Normandy-Deck 3
Cameron Shepard watched the litter carrying the form of Captain Shepard out of the elevator and around the corner; he took off in hot pursuit as well as James Vega and Garrus. An IV drip was connected to her pumping vital life sustaining liquids into her.
She was rushed into the med bay, and Chawas turned to face them and held up her hand.
"I'm sorry I can't let you in there."
James peered around the corner and grunted. "I know that, but…what was that all about? The medi-gel wouldn't work." James asked groping around for words.
"Preliminary scans reveal that the sword was coated in a medi-gel suppressant." Chakways reported.
"A what?" James asked.
"We don't know Lieutenant Commander," Chakwas frowned, "but we are not doing any good out here."
He sighed, "Alright just save her Doc."
"I intend to," Chakwas clipped before spinning on her heals and heading into the infirmary.
Cameron looked at the young Special Forces officer scoping around, putting his hand on his hips, and shaking his head.
The Paragon Vanguard didn't know what to say to the young man, he knew what the man was going through. His life was not the ideal of romance and relationships. First he was here, away from Miranda, and then in the past he died leaving Ashley alone for a time.
"Chakwas is one of the best, if anyone can save her I am sure she will." Cameron finally assured him.
"Yeah I know that," Vega shrugged, "but she 'retired' to get away from this stuff. It's why she decided to leave the front lines and take on a desk job."
"But then she came out here and then got hurt again." Cameron stated understanding.
"Exactly, just seems we can't get enough…almost like the universe is saying 'stay away don't do this'."
Cameron shrugged, "We all have a purpose, at least in some sense of the word. She is out here for a reason, and better to die out here fighting then trapped like a rat."
James smirked, "That sounds a lot like her."
"We do have some things in common, Vega."
"Well, as long as it's not a taste for my-"
Cameron cleared his throat loudly before heading onto the elevator, moving to check in with Ashley.
The elevator moved as slowly as usual, even slower it would seem in the crisis that it moved even slower…as usual. The door opened before him and revealed Ashley leaning against the Galaxy Map, it off, with her hands folded into one another and her head bowed on it.
"Commander," he said walking up to her, but he got no response. "Ash?" He responded placing an arm on her shoulder.
The woman twitched under his touch and looked up at him, "Cameron?"
He nodded.
She smiled, "We haven't had much time to talk since you came aboard."
He grunted, "And we still don't have time."
"Yeah," She looked around blearily, "uh…"
"Do you want me to take command?" Cameron asked suddenly, the thought bursting out of his mouth before he could realize the implications.
She wrenched her arm away from him and yelled at him, "This is my command Cameron!"
"I know that Ash and I respect that, but come on we have been back for five minutes and you already haven't given the order to get out of the system?"
Her eyes widened and she looked at Joker's station, then back to him. "Well…no."
"Then let me take command, just for a minute, we can get her out of here and find some place safe."
"Do you really think anywhere is going to be safe? After all we've seen?" Ashley questioned.
"We have to try."
"Where do you suggest?" Ashley continued to challenge.
"I don't know, but I know as soon as our stealth systems fail we will be seen for anyone who has the most simplest of scanners within fifty thousand kilometers. We can blend into the outer perimeter of a star system, hide in the spaces between star systems, lay low until we can find out a plan and discover exactly how bad the situation is."
Ashley nodded, "Alright…you have the CIC…I am going to go check on Commander Shepard."
He nodded, and turned to the Galaxy Map, "Joker,"
"Yeah, and who the hell are you?"
"Commander Shepard." He announced.
"Right, so where is Ashley?"
"She left me in charge for the moment until we can get our feet back under us again."
"Yeah, right."
"It's true Joker, as much as I hate to say it Commander Williams left the CIC in Cameron's hands until she gets back." Traynor said glancing up at Cameron.
Cameron nodded his thanks to Traynor, the Lieutenant…Lieutenant? Shrugged back at him.
"Alright, just pick a destination and I will try and get us there."
Cameron bit his lip thinking, going all the way through the many systems in the Galaxy Map sifting through it, flipping the systems. Finally, he found what he was looking for.
"Joker, set a course for the edge of the Exodus Cluster, vent the drive core, then reengage stealth mode."
"Right away."
The Normandy hummed to life and they headed out for the Exodus.
