ARELLIA TEVOS, TEC HIGH COMMAND (MOSCOW), JANUARY 30 2188
Using her representative's terminal, Tevos pulled up everything she could about Novalith kinetic impactors in the silence that followed Representative Wreav's statement, idly noting similar actions throughout the room as the various dignitaries scrambled for knowledge. What she saw nearly stopped her heart.
Kinetic impactor was a woeful mis-description of the weapon. The Novalith Cannon was an enormous device based on a Mass Relay, although it was merely thirty kilometres end to end instead of the fifty of a relay. The weapon was quite simple in its operation - create a zero-mass tunnel between the muzzle of the cannon and the target planet, then fire a large chunk of metal through the tunnel. Then cut power to the cannon's eezo chamber 0.07 attoseconds before the chunk of metal intersected with the planet.
The laws of physics do not take kindly to a massless object travelling several orders of magnitude faster than the speed of light suddenly having its mass returned to it. The projectile would instantaneously be liberated into a wave of pure energy that was literally unquantifiable and then slam into the planet in question. The unfortunate celestial body would very rapidly cycle through the states of gas cloud, star and quark-gluon plasma before releasing an energy shockwave that would sterilise anything within half an astronomical unit, the matter itself collapsing and re-fusing to form a featureless grey blob, roughly the same mass and dimensions as the planet it once was, continuing on in its orbit as if nothing untoward had occurred. The ball of unstable matter would slowly break apart as it settled into more manageable chunks, the subatomic particles simply not designed to be held together in the strange configurations they had adopted. The atoms would continue to coalesce and fuse together even as the ex-planet slowly disintegrated, leaving a dense asteroid belt composed largely of chunks of lithium and beryllium, along with a hazy cloud of hydrogen and helium.
And that ... brute wanted to inflict this fate on Thessia.
Her sudden outburst of furious outrage wasn't alone - fully half the representatives in the chamber were on their feet, hurling vitriol at the surprisingly calm Krogan at the lectern. To her horror, the other half were pinging messages between each other and solemnly nodding. Eventually Chairman Udina managed to restore some semblance of order.
"Thank you, Chairman." Everything about the monster standing by the lectern repulsed Tevos on a base level. "I would like to share with the Conclave some data recently gathered by the Arcova-class scout frigate TON Bazarkah." She wasn't sure if she wanted to tear into his misshapen face with her bare hands or fall at his feet and beg him to spare her world. "As you can see, the situation on Thessia is far more grave than on Palaven or Sur'Kesh." Her stomach twitched and she clamped down on the sensation. "The only resource usable by the TEC on Thessia is their element zero mines, and evidence suggests the entire population has been subjugated by the Reapers." She felt a familiar pricking at the corner of her eye. She wouldn't weep for her planet. Not now. "Every minute we leave Thessia untouched is more Husks for the Reaper war machine. The natives have offered no resistance whatsoever to the Reaper occupation." She felt herself fall to her knees, the world retreating from her as she tried to comprehend why. "As much as it pains me to say - the Asari population of Thessia have two options. Death by Novalith strike, or indoctrination and Husk conversion. I know which one I would pick. I yield the floor to any who wish to speak."
She was dimly aware of a hundred raised voices filling the air as she stared blindly at the ceiling.
"Perhaps Representative Tevos should speak?"
She looked around again to see Wreav looking at her with some measure of concern. She remembered Wreav from STG briefings back when the Reapers sounded like the plot of a B movie. Urdnot Wrex's lieutenant, second in line for rulership of the clan, a xenophobic, arrogant troublemaker. Sparatus had joked that he was like any little brother in the galaxy. Apparently he had mellowed somewhat during his time in the TEC.
The walk to the lectern was the longest walk she had ever undertaken. Each step felt heavy and final as the sound of a closing coffin. Her speech was short, simple and emotional, outlining the many cultural treasures and natural wonders that would be lost, pleading on behalf of Thessia's eleven billion inhabitants for the Conclave to spare their lives. Once she was done she felt defeated. Crushed. Despite the fact that a few representatives were moved to tears by her speech she somehow knew it wasn't enough. Time to reveal her trump card.
"There is one more thing the Conclave should be aware of. Extensive Prothean archives in the Temple of Athame on Thessia, containing at least forty petabytes of unencrypted data. Surely this alone is worth preserving the planet?"
