Chapter Thirty – Boarding Party
Liara staggered, catching onto Samara's shoulder to keep from falling as the ship lurched violently beneath her. They stumbled together to the nearest window and saw two fighters flying in formation alongside the hull while a third larger ship hung back.
As the fighters twisted together and disappeared from view, Liara saw the flare of weapons fire and the ship rocked again.
"Cadeyrn," she muttered bitterly.
"No," Samara stated from beside her, "those are Eisheth's ships."
Liara frowned, "You're sure? Why would she attack us?"
The justicar turned her pale, wide eyes on her and blinked calmly, "I believe she wants Shepard."
…
Ereba clung to her console in the cockpit and attempted to stay in her seat as the ships opened fire again, "Dammit!" she hissed as she tried to evade a volley and failed.
"Can you return fire?" behind her, Falere was holding on to the back of her chair. Giving her a tour of the cockpit had seemed like a good idea ten minutes ago.
Ereba briefly closed her eyes, "No weapons. Theoretically we're supposed to be able to outmanoeuvre any other ship."
"Theoretically?"
"They managed to take out one of our engines in the first attack. I wasn't ready for them."
"It's not your fault," Falere told her. Ereba didn't find it much comfort.
"Ereba, talk to me!" Shepard yelled over the comm, her voice was accompanied by the clank of boots on metal and it sounded like she was running.
"Two fighters and a frigate," Ereba called back, "they're trying to disable all of our engines, I think they want to board us."
"Can you evade them?"
Ereba glanced at the readouts from her console and winced, "Not for long."
"Do what you can and have the squad meet me at the airlock."
…
Kyla sprinted to keep up with Shepard as the human charged into the armoury. She skidded to a stop and glanced around before she began grabbing the gear they had left there only yesterday. Kyla caught the shotgun that Shepard tossed to her and for a moment just blinked at it.
She'd barely had time to dress before Shepard had dragged her out of the cabin and half of her brain was still back in bed. Shepard threw Kyla's armour over too and she took the hint, fumbling with the straps as she tried to make herself register what was going on. Three ships, she remembered Ereba saying, attacking. Cloak deactivated. No weapons.
Fuck.
"What are we going to do if they board?" she asked as she grabbed some ammo.
"Fight them," Shepard replied bluntly.
"Right," she nodded, "stupid question."
"Very," Shepard agreed, "grab some grenades."
"You want to risk blowing up the inside of your own ship?" Shepard paused briefly to look back at her and her expression was answer enough, "Grenades. Right."
As Kyla moved to the other side of the armoury, a sudden impact hit the ship and sent her slamming into the wall. It was followed by the audible sound of a power drain and then silence.
"There goes the engines," Kyla muttered.
Shepard glanced down at the weapons store in front of her, "Some of the gear's gone. The others have already been here."
…
Maia, Barbet and Egret jogged swiftly through the ship's curving corridors, weapons drawn. They had met up at the armoury not long after the first shots had hit the ship – all having had the same idea – and they were already suited up when Ereba relayed Shepard's order to meet at the airlock.
Maia took the lead, the agile matriarch moved as swiftly as she did silently and kept close to the wall with her pistol drawn, alert for any noise or movement.
"Weapons fire has stopped," Barbet muttered behind her, "engines are out, they weren't trying to destroy us."
"Why would they?" Egret asked, "This ship's more advanced than anything they've got, they probably want it for themselves."
"Or they want to take us alive," Maia reasoned.
"That… should make me feel better," Ereba murmured, "it's kinda doing the opposite."
A heavy metallic clunk echoed from somewhere down the corridors and the ship rocked gently. Maia brought the group to a halt and glanced back at them, "Whatever their plan, I believe they have just docked with us."
…
Kyla was sprinting again, following Shepard towards the airlock. They didn't pause as they felt the soft impact but Shepard reached for her omni-tool, "Maia!" she shouted, "Where are you?"
"Approaching the airlock from corridor 2b," the reply came.
"Good. We'll circle around and come in from the other side. Ereba, stay in the cockpit and keep me updated."
"Yes, Shepard," Ereba's determined – if slightly shaky – voice replied, followed by, "shit, this is all my fault."
"You can blame yourself later," Shepard snapped, "focus on what's happening now!"
There was a pause, "Understood. Thanks."
As the comm shut off, Shepard grabbed her shotgun from her back and loaded it deftly before throwing Kyla a glance, "Ready for a fight?"
