Chapter 27: Attention

xxxx

"Banthor!"

"What, what?" I growl, still groggy as I scramble from my cot. The plasma rifle is already activated in my hands as I shake off the last bits of blurriness and focus on the squad commander. Everything seems fine. We're still sitting around the campfire; a dozen more shock troopers still asleep. So that means we haven't been compromised yet…

"I saw Cyncia headed up the hill towards the old communications tower. I have no idea what she's doing, but she's your girl. You go bring her back. We can't afford to have anyone else lost in this damn jungle." His voice is gruff, quite the contrast to the lanky, pale form. Even with motorized combat armor, he's skinny as hell. Then again, so are all of us. And with that, he waves me away with a four-fingered hand.

"Yes sir." I respond simply, rising to my feet and bringing the rifle to rest across my chest. Without further word, I set out from the camp and begin hacking my way through the undergrowth en route to the comms tower.

Just in case this couldn't get any worse. We escaped the Citadel a month ago when the invasion hit. After crash-landing on this damn jungle of a planet, we lost a dozen troops to food poisoning before figuring out that the local plant life is toxic. And then to top it off, the two dozen survivors have been going increasingly insane.

Myself included, for that matter. I see shit when I try to go to sleep, I hear people talking when I'm alone. Everyone says we made it out unnoticed, but it sure as hell doesn't seem that way. The commander calls me paranoid, but I swear there's something going on here… like those things are watching us. And our every step. I glance over my shoulder once more before ascending the stairs of the tower, mindful of the dull clank of my boots upon each flight.

After a minute, I reach the final landing. Lit only by the crimson emergency light the small room has been mostly stripped now, only a few instrument panels left. The rest were stripped out and melted down to be recycled… so now, only the critical controls remain. Well, those and the beacon.

And Cyncia. She doesn't turn from the inactive beacon as I approach, just standing there and staring at it. She only acknowledges me as I call out. "Cyn? What are you doing here? We need to –"

I made it no further as she spins around, a wild look in her natural eye and an additional gleam in the cybernetic one – "It's too late!"

"What? What's too late?"

"It's too late -" she repeats, more fervently than before. "They already know. I… already told them."

"You did what?" I snap, taking a step forward onto my right foot. How… why would she do this? What happened to our sense of teamwork, our relationship? Now I'm just hoping for an explanation. Before I destroy that damn beacon and everything else here.

"We've all seen what happened to the resistance. From the Citadel clear to the galaxy threshold, every planet, every sign of civilization was wiped clear. We could have surrendered, been allowed to live. But instead, thanks to people like you – our entire species has been deemed a threat!"

"Listen to what you're saying! You were a soldier right by my side! What happened?"

"I've seen more than you can imagine. The lost potential… I wasn't going to let it go wasted!"

"So you sold us all out? Dammit, Cyn – I trusted you!"

She doesn't say another word. A communications holo springs to life to our right, taking both of our attentions. And I recognize it right away… one of those ships!

"YOUR COMPANION UNDERSTANDS. YOU MAY STILL HAVE A PLACE AMONGST THE RANKS OF TIME – IF YOU DO NOT RESIST FURTHER. ALONE YOUR LIVES ARE FUTILE. AS OUR CLAWS, YOU WILL BE UNSTOPPABLE."

"I'm sorry." Cyncia begins, causing me to look back to her – and down the barrel of a plasma repeater. "If you can't see what this is to the rest of us… then I have no choice."

"No." I hiss, preparing for my next move. "We all have a choice. And you made yours."

Before she can protest, the rifle swings from beside my leg. Upon reaching my hip, it roars to life – bolt after bolt impacting the kinetic plating of her light armor. I can feel the sting of several repeater blasts upon my heavier armor… but I don't release the trigger until she falls backwards. As she does, I spin on my heel – directing the automatic fire towards the holo panel. After only a second, sparks fly and it dies.

Trembling mostly from rage, I turn back to my fallen mate – slinging the rifle over my shoulder as I kneel down beside her.

"This isn't over… they'll find all of you… there could have…been…light!" She sputters.

I shake my head, folding her arms across the narrow chest before I stand up. I can feel the sting in my eyes; a soldier reducing to weeping whelp. I don't look back as I begin down the stairs. There's still a chance I can save the rest of my squad… if that still matters. It still does for me, so maybe it's not too late to –

"Jackson!"

I snapped out of the dream –vision, whatever – upon hearing my name. From the sounds of it, it was Delina on the top of the subdeck stairwell, so I shouted back "Yeah?"

"We're a half hour out from Zavalon. Get your ass up to the mess."

"Ok, fine. …grouch." I added the last part quietly as I rolled out the cot and threw on my casual wear. From the sounds of it, she already headed that way… and I was left to make sense of another's memory.

It definitely seemed like Zavalon, but during the reign of the Protheans. From what I could tell, another survivor story. Albeit a rather brutal one. The strangest part? I had no recollection of that from the beacon. Weird as it was, I couldn't waste much time thinking about it, but it was in the back of my mind as I made my way out of the cave for the day.

xxxx

The four of us commandos crowded about the bridge as we made the final descent. Our dock had been confirmed and we were coming in quiet. As the Akina got closer, I could make out the forms of several large buildings fringed by a damned forest. Judging by our path, we were headed for one of those just slightly removed from the rest; out by itself and surrounded by trees. The beginning of civilization here. On the opposite side of the next maintenance hangars, warehouses and the like began to populate quickly, gaining height immediately. Not a click away, a few buildings reached probably ten stories. After that it fell into full-on city. And then a nice sunny beach on the other side of that. But that was clicks away and out of sight.

Before I knew it, we were coming to a gentle rest in one dock. I couldn't tell much from the cockpit, but I could hear a decent click as the Akina was secured. Several seconds later, the airlock opened and we stepped out onto an open bridge level with the dock floor several paces away, but there was a tremendous floor three meters below us. Perfect for working on the belly of the frigate.

I exchanged a nod with Delina, and then glanced upward. We were in a quonset of sorts, so at least we would be covered. Interestingly enough, the dock was far bigger than needed for just one ship. Easily could you fit three Akina-sized frigates in the other bays. We only took up part of it, and hopefully the other part would stay empty. Hopefully.

We walked portside up to the bow where a lift was waiting to take unwitting workers to the maintenance level below. Finally Kaira spoke. "Alright, team. Everyone ready to get to work?"

After three different nods, she continued. "Alright. Forrest and Delina, start taking off the armor around the main gun. Once you get that done, drop the rail itself. All the tools should be down there and waiting. Rana, come with me. We've got a particle cannon to build."

Something caught the corner of my eye, diverting my full watch. Strangely enough, T'Kaen was making her way across the platform. "You coming to help us, doc?" I shot over with a goofy grin.

"Yes, but not with this project. I'm taking a shuttle to the main city to restock our medical supplies."

I nodded, saying nothing more as she passed. Instead, I looked to Delina and tilted my head towards our ship. Without a word, she hit the lift control and brought us down to the maintenance area. Once there, I looked around, seeing what equipment we had to work with. Several elevating platforms and hoists, and two big tool chests. Other than that, the little work area was clear.

The ship itself… I couldn't tell anything. It looked just like a light grey armored hull to me. Sure, there were the noticeable lines along the edges of the armor plates, but I couldn't tell one from the next. Except for were the current cannon protruded. And man, an eight centimeter diameter barrel meant business.

"Alright… what's the plan?" I asked, looking over the arms specialist

"Shit, you know as well as I do. Let's cut along this-" she paused, lifting her omni-tool to draw a laser-line along right along where the cannon ran. "-line. Then we can take off several rows or plates and get the old railgun out. Plus that should give us enough room to mount up the new gun. It's going to fold out, right?"

"Yeah. That's how I took it." I nodded while still looking up at the belly of the Akina. "Alright. Let's get to."

With that, Delina threw a cordless saw at me. Despite the armor we were to face, it still just looked like a circular saw with a badass diamond blade or something. Putting on my visor on, I hopped onto one of the platforms. Raising myself up a meter, the hull was several centimeters from my head. I laid the saw into the line between two plates. It sunk in quickly, but progress was… slow. Even as the lift rolled along, I was only cutting about a meter per minute… considering I had about seven meters to cut, I was going to be there for while. And after only a half meter, I was getting bored. So holding the saw with my right hand, I flipped through my omni-tool – and soon was using the visor earpiece for my own motivational music. Celldweller, because why not.

"I've made a choice – that I regret. Now what I see – is what I get..."

And as such, I began happily sawing along, banging my head and dodging the occasional spark to the face. Delina had disappeared, but the pounding on the hull above me was nice reminder that she hadn't left for good. Although I did have to wonder what the hell she was doing in there. Well, as long as it doesn't all come down on me… we're cool. I thought, bemused by the mental image of such an unfortunate situation.

"Too late to look back; Ain't ok – I've got no way to switchback!"

Well, if that wasn't perfect timing. The song came to a crushing end just as I reached the end of the cut.

"Ok, that's it." Delina informed me over the radio. "Get one of those hoists ready. We'll drop the plating on the starboard side of the cannon."

"Copy…" I grumbled, stepping off of the platform, setting the saw down in a table, and pushing one of the hydraulic hoists underneath the section of armor. With a few taps on the controls, it rose up and affixed to the plating… "Alright, D. Bring it down."

"Don't call me that."

"Or what?" I questioned, staring up at the hull. With that in between us I felt pretty safe, but her continued silence made me unsure.

"It should be loose. Lower it."

Carefully, I did that. And sure enough, a whole section freed itself from the ship. And nice and easy, it was lowered to the ground – revealing both ten centimeter thick plating and the framework behind. And also Delina, crouched over several different braces, looking down with an impish look on her face and an impact wrench in her hand. I just shook my head as I went to get the other hoist.

Just as quickly we repeated the process. Now, two decent sections of armor lay removed. The commando dropped through the triangular framing, landing gracefully between the sections of plating.

"Not bad." She started. "Let's get that rail cannon out, then we can be waiting Kaira and Rana."

"Didn't realize it was a race."

"It's not." Delina shrugged before tossing me another cordless impact wrench. "But it doesn't hurt to be faster."

"That's not always a good thing."

"Ha, is that what she said?"

"Haha." I said without a hint of humor, shaking my head. We certainly shared a sense of humor. "Yeah... let's just work."

"Touchy subject?" The specialist questioned as she kicked a platform into place portside.

"No." I chuckled, doing the same. "But you word things in the most interesting ways."

"And you're quick to avoid that subject."

"Drop it."

Neither of us said another word as we began unbolting the main gun. It was certainly a monster, at least six meters of barrel… and a loading mechanism, not a shaver. That would make sense, though, it would fire a serious projectile. After about fifty bolts per side, all that remained were a couple of power connections and Delina took care of those.

With that, we let it drop onto the final waiting hoist. And then we jumped down ourselves. Delina looked around. Once she was evidently pleased with the fact that we had beat the other two Asari to the punch, she gave me a nod before shoving the disembodied cannon to the side.