The conclave once again burst into conversation and in the chaos Tevos looked over to Wreav. He was sitting down with Representative Koris and Chairman Udina, heads bent together as the schematics for a Novalith Cannon floated above the table between them. That was when Tevos knew that no matter what happened, Thessia was doomed.
She had failed.
CASSIN SPARATUS, TEC HIGH COMMAND (MOSCOW), JANUARY 30 2188
As soon as the Conclave was finished he pushed through the door and into the conclave chamber, looking for Tevos. He and Valern had convinced security to let them sit in the observation box and watch the proceedings. He had seen how defeated the normally calm and stoic Asari matriarch had looked as she took her seat.
She was still in that same seat, in the same position, staring at the same blank patch of wall. Not good signs. He gently touched her arm, shocking her from her stupor.
"Arellia?"
It was the first time Sparatus had ever used her first name. She blinked at him but didn't respond for a second, eventually speaking in a strangled whisper.
"I failed them ..."
He looped her arm over his neck and helped her out of her seat, holding her up as her knees buckled.
"Let's get you home."
MIRALA, SEOUL, JANUARY 30 2188
"In the three hours since the announcement that Novalith-class planetary destruction weapons would be deployed against Thessia, over thirty Asari have committed suicide in Moscow alone. Riots are sweeping the major Asari population centres of Prague, Denver and Brisbane, with protestors of all species gathering outside the Conclave Hall in Red Square. At last estimate the protest was almost ten thousand strong with more unhappy citizens arriving by the second. Representative Wreav, the instigator of the radical measure, has announced that he will complete the remainder of his term on the Conclave but will not seek re-election."
Mirala sat very still on the sofa, eyes locked on the news anchor as the front door opened.
"Mirala? Where are ..."
Nef's voice trailed off as she saw Mirala staring at the screen.
"I only just heard ..."
"Get out."
Nef blinked, startled, then let out a shocked whimper as Mirala rounded on her, face twisted into a mask of fury and biotics flaring.
"Get out get out get out!"
Wide eyed, Nef ran out of the apartment as Mirala collapsed back onto the sofa.
NEFERATI SHERIDAN, SEOUL, JANUARY 30 2188
Nef ran through the arcologies, pausing occasionally only to dash the tears out of her eyes. She had seen a primal fury in her lover, something that had terrified her half to death. Hearing her screaming at her - Nef had almost had a heart attack.
Finally slowing her headlong dash, she paused and looked around, trying to figure out where she was. It looked like a sleazy part of the city, a part she didn't belong in in her rich girl attire and Asari markings. Almost as if they heard her thoughts, three Drell emerged from somewhere behind her.
"Well look what we have here. Little lost rich girl?"
She tried to push past them, only to have scaly hands on her shoulders push back.
"Woah, woah! Where do you think you're going, little lady?"
She tried to clamp down on the fear fluttering in her stomach.
"I'm just leaving."
"Oh really? But we haven't had the chance to get to know each other."
She shuddered involuntarily as the lead Drell ran his hands down her sides and flicked his tongue in and out of his mouth.
"Get off me, creep!"
The Drell's lecherous expression was almost instantaneously replaced by anger. Before she could react she felt herself get roughly spun around and shoved face first up against the wall, cold, scaled hands hiking her skirt up round her hips. She tried to scream and struggle but the other two men pinned her arms to the wall and clamped hands over her mouth, stifling her shrieks. Her underwear was roughly tugged down to encircle her ankles and she felt the disgusting Drell's reproductive organ maliciously nestling itself between her buttocks as a voice crooned in her ear.
"I am going to enjoy breaking you, bitch."
As she felt the hard head of her rapist's penis splitting her labia to thrust into her, her thoughts turned to how desperately she wished Mirala would come to save her.
SERRA, SEOUL, JANUARY 30 2188
Serra was that rarest of breeds - an unemployed Geth. She (Serra identified as female) had left her previous role as a shipyard worker to attempt to participate in what was being referred to as the 'Geth Renaissance', the way in which the Geth, having spent more time around organic cultures in the last four years than in the previous four hundred, were attempting to create a culture from scratch. There were only a couple of problems with her naive plan to be the next big name in Geth art, music or literature - she knew next to nothing about art, music or literature. Since she wasn't organic, she had no need of housing or food, only occasional access to a power cable, and so she spent her existence walking around the Seoul Undercity searching for inspiration. Which, considering she was, as a matter of fact, a Geth, wasn't going too well.
