They marched through the woods in silence for well over an hour. The once peaceful white noise of rustling foliage and snapping sticks now nearly caused palpitations; the fear of the Batarians around every corner. The occasional whine of a Batarian shuttle passing by nearby certainly didn't help.

"What's the plan now, Jack?" Arthur asked, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence. Jack suppressed a wince, trying to maintain a calm and composed exterior. His last plan had gone poorly, to say the least. All because he overreached, estimating well beyond their actual capabilities; Now was the time to play it safe.

"We're about… five miles away from the edge of the forest nearest to Jones' farm." Jack started, taking a moment to stop and wipe the sweat from his brow. "That still leaves us with about twelve miles to cover over land. If we were taking a direct route."

"I'm guessing that means we won't be taking a straight route?" Ji asked through poorly concealed pants for air, the hike affecting him the worst of all.

"No, too much open ground. Even if we travelled in the dark, all it would take would be one unlucky sweep by a shuttle and we'll have who knows how many squads coming after us. And after… After what happened at the house, I don't think they'll make it quick." Jack said. He extended a small bottle of water to Ji, who snatched it and drank deeply between gasps.

"So how much travel does that actually put us at?" Arthur asked.

"Five miles to the edge, the first two ditches will have us zigzag for about four. Unfortunately, the second ditch is a dead end. We'll have the Bala's ranch we can make our way across from there. They should have their feeders filled and out in the fields, which can provide some cover if we need them. That'll be about two miles, give or take, before we hit the ditch on the far side. From there, it'll be a pretty straight shot to the safehouse for another six miles."

With the conclusion, Jack accepted the bottle back from Ji. It had maybe a quarter of the water left, but Jack didn't say anything as he stashed it back in his bag. Ji needed all the help he could get, and Jack's route wasn't going to help in the slightest. If Jack needed to drink that badly, they would be passing through plenty of irrigation ditches. It was probably about the quality of water he deserved, he thought sullenly.

"What if we don't cross the Bala's ranch?" Eva asked quietly. "The feeders are really spread out; and if we have to use them, they don't cover all that much aside from the base. The rest is mostly skeletal."

"I was worried about that, too." Jack admitted with a nod. "We'd have to back track in the opposite direction of the safehouse. There's a junction about halfway to the ranch, but that alternate route is another three miles away from the safehouse before cutting another four miles across the field, and the remaining five miles to get us back on track."

The response to the idea was unanimously negative; grimaces all around as Ji released an exasperated sigh. Twelve miles was a bit of a trek, but nothing they hadn't done before under better circumstances and no time constraints. Having to follow the ditches either added five miles to their journey or more than doubled it; all the while stooping uncomfortably low and wading through calf deep water and sludge.

Eva shook her head as she stared at the ground, her arms crossed tightly against her chest. Arthur began to curse under his breath, running a hand through his hair and muttering ideas that he shot down himself a moment after they left his lips. Ji stood stoically away from the rest, his clenched fist tapping against his chin as he stared past Shepard; A twitch of agitation rising to this furrowed brow.

"If everything goes smoothly, the route I'm talking about is seventeen miles. Ten miles crawling through ditches, which isn't the fastest to begin with. If we take the route that's exclusively ditches it will be at least twenty-five miles of crawling. That's eight extra miles where we might be at risk for detection. Not to mention that many more miles of intensive physical exertion, which…" Jack stopped, simply shrugging.

"I can do it." Ji said coldly, glaring at Jack.

"Ji, I didn't mean -"

"I'm not that soft, shepard." Ji said, cutting Jack off. "If we need to go the extra eight miles, I can do it."

"I'm sure you can, Ji." Jack said carefully. Evenly. They were all on edge and the last thing he wanted was to push anyone over it. "I wasn't trying to imply otherwise. I mean, Art, Eva, and I are a bit more used to running around like this, but even we're already tired from all this. I just want to make sure we all make it to the safehouse. That's all."

"Don't coddle me, Jack. Just because I don't spend all my time rolling around in the dirt, doesn't mean I can't go the distance." Ji said quietly. He refused to look anyone in the eyes as his arms wrapped around himself protectively.

"Lay off, Lu." Art sighed, whether from exhaustion or annoyance Jack wasn't quite sure. "You're panting hard already. We can't take breaks every thirty minutes just for you to catch your breath."

"Fuck off, Miller. I do what's needed. What I'm asked to do. I'm not some weak link."

"Do you? Giving the Batarian's a flashing beacon to where we all were sounds like a pretty big fuck-up to me."

"I made one mistake! I had to straddle the line on an encryption that the Batarian's wouldn't catch but everyone's second-hand omni-tools could. It's not as easy as it sounds."

"Guys, stop it." Jack tried to cut in, putting himself in between the two as their voices started to rise. Eva grabbed her brother by the arm, trying to calm him down and drag him away.

"A mistake? You killed my Dad, asshole. You killed Jack's whole family. You fucking killed Jones!" Arthur shouted, shaking his sister off and trying to push past Jack's elbow that held him at bay.

"It wasn't my idea! I was just following orders! If we weren't trying Jack's plans in the first place they'd all still be alive." Ji shouted back. Jack's arms suddenly went limp as he stared back at Ji, the other two boys' attention shifting off of each other to Shepard.

The mask was broken, if only for a second, but it was enough. All the regret and guilt bubbled up to the surface and they could see it plainly on his face. Arthur awkwardly took a step back, the hands clenched at his side slackening as he glanced between his friends. Ji's venomous stare dissolved as he sputtered for words.

