Death Becomes Her

Chapter 18

Militarily speaking, the last month had been, well in a word, boring. Which was a good thing. Rick had convinced himself that the Rachni would be here and getting this Relay back into Alliance hands was going to be hell. Instead it had been anything but. But that hadn't made it simple for them.

Rick had everyone in the conference room including Kurn this time. "Talk to me about the condition of the Relay."

"The programs in the computer are all corrupted. Best guess someone tried working with them when the Relay was damaged. Since it has no memory of what happened to damage the Relay we will never know for certain. The present inhabitants are not schooled in computers so they have pretty much left it alone," Sergeant Ryder informed him.

"It's a little worse than that. Several sections of the memory core are physically damaged. Like someone with little knowledge tried to make a repair and made it worse." He had his own bad news.

"Thankfully we have all the parts in storage we need as well as all the programs we will need. About three weeks to make repairs. Another week to install all the programs and test them."

"Fuel systems?" Rick queried since last time they had to siphon fuel from his ship.

"All but one of the tanks is operational. The recharge system is damaged and perhaps the same person that messed up the computer programs got to this system as well. We have the parts and the computer programs to repair the damage. Give us about three weeks and this place will be at full power," Sergeant Danner promised.

"So what's the bad news?" So far all of this was fixable.

"Two things, unfortunately. First the upper and lower rails are out of alignment. We can fix that and it will only take about two weeks. Not really that damaged.

"The second is the bad news. The Krogan inhabit every section of the Relay. Since their breeding program has not been adjusted like on the home planet, these Krogan are breeding at a normal rate," Lieutenant Boze reported. "As a result they are living in areas not meant for habitation. To make the Relay operational thousands of them will need to be relocated. Also they have created space by removing certain pieces of equipment. Namely the main control room. It's gone.

"Gone? What do you mean gone?" Rick didn't understand that part.

"We have video of the space after Kurn was kind enough to move the Krogan out temporarily so we could access the damage." Boze put it on a wall monitor for all to see.

He walked over to it. "There should be an island filled with controls here." He ran his finger the length of it. "The opposing sides appear to be mostly intact. We believe the entire space will need to be rewired. That will take a minimum of two months or longer depending on just how much damage there is." That was the bad news.

"It may get worse. Overcrowding is rampant not just on the Relay but the ships and the planet as well. We don't really have anywhere to put the people that need to be moved. This place is full and getting fuller." Boze walked back to his station.

Rick's shoulders sagged. Kate was on his ass to get her mother here and right now he was hearing another three months at least. Except he had a problem to solve long before that.

"Kurn, as our Krogan representative. I need your thoughts. Overcrowding is a problem and I'm hearing that the instances of bad blood between the Krogan and non-Krogan are increasing in number. A few have required medical attention. Nothing serious yet but that is only a matter of time." Rick knew it wold boil over eventually.

"They will resist any reproduction adjustments just as my people did when it was instituted," Kurn pointed out. "We don't today because we see the need. At present they do not."

"Education will be the key to fighting that," Doctor Rennecker said.

"Agreed. I suggest that only Krogan provide the instruction. My research indicates that this adjustment is done in a series of shots. I have medics, battlefield medics that are Krogan. Teach them how to administer the shots," Kurn recommended.

"We can do that. We have several qualified nurses. Even some of your men have met them by now." Rick grinned at Kurn since Kurn had been pushing his men pretty hard in anticipation of there being Rachni here. A number of them needed more than a simple Band-aid.

"There's also space in the military quarters. Move a few people around and make it all Krogan. Further, there are empty quarters on this ship. That might provide the space you need to work," Kurn said.

"I can move all the non-Krogan Marines to quarters. That will clear up some space," Rick said and kept thinking. "As they board they can go to Medical first and get their first series of shots as well as find out if anything else is wrong with them. Though unlikely. Screen them before they board the shuttles first." Rick pointed at the one true medical doctor in the room, Doctor Rennecker.

