Chapter 2
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Dr. T'Perro had extended her stay on Mars – she'd originally only stopped at the red planet to talk to one of the researchers studying krogan physiology – but the day her patient recovered, she'd had to leave the station and head back to the Citadel.
Now June was back on her feet and almost wished she wasn't. She'd enjoyed the doctor's company – maybe even a little too much – and had been sad to see her go.
Her mother however was a whole different story. After the second attack on the station, Ellen Ryder had seemingly set up camp in one of the many laboratories, working from Mars instead of returning home.
"Mom?" Juniper strolled into the room, careful not to wipe any of the equipment of the tables or upset any of the machines. "You busy?"
Ellen looked up from a datapad she was studying, smiling at her daughter. "For you, I have a few minutes."
"That's good to hear," June took one of the stools, nervously running her fingers through her long side-swept bangs. "I uh.. I wanted to talk to you about something." The girl took a deep breath. She had thought long and hard about this and had decided that it was what she needed to be doing. But she also knew that while Dr. Ellen Ryder, scientist and biotic implant developer, would understand, her mother would definitely not.
Ellen frowned, seeing the serious expression on June's face. What was her daughter up to? She had a bad feeling in her stomach... The way her little girl was fiddling with her hands, fidgeting on the stool? She was not going to like what she was about to tell her.
"I've enlisted with the Alliance Peace Keeping Force," Juniper blurted out, knowing talking around the bush would not be helping matters. She quickly continued, seeing how her mother opened her mouth to protest. "Dr. Khalo has approached me a few days ago to thank me for saving his and Dr. Nakamura's lives. And he gave me a brochure, telling me that a group of researchers would soon travel to Feros to further study the Prothean ruins there. I-"
"No way am I letting you go, Juniper Ryder!" Ellen yelled, bringing her fist down on the table, vials and telescope lenses dangerously clinking together. "This is way too dangerous and-"
"Dad already approved of my decision when I talked to him via vidcom. He signed off on the enlisting papers. – I... I knew you wouldn't want me to go, mom. But it's what I want to do. The science team needs people who can protect them while they are working. And I know that I can be one of these people. I've finally found what I'm supposed to-"
"You're not supposed to put yourself in unnecessary danger!" Ellen shook her head in frustration. Of course Alec would see things in a different light. He'd been an N7, an elite soldier. But how could he wish that life on his own daughter? "Oh believe me, you're father and I will be having a talk. But rest assured – you are not going!"
June was about to say something but gulped it back down, instead choosing to storm out of the room, annoyance taking hold of her at the automatic doors. So instead of slamming the door shut behind her, she settled for kicking one of the planters in the hallway, yelping in pain as she'd obviously overestimated her boots. Great. Just great!
_2183, Therum
Four years had come and gone and Juniper had grown from a teen into a young adult.
After her mother had finally given her – admittedly reluctant – okay, June had been a member of the Systems Alliance, her brother soon following somewhat in her footsteps. While Scott was currently training for the N7 physical, a soldier true and true, Juniper's heart still foremost belonged to science and research. They'd uncovered interesting data on Feros, data that still had far-reaching consequences, and when the team had packed up almost a year ago, Juniper had spent a few months back at home with her mother. The Ryders had always been a family of hard-working overachievers, so even back then, she hadn't really seen her father or brother much. Everyone was busy with their own projects but that was just the way it had always been for them.
Currently, Juniper was working off the record, supporting Dr. Liara T'Soni with her research on Therum. The planet didn't have its own colony but the many mines all over the barren surface suggested that people had been living there once. And, just as Liara and June had suspected, those people seemed to have been Protheans.
They'd been scouting mine after mine over the last six months, finally stumbling onto a promising research site in one of them. Prothean ruins. And they were the first to set foot into them – besides their builders of course.
With time, the young asari and the human had grown from colleagues into friends.
When they'd first met – in a small bar on Feros – Liara had been looking for protection on her trip and June had been looking for a new job, a new adventure to go on. In the end, they'd agreed to prepare for the trip and meet on the Citadel in 16 weeks.
Now here they were, excitedly stumbling through the ruins on their third day since finding them.
"So, any calls from your mother lately?" Liara asked without looking up from the piece of a Prothean pillar she was examining.
"No, not yet," June responded, studying the ancient writing on the walls, her scanner always at the ready. "It's been almost a week though, so I bet I'll hear from her soon enough." She looked back at her blue-skinned friend. "How about you? I know you and the Matriarch don't talk that often.."
"She's back in Thessia," Liara replied, turning the piece of architecture in her hands. "Still thinks what I'm doing is a waste of time and that I'm merely doing it to get on her nerves."
The redhead chuckled. "Well, I am a fully grown adult. You however.."
"I am 106 years old, you are merely 20!"
"Yeah, just don't forget that you are an asari. I'm actually the older one of the two of us, you've barely just made it through puberty.."
June laughed as Liara used her biotics to hurl a small rock at her, easily stepping out of the projectile's way.
"Very funny, Ryder. I'll have you know, I am not merely throwing a teenage fit."
"I know, I know," Juniper grinned as she walked over to her friend, playfully nudging her side. "You and me both, we'll go down in history one day, you'll see. As the first to discover a Prothea-"
Out of nowhere, the ground beneath them began to shake and pieces of the ceiling were raining down on them. June ducked, pulling Liara with her and shielding both of them with a biotic barrier.
