A/N:
Ah yes, I have returned to thee, my faithful servants! ;D
Damn but I am exhausted now. Having friends of the family over, right after Christmass, really drained me. I have spent the past three days playing chewing-toy for a hyperactive six-year old girl, sustained multiple scratches and wounds, headaches and sleep-deprivations from it... and I regret nothing :)
Well, let's get on with the story, shall we? We're returning to Zorya first, getting a look at what Magnus, Sidonis and Tara's new base of operations looks like. Because seriously, we all knew they needed their own Normandy (albeit smaller and not as modern) to fly around in. They won't lack for stuff to do and shit to get up to if I have anything to say about it.
Also, I am curious about something. Do you think Jack Harper or Anna Fisher is the better person? Jack seems to and does believe he is doing what is right and needed for humanity, while Anna is... well, Anna. It's sometimes odd, telling their goals apart, but there are differences, Thank the gods.
And finally, I'd say we need another piece of Virmire. The amount of chapters dealing with this infested mudball have now gotten on level with the amount I spent on Noveria. Now only Feros has more chapters dedicated to it, I believe.
If you read through all that ranting, you are awesome. If you didn't, you're still awesome. Either way, you'd be even more awesome when you read this chapter. Enjoy :)
Tactics over Honor. Practicality over emotions
Zorya, Faia system
Area Fifty-one, landing zone for middle to large frigates.
08:27
"Well... color me surprised. Looks almost like a small Norma- like an Alliance frigate." Magnus said, scratching the back of his freshly shaven head while looking at the frigate in front of them.
Tara hadn't been kidding when she called it small, but still it was twice the size of the Ashanti, and packed some nasty-looking gun turrets both under the belly, and on the top. Distinguishing itself from the Normandy, the frigate had stark blue and white colors, as well as a flat top that seemed to hold multiple points for turrets and the likes. While it had the wings of the Normandy, this vessel was flatter on the top and had a more... simple look to it.
Figures, since it was a Turian frigate.
"Yes, there are similarities. But usually Alliance frigates are bigger than this." Aresh muttered, rubbing his shoulder. Magnus, having not seen the biotic in the entirety of their time since the revolution, and up to the meeting just two hours ago, gave the man a glance of mild curiosity, but otherwise didn't care much what he did.
Aresh wasn't really the most social guy, and when he was, it was usually when half of his blood was made up of alcohol. Since he was now sober, Magnus tended to give the man some space.
"Ah yes, Turian design. Vigilante-class frigates are armed to take down scores of fighters or launch torpedoes at heavier ships, then get the heck out of dodge...doesn't have a main-gun as such though. Ah well, can't beat the classics." Lantar said from next to Magnus, visibly teeming with energy at seeing the Turian ship. Not that Magnus understood him, it was just a ship. The Turian didn't even have a history with it. Now, had it been the Normandy, then, Magnus could see the reason for getting eager.
The gathered crew was actually everyone needed to steer the ship apparently. Just about forty Suns, all of them trained in their respective militaries, or on the streets of low-level cities. None were the kind of soft, civil people regular captains wanted on their ships. These men and women were killers to boot, and damned good at it, considering they were all still alive after the Revolution, now known as the day of Stella Nova, the new star.
Apparently, 'Solar Nova' would have been too cheesy.
Tara was the one to lead them up the ramp, into the cargo bay. While smaller, naturally, than that of the Normandy, it was, world of wonders, almost identical. While it didn't hold a Mako, there sat a pair of HAS-mechs in the cargo hold, a few technicians busying themselves with removing the sheets from one of them while Suns in helmet-less armor were carrying in crates of supplies, all marked with the insignia of the Suns, now with the five-pointed star in the center of the circle.
The entire place had a more steely sense to it than the cargo-hold of the Normandy, which was to be expected, given its creators had steel for skin. The lights were harder, and the softer tones of lighting he had enjoyed on the Normandy had been replaced with professional lighting that didn't bode well for casual relaxation, but rather seemed to impose the will of a culture embroiled in warfare and weapons.