"If all goes well we may have a working relay in three months. We're going to need a lot of food and lots of troop transports. I have no problem in letting the Krogan keep the planet. Command, though, may have other plans. As for the ships themselves," Rick paused. "Not trained in military and if they've done this to the Relay what have they done to them? They will likely be scrapped. Far too old and difficult to modernize. We need to get the Krogan off the Relay and off those ships and reduce the numbers on the planet to a point that the planet can safely feed themselves. It may take months.

"We won't be here, though. We'll be on our way to the next Relay. Get to work, everyone. Dismissed. Not you, Kurn. Stay for a moment." He had questions for him.

Rick waited until everyone else was gone. "How is our Krogan volunteer taking his reassignment to non-military duty?"

"He is a Krogan." He was doing what he was ordered to do. "He resisted at first. He now understands what happens if he does not." He would either kill himself or bring disgrace to his family name for generations to come.

"Good. Hopefully he'll have the same enthusiasm for his new job. I'll start clearing out the barracks immediately. Thanks to your experience you are the ranking Krogan in this system. Let the doctors point out who needs to be removed so we can start repairs. You will need to be there.

"This goes really well if you can control them, Kurn. I didn't come here to get into a fight with Krogan."

"Yes, Captain." Kurn saluted and began to turn, thinking he was dismissed.

"Try not to get yourself hurt, Kurn. Alexis would kill me if she found out you were ever in Medical," Rick teased him.

Suddenly an idea hit him. "Permission to take Alexis with me, Captain. If these green Krogan see Alexis sitting on my shoulder or in my arms, it may lessen the instances of violence." A child Angoran that loved him just might help. His rank and his love of Alexis just might be what they all needed.

Rick didn't want to put Alexis in harms way. But he also trusted Kurn that nothing would happen to her. He knew Kurn would lay down his life for him and likely Alexis as well. Kate was just a maybe.

"Granted! I will explain it to her and Kate. Come collect her after my shift when you're ready." It just might work.

"Thank you, Captain." Kurn just got another reason why he liked this captain above all others. This time he did leave. Now Rick needed to figure out how to explain this to Alexis and Kate.

oOo

All Rick had to do was walk across the hall to get home. "Stay here, sweetie." Kate kissed her head, walked out of the reading room, and intercepted him on the way to their bedroom.

"And?" Kate wanted an answer. Rick had told her that today was going to be a conference on the condition of the Relay.

"At least three months." He held her as she pressed herself into him. This was not what she wanted to hear.

Rick kissed her neck. "The Krogan in their innocence have done some damage. Nothing we can't fix but it's going to take a fair amount of rewiring before we can test it, let alone risk your mother or anyone else coming here."

"It is what it is, I guess." Kate didn't like it but she couldn't do anything about it.

"Take Alexis to the living room with you. I'll be right there after I shower and change. There's something we need to discuss." Actually it was more to tell them rather than discuss it since he'd already made the decision for them.

oOo

"Do you understand, pumpkin?" Rick had told both of them everything. He had tried his best to make it simple for Alexis to understand. Watching her sitting there with a huge smile on her face while nodding suggested that she did understand.

"Do not ever leave Kurn. Even if he puts you down, I want you to wrap yourself around his big leg like you always do and don't ever leave him. Got it?" Kurn was her only protection.

"Yes, Daddy." Alexis understood that part easily.

"Good girl. Kurn will be showing up soon to get you. So go wait at the door and let him in when he shows up. Now give me a hug." Rick held out his arms, hugged his baby girl, and watched Kate do the same. Followed by a very happy Alexis running to the door and waiting.

"You're sure this is a good idea?" Kate asked anxiously.

"Kurn would die before he lets anything happen to her and we do need to get the Krogan to agree to a number of things if we are going to get this Relay repaired. Or it may take a lot longer than three months and might cost a few lives." Rick didn't know whose but he also couldn't afford to lose any of these highly skilled people that would be repairing the Relay.

Kate had jumped up when the door alarm sounded and watched as Alexis opened it. "Hi, Kurn!" Alexis was already wrapped around his leg and he hadn't even moved yet. Alexis was in his arms by the time Kate reached them.

