Chapter 4.
On the crew deck, inside his personal cabin, Commander Lind Foss sprang from his bed, pulled on his uniform and was in the control room within minutes of Verg waking him. He was reading through the message while others were arriving and assuming their stations. He had made his way through the initial report and was scanning the details as the last of the control crew arrived.
"Get a secured comm to the Council and Shepard Academy, priority Alpha. Encrypt this data and transmit it on that line once they are secure. Bring up the entire perimeter grid now, active scans at max range on all units. Pull the data over the past five years, all anomalies as well as known vessels. I want those reports ready for this meeting. I want data since the Reaper War available within six hours and anything this station has back to its first scan by end of the day. Set up a way to cross reference it to this new data on vessels, flight patterns and scans. I want to know about anything that even remotely matches."
The crew moved instantly as their sections were called on. Salarian efficiency and ability to register, understand and adapt on the go in full effect and with a satisfied smile, Commander Foss went back to reading the report details until he was notified the secured comms were established and ready. He nodded his permission to connect. At the front of the room, two of the large monitors changed to show the Turian and Asari Councilors on one and Admirals Miranda Hannigan and James Vega on the other.
"Good day councilors, Admirals." Commander Foss began. I have just sent you both the report we received here at the array minutes ago from the New Horizons. In short, they were successful in contacting the aliens who sent the communication through our relay network nearly three years ago. The aliens they met with are called the LiThar. This group is a leading part of an underground resistance to their overlord, Akzunatai. It is this being that is our enemy. According to the reports, the LiThar escaped their home world, which is also Akzunatai's base of operations, the very night he declared war on our galaxy. His war is not directly with us, but with his siblings, though he does seem to make a connection between them and us, I do not fully understand. Regardless of reason, he is a being of conquest and power, and will gladly destroy or enslave any in his path.
We do not know what kind of species Akzunatai is. The LiThar did not have that information to share, though one of their members had been head of his house hold slaves and says that he is ancient and possesses great power, that by her description sounds similar to biotics or perhaps the same power the Shepard's used to end Cerberus.
What worries us the most and is why we called this urgent meeting is the timetable. Even with our advanced relays that the New Horizons installed, their message has only beat them here by one to two months at best. To make matters worse, the LiThar ship was badly damaged during their journey. What should have given us a two to three-year window before Akzunatai's forces would show, is likely now down to one. In response, I have already activated the relay grid and have begun to cross reference the data we have on alien ship movements with that the LiThar have provided. Hopefully, we can identify their vessels and establish a warning system to guard against them."
"Very good Commander." The Turian Councilor Lanus Victus replied. Lanus was a female cousin of Primarch Victus who had led the Turians through the Reaper War and who still held the position. She had distinguished herself during the war, fighting on Palaven at first and then leading a mixed Turian and Krogan unit both on Palaven and later Earth. After the war, she carried the respect of the Krogan people and was instrumental in establishing partnerships with the Krogan leader Wrex as well as several of the other clan chiefs. As the galactic governments reformed and the council began to reestablish itself, she was elected by the Turians to become their new councilor. She was now the spokeswoman for the council on matters concerning the new alien situation.
"We will bring this to the rest of the council shortly and they will pass it along to their respective military and intelligence leaders. With some luck, we can prevent this from turning into another Reaper War. Admiral Vega, early detection will save lives. Be sure to relay that to your experimental division working with the array scientists to bring that network up to its maximum efficiency. Admiral Hannigan, please inform the Quarians and Geth. Rannoch is the closest planet to the array and if these trajectories are indicative of this Akzunatai's flight path, you will likely be attacked first." Miranda acknowledged the order and Victus' voice softened.
"Miranda." Lanus began. "I leave it to you to notify the families of those on the New Horizons. Be discreet but let them know their loved ones are on their way home. It has been a long time since they have had any news. Thankfully, it is the good kind." Miranda nodded in silent agreement and the meeting adjourned. There would be many more of these in the future as the galaxy mobilized in preparations. Once the New Horizons returned, those meetings would likely double.
Lanus Victus shared a silent exchange with her Asari counterpart, Matriarch Aethyta. They had both seen firsthand the devastation of the last galactic war and now they were faced with another. Only thirty years had passed since the Reaper War ended and the galaxy was still recovering. They were nowhere near the strength they had been at that time and even the faster breeding species, Krogan and Salarians, had not returned to their prewar populations. Though not from a lack of trying on the Krogan's part.
The Asari and human governments were shells of their former selves. All the council home worlds still sported more vacant spaces than populated ones, and the colonies were worse. The Batarians, who had been nearly eradicated were largely absent from the reforming society as they tried to find their place in this new galaxy. The Krogan and Quarians were doing the best at recovery, but they were focused more on their homes and reestablishing their cultures and societies now that they were not the galactic punching bags they once were. The Krogan were now heroes, and gaining their freedom from the genophage that had plagued them for generations, as well as the respect of the other council races while guided by the strong and wise leadership of Wrex and Bacara, had led to a renaissance of sorts and Tuchanka thrived. The Quarians likewise were going through a similar time. They had not only ended a war that had been raging between themselves and the Geth and regained their home world, but they had also gained a partner in the Geth. A true symbiotic relationship between organic and synthetic that allowed both societies to thrive beyond anything they could imagine. Tuchanka and Rannoch were fast becoming the centers of the new galactic community.