Tara didn't stop in the cargo-hold though, and led the crew up a set of stairs, through an airlock, and into what was the second and only other deck the ship consisted of. The bridge was the first thing he saw, seeing as the stairs ended straight into it. Like with the Normandy, there was a long corridor, spanning almost half the length of the ship, from the seat of the Captain, and to where the pilots would be seated. The same style of galaxy-map seemed to be placed in front of the captain's position, and the surrounding stations were surprisingly similar to what he had seen on the Normandy. Still, there were differences, such as how those stations all faced the wall, and none of them the map, as well as the complete lack of stations along the corridor to the cockpit. Tara pointed out the latter to a pair of Suns whom Magnus didn't recognize, who then went straight to the cockpit. Probably to get familiar with the place before finishing their own rounds on the ship.
They then passed through a set of doors, leading into what was area meant for the crew, as well as briefings, intake of meals as seen by the kitchen, table and rows of chairs bolted to the floor. It didn't take a genius to count that there weren't enough chairs for the entire group to sit down at once, so that would mean the crew was probably going to run in shifts, just like with the Normandy.
Dammit, he had to stop constantly thinking about the Normandy. That part of his life was over, and was pretty much over when his second life was spent. Magnus could sometimes wonder if he was a cat, and if that odd Grim Reaper-like being had made a mistake. Still, better be alive and wrong, than dead and right.
They were taken to gunnery next, where a pair of Turians went from the group to their posts, apparently having been assigned this beforehand. Magnus wondered briefly why he hadn't been assigned anything, or if he had, and had not paid attention when it happened.
After gunnery, they passed what he guessed was the med-bay, but if that was the case, it looked radically different from the one on the Normandy. Here, it was a more open one with beds instead of those odd chambers one could be inserted into by rails. There seemed to be enough of them though, to hold the entire crew. Magnus wasn't sure whether he was happy, or disturbed by that kind of forethought. As if to cause him even more confusion, Aresh was part of the Suns who entered the med-bay to start setting up shop in the relatively big room. He glanced at Sidonis, but the Turian just shrugged, giving him the Turian version of a mouthed 'I dunno'.
Since when was Aresh a trained medic?
As an end to the trip, they ended up in the crew quarters, like the mess hall only holding enough beds for half the crew. Still, it was rather cozy, compared to what he had had to live with on the Normandy. Loki must have built the damn thing, 'cause there were no actual beds on the Normandy aside from the sleeper-pods built into the walls along the corridor to where gunnery-control was positioned. Those, and the captain's bed, of course. He briefly pondered if there was no manned stations for the engines, but then realized that, like with the Normandy, they were most likely placed behind the cargo-bay.
Snapping back to reality, Magnus realized that the group had stopped in the messhall, and Tara had turned around to face them.
"Alright. Well, this will be our first actual warship that we fly under true colors, and on our first official mission... well, 'Suns' official anyway. Those of you still here are here because we don't have a lot of stations on the ship. Ten people at a stretch will be enough to crew her. You work in shifts, fifteen people at a time manning the essential posts, while the rest will man stations related to comms, non-essential electronics and systems. Operative Velan Harius will serve as Second in Command, given his history with the Turian Fleets, as well as his proven capabilities over the years." Tara said. The Turian in question, visibly twice the age of Sidonis, stepped forward and nodded at Tara, performing a Turian salute before stepping back into the crowd.
"Further roles will be appointed as we set out. For now, those not already appointed will find themselves a bunk, then report in the cargo-hold in exactly half an hour. Dismissed." She said. Magnus sighed and rolled his shoulders. So, it had come to a new chapter in this his odd and interesting life? Well, why not just flow with it? After all, the worst possible things had already come to pass, and he had walked away from them all with more or less few injuries to show for it. Dying, had a way of calming the senses.
Dying twice? Why, that just made life a big game, a sort of sport to be enjoyed in the fullest, with little fear of death. Considering what little possessions he owned were currently worn, he didn't see much reason in dumping his stuff on a bed. Instead he just went to the crew quarters, singled out the first, the best bed he spotted and dumped himself on it.
Arcturus station, Arcturus stream.
Office of Admiral Anna Fisher
16:54 (station time)
"Now, you might be wondering - just why...Ahh, I've called the five of you here. I get it, kinda odd to call the big five in before the grand meeting and all, but I wanna go over a few things before we go in there... or well, before you go in there, Admirals." Anna Fisher said. She was dressed in her Navy Blues, still completely unaltered from their original form. Even she could see the importance of having some regular clothing if one of the stiff-necks from parliament wanted to see her. She put down the glass of water, a rare substance for her to drink, on the table before turning to face the five members of high admiralty seated and standing in front of her.
