Mr. Wallace volunteered to transport Titus Deltano, Tia (Ysett), and herself to Earth after she finished conducting business on the Citadel. The brutal day at the hospital sank any hope of meaningful resolution in a short period of time. Javik's requisition request for a state-of-the-art bio amp not yet invented put the council's plans to invite her as a Spectre led team member on hold. The rejection opened an old wound she stitched together years ago with a 'fulfilling' career working for Nyall Wallace.
She wallowed in self-pity on the return trip to Earth.
Tia made it more difficult by squirming and looking adorable in her white onesie dress and cap.
"You look ready to shoot someone." Titus broke the solemn silence.
She kicked her feet out and used her crate as a footstool. She tried to not be dramatic, but her circumstances put her on a short list. "The specialist I was referred to by Dr. Appan told me there's nothing she can do. I should have had gene therapy in the womb." She bit her lip. "But my parents sold me off to Cerberus, so gene therapy in the womb wasn't possible. Therefore, the first opportunity, the front line of defense was absolutely neglected. Dr. Ulona told me I should try experimental trials. Except the only experimental trials are on Thessia, Cyone, and Sur'Kesh. Naturally I'm not allowed on Sur'Kesh because salarians are secretive, Thessia is quarantined until the asari can trust 'outsiders' again after the whole 'beacon scandal', and Cyone is the home of my bitch of a mother-in-law. Yay me."
His brief silence and crestfallen expression reassured her she wasn't alone in her emotions. "You're too young."
"I know." She choked up. "I- I of all people know how young I am. I may give in and try an experimental trial on Cyone. I mean, Tia will have her grandmother and maybe the trial would work." She shrugged pathetically. "I just want to reverse time and shoot my parents. I'd have some closure. Oh, and apparently Pacyra thinks I'm too crazy to oversee anything. And that therapy that can't save me."
"Who is Pacyra?"
"My sister." She said snidely. "Who needs enemies when I have her?"
He sighed. "How short is your- "
"Oh, General Deltano, I assure you I am perfectly capable of stalling its progress. If I don't go crazy with the biotics. Except Spectre Dravis wants me on a Spectre led team. And Javik put in a request for a bio amp that will flex my biotics for me. Except they haven't invented such a bio amp in known history. It's all scheduled, as if my input did not matter."
She 'smiled' at him and clutched Tia in desperation.
"And what do you want?" Titus asked.
She shrugged. "A choice. A chance to say no and have it be respected. No, I don't want to kill someone just so you'll leave me alone, Aria. No, I don't want to be in charge, Hans, because I'm sick and tired of people's bullshit, but since you and everyone else wants me to be in charge, I'll be in charge. No, Bohai, I am not perfect, and I don't have all the answers, but since your confidence in me is overflowing I'll pretend like I do because it makes you feel better about the bullshit we're surrounded by. No, Admiral and Ambassador, I am not happy with the situation I was in and no, I'm not okay, but it's going to be okay because I'm going to find happy and escape the bullshit. All I want is a choice, Titus, without someone giving me the side eye."
He wrung his hands. "And to live a long life."
"And to live a happy, productive life." She said sarcastically. "Emphasis on happy."
"I can convince Hans to withdraw your name from the ballot."
"No, no. I want to shove it in Pacyra's face. A final fuck you before I join forces with Amani and raise our daughter together. Deal with a monster-in-law for the rest of my natural life. Besides, I need to ensure Henry Lawson doesn't win the election. If he doesn't win, and I earn enough votes for my sister to shut the fuck up about my 'disabilities', it's a win in my books."
He leaned forward. "We're winning this election."
"I'm behind you 110%, Titus." She patted Tia's back. "And I'm not mad at Hans. I'm not mad at Haven 1. I'm just mad at everything lining up in the worst way possible. If Amani were here…it wouldn't be so hard. She doesn't know, you know. And I'm not – I don't know how to tell her."
He bowed his head. "My son would like to meet you."