The galaxy and its citizenry were evolving, some whether they wanted to or not, and the next challenge was upon them. Would they be strong enough to survive or was this the end? Lanus had no answers nor did Aethyta when asked. The two women parted to deliver the news to the other council members. It was going to be a long night.
On Rannoch, Admiral James Vega climbed from his sky car and walked up the flagstone path leading to his house. It had been a long day that had grown longer after the briefing. He had called the academy's department heads together and gave them the same information that had been shared with them. They would keep the training program the same for now, but the postgraduate and research institutions would begin adjusting to the new needs. He would be given status updates in the morning on all projects and would prioritize accordingly.
Now he was tired, hungry and ready to be home. Entering the house, the smell of dinner reached his nose, Latin cuisine with a Japanese twist if he knew his wife. Kasumi Vega nee' Goto once one of the most enigmatic and successful thieves in the galaxy now turned hero, wife and mother, and like himself, pushing sixty years old and refusing to slow down. She met him in the foyer of their home, bounce in her step and a loving smile on her face, she kissed him deeply, as returned the kiss in kind. He knew she was just as concerned as he over the revelations of the day, but she refused to allow them to bring her down in her home. James envied Kasumi her ability to leave work at work. He carried it everywhere, literally and figuratively.
"Bella's home sweetheart. She is in the kitchen, cooking us dinner." The shocked expression on James' face sent Kasumi into fits of laughter, to which he soon joined in. Their ongoing noise brought Bella from the adjoining room to investigate.
Their youngest daughter, much like her older sister Katie, was a beautiful blending of her mother's Japanese features and her father's Hispanic coloring. Tall and athletic with a runner's build, she excelled in cross country track and was often found running across the high desert plains in the early morning hours, and the valley fields in the afternoon. She had deep interest in marine biology and with the Shepard's permission, took their yacht out on the Rannoch Oceans to dive and study the unique aquatic species that inhabited those waters. With those activities and her parents own intensive schedules at the academy, it was not unusual for the three people sharing the house to not see one another often or for very long. For Bella to be home and cooking dinner was a much-needed pleasant surprise for James.
"Is it really so shocking that I am cooking dinner?" Bella questioned the two laughing adults. She knew she was rarely home and when she was, she tended to ignore her parents. Nothing hateful towards them just normal adolescents. Still, Bella knew that something was wrong today when her mother had come home and gone straight to the wine rack. Kasumi didn't drink when she was working, yet as Bella watched her mom pour a rather large glass of the deep red wine, she knew something horrible must have happened. "I saw mom needed a break and so I told her I would cook dinner for us. It is a simple enough meal that I have helped with before."
"Gracias, mi hija." James replied before walking over to hug his daughter. "Your mother and I have had a rough day. This means a lot and we appreciate it."
"Yes, thank you Bella." Kasumi joined in. "We were not laughing at you, we just have had one of those days that was shocking and, well a bit scary, that to be able to say something as mundane and ordinary as our daughter is home and cooking dinner, well, I think it just might have broken what sanity your father and I have left today. And no, we will not tell you what happened. Not yet at least. You will know soon enough."
Bella smiled at her parents though her mind was full of concern. Her entire life, all seventeen years of it, had taught her that her parents were calm under pressure and left work at work. Well, her mom did anyway. Her dad tried his best. When her older sister was born, James and Kasumi knew that they did not want their work life and especially their past to influence or adversely affect their children. Being part of the famous Normandy crew meant that they were celebrities and they were proud of what they had done, but they didn't want that fame to overshadow their children. They wanted them free and clear of that life until they were old enough to decide if they wanted it. It had been difficult to make that break at first, but by the time Katie was old enough to know what was going on around her, they had done so and by the time Bella was born years later, it rarely came up.
The last time Bella could remember seeing her parents this upset about work was years ago when Cerberus had attacked Rannoch. Bella had only been nine years old at the time and had spent most of that day hiding with the other children at school in a shelter built beneath the building in the hard rock foundation of Rannoch. When the fighting was over and she was returned home to her parents, she knew something was wrong. John and Tali, the people she knew with the fun pool and gardens to play in, had died. Her mom had smelled a lot like the wine she was drinking today back then, as she had fallen deep into depression. Her dad had not fared much better though he did manage to take care of Bella. Today, like then, she was worried but knew not to question. They said she would be told later and while she wanted those answers now, she knew she would not get them and only make things worse if she pried. Pulling away from her father's hug, she told them dinner would be ready in about a quarter of an hour and to make themselves comfortable. She would serve it up and call when ready.
James took Kasumi's hand in his and watched his daughter leave the room before turning to kiss his wife. Kasumi returned the gesture with interest. Both were desperate to have something to take their mind off the day's news. Eventually they made their way to the couch where they sat in silence, James with his arm around Kasumi as she leaned her head on his chest. Another galactic war. The words played through James' mind like poison. They were not ready for this, not he, not the academy and certainly not the galaxy at large. He had seen the same fear in the eyes of the councilors and on Miranda's face. Everyone he talked to departed with the same expression and he had to repeat it again tomorrow.
