"Are we there yet?" Ayita's eye twitched at Wrex's oft repeated question.
She was spared a blow up of anger when Anderson stopped and turned to face him. "Yes, we are." He pushed the foliage aside to reveal a large set of steel blast doors, at least fifteen feet tall; surrounded by concrete walls hidden under the ground of the peak of the mountain.
"At last… No more walking!" Wrex proclaimed as the Platoon reached the giant sealed metal blast doors leading into the mountain.
Anderson ignored him, walking up to the massive doors and pounding on them with the butt of his rifle. A repurposed Combine Camera popped out from above and quickly scanned him; while two turrets popped out, primed and ready to fire.
After a moment of scanning, a speaker crackled to life and a voice asked, "What's the password?"
Anderson just raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, while Zaeed shoved his way to the front with Ulysses; all three of the old warriors glared at the camera for a moment before Zaeed flipped the camera the middle finger, "Screw off Joker! Let us in ya guddamned cripple." He snapped.
After another long pause, the voice said; "Okay, Okay, Jeez… No need to make the insults personal or anything."
The turrets and camera zipped back up into the concrete, and the doors opened inwards; allowing the two dozen exhausted, cold, and rather irritated rebels inside.
Ayita for her part was shivering, because as good as her suit and PCV were, they weren't great insulators; and her Poncho, while it was something she absolutely loved, had been given to Cato because of his back. At least her own back had stopped bleeding, though she was pretty sure it was because it had scabbed over since her PCV and her Black Op's suit were spent on power.
It was beginning to hurt pretty bad too, but she gritted her teeth and ignored it as the platoon walked down the massive ramp that led underground. To take her mind off the pain, she instead focused on the conversations being carried out around her.
"So what was this place originally anyway?" she heard Liara ask.
Another flash of pain, Ayita winced but kept going.
"It was supposed to be a secret government research facility during our Second World War; used by the OSS, our Intelligence and Special Forces at the time. After the war was over and the OSS disbanded, it was sold to Black Mesa; but the facility was too small to be of much use for the scale of the projects they were carrying out, so Black Mesa just used it to store all the old prototypes and even an armory of weapons from the 1940's to the Seven Hour War." Anderson explained.
At least I can get ammo for my Winfeild, Ayita thought distractedly, rubbing her back.
Cato glanced at her, "Are you okay?"
"Yes, though I could use a good hot shower." She admitted. "I'll wait till I get to my quarters."
She winced again after Cato withdrew from her mind; and she felt a little lightheaded for some reason. Probably not enough water, She decided; vowing to drink some once she got her mask off and she no longer felt the need to hide her face.
She was so distracted, that she almost didn't notice Dr. Chakwas greeting them.
"-en can we leave for Hades Gate?" Anderson was asking.
"First thing tomorrow, which is about how long it will take for the night shift to gather up all the supplies and fuel up the vehicles that you and the reinforcements will need." Chakwas replied, as the rest of the platoon scattered around the workshop that they were standing in.
Ulysses went to go talk to another Vortigaunt working at a table, Garrus and Nihlus going to examine a nearby APC; a LAV-25 or something like that. The rest of the platoon went down various hallways; all the humans having been here before, while the Aliens just went with the flow.
Cato went to follow them, but Tali stopped him, "Ayita told me you got hit across the back."
Ayita giggled as Cato shot her a panicked and betrayed look; "Well… yes, but that Kaiden guy fixed it." He replied, trying to get away from his sister.
"You let that crazy human touch you?" Tali snapped, keeping a firm grip on his shoulder while Ayita watched, her amusement growing.
Dr. Chackwas decided to chip in while Anderson and Zaeed openly laughed at the poor Quarian, "Oh dear, if a Zombie tore open your back, and a Vortal healed it; I must make sure he didn't improperly realign any muscles or bones in your back." She said seriously, though Ayita could make out the faintest traces of a smile on the good doctors face.
"Er… well… Shephard was going to show me my quarters." He said, trying desperately to get away, and looking at Ayita as he did so.
Ayita just shook her head, and while no one could see her smile behind her gas mask; they could see her eyes glowing in amusement. "I'll… show you later Cato, I want to… wash up while I can."
Her habit of pausing while speaking allowed her to cover up the fact that just shaking her head like that had nearly sent her to the ground from the bout of dizziness that had overtaken her. Shit… I think I've lost a lot more blood than I originally believed. She realized; but made sure she didn't show any outward reaction.
Instead she asked, "Doctor, is it still… the same?"
"Of course Shephard, third door on the left." Chakwas replied with a wide smile, happy that Ayita was actually speaking physically rather than using her emotions and impressions like the last time.
Ayita gave a nod, gritting her teeth as another dizzy spell hit her while she walked down the hall; ignoring Cato's calls for her to come back as the two women dragged him towards the medical labs.
Reaching her old Quarters from her last stay, she opened the hatch and stepped inside; slamming the door shut behind her. Throwing her Winfeild onto the bed along with her supply bag; she quickly ripped off her gas mask as she began to gasp for air, her headache growing worse.
"Ohhh…" She groaned, quickly pulling off her PCV and throwing it on the ground.
She stumbled as she yanked off the upper half of her Black Op's suit, ignoring the cold air as it brushed against her chest and her back; she had bigger problems, since she could feel blood still running down her back.
Reaching the hatchway to the bathroom, she leaned against it; and quickly pulled off her boots and the lower half of her Jumpsuit, drunkenly staggering over to the mirror as she took in her naked body.
Her normally brown skin was pale, and her eye glow had dimmed considerably.
Painfully yanking her hair out of its sloppy bun to try to get herself to focus; Ayita turned and looked at her back, and had to stifle a scream.
Her back was covered in blood, both dried and fresh; while the cut from the antlion, the one that went from her just above her right shoulder to just below her left hip, had opened at least two thirds of the way.
Somehow seeing the wound made things worse, and all of a sudden; it felt like she could feel her heart beating through her back wound. Ayita began to breath harder and faster, as her wound seemingly started bleeding even more.
Xen… Shower… She thought blearily, falling to her knees as she crawled over to the shower; leaving a trail of blood on the floor, unable to find the strength to lift her head.
As soon as the cool concrete changed to the ice cold metal Shower floor, she forced herself to look up; but already the move caused her dizziness to increase by a factor of ten, and she felt like she was going to throw up.
Adding to that, the edges of her vision was turning black.
Reaching up with her left arm, the one with the uninjured shoulder; and turned the left knob, which back at Frost Mine was the one that released the Xen Pool Liquids. Or was it the right? Or are they the same? Ayita wondered, and quickly closed her eyes and her mouth; expecting the warm goopy Xen Liquid to coat her body.
