After trying unsuccessfully to raise Garrus again, it was all a soaking wet Joker could do to not completely lose his wits to his rising panic as he gingerly climbed back through the airlock entrance and made his way back towards the cockpit, where he knew backup would be waiting.
Although who it actually is remains to be seen, he thought as he stumbled over an unknown object and his right kneecap connected with part of the doorframe. He squeezed his eyes closed as he fought back the urge to cry out and gingerly placed as little weight as he could on it before continuing on. "Anyone awake in here?" Joker called out as he limped through the airlock, which was currently emanating a strange blue-and-green light-
"Joker?" Liara's voice responded from his left. As Joker turned the corner, he was greeted by the sight of both her and Javik seated cross-legged on the ground, arms outstretched, the pair of them seemingly engaged in some sort of biotic medication.
Joker froze at the Prothean's presence. Great…the last crew member I wanted here, he thought as Liara observed him with concern and Javik seemed look straight through him.
Liara, however, seemed unconcerned by Javik's presence. "Joker…is something wrong?" she asked again as climbed to her feet.
She still needs to know. "I think Garrus might be in trouble," Joker stammered as Javik came closer to him, which caused Joker to retreat backwards. "He thinks a ship crashed, and he went out to-"
Why'd I even bother? Joker thought as Javik laid a hand on him, and as soon his three-fingered arm touched his shoulder, his brain was once more overwhelmed by fragments of his last in-person conversation with Garrus-
"-isn't a single person aboard the Normandy right now who hasn't made a questionable decision-"
"-look like a meteorite to you?-"
"-about to crash land on an unknown-"
"I'm going to check it out. Alone-"
"I doubt they have enough to mount an invasion against us-"
"-it's safer for me to scout alone."
"-take one of the biotics-"
"-not risking the life of the last living Prothean or the Shadow Broker…-because quite frankly, I'm the most expendable crew member on this ship right now-
"-to save your sorry ass, and you're about to run out into that damn jungle without so much as a plan-"
"-Radio silence for thirty minutes-"
"If I don't hear from you-"
"-tell Ash what I did, and tell her to bring backup-"
Javik released his hold on Joker, who was now on the receiving end of an angry glare. "Seriously?" Joker snapped as he tried to put more distance between him and the alien that had once again invaded his thoughts.
"The commander never complained," Javik answered dryly.
Yeah, well, she was used to foreign things invading her body, Joker thought to himself before he realized the unfortunate double entendre.
"We need to wake the others," Javik advised as Liara sat Joker down in his cockpit chair, which was now rotated so that it faced the rear of the Normandy. "He is need of medical attention, and the turian-" he paused as he closed all four of his eyes briefly before opening them again, "-is in grave danger."
Forgive me, Shepard, Joker thought as he watched Javik march briskly towards the rear of the CIC, where the rest of the crew was sleeping soundly.
#####
Awakened by a throbbing headache and the right side of his face half-submerged in something wet, Garrus gingerly opened his left eye to blurry green surroundings and the smell of wet mud. That'll teach me to take my helmet off during combat, he thought gingerly as he took note of the Widow's barrel underneath his hand. Crap, the gunship-
-the smell of burnt turian scales and charred armor fills his nostrils convinces him that he's arrived in whatever hell turians are destined for, the sensation of someone kneeling over him seems to arouse him ever so slightly-
Garrus opened one eye to just barely a slit. Out of it, one blurry figure in light blue armor has knelt directly in front of him, with a sea green one right next to it. "Pretty sure he just opened his eyes there, Wash," the sea green-tinted one said as Garrus someone place a hand on his back. Shepard?
-a metallic-tasting liquid fills his mouth, confirming his worst suspicions: he's losing blood from somewhere above his neck. He forces himself to draw a deeper breath as he opens his eye to see her familiar red hair above-
"-One hell of a hit there, C," another nasally voice chimes in from behind him. The combination of the bright light and headache only seem to intensify his nausea, and his stomach's will to return it's contents to sender finally overwhelm him as a spray of vomit explodes from his mouth, splashing the knees of both armored figures in front of him-
"-Garrus!" she says, audible relief in her voice-
"Didn't want to risk him firing this," a female voice said, as Garrus felt the Widow slide out and away from his hand as another blurry pair of sea-green boots entered his line of sight.