Tomorrow. He exhaled slowly at the word, his body deflating under his wife as he sank into the couch cushions. Tomorrow morning, he and Kasumi were going to tell John and Tali. Normally this would be a source of strength, however after reading the reports, he saw the bigger picture. So did Kasumi and Miranda, Kris and Liara when he showed it to them. Akzunatai was coming here, not just for conquest, or a random selection, he was coming here because of John and Tali. He was coming because of what they had done and who they had become. What their children had become. He was coming and would kill them all and it was because of choices his friend had made.
James was not mad at John; he would tell him to do it all again the exact same way. This was not John's fault through deliberate choice or plan, yet he knew that many would blame him if the connections were made. He also knew that John would blame himself and Tali would react similarly. Then they would turn angry and want to fight. Thirty years they had been retired. Thirty years of being civilians, and still John could not escape from the galaxy's problems. James had seen John sacrifice himself multiple times, even giving his own life twice for the galaxy and now the galaxy would demand more. How much more could his friend take and more troubling to him was, could he himself take it?
"It will be okay honey." Kasumi whispered without moving her head from James' chest. She could feel his tense muscles, hear his accelerated heartbeat and feel the deep breathing that James would do to keep calm. "Tomorrow will be rough, but they are our friends. I know I would not want anyone else to deliver the message. We owe it to them to do so. Together, we will cry and worry, scream and yell, but we will also grow strong and fight. We will once again overcome and defeat the enemy. We will win."
"How do you know? How are you so confident" James replied with uncertainty? "It took all the galaxy had the last time and we only won because John Shepard gave his life to destroy the Reapers. That was no easy thing to do for many reasons. How do you know we can pull that kind of miracle off again?"
Kasumi did not respond right away. Instead, her gaze slowly drifted over the far wall where dozens of photos hung in a multitude of frames. Flashes of memory perfectly captured showing the history of their family, James and Kasumi, Katie and Bella alongside photos of their friends and their kids. Birthdays, holidays, graduations, promotions, all there for the viewing. All happy and joyful. From the dining room came the sounds of Bella setting the table and the smell of the nearly ready meal teased at Kasumi's nose. "I know because we must. For Bella, for Katie, for all of them. We will win because to lose means those pictures over there mean nothing. The past means nothing as there would be no future. I will not let my children not have a future. If that means I fight for selfish reasons, then so be it. I will do what I must to win for them and if it helps others as well, then all the better."
James smiled at the fierceness of his wife. It was one of the things he loved about her. She was sweet, quiet and gentle, quick to laugh and always smiling. Threaten her, her family or those she loved, and your life would be ruined. A spark of hope reignited within him and for the first time that day, his thoughts cleared. James kissed Kasumi, then rested his forehead against hers and they looked into each other's eyes. "I love you Kas."
"I love you too." Just then a soft cough interrupted the moment. Bella had come to tell her parents that dinner was ready, but saw they were in the middle of an intimate moment. "I think dinner is ready." Kasumi smiled at her husband who returned it before they pulled apart and rose to join their daughter. James held out his arm and Kasumi placed her hand on it as he led them to dinner. It was likely these family meals would become scarce soon enough. They set out to make the most of it.
Vala caught herself on the edge of the medical bed as the New Horizons lurched violently sideways in response to another volley of enemy fire raking the starboard hull. Her hands slipped on the blood slicked surface, but her feet prevented her from falling as they gripped the deck with their powerfully clawed toes. The lights flickered and she heard Katarina cry out shortly before the sounds of surgical tools hitting the deck echoed through the bay. On the table was Engineer Xal'Mallo, who had been caught in an explosion as he worked to repair a blown relay. The explosion had thrown the Quarian into a damaged railing, the sharpened edge of which had pierced his side and was in danger of rupturing organs. The field medics from Lexandrius' team had had to cut away the rail to free him, which had resulted in the heated metal causing his skin at the entry wound to fuse with the rail. The only good thing was that Xal had passed out from the pain before that had happened and Vala had used drugs to keep him that way.
Of all the advances in technology, there was still little that could be done to make surgery in combat less risky or easier. Medi-gel was nice and highly useful, but it could not remove shrapnel or other foreign bodies. What Vala needed to do was in fact simple, something she would have let either Katarina or Seamus do under normal circumstances. These were not normal. All dozen beds were occupied with most of the injuries minor. Two others, also engineers who had been caught in the initial explosion that had sent Xal to his fate, were sedated and secured as they had injuries that would require more than a quick patch and release. The others were being treated by her assistants and the LiThar medic Shethra who was proving to be a blessing to the suddenly overwhelmed med team.
Shethra had become a source of motivation and excitement for Vala that she had been unaware of needing. While she had enjoyed teaching her young charges and they were excellent students, she had lacked someone of her own skill level to converse and share ideas with. With Shethra's arrival, the three Alliance medical officers found themselves deeply engaged in learning about their new companions as well as instructing him on the anatomy and medical treatments of the Milky Way species. This reciprocation of knowledge had spurred Vala on and she enthusiastically took to both teaching and studying with greater attention than she would have her favorite deserts.