Zorah, in particular, seemed a little annoyed that she was drinking while talking to them. Well, bugger for him then. If even Udina could restrain himself while she drank whiskey in front of him, the Admirals could while she was drinking water.
"I imagine you want us to agree to terms that the Parliament aren't going to propose?" Xen said, she struck Anna as being, while every inch as insane as people said, a rather sharp woman.
"Spot on there Daro, can I call you Daro?"
"If you must. I dare say, this is all highly intriguing!" The scientist exclaimed, rolling on her heels like a giddy schoolgirl... did Quarians even have those? Anna shrugged it off, focusing on things more important. Like, the union between two of the races with the biggest fleets in the galaxy, just to name one.
"Yes, intriguing... Now, let's nail down dome details before Kahoku gets here. You'll like that man, I think." Anna said, projecting up the interface of her computer. It was quicker and safer than printing it on paper anyway.
"And why is that?" Gerrel asked, looking at the projection in front of him. As a rare show, he wasn't wearing armor, but rather a greenish and pink suit that bore a lot of fancy symbols. Kinda like Zorah, except his suit was purple and had endless spirals on it. Amazing, really, what the Quarians could do with what they had.
"Because, he is the embodiment of the five of you, excluding Xen, since he isn't a scientist. He's the born military diplomat, he's strong, he's brave, aggressive when need be, he cares for his people, and he knows when to use the pen instead of the gun." Anna smirked. She still had to thank her brother for saving the Admiral, and she still had to physically punch Harper in the teeth for trying to kill the old man. Ah well, it would have to wait until after Cerberus delivered.
Funny, that Jack chose to name something Jaeger. It really wasn't in line with his usually Greek or Nordic mythology naming. Why not 'Project Centurion', or 'Project Fenris'? It did sound a lot better too. Still, towering robots? Who the hell gave him that idea? Even she could see it was utterly insane, as well as stupid, but boys would be boys... even if they were halfway cybernetic megalomaniacs running an empire of terrorists surpassed only by the Shadow Broker.
That was another thing she had to get her hands on. A guy, girl or group like the Shadow Broker would be a handy dandy thing to have her leash on. Even better if the Parliament was kept unaware, as that would let them have clean hands. Still, she would probably not get to the Broker before the year was out, meaning she would have to put it on hold. For now, anyways.
"Huh... well, what are these terms then, since the Parliament won't get to know them?" Korris asked. Anna turned to regard the Admiral, the youngest in the room, odd as it sounded. He was the one with the oldest, if wisest, mind in the room too.
"My dear Korris, they do know. It's just that the Parliament will be under news coverage, and we can't have the Citadel see these things on their pretty, clean and unharmed screens."
"You really don't like them, do you?" Zorah asked, narrowing his eyes at her. He, for one, could still remember what she had said the last time they had discussed the Citadel. That had been right before Fisher's untimely disease... or whatever it was.
"Nope. And now even the weasel Udina has had enough. You watched the broadcast I take it?"
"Yes... strange that the Council chooses now, of all times, to spit in your faces." Zorah said.
"Well, beggars can't be choosers... or something. They know what's coming. They won't stand with us? Fine, then they can stand on their own. See how well they fare when the other races find out just how little the Council cares for them... now, the terms are as follow:" She said, highlighting the first segment of the panel. It was easy, even with their visors, to see how the Quarians widened their eyes.
"You want to... what?" Korris said, breaking the silence.
"Yep, and I've got a pretty good candidate for the job too. Just need to get him here in one piece, which kinda presents a problem, seeing as he's kicking ass on Virmire right now. Don't worry though, this doesn't require anything from your side. The next one though... that's the issue that we can't discuss in front of a camera." She said, drawing up the next segment. The file flashed red, demanding a security-code on high level to even acknowledge the existence of its content.
"Dammit, I thought I had logged in already. Can you guys like... turn around or something?" She muttered, not really bothering to see if the Admirals did. Okay, what was it now? Same as the launch codes, just one cipher longer... right, now she remembered.