It was on one such ramble that she heard it. A high pitched noise, and a slightly lower one. She pinged the audio file to the Consensus for analysis, receiving answers a couple of picoseconds later - sample 1: Human female, distressed. Sample 2: Drell male, propagating genetic material. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on, Serra thinking the expression to herself, momentarily forming the consensus that her own genius-level processors were an inefficient expenditure of resources given the situation, then rebutting the consensus with a code patch to prevent her programs being silly. Cataloging the plethora of potential options, she decided to investigate, the programs that controlled her lower half hopping into action as she strode towards the sound, using both sets of knees for improved speed.
She rounded the corner into the alley, her EM sensory unit sweeping the scene with its baleful glow, then momentarily discussing the data with her audio receptor before forming a consensus that her earlier conclusion was correct. She pinged the data to the Consensus, receiving an answering ping that categorised the organic's behaviour as Rape. Her neural network dissected the concept and found it to be distasteful in the extreme. Flicking through her list of options, her programs formed one more consensus. Eliminate Drell, return Human to point of origin.
Tactically speaking it was foolish to signal her intent to cause damage to Drell hardware, so she simply leaped up, bouncing off a high wall before diving down again. The gecko pads on her hands, usually used to enable her to cling to the side of spacecraft she was working on, adhered solidly to the shoulders of the leftmost Drell. Categorising her options, she formed another consensus and arched her body, feet locking to the shoulders of the rightmost Drell before rapidly bringing her legs and arms together, smashing the two unlucky rapists very forcefully into their even unluckier friend in the middle. Serra deactivated her gecko pads, elegantly twisting in midair to land lightly on her feet as the three men crumpled to the ground. She then assigned the remote construction drone docked to her left shoulder to take DNA samples from the unconscious thugs before turning her attention to the female.
"Is your hardware damaged?"
The Human turned around and wrapped her arms around Serra's neck, leaking some sort of lubricant from her EM sensory units. A quick ping to the Consensus introduced Serra to the concepts of hugging and crying, and so she encircled her own arms around the female, carefully monitoring stress levels in the organic's internal support structure to ensure she didn't inadvertently cause further hardware damage. Another query to one of the extensive sections of the Geth Consensus dedicated to trying to comprehend organic emotions and societies informed her that in the current situation the organic would be unlikely to coherently communicate so Serra hacked her iTool, finding out that her designation was Sheridan-Neferati and her point of origin was a penthouse apartment registered to an Asari designated [Blank]-Mirala. She pulled up a city map and plotted the most clandestine route to the apartment, then picked up the crying organic and commenced her expedition with greatest possible haste.
MIRALA, SEOUL, JANUARY 30 2188
Mirala's chest still felt tight and her eyes were puffy as she lay curled up on the sofa. She hadn't been quite as attached to the homeworld as most Asari but ... It was a rude shock when you learned the cradle of your species was slated for obliteration.
She was interrupted from her mourning of Thessia by a very forceful barrage of knocks on her penthouse's front door. She ignored the knocking until it was replaced by a faint digital clicking, then the whoosh of the opening door. She sprang up, biotics flaring as she prepared to reduce the intruder to a stain on the carpet.
She certainly wasn't prepared to see Nef cradled in the arms of a shipyard orange Geth unit. The Geth's eye focused on her and it spoke in a digitised voice slightly higher than the usual.
"We encountered other organics attempting to propagate their genome using Sheridan-Neferati against her preference and returned her here."
It took Mirala a moment to decipher the Geth's statement. When she did a cocktail of anger and guilt rose in her gut.
"She was raped?"
"Affirmative. The other organics in question were three Drell. All suffered severe hardware damage when we interrupted them."
The Geth gently put Nef down on the sofa and Mirala kneeled down beside her, taking her hand and brushing away tears. When she turned to thank the Geth, the orange platform was already gone.
HADRASSA VALERN, MOSCOW, JANUARY 30 2188
Valern and Sparatus sat next to each other in the hospital waiting room. Sparatus was perfectly still, Valern was nervously jiggling his knees up and down. When Sparatus had called him to discuss the events of the Conclave session, he had asked his Turian friend to keep an eye on Tevos, but neither of them had expected a suicide attempt.
