"Yeah, I got it. Not my first hopeless stand," Shepard says dryly...to Wash's retreating back. Okay then.

She sprints over to a wrecked Mongoose and crouches in cover, pulling a gun off its mount on her back. It snaps out from a compact package into a sniper rifle, stock and barrel unfolding automatically, scope popping up where there was nothing before.

Then she starts picking off Elites. No one's briefed her on the Covenant, but she can tell a miniboss from a trash mob when she sees 'em.