Zero-zero-zero-zero-zero-zero... and zero. The file flashed green and she nodded, glad that she could remember. A self-installed safety measure was that if she bugged up the code three times, the room would be flushed with enough toxins to knock a horse on its ass.
"There." She said, pulling out the now visible file.
"Are you... Admiral, it says here 'in case of escalation of conflicting interests, the Quarian Migrant Fleet may be called upon to... are you MAD?" Raan demanded. Anna didn't see what the big problem was, as it was not really an issue yet. After all, they needed to survive the Reapers before anything else could come up.
"To combat the Council forces in a possible pan-galactic war? Yeah, we have a few contingencies in place in case the Turians get aggressive." She said, shrugging. She took a new sip of her glass before turning her eyes to the collection of Admirals; "And for the record, no I am not mad." She said, pouting just a little. Why did people always have to assume she was mad?
"But- how... You are a member of the Citadel races! Surely you can't be considering warfare against your allies?" Korris exclaimed. Right, he was the peace-guy, she had to remember that. Which was a good thing, as he was the main reason why she had been able to cement the deal with the geth. She hoped. She still hadn't heard from the mechanical critters since Korris's message to them. What was that, like a week ago now? Weren't geth supposed to "think at the speed of light" as Price had put it?
"Huh... Allies. Allies help each other on mutual grounds. Allies prosper from cooperation. What we have under the Citadel Council, that's not an alliance, it's slavery. A humiliating proposition where human lives buys comfort for the high and mighty Councilors. No... I suspect we won't keep up that facade much longer."
"So, someone but our people finally got the nastier side of the Council as well? About damn time, I say." Gerrel said. Anna gave him a stink-eye, but didn't comment on it.
"Han!" Raan chastised.
"It's true. No one cared about us as long as we were the only race ousted from the Council, and with no homeworld. Now that Humanity has started the same development, we're needed."
"Needed or not, the difference is that we're in the process of getting you back your homeworld without a million dead Quarians floating in orbit." Anna said, nailing down the fact that the Quarians were not servants in this agreement. They were more than equal partners, as their technologies in the areas of ship-maintenance far surpassed what Humanity yet could muster. They were needed, yes, but they were also wanted.
"For which we can never repay you, Admiral. I just don't know... is this in full seriousness? Plans for war with the Council? What about these 'Reapers' that you talk about? Won't they be a much bigger problem?" Admiral Raan said, trying to gesticulate to get her point across. Anna nodded;
"Of course, the Reapers have priority. And when they come, we can't rely on the placid and stagnant Council. They think themselves immortal just because their own laws say so. The Turians have ten times our ships, and still we gave them a bloody nose all those years back. They can't adapt, and if they can't adapt, they can't survive... tough shit as it is, we gave them a shot. A shot which they missed completely."
"But, you'd be sentencing billions to die if you leave the Council races without one of their strongest navies." Korris said.
"Trillions, actually. And yes, I know. But it's clear that we can't rely on them, and they need us to defend them. And if we defend them, our own people, trillions of human and Quarian lives, will be lost instead. Grim as it is, it's the most practical solution." Anna nodded, biting her lip. Even she didn't enjoy the prospect of the Citadel burning, and Palavan, Thessia and Sur'kesh in flames. Especially because the Citadel burning would involve the Reapers pouring in. Considering the amount of men and ships she had already lost to what, ten in total? six? She didn't long for an entire fleet of those creepy cuttlefishes to pour into her galaxy.
That would really suck.
"Then... I see your reasons for this. It doesn't mean I like it though."
"I know, Admiral, I know. As much as I detest the Council, I don't like it either. I hate their governments, not the people of the different species. We're not Cerberus, we don't hate someone because they are aliens... heck, if we did, we wouldn't be here today." Anna said, sighing while looking from the Admiral to her glass. Empty. Bugger, she didn't feel like refilling it.
"We won't get anything done by talking about what we don't like. I for one, never liked the Turians after what their navies subjected the patrol-fleet to. I say we agree to this and get on with it." Han'Gerrel said, looking at Rael'Zorah. The admiral seemed in thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Yes, we've already put down our war with the geth. Turning our backs on the Citadel Council isn't that big a step compared to that."