She was not expecting the splash of at first ice cold, then burning hot, then tepid warm water.
While it did wake her up somewhat, it also made her realize she was in deep trouble; as she reached up to turn the water off and turn the Xen Liquid off…
Or is it already on? Shit… I don't remember…
Ayita blinked as she realized that the water was still running; she couldn't get her arm up.
Letting it fall to her side, she lay there on her side; her back facing the wall of the shower, her front facing the doorway as she realized that she couldn't move.
Panic began to overtake her and doing the only thing she could think of, Ayita weakly reached out to Cato, who was in the middle of having his back examined; She could feel him jump in surprise at the sudden contact, which was funny to her for some reason.
"Ayita?! What's wrong?!" He asked, likely sensing her incoherent thoughts and the pain from her back.
"Cato… Help Me…" She gasped, as tears began to fall down her face; suddenly very afraid. She tried to stay conscious as she felt panic overtake her mind; and she could sense him start to run to her, but she just felt so tired.
Ayita yawned and closed her eyes as the shower rained down on her, Just a little rest...
"Take off your Poncho, Jacket, and Shirt." The Doctor ordered, ignoring Cato and Tali blushing purple as he reluctantly did so.
"This is Ayita's, so would you mind holding onto this Tali?" He asked his sister.
She nodded and immediately folded the Sehni like garment; glancing at it with an admiring eye.
"Alright now turn around so I can look at your back and make sure the Vortal patched you up properly; and before you ask, yes, it has happened multiple times before. One idiot even reconnected the muscles backwards; it took Frederick actually reversing time on that spot to reopen the wound so I could heal it properly." Chakwas explained, preempting Cato and Tali's questions.
Cato turned around, trying his best to not feel self conscious; not an easy feat since by Quarian standards he may as well have been naked; At least he still had his pants on.
Chakwas seemed to notice his discomfort, and chuckled, "Don't worry Mister, I'm a doctor; I've seen everything in my line of work, both before and after the war."
Cato swallowed, "Er… yes, I suppose so; but we Quarians have lived our whole lives in enviro suits because of our immune systems atrophying. The only reason Tali and I are here without them is because they got trashed over the course of our stay; and Ayita, Ulysses, and Doctor Chambers healed and boosted our immune systems." He explained.
The Doctor seemed to catch his meaning, even as Cato glanced at Tali, who was turned around and facing the wall; "Ah… I see; well I'll try and make this quick then."
She poked and prodded his back even as she ran some kind of tool over it; he was tempted to ask if she knew what she was doing, but thought better of it, as it was never a good idea to insult a doctor even unintentionally.
But Tali, seeing an opportunity to talk to him, said; "Doctor, is it alright if I talk with my brother after you're done? In private?"
"Of course, I need to run this through the Combine database and cross reference it with the data you've given me regarding your race's biology; this may take a bit, so take your time." She replied, stepping away from him and walking over to some computers nearby.
Cato honestly didn't feel like having what all younger males and females in the fleet called 'The Talk'. It was rare when it happened, but it was always given by older cousins close to the Quarian in question; or in his case, the older sibling.
But Tali seemed determined to have it anyway, even switching to Kheelish so the Doctor didn't understand what was being said; "How close have you and Shephard become? And don't even think about lying to me and saying you're 'just like shipmates'." She poked him in the chest. "I don't need 'Anti-Biotic' powers to see how you two look at each other."
"I… I will admit that she's… very cute looking?" Cato floundered for an answer, as his face began turning an even deeper shade of purple; if that was at all possible, "We're just friends." He protested weakly.
Tali wasn't having it though, and stepped closer; looking him right in the eyes, even as her own flashed with annoyance at her brother dodging the question, "Don't give me that Gów'no you Bosh'tet!" She snapped, "I saw you holding hands with her on that roof back at that Cumberland place; and I saw her hug you Cato!"
"She didn't hug me! I was trying to get her away from that Head-monster thing and-"
"And nearly got yourself killed in the process!" Any sibling playfulness evaporated at Tali's accusation. "And I wasn't talking about that, though I do thank you for reminding me; before we ran into those two nutjobs, Miranda and I saw her hug you. Does she know what that means? Did you even bother explaining it to her?"
"Yes," Cato ducked his head, not wanting to bring up that he told her on the rooftops where he was hurt.
"Oh that's good, that means your feelings are mutual." Tali grumbled, only half jokingly. "You know just how happy Father will be when we get back, right?"
Cato's mood soured heavily. "I don't know that anything could make father happy, much less that his only son had-" He clicked his jaw shut, stubbornly refusing to admit defeat to his sister.
He didn't miss the smirk on her face, "So you do feel that way about her… I can't say I'm happy that my little brother is smitten with an Alien woman that can probably kill everyone here with her mind; but I will say that if it W'kurzas Father, it can't be all bad."
She seemed to think for a moment, before adding with a wink; "Help's that she looks like a Quarian; if you ignore the legs and the hands of course."
Cato felt like he wanted to die, and it didn't help that he wanted to sleep as well; the trip had taken a lot out of him. In spite of that, he said; "So what if she looks like an Asari? Plenty of Pilgrims are attracted to Asari." His eyes bugged out slightly at what he'd just said.
"Ha! I knew it!" Tali exclaimed, jabbing a finger into his chest. "You do like her!"
Cato opened his mouth in an attempt to rebut her when he felt a faint tingle on his mind; then his eyes flashed more Emerald than Silver. He wasn't sure what he felt beyond the fact that it was from Ayita; and what he sensed felt… off...
"Cato?" Tali set a hand on his shoulder in concern.
"I think..." Cato started, switching his translator back on as he stood up. "Something's wrong with Ayita!" He stumbled out of the medical bay with his torn overalls trailing behind him at the waist, held in place by the borrowed pants. Several rebels recoiled in shock at him as Vortal power randomly arced off of him; his sister and Dr. Chakwas followed close behind.
He mentally groped for the faint whisper of his friend until he arrived at a small dormitory area. "Ayita?" He heard the sound of running water and smelled something sickly sweet and metallic. He opened an alcove and found Ayita lying face-down in the shower stall. He might have been embarrassed by her state of undress were it not for the angry red gash across her back.
"Ayita!" he rushed in and slipped on the slick tiled floor. He landed in a pile at her side.
He faintly heard someone talking near him while he tried to rouse Shephard. He was jolted out of his fugue when the tepid water changed to a viscous fluid similar to disinfectant gel; It was like getting a stim-shot across his whole body.
