A/N: Sorry for the long delay, a bad case of writer's block has been troubling me lately. But I'm over it. Still, I'm a bit disappointed at how short this chapter is.
Sovereign X22, zzzQNzzz, Celis and subsider34 - Thanks for your reviews guys, like I said before, I'm trying to make this as realistic as I possibly can.
ianua cordis mei - Z - as always, your opinion and advice is greatly appreciated, I'll make the proper changes to my next chapter ASAP. Again, I apologize, I'm not really used to writing fanfics yet.
mivpus and Michael - thanks for your opinion, I hope you two enjoy this chapter.
To the others, I owe a lot of thanks for you honest input, advice, and opinions, I also would like thank you for taking the time to read this.
For now, I bring you the final chapter before the shit hits the fan. Enjoy!
January 7th 2185 C.E.
Ferris Fields
A single UT-47 Kodiak transport screamed at the colony overhead, its quick passing clearly heard as it blasted off at a steady speed of three hundred knots, cruising at a fixed altitude of about nine hundred feet. In the shuttle's passenger compartment, Henry Rodriguez gazed on the nearby view screen next to him, watching as the once small settlement he had seen a few years back has now become one of the major human colonial hubs in the Terminus System. Because of that, his responsibilities grew even bigger. Just seated across from him was his executive officer, Adrian Walters, who right now was busying himself tinkering with a datapad, assessing the progress of their new assignment: constructing Ferris Fields' new automated LADAR early warning system.
After the failed batarian invasion, Patrick Knowles had invested a lot of the colony's funds on improving ways to better protect themselves. And he'd done quite well over the times that went by: upgrading the militia's small arms to the new standard thermal clip system, acquiring newer offensive weapons systems, acquiring advanced hard suits, and even purchasing four secondhand Kodiak shuttles. It had really put a major dent on the colonial economy, but they eventual overcame the large costs and recovered. As of right now, Knowles had already begun construction of his newest venture to improve ways of defending the colony, to which the young man and his subordinate were currently busting their asses off.
The outlying LADAR picket was first conceived about seven months ago, when Rodriguez pitched an idea to Knowles about an early warning system that could give them enough time to detect an enemy's presence, and then let them prepare accordingly for any further enemy assaults. The older man quickly approved of the idea and appropriated the required funds to purchase the tools, material and resources necessary to put this plan into reality. Of all the defense initiatives Knowles sanctioned, this was, by far, the most expensive. But in the end, the middle-aged man thought that this would really help in the long run, not wanting to repeat the events that transpired which resulted in the loss of sixty-five good men.
The early warning system was composed of quite a few LADAR transmitters that were strategically placed at numerous sites, positioned hundreds of klicks surrounding the colony. Each of these transmitter sites had a range of about several hundred kilometers, which covered a really wide area, giving them a protective blanket of anything that goes in their way. Already, some of the installations have now been assembled, which placed the picket's overall completion to about seventy percent. It was frustrating work at first, the brand new Hahne-Kedar LPQ-287 LADAR transmitters were difficult to familiarize and operate, complex mathematical algorithms were needed to set up a decent tracking pattern for the planned protective umbrella to follow, and it took about three months for the militia's best programmers to come up with the necessary configurations.
But after that, it was practically smooth sailing along the way. Only about a handful of remote stations were left to set up, and Steve Cortez, the colony's head of construction and development, assured them that they could finalize its end in about a week's time. If anyone could make it happen, it was him. Rodriguez rather liked the guy; he was a talented, resourceful man who could make anything happen and work with limited assets and equipment. A former Alliance pilot, he and his husband/life partner Robert came here to peacefully retire from their line of work and settle down. It was weird seeing them together at first, them being an openly gay couple, but over time, he came to respect and like them due to their friendly nature and hard work. Plus the fact that Therese and Robert got along so well that it was amusing to see them converse for what seems like hours on end, as they basically talk about on anything about everything.
All of a sudden, the pilot's voice broke him out of his thoughts. "Sir, we'll be landing momentarily now, hold on." He could feel the Kodiak instantly decelerate from its initial flight speed, the shuttle's four thrusters underneath letting them hover for a short while until they made landfall about a few seconds later. The port-side door quickly slid open, with Rodriguez and his XO quickly exiting the vehicle, where a military rover was waiting right ahead of them. Both of the officers entered it, and the vehicle quickly sped off, making its way towards the militia HQ. The weather was nice today, thin clouds above, followed by a gentle breeze and a sunny disposition; it really was a good day. Next to him, Adrian Walters spoke, his eyes still glued at the datapad in front of him.