"Wait, no… Shepard, I didn't - " He began, trying to backpedal from the statement before being cut off abruptly by an all too familiar high-pitched whine. A Batarian shuttle buzzed by just over the tops of the trees maybe a hundred feet away, causing Ji, Art, and Eva to dive for nearby bushes or shrubs for cover. All the while, Jack stood stock still, his eyes downcast as he worried at his lip.

There was a silence that followed the shuttle passing. One that made Arthur and Ji's fighting paltry by comparison. At this point, it looked like the frustration and anger had passed as they looked anxiously between each other and the silent Jack.

"Shepard. I didn't mean -" Ji began again, this time being interrupted by Jack instead.

"You're right. It's my fault. I said as much back at the house." Jack said quietly, averting his eyes from the others. "I thought… I thought we could save everyone. That I could save everyone. I saw all of you running to God knows where and all I could think about was you dying with me having done nothing to stop it."

The group was quiet as Jack shrugged off the pack on his back awkwardly, holding it out for Ji.

"It probably isn't really worth a damn,but my plan was to wait until it was dark and keep an eye on the shuttles for patterns. Maybe placement, maybe frequency… I don't really know. If the ranch was too hot for activity or the shuttles were really active at night, I would've led us down the long path just to be safe.

"The only reason I wanted to take the shorter route across open land was because the long route would mean we would be coming up to Jones' place after sunrise. Which means we would be more likely to be spotted by Batarians; and if we were found there and Jones' Mom or Uncle were still there and in the bunker, I…"

Jack's voice cracked, finally turning to look Ji in the eye. Jack tried to force a smile and hoped that no one would notice his watery eyes, having the opposite effect of what he intended as Ji; whose neutral, stoic face slipped into a distraught frown.

"I couldn't do that to Jones. Not after everything that I already… Not after everything that's happened already. I got too arrogant, I overestimated us. All of us. Now all of you are paying the price. If you want to take the lead, Ji. I'll back you up." Jack finished, clearing his throat with a cough as he looked over at the Miller siblings. "Art, Eva, I'm really sorry about your dad. If I had known -"

"We know, Jack. It's okay. Even if that message hadn't gone out, the store is on the corner of a pretty big road. He would've.. He would've… " Eva cut in, awkwardly holding her left arm as she leaned against her brother, unable to finish the thought. Arthur wrapped a protective arm around her, giving her a shoulder a gentle squeeze before he spoke.

"If I had run straight into town, I would probably already be dead." Arthur said quietly. "Eva would've been alone at your house, which means if only the two of you had been there when some random patrol came by, then… I don't want to think about it."

Eva curled into the sideways embrace from her brother. If Arthur minded at all, he didn't show it as he tenderly rubbed her back. Jack and Ji both had the courtesy to pretend not to see her shudder or hear her soft sniffles into her brother's chest.

"You made the right call, trying to keep us together. This whole thing is just fucked up." Arthur concluded with a pained look on his face. "Ji, I'm sorry for blaming you. I know Jones was your friend too."

Ji shifted uncomfortably between Jack and Arthur; One hand shoved into his pocket while he grasped the pack from Shepard with the other.

"Your apology is accepted, Miller." He said evenly, "The message was only a single ping, so if either your Dad or Jack's family moved fast enough, then maybe…"

He stopped himself mid-sentence, the empty hope he was trying to peddle dying on his lips.

"Thank you, Arthur." He said instead. He turned to Jack as he slung the pack over a shoulder. "I'm only holding onto this because it is clear you have a hard time handling it yourself. Your plan is… acceptable. I think it's best if you make the call. I just don't like feeling like we're walking around blind. I don't… I don't want to feel powerless."

"I understand, Lu." Jack said, "Let me know if you have an opinion on any of the judgements I'm making."

"Have I ever not?" Ji asked, earning a surprised half-chuckle from Jack.

"Now that you mention it, Ji, I don't think you have." Jack said, wiping at his eyes as he got his breathing back under control. "Dammit, that shuttle kicked up a lot of dirt, must have got some in my eyes."

"An epidemic, apparently." Ji nodded as the Millers separated, Eva carefully wiping at her cheeks. "Let's get going, we should be sure we're ready to leave the forest as soon as it gets dark."


The group huddled near the edge of the tree line, just far enough in to not be seen easily from the sky but with a clear view of the fields ahead of them. Ji and Arthur napped lightly, both of them leaning against a tree and each other. The events of the day had left them all exhausted, rushing them from one bout of panic-filled adrenaline to the next until they were all burnt out and in need of a recharge.

They had all agreed on resting up as much as possible before making their nighttime trek, but it wouldn't have been safe to all rest at once with the looming threat. Jack and Eva had taken the first round of naps. It was the shorter one with only about an hour. The other three had argued that if Jack was going to be the one making the decisions, he should be the most well rested. Jack had countered that he had had a pretty late start that morning, so he was probably the least tired out of all of them.

Jack hadn't had a late morning. But the rest of them didn't need to know that. He knew Arthur had started early to cover the store so they could all meet up for the afternoon. Ji was fairing about how Jack had expected. From crawling through ditches, to the fight in the house, to the trek through the woods, Ji was wiped. Considering the mostly sedimentary life that he led in his family's office, it was impressive he was able to keep up as well as he did. But it didn't make the journey any easier.

Eva stood a few paces from Jack; the atmosphere was deceptively quiet in stark contrast to the day they had just experienced.

They hadn't spoken much since either the house or the brief conversation during the walk through the woods. Jack didn't really know what to say that hadn't already said without making it sound forced. So, they both stood in silence, letting the summer bugs buzz, hum, and chirp in the humid air of the twilight of Mindoir.

As if sensing the moment of peace, a shuttle screamed across the skyline a couple miles out.

