Thank you all for the reviews! I really appreciate it and hope you'll like this chapter too :)
Disclamer: Don't grumble! I'm sorry for his jacket too! :D
18 DAYS BEFORE DESPAIR. SYSTEM AJAKSIS. PLANET CRONA. SSV NORMANDY
Joker sat in the mess hall, enjoying the silence. Having preferred to stay on board even off duty, he was glad to be here alone. Though, he was almost never disturbed in his cabin, this sensation of an empty ship forced him for some reason to feel a sort of excitement as if he was left alone with a beloved for the very first time. Sipping beer from a tin, he stared into a point and recollected the different moments of his life connected with this ship. More precisely, not only with this one …
"Jeff, excuse me for the distraction, but there's something you should see. Please come to the terminal."
Moreau sighed angrily at being interrupted.
"EDI, maybe later? Let me relax a little."
"It is important, seems like we have big problems."
"Aha … And when don't we?" Joker grumbled and toddled to the information terminal.
"There was a package in mega-galactic news a few minutes ago," EDI explained and displayed the video recording.
Nice-looking broadcaster – asari of uncertain age - reported with an indifferent tone against a background of shots from the scene.
"Twenty minutes ago, a powerful explosion thundered in the Central underground complex of the planet Crona in system Ajaksis. According to preliminary data, the bomb was put on minus fifteenth floor to cause the maximum damages to the building. Thousands of people were buried under the rubble, and somewhere on the top floors, hermetic sealing was broken causing an instant death from being exposed to the toxic atmosphere. Rescue groups are on their way already. However, experts assert that clearing of rubble on such depth can become а problem in absent of suitable atmosphere for life on planet and insufficient quantity of the equipped working platforms near to complex. It can takes about twenty - thirty days. So-called "Conclave of the Slavers" already took responsibility for this act of terrorism as revenge for the destruction of four batarian ships in Terminus system by the Council forces. Stay tuned as we bring you the latest footage from this tragic event."
Moreau felt his knees weaken despite being in a sitting position. Grasping at the terminal to steady himself, he hardly breathed, heart beating without restraint.
"They were all there, EDI, right?" he asked, knowing the answer already.
"I'm afraid, yes, Jeff. I'm trying to set communication with each crew member, but there is a lot of interference. As soon as I'll get any data, I will inform you."
"Yeah … sure …" Joker said detached and headed to his cabin, unknowing what for.
PAIN
She heard some weird sounds. They seemed so distant and soft as if someone quietly scratched at the door of her consciousness. The sounds became closer and more distinct, and gradually she realized herself lying on the ground. She tried to open her eyes, but nothing changed, and in a moment Shepard understood that she was surrounded by utter darkness. The source of the sound was somewhere ahead as she laid on her side. Movement of stones on the floor and something else mixed up with specific light scrape of leather. Suddenly, she recollected what's happened and realized who could be the source of these sounds.
"Krios?" the name, escaped from her lips, rolled away with painful blow in her brain.
"Shepard! You are all right?" she heard excited familiar voice.
"I'm not sure …" she said quietly. "I think I got knocked out. Can't even speak plainly, the pain is pulling my brain to pieces … And you? You're okay?"
"It seems like it." Krios answered. "Just not enough place to unfold. Don't move, I'll try to look around here a little."
Darkness was cut by a weak luminescence as Thane used biotics.
"I thought you were able to see in the dark. I overestimated you." Shepard tried to joke.
The drell snorted ironically.
"There are always backlashes and cracks in any air-shafts through which light makes its way. In such conditions, I usually manage with my own sight. But here is a complete darkness. Sorry to disappoint you."
"Never mind. It's not your biggest disadvantage."
"Thank you, Shepard. As I see a knock on your head was not so injuring since your mordancy is in order." he answered calmly, trying to clear away the nearest place by his feet from wreckage.
Shepard smiled and closed her eyes. The thought that Krios could be dead forced a cold feeling inside her chest. Not that she would grieve for him particularly or was sensitive to another's death at all. But to put it mildly, she didn't like the possible perspective of ending up in this kind of coffin next to a dead body.
"I'm glad you're alive, Thane." she said to her own surprise and heard as he stopped for a moment.
"Yes, the feeling's... mutual." the drell answered and returned to clearing. " I just hope we won't regret it later."
"You are an optimist." she smiled.
"Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Isn't that a human saying?"
NORMANDY! Shepard's heart skipped a beat. She just realized that all her crew was on the upper floors. What's happened to them? Where are they now? Are they alive? As silly as it sounded, she was suddenly seized by a feeling to jump up and clear all the rubble by hand. But after moving slightly, she was stopped as a sharp pain shot through her ankle to her brain.
"Mmm …" she moaned painfully. "Damn it. Apparently, I broke my leg..."
"But we were fortunate enough, Shepard." answered Krios coldly, panting from а pressure and continuing his work.
There was a wide steel beam standing obliquely between him and the woman. Shepard saw as some free space formed around the drell's feet. There were approximately two feet over their heads so they didn't have the possibility of even sitting down, therefore Thane had to remain recumbent.
"They were there, Thane … They were up there, all of them …" Jane muttered and her voice foully shivered. The drell seemingly caught it. He stopped clearing and laid down on the floor, exhaling heavily.