"What is-"
"Shhh," the human shushed her friend, moving so she could see past the makeshift table they'd build for their findings.
"But-"
"Liara!"
The asari quickly shut up, both women frowning when they heard heavy footsteps and voices echoing from the walls. Someone was there. And they didn't know whether they came in peace or whether June would actually get to use her biotic and combat skills in action. So far, working with Liara had been mostly quiet and uneventful.
Quietly, she lead Liara to the back of the cavernous mine. The further away they got from their unknown guests, the better.
Hiding in some sort of a chamber, the friends watched as a group of heavily armed mercenaries entered their part of the mine. A few salarians, a krogan, as well as several humans.
"Find the doctor," the krogan ordered the group, everyone setting into motion at once. "Saren wants her alive. You can kill the other one."
June gulped. It wasn't every day that one heard their own life being disregarded like that.
"You have to hide, Liara, they-"
"They are far too many for you to take on by yourself, June," Liara interrupted her, holding onto the human's arm, fearful she'd do something stupid if she let go. She knew her friend was brave but sometimes that bravery seemed to seamlessly fade over into pure idiocy. "You'll have to hide with me."
"Liara, it is my job to protect you, I won't just let them take you. The mine isn't that large, they will find us sooner rather than later."
"June."
"No. You hide in here, I'll try to figure something out."
June was about to creep out of their hideout but Liara wasn't having it.
The asari knew that the human was stronger than her, so she did the only thing that came to her mind: She pushed the strange button she'd discovered to her left, hoping against hope that it would somehow do something to safe them.
Of course, things went differently and completely downhill.
_Almost four days later
The stasis field that Liara had triggered was still active, holding both her and Juniper in place, mid-air and in perfect view of the mercenary band.
They'd been trying to blast their way through the barrier to get to the asari but all they'd done so far was weakening the mine, bringing it closer to collapsing with every thing they tried.
And Liara was starting to get really frantic now. June hadn't said a word in many hours, maybe even a day. It was hard to calculate how much time had actually passed since she'd accidentally trapped them. Sure, the barrier kept them away from the mercenaries. But it also caged them, slowly killing them with each minute that went by.
Her friend had already passed out. The human biology didn't allow for lenghty periods without water as the asari biology did. Liara did have another two or three days before things would start to get precarious, June however needed to get help – and soon.
_24 hours later, Normandy SR-1
"Ah, you're awake."
June blinked, her eyes slowly adapting to her bright surroundings. She was lying on a bed and – by the look of things – in the med bay of a spaceship.
"Liara?"
"Your friend is perfectly fine," a human doctor with grey hair and a friendly smile stepped into her line of sight, "She was very worried about you."
"Where am I?"
"You're on the Normandy SR-1, sweetheart. The Alliance's whole pride and glory. Commander Shepard got you and Dr. T'Soni out of the stasis field shortly before the whole mine collapsed. You were lucky. She found you just in time."
"June!" Liara had come to the med bay to check on her friend, her eyes lighting up when she found her awake. She practically flew towards the bed and into June's arms, holding her tight. "You're awake! I was so worried you wouldn't-"
"Don't underestimate Dr. Chakwas," a stranger's voice stopped Liara from uttering the grim thought. "She could probably bring you back from the dead. She's the best there is."
"Flatterer!" Chakwas chuckled, playfully slapping the Commander's arm.
When Liara finally loosened her hold and moved to the side, June could take a first look at their savior.
She was a woman in her early thirties with gleaming green eyes, a scar cutting through her right brow, and shoulder-long dark red hair. She was beautiful but in a rather unconventional way. This woman was a soldier. Handsome and fierce. Stern. Trained to kill.
"Jane Shepard," she squeezed June's shoulder instead of shaking her hand. "You're one hell of a survivor, kid. Where'd you get that impressive scar on your cheek?"
Juniper unconsciously brought her hand up to her right cheek, her fingers ghosting over the honeycombed scarring. "Cryo blast," she muttered, lost in memories. "A souvenir from Feros."
"Huh. I'd love to hear the story behind it. And Feros?" The Commander looked thoughtful. "I actually do have to make a stop there. If you aren't in a hurry, I'd really appreciate to have someone by my side who's already been there?"
_2185, spring
"Dear Liara,
I didn't want to believe it but I am glad to hear that the rumors are true, that Jane really was somehow brought back to life. I know how much you care about her and I hope you can pick up where you left off. I've always imagined the cute little band of blue babies you and her would have.
The Hyperion is almost ready and I can't say how excited I am to be joining my father's Pathfinder team in Andromeda. Training has been harsh but it is exactly what Scott and I need right now, something to keep us busy. Dad has become even more distant now that mom is gone. I feel and understand his pain but I wish it didn't feel as if I've lost him, too.
It saddens me to think that I will never see you again but I know that I've made the right decision. Scott and dad are the only members of my family that remain and no matter how untraditional our family has always been, they still are the ones that hold my heart. I couldn't just let them go without me. Plus, my curiosity got the best of me. I wonder if there is alien life in Andromeda and whether the golden worlds will shape up to be just that. It certainly looks too good to be true, but I suppose after the whole thing with mom and after dad's disgrace with the Alliance, we do deserve a little bit of luck.
You, my friend, will always hold a special place in my heart.
There will soon be 600 years separating us but I will never forget you. Tell Jane to keep an eye on you.
Yours,
Juniper."