Arthur and Ji stirred, consciousness returning to them before Jack slid backwards and laid a hand on either of their shoulders. The glassy looks in their eyes seemed to dully acknowledge the unspoken information before they rested back against the tree, trying to slide back into blissful unawareness.

It was the third shuttle in the last hour. Their attempts for rest weren't remarkably successful for good long-term sleep, barely able to accomplish bursts of power naps.

Hopefully, it would be enough.

Eva, to her credit, didn't flinch as the shuttle passed. Either adjusted or simply numb to the rumble and noise and what it represented. She simply tracked it with her eyes as it cut a path across the dimming golden sky.

"What's in the bag, anyways?" Jack finally asked.

"Half a bottle of water, maybe two energy bars?" She responded after a moment of thinking with a shrug.

"No, not – The other bag, with the sparkles and streamers and everything." Jack corrected himself. The unexpected question earning him a barely suppressed snort of a giggle from Eva.

"That was supposed to be your birthday present from Me and Sarah and Angelina." She said after a moment, running a dirty hand across her mouth. "I mean, I guess it still is. It's just…"

"Ashes." Shepard finished, holding back a grimace as he thought about the last thing from his sisters being consumed in the flash explosion with Jones and all the Batarians around him.

"No, actually." Eva said, reaching into her jacket and pulling out a fair-sized sleeve. She unstrapped it, withdrawing what looked to be a fresh datapad. She fiddled with it a moment, not making eye contact with Jack who could only stare back in stunned silence. "I – it didn't feel right leaving it back there so I grabbed the bag before we left. It's probably silly lugging around the extra weight when we're on the run and – oh, don't worry. I turned it off and put it on silent so it won't make any noise or draw any attention. And I –"

"Thank you, Eva." Jack interrupted, stopping the rambling explanations. "It means a lot to me."

"Sure, Jack. No problem." She replied with a small smile, brushing some of the hair out of her face and behind her ear. The two held eye contact for a moment before Shepard spoke again.

"Can I see it?" He asked, extending a hand. Eva began to offer him the Datapad before a strange look crossed her face and she withdrew.

"Maybe – maybe not right now." She said, starting to slide the Datapad back into its sleeve.

"You know, if we wait too long it won't be my birthday anymore." Jack said, trying to decipher what exactly the look on Eva's face was.

"I think you'll survive if you get your present a day late." Eva said with a small smile.

"I certainly hope so."

"I just… just don't want to make you distracted. I'll hold on to it until all this is over and we're safe in the bunker." She said finally. Her hands twisted in knots around each other like they always did when she was nervous. Jack couldn't help but be disappointed at having to wait, but with everything that was going on, looking at his present wasn't exactly an urgent or serious thing he could reasonably request.

"Okay, Eva. I trust you." He said quietly, trying his best to grin warmly.

"Thanks, Jack."

The two stood in silence for a little while longer, watching the fields as the sky quickly went from gold to red to gray. Another Batarian shuttle soared across the sky, barely discernible if not for its running lights in the evening gloom.

This time, Jack didn't stop Arthur or Ji from rising. The two stumbling to their feet and shaking off the dregs of sleep and cloudiness in their minds as they came to the realization that the day had not been some horrific nightmare.

"Ready?" Jack asked to the trio that looked to him expectantly. A series of nods the only response he received before they turned and began to carefully sneak their way into the nearest irrigation ditch and the start of their long night trek.


The good news was that they had made it to the junction in the irrigation ditch, the one that would decide their route for the night, without being detected.

The bad news was that the number of Batarian shuttles buzzing overhead hadn't lessened at all over the course of the evening as it crept into night.

Jack pulled himself up against the steep incline of the ditch, taking a moment to catch his breath before slowly raising his head above the edge of the ditch. Between the ditch and the ranch house was roughly a mile of field used for grazing the cattle, the feeders scattered across the expanse at what seemed like random intervals. The short, tempting route had one unfortunate setback; the trio of shuttles that were stationed at the small clearing just outside the ranch home, a little ways off from the cattle housing. Jack cursed under his breath at the poor luck, but there was no chance of them attempting the trip with such a threat so close. The plan had been using the housing unit for the cattle as solid overhead cover, but they wouldn't mean a thing if there were spotters on the ground that could easily pick them out before they made it there. The open fields were an option, but far too risky with the passing shuttles overhead.

Jack turned, ready to ask the group if they started down the ditch for the long path immediately or try to wait out the patrol, when movement caught his eye.

Several sharp beams of light were slashing across the fields on either side of the ditches, with a good portion of the ditch being caught in the edge of the light.

He struggled to remember if there had been any overhangs, outcroppings or tunnels along the path of the ditch they just traversed. Nothing came to mind that would hide them all, not without backtracking far enough to put them in direct line with the shuttle's beams. The choked responses from behind him in the ditch let him know that the others were seeing the same problem as him.

Jack was in charge, so it was his decision to make, and there wasn't any time to think or weigh the risks of two equally bad options. Heaving himself up over the lip of the ditch, he swiveled and offered a hand into the ditch.

"Come on, we need to make it across the field as fast as possible. If we can make it to the outbuilding, we might stand a chance." He offered the best strategy he could come up with as he dragged Eva over the edge. Arthur was already pulling himself up and offering a hand to Ji, who clambered over the edge and rose to a low crouch, matching the rest of the group.

"Keep the feeders between us and the ranch house. Keep a low profile and tuck your arms in if you can manage it." Jack said as he started forward, slipping a leg through the cable fence and rolling through to the other side. He heard the grunts of exertion behind him, rather than turning to look as he scanned the fields and threats.