And not a second later, the lift activated. Well, if that wasn't fucking timing at work. I crossed my arms and watched as Kaira and Rana approached – with a large crate and a cart with what I assumed would be the particle cannon. It definitely wasn't what I had expected, though. Only about five meters long, it didn't have a barrel; rather two parallel structures, one on each side– tongs, almost. The base was a sturdier cube attaching the two, but apart from two circular supports, there were no obstructions along the length of the arms.

"Alright… well damn. We're ready." Delina informed them.

"Good. So are we." The commander shot back without missing a beat as she approached.

The two elder commandos took a few steps further, inspecting the frame. Rana stayed with the cannon, and so I took a step that way… inspecting what was essentially a super-sized version of what Kaira carried for combat. And so I commented. "Well. You work fast."

"As do you. Taking apart a frigate is not exactly light work."

"No, but putting it back together will be fun." I shook my head, slightly dreading that part. "So, what's the concept behind this thing?"

"It is essentially a larger version of the infantry weapon. In part due to scale, I was able gain a better understanding of how it works. There are mass effect fields to control and direct electromagnetic energy. The workings are far more complex, but that is the theory."

"Huh. Interesting. We about ready to mount 'er up?"

"I believe so. Commander, are we ready to begin?" The latter part she called over my shoulder, securing the Spectre's attention.

"If everyone else is, then we're good to go. You have the deployment rails, right?"

"Of course, commander." Rana nodded, motioning to the crate.

"Good. Let's do this."

"Very well. The first step will be to attach the brackets and motors… although I think some of the framework may be in the way."

"Don't worry about that." Delina began smugly. "Jackson and I have that under control."

"I hope so." Kaira commented. "I'm beginning to think you're just enjoying the opportunity to tear my ship apart."

Delina didn't respond to that. Instead, she threw me a saw.

xxxx

Thirty minutes later, the deployment rails were in place. Same went for the motors. Now, it was just time to get that particle cannon into place.

I looked back down as the last bolt was torqued on my side. Seemed like the apparatus was all ready to go. With a glance to Delina and me, Rana simply questioned. "Ready?"

"Hell yes." The arms specialist responded, waving the hoist in.

And now I saw how this was going to work. Three parallel swingarms descended from the hacked and welded frame of the Akina, and would attach along the sides of the cannon. Each about a meter long, they would drop it out and away from the hull with the help of the motorized units.

For now, that also meant lining up three different pivots, a task deeming a headache in itself. Not to mention the person working across from me…

"Alright, good!" Delina ordered. "Just a little further back… too far! Just – there! Hold it!"

"Does that work for you as well, Forrest?"

"Sure does." I nodded back to the engineer as I ran in the first bolt. The impact wrench made quick work of that one, so I sidestepped and began attaching the front arm. Delina did the same on the opposite side, and then we moved back to the center arm.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Rana abandoning the lift and going to the rearward arm and began fiddling with the wiring. With my immediate job complete, I took a step back and watched as she half disappeared into the hull. The arms specialist did the same… and after a minute, the young commando reappeared entirely for a moment. "Forrest, would you mind handing me that control module?"

Without a word, I figured out that the box she was referring to sat on the nearby crate. Not much bigger than a good textbook, I returned and handed it up to the engineer. Finally, I had to say it. "Hand me that piano!"

At that moment, Delina shifted onto her toes, looked over the cannon and gave me the most questioning look I had seen in a long time. "What…the hell?"

"I can make sense of many of your sayings… but this is not one. I am at a loss." Rana added, pausing from her work to peer down.

"Eh, a piano's a musical instrument we have back home. One probably weighs as much as this cannon."

"So that's supposed to make sense?" Delina bit back.

"No. It's not. That's the point." I countered, only receiving more confused looks. "Look, you're trying to make too much sense of it. Metaphorically speaking, the purpose of that saying is to make an absurd and nonsensical request."

"Right…" Delina just shook her head.

"Well, sorry." I scowled slightly, now not even amused myself. So much for trying to be funny.

Most of Rana's work was hidden from our sight, but I could still see as she mounted the control box to the upper part of the hull. Soon enough she hopped down.

"That deals with the physical connections… Should we focus on remounting the armor plates?"

"Sure." Kaira gave the young commando a nod before pacing along underneath the freshly installed cannon. "Do you have a plan for those?"

"I do." Rana began. Her silence caused the rest of us to look over… only to see her rummaging through the crate and retrieving more mechanized workings. "According to basic calculations, these should be more than adequate for operating the flaps."

With that she procured more support arms, joints, motorized cylinders. I just shook my head as we got to work on the starboard panel.

There were four of us working on it now. Between drills, torches, bolts and welds, the formerly stationary chunk of armor donned a mobile frame. And after a short event of wrestling, cursing, and anything else necessary, we managed to get it into place. Bolted, secured, wired. The whole deal. That left one side. Without further ado, we set to work

With a final hoorah, we maneuvered the plating into place. Even as we bolted it into place, I was impressed by the design. Both sides mirrored each other, and both used the same, parallel-arm design. But unlike the cannon, these flaps only had two linkages each and the outside was shorter than the inside. Hence, when it swung open, the center gave even greater clearance to the cannon.

And now it was all in the deployed position. We all seemed to take a step back; inspecting, critiquing, admiring. Rana was the first to speak. "Well… I suppose we should first test it."

"Yeah, and how exactly are we going to do that without, you know, tearing a hole through the hangar?" Delina quipped. "Not that I have anything against doing that. I'm not flipping the tab."

"We should be able to power and essentially dry-fire it once." Rana responded, ignoring the arms specialist's efforts at protest.

"If you think that'll work, let's do it." Kaira confirmed.

"According to every calculation, it should suffice. Considering it may use the power needed for all of our systems… it would not be wise to first evaluate it while in the sky." The engineer explained, connecting a set of cords into a remote control of sorts… wired, so that nobody could hack it. Good thinking.

"I'll got keep an eye on power loads at the bridge." And with that, Kaira left… up the lift and out of sight.

"I dunno…" Delina muttered, walking well over to the side of the cannon. "I sure as hell ain't taking any chances by standing in front of this thing."

I chuckled, unable to think of a witty comment. Now all three of us were on the port side of the cannon, waiting. Delina and I standing on each side of Rana – who had the controls up and ready. "Goddess… I certainly hope this works."

"Alright, power is online. Work your magic, Rana."

"Understood, commander." The young commando responded, a hand to lowest part of her fringe – below the dark streaks running the first ridge. And with that, she began fiddling with the haptic interface of the hard connection…

A moment later, the particle cannon surged to life – a mass effect field enveloping both rails. So far the apparatus remained quiet, but it was… rather intimidating, as both Delina and I edged back a step.

"Biotic fields powered to ten percent, commander." Rana reported.

"Alright. Reactor load is at five."

Rana did more meddling. The mass effect field nearly tripled in luminosity and I could feel it. Like the energy was hanging in the air, running through my nerves. I would have moved back, but nobody else seemed to mind. So I just stood there as the engineer keyed her radio again. "The mass effect cores are fully powered."

"Copy. Load is up to fifty percent… and holding steady."

"Understood. Activating the electromagnetic generators." Rana informed us, running her hands over several different controls. For a moment, the blue aurora surrounding the cannon remained unchanged…

Then it flared to life. Strands of white electricity began arcing along the rails, an orb of condensed energy forming near the base. And it was just as vocal; similar to the infantry weapon, a synthetic scream began tearing apart the still hangar. A mere second passed before it was to the point where I could barely hear the engineer report:

"Electromagnetic generators powered to ten percent. What is our status, commander?"

"Fifty-five percent drawn now..."

"That is acceptable. Turning the generators to half of maximum output."

And with that, Rana turned up the power again. The raw electricity was arcing and hissing about, and the condensation of white energy at the base of the arms became almost blinding – even with my visor compensating. I raised a hand to shield my vision - but static began gnawing on my fingertips. Surprised, I took a step back as the muscles involuntarily twitched. Am I really this much of wuss? I wondered, watching the other two commandos hold their ground against the tempest of light. Not even that. They were comfortable enough, not questionably being electrocuted. Focusing, I heard the commset chatter.

"Rana, load's jumped to seventy percent. How close are we to peak output?"

"The electromagnetic generators are at sixty percent of the target capacity. I am turning them up all the way. If we reach the reactor ceiling, shut down the supply!"

Once more, the cannon rails intensified. The whine was becoming a piercing shriek and the electrical charge seemed to be getting to a dangerous level, the air almost trembling as the mass of biotics and electricity clashed. Yet Rana wasn't backing down; not even moving as she cranked it up. Hell, even Delina was backing up again now. But even as I backed away more, the static was only getting worse, creeping up my entire right arm.

A flash. Not white, red. Numbers framed my vision. Not orderly. Static, even frantic. Line after line of code raced by, 0s and 1s switching at incomprehensible rates. Suddenly my sense of feeling fell away; leaving the formerly tingling limb numb. The screech of the charging cannon disappeared. A moment later and the obstructed view of my surroundings went black, vision then only defined by code set. I was still here, still functioning but shutting down. Something was disrupting the lines of programming; whole areas would flash and flicker in and out of static.

Suddenly it stopped. The numbers regained their normal form. My senses came back instantly and I was still standing. Hesitantly, my right hand lowered. The cannon rails had returned to their uncharged state and I shook my head once to make sure I was still in reality.

Yes, I am. What the fuck was that? I snarled to myself – but unable to continue on that train of thought as Kaira came over the radio.

"I take it you shut the cannon down from there, right?"

"Yes, Commander. We reached full charge with little complaint. What is the status there?"

"Everything went fine, but… when you shut it down, we were hovering at ninety-nine percent reactor usage."

Rana shook her head as she set down the wired control box. "That will not suffice. Kinetic barriers take five percent under normal load, and critical systems take the same amount. We need to reevaluate our plan of action."

"Alright, hang on. I'll come down and we can discuss it."

And with that the line went dead. Rana looked back to Delina and then me with a rather somber expression. before she could speak, I wheeled about in alarm as a thud echoed behind me. With a few wisps of biotic energy dissipated, Kaira walked over completely matter of fact.

So someone took the shortcut. Nice. I chuckled to myself.

"So, Rana. What's the verdict?"

"The current reactor will not be able to power both ship systems and the new cannon. I… The power draw was far higher than my calculations predicted. At this point… we may have to return to the old cannon. Either that or…"

"We've already done all this work. What about upgrading the reactor?" Kaira offered.

"That is an option, but we did not plan for anything of the sort. We have none of the parts on hand. Besides, that is an excessive cost on your behalf."

"Well, the current reactor is ten years old now. It survived a crash into a cruiser and a misguided relay jump. It doesn't owe us anything. I'm certain Evitha would agree." Kaira nodded. "And we could incorporate stronger shield generators while we're at it."

"You have a point… It is your decision, Kaira. Whatever you feel is best is what we shall do."

"Noted. My vote is for upgrading everything. What about the rest of you?" Kaira turned to look at Delina and I… like we were experts or something.

"I say we go all out." Delina began. "If we get the chance, I want to see a contractor ship get blown the fuck up."

"Your call, Kaira. But I'm for upgrading the systems." I agreed, heedless of the fact that the cannon hated me already.

