Chapter Four
Riley struggled to keep up with James' long strides along the Presidium, she watched at the inhabitants continued with their daily lives,
"Ridiculous isn't it?" James asked with a shake of his head,
"What is?" Riley asked as she passed a group of Salarians gathered around a data pad excited about whatever consumed the screen while the synthetic environment flourish as if it was real, the trees swaying in the air con and the lake glistened in the 'sunlight' that filled the 'open area'.
"Even in the war this place didn't even looked touched and people walked around like what was happening on Earth or Palavan didn't exist. It made me sick. The war ended a few months ago and this place is back to normal even after…" James stopped mid sentence and took a deep breath, "Doesn't matter." They climbed the stairs towards the Human Embassy, Riley could see that James was getting upset but she kept her mouth shut. She figured that what happened on the Citadel was a sensitive topic to the crewmembers of the Normandy and it wasn't her place to comfort him. The door to Councilor Jackson's office slid open as the Councilor himself stepped out with his hands held behind his back and his brow furrowed, "I'm sorry Commander but this issue needs to be dealt with immediately." I watched as the Commander stepped out of the office, nodding silently in agreement. "And I would appreciate discretion. I read the report on the last time the Normandy was in Port Hanshan and I don't want you and your squad leaving a trail of blood." The Commander and Jackson shook hands,
"We'll follow the mission brief and report back to you with the details." Riley and James saluted their superiors and were dismissed with a wave of their hand from their Commander,
"Councilor Jackson, you have a call from Councilor Valern." A young assistant sauntered out of the office in a tight pink dress with a slit up the right side, "He says it's urgent."
"Very well. Francesca set the Normandy up with the requisitions we discussion earlier. Good luck." Jackson reentered the office leaving Francesca talking quietly to the Commander; she ran her hand over her smooth hair that had been pulled into a tight bun at the top of her head. James leant down and whispered in Riley's ear, "What do you think of her?"
"I don't know. I don't know her."
"C'mon don't get all coy on me now. I saw you with that Asari at Purgatory."
"I was being polite that's all."
"Hmm."
"You don't believe me."
"Not really." He smiled and leant back to his original position,
"You're a dickhead."
"That's Lieutenant Dickhead to you."
Francesca saluted the Commander and entered the office,
"Move out to the Normandy." The Commander ordered, "OC Cooper please contact Specialist Traynor and get her to set up the Comm room for a debriefing."
"Yes, sir." Riley opened her omnitool 'Cipher' tool and typed a quick message to Samantha and received an immediate confirmation. "All done, sir."
"Good. James what can we do with concealing our weapons?" The Commander asked, James jogged ahead to walk with the Commander leaving Riley to follow behind.
"Well I think I could make some modifications to some pistols but it's going to be tough boss."
"The people at Port Hanshan aren't going to take any precautions. Jackson doesn't us flying in on the Normandy. Something big is going on there."
"I feel like I'm not going to like Noveria."
"Unless you're a filthy rich businessman you're not going to."
Riley followed the two men along the bank of the lake as they slowly made their way back to the Normandy docked at C-SEC pausing at the newest edition to the landscape of the Presidium.
"I think he would have hated that." The Commander pointed at the silver status in the middle of the lake; the polish silver statue depicted a tall, broad man with his chin up holding an HWWP pistol in his right hand and his omniblade in his left, you could just make out the N-7 on his right breast and an M-8 Avenger strapped to his back. The artist replicated Shepard's chiseled features and stern look in his eyes, he looked like a hero and he died one too.
"Yeah he would have gotten Joker to shoot it down on our way out of here." James joked; he put a hand on the Commander's back supportively.
"It shouldn't have been him. He shouldn't have died like that; if he wasn't so stubborn we could of helped him and found a way out."
"Kaidan, there is nothing that we could of done. Shepard saved the galaxy from those fucking Reapers; he sacrifice saved Earth, unfortunately saved this place but we are here because of him." Kaidan gripped the railings and bowed his head, "C'mon Alenko, let's go kick some ass for Shepard." Riley shuffled her feet awkwardly as she watched her Commander's moment of weakness.
"You're right. Shepard would throw me out of the airlock if he saw me like this."
"Cooper you're good to go." Garrus yelled through the comm, "The reaper is down. I repeat the Reaper is down." Riley holstered the Viper and shook Hammond awake,
"Yes, sir Vakarian. Good luck out there."
"Cooper we can't contact the base, when you get there tell them that we are heading towards that blue beacon. Shepard believes that it's going to get us to the Citadel. Major Alenko, Shepard and I are going to meet with Anderson for a full frontal attack."
"Yes, sir. Cooper out." Hammond stirred and slowly began to put on his armor with shaking pale hands.
"Vakarian out." The comm went dead and Riley was overwhelmed with a panic as she was alone, no one had her back and Hammond was hanging on by a thread.
"Are we going?" Hammond asked meekly, he had managed to stand up by himself and she took it as a good sign,
"How are you feeling?" Riley asked; she took out her 'Razer' pistol and delayed Bertie taking the majority of Hammonds weight on her shoulders as he placed his arm across them and she put her arm around his waist, he reached for his 'Karpov' pistol but it was no use since his hand was shaking violently.
"I'm doing okay." He whispered, together they descended the staircase slowly; Hammond dragged his feet, as every step was a struggle,
"I think we should get married in London. Once we win this war."
"Not in the city. Maybe at the beach or where you grew up, you said there was a small church that in the old style of buildings."
"I always dreamed to marry in that church."
"And I thought it was only little girls that dreamt of their weddings." I joked; we stopped for a rest halfway to the bottom so Hammond could catch his breath.
"Guys think about it too… actually I'm think it's just me…" He took in a sharp breath and each one following was a struggle for him, "Riley, I love you."
"Don't you dare give up on me." Riley warned him, helping him off the wall and down the stairs, "I tell you want really sucks?"
"What?" Hammond asked with a crooked smile,
"I have to go dress shopping." He laughed weakly while clutching his seeping wound. They reached the bottom floor and Riley helped Hammond rest against a wall, with a swift push of her omnitool Bertie came zooming back to her, she typed in commands,
"I need surveillance for the next 3 blocks heading east towards the Alliance Command Center. "
"Affirmative." Squeaked Bertie before shooting out the door,
"So who's going to be your best man?" Riley asked, she was nervous and wanted ease the tension that was forming in the pit of her stomach, if there were enemies still out there neither she or Hammond could fight them and they would have to wait if a Alliance patrol would pass.
"My brother… he is a farmer on Terra Nova… haven't spoken to him since Dad died… I don't even know if he is alive…" Hammond struggled,
"Didn't you get along?" She asked, while checking her thermal clips.
"Not really, he was a few years younger we just never really clicked you know?"
"I guess that happens."
"I… regret not trying to mend out relationship."
"It's another thing to tick off the to-do list once we get out of here." Bertie interrupted our conversation,
"No enemies detected. Stealth mode enabled." Bertie beeped at the two soldiers who exchanged a look of relief, "I have plotted a safe route towards the Alliance Command." Hammond took a sigh of relief,
"We're going… to be okay." He muttered and pushed himself of the wall and onto Riley, who caught him and readied herself to leave the building,
"Let's get you better."