Melody keeled there. Silence piercing the radio and the battlefield. All that could be heard was enemy fire.
"Melody?" Jane broke the silence. No one responded.
"C-commander?" she responded her voice weak. She didn't tear her eyes from the thread streaking the sky.
"You know what to do," John shouted. She could hear panting over the radio. "Kaiden we're on our way. ETA 2 minutes!"
Melody saw the commanders group far away on a walkway running back the way she came. Back to Kaiden. She blinked and ran the other way. Following the thread to Ashley. Praying she wasn't too late.
John wanted her to save Ashley. What if she couldn't, Kaiden wouldn't be able to look her in the eye again. He would be distant to her when things were starting to look up. And the crew...
She ran up the elevator shaft of the tower, using her omni-tool's blade to pull her up every so often. She followed the string to the battlefield. Ash was crouched behind cover and some Salarians were on her flanks. They fired volleys at the Geth. She ran up into the crossfire and created a biotic shield that filled their side of the platform encasing the Salarians and Ash.
"Fall back!" Melody shouted at them, looking at Ashley with determination. The woman had a fire in her eyes and she looked relieved.
"We're not leaving you behind to fight our battle!" she shouted at Melody, firing at the enemies through the field.
"I wasn't asking chief!" Melody responded sternly. She moved the shield so it still filled the area right and left, but now it only covered her. "Get out of here now!"
"Listen to her!" it was Jane on the radio. "She knows the risk too, Ash! But we're not leaving without everyone! That means you too!"
"But-" Ash looked angrily at the Geth then at Melody.
"That's an order!" John and Jane barked in unison on the radio.
Ashley swallowed and gave Melody one last look "Eye-eye..." she mumbled. She motioned to the Salairans and they made a retreat. Heading to the rendezvous.
Melody dipped into cover after they left, throwing grenades at the Geth. The gunfire died a little as they went off, she knew they would advance soon. She needed to keep the Geth back just long enough. She checked her barriers and shield. Pulled out her gun and fired into the enemy lines, killing a few at the front. She shot a hack from her omni-tool and took a breath as she let the bot fight for her. She hacked two more and then one last as the first exploded from enemy fire.
She looked out over the buildings below from her vantage point. She could see Ash's team where she last saw Shepard's team. She took a breath, placed a charge and jumped from the edge of the tower. She pulled her parachute just in time and aimed towards the plaza, one hand on the cords the other on her omni-tool.
After some distance, she detonated the platform she had just been on. She sighed as the wind casually wiped at her face, floating to her target.
"Melody!" there was a roar on the radio, she couldn't' tell who with the ringing in her ears.
"I'm on my way," she responded, hearing her voice shaking. "AA tower is kinda in shambles but at least the Geth have been held off."
"Head to the Normandy!" it was Kaiden shouting.
She tilted her chute towards the ship which was hovering over the building next to the plaza. There was gunfire in the plaza below. She landed awkwardly in the cargo bay. She rolled and lay on her back, panting hard.
Suddenly a mess of black hair was hugging her tight. Making her already short breath leave her body with the bone-crushing grip.
"Thank you." Ashley murmured into her ear.
Melody hugged her back and Ash slowly let her go after some time. The woman wiped her nose and sat up. Her eyes were a little watery but not red. They looked out to the plaza. Jane was sitting on a bench near-by nursing her leg as Chakwas looked it over with her omni-tool. Liara and Kaiden were sitting with her.
Kaiden looked up and smiled at Melody. His eyes were watery too. He mouthed the words; Thank you. She smiled weakly and nodded back. Liara sat up and came to scan Melody.
"I'm fine." she mumbled, her head pounding with adrenaline.
"No harm in looking," Liara said calmly, placing a hand on Melody's shoulder.
She held the hand there as Liara scanned her. She didn't want to leave this spot. She was shaking deep down and didn't like that she almost had her crewmates, one of her friends, die in front of her.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a siren. A bomb alert siren, it was coming from the facility. She stood to see a small craft big enough for a person leave the plaza. She ship moved quickly and landed down where it had left, the cargo doors facing John and his team.
