From Ashes
Chapter Thirty Three: Asari Diplomacy
A/N: So sorry for the delay. Had a few things go on with family, but it gave more perspective on how I wanted this chapter to go. Something good to come out of a tragedy is always a good thing. (Personal life stuff) Anyway, hope you enjoy this. Mass Effect 2's storyline will begin after this chapter!
It was real; everything she had been dreading about the situation was crashing down upon her. From the tightness in her throat to the heat rising in her skin, Tevos' mind went to the darkest places it could reach. Asphyxia: she had died due to lack of oxygen. The word echoed in her head as if it had been shouted. An uneven tremor that began in her chest turned into a violent shake as it reached her extremities. She couldn't imagine it. Hearing the strain in the recorded voice, the change in breathing pattern, her lungs seized. Every nerve in her body was suddenly hypersensitive. Every imperfection in the smooth surface of the datapad registered as it balanced in her hand. The last breath the recording played crashed like violent waves against her eardrums…
"Seryna."
Even her own voice sounded as if it had been increased in volume to dangerous levels. The silence in the wake of that message was aggressively pressing down on her eardrums. Speaking the name, Tevos waited for anything: an answer, a breath, even static, but it never came. Instead, she heard nothing, and it infuriated her.
"Councilor," Ashley Williams' voicing her title shattered the oppressive silence around her. Instantly, her ears were filled with ambient sounds. Opening her eyes, which she just did notice she had closed, Tevos saw the chief regarding her with a sympathetic expression. "I can only imagine what you must be feeling."
"How did this happen?" She didn't dare trust her voice, so she just did go above a whisper as she asked. "I have seen the reports, but they are not enough…"
"Then you know as much as we do." Ashley's answer was not abrupt or unkind. "The ship came about and plotted an intercept course. It was like they knew we were there." She turned away then; her attention directed to the display that was showing another news segment. "The stealth systems were engaged, and they shouldn't have spotted us…" An abrupt stop in her speech, and then: "We were playing cards when it happened. She had just lost a bet… If we'd only known then…"
"Why was she the last to leave?" Tevos was shocked and repulsed by the lack of emotion in her own question, but it seemed that Ashley understood it. She answered promptly.
"They were trying to keep the ship in one piece while the escape shuttles were launched." The chief's voice was apprehensive, but it became clear as to why with her next words. "At first, I wanted to be furious with him. I kept thinking that Joker should have given up and just left with Pressly and the lieutenant, but if I'm honest, we would have all died if he hadn't refused to leave the helm. She went up to the command deck to make sure they got down to the shuttles safely. I," shley hesitated again. "I wish I had stayed with her." When Ashley turned back around, her dark eyes were misted over. "I'm sorry," She began "I'm still processing this myself. It still doesn't fully seem real. I still catch myself thinking she'll just walk back through the door."
"With armor in varying stages of disrepair and a grimly satisfied expression."
"And a little quick wit to go along with her sudden reappearance."
"I knew the second it happened." Tevos admitted suddenly. The surprised look on Ashley's face only served as fuel for the words that were burning to get out. "A feeling that I could never describe with words; it left me feeling as if something were missing: something I couldn't place."
"We were all waiting in the cargo bay of the cruiser when they picked up that last escape shuttle. We knew who had to be in it, but," Ashley paused for a long second, a shadow forming behind her eyes. "Pressly and Lieutenant Selyna stepped out. The looks on their faces were enough to say that something terrible had happened. When they helped Joker out, we all looked for her, but we just knew…"
"That she wasn't coming back."
"Steven?"
"Hannah," Hackett crossed the threshold and embraced her, paying no mind to the others around them. "Thank God, you're safe."
"Thanks to him." She raised a hand and indicated the batarian that was hanging back with Durand. "Had he not been able to get basic systems back online, we'd have been screwed."
"Any others still alive?" Hackett looked over the others that were in the room with her. Those on the beds were in bad shape, but they weren't critical. The ones still standing had minimal cuts and bruises. Hannah Shepard herself looked worse for wear: torn Alliance BDUs, scratches and bruises visible on her face and hands, and a sizeable cut on her right arm that had been roughly bandaged.
"You found them in there." She jerked her thumb toward the room on the other side of the corridor; a bitter edge to hr voice. "They gave me no choice but to shoot them."
"We'll be able to have a proper debriefing once we've cleared this place." Marie Durand interjected then.
"Agreed." Hackett nodded firmly. "Head back and deal with that rocket launcher by whatever means necessary. Signal the shuttle when you've cleared a landing zone."
"Got it."