"Great, next subject." Anna said, marking the counter-Council segment as completed. She then pulled up the next one. While not marked as secret, it did cause Gerrel and Zorah to cough with surprise. Anna gave them a brief glance, but decided they would have to give her a compelling reason for denying this one.
"In the case of a conflict, no matter against who, considering that we have the full support of the geth as well as your homeworld back, the geth and Quarians will merge into one armed force. The geth will be making up the bulk of the infantry while your people will make up most of the naval forces." Anna looked to see the reactions from her Quarian counterparts. This was kinda a crucial part, one she needed before she could focus on anything else. She had already asked Price to send the same terms to the geth, though on slightly different grounds. Couldn't very well barter the Homeworld to a race already living there.
"Ah, master and servant together again. Just like it was meant to be." Daro'Xen exclaimed, clearly liking the idea. Anna palmed her face, having worried that thát line would come up.
"No, as partners, Admiral. The geth would go back to being pissed at you if you tried subduing them again. And if you try hacking them, and I know you've tried hacking them more than once, I will personally hog-tie you and whomever was involved and boot you into a capsule, then dump you on Rannoch to explain yourself to the geth."
"Are you sure we-" Xen tried.
"Dammit! I said No. Hacking, you messed up woman! Is it so hard to understand those two words? IS it because they don't translate? Right. Price, can we get those two words in Kheelish please?" Anna demanded, turning to look at the projection. Price popped up, holding a holographic book in his hands before looking at Daro'Xen. Well, looking might be the wrong word. More like he stared her down.
"Nés. Filt´hrea" He said, voice even but berating. Anna smirked at that, looking from Price who still stared down Xen, to the other admirals.
"Thank you Price, you're dismissed." He nodded and disappeared from view. Anna then looked back to Daro'Xen; "That one you understood, I hope."
"Fine, I will refrain from reclaiming the geth, even if they-"
"Daro..." Raan said, her voice clearly saying that bullshit-time was over. The female scientist just slumped, sighing before she nodded. An odd sight, from that one.
"Thank you, Admiral Raan. Now, the next point is that we go over the sharing of resources. This one though, is official, so it will be explained more in depth in the parliament. Of course, I doubt I have to say that Humanity's finest will get straight to work on an effective gene-therapy to counter your weak immune systems. Mind you, it is difficult, even with the blood-samples we have collected."
"Blood-samples?" Rael'Zorah asked. Anna nodded.
"Yes, from your daughter, Admiral. I know, small gala-"
"Tali! Where is she?" The man demanded, sacrificing all manners in favor of a strongly passionate voice. Anna cocked an eyebrow. Didn't he know?
"Here on the station. Have no one told you?" She asked, disbelieving.
"Of course not, no one has spoken a word to me outside the meetings. The only other... wait, it all makes sense now." He said, stopping himself before he reached a ranting state.
"What does?" She asked, now genuinely confused.
"John'Shepard was here some days ago." He stated. Anna nodded.
"Yes, that is true. The Normandy suffered some casualties on Valhalla, and Arcturus was the closest station with adequate facilities."
"And he is commanding the Normandy."
"Yes."
"My daughter is on the... you said she is here? But the ship left dock several days ago... don't tell me-" His voice suddenly took on a tune of slight panic. Anna, sensing what he meant, held her hands up in a calming manner.
"No, no no... she's fine. Well, she's broken her leg, and suffered a concussion in the crash, but other than that, no problems... so you really didn't know your own daughter was here?" It sounded dumb, even to her.
"Not for a moment. Admiral, please. Where is she? I have to see her!" He actually pleaded, rather than demanded. Huh, she hadn't figured him for the protective, caring type. More like a colder, stoic father who would show his love for his daughter by killing her enemies. Still...
"Right now?"
"Yes!"
"In the middle of the meeting?" She asked, looking at the projected interface.
"Yes Keelah!"
"Huh... well, I suppose we can cut it short... but what about the ceremony? Meeting the Prime minister and-"
"To Human Hell with that! My only daughter and child is in the hospital! Injured! You are taking her blood!" The man bellowed. Damn, that was one worked up father. She was glad her own wasn't like that.
"Fine...Price, can you guide the Admiral to the hospital-ward and alert the staff they have a...concerned father coming in?" Anna said, turning to the projection. Price looked briefly surprised, having not listened in on the conversation, for a change.
