"Contact! Contact!" Ryder shouted.
"Charlie, take the second level. Williams, do your thing." Shepard's voice crackled through the comms, stern and strong.
"Aye, Skipper," Williams chimed in before turning to her team and barking out orders.
"Delta, hold your ground, Bravo inbound!"
"Will do, Commander," Ryder acknowledged. Her rifle bucking in her hands, she stopped long enough to jerk her hands in a series of quick Alliance signals. Teo and Díaz nodded and fanned out.
"Solarin, let your babies loose," she barked. "Target those beams."
"Thought you'd never ask."
This was their fourth raid in twice as many days. Geth outpost after geth outpost, gunfire and screaming machinery as they cleared the place room by room. Ryder understood the need to clear these nests out especially if they were near Alliance colonies. But Shepard was pushing them harder and harder as if she was working on some timetable nobody else was privy to. She heard the LT asking the Commander about it after one of their morning trainings. Even though she was far enough that the words were no more than low murmurs, but the sharp and curt gestures made it clear it was a conversation she didn't want to be caught lingering on the edges of. She had enough trouble to deal with already.
But the constant pressure helped her team to gel in a way regular ship board life wouldn't. It took pressure to make diamonds, but she'd be happier if she and her squad weren't diamonds in the rough.
"Lance!" she screamed as she tugged at her core.
Biotics unleashed, blue fire coursed through her veins and her eezo nodes flared, Ryder threw her hands out, letting go of her rifle. The sling around her body made sure she didn't actually dropped it because that'd be extremely stupid. A blue spear impaled the Prime right in the chest, it rocked back on its heels against the impact, but it wasn't going down.
"Fire in the hole!" Teo shouted, flinging grenades, taking advantage of its distraction.
She twisted and couched back behind cover as dirt, gravel and debris flew overhead. A buzz filled the air, Solarin's drones zipped over, targeting the beams holding up the platform filled with geth firing down at them.
"Charging!"
Ryder barely had the time to look and a blue streak slammed into the Prime. The mammoth geth was lifted into the air as the LT punched into it.
"Finally. Getting pinned down isn't my idea of fun," she huffed under her breath.
"Got held up by a squadron of geth trying to flank your position," Alenko chimed in.
"Uh, sorry, LT. I was just grousing."
A boom from a sniper rifle took down a turret. "Enough chit chat guys, let's finish this," the Chief cut in.
"Aye, Chief." Ryder shouted.
Ryder popped her helmet off after she clipped herself into her seat. Her hair was plastered across her forehead, perspiration coated her face. Her suit was never able to keep her cool enough in battle conditions.
"Biotics, eat up," the LT said.
Ryder fished around in her utility pocket and unwrapped a ration bar she had packed. Shepard had insisted everyone carried at least two days' worth of ration every time they left the Normandy on a mission no matter how short it was supposed to be.
"Getting trapped in a mine with not enough supplies is the worst," the Chief whispered when she asked.
Ryder nodded sagely and accepted. So for a biotics that meant carrying quite a few ration bars and water bags with her. Still, it was better than starving.
Shepard was already looking at the datapad. It was the same one she was looking at after all their four previous missions. Her braid loose and a few strands of hair was sticking out every which way. The Commander's leg bounced as she tapped her finger against the frame of the datapad.
"Shepard, you're bleeding," the LT said, a frown creasing his brow.
Before Shepard could speak, the LT was already unclipping himself from his seat. He crossed the small space between the two rows of seats and couched down in front of her. His omni-tool already keyed to sync up with her suit to check on her status.
"What? Where?" Shepard said, looking at her hands and legs. "I'm not."
Alenko lifted Shepard's hand and brushed his hand across her left flank. "Here," he said, showing her the blood that coated his gauntlet.
She winced. "That's the geth's."
"Skipper, the geth don't bleed," Williams chimed in. "Just let the LT mother hen you for a bit, otherwise he won't be happy."
Shepard took a deep breath as if ready to order Alenko back to his seat. Their eyes met. Ryder held her breath and watched. She noticed everyone else had stop speaking, all eyes were on the pair. For a long moment, neither moved.