Around her, the ship continued to shudder as the fighting raged outside. Through the ship's comm system, updates from the bridge could be heard along with status updates from various locations throughout the ship. In the back of her mind she was piecing together the battle and her analysis was not good. They were outnumbered and their attackers knew their business. Another violent shudder and the lights flickered as the power surged. Joker had better find them a way out of this in a hurry, Vala thought to herself with a grimace as she reached for her suture gun.
Commander Mavish raced through the wildly shaking ship. In the cargo bay, he had been monitoring the scans of the attacking ships. He recognized them instantly of course. They were an older model scouting vessel, part of a larger carrier fleet that had been sent out years ago. Their objective was observation, scans and status reports, not combat, but they were trained to fight as they were not to let anyone who discovered their presence report it. That was why there were three ships and not one. A single ship was not much threat, but three working together could overcome an enemy. They fought as a pack of wolves would, one jumping in while the other two swung around for their own runs. It was effective, deadly, but Mavish knew the codes for the shield emitters. He knew the weaknesses in their hulls, and he knew their tactics.
"Admiral, Captains!" Mavish shouted over the din of blaring alarms, yelled orders and the groans of stressed metals of the ship itself. "I can help. I know how to defeat them." Admiral Thibodaux's eyes met his and she nodded for him to continue. "Those ships, I know them. They are the previous version of our reconnaissance vessels. Part of a carrier group, they explore in packs when away from the larger ship. This gives them additional resources for gathering intelligence as well as assistance in a fight and if they are at risk of being captured, the standard procedure is for one ship to break away and make their way back to the carrier."
"No offense Mavish," Joker interrupted the LiThar Commander. "I don't need to know how they are kicking our ass; I need to know how to kick theirs."
"Jeff, be quiet." EDI reprimanded her husband. "Commander, please continue. Any help you can give may be useful."
"Yes EDI. Those ships are using outdated technology in both their drive cores and their shielding. I know the coding for their shield modulations, and I can show you weak points to target that will cause a rupture in the core. The problem is we will only have a window of seconds before backups engage and the shields are up. We will also need to target all three ships simultaneously, so they do not switch to survival protocol and flee."
"My reaction times are fast enough to make that window work. Give me the coding for the shields and the coordinates. I already have hacking software in place as I have been hammering them through the ships cyber warfare systems since this began. If I can get into their system, I can time the lowering of the shields for precisely when we need to hit them." EDI's voice was steady but an undercurrent of excitement threatened that calm.
"No good." Interjected Joker. "New Horizons is not a combat ship. I only have two guns and no way to realign and take a second shot within that window. We need a third gun, or one ship will escape." The cockpit fell quiet as they pondered the issue at hand. The seconds ticked by and the battle raged on. Lexandrius broke the silence.
"Mavish, how thick is the hull of those ships? Would a weapon of this caliber rupture it?" The Turian handed Mavish a data pad. Mavish's eyes narrowed as he read the information presented. Then widened with hope.
"Yes, that would work just fine. How do you propose to fire them though?"
"Leave it to my team." Turning to the commanding officers he spoke again. "Permission to do something incredibly risky that I am making up as I go in order to save our asses and stop an enemy threat." Lexandrius saluted the officers and waited for a response. Both Lin Verel and Samantha Thibodaux looked at the Turian with blank expressions then returned the salute in acquiescence. They trusted the Turian Veteran and his team. Sometimes being a leader required one to give up the reins.
Lexandrius spun instantly on his feet, comms already open and firing off orders to his team while sending the data on his pad to Lieutenant Commander Nelis Bav'n. "Nelis, suit up the team, full enviro suits and bring these to the observation platform. We are going to take a little walk. Ambassador Voln, I could use your assistance as well if you can remember your old combat days." His voice faded as he disappeared further into the ship, with Ambassador Voln on his heels. Another violent shudder rippled through the vessel as the cockpit illuminated with light from the flaring shields bringing the commanding officer's attention back to the immediate issues.
"At her station in command, Angela frantically worked to jam the enemy transmissions. Finding and blocking the frequencies was challenging enough, but with the constant pounding the ship was taking that jarred her in her chair, combined with the power surges as both the automated systems and the engineers attempted to compensate the power balance to essential systems, her job had never been more complicated. From the corner of her eye, she saw Lexandrius and Voln leave the command for the lower decks. She had only caught parts of the conversation and hoped that his plan would not create more work for Vala as she knew that the med bay was being slammed with casualties from engineering.
An alarm light began to flash above her console just as the waving lines racing across the screen suddenly spiked. She entered a command sequence and the signal suddenly stopped. "Another one down." She exclaimed to herself with pride. The blocker was a program she had designed herself and it was working beautifully. No transmissions had escaped her vigilance. The enemy would not get any intel from this group. A fierce smile was on the young woman's face as her eyes scanned the readings on the glowing monitor.