The Shuttles were about 700 meters out and making their way up at a slow pace for what he figured their top speed was, almost looking like they were hovering. Luckily, that gave them a little bit of time to scramble forward. But it also meant they would be thorough with the sweep of the field. In contrast, the Batarians that had apparently disembarked from the shuttles were clustered near the ranch, with maybe one or two of them looking out towards the field.

"Jack!" Arthur hissed, snapping Jack out of his brief examination, waving him over to the nearest feeder. The short base was solid metal plating, forming a sort of trough for the cattle in the fields. At equal intervals around the edge of the base were thin bars that jutted up and inwards, meeting at the middle of the circular construction. Against the base, his trio of friends hunkered down, carefully keeping out of view from the Batarians on the far end of the field.

Jack hustled the few meters between them, pressing his back firmly against the base as well as he looked towards the rest of the field, nodding as pieces began to slip into place.

"Okay, we can make this work." He began, turning towards the rest of the group. He gripped Ji firmly by the arm, dragging him towards the edge of the feeder they were using for cover. "Do you see those feeders, Ji?"

Ji nodded his acknowledgement, identifying the specific feeders in a crude arc between them and the cattle housing outbuilding. Jack kept to himself how much he noticed his friend was shaking.

"We're going to have to zig-zag our way across. If we can hit those first four in a line, we can curve our way up towards the housing building. But we're going to really have to move if we're going to make it in time. Do you understand?" Jack asked turning Ji to look him in the eyes. Ji was still shivering, but his eyes were as cold and steady as ever, despite the shaking breaths.

"Got it."

"Good. You're going to be going first, Arthur I want you following closely behind. Eva, you'll be following your brother. I'll be bringing up the rear. If we get separated at any point in this chain, you do not stop. Keep making your way towards the housing unit, that's our meet-up location if things go wrong."

The others whispered their understanding as Ji took his first few steps from the perceived safety of the feeder base, keeping his head ducked and his body low. After a moment, Jack patted Arthur on the back who took off quietly and quickly after him. Once Arthur had made it about halfway across, he gave Eva a gentle push in the small of her back and she followed her brother. Jack took the moment to glance backwards at the shuttles that were slowly looming ever closer. They were a fair bit over a hundred meters away at that point. If they were going to make it, it was going to be close.

Jack began his transition over. His pace somewhere between a fast walk and a jog, he fought the urge to just sprint to the next feeder. His legs protested the awkward half-squat he was in for most of the way, burning and threatening to cramp as he felt the sweat beading at his brow. In the current situation, he found himself almost trying to hold his breath, but that resulted in painful bursts of exhalation and greedily gulping in air. He tried to control his breathing, his legs moving, keeping his arms tucked in and his head low. The juggling of all the minor things were as mentally taxing in the stressful situation as the ordeal was physically taxing, but with a flood of relief he found himself sliding behind the next feeder. It had felt like a quarter-hour of hard running, but in reality, he figured it was probably closer to two minutes.

Ji was already part of the way to the next feeder, with Arthur getting ready to trail him. Jack glanced back again, seeing the shuttles closing to about 400 meters. They were going to have to pick up the pace, or they were going to get caught before they could make the turn.

Arthur crossed the halfway threshold and Eva took off after him. This time, Jack only waited for her to make it a quarter of the way to cross before following up behind her, trying to shave off what little time he could. In the darkness, he couldn't quite see Ji or Arthur watching him and Eva, but he hoped they were able to get the message. They had to move faster.

Eva reached the next feeder just a couple seconds before him this time, Jack sliding past her to the far side of the metal base as he watched Arthur pass the halfway threshold. Jack barely suppressed a smile, those two were going to make the turn and start moving forward in the same trajectory as the shuttles. They could probably maintain the space between themselves and the shuttles if they kept this pace around the turn. He reached back for Eva, the younger Miller sibling carefully sliding forward and ready to dash her way across the divide. She made it about four steps before Jack was able to spot the problem.

One of the shuttles was out of pace with the others. The rest of the line was just under two hundred meters away, but the problem shuttle was less than a hundred meters out and closing quickly.

It was also the shuttle that was about to sweep over the empty space between feeder three and four, as well as feeder four itself.

Jack swore as he sprang forward, quietly calling out to Eva as best he could without drawing the attention of the Batarians on the ground. Too focused on maintaining her stance and speed, she wasn't able to hear him. Jack cursed as he eased slightly out of his crouch, taking an almost hunched form as he sacrificed the low profile for speed, hissing her name higher than he was comfortable with. But the risk paid off, he got Eva's attention and he turned back, slowing slightly.

In that instant, with her looking back while her body still continued forward she managed to find one of the many minor declines and divots across the field, her ankle twisting sharply as she tumbled forward onto her side. She let out a strained grunt and a hiss, whispering shrilly to herself as she remained prone.

Jack crossed the short distance that remained between the two of them, finally able to make out the words she was saying.

"You're okay. You're okay. You're okay." Repeated over and over again.

Jack knelt next to her and touched two fingers gently to her ankle, to be rewarded with another pained hiss and whimper from Eva. It was a sprain, at best.

They had made it maybe a quarter of the way across the divide when Eva had tripped and tumbled. Jack didn't dare glance at where the shuttle was now, he didn't have the time or the courage. He simply scooped Eva up, careful to not jostle her leg too much as he began to run back the way they came. He heard a startled yelp from Eva in his arms, her eyes wide as saucers as she looked to the side and the rapidly approaching threat, clutching the shotgun against her chest but unsure if it would even do any good against the vehicles.

At that point, Jack forfeited all stealth and simply lurched upright. He pumped his legs as hard as he could, Eva's grip around his neck and shoulder digging in painfully as they neared the previous feeder. Hoping the cover of darkness and the generous coating of dark mud and sludge concealed him enough for the maneuver. He closed his eyes tight, pushing himself to the absolute limit until his legs gave out underneath him. His knees hit the ground hard and skidded against the rough terrain around the feeder, the momentum carrying the pair against the metal outcropping.

