Melody headed to the med-bay. Excited to hear Chakwas reprimanding the Officer within. It was Jenkins, who was reading his medi-gel in his omni-tool.
"Corporal." she smiled at him. He saluted her. "Lieutenant Milan, ma'am" She had only been there as long as him, but her training and her biotics made her a few ranks higher, sitting at second Lieutenant, preferring being addressed as Officer or Lieutenant instead of 2nd LT.
"Good to see you, Jenkins. You too, Doc." she beamed at Chakwas. Chakwas sat back into her chair, looking visibly exhausted.
"Good to see you as well Mel," she smiled back as she relaxed into her chair. "You aren't going ground-side for this mission are you?"
She tilted her head in confusion; "No, should I be?"
"I don't quite know," Chakwas responded, looking worried. "It seems there has been a change of plans. Nihlus, Shepard's, Kaiden and Jenkins here are all heading ground side for some retrieval."
"Did you ask Anderson if you think I should go?" she stood up straight as Jenkins' left the med-bay, possibly to suit up. "You can make recommendations. My biotics are stable, a solid L3."
She sighed. "It's up to Jane actually. She's gathering up the ground tea-"
"Comm her then." she interrupted sternly and continued softly. "You know Jenkin's is trigger happy. What if they require stealth down there?"
She sighed; "I will ask Anderson and Jane before they make decent to the drop point." she pulled up her omni-tool to call Anderson. "Don't hold your breath."
She exited the room at high speed, grabbing a ration bar from the crew room before bolting to the armoury. Tapping her toes at the elevator, then scrambling to open the lock on her foot locker.
As she pulled on her undersuit she heard her omni-tool chime, she opened it. It was Jane Shepard.
"Commander?" she stood upright and saluted. "To what do I owe the honour ma'am."
"You might be in luck today Milan." she smiled through the holo, her green eyes flashing over the screen. "I decided to test Jenkin's and his gear after a recommendation by Chakwas. His shields were on the fritz. No way to take him on the mission. So, you're the only combat ready officer we can afford to take ground side. Can you meet us on the engineering deck for weapons and armour checks in five?"
Her heart was thudding in her ears. "Ahead of you Commander." her chest felt tight. "I'm suiting up soon ma'am." Jane nodded on the holo and the omni-tool turned off.
She immediately started to tug her undersuit until it hugged her properly and was zipped up. She started grabbing her basic alliance armour pieces. All of them a pale blue, she holstered her pistol and used her omni-tool to update the decryption software she had.
The elevator to the deck opened and a turian stood there, with Anderson. They made their way over. "How did you know Jenkins would need to be cycled out Milan?" Anderson barked.
"Sir I have worked with Jenkin's a long time" she stood straight. "I have helped him train and clean weapons together, but I have never seen him check his armour or clean it."
Anderson held a hand to his face. "That moron could have died." he rubbed his forehead. "How come this wasn't reported?"
"It was, sir," she stated firmly. "Last tour together. But we never went ground side so the captain must have 'misfiled the paperwork'."
Anderson was fuming red now. "I need to make a few calls." he pulled up his omni-tool and waved the brown turian to me. "Specter Nihlus Kyrik this is Second Lieutenant Melody Milan."
"Charmed." Nihlus' voice rung. Turian voices always rung with two beautiful tones and this one was no exception. Anderson turned away and headed to the end of the room, fumbling with the omni-tool and turned redder as he tried to keep his voice down.
"It's an honour to work with a Specter, sir." she stood higher, saluting Nihlus. "What's the mission brief?"
He waved my hand down. "Just Nihlus, alright Milan." his mandibles clicked like a tongue would. "To make the low-down briefer than possible; Eden Prime is home to a new Prothean beacon, it's our job to secure it for safe transport back to the Citadel."
"Understood, sir." she relaxed a little bit.
The elevator opened again. This time it was Kaiden and John Shepard, John was grinning a crooked smile. Kaiden looked a little cross already armoured up; "Where's Jenkins?" he asked.
"Dismissed," John responded before she could. "Failed weapons and armour inspection." John looked her over. "Now, you should check before you have to take that all off again."
She nodded and started tapping different parts of her armour. John came over to help, tugging on some straps to ensure they weren't going to budge and then clasping them back. She then checked the pistols cleanliness, the heat, the barrel, the grip, and the exhaust. She then flexed her biotic barrier for a moment and then checked shields for any monitoring issues and her omni-tool for any memory leaks.
John continued to walk around and inspect her shields and barrier as she brought them up. "Good." he stated a little ghost of disappointment in his voice. "At least someone knows how to do a simple check."
She felt her face flush. Man, it had been a while since she had suited up. She did a quick stretch to check her mobility in the suit and then turned cloak on and off to ensure it was still working. John's eyes flashed excitedly.
