She needed the food but it tasted like disappointment. Jack was used to cramming the shit down, leastways, and scooped the strange Krogan bowl clean before pushing it away angrily. The empty room she'd barged into for the meal was quiet as the grave and would actually be one if she sat there much longer. It was time to get moving.
Jack left her untidy mess and stalked the halls back to the medical wing with a furrowed brow. It was empty, but Leelia's door was open meaning the Asari was probably inside. Past it she walked to Kat's old cell and more importantly the scattered armor that lay outside. Gathering it raised a clatter and she turned without surprise to see the woman peering curiously at her.
"What are you doing?"
Jack paused, balancing pauldrons and tassets against breastplate to sneer at her. "What's it look like?"
A concerned look passed over Leelia's face but Jack stopped her before she could protest.
"If we don't get out of here we're gonna die," she said acidly. "You gonna get in my way or what?"
"You don't think I've thought of that?" the scientist retorted with an arched brow. "You'll never make it."
Jack snickered, muttering, "I'll take my chances," before pacing past her. She felt more than saw her follow past the cell with the broken Krogan. Huh. She liked that phrase.
"If you wanna come," she threw over her shoulder, "You better bring that rifle."
She heard steps recede uncertainly before returning. Only then did she add, "Gonna leave your research?" and flat out grinned when she heard the Asari's second hasty retreat. Was good. Meant she wasn't going crying to her boss.
Dusk had broken over the planet and the white outside had turned to a sullen grey that made the hallway seem all the brighter. Her long strides took her out of medical to the lobby between it and the living quarters where she stopped suddenly at the detection of movement through the wide window of the facility. If Kravorog's minions were watching her this simple plan would crash at launch and she couldn't have that, so her steps turned toward the giant pane of permiglass, pupils dilating wide to pick up heat signatures. There were none.
She stayed a long moment and was just about to turn back when a shape formed in the grasping dark. Alternately bright and dark and reflective, the tall slender figure of a familiar woman materialized before her eyes.
"Shiiit," she sighed. The figure held up a hand in greeting and Jack rolled her eyes before gesturing back the way she came. She ran into the breathless Asari a second time and held up a hand. "Open up Kat's cell to the outside," she said and saw Leelia freeze in confusion. "Just do it," she ordered before proceeding to peer inside.
Panels opened and alarms went off before the intruder stepped inside, Leelia quickly approaching to see what was going on. Jack just pointed a hand back to the panel. "You can close it now," she spat. "You want us to breathe that crap?"
Leelia looked irritated but Jack couldn't care less. Fans spun and they all stood there like assholes until the green light outside the cell lit. Thankfully Leelia opened the cell without being told what to do and out stepped EDI.
"Are you kidding me right now?" she asked, annoyed.
"Hello, Jack," EDI said, nonplussed. "There are several asteroids approaching the planetary surface. You should evacuate as soon as possible."
"No shit," she replied with a shake of her head and saw Leelia staring. "Leelia, EDI. EDI, Leelia," She said with exasperation before turning back to the AI. "I never asked for Williams' help. I don't want her here."
EDI was still looking at the Asari and didn't respond. Jack stepped forward to put her face between them. "You hearing me?"
EDI paused and tilted her head before withdrawing a step. "She is not here," she explained. "I am. I offer assistance in whatever manner you require to reach a spaceworthy vessel before impact."
"The Normandy outside?"
EDI shook her head. "Captain Williams has other duties at the moment."
Jack's eyes squinched. "So she sent you?"
"I...volunteered," she said.
"Alright, "Jack mused suspiciously. "Let's go."
The trio passed through the living area and Jack marched into her room to toss the N7 armor in a heap next to the bed Kat was snoozing in. To her credit, the operative sprung to a crouch on the soft mattress instantly.
"Wake up, sunshine!" Jack barked with a smirk. "We got a cataclysm to skip."
She watched the initial shock on her face slow to something like consideration, slipping from the android to the armor on the floor and back to her.
"You serious?" asked the sleepy Marine.
The answer set her fists on her hips. "What, you decide you wanna stay?"
That got her moving well enough. She took a deep breath while looking at each of them, trying to think of some way to do this without dying horribly.
"Bring encounter suits?" she asked EDI after a moment of thought.
"For you and Grunt," she answered, "But they are on the shuttle, which is parked outside the Krogan sensor grid."
"Not helpful," she growled.
