Chapter Twenty-Five : à l'abordage
A/N: What's up guys, next chapter is up. Hope you enjoy it, and I'm glad so many of you liked the stalkers. You'll be seeing more of them!
And look at this, with chapter 25 A Dark Dawn breaks the 100k words milestone! Never thought it would get this far. At first I predicted it would take about 70k words, and I'm still not over. Anyway, enjoy the chapter. As usual, big thanks to Jade Tatsu for revising.
Tali woke feeling like she had hardly slept more than an hour. Had she been any other species than quarian, maybe she would have struggled to catch the elusive wisps of sleep that still clung to her mind and wrap them around her once again. But alas, she knew from experience that once a quarian woke, they wouldn't fall back to sleep until their next cycle. With a groan she sat up, every ache and bruise acutely present.
Something clattered in the kitchen, echoing eerily in the tight confines of the bunker. A muttered oath quickly followed and snapped Tali out her sleep befuddled haze. Of course, Shepard probably didn't sleep much. Reegar slept even less than most Quarians, and he was a soldier too.
She got up quietly and slipped out of her room and down the hallway, his voice sounded less muffled than usual, maybe she could catch a glimpse at his face… It was rude, but she'd already screwed things up this much by being curious, might as well follow through.
The room was lit with the classic human dim lamps and when she peeked around the corner she could barely make out his shape. He hadn't left his armor but his head shone in the light. Black hair, cut extremely short over his head, she bit her lip and stood up straight, coughing lightly. This was too much like spying on him.
Shepard instantly touched something on his neck and plates of metal slid up around his face, concealing his features from her as he turned around. He hooked on his plain mask after that and crossed his arms. "What are you doing?"
"What are you?" she said, stiffening at his tone.
He sighed softly and shrugged, slumping into his chair and leaning back against it. He shifted his arms to clasp his hands behind his head. He almost looked like someone after a normal days work, enjoying a drink.
Tali stepped into the room tentatively and took a seat on the other side of the table, staring off into the distance. "You know, I didn't mean to get us into this…" She waved her hand about. "Mess."
He looked up at her, his eyes burning holes into her visor until she glanced away. "How did you not mean to walk out here?" snapped John.
"I wanted to see for myself! Obviously, it wasn't true." Tali trailed off and flicked on her omni-tool, scooting around the table until she was sitting beside him. He edged away a little but she pretended not to see. She'd done enough damage as it was, without complaining about racism. "Look."
So she showed him the files, the files that outlined the apparent 'true' state of the surface. The files that claimed that Earth was recovering, turning green once more and that it was actually habitable. Tali explained how she got them and the whole debacle since then. A couple minutes later she looked up at him, nibbling at the edge of her lips. At least this way he might not be such a bosh'tet and talk a bit instead of making all of this even more depressing than it already was.
"You were set up," said John slowly. He got up from his seat and started pacing through the tiny kitchen, his fingers trailing along the metal surfaces absently. "No other way. Those files had to be fabricated. But why would someone set up a random alien like you?"
"Thanks," she huffed.
John ignored her and she glared at him from behind her visor as he kept on patrolling, muttering to himself.
"What now?" she asked after a long pause, when Shepard was leaning against a counter and staring up at the dull grey ceiling. The place reminded her a bit of a quarian ship, minus the good company.
"We're going to the main gates of Bunker. We should be able to get in that way, if the radio doesn't pick up until then. But…" he trailed off and rested his head against a closed fist, a deep sigh running through his body.
"But?"
"We have to go through a city to do that, you probably saw it when you came in. It's going to be tough. All kinds of shit in those ruins."
Tali rose and stepped forward, reaching up hesitantly to put a hand on his shoulder. This wasn't the time to promote xenophobic feelings or animosity, they had to work together. "Just tell me what to do."
He shrugged off her hand and stood straight, towering above her in his imposing armor, made all the larger by the tight confines of their quarters. Tali suddenly had an absurd image of him trying to slip through tight quarian hallways and she had to hold back a snort. Now was not the time.