"I thought you had two?" She asked hesitantly.
He swallowed hard. "They discovered him in a burning building. He suffered severe burns. Recovered from them, but he couldn't stay on Palaven. We asked the Alliance for a Resident Visa. Earth will suffer two Deltanos for four years."
She laughed awkwardly. "Somehow, that's more reassuring than dealing with my sister. Who has yet to apologize."
"But have you apologized to her?" He countered wisely.
"She insulted me first."
"Apologies flow both ways. Right or wrong." He gestured.
She predicted his next demand. "I'll mull over an appropriately worded passive-aggressive- "
"Apology." He demanded. "A proper apology. That's what public figures give."
Her brow lifted. "Okay, Dad."
"Mr. Dad. Retired General." He corrected her cheekily. "And as a public figure, you'll need a proper apology that is not passive-aggressive."
A brief silence fell between them. The pity party subsided long enough for her senses to creep in. She dragged her hand down her face in horror. All this time she only thought of herself and not once about others. She apologized to Titus for being self-centered and asked after his son while tending to Tia's dissatisfaction with staying still far too long.
They discussed Aurellian's trauma, needs, and his experience at Haven 1. Mr. Wallace listened to their conversation shamelessly. They landed at Haven 2 on schedule.
"Please ensure you do not leave anything on the shuttle." He recited in exhaustion. "I am not responsible for your personal belongings. Thank you for riding with Wallace Air Travel."
She almost smiled. "Missing the sarcasm, sir."
"It's always a pleasure, Miss Colton." He saluted her. "Watch your step."
Titus held her crate and stood outside of the shuttle patiently. Someone hovered, ready to scan the crate and its contents. She sighed heavily.
"Give my regards to the masters of arms." She said to Mr. Wallace with extra cheer.
He waited until they cleared the take off area before leaving Haven 2 for the Citadel once more. Looking up into the sky, she tried to find the Citadel as one might look for a moon during the daytime. Clouds obscured her attempt. She turned her attention back to a soldier with a scanning device near Titus and her crate.
"You don't need to scan that." She stopped the soldier. "It's already been scanned twice at the Citadel, and they already unpacked everything twice. Hands off."
"Ma-am, with all due respect- "
"Back the fuck off. I'm not in the mood. Tell Officer Moody if he wants to check my goods, he can do so after I had a word with Haestrom." She snapped. "Now go find Haestrom. We'll wait."
The young soldier glanced between the stoic Titus Deltano and irritated Mycerra Colton. She paced. Titus watched her curiously. "You aren't much for moderation, are you?" Titus asked amused.
Her brow lifted. "I'll tell you all about Omega after I settle in at Haven 1." She promised darkly.
"Omega was good for you."
"No. No it wasn't." She argued.
"You're more assertive, self-confident, and you have a direction."
She started to argue and stopped. He had a point; one she couldn't dispute fairly. She shook a finger at him and frowned. The soldier returned minutes later with two more officers. She mentally composed a defense and ploy for summoning Haestrom, only to spot Haestrom trailing them several feet behind.
"I never said you were tactful or politically capable." Titus tacked on quickly. "Be nice."
Her brow lifted comically. "Am I not nice enough?"
"And drop that tone specifically."
She composed herself and sarcastically flashed him a thumbs up. He placed the crate at his feet. The officers slowed their pace when she spotted Tia in her arms. The officers parted for Haestrom. He planted himself in front of Mycerra, four feet between them. Facing her civilian comrade, the sense of home haunted her.
Comrade. Friend. Associate.
She hated change. She hated adjusting to the new. She hated sinking her time and energy into a place and people, only to uproot and start over fresh. She hated 'catching up' when she wanted to sink and hide from the attention and criticism.
Havi told her to be more direct and less aggressive. She failed to see the difference when presented with situations that required directness and success.