"Alright. That decides it. Let's head up to the comm room. We'll see how soon those parts can get here."

And with that, we headed out. I took up drag – but not before giving the particle cannon, or whatever it would be designated as, another glance. Something about it affected me alone. It clearly wasn't biotics or element zero; Rana and Delina both had those. I couldn't figure it out.

xxxx

"So you're saying that you can get those parts to us two days from now?" Kaira questioned, folding her arms.

"Yes," the Salarian hologram began. "That's already pushing it because you're special forces."

"Look, I'm a Spectre. I need these for a critical mission – and time is of the essence."

"Alright, Spectre. I can get them to you tomorrow morning. That's the very best I can do."

I looked at my omni-tool. For once, times matched up – and it was late afternoon on both ship and planet. Seemed to me that would work pretty well.

There was a moment's pause. "Alright. We have a deal then."

"Very well. Thank you for the business, Spectre. We will have a transport delivering those mid-morning."

And with that, the line cut. The room returned to the usual brightness. Kaira turned to the three of us and nodded. "Well, that's decided. We'll have a night to burn, but that shouldn't be too hard."

"Yeah. Especially not for these two." Delina lashed out, motioning to Rana and me with her thumb.

Kaira looked to me. "Yes, this means you can take the evening off. Both of you. Just… try not to cause a scene." As we nodded, she looked to Delina. "Same goes for you. I know how much you love the clubs here."

"Hell yes." The arms specialist gave a quick fist pump and then calmed back down. "Well, don't mind if I make the most of it. I'll see you later. Forrest, Rana… have fun."

I shot the smirking commando a glare as she turned to leave. But that only seemed to make her more proud of herself. So back to the three remaindering commandos. "What about you, Kaira?"

The commander shrugged. "I don't know. I'll probably just stay here. No need to go off and party anymore."

"Fair enough. And… Thank you."

"Sure. Just keep it quiet. Easier said than done, I know. But we need to take this opportunity to enjoy the absence of trouble, not find a way to incite it."

"Understood, ma'am." I nodded once to the commander then turned to Rana and added – rather hesitantly: "Well… You want to get ready to go – in an hour or so?"

"I believe so. That should be ample time for us to transform from mechanics." She confirmed, smiling a little before turning to the commander. "Thank you, Kaira. For allowing this as well as catering to the project of the cannon. I did not think it would become such a headache…"

"Hey, it might be your design and project, but we all benefit from it." She paused. "Forrest, if you don't mind, I'd like to speak to Rana in private."

"Not at all." I shook my head honestly. "I'll see you later."

"In an hour. I am looking forward to it." The engineer added, smiling all the more. Kaira just chuckled while I acknowledged the statement with a nod. As I strode towards the door, steps slowing to clear the sliding panels, a smirk worked its way onto my face… we were making the most of shitty situations.

xxxx

Standing by the airlock an hour later, I tugged at the collar of my shirt – the only good dress shirt I had. Or, the only one that had inadvertently made its way from Earth. However you chose to look at it. With the Contractor hunting us and vice versa, a trip to the sol system wasn't exactly feasible, so I was stuck like that. The only pair of black slacks I had owned seemed to complement the similar black button-up western shirt. Simple, and with any luck I wouldn't stick out like a green bill on an orange cap. Ah, but nobody else dressed this way.

…Hell, nobody had hair or tan skin. I guess clothing should be the least of my concerns. Still, the lower-profile I could stay, the better. For being an undocumented alien traipsing through civilization, that was way easier said than done.

It was funny, really. I was more nervous now than I would have been for combat jump. Granted, experience (or lack thereof) in this case might've had something to do with that, but hey. Seemed like it would be a fun evening. No, make that an awesome evening. Me and Rana had both been waiting a while to do this, and the opportunity just fell into our hands; on top of that, local traffic was down, the weather was incredible, the sun was just barely above the horizon...

But I got thinking. Interestingly, the people who knew me (outside of our crew and a few other Spectres) also wanted me dead. Tirade, Contractor... to name the biggest. And as such, I was getting paranoid. There was a kinetic barrier belt tucked under my shirt and a single flashbang affixed to my belt. I couldn't believe I would need either, but I was learning to never let my guard down… I glanced up from the floor.

And there was Rana, gracefully making her way up the bridge.

I wasn't sure what to think. Gone was the brown leather of commando uniform and instead she wore a sleek fitting dress; relatively low cut at the neck and back, then extending to just above the knees. It was a light charcoal in color, accented only by the bright yellow sash accenting her right exposed arm at the tricep. Well, that and the blue of her skin. Her arms were bare from shoulders onward; legs similar apart from the matching footwear - like high heels sans the heel. Yeah. That would make them more like slippers by our standards… but dammit, she was already almost as tall as me. And finally, to my surprise, there were no noticeable tan lines from her usual uniform. Then again, maybe Asari didn't color like we humans did when exposed to the elements. Either way, it took a discreet twitch of my head to get me thinking straight – and accepting of her new appearance.

"I apologize if I kept you waiting..."

"No worries. Just got here myself." I offered, and then added: "You look stunning by the way."

"I must say it is strange to wear anything besides a uniform. But I appreciate the flattery... similarly, you make quite the appearance."

"Well. Thanks." I paused, chuckling to myself for a moment. "Alright... you ready?"

"I believe I am." She returned with a nod - and slight smile. I saw that.

I tipped my head to the airlock as the decontamination cycle began. "So... what are Asari customs for something like this?"

"I would not be the best person to ask that. I know little of the subject - and it varies a great deal. Perhaps human customs are better defined?"

With a shake of the head my response came. "Not really. We've got innumerable customs... and I sure ain't the one to ask about any of them."

"Well..." she began as we strolled along the docks and towards the taxi stop at the far end. "Perhaps you could apply some of them."

I had to think about that for a moment. "Well, a few have already applied. Like the fact that we're doing this. But otherwise..." My speech trailed off in accordance with thought of the matter. "I dunno, one custom we have is to sort of link arms while we walk. Like-" Once more I paused, cocking my left elbow out to the side. After a confused moment, she slipped her hand through the crook of my arm. It actually seemed to work pretty well...

"That seems suitable...thank you."

I nodded slowly as we reaches the terminal; empty but for one skycar. As we approached, the driver rolled down the window. Batarian, at that. In a gruff voice he called out: "Hey! You the two commandos headed to Vezaninia plaza?"

"That's us." I confirmed simply.

"Alright. Get in."

xxxx

After about ten minutes, we were still in the air. Granted, we were over taller, city-like buildings now, but I didn't realize how far away we actually were out at the hangar. Rana and I hadn't said a word thus far; too shy to carry a conversation in such close quarters with the driver. But as it turned out, he was the one to speak.

"I know Asari... But I've never seen anyone by the likes of you, alien. What's your story?"

"Well..." I began, implementing things before I spoke again. "I'm from one of the sectors of unexplored space. Way further out than any maps show you. The rest of my race is still stuck to a single planet, but we were found regardless. Anyway, I was in the right place at the right time. Got the opportunity to join up with a Commando squad."

"Ha! Smart man. Or lucky. One of the two. Anyway, have I got a story for you." He exclaimed, glancing to the left then swerving into another weak flow of traffic going that same direction - and around the corner of a large complex. "Before this job, I ran an elite merc group. Well, if ya want to call it that. We fought a few wars, but mostly we ran out in the 'dark' sectors. Even opened a few relays when nobody was looking. One of those led to this nice looking planet. Lot like here, actually. All jungle. So we landed and milled around for a little while before running into the locals. To this day I don't have any idea what they were, but the bastards had about eight eyes. Bigger then a Krogan, and even meaner. Only me an' this other guy made it off that world. Ran back through the relay and shut that sonuvabitch down."

"You discovered a new species and told no one? Certainly that will be a threat for those to come!" Rana protested slightly.

"Yeah, and spend the rest of my life in jail? No way." He shook his head violently. "We disbanded the group after that. I traded in the frigate for this taxi."

"That's quite the change." I commented.

"Yeah. So is seeing your best friends torn apart limb from limb. Until then it was good fun, though." There was something of reminiscence in the gruff voice. Certainly regret of landing wherever that was, but also of choosing to leave the career. "Ah, anyway... The spirit of youth an' adventure. Enjoy it, even if you're already older than me, girly." He laughed a little, then as he pulled into a station turned serious. "Alright. Here we are. That'll be 200 creds."

Damn... Alright.
I handed him a credit chit, waited as he ran it and handed it back, then stepped out onto the dock. "Ok. Thanks."

"Yeah. Sure. I'll forward ya my number in case you need a ride later."

I nodded. Without another word, I offered my arm to Rana again. As we resumed our side by side gait, the hustle continued around us. Big city, even if the top of the plaza was only fifteen stories up. It was like a mall of sorts, really... Complete with crowds. And so we set off, knowing only the general direction we needed to go.

Admittedly, walking like this was a bit stiff. After a minute I felt the commando shift uncomfortably... And a moment later she spoke. "This seems... Far too formal of a pose for such an evening. Perhaps we could just do this?" And with that, she reached through and took my hand alone. As our fingers laced up and fell to a more relaxed stance between our hips, she nodded quietly.

"Yeah. You're right... That's a lot better." With a slow tilt of the head, I relaxed my step to meet the swing of our combined arms. Not bad at all. I could get used to walking along the hustle and bustle by Rana's side. At least the last part. I had never been able to stay in the city long… just wasn't my cup'o'tea. And for being a diplomat's daughter, Rana didn't seem to care for it. Perhaps she was far more accustomed to this life, but the young commando still looked about with a sense of awe.

Above all the surrounding chaos, we didn't bother trying to hold a conversation. Instead we seemed to just enjoy walking along in each other's presence and soak up the scenery of high society... a vacation place, none the less. Just like home, dammit. That… brought up a lot of thoughts. I dealt best I could; focused on the positive of the present. Besides, it only took a minute to reach our destination.

The Shil'Rajara restaurant. With nod to Rana, I opened the door and we entered. From the outside, it didn't look like much more than just a small hole in the wall between two hotels. But once inside the story changed entirely: elegance and refinement in a dark, cramped setting; light only from the few decorative holos on the ceiling. The place was alive too, with every table full. Mostly Asari, but there were a number of Turians, a couple Salarians, even what seemed like a Batarian in far corner.

Before I could begin to worry about it, a young Asari waitress approached - in began in a voice that matched the atmosphere. "Jackson? Your table is this way."

"Thank you." I responded, glancing again to Rana before falling in line behind both maidens. As I had almost hoped, we made our way to the very back. Better yet, it was a small booth - just large enough for the two of us. Leather seats and a marble table... In my terms, anyhow. Not telling what materials they actually were.

With a polite nod, the waitress handed us two menus. "There you are. Is there anything I can get you to drink before your server arrives?"

Rama and I exchanged glances before she responded. "I would have a glass of Tirra Neloth, providing it is available."

"It certainly is." the other Asari nodded, keying the haptic interface of her omni-tool before turning to me. "And for you?"

"Well...anything you suggest? Kind of light?"

