"Preparing for relay jump," EDI said.
Riley pressed her lips together. Jaegers were ground-based fighting vehicles and so had never been through a relay while in one. Theoretically, anything within a protected shell could be shot through the network and so the Valkyrie shouldn't be any different. It didn't stop her muscles tensing in apprehension.
"Relay alignment... confirmed," Kaidan said next to her.
With that, their rigs disengaged from the active position as the Valkyrie connected and entered the corridor. She took the brief moment of respite to stretch her limbs as much as she could while strapped to the pilot rig.
"Calm before the storm," Kaidan murmured next to her. She wasn't entirely sure if she'd been meant to hear it, despite the Drift connection.
The storm was always there, though. Moments of quiet and clarity and a chance to breathe, but it always came back. And it never seemed to lose power. "More like the eye of the storm."
She wasn't sure if she'd meant for Kaidan to overhear, but he grunted all the same.
The accompanying belly-flop in conjunction with the rigs rising back up notified them they'd exited the corridor.
The Normandy was waiting for them with a small fleet of five frigates. Two turian, two asari, and one Alliance vessel.
She opened a communications channel. "Normandy, this is the Crimson."
"Yeah, I know who you are Shepard. Who's your copilot?" Joker answered.
She shook her head as Kaidan replied. "I am. What's the sitrep?"
"Shit, two Spectres in a Valkyrie taking point?"
Riley sighed and shared a long-suffering look with Kaidan. Joker had been his pilot for a lot longer than he'd been hers, and she could feel the weight of long-suffering irritation rolling through the Drift, memories of Joker cracking quips at inopportune moments and never taking anything seriously. Kaidan face-palming while sitting at his desk reading a report written by Joker. She commiserated.
"Prepare for relay activation," Kaidan ordered.
"Aye, aye, Major. Coordinated fleet movement ready in two minutes. Programming the numbers now."
"Position?"
"Leading the charge. We'll be right behind you, covering your six. Transferring you to Simmons for additional communications."
Her console flashed to life as she activated it while EDI brought other systems online – maps, LADAR scans, things she was used to seeing perched above a galaxy map and bigger than her head. Not crammed onto a display right before her eyes while she was strapped inside a harness. Arguably her Jaeger experience should have prepared her for this, yet the discrepancy still existed within her brain because the irrational part of her brain was only focusing on the spaceship aspect and not the Jaeger turned spaceship part.
Still, it was only a minor adjustment and one that wouldn't negatively impact her performance. She'd just have to get used to it.
"Major Shepard, Major Alenko, this is Major Simmons. Situation in the Parnitha System is critical. First CAT four double attack."
"Shit."
Both of them had said it. Simmons continued uninterrupted. "Latest intel through the network indicates Timera headed straight for the planet while Sagar's bunkered down near the relay. The asari forces have managed to keep the relay hot; waiting until we give the word. Our timing has to be perfect."
"Otherwise there's a chance Sagar will breach the relay network."
Good thing the ward arms of the Citadel were closed – a motion she had pushed through only months before shortly after her 'retirement' from the Jaeger program. Because while she had no longer been a pilot, she still had a responsibility to defend the Council in any way she could and at that time, it meant pulling on her political cap and forcing a nonstandard and rotating schedule on the Citadel. It put more pressure on transport ships bringing in refugees and shipping lanes had clogged even more than what the war had already done to them. But those hardships were countered with benefits and protection details.
Her motion was perhaps the one thing every single Spectre, regardless of race, had agreed upon. Much to the Council's dismay.
There wasn't exactly a way to say 'no' to fourteen Spectres who all wanted the same thing. It was going to happen, regardless.
Too bad Kaidan hadn't been there. Not that his added weight would have forced the Council to respond faster but, well, he probably would have enjoyed the looks on their faces.
Kaidan grunted next to her, hands moving through his displays as he absorbed the incoming data. She closed her eyes and brought up the memory, aware of the dangers of seeking something out, but wanting to share it with him nonetheless. She was also aware of him suddenly looking at her, a part of her seemingly looking at herself, but she carried on until she could see the surprise in the asari Councilor's eyes. The look of utter disbelief that she'd mustered every Spectre aboard the station into one room and gotten them all to agree on one thing.
The contempt from the salarian Councilor who hadn't been on good terms with her since she'd voiced her public support for curing the genophage. It didn't matter what she did, he found a reason to dislike it.
The quiet respect from the turian Councilor who appreciated sensible approaches to wartime strategies.
Udina's indignation that she'd done something behind his back and no matter how much it was good on paper, for him particularly since it added to his image as he was her official supporter for her candidacy. He didn't like that she couldn't be leashed.
Apparently he'd hoped that Kaidan could be.
She could have told him, before Drifting with Kaidan, that that never would have happened.
"Satisfied?"
She opened her eyes. Kaidan had twisted in his rig, disengaging from the pilot-to-Valkyrie movement protocols, to look at her head on. A sparkle of amusement evident in his eyes, highlighted by the lights along the sides of the helmet.
Instead of answering, which, coupled with the not so innocent expression in his eyes and tugging at the corner of his mouth, made her mouth go dry as she unconsciously licked her lips, she said, "We ready to go, Normandy?"
"On your mark, Crimson. Ready to send the package as soon as you say the word."
They returned their eyes forward. "EDI will make the connection as soon as the relay is live." She glanced at Kaidan and he nodded. EDI pulsed ahead of them. "Mark."
"Transmitting... delivered. Window opening in ten seconds."