The team scrambled in, the doors closing quickly behind them. Melody counted the heads in the room. Eight heads and then herself made nine, she sighed and lay back on the floor of the deck, everyone was hugging and talking about Saren and the Geth they took out.
She rested her arms on her head, covering her face. Her eyes felt warm and sore, hot tears of relief started pouring from her. She didn't sob. She was so happy all her friends were safe. That her commander's trusted her enough. She was so excited to see how Kadien and Ashley would grow as a couple.
She felt a squeeze on her shoulder. She looked up from her arms. Liara was kneeling there next to her, Jane standing over her. They both smiled kindly at her. She sniffed and wiped her eyes dry.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled and chuckled. "I was so worried commander."
Jane smirked, "You weren't the only one." She jabbed her thumb at John who had an arm around Kadien as Ash was speaking with them and the Salarians animatedly.
Jane then left them to talk with a highly decorated Salarian in the corner she addressed as Major Kirrahe. Wrex and Garrus came over to the two ladies.
"What an explosion!" Wrex roared to Melody, thumping her on the arm gently. "You know how to leave a building like a Krogan, little girl."
"Hey old man," she smirked. "We left that planet like a bunch of Krogan then."
Wrex sneered. "Damn Saren. Doesn't he know; you can't clone perfection." he flexed a little and put his gun in its holster.
Garrus laughed, "Sure, big guy."
Liara and Melody giggled with Garrus.
"My head is swimming," Liara said softly, a little confident. "I feel so strong like we can kick Saren in the teeth now. No holding back."
Wrex chuckled deeply, "That's the spirit girly."
Liara smiled at him as Tali bounded over. "You were amazing Melody."
Melody turned red, she didn't feel like being praised.
"I don't feel amazing." she waved it off. "I was just doing my job."
"You charged over to Ashley like an enraged Krogan." Garrus stated, crossing his arms. "I've never even seen an Asari move so quickly with their biotics."
"It was quite impressive," Liara added, tilting her head. "And terrifying. Like you knew that things were going to go bad if you didn't have the whole crew."
Melody sniffed and sighed, decided to tell them; "I had a bad feeling about the mission when John told us about Virmire. Like something," she hesitated and pushed on. "Like something in the universe was making my stomach turn, warning me someone was going to die."
There was quiet to that so she pressed on; "I felt that even if everyone left the ship one of us wouldn't make it back."
"I've had those gut feeling before," Wrex answered after a pause of silence. "You feel like if you don't get out it'll be your life on the line. But you moved towards Ashley like a warrior ready to give their life. Dammit everyone; the Chief, Kaiden and you were all prepped to die to make sure everyone left the planet."
Melody sighed and rubbed her forehead, "I can't stand to see any more friends go."
Wrex thumped the ground with his foot. "You can't save everyone, rookie." he thundered sounding like a mix between a loving uncle and a grumpy admiral. "Moving forward you need to decide if your life is worth it or if you can even get everyone out. But either Shepard makes the final say."
She nodded and he sighed out angrily like a dragon breathing fire; "The galaxy is too cruel to save everyone."
"Then let's work on making it a little nicer." John had made his way into the conversation, making a few of them jump.
"If Melody hadn't made a decision and ran off to save Ash." he pulled her up to stand next to him, resting his hand on her shoulder when she stood. "It would have been another name of people lost to Saren to add. I couldn't decide who to save. And either decision would have left a hole in the crew - in the very ship, that couldn't be replaced."
Melody turned around to find Ashley and Kaiden embracing. She was sobbing quietly into his chest, she couldn't see Kaiden's face from where she stood.
"I expect you guys to listen to orders." John continued at her side. "But I want you also to make dissections that you feel comfortable with. I don't want you to serve and not feel like your values are important. Melody decided she didn't want to leave a man behind so she ran ahead and did what she thought right. And I'm proud I can thank her for it."
He gripped her shoulder tighter. "I think everyone deserves some rest." He said, his voice sounding hoarse like he had shouted at them for an hour. Everyone grumbled.