"Take good care of her, Kurn. Have fun, sweetie," Kate said to both of them.

"Nothing will happen to her. I will see to it," Kurn pledged.

"Bye, Mommy." Alexis waved as Kurn carried her away. She had always wanted to spend more time with Kurn. Now she was getting her wish.

oOo

Kurn was taking Alexis to the Relay first. He had to clear that control room of all the Krogan. "Do not leave me. Do not let anyone take you away from me and don't show anyone that you're scared," Kurn instructed Alexis as they started to fly into the docking bay where they would get off.

"Okay." Alexis tried to wrap herself around Kurn and let him carry her even if she did know how to walk.

Everywhere they went she saw people just like Kurn and there were a lot of them. Except they were all green in color.

Kurn put Alexis down once they entered the control room. He began to explain where these people were going to be moved to.

"Is that thing going with us?" one of them growled and pointed at Alexis.

Alexis let him have it. "You leave Kurn alone! He's nice and you're not."

"Careful, this Angoran can defeat you easily," Kurn cautioned him even if he wasn't so sure about that.

"You might be red but you're soft!" Even being green he was standing up to Kurn. Kurn growled and was ready to show this green slime just who he was. Then he had a better idea.

Kurn knew Krogans had a weakness. All Marines were conditioned to ignore this weakness. But these guys were all green and had no such training. So he leaned down, talked to Alexis, then stood up again.

Alexis wasn't so sure but Kurn had told her to and Mommy had told her to do what Kurn told her to do. Sooo, Alexis walked right up to this guy and looked down so she could spot it. Very carefully she looked it over and swiftly, like she was told by Kurn, lifted up her foot then slammed her heel down on his outer most toe as hard as she could.

He screamed and hopped around on one foot trying to get the pain in his other to go away. Kurn took two steps and was right behind Alexis. He swung his fist and hit him square in his big mouth.

That had him dropping to the ground unconscious. "Told you this Angoran was better than you." Kurn tapped her head. "Growl."

Alexis had never seen anyone that big fall like that but Kurn had told her to and now he wanted her to growl. "Geerrr!" Alexis growled.

oOo

The control room was empty. The green Krogan was on his way to Medical and everyone here was joining him in the transport to be taken to the Sagan. They would be birthed in the military barracks for now.

"You'll make an excellent Marine," Kurn informed Alexis as he picked her up while she wrapped herself around his huge neck.

"I love you," Alexis told him and if it wasn't for his training Kurn would turn into a real puddle of goo on the floor.

"Let's go, we have two more areas to clean out." Kurn needed to get the Krogan out of the upper and lower control rooms next.

oOo

Kate answered the door since Rick was on the Bridge. "MOMMY!" Alexis was in Kurn's arms. She had had tons of fun and wanted to do that again.

"Hi, sweetie. No problems?" Kate questioned Kurn as he put Alexis down carefully.

"She was an excellent Marine. Earned her first color." Kurn was proud of her and impressed.

"I will be back." Kurn saluted Alexis who returned his salute and walked away.

"First color, huh?" Kate was curious.

"I hit a Krogan!" Her daddy had always told her to never back down from a Krogan and with Kurn right behind her she hadn't.

"You what!?" Kate was ready to yell for Kurn to get back here. She was going to give him a piece of her mind.

"Kurn told me to. He was being mean to Kurn so I stomped on his foot just like Kurn told me to. And the not nice guy yelled!" Alexis was so proud of herself. "Can I be a Marine, Mommy?" She was ready to be just like Kurn.

"You're going to have to talk to your father about that." Maybe she should still call Kurn back here so she could give him a piece of her mind.

oOo

It had been a really long three months. Mostly because Kate had been after him for the last three weeks wanting to know if the Relay was fixed yet.

Two days ago they had sent a test drone through and were waiting for a reply. For three months they had been manufacturing what they needed to replace what they had in stock that was going to go into the Relay. They were actually still manufacturing certain items. They were going to need them for the next Relay.