There wasn't any time to relay the plan, so Jack desperately hoped Eva trusted him as he indelicately flipped her into the bin, careful not to brain her on the metal poles. The shotgun knocked dully against the interior metal plate and Jack winced, hoping it wasn't enough to be noticed thanks the the padding of the feed in the base. Eva gave yet another hiss as she drew her legs into the bin behind her, Jack sparing no time as he scrambled into the same space. He hovered just over her, his elbow towards the outer section of the feeder to brace himself as his damaged but unoccupied hand hastily dragged some of the loose feed over top of the both of them.

A flash in the corner of his eye told him he was out of time and he simply let his body drop as the last of the feed tumbled over top of his head.

It was uncomfortably warm, with his and Eva's body pressed so close together with a protective blanket of grain Jack prayed was thick enough to obscure them both.

Neither of them dared breathe as their darkened huddle quickly grew brighter until it was practically blinding. The searchlight of the shuttle grew ever closer until it shone directly on their hiding place.

Jack's perception of time was completely halted, not knowing if the light was simply passing by or if it deliberately hung on them; the giveaway that the makeshift cover he made didn't hold up to even basic scrutiny.

Blessedly, the light did pass. Both Jack and Eva let out a relieved sigh as neither of them dared to move, feeling each others' heartbeat through their pressed together bodies. The fear and adrenaline eliminating any sense of impropriety or awkwardness.

With a chorus of low shuttle whining passing by overhead, Jack decided they couldn't wait any longer. Pulling himself up to a kneeling position, he shook off the grain that had partially buried them and quickly exited from the feeder. Eva's departure was less graceful. Jack could tell she was putting on a brave face as she swung her foot over the edge, placing a slight amount of weight on the damaged ankle and eliciting a burst of pain that showed clearly on her face.

Jack intervened, grabbing her arm without a word and slinging it over his shoulder, positioning himself to brace her and keep her bad leg off the ground. His other hand snaked around her waist and grabbed as tightly as it could, given its condition, at her midsection as he pressed their bodies together side-by-side. Eva let out a surprised gasp before quickly leaning into him, giving him a sheepish nod in thanks; the two of them still a little too shaken up for words.

Jack returned the nod as they turned and began to slowly make their way across the field. The threat of sweeping shuttles overhead passed giving them at least some breathing room. But the extended time was far from a blessing as the fate of Ji and Arthur weighed heavily on Shepard's mind.

He could tell her brother was on Eva's mind as well as they continued their way across. No sign of either of the two resulting in her growing more and more tense.

"He's fine." Jack said, not completely believing it himself as Eva returned a worried look to him.

The two continued on in silence until they reached the final feeder with the housing unit for cattle almost within spitting distance. The low sounds of grumbling only about a dozen meters away from it caused them to hesitate.

The patrol of Batarians leaning leisurely against one of their parked shuttles argued in a tongue neither Eva nor himself understood. But their lackadaisical tone breaching the language barrier and letting them know there was no urgent hunt for them.

Jack gave Eva a gentle tap on the shoulder as they performed the most nerve-wracking three legged race of their lives as they tried to balance speed and stealth to make it into the open door of the housing unit.

There was no change in tenor or tempo from the Batarians as they crossed the threshold, a hopeful indicator they weren't detected. Eva leaned heavily against a nearby strut, releasing her hold on Jack as the two looked around expectantly. A shuffling nearby caused him to draw the pistol at his side in reflex; an unnecessary action as Ji lowered the shotgun in his hands calmly.

"We thought we lost you." Ji said in a hushed tone, nervously glancing towards the open door. Licking his lips as his mind was focused on the unwelcome guests just beyond the door.

"We?" Jack asked hopefully, carefully stowing the pistol and hoping he wouldn't have to draw it again that night.

"Yes, Arthur insisted on scouting ahead into the rest of this outbuilding to make sure there weren't any problems we may encounter." Ji confirmed, earning a relieved sigh from Eva who let her head drop into her hands, "He was… upset that I would not let him run back out into the field searching for you. Said he needed to keep himself occupied while we waited."

"Thank you." Jack said quickly, appreciating the decision not to unnecessarily take on more risk as he seized the opportunity to scan the room himself. A set of work clothes and tools, buckets and farming instruments mostly, dotted the edge of the room. A singular creature standing idly in the middle of the room in a wide cage regarding all of them neutrally.

One of the local 'cattle' on the planet that was fit for domestication. It reminded Jack of pictures he'd seen of earth cows, but with distinct differences. The two extra pairs of eyes standing out on the head, for one, resulting in a far wider, almost bulbous face. Paired along with the two extra sets of legs supporting both the front and rear of the animal used for the explicit purpose of supporting their far more substantial weight and size.

The Bala's had a sizable number of the beasts that were a main source of protein for not just their local city but for several other locations on Mindoir. It looked like this specimen was being prepared for slaughter before the events of the day transpired. Ironically enough spared by the likely slaughter of the Bala's.

Eva regarded the creature with a strange look on her face before turning towards Ji, her mouth opening to ask a question before all three of them froze. The sounds of metal boots against gravel reaching them and their only warning that they were at risk.

Jack turned and assumed the position he had while helping Eva across the field; half carrying her to the edge of the room used for changing into work clothes, a small partition the only privacy afforded the workers as Jack hoped it would be enough to hide them from the alien raiders.

The near silent scuttle behind them being an indication that Ji was trying much the same on his respective side of the housing unit.