"Hmph," Kyla grunted back, "always."
…
Maia caught the first glimpse of the intruders, two asari and a salarian woman strutted boldly through the airlock door. The first thing that struck her was the arrogance of them, or it could have been stupidity. They didn't come in with weapons drawn and barriers raised; they just barged through and brazenly glanced about, somewhat like they owned the place.
They obviously didn't feel threatened. They believed they had already won. That was one of many mistakes they had made in their first few seconds on board.
Maia held up a hand to halt Barbet and Egret and slowly edged back out of sight around the curve of the corridor. The design of this ship was going to make a firefight awkward, with no straight lines or sharp corners it would be difficult to find cover and the endless curves would force them out into the open just to get a clear shot. Perhaps that had been intentional in Tevos' design. It seemed to Maia that it just gave both sides the same disadvantages.
As she and the squad waited out of sight, they heard voices.
"Hmph," an unimpressed asari snorted, "shiny, isn't it?"
"I haven't seen a ship as new as this since before the war," the other agreed.
The salarian wasn't interested, "Yeah, whatever," she muttered quickly, "Eisheth wants the ship, Shepard and… some asari doctor or something?"
"Liara T'Soni. Don't worry, we remember what she looks like, she was a fucking legend during the war, both of them were."
"Fine," the salarian stated. She didn't sound particularly impressed with their assignment. From her voice Maia would guess she was young, considering how rapidly salarians aged and their short lifespans, she could easily have been under twenty. To her, the Reaper War must have seemed so ancient it might as well have been a fairytale, as well as everyone who fought in it.
"C'mon, let's get moving!" she heard the sound of boots on metal as more intruders entered and she signalled to Barbet and Egret. They broke cover together, Maia formed a barrier around herself and Barbet as they strafed into the open and fired more or less blindly into the invading party. They weren't firing so much to hit as to alert them to their presence.
It had the desired effect. Amidst a hail of swearing and curses the intruders scurried back into the airlock, scrambling for their guns. That's what arrogance costs you, Maia mused silently. She was about to press forward when she saw the glint of red hair at the opposite end of the corridor.
"Move in!" Shepard shouted as she and Kyla advanced, "We've got them pinned!"
…
"I don't understand," Liara was saying as she and Samara followed the sound of gunfire through the corridors, "why do you think she wants Shepard?"
"She has a tome she stole from Cadeyrn. A record of prothean writings found throughout asari space. It's a pre-war artefact that Cadeyrn took from Thessia."
Liara glanced back at her with a frown, "I know of it."
"She believes it may hold secrets that could be of value to her and she has heard the pre-war rumours of the cypher Shepard carries."
"She wants Jules to translate it for her?"
"I don't claim to know Eisheth's mind, but it seems the most logical explanation for her attack."
"Couldn't she have tried asking before invading our ship?"
"I don't believe asking is in her nature."
"Of course," the young maiden sighed softly, "Jules always attracts the nicest people."
…
Bullets ricocheted off the barrier Jules had extended around herself and Kyla as they crouched in the corridor trying to get a clear shot. 'We've got them pinned' had turned out to be an overly optimistic assessment of the situation. In truth, the intruders had a good defensive position in the airlock while Jules and the others were stuck out in the open.
"They're going to push us back," Kyla muttered by her shoulder as she aimed a shot at a salarian who could just be seen inside the airlock door.
"Stop being defeatist," Jules replied dryly.
"I'll stop being defeatist when you start being realistic."
"Alright, alright," she conceded, reaching for her omni-tool, "Maia," she hissed into the comm, "back off, we'll see if we can draw them out."
…
Maia signalled to the others and they fell back down the corridor until the sound of gunfire stopped and they could hear only silence and the sound of their own breathing.
"What now?" Egret asked.
"We wait for them to come to us," Maia replied. She hit the door controls to a store cupboard and slipped inside. With the door still open she had an adequate enough view down the corridor. It wasn't perfect but it would do. She nodded to another door on the opposite wall and Barbet and Egret followed her lead.
She heard the clunk of boots on metal and swiftly reloaded her pistol. This time when the mercenaries appeared they were ready for battle, weapons drawn and barriers raised. They were learning.
She aimed her first shot at the salarian though it bounced harmlessly off her barrier. They immediately scattered, trying to utilize what little cover the curved walls afforded them. They were an untrained rabble, relying on anger and instinct to do their fighting for them. That didn't mean they should be underestimated, however. Maia had fought undisciplined mercenaries like them enough times before to know how dangerous they could be.