"Sir, the IFF transponders on the Kodiaks hasn't been installed yet," Walters told him. "we need them up and running ASAP. If the picket's already operational, they might mistake those birds as hostile and let the SAMs shoot them down." Rodriguez grunted in agreement, his eyes still surveying the colony. It was amazing how quickly Ferris Fields' advanced and expanded. Already, its borders were growing, new structures were being built, and more importantly, there were more colonists willing to settle down here in the colony. The overall population had already exceeded 17,000 colonials, and the militia grew even larger to further accommodate its mandate of protecting civilian lives. From a single battalion, the colonial militia grew into a full regiment of three infantry battalions, each reinforced by multiple support units of armor, artillery, and until recently, aerial assets. The Ferris Fields Colonial Militia wasn't an auxiliary unit composed of green horns anymore, but a fully-fledged fighting force capable of various tasks, from simple garrison duties to force interdiction, anti-piracy operations, or even large full-scale battles, if the time came for them to act upon it.
These guys have already proved themselves in the face of danger a year and a half ago, repelling a force that was far greater than their own and with less equipment than what they had now. Overall militia strength was about nine hundred sixty-four men, divided into three battalions, its officers were veterans from the failed batarian invasion attempt. And since he was now commanding a regiment, Knowles had deemed it fit to promote him to the rank of lieutenant colonel and his XO as a major commanding one of the battalions. Other than that, nothing really did change that much. There were a few pirate threats here and there, but they manage to launch a pre-emptive strike on every single one of them, further preventing another conflict from endangering their home.
The military rover arrived at the HQ minutes later, with the colonel and Major Walters hastily disembarking from it and going in on the building's entrance, both of the guards posted there giving out a crisp salute, to which both officers returned in kind. They made their way into Rodriguez's office and quickly settled themselves within, the regimental CO taking a seat on his leather chair, whereas the major still stood at perfect attention.
"So," the colonel said to his executive officer. "are there any other matters that need to be attended, major?"
"Well, the Sparrowhawks are being prepped for deployment alongside the LADAR sites," Walters replied to him. "we could get them all operational within thirty-six hours, sir."
"Excellent." Rodriguez happily replied. The M216 Sparrowhawk long-range surface-to-air missile batteries were another thing Knowles procured for them. Deployed just behind the LADAR installations, these largely automated, state-of-the-art air defenses could knock out anything the size of a large gunship or shuttle, as long as it came within range of their protective umbrella. "Have the techs from Third Battalion help out if they have any difficulties setting them up."
"Yes sir." Walters gave his commanding officer a salute, then spun around and left his office. Once again left with his thoughts, the young colonel leaned back on his leather chair and pondered on the events that went by. It had been an eventful year and a half, and the time he spent here even more so. The colony was now completely safe, its defenses firmly in place, and the men who've sworn to protect it were expertly trained and better equipped to deal with any threat.
But why the hell do I feel like it's still not good enough? He thought to himself. He shrugged the bad thought off. He had already done what he could for Ferris Fields, training them to be the best that they can be, with Knowles giving them the proper tools necessary. Yet somehow, something told him that a greater threat still existed out there, even more dangerous than batarian pirates and slavers. And he had no idea what the hell it was. As a soldier, Rodriguez was trained to trust his gut instinct, no matter how stupid or pointless it would lead. Still, it wouldn't hurt to be more cautious when danger came looking for him, but until that time comes, he was contented with just spending another peaceful day here in paradise.
His omni-tool sprang to life on his arm, the familiar holographic interface engulfing the area with it an orange glow. Someone was trying to contact him, and he didn't need to guess as to who would try to reach him at a time like this. Accepting the call, he quickly heard the all too familiar voice of the one person he really cared about.
"Hey you," Therese's lovely voice filling his ear. "you still coming home for dinner?" Rodriguez just gave out a soft chuckle before answering her back.
"Hey, babe. Yeah, I'll be there in just a little bit."
"You better," the young woman said to him in a slightly teasing tone. Once again, the colonel just laughed a second time. God, I love this woman.
"I'll see you in a few minutes, babe." With that, Rodriguez disconnected the call and powered up his computer terminal. For now, he had to read the readiness reports of every single one of his regiment's battalions. That took about a few minutes, with the reports indicating that all of them were completely combat ready. He smiled at the results. These men were now prepared to face any threat, anytime and anywhere. Shutting down his terminal, he checked his chrono for the time. Twenty minutes past 1700. He just had enough time to get into a rover, drive his way home, and have dinner with Therese.