"I thought it best to assess the situation," the AI replied smoothly before looking around while Kat stared back at her. "Where is Grunt?"
"Throne room," she answered seriously. "Surrounded by a lot of guards."
"How close is the throne room?"
"Far."
"That is unfortunate," EDI said.
"Yeah, it is," Jack agreed, turning to look at Kat as she put the last pieces of her ragged armor on. "How banged up is it?" she asked. "The rebreather still work?"
Kat inserted two fingers into the juncture where the pauldron joined the shoulder and pulled them back out demonstrably. "Seal's broken."
Jack started swearing.
"Who is this?" Kat asked, offendedly motioning to the newcomer.
Jack sighed, then gestured back and forth between them. "EDI, Kat, Kat EDI."
"I will retrieve the environment suit and return," EDI offered. "We can evacuate one at a..."
"Take too long," Jack interrupted, still staring at the recognition on Kat's face while she spoke. "Roksar or one of her bodyguards is bound to check in at some point."
The woman's eyes narrowed. "I'm not worried about Roksar and we're a long way from the rest. We take out those bodyguards and it'll be awhile before any help comes."
"Yeah," she agreed, "But if they get a call off others will come. If they find out we're leaving and half of us are still here they could take out the shuttle. We'll be stuck diddling ourselves when those rocks come home."
Kat tilted her head and furrowed the one good brow on her disfigured face. "They won't get a call off," she explained.
Jack slowly grinned. "Alright then," she purred, then turned to Leelia. "Go find where they're posted and let us know."
The Asari looked reluctant again. "They've been kind to me," she said in a low voice. "They were kind to you, too."
Flashes of her conversations with them blinked in her mind. Their bawdy jokes echoed along with the memory of Palor's face when she nearly flattened him with a shockwave for the crime of bringing her food. Didn't mean shit, she told herself angrily. If they hadn't had orders to be nice they wouldn't have been. Right?
"God dammit !" she swore at the Asari before running a hand over her face to calm down. After a moment she pointed at the blue-skinned alien. "If they're actually any good at their jobs they aren't gonna give me an option."
EDI's smooth voice interjected, "Krogan will regenerate so long as their main redundant organs survive."
Jack turned to look at her and the android followed up with an infuriating, "You don't have to kill them."
"No!" she exclaimed, "I just have to beat them down, hope they don't kill me in the process, then watch my back while trying to escape a planet-ending event to make sure they don't turn up at the worst possible time or find a way to call their buddies in!" She tightened her fists before adding, "Should I put them in one of the cells while we escape so they can have a front row seat to the big fucking bang?"
Leelia recoiled at her words, the skin on her face flushing purple, but her jaw tightened anyway. "You can let me talk to them," she said firmly.
"If we talk to them they can call for help," Kat insisted. "You can't stop them." She glanced at Jack's frustrated face then back at Leelia. "I get you don't like the answer but Jack's right."
"Right," the Asari said angrily at Kat, "That's all you military people do, every time. Kill them all."
"The fuck?" Kat spat, her spine straightening.
"Again and again you come in, guns blazing and I have to run for the hills and hope I get another sunrise!" she said, hands lifting in exasperation. "These people aren't evil and they aren't indoctrinated! It's time for a new playbook!"
Jack and Kat were now exchanging confused looks.
"I thought she looked familiar," said EDI, which of course didn't explain shit but got their attention. "This Asari is not who she says she is."
"Say the who what now?" she asked with narrowed eyes.
They stood there waiting, the scientist looking embarrassed before EDI finished outing her. "This is Doctor Rana Thanoptis," she said. "Shepard encountered her on more than one occasion before the Reaper War began and the reports on those encounters ended similarly, with Thanoptis aiding Shepard before escaping what became a protracted battle. My records, however, indicate that she is deceased or I would have mentioned it on sight."
One by one previous conversations began to fit. She worked for Roksar's father. She worked with Okeer. Of course she met Shepard.
"It was a clone," Thanoptis offered, flatfooted. "I make clones; it's what I do now." She waved a hand in the air. "That whole...plan...didn't quite go as I expected but it's true, I faked my own death. The authorities were taking an interest and I needed to disappear. I came here because I thought I'd be safe!" She shook her head, looking at Kat. "But somehow, someway you people always show up and mass destruction follows."