"Fuck! Everyone brace for impact!" Joker's voice screamed out over the speakers. Angela had barely processed the warning when the computer equipment in front of her exploded. The force of the blast ripped her chair free from the deck, tossing her clear of the fire ball that erupted where she had been stationed. Tumbling across the C.I.C. still strapped into the chair, Angela along with two other crew members who had been nearby slammed into the opposite bulkhead, striking her head on support column and falling unconscious. The ship had taken a sickening lurch as the motion dampers had momentarily gone offline with the power surge and anyone not secured in a seat found themselves tossed around unceremoniously to join Angela on the deck.
"Put that fire out!" Lin Verel's voice carried above the screeching alarms. The ships automatic fire extinguishers were already in action, spraying down the flames that licked over the ruins of the main communications terminals while two crew members scurried in with handheld units to ensure nothing was missed. Next to him, Sam picked herself up off the floor with a helping hand from Mavish. The LiThar had barely moved when the ship lurched though she could see his legs spread and claws extended from all his toes.
"Casualties?" Sam called once she was on her feet. Before anyone could answer her, she saw the damage and her heart leapt into her throat. "Angela!" She cried out and sprung forward toward the pile of human shaped debris laying in a heap on the far side of the C.I.C., Verel and Mavish a half step behind her. She reached the scorched chair, shoved a tangle of wire off her daughter, swept the woman's hair away from her face and pressed her ear to her mouth listening for breath. Mavish and Verel had checked the other two crew members and confirmed they were alive with only minor injuries, but both waited in silence for Angela's status. "She is breathing!"
Both men exhaled the breath they were holding and crossed the space to help free Angela from the chair so she could be moved to medical. Suddenly Fendala was at their side, scooping up Angela's limp form in her arms. "I got her. I will bring her to medical. Go, finish this fight." She turned to leave when Sam grabbed her arm. Fendala met Sam's tear-filled eyes and saw the fear and worry for her daughter. "Admiral, Angela is my friend, as are you and Vala. I know what she means to you. I will not let her become hurt any further. I will take care of her. Go do your job and protect us all." Sam's face hardened and she nodded. Fendala turned and with an ease belittling her small stature and the extra hundred pounds of limp human she was carrying, quickly made her way out of the C.I.C. to the lower decks.
"Mavish, EDI, get ready to drop those shields. Joker give EDI her best shot with the main guns. Reilus, are you ready?"
"I need a few more minutes Admiral. I lost three to injuries with that last blast. Goddamn gun crushed two of their legs and the other was knocked out when we got thrown. Just glad we were not yet outside."
"Lexandrius, I'm on my way." Verel replied before running to assist.
"We can't take much more of that Admiral." Joker spoke from his chair while fingers flew across the controls. "I can only guarantee one chance at this as too much of our power is in the shielding to fire the guns or keep the engines firing much longer. We need a breather." Sam looked at EDI who merely nodded then out the window at the circling enemy ships.
"Then we fucking kill them now." Sam replied with a stillness in her voice that sent a chill up Joker's spine.
The observation doors slid shut as Neela Voln helped Lin Verel set the second gun on its stand while Lexandrius secured it and plugged in the firing controls. The guns had been commandeered from the shuttle and now rested on tripods on the New Horizon's upper observation deck. The deck was small area on the outer hull of the ship that could be shielded to allow an unobstructed view of the galaxy without having to wear an environmental suit. Now it was a fighting platform. The six people standing there would be the third shot needed to win.
They all had their parts to play. The guns took two people to aim and fire, Lexandrius and Verel would take one while Nelis and that young soldier, the one Admiral Thibodaux defeated at the pull-up contest, Robert she thought his name was, would take the other. The remaining soldier was there as a backup for anything that may come up. Her own role was different; she was to use her biotics to create a shield protecting them from enemy fire and other mishaps. In order to fire the guns, the observation shielding would need to come down, which would leave them all vulnerable to enemy gun fire. She would provide a biotic barrier to shield them while allowing their own gunfire to escape. She was also a safety net in case someone became separated from the ship's hull. The mag boots on their environmental suits held fast, but accidents happen and with the violent shaking and sharp maneuvers the ship was making, her being there to catch them was welcome peace of mind.
With the efficiency their team was known for, the last preparations were completed and the guns ready. Lexandrius relayed to the waiting bridge that they were ready. The three-gun crews double checked their boots to ensure they were secure, confirmed the targeting coordinates and waited for the command to fire.
On the bridge, EDI acknowledged the ready confirmation of Lexandrius' team. Entering a series of commands, she indicated her own readiness to Joker, Joker confirmed, and his hands went to the navigation controls.
"Now." Admiral Thibodaux's voice rang out over the din of battle. Joker put the ship in motion rotating the vessel to provide optimal alignment for the guns. EDI's mind was racing, and not just because she was an artificial intelligence multitasking at quantum speeds on dozens of tasks simultaneously, but also because she was scared. This entire maneuver came down to her abilities to drop the shields of three enemy ships and fire the ships main guns at the precise moment. The success of the mission depended upon it, but more importantly to her at that moment was that her husband, the person she loved, the person who helped to give her true life depended upon her. Her family, her friends, people she cared for were onboard this ship and her next actions would determine whether they got to go home. EDI unleashed her virus at the enemy ship's firewalls and watched as their codes were attacked, rewritten and collapsed. She had control.