-he instinctively grips the barrel of his rifle, trying to will his body up towards her, but it's all he can do to not choke on his own blood as someone turns him over on his back, forcing all the blood from the side of his face to now drain into the back of his throat and into his lungs-
The light blue blur seemed unaffected by the fact that a complete stranger had just emptied their stomach contents onto his knees. "He's probably severely concussed, given where she hit him," the light blue blur explained as it gave what Garrus assumed to be a comforting pat on his shoulder. "We should probably get him back to Doc," he added as he looked in the direction of the female voice.
Oh great, Chakwas is definitely going to be pissed that I've re-injured my head again, he thought as he fought back the urge to vomit again. As he focused on subduing his stomach, the sea green and light blue blurs positioned themselves on either side of him, took an arm each, and lifted him into a standing position. (Much to the chagrin of his digestive tract.)
"Ooof…he feels a lot heavier than Junior," the sea green male voice grunted as he tried to resettled Garrus' body into what he assumed was a more comfortable positon.
"Oooh, maybe Gary is Junior's big brother!" a childlike voice exclaimed as a blue blur sidestepped into view. Gary?
-"Radio Joker," Shepard orders, an unfamiliar urgency in her voice as more blood pours down his throat. "Make sure they're ready for us."
"Uh, as both the ambassador and parent to a Sangheili alien, I'm pretty confident Caboose's new friend here isn't even the same species," the sea green voice said next to him.
"Tucker's right, for once," a nasally voice added from somewhere out of sight. "No split lower jaw, wrong head shape-"
Head…just need to rest my head…Garrus thought as his slumped forward, as the effort of holding it up didn't seem worth the energy. "Chakwas…" he whispered.
-"He's not going to make it," a gruff male voice comments pessmisticlly.
He's probably not wrong-
The other sea green figure stepped in front of the light blue one, whom Garrus now deducted went by the name of "Wash." Odd name for a human…
"Did I say we were bringing him back?" she began, as she shoved a hand into the turian's chest, her tone similar of a commander whose authority had been challenged.
Garrus felt Wash's body tense up as someone gently removed the hand from his chest. "I'm not leaving to die out here, boss," he countered quietly. "Not until we know how he found us."
"-getting you out of here, Garrus-"
Garrus' vision cleared for a moment, and in it, he realized that the helmets of the sea green female and Wash's were almost touching at the head. Question a superior officer? Definitely NOT turians, he thought.
"Come on, Wash, let's get him back," the other sea green voice said. Tucker, I think?
"-just hold on.
####
Really wish the Alliance had thrown this thing out the airlock, Joker thought uncomfortably as he limped into the conference room with Traynor's assistance and just barely avoided a collision with the large table that had been relocated from the old Cerberus conference room. (Upon being awoken to the news of Garrus' disappearances, Ashley had promptly ordered everyone into the conference room, and had all but refused Dr. Chakwas the opportunity to examine Joker's injured knee, which led to a few choice phrases from the ship chief medical officer.)
As Traynor delicately tried to navigate around the crowded, Joker noted that Adams, Donnelley, Gabby, Javik, and Liara had taken places along the window side, with the backs of Vega, Cortez and Tali to the glass walls. At the head, the intense gaze of humanity's second Spectre seemed to follow his every move.
She's pissed. Joker thought as he instinctively gripped Traynor.
"Almost there, Joker," Traynor whispered by way of reassurance.
As soon as he entered the room, all eyes (including Ash's) followed him as Traynor guided him towards the forefront end of the table, which seemed deserted and hostile, save for the crate and a concerned Dr. Chakwas.
"Sit down, Joker," Chakwas ordered quietly as she motioned to the crate next to her that hadn't been there before. Not one to protest, Joker allowed both Traynor and the doctor to get him settled, all while the rest of the table seemed to watch him intently, and he was uncomfortably reminded of the last time his actions brought him under fire-
-he's seated on the table, elbows on his knees and hands folded with EDI's projection at his back as the commander slowly paces in front of him and Jacob quietly stares at him from the other end, arms folded across his chest-
"So let me get this straight, Joker," Ashley began as she leaned over the table, hands planted in front of her, dark hair falling forward, her entire demeanor reminiscent of the last XO who ripped into him after the Collectors abducted the crew after the Reaper IFF activation-
The conference room doors open to reveal the wrath of an angry Miranda, who now regards him with a furious glare. "Everyone?" she begins, "You lost everyone-"
"-and decided to go off to investigate it alone?" Ash finished.
"According to his memories, yes," Javik replied calmly, before Joker had a chance to answer. Joker shot a brief glance at Liara in hopes of an explanation for the Prothean's interjection, who answered with a barely perceptible of her head. "I take it that is not what you have done?" Javik continued as he crossed his arms over his chest.
