TITLE: More Men Have Been Killed by That Gun Than Died in the Skyllian Blitz

CHAPTER: 2


"If by chance I talk a little wild, forgive me; I had it from my father."
―William Shakespeare


"Well isn't that something," Massani sneered, sarcasm dripping from every word. "We share the same last name. Look kid, the most interesting thing you can do is hand me my pants. Then get me a drink. The bartender knows what I like. Is Aria out front? Ask her to come down here, will ya?"

"Sir...?"

"Bloody, hell. Stop calling me sir. Pants. Scotch. Aria. In that order."

The excitement...no, the anxiety of meeting his father drained away. This old man was rude and crude and old. Genetics be damned he didn't want to be related to this grizzled varren. Bain swallowed hard and tried again.

"Mister Massani. I met Aria T'Loak once. My mother did some work for her and..."

"...How nice. Why are you still standing here?"

"Aria T'Loak is 2.537 million light years and 600 years ago."

"Bollocks." Massani snapped and pulled Jessie into his arms. "Never waited on a damn soul to get me what I want. Outta my way."

"The doctor asked me to make sure you rest. You're not allowed...sir!"

Barefoot and shirtless, with Jessie settled protectively in his right arm, Massani made the door before anyone could stop him. He brushed past Dr. Carlyle and the staff. On the other side of the door stood half dozen armed Initiative guards. Massani stopped and stared. No one moved while Massani took in the cavernous room. A hundred people stared back at him.

"I'll bet that bitch she sent me here, Massani growled at the people staring open-mouthed at him. "This is no goddamn prison. Not even that place we found Jack looked like this. Now, there was a wildcat. I could tell you a story or two about her. She could spit fire and cuss like a...well, like me." Massani laughed and checked his weapon. He frowned hard when he discovered Jessie was indeed unloaded. "Let's make this easier on everyone. Call Commander John Shepard. He'll vouch for me. You can contact him through Admiral David Anderson. Got that?"

Doctor Carlyle spoke quietly and with each word moved closer to the merc. He knew how to calm a frightened patient how to give bad news and how to comfort. This wild-man standing in the open hatchway was a different sort of patient. Where in the hell was the Pathfinder?

"Mr. Massani? You're not incarcerated and I give you my word no one will harm you. I don't want those guns pointed at you. Please come back into the med bay with me. You need privacy, rest and a chance to process what happened."

Massani sighed and lowered Jessie. Screw them. Unloaded she could break a man's jaw without a whimper. Time for plan C. He hated place C. Plan C always felt more like surrender. Fuck the soldiers out there, he wouldn't give them the pleasure of taking him down. He took his time and strolled back to Bain.

"So, what's your play, kid? Extortion? Bribery? Blackmail?" Massani pitched his voice low. "Can't really help you there. Aria's been trying to get into my pants for years. She knows I have credits stashed somewhere. She just can't figure out where."

"Commander Shepard and the events of the Normandy and her crew..."

The doctor forgotten, Massani studied Bain's face. "Damned if you don't look familiar. Used to know a dame with hawk eyes like yours. Dark blue eyes, dark hair, fierce and smart. Cute little bitch."

Doctor Carlyle kept talking over the Bain and Massani's conversation. "...occurred over six hundred years and a galaxy ago."

Bain stopped being quiet and patient and stunned. With a string of words, that sounded something like sonofabitch, his fist impacted with Massani's jaw with nothing to stop it. Massani's eyes rolled back in his head and he dropped to his knees. Med bay filled with trigger-happy guards. Each one vying for the privilege of taking down the famous merc.

Doctor Carlyle rounded on the med tech closest to him, "I don't care how you get him here. I want the Pathfinder here NOW." Wide-eyed, the young woman took off at a run. A line of guards stood between him and the two men. Doctor Carlyle raised his voice. He also didn't like raising his voice.

"And now I have guns in my med bay and that doesn't make me happy. Bain didn't your father teach you never to hit someone with a closed fist? Your hand is broken I can see it from here. And, uh, Mister Massani why don't you have seat so I can check on that jaw. Looks like we'll have to start treatment sooner than expected since I'm pretty sure your son just broke some bones."

Doctor Carlyle shook his head. Bain must resemble his mother in coloring and features, but he was his father in every other way. The set of their shoulders, the tone of their voices and the inflections were almost identical. Their grimace matched perfectly. And they both worked hard at ignoring their pain while Doctor Carlyle treated their injuries.