"Going with you." The batarian nodded back toward the way out. "Got a score to settle with that bastard."
"Got a name, stranger?" Durand asked as she headed back toward the large living space.
"Karak'Ishan, Karak for short."
"Marie Durand, pleasure." She extended a hand, and he shook it. "So, any ideas on bringing that thing down?"
"One," Karak said simply. "And it's pretty complicated."
"Yeah?"
"Involves stripping a security drone, rewriting its friend or foe protocols, and jury-rigging a grenade launcher to it."
"You weren't kidding."
"Good that I already did the first part, huh?" a sideways grin was what Durand found when she looked at Karak again.
"Let me guess, hoping it could hack the door." It was what she would have thought of first; seeing as cutting through hadn't been an option.
"Yep. Too bad the thing didn't have proper permissions, and that the circuits for the door were fried."
They made it back to the antechamber, where the remaining members of Durand's team were waiting. The drone that had been stripped had been in the main living quarters, so they had picked it up along the way. All that was left was to rewrite its protocols. The software wasn't hard to work with. Even getting the rocket launcher's signature wasn't hard. A single shot fired outside got it to activate. When the drone had registered the rocket launcher as a threat, the last part of the plan was brought up.
"Alright, who's got a heavy weapon they don't mind losing?" Marie looked around and was surprised to see Ecklus retrieve one from his weapons pack. "Seriously? You love that thing."
"It'll still serve a greater purpose." He shrugged. "Besides, it's about time I replaced it. They don't make the kinetic coil for it anymore, and the heat sink is liable to cause the thing to just ignite anyway."
"Go out in a blaze of glory." Karak remarked. "All the better. Originally, I was going to have it fire a grenade down the thing's gullet and let that be it, but there's a better way."
"Send the drone on a suicide run, cause the grenade launcher to misfire, and turn it into a comet right before impact." Ecklus put two and two together quickly. "I like it. Let's make sure this thing has a good last ride."
While those two worked on rigging the grenade launcher to the drone, Marie turned to the others, who were still milling about by the open transfer crate. They hadn't said much; one looing a little more tense with a batarian around. She couldn't blame him. He'd had a hard go of it after Mindoir. The other was taking small glances down into the crate from time to time. Walking over to it, she looked down into it herself.
"Any ideas who sent her here, Ma'am?"
"Not yet." Durand looked back to see what looked like her turian second and batarian tag-along conspiring. "Oh boy…"
"Good to go, Boss." Ecklus said after a moment. "Once that thing's gone, we can signal the shuttle and get off this rock."
"Let's do it."
Karak approached the bunker door and looked back. "We'll only have a few seconds. When this thing goes off, halul ass." He was holding another flashbang.
"Risking it for the show, huh?" Durand had to laugh. "Better be a good one."
"It'll be worth it."
The door opened, and the flashbang grenade was thrown. When it went off, those that were going outside beat feet to make it to cover before the rocket launcher recovered. They all managed to dive behind barricades or a low bank before they heard the launcher turn to try and target someone. Ecklus placed the drone's launcher onto the ground and activated his omni tool. Immediately, the drone came online, and its propulsion system kicked rose a little more than a meter off the ground and hovered. While in full view of the rocket launcher, it wasn't perceived as a threat.
"Nice work, guys." Durand waited for a few seconds to make sure that it wasn't going to be fired on. "Launcher's VI thinks it's friendly."
"That's the plan." Ecklus' mandibles flared in amusement. "Here goes."
The drone shot up into the air and made its way to where it was on equal ground with the mounted rocket launcher. When it moved forward, they all heard the sound of the grenade launcher trying to fire. No projectile came from its wide barrel, but they could hear a high-pitched whistling sound. After a few seconds, the grenade launcher's outer casing cracked open, and the weapon caught fire. Bright orange and red flames burst through the casing and engulfed the weapon before the drone shot straight at the rocket launcher. When they collided, the drone and grenade launcher shattered; the remaining fuel in the heavy weapon igniting. By the time the rocket launcher recovered and attempted to fire, scorching fuel had made it down its barrel. The rocket that escaped it was charred and veered off course.
"Best part." Karak muttered as he tapped the interface of his own omni tool. The barrel of the rocket launcher exploded in a white-hot flare of fire. "Eat that, you bastard."
"Yeah, I'd say that thing's toast." Ecklus said simply as he stood up. "Nice work."
"Ground team to shuttle," Durand stood as well while establishing a comm link. "We've cleared the bunker. Going to need you here for pickup."
"Copy that."