The trio hunkered in their corners as a Batarian entered the building, assault rifle cradled in the crook of his arm as he surveyed the room. Jack doing his best to track the movement with only half an eye peeked out from behind their partition in the darkened corner.

The Batarian sniffed, spitting a discolored wad onto the ground next to a set of prods before its two pairs of eyes fell on the beast in the middle of the room within its cage. A smile crept over its face as it placed the assault rifle on the ground and grabbed one of the readily available prods. Strutting over to the contained beast.

The Batarian spun the knob and caused a crackle of energy to ignite on the end of the short lance before sticking it through the bars of the cage. There was a loud zap as the alien connected the instrument to the creature's flank. The smile fading as it earned little more than an annoyed shake from the contained beast. The Batarian looked down at the rod before smacking it against the animal a few more times. The end of the set of swings earned him a glance from the creature's six eyes and a very loud, very disgruntled bleat in its unsettling two-toned voice. The Batarian clearly unaware that the electric rod was more of a gentle request to the massive creatures, rather than one of pain to spur to action.

The Batarian shouted something back through the open doorway, eliciting a round of harsh laughter from his companions outside. Jack, unable to understand it, instead focused on the Assault rifle left unattended on the far side of the room. A part of him wondered if he'd be able to sneak across the short distance while the four-eyes was distracted and claim it for himself.

Even with a bum hand, he felt he just needed his forearm to steady the weapon and rely on the high rate of fire. But it would do little use besides kill a single Batarian and alert a half-dozen more of their presence; even more if they had the chance to use their comms to alert the entire region.

Jack's lingering bloodlust, dissipated as he resigned himself to watching the Batarian fail to torture the caged animal and eventually lose interest.

Or, at least, that is what he assumed would happen. Rather than the Batarian striding back towards the weapon in question and bringing it to bear, spraying a full salvo into the side of the unsuspecting beast. The two-toned voice rose to a shrill cry as it thrashed inside the cage with a cacophony of banging as the result of its eight legs crashing against its enclosed space.

Jack saw Eva cover her mouth in disgust and surprise as his own jaw clenched once more. A part of him was disgusted with the apparent disregard for all life by the Batarians, while another part of him was disgusted with the thought that at least the Batarian would leave the outbuilding quicker now.

A course of action that was likely until the Batarian heard the sound of a footstep against a puddle on the far end of the room.

Shepard guessed that the sound was Arthur returning, accidentally stepping in a puddle of water that had been inadvertently spilled in the process of hydrating the large building of cattle. The Batarian was unsure, however, turning to regard the gasping but mostly still animal to see if the sound had originated from it.

The Batarian stepped forward as Jack quietly unstrapped the hardlight emitter band from his wrist. The omnitool silently blazed to life as a very stupid plan formed in his head; navigating quickly to some of the standard Batarian took a few strides over, looking down at the beast before its head swiveled from side to side, falling on the opposite side of the room from Jack and Eva.

Jack silently cursed as he pressed a button on his omnitool before turning the whole thing off and gently throwing it towards the far corner of his side of the room. Eva said nothing, leaning against the wall and raising the shotgun from her side and bracing, earning a short shake of the head from Jack.

The Batarian continued to stalk towards the other end of the room, assault rifle raising to a ready fire position as he was about to turn the corner before the piece of discarded tech suddenly chirped. The Batarian snapped away from the corner to Jack and Eva's side of the room with practiced military precision, four cold eyes locked on the glowing target in the corner of the room.

The Batarian swiftly made his way over, passing by the hidden alcove that Jack and Eva currently resided in; failing to check the corners in what Jack hoped was his final mistake as he separated from the wall and approached from behind, combat knife gripped in white knuckles.

The Batarian stooped to pick up the omni-tool pinging quietly with the timer function having met its deadline, his head cocked in confusion before quickly rising. Jack assumed the Batarian remembered his failure a moment ago, but hoped he was at least slightly faster than his enemy. Lunging forward, he secured a hand around the Batarian's mouth before jamming the knife down towards his neck.

There was a loud, muffled groan before an all too familiar spray of warm blood coated his hand. It was a mortal blow, but that didn't mean that the Batarian had died immediately; and while shepard had stopped him from screaming or saying anything, he didn't have a third hand to secure the Assault rifle.

A random spray of metallic slivers rebounded off the floor and nearby walls as the Batarian flailed wildly in surprise and panic; miraculously not hitting him or anyone else in the room - ricochet or otherwise - but enough to draw some attention from outside.

The blood chilling language sounded again from outside as Jack twisted and carved the knife across the Batarians throat, causing a veritable waterfall of blood to cascade down the front of the Batarian whose grip on the Assault rifle quickly weakened before failing entirely, letting it drop to the ground in the now forming puddle. The calls from outside continued, thankfully more of confusion or inquiry rather than panic. Jack silently thanked the beast's sacrifice, as it seemed for at least the moment that the Batarian's squadmates simply thought he was desecrating his victim's corpse.

Jack haphazardly kicked it away, letting the Batarian drop to the ground unceremoniously as he turned and staggered back towards Eva. He took a brief moment to look across the room at a stunned Ji and Arthur before he nodded a head at the downed Batarian before jerking his head back towards the corridors on either side of the room they occupied. They didn't need to say anything for the point to get across.

They had to move.

Jack scooped up Eva once more as he hurriedly fell into lock step with her, the two stepping over the Batarian body as Eva gave a quick nod and weak smile to her brother. Arthur stopped halfway across the room, scooping up the Assault rifle from the dead Batarian as he smiled back to her.