Confused, he looked around to see Tali working the shower nozzle.
"That's enough; turn it off now." Dr. Chakwas instructed as Dr. Chambers rushed into the room, followed by nearly everyone else. "If you aren't helping or qualified to help, then make a hole!" The elderly woman's voice worked better than a gunshot as everyone rushed out of the way.
Cato stood up, clutching his wounded friend to his chest, looking around frantically for some guidance.
"Cato," Kelly's familiar voice was a calming balm to his frayed senses, "follow me; we'll take care of her."
They wound their way through the base again; and by the time they arrived back at the clinic, Cato's surge of strength was at its limit.
"Put her there, face down please." Dr. Chakwas pointed to a waist high table with a large lamp over it. She, Dr. Chambers and Professor Solus were all in white smocks open in the back. "Go get Ulysses and Frederick while we clean this and neutralize the poison." Cato hesitated for a moment. "You can't help her; they can. Now." There was steel in the Doctor's voice, and Cato spun to find the two Vortigaunts.
That turn was one too many for Cato's own stressed body, as he lost his footing and collapsed on the floor.
"Bosh'tet! You've done too much already!" Tali hoisted her limp brother onto a nearby cot. "You lay here and don't move!" She jabbed a digit into his chest. "I'll get Ulysses. If I get back and you've tried to get up, I'll sit on you in front of your girlfriend; don't think I won't!"
He nodded gratefully as he heaved in exhaustion; the room began dimming as he looked back to Ayita, watching her in concern as the doctors began working on her back. "Professor Solus, we've got this in hand if you could attend to young Master Zorah." Dr. Chambers said.
Mordin nodded to Dr. Chambers; and He walked over to his cot as Cato finally passed out.
Oh… my head… Was Ayita's first thought; her second was to wonder why her back hurt and why it felt so cold.
Wincing as she opened her eyes, Ayita could feel her hair tickling her back; and she slowly looked behind her to see that she was still undressed, only covered by a blanket that was stopped at her waist while her chest was hidden by the fact that she was face down.
Again! She grumbled internally at her lack of clothing, looking around slowly to not exacerbate her back pain.
She had to stifle a gasp as she tried to flip onto her back to sit up and pull the blanket up.
Just attempting that action alone caused shooting pains all over, and she flopped back down onto the cot she was laying on; forced to content herself to leave her back exposed, which wasn't a pretty sight being only half healed and covered with some kind of salve that felt only half dried.
Looking to her left, she blinked as she saw Cato laying on the cot next to her; passed out cold, dressed in his Uniform Pants and his miners coveralls. A blanket lay over him, but it had fallen to his waist; and he was clearly comfortable, so Ayita decided not to disturb him.
"Good to see you're awake…" a familiar voice said, the Eastern European sounding accent being a dead giveaway.
Ayita froze and looked in the direction of the voice; and saw Tali sitting in a collapsible chair at the head of both of their Cot's, absently reading a magazine talking about tanks or something. She was also pointedly not looking at Ayita, for which she was grateful; made her feel a little less self conscious.
Probably guessing what she was thinking, Tali said; "Before you ask, no you cannot move; no, I can't pull that blanket up or give you any clothes, and no, we're not waking my brother."
Ayita opened and closed her mouth for a moment, before simply asking; "...why…"
"For the first question, until that salve the doctors gave you heals up your back completely; you'll reopen your wounds. You were supposed to sleep through it and wake up by the time it was dry so you would be ready to leave; but you seem to be resilient to sleep aids."
Tali turned another page.
"Why I can't let you pull the blanket up or do it myself is because it will mess with the salve and interrupt it re-knitting your muscles and skin together." She then looked Ayita in the eye and gave a cheeky smile, "The No Clothes policy is technically for the same reason, but unofficially I think it's because Doctor Chakwas and Dr. Chambers wanted to stop you from wandering around; and they just did the first thing that came to their minds, and took your clothes away to wash the blood out."
Ayita had turned beat red by this point, and had shifted one of her arms over her chest as Tali talked; ignoring the fact that she was chest down, so Tali couldn't really see too much as it was.
Then Tali's face and eyes turned serious as she leaned forward; "And we're not waking my brother, because he needs sleep; and I want to talk with you alone. If you're up for it that is." She said, raising her eyebrow in a very human-like manner.
Ayita swallowed, "I'll… try…" She rasped.
"That's all I ask." Tali replied, marking her place and closing her magazine; "I'll be blunt, and I expect you to be as well." She locked eyes with Ayita. "What are your feelings for my brother? You've become very close to him, and I know he explained some of our ways to you so don't pretend with me."
Ayita blinked, "I… I don't know… but I do… care about him." She admitted, looking at Cato's sleeping face; pointedly ignoring the fact that he didn't have a shirt on at the moment. "He… I don't know…" She said, looking down as she felt a tear fall from her eye; "I think… I think I feel for him as Jack did I… But I never felt this way about anyone before… that's why I'm… confused."
Tali gritted her teeth, but to Ayita's surprise still had a sympathetic expression. "I'll admit that I've never felt that way for anyone either." She looked down at her ungloved hands. "I'm not sure I'll get the chance now; Has Cato mentioned our father to you at all?"
Ayita shook her head.
"He's an Admiral; one of the five leaders of our people. He's obsessed with reclaiming our ancient homeworld," she glanced apologetically at Shephard, "and he despises non-Quarians. The fact that we were both... changed by this world is likely to upset him, and that would cause problems in the Fleet. This isn't your fault, and the old, 'Fuddy Duddy' I think is what Gabby calls Ken; that or-"
Ayita waved a hand. "I know what else Gabby calls Ken."
Tali chuckled and smiled sheepishly. "Anyway, We're both unlikely to find solace in the fleet now. We're 'different', 'alien'; my father isn't alone in his sentiment, so Cato and I are both likely to be pariahs within the fleet." Her features hardened. "I need to be certain he isn't alone in the galaxy, so you need to do a hell of a lot better than 'I don't know' and 'I'm confused'!"
Ayita gulped slightly at the look on Tali's face, but steeled her resolve; "I… I would never leave him, he'll never be alone… I swear on the Vortessence…" She rasped.
Ayita coughed, and gave a choked cry as her injury erupted in what felt like flames; arching her back, Ayita's hands shot to her back on instinct. Tali quickly caught them and held her down; even as Ayita thrashed and sent everything flying as she lashed out telekinetically.
"It hurts! It hurts… oh God it hurts…" She whimpered, desperately wanting to curl up to try and ride out the pain.