Melody threw her armour into her locker and headed to the sleeping pods. Not wanting to bother anyone. She set it for 5 hours and crawled into the snug pod.
She woke hours later. When she exited she noticed something different in the air. It was tense out and she could hear people over by the Med-bay.
She walked over, Ashley and Garrus were chatting quietly.
"Everything alright?" she asked stretching, feeling a little exposed in her undersuit still.
Ashley jumped and turned around. "Oh good, you're up." she rolled her shoulders to relax them. "Both Shepards, Kaiden, Liara and Wrex went ground side." she then added. "We're in port on Feros."
Melody nodded and took a deep sigh. "What were you guys talking about?"
Ashley's eyes flickered to Garrus, a warning. Melody didn't miss this.
"We were actually theorizing..." Garrus said slowly, giving Ash a stern gaze back. "How were you so sure about Virmire."
Ashley threw up her arms in defeat as if she was throwing something invisible.
"You just ran off exactly were Ash was, no looking at maps or asking for coordinates." he crossed his arms. "You didn't even consider saving Kaiden, you just ran to Ash."
"Ashley was farther, so she needed to get to the rendezvous," she stated firmly. "And I can sense everyone on my ship."
Ashley snorted, she glared at her, crossing her arms. She took a deep breath, feeling the energy of the Normandy's ship, feeling the cord that connected to Joker and then Tali. "Joker is in the men's room instead of the cockpit and Tali is in med-bay looking over Liara's stuff."
Garrus' jaw dropped, Ashley wasn't convinced and ran to the men's room and knocked on it. "J!" she shouted.
There was a rumbling sound like something had fallen, "Don't come in!" it was Joker on the other side, sounding panicked. Obviously worried that he would lose his privacy and that Ash would storm in.
"How did you know that?" she turned to Melody. Her eyes fiery, angry.
Melody took a deep breath and sighed. "You have to promise not to say a word." she gestured them to sit at the table and took a gamble, she looked for the blue cords that connected her to Garrus and then Ashley.
She ran her fingers along the invisible threads, they felt warm and like yarn. She then yanked them, gently, an experimental tug.
Their pinkies stuck up, both to her shipmates worry. She pulled again, this time Ashley gasped, Garrus' jaw dropped. She took a deep breath and spread some biotic energy along the cords.
"These are the connecting fibres of the universe that bind us to each other," she said clearly as they stared at the colours in confusion. "I see them. I see the red one that connects you to Alenko, Ash." she sat next to Ashley, the thread getting shorter, the colours still flowing.
The black haired woman blinked, her mouth opening and closing. Melody ran her finger along the thread that connected Ash to Kaiden and it pulsed red, Ashley put her hand to her heart.
"Is that how you found me then?" she mumbled.
Melody burst into a smile. "You both were ready to die," she sat back in her seat and looked to Garrus. "When you both prepped to die, fighting away, you were thinking of him and he of you. And in the sky was a deep red thread pulsing between you two. All I had to do was run to the farthest one."
Ashley's cheeks turned red and she punched Melody in the arm. "So you knew how we felt before the party?" she sounded a little pissed, put a joking tone into her voice. "Why didn't you bring us together!?"
Melody smirked, "I promised not to meddle.."
Garrus sat up, "Who else knows?"
"Jane, John and Liara," she smirked wider, kicking up her boots. Earning a sound from Ash.
Garrus' mandibles clicked. "I don't want to know the ones that connect me to others. But did you tell anyone about the threads and what they meant."
She knew what he was getting at, "I demonstrated one of my own threads and one of Jane's." she flashed him a grin. "If you think you know, all you have to do is ask..."
He shook his head, "I don't want to hear it." he looked a little crestfallen. "Just keep it to yourself, okay. If I feel like I need a hand I'll come to you."
She nodded and the biotic glow faded from her hands. "No telling either."
The two nodded and the ship seemed to sway. Ashley immediately stood up and ran up to the CIC. Pulling up something on her omni-tool as she ran up the stairs.
Melody opened hers too. "I repeat," came Jane's voice through some static. "Shepard to the Normandy, close all doors to the ship."
The Normandy rocked roughly.