Before anyone could think of a response she continued, "Enough. Okay? Enough! Palor and Rux are just ordinary guys doing ordinary jobs. They don't wanna die here anymore than you do. Goddess, none of the Krogan here want to die like this! Just...talk to them. Please!"
Jack growled. The bitch was echoing that tiny voice she'd been trying to squelch. "You willing to bet all our lives on them being agreeable to betraying their leader and tribe?" Jack challenged.
"I know their mates, Jack," she said with fervor. "I know their children . Let me try."
Kat looked doubtful and EDI looked indifferent to the proposition. Jack reached for Leelia's (scratch that, Rana's ) rifle and handed it butt-first to Kat before the Asari could complain. By way of explanation she said, "I think you're wrong and if you are, they're going down."
Rana's face screwed up to protest but Jack cut her off. "Look, you seem nice enough, but fuck this up and I'll count you with them. That enough motivation for ya?"
She went quiet and Kat still glared but oh well. Jack picked up her duffle and off they went.
Palor was in the middle of his own meal. The sight of her and the asari didn't alarm him at all and he looked up at them, chewing on whatever meat she'd shoveled down a few back. Kat and EDI stayed outside and out of sight of the converted kitchen-space.
"Just heard from Roksar," Rana began and he shifted on his bench to face her. "The negotiations are coming down to the wire and we're...pretty far out here, so she wants us to start evacuation procedures."
Jack watched the gears turn in his head and he swallowed before speaking. "Krav okay this?"
"Of course," she replied blithely. "If everyone starts leaving at once we'll be last in line. Might not make it, you know?"
His eyes went immediately to Jack and she did her best to look pleasant. "What about the prisoners?"
Rana began to giggle and looked pointedly at her with an expressively raised brow. She began to chuckle too after a moment like it was some kind of inside joke.
"Well I think they wanna get out of here too," she said breezily before winking at him, "I don't think they'll put up much of a fight."
The Krogan looked between them for a moment before smiling at Jack. "She's not the one I'm worried about," he said.
Jack flicked her gaze to the Asari meaningfully and she brought a finger to her lips in 'thought', eyes widening in consideration. "Oh yes," she said, "Kat is key in Roksar's new work and she has complete faith that you and Rux can keep her under control. Jack even offered to help!"
That gave her a moment of pause and it took longer than she'd have liked to agree with her face. "She's a murderer!" she exclaimed eventually. "But if she can help Roksar finish her...very important work I'm happy to make sure she doesn't cause any trouble."
The answer seemed to satisfy him and he pushed himself up and away from the table. "Alright, so what's the plan?" he asked.
"Well," Rana said smoothly, "You'll need to get your families to a ship and Roksar has graciously offered her own to you, but," she raised a careful finger. "This is information that must be kept secret if you don't want to start a panic."
"Panic?" Palor said with disgust. "Krogan don't panic."
Rana's eyes widened with her own version of that emotion and glanced at Jack who hardened her own eyes threateningly. "No no, right, of course," she said quickly, "What I meant to say is that if word gets out to everyone that we're preparing to leave they might begin to doubt Kravorog's resolve. All we want here is to be 'ready' to leave without making everyone else do the same thing at the same time. That gets..messy."
Jack found herself holding her breath watching the guard's face.
"Alright," he said gruffly after a moment. "Let's go get the prisoner."
Jack was about to step between him and the doorway when Rana put a hand on his shoulder. "You know, come to think of it, I've got a lot of data I need to get backed up before we go. Why don't you get your families to the ship then come back for us?"
"Yeah," Jack agreed. "And I'll get Kat all trussed up for the trip."
"That's a long drive," he said, beady eyes squinching.
"It is," Rana said before chuckling conspiratorily. "That's why I don't want to keep you here waiting for me. You know how long it takes Furlock to get those kids in the car."
His eyes widened as if he'd been struck. "Frak," he growled, "The boys are off on a school-trek, too. This is gonna be like herding varren."
Rana nudged him toward the door, laughing. "I'd definitely call ahead and get the gears moving."
They walked out and toward the exit together, with Palor asking, "What should I say to the classmaster that won't tip him off? I don't want to get the boys in any trouble."
"Well, " she replied, "I think a tour of the Exalted Complex would be a great honor for you and Rux's family. A once in a lifetime opportunity, don't you agree?"
Jack took the opportunity to step out of the kitchen and head back toward the labs, finding the other pair peering at her from a room down the way. Their questioning eyes were met with a doubtful widening of her own.