She honestly felt like her back should be steaming from the cold air with how hot her back felt; the fact that she had thrown away her blanket was not of concern to her anymore, the cold air felt so relieving.
"Inszel…" Ayita whimpered, reaching a hand out towards Cato; despite being half blind with pain. Cato murmured something in Kheelish in his sleep; his arm flopping off the side of his cot.
Tali for her part stared at Ayita in slack jawed amazement; ignoring the fact that there was nothing covering the young woman, "Inszel?" She repeated, looking between Cato and Ayita with eyes as wide as dinner plates; "How do you know that word?" She demanded.
"What word…" Ayita panted, finally calming somewhat as her vision cleared, the pain beginning to clear somewhat; though she was still burning hot and covered in sweat.
Tali pursed her lips; She reached out and took Ayita's hand, "I am going to say a word, I need to feel what you feel when you say it."
Ayita gave her a confused look, but reluctantly opened her mind nonetheless; it said a lot about how things had been going in their lives that Tali didn't even flinch at the foreign presence in her mind.
Tali took a steadying breath. "Inszel."
She staggered at the… personal… feelings emitting from Ayita; but above all she could feel the connection… the need, the trust that Ayita felt towards Cato.
"Oh Kheelah…" Tali breathed, "That's… that's either really good or really bad." She said, starting to panic somewhat, "Oh dear, I thought perhaps since you and he had these powers, you both were just experiencing Pemla'tiyl. I never thought it was possible for other species to go through Hecs'tiyl with us…" She rambled, "Oh this is not good, Father will be so angry."
"Tali…" Ayita breathed, wincing; "None of what you're saying makes sense to me."
Tali let go of Ayita's hand and hugged herself. "We have our traditions, our legends about the connections that can form between those destined to be together. Pemla'tiyl," she touched her forehead, "Hecs'tiyl," she touched above her heart. She looked back at her brother who was mumbling and flexing his hand as if grasping. "And Felz'tiyl, or I'm an Elcor iron-monger."
Then Tali tensed and looked at her brother's face; "Cato… I know you're awake; how long?" She demanded.
Cato slowly opened his eyes and looked at his sister; not noticing Ayita's lack of dress, "only a few minutes, when she said Inszel…" He replied.
Tali didn't miss how Ayita trembled slightly when he said it, but wisely said nothing about it.
As she stewed over what to say, she tensed as she heard footsteps approaching; "Both of you pretend to be asleep." She hissed, shooting up from her chair.
Garrus turned the corner as she reached the hatchway; and the Turian immediately looked at Cato and Ayita, not seeming to notice the lack of a blanket over Shephards body. "Are they awake?" He half asked, half demanded; his voice buzzing with alarm.
"No, why Garrus? What's wrong?" Tali asked, planting her hands on her hips; looking intimidating in her borrowed BDU.
"Let them sleep then, but you need to come see this." He said simply, turning on his heel and rushing back down the hall.
Tali watched him go, before turning back to face the two Vortals; "No funny business, or Ancestor's so help me Cato I will castrate you. Got It?!"
Both Vortals gulped, "Yes ma'am."
"Good." And with that, Tali ran after Garrus.
Cato and Ayita lay there for a time, trying not to look at each other; Cato because Ayita wasn't wearing anything, and Ayita because she was still trying to process everything that Tali had told her.
But this didn't dim their sense of one another.
Finally, Ayita worked up the nerve to speak. "What your sister was talking about, the...'tiyl," she felt his mental shiver at the word, as well as the sense of deep meaning it held, "what do you feel?"
He thought for a moment he would panic; the 'three paths' were normally the stuff of fantasy romance, though he had once heard his father say that his and Tali's mother was his 'guiding path', and without her he would surely go astray. But when he looked at the human across from him, he felt as if he could almost see a path; one where they walked side by side.
He wasn't going to panic, and in a way it terrified him. "I do. The 'tiyl were always the stuff of myth from before." He got a distant look. "Auntie 'Raan said that before we came into contact with the Citadel Council, we were much more in touch with the universe. We revered our ancestors and believed they continued with us, guiding us forward. We had Gren'felz ah, those who spoke with the ancestors.
"We gave up our 'superstitious ways' when we discovered the Prothean ruins inside our home system. We spread out into the galaxy and abandoned our traditions to mimic, 'greater' species. We even created slaves to show our own greatness." He looked away. "The Geth were our greatest triumph, our greatest arrogance and our undoing."
Ayita reached over, ignoring another flare of pain in her back and took his hand; not really thinking about it as she did so.
Cato flinched, but didn't let go as he stared up at the ceiling; "We dwindled after that; billions of Quarians reduced to a little over seventeen million. Every ship is almost its own zelt'i, its own clan. People tell stories from other ships, and now more and more we are starting to rediscover ourselves. But it may be too late."
He looked over at Ayita. "We're a dying people and we know it. So many people want to crusade into Rannoch. They say they want to retake our homeworld, but really they just wish to die in sight of it and join the Raalz'jel rium; to rain down upon our enemy, and rejoin our ancestors.
"I see another path, one that can save my people from themselves, and save yours as well. But I only see it with you... I think you are my guiding path; And I'm terrified of where it leads."
Ayita smiled, "I'm scared too… But we have each other… My Nehya."
Cato smiled deeply in return; and the two didn't break eye contact as they both drifted off to sleep, still holding each other's hands.
Jack stepped up to the podium, ignoring the nervousness in the back of his mind as he took in the crowd of three hundred or so Overwatch Commanders, Government Ministers, and other such important dignitaries.
Funny how in even a society where humanity was bottom of the food chain, there was still a hierarchy of sorts.
He wore his white uniform of the Overwatch Consul, his peaked cap was set as straight as could be, his ribbons and medals all polished and set in place; his Universal Union armband ironed and resplendent.
He needed to play this right… Once he began, this speech would be played all over the world.
It would be the first time since he became Consul that Jack would be making a speech to Earth at large; so this naturally would garner a lot of attention. He had made sure to invite his political allies, and moderates that he had yet to sway to his side; at least those that were in the America's.
Ben stood to his right at parade rest, his Blue and Silver Civil Protection Commandants Uniform as usual setting a sharp contrast to Jacks White and Tan.
Eva stood next to Ben, also at Parade rest; wearing the Blue Breaches, Blue Peaked Cap, and Olive Green Uniform of the Interior Ministry Special Forces.
Dr. Lawson stood at the end of their line, standing at something resembling attention; a black long coat, waistcoat, dress pants, tie, and white collared shirt making him stand out more than the rest.
Jack looked out in the hall, took a breath, and then he began.
