Kachie Takahashi: You know, I also wonder what's going to happen. ;) Let's at least hope Miranda and Adel don't end up killing each other. XD
Bluemarlin: *gasps* New person! It's a new reviewer! I'm so excited. XP JK, JK… Either way, I thank you for contributing to my good mood and prompting me to update soon- in response, I have done so! Sort of. Still though. Thanks!
Hopelessly Blue: Thanks… *shyly takes flowers and candy with subtle smile and blush* Means a lot. ;) But really, I hate that the King had to go and give Raegas two more headaches. I mean, Karamu isn't that bad, but Rissara is… well, you'll find out about her soon.
A/N: Looks like I've gone and updated before the end of the weeks, everyone. Let's hear a round of applause! Just kidding. No but seriously, let's hear some applause.
"We will be acting as support, artillery, alternate deploys and general escorts. After launch we will acquire the rest of the crewmembers who will both be your partners for this journey, and observers of our kind. For this tenuous-at-best alliance I expect you all preform as you would regularly." I said, looking to the new crew of the Slayer's Fate- completely made up of almost every species available. We had the Vertoak, some Viera, Brogul, several turians, plenty of asari, many humans, a Drell and even a Hanar. Oh, and a Krogan or two signed up. Fun times…
"All of you volunteered and were chosen for this undertaking. I know each of you is the best there is in your own specialties. The crew is varied… the team is new… and the family is strange. But the face of each isn't important. Take instead the simple, common purpose of our gathering; take instead the people who have signed on for a possible mission of intense proportions and suicidal odds." I stated, feeling the atmosphere grow less tense.
A young-looking turian piped up then, holding his hand up high.
"Excuse me, Princess Lixeria?" he asked, to which I held up a hand.
"I would rather you call me by my name or my military title. That goes for all of you." I announced, looking to all of them. "I'm not some snob you need to grovel to, alright?" I smirked, getting a few laughs in response.
"I'm a part of this new family."
"Alright… uh- what is your title?" the turian asked, getting a few looks from the Vertoak standing around. Before I could answer though, Karamu stepped forward.
"She is a Lord by name and the only Prime Volkos in title, as is her duty as the heir. She stands as the head of the Vertoakan military, heart of its people and advocate of its future. She is the Princess, after all." His deep voice seemed to intimidate a few people in the crowd but no one said anything. He looked down at me for a few moments before stepping back in place.
Jeez, the only reason father made me the Volkos was because-
"Um… okay… Lixeria?" the young-looking turian asked again, cutting off my inner train of thought. He must've thought the title thing was too complicated to figure out or something.
"Yes?" I asked, accepting it.
"I understand what we're doing mostly, but what exactly is our purpose?" good question.
"Your purpose may be different from this crew's. After all, if I recall correctly, you are Solar Han; a quite accomplished Infiltrator. Whatever your specialty, you belong in this new family, so to speak, yes?" I said, wanting him to think about it rather than have me tell him. Seriously, he looked fresh out of his military days.
"So… my purpose is to do my job?" he asked, completely confused.
"In an manner of speaking, yes." I replied. "But you must understand; the core of this new 'family' is the sole purpose we're here."
"To honor!" someone called.
"To do battle!" definitely a Krogan.
"To live!" another quipped.
I smiled, looking to everyone.
"To protect." I said. A small silence went by as everyone ingested the simple directive. "To preserve. To put ourselves between genocide and utopia for the ones we love. The families we wish to honor, the clans we desire to prove ourselves to, the children with nothing else left but hope for a better day. We protect." I smiled, seeing the widened eyes of some in the crowd.
"Says the Blackblood…" Rissara muttered, barely audible. I felt a twinge of anger at the statement but said nothing in return. After all, it was true.
"Lixeria?" an asari called, catching my attention. "How long are we going to be a crew together?" she asked.
"Ah, yes… All of you volunteered for this journey, this exodus. I can't force you to stay but I can't ask you to leave. This is your story. Your life. If you ever wish to leave on the long voyage of three years, then do so of your own accord. But know this: each of you standing here are the ones who will change the future. The ones who will save the lives no one else can save. I want you all to see this through at my side, for as long as you will it." I answered, glad to feel the rising emotions of the crew. They were starting to get the depth of what was to come, perhaps.
"Further questions will have to be answered in private. Report to your stations and prep for launch; we will depart in the next hour. Dismissed." Adel ordered, getting all excited. Man, she'd been unusually stiff the whole morning. I was never like that. Right?
As everyone let out a resounding affirmative and began filing into the ship, I let out a small sigh. Karamu went ahead without saying anything and Ayldrik rushed to the entryway with a pouting Kareck behind him. Rissara smirked at me in such a smug way that I frowned as she too passed by. Vetrali was already ahead and on the ship, getting ready with the pilot. Even Jasin was on the ship- something about making sure the armory was set up properly.
So that left me with Adel the Stiff.
"It might be a good idea for you to lie down in your office. With what happened yesterday I figure you're still tired out." I suggested, seeing the drawn look in her expression. Still, she just gave me a look and narrowed her eyes. She always did that when she was about to defend herself.
"I am perfectly healthy." She replied. Hm. Hadn't I said that to Shepard one time?