"We have Taknari, or -"

"Taknari? What's that?" I was genuinely curious, having never heard of it before…

"Well, do you know what Taksari is? Alright, then. Taknari is a lighter brew of that. It's quite popular here among diplomats and such. Providing you are levo-acid."

"I am. I'll go with that then... Thanks.

"Of course. We'll get those to you in a minute... And enjoy your evening."

Yeah... I guess it is pretty obvious what we were doing here... I thought before turning to Rana. She looked, well, genuinely happy. And with a mutual smile, we opened our menus.

And it was that very instant that I realized I had screwed up big time. My eyes ran over a foreign text; not galactic standard, not a single word, or rather symbol, making sense. So I looked back up to my date for some sign of relief. Instead, she was looking at me with the coyest smirk.

"I... Sorry. I didn't take this into account..." I managed, only causing her expression to grow into a slight giggle. "Hey, I'm new at this!"

She offered an olive branch of sorts as she reached over and set her hand on my forearm. "I apologize... I simply found it amusing."

"Yeah... It is." I admitted, shaking my head sadly. "Well, this is some Asari dialect, right?"

"I believe it is old dialect. The only reason I may be able to read it is that I took a short course in the university. But as you might say, my skills are a bit rusty."

"Alright, well... Sorry. That's not really how things were supposed to go..."

"Do not worry about it. I see it as simply adding to the adventure."

"Yeah, I guess so... Alright, what are 'we' going to order?"

She shot me a more discreet smirk before responding with similar emphasis. "'We' are still looking. Perhaps I should simply surprise you."

"Fair enough." I mused, chuckling at my misjudgment, picking up my menu regardless of the fact I couldn't comprehend it. Instead, I took note of the surroundings. The more I just soaked it up, the more it dawned on me: this place was quite classy, actually. In contrast with the dark surroundings, there was a light and airy acoustic song playing overhead, which seemed quite fitting for the occasion, and looking around, that seemed to be the reason for the majority of the people here. Businessmen, politicians, elite mercs... Whatever they may have staked as a career, they were here tonight as couples. Although, as I now realized was necessary, each had at least one Asari. There were two at one table, actually. Maybe GTRA at work. I didn't know, and I was happy enough to just be here with Rana. She was amusing to watch, actually. Every few seconds her brow would furrow as she struggled to translate a symbol, and then relax as she made sense of it. cute.

"Alright," our new waitress began; first setting our drinks down and then leaning onto the edge of our table with the palms of her hands, voice incredibly smoky. "What can I get you babes? You're both damn young to be able to read old script, though. Glad to see someone takes our heritage seriously."

That's... What? How the hell…?
My mind was at a loss as I heard Rana rattling off the names of dishes. this Asari was who I thought she was, then... I had just met Matriarch Aethyta. It was certainly too close to be a copy, even if what I had expected was on a different planet and centuries away. But… that also meant something big. If a minor character like this was showing up, Mass Effect went far beyond just the coincidence of facts and technology or a warning of the Reapers. Azarith had proven that part quite well.

As she left, I turned to meet Rana's puzzled expression with a shake of the head. "Sorry... I just recognized her. If fate goes according to plan, she'll be a bartender on Illium in 174 years."

"Are you certain of that?" She asked, eyeing me with a bit of suspicion.

"No. But it's definitely the same person." I shrugged. "Eh, sorry. It's not important... But it is a surprise."

"I understand." She nodded once. It took a moment of silence before she changed the subject. "I have been intrigued by this place, Zavalon… what are your feelings about the planet?"

"It's nice and all, but there's just something weird. I dunno. I guess it's just the repercussions of the Prothean beacon... But yeah. Strange stuff here." With lighter conversation on the rise, I gave our drinks a curious look - the glass of some wine, perhaps a merlot, resting in Rana's hand, and the strange concoction by me…which was pink. Not what I had expected, but it was still good.

"You mention the beacon... Are memories still surfacing to the conscious mind?"

"Yeah. I don't remember any of them, and they don't even seem related..." So I delved into a brief explanation of Banthor's memory, my dream from the night before, still trying to make sense of it myself. Rana listened with keen – almost startling – intent and didn't say a word until I had finished.

"Strange. We know so little of the Protheans, yet if what you witnessed is true... Perhaps some use could be made of it. Please let me know if any more memories come to existence."

"I will." I nodded, leaning back in my seat as our dinner came.

That was definitely Aethyta. Even as she carried two plates, she carried an air that was reassuring – of the fact that she could tear out your spine and then beat you with it.. As she set the food down in front of us, the matriarch posed the question. "So. Who's taking who out tonight?"

Rana and I exchanged glances but remained silent. After a second, I had to speak up. "I'm taking her out." Hopefully she's talking about dinner...

"Oh yeah? Well, good choice. In girl and restaurant." She beamed and then turned to Rana. "And you... Consider yourself lucky. Personality aside, you've found a good one. Besides, not everyone gets the chance to be first with a new species... You better know what I mean."

And with that, she left us. Although Rana had darkened several shades and struggled to keep eye contact. Finally, she shook her head. "I had been doing my best not to think of it that way... Goddess. Perhaps we can just enjoy dinner and forget about that incident?"

"I dunno. Can we?" I teased before looking down to see what 'we' were going to eat. I wasn't sure what to compare it to, actually. That looked like fish maybe on one side... Maybe like the equivalent of salad on the other? It looked and smelled good, though. So hey. Being quickly distracted as such, I looked back to Rana. "Thanks. For going out this evening."

"Then I should thank you as well for taking the time and effort for me..."

"Can't imagine a better way to spend shore leave." I replied with a nod.

"Then it is mutual." She tilted her head forward once and picked up the chopstick equivalent. "As I recall, all of this food is native to Thessia. T'therix, an ocean-dwelling predator, and yalmara leaves."

"Well, thanks. Looks good." Ha! So I was right about the fish part! Then again, I didn't know it was actually a fish… hmph.

And with that, the meal began. We didn't say much for the first several minutes - an indication of the quality of food. Finally I opted to take a breather and start some small talk. "So, have you had a chance to check in with your mom since we left Thessia?"

"I have. She is doing well, although slightly frazzled from both the ordeal and a number of unsavory diplomatic conference. But she seems to be taking it in stride..." She paused. "I opted to tell her of our plans, as well."

"Oh? What'd she have to say about that?" I posed the question rather nervously... these things had a rep.

"She simply wished us an enjoyable and safe time. Having met you in person, she seemed to have few qualms about the matter."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that."

"As was I. The first year at the university was almost unbearable. I know she had the best of intentions, but she was much too overprotective..."

"And now you're a full-fledged commando, off gallivanting about with an unknown alien."

"I do find it a bit ironic as well." Rana shook her head. "Yet I would not have it any other way. Already I have experienced more than most shall in an entire lifetime."

"I have to agree there. I never planned on living this far out, but I always wanted to be on the edge. As one of our sayings goes, 'if you're not living on the edge, then you're taking up too much space.'"

She let out an amuse chuckle. "You certainly apply that to your job as a combatant. It has been interesting to work with as a teammate."

"And vice versa. I can't tell you how much I've learned from you and the squad. Speaking of which, how is the omni-tool revision coming along?"

"I suppose you do not find my work so boring after all..." She beamed. "Ah, well... I have one thousand lines of coding written thus far. That is likely only a fifth of the total project... If not less. It is a daunting task at times."

"I'll say. Still, it's pretty amazing that you can do that kind of thing."

"Well, I appreciate your admiration. It is a job... But one that I thoroughly love." She remained silent for several bites of supper, and then continued in a separate direction. "I have given more thought to the project of the particle cannon... I understand now why I was incorrect in my calculations of power draw. I took into consideration a linear power draw. Instead, it proved to follow a sine curve of sorts."

A sine curve...ah yeah. Ok. "That makes sense... Considering there will probably be a higher amount of energy bleed as it ramps up."

"Exactly. The efficiency decreases at higher energies... And to compound the matter, more energy is required to bring the generators to full power." She shook her head. "Although I do feel badly for misleading the commander..."

"She seemed fine with it. Besides, we could use stronger shields anyway. Not sure for what... But you never know."

"That is true enough. Perhaps we cannot be too prepared." She shook her head suddenly. "If only Kaira could hear this conversation. We are certainly committed to the mission."

"Yeah. This is how we choose to spend our 'personal' time…" I had to laugh at that.

"Perhaps we could discuss something more fitting of the occasion… your childhood, perhaps?"

"Can't imagine there's much to that by your standards. Eighteen years… most of which was spent in various places. Six years was the longest I ever lived in a single place. And I lived as far away from everything as I could, so..."

"Is that not unusual? It seemed as if humans tend to congregate towards cities."

"You're absolutely right. Nothing about how I grew up was really… common. A lot of people saw us as weird, or wondered how we could live like that – so far away from everything. There were a few times I was one of those people… but at the end of the day, I always loved the life."

"So I understand. How far back can you vividly recall?"

I frowned momentarily, trying to recall that time… "Well, I dunno, probably from about the time I was six on. Can't remember any specifics, but I do remember filling my role of 'crazy mountain kid' pretty well. I had my hair grown out past my shoulder blades… and I ran around most of the time. It was great."

"Your hair can grow that long? I thought that was a trait divided by gender."

"No, just social standards. But I did get that a lot. I can't tell you how many times people took me for a girl… but…" I scratched the side of my head. That was certainly something I had been glad to grow out of…

"That is unfortunate… although slightly amusing to look back upon, I hope."

"Yeah, it's fine." With a similar chuckle, I took another bite of food before continuing the conversation in a different direction. "So… You said you were about forty when you went to the university. What was it like before that?"

"In many ways I can relate to your stories… I was raised in the southern providences. We chose to live on the outskirts of a well-established city. It was not remote, but many times it felt as if we were far away from it all. Regardless of that, we did not stray far from tradition. I lived with my parents until I was late into my twenties. It was then that my father died…and I chose to take a position working as a warehouse assistant for a large tech company. In hindsight, perhaps that is the best thing I did. There was a tremendous amount of work to be done, but so much of what we were dealing with fascinated me. Well, that is still the case. I believe that was a large reason for choosing the path I did in the Thessian Universities."

"Huh. So that's how you got started on all the electrical stuff?"

"Not exactly. I took a great deal of interest in such matters beforehand, but that opportunity showed me how much more was out there – things I had never heard of. The actual coding of omni-tools, for example."

"That makes sense. Getting out in the world, seeing what's really an option… That's kind of where I was headed. And then I end up here. Not that I'm complaining… I mean, the company's good… but yeah." I rambled a bit… then got back on track. "So why the shift from electrical engineer to commando?"

"Well… that is a long story in itself. There were many occasions I witnessed the dregs of society – even of the galaxy – at work. It was when a professor was assassinated by mercenaries who felt they had somehow been wronged by him… He was the only Turian who taught there, one of the few people out of our own society that left an impression on me. That is part of what offered the incentive to protect others at stake…"

"Well, I can understand that… but dang. You've seen some rough stuff."