A Civil Protection Commander walked up the polished marble stairs of Humanities Palace, making her way towards the Living Areas.
She cursed the whole way up, wondering why she couldn't take the elevator to deal with the traitor; at this rate she was going to miss the Consuls emergency speech. Hopefully she could just use the suspects TV.
Crash!
Minister of Labor Merlion Axe frowned and tilted his head; that noise had almost sounded like one of his windows breaking.
Shaking his head at the ridiculousness of such a notion, he dismissed it as the Cat knocking something over and went back to shaving; who would dare try and kill him after all.
As he shaved, he didn't hear his TV turn on; nor did he hear the words coming from it.
"At this hour… There was no place for any clemency."
Tali listened closely as the 'Consul' spoke.
Watching him, she couldn't help but draw parallels to Admiral 'Gerral, Admiral 'Xen, and even her own Father whenever they made impassioned speeches to the Conclave.
This Consul reminded her of the Councilors even; which was not a comforting thought.
She forced herself to listen though; the only comfort that she was able to find was that everyone else, Alien and Human, looked similarly uncomfortable as they watched the uniformed human speak.
"If anyone were to approach me and ask why I did not use the normal means of Justice; then all I can say to them is this…
"In this hour I was responsible for the fate of Humanity… and thereby I… Became the Supreme Judge of the Human Race!"
Minister of Energy Olympie Imber had heard the footsteps behind her, and was slowly picking up her pace to reach her apartment.
It had been stupid of her to leave her office without her Pistol, but she was a Minister for God's sake; she shouldn't have to worry about CPs or anyone else for that matter.
As she approached the corner, she turned around and saw that the person following her was a CP. Normally that would not spark fear in her chest, but something felt off about the whole arrangement. Nonetheless, she stopped and faced her tail to demand an explanation; perhaps even get the officers badge number and have him reassigned.
She didn't hear it as another CP rushed up behind her, but she did feel him grab her mouth; and she felt the ice cold sensation of the CP burying a knife into her back.
"When traitors within our midst, arrange meetings between Ministers and Commanders. When they meet with suspected resistance members, and they give strict orders that no word of these meetings should reach myself, The Commandant, or The Administrator-"
Now Minister Axe heard the TV, and more importantly; he heard footsteps outside his bathroom. Turning, his eyes widened as he saw a CP standing just outside; her Pistol drawn, and glaring at him with malice in her eyes.
"-Then I will have such people SHOT! DEAD!"
The CP lifted her pistol, and fired.
BANG!BANG!
Minister of Labor Merlion Axe fell dead on the floor of his bathroom; shock still written across his face.
"There is no Rank... there is no Position, that can protect a person from their responsibility."
Overwatch Commander Mikhailovich tried to get his uniform shirt to tuck into his breaches as he listened to the Consuls speech; frowning deeply the whole time.
For some reason, it felt like the Spectre of Death was hanging over him.
He froze as he heard the sound of his door unlocking and opening with a loud Creak!
Turning, he saw to his horror a Civil Protection Commander in his Silver and Navy Blue Dress Uniform standing in the doorway; his USP Match pistol already drawn, an expression of disgust on his face.
"And Therefore, Their Punishment!"
BANG!BANG!
Mikhailovich flinched and fell to the floor, his mirror shattering as he landed on it, cutting his back, and causing severe pain as he hit the floor.
"I gave the order to shoot the ringleaders in this treason-"
The CP walked up, and put another bullet into his heart; finishing the Commander off.
BANG!
Minister of Propaganda Jason Stakes was writing at his desk frantically as he listened to the Consuls speech.
This was such a momentous speech, how brilliant the Consul was to deal with the traitors in this way; remove them from office and execute them publicly. Sent the perfect message that the Administration meant business.
"-and I further gave the order to cauterise down to the raw flesh the ulcers of this poisoning of the wells in our domestic life."
Such a brilliant way with words, Jason couldn't help but feel a little jealous that he had not been allowed to write the speech.
It was a good speech, but still… not as good as what he could've written.
His eyes widened as a gloved hand wrapped around his mouth; and then knew no more as the Overwatch Commander in his White Uniform stabbed the Minister through the neck and spine, severing the brainstem and killing the man instantly.
"And let it be known for all future time… that if anyone raises their hand to strike Our Benefactors, then certain death is their lot!"
The CP's all fired as one into the back of the heads of the assembled line of people.
Most were regular civilians, but that was fine; they would be branded as rebels that the small group of Overwatch Commanders and Administrative Ministers had been meeting with to begin plotting the uprising.
The CP Commander watched the nearby screen with a big smile on her face, as the Consul too smiled at the crowd that erupted into enthusiastic cheers and applause.
It felt good, she supposed, to be on the right side of history.
And as she and her subordinates cleaned up the remnants of their mission; they never saw the Man in the Dark Blue Business Suit with Purple Tie watching them.
Nor did they see him smile, adjust his tie, and walk off into the darkness.
If Shephard had not been wearing her Lifeday suit, then Tali would have taken a picture of her brother and his Inszel laying on separate cots and holding hands while they slept. As it was she didn't want to wake them; but she had no choice.
They were going to be leaving in an hour, and it was about a ten hour drive to 'Hades Gate'.
The Consul had purged many of his political Rivals within the Administration; and as a result the Combine military command had been shaken up, at least according to Anderson, so now was the perfect time to strike.
She held Shephard's Black Quarian-Like Suit, PCV, and the Sehni-like Poncho; having washed them from the blood that had soaked into them when Shephard had reopened the wound on her back.
She didn't feel like startling them awake, since she wasn't sure if she'd get zapped or not, but there was still the sibling urge to do more than simply shake them awake. However terrible this world may be to her and her brother, he was still her brother; some things were just sacred.
She caught a particularly malodorous stink, and glanced back to see Frederick and Ulysses snacking on a pair of headcrab legs. The 'elder' of the two seemed to gather her intent almost instantly; he chomped through his and wiggled the rancid knuckle towards her.
"We have found sharing sustenance to be a particularly revitalizing practice." Ulysses tapped his cane on the floor.
"Indeed," Frederick nodded sagely, "few things can motivate humans to mobility and activity quite like the offering of our meals."
Tali wasn't sure if Frederick quite knew what it was that motivated people to move when he offered them cooked headcrab, but she was certain Ulysses did. "Thank you both." She gingerly took the offending digit, walked over to her brother and held it under his nose.
"cough-COUGH-Blech! Keelah! What is that stench!?" He rolled away from the smell, and right onto the floor; despite Ayita's apparent death-grip on his hand, which resulted in Cato pulling her down on top of him.