"Fire." The word leapt from her mouth with the New Horizon's guns responding instantly and Lexandrius' guns crews only a second after. The crew was silent as they watched through windows and on monitors the streaking lights of their weapons race through space, pass the unseen barrier where the enemy's shielding should have been and explode upon impacting the three vessels' hulls. The resulting bright flashes of light illuminated the New Horizon's bridge showing the haze of smoke that filled the space as well as the sweat and dirt smeared faces of the exhausted crew. As the light faded, they could see the debris fields where two of the ships had been. The third ship, while still largely intact, drifted lifelessly in space, its own debris leaving a trail as the escaping atmospheric gasses that had once made the vessel inhabitable, now pushed the dead craft away from the New Horizons. A collective sigh was heard in the cockpit as they all released the tensions they had been holding.
"EDI." Samantha began after a few moments of silence had passed. Her own thoughts were spinning wildly. They had succeeded. The battle was over. Her ship was damaged. Her crew injured. Her daughter was injured. She was in charge and needed to act. She needed to get to medical and check on Angela. She needed to check on her crew. She needed to repair the communications systems. Angela needed her. Her crew needed her. She needed to sit for a minute. Angela. Her crew. She was in pain. Angela. Her crew… "EDI, scan the remaining vessel and the debris fields for life. I don't think you will find any but let us be sure. Joker run a full system diagnostic. I need to know our status." Activating her comm, she called for Verel's team.
"Captain Verel, Commander Lexandrius, outstanding job to you and your crews. Now I need you to prepare for your next mission. Prep both shuttles. I want two teams ready to depart within the hour. We need to salvage anything useful from that remaining vessel and the debris fields. Any information they have gathered on us, and the Milky Way galaxy. Star charts, movements, communications data, anything and everything. We need to act quick in case they managed to send out a signal we did not block or if more ships head this way." They responded with the standard "yes ma'am" and the comm went silent.
Mavish had been studying the images of the destroyed ships and listening to Admiral Thibodaux's commands with approval. He had a proposal for the woman that he believed may help them all. "Admiral. Allow me to take a couple of my crew and join the salvage teams. We know the technology and can speed up the process. I would also ask that we salvage materials to repair my ship. The little extra time it will take could make a huge difference in giving us another space worthy ship."
Seeing the wisdom in his words, Samantha granted Mavish permission and the LiThar Commander hurried off to prepare his team. Verel reentered the bridge as Mavish was leaving. Recognizing the distraught look in Samantha's eyes, he told her that he could see to the repairs and to go check on her daughter. Samantha thanked the Salarian and quickly made her way to the medical bay. She knew that Angela was in excellent hands with the New Horizons medical team and more specifically Vala Shepard, and she knew that Angela was alive when Fendala had carried her to medical, but this was her daughter, her first born child and Samantha was sick with worry. Reaching the medical deck, Samantha's stomach lurched at the site that met her eyes.
The bay doors were open wide allowing her to see everything taking place. The overhead lights flickered as the power flowed in irregular patterns through damaged circuits. Smoke from small fire, and blown consoles filled the air much as it did the rest of the ship. From several panels on the walls, where once computer screens glowed, now were gaping holes with wires dangling like entrails spilling from a wounded animal. The floor was littered with debris from the various explosions and around one of the beds were puddles of what she had to assume was blood, though the fluids had turned nearly black and begun to congeal.
She observed the LiThar medic Shethra as he finished setting a broken bone in the leg of the security officer that had been crushed by the shuttle gun. He secured a cast around it and injected something into the young man before moving to the next bed that contained the unfortunate partner with a similar injury. Deep in the recesses of Samantha's thoughts, she registered that the LiThar medic was performing exceptionally well and that she would need to commend him for his work, however her immediate attention was not on the chaos of the room, nor the tiny LiThar or even her injured crew occupying the other beds. It was locked onto the far bed next to the chief medical officer's office. In that far corner of the room, Lieutenants Seamus O'Conner and Katarina Sokolov were side-by-side leaning over the prone body of Vala Shepard. On the bed next to them lay Angela.
Samantha could see Angela's chest rising and falling with her breath. She could see the bandages and splints on her arms and the burn treatment cloth covering half her face. As were all the patients, security straps crossed her body anchoring her to the bed to prevent falling if the ship took a sudden lunge. Samantha was at a loss till a gentle voice at her side called her back.
"Admiral? Admiral Thibodaux, are you alright?" Samantha shook her head and turned to look at Shethra who was now standing next to her with a concerned expression on his furry face. "I apologize Admiral for not coming over sooner to check on you. I saw you enter and aside from being a little pale, you appeared well enough to not warrant prioritizing over the more immediate. I hope that was okay. I am still learning your protocols." Samantha nodded in approval and Shethra smiled. "I am assuming you wish for an update?" Samantha nodded again. Shethra knew that she would be concerned for the crew in general, but mostly wanted to know about her daughter. He decided to start there and would relay the rest when asked. "Very well Admiral. Your daughter will be fine. She sustained a broken forearm that we have set and splinted. It will heal nearly as good as new. She received some severe burns on parts of her arms, chest and face. I have been told by Lieutenant Sokolov that the bandages should eliminate nearly all the scarring. She was fortunate to be thrown clear of the main blast. She did suffer a concussion which we are watching, but she has shown no signs of damage and the swelling has subsided. She has not yet woken, but that is likely for the best as she needs to rest. I would recommend you go to bed yourself Admiral, but I understand the concern of a parent for a child. Give us a few hours to finish up with the patients and do some cleaning and I will arrange a place for you to stay by her side."