Exiting his office, he hurriedly went outside the militia building and hailed for his personal rover. The vehicle arrived in front of him moments later, and he entered inside through the passenger seat. The driver inside faced him.
"Where to, colonel?" One of the perks of being in charge of the colonial militia was having a personal driver assigned to you that could take you anywhere you wished to go, and right now, Rodriguez was certainly gonna enjoy the simple advantages of being in command.
"Home, corporal." The young colonel said to the NCO behind the wheel. The rover sprang to life momentarily, making its way towards the regimental CO's residence. Another perfect night with the woman he loved, he wasn't exactly going to say no to that.
"Babe, I'm hoooome." Rodriguez said to no one in particular as he opened the door and went inside their modest house; just after the chauffeur/corporal dropped him off outside after twenty minutes of driving the colony's roadways. Going further inside, the colonel unbuttoned his olive green fatigue jacket, took it off, and shoved it unceremoniously on the laundry basket outside the bathroom. As he neared the kitchen he saw Therese in front of the electric stove, cooking something that smelled delicious, with a slight hint of…basil leaves?
He saw the young woman was wearing one of his plain olive-green shirts, matched by a pair of drawstring sweat pants. Yep, she was still beautiful, now more than ever. He also noticed that she had a pair of wireless ear plugs playing something on both of her ears, making her completely oblivious to his presence. Working his way towards her, he slowly put his arms around her waist and gives a quick kiss on her neck. Therese didn't even flinch at the sudden body contact, only giving out a small smile as she continues prodding the dish she was cooking with a spatula for a few seconds, turns her head to face him, then plants a quick kiss on his lips.
"Evening, stranger," she said to him, her pale blue eyes on his dark brown ones, a huge grin plastered on her face.
"How's my girl?" Rodriguez whispered near her right ear, his head slightly touching her own. Therese just chuckled for a bit, her attention still on the cooked meal ahead of her.
"Hungry." Was all that Therese could say; which in turn gave the colonel a hearty laugh. His hands still on her waist, he kept them there, rubbing her abdomen gently until he could feel the slight bump resting there.
"And how's my other girl?" Even though her focus was concentrated on her home-cooked meal, the young doctor couldn't help but grin from ear to ear once again.
"Why don't you see for yourself." Rodriguez just let out a smile. Disengaging from his embrace, he quickly went around his wife and crouched low, bringing his head closer unto Therese's abdomen, his right ear firmly planted there in place.
He could hear a faint heartbeat, followed by the occasional kick as the living, breathing thing inside that was his future daughter was moving constantly. He never imagined himself being a father, but after receiving the news a few months ago from Therese, it made him think long and hard. Am I really ready to be a dad? That thought really bothered him clearly, working its way towards his head, asking to himself if he was truly prepared for the joys and consequences of fatherhood.
But then he realized something, he loved Therese more than anything else in his life, she was his rock, his confidant, his best friend, and more importantly, she was the only reason why he wasn't breaking down with everything he's ever been through. And before she told him about the news, she always did say that she wanted to know what it felt like, being a mother. Rodriguez thought about it thoroughly. Who was he to deny her this after all the good things that she's done to him? So, at that moment, he decided he was gonna give this a shot, at being a dad.
And so here he was now, hearing the very slight signs of his baby daughter growing ever so slowly; if he was going to be honest about it, he always did hope that he was going to raise a son. Teaching him the ways of becoming a man, how to play basketball (if it still even existed) and to show the little guy about everything there was to know about being an honorable person.
So when he found out that he was going to raise a baby girl, it pretty much ruined any of his hopes of having a little boy. He didn't have any clue on how to raise a daughter, and even today, that still scared the living daylights out of him. Yet somehow, throughout all his doubts of raising a kid of the opposite sex, he was confident that his dearly beloved wife could take care of any of this stuff. She was the kid's future mother, after all. So he'd be bound to expect that she read everything there was to know about having a baby.
"You finished there, stranger?" looking up, he saw Therese looking down on him, her smile still in place and both of her hands placed on her hips. Even though she was already about three months pregnant, the young woman's belly wasn't really protruding that much, unlike the usual pregnancies where it could be clearly noticed. To the untrained eye, it looked as if the doctor had a huge lunch instead of carrying a still, undeveloped daughter. Rodriguez knew for sure she certainly wasn't going to complain about that.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that." He stood straight in front of her and proceeded to wrap his arms around her waist and lower back. "I still can't believe that I'm gonna be a dad."
"Why not?" Therese asked him, following his example and placing her arms around his neck. "Still can't get over the fact that Henry Junior doesn't exist yet?" Rodriguez's eyes widened for a moment in surprise. How the hell is she doing that? Catching the look of shock in his face, she just laughed and said, "What?"