"Chief, the geth bleed motor oil," Shepard said, her words flying by the LT as she averted her eyes and twisted in her seat to allow him to work.
Just like that, the tension in the shuttle eased. Ryder couldn't understand what had happened, but it was clear something was going on between the LT and the Commander.
"Thank you for using the Normandy Taxi service," Joker chimed in after picking them up. "Please remember to pick up all your belongings, Normandy Taxi Service will not be liable for any lost belongings."
Everyone had a good chuckle. Shepard was dragged to the med-bay by a stern Dr. Chakwas. The LT had obviously reported about her injuries ahead of their arrival. As she disappeared from the shuttle bay, Shepard called out, "Debrief in two hours."
"Yes, Commander," the rest chorused.
"Commander, don't make me drag you in by your ear," Chakwas growled.
"I'm coming, I'm coming. No need for such dire threats," Shepard complained, their voices trailing off as they walked away.
Ryder chuckled as she started stripping off her gear.
Shift A was over. Most of the others were winding down. Ryder spotted Teo and Rai playing cards in the mess, while Solarin and Ramírez took their toiletries and were heading towards the showers. Díaz joined Ulva and Aroha at the makeshift gym that they had set up in the cargo bay.
"Join us, Corporal?"
"I'll pass," she waved them off. "I've a call to make today."
Ulva nodded. "Enjoy talking to your boyfriend," she laughed. "Or girlfriend. Or both!"
Ryder chuckled. "It's just my mother."
"Aww, mummy's girl!" Aroha grinned. "What are you eight?"
"Shut up," Díaz rolled his eyes at them. "Can't a person miss their mother in peace?"
Ryder's smile faded a little. She knew they didn't mean any harm by it, nobody knew about the problems in her family. And she wasn't about to go air her troubles to the world. Taking a deep breath, she turned towards the comms room. "Thankfully no, I'm 20. Now go."
Ryder nodded to the comm officer in charge. "I'm here for my allotted comms time."
The officer doubled check his console and nodded. "Ten minutes, Corporal."
She nodded and hurried over to one of the console. It was easy enough to input her mother's omni-tool address. As the screen illuminated, making sure her face wouldn't be a dark blob being beamed across the galaxy, Ryder was suddenly seized with anxiety.
Is Ma allowed her omni-tool? Should I have keyed the hospice's address instead? Shit, did I just waste some of my precious minutes?
"Fuck," Ryder lifted her hand, ready to terminate the connection and try the new address instead.
The screen flicked and her mother's face came on. "Sara," she frowned. "Language. Is that the first thing you want me to hear?"
"Oh damn, fuck. No, shit. I mean..."
"Breathe, Sara."
She took a deep breath and chuckled . "Hey, Ma."
"Much better."
"How are you?" she asked, her eyes scanning the slightly fuzzy image.
"I'm ok," her mother replied. "Really."
But she started coughing immediately. Ryder shifted in her seat, yearning to reach out through the screen to offer her mother a tissue, a glass of water, or just rub her back. But they were separated by a couple of relay jumps, she had to settle for watching her mother coughed her lungs out.
"Do you need the nurse?" She asked anxiously, tapping through the omni-tool looking for the right contact to call.
Her mother shook her head as the cough subsided. Tears had welled up in her eyes from the intensity of her hacking. They sounded wet and lasted altogether too long.
"It's just a little cough, nothing to worry about," her mother reassured her.
"Really? Cause it doesn't sound like it."
Neither spoke for a while. Ryder didn't want to spend the time just berating her mother for not taking care of herself. She was dying, what's there to talk about taking care of oneself? AEND was terminal and it still was no matter what her father wanted.
Ryder sighed and schooled her features, forcing her mouth to perk upwards. "How are things? Anything interesting happened?"
Her mother took a deep breath and offered her a grimace of a smile. Both of them making an effort not to have their interactions constantly marred by frustration.
Ten minutes came and went quickly. The console beeped as counter ticked over to the ten minute mark. "Ma, I've got to go. I'll call you again," she said.
"Study hard, Sara. It is good talking to you."