The salarian turned out to be a more powerful biotic that Maia might have suspected. The lithe girl flitted about erratically, launching seemingly random attacks. She sent a sharp shockwave careering towards Egret and Maia heard a yelp from the young maiden as she was forced back inside the doorway. Maia retaliated with a wave of her own but the salarian barely staggered before unleashing a biotic blast that exploded right by Maia's cover, knocking her backwards off her feet.
She hit the floor hard and heard her shoulders crack at the impact. Surprised and bewildered she scrabbled for her pistol and jumped back to her feet just in time to see the salarian sprinting past the doorway and further into the ship, accompanied by the annoyed shouts of her comrades.
"Oi! Where the fuck are you going?" an asari voice demanded, followed by: "fucking salarian!"
"Oh leave her!" another yelled, "It's not our problem if she gets herself killed!"
Maia saw Egret re-emerge with her barrier restored and she and Barbet continued firing.
"Hold them off!" she ordered, "I'll get the salarian!"
…
Meanwhile, in the relative quiet of the med bay, Rhys was preparing for the aftermath of the current crisis. He knew that the ship was under attack and – thanks to a hurried message from Egret – he knew there were intruders on board. This was concerning, of course, but since he had no skill with weapons himself his only available option was to prep his instruments and hope for a favourable outcome.
He hummed softly to himself as he laid out everything he would need to deal with bullet-wounds, burns, broken bones, cuts, bruises and anything else one might sustain in a firefight. All these asari on board meant that biotics were a certainty and biotics meant more injuries. The things mass effect fields could do to muscle were enough to make even the toughest surgeon grimace, he had seen bodies literally ripped apart or twisted into shapes barely resembling humanoid.
It was an unsettling reality he was facing but, wherever he went and whatever situations he found himself in, Rhys had always found comfort in his work. He could become so engrossed in a task that any troubles quickly faded from his mind. As he carefully selected the right tools and arranged them in the right order, he could almost have forgotten that the ship was being invaded and any moment could be his last.
In fact, it took him quite by surprise when the door to his med bay suddenly opened and an unfamiliar salarian barged in, dressed in combat clothes and armed to the teeth. As her large eyes fell on him, she momentarily seemed as surprised as him.
"Hello, my dear," he greeted her pleasantly, "can I help you?"
…
Maia had been ten steps behind the salarian when she had ducked into the med bay. Knowing that Rhys was probably inside made the matriarch approach cautiously, the last thing she wanted was to accidently shoot their doctor. If nothing else it would make for an embarrassing conversation with Shepard afterwards.
Listening at the door she could hear nothing, so she readied her pistol and hit the door controls.
She swiftly raised her gun as she entered. Something clattered to her right and she spun round, only to find herself aiming at Rhys. The quarian was being held in a biotic stasis field with the salarian's pistol levelled at his head. He was in obvious distress, struggling not only to move but to breathe. His bright eyes met hers as he choked and whimpered and although he appeared remarkably calm, his whole expression screamed 'help'.
Behind him, the salarian's wide eyes twitched feverishly, her finger tensed on the trigger.
"Let him go," Maia instructed her.
"Why?" she demanded in her hurried voice, "So you can shoot me?"
"You give yourself too little credit," Maia stated, her own tone much slower and deliberately precise, "your biotic skills are impressive, whoever trained you was a master."
"Or a psychopath," the salarian counted with the feverish twitch of a smile.
That had crossed Maia's mind too. The salarian's biotics were powerful and formidable but she had shown little in the way of discipline. She was all instinct and no plan.
"Our doctor is no warrior," Maia said carefully as Rhys' breathing became painfully laboured, "there's no honour in killing someone who can't put up a fight, it only makes you appear weak."
The girl's face twisted into something that might have been scorn, "Is that what they teach you on the other side of the relay? Weird."
"What do they teach you here?"
She gave a quick, careless shrug, "Killing's fun. And not killing someone weaker than you? Well, that's just stupid."
Maia sent a sharp, channelled shockwave directed precisely at the girl's hand. It caught her so off-guard that the gun clattered to the floor and she was sent staggering backwards, breaking her focus long enough for the stasis barrier to fail and release Rhys from its hold.