"Perhaps. I never wished to dwell upon it, however. Instead I tried to make the most of the worst situations. I understand I can only do so much, but I am still making a difference. While my mother chose to make a difference from a removed stance, I felt the necessity to create an immediate change… Perhaps that is just a sense of youth, however. For all the patience it takes to code firmware, I find myself highly impatient at other times."

"I think that's just youth, like you say." I paused to take a swig of drink. "Eighteen or sixty-three, that seems sort of universal."

"I was thinking similarly. I have had only limited interactions with any species besides Asari… and as such it takes some adjustment when dealing with relative age differences."

"Well, make that two of us." I mused. "But it's kind of neat, actually. Sort of offers different perspectives on things, ya know?"

"You are correct. Yet at the end of the day, do we not look at the mission similarly?"

"No doubt about that." I agreed whole-heartedly, and then continued. "So, back to your childhood… er, rather your time on Thessia… However that works. Surely you didn't just work all the time, did you?"

"That is not far from the truth. Apart from the position at the warehouse, I also found odd jobs as a base technician of sorts. I always felt driven to work… even though my mother encouraged me to relax and try to enjoy my summers free of basic schooling."

Ah, ok. I was wondering about that… "So what about your father?"

"Ralesh was driven as well. He supported my choices regardless, but I always knew he pushed me to work – and play – harder. Perhaps a necessary element in his life…" She trailed off, voice a bit dampened.

I nodded slowly. "Well, he definitely made an impact on your life. Even in a relatively short time."

"Yes, he did. We certainly made the most of our years together. And yet…still part of me wishes that time could have been longer."

"I'm sorry…" I murmured.

"By no means is the fault yours. I was simply discussing the matter." Her voice was slightly less downtrodden as she continued. "These are the details that etch our character. Joyous or sorrowful, they define who we are."

"There's a lot to be said for that…"

xxxx

Hours passed. We had finished dinner with a long conversation ranging from galactic economics to childhood quirks and set off to see Mass Effects: a History of Galactic Foundation. Yeah. As the name kind of suggested, it was kind of tacky… but at least it was good watch. Even if a few sections were hammed up…

And now we were walking along the highest section of the main plaza. Our left overlooked the hotel and restaurant strip about five stories down … and to the right it dropped off a ways to ground level. Twenty stories, maybe. Apart from the sparse decorative trees, it was open up here. No businesses or flashy lights, only the dull glow of holos to mark the walkway, with the planet's two moons overhead and bright enough to illuminate our surroundings further.

"I found it interesting that they chose to place so little emphasis on an individual's biotic ability… it seems that is a core aspect of mass effect technology." Rana pointed out; clearing the path for another conversation.

"Yeah… even on a scientific level that seems just as impressive… But I guess it doesn't revolutionize things like FTL travel." I shrugged a little, mindful of our interlocked hands as we walked along.

"I suppose not… but they are one and the same."

"True. Maybe they just don't want to give our profession a…romantic reputation. You know, to keep the children safe."

That elicited a laugh from the young Asari. "Then what is to become of us? I cannot speak for your culture, but I would still be considered a child – or at least a very young adult."

"Yeah, about the same for me. It's that awkward stage in between… oh well. I guess we're no holo-film critiques, but…"

"I enjoyed it none the less." She stated almost bluntly. At least it was the positive kind of blunt... "Thank you… for this entire evening."

"You're welcome. Seems like it turned out pretty good."

"Indeed. For simply making the most of shore leave…" She trailed off as we reached the end of the court; where drops greeted us on all three sides. The one directly ahead was only a story or so; confirmed by the gleam of moonlight on a dozen skycar roofs. We reached the railing, both looking over for a moment before she spoke quietly. "Although, I have been inquisitive… After this, we shall return to the Akina – and the responsibility of the occupation. We took this evening as an opportunity to be in each other's company, but I feel like there is more to it than that."

"There is." I replied softly, turning to put the balustrade on the right and taking the other blue hand in my own as we came face to face. "You've become far more than a squad mate to me. Even more than just a friend. I'm not sure what the correct term for it is now…"

"Nor am I. Yet the feeling is mutual. Even before tonight I had felt drawn to you… but now I believe there is little doubt to those feelings. Providing you are willing…we – we could make more of this."

"I'm more than willing. It might not be easy, but the best things in life aren't." I pointed out.

"No, it will not be easy. Part of me wonders if perhaps we are insane for trying to make this work. The battlefield is hardly the place for any sort of relationship and the smallest of distractions could prove fatal."

"That's why we're here tonight, drawing a sort of line between the two. But look at Kaira and Tahre. They were able to keep professional even once they were together."

Rana agreed. "I did not think of that, but you have a valid point. If you believe we can strike a balance, then I do as well. We may have reservations upon the matter, but I – well…" Rana trailed off.

"We'll make it work." I resolved after her little bit of fluster, bringing our arms straight as we shifted towards each other. "And there's no time like the present."

"There is not…" With that whisper, a flicker of a smile crossed her face.

Finally. After all this time of wading around the subject or choosing to put work first, we had something meaningful. Even as I drew her all of the way towards me, I absorbed every detail of her face – the subtle accent of moonlight upon her fringe; the traditional indigo pattern running narrow from the side of the lowest stem and fanning out into the 'bandit mask' of lines and dashes around her eyes; the slight gleam of the holo behind me in brown eyes…

There was an air of energy about her – passion, perhaps. Our hands disconnected. Hers came back to rest on my chest, while I lightly put mine on her lower back. The pose lasted a second more before the last distance was closed. Visual perception shifted into scent; the slight tint of perfume over her natural fragrance. Even the touch of her breath was apparent now; inherent warmth radiating outward…

"Jackson! T'Lan!"

My eyes shot open, alarm standing up every hair on the back of my neck. The engineer's similar expression was only confirmation I needed for the owner of the modulated, rebroadcasted voice: Stier. I didn't let go of Rana; only turned my head to look in towards the source. The sight was no better. Three Contractor Elites stood at ready, the hulking and angular forms cropped against different holos, crimson eyeports blazing, stance on the offensive, VRs raised…

"Give it up. You're at the end of the line!"

A millisecond passed; my mind racing. Then I sprang into motion. In a single motion, my right hand seized and armed the flashbang, flinging it between our hips while I grabbed Rana with the stationary left arm…and sort of rolled over the edge of the balcony. No sooner than we had cleared the lip did a resounding bang follow along with several more shouts.

After a single rotation in the air, Rana's biotics seemed to instinctively flare to life – leveling us just before we landed between two skycars. On our feet. Neither of us had to say a word now. Time to move.

The nearest skycar. I focused on the window for an instant, then pulled my right hand back into a fist. My biotics charged, the sharp of the artificial blade soon shattering actual glass. Before the concentration of biotic energy could evaporate, Rana stepped in, omni-tool already raised as she manually unlocked the door with her free hand. I heaved it up and the engineer dove in; already beginning to hotwire the vehicle.

I slammed into the seat, door following suit right behind me. After a second, the engines sprang to life – but a zap sound distracted me. The bolt of electricity impacting the frame centimeters from my head warned me: Stier and his Elites had recovered.

"The core is still offline!" Rana warned. "You should be able to activate – let me sabotage their weapons!"

Saying nothing, I quickly leaned back as she leaned across me. The engineer's omni-tool focused on the Contractor supersoldiers while mine began accessing power supplies. After a moment I got it. The systems were fully online, bringing the car to lurch into the air. "I hope you can sabotage electric carbines."

"I do not know! I can only hope it offers us time!"

"Yeah." I confirmed, getting the haptic interfaces to spring to life. Almost… just… COME ON! My mind screamed, waiting for the cute little warm-up feature to pass. A hole suddenly appeared in the loose cuff of my shirt… followed by a wisp of smoke. "I don't think that worked so good!"

"No!" Rana shot back, her omni-tool up and hacking through more security protocols. We were running out of time.

"Open fire! Do not let them escape!"

There was anger evident in the machine-like voice. Just as three VR-666 rifles charged to life…

The skycar lurched. I threw forward the accelerator, and then jammed the horizontal controls clear to the right. If the car had wheels, there would be a damn cloud of smoke by now. But it didn't. Instead we put our backs to the Elites, straightening out and barreling off the edge of the platform.

As soon as we were clear of the dock, I slammed the vertical control towards the street below to get us away from the barrage of electric bolts. Once we were well enough down, I leveled out and darted behind another building before slowing up a little.

Shit. What the hell is this, main street? I growled as I darted in front of another skycar, securing a place in the traffic even as a horn blared behind. This place was chaos. A river of cars…. And without a window it was loud, too.

"That was far too close." Rana shook her head. "Perhaps business is better suited in working its way into our personal lives."

"Eh." I grumbled, eyes flicking between the truck ahead and the rear view mirror. "Next time I'll take my chances trying that in front of Delina."

"She would be less likely to try and kill us, I suppose…" A pause. She pointed to my sleeve – which apparently had several holes through it. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine. What about you?"

"I was further from fire. That… That was an impressive move…"

"On both parts. We'd be dead ducks if it weren't for your tech skills."

"I will remember to ask you about that saying later." Rana shifted in her seat, leaning forward and then back. "Have you driven a skycar before?"

"No." I responded all too bluntly. "Does it show?"

"Surprisingly little. You adapt rapidly."

"Didn't have much of an option. Had to get my date home safe." I smirked, glancing to the rearview mirror again.

"That is thoughtful… thank you."

I nodded a little bit, too distracted to reply. That's… not what I think it is, is it?

"Forrest? Are you alright?"

"Not sure. Hold that thought." I replied, eyes not leaving the reflection. There was chaos about a kilometer back. I couldn't tell what exactly. I was paranoid. Rana picked up on the concern, twisting about in her seat to look back. We both waited. We remained silent.

"Goddess… That doesn't look good…"

"Can you tell what's going on?"

"I… No. It looks there was a large crash… at least a heavy truck."

"Keep an eye out. Stier isn't going to give up that easily."

"I am certain he will not. However, he will have a difficult time catching us through this traffic."

"True." I looked back just as the freighter truck in front of us began a slow turn to the right… out of traffic. Our car veered to the left, loosing no ground. I sure as hell wasn't going to wait and see if the Elites could catch us. "Alright, can you get us coordinates back to the Akina? We've got Contractors and cops after us now I bet."

"Yes… Here." With that, Rana waved her omni-tool over the rightmost part of the haptic interface. A smallish screen popped up, offering a street view – and the general direction we needed to go. In which case we were already on track.

"Cool. Thanks." I glanced to the mirror again. Another truck had pulled out behind us, obscuring the view back. Nothing seemed awry. I let out a sigh – releasing the breath I had inadvertently been holding. "Well. We'll have to take a raincheck on all of that…"

"What exactly is a 'raincheck'?"

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry. It's basically just a promise to do something later. Finish what we started on the balcony, yeah?"

"I understand. That would work, too."

Out of my peripheral vision, I could see the young commando smirking at that. Uncontrollably I did the same as I looked back up the mirror. The big truck had disappeared and cars were diving off every exit. Even the skycar directly to our left dove down and passed underneath.

I was puzzled. I couldn't see what could be causing such panic… "Rana?"

"Yes?"

"Do you see anything… bad back there?"