Vaguely aware of the increased attention they attracted, she recognized the tension at Haven 2. She searched for the proverbial tight ropes that dangled over figurative chaos and hellfire. People positioned at appointed posts maintained a street level view of the current activities. Surveillance cameras captured every movement corner to corner. She imagined several cameras she hadn't spotted covered obvious blind spots.
"Leader Colton." He said diplomatically.
She matched his diplomacy. "Leader Haestrom."
"Follow me. We'll speak in private. Deltano, always an honor."
Titus picked up the crate. "I'm looking forward to this crate losing a few pounds."
"It is not that heavy." She flexed her biotics and hovered it out of his grip.
"I am perfectly capable of carrying it- "
"As long as I control them and don't push my limits, it's fine." She assured him. "Tia, one day you'll be able to do that too." She cooed and kissed her daughter's forehead.
Titus allowed her to biotically carry it to Haestrom's new office. The three-story prefab building blended in with similar prefab buildings surrounding it. They climbed the stairwell to the third floor and entered a pristine, well-organized office with a commanding view of the main center of activity in Haven 2. A metal desk featured a computer and a minimalistic office chair. White curtains bunched at the outer corners of the windows. Square cubicles lined both sides of the office space. A second minimalistic office chair positioned in front of the desk.
A large potted plant by the window soaked up the rays of sunlight.
She liked it.
Biotically placing the crate next to his desk, she shifted Tia from one arm to the other to relieve muscular ache. "Permission to unveil your gifts?" She asked the civilian leader.
He locked the door. "Permission granted."
Edwin Haestrom dropped all pretense of formality. Titus motioned for her to hand over Tia. She handed over the alert infant happily. Tia gave Titus the side eye. He returned the side eye. "There's a turian somewhere in your lineage."
"Probably. Or krogan. But Mama came from a hanar." Mycerra cut in. "Alright, so you'll have to tell Bohai thank you at some point. I know you're not 'allowed' to carry a weapon with you at all times, but I couldn't resist."
She opened the crate, handed over the bottle of Thessia Red first, and pulled out all the weapons. She laid them out on the floor and set aside her own weapons. She held up Hammy. "This is Hammy. Hammy is god. Hammy will be pried from my dead, cold fingers." She warned the men.
She put Hammy down with utmost gentleness and picked up an Elanus Risk Control Striker. "This pistol is a three round burst beauty. Reliable, widely available, affordable. You can upgrade its damage output, etcetera through mods. I suggest modding it, but you do as you will." She handed it over to Edwin Haestrom.
He tested the weight of it. "Impressive."
"I have more. I don't forget my friends." She separated a shotgun and an assault rifle from the cluster. "We decided to stick with the same producers, so everything is from Elanus Risk Control. The assault rifle, the Banshee- "She shuddered. "– and the Hurricane."
She pulled out a small pack stuffed with varren jerky. She held up the brown leather sling backpack. "Varren jerky is de-lish-ish. I tried to find pyjak jerky, but no one made it?"
"Unbelievable." Titus scoffed.
"I know." She played along. "How dare they not make Pyjak jerky?"
"You should try Ekker Jerky. A turian must." Titus said seriously.
She nodded along. "Except I'm not dextro-based?"
He winced. "Fair point."
She added Ekker Jerky to his gift list. Next time she landed on the Citadel, she'd try to hunt some down for him. She packed her weapons back in carefully, The Edge pistol, Scimitar shotgun, and Avenger assault rifle – all modded – fit nicely back in the deeper cavity.
"Is there armor in there?" Haestrom leaned over the crate.
She lifted the weapons to reveal a black chest piece. "It's the Gladiator line for Elkoss Combine. Battered, but I repaired it. Worth its weight in credits, hands down." She relaxed.
He lifted his shotgun and pointed it at the window behind the desk. "I like the weight of this."
"I do too." She locked the crate with a thumb print. "Great if you want to obliterate at close range."
He pointed it at the floor. "How thick is the ammunition block?"
"You probably have a good eight hundred bullets left?" She guessed. "You'll need thermal clips for certain."