"New hardware, huh?" he smirked. "No wonder Anderson requested you. You'll make a fine edition to the team Milan."
She smiled sheepishly but kept her head up. "Thank you sir." she saluted.
The elevator opened again. This time the fiery redhead Jane was there, she had two pistols and holsters now, she was practically skipping across the deck to them.
"Jane," Kaiden smiled, his eyes brimming with a longing look. "You look energetic."
She nodded back, "I can bring two of these bad boys planetside." she tapped her pistol, then turned to Melody. "Good to see you're early. Most kids are scrambling to get on a planet."
"Ma'am," she stood straight. "It's my job to keep a level head."
Jane grinned, "I hope so, you're our counsellor from what I see on the reports." she eyed her up and down appraising.
Joker interrupted them over the ships comm; "Starting our decent, engaging stealth systems." he paused, probably looking over the area ahead of the ship. "They look like they were doing a lot of serious digging Captain." Jane put her helmet on, then the rest of us followed suit, equipping our helmets, ready for anything now.
Anderson looked worried and nodded to Jane; "Your team is the muscle LT Commander. Go in heavy and head for the dig site."
Kaiden asked a question, but Melody couldn't focus on a single thing he said. Who's team was she working with? It appeared to be Jane's judging by John's position nearest Nihlus. The turian seemed to have many weapons on him, John was possibly tagging along now the mission became so much more intense. He also looked concerned, just as much as Anderson.
What had happened or been discussed with him and Anderson? Jane seemed not nearly as fazed, on alert judging by how she was stood at attention, unlike when she was chatting in the cockpit with Joker and Kaiden.
Suddenly the docking bay doors opened to their side. They were going to drop in soon, Anderson gave a nod to John and Nihlus. Nihlus lept from the craft to the ground below. John winked at Melody as he followed. A lump came into the back of Melody's throat. Did John Shepard have faith in her? What if she failed him?
Anderson then nodded to Jane and she turned to Kaiden and Melody. "Let's go!" she heard her clear over the comm in her helmet's earpiece and Jane leapt from the craft. Melody's heart thudded in her ears, she could hear it amplified in her helmet. She took a deep calming breath and jumped after Kaiden who had just hopped out after the Commander.
The drop was quick. Like a fall from a building, she landed gracefully and took out her pistol noticing Jane had done so. The planet had a beautiful sunset on the horizon, lush plants and a path they had landed on. Possibly a walking path. They could see the dig site not far away and little buildings along the way from this vantage point.
"Ship perimeter secure Commander," Kaiden said over comms. Melody felt odd hearing Kaiden so clearly and so near her ear.
"This place got hit hard, LT Commander." Nihlus quickly updated on the comm. "Hostiles everywhere. Keep your guard up."
Melody could feel uneasy. She kept her pistol out as Shepard advanced, Kaiden not far behind her. Shepard then stopped at a rock, using the cover. She then motioned it was clear and we advanced. Keeping to the cover.
Suddenly a piercing sound of automated gunfire ripped the air. Melody activated her barrier and kept her eyes on Jane who was crouched next to her in cover. Kaiden was in cover near them and popped up to fire off a few shots at the hostile. Jane nodded to Melody and both ladies peeked out of cover themselves. Melody threw a warp at one mechanical hostile and Jane fired her pistol until it overheated on the other.
"Negative contacts commander," Kaiden said after a moment passed. We crept forward keeping to cover and checking the path ahead as we advanced. We could hear the same automatic gunfire in the distance and grow louder as they advanced. They entered a rock clearing where they saw a soldier in pink armour hot tailing it to the cover nearest them. The gunfire rang out again as the woman ripped open the machine with her rifle. Then she gasped.
We all watched in horror as a humanoid machine held a beaten up human on what looked like a console. The console then activated and a metallic spike rose a few feet into the air through the human's chest, he gasped for air. It raised the man up until it came to a stop, blood dripping down the spike. The man became limp as the blood drained from him.
The humanoid machines turned to them now. Melody's heart was thudding in her chest so loud it drowned everything out. She dove into cover and pulled out her hacking programme. "Hacking, commander," she spoke clearly, her thudding heart not as loud. She aimed the hack at the nearest machine and it glowed green. The other woman on the field had entered the cover nearest to them.
Jane fired off a few shots and the machines burst apart. The woman stood up and checked the area ahead for hostiles as we advanced to her. The woman turned to us with a genuine smile of relief. "Thank you for your help, Commander. I didn't think I was going to make it."
Jane reached her first. Kaiden and Melody flanked her, listening in.
"Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams of the 212." the woman saluted Jane."You the one in charge here, ma'am?"