The shuttle wound up making two trips from the bunker back to the Darrington. The first trip carried the injured and the infant they had found in the shipping crate. The second brought the rest. After everyone was aboard, the cruiser set course for the Citadel. As soon as the Darrington departed the Dis system, it was as if the talk aboard the ship amplified. The crew were more than a little curious about what had happened planetside and why a batarian had joined the away team when they returned. There were other conversations being had, however: one was concerning the datapad that had been found in the cargo container, and the other centered around what had happened on Klensal. Two people were in a lounge on the starboard side of the Darrington. Admiral Hackett was still in a battle dress uniform, which was to say command combat fatigues; he stood off to one side. Commander Hannah Shepard was still sporting the uniform she had gone down onto Klensal with. She was seated at one of the tables.
"First off, with all formalities aside," He began. "Are you alright?"
"Somehow, I expected this to be your first question." Hannah replied quietly. "On impulse, my first answer was going to be yes," She hadn't been looking at him; choosing instead to watch the stars fly past in blurred streaks while they were traveling at FTL toward the nearest relay. When she did turn away and actually looked at him, she continued. "But that would be a lie. The truth of it is: It was a shitshow, and I lhad to kill people that were sworn to have my back. This isn't going to be something I can just walk away from."
"Going by what you said in that message with the coordinates to the bunker, I assumed it wouldn't." Hackett moved from where he had been standing to take the nearest chair; adjacent to Hannah. "What happened down there?"
"First off, the supply escort would have been legitimate if there had been Alliance personnel at that base on Sharjila. All we found were looters and salvagers. The Alliance distress beacon that was used was one that they had nicked from the Sparta System."
"Edolus."
"Exactly."
"Go on."
"Having heard about the false signal that lured Kahoku's team, we decided to send an escort shuttle with the supply ship. That was our mistake." Hannah shrugged. "When we landed, we were surrounded." Before Steven could put forward a question, she finished with: "I gave the order to have the Kilimanjaro put out a distress call and retreat. There was no sense in dragging anyone else into it."
"What happened once you were planetside?"
"Sharjila was a mess." Hannah brought up images she had taken while there. "The base there had been used as a waystation for the looters to dump their cargo so that they wouldn't be found with it. Pretty sure there were people in some of those crates…"
"Wait," While she was going through the images, Hackett spotted something. "Go back." When she did, he indicated a logo that was barely visible on one of the looters' uniforms; they were standing more or less out of the shot. "Eclipse."
"I saw at least four of them with Eclipse uniforms." Hannah nodded as Steven indicated the emblem. "They were moving freight out of there onto another ship, but they were taking orders from someone else. I could hear her from time to time. Apparently, both groups were working to get something done. I heard one of the Ecipse mercenaries mention something about finishing Dahlia's business."
"According to…" The name he was about to say caused his throat to tighten. Steven Hackett had said the names of many a soldier who had passed on, but they weren't her. He swallowed to try and get past this setback, but the tightness had moved into his chest. He would still have to tell her…
"Steven?" She had seen something. Whether it had shown in his face or not, she had noticed.
"I'm sorry." He apologized to fill the silence. For what, he had no idea: the momentary lapse in speech, the fact that her daughter was what had caused it, or the fact that she was going to have to find out the hard truth in a short while. All three of those reasons were viable. "Lost in thought for a second."
"It isn't like you to do that."
"I know," He leaned forward slightly; fingers interlacing as a means of distraction. It was then that an odd thought hit him: it had been a while since he had actually worn a short-sleeved uniform. Stowing that thought for later, Hackett went on. "Just a lot on my mind. According to Shepard's report, when she was there investigating a situation on behalf of a diplomat, there was a woman named Dahlia mentioned. She was killed during the initial raid on the base."
"Wait, Seryna was there?" Hannah's eyes were more focused than they had been throughout this entire conversation now. "When?"
"Early on during her investigation into the former Spectre, Saren." He was lucky to get that out. It had been simpler when he had been looking for Hannah; he could put the inevitable at the back of his mind, but now she was right here. "The report wasn't made public." He started again. "Just said that the base was entered, and one of the mercenaries there was named Dahlia. The rest of the details are classified."
"Whatever they were doing there, they were sorting out something she had left unfinished." Hannah decided to move things along for the moment, but she still wore a concerned expression. "The few that had accompanied me on the shuttle were muscled onto the ship that they were loading. We were told to remain where we were, and we wouldn't be harmed."
"So you were moved from Sharjila to Klensal then."
"It took a few days to sort things out and for them to go through the supplies they had commandeered, but yes."
"What happened then?"