"Oof!" Shephard blinked and looked around, then noticed her current state; She locked a glowing Emerald eyed stare at Cato.
"Please don't kill me..." Cato whimpered as his face tinted from Grey-Light Purple to a Deep Violet. Shephard stared at him, her own face slowly turning from Light-Brown to Red as she lay on top of him; All the while confused as she felt something hard just below his waist. She was about to ask him what it was when the tableau was broken when Tali finally burst into laughter.
"Oh, I needed that after how this trip has been." Tali steadied herself then turned towards the door. "Anderson says we need to move now, so I'll give you two some privacy to get dressed."
She headed out and closed the door just as the two Turians arrived. "What's going on? We heard-click-"
Tali just smiled, and crossed her arms as she leaned against the door; running her hand through her hair and tucking some loose strands under her Sehni; "I was just waking the... what is it Massani called them?"
Garrus nodded. "'Love birds' I think is the term." His mandibles flared slightly in confusion. "I think 'birds' are those avians we've seen. How anyone can define love from the creepy black ones or those angry brown honking monstrosities; but then these people do think a gun isn't complete without a sword attachment, so who knows."
Nihlus looked more thoughtful. "This world has been ravaged by invaders; it's possible their biome is devoid of a great deal of the diversity it once possessed."
Tali snorted and crossed her arms. "Whatever. They're awake and getting ready, so we should get to the motor pool ourselves." She ducked her head down and walked off.
Garrus watched her depart, his mandibles buzzing in concern.
"Problem?" Nihlus looked at Garrus.
The former C-SEC officer glanced over, then back to where Tali had been. "I don't know, maybe. She's a lot more distant than she was before we headed out."
Nihlus looked down the hallway. "It has been a hard couple of days. People deal with stress differently."
"Other species deal with stress differently. Quarians are so insular, it's hard to gauge how they deal with a situation like this." He started to follow down the hall towards the vehicle bay.
Nihlus chuckled and followed behind. "She's older than I was before my first combat drop. And besides; she's the daughter of Rael'Zorah. From what I've heard of the Admiral, that has to harden you."
Garrus stopped in the middle of the hall. Nihlus tensed, sensing his compatriot was upset and not sure yet how he'd react.
"Whoever her father is, she's still just a kid by her people's standard." Garrus commented over his shoulder. "We're raised to be dutiful soldiers. We expect to lose one in ten people we know before we're twenty. But her?" He looked after where the young Quarian had gone. "I'd wager she's seen more people die in the last week than she has her entire life." He turned to face the SPECTER. "Like you said, other people deal with stress differently than we do; and I don't think she's dealing well."
Nihlus clicked his mandibles in contemplation. "Then talk to her." He huffed when Garrus clicked harshly at him. "Don't give me that; you're the one who chose to serve society as a protector, rather than a soldier or politician. If you think she needs counseling, or even just a good listener, then who am I to gain-say you."
They both started back down the hall. "We're going to need everyone at the top of their game to survive this world, and that includes the 'Zorah's." Garrus nodded at Nihlus' wisdom. "Besides, Rael is not the sort I want finding out I let his daughter get in trouble." He almost tripped at that as the SPECTER calmly continued on.
Cato rubbed a hand across his chin and jaw; feeling the weird 'stubble' that had sprouted around it.
When he had his suit, it would just zap any facial hairs dead; and it would keep the hair on his head short. Humans apparently 'Cut' the hair on the top of their heads, and they 'shaved' the hair off their face by using a blade of some kind.
He shuddered at the thought, it seemed to be incredibly dangerous if he was honest with himself.
"You know, you can use your powers to get rid of any hair you don't want" Ayita pointed out from behind him as she pulled on her Suit and Armor; though she hadn't put on her gas mask or her Poncho and had left her hair down out of its bun.
He tried not to stare, as it was mesmerizing to see her choppy dark brown hair trail all the way down to the small of her back; mainly because both were trying not to think about the aftermath of Tali's 'little' prank.
Cato was mainly glad that Ayita had either not noticed or decided to ignore his… 'excitement' at having her land on top of him.
Instead, he focused on Ayita's comment about using his powers to trim his stubble; after a moment, he asked "How?"
She gave him a light smile and channeled a light buzz of energy into her palm and walked up to him. "Like this…" She replied, placing her palm over his jaw.
Cato didn't move in spite of the rush of heat to his cheeks; and he noted that Ayita's cheeks had a slight tinge of red as well. He could feel her electrically burning the hairs away, but she stopped in the middle of his chin; before she switched to the other side and did the same, again stopping in the middle of the chin.
She quickly dispelled her energy and released her hold on his head; and Cato rubbed his hand along it, before giving Shephard a questioning look. In response she telekinetically pulled a mirror towards her hand and held it up; and Cato took in his face.
The Novelty of being able to see his own face without a mask had mostly worn off; but he found himself mesmerized by what he saw. He had seen a picture of his father and mother unmasked before, the only picture he knew of for that matter; Tali looked like a copied image of their mother, although she had their fathers darker Grey-Purple skin and Violet hair.
Cato was like a younger version of Rael'Zorah, only he had his mother's Grey-Light Purple skin tone and Raven Black hair; the only other noticeable difference was that his father had been clean shaven in the photo, but Cato had what Ayita called a 'beardstache'.
The hair along his jaw and his chin was short, to the point that it was only barely noticeable unless you were standing close to him; but the hair on his upper lip, Ayita had left completely alone.
"How do you like it?" Ayita asked eagerly, though Cato could sense a slight undertone of nervousness at his conflicting emotions.
He gave her a wide smile, "I love it, C'mon; the others are waiting for us."
Ayita quickly pulled on her Poncho while Cato adjusted his Sehni; Ayita flipped the hood up and went to manipulate the shadows to cover her face, though Cato stopped her. "You don't have to if you don't want to; but you can drop the shadows around your face. I don't think anyone would care if you did."
Ayita hesitated, then her face disappeared in darkness; as before, only the Emerald Glow of her eyes showing, "I… I don't think I'm ready for that Cato… perhaps another day."
Cato just nodded and walked to the hatch; opening it up and walking down the hall, with Ayita close behind once she had shut the door.
Dr. Chakwas was waiting for them down the hall with a wane smile on her face, "It's good to see that my efforts to keep you alive and get you battle ready were not in vain Ms. Shephard." She said, and both Vortals stopped dead at the coldness in her tone; "You know… if young Master Zorah had not sensed your distress, you would be dead Ms. Shephard."
