And so this tale comes to an end. The whole choose the Council thing is gone, as i felt that it was unneeded. Enjoy!
Chapter 13:
Lost and Found
Joker was damned if the lack of traffic control officers would stop him from docking at the Citadel. Shit like that never stopped me before, and it sure as hell won't now. The entire crew could not shake the image of the last few pieces of Sovereign crashing into the Citadel Tower. As soon as the Normandy was in place, Joker, Wrex, Liara, and Garrus were practically beating down the door to exit the craft.
Anderson was the first to greet them. I'm sure as hell glad he survived. Udina came next from the elevator to C-Sec, signaling that it was operational. Not so much. The elevator ride was painfully slow, and nobody said a word. As the doors hissed open, Joker sprinted towards the steps, favoring them over the elevator. The pilot took the metallic slabs two at a time until he reached the door to the Presidium.
Fires were everywhere as the fire suppression system struggled to keep up. C-Sec officers tended to the wounded, but Joker paid them no heed. I've got a more important person to save. Joker stopped at the elevator that would take him to the top of the tower. More importantly, to Laura.
As the elevator descended to pick up the pilot, Anderson, and the rest of the crew, minus Udina, ran up behind him. "Stupid elevators," everybody muttered darkly. The doors slid open and Anderson entered his priority pass-code to speed their journey to the top along. Joker could not begin to fathom the horror that was in store for them at the top of the shaft.
As long as limbs are still attached, my stomach should be fine, thought Joker. The pilot refused to let his brain even skirt around the possibility of Shepard's demise. Everybody in the elevator knew that the odds were against Shepard and her shore party, and with Laura defying them so many times; her luck was bound to run out.
The doors hissed open, but nobody dared to look at the scene that was in front of them. Finally, Joker looked out into what used to be the Council's Chambers. The view window that looked out into the nebula cloud had shattered, but the Citadel's breach protocols sealed the gap with a kinetic barrier. The piece that had crashed into the tower had broken into many other pieces that were strewn across the floor or embedded into the walls and floors.
The crew gaped at the damage, but then snapped into action as they remembered the task at hand. Joker went with Anderson, and joined a C-Sec officer who was analyzing every debris pile he came across with his omni-tool. "We have to make sure that we can move these piles safely so that if anybody is trapped beneath, it doesn't collapse."
"We're looking for two humans and a quarian," Anderson said calmly.
"Knowing Shepard, she probably pushed the other two away," Joker added. Damn hero.
The blonde man scanned his latest pile. "Here, I got heat signatures," he said excitedly. "This panel should be safe to move," he finished, flicking on his flashlight.
Anderson and Joker squatted and pulled at the large shrapnel that the officer had dubbed a panel. In the dusty and dim light, Joker could barely make out two shapes. It was not until they had the flashlight, did the pilot recognize Ashley's distinctive pink accents on her armor. "Over here," called Anderson.
Everybody pitched in to wriggle Tali and Williams from the wreckage left by the Reaper's demise. "I can't believe she pushed us away," coughed Ashley.
"Where is she?" questioned Joker, shaking the Gunnery Chief.
Anderson pushed the frantic pilot away, "Where's Shepard?"
Ashley and Tali could only look with forlorn all over their faces towards the worst of the wreckage. "She had just finished crawling out of the lower garden, when she pushed us down the steps," Tali explained. "I'm not sure how the debris fell so that we were protected, but the odds of the same happening to Shepard are…low."
Anderson and Wrex helped the two women hobble to the elevator. Joker stared at the wreckage for a long time. There were more Reaper pieces visible than there was floor. Not a good sign. "No, oh God no," uttered the pilot as he ran in the direction of Laura's last known location.
Joker jumped over debris and gave any pile a brief scan for signs of life. "Laura?" called the distressed pilot. "Come on, talk to me!" Joker waited in silence for the faintest call of help, but got nothing in response. Shit shit SHIT. Joker began his search anew, searching more and more piles as he moved towards the origin of the crash into larger piles of twisted metal and broken bits of Citadel ceiling or floor.
Joker spotted a particularly large pile that seemed to call to him. Had to be the biggest pile in the entire site didn't it? Joker shined a field flashlight into the gaps of the pile, hoping to catch a glimpse of Laura. "Shepard?" Joker waited, and waited. When he heard more silence, the pilot was undeterred. Pilot's intuition is never wrong.