"Fucking bitch!" the salarian exclaimed in adolescent annoyance as Rhys scurried into cover under one of the beds. She retaliated quickly enough, sending her own wave of energy that hit Maia like a backhanded slap, twisting her body unnaturally as she was forced back against the wall. She felt her muscles scream in protest before another attack hit her and her shoulder cracked as it dislocated against the cold metal of the wall.
She ignored the pain, switching her pistol to her other hand and firing three shots at the salarian's chest. They bounced uselessly off her barrier of course but it staggered her enough to give Maia time. The girl was faster than she had expected though and before she could prepare her own attack, Maia found a stasis field closing around her limbs, her torso, her throat. As the pressure tightened across her chest, the salarian strode forwards, picking the pistol out of Maia's hand.
"Don't kill weaker opponents, huh?" the girl snorted, "Shit philosophy."
Maia stared at her, genuinely aghast. She couldn't even remember the last time she had been so easily overpowered, it was almost beyond fathoming that a teenage salarian would be the one to defeat her. But just before the girl could raise the pistol, she gave a sudden yelp. Her ink black eyes widened in surprise and she inexplicably fell to the floor, revealing Rhys standing behind her, syringe in hand.
"Thank you for the timely distraction, my dear," he said pleasantly as the stasis field dissipated and Maia gasped for breath, "I much prefer a live specimen to a dead one."
"Specimen?" Maia questioned, wincing as she cradled her injured arm and continued to stare at the salarian in mild bewilderment.
Rhys was already lifting the unconscious girl onto one of the beds, "Shepard wants to know if biotics in this part of space truly function without need of an implant. Our uninvited guest here provides the perfect opportunity to find out."
Maia watched him for a second. His reassuring smile was almost enough to hide the quiver in his voice, "Are you alright?" she asked, "I can't imagine you're used to being held hostage."
"No not really," he smiled, leaving it a little ambiguous as to which question he was answering, "but I always find it's best to keep working. So, let me have a look at that arm."
…
The mercs had split into two groups, one had followed Maia's team, the other was chasing down Jules and Kyla.
"Dammit!" Jules hissed as she paused to fire off a few shots before being forced onwards again, "I am not being backed into a corner on my own ship!"
"There aren't any fucking corners on this ship!" Kyla yelled, firing blindly behind her as she ran.
They reached the corridor that led off to the cockpit and Kyla veered for it but Jules grabbed her arm and gestured her onwards instead. A few metres ahead another corridor intersected this one, creating a crossroads and offering slightly better cover.
As they reached it they dived in opposite directions, taking cover either side. Kyla unleashed several shots and saw the party scramble into the cover of the cockpit corridor. She also saw only two of them emerged again to fire at them.
"Shit," Shepard muttered, activating her omni-tool, "Ereba, I think you've got one headed your way. Can you handle it?"
There was a pause and Jules heard the definite sound of a pistol being loaded, "Yes, Shepard."
…
Falere watched Ereba carefully as the pilot fished the pistol out from under her seat and loaded it. She looked down at it determinedly for a moment and then up at Falere, as though suddenly remembering she were there.
"I… thought I'd better keep a gun in here," she explained, gesturing to the weapon as though the admission embarrassed her, "for emergencies."
The sound of gunfire echoed though the ship and Falere inclined her head in agreement, "I think this qualifies."
The sound of approaching footsteps drew their attention and Falere heard Ereba's breathing quicken, she had also gone rather pale.
"Just one?" she queried in a small voice, seeking reassurance.
"I think so," Falere agreed as she listened, "they're probably hoping they can take control of the ship from here."
"Do you know how to fight?"
Falere flashed her what she hoped was a reassuring smile, "Two hundred years alongside my mother gave me some practice. Get into cover," she nodded to the pilot's chair and swallowed, trying to ignore the knot forming in her stomach. It had actually been a long time since she had been in a battle and honestly, even before she had been captured her mother had kept her away from fighting as much as possible, probably through a fear that killing would unleash some dark impulse inside her and she would become like Morinth. Even the thought made her want to roll her eyes. Nearly six hundred years old and she was still being coddled like a child.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. Ereba's fear was visible which meant Falere's couldn't be, so she forced down the doubt and mustered her power. The reassuring thrum of biotics pulsed through her skin as her barrier sprung up around her and she focused the energy down to her hand where it formed into a shimmering ball in her palm. Suddenly calm and focussed, she waited.
…
Jules and Kyla felt the biotic explosion more than they heard it. As they forced the enemy party into a retreat they felt the walls shake as a pulse of energy reached them from the cockpit. For a split-second they stopped and looked at each other.