Ash turned her head to glare at Javik, who, unlike Joker, seemed utterly nonchalant about the angry Spectre at the end of the table. "No, Javik, I would have taken along another crew member, considering he's not exactly in the best shape right NOW-"
-"And damn near lost the ship too?" she finished as she comes to a stop a few feet away from him-
Or Garrus, who was pretty much worth all of our lives put together, Joker thought uncomfortably again as he halfheartedly listened to Ashley's explanation on how Garrus had been on reduced rations since the crash, his severe head injury, and the fact that he was probably still grieving the commander's death. The commander-
"Garrus was fairly used to conducting scouting missions alone during his time on Omega," Liara countered. "My records indicate that he nearly took down a krogan by himself-"
"And with his Widow upgrades, anything at a distance didn't stand a chance," Cortez added. Ash glared at Cortez, and it was all Joker could do to not get up and throw something at her. (But judging by the sudden appearance of Chakwas' restraining hands hand on his shoulders, someone else had sensed his anger as well.)
"Easy, Lieutenant," Chakwas whispered quietly.
"You know this how?" Ash shot back.
"Commander had to authorize the model upgrade purchases," Cortez replied calmly. "With all due respect, ma'am, he and Vega held off wave after wave on Desponia without her-"
"Only because he found a good position and a footlocker full of thermal clips," Vega chimed in as Ash's eyes flashed in his direction, but Vega appeared to be ignoring her as he turned his focus to Joker. "Joker, you said Scars' last transmission contained instructions on how to find him?" he asked, undeterred by the furious glare that Williams still had directed at him.
With a gentle squeeze from Chakwas, Joker was reminded of how many allies he still had. He met Vega's expression and nodded. "He said to 'follow the turian translation of thulium'" he answered, and at this comment, Liara, Cortez, Tali, Traynor all began stifle a chuckle while covering their faces with their hands, with Liara, Tali, and Cortez faring far better than Traynor, who was clearly struggling not to break out in full-out laughter.
"Thulium?" Traynor said through her snickering. "He actually told you to follow the turian translation of thulium?"
Ash glared at both Traynor and Liara in turn. "I miss something, Specialist?"
"During Shepard's party, Tali and Traynor here…impressed us…with their knowledge of the period t of the period table of the elements," Cortez said, his smirks nearly giving way into laughter.
"Thulium," Traynor continued, still amused by Joker's information, "Is the 69th element." There it is…
"And important to turians, as their plates contain traces amounts of it," Tali finished. "Protects them against the increased solar radiation on Palaven."
"It's also fairly easy to write in turian script," Liara added as she brought up her omni-tool. "All we have to do is look for this-" Liara turned and displayed a set of strange-looking symbols to everyone "-mark every few meters, and we should find his approximate location."
From across the table, Joker heard what sounded like a gruff snort from the woman that had almost shot the woman who had saved him from a burning Normandy. "Well, that answers that question," she replied as she pushed back from the table. "So, who's coming with me?"
"I'm going," Tali volunteered.
"You?" Vega asked, his tone surprised.
Ash tossed her hair back over her shoulder as she looked at Vega. "Uh, second human Spectre and far more comfortable with a sniper rifle than you, James," she retorted. Ash glanced at Adams briefly. "Can you spare her?" Ash asked as she looked back at Tali.
"We'll be fine, Commander," Adams said with a nod. "Be careful, Tali."
"Will do," Tali said with a nod of acknowledgement back to Adams.
"With me, that makes a full fireteam," Liara said as she put away her omni-tool. "Anything else?"
Wait, just those three for what Garrus estimated to be almost ten, and assuming whatever injury took down Garrus can be handled by omni-gel? Joker opened his mouth to say something, but another slight squeeze from Chakwas cautioned against it as Joker heard her clear her throat. "Ms. Williams, if don't mind, I'd also like to accompany you," Dr. Chakwas announced unexpectedly.
It was the doctor's turn to be the center of attention as all heads turned towards her and Joker's jaw dropped as a shocked silence fell over the conference room as she repositioned herself to Joker's left, her hand still resting on his shoulder.
"With all due respect, ma'am, when was the last time you fired a gun on a combat mission?" Vega sputtered first as Joker turned to look up at her.
Dr. Chakwas turned to Traynor, whose facial expression was more concerned than it was confused. "Ms. Traynor, remember the reason I gave you I gave for not attending Shepard's party?" she began coolly, her arms causally crossed over her chest.
Traynor's face momentarily twisted into a look of brief concentration. "You told me you had some sort of emergency medical consult on the Citadel?" she answered.