"We're almost out of here." He whispered reassuringly, his face a painful mixture of emotion as Jack realized he wanted to travel with his sister; but knew he couldn't abandon Ji on his own and there was no time to make a swap. He turned and dashed back to his side of the room, whispering "I'll see you on the other side."

The four began their feeble rush into the housing unit, hoping to gain a little ground before the Batarian's companions realized what happened to their squadmate.

Jack carried Eva down the third twist of the corridors they came across, hoping to avoid giving the soon to follow Batarian's an easy line of sight of them, before realizing he hadn't had the chance to pick up his discarded omnitool. The fact that all his personal pictures and vids of his family were now left behind in a pool of the alien blood that had stripped them from him.

He swallowed the pain, focusing on the task at hand as he continued to help Eva along the way. He would have to rely on his memories, there were more important things to focus on.

Like his promise to Jones.

With the organization of the housing unit, Jack couldn't see the other pair through the jungle of metal and ornery cattle that hadn't had their chance out in the fields. Hoping, once again, that the other two were able to make it without his help.

The two were panting by the time they made it to the far end of the unit, the door shuddered in place but not opening due to the red, locked control panel to its side. Jack peered out the slated windows, checking for threats before exposing himself and Eva to whatever was beyond it.

No signs of Batarians, but he did see Arthur and Ji hunkered down next to another metallic feeder about twenty meters out from the building as they glanced anxiously around their immediate surroundings. It looked like they argued quietly, to Jack, as Ji gestured towards the far end of the field and the sanctuary of the waiting irrigation ditches. Contrary to that, Arthur pointed firmly back at the housing unit, waiting for his sister and friend.

Not wanting to keep them waiting any longer than they already had, Jack moved to the door, tapping the keypad and releasing the lock as the door slid open. The noise drew the attention of the human pair in a burst of fear that quickly melted to relief.

Jack smiled at the two of them as Eva assumed the position ready to meet back up with her brother. Jack swung her arm around himself again, foot raised to take the first step when all four of them froze.

The all too familiar sound of a shuttle approaching.

Arthur and Ji glanced up and their bodies suddenly went rigid. Arthur glanced back at the pair in the now open doorway, his lips pressed into a thin line that struggled for a smile and failed. He held a hand up towards them, a warning that Jack already knew but Eva needed.

Don't follow.

Arthur spun and tapped Ji on the shoulder as the two of them began sprinting across the field, drawing attention away from the housing unit for cattle.

They didn't make it far.

The shrill cry of the shuttle quickly closed in before humming to a near stop. Barely coming into view for Shepard as he slapped a hand against the control panel, the door closing and locking once more as the shuttle swung to seemingly broadside the pair; the shuttle doors opening before shortly being followed by a hail of gunfire.

Shepard dragged a sobbing Eva into a nearby enclosure meant for the cattle. His hand clamped over her mouth as he desperately shushed her to stop her cries, thankful for the angry bleating of the creatures around them to mask her pained sobs. She relented out of terror as the harsh sounds of metal on metal and shouting reached them. A trio of Batarians rounding a corner of the corridor, the leader of the group slapping a gauntleted hand against the same terminal Shepard had just left. The doors sliding open to reveal the sound of the shuttle descending for landing.

The pair heard cries of struggle, Ji and Arthur apparently alive, as the Batarians exited the building and moved to encircle their captured prey; utterly unaware of the helpless would-be victims barely meters away from them in a literal cage.

Eva's breathing increased, but she didn't return to sobbing, pleading eyes turning to him as he released her. Her pain suppressed as she struggled to her feet and staggered to the slated windows, Jack on her heels to keep her from doing anything foolish.

Granted, what both of them were doing now was foolish. There was no benefit to watching what was about to happen, they both knew, but they couldn't hide from it. A morbid part of each of them had to see. Had to know for sure.

Shepard saw at least a dozen Batarians in a loose circle around his friends, jeering at them as they were propped up into kneeling positions and illuminated by the shuttle. Ji was rough, the way his leg quivered in pain a sign he had taken a few shots to the leg that had stopped his movement and a growing red stain around his shoulder which likely robbed his grip on his weapon. Arthur was far worse, the front of his shirt already quickly dyeing crimson as he wobbled to even remain upright in his kneeling stance.

Ji began shouting something at the Batarians. As the group of humans had been familiar with, he tended to resort to his mother tongue when extremely emotional. Jack understood nothing as Ji squirmed and spat in an equally indecipherable language at the Batarians who simply watched on amused.

Arthur wasn't nearly as verbose.

"It's alright, Ji." He wheezed, sounding like he was speaking around a mouthful of water. "We did what we could."

The bespectacled youth turned to his friend, lip quivering as he shook his head.

"I need you to know. I always respected you." Arthur choked out, "And I have no regrets, about anything. You - "

The touching final words cut short by a single rifle blast. Shepard dove to his side, hand clamped over Eva's mouth as she tried to scream out in pain. The sound muffled by shepard, the enclosed building, the bleats of unknowing beasts, and her brother's body falling limply to the ground. Shepard pressed his back against the wall as Eva shuddered against him, her body racked with shudders as her world fell apart all over again.

He turned his head to peek out the window, Ji looking as numb as Jack felt. To his credit, he recovered quickly. Turning on the leader of the group who was joking about his most recent kill to his subordinates.

The small statured youth leapt forward, his one good hand beating against the Batarian's chest repeatedly to little effect beyond earning a few harsh guffaws from the aliens surrounding him. After a moment, Ji shuddered backwards, daggers in his eyes as he stared at the Batarian before turning and stumbling away in an awkward jog.

The Batarians all looked on in confusion, as did Shepard, as Ji made it a full ten meters despite his bloodied leg. One of the Batarians in the circle lazily raised his SMG and released a short salvo of fire, causing Ji to crumple unceremoniously to the ground.

