"You know what?" Sam intertwined her fingers with those of the naked blue figure lying beside her. "I could get used to this."
Liara smiled, rolled over and rested her head on Shepard's chest. "We are supposed to be hunting Geth."
"We are... We just haven't found any for days" Sam ran a couple of fingers over the asari's crest causing a slight twitch from the azure leg draped across hers. "...And we have to be fully rested for when we do encounter some"
"It is strange we haven't found very many yet" Liara frowned and circled Shepard's belly button with her index finger. "Even the ones we have found seemed disorganised and were easily dispatched."
"As if they'd be any match for us. We're the 'Saviours of the Citadel'... if not the Galaxy!" Laughed Sam as she squeezed the Asari round the shoulders. "We'd strike fear into their hearts if they had one."
"Hmmm... It's a good job I find confidence an attractive feature." Liara looked up at her grinning lover. "It just seems strange being on a mission that doesn't mean we are almost killed on a daily basis."
"Surprisingly enough, that's one of the reasons it doesn't really bother me having nothing to do." Sam grinned mischievously. "...that and the fact that any time we're not off killing geth, we can spend alone together."
"Well, I'm sure you'll be entertained when we get to Ilos." Liara rolled onto her back and sat up.
"Oh yeah?" the commander pushed herself up the bed and started kissing along Liara's shoulders. "Got another surprise planned for me like last time?"
"I meant by the Geth..." Liara smirked shaking her head. "Honestly. You have a one track mind, Commander." She giggled as she stood up, slinked over to the pile of her clothes on the floor and started to get dressed.
"And who could blame me?" Sam sighed as she watched the asari cross the room. "Where are you going?" She asked in a very whiny voice.
"This talk of Ilos just reminded me that there are things I need to prepare"
Sam protested "But..." She was interrupted by a very loud explosion.
Sam scrambled off the bed and ran to the desk to switch on the comm. "Joker? What the hell was that?"
"Commander, we're under attack!" the pilot answered.
"From who?"
"Unknown.." Joker answered. "Sure as hell not the Geth though"
"What?" Sam frowned. "Ok. What's our current status?"
"Applying evasive manoeuvres, sustaining some damage, but she's holding" Joker reported and glanced over his shoulder. "We've got fires raging on the CIC, and uh... I think Presley's dead and at least one ensign.
What the hell? Someone must've boarded us. She thought trying to make some sense of what she was hearing. "Send out a distress signal, immediately"
"Already done"
"Good work. I'm on my way" She shouted as she finished dressing.
"Liara, quickly go suit up. I think someone might have boarded us" Sam pointed at the door. "Go!"
"Aye, Commander" Liara nodded and left the room at a sprint.
Sam got into her armour and grabbed her helmet before she left her quarters. She rounded the corner past Kaiden's old work station. "Joker, it's a mess down here. Have we been boarded?" she yelled into her comm.
"No. It's their primary weapon. It's really powerful." He replied. "We're sustaining heavy damage and now have multiple hull breaches"
"Damn it!" Sam shouted as she tapped on the display in front of her trying to assess the extent of the damage. "Give the evacuation order."
"Aye, Commander" Joker said and terminated the comm link.
Sam was trying to re-route some more power to the shields to buy her crew more time, when she felt the air becoming thinner. She put her helmet on just as Liara approached.
"Shepard" the Asari shouted as she put her helmet on too. "Will the Alliance get here on time"
"They damn well better!" Shepard growled. "We need to get everyone off the ship."
"The crew are starting to get into the pods." Liara informed after checking the data on the display next to her. "They will soon be ready to launch."
"Good. You go make sure everyone evacuates." Shepard shouted over the noise of explosions going on around them.
"You know Joker won't leave the Normandy..." Liara said and added defiantly "...and I'm not going either."
"Then I'll haul his crippled ass outta there!" Shepard looked up at Liara and ordered. "Now, get the hell out of here!"
