a drop of blue blood trickle its way down from the Turian’s nose, he glanced around at the others. Solveig and Yarik seemed as if they were coming out of a dream too, with the colour from their faces appearing to be drained. Shaking the eerie feeling loose, Kysar gripped the base of his rifle even harder, bringing it down onto the orb once more.

Success! The ball exploded, crackling as its innards oozed out in an odd electrical goo. The Turian turned to the others, smirking, ready to receive his medal.

“Time to pay up Drell. 5000 big ones for…”

Yarik hurried past Kysar, keen to inspect what was left of the assumed Reaper tech. The Turian turned to his human compatriot, offering a shrug and a shake of the head.

“Out!” Yelled the Drell, as the alien pelted past Kysar, following it up with the call for a barrier. Diving out of the container with nary a second thought, a hue of cobalt blue enveloped the former Cabal as a wave of energy washed over the team. Panting on the soft sand outside the container, Kysar’s head quickly darted from side to side. The inside of the ship appeared to be intact, the wind quietly whistling through the many holes of the hull. A swipe of his arm revealed his omni-tool was still functional, so maybe everything was…

The panicked shuffle of the Drell cut Kysar’s concentration, drawing his attention to Solveig. The Human was looking worse for wear, barely conscious and not even able to stand. The Turian stood, brushing himself down and blowing out sand caught in the crevasses of his armour. Once overing his gear, he decided that despite the condition of his teammate, the mission had been a success. The woman was tough, she’d survive and the lack of gunfire had meant whatever enthrallment the Drells were under was over one way or another. 

“Could’ve wrapped a bow on this bad boy, this thing went so... ” A deafening buzz echoed throughout the ship as a giant insect-like creature rose above the containers. The Turian could not win today. Maybe he’d just have to wait until the money in his hand before taking a moment to celebrate. 

Yarik scooped up the two as they exited the ship and bound across the minefield as quickly as they could. Behind them, the Collector Captain hovered in the air, threatening to close the gap with ease. Linking up with Kaya, the group ran in the direction of the shuttle, only for the creature to appear biotically in front of them. Almost tauntingly so, the Collector unleashed a particle beam that ripped right through the shuttle like a hot knife through butter. Kysar fired off a few rounds but they just shimmered off the things’ shield. Turning, the beam glassed the sand as it tore towards the group, just missing Yarik. The order to fall back was music to the Turians ears as he turned tail and ran.

As they ran, the drone of seeker swarms filled the air, followed by the scream of an unlucky Drell caught in their midst. Diving behind a chest-high sand dune, Kysar threw up another barrier, focusing for dear life as the wasp-like creatures gnawed away. Beads of sweat dripped from all manner of places as the creatures dissipated in a mere moment. Any more action like that and his biotics would run dry altogether. 

Booms akin to thunder rolled out from the battlefield as Kysar popped his head above the dune. The Krogan was firing off his giant shotgun at the Collector, walking towards the thing while he cackled.

[i]“Ha! Krogans! Here for a good time, not here for a long time.”[/i] He thought before eying up their surroundings. “Hmm,” his vocal cords echoed, “no vantage points near me but that scaffolding…” He paused, looking down at his grenades, then back towards the rickety framework looming over behind the Collector.. “Yeah that might just do the trick.”

Ducking back down behind the dune, the Turian unhooked a grenade from his belt, saturating it with his biotics. If that crazy Krogan could take down its shields, this might finish the thing off. If not, it might just save that idiot's life. Re-emerging once more, Kysar threw it with all his might towards the scaffolding.

“Spirits this better work.”