Sparatus decided to break the silence.
"Do you ever consider what would happen if the TEC defeated the Reapers? After they won?"
Valern shook his head. He hadn't thought past the end of the war. Salarians, with their limited lifespans, were usually much more focused on the short term than their Turian and Asari counterparts.
"Think about it. The galaxy would be devastated, apart from TEC controlled systems. They would have an enormous war economy, fleets, defences, even those Novalith planet destroyers. Their entire existence is geared towards war. Will they even want peace? Or will they become imperialists, determined to subjugate the rest of the galaxy by force?"
Valern opened his mouth to speak but Sparatus forged on.
"Even if they don't, think about the position the galaxy would be in! I have no doubt the Coalition will disassemble every relay in their territory to produce more armoured battleships, and after this war they'll probably aggressively disassemble every relay they encounter, within or without their territory. And the way they control the manufacture and usage of their phasic FTL - I don't see the Citadel Council ever being the dominant power in a galaxy where TEC expansion is unchecked."
"Maybe that's for the best."
Sparatus gaped at Valern in amazement.
"Seeing the TEC, what they've accomplished - every mistake the Council made, they've avoided. Everything we did wrong, they did it right. Every species we relegated to a second class citizen, or humbled, or destroyed, they've nurtured them, transformed them into something better. The Krogan aren't a race of violent, savage brutes anymore, they're respectable soldiers, statesmen, businessmen. The Quarians aren't thieves and vagabonds, they're some of the most skilled technicians and ship handlers the galaxy has ever seen. The Drell are their own people, not just slaves of the Hanar. The Rachni are peacefully coexisting with other species. I fail to see why anyone would want to return to the rule of the Citadel Council. Like it or not, the galaxy has moved on without us."
Sparatus just kept staring at him until the doctor arrived to update them on Tevos's condition.
SAREN ARTERIUS, TEC HIGH COMMAND (MOSCOW), JANUARY 31 2188
"Representatives, may I remind you that the following information is classified to the highest level. Anyone who divulges what occurs in this room will be guilty of high treason against the Trader Emergency Coalition. Now, to the matter at hand."
As Saren stepped up to the lectern to deliver his briefing on what was rapidly becoming known among intelligence circles as the Seoul Situation, he couldn't resist sending a filthy glance at Representative Wreav. To say Tela had been devastated by the decision to deploy Novalith planet killers against Thessia would be a gross understatement. Nevertheless he permitted himself merely three seconds of fantasising about smashing the Krogan's skull in before returning to the matter at hand.
"Thank you, Chairman Udina. I am Saren Arterius, lead investigator of the Seoul Situation."
He tapped his iTool and a diagram of the affected area of Seoul appeared in the centre of the circular hall.
"This is the area of effect of the area denial weapon used against the city. As you can see, the blast was centred on a densely populated low income residential zone." A polite way of saying slum. "However on the periphery of the affected area was this building - a small, independently owned phase drive repair shop. When the investigation team combed through the area we were unable to account for three incomplete phase drives." Saren waited for the ripple of murmurs to die down. "In addition we detected the virus that enabled the individuals to take control of the Paullus node. It is a dumb program, not self aware, and designed for one time use only, but the code architecture ... suggests it originates from the Reapers. Based on that conclusion we can determine that the Reapers are working through intermediaries to gain access to phase drive technology."
That caused a stir. Eventually Vice-Chairman Guld restored order by smashing his Warlord hammer on the ground.
"Thank you. We have captured two of the individuals involved in the theft. Despite the use of suicide pills, we were able to identify their employer. Is anyone here familiar with the Shadow Broker?"
SHADOW BROKER, HAGALAZ, JANUARY 31 2188
The Broker looked at the image of the three machines lying in the hangar of his Morallis base. They looked unfinished, casing missing in places, esoteric components spilling out every which way and small flashes periodically issuing forth from the leftmost one.
"Impressive work, Shadow Broker."
He refocused four of his eyes on the screen containing the image of his employer, the other four keeping watch over the stolen phase drives as two of his Salarian techs tried to figure out exactly what was wrong with them. His employer continued on.
"However, your influence in this rogue group has waned somewhat."
Suddenly the Broker had a bad feeling.
"It has been a productive working relationship but you were only staving off the inevitable. We thank you for your services. Eliminate."