Joker called the C-Sec officer over to determine the best way to dismantle the pile. "I'm not getting a heat signature, but the pile is pretty dense, so I'm not sure," the engineer said.
"We're moving this pile."
"Let's start from the top. It's the best way for this pile."
Everybody on hand formed up into a sort of fire brigade to remove the debris. Only Joker, the officer, and Anderson were on top of the pile to prevent any collapses from too much weight. The hours sprinted past as more and more people came to help. "I've got heat!" exclaimed the C-Sec officer. "It's very faint, but it's her," he finished, showing the display to Joker.
The pilot scrambled to his knees and began clawing away desperately at the twisted metal. I have to get to her before it's too late, the pilot thought frantically. Inch by inch, Shepard slowly came into view: first the hands, then the feet, followed by head and thighs. Joker had almost completely uncovered Shepard, when he came across a very large piece that had fallen across the commander's chest. Joker pulled with all of his might, but the piece refused to budge. The pilot tried again and again until he swore that his shoulders would pop from their sockets.
Joker sat abruptly onto the pile next to Laura in defeat. "What is the point of building up your arms with crutches if you can't lift a damn piece of metal," came Wrex's grating voice.
"Care to help?"
"Only because you made me a small fortune," came the krogan's response.
"I'm sure."
With the help of Wrex's biotics, Joker was able to lift the final piece of off Laura. The pilot quickly inspected his commander to be sure that she was free of any large shrapnel pieces that could be exacerbated. Satisfied, Joker slid one arm under Laura' neck, and the other behind her knees, and slowly lifted her up.
As quickly and as delicately as he could manage, Joker carried Shepard from the pile. "Medic!" he screamed. "Get me a goddamn medic!" Two field medics and Doctor Chakwas arrived with a crash cart in tow. Before he could even sigh in relief, the medics whisked Laura away.
"Aren't you going to follow them?" queried Ashley as she came limping up to the pilot.
"I'd only get in the way, but I got dibs on the next elevator," Joker responded wearily.
"Chakwas knows her stuff. If anyone can do it, it's her."
I only hope we weren't too late.
I should have been there.
You would have died up against Saren.
I could have saved her.
She would have pushed you away as well.
If she dies, I'm responsible. I was the reason Sovereign broke apart like he did.
"Joker!" shouted Ashley. "Are you okay? You seemed lost in thought."
"I just can't help but think…"
Ashley wrapped an arm around Joker, "Listen to me, and listen good. It. Wasn't. Your. Fault."
Joker sighed as the elevator doors opened, "Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. But it doesn't matter until I see her."
Joker entered the elevator and closed the doors before Williams could join him. He rode in silence, going over every move of the battle. No matter how many different things he changed in his head, the outcome was the same: Laura severely injured. The doors opened to the Presidium and Joker trudged back to C-Sec.
Stop beating yourself up, or you'll go insane.
You did the best you could.
Well I guess that my best wasn't good enough.
It always was for her.
But not for me, not this time.
As he entered C-Sec, the officers looked with pity towards the pilot. I hate those looks. I guess the universe decided that being afflicted with a crippling disease wasn't enough. Joker was approaching the elevator that would take him to the Normandy, when he stepped in something sticky. The pilot hesitated, and looked down at his boot. The tread was covered in dark red blood. Great. Joker put his foot down and saw that the blood led into the elevator. Ah crap.
The elevator to the Normandy was splattered with blood. Shit, either the commander woke up and started convulsing, or the medics removed something. Something big. The elevator arrived, and Joker made a b-line for the Normandy airlock. The decontamination process seemed to drag on for hours, even though Joker knew it only lasted a few minutes.
Once inside, Joker's rush was replaced with the slow steps of dread. Instead of running towards the medical wing like he envisioned, the pilot slowly crept down the steps. For some reason or another, Joker felt that his volume affected the medical procedure that was ongoing, and so took extra care going down the steps to the second deck. The Flight Lieutenant attempted to peer into the locked doors, only to have his vision obstructed by the opaque doors.