"During the cruise from Sharjila, we were held behind a security barricade. No one really paid much attention to us, but one kept coming back and looking at us. Build suggested that they were human, but they didn't take their helmet off." Hannah's tone took on a cold edge then. "When he did it a few times, one of the others noticed, and they called him by his name."
"How is that significant?"
"Zabaleta." She nearly spat the name out. "He turned to whoever it was and made to walk away, but I called him back by his first name: Ernesto."
"Your former crewmate from the Einstein?"
"The very one."
"You mentioned in that message that the ship was brought down onto the surface."
"After he realized that I knew who he was, he panicked." Hannah leaned forward as well. "He shot the one who had called him back and proceeded to approach the barricade. Shuttle pilot actually thought he was going to let us out."
"I take it, by that, he didn't."
"He didn't." Hannah shook her head. "One of my people overloaded the barricade's controls remotely and caused it to crash. I confronted Ernesto after that, and I realized that he had gone too far down the depressive rabbit hole. He didn't go to the VAO; instead, he left the Citadel and poured all of his remaining assets into being a hired gun. Once the barricade was down, he started changing his tune a little; said he would help us so long as we kept quiet about it."
"And did he?"
"He showed us where our weapons were. From there, we stormed the bridge, forced the ship down, and made a go of it on Klensal. The bunker's defenses were what injured most of my people. The remaining crew that got out of our way worked with us when we made landfall. Once we were inside, that's when shit hit the fan." Hannah got up and began pacing; tension in her muscles was clearly visible. "Once we had made it insid the bunker, people started asking questions: what happens next, now that we're stranded? You brought down our way out of this mess, what now? How will anyone even find us? All of that. I told them that I had uploaded a message and coordinates before we had gone down, but some didn't think that that was enough. A fight broke out and a few of them got killed."
"When did the batarian come into play?"
"We heard the turrets firing outside a while later, and people got nervous. The ones that were still on their feet retreated to the rear of the bunker to defend those that weren't, in the event that there were more mercenaries trying to claim what was here. Thankfully, that wasn't the case." Hannah was still on her feet, though her pacing had slowed. "I had Zabaleta with me. I didn't trust him any further than I could throw him, so we went to see who had entered; provided that they made it past the defenses. When Ernesto saw that it was a batarian, he went on the offensive: started toward the man and withdrew his pistol again. Karak, I learned his name later, didn't arm himself. Instead, he ducked for cover, and I asked him what he was doing there."
"Said he was there because he thought there might be decent salvage."
"Exactly what he told me." Hannah nodded. "Ernesto wasn't having it though. He fired a few shots, Karak darted out of cover for another spot further away, and a chase started. I tried calling Zabaleta off, but he wouldn't listen. Eventually, they wound up in the room with the power junction. Ernesto had him cornered, and I wasn't just going to let him shoot the man without just cause. When he persisted, I shot him."
"So you killed him."
"And I would do it again if I had to." It wasn't a defensive statement; more a comment. "Afterward, I went back to explain to the others across the way what happened. That was when we had a total loss of power, and the door sealed. You know the rest."
From his position, Hackett nodded. He watched as Hannah finally stopped pacing. The tension was still there, but it didn't seem to be from the situation she had jus described in detail. It was sudden, and he could feel it as well; hairs at the base of his neck prickling and his teeth were on edge. After a few long seconds of silence, he stood again. "Yes." He crossed his arms; balancing his chin on his knuckles; a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "Though I have to point out that you never fully answered my question:" He leveled the commander wih a serious gaze. "Are you alright?"
"I'm tired, Steven." She let the frustration come out; shoulders dropping in the process. "I haven't had any sleep since this all started. I'm disappointed in the people that I had to put down, for lack of a better term." She finally looked to the admiral standing nearby and gave him a sad smile. "Most importantly, I just want this to be over with. So, to answer your question: I may not be alright now, but I will be."
A rapping of knuckles gently on the doorframe to the lounge made them both turn. Commander Durand stood just outside the door. She was speaking in a low voice to someone, but when they walked away, she turned back toward the admiral, who wore a curious expression.
"Admiral, I hope I'm not interrupting." She began. "A moment of your time?"
"Of course." Hackett turned to Hannah and she nodded. "I'll be back in a moment." He crossed the room and stepped over the threshold; the door closing behind him after he crossed it. Marie nodded toward an alcove that had a window a few paces down the corridor. Once they were there, she withdrew a datapad and handed it to him.
"The name Dahlia stuck with me, so I reached out to Ashley Williams. She said that Dahlia was the name of the mercenary they killed on Sharjila." Motioning down to the datapad, Durand continued. "In confidence, she also revealed Dahlia's surname.