Shethra watched the Admiral's body language fluctuate as he reported on Angela's condition eventually ending with her shoulders sagging in relief and a grateful thank you spoken from her mouth. Shethra did not have children himself, but he was a commanding officer and had always thought of his crew as his children. He fully understood the grief and worry Admiral Thibodaux was under and how he would react in her position. His admiration and respect for the Human woman went up a few more notches.
"As for the rest, we took quite a beating down here during the battle. Engineering kept us busy with injuries and Engineer Xal'Mallo there was the worst after he became impaled on a railing. The computer systems were becoming unreliable and so Vala chose to perform the surgery herself as it had to be done before further damage was caused to the Quarian. That is where most of the blood is from." Shethra fell silent and closed his eyes for a minute before continuing. "Admiral, Vala is truly amazing. Despite the ship tossing us around like toys, she managed to perform hands-on surgery, cut into his body and removed the railing as well as some other bits of shrapnel to save his life, all the while directing the entire room. She kept her composure through it all, though you can see from the gouges in the decking, she was literally hanging on by her toes." Samantha followed Shethra's fingers to the area below the first bed where she could indeed see through the blood stains, gashes in the metal decking the size of the claws on the Quarian medics feet. That material was hard. It had been designed to prevent accidental explosions from outside the medical facilities from impacting that room. The force required to damage it in that fashion was beyond Samantha's current grasp. She turned her gaze back to Vala's prone form and felt a chill run up her spine.
"When Fendala arrived with Angela in her arms, Vala was in the process of closing up Engineer Mallo's wounds. She told Fendala to place her on that bed and secure her as we had all the patients. She then told Lieutenant Sokolov to begin scans and start the burn treatment and for Lieutenant O'Connor to take over closing up Xal'Mallo's wounds. Rushing to Angela's side, Vala quickly read through Sokolov's scans and helped to finish applying the burn cloth to her face and body. Then, telling Sokolov to attend to the broken arm, she began to do something I have never seen, though I had been told stories that until now, I believed were just to mess with me as the new person.
It was incredible Admiral. The Chief moved to stand over Angela's head and placed her hands on either side, covering her ears. She simply stood there for a few minutes, doing nothing that was visible when suddenly a glow appeared around her hands, much the same as I have seen the Asari demonstrate with their biotics. I had been told that Vala had a similar ability, but this was the first time I had seen her use it. The glow intensified and I could see the strain on Vala's face, as if she were fighting a battle. This went on for minutes when Vala gave a great cry of shock and began to convulse. None of us were sure what to do. Do we interfere or not? We did not know what she was doing to Angela and we were afraid to risk interrupting something crucial. Both Sokolov and O'Connor had told me that Angela and Vala were extremely close and I had seen plenty of evidence of that myself over the months I have been aboard and so we held back knowing that whatever was happening, Vala meant only to help and heal. We watched as her body continued to shake and we could hear her call Angela's name as though she were searching for her. After a couple of minutes of this, she gave a final shudder and collapsed to the deck unconscious. We rushed to her body; she was breathing but non-responsive. Her skin was covered in sweat and cold to the touch. We placed her on that bed and covered her with a blanket. Sokolov and O'Connor began to run scans while I resumed treating the other patients. Then you walked in."
"Admiral." Lieutenant O'Connor was facing the pair. He, like all the crew, was dirty and exhaustion was etched on his face. The whole battle had only lasted about an hour, yet they all felt as though it had been weeks. Samantha acknowledged the young medic and started to walk over to where he and Sokolov stood at Vala's bed. "Admiral, when examining the Chief and the L.C. we noticed something strange. As you are aware, the Chief's eyes always glowed a soft white light that intensified when she was using her power." Samantha nodded as another chill filled her body. She indicated for him to continue. "Well, when we examined the L.C., we noticed that her eyes too now glowed. At first, we thought that it was a residual effect from the Chief's power, but..."
Before he could finish Samantha interrupted. "What color are they glowing Lieutenant?"
"Blue ma'am. Both pairs of eyes are a matching blue."
Samantha Thibodaux stumbled backward as if struck. Shethra quickly slid a chair under her so she could sit. Her mind was racing, and her stomach felt like it would heave up her breakfast. She knew what this meant. John and Tali had explained it to them a long time ago and as the years passed, other Quarians had begun to exhibit the same. It was the bond. The ancient Quarian bond between two people. It was designed to give strength and support, but it also meant the pair shared in all things; including pain. What had Vala done? What did this mean for her daughter? Vala was not an average Quarian. Due to whatever it was her parents had become, Vala was something else. If she and Angela had bonded… A sudden overwhelming desire for Kris swept through her. She felt her composure beginning to crack as the day's developments overcame her. Shoulder shook, her breathing increased and she could feel water on her cheeks as tears began to fall uncontrollably. A soft moan began to emerge from deep within her chest that turned to a wail of anguish as the last of her restraint was battered down.