"Do you think that's good or bad?" Kyla grimaced.
Jules shook her head, "Let's find out."
They sprinted down the corridor, leaping over one of the fallen intruders. The asari was whimpering in her death throes and reached towards them as they passed. Kyla unloaded a shot into her chest and she fell silent.
When they reached the cockpit, Jules skidded to a halt in front of another body, twisted and mangled from a biotic warp. Jules looked at it, then at Falere standing calmly by the side, then at Ereba where she was kneeling on the pilot's chair, blinking in mild confusion as her pistol remained unfired in her hand. For a moment there was silence before Jules cleared her throat.
"Everything under control?" she queried lightly.
"Yes," Ereba replied, somewhat distractedly, "Falere handled it."
"Did she?" Kyla drawled cynically from behind, casting the asari a dirty look that Jules didn't fail to notice. Before anything else could be said, the sound of gunfire drew their attention.
"Sounds like the others are having fun," Jules mused, "we should get back to them," she turned to Ereba, "I want you to assess the damages, get the cloak back up and figure out how long it'll take to get the engines back online."
The pilot nodded and Jules turned away, slapping a hand on Kyla's shoulder and dragging the asari with her, "What's your problem with Falere?" she muttered in an undertone.
"Oh you know," she shrugged, "I've always been uncomfortable around mind-raping murderers. I'm funny like that."
Jules glared at her for a second, then briefly closed her eyes, "Liara told you."
Kyla snorted but then seemed to kick herself a little, "Don't get mad at her, she was a bit distracted at the time."
"Hmph, is that sisterly concern?"
"Fuck off, Shepard."
…
The muffled sound of distant gunfire reached the med bay and Rhys paused briefly in his work to listen for any clue as to who might be winning. He saw Maia react too, eyes narrowing just slightly as though trying to pinpoint the sound.
"I believe the fighting is on the other side of the ship," she murmured softly after a moment, "probably just as well in our current circumstances."
Rhys allowed himself a smile as he went back to tending to her shoulder, "Come now my dear, I'm sure a trained commando such as yourself could still fight with a dislocated shoulder."
The matriarch's eyes dazzled with a trace of amusement, possibly at being called 'my dear' by someone nearly a millennia younger than her, "Only when I have to, Doctor."
"Rhys, please. I've always admired commando training, particularly those of you who were trained before the war. I sometimes think people forget the true strength of the power you wield, the discipline it must take to control it so precisely is truly remarkable."
"Don't be too quick to praise me. Were it not for you that girl may well have killed me," she frowned thoughtfully at the unconscious salarian on the next bed, "she may not have discipline but someone trained her well. I underestimated her."
"Don't worry, I'll tell the others you fought her courageously. We can leave out my part."
Maia shot him a wicked smile, "You're too kind. Is there any chance of her waking up?"
He laughed, "Not soon. I injected her with enough sedative to knock out an elcor," as he said it he deftly and forcibly manoeuvred Maia's shoulder back into its socket. He gave her no warning, he found doing it that way helped reduce the patient's stress.
As it happened, he probably needn't have bothered; Maia didn't so much as flinch. Asari commandoes, he mused cheerfully, such remarkable people.
The sound of footsteps on the metal deck outside made them both pause. After exchanging a glance, Maia brushed aside Rhys' hand from her shoulder and silently slipped from the bed. She retrieved her pistol and moved carefully to the door.
The gunfire had stopped, Rhys noted. He didn't know if that made him feel nervous or reassured. The footsteps had stopped outside and for a moment Maia listened intently.
Three loud bangs made Rhys jump. It seemed whoever was outside had the curtesy to knock, at least.
"It's alright, it's us!" Shepard's voice shouted and Rhys let himself breathe again. Maia, on the other hand, hesitated.
"How do I know you're not being held hostage with a gun to your head?" she called carefully.
There was a pause, "You do know who I am, right?" Shepard sounded slightly incredulous, with her reputation, Rhys couldn't blame her, "I mean, we could come up with a code word or something if it would make you feel better? How about: let me in before I kick the door down?"
Maia threw Rhys a look before holstering her gun and opening the door to reveal an irritable looking Shepard, "I believe that was nine words," Maia said to her wryly.
Shepard smirked and stepped inside with Barbet, Kyla and Ereba following, "You two okay?"
"Perfectly," Rhys agreed, "though we had a visitor," he nodded to the salarian.
"Is she alive?"