"I'll tell you what to do," he growled. "Shoot anything that moves if it's coming towards us and don't ever, ever go anywhere alone." With that, he marched towards the second room and pressed a button next to the door, letting it slide open with a soft hiss of hydraulics. "Get some sleep, we're moving when the sun rises."
How he even knew when the sun rose, she couldn't tell but she nodded slowly and turned back to her room, with luck she'd be able to find something interesting to think about, instead of spending the night staring at the ceiling. The walls of the bunker seemed to press around her, bringing with them her worries and fears and the image of a growling beast hiding behind a rock. Would they see that one again? Would she be facing it, like some vorcha in a horror movie? With a shiver she fell onto her cot and closed her eyes, wishing for sleep to come quickly.
The morning came far too quickly for John, and he woke to the insistent buzz of his suit's alarm in his ear, tearing him away from the pleasant realm of dreams and crushing him back into harsh reality. With a groan he turned over and got up from his cot, sleeping in armor was unpleasant no matter where you were. But he wasn't risking taking it off. Even a bunker couldn't stave off all the dangers of the surface.
He took a few moments to remove his helmet, grimacing as unfiltered air hit his face before he walked into the tiny kitchen, grabbing some energy bars from the counter and ripping off the wrappings. He chewed on them before turning towards the alien's door. It was closed. He frowned and scratched the growing stubble on his pale chin.
She'd obviously been set up and someone wanted her dead and forgotten. Rebels? With a scoff he dismissed the idea, they didn't have the tech to get into military data, especially if it was classified. Who then? Some malcontent within the army? It was possible, he would have to talk to his commanders when he got back from this hell.
The remainder of the trip that lay before them erased any trace of levity from his mind. City ruins were rough, terrible places to cross if the RIG's who survived such trips were anything to go by. Only a few expeditions had ever entered them and even fewer had come out. Not one single group had gone through unscathed and rare were the men or women who felt like talking about it.
With a sigh he stood up and opened Zorah's door. She was lying curled up in a ball against the wall with a pillow under her head and for a moment, she reminded him of Kelly. They slept the same way. He gritted his teeth and erased the memory from his mind, walking over to her and tapping her on the shoulder until she started moving and muttering. Finally, the two crescents of light appeared beneath her mask and she sat up quickly. "Shepard?"
"Yeah, get up. We've got to get moving."
She nodded and hopped off the bed. John turned back to the door and paused when he heard her stomach grumble loudly. With a grimace he went back to his room and picked up his rifle. They would have to be fast if he didn't want her to starve before they could reach safety. That wasn't going to happen to his charge when their relations with the quarians centred on her. Humanity didn't need to open up another front of the war.
Tali joined him a few minutes later in front of the airlock, some sort of metal plate covering most of her mask and her newly acquired shotgun in hand. Her fingers ran over the smooth metal constantly, as if she was trying to pull some form of comfort from the cold steel.
"Stay close and follow my orders and we'll make it through," he said firmly, pushing the access button.
With a hiss the airlock slid open and the weak rays of the morning sun illuminated their equipment, giving it a dull gleam in the hazy light. The firestorm raged a few miles away yet even from where they stood the smell of sulfur was invasive, slipping through their filters with its thick, cloying scent. Enormous gouts of fire erupted far away, accompanied by the howls of hungry flames. To the other side stood the blackened and crumbling spires of the city, flames still spluttering in many buildings.
"Keep an eye on the sky, stray rocks still fall even this far from the main storm," he warned.
And with that, they were off.
Miranda crossed her legs and put her datapad down on her thigh, looking at him with a small frown on her face. Something had irritated her enough to break the ice-cold facade she often kept in place over her emotions. Interesting. Jack flicked away a few files from his screen and jerked his head towards her. "What is the problem, Operative Lawson?"
"We've finally accessed the video files that the quarian unwittingly damaged on her way to the surface."
"And?" he asked, leaning forward. The whole operation had been surprisingly straightforward and she had easily fallen into their trap, lured outside with some ridiculously simple tidbits of information. Of course, he was not about to complain, the only point of contention were the damaged video files and the suspicious absence of her bodyguard.