"I have a new target," Janet reported. That had Rick tapping it to isolate it and again to make it 3D.

"It's a drone. Pick it up and let's find out what condition it is in." Finally they almost had this Relay operational and could rest for a week and get ready for the next one.

They were effectively a year into their fifteen years and had two Relays operational.

oOo

Jo opened her eyes but didn't see anything. Everything was black. She was in an enclosed room was her first guess. The first thing she noticed was that she felt like shit. She had felt it before and it felt like her stomach was in full revolt. She was moments away from throwing up.

She suddenly heard a woman's voice. "You're awake. How do you feel?"

"I can't see anything." Oh, God! If she was blind she was going to seriously freak out and sue someone into oblivion.

"You're suffering from hibernation sickness. It will pass in a few hours," the voice reassured her.

"Hiber what? …I'm gonna throw up." Just a few more seconds now.

"I can fix that," the voice soothed. Then a moment later Jo felt something at her arm and almost immediately her stomach calmed down a lot. "Name?"

"What? …My name? J…Johanna." She still felt like shit and couldn't see a damn thing.

"Full name?" the voice asked her.

"Name… Johanna Katherine Beckett. Where am I?" She was betting a hospital.

"You're in the medical wing of Second Chance. You'll be discharged in a few hours. A little after your vision returns. What's the last thing you remember?" the voice asked her.

"Hospital. …I was…I was going to meet my husband and daughter. We were going to have dinner together. I had to stop somewhere first. There was pain." After that things got a little foggy.

"Sounds good. Any living family?" the nurse inquired as she looked at her pad.

"My husband and daughter. Where are they? Can I see them?" She could really use a familiar voice.

"You're doing very well. You need some sleep." The nurse administered a sedative and put her to sleep so she could recover. She had just recently been removed from hibernation and needed to sleep to let her system help heal itself.

oOo

"Good morning." Jo saw a woman that appeared to be a nurse who was looking at her. The nurse had woken her and was expecting her to wake up for the last couple of minutes. "Just hold still for me, please." Jo watched her check her eyes and opened her mouth, then turned to look at a screen that showed…she wasn't sure just what.

"How do you feel?"

"Better. Where am I?" Had they moved her? If she remembered correctly, she was in a hospital.

"You're still in the medical section of Second Chance. You'll be discharged soon. Can you raise your left arm for me, please?"

Jo did as asked. "Good, now the right." Jo obediently raised her right arm but she was tiring of this fast. "Very good." Jo watched her move to the foot of the bed and expose her bare feet. The nurse had a device in her hand. "Can you feel this?" She poked Jo in the bottom of her foot.

"Ow!" It had actually hurt a little. Then she did the same to her left foot.

"Full name, please."

Jo rolled her eyes. "Johanna Katherine Beckett. Is my family here yet? Can I see them?" Then something else came to her mind and she put a hand to her back. She quickly learned that she wasn't wearing a bra under this thing, but what she did feel was different.

"What happened?" Jo was now feeling her chest over her gown. She knew that her breasts weren't all that large. Though at least she wasn't flat chested. When she was on her back her breasts just weren't that big. Now her breasts were bigger.

"What have you done?" She was betting a boob job and she was getting really angry. If they had done something she didn't want she was going to sue someone. She meant it; she'd really sue someone into oblivion this time.

"Everything will be explained once you're discharged. Your vitals look pretty good so far. Are you hungry?" Jo hadn't even really thought of food until she had mentioned it. Suddenly her stomach growled loudly. It was embarrassing.

"I'll take that as a yes." The nurse smiled at her. "I'll have something sent in that your system can handle. Just don't expect much. You're still recovering." Jo watched her leave.

"WAS I STABBED!?" Jo went back to running her fingers over her chest then on to her back. What she wanted to do was put her hand against her skin or at least look down and see what they had done to her. Unfortunately raising her head made it pound and she didn't see a way to remove whatever she was wearing anyway.

"Boob job." She was definitely going to sue someone the first chance she got.