Dr. Chakwas nodded. "Correct," she replied as she looked over at Adams. "However, it only required an hour, and our chief engineer here felt that I should re-familiarize myself with some basic firearms skills after the Collector attack-"
"She wasn't half-bad, either," Adams said. "Out-scored me at Armax once or twice, too."
Oh, Cortez is going to have a field day with me after this, Joker thought as he recalled their drunken bar conversation between him, Cortez, Javik, and Garrus regarding Joker not keeping a firearm with him on the bridge.
"I'm a fairly respectable trauma surgeon who's well-versed in the anatomy of human and a few others alien species, Greg," Chakwas said coolly. "Trust me, I know where to shoot to inflict maximum damage." She turned to face Ashley, who looked slightly impressed, but hesitant. "Commander, you saw firsthand a month ago how Garrus reacted after a severe head injury-"
"Don't we all," Cortez muttered quietly, and Joker suddenly realized how out of the loop he'd been for the past month. Head injury? From a Mako explosion?
Ashley sighed. "You're right, Doc," she finally answered before turning to Cortez. "Think we have any body armor that fits her?"
"I have some in my quarters," Liara offered. "It was orignally designed for an infiltration unit, but should provide enough protection if we encounter small arms fire"
At the possibility of Dr. Chakwas getting shot, an unfamiliar sensation started to rise in Joker's chest: fear. No, no, no, she can't go, not her too, not all of them-
"We move in ten," Ash said. "Suit up, people," she ordered as she pointed to the exit.
"Aye aye, ma'am," the Alliance crew chorused together as the alien crew members simply nodded in acknowledgement.
As everyone except Adams, Traynor, Chakwas, and Joker began to file out of the room, Dr. Chakwas quickly knelt down and conducted one final scan of the pilot's injured knee. "A mild hairline fracture of your patella, but given your condition, you'll need to stay off it for the time being," she continued as if nothing out of the ordinary had just transpired.
You can't let her do this, you can't let her do this, you can't let her- "Doc, I-" he finally sputtered.
Dr. Chakwas looked up at Joker, her face a mixture of pity and worry. "I know, Joker," she began as she looked back down at his affected knee. "It's not ideal, but we don't really have much of choice, given Mr. Vakarian's initial injury" she said as she deftly assembled a splint and applied it to his knee as Joker flinched. "See to it that he stays off his feet for a bit, you two...I need to run down to the med bay for a few extra supplies ," she added as she turned and headed towards the shaft that would take her back down to the third level.
"Will do, Karin," Adams said as Traynor wordlessly laid a hand on his shoulder as she began her descent down the ladder.
"Come on, Joker...let's get you out of here," Traynor quietly suggested as she and Adams offered their outstretched hands in assistance.
The sensation of getting to his feet barely seemed to register to as Chakwas disappeared completely from view. Nearly all of the original crew…
####
Care to explain yourself? Epsilon asked privately as Carolina and Wash trudged through the jungle with an unconscious alien suspended between them, his feet creating a rut behind the pair as the group made their way back to their camp. (Tucker had barely made a few steps before Carolina wisely decided to step in and take over.) And be careful, next couple of feet have a shitload of exposed-
"Roots?" Carolina said aloud as Caboose toppled over and hit the ground face-first a few steps in front of them.
"Caboose, did you just trip-?" Tucker sighed as the four of them came to stop, with Tucker right behind the unmistakable sight of Caboose's blue boots.
"Again," Wash, Carolina, and Epsilon all finished in unison.
"Maybe," Caboose's muffled voice answered from below.
"How did he avoid them running out here?" Wash asked, dumbfounded as he readjusted Gary on his shoulder.
"Dumb luck?" Epsilon said aloud as he briefly projected himself onto everyone's HUDs as Tucker helped Caboose get back to his feet. "Seriously, Caboose, watch your step…the last thing I need is for you to become snake food…or something."
Snake food?
Who the hell knowns what lives here? Epsilon retorted. Also, Simmons is like, deathly afraid of snakes, so do us all a favor and kill any you see at camp, okay?
Noted, Carolina responded.
"Okay, Church," Caboose replied excitedly as he started off again and disappeared into the underbrush. Almost instantly, his disappearance was followed by the sound of branches cracking as Caboose called out to Red team, who was still well over 100 meters away.
Epsilon let out an audible groan as the sound of Blue team's most reckless member continued his charge through the underbrush. "Tucker, hate to do this, but-"
Tucker sighed. "Yeah, yeah I'll keep an eye on him," he replied as he chased after Caboose. "Hey Caboose, wait up!"