"Look, I know you've been working all week! Don't try to pass it off as nothing or you'll drop again, and into the arms of someone you wouldn't like. Embarrassing, right? So listen to your princess and get rest before I sic the doctors on you!" I suddenly ordered, feeling that underlying irritation of Rissara come to the surface momentarily. Adel regarded me for a few moments before reluctantly bowing her head.
"Very well." She then walked into the ship, leaving me all alone in the ship's hangar.
…
"Launch in three… two… one…" Iravina, the pilot of the Slayer's Fate, announced, counting down. I felt the slight jump of the clamps as they released the ship and the core powered up.
"Copy that. Three… two… Normandy is launching…" Joker's voice on the comm said, his countdown as steady as Iravina's.
"Affirmed. The Slayer's Fate has launched. We're a go." Iravina announced, her focus as sharp as always.
"Copy. Normandy is a go." Even Joker could be serious sometimes, huh?
"Advise Normandy to take off first and stay in contact. We'll be right behind."
"Roger. Taking off… See you in two days." Joker quipped, ending the call as he jumped the Normandy into space. Iravina wasn't far behind at all, for an instant later, we too were gone.
…
"Arcturus Command, this is the Slayer's Fate. Over." From the look on Iravina's face, it was obvious she hated using human pilot lingo.
"This is Arcturus Command, we read your position, Slayer's Fate. Admiral Hackett has cleared you for dock. Sending coordinates now."
"Roger." She said, seeing the message unfold into the system. "Coordinates received, moving into position on Dock 14."
"Copy that. Welcome to Arcturus station, Slayer's Fate."
Instead of answering back, Iravina cut the communication and approached the said dock. Normandy was in the same situation at the moment. From the message currently forming on the system screen they were sent to Dock 32. Unfortunate. Lixeria wouldn't like that one bit.
With a single shake of the head, Iravina contacted the Normandy.
"Normandy, this is the Slayer's Fate. Sending time meeting and departure schedule for Commander Shepard and away team. Over."
A moment passed as the information was sent and received.
"This is the Normandy. Message received and sent to the Commander's personal terminal."
A moment more went by as Iravina went through other messages she'd have to send out for Lixeria later. She didn't bother cutting the comm, assuming it would be dropped by the other end soon enough.
"… Hey, wait! The heck kind of a schedule is this?" the sudden outburst drew Iravina's attention from her work, serving to irritate her already. The pilot was, after all, infamous for her temper.
"Excuse me?" she asked, frowning with her brows furrowed.
"How do you expect us to get everything done in three hours? I don't know about you, but I'm not some Tasmanian devil hopped up on red sand! Do you know how big this station is? There's no way." He continued, obviously adamant in his argument.
"Observe the schedule. You will notice there is no mention of the Normandy crew's required participation in the mentioned activities. Further questions will be answered by princess Lixeria or Commander Shepard." Without even thinking, Iravina cut the communication off.
…
"Wha-! She just hung up on me!" Joker raged, his face growing redder by the second. Shepard chuckled at the Vertoakan pilot's remark, remembering a time Rae was the same way. It was the kind of anger you wanted to poke at rather than leave alone. Now that she thought of it, it was similar to Miranda's chip on her own shoulder. Maybe even that Adel's as well.
"Serves you right, Joker. I was wondering when someone would come along who even you couldn't boss around." The Commander said, meaning it as a simple joke. Still, the ornery pilot struggled to turn his body around, failing to do so when EDI refused to swivel his chair for him.
"I'll have you know I'm the best pilot out there! It's crazy for some random lady-pilot to think she's got the upper hand!" he almost yelled, still trying to turn around. The scene was so funny that Shepard had already begun recording it.
"Got something against lady-pilots, Joker?" she drawled, smirking.
"Th-that's not the point!" he stuttered, his expression completely indignant.
"And besides, I don't think it's the upper hand she has."
"What are you talking about?"
"Look, I know you won't admit it, but she just grabbed you by the balls and shut you down. I think your ego is the one that's hurting right now." Shepard explained, feeling slightly sympathetic for the guy. Still, she loved seeing him finally getting embarrassed.
"You know what? No! I'm going to find that snob and…! And…! And…!" he declared, struggling to his feet.
"And…?" Shepard smirked, crossing her arms.
"And… I'll do something!" he yelled, storming (or rather, limping) out of the airlock.
Shepard let out a small snort of humor, ending the recording.
…
"Alright… the other volunteers should be in the next terminal over." I said, staring at the map hovering over my wrist.
"Where?" Ayldrik pressed, getting in my space and staring down at the holo-map. I looked up and observed the layout, seeing the intended path. Pointing my finger in the direction of a door not more than twenty paces away, I deactivated the map.
Of course, before I could say anything, Ayldrik made a break for it. He sped through the door just as I ran after him, telling him to calm the hell down. I made it through the door just in time to see the group awaiting us for pick up. They looked up as Ayldrik sprinted over, his gaze totally set on the back of a familiar marine's head.
"Ashley!" he yelled, a huge grin in his voice.
Next thing I knew, he leaped at her with the biggest hug I'd ever seen him give anyone. Bigger, even.
A/N: So, I decided to stop it there. Don't hate me. Anyway, I should update again at least this weekend, okay?
ANOTHER NEW POLL IS UP! ANSWER OR I WILL DROP A STORY I'M STILL WRITING! I really would, I'm kind of lazy. But really, I need at least TEN people to vote. Is it really that fucking hard to push a button? A lot of people look at my profile, okay? So press that one button to make my day!
Please?