"I'm afraid RIG Shepard did follow her. If the last cameras are anything to go by, then they are both out there now."
The Illusive Man sat back in his chair and turned his gaze away from his second in command, staring at the dull grey wall beside him, hiding the world outside as they sped across the broken landscape. Small gouges betrayed its past as a military shuttle, now refurbished into his own personal transport. He liked it this way, it reminded him of his military past. A constant symbol so he could never forget he was more than just a politician. "That complicates things. He, of course, knows about all stashes and access points into the city."
Miranda was silent for a few seconds, before nodding sharply. "Yes."
Everything indicated that the man had no affection towards on the alien. Jack's sources stated that they barely said anything to each other apart from questions and answers. They didn't go anywhere together beyond the indicated spots and Shepard never tried to communicate with her outside of his 'work' hours. Perhaps a simple approach would do.
"Miranda, get a continuous loop up. Have someone trying to contact him 24/7 until the firestorm subsides or they get through. If they do, I want you to speak to him immediately. I don't think I need to specify what to tell him."
The woman's cold eyes hardened even further and she tilted her head in acknowledgement. No moral complaints, no flinches, no aversion. She would do what had to be done.
Jack had made the good choice shifting Shepard from Morag, he would be an adequate assassin if it came to that. Once the quarian died, then it would only be a matter of time before the budding alliance between quarian and human dissolved into nothing more than empty words and loaded guns.
He steepled his fingers under his chin and wished for a cigarette. Humanity did not need to associate with aliens to advance. Not now, not ever.
His shuttle landed with a thud and the door slid open slowly, grinding on solid gears and revealing a dim access tunnel. Miranda got out first, her hand on her pistol holster. She ushered him out a few moments later and he straightened his shirt, walking briskly off the platform and towards the dark recess of the meeting room. The time for backstabbing was done, now came politics. Jack snorted, as if there was a difference.
The ten inch thick door slid shut behind him, leaving Miranda to carry out his orders. "Gentlemen," he said in a neutral voice, taking a seat.
"Intelligence. I guess you have more about the diplomats?" said one of them without preamble.
The Illusive Man nodded slowly and tapped a few commands into the holotable, bringing up a map of the galaxy, with a few dots on it. One in particular was meant to attract attention. It blinked red and moved forward ever so slowly across the virtual void.
"No more contact has gone between the ship and the Council. We have predicted its movements and are adapting our interception fleet's course accordingly. If all goes to plan, they will meet two relays before the Home Relay," he finished and let the hologram hover before them. After a moment he pulled out a cigarette from his small dispenser and lit it, ignoring the small hiss of disapproval from his right. Science had always been uptight.
"Very well. I suggest the usual show of force, and extreme caution. We never know what might be lurking there."
"Of course," growled Interrogation, his voice like sandpaper on rough wood, scratchy and wheezing like that of an old man. "What about the prisoners from the scouting mission? I believe they have little else to tell us."
Jack leaned forward and tapped off the ashes from his cigarette, letting them tumble down to the floor in a mesmerizing dance of dying embers. "I'm sure they'll try to behave if they learn we have some unwanted guests," he said, a small smile crossing his lips.
Yes, all would go according to plan.
The CIC could not have felt more crowded and cramped had an elcor tagged along on the diplomatic mission. Asari scurried about while turian guards eyed everybody suspiciously. In the midst of it stood Garrus, next to Benezia. No doubt, the Spectre lurked nearby, out of sight but within earshot. She had had an uncanny ability of popping up whenever Garrus needed to share sensitive information with someone.
"We're getting closer to their space, how are our stealth protocols?" asked Garrus to a nearby crewmember.
"Everything is stable, sir. As long as we proceed like this we should be able to approach them and send a short range, direct transmission pack to them," replied the short asari, her eyes glued to her screen.
"I still don't understand why we are not broadcasting our presence constantly, General. If anything, we want to appear as non-hostile as possible." said Benezia
"We also want to get close enough to communicate without getting blown apart. Not only that, but their ships are extremely elusive and hard to get into contact with. Some have tried," replied Garrus in the voice of man who had been through the same argument a dozen times. He rubbed his faceplate and rolled his shoulders slowly, letting his muscles contract and relax in a vain attempt to loosen some of the ever growing tension.