Liara turned and ran towards the escape pods and began directing the remaining crew members into them. Doctor Chakwas and a couple of ensigns entered the last empty pod. Liara stood outside it for a second as she watched another figure approach.
"Come on, Chief" Liara called out.
"Yeah, I'm comin'..." Ashley replied as she came running up and leapt through the door and fastened herself in.
Liara entered and secured herself as the door closed. The inertia shook them as the pod ejected from the Normandy. They could hear explosions going off all around. The harnesses that held them secure in their seats, but still they clung on to them and most kept their eyes closed, hoping they would survive. The faint sound of muttered prayers could just be heard coming from the direction of a panicking ensign.
Ashley looked around, breathless from her sprint "Wait, where's Shepard?"
"She went to save Joker" Liara replied, a worried look spread over her face. "He wouldn't leave"
"Damn it, Jeff!" Ashley looked upwards, both cursing his stubbornness and desperately hoping he would be alright.
Suddenly there was an enormous explosion. They all fell silent until Liara's voice, filled with worry, shouted "Shepard?!"
"They will have evacuated in the pod next to the cockpit" Chakwas tried to reassure them all. "I'm sure they'll both be fine."
"No... Something isn't right..." Liara tried to push her harness off herself but couldn't find the release mechanism. She threw off her helmet and started flailing her legs wildly as she tried to scramble free.
"Liara, calm down!" Ashley yelled as she unfastened her harness and knelt in front of the hysterical asari so she could restrain her legs. "Doc? Little help"
"She's going into shock." Chakwas said as she released herself from her seat's security and carefully approached the hysterical asari. "I have a sedative in the medkit that will knock her out for a while."
"Nooooooooo!" Liara screamed. "Samantha! No!"
"Do it."' Ashley nodded and she did her best to hold her still.
The doctor pushed Liara's head to one side and administered the sedative.
"Samantha!" She felt a slight prick in her neck, then felt herself drifting as the injection started to take effect. "Samantha... I-I love you... Don't... Don't go..." her voice began to trail off. Her pounding heart began to slow a little inside her chest.
"It's ok Liara. Sam will be ok" Ashley had her hands on either side of Liara's face, trying to hold the Asari's gaze.
"But she said... She promised..." Words slurred from blue lips as tears streamed down Liara's cheeks "She'd never... leave... me..."
"Of course she wouldn't. She loves you too much." Ashley wiped the tears from Liara's cheeks. "Now just rest. When you wake up Sam will be with you."
Liara closed her eyes. She could swear she felt Sam's presence in her mind, almost surrounding hers, right there and then, as if cradling her to sleep. Maybe this was all just a bad dream. Maybe I'm just lying in Samantha's arms and fell asleep. she thought as she slowly passed out.
...
Hours passed in silent contemplation. Only the occasional sniffling sound could be heard coming from Liara as she continued to weep even as she slept.
One of the ensigns had fallen asleep out of pure exhaustion. The other sat nervously rubbing her hands together, waiting. Would they ever be rescued? However, the most pressing thought in the heads of all those still conscious was the unknown fate of their Commander. They sat there for long while without a word spoken, each pondering the many possibilities.
Eventually their pod was intercepted by an Alliance cruiser. It's pilot had picked up the Normandy's distress signal and the Captain immediately gave the order to intercept and assist, but on their arrival they found nothing but a few pieces of debris and the escape pods which had automatically positioned themselves in stable orbits around the planet Alchera.
The pods were all located by tracking their automated distress beacons, and were brought into the cargo hold of the ship one by one. Each pod was opened and the crew started to spill out onto the deck. The cruiser's med team tended the wounded and the survivors who were suffering from shock.
Ashley called over a young medic and explained that Liara had been sedated and that she may need restraining when she eventually woke up. He was also given strict instructions to call for the Chief as soon as the Asari regained consciousness. Chakwas decided it would be best if she stayed close to her in case she woke up. At least there would be a friendly face to greet her.