Carolina turned to check on Gary, who still appeared to be breathing. She briefly glanced at the dried blood on Wash's hand before she looked directly at Wash. "Ready, partner?" she asked lightheartedly, which caused Wash to turn to face her.
"Ready when you are, boss," Wash replied in the usual brisk manner he used when talking to her.
The nearly-dead alien hanging between you and the guy who said we needed to drag him back to camp specific enough? Epsilon retorted as the Freelancers started walking again. Seriously, if Wash wasn't left handed, you and I wouldn't even be having this conversation right now-
What's wrong, Epsilon…scarred of the big bad alien's sniper rifle? Carolina teased. (Said sniper rifle was currently secured to the magnetic holster on Carolina's back.)
Not funny, C, as the pair stepped over the same roots that Caboose had just tripped on. This guy almost took out two blues and some of the top-ranked Freelancers using nothing more than a pistol and his bare hands, Gary let out a soft groan as his feet bumped over said root, which caused Wash and Carolina to turn their heads towards Gary before they looked back up at each other.
"Sounds promising," Carolina commented dryly. Pretty sure he used some form of EMP stun on Wash, too she added. That's the only other thing that could have caused his armor to lock up like it did during that fight.
Which might not be a big deal for him, but if he'd used it on us-
I know, Carolina finished. Which is why I initially had objections to bringing him back with us…
Carolina glanced at Wash again, and Epsilon sensed another reason to why she had allowed Wash to challenge her, a reason that she'd kept suppressed since York's death.
Yet you allowed the asshole who stole my armor to contradict you-
He had a point, Epsilon, Carolina answered abruptly
"He might be waking up more," Wash said. "Hold on, Gary, we're almost back to our camp," he added as he quickened his pace.
Church projected himself onto both Carolina and Wash's HUDs as he set a waypoint at the crash site for both of them. I just hope we're not bringing more trouble back with us, he said before concentrating the rest of his processes on navigating them back safely.
You and me both, Carolina said.
#####
After helping the last four females of the original Normandy down the cliff, Vega (and eventually Joker) had decided to remain outside and monitor comms while the engineers went back to repairs and Javik, Cortez, and Traynor headed down to deck five for additional guns and ammo. (Javik had suggested preparing themselves for a possible attack, and Ash, for once, agreed with him.) In the time it had taken Traynor and Adams to help Joker back outside, Vega and Ash had also determined that the rescue party would check in at alternating six-and-nine minute intervals, with Glyph emerging above the tree line every so often to allow Vega to gauge their distance from the Normandy.
And as luck would have it, the first six minutes are just about up, Joker thought as he eagerly watched the treetops for Liara's bot to make his appearance. Sure enough, at the six minute mark, a group of roosting birds took flight as a faint ball of blue light emerged from below the treetops, which was Vega's cue to open the comms.
The radio crackled to life. "¿Tú con muchos?" Vega answered.
"Yo con," Ashley's voice replied.
Vega smiled again. "Copy that," he finished with a grin that vanished instantly as soon as he noticed Joker's questioning look.
"`You with many?' and `Me with'?" Joker began, his brows furrowed in confusion.
"It's, uh…" Vega began as he began to scratch the back of his neck as he tried to avoid eye contact with Joker, "Just a little inside joke between her and I…" he began nervously, and suddenly Joker was reminded of his own early morning confession to Garrus in the mess hall, where Garrus had found him staring guiltily into his coffee-
-Dextro-coffee in one hand and a ratio bar in the other, Garrus takes a seat across the table from him. "Morning, Joker," Garrus greets Joker with a fairly semi-cheery greeting (at least for him) but Joker can't bring himself to make eye contact with the Normandy's best sharpshooter after his conversation with Shepard in Purgatory-
Joker narrowed his brows further at Vega. "Damn, Vega, you've hit on both human Spectres?" he realized as he started to laugh loudly. "You spar with her in the shuttle bay too?"
"Umm…possibly…" Vega said nervously again, and Joker remembered seeing the two of them disappear into the downstairs bedroom right before he had blacked out on the couch-
Joker's eyebrows rose even higher. "You didn't-"
"Have wild, drunken sex with the second human Spectre in his commander's apartment?" Cortez interjected from the airlock, which made Vega's face deepen to a dark red as both he and Joker turned to face the entrance, which was currently occupied by Cortez positioning a few rifles against the wall. "Oh, he did…as he so excitedly told me the day after-" he added as he climbed down and crossed over to the pair of them.