They had been lucky so far and had even been able to slip past a small convoy of ships on the other side of a star system. But now they were in deeper waters. In unknown territory that the humans had no doubt been scouting for years and years. He pressed himself against the railing and stared at his map, his mandibles moving absently.
"I trust you will practice a modicum of restraint even in face of a hostile attitude?" asked Benezia, breaking through his thoughts. Garrus grinned and turned towards her, his arms crossing over his chest.
"Listen, Matriarch. I lost hundreds of men on Morag and hundreds more die each day. All of them killed by these animals. I'll be careful to not disrupt your peace talks, but I'll have my guns aimed at them the whole time."
She looked like she was about to answer when the same crewmember as before suddenly gasped and sat up straight, all signs of fatigue gone. "Sir! Fifteen enemy ships have appeared. They are moving towards us in loose formation, slower than full attack speed."
Garrus' heart skipped a beat and a burst of adrenaline surged through his body, making his claws dig into his biceps sharply. This was it. "Stop the ship, if they haven't detected us they'll pass by. If they have, let's not give them a reason to shoot. Prepare the short-range communication."
The crew flew to answer his commands while a gentle alarm blared in the background and the pound of a dozen feet on corrugated metal echoed through the ship as the turian guards rushed to prep their weapons and armor. Barely a few minutes later the excitement was replaced by a dreadful tension, a climbing sense of anxiety that crept over the floor and cocooned every member of the crew in their own web of fear.
They waited in silence as the ship approached and Garrus ran through everything he knew about human naval forces, which was more than most. If their previous tactics were anything to go by then they would not travel in such loose formations, or even be visible on the radar. That meant -
"Sir, we're being hailed," said the crewmember in a small voice. A bead of sweat trickled down her brow and Garrus jerked a hand in her direction.
With a buzz, a hologram materialized before them and a few of the asari muttered in surprise. Very few had seen human faces. There was no more than a couple pictures. Garrus' mandibles spread in disgust as a few of the younger asari gave the human a nearly dreamy look. These were meant to be professionals.
The human himself was somewhat striking for his species, with clear eyes and pale, noble features with regal cheekbones and a light stubble crossing his chin. Upon his head there was some sort of large hat with a red triangle in the middle. A black suit encompassed his body and his hands were clasped behind his back, much like the turian relaxed stance.
"This is Major Coats of the Fifth Interception Fleet of the Human Navy." He paused briefly and ran his eyes over Garrus, like a bird of prey analyzing a chunk of meat. So that was what it felt like to other species when a turian stared them down. "Diplomatic mission from the Citadel on unnamed ship, you will cut all non-vital functions on your ship and prepare to be boarded." This time when his eyes focused on Garrus, a small snarl appeared on his lips. "General Vakarian, we have heard of you from Morag. Any act of violence and your ship will be eliminated." The feed cut off abruptly and Benezia turned towards Garrus with wide eyes.
"How did they know our purpose and your name?" she whispered, as if the humans could hear them even now.
Garrus unclenched his fists slowly and shook his head. "Spirits, I don't know. Get your diplomats ready."
"We underestimated them again, it seems as if they have infiltrated the highest echelons of the Citadel and the Council. That is most worrying."
They both turned towards Tela Vasir as she stepped through the door into the CIC. Strapped to her back was a stubby assault rifle while she had a pistol at her side. Unlike many soldiers, she needed little more than that to give off an aura of deadly danger so particular to stalking beasts.
"Then we can't do it again." Garrus tapped his comms. "Soldiers, stand ready. But be careful, you heard what the human said. Prepare to be boarded."
Toothless is Best: Nice is already... nice? (I can show myself out)
boss12: I can try to fit it in, and if I don't, just pop me a pm and I'll give you the details.
Nimda: They haven't been forgotten! I just never planned on doing a subplot with them. But you'll be seeing them again.
babultower: Don't you mean 25? ;)
Hope you all liked it. Until next time.