A Warrior's Mind, a Lover's Heart
Chapter 29: On death's door.
Authors Note: This chapter is dark. Consider yourself warned.
The shuttle rocked back and forth during the descent, the shock absorbers not even kicking in at all. Melina kept her hues closed the whole ride. It had felt like her gut wanted to come out of her throat from the mix of the awful shuttle ride and nerves. Turning her head, the woman briefly opened her eyes. Those golden orbs staring at the woman as if trying to ease those nerves. Javik had remained almost protective over Melina since Teyshan had disappeared. She knew he wasn't happy with how Dean and treated the whole situation initially and took to Melina's defense very quickly. Melina never would of figured her friendship with Teyshan's Commander would of ever turned out like this. Her Commander. He was almost like a father to Teyshan. Guiding him whenever he had questions. Melina appreciated it. It also had helped Teyshan to adjust much easier in this cycle as well. Specially after Melina had went missing after the colony attack so long ago.
Melina looked away from Javik, her cloudy hues catching Dean's gaze. They had a long talk the previous night about his drunken remarks. She knew he was sorry about it. That he had regretted ever letting those words slip out of his mouth. Melina just wanted to get on the same page as Dean. To let him know she didn't hold it against him. That she didn't hate him and that Melina still cared for Dean as much as she ever did. He had helped her get through some tough times in her life, so she valued his friendship, she always would.
No words were currently exchanged. Everyone knew the possible outcome. Either Teyshan would be ok and rescued. Or he would turned up dead in some form or fashion. The crew had to be swift and stealthy in this mission in hopes for a better outcome.
The shuttle had begun to slow down, until it was nestled behind an outcropping of rocks. The team didn't waste any time unhooking their restraints and go almost bailing out of the shuttle due to pure nerves on everyone's part.
It was white
Everything was white.
Melina wasn't able to tell what was going on or why it was so bright outside but the moment she had stepped out of the shuttle the cold wind ripped right through her under suit, chilling her to the bone. It was snowing outside. Cold. Very cold. Luckily Javik's red armor had stuck out to the woman's blurry vision, so she had allowed him to take point and lead the crew down from the outcropping and close to the entrance of the base. A small ramp lead up to the rather large door. It had looked like it was a former mining camp, the base buried under ground.
Melina's heart was hammering inside of her chest. Everything was cold and quiet.
"We have only one shot to do this right. Melina, Dean are you two ready?" Javik asked quietly. His golden hues stern.
Melina gave a quick nod. Dean's voice softly speaking a 'Yeah' from behind her.
Javik took a deep breath in and walked up to the entrance. Motioning the pad, the door to the base slid open.
Melina would assume that the base would have been locked up tight, but this wasn't the case. No guns, no locks nothing to this entrance.
As the team began to make their way down the entrance hallway, fanning out a bit as they continued to make their way down deeper into the belly of the base, Melina drew herself up close to Javik's side holding her rifle close to her chest. Her finger hovering over the trigger and keeping her ears open to any other sounds then the teams movements. Her dark cloudy eyes gazed up at Javik. A frown knitted over her forehead.
"Something doesn't seem right." She whispered.
"I agree. It is too quiet here. Perhaps they have set up a trap." Javik whispered in return.
"Or just completely abandoned this whole place." Dean called out from a ways behind them.
The man was standing next to a terminal. His fingers dancing over the keyboard. His eyes gazing at the security monitors. Melina slowly drew herself up from their hiding spot, keeping her assault rifle close. Quickly skittering over to Dean's side, she gently nudged him over a bit so she could get a good look.
He was right. The whole base was empty.
"We should still probably scout around. Perhaps get any clues or something…" Melina's voice began to grow tight. Desperation was quickly bubbling up to the surface.
"Yes Melina." Javik stood from his spot. His voice reassuring.
Lowering her Assault Rifle. The woman took a deep breath and looked towards Javik's guidance. She felt at a complete loss. This was exactly where the signal had come from. There was no possible way someone could bounce a false signal with quantum entanglement communication. Or she had figured Hayshek would of found this out himself and decided to pack up and leave. The later thought made her heart drop. This would of meant Teyshan was still missing… or dead.
Javik slipped his rifle over his shoulder, allowing it to clip and fold into place. Two of his golden hues gazed in Melina's direction. She needed something, anything so he had figured to just gain a read on the base. Get some answers.
Walking down the hallway, the Prothean leaned down, gently touching the floor with his finger. Warm feelings spreading through his arm.
"I sense, a lot of chaos. A lot of anger here. Hmm. Two were here." Javik stood up, keeping one of his eyes on Melina as she followed closely, her rifle still cradled in her arms.
The team had covered a small faint trail Javik picked up. Both Melina and Dean and kept their guns trained out in case any stragglers still remained at the base. Yet every hallway they had crossed, and scoured. It was empty. Empty of all things except this small thread Javik was clinging on to. Yet the deeper they had walked into the base, the darker and heavier the air had gotten. The woman could sense it, and if Melina sensed it Javik could pick it up.