Again she pivoted in her seat. After a second she turned back. "No, I do not. Though something certainly has panicked these people."

"Hmph." I muttered, looking around more. A lot of cars were staying… so maybe people just were in a hurry. To drink or see strippers… hell, I didn't know. We were safe for the time being… even if we were stuck behind a slow truck, other skycars boxing us in.

"Well… Perhaps we were wrong. Perhaps Stier will not try to come after us." Rana offered, relaxing noticeably in her seat.

"Let's hope so…" Despite everything I slouched back myself. For having the moment ruined…. Well, at least we made it out alive.

You're not out alive yet.

Yeah. I listened to the nagging voice in the back of my head. And I stole another glance to the mirror. Still traffic seemed normal, albeit slightly sparse.

Until a car exploded.

I damn near jumped out the window, straightening up and keeping a better eye on things.

"Forrest, what is – oh… Goddess."

I saw it too. The grey and red gunship smashing two more cars out of its way, unfazed by the obstructions that refused to move, uncaring of the resulting fireworks. Somehow, it had gotten to five hundred meters… And closing fast. In a quick motion, I dropped the skycar sideways between two others and mashed the accelerator again. While we were leaving all the traffic behind, the A-45 was still gaining. "Can't this thing go any faster?"

"I know little of skycars – but this is a commuter, not a performance coupe!"

"Great." I hissed as I swerved around another truck – and watched as the gunship veered between two tankers. The second it leveled out, two bursts caught my attention – missiles. Just as soon as our own skycar had dove down, they cleared over head; going a little further before exploding. That didn't leave us many options. "Hang on!"

And with that, I pulled hard to the right, diving into a side street with the throttle still pinned.

"Tanker!"

The nose of the skycar pulled up to barely clear said obstacle. "Thanks." I glanced back, only to see the gunship literally drift around the corner behind us, smashing into another car before continuing to close the gap.

This was pissing me off. What they had done to us aside, the Contractor goons had no regard for civilian casualties… And they were going to try and stop us no matter the cost.

"Tunnel on our left!" Rana exclaimed. A second later, I veered that way – and into the narrow tunnel between two long buildings. A glance to the mirror confirmed that the gunship hadn't followed…

"How close are we to the hangar?" I asked, wiping a hand across my brow.

"We are still several clicks away. Even at this rate it will take us minutes!"

"At this rate we're gonna end up scrap metal and varren chow." I retorted as we cleared the other end of the tunnel.

"We shall end up that way all the sooner if you keep up that outlook!"

Yeah. Ok. I nodded, conversing with my head – and then the gunship. Where are you, bitch?

"Gunship above!"

Ask and thou shall receive, right? I heeded Rana's shout by shooting to the left – just as the A-45 stomped down where we had been a second ago. But that put us en route with a head-on… with another tanker. So we plunged again, clearing it only by centimeters. Finally I was able to pull up before hitting several mezzanines and re-locate the gunship. It had gotten slightly delayed by that incident but was still riding our ass.

"Turn right!" Rana exclaimed – quickly adding: "Goddess, no! Don't do -"

Too late. The street was occupied by two more trucks, blocking our level of travel. But I was already committed. Instead of letting off the gas, I swung into a G-turn, putting the skycar sideways.

"Are you insane?!"

At that instant, we scraped in between both trucks. The shriek of metal deafened me for a moment… but we made it. And I let out a laugh. By no means humor… but simply for cheating death. Crashing into a stationary object at 250 km/h would be bad. Really bad.

"Please do not tell me you are enjoying this!"

"I'm not!" I growled as we leveled back out, looking back to an empty street. That would give us a minute to recover.

It wasn't even that. The Contractor A-45 swung out in front of us and eliciting several curses from this human and more than one from the commando. But the skycar rolled to the left, putting a tanker between us and our pursuer. Unfortunately, we were also going into oncoming traffic again. After countless swerves, near misses and enraged motorists, it was back through another alley. The gunship couldn't fit… but it tracked us from directly overhead. Just as we broke out into the street on the opposite side, there was traffic charging from the left. And we snapped around to go with the flow, another missile smacking the car behind us – jolting us forward with the explosion.

The military ship swung in and dropped down, knocking yet more cars out of the way. I could tell well enough it was just lining up for the shot. We needed cover. And fast. Without so much as a warning, I piloted the car right – through the skeleton of a building still under construction.

"Goddess! Are you determined to have us killed?"

I couldn't respond while I snaked us through a series of vertical and horizontal beams – which did catch several missiles. Along with the sudden chorus of machinegun ricochets. We made it through, barely having slowed down. Plus the gunship had been distanced again. "No. I'm trying to get us back to the ship in one piece."

"I under – my apologies." Rana began, still clutching the sides of her seat for dear life. In the lull of destruction she was able to check the navigational data. "We are still roughly on track. The Akina is only a click awa-"

The engineer didn't get to finish as the A-45 cut us off. We were right below an extended bridge. I couldn't pull up. We were just above the roof of a shorter building. I couldn't go down. Unless… That was the only choice. "Hang on!"

And with that, the car plummeted. The gunship minigun spooled up, leaving no other route. In the final moment, I pulled up from collision with the roof, instead skidding across it in a trail of sparks and paint chips. Despite the skycar's protests to such abuse, it took back to the air on the other side of the Contractor vessel.

That officially pissed of the pilot. The twin-propped form lurched around with minigun still spooled and began launching a barrage of missiles towards our general vicinity. I had to dodge one, but they weren't aimed. Most found their home in transport trucks or the sides of buildings.

I hung a right. And with that, I felt my stomach tie itself up several times over. We were back over the less developed district. No cover. No cover. The words echoed in my head as I kept the skycar floored, skirting the tops of warehouses and now trees while the Contractor gunship charged towards us again. There was no other option. I threw us into a serpentine pattern. The missiles continued to miss, but a single machinegun round shattered the back window – and sliced through the fabric on my shoulder.

There it was. The Akina hangar, maybe a kilometer out still. If we could just make it that far we would be –

My train of thought was destroyed as another pass of minigun fire tore through the critical parts of the car. There was a shudder as all the haptics turned red. The engines went offline. There was no way to steer as two missiles cratered the rear fender. Nothing to do as flames sprang up throughout the cockpit. And down we went. Through fire and smoke I could see the treetops approach – and then pass by, limbs crashing and smacking into the frame as we descended.

Even though it was in vain I still shoved the controls to nose the craft upwards. Despite the city lights behind us, no sense could be made of the terrain approaching – all too fast. The skycar careened off one tree, spinning only to smack another – which sent us the opposite direction. From there, I couldn't make much sense of anything. My head was spinning in discord with the vehicle.

And we crashed.

I waited for the bone shattering impact, but instead everything disappeared. Flames extinguished. Haptics blurred away. The ambient lighting vanished. And then the surge of cold hit my face.

Sputtering, I kept what breath I had left – as water surrounded, filling the skycar. We needed to get out. Biotics blazed to life, punching the door out and illuminating the now murky cab. I had no idea how far we had already sunk, but time was of the essence…

Rana. Where the hell is she? My panicked mind still considered her… and I spun around as quickly as the confines permitted. Just as I reached down into darkness another hand grabbed my own. And returning the gesture, I shoved off and out of the cab. But… Something about the water, despite our furious efforts, kept us in place. Even as our hands freed and Rana struggled alongside, we made no progress.

I was running out of time. In desperation, I ripped the now tattered shirt away from my body, giving another effort to reach the surface. Slip-on boots inadvertently freed themselves. And still there was no relief; every second passing increased the burn in my chest. Before I knew it, darkness began tugging on my conscious. One last effort.

Air. I felt it upon my face as I breached, coughing and gasping as I fought to keep my head above the surface. A millisecond later, there was a splash beside me – accompanied by similar relief. Through a bit of moonlight, the outline of a tree could be seen a meter or two ahead. After a short burst of pathetic swimming I reached it. I grabbed on to the root so I was comfortably not going to sink. My other hand reached out to Rana, helping her over to the same root cluster. Everything was dark enough to where I couldn't see anything besides trees and sky and a few gleams of water here and there. But I could hear the fading whirr of the gunship… so their mission had been 'accomplished'.

"Thank the goddess." Rana managed between gasps. "We are actually alive."

"I think so." I replied uncertainly, feeling along the base of the tree – or rather, the first part above water. To my surprise, there was a slight bench there. To at least catch a breath I heaved myself up onto said platform. The engineer wasted little time in doing similar… so we sat right next to each other, feet still in the water. "You alright?"

"I am not sure. For the time being, I am just grateful to be alive."

"Seconded." I shook my head, breath beginning to slow. "I didn't know there was water down here."

"Nor did I. It seems that is what saved us, though."

"Yeah. I wonder if the Contractor considers us dead now."

"Perhaps. There is no sign of the gunship… so it would seem to be the case."

I nodded. Without the aurora of biotics, there was little I could see… I knew we were fairly close to the hangar, but if it was all water… Shit. I couldn't swim that well. "Well… what's the plan?

"We must make it back to the hangar somehow. Although that is easier said than done."

"Yeah." I paused. "Say, you think there are sharks in here?"

"Goddess, did you have to mention such a thing?"

"Sorry." I chuckled bashfully.

"I suppose I should thank you for getting us this far without loss of life or limb."

"And I should apologize for only getting us this far."

"Do not be so hard on yourself… You did the best you could. I consider us lucky to simply have survived."

"True. Well, shall we get started?" I asked tiredly, turning to look at the shadowed form next to me.

"Yes. There is no sense of sitting around longer."

Kicking at a bit of water, I realized how hard it was going to be to swim while wearing pants. On the other hand, I sure as hell didn't want to show up at the Akina without… Then again, I tussled with death. That's like a get out of jail free card. And so I stripped down to my briefs before lowering myself back into the water.

Moments later, I heard a splash as Rana followed suit. And so we began. Swim until we hit another tree. Rest. And then repeat the process again. I began to lose track of how many times we did that. More than once I marginally reached the next tree… but we were making progress. I could almost see the area lights of the hangar…

And shoving off from another tree, I kept paddling. Until I hit something solid. Dirt. Solid ground. It was a rather steep embankment. As I found out while trying to climb, it was about three meters tall. At the top, it flattened out and I made it that far before flopping on my back. The two moons were well out of sight by now – perhaps an indictment of how long we had been fighting through the bog. Finally, I sat back up to give Rana a hand up the last bit of slope. However, she did similar, making it no further than the edge of the ledge before dropping to the ground.

"We must be getting close. Goddess, I certainly hope so."

"It shouldn't be much further." I tried to console her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Instantly it felt wrong – there was only a line of fabric there, not the wider shoulder of the dress. I wasn't sure why that surprised me. A dress would have been even worse for swimming. "Well... you ready to keep moving?"

"Ready when you are." Rana replied.

So we both stood up, orientating ourselves for a second before heading off. Head towards the light. That's right.

The going was easier on solid land. Even on bare feet, the various undergrowths and rocks didn't seem like much of a challenge. We focused on just moving along. Before I knew it, we reached the foundation of the hangar still shrouded by shadow. After a little bit of inspection, we found the maintenance stairway. The ascent began.

