Old Comrades
Corvette Scylla on the way to Sol System
More than once since they entered the large cabin on board of the Corvette Scylla Udina had given her 'that special look'. Ashley tried to hide behind her cup of coffee but it was to no avail. She simply sensed him watch her. With a low growl she sat the cup aside on the board near the cot, one of the four cots in the large cabin they had been given for the short voyage.
"What? What do you want to hear, Udina? That I fucked Shepard last night? That I don't regret it fraternization or not?" She instantly regretted to have said these sentences. Knowing that Kaidan gave her a look of disappointment about her unprofessional behavior didn't help but it was this sad hangdog look that really disturbed her. And her exhausted body and fogged mind was in no state to battle her temperament.
Slowly he shook his head. "No, I didn't want to hear especially that." After a sigh he turned around and reached for his own cup, obviously to occupy his hands and avert her eyes. "But it is good that you found some luck. You deserved it, especially after …"
"Especially after what," Ashley asked, feeling how her anger slowly was rising?
"I've seen your face when you spoke about Eden Prime, about the soldiers that died there. And you're still not over that memory. You tried to forget or at least make us believe so, but it needed only this letter from Mr. Bhatia …"
Ashley had the impression of a mule kicking her straight to the face. In seconds tears were filling her eyes and her hands working frantically as she remembered that letter. Samesh Bhatia, husband of Nirali Bhatia, one of the soldiers under her command that died on Eden Prime, had asked her for help. As it seemed the body of his deceased wife hadn't been returned to him for funeral and all tries to get an explanation had been stonewalled. She hadn't spoken about it with Udina but as the Communication Officer on the Normandy she should have expected that he would know.
Her voice was only a very low whisper as she responded: "She had been one of soldiers; she trusted me and her husband trusted me to bring her back. And then not only she died but …"
"I know what happened. She was turned into a husk. After our 'victory' her body was found and could only be identified because of her tags. She had been brought to the Citadel for further examination about the 'Husking'." Ashley's eyes went wide as she heard Udina speak about Nirali, obviously knowing for about the events than she did.
"Why … where …" she gasped, unable to finish the sentences. With a look of sorrow in his face he answered: "Ridein, you should really learn to ask others for help. You were not able to help. Is that your fault? No, it is not. But it is your fault that you simply gave in instead of searching for help. I needed two calls to get a name and a 200 Credit tab of a whore … err, exotic dancer … at the Chora's Den to convince the responsible scientist that he could do his examinations with one less cadaver. She's in the store room of the Scylla now but I would suggest that you don't look into the coffin."
Ashley stayed silent for several minutes, her face completely pale; her hands slowly patting her jacket as she tried to work for an answer.
"Why have you done this?" Her final question was full of wonder.
"That's a stupid question, don't you think so? I may not look like one but I'm a marine too. We don't leave a comrade behind. And from your response to Mr. Bhatia I knew that she was not anybody too you. How could I restrain from helping if it cost me as little and it helped others as much? By the way: After our mission on Luna I organized a 24-hour-break on Earth. I expect you to bring Nirali to her family in that time before doing anything else like visiting Sarah. Is that clear, Gunnery Chief?"
She had to start several times before Ashley was able to croak: "Understood, Commander."
Normandy – Liara's Quarter – 30 hours before
"Yes, naturally I'm willing to do that. I only just not understand why …" Liara's voice slowly went down under the stern look in Udina's face.
The commander had been waiting in her room as she returned from the party with Shepard and the rest of the crew. First she had been angry to see him looking thru her notes about the Prothean Beacon but his very first sentence had been enough to close her mouth.
"I want you to meld with me, now." Udina had simply declared. Liara still felt unsecure about reading emotions in human faces but she was secure that there was still fear in Udina's eyes, but also determination.