"Did it work?" Kat asked before sticking her head out the door and looking down the hall.
"So far so good," Jack breathed. "She got one of them to get his fam and head to the spaceport, but Rux is still a question mark."
"Think he'll be a problem?"
"Could be," she mused, "But I gotta admit this Rana character talked a good game. Had Palor acting like father of the year."
The marine snickered. "They're not gonna let him within a mile of that spaceport. He's gonna be in deep shit."
"Meh," she retorted, "At least he'll only be a mile from the spaceport before the big boom. Besides, he can pin it on outsiders. He'll be fine."
Kat exhaled and nodded before turning to Jack. "Hate for all these people to die but can't say I'll be upset about Kravorog burning. I owe that bastard a bad death."
Kravorog wasn't the one that concerned her. "Yeah," she lamely agreed.
"I will go and retrieve the encounter suit," EDI said tersely. "I should return in approximately 30 minutes."
"You'll have to wait for the Asari," Kat interjected. "The exterior door panel is keyed to her handprint."
"Ookay. Well, let's make sure we've got all our crap. Anything else you need?"
"Yeah," she replied. "My rifle."
"Eh," she chuckled, pointing at what she was holding in her hand.
Kat held up the generic assault model. "This is not a rifle. I want my rifle."
The comment reminded her of her own missing piece and she snapped her fingers. "Oh yeah, they've got my pistol, too! I'll go and check but...I wouldn't bet my sister's ass they hauled that thing all the way out here."
EDI tilted her head. "I didn't know you had a sister."
"Yeah," Jack grinned, "I don't. Anyway, I'll go check and make sure Rux is with the program, too. Be right back."
After a lengthy elevator ride the doors opened up into the dark tunnel she remembered arriving in. Rana and the Krogan duo were chatting amiably.
"Hey!" she called, jogging over to where they stood by the Tomkah. "Before you go, I need my pistol back."
Rux looked stern. "Our orders were to disarm you."
Jack smiled so bright she was surprised it didn't light up the place. "Aww, come onnnn. I think it's clear we're all friends here. I've been a good girl, haven't I? Besides, Roksar isn't gonna take me on her pretty little ship. How'm I supposed to get it back?"
Rux looked to Palor and he shrugged, saying, "She's alright. Just a pistol anyway."
Rux frowned but rolled his eyes and said, "Fine but no thermal clip."
"Deal!" Jack beamed, then followed Rux to the Tomkah. He slid open the side door and she took great care to have a look inside for a) where it was hiding and b) if Kat's rifle was there and c) if there was anything else they might need.
A) Stashed between the door and the driver's seat
B) No
C) What the fuck could these clowns have that would help?
She cradled her pistol like an old friend and tucked it into a large pocket in her cargos. A few parting words later the Krogan loaded up in the Tomkah and were gone, leaving her and Rana alone. Her own innocent look fell away while the expression on Rana's face grew insufferable.
"Yeah yeah," Jack replied to it. "This how you sweet talked Shepard into not killing ya?"
The Asari tilted her head from side to side. "Giving people what they want usually helps."
She grunted in response, watching the faint lights of the tomkah disappear in the black. "They still might show up again."
Rana looked sad then. "I don't think so," she said, "But at least they'll have their families with them." She looked into Jack's eyes and followed up with, "No one wants to die alone," before walking toward the elevator.
The comment fucking cut, no lie, and suddenly Jack was replaying the last words she ever said to Grunt in her head. She looked back at the elevator, thinking about next steps to freedom, but stopped before her second step and looked back down that dark tunnel and thought about the friend who waited at the other end of it.
He's not alone dumbass, she told herself. He's with his people, she said. There's nowhere else he'd want to be. But the thoughts were lame as hell and she knew it. He'd want to live and see his own fucking kids. The reality was that down that tunnel waited death and screw that, yeah?
Rana had the elevator doors open and was looking expectantly at her.
Screw that, she told herself angrily, but was still unable to take another step. I'm not about to trade my life for some stupid god-damned emotional attachment. Grunt would find a way out of this, right? And he'd probably be on a ship out by the time she arrived!
Which made her realize that those Krogan did have something she needed after all. They had a Tomkah.
"Fuck, you're some kind of stupid," she told herself before, against all wit and reason, starting to walk into the darkness alone.