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Huh!... Huh!... Huh!… Huh… Huh… Shepard swallowed hard to catch her breath. It didn’t work.
She’d found cover, although cover wasn’t worth much against husks. They didn’t stop and shoot, just kept running and pursuing until their reaching hands grabbed you; those undead, glowing claws. They’d grab you and grab you with their cold, dead flesh until you were torn apart.
She’d seen it happen.
Shepard didn’t want them to touch her. Not even a poke.
She panicked and closed her eyes.
Whoooooom!
Kaidan threw out a biotic flare to attract the attention of the herd.
Shepard’s heart caught in her throat again, this time watching them turn away from her hiding spot to sprint directly at him. She raised her pistol.
The cave turned bright blue, one of Liara’s singularities caught them all like a net—Right before the moment they reached Kaidan.
Shepard’s heart was beating so fast she thought it would leap out of her chest.
Now the husks were being ripped apart, their blue desiccated bodies shattered like watches. Wires and debris from some kind of alien tech scattered the ground with bits of dried flesh.
“Gross,” she heard Liara say. Her voice echoed among the stone.
“Shepard, are you all right?” came Kaidan’s concern as he made his way over.
“Fine,” she insisted, but she still held onto his hand like a crutch when he offered to help her up.
Shepard could tell by the look in his eyes that he knew she was shaking.
“Sure you’re all right?”
She nodded, “They didn’t get me.”
“Almost did,” Liara said, hands on her hips.
“But they didn’t.”
“Shepard…”
“I’m fine, Liara. I just don’t like when they chase me.”
Liara and Kaidan shared a look.
“You know,” he started, “I’d never question your leadership abilities, and I’m not doing so now—I just… What if we took a break for a while? Just to calm down.”
“I don’t need to calm down!”
Her eyes and her tone said otherwise.
“Hey, they freak me out too. If you don’t need a break, I do.”
“Kaidan…”
“Cave’s empty!” Liara shrugged, following Kaidan’s lead, “Those should be the last of them.”
They both sat on the rock she’d been using as cover. Shepard rolled her eyes before joining them.
“I just… Why do they have to run so fast?” she admitted.
Kaidan sighed, “I don’t know, Commander.”
She spoke again, “Do we know who they were? You know… Before?”
Liara shook her head solemnly, “Just that they were miners.”
Shepard bit her lip, “Imagine dying at work.”
The other two realized it before she did. A moment later, Shepard got there too.
“Thanks, you two. If you hadn’t been there…”
Kaidan took her armored hand in his, a gentle gesture that held a little more than friendship in it. Liara pretended not to notice.
“We’ll always be there, Shepard. Just like you are for us.”
Liara nodded in agreement.
Shepard’s comms crackled and Wrex’s growl filled the room, “Husk fuckers were everywhere! But it’s all clear. Ashley might have sprained her ankle and Garrus took a little scratch, but we have enough medi-gel to take care of it. You holding up?”
Shepard gave Kaidan and Liara a look and a nod. She was okay, and she was ready to move on.
“Rodger that, soldier! We’re all good here. All husks, no survivors. I’ll radio Joker and tell him to come pick us up.”