Joker shot another look at Vega, who had now resorted to concealing his face with both hands as Joker (unsuccessfully) tried to hold back his laughter while Cortez casually picked up a few pieces of firewood and began arranging them in the fire pit.
"Seriously, Esteban? I thought we were keeping that between us…" he began as he pulled one hand away from face, which had already turned a deep shade of maroon.
"Oh come on, Vega, Shepard practically caught you two in the corner beforehand," Cortez shot back as he set down cooking supplies. "Also, the fact that the two of you practically sleep right next to each other now has not gone unnoticed…by any of us," he added as he pointed at Vega with a twig.
Except me…damn, what else have I missed while I was down in the AI core? Joker thought to himself as he watched Vega's facial color slowly return to normal. "So, did you come out here to roast me, or something else?" he asked as he regained the ability to form coherent sentences.
"Actually, I have good news from Adams: when the girls get back, we'll actually be ready to restart the power core," Cortex said brightly, and Joker focused his full attention as he crossed over to one of the storage lockers. "I figured I'd break out some of the spices we've been hoarding and have a decent-tasting meal for a change?"
Power core is fixed? Joker thought as he climbed to his feet. Like, ready-to-fly fixed?
"Guess that means I need to shoot us one of those boar-pig things? Vega said as he glanced down at his particle rifle.
"Much appreciated, Mr. Vega," Cortez answered as he examined one of the spice bottles. "Just try not to get too close to their tusks…Dr. Chakwas still isn't entirely convinced they're not coated in an anti-clotting agent." Cortez said, his back still to the pair of them as he rummaged through the locker. "Pity all our good snipers are out at the moment…"
"Hey, hey, what makes you think I can't handle a sniper rifle?" Vega asked defensively.
"Because in all of time we've spent together in the shuttle bay, I've yet to see you touch one?" Cortez interjected, still engrossed in his hunt for something within the footlocker.
Vega got to his feet in a huff and walked over to the rappelling ropes while grumbling something in Spanish under his breath. Based on Joker's translator, it sounded like a mixture of curses and Vega throwing shade at snipers for fighting at a distance instead of getting up close. Oh, Garrus would definitely remind him how good he is in close quarters for- he thought, but stopped when his remembrance of the still-absent name brought an unwelcome pang of sadness-
"You kiss the acting commander with that mouth?" Cortez shot back jokingly as his arm stopped moving just long enough for extract a small container from the trunk. Cortez stood and crossed his arms over his chest, almost staring down Vega, who was silently but furiously attaching the anchoring rope to his armor.
Vega's face turned a deeper shade of red (again) as he continued to mutter something under his breath, but he only finished securing and testing before backing himself over the edge in an embarrassed huff without a second look at either Joker or Cortez.
"Remember: Pointy. End. Bad!" Cortez called out again, emphasizing each word as Joker turned away from him and returned his gaze out towards the rising sun.
"Heard you the first time!" Vega's voice snapped from somewhere below them as Adams appeared in the airlock entrance.
"Doesn't mean you were listening then, either," Cortez mutter just loudly enough for Joker to hear as he knelt down on his hands and knees near fire pit and began to carefully lean pieces of a firewood together, leaving a space for kindling.
Joker grinned and shook his head. "So, bacon with buckshot flavoring for lunch?" he quipped as he back towards Cortez.
Cortez chuckled as he continued stacking the firewood. "Mmm, hoping he'll be smart enough to use that particle rifle to make the kill," he paused as he sighed hopefully as he glanced over at Joker momentarily. Just beyond him, the unexpected appearance Adams in the airlock caught Joker's attention. "We've yet to bite down into a slug from a Vakarian kill-"
"-for which we're extremely thankful-" Adams commented from the airlock as he slowly climbed down.
"Well, well, look who came up for a bit of fresh air?" Cortez asked as he reached into his pocket and removed a piece of flint and steel.
"In a manner of speaking," Adams replied as he paused to look back up at the Normandy with a smile and a sigh as he placed a hand on the exterior. Is it just me, or has he aged more in the past month? Joker thought as he studied the deepening lines that now creased the fairly healthy engineer's face. "Soon enough, old girl," he said quietly as he turned to face Joker, who now looked at the Normandy's chief engineer with an eager expression. "Sounds like you've already heard the news," he said as he smiled weakly as he took a seat on a nearby log.
Joker opened his mouth to ask one of the many questions that had been ruminating in his mind since he'd heard, but paused when something in the pit of his stomach told him that he was in for more unpleasant new. He swallowed, then tried again. "Garrus-" he said, forcing himself to ignore the pain at saying his absent friend's name aloud- "told me last night you figured out how a way to repair the main power core?"