It took a fair minute to reach the main level of the hanger. I figured it was about eight stories up before we finally stepped out in the brightly illuminated area of the bay. It was rather blinding at first – my eyes had adjusted to the darkness. What a relief, though. We were there. Alive.

I glanced over to Rana – and was suddenly unsure of what to think. Granted, it had been her prerogative to swim, but now she too stood there in nothing but underwear. Bloody hell, that water had been murky. Rana was nearly brown from fringe to foot, and so I stifled a laugh.

"If you are laughing at how I appear, then you should consider yourself." Rana scowled and folded her arms.

"I know, I know…" I defended, looking down to my own, mud-colored skin. Then in a bit of good humor, I reminded her. "Well, we knew it wasn't going to be easy…."

"Yes, but this is simply unjustified."

I nodded. "Yeah. No argument there… But come on. Kaira's probably calling us KIA now." And with that, I offered her my left hand. With a surprising lack of protest she accepted and we headed towards the Akina.

xxxx

We stepped onto the bridge, silence filling the enclosed space as bare feet padded along. All the crew was gone. Off and bunked, probably. I first glanced to the left at the empty flight control, then back down to the tactical center. The holo-map was up but I couldn't make out the details from afar. However, the silhouettes of two commandos were visible, their backs to us as they intently studied the glowing data. Rana and I exchanged a glance then proceeded to stalk up on them.

"…Shit, I thought we would have heard something by now. It's been hours since they were supposed to be back!"

"I don't know. I've tried calling both of their omni-tools. The lines are dead… You didn't hear anything while you were out, did you?"

"No. I was in a fucking club. I still can't hear much."

"Can you hear me now?" I interrupted, sending both into a startled spin. Just as quickly I had to take a step back as Kaira's biotics flared to life…and then quickly died back down as she recognized us.

"You made it? Where have you been?" The commander began… and before either of us could respond, Delina butted in.

"Wait a second… Where the hell are your pants?"

After a moment, I pointed a thumb back over my shoulder. "Out in the swamp somewhere. We decided to take a nice romantic swim on the way back."

"You got shot down, didn't you?" Kaira continued – seeming to ignore Delina's point and my sarcasm.

"Yes. Combatant Stier and his remaining Elites forced us to flee and we were quickly under fire by the gunship." Rana explained.

"Ha. You should see…" Delina scowled as her arms crossed. "It's all over the news. Not so much the little skycar running like hell, but the A-45 blowing shit up. The newscasts ended once the chase got out of the city… bummer."

"Yeah. We didn't last long without the cover of buildings and stuff. We ended up going down about a click away from here... Most of which we had to swim."

"It shows. You both look horrible." Kaira pointed out… only to quickly add: "But I'm glad you made it through that alive."

"I can agree with the first part." Delina confirmed vigorously. "So wait – how was the evening before you lost your clothes?"

"I already told you – we had to swim. There weren't many other options."

"Like hell."

"Delina, do you know how difficult it is to swim in a dress?" Rana quipped – folding her arms and half-stepping back defiantly.

"No, I can't say I do. Still… I hope you had fun."

"Yeah. It was great." I nodded, looking to Rana – who finished the thought.

"Until it turned into a warzone… Goddess."

"I bet that ruined the mood, huh?" Delina retorted with absolute glee.

"You don't say…" I grumbled a little, shifting my weight to one foot.

"Well, that's no way to end the evening. At least you're relatively unharmed." The commander seemed slightly bemused…maybe our ragtag appearance, so dissimilar from how we left. "Well, it's 0400 ship time. You both need to clean and rest up. We still have a lot of work to do tomorrow."

"Yes ma'am." I was relieved. We weren't grounded for causing mass mayhem or stealing a skycar… not yet, anyhow. And being a Spectre, Kaira had a way of cleaning up such messes.

"Understood, commander." The young engineer agreed.

And with, Rana and I headed towards the elevator – ignoring the arms specialist snickering behind our backs. We didn't have to wait on the lift, thankfully, and soon we had a moment to talk in safety.

"Well… That was certainly not an idealistic end to the evening."

I shook my head. It still wasn't; we both looked and reeked of swamp water. "No, but it was fun while it lasted. Besides, we know where… we stand now."

The engineer chuckled once. "I suppose you are right." The lift came to a slow halt at the crew deck. "Thank you nonetheless."

"That's it?" I teased, raising an arm to impede her exit and smirking faintly.

"Surely you are not serious… " She laughed and glanced down, indicating our lack of apparel… and grimy skin. "There could be worse times, but… I suppose you did promise a raincheck…"

"And we're not getting shot at…" I added rather suggestively as we both stepped forward.

For a moment, hesitation. Our eyes met only for a second before we both lurched forward with a slight intensity. Third time was a charm, right? That was the case – as finally, we met in more than a casual embrace. For more than a moment, I forgot about everything else – just caught up in the passion. After a minute, we slowly broke away ,lips trailing away from each other.

Rana watched me intently as we drew slightly back – and vice versa. For an extended second neither of us spoke.

"Goddess… That certainly makes the struggle worthwhile."

"No doubt. You still think we're crazy?"

"Yes… But in the best of ways." She paused, fought off a yawn, and then continued. "Well… I suppose we should not encumber the commander's orders. There is still work tomorrow."

"Damn. Right. Well… Good night. Sleep well."

"You as well…. Good night."

And with that, she strode off to the main crew quarters…and I was left to contemplate all of that. Once the elevator doors close, I fist-pumped. For having a good evening, almost getting killed by mercs, nearly dying in a crash, and coming close to drowning... it had ended on a good note. No, make that a damned incredible note. I didn't see how life could get much better for the very present.

Except for a shower. Or 'fine mist cleaning cycle' as I more accurately described it. Either way, it was more so than ever a relief to have the small maintenance worker's bathroom in the complex. Actually, it was just a relief to be back and alive. And with Rana… Hell yeah. That was enough to bring a smug grin to my face. Ya hear me, Contractor?

xxxx

Surprisingly true to their word, that company had gotten the new reactor and shield generators to the Akina on time. So after a quick breakfast, it was right back to work.

Rana was working on the reactor core inside the Akina, along with Kaira on what sounded like a beast of a project in replacing the very core. Thankfully, Delina and were spared from such tedious and demanding work. No, instead we were out on the hull, on the portside wing - if you could call it that, being stubby as it was - and replacing the shield generators. Two per wing, six more along the top of the hull. Unlike the cannon project, these were designed to be accessed with minimal struggle; hard-bolted hatches directly above said generators. Despite the accessibility of the generators, the power connections - a rack of maybe a dozen 0 gauge wire - were stubborn as hell.

The arms specialist, however, had abandoned her work on the opposite wing and chose instead to sit a meter or two away from me while I was reaching into the hole in the wing. Her feet dangling off the edge, leaning back on her arms... She seemed to be having a grand old time. "So, tell me about last night."

"Why?"

"Either you tell me or I'll hound Rana about it. Is that what you want?"

"So now we're relying on threats? That's cold, Delina. Even for you."

"So, what all went on?"

"It's not that interesting. We just had dinner and saw a holo film. And then we tried to have a nice moonlight walk... But that didn't go so good."

"Guess not, huh? Contractors got on you or what?"

"Yeah. Those three Elites. Anyway, we hit them with a flashbang and made a run for it."

"And you stole a skycar, right? Nice." She paused. "That's one hell of a way to start a relationship. Just so you know, I already chatted Rana up this morning. You pulled another elevator stunt?"

"Well..." I began, still wrestling with wiring. "I found out that trying that type of thing off of the ship nearly got us killed. So yeah."

"Well, sorry I didn't get to spoil your fun this time."

"Yeah, me too. Wish I coulda seen your face." I laughed, then added: "So what did you do last night?"

"Not a whole hell of a lot. Hit a few clubs. Got kicked out of one..."

"Really? How did you manage that?" I asked with a grin.

"Damn Batarian kept on me, wanted to dance or some shit. So I decked him out."

"Was that really necessary?"

"Was bringing your date without her clothes really necessary?" Delina deadpanned.

I stifled a laugh and shook my head. There was nothing I could say to that. Other than that I was grateful that grime came off.

"Well shit... I should get back to work. Leave you alone with those fucked up thoughts." Delina scoffed.

"Don't forget to take your share." I beamed as the Asari pulled herself back on to the wing.

"Yeah... After that one strip club, I've got a good share..."

I shook my head as she instead jumped down and entered the Akina. "Hey, your work's over there..."

Delina shot me a scowl as she looked back up. "Well, thanks. I couldn't figure it out. No, I need to get more tools."

With another sad shake of my head, I focused back on my work. Finally, the stock generator relinquished its hold, coming back and catching my knuckle between itself and the hull. After adequately telling said inanimate object how I really felt about it, it was out. I was victorious. At least...partly. Now the new one needed to go in. And nothing indicated that would be an easy task - as it was larger, the connection was ever so slightly different, bolt patterns were quite different... Yet I still loved this type of work. After a seconds rest, I dove back in.

Perhaps a minute passed. A dull hum was enough to irritate me at first but as it increased I felt a slight bit of alarm, even it was a simple passing ship. Finally, I knelt back away from the generator bay. At the same moment that I turned about to look to the stern of the Akina, another shape launched into view...rather, another ship. Likely a frigate. Instead of simply passing by, it slowed down, almost to a stop about seventy meters out from the edge of the docks. I could tell well enough that this was no civilian ship, but the jet black color was evidence enough that it wasn't Contractor.

Tirade, maybe. But then why the hell would they dock next to us? I was just alarmed as I watched the ship cruising into the bay on our starboard edge. Half my thought went into an escape route, should Tirade be here to settle a more recent score; while the other half went towards the airlock of the presumably hostile ship.

And yet it came to a peaceful stop next to us. The docking mechanics extended, securing it as several hisses and jets of air expelled, perhaps the usual procedure for planetside equalization. A mechanical whirr near the front. Two seconds later, a single form stepped through.

Immediately not Tirade colors. Still armored, confident in step, Asari... But actually, I had never seen those colors before. Medium armor, all a dark grey, except for three blood red arrow-bars on the right shoulder, a rank of sorts, while the chest was adorned with a splatter of the same color - arranged to create a 'C' within another. Apparently the merc recognized me, shouting out cordially: "Jackson!"

I recognized that voice. With a laugh myself, I put down the wrench and climbed over the ship, onto the starboard wing approaching her then jumped down to dock level. As I approached, the sole merc took several steps towards me, grinning more by the second.

"Captain Ryala T'Deras, Crimson Cavalry. At your service."

"Look at you. All professional." I teased, giving her a nod in greeting. "Is that a Tirade frigate?"

"It is." She responded proudly, looking back over her shoulder and indicating it in all greatness. "Chief T'Raela from Thessia let us take it after Tirade was taking heat for kidnapping. In return, I have to donate 50,000 creds when I find work. The Cavalry is eighty strong now; we have good weapons, a fast ship, and even an A-45 gunship."

"Nice. Sounds like you're wasting no time in getting back the title of Captain... And wasting no time in getting back in the fray." I chuckled as we walked around the nose of the Akina, side by side.