The fighter came out of nowhere. The wide crescent shape dove from above, stabbing out with a flicker of green beams and obliterating the ship's engine block before disappearing back into the cloud banks. As the ship started to fall the Shadow Broker shambled over to his desk, sitting down heavily and tagging his comm system to broadcast to all his operatives.
"This is the Shadow Broker. Activate the Rescindance protocol. It has been an honour working with all of you. Shadow Broker out."
Then he took the three keys out from around his neck, put them into the slots in his desk and turned them, exposing a button. He twisted it ninety degrees clockwise, then one hundred and eighty anticlockwise and then back to its original position.
"VI. Activate all viruses embedded in data transmitted to Vasari servers, then self-erase."
He gave the VI ten seconds to carry out his instructions, then pressed the button.
The gas giant Hagalaz was very briefly lit up by a one hundred megaton nuclear detonation.
TALI'ZORAH NAR RAYYA, TON ACIOUSTI, FEBRUARY 1 2188
"Recruits! This is your armour! The Kestrel K-11!"
She examined the white suit of armour with the black visor and Sigma logo. Hers was shaped to accommodate her double-kneed legs and three-fingered hands. Either side of her, Kaz and Garrus were looking at the Human and Turian versions respectively.
"Everyone put on your armour and prepare for an orbital drop and combat exercise."
Okay, curveball. First time wearing her armour and she would be dropping from the mesosphere in it.
The flight deck of the Percheron-class light carrier TON Aciousti filled with clanking and muffled curses as the thirty recruits figured out how to put their armour on. Within five minutes they were all armoured up, rifles slung and ready for action.
"Recruits! Welcome to Jump-Out-A-Spaceship 101! When I tell you to jump, you jump out the spaceship! Head first, arms and legs tucked in, minimise drag. When your HUD tells you to deploy your skyhook. That will make sure you do not redecorate the planet when you hit the ground! From then on you are on your own, do you get me?"
"We get you Lieutenant!"
"Lieutenant, any information about the combat exercise?"
"It's the size of Rhode Island and tastes like chicken. Line up for jump!"
Tali joined the other twenty nine recruits in lining up at the edge of the launch deck. The deck was effectively a horizontal tunnel running perpendicular to the axis of the ship, open on both the left and the right sides of the ship with the air held in by a kinetic barrier.
"Recruits! Jump!"
Tali instantly pitched herself out of the carrier, shutting off her comm link so nobody could hear her terrified shriek. Checking her HUD, she saw she was part of a cluster of white blips now descending from the carrier. She performed a quick count. Nineteen recruits had jumped immediately, the other eleven probably getting an earful from the Lieutenant. After a couple more seconds seven more blips plummeted from the carrier, then finally the last four somewhat haphazardly, as if they had been bodily hurled from the flight deck. Which, knowing the Lieutenant, was definitely a possibility.
Her lungs exhausted, she finally stopped screaming and assumed the minimum drag position before re-engaging her unit comm link. The comm was immediately filled with the screams of recruits who had lacked the courtesy to scream in private. Moments later she heard Kaz's voice cut across the comm line like a whip being cracked.
"Everyone shut the fuck up!"
The screaming thankfully subsided.
"Alright. Everyone in the min drag position?"
There was a chorus of affirmatives, everyone apparently glad that somebody was taking command.
"Good. Maintain your courses until we break atmo, then try to manoeuvre yourselves into your fire teams. We don't know anything about what we're going to be facing down there, so try and land as close together as possible. Once on the ground we link up and establish a defensive position."
Another wave of agreement.
"Good. Now, you four at the back, tell the truth. Did the Lieutenant throw you out of the carrier?"
Tali joined the others in laughing, mind focused on the banter and completely off the fact that she was currently tracing a trail of plasma through Benning's upper atmosphere.
KARINA SHEPARD, PLUMMETING HEADFIRST TOWARDS BENNING FROM FREAKING SPACE, FEBRUARY 1 2188
Kari's teeth were fixed in a snarl as she plummeted headfirst towards Benning from freaking space, staring down the ground as it rushed towards her.
[DEPLOY SKYHOOK IN 15]
She glanced at the counter on her HUD, fingers hovering over the button. She had been falling for nine minutes and when she deployed her skyhook she would be only twenty seconds away from digging a hole in the planet.