The Prothean had reached the end of the hallway. The lighting was dark. Melina was on edge. Dean was otherwise oblivious yet still keeping an eye out on any possible attackers. Javik reached out and touched the door. A sick feeling immediately began to bubble up in his gut. The doors slid open and what Javik could immediately sense from the air alone had the elder Prothean very much on edge. Pulling his top lip up, Javik walked to the center of the room, blood had stained into the floor. So much pain in this room. So much hurt. His golden hues focused in on the floor, reaching out he opened his mind, allowing everything to enter.
Teyshan was strapped to a chair. So much confusion so much pain. He was covered in blood. His body weak. Hardly ever opening his eyes. It had looked like he was giving up on the will to survive.
Javik immediately pulled back. A sharp look of disgust sinking down on his face. He saw it all happen. Every second of pain Teyshan had felt. His wing being removed. Teyshan giving up. He felt what he felt, knew what he thought. How was he able to survive this?
"Javik? What.. What happened?" Melina's voice shivered.
The elder Prothean straightened himself up and immediately walked out of the room. His body shuddering in horror. He dared not mention what happened to Melina, dare not say what he saw. It would only cause further distress for everyone.
"We have to continue on. He was here. He might be close." Javik's voice grew tight. His sub harmonics wavering a bit.
Melina bit the back of her lip. This couldn't be good.
As the crew walked down the hall, Melina continued to follow Javik's lead, all until her eye caught something. A fresh trickle of blood. The drips continued down the hallway. She knew whose it was. Immediately gripping her assault rifle closer to her chest, Melina took off down the hallway following the trail of blood. It had looked like whomever was bleeding they were being dragged. Whether Melina was right or not, they might possibly know where Teyshan was if it didn't turn out to be his.
"Melina!" Javik called out for her, but she didn't listen. She needed to find whomever this was.
The trail immediately lead past a heavy bulkhead door and outside, into the gusting snow and wind. Immediately blinded by it all. The woman focused whatever she could on those small droplets of blood that stained that ivory snow. Bringing her hands up over her eyes, Melina pushed on further and further into the storm, the droplets getting fewer and fewer the further she pushed on. She swore she had lost Javik out in this storm, but she no longer cared. She needed to find who this was. Then the droplets and stopped. Melina lost the trail.
Standing out alone in the storm, the snow ripping past her eyes, her damp tresses blowing around her like a wet crown, the woman almost felt like screaming in pure rage. Her bones ached from the sheer cold. Looking up from the ground, her cloudy hues gazed out, the wind parted the snow just enough to catch a brief glimpse of a dark and bloodied body laying still buried under some snow.
"Hold on." She whispered.
Fighting her way through the snow, the woman immediately got close enough to the crumpled figure. The snow covered their body just enough she couldn't tell who they were. Collapsing down beside them, Melina immediately started brushing the snow off of their form. Her hues immediately noticed those 4 golden hues staring up at the sky. Blank, devoid of all life.
It was Teyshan.
He didn't appear to be alive.
"No.. no no no.. no.. no.." Melina felt her world shattering around her. Immediately ripping off her coat, the woman wrapped it tightly around his frigid frame. Hot tears pouring down from her cloudy hues. Bringing him up close to her, Melina used what body heat she had to share with his cold body. Yet he still didn't move, his golden hues blank.
"Teyshan come on. I'm here.. Please.." She whispered. Melina shook his body a bit. "Please wake up."
She could hear a voice in the distance calling out her name.
It was Javik.
Immediately her senses heightened. Whipping the tears from her cheeks, Melina held Teyshan tight against her, trying to keep him warm.
"Javik over here! I found Teyshan!" She called back.
Just moments later Javik dropped down by Melina's side, his sharp golden hues gazing down at Teyshan's limp form.
"I'll need to have you hand him to me Melina." his voice was stern.
That was the last thing Melina wanted to do was hand him over, yet Javik had yet to lead her wrong. Pulling herself away from his frame, Melina stood up more tears spilling out from his eyes. Teyshan was completely limp, he didn't appear to be breathing and his eyes were still as empty as ever. Javik had pulled the younger Prothean close and reached over his face, gently closing his eyes.
"Javik… is.." Melina sobbed. "Is.. He alive?"
"I need for you to remain quiet." Javik was still stern. Turning his head towards Dean, who wasn't standing much further away, those stern golden hues narrowed.
"Call the shuttle.. Immediately."
"Right away sir." Dean nodded, turning himself away and bringing up his omnitool.
Melina brought her hands up close to her mouth, biting at her knuckles to keep herself from completely losing it. She didn't know what was going on, but she had feared the worse. Did he die?
Authors Note: Intense chapter! I promise things will begin to get easier from here on out. Thank you for reading this far! I love you all!