Ashley stood hands on hips and looked around. The cargo hold looked like a war-zone. Pods were everywhere. She wandered round checking each one. No sign of Joker or Shepard. She started to get a sinking feeling.
"Chief." came a familiar voice from behind her.
She turned to see Garrus, sporting a few cuts and bruises, stepping out of the most recently opened pod. "Garrus!" She found herself hugging him before she realised what she was doing. "It's really good to see you. Are you alright?"
"Just a few bumps and scrapes." he shrugged, wincing a little after she released him from her embrace.
"Have you seen Shepard?" Ashley asked
"I just got outta this thing... All I know is, she wasn't in my pod." he answered. "Why... is she missing?"
"I'm hoping it's just that the pod she and Joker were in hasn't been recovered yet." Ashley couldn't hide her anxiety. "But I've got a bad feeling..."
"What about Liara? Is she with them too?" Garrus queried
"No she was with us. She's ok, but she got hysterical in the pod... We had to sedate her." Ash looked positively nauseous. "That's why I've got a bad feeling... Liara kept saying something was wrong and saying about Sam promising never to leave her."
"Shepard's a survivor." The turian tried to be comforting. "I'm sure she'll..."
"Wait..." The Chief noticed another pod being brought in. "Maybe this one" she said running towards it.
"Hey!" Garrus set of running with a slight limp "Wait for me."
"Open that pod, now!" Ashley ordered one of the cruiser's engineers. He didn't dare argue and set to overriding the locking mechanism with his omni-tool.
The door swished open to reveal a lone figure sat inside, shaking.
"Jeff?" Ashley said cautiously entering the pod. "Jeff... Are you ok? Where's Shepard?"
The pilot just stared at the floor, still shaking. "Sh-she's gone..."
"What do you mean, 'gone'?" Pushed Ashley, now trying to release the safety harness.
He shook his head and lifted his eyes to meet hers. They were full of such hurt and sorrow. "She got... spaced..." He cast his eyes back down at the floor and held his head in his hands.
Ashley, almost involuntarily, sat down on the floor, her eyes welling up. "She... She can't be"
"It's all my fault ... She came to get me" Joker continued, sniffling as he spoke. "We just got to the pod... I-I tried to reach her... But the explosion ... She lost grip ... Then she was just ... Gone."
Garrus heard the last part from the doorway and had to steady himself as he tried to take in the news. He staggered off to find somewhere quiet to sit.
Ashley knelt up in front of Jeff who was now sobbing and saying "I'm sorry." over and over.
"Shhhh..." she said as she held him, rocking him gently back and forth. "It's not your fault... There was nothing you could have done."
A medic came into the pod to check him over. He only seemed to have a couple of cuts and bruises, but he kept flinching when his right knee was touched.
Ashley explained Joker's medical condition and helped them gently carry him out to a gurney. The Chief was asked to back off whilst they treated his injuries.
It turned out he'd sustained quite a few fractures in his legs which needed treating as soon as possible, and a broken arm from when Shepard had pulled him to his feet.
Ashley did as asked and gave the medics room to work. She had eyes so full of tears she could barely see anyway. She rested against the side of the pod thinking I can't believe this. After all she's done... All she's fought and won... This just isn't right. It isn't fair. The Chief slouched down, resting her head back against the side of the pod trying to blink away the tears. Her thoughts were all over the place. What's going to happen now? What are we gonna do without her? I can't imagine my life without the Skipper in it. Ash herself was totally heartbroken, but then a thought hit her. Oh my god... Liara! This is gonna destroy her!.
Ashley stood and took a deep breath. "Ok, come on Williams. You need to be strong. For Liara. For Shepard" she muttered under her breath and decided to look around for Garrus who seemed to have disappeared. She found him leaning up against some crates marked Ammunition. He was wringing his hands and muttering something incomprehensible.
"Garrus?" Ashley said as she neared him.