"Dantius." Hackett read the datapad's limited information quickly. "No relation to the asari diplomat, is there?"
"Her sister."
"I took something from her that all of her wealth can't replace…" Hackett muttered under his breath, and an unreadable expression passed over his features. After a moment, he handed the datapad back to her. "How close are we to reaching the Citadel?"
"We still have about an hour, give or take Citadel Control's congestion."
"Reach out to the asari embassy and find out if Nassana Dantius is aboard the station. If so, have someone get in touch with her."
"Yes, Sir." She made to turn and leave.
"A few things before you go." Hackett hadn't moved from his position. When Marie showed no sign of leaving, he continued. "That was good work you did, both down there and in finding out about Dahlia's sister." It was a conversation filler; not what he wanted to say but something he thought he should. What he wanted to say, he was still working out in his head, and it was leading him nowhere. Finally, he decided to swallow the hesitation and just speak. "I know that I mentioned that this was a personal mission that I'd asked you to take part in."
"Yes, Sir."
"You don't know just how personal." He finally said; the words leaving him feeling every second of his age. "It goes deeper than a promise I made to her." Even by saying that, the tightness in his chest returned. He looked back toward the door that led to the lounge and frowned. "In a few minutes, I'll have a very difficult conversation with her," He watched Marie nod. "And it will be hard for her to hear. It will be equally as hard for me to tell her."
"I can't even imagine." Durand offered quietly; her voice taking on a slightly grainy texture. "It seems that you two have known one another for quite some time; just from my observations, Sir." She added that last with a shrug.
"I can't even say her name."
"Admiral?"
She hadn't expected it. The shock registered suddenly and was gone from the young commander's face, and he couldn't blame her. To say that the words had just fallen out sounded cliché, but it was the best way he could label what had just happened.
"I'm sorry, Commander." He said after a few seconds. "I didn't mean for that to happen the way it did."
"Permission to speak frankly?"
"Granted."
"Generally, when things like that are said in the way you just said it, it's better out than in." In the moment of silence that occurred after, Hackett had to do a double take. The words rang true. That thought needed airing because it was tying a noose with his heartstrings.
"I can't say her name," He repeated in a quieter voice; frantically searching for the point at which this train of thought would derail. "And I will be damned if I…" He trailed off.
"If you what, Admiral?" She pressed him. Part of her was curious, but her motivation behind it wasn't based on that. Whatever this was, he needed to say it.
"I will be damned if I use my daughter's surname when telling her mother that she isn't coming back."
The nearly whispered admission left him like a chain blade being dragged away from his throat. It hung in the air between them like an expanding barrier; unable to move. Hackett watched as different emotions took Durand's eyes by storm, flashing through them while not leaving a single mark on her expression.
"Admiral," She finally said; voice as quiet as his had been. "I had no idea…"
"No one did." A slight burning sensation played with the lowest part of his throat as Hackett spoke. "I don't mean to throw this off on you either, but," He looked back toward the lounge again; almost able to see the woman still standing behind that door. "Call it selfish; I wanted someone else to know."
"I think I understand, Sir."
"You remind me of her in a way." He admitted. This young woman's mannerisms and charisma, from what he had observed in such a short time, bore traces of what he had come to expect from the younger Shepard.
"Tough act to follow, Admiral, but I'm honoured." Marie saw a few crewmen coming down the corridor and gave him a discreet nod. This was not the time for scuttlebutt to breed. She was prepared to return to what she had been asked to do, but she stopped short, turning to add: "Sir, that call to the Citadel can wait if you don't want to have that conversation alone."
"I appreciate it, Commander," And he did. He recognized what she meant. He went on in a quiet voice; making sure that none of the approaching crew could hear. "But from someone who has lost a daughter, it really can't."
"There is simply no argument to be had."
"Really, Nassana, you cannot use your position here as a bargaining chip-"
"Have you ever considered the thought that I don't have to?" Nassana Dantius leaned back in her chair. She had been at this meeting for the last hour, and all that had been accomplished was that the conversation had run circles around the room. "While I have diplomatic status here on the Citadel, I find it a sheer waste of time to use that as leverage."
"That's a fancy way of saying that someone here is."
Four asari, Nassana included, were present. One represented Volera, a well-known developer from Armali. Mallene Callis was a shrewd businesswoman, and on some occasions, she used her resources to get things done on an underhanded level. Another represented one of the current contract holders for the Citadel, Kassa Fabrications. Nassana didn't know her well, but the other asari didn't pose a threat, so it didn't matter. The fourth was there to mediate, even if it wasn't necessary. She had been the one to make the first comment after Nassana had stated that she wasn't moving on the subject. The one who had made the second comment had been Mallene Callis.