The Batarian that had just killed his friend turned towards the group with a smile, similarly boasting like their leader had before his four eyes fell on said Batarian in shock.

The subordinate shouted something indistinct, causing the gathered group to stumble backwards in unison. Some turned to run while the leader reached towards his chest and screamed, all of them being too late as the ground rumbled in as a result of the following explosion. The epicenter focused on the leader of the Batarian group; or, more specifically, his chest where Ji had primed all the alien's grenades in his final moments before stumbling away from the blast.

Shepard shook his head slowly, unable to fully process what just happened. Resorting to hollowly gripping Eva and half carrying her out of the building to the crater that remained of the field in front of the building.

Eva threw herself away from Jack, falling to her knees and crawling over to the brutalized remains of her brother. His form was only distinguishable because, cruelly, it was the most damaged, having been without armor. The only figure that might've competed with him was the Batarian wearing the makeshift suicide vest, though that body was equally distinguishable from being empty space from the waist up.

Jack heard her sob apologies into his charred chest, trying to resolve unfinished business that would now never be resolved.

He left her to grieve momentarily, stumbling over towards Ji. A prayer for his survival dying on his lips as he was distracted by another sound.

The pained gurgles of a Batarian lying on his back. The armor charred and shield impotently clicked as it failed to recharge. No grenades or additional weapons on its armor, not that it could've used them if it wanted to with the way its arms were awkwardly twisted and bent. Just a few meters from its twitching hand, Jack noticed the alien's previous weapon: The SMG used to shoot Ji.

The Batarian wasn't a threat. Maybe it would in a few moments when he and Eva would have to run for safety and he could point in their direction, but not now.

Jack didn't care. He continued walking towards Ji as he coldly drew the pistol from his side. Discharging three shots through the alien's head, causing it to stiffen and spasms momentarily before going limp. He was happy at the chance to avenge his friend, but frustrated at the fact that it was probably too quick and painless of a death for the monster.

Ji shuddered on the ground, a red pool forming around him as blood saturated the ground beneath him. Jack's energy levels surged as he broke into a sprint and slid, taking a place besides Ji as the heavily injured man slapped without coordination at his omnitool.

"I know, Ji, I know. Medigel." Jack said as he helped Ji open the device, disgusted he had taken the time for vengeance that should've been spent saving his friend's life, "I've got you buddy, just hang in there."

Ji sputtered as mist of red escaped his lips, shaking his head. Jack looked at him in confusion before something on the omnitool caught his attention: the medigel levels on the omnitool already reading zero. A reminder that they had all been expended trying to extend Jones' life just a little longer.

Jack shifted back onto the balls of his feet, trying to think of a way to help Ji as his friend looked up at him in terror, trying to get his words out.

"Need. Give." He sputtered, slapping the forearm that the hardlight console was sprouting from against Jack's chest. "Jones. Passcode."

Jack let out a shuddering gasp. Ji wanted him to reset the omnitool controls to obey him. So that he would have the passcode to get Eva and him to safety. Even in his dying gasps, Ji was thinking of his friends.

Jack nodded, quickly working with Ji to access the settings and input his own biometrics while Ji was conscious enough to assist. The omnitool pinged happily, the tone deeply inappropriate in the moment as Jack looked at the confirmation message.

"Okay, Ji. What next?" Jack asked, as he scanned for any additional steps to follow. Hearing no response, he turned to ask the question again before seeing Ji's eyes staring lifelessly into the starry night sky.

Jack opened his mouth to say something meaningful or worthwhile, but he could think of nothing. Unstrapping the bracelet from Ji's wrist and attaching it to his own, he mumbled out the only thing he could manage.

"I'm sorry."

He stumbled over to Eva, who was weeping against Arthur's body, the apologies having melted into a bout of ugly crying; Jack was impressed that despite the turmoil of emotion, she still did so quietly, in case other aliens were nearby and would detect them from it. He was immediately unnerved by the fact he was impressed, and numbly thought that if the explosion hadn't drawn attention, neither would her crying.

He leaned down, not saying a word as he slung her arms over his back to carry her once more. She accepted it in silence, her eyes not leaving her brother's body as the two stumbled down the field the relatively short distance to the irrigation ditch. The two stumbled down the embankment, finding a nearby tunnel that connected their ditch to another a fair distance away.

The two clambered inside, Jack helping Eva in first before nestling in behind her. The two taking the opportunity to catch their breath and attempt to process and come to terms with what they had witnessed. Jack noticed that Eva no longer had her shotgun, most likely discarded and forgotten by her brother's body. Not that it mattered, Jack realized that if they had to resort to using it with just the two of them, then they were probably done for anyway at that point.

It was maybe ten minutes later that the shrill sound of shuttle flight reached them again, streaking towards the blast site they had left behind. Neither of them cringed or locked up upon hearing the sound, apparently having grown numb to it.

But Eva did seek him out in the darkness, her hand finding his as she laced her fingers through his own. Gripping him hard, a reminder that she wasn't alone in the dark.

He said nothing as he firmly held her hand. Letting her grieve for a moment more at the loss of her brother as he looked at the omnitool bracelet on his own wrist; a final, unplanned birthday gift from a now dead friend. The key to their salvation.

He tried not to linger, waiting a few minutes before squeezing Eva's hand. She thankfully understood he meant they needed to move, as she pressed herself against the side of the metal tunnel and let Jack slip by her to lead the way.

Continuing their final stretch as they fell into mechanical movements, letting muscle memory carry them at this point. The lack of thinking was a relief, as Shepard didn't have to dwell on the fact that he had already broken the dying promise he had made to another friend mere hours ago.