"I'll leave tomorrow and won't be with you on Noveria. There will even be the chance that … something happens to me while I'm away. I still don't trust you but this is not the time … you know: duty. It all comes to duty. Shepard may need my knowledge and I need you to understand it. I assume you have melted with Shiala before she left the ship and you may part that Cipher knowledge with me … and with Shepard?"
Her mind racing she needed some moments before she could press an answer: "Yes … yes we did. And I could … share with you. You're sure that you want to …"
Angrily he interrupted her: "No, I'm quite sure that I don't want this. But that makes no difference, it simply has to happen. And it has to happen now, before I depart and before I change my mind anew."
Udina stared at her for some long moments, making her very uncomfortable. "You should remember this: I allow you to part that Cipher knowledge and to get my knowledge about the beacon. You may part this knowledge with Shepard. This is all what you're allowed to do. I know enough about the melding to realize that you can't avert seeing other things in my mind. But you're bound to never share this with others. To make it very clear to you: should I ever learn about you telling others anything else about what you see in my mind, I'll put a bullet thru your brain. No examination, no defense, simply you, me and a bullet."
The expression on Udina's face and the tone of his voice caused Liara to shiver uncontrollable. And then realization hit her like a hammer. He hadn't denied me to meld with him because of his mistrust but to protect me. I have heard rumors about him being some kind of agent before entering service on the Normandy. There could be secrets in his mind that could endanger him, me and all others involved. And now he asked me to share nonetheless, in the same moment telling me in his own way about the inherit dangers and allowing me to back away.
"I understand and I won't abuse your trust. I will meld with you …"
Corvette Scylla – nearing Luna, Sol System
"It is time to speak about our mission on Luna," Udina started to speak. Apart from him, Ashley and Kaidan there were the five members of a special squad team in the room.
Four men, one woman, military type, uniform without insignias, perhaps SWAT or something similar, Ashley shortly wondered. The soldiers had only given nicknames and seemed content to be mostly apart from the others.
"We'll go down in thirty, set to the surface 5 clicks north of a secret facility of the navy. I've been there for some months two years ago so I should be able to direct us around. The facility encompasses a total of three underground buildings. We'll have to enter each of it, knock out any resistance and shut down the main computer. Overall damage should be kept down. The navy wants this facility back and not destroyed; else they would use a bomb and not sent another squad."
"What do you mean with 'another squad'? And what kind of resistance have we to expect?" the leader of the team asked, his already annoyed voice getting angrier now.
"There has been a try to knock the facility out three days before. From the twenty-two marines they sent only five survived. This is the second and last try to solve the problem with hand weapons."
Pinning some blue prints on the wall Udina explained further: "As is said there are three buildings, each with a single entrance. These are protected by automatic gun turrets, two turrets near each entrance. From the former squad's report we know that the turrets besides the eastern building have been knocked out. In the buildings we have to face a large number of smaller mechs, military defense drones and a few static guns. Some of the doors have additional shields for protection. There will be no living defender but the central computer will do what he can to avert our intrusion."
Somber he looked around, staring one after the over in the eyes: "This is the main problem: the scientists in this station worked on an AI and it seemed they had at least partly success. But this AI now isn't listening any more but started to attack humans. It killed the inhabitants of the facility and separated it from us. You have to be very cautious in there."
Luna, Sol System – 2 clicks north of Science Facility
Silently the team was following Udina towards a small hill that would allow them to look down on facility. Their leader hadn't said a word since Udina had folded him like a recruit in a boot camp.
"No, you're not my second-in-command. Should I fall Ashley will take control of the situation. To speak quite frankly: I don't need you, I don't like you and I don't really trust you. I've only chosen your team because I need Falcon …" Udina shortly looked at the single woman of the team "and the rest of your team. Stay quiet and you'll escort us. Annoy me further and I'll leave you with the backpacks."
No, he's not really the polite type, Ashley pondered, wondering shortly about this show of trust Udina had made. And why did he decide to make me his second and not Kaidan?