"Not fancy." Nassana dismissed with a wave of her hand. "I could have used more sophisticated words."
"Claws in, Nassana."
"I hardly need them. I'm not using my position with the Citadel to win this contract. I'm banking on something in short supply: common sense." Nassana motioned to the wall-mounted display that was muted. A news service was broadcasting a piece in a series on the late Commander Shepard. "She had a point when she said that they were still out there. I'd rather have our fleets ready when they arrive."
"You actually believe that they are a threat?" The Kassa representative spoke finally. It had been a good quarter hour since she had.
"You saw what Sovereign did to this station and the fleets protecting it."
"Yes, but creating a weapon that can stop a reaper," Callis interjected. "That's a tall order, even for you, Nassana. Dantius Corporation doesn't have the resources for that."
"I cannot create a weapon that will stop them." Nassana said shortly. "However, I do hope it will make them think twice after being hit with it."
"You're referring to the prototype thanix cannon."
"I am."
"And what makes you think the Citadel would even consider using something that hasn't been developed, let alone tested yet?" Matriarch Arlyna, the designated mediator, cut between the two. "This sounds wonderful in theory, but it falls short on paper."
"A bit like your career." Nassana said coolly. "Regardless, I'm not bidding for the contract yet. I am leaving it open for someone to run against me."
"And why in the Goddess' name would you be so generous? It's not like you."
"Generous?" That brought out a cold laugh. Nassana leaned forward and fixed Arlyna with a cold and calculating glare; the corners of her dark lips upturning in a conspiratorial smirk. "Who the hell said anything about generosity? No, this is a means of inviting competition. A good challenge never hurt anyone."
"Except the ego of the one who falls short." Mallene supplied.
"Are you volunteering? I wouldn't expect Volera to just give up so soon."
"Must be one hell of a dream you're having if you think I'll let that happen." Callis shot back.
"Good." Nassana leaned back again; arms crossed. "Glad you didn't take the bait."
"Apologies," Another voice made them all turn toward the door that led out of the conference room. A salarian stood there; his brown eyes focused on Nassana. "A call is coming in for you, Madam Dantius. It is recommended that you take it privately."
"Very well." She stood and looked over the table again before turning away. "I think we're done here, anyway."
"The game begins, then." Mallene Callis stood as well. "Contact me later with the details, Nassana. This should be fun."
"Forgive me if I don't believe you right from the off." Nassana said over her shoulder. "Your standards, when it comes to fun, involve getting a spectre to trick an idiot on Noveria."
"Yours involves that same spectre killing your sister."
"Pure fiction." Nassana smirked again as she left. "Honestly, I don't know where you get your information." When the door closed behind her, and she was alone with the salarian, she addressed him. "So, who do I have to thank for saving me from that cluster?"
"Someone from the Alliance." The salarian offered with a shrug. "Is that the way you always handle negotiations?"
"Call it the true face of asari diplomacy." Nassana offered with a smile. "It's what we apparently can't afford to let everyone else see." She stepped into a small office within the asari embassy and activated her omni tool to receive the call. As it was connecting, she added one final thought. "It's much more entertaining as opposed to being the perfect and tranquil beings everyone thinks we are." When the salarian walked away, shaking his head, she answered the call. "This is Nassana Dantius. With whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?"
"Commander Marie Durand, Alliance Navy." A holo of a woman appeared on the mini display.
"Ah," Nassana studied the woman carefully. "It isn't often that I deal with Alliance personnel. What's the occasion?"
"We had to confirm it first, but I believe I've run across your sister's name. She was mentioned on a daapad we found while on the planet Klensal in the Dis system."
"My sister, hmm? You'll have to be more specific."
"Dahlia."
"Of course." Nassana muttered darkly. "I cannot say that I've had much to do with my sister's affairs. I hardly know anything specific about them, besides the fact that they were illegal." The fact was that she did know just what Dahlia was involved in, but it was best she didn't make that obvious. "What does this have to do with me?"
"I'll get right down to it." Marie's tone changed from politely formal to more of a buisnesslike one. "The datapad was a message to Dahlia, and it implies that you sent a spectre after her, presumably to kill her." She didn't wait for the reaction. "It also suggests that something was stolen from you: something that all of your wealth couldn't replace."
"What?" That single word cut across like a sharp dagger. Nassana could hear the unpleasant surprise even as she said it. The phrase had been used before, and it brought up very painful thoughts. "Who was this person, and what are they referring to?"
