Know Return
Flash Fiction for Mass Effect
Prompt: Point of No Return prompt for Flash Fiction Month day 16
Secondary prompt: Replaying the Arrival DLC for ME2
Characters: OCs
Setting: Shortly after Shepard's trial for destroying the Alpha Relay
"No, it's not 'point of no return.' It's 'point of know return' as in 'I know you think it's just a dumb pun.' It's from an old song but the pun is conveying something important. There comes a point where, if you know something, you can't go back to behaving the way you were before you knew it. That knowledge will change how you act, and, especially those who don't know it, will change how others react to you." Bobby was beginning to think that Lt. Commander Claudia Crichton wasn't ever going to understand the point he was making.
"I still don't get it," Claudia said and Bobby thought 'score one for my power of observation.' "Give me an example."
"Perfect example and I think it relates to this mission," Bobby said; "the Shepard hearings. Assume for a moment Shepard is right; I know you're skeptical, but let's just assume she does know that there is bunch of technologically advanced aliens planning to come in and kill us all. If she knows that, then blowing up the Alpha Relay was the only course of action open to her. It had to be a hard choice given the number of Batarians that would be killed, but it was them or the entire galaxy. But because few people know what she knows, she's been grounded and placed under guard. She had reached a 'point of know return,' took action, and it cost her." Bobby concluded, seeing the light dawning in Crichton's eyes.
Claudia nodded. "Okay, Admiral Hackett told us was that this intel is big and that's why he's sending both of us. We have to make sure it's recovered. But your saying if it's that big, once we have it we may have reached your 'point of know return.'" Claudia had gotten it but she looked like she wished she hadn't. "And you think this has something to do with Shepard's Reapers?"
"Yes. Hackett will not come out and say it but his actions indicate that he believes the threat is real. I hear he's been in contact with Dr. Liara T'Soni, the Asari who was part of Shepard's team when Shepard took down Saren. He also stonewalled on Shepard's trial. Add to that the fact that we've both been sent on missions deemed critical before and they've always been solo. This isn't normal. He's worried about something …"
Claudia interrupted, "He's always worried about something."
Bobby smiled and continued, "True, but not like this. I've never seen him like this, have you?" Claudia shook her head. "You know how many ships we lost at the Citadel. If Sovereign wasn't just a one-off and there are more out there, we are in for one nasty fight. And right now the Alliance has Shepard, the one person who knows the enemy, sitting on her ass."
"Okay, Lt. Commander Edwards, what's your point?" Claudia asked.
"This mission is likely the most important thing we've ever done and one of us has to make it back with that intel. I'm just an engineer who's a decent shot with a sniper rifle, not a biotic killing machine," he smiled at her with that comment, "no offense, like you or Shepard. If only one of us gets out, it should be you."
"Doesn't work that way champ. First off, the plan is we both get out. Second, if one of us has to hold off a squad of Cerberus soldiers, you stand a better chance getting away with me guarding your back than I do with you guarding mine."
"Dammit," Bobby thought, "you didn't think this one through all the way, Robert."
"Plus, if this is about the Reapers, that intel's more valuable than my fighting skill. I'm a lot better soldier than you are, I know," she said with the biggest grin he'd ever seen, "but if Shepard's Reapers are real, the difference between me and you isn't going to be the tipping point for that war. The intel might be though if it's that big."
Bobby had hoped to circumvent having a battlefield discussion about who stay behind and who would escape, if it came to that. He had, but the discussion hadn't gone the way he planned. He's have to make sure that point didn't come then.
They spent the rest of the trip going over intel and plans. Infiltrating the Cerberus base went exactly as they had planned. Claudia guarded the door as Bobby extracted the information. "Got it," he said and started to create a second copy. "See anything?" he asked.
"Nothing yet, but there have to be alarms going off somewhere," Claudia responded as he handed her the first disk. She took it without looking back, continuing to watch entrance. She didn't notice him attaching something to the console.
"Your copy, mine's almost ready."
"Bobby, I'm seeing movement. Leave it and let's go."
"Just another second," he delayed, "and … go."
They sprinted from the room to the shadows along the wall and started moving slowly, cover to cover. Claudia kept a close eye on the Cerberus troops moving in on the control room they had just left. When they reached the service tunnel he opened the door and they slipped inside. She held up her hand for him to stop while she listened. "Okay, we're clear. Run," she said.
"Yes, ma'am," he said and off they went. About, Bobby estimated, 20 seconds later, the bomb went off.
"Bobby, what the hell was that?"
"Just a little surprise to make sure no one is following us."
It worked. It would be over an hour before Cerberus could confirm that the only dead bodies were their own soldiers and that whoever else had been in there was gone. Once their shuttle made the FTL jump Claudia set the autopilot and went back to Bobby. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Nice surprise back there, Lt. Commander. Next time give me a little more advanced notice, okay."
"Well, I guess I should tell you I have another surprise for you then," he said with a smile.
"I can't wait," Claudia responded, neither one suspecting it would be the last time they'd be together.