"No. But it sounds like you are doing a good job of staying in the chaos. To be frank, I wasn't sure if you would be here... After seeing the news, I knew well enough that the Contractor wouldn't be so hell bent on killing anyone else."

"Yeah. We made it through... But it ruined the small chance at a good evening of shore leave." I didn't say a word more. But from the corner of my eye, I could see the rebel captain smirking my way. I raised a hand to the commset - a new one, might I add - snug in my right ear canal. "Kaira, we have company. Remember the bunch of rebel Contractors?"

"Captain Ryala, right? She got a new ship?"

"Yes ma'am. And a new company name."

"Well, send her in. I'll meet her at the tac center to go over some plans."

"Copy that." I confirmed, then turned to Ryala. "Well, Kaira wants to talk some stuff over with you. All sounds good."

"Right. I'll let you get back to work." Even if her facepaint was rather hostile - two red bars on her cheekbones and one on her chin – she made up for it with a smile.

"Hey, no worries. It's nice to see a friendly face." I nodded, punching in the airlock password and letting the CC captain in before walking the slight ways back out and jumping back up on to the wing. It was actually reassuring to have Ryala around. I knew as well as anyone what a potent fighter she was. Not to mention a good leader.

And with that fresh in the back of my mind, I returned to work. First to figure out a way to make different bolt patterns line up. After a minute of thought, I opted to remount the brackets on the frame of the ship. The generator was only about a half meter long, and didn't have the most options for creative mounting.

Music. I thought, instantly reaching to raise my omni-tool. And then I remembered. Said electronic device had not taken kindly to the extended swim - actually, it had bricked. Rana had ordered us both newer omni-tools, Ariera models 1051 and 1061 respectively... So with any luck, they would be here before we had to leave. Which was good - in part. I had become more reliant on mine more than I would have liked to admit.

"Hey! Are you done yet or what?"

I glanced down to the dock, only to see Delina and her smug smile. Surprisingly, Ryala was right there next to the arms specialist. "No. If you hadn't bailed out, we could be done already. At least tell me you brought food."

"I didn't. Screw you."

"That's not very nice..." I shot back in feigned and mocking hurt.

"Yeah, too bad. I'm going to help Ryala out with some weapon mods. That work better be done when I get back."

"Or what, you might actually have to put some effort into it? Hard work never killed anyone."

There was no rebuttal. Instead, I just watched as the two Asari walked towards the CC frigate. So with a disappointed scowl I returned to work.

xxxx

It took me about a half hour to finish installing that generator. After cleaning up the install and bolting the meter square plate of armor back into place, I began on the next one - further out yet on the wing. Sadly, Rana and Kaira were still occupied in the ship and Delina...

Well, as I was beginning to wonder again, she came around the nose of the Akina. And so, all too gleefully I called down: "Well! That was longer than I expected. I'm guessing you calibrated more than her shotgun, eh?"

The arms specialist didn't say a word. She didn't even take another step. But her focus took on a dangerous edge. And her glare only intensified by the second. I put down my wrench, getting quite worried for my safety.

And as well I should have been. With no more warning, she lunged forward, leaping onto the wing and right past me... All but an arm. With that she caught my neck as the rest of her body slammed into my back. And as she put me in a brutal chokehold, the arms specialist whispered, or rather snarled, in my ear: "Take. It. Back."

"Ok!" I wheezed, both my hands trying to break the commando's surprising grip. Going toe-to-toe with my own teammate... I was at a disadvantage. "I'm sorry! That was too far!"

A second passed. Finally she released me, stepping back as I caught my breath.

"Damn. Touchy subject much?"

"Jackson, you might not have a problem with what or how I am, but other people would want to kill me for it." She snapped in response, then added: "And I don't go to you trying to burn old wounds, do I?"

"I'm sorry, Delina. I definitely didn't mean to bring up past stuff."

"Whatever. Just forget it." She hissed and started to leave.

"No."

She seemed rather shocked by my definite and defiant answer. From the position of walking away, Delina spun her heels and took two steps toward me - just so we were face to face, just for her to test me. And I didn't move a millimeter. After staring me down for a minute, she finally spoke. "I don't expect you to understand. But you have no idea of the hell I've gone through."

"Only because you won't tell me." I countered quickly.

She snorted, turned away defeated. "My past is my own. I'll deal with it myself."

"That's your prerogative. But then don't get mad at me when I tread on shaky ground that you never told me about."

She scowled, kicking at the hull with her heel. "Why the hell does it matter so much to you?"

"We're a team, right? We help each other out. In and out of combat."

"Well, that was profound. You want to be a shrink or something?"

"No. But we have to work together. I'd rather be around someone who isn't jumping to choke me out."

"You can't change me. Don't try."

"Hell, we love you how you are, Delina. But you're not good at hiding stuff."

She grumbled something. Shaking her head, she jumped up onto the main hull and began inspecting the next generator. "Well, I guess I should thank you. For trying to help and all that crap. But... Don't push it right now. I'm in the mood to knock someone out."

"Fair enough. I'll be here if you change your mind."

xxxx

Two more hours passed. The two generators on the portside wing were upgraded and done with... Along with five along the spine of the ship. The latter group I had worked side-by-side with Delina in replacing, and apart from occasional one or two line banters back and forth, we had remained silent as the task was whittled away. Between the two of us we were able to crank.

And apart from Ryala's crew heading out into the city, there had been no distractions. Sure, we had taken a minute's break to watch various Asari, Turians, Batarians, and Salarians file out under the colors and uniform of the fledgling merc group... And maybe take note of the ones that stuck out in good or bad ways... It was all harmless.

Finally, we lowered the last generator into place. One of us commandos on either side, it locked into place. And with nearly the efficiency of a pit crew we bolted the hulking cylinder down before focusing on attaching the new wiring harness. Neither of us were experts per say, but we knew what needed to get done. And after a minute, we had accomplished that, with the only remaining task taking the form of bolting the armor down. Twenty bolts per side of the square. Impact wrenches. A slightly competitive edge.

We stood up at the same time, first inspecting our completed work and then looking to each other. Delina wore a smug expression, apparently mirroring my own. Finally, with an exaggerated brofist, we jumped back down to the dock.

We were about to turn onto the connecting bridge when a gawky looking Salarian cleared the nose of the ship. And by gawky looking, I meant more than usual. The white casual uniform and, ah, man-purse certainly didn't help, either.

"Excuse me! Are you part of the..." He glanced down at his omni-tool. "The 517th commando unit?"

"Yeah. That's us." I responded while Delina waited right behind me - and judging by the poor delivery boy's expression, likely cracking her knuckles or anything else possible to scare him witless.

"Alright, good. I've got this to deliver... It was ordered express, but I got lost and -"

"Hey, they're here on time. That's all that matters." I interrupted, taking the textbook-sized box; notably emblazoned with the Ariera logo.

"Well, thank you for your patience. May your travels be safe and your efforts at cleaning up the galaxy successful."

Right... Thanks. I thought, but only nodded politely. "We'll try."

As he left, Delina edged a curious look over at the box. "What now?"

"New omni-tools. For Rana and I."

"Oho!" The arms specialist exclaimed. "His and hers models?"

"...No."

"Well, did you get them engraved?" She continued.

"No, Delina. They're for work." I responded in a somewhat exasperated tone while we approached the airlock.

"So what do they say? 'Forever yours' or 'Eternity Embraced' or..."

"Delina..." I managed through a stifled laugh. "Where do you come up with these?"

"That's just what happens when you – Kaira."

I looked up from the box as the sudden shift in tone and subject occurred. Sure enough, the Spectre was standing right there as the airlock finished opening.

"Well, I take it you're finished installing the new generators?"

"Yes ma'am." I beamed.

"Good work. Both of you." She nodded and then continued. "Rana's about finished on the reactor. Once she's done, we'll test-power it and then hit the stars."

"Hell yes. Sounds like a plan." Delina agreed readily. I simply nodded.

"Good... I see your new omni-tools came in..." With a gesture towards the Ariera Corp box, Kaira continued. "Well, everything has been dealt with here. Captain Ryala is seeing if she can find any leads on local Contractor activity, but she also sounded confident that the Crimson Cavalry would be able to handle it. Then unless something comes up, she's going to rendezvous with us at Omega in a week's time. For now, are we ready to get off this planet?"

"I sure as hell am."

"Yes ma'am. We did what needed to be done... And now we're more than ready for a fight."

"And what about you and Rana?" Delina persisted in pestering.

I looked to the back of Kaira's head as we started down the bridge, but without her intervention I was forced to respond. "We had a good time, that's what. And now we're ready to kick some ass."

The arms specialist didn't respond in full voice; instead she muttered; "Yeah. Probably ready to get some ass, too."

"Delina..." Kaira explained in an almost motherly fashion, "That's their prerogative. What they chose to do on shore leave is up to them. But I won't have any of that on my ship."

"Taking to running a tight ship, commander?" I teased good-natured like.

"It's always been that way. I just have to clarify it now that you're... a team unto a team."

"Understood, ma'am."

"How come you never address me like that?" Delina complained.

"Respect goes both ways..." I added carefully as we continued towards the tactical center. And all I heard in response was a growl. A threatening one at that.

At about that same moment, the elevator sprang open, ejecting a wide-eyed and ecstatic engineer. As she approached us at nearly a trot, Rana beamed: "The reactor is fully upgraded, commander... I believe we are ready to perform a system test."

"Good job, Rana. Everyone, back up to the flight deck!"

And with that, we turned right back around and headed up to the bow. The pilot, T'Vanalia, as I finally remembered, seemed none too pleased as the four strong fireteam proceeded to invade her space... But she got over it as it was evident that we were here for good reasons.

Rana began working over a terminal on the starboard side of the confines. I watched from a few feet away as raw code was entered at an ever alarming rate, but judging by her subtle expression things were going according to plan. After a long minute or two, she allowed her hands to come to a rest.

T'Vanalia announced the success. "Reactor core is online, power output is steady. All systems are ready. Well done, Rana."

Suddenly the radio flared to life, a Turian voice filling the cockpit. "This is Zavalon flight control. We detect your ship is preparing to exit maintenance dock 543. Please confirm."

"Copy that, flight control. We are ready to leave dock and exit this system." Kaira stated from right behind the pilot.

"Very well. Our AAs have your ship cleared. You may proceed."

And with that, I felt the magnetic docking mechanisms break away from the side of the hull; the Akina now responsible for its own suspension. T'Vanalia ran about a half dozen different haptic controls as the frigate slowly backed away from the hangar, turning 170 degrees before the quiet hum of engines ran through the hull. Instead of planet, our view was now sky...

I looked over to Rana, meeting her glance with a mirrored look of excitement and happiness. With a subtle nod between us indicating that everything was as it should be, in top order, I turned back to the viewport. Here we went, diving back in for another round. But now... Our ship was stronger. And while neither of us had actually been upgraded in such a manner, it felt like Rana and I were all the more empowered now. We, the two of us, the 517th, were a team. And we were ready to lay it down out there.

Bring it.

xxxx