"She can't be. She just can't" He shook his head. "Not like this..."
Ashley took his hand into hers and squeezed it. "I know. But we have to be strong. We have to pull together. For each other. Think of Liara"
"Yeah... I'm sorry. You're right." He sniffed and stood up straight. "Who's going to tell her?".
"I will" She looked upwards trying to gather her strength. "I have no idea what to say, but I will..."
"You sure?" Garrus was struggling to keep it together but wanted to be supportive to the pale looking Chief. He decided it may help to pull on past experiences to give him strength. "I've broken bad news to people before back when I was in C-Sec"
"No, but thanks." She smiled, appreciative of the offer. "I think Shepard would want me to tell her."
"Okay, I'm going to see if anyone needs any help. You're right, this is going to be a time of pulling together and finding strength in that." Garrus gently rubbed Ashley's upper arm. "But please, just shout if you need me."
"Thanks, I will." She took a deep breath and headed towards where Dr Chakwas was sitting watching over the trembling asari.
"Doc." Ashley beckoned her over.
"Have you found the Commander? Is she okay?"
Ashley simply shook her head. Dr Chakwas read the bad news from the pain in Chief Williams' eyes. "I can't believe it. She's really gone? How?"
"Jeff says she was trying to get into the pod when there was an explosion." Ashley felt suddenly dizzy "Doc... she got spaced." she added as her head spun, causing her to fall towards the doctor who caught her and helped her regain her balance.
"Ashley, you're in shock. You need to sit down." the Doctor advised.
"I'll be ok." Ashley tried to shrug off the nausea that was building too. "... Actually, I don't feel too..." she turned away and emptied the contents of her stomach onto the deck.
"It's okay, Chief. This is a normal part of shock." she said softly.
"I'm okay... I think that's it... I'm alright... I..." She suddenly turned away again "Oh god..."
Chakwas gently rubbed Ashley's back until she stood up and gave the nod. "Okay... That's all of it"
"Chief Williams! Doctor Chakwas!" a young medic beckoned them over as Liara started to stir. She was still trembling inside her armour and tear tracks stained the azure skin of her cheeks.
Both the chief and the doctor hurried over to her. Ashley took her hand and whispered "Liara? Are you ok? Do you know where you are?"
Liara just murmured slightly. She was slipping in and out of consciousness. It would be some time yet, before she would be coherent enough to handle the news.
...
Pain. Immense pain. Panic and desperation. A brief but vivid vision of her lover drifting away. Then nothing.
Liara sat up suddenly gasping for air, as if she'd been holding her breath. "Samantha?!" she gasped, looking around.
"Liara..." Ashley sat next to her and tried to attract her focus to calm her. "Its okay."
"Ashley? What happened?" Everything seemed a little fuzzy and disorientated.
"We've been picked up by an Alliance cruiser." The chief explained. "Its ok, you're going to be fine."
"We had to give you a sedative, so your head will probably feel a little strange." Chakwas added from the other side of the bed. "and you might be a little dizzy."
Liara looked from the Doctor to Ashley and back again a couple of times. "Where's Sam?"
Ashley took a deep breath "Liara, I'm so sorry..."
"No..." Liara sat up and quickly shuffled round, swinging her legs over the side to face the Chief.
Ashley immediately stood up in front of her, ready to restrain her if need be. "Liara, I'm afraid Sam didn't make it..."
"No... She did... She must be here somewhere." she jumped from the bed and tried to set off in search but Ashley caught her before she could so much as take an unsteady step.
Ash didn't relinquish her grip of the struggling asari until eventually Liara's body became less rigid and she was too weak to keep fighting against the Chief's strong hold. By that point Liara had started to remember what she felt in the pod... She felt the loss then, but it was so much worse now. Now she knew it was true. She felt it within her... The emptiness. Sam was gone. Forever. Ashley simply held Liara in a tight embrace as she sobbed her heart out.