[DEPLOY SKYHOOK IN 10]
She licked her lips anxiously as she watched the figure in her altimeter fall disturbingly quickly. If she died she'd come back from the dead and haunt the Lieutenant.
[DEPLOY SKYHOOK IN 5]
Five seconds. Come on come on come on ...
[DEPLOY SKYHOOK]
She practically screamed it into her helmet.
"Deploy Skyhook!"
Moments later she felt herself get jerked back quite violently, breaking her minimum drag posture. It felt as if she had been connected to the carrier by a string on her back that had just reached its full extension. Checking her HUD she saw more and more of the white blips suddenly decelerate, until all of them were moving far slower, still decelerating as the ground rose to meet her at a more friendly, less terminal pace than it did previously.
Her feet very gently touched the ground and she immediately drew her rifle, revolving three hundred and sixty degrees on the spot, checking for any danger.
"Echo one down."
Her comm was filled with recruits reporting a successful touchdown. She listened out for the reports of her friends.
"Delta two down."
"Echo three down."
"Delta one down."
"Delta three down."
"Echo two down."
Moments later Garrus and James appeared out of the undergrowth as the Lieutenant's voice filled the comm.
"There's an abandoned Marine base near here. Your objective is to storm the base and then hold it until reinforcements can get here. Reinforcements ETA three days. Better get started."
Kari sighed.
"Tally ho then."
GA'HERIEL BALAK, OMEGA, FEBRUARY 1 2188
The galaxy's gone to the five tiers of hell, and T'Loak still wants credits. A queen at the top of her hive even as the ground crumbles away below it. Typical.
"Admiral Balak, you are getting dangerously close to breaking my rule."
Balak bit back the angry retort on the tip of his tongue and took a deep breath.
"I have over one hundred thousand refugees at my location and not enough supplies to go around. If I don't get food for my people they are going to starve."
"Of course you can have food. If you pay."
Yet again, Balak found himself resisting the urge to put his fist through the smug blue bitch-queen sitting in front of him.
"What with? Credits are practically worthless on this shi ... station."
Aria leaned back and grinned.
"Well, Omega is always in need of a healthy supply of workers and entertainers."
Once Balak deciphered the statement his eyes narrowed and a low growl emanated from the back of his throat.
"You want me to sell some of my people into slavery to feed the rest?"
She shrugged.
"Merely making you aware of your options, Admiral. I don't see how that would be a problem. After all, your people do have a long standing tradition to that effect."
That was it. He jumped to his feet, fists clenched as his guards and Aria's people engaged in a Mexican standoff behind him.
"I promised those people I'd keep them safe! All of them!"
Aria stood also, putting one repulsive hand on his shoulder. He fought the urge to apply his combat knife to her wrist.
"My dear Balak, don't be naive. You could never save all of them. You have a choice. Give up some of them to me and get food for the rest, or watch your charges starve to death. It really is that simple."
He glanced round and nodded to his guards, who lowered their weapons. Moments later Aria's people did the same. He sat down, defeated.
"How many do you want?"
LIDYANA T'ROAHÉ, TON KHRONUS, FEBRUARY 2 2188
Matriarch Lidyana, formerly captain of the Destiny Ascension and now captain of the Dunov-class Battlecruiser TON Khronus, was very, very bored. Her patrol group had thus far encountered nothing. On the last six patrols. Considering she had only been on six patrols so far, that meant she had seen no combat whatsoever while on the Khronus. She supposed she ought to be glad of that, but not right now. Now, she was far too busy being bored.
There really wasn't much point her even being on the bridge, but the chair was damn comfy, a far cry from the military austerity of the parts of the Ascension the Council didn't see. After all, why waste creds making sure the captain's bony ass was comfortable in the big lady's chair? Apparently the TEC thought different. Plus, the bridge of the Khronus was quite fun to hang around on. The Ascension had been all militarily proper. By comparison a TEC battlecruiser's bridge was sometimes like a ten year old's birthday party.
"Tactical. Formation check."
The Quarian tac officer rattled off the disposition of her battlegroup.
"Khronus, four Cobalt, two Garda, four Javelis, two Percheron, one Kodiak, one Hoshiko, six Stilat. All present and on assigned station."
"You know, sometimes I wish something would just bloody happen on patrol duty."
Her tac officer frowned and shook her head.
"Be careful what you wish for, Captain."