"I was hoping you could tell me." Durand's tone suggested that she wasn't put off by the sharpness in Nassana's tone. "I think this is something that we should discuss in person, though. We found something along with that datapad on Klensal, and I think you should see it."
"I see." It was all she could offer. A thought was forming in her head, and Nassana didn't like it. It left her with an uneasy feeling. "I assume you are en route to the Citadel." At the commander's nod, she continued. "When will you arrive?"
"Within the next quarter of an hour."
"Assuming this isn't some elaborate scheme or a trap, where might I find you?"
"Docking bay D-19." Marie's tone didn't suggest surprise at the assumption. "Nothing I can say will convince ou that this isn't a trap, but I guarantee you'll want to see what we've found."
"Very well." Nassana finally relented. "I'll be on my way shortly."
"Steven."
"I'm sorry," Hackett began as he re-entered the room. Hannah still hadn't moved from where she had been when he had left. "A matter regarding something we found down there."
"I know something is going on." Hannah began. She was facing him now. "I've seen you like this a select number of times, and none of them were pleasant. What happened?"
"I need you to know," He began; his throat was instantly dry again, and there was a pressure there. "That I'm not speaking to you as your superior." He wasn't, but he was. He cursed his native military responses silently.
"I knew that when you let me get away with calling you Steven." She said with a shrug. "What is this about?"
"It's about," He paused, as he knew he would. Swallowing discretely, Hackett forced the words to come out. "It's about Seryna."
"Seryna," Hannah blinked. "What about her?" He didn't respond; more correctly, he waited too lng to respond. He could see the expression of curiosity change to one of worry. "Steven, what about her?"
"There was an incident in the Omega Nebula." He began. The familiar thought that this was just a routine notification of a soldier's death began to form the words he was about to say. He swallowed them down. This wasn't just routine. This was her. "An unknown vessel attacked, and the Normandy's crew was forced to abandon ship."
"Who attacked them?" Hannah's question was automatic. "They were out there looking for signs of geth activity. I inow that they were on the Terminus border, but stealth systems would have been engaged."
"They were." He had read the report on the incident over and over. The bright words on a datapad's screen were scrolling. He could see them in his mind's eye. "The vessel saw right through them. The Normandy SR1 was attacked near Alchera."
"What's their status?" Again, an automated response. He didn't like how this was going. "Her ship-"
"The SR1 was destroyed. All life pods were ejected." The proverbial 'but' of that statement was on the edge of his tongue.
"Casualties?"
"Eleven." Hackett had read the names of the crewmen that had not made it. He didn't know any of them personally. "Ten crewmen and…" There it was: that hitch that kept him from speaking again. He swore inwardly, but the message was clear. The woman in front of him was waiting, hanging on his every word, and the rope was about to be cut.
"And?" She questioned suddenly. Her voice had gone up in pitch slightly, as well as volume.
"She made sure that every able person got off of that ship alive." He tried for another approach. "She went above and beyond, but.."
They were less than a meter apart, but there might as well have been a star system between them. Hackett watched as his words took full effect. Hannah took a tentative step away from him, shaking her head.
"No, it's not… She isn't…"
"They tried to reach her, to pull her back." He didn't know what made him say this. Instantly, he regretted it. Hackett had heard the reports from Charles Pressly and Jeff Moreau. He knew, or at least could visualize, what had happened. It had not been his intention to put those images into her head, but there they were.
"Steven," Hannah said suddenly, her voice much quieter and with a slight tremor. "You're not suggesting that she was…" Her eyes flickered to the window and back. All he could do was nod. She collapsed back into the chair she had been occupying earlier; head falling into one hand.
He wanted to approach, butt something held him back. He knew she needed a minute to even gegin to process what he had just said, but part of him still wanted to do something, anything. What could he do, though? He'd been vigilant in his own choice to step back and keep the two of them away from the eventual fallout, but that left him out in a dust storm with no sense of direction.
"Spaced…" The one word broke the temporary silence. When he looked at her again, he saw that Hannah Shepard hadn't changed position. "Of all of the possibilities, I never expected this…" Her hand dropped back to her lap, and she looked straight ahead. "I'm talking, saying this out loud because that leaves room for doubt that it is actually true…" She released a shaky breath; finally looking up at him again. "It is true though, isn't it? You wouldn't be here putting yourself through this if it wasn't…"
"How I feel doesn't matter." He began.
"The hel it doesn't." She stood again. "I'm hearing the words coming out of your mouth, but I'm seeing emotions taking your face by storm." She closed the distance between them in two strides and continued. "You should know, by now, that you can't keep that from me." Her words made him blink.