Ayita gulped and took a step back, but Chakwas was not finished, as she stepped forward with the teenaged woman; "Ms. Zorah explained to me this… Hecs'tiyl that you Quarians go through; and on a whim I decided to monitor the two of you while you slept. Your brain activity, heart rate, the frequencies of your dark energy output."
Here, she rounded on Cato, her eyes still cold; "And just for future reference Mr. Zorah and as a warning, according to the data I have found; the two of you are, as best as I can describe, becoming quantum entangled." She waved off the confused looks. "There's no medical precedent for close relationships between Vortals, so I'm trying my best to figure this out. But your vitals are almost perfectly synchronized right now; heart rate, EKG, all of it. I'm afraid that should something happen to interrupt this, say… one of you were to die." She paused as both teens flinched, but continued anyways; "It would be… very unpleasant for both of you."
Now she jabbed her finger into Ayita's chest as the young woman tried her best to look as small as possible; "So next time, Mrs. Ayita'Zorah" Chakwas smiled slightly as both teens blushed deeply, "If you get hurt in any way, make sure you tell someone; and you Mr. Cato'Zorah, if she gets hurt in any way whether it be a simple scrape or a burn up to a gunshot wound, you had best tell me or Ms. Chambers. Am I understood?"
"Yes ma'am!" Both exclaimed.
"Good, now then; go grab your weapons, packs, and gear and head to the exit Ramp. You'll be assigned to a vehicle when you get there, and do make sure that you're together; if only so Ms. Tali'Zorah can make sure you don't get killed." She ordered, drawing upon her day's as an Army Medic to get her point across.
Both teens scrambled to their quarters, while Anderson stepped out from behind a nearby pillar; "Laying down the law Karin?" He asked calmly.
She glanced at the Frostburg Commander. "Just setting the kids straight." She huffed and crossed her hands behind her. "I hate that we need to put them in harm's way. The Combine already takes our children away, and we are forced to send them out in our stead."
Anderson just gave a solemn nod, "You know the tale of Joan of Arc? How she united the French peoples, rallied them from the brink of utter ruin, and took back France? All at the ripe old age of Seventeen, truly believing she was on a mission from God."
"Yes… and I know how that tale ended David." Chakwas noted.
Anderson looked down, "I think that Shephard took that story to heart, to the point where I sometimes wonder if she has a death wish; with how she refuses to burden other people with her problems." Here he actually chuckled, "And to think all it took to get her to open up was falling in love with an Alien not much older than her."
Karin frowned in concern. "It's more complicated than that, and that worries me." She headed for the command center. "Vortals are so new, and we know so little about them; now we're sending two Vortals who are, for lack of a better term... Soulmates, into a combat zone. I'm worried for them David."
Anderson nodded, "I'd be lying if I said I didn't see Ayita as my granddaughter or favorite niece; but I have to accept the risks, because without them… we'll fail."
Garrus caught up to Tali just outside the motor pool. "Tali, wait up!"
The Quarian stopped beside the human APC called the 'LAV-25'; she held a case of tools, and due to the grease stains around her face and the tan jumpsuit she was wearing, Garrus guessed that she had been working on the vehicle. "Yes Garrus?" She asked, setting the box down and wiping her grease stained hands.
He slowed to a stop. "Just checking up on a comrade; it's been an insane week, and I just wanted to make sure you're holding up alright."
Tali averted her eyes, and wrung her hands together; "I'm fine." she said, and though her voice was firm, he could detect the waver in her subvocals.
He twitched his mandibles in disbelief. "Really? Because if I were fresh out of basic training, just had half my unit destroyed and my only way back to civilization was to place my own kin in harm's way, I don't think I'd be fine."
Tali swallowed, and she seemed to be regretting the fact that she wasn't wearing her suit and visor at the moment. Garrus was not a Quarian or Asari; but his years at C-SEC had taught him how to read their faces, or at least an Asari's face. "I… No, I don't think I am okay…" She admitted, surprising him slightly with her bluntness.
Tali leaned up against one of the LAV's giant tires and slowly slid down to the floor; "All that would be enough to break a person, but on top of that I discover that what I once thought was nothing more than Quarian myth is not only real; but it's happening to my little brother." She gave a sad chuckle and rubbed her eyes, "And to think my brother found his Bondmate before I did... " she just shook her head with a light smirk on her face, "I'm the big sister, I'm supposed to beat him at everything; like that time I stole his 'Playtool' and broke it. Or the time when Kal, Prazza and I taped his enviro-ball to the bulkhead; though that one backfired because he absolutely loved it."
Garrus snorted. "And I thought Turian siblings were rough on each other."
Tali just laughed, "Auntie 'Raan was so mad at us when we did that; more angry at Kal because he was the oldest by six years, so he should have known better." Her smile fell though, "Father… I don't think he cared… In fact, I think he even subconsciously approved of it. I don't think he does it intentionally, but I know that whenever he looks at Cato; all he sees is mother's corpse.
"And Cato falling in love with an Alien; much less one that can shoot lightning, read peoples minds, and potentially even manipulate time, on top of the two of us no longer needing suits… I wouldn't be surprised if Father tries to exile Cato when we get back." By this point, tears were silently streaming down her face.
Tali knew that they would be pariahs at best in the fleet; unless they brought the 'cure' with them of course, as the ultimate Pilgrimage Gift. And the Combine Battle Cruiser wouldn't be a bad gift either.
Garrus crossed his hands in front of him. "I think that, even if that happens, you'll find your place in the galaxy. Quarians are nothing if not resourceful." He glanced around the vehicle bay. "Not unlike these humans."
Tali's mood improved a little, "It helps that they look like us I suppose." Her eyes suddenly brightened. "Here, Garrus I want to show you something." She quickly climbed up on top of the LAV and held out her hand; which after a moment of thought, he took it.
Hoisting him up, she quickly opened the hatch and pointed out the weapons.
She pointed to what looked like some kind of hose with a metal end piece; "This is called the Gluon gun, it cuts through everything like… what did Commander Anderson say? 'Like a hot knife through…' something."
Garrus looked at the contraption with some uncertainty. "It looks like a disconnected coolant pipe." Tali flashed him a smile that made Garrus squirm; it was a look he had seen on many mad scientists when they talked about building something incredible.
Just what had he gotten himself into.
Liara pulled the 'Battle Dress Uniform' on, surprised by how well it fit.
Though it was still rather uncomfortable for the Asari, considering how she had grown up either wearing synthetic jumpsuits that were made to feel like you were wearing nothing at all; or equally comfortable and stylish dresses.
"Must everything these humans do be so militaristic? It's as if they are averse to the idea of peace." She complained loudly.