"How are you doing that?" He asked her, disbelief completely apparent in his voice. Therese just looked at him coyly.
"Doing what?" she asked him innocently, her devious eyes blinking theatrically.
"That," Rodriguez told her pointedly, referring to her innate skill of reading him like some sort of damn book. "it's like you're reading my mind or something. How do you do that?"
"And why should I tell you, hmmm? A girl's gotta have some secrets every now and then." The young woman told him secretively. The colonel just sighed exaggeratedly and moved in to give her a nippy kiss on her lips.
"You know, I'm trained in ways to make people talk, right?"
"Yeah? Well, I'm pregnant and my hormones let me act unpredictably. Think you can top that, honey?" She told him matter-of-factly, while smiling mischievously at the same time. At this point, Rodriguez pretty much conceded with another sigh. There was no way he was getting anything out of her regarding her skill of reading him. Before he could think of some ways to let her reveal her ability, he thought about something else. Wait a minute…
"Yet?" The colonel asked her.
"You didn't expect our daughter was going to be the only child in our family, did you?"
Rodriguez just laughed out loud. He hadn't quite anticipated that his lovely wife wanted to have more than one kid. Well, the more the merrier they always say. Raising one child was hard enough, but a couple more of them? This was going to mean a lot of sleepless nights for him and Therese. But she didn't seem to be bothered by it, not in the least; in fact, she kind of was excited with the prospect of having more than one child. Maybe it was her hormones talking, or maybe it wasn't; either way, she sure as hell gave the impression of wanting to experience motherhood so badly.
"Anyways," Therese voice broke him out of his reverie. "why don't you go take a shower first then set the table once you're done. Food's almost ready."
"Copy that." Rodriguez grinned madly and left for the bathroom.
"What about…Catherine?" Therese said to the colonel.
"That kinda sounds a bit too regal, babe." Rodriguez replied to her. They were sitting parallel to each other on the dinner table, their meals half-eaten and both of them gingerly taking a sip from their respective wine glasses. For the past half-hour, they were discussing on potential names for their baby girl. So far, they haven't been that successful on agreeing to a single one.
"Okay, okay, what about Alexandra?" The young man just chuckled at another one of his wife's suggestions before responding to her.
"Now you're just making it worse." Therese put down her wine glass on the table and crossed her arms, her face in a mock-serious glare.
"And you think you can do better, huh?" Rodriguez gulped the entire contents of his glass and placed his glass down, scratching his chin to further emphasize his deep thought on the matter. Then, it finally got to him.
"I got it!" He happily exclaimed. "How about Ashley?" His wife's face showed him of her apparently confused look, and he further explained why he chose that particular name. "It's not that regal, it's down-to-earth, sweet, and I kinda like how it sounds."
The last bit he mentioned made Therese chuckle for a while. Grabbing her wine glass once again and taking a liberal sip, she pondered on her husband's idea. Ever since she got pregnant, the colony's local obstetrician advised his wife that she shouldn't exceed her wine consumption of just about three glasses per week. Rodriguez took the doctor's counsel seriously and held a close eye on how many glasses Therese managed to consume. Right now, to his estimate, it was about two glasses…or was it three? Damn it. The young man mentally cursed at his lapse in memory. He sure as hell wasn't going to ask her about it. It wasn't really a matter of pride; he was just a wee bit embarrassed that he lost count about it.
He was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't notice a hand being waved in front of him, blocking most of his sight. Surprised, he reared back, and he saw Therese standing next to him, one of her damn irresistible smile firmly in place. How the hell did she get there? She just laughed and said, "Drifting off, are we?" Rodriguez just laughed nervously before answering.
"Sorry about that, did you say something?"
"Yeah, I did actually." His heart raced. Oh God, please don't let me make a comlpete ass out of myself again. "I said that Ashley is a nice name for our daughter." Jesus, that was close…wait, what?
"Really?" Rodriguez asked her, clearly not bothering to hide his surprise at his wife's sudden agreement to his suggestion. She just shrugged.
"Well, yeah," she said to him. "I never quite figured that sometimes a name as simple as that is just as beautiful at the other elaborate ones I mentioned. So, kudos to you, honey." The young colonel couldn't help but smile, refilling his wine glass and holding it in front of his wife.
"I say this calls for a toast, don't you think?" Therese just let out a soft laugh before grabbing her own glass and bumping it to his.
"To Ashley Allison Rodriguez, then." She said.
That doesn't actually sound bad at all…