Ryder nodded, teeth trapping her lower lip, her smile a little more brittle.
"Oh, before I forget, speak to your brother. He was going on about some harebrained expedition to Andromeda. I worry for him, he isn't as independent as you are. Andromeda is just so far away."
The lines across her face deepened as worry furrowed her brow. Ryder did the only thing she could and nodded. "I'll talk to him. We can't have Scott going somewhere far away."
Her mother nodded, a sleepy smile on her face. "I know I can count on you, Sara. You're always my little hero."
With that the console beeped its final count down. Ryder waved at her mother and terminated the connection. Sitting in the booth, facing a darkened screen where her mother had appeared on just moments before, she felt lost and exhausted. It must have shown on her face as she made her way to the mess hall to grab some food.
"Hey," Williams greeted as she slid into the seat beside her. "Are you ok?"
Ryder looked up from her half eaten meal, blinking away the moisture that had gathered in her eyes. "Yeah," her voice small and soft.
The Chief looked at her, pushing a cup of tea in her direction. Ryder lifted her head, confused. "That's yours."
"You need it more than I do," Williams pointed out. "I can always make another one."
The cup was warm against her palm as she lifted to sip at the tea.
"Family?"
She nodded, placing the cup down.
"It's always hard being away for so long," Williams picked it up and took a sip, nudging the cup back to her.
She nodded again, her fingers curled around the mug, shaking slightly.
"I get it."
They sat in silence, food forgotten, sharing a cup of tea between them. "Can I give you a hug?" the Chief asked.
A third nod. And Williams' hand wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her close. Ryder closed her eyes and tried to pretend she was home and this was her mother. The smell was wrong, the feel was wrong, but she appreciated the Chief's attempt.
A dog whistle made her eyes snapped opened. It was Akashi, grinning. "No fraternisation."
"Fuck off," Williams said.
Whatever was on Williams' face must have warned him off. He gave a small nod of apology and went on his way.
Ryder sighed and stood, hastily rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.
"These dip shits can be real assholes sometimes."
"They don't know better," she shook her head and lifted it. Her eyes met Williams'. They were soft and gentle. It made her feel seen. That she wasn't all alone to bear these burdens by herself. "It helped. Thank you, Chief, truly."
"Ashley," Williams said, arm still around her shoulder.
Ryder liked the weight. It was reassuring, it was like having her brother close again.
"You can call me Ashley, I've officially adopted you as my new little sister," she chuckled, rising to refill the now empty cup of tea.
Ryder laughed. "I like that, Ashley."
"There you go," she sat down again and started tucking into her food. "Now do you want to hear the time when someone messed with one of my little sisters?"
"Did you break their arm?"
"Close, she did."
Shepard stood stock still in the comms room. She knew her image was being projected directly into Alliance High Command via QEC.
"What are my new orders?"
Hackett had his hands braced against the console on his end. He was the only one she could see, but it didn't mean there weren't others just outside the image projection.
"I need a favour."
A single eyebrow lifted. She waited.
Hackett cleared his throat. "The Alliance needs your help."
"I am still Alliance, I am still an N7, sir."
He nodded as if remembering. "That you are. We have intel that the Prothean Artifact lost on Janus will be surfacing on Omega."
Satisfaction bloom against Shepard's chest. Anderson had came through, but she had to tread carefully. "Omega, sir?"
"Yes," Hackett grimaced. "I know you're still Alliance, but we need the Spectre, not the N7."
She inhaled, her breath a sharp hiss in through her nose, out through her mouth. Accepting the Council's little gifts had its strings. Without the hand of the Alliance at her back, she stood alone. If she choose to pursue this, it would all be on her head, success or failure. But she wasn't alone, she was dragging along a ship full of Alliance soldiers with her. They would bear this burden with her no matter what.
"I understand."
Two words felt inadequate to hold all the implied meaning and hidden agenda. Hackett's eyes narrowed, just a tiny bit. He knew what he was asking for. "Good hunting, Spectre."
The connection winked out, and Shepard found herself standing in a dark room. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Stepping out of the room, she turned to the comms officer. "You got the intel the Admiral sent?"