"Yes. And dangerous. I was just about to run some tests on her, it seems we have our biotic specimen."
Shepard nodded, "Good to know we got something out of all this. I'll have someone stay here with you, in case she wakes up."
"I take it the other intruders are gone?" Maia asked.
"They made a run for it once two of their friends were dead," Barbet told her, "looks like this gang doesn't believe much in loyalty. They left that poor kid Liara melded with to die in an alley and then they left without this one," he nodded at the salarian.
Shepard had moved to the bed and was leaning over the salarian with a curious frown, "They seem to be nearly all asari. I wonder what an alien has to do to get in with them."
"Be a gifted biotic?" Maia suggested, "She almost got the better of me."
Rhys saw Kyla's face light up, "A salarian? Got the better of you? Getting too old for this Matriarch?"
"I believe the operative word was 'almost'," Rhys interjected calmly, earning him a gentle smile from Maia.
"There is no shame in admitting the talent of your opponent, Kyla," she said smoothly, "unless your insecurities outweigh your own abilities."
Kyla snorted, "Ouch."
The running sound of footsteps drew the squad's attention and had them all reaching for their weapons in a warrior instinct that Rhys was sure he would never acquire – no matter how many firefights he ended up in. He did have the sense to duck around behind them, however, as they aimed at the door.
When Liara appeared, the sigh of relief was audible, something that seemed to amuse the asari, "Jumpy?" she quipped as she stepped inside with Samara behind her.
"Well look who missed all the fun," Shepard drawled.
"Are you alright?" Liara asked, crossing to her and taking hold of her chin as she checked for injuries. It was somehow odd to see someone treat the famed hero with such familial affection, almost as though Shepard were an ordinary person – fallible and vulnerable to harm.
"Just scratches," she confirmed with a grin. Liara's initial concern faded and she sighed.
"Disappointing. You must have let everyone else do the work for you."
Shepard raised an eyebrow and seemed to suppress a smile, "And where exactly were you two?"
"Following the sound of gunfire, there were only corpses by the time we reached it."
"Where is Falere?" Samara asked, glancing around the med bay.
"In the cockpit with Ereba," Shepard replied, "they're assessing damages."
"Was she in the fighting?"
There was a meaningful edge to Samara's voice that made Shepard pause for a moment, "A little. She's not hurt. Do you have any idea what all of this was about?"
The justicar exchanged a look with Liara and then inclined her head, "I believe so."
…
Jules listened to Samara's theory only half sceptically and came to the conclusion that it sounded no stranger than anything else that had ever happened in her life.
"So, Eisheth wants my cypher to decode a tome of prothean writing?" she clarified. Samara inclined her head and Jules looked at Liara, "Could this tome actually contain anything of use to her?"
"Possibly. It's hard to say since it was never fully translated. It was believed to contain information on prothean activity in asari space during our primitive era but it could also contain schematics for weapons or other prothean technology. It's impossible to know for sure."
"Even if you could prove the tome useless, you would not be able to reason Eisheth out of her plans," Samara stated, "she is not a rational foe. Power, violence, domination, they excite her. She doesn't need an excuse to pursue them. She is, at her core, a child."
"Children can be sent to their rooms, this woman sounds like a menace."
"Indeed," Samara agreed, "as much as Cadeyrn may be unethical, Eisheth cannot be allowed to best him. Piares would become her playground."
"Oh don't look at me like that, Samara. I'm not here to start getting involved in other people's problems."
"I'd say it's your problem now," Barbet muttered, "it's you she's after."
"Of course it is, I'm irresistibly attractive to every raving lunatic who gets within a thousand mile radius of me, apparently," she shook her head and sighed, "fine, the moment we get the engines back on, we're going back to Piares. Make sure you're all well rested because I get the feeling we'll be walking into a war zone. Doctor," she turned to Rhys, "let me know when you learn anything from that salarian."
"Of course," Rhys smiled pleasantly.
"Good, Maia will stay with you, just in case. Everybody else, focus on repairs, let's get the engines back online," she turned towards the door but a sudden thought made her pause and she looked over at Egret, "Did you get in contact with Grunt?"
The asari shook her head, "I couldn't get a response. You don't think something's wrong do you?"
"No," Jules said quickly, "course not. You know Grunt, he's probably just turned his comm of to avoid Tevos. I know I did it enough times," she smiled to hide the tiny flicker of unease in her stomach, "keep trying him, I'm sure he'll pick up eventually."