He grinned ear to ear. He practiced holding the Edge and Avenger. She sat on the chair and enjoyed the moment for what it was – adults acting like children over things that went boom. Titus showed Tia the view from the window, yearning for a view like that from a much higher floor level.
"Oh, Titus, we also brought back quarian rations. I have your gift in the crate still." Mycerra said to the turian.
He half turned, Tia comfortable in his arms.
"Like I said, I don't forget my friends."
He smoothed his large hand over Tia's tendrils. "Your mother is a considerate individual."
She watched Haestrom find a new home for his new 'toys' on top the cubicle shelving. "What do you know about Henry Lawson? I hear he's running for Mayor." She stood and hoped Haestrom liked his chairs because they made her ass hurt. She walked to the door and back.
Surprisingly her emotions checked themselves and spared her the embarrassment. Unsurprisingly, the old anxieties prickled. If she slipped up, she lost more than respect. She gave Cerberus new ground and information. Over her dead body, a cold day in hell, a ship without a captain. No, no, no. She refused to give Cerberus more power than they held.
Haestrom sat behind the desk and placed his hands behind his head. "I know his head is so far up his ass not even the Reapers could remove it."
She faced him, arms crossed. "Give it to me raw. I need all the ammunition I can gather if I intend to win this election." She demanded.
He detailed Henry Lawson's overconfidence and narcissism in the most unflattering verbiage and descriptors. Titus contributed casually to the derisive report. The more they told her the more she determined she'd rather a xenophobic preacher win the election than Henry Lawson. She checked the time and asked Haestrom if they could eat at Haven 2, then travel to Haven 1. The chow hall, a brick building destined to become the next hospital in the area, blasted Mycerra and Titus with a dominant Alliance culture. She spotted a few civilians here or there amid the sea of uniforms.
She wondered how Bohai saved his sanity in this type of environment.
"We can eat at Haven 1 too." Titus whispered.
The shock faded, the hum of conversations rising in volume once more. She rapidly blinked. "It's fine. We'll eat and leave on the first shuttle out of here." She told him.
He nestled Tia comfortably in his arms. "I forgot how small they are."
Mycerra sponged the sweat off Amani's forehead. The midwife sponged off an asari baby's spindly limbs.
Amani held out her arms for Tia.
The midwife lifted Tia off the blanket and carried her over to Amani. Amani cradled the newborn to her chest. Amani pulled her hand so that they cradled Tia together.
"Isn't she perfect?" Amani cried.
Mycerra's cheeks wet with pure love. "She's everything."
"I must call Amani soon too. Send more pictures." She sighed heavily. Reality body checked her back into the mild depression she learned to live with as of late.
They ate in relative silence. Mycerra wanted to focus on what the Alliance soldiers talked about. Her mind continuously wandered off to memory lane with Amani. She feared asking about Aurellian wouldn't bode well for the first meeting and she didn't want to ask about changes in the city to avoid unnecessary rage and depression ahead of schedule. The meal satisfied her rumbling stomach. Haestrom ensured her crate made it onto their destined transport for Haven 1. He personally saw them off and cryptically wished her luck in all her new adventures.
The ground transport from Haven 2 to Haven 1 cleanly traveled through the city unhindered and with minimal protection. Mycerra noted the areas cleaned up, the dump sites for undesirable materials, and the altered skyline of the city she lived in for seven years prior to the Reaper Assault.
Harretsburg.
Before the reapers attacked, they called it Harretsburg. After the election, she imagined their many little camps would be collectively recognized as Harretsburg. After the first election, she then imagined the many mayoral elections would be reduced to one mayoral election.
A year barely dented the visuals of the city. She recognized the rubble like the back of her hand. The tall, concrete walls of Haven 1 loomed in the distance, a green flag indicating the alert status of the camp. Tall gates reinforced with steel and reinforced hinges opened to the streets. Through the framing of the doors, she glimpsed people milling about prefab buildings.
She leaned forward in the seat. "Is that…a stage?"