Three Days Later-Deck Three
James Vega paced around the mess hall, with the entire squad gathered around the tables in the Mess Hall.
James stopped and glanced over at Cameron, even the new comer.
He sighed, "I wonder what's taking so long."
"Relax, Chakwas said she would have news for us when she had news for us. She said she was done with the surgery and just needed to run a few more tests on her." Ashley grunted.
James grunted back at her and glanced at the darkened medical bay, he was longing to see her or hear any number of information on the Captain's condition. And to think we have survived hundreds of missions up until now, now one event, and everything could come apart at the seams, and I was so looking forward to a semi-retirement
Abigail's Cat meowed suddenly breaking through the thought train and Cynthia reached down to scratch him behind the ears.
"Oh by the way," He grunted, "welcome back Cynthia."
"Thank you James….real fun." Cynthia muttered shrugging, her eyes darting at the medical compound.
The crew descended into silence, just the humming of the Normandy's electrical systems pulsing in the background, the engines rhythmically muttering through the floor boards. With the ship relatively stationary the engines weren't roaring, but even so, James's hypersensitive and focused senses could feel the ship pulsing beneath him.
"So…what does everyone think about what has been going on? Has anyone heard anything?" Paul asked.
"Very little, since the coup attempts around the Galaxy they seem to be…consolidating their forces."
"Coup attempts?" Vega asked.
Miranda nodded slowly, biting her lip, "Yeah apparently the Asari Government has also gone through a 'clean up' of late. They have purged several Matriarchs and other officials. And a warrant has been put out for Liara T'soni."
"Great," James harrumphed.
"It might not mean they succeeded," Miranda assured, "someone might have gotten out and is attempting to restore order. Also the Salarians do seem to be holding onto their sanity."
Ashley snorted, "With Dalatrass Linron they are probably already in the bag."
"I don't know," Paul grumbled, "I mean just because we don't like her doesn't mean she will juts hand her Government over to a foreign entity."
"She might not have a choice." Cynthia pointed out.
"Probably not," Paul declared, "But isn't that the point? If they have to take it from her does not mean she is with the devils, at least not on this one."
"You suggesting she could be an alley?" James asked.
"I doubt it," Cynthia snorted.
Her boyfriend shot her a look. "What?" She frowned "Oh for crying out, if they are really, for the moment, free from control but the Leviathans want the Citadel Races in their pocket then they will be the first targets on their list. And anyone else who is 'free'."
"She's right." Ashley concurred her voice souring.
"So what do we do?" James started, "after all I imagine we aren't the most popular people."
"Fine somewhere to lay low and survive." Cameron shrugged.
"And where do we do that?" Ashley asked.
Before she could get a response from the other Shepard the door to medical bay opened, James turned his head, followed by the rest of the group moving to look at the elder Doctor. The woman looked weary and forlorn, but overall no worse for the wear.
"Doc?" James asked.
"She'll live." Chakwas started.
The room let out a collective sigh of relief. But James picked up on something in her posture.
"But?"
"I can't tell if she will make a complete recovery. She'll live certainly, the blade missed her vital organs, but right now she still has taken a lot of cell an cartilage damage. If the blade nicked her at all in any of the vitals, she'd probably be dead by now."
James frowned at the pronouncement, his mind racing; she did twitch at the last minute.
"Can we go see her?" Ashley asked.
Damn, that's my job.
"She needs her rest," Chakwas grunted emphatically.
"You're the doc, doc." James grunted.
"So…what was that blade anyways?" Ashley asked now that they had the Doctor's complete attention.
Chakwas bit her lip and thought about it for a minute, "Basically it is Alliance R&D, very specific technology which has been in development for a few months. It acts as a kinda neural destroyer, taking out cells and preventing easy applications of medi-gel to heal it. Though it is genetically engineered on the same lines as medi-gel applications."
"Wonderful." James grunted.
"Is there a lot of the stuff?" Cynthia asked curious.
"Enough," Chakwas mumbled frowning, "now if you'll excuse me it's been a long night and I really should be attending back to my duties."
"Night Doc," James grunted at Chakwas's already retreating form.
Now sleep, that sounds like a good idea, we can deal with this crisis in the morning…James yawned, stretched, and headed for his office/ quarters.