Adams paused to study Joker's expression carefully for a moment before answering. "We needed circuits capable of handling a large influx of power, and we were limited to two undamaged sections in which we could get existing ones from," he began.
A list of all of the Normandy's possible systems that the circuits could have been salvaged from ran through Joker's mind. Not the engines, or life support, and probably not Shepard's aquarium…something that she upgraded prior to the trip through the Omega relay might have the hardware- "The Thanix?" Joker offered first, but remembered why he had been sitting outside yesterday in the first place: They went into the AI core-
Adams closed his eyes as he shook his head and looked down at the ground. When he opened them again, Joker's face fell as he saw the tears forming at the corner of the engineer's eyes. "Tali wanted to avoid leaving the ship defenseless and theorized that the AI core might contain what we needed," he continued as he turned to face Joker. "Her hunch proved…correct."
Even as the Collectors blew holes in our hull in the galactic core, she never faltered, he thought as forced himself to hold eye contact with Adams as the engineer's words felt like hands closing down on his throat. And he was one of the first Alliance guys to figure her out.
"There a reason you didn't mention the possibility of destroying our ship's AI during our conversation last night?" Cortez asked quietly as his blue eyes piercing glared at Adams, his arms crossed over his chest.
Adams turned to face the shuttle pilot, his eyes narrowing. "We were consult with Joker and Garrus this morning before we made our decision, but his disappearance-" he began. "
"-complicated things," Joker interrupted as he sighed. "What'd she find?"
Adams brought up his omni tool and made a few quick keystrokes before holding it out to Joker. "Her suspicions were correct: we can utilize most of EDI's computing hardware to repair the power core's circuits," Adams said as Joker examined what looked like engineering blueprints, with both Standard English and quarian script notations. "Repurposing it would have reduced EDI's computing power and intelligence to barely above a basic VI program."
"Would have?" Cortez asked, his voice trailing.
"There's no trace of her software left," Adams said as he gazed sadly at his omni-tool. "Any interaction between her and the ship's systems ended over thirty days ago-"
Joker swallowed hard. "That strange red energy source that chased us…" Joker began as he covered his face with his hands again. Shit.
Adams nodded sadly. "Tali spent most of yesterday going over the code…" he added dejectedly. "I'm sorry, Joker…EDI's-"
"-gone,"Joker finished quietly. You know she would have attempted to make contact by now, even if it meant using the emergency power supplies. As the finality of EDI's death settled over him, he forced himself to focus on a memory prior to the Normandy's final invasion of Earth-
-"It seems that Garrus has gone to visit the commander again," EDI begins as she casually reviews the various specs on each ship that will be assisting with the invasion. She pauses momentarily on a pair of looping video images: Garrus in the elevator and the commander reviewing a pile data pads in her quarters.
"I noticed," Joker replies. "Glad to see he found something less green," he added slyly as he paused to admire Garrus' black dress garments, which were primarily black with dark blue and gold accents.
"He had more help this time," EDI said slyly.
Joker pauses to look at her "You did not-"
"-look at his extranet searches?" she finished slyly as she faces him. "I did…and I sent the results to Ms. Goto," she finishes as taps part of her screen, which ends the video looping.
Joker's eyes go wide as Garrus strides into Shepard's quarters, the commander's expression almost relieved at the interruption. Not wanting to invade, Joker turns away from EDI's screen and focuses on EDI. "Looks way more confident this time," he comments.
EDI turns back to her screen and takes a moment to analyze Garrus as he takes a seat next to Shepard before waving away the vids, which returns her to her previous screen. "He knows what to expect this time," she says.
Joker smiles. "Note to self again: delete browsing history," he says by way of changing the subject as he turns back to his console to bring up said browser history, but before he could, a paused image of a vid with EDI and Shepard was now currently displayed. Joker turns back to EDI. "And also, pretty sure this is not my browsing history."
EDI simply smiles in response. "A few weeks ago, you asked the commander if you "missed anything good" when her and I stepped away from your chair to discuss a private matter," she began nonchalantly.
"Which was?"
"I was contemplating modifying my self-preservation code," she begins-
-And it's the one recording of her that you saved in multiple places, Joker thought as he brought up his omni-tool and entered the mathematical symbol and the number that would immediately bring up the file in question and held it out for both Cortez and Adams, who had now moved in closer as the voice recording began-
-"When I think of Jeff, I think of the person who put his life in peril and freed me from a state of servitude…I would risk non-functionality for him-"
Joker sighed heavily. And your core programing should reflect that, he thought sadly finished as he closed his omni-tool abruptly, which ended the audio. Joker lifted his head up to the shocked, yet sympathetic expressions of the chief engineer and shuttle pilot, who kept a respectful silence.
