Omega docking hanger, Deserts Tears
A stray shot form the Reaper bombardment hit the atmospheric shield of docking cradle 4, shorting it out blowing hundreds of tons of air out into space.
In the cockpit of the Deserts Tears a control panel blew out, showering the interior with sparks.
"Ow! My fucking ass!" Yelled Karla, springing up and clutching her singed posterior. The whole cabin shook violently. Also in the cockpit was Shrub, firmly strapped into the navigators chair and Claire who was currently lurching her way towards the nearest seat.
Space flight was supposed to be motionless but everything was currently powered down. That meant no buffering mass effect fields and no inertia dampeners. The whole thing reminded Claire of the cross country flights her father (an aviation historian) used to take her on using aircraft more than two hundred years old.
"We need to get out of heeeere!" Karla whined with genuine panic in her voice. "Athame get me an emergency start on all systems!" A miniature holographic human female materialized on the flight control board.
"Right away boss." No sooner had the words been spoken than screens started to light up across the room. Karla didn't even stop for breath.
"Kel pull your finger out your ass and let's go!"
Kelron's strained voice emanated form the engine room speaker. "Aye aye ma'am."
The Deserts Tears reeled forwards but was still restrained by the docking clamps which had locked automatically the instant the force field had failed.
Again Kelron gunned the thrusters and again the ship was yanked back, setting the crew swinging wildly in their harnesses. No one complained, no one wanted to wait for clearance or waste time trying to hack the clamps while a Reaper took potshots at them.
In the engine room near the stern Kelron growled in frustration, threw half a dozen switches then pushed an important looking lever as far forward as it would go.
For a third and final time the hefty Asari freighter strained against its confines. This time however instead of whiplashing back into place it fought at the end of its tether for a few seconds then tore the clamps from their moorings and blasted out into the darkness of space, trailing a cloud of debris.
The whole time Shrub had been frantically pounding keys on the navigation computer, as the Deserts Tears joined the stream of ships speeding away from the stricken silhouette of Omega he shouted. "Ready!"
"Punch it!" Crowed Karla.
"What?" He yelled back.
"Never mind just get us to safety."
The outline of the ship blurred and stretched into infinity as it jumped from a few thousand miles per second to faster than the speed of light. With a flash of blue they shot past the Reaper perimeter and into the safety of FTL.
As soon as they had translated Karla popped the buckles on her harness, sprang up, bouncing on the balls of her feet and throwing punches at a phantom boxing partner.
"Shit, shit, shit, shit." She chanted with every blow.
Shrub glanced over at the hyperventilating Asari briefly then returned his full attention to the screen in front of him.
"Perry see if you can calm her down. I need to concentrate here and her swearing is giving me a headache."
Scrabbling clumsily with her own straps Claire stood and placed a hand on her new employers shoulder. Karla wheeled around, her face wild, but it wasn't anger in her eyes it was pure undiluted fear.
"Ms. D'mel? Karla." Claire said in the same tone she used for hostage negotiations. "It's okay, we got away. We're safe." This seemed to soothe her slightly, she stopped punching the air at least and dropped backwards into the vacant pilots chair, head in hands.
"No it isn't. The Reapers are back, we are flying a crippled ship, there is no mass effect relay network and I| don't even know where we are going. How is any of that okay?"
Claire opened her mouth then, when no answer was forthcoming, shut it. Luckily it appeared Karla had been asking rhetorically because she turned to Shrub.
"So where are we going and how long will it take us to get there?"
"I just used the first set of co-ordinates that allowed the eezo core to fire. I do know that we are headed roughly south-west on the galactic axis."
"Okay…" Said Karla, visibly calmer now. "Then we should probably come up with a destination. Suggestions?"
They all looked at each other expectantly. Claire was the first to break the silence.
"Palaven would be a safe bet. The Turians held up better against the Reapers than almost anyone, except maybe the Krogan and I think we can all agree that going to the DMZ isn't a good idea."
Karla mulled it over for a few seconds before replying.
"The problem with Palaven is that everyone else has had the same idea they might not have room for us. Seriously out of every ten ships that left Omega seven were headed into Hierarchy territory. I know some people in clan Ravenor on Tuchanka who would make us welcome, it certainly won't be as crowded."
Shrub as always was ready with a counterargument.
"I'm not sure it matters which one we choose, they are both in the same direction and a conservative estimate puts our travel time at-" He paused to enter a quick calculation into the navigation terminal. "-Two months."
Karla whistled. "Damn. I guess that gives us plenty of time to get to know our new addition. I'm really sorry about this Claire, I only meant to show you the ship and now you've been dragged along with us without so much as a toothbrush or a change of clothes. You can help yourself to my wardrobe by the way."
Claire smiled and made a mock curtsy.
"Thanks boss I think I'll do that."
"Cool. Me and Shrub will work out a route in the meantime. The crew cabins are in the port wing, mine is the first on the right."
Claire started to leave but turned back before she reached the door.
"Before I go I meant to ask how many other crew members there are for me to meet."
Karla stuck her hands in her pockets and smiled almost apologetically.
"It's just us: me Shrub & Kel and now you of course."
"What about that other human over the com earlier? Athame was it?"
Shrub snickered at this.
"That wasn't a human that was Athame, the ships VI. I designed her."
"Right so just us then good to know."
Shrub seemed offended by Claire's reaction, as if his programming skills deserved a round of applause.