Shethra did the only thing he could think of at that moment; he wrapped her in a tight hug, squeezing with his considerable strength to provide comfort and let her cry. He could feel her shaking against him and his fur quickly dampened with falling tears. He used his eyes to indicate to the two humans that he had this and to go about their duties. Seamus and Katarina did just that, as they had no idea what to do to help their Admiral. Shethra watched as they finished treatments on the remaining injured crew, dismissed who they could and began to clean the med bay.
The two Lieutenants were efficient, and they completed their tasks and departed for some food and rest before Samantha had recovered from her breakdown. Shethra felt the woman's body stop shaking and relax against him. He could hear her breathing return to a steady pace and her tears dry up. He slowly released his arms freeing Samantha to her own support. Handing her a cloth rag, she took it and wiped her face, drying the moisture from her tears, and removing some of the soot from the smoke. Stepping back Shethra simply watched and waited till Samantha finally looked at him and gave a smile of thanks to which he smiled and nodded in return before speaking.
"You know what this means Admiral?" Samantha nodded but didn't speak. "Is there anything we can or should do? Is this a good or bad thing?" She heard the questions and lowered he eyes to her lap while letting the words settle. Shethra waited patiently for which Samantha was grateful.
"I know what this is, or at least I think I do. They are bonded; joined in a way that defies conventional explanations. It is more than physical or mental, though it includes that, maybe spiritual? More easily to say magical I think." Shethra remained silent but his eyes were wide. He had read about this, or at least what little information was available to read. He had talked to Vala about it a little and he had asked the other Quarians aboard about it, but they were not able to clarify much. The phenomenon, though ancient, was a newly reemerged trait. One that had been long forgotten by everyone and until recently, at best was only a myth in Quarian literature. "There is nothing more we can do until they wake, I fear. We will have to wait till they can answer questions. Continue to treat them medically and bring them to health."
"I will see to it ma'am." Shethra replied with a firm conviction that gave Samantha another relief and boost of confidence.
"Thank you, Shethra. You have been an outstanding crew member and more importantly, a friend to me. I will not forget it." Samantha rose from her chair and Shethra saluted the woman. Sam was caught off guard for a minute at the gesture but recovered and returned the sign of respect. She had been impressed with the LiThar from the start and over the months they had been onboard she had grown to not only respect them, but to genuinely care for and about them. They had quickly evolved beyond refugees to allies and friends. She was too tired to give much thought to it now, but she would find the time to figure out a way to properly repay them and if she could, help their entire race.
Leaving the med bay, she made her way back to the C.I.C. and the busted communications station that awaited her attention. She observed her crew working away at the repairs. Again, she thought of how proud she was of them all and how fortunate she was to have a ship full of outstanding crew members and officers. When she finally had time, her commendation log would be full of names of deserving soldiers. The familiar order of "Admiral on Deck!" greeted her as she stepped into the C.I.C. Captain Verel greeted her and quietly asked about Angela to which she told him that she would be fine though she was still unconscious. She also gave a quick rundown of the crew's medical status; no deaths and only six injuries serious enough to keep those people off duty. Two of them were senior officers. Medical would be well served till Vala recovered and she would cover the communications since after all, that was her specialty. The next few days would be rough, but they would be fine. They had to be.
Akzunatai stood on the bridge of his command carrier. After years of delays, his fleet was finally leaving OniThar. The past few years had not been pleasant ones for the people under his rule. When he had learned about Fendala's defection and escape, he had gone into a rage. Dozens of LiThar died over the following weeks. He knew that most if not all of them likely had little to no knowledge of the plans, but he still needed to make an example. That had been five years ago, and the bodies of the dead still hung from the lower walls of his fortress. He wanted to kill them all and destroy the Northern continent along with the life on it in retaliation, but he knew he needed the LiThar for a little longer. They were invaluable as working slaves to just eliminate. At least until he had Rannoch's power. Oh yes, their reckoning was coming when he returned. Akzunatai played long games and knew how to be patient.
Today at last, was the next major step in his plans. Around him, hundreds of thousands of ships swarmed from the planet and surrounding moons where they had waited. All had been outfitted with the latest and best technology and armament possible. Those onboard had received new armor, weapons and underwent training daily while they waited. The greatest invasion forces the universe had ever seen now set out from OniThar for the distant Milky Way galaxy. Akzunatai would at long last confront Rannoch and any other of his siblings found hiding there. He would destroy them as he should have done at the beginning and then he would be the most powerful being in existence. He would rule the universe with unlimited power, and all would come to serve him or die. Under his feet he felt the ship accelerate and he turned to retire to his chambers. The smile on his face as he walked out made the entire bridge staff shiver with fear.
Apologies for the delay in posting the next chapter. This year has not been kind for finding time to write. I have made a lot of notes and developed the story, just not time to sit down and write. I'm hopeful that the next few months will allow for more time to work on the story. I thank you all for sticking with me during this time, adn for those just joining, welcome!