They met with chaos on the other side of the relay as the comms erupted with chatter from asari vessels, parsed and interpreted in real time by EDI.
Riley wasted no time in executing orders as she examined the situation. Thessia had ground defense systems in place and while it sucked that Timera would undoubtedly tear through at least one city, it had nothing on Sagar potentially breaking through the relay network. Her first goal was containment.
It had to be.
"Normandy, guard the relay. Make sure Sagar doesn't get through."
"Aye, ma'am."
Kaidan switched the broadcast to all channels. "Asari vessels, pull back and shore up defenses. Ascalon, Hastings, secure the perimeter. Hong Kong, Saratoga head to Thessia. Bolster asari defense systems and see if we can't prevent Timera from breaking atmo."
A round of "aye ayes" echoed over the comm as they geared up for their first frontal assault in the Crimson Tactical.
"Let's see just what kind of hell we can do."
"Forward thrusters."
They leaned forward in their rigs, engaging the rear thrusters at three quarter speed and raced ahead of the asari vessels pulling out, meeting Sagar head on.
For half a second, Riley wished there was a discernible face because she'd have loved to see the expression on its face as it confronted its first new vessel in well over a year. The Jaegers had been the last big surprise – nothing new since except for improved weaponry.
One of its massive talons struck out towards the Crimson – and missed as they rolled the ship at the last second, bodies straining against their harnesses, and Kaidan charged the weapons on the port side. EDI confirmed the hit as they brought the ship about.
There was beauty in moving in sync with someone; and she and Kaidan did it perfectly. No voicing of actions, just doing it, connected in the Drift. Ideas bouncing off each other even as they dodged more attacks from Sagar, charging weapons without having to ask because that old saying about two heads being better than one really was true – especially when those heads were connected in ways previously limited to asari and Vulcan mind-melds
God, Kaidan was rubbing off on her.
"Enemy ship is powering its main gun," her console flashed with the data even as EDI warned them.
"Alter thruster direction up!"
The Crimson shot downwards as they rotated the ships thrusters, the conn pod shaking from the quick execution despite the inertial dampeners.
"Crimson, Normandy, come in."
"We're a little busy here," Kaidan grunted as they powered the forward thanix cannon, coming about at incredible speeds that would have sheered the outer plating on a standard frigate. She could practically feel the frustration rolling off Sagar as they continued to the brunt of its attacks, suffering only glancing blows from swipes of its talons.
"Timera broke through planetary defenses and broke atmo above Thessia."
The Leviathan dodged the hit from their main gun, the stream of molten metal shooting off into the distance.
"Two GARDIAN defense lasers have been compromised, diverting power to shields."
"As soon as-" the whole ship shuddered, alarms beeping. Both Kaidan and Riley were tossed to the side in their rigs, the ship rolling with them.
"Starboard forward outer hull compromised."
"Shit," Kaidan regained his composure, "That hit took out our starboard disruptor torpedo launch tubes."
"What the hell was that?"
"It appears the Leviathans have upgraded their weapons systems to counteract the new ablative armor," EDI replied. "I've completed a full outer hull scan and compiled data for Operative Lawson once we return-"
"That's great, EDI," Riley interrupted. "Did it pierce all the way through?"
"Negative."
"Looks like you're leading the main assault, Kaidan."
"We need a new position."
"Normandy, come in."
"That was one hell of a wallop you guys took, Major," Simmons answered. "But it looks like you have everything solid enough. I'm sending the Hastings to Thessia."
"Good. We could use a distraction."
"Joker's already on it, Major."
True to her word, the Normandy flew across their bow, firing its broadside guns as it passed between them. Close enough to bypass the kinetic barriers though they'd hammered on them enough that most of the ordinance would have found their target regardless.
"I read you," Riley replied to a question Kaidan hadn't even voiced yet; she'd 'heard' it coming.
On his mark, she deactivated the starboard thruster while Kaidan shoved additional power to his, bringing the Crimson swinging about, just as Sagar launched another volley from its main gun. The projectile swung harmlessly past the side of the Valkyrie.
Kaidan's volley didn't miss his mark as port side javelins fired directly into the 'heart' of the beast.
"Direct hit!" EDI confirmed.
Riley wasn't satisfied. She'd seen too many Leviathans survive what should have brought them down. "Bring her about. Charge the thanix."
They swung around the unmoving creature and lined up their shot. The molten metal slammed into the beast before it even had a chance to properly cool, disintegrating cybernetically enhanced flesh and spewing Leviathan blue into space as its guts were exposed.
"Relay secure," she breathed and Kaidan sighed in agreement. Exhilaration and adrenaline pumping through both their systems.
Standing as a gigantic robot with fists capable of punching through mountains had been awesome. Probably one of the most surreal and intense moments of her lives were spent in the conn pod of a Jaeger, fighting monsters humans weren't capable of fighting on their own through the extended limbs of the Jaeger.
This, however, was amazing. Terrifying beyond belief, definitely, but amazing. Space combat had always come with some degree of helplessness as the crew of a ship relied on the few directing the fight to make it out alive. And while those few worked together to make sure the ship and her crew made it out, a lot of it still felt secondhand. One rarely flew the ship and fired the guns on a frigate, and fighters were next to useless up against Leviathans who had their own extraordinarily terrifying defense systems similar to GARDIAN.
But here, in the conn pod of the Valkyrie, they were the ship.
Kaidan caught her eye as the exhilaration wore down. "Let's go take out beastie number two."