"We'll take that outside after we get you patched up. Nobody hits me without..."

"...I don't need patching up, old man. You're the who needs medical care. We'll take it outside when you're on your feet again."

"I'm on my feet, kid. Now how about you tell me why you took a swing at me so I can adequately plan for your beat-down."

"I didn't take a swing at you. I hit you. Quite a sight watching you drop. And don't talk about my mother that way or I'll hit you with harder than my other fist. Or maybe I'll take you out to meet some friends of mine. Nice folks. Last name is Kett. You'll like them and they'll keep you and that antique you carry around busy."

"Sounds like fun, kid." Massani lowered his voice. "If it means we can get out of this freak show then show me the way."

"Say you need to use the bathroom."

"What the fu...?"

"Do you want out of here?" Bain hissed back.

"Yes."

"Then ask to use the bathroom. I will offer to guide you and then we'll be outta here so fast they won't have time to impound my shuttle."

"You have a shuttle?"

Bain nodded and raised his eyebrows meaningfully.

Massani stuffed his feet into his boots and slipped on his shirt. "Hey, Doc Carlyle. Gotta take a piss."

Bain interrupted before Carlyle could say no. "I'll show him. Let's go old man and don't try anything."

"Don't threaten me whelp or I'll introduce you to the business end of my Jessie."

"You can explain later why you treat that antique like a woman."

"Cause she's the only one who's never let me down."

Alone in a shadowed corridor, Bain steered Massani toward another corridor veering off to the right.

"Well, I guess that makes perfect sense. Might even make more sense to you here. Look, we need to pick up the pace. Can you move faster, old man?"

"Plenty of cheek I'll give you that."

Bain shot him a sideways glance. "Apparently, you did. Come on. Through here." Bain opened a door and ushered Massani through. The next corridor was well lit and when Massani paused and turned a tired grimace toward Bain. The gray tint to his skin and the sheen of cold sweat meant trouble. Better get to his shuttle. Bain kept his hand out to steady Massani.

"Goddamn."

"Catch your breath. Then we've got to run. There's an open area between here and my shuttle." Massani appeared ready to vomit. They forced him to wake up much too quickly. Just get him on the shuttle. Next hurdle the open area.

"The loading doc for small craft is about fifty yards to the left through this hatch. I'll go first. Count to fifty and follow me. That'll give me time to start the engine. Ready?"

"Always." Massani forced himself off the wall and squared his shoulders. "Hey, kid. You think there's any truth to that idea that we're related?"

"One thing at a time. Start counting." Bain slipped out the hatch and Massani watched him stride toward the docking bays. Not bad, he thought. Not too fast to draw attention, but not so slow that it gave the guards time to recognize him. Good job, kid.

Counting to fifty gave him time to straighten his clothes and tie his boots. Ready. Open the door. Move. The bright lights made him wince, but he kept moving. By the time he rounded the final corner greasy sweat poured down his back and his stomach was in his throat. There stood Bain with his hands out. That Pathfinder fellow had apparently waited for them to arrive.

Bollocks.

"Little Duck! You took time out of your busy day to see us off. How lovely."

A sound roared in his ears. An engine run-up or an explosion. The sound thundered in his head pounding a rhythmic beat between his ears. Someone turned off the atmosphere. Massani couldn't breathe. Couldn't speak and most importantly his feet were stuck to the deck. Why were these two talking as if they were friends?

"I'll let you go, but promise me you'll take care of Mister Massani. Looks like Cryo sickness is taking its toll on him."

"No worries, little duck. As soon as we're aboard I'll..."

Little duck. Little duck. Littleducklittleducklittleducklittleduck...

"Mister Massani are you alright?"

Backwater colony out at the ass-end of the Traverse. Shuttle broke down. Soft black hair, a heart shaped mouth. Blue eyes. Trusting blue eyes. Should have kept his hands off her. Couldn't help himself. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. She trusted him with her virginity just as she trusted him with her heart. Bad idea. He left. Slipped out at sunrise. Had to go. People waiting for him. Jobs. Bounties to collect He left her alone in that bed with his child in her belly. The children. The children she cared for while their parents worked in the fields. She'd called them her little ducks.

An arm circled his shoulders. Someone took his other arm, "Come on. Let's get you aboard. We're cleared for push back. Thanks, Ryder. I owe you one."