"Yes, Commander. We're receiving it as we speak."
"Put it into a secure datapad once it's decrypted. I want to look at it as soon as possible."
"Understood."
The headache she had been nursing since their last engagement had bloomed, bearing its painful fruit around her temples. It promised to crush her skull under its vice. Her side however was nice and numb thanks to the medi-gel slapped over the bullet graze. She hadn't even felt it till Alenko pointed it out, heat of the battle, adrenaline and all that.
Now to tell Joker, they needed to head towards Omega. That'd be a fun talk.
"Is that you Commander?" Joker asked.
"Do you have eyes at the back of your head or something?" Shepard asked, sliding into the co-pilot seat.
"No, but I figure with N7s and baby N7s running around the Normandy and all of you ninjas having the ability to creep up on people, I'll need a camera pointed to the back so I'd know when one of you ghosts sneak up on me."
She snorted. "Smart."
"I always am," he craned his neck to look over. "Not that I can do anything beyond unnerve the others with my all-knowing powers."
Shepard looked out into the black of space. Her eyes trained on the latest planet they were orbiting. It was still amazing to see something so large and ostensibly heavy just floating against the sea of black. Who would have thought the street kid from Singapore being the Commander of the Normandy and a Spectre to boot.
"Shep, are you here just to enjoy the view or do I have a heading?"
She blinked. "Can't I do both?"
"Sure you can, once I have a heading."
"Set course to Omega." Shepard watched as Joker blinked owlishly at her. She chuckled. "Have I stumped the great pilot Jeff Moreau?"
Joker shook his head and frowned. "Omega? I heard that right?"
"Yup," she popped her P. "Omega."
"But…"
"No buts, Omega," she said, turning to leave the bridge.
"What's at Omega?" He shouted, turning in his seat. "I mean other than crime lords, certain death and asari strippers?"
"Well, our missing Prothean artifact of course."
They were en route to Omega. Ryder's heart skipped a beat at the briefing Shepard gave a couple of days ago. She had heard stories from the experienced members of her old squad. It was a cresspool of the worse of the worst. This was where the most violent scumbags go, where the desperate end up and apparently this was their destination.
Apprehension aside, the mere mention of the Prothean artifact was enough to drive all her doubts and fears away. She couldn't let Sagh, Kovács and the others down. All those deaths couldn't be for nothing, she wouldn't let it. This meant she had to be prepared. It's for this very purpose, she was doing extra training after her shift was over.
Shepard had the LT take over morning trainings. "Chakwas will have my head if she finds me here training with you all," she explained, but she was determined to lead her fire team when they get to Omega.
The LT was a much better teacher. His methods clear and concise and most of all he was patient even with the most innate of questions. Where Shepard was all power and flashy moves, Alenko was tight control and pinpoint precision. It was different styles of two capable biotics.
The cargo bay was mostly empty at the end of the shift. The Chief was cleaning her gear, again. Teo and Kaiser were looking over the Mako. Something about tuning the suspension so that they all have a less bumpy ride the next time. Ryder cordoned off a small area for herself.
Stripping down to her PT attire, she stretched and limbered her muscles. She stuffed her ear buds in and turned up the music. And the rest of the world faded away. The roar of the voice filled her ears. She pulled at her core and her biotics answered.
Smoke, fire, it's all goin' up
Bolts of azure shot from her arms and slammed into the targets she set up. They bounced against the far wall. She grunted with satisfaction.
Don't you know I ain't afraid to shed a little blood?
Hands twisting in a familiar gesture and the fallen targets floated. She widened her stance and grounded herself. Her hands reached up and Pulled. The targets slammed against the floor with a solid thunk.
Smoke, fire, flares are goin' up, flares are goin' up
Ryder bent her knees and launched herself towards the targets, hopefully to catch them before they fall to the ground. The blue lit up her body, starting from her legs, up towards her chest and hair. She heard a loud wolf call, she ground her teeth and forced herself to ignore it.