As they reached the hill Udina ordered them to put the large case on the ground they had been carrying and opened it. Looking up from the content, Ashley blinked heavily. Instantly she gripped the weapons as Udina shoved the heavy rifle in her hands.
"These are Odessa tank assault rifles. Normally they are utterly useless, much too heavy and large to carry around." Shortly he had a boyish smile on his lips. "But I always longed for a situation to use them once. Now it is the time. We have three of them, one each for Ashley, Falcon and me. You see the facility over there and the towers. Each has a local control system on it. With a shot of such a rifle you may destroy it. But you need two other bullets to put the shield out for a timespan of two seconds. Falcon, you'll organize the parallel shots of Ash and you. I'll shoot a second later to take the control out. We'll make two runs at each turret, even at the one thought to be put out of action. The former squad lost six men to these turrets; I don't want to lose anyone. Okay, perhaps Drummer I may, he's real annoying with his constant humming."
The others shortly laughed and even Drummer, the heavy gun soldier of the team, smiled sheepishly. "Let's go."
Luna, Sol System – Eastern building of Science Facility
Leaving three team members for holding watch Udina and Ashley searched the former squad for any survivors, not really expecting any. They had been torn apart by drone crossfire as it seemed and gone down after putting more than two thirds of them out of action.
"Take it," Udina tossed Ashley one of the assault rifles of the team. "Kaidan and I take one for Wrex and Garrus."
"Scavenger," the team leader hissed but instantly stopped to ramble as he saw the ice-cold anger in Udina's face. Without dignifying him with an answer Udina explained to Ashley: "These are new Tsunami Assault Rifles. They are built for precision. I expect a field report from you about its performance later."
Ashley simply nodded. "Udina, as you used your Omni to put those drones out …"
Udina smiled weakly: "Yes, that was Tali's voice. I fetched some of her programs before we left. I really would have liked to take her on this ride, but the Navy Command had qualms about her trustworthiness. But with these programs she is somehow with us nonetheless."
Ashley smiled back: "Yes she is."
Corvette Scylla on the way to Citadel
"Thank you, Udina." For a few seconds Udina was unable to leave the pictures of the facility behind. Two members of the team had been killed, Drummer one of them. And without Ashley's fast reflexes and iron nerves Falcon would have died too in that last wave of drones. But in the end they had been successful, the Navy Command content with the outcome and now they were on their way back to the Citadel.
"Have you reached a conclusion there, Ridein" he simply asked her?
"In a way, yes," Ashley answered lowly. "Bringing Nirali back to her family was … good. I told Samesh how much you helped."
Udina made a grimace. "You're too honest and honorable sometimes."
Ashley grinned back: "I only wanted to stain your reputation as a cold-blooded spoiled upstart. I know how much that annoys you."
The smile was only faint and quickly Udina's face was one of thoughtfulness again as he gripped the glass of red vine that he poured himself an hour ago and which was still untouched. "I was appointed as Comm Officer on that facility, have never been part of the computer team. It was only after some weeks that I slowly realized what they were after and even then … Gut feeling that something will happen was not convincing enough. They assumed me only to be one other biased fool. At least they were willing to accept my redeployment application, perhaps only to keep me silent. Could I have done more? Could I've stopped them? Back then I saw no possibility but now … This was the reason for my posting as a logistic officer before I went to the Normandy."
Ashley sat on the armrest of the couch and shortly pressed Udina's arm. "I'm sure you did what had been possible for you. It was not your fault that they overlooked the dangers." To distract him from his dark thoughts she asked: "But you were not a simple logistic officer, you've been there as a military intelligence agent, am I right?"
A thin smile crossed his lips. "If I would answer this question, I would have to shoot you afterwards."
Ashley's smile was much broader. "At least you don't say that shooting me would hurt you more than me."
Udina slowly sipped some of the vine, hiding his face and thoughts behind the glass.
I wouldn't only say this, Ridein.