"Installed last month. They watch movies every Friday." Titus swelled with pride.
"How many attend?"
"Half the camp. The rest watch it in their bunks on omni-tools or consoles. It's a tradition of theirs." Private Remming answered for Titus.
"Tabitha is going to be thrilled. Diyal might keep some of his hair." Titus teased her.
She facepalmed.
Deltano put a hand on her shoulder. "I have this covered. Medic Schidmt will want to open her bottle of champagne."
She flashed back to the last time she talked to the lead medic of Haven 1. She shuddered and repulsed the past. "Did Medic Schidmt finally build her clean room?" She asked hopefully.
"Two clean rooms. We even have a surgeon, human and salarian." Deltano proudly informed her. "With Alliance support, we were able to make improvements faster. In exchange, we built more greenhouses. We have fourteen of them. We share the surplus with other camps."
"Gee, all it took was the raiders teaming up with Cerberus." She sniped bitterly.
"That's in the past." Private Benning spoke up quickly. "And we'd appreciate if you limited your talk of Cerberus until the operation is declared a success."
Her brow lifted. She guarded her sharp tone and sighed. "And who are you?" She demanded.
He leaned away from her and clutched his rifle closer to his chest.
She made a mental note to ask Ambassador Anderson for confirmation of who was and wasn't helping them with the mission. She trusted no one. She checked her GPS location on the omni tool. The red dot inched closer toward Haven 1 at a rapid pace. The vehicle halted within walking distance of the walls at a predetermined transport station. Titus carried her crate, and she tightened the baby sling.
The guards at the front allowed them past upon recognizing Titus.
"Mr. Deltano, sir!" One male snapped to attention and saluted.
Titus nodded in his direction. "Colton, Guardsman Rivenka. Rivenka, this is Mycerra Colton, the leader of Haven 1 until the mayoral election determines our new leader." Colton sized up the muscular human and his partner guardsman. Both appeared capable. She hoped they proved as capable as they appeared.
"Ma-am." The guardsman saluted her.
She returned the salute. "Tia. My daughter." She gestured to the baby diving into overstimulation.
"I'll speak with you after I help Leader Colton settle in." Titus said to the guardsman. She slowed to allow him to lead. He led her toward three-story tall prefab residential building. A sign with the letter D distinguished the building from its neighbors E and F. She unlocked A1, first floor, with a biometric scan.
She entered to a spotless room the size of a shoebox sized apartment. A bed and empty shelves occupied one half of the room. A tiny desk with a computer and lamp occupied the other. A tiny shower/toilet/sink area split the room down the middle with little space to traverse one side to the other.
"It's a shoebox." She remarked.
"It's a clean shoebox. Unlike Omega." Titus placed her crate under the desk. He barely squeezed past her. "I'm going to tell Votham and Bakshi you returned. I advise you to take time for yourself. Start work tomorrow. Not today. Call Amani. Shower. Unpack."
She nodded numbly. She waved goodbye and locked the door after him. Turning the lights on, she sat on the bed and sunk into it.
Breathe, just breathe, Mycerra.
She was home.
She was home.
She was home.
Breathe.
Activating her omni tool, she called Amani. The connection struggled. She ended the call prematurely. She kissed Tia's head and decided to shower.
"Home, sweet home." She sang out dully. The significantly smaller apartment closed in on her and provoked a strange sense of claustrophobia.
She solved her shower dilemma by placing a blanket on the floor and placing Tia in the middle of it. A quick shower, fresh change of clothes, and unpacking lifted significant weight off her mood. She tried to stay positive about the changes in her life.
And then the door unlocked to her apartment, and she stepped outside.
In the late afternoon light, she tried to visually place everything as she would have remembered it. Her disoriented mind rebelled and she decided to explore. Hans Everhart found her first. She leaned in for the side hug. He gushed over Tia and without ceremony dropped her into the cantankerous mess the election caused.
They walked past a group of people praying around a flagpole.