Her feet light as she ran, but it wasn't the same. It wasn't the same Charge she had seen the LT do days before. Something wasn't quite clicking, but a failure wasn't going to deter her.
Ryder tried again and again. Running through the same set to greater frustration with each try. Eventually, instead of Charging, she stumbled over her own feet and went sprawling.
One of her ear buds fell out and the rest of the Normandy came pressing close. She laid on her back, chest heaving as she stared at the ceiling.
"Why the fuck is it not working?" she growled, her fist slamming into the floor.
Ryder flinched when a face blotted out the lights. It was a familiar red-hair Commander. Shepard offered her a hand and Ryder slapped her palm against it. A quick tug and she was back on her feet.
"That was embarrassing," she chuckled, bushing the seat of her shorts with her hands. "Tripping over my own fucking feet."
Silence reigned. "Sorry, ma— Shepard. Language I know."
"I'm not your mother. We're soldiers here. Language is the furthest thing on my mind." Shepard chuckled. "And it happens to the best of us."
Ryder cocked her head. "Not something I'd imagine you, the Hero of the Blitz—" Shepard winced. "—Saviour of the Citadel—" Shepard cringed. "—to ever had experienced."
Shepard snorted. "You'd be surprised at the things I've done to myself." She waved her hand in the air, dismissing her words. "So I see you were trying something with that running action."
"Yeah. I saw the LT did some fast run, almost teleportation kind of technique, but I couldn't quite get it down. It's just not clicking with how I've done things."
"Charging you mean?"
Ryder nodded.
"Shepard, you're going to start training?" the Chief asked from her little station.
"What about it?" Shepard cocked her head, she was already stripping off her uniform. "Just don't tell Chakwas."
Williams chuckled. "Time to clear out boys," she shouted instead. "The Commander needs the space."
"What? I was enjoying the show!" Kaiser groaned. "Looking good there, Ryder. All that blue."
"Kaiser, shut up. I know you were the one who catcall her just now," Williams called out. "That's completely inappropriate."
"But I was merely expressing my appreciation of her form."
"Fucking hell, you just don't know when you shut up," she walked over and gathering the rest of the people in the cargo bay.
Ryder blinked at the haste she was rushing the others out. She glanced at Shepard who just shrugged in response.
"All yours, Shepard."
"Thanks, Williams."
As the little pack headed out of the cargo bay, Ryder could hear Williams speaking. "Kaiser, let me tell you in excruciating detail why that catcall was completely and utterly inappropriate."
The doors slid shut behind them, cutting off Kaiser's protests. Shepard chuckled. "He won't know what hit him, but she'll teach him," she muttered before turning to Ryder. "Now where were we?"
Ryder collapsed onto the floor, panting. Sweat poured off her brow, her shirt was completely soaked as she lay on the ground.
"That was awesome!"
"I know," Shepard huffed, laying on her back next to her.
The internal comms cackled to life. "Erm, Commander. There have been reports of loud crashes coming from the cargo bay." Joker's voice came through.
"Yeah, what about it?"
"Do I need to send Chakwas to come check on you?"
Shepard grimaced. "No."
"I figure a horde of varren somehow had gotten onto the Normandy. Maybe it's a present Wrex left you or something."
"Are you implying we're a bunch of varrens?"
Ryder could practically hear the arched eyebrow in Shepard's voice.
"No, no, never." Joker's chair creaked as he shifted his weight. "Just you know…"
"What?"
"Don't wreck my ship."
"You mean my ship."
"To-mah-to, to-meh-to," he said. "Same thing."
"Not quite the same thing."
"Still my fear remains. We are actually in space now. A hull breach would be less than ideal."
"Duly noted, Flight Lieutanant."
The connection remained live for a couple of seconds longer than needed. And Joker cut it without acknowledgement. "Arrogant bastard," Shepard growled but it held no bite.
"Your arrogant bastard pilot."
"Yup," she chuckled as got to her feet. "One more time."
Ryder grunted as she pushed herself into a sitting position. Her body was aching and her stomach growling from the workout she had been put it through. "One more time," she agreed as she took Shepard's helping hand.
Lyrics taken from White Flag by Bishop Biggs