"Their world is currently occupied by an aggressor force." She was startled by Professor Mordin's voice from behind her. "Cultures, like species, adapt to optimize for their environment. Witnessed several distinct architectural styles in Cumberland, as well as significant artistic iconography in the 'Church'. Would indicate multiple coeveal surviving artistic periods."
She turned to face him, finding he had traded his white coat for grey overalls with a belt and harness affair. "Perhaps that is true, but you heard what Commander Anderson said when we entered; this whole complex was a research facility for their Second World War. And I asked around; the first was only twenty-one years before the second, and they had a Third World War only four years after the second was finished.
"So pardon me if I find it hard to see your side when these people have had a more bloody history than the Krogan. In fact, Chakwas told me the whole reason this… 'Black Mesa' happened was because this country was trying to gain an advantage over their enemy.
"What is wrong with these people!" Liara exclaimed, sitting down with a loud huff; It was probably a little unfair, but it felt good to vent somewhat.
"Are you done?" Mordin quirked his eyes at the maiden. "I too have done some research; both anecdotal and from their surviving records. Here are a few highlights;
"Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, Leader of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Architect of the Cold War; signed, no less, than 40,000 Death Warrants during one of his many purges, including those for his closest friends and family members.
"Dwight David Eisenhower, President of the United States of America; One of its greatest Generals and the founder of one of the most successful Alliances in human history, once threw a piece of sports equipment at an aide.
"Soviet Spy Chief Lavrentiy Beria Raped and Murdered hundreds of underage women; and was the Architect of 'The Katyn Massacre', a purge which killed 22,000 Millitary Officers of a country the Soviets just conquered.
"American Spy Chief Allen Dulles once had a consensual affair with the Queen of the nation of Greece, and spied on several suspected Soviet agents; and turned out to be correct in his suspicions.
"The Soviet Chief of the Secret Police Nikolai Yezhov, also known as 'The Bloody Dwarf'; was the architect behind a Soviet purge known as 'The Great Terror' which killed nearly 1.2 Million people before he himself was eventually executed by his successor Lavrentiy Beria, just as how Yezhov himself executed his own predecessor Genrikh Yagoda.
"America's Chief Policeman Herbert Hoover kept blackmail material on every single major American Politician up until his death of old age; even as he dismantled entire Crime Families and Cartels.
"Despite all of this contention, during the peak of the Proxy-War period the Americans referred to as the 'Cold War' or World War Three as some call it, both countries managed to cooperate in a joint space venture to physically link their respective space programs. They did this in an act of solidarity, to demonstrate to themselves, the world and to each other that they could coexist.
"Dr. T'Soni, if you cannot see the difference between these People, and the societies that produced and elevated them; then there is something seriously wrong with you."
Liara just stared open mouthed at the Professor, unable to comprehend just how different these two societies were.
Mordin turned to face the vehicles. "The people we are meeting here and now are the survivors. They are not the creators, the builders or the thinkers; most of those would have died years ago. We are left with the people who have learned from the harshest parts of their own history. Once the occupation is lifted and they begin to grow again, we may see the beauty that they seem capable of, if we nurture it. Their music alone encompasses so many different styles and themes, I think even you would be hard pressed to experience it all."
He faced her. "If however we condemn them, as we did the Krogan, and assume that this state of conflict is the only one they are capable of, then it is we who will be guilty of wiping out a unique species whose only sin is it's innate imperfection. So we have to help them overcome this obstacle." We walked deeper into the bay. "Someone else might get it wrong."
Liara watched him go, and lowered her head.
She couldn't imagine being a Matriarch, and be able to sit there and bat her eyes even as the Batarian Politician across from her raped and abused his female slaves.
As much as she hated to admit it, perhaps Mordin was right.
She had no right to judge these people for the actions they had taken in the past, because if she were faced with people like this Stalin or Beria, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from launching herself from across the table and popping their heads with Biotics.
And yet these Americans had, despite almost certainly despising these Soviets, managed to still find ways to cooperate with them.
It said a lot about humanity's potential… for good and bad.
"ALRIGHT! Everyone grab your gear and load up!" Liara flinched at the call, but quickly grabbed her bag and shrugged on the 'plate carrier'; slinging her rifle and walking over to one of the bigger 'trucks', which had a tarp over it.
The snow had turned to rain, and she really did not want to ride in one of those jury rigged combat vehicles; 'technicals' or whatever in the goddesses name they were called.
In the back were a bunch of humans, and while Liara would have wanted to be with her friends; she knew that was a luxury that wouldn't be afforded.
Two reached down and helped her up, at which point Liara sat down on the floor of the truck, leaned against the wall of the cab; and closed her eyes, already dreading the ten hour drive and determined to get some form of sleep.
She entered the land of dreams not long after, charactertures of Stalin and Beria dancing in her mind as her mother and other Matriarchs happily made peace with them.
A/N: As Captain America said, "We compromised, sometimes in ways that didn't let us sleep so well; but we did it so people could be free, this is not freedom this is fear." And that is the heart of what life is like under the Combine.
Yes, people are 'safe' from the hordes of Xen Aliens, friendly or otherwise; but now must sleep under the tyranny of a government that would make Mao, Stalin, and Hitler blush in jealousy in terms of ruthlessness.
Now then, onward to the other parts of the chapter.
Ayita nearly dies because she didn't keep a careful check on herself; I.E. she did what she always did and ignored the pain, assuming it was something minor.
Cato and Ayita finally admit their feelings for each other.
Consul Jack Harper has finally completed his first of many Purges; the purge of his chief rivals in North America, with Breenites soon to follow. Who are the Breenites? People who support the Status Quo regarding the Combine. Harper wants to keep humanity under the Combines control, but with humanity actually respected and treated like equals; which is sheer lunacy, but you have to respect the guy, he simply wants what he believes is best for humanity.
It's just that his way totally sucks.
Other than that, I don't have much to say; how about you Ian?
Ian A/N: A few more familiar faces in the new cell and Liara is taken to school. Action games often try to glorify the survivors and the philosophies they embrace, but we tend to forget the price society pays every time we have a war; the irreplaceable relics and art that were consumed in the Blitz and the Allied Bombing campaigns are a tragedy that few people recognize because we survived; but we are lessened by that loss.
There is a corollary between the Quarians and Earth in this story, and we will try to reinforce it as we go along.
Stay tuned.
Pilot: Right then, check my profile for the link to the discord; and for info on my fanfic challenge.
Leave a review and tell us what you guys think, the feedback helps immensely.
A TV Tropes page would be loved and greatly appreciated.
And we will see ya when we see ya.