Hans pointed out one of her opponents, the preacher. "Cal Vornic. Quotes his bible cover to cover and wields it like a weapon. Tabitha told him he can only preach at the flagpole and at the designated church building."
She commit the face and name to memory. "And Henry Lawson?"
Hans forcibly cleared his throat. "The snooty ex-government type that thinks they're always in charge. You're going to hate him." He listed off the numerous times Lawson tried to dethrone Tabitha Votham and Diyal Bakshi. She maintained a pleasant expression while plotting a hundred and one ways to make the man suffer.
They arrived at the new prefab communication headquarters. Hans introduced her to the guards and escort her inside to his radio equipment. The level of improvement within the headquarters astounded her. Multiple stations of identical radio equipment dotted the open lay out. She assumed sound was dampened in some shape or form.
"Isn't it- "
"Perfect." She finished for him. "It's what you wanted."
He nodded vigorously. "And all it took was the Alliance doing their jobs."
She laughed and startled Tia. She calmed the child and kissed the top of her tendrils. "Now, now. Tech that worked was hard to come by in the early days." She allowed reluctantly.
He wobbled his flattened hand in the air.
She mouthed "I know."
"Are you ready to campaign, seriously campaign?" He accessed his omni tool and pulled up a bullet list on the other two candidates. "I can tell you exactly who you can persuade, who won't join you, and who is adamantly against either candidate."
She gestured for him to halt his breaks. "Tomorrow. We'll discuss campaigning tomorrow."
He emailed the bullet lists to her. "You should stop by and tell Medic Schidmt you've arrived. She'll be happy to know you're alive and it's not someone else behind the email."
"You have a map? I've been on a space station for a year in the Terminus Systems." She omitted the total confusion she currently fought replacing the images of old with the images of new of Haven 1. She expected it to become difficult in five years when they resumed consolidating the city under the name Harretsburg once more.
He led the way to the prefab medical clinic. They entered a scanning corridor that determined they were healthy before the door unlocked. She flashed back to Huerta Memorial Hospital and it's scanning corridor.
"Fancy. Bet she's happy."
"Never saw a bigger smile on her face until it was installed." Hans grinned ear to ear.
The door unlocked.
Bigger than the previous clinic by double, she entered a welcome area suited for three people. Beyond that a wall of glass separated each patient station and two clean rooms. All the white and gray put a smile on her face. Before…before white and gray would be impossible to keep clean.
The female human behind the desk smiled at them upon entry. "Welcome back, Hans. Who is your guest?" She asked sweetly.
Mycerra hated the fakeness. She pinched the bridge of her nose and breathed. Tia's small fist pressed against her breast, a welcome anchor to sanity.
"Mycerra Colton. Founder and Leader of Haven 1." Hans gestured broadly in her direction. "And munchkin."
"Mycerra Colton was taken hostage on- "
"Don't remind me." Mycerra cut her off and stopped the search on the console. "Just run the scan." She lifted her hand off the woman's and stepped back from the desk.
The woman scanned Mycerra. "Of course. My apologize, Miss Colton. It's not every day survivors return from off-planet abduction." She said cheerfully.
Mycerra's brow crept up her forehead. "It helps if you speak of such incidents with less cheerfulness. That's not necessarily a positive event." She smiled 'sweetly'.
Aria would have knocked the bitch out in two seconds flat.
"I am sorry if I offended you, Miss Colton. I meant no harm." She persisted in the sickly-sweet manner.
"Right. Where's the good doc?"
"She's presiding over a birth. It's best you don't go into the- "
Mycerra faced Hans. "Babies before introduction." She patted his shoulder. "I'm going to keep exploring the new Haven 1. I think I can find the chow hall before mealtime."
"Mayor, where's your shadow?" Hans asked curiously.
She ignored the ping of regret. "Living his life, Hans, as he should. Please, have a wonderful day. I'm sure Tabitha and Diyal will find me in due course of the day." She helped Tia wave goodbye and exited the medical clinic.