Joker sat at the mess hall tables, knowing that the medical wing was one of the few private rooms that could not be accessed via the cockpit console. So the pilot sat. And sat. And sat. The pilot listened intently for any sounds coming from the medical room, even if he did know that it was soundproof. Hell, I'll convert to the asari or turian religion if it means finding the right lord to save Laura.
Slowly, other members of the crew trickled in to sit with the Flight Lieutenant. First came Garrus, then Tali, followed by Wrex, Liara, and finally Ashley. "Well?" questioned the Gunnery Chief. Joker only shook his head in response. "Damn, I heard the longest Chakwas ever took was two hours," said Williams, letting her eyes stare at her watch. "It's been three and a half."
"Actually, its been three hours and forty-five minutes," came Doctor Chakwas' voice, causing everybody to stand eagerly. "Commander Shepard will be fine," she stated, causing everybody to sigh in relief, except for Wrex.
"Shepard's a warrior," the krogan rumbled. "And now she's fought death, and won yet again."
"She was unconscious, but when we got to the C-Sec elevator she woke, and started thrashing wildly. We had to sedate her, and then we went to work on the extensive amount of shrapnel that had pierced her armor. One exceptionally large piece just missed her kidneys. Finally, she has a concussion, and her left leg is broken," her medical speech finished, Doctor Chakwas sighed. "And no you can't see her, not for twenty four hours. Anybody else with medical problems will have to go to the Citadel, as all of our supplies have been exhausted."
The doctor sat down and folded her arms onto the table in a pillow, and rested her head. Joker went to the instant food processor and ordered the doctor a well-deserved cup of coffee. "Thank you Jeff," she said tiredly.
"I think we all agree that you deserve every drop," Joker said, as the rest of the crew nodded in agreement.
"Yes well, I must return to the medical bay," replied the doctor, wearily standing with the coffee clutched gratefully. "I must be sure the certain people do not disturb Commander Shepard," Chakwas said, sternly eyeing a certain pilot.
Joker threw up his hands in mock innocence, "I swear." Yeah, swear to sneak in as soon as possible. The doctor trudged to her post, and Joker turned to the rest of the assembled crew. "Tell me we have contraband aboard this ship."
Ashley's eyes danced at the remark. "Of course we do. It wouldn't be a real ship if there wasn't," she said as she headed towards the elevator.
The celebration was quiet, but jovial. Even Pressly joined in the small merry making band. Wrex grunted out an old krogan war song, Ashley attempted an old quarian celebration dance with Tali, and Joker defeated Garrus in an arm wrestling contest. The party eventually died down and ended with several toasts.
"For the fallen," began Ashley.
"To the defeat of the geth," said Tali.
"To the destruction of Sovereign," Garrus called.
"To Doctor Chakwas," said Liara.
"For the warriors," bellowed Wrex.
"To Laura, for…everything" Joker said quietly, silencing the party.
"To you Joker, the savior of our savior," Ashley said sagely.
The final drops of the contraband were imbibed, and Joker was the first to head towards the elevator. Come on Doc, be asleep, thought Joker as the elevator door rose open. The pilot crept to the sleeper pods to find that the doctor was indeed asleep. Victory!
Joker slinked towards the medical bay door and found a note waiting for him. "To Jeff: It's Open," read doctor Chakwas' scrawl. I love that woman. The doors slid open to reveal a very beat up looking Shepard. "Jeez you look bad Laura," the pilot whispered to himself.
"Yeah, and you're a work of art," came Laura's groggy voice, causing Joker to jump in surprise.
"You scared the crap out of me!" admonished Joker. "How are you?" he asked softly, as he came to her bedside.
"I feel like shit, but at least I'm feeling something," she replied, the tiredness creeping away.
"I thought I lost you," Joker said into Laura's ear as he embraced his commanding officer.
"And you found me," she whispered fervently back and kissed him on the cheek. "I can't even begin to imagine what would have happened if-"
"Shush now, for once the great Commander Shepard can be silent and rest."
"But Joker, you have one last mission to carry out."
"Oh? And what would that be?" queried the pilot, lying next to Laura in her bed.
"Kiss me and fall asleep next to me."
"Aye aye ma'am."
i sincerely hope that everybody enjoyed this story and i feel quite accomplished in finishing it after it looked like it would forever stay in limbo. Please review this final chapter and save it for whenever you need a good laugh.