...An H. R. Giger nightmare, organic-looking machinery integrated into what resembles nothing so much as an insect hive of enormous proportions, the machines and the structure itself dwarfing Shepard and her fireteam, a light-skinned, dark-haired human woman and, for those who've both met him and have a knack for recognizing turians or at least their facial scarring, Garrus.
Shepard and her squad are advancing with agonizing slowness as the Collectors throw wave after wave at them, more of the remorseless insectoid aliens appearing from the vast reaches of their base to replace their comrades as quickly as they fall. It's not merely a firefight; Shepard and the other human are wreathed in biotic power, as are some of the Collectors, both sides pounding each other with dark energy in addition to bullets.
One of the Collectors glows as if burning from within, which seems to grant it greater biotic power and resistance to damage. When Shepard and her teammates do succeed in killing it, the glow appears in a new host, accompanied by a deep male voice emanating not from the possessed Collector, but everywhere, the sound of it seeming to fill even the enormous cavern in which they fight.
"We are the Harbinger of your ascendance," it says as it unleashes yet another biotic strike and Shepard ducks into cover just in time.
"Do you ever shut up?" she mutters through gritted teeth. All three of the squad are clearly flagging, their reaction times growing more sluggish and their aim suffering, and Shepard's inexhaustible grim determination can't entirely hide the fatigue and mounting dread woven through the memory. They're holding their own, but it's a near thing...and then Garrus screams as his chest explodes into a spray of blue blood.
"Garrus!" Shepard charges from her cover, her shields absorbing several shots from the Collectors as she all but slides into Garrus where he's fallen, lying unmoving in a spreading pool of blood.
Assault on the Collector Base
Shepard and her squad are advancing with agonizing slowness as the Collectors throw wave after wave at them, more of the remorseless insectoid aliens appearing from the vast reaches of their base to replace their comrades as quickly as they fall. It's not merely a firefight; Shepard and the other human are wreathed in biotic power, as are some of the Collectors, both sides pounding each other with dark energy in addition to bullets.
One of the Collectors glows as if burning from within, which seems to grant it greater biotic power and resistance to damage. When Shepard and her teammates do succeed in killing it, the glow appears in a new host, accompanied by a deep male voice emanating not from the possessed Collector, but everywhere, the sound of it seeming to fill even the enormous cavern in which they fight.
"We are the Harbinger of your ascendance," it says as it unleashes yet another biotic strike and Shepard ducks into cover just in time.
"Do you ever shut up?" she mutters through gritted teeth. All three of the squad are clearly flagging, their reaction times growing more sluggish and their aim suffering, and Shepard's inexhaustible grim determination can't entirely hide the fatigue and mounting dread woven through the memory. They're holding their own, but it's a near thing...and then Garrus screams as his chest explodes into a spray of blue blood.
"Garrus!" Shepard charges from her cover, her shields absorbing several shots from the Collectors as she all but slides into Garrus where he's fallen, lying unmoving in a spreading pool of blood.
"You will know pain, Shepard."