"They risked the lives every day. You risked their lives every day. Why is it so painful for you right now?" he finally asked.
"What stuff!" an anger filled her, but her voice remained impassive. She was able to control her emotions. "We were in a war and risked our lives for a just cause. To die so was an honor for them. And here is a death for a dog, unjustified, senseless … Don't you feel horrible knowing that you could perish like this here and now?"
"From the point of view of a dying person, the death is unjustified in any of her kind. It can't be beautiful or have some hidden sense … I always accepted that I will die in a fight, then I had to come to terms with dying from a trivial asphyxia. What excuse for such a death would you offer me? Besides, if I were you, I would think about our other perspective. Dying here from hunger and dehydration is much worse than being crushed by concrete plate up above."
Shepard cursed quietly. She used foul language rarely, but Krios knew that was an obvious sign of her anger.
"You're an even bigger heartless jerk than I assumed." she hissed and moaned again, turning over on her back.
"You judge me too superficially, Shepard. However, I would do the same for you too, probably. But it's not so important." musing for a moment, Krios answered and continued to handle the wreckage which was lying between him and Jane.
Biotics wasn't her forte, but after her "resurrection" Shepard noticed that her abilities in this area were amplified a bit. Despite being irritated at her unwilling companion in misfortune, she decided that just to lie and groan – not the best decision. She propped her hand on her elbow and a dim bluish light streamed from her fingers, illuminating the space between her and the drell.
"Don't. Keep up your strength," Thane said.
" Says you! Should I just lie here like a bag of dung?" she retorted caustically.
"You can if you want to", drell agreed quietly. "You are nervous, Jane. It prevents you from thinking rationally. Right now, you are spending energy in vain which needs to be preserved. Meanwhile, I don't need your help."
She exhaled loudly, laying down her hand. He was right, damn it. Where's your composure, Shepard? Where's your vaunted endurance? Why are you enraged so much because of words of some killer, losing ability to think constructively? she spoke to herself.
About ten minutes passed when Thane finally failed tiredly on his back and turned off the biotic light.
"I did everything I could for now. But there is a thick steel beam between us which is pressed by the rest of the fragments. I can reach you by hand, but no more. Therefore you should try now to change your position so that I could examine your leg."
"Fine," Shepard quickly agreed, understanding that the sense was sound and altercations were not necessary now.
The task wasn't as simple as it appeared. Here and there were splinters of walls, and it was problematic for her not to touch them with her broken foot without forgetting about the headache at the same time. Highlighted with biotics, she saw a free space in front of Krios and after some painful minutes, she managed to move her leg into that aperture.
"I'm ready," she said, but Thane had already conveniently settled himself and begun examination.
Shepard's armor was absent, so he just cut by pocket knife the fabric of her tightly fitting pants up to her knee.
"It seems that your ankle is broken with displaced fracture-dislocation," he acknowledged."I need to remove your shoe. Bite the bullet."
Shepard hardly had time to take a breath and bit her lip as he snatched her shoe with fast movement of his hand. The woman groaned with a tense voice. But the drell didn't allow her to come around. One of his hand seized the bottom part of her shank and with the other one he sharply pulled on her foot toward himself.
"A-A-AH! Damn you, Krios! What are you doing?!" roared Shepard and it seemed to her that her head would blow up in a moment from equal pain.
"Do you prefer to walk in the future on a bandy leg?" he noted unperturbed and gave her an injection of medi-gel. The woman felt the pain recede as a pleasant heat spreads through her body.
"To walk? You just said that we will die here. So where have I to walk?" Jane teased him purposely, but understanding that he meant well.
"I can fix it as it was before."
"Screw you... Hey, why are you undressing? Is it hot here?"
"Woman… Be quiet just for a moment …" Krios answered wearily.
Shepard felt herself ashamed for some reason. She felt shame neither for her actions, nor for her words for a long time. She was feared, she was hated, she was respected… And she always did what she wanted. The shame and freedom were incomprehensible for her. But now she felt gratitude to this strange alien for his care. Though, she knew that he didn't have any special feelings toward her. She was smart, very smart, but now he told her she was a silly talkative schoolgirl and, perhaps for the first time for many years she told herself that sometimes it was better to keep a watch on her tongue.
As she reflected, Thane took off his jacket and mercilessly cut off the sleeve with his knife.
"Just tell me what are you doing, don't be silent," she cautiously asked.
"It is necessary to fix your leg." he answered coolly.
Jane stopped bothering hims with questions and simply closed her eyes and relaxed, enjoying analgesia. She felt as Thane accurately put her leg on some cold wide plank and began to fix it with the hastily cut bandages from his jacket.
"Do you have anything useful on you?" he asked when he nearly finished his task.
"Not much. Three ampoules of medi-gel and a pistol. I was just going to have some fun, damn this complex…"
"Understandable… To have some fun at the lower levels - it suggests at some certain thoughts," Thane grinned.
"Not your business!" she shot.
"Yes, you told me this already… Done. You can take away your leg," he said, rustling with his jacket, cruelly deprived of both sleeves, and settled himself on the ground.
"Thank you," she muttered. "So what are we gonna do now?"
"We wait," he answered, plunging them back into darkness as his biotic glow died out.
Shepard guessed that there was no sense in waiting for further conversation in the nearest future. The drell, for certain, was deep in meditation.