"When I say that my feelings don't matter, I mean that-"
"I know what you mean." She cut him off gently. "In a few minutes, the shock is going to wear off, and this is going to hit me very hard." There was already a crack in her voice; he could see the stress fracture about to give way to a true break. "I don't need you to be my rock through this, Steven." She took a second to look him in the eye. "I know I'm not going through this alone." She touched his arm. Even with that slight amount of contact, something shifted within him; something that hadn't in a long time. "I need to see your grief, to know it as well as I know my own."
That same thing that had stirred within him twisted at her words. They had decided that they would remain separate for obvious reasons back then. It hadn't been an affair or even a fling. It had been two people who had put their careers and everything else first finding a little time for themselves. That had been before she had met her husband. Alvin Shepard had been a good man: steady, dependable, and a good father. Due to an injury, he didn't make it as a career man, but he traveled wherever Hannah went after he had gotten out. He was solid, and a good influence for Seryna growing up.
"Most of all," Hannah's words brought Hackett back out of his reflection. "I just need you here."
"I watched from the sidelines through the years because it was the best of all bad options." Steven Hackett finally spoke in a way that he hadn't for some time now. The admiral had always been a first. That rank had been his work, his carer, and even a proverbial shield when personal life got too complicated. That was not needed here. "I watched her take her first steps from a distance, saw her go through that awkward teenager stage where she went back and forth with her hair colour." A small smile crossed his lips as he reeled off different events. "There were even a few arguments with you that I overheard while you were on Arcturus. I shook her hand after she graduated from the academy with honors; think I held on a few seconds too long, though." He added sheepishly. "I don't think she noticed. When she completed the advanced training and was welcomed as an N7, I saluted her." He took a second to collect his thoughts before speaking them. "Even if at a distance, I've always been there." It wasn't a justification or means of validation. "Never mind the countless times I've stood or sat in front of a terminal and been on the verge of reaching out to you. There hasn't been a day where part of either of you hasn't been with me." He reached up with his opposite hand and covered Hannah's. "I can't be at a distance anymore. I owe that o her and especially to you." He stepped forward and wrapped his free arm around her.
"I'm here, and I'm not walking away from you again."
"It's an interesting thing, reality. We tend to change it from its base form, an absolute and sometimes cruel truth, to an animate object. It becomes the very thing that grounds us, acts as a brace when we're weak, and kicks us in the teeth when we're strong. We hold it in both high and low regard; trying to defy and live within its confines. In this instance, I find that it is the irrefutable proof that no one is untouchable: that I can no longer believe the lie that I am invulnerable."
"No one is. That is being proven more and more as of late."
The sudden arrival of another made Nassana Dantius look up from her omni tool, which was running a dictation program. Her eyes landed on another asari, whose blue eyes were on her. Closing out the program and deactivating her omni tool, she lenaed back in her chair for a moment. "Irissa."
"Not reflecting on recent events, are you? Sounds like the beginnings of a speech or an impressive narrative." Irissa remarked dryly.
"Just giving voice to a few thoughts. I've had some time to really think in the last few minutes."
"Hopefully no during the contract negotiations." Irissa went to stand near where Nassana was sitting. "I assumed they would be a complete waste of time, given who was there to oversee them."
"Idiot." Nassana scoffed. "Not only was it an insult to have her anywhere near there, she actually tried to do her job."
"There is a first time for everything."
"If that wasn't bad enough, she had the audacity to say that I was using my position as an advantage." Nassana went on. "Honestly, how much of a hypocrite does she have to be?"
"There is no limitto her hypicracy." Irissa shrugged. "So, what has you thinking about our relationship with reality?"
"Recent events." Nassana didn't deflect the question. It was simply a subject she hadn't brought out into the open. "A personal matter; I took a leave of absence from my duties here a while back, and it has to do with that."
"I remember. Hopefully nothing serious."
"Agreed." Nassana stood as well. "Hopefully, it will be brought to a close soon. I'm meant to meet someone shortly."
"So am I." Irissa said while looking down over the reservoirs. "Speaking of negotiations, it's interesting how some family affairs tend to feel like them."
"Very much so." Nassana joined her briefly. "I had to explain the concept of asari diplomacy to a salarian today." She looked own to see a human in Alliance uniform and an asari on a bench below. They looked to be in deep conversation. "We put on a mask and become someone else because the galaxy demands it."
"We swallow our personal opinions and do what is best for all, because they expect it." Irissa added. "And in the end, how does it leave us?"
"Broken."
A/N2: There is a slight tie in with the next chapter of Blue Monday that I'm going to post very soon as well. Give a little depth to a character that never really has any. ;)