"Do what you need to get us home," Joker said with an air of finality as he met Adams' gaze.
Adams nodded. "Understood," he said with a nod of acknowledgement.
"Joker! Cortez! You two still up there?" Vega's voice called from below as the rope went taut.
"He's back alread-ow-" Joker asked as he tried to get up on his own, momentarily forgetting his injured knee.
"Easy, Joker," Cortez said as he headed towards over to the edge while motioning for Adams to grab part of the makeshift pulley system. The shuttle pilot grabbed the anchor rope for support before he peered over the edge. "I'll help you bring him up," he finished.
"Want some help?" Joker offered.
"NO," Cortez and Adams answered in unison.
"Karin will have my head if you so much as break a finger," Adams added
"Oh, I see, you two are an item, so that means you can order me around like she does…" Joker said with a grin as both Adams and Cortez grabbed a portion of the pulley system that would assist them in bringing Vega's massive bulk back up to the Normandy.
Adams chuckled. "Says the guy who was in love with the ship," he returned as Joker spotted the wooden Mantis lying on the ground next. Well, look what we have here, Joker thought as he reached over, snatched it up, and tested it's strength before contemplating his reply to Adams.
"Oh come on, what's not to love about her?" he jested as Adams and Cortez continued their task of lifting Vega. "She's got stealth, speed, a secret turian weapon reverse-engineered from the remains of Sovereign-"
Adams shook his head as "Point taken," he said as he awaited Cortez's cue to start pulling.
"You kill us something for lunch yet, or do I have to send-oh, WOW," Cortez said, his tone changing mid-sentence before he turned to look back at Joker and Adams. "I think he actually killed one," he added in admiration as he peered back down over the edge. "Hang on, Adams and I will bring you up first," he said before quickly getting up and joining Adams on the rope.
"Roger that," Vega answered. "Ready when you guys are."
With a nod, both Cortez and Adams started pulling Vega's massive bulk up as Joker maneuvered himself around to face the cliff's edge. (A task slightly complicated by the restricted use of his right leg, but aided by the use of Garrus' Mantis replication.) "So, Vega, how'd you find one so quickly?" Joker called out as he examined the barrel detail.
"Found me first," Vega answered, his voice growing steadily closer. "Bastard was startled when Ash came in over comms and told me that they found Scars-" he continued.
Joker turned back to look at Adams and Cortez, who had momentarily stopped pulling at Vega's statement. Joker motioned for them to continue pulling as he drove the wooden stick into the ground to brace his right side before getting to his feet.
"And just when-" -Cortez and Adams had now increased their physical efforts, which left the pair of them somewhat breathless- "-were you-" –another long pull- "-planning on-"
"Easy, lieutenant," Adams cautioned.
Cortez shot Adams an annoyed look before turning his attention back to the cliff's edge. "-sharing this-" -he added as Vega's head popped into sight- "-with the rest of us Mr. Vega?" Cortez finished with a final effort as Vega's body followed.
"As soon as I got back up here," Vega answered as he pulled himself over the edge and immediately scrambled over to the second pulley system that would bring up the presumed boar. He glanced over at Adams and Cortez, who had taken a moment to catch their breath. "Oh come on, I don't weight THAT much-" he began, his tone slightly wounded.
"Some of us don't pull-ups on an hourly basis," Cortez retorted, still trying to catch his breath.
"Hourly? He has that much spare time?" Adams panted, his eyebrows raised.
"You have no idea, sir," Cortez gasped.
"Well," Vega said as he continued to raise the board up without breaking a sweat, "You amigos about to get one hell of a workout when we have bring all his new friends up here with us-"
At the mention of the words "new friends", the three non-armored lieutenants all exchanged bewildered looks with each other before Cortez and Adams crossed their arm across their chests and began to give Vega death glares.
Because "incoming unknown persons or aliens" definitely should have been communicated right off the bat, Joker thought as he gave Vega a sidelong glare. "Uhhh…care to elaborate on that 'new friends' bit?" Joker began as he caught the expressions of both, Cortez and Adams, who appeared to be nodding at him.
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A/N: So, apparently, working as a full-time nurse in a rather large hospital system during the largest pandemic since the Spanish flu while also struggling to finish one's university degree (a bachelor's in nursing, if you're of a curious mind) will sap one of their creative energies...lessons learned, my friends.