a/n- Good news everyone! I now have a beta reader. My best friend/roomie has accepted the job after some gentle prodding and bribery of soda and Doritos. Bitches love soda and Doritos. So previous chapters may or may not be edited to fix mistakes, this one included. I discovered that writing at 3 am and after only four hours of sleep hinders my grammar abilities. But they seems to be when my best work is done, hence the need for a beta. However my excitement over this chapter won out, so you're getting it before my beta reader as she'd currently away on a mini-cation.
On to the recognition part. SinnX, I sorry something as small as a kiss can and did ruin a story for you. You will be missed. Vicky cfc1, you'll get a chapter or two before the killing begins. And oh will the killing be delicious. Muahahahahaha
-Love brittsis.
Her brother was coming home for a week while his ship was in port. The ship needed repairs and Mindoir had the closest port large enough to support the frigate. Brandon, being nonessential crew, was allowed to disembark during the repairs so he could visit his family. Rae was so excited to see her brother that she skipped school, dragging Bodie along, and stood now in the shipping yard. People moved around them, not noticing the two teenagers that kept their eyes on the sky.
"Rae you should get off that ankle," Bodie cautioned and pulled her toward a bench. She had fractured it a few days before when she stepped into a gopher whole in the orchid. She now wore a walking boot with strict instructions to stay off it when possible.
Rae took her eyes off the clouds long enough to turn and smile at Bodie. Lifting his hand up, she brushed his knuckles with her lips. "I'm off it, most of my weights on the other foot."
Bodie rolled his eyes before bending down and grabbing her around the waist. Throwing her over his shoulders, he laughed at her protests and carried her over to the bench where he dropped her. "Stay," he ordered her, eyes sparkling with delight as she proceeded to cross her arms and pout.
"I'm not talking to you," Rae pursed her lips. This only caused Bodie to smile wider. He leaned over and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. "I only do this because I care."
Rae knew that, deep down she did, but she hated being babied and cared for. When he moved in to kiss her, she grinned and licked his nose. The look on his face broke her mask as she laughed at his reaction. "Oh god… that was great."
Before he could retaliate all hell broke loose. The ship yard was suddenly filled with alarms and people yelling and running away. It was several minutes before Bodie could grab someone, "What's going on?"
"You need to run boy. She's coming in to hot and won't slow down in time." The man tore from Bodie's grip and continued on his way.
Rae's eyes widened and turned back to the sky. She could just make out a form in the sky and could see the burning ship heading right for them. Her heart clinched as she thought of her brother on board. Before she could react Bodie hauled her up, threw her over his shoulder, and ran. They didn't get very far before the impact caused the ground to shake. The shockwave knocked the two to the ground and assaulted them with various debris. Rae felt something strike the back of her head before everything went dark.
Pain laced her body as she slowly gained conscience. Everything was muffled but a loud ring in both ears. Rae sat up slowly only to be rewarded by a pounding headache and her stomach rolling. She got to her hands and knees just in time to empty her stomach. Rae knew the symptoms like a old friend. The kind you always hated but never had the heart to tell them. She'd deal with the concussion later, right now she needed to get up and find Bodie.
Rae found him a few feet away, still unconscious, and crawled over to him. His chest was moving at regular intervals and she found a strong and steady pulse. "Bodie… Bodie wake up."
She shook him gently, not knowing what injuries he may have sustained. He woke slowly, blinking a few times. When he tried to move he hissed in pain and hugged his chest, broken ribs. "Stay here," Rae instructed and got to her feet, ignoring the throbbing in her head.
"No, Rae you stay here!"
"I can't. Brandon's in there somewhere." She left before he could say more, forgetting her ankle fracture and heading back for the wreckage. She found what she assumed was a war zone. People were everywhere, screaming, crying, and groaning. Some were helping others get clear of the ship while others were administering first aid. Rae rushed through, eyes frantically searching for her brother. He'd be easy enough to spot with his red hair and large frame, having taken after their father. She stopped and helped where she could but never stayed long. The closer she got to the wreckage the hotter it got. Most were avoiding the metal beast that lay burning against the dock, but her brother wasn't outside.
Rae climbed into a whole that was rent into the hull and slowly made her way through. Every time she came across someone she would stop and check for a pulse. So far she had found no survivors. Each time her heart would stop until she realized it wasn't Brandon laying in the pool of blood. Then she would sigh in relief and allow hope to flood her body again.
She was deep in the ship when she encountered her first survivor. It was a woman whose leg was bent the wrong way and half her face and arms covered in burns. "Can you stand?" the woman cried harder as she shook her head. Pursing her lips, Rae looked around until she found a piece of sheeting that had torn loose from the wall. She yanked wires loose and tied them through whole on the piece of metal, making a make sift sled. Rae helped the woman on it before making the slow journey out. Rae gritted her teeth against the pain and pushed herself to work harder. She lost track of time and didn't stop until she blinked at the sun light that assaulted her eyes. Rescue had arrived and took the woman from her. The paramedics tried to take her too, but Rae danced out of their grips and ran back into the ship.
Rae made five more trips into the ship, five more trips out pulling the sled, and five more escapes from the officials that waited for her each time. She could feel her energy waxing and knew that this was her last trip. Any more attempts would result in her being trapped inside. Besides there was only one last place to search, engineering.
"Brandon!" Rae called out as she ducked under a beam that blocked the way. The door ahead was malfunctioning, opening and closing continuously. Rae watched it for a few seconds and timed her jump through the doors. They closed right behind her, catching the back of her shirt and ripping it.
"Brandon!"
"Down here!" Rae looked down to see two figures below here. One was her brother and the other a man she didn't know. "We need help!"
She ran to the edge of the decking and dropped down, forgoing the ladder. It wasn't until she got closer that she noticed the blood and piece of metal protruding from her brother's chest. She wanted to cry, scream, close her eyes and wish this was all a dream. But the blood was stark red against the blue of her brother's uniform. He smiled at her before he coughed up some blood.
"Mom's going to be pissed if she finds out you're here Rae," he whispered and cupped her cheek.
Rae couldn't help but laugh and she knelt besides her brother. Tears already streaked her cheeks, making clean lines through the blood and dirt that coated her skin. Her bother turned to the man, "Lieutenant, I need you to do me a favor."
"Anything Shepard," the man replied, his hands pressing harder around the wound. "After we get you out of here."
Brandon shook his head. "With all do respect sir, the core's going to blow any second. I need you to get my sister out of here."
The man looked her brother in the eyes before nodding and sitting back, releasing the pressure that was keeping Brandon alive. "No," Rae yelled and took up the job. She pulled away from the hands trying to pick her up. She screamed at him to leave her alone, screamed at her brother to fight. She begged what ever deity was listening as she watched her brother drown in his own blood. When he gave his last breath, she finally gave in and allowed the man to lift her up.
Rae was in shock when they emerged from the ship. She didn't fight as the paramedics took her nor when they pulled cut her clothes away and began to treat her various wounds. At the Lieutenants direction everyone had cleared away from the wreckage. It was later on that night, when Rae was tucked into her hospital bed, that the core finally gave in. It blew and coated the small colony in element zero, forever changing the colony.