"His child being... Tali'Zorah nar Rayya? Sure, I can get him there. Admiral, I'll walk you there, just follow my voice." Price said, nodding to the admiral. He then disappeared. The moment after that, Rael jumped on the spot as a voice suddenly came from his helmet.
"Out the door and take a left." Price said, having actually invaded Zorah's helmet and suit. Anna, and the rest of the admirals, held their breaths while waiting for the Quarian to blow a gasket.
Except it didn't happen. Instead he just exited the room with a speed hard to imagine possible in a suit like that. There was a moment of silence in the room before Anna turned to the others.
"...okay, so that happened. Didn't even know Price could do that, actually."
"I'm much more surprised Rael didn't shoot himself in the head to get at the AI. I'm guessing this is a time of wonders." Korris said, a slight tone of amusement in his voice.
"Indeed it seems to be. Now-" Anna started, but was cut off as the door to her office opened. Turning around, she almost asked Rael'Zorah what he needed, since it was pretty obvious that he had been in a hurry. She managed to stop herself though, when she recognized Admiral Sullivan Kahoku, in all his grey-ish beardness. As in 'he had literally grown a full beard'.
"Admiral Kahoku." She said, nodding respectfully. While he had a more calm, peaceful and overall far too little violent way of going about his goals, she did have some respect for the man. Came with working with people, you got to know them. That, and he was excellent at chess, she had found.
"Admiral Fisher, Admiral Raan, Korris, Xen , Gerrel and... where's Admiral Rael'Zorah?" He asked, turning to Anna. She just shrugged, gesturing at the Quarian admirals. Wasn't like she was their nanny, they were grown people.
"Admiral Zorah just found out that his only daughter is lying injured in a hospital on this station. Needless to say, he didn't want to put a visit on hold." Han'Gerrel said. Kahoku seemed to understand, nodding before he turned to regard the whole group.
"The Parliament is assembled. Are we ready?" He asked. Anna picked up Price's disk from its place on the desk, and plugged it into her Omnitool. While it had demanded some less-than cheap alterations to the module, the product was that she could have Price plugged into her Omnitool, and potentially her armor, at all times.
"I think so. Unless the Parliament can wait for Zorah to return?" Raan said. Gerrel huffed at that, a small chuckle escaping him.
"Rael might not act like it Shala, but he cares more about Tali, than you could about John. If she's wounded, I doubt we'll see him leave that place for the next couple of hours, if even then." He said. Anna could understand that perfectly. She was, after all and despite people not thinking it when they saw her, a mother herself.
"So we proceed without him. The way I remember it, he did imply that he was... more interested in his daughter's well-being. Admiral Kahoku, will you lead the way?" Anna offered.
She could feel one of those tingling feelings in her chest, like a buzzing electricity that was coursing through her veins from excitement. Excitement and giddiness. This was a big day, better than big actually. It was Fanta-fucking-huge, and it was all due to what she and a few chosen others had managed to carry out.
If the US President came about to snatch glory now, Anna would find herself in jail for kicking said president in the nut-sack for stealing her shine. No one, stole her shine. No one. Ever.
Still, she kept quiet about that kind of thinking as she marched behind the rest of the Admirals, with all due manners and tradition and military dignity required. A slight buzzing in her ear-piece caught her attention as the group rounded a new corner, passing several regular workers and residents of the station. All stopped what they were doing as the group passed, and most saluted either the human or the Quarian admirals. Most of the ones saluting both were Quarians, mechanics and such who were living on the station now. Closer to work than in the Migrant Fleet's ships.
"Admiral, Zorah has reached the hospital." Price spoke from her ear. Dammit, it was handy having this kind of gadget available.
"Any complications?" She asked with a low voice.
"None... except the soldier designated 'Corporal Adrian Shepard' mistook him for John'Shepard, which caused some annoyance from the admiral." Anna huffed at that.
"Huh...we sure have a lot of Shepards running around, don't we?" She asked, putting just an extra foot of distance between her and the group. They still had a ways to go, so she could afford a tiny dip in discipline for the next few minutes. The Quarians, if they noticed, didn't comment on it.
"That we do. On the plus side, we have a few 'Fishers' running around too." The AI said, a snide tone easily heard in his voice.
"Was that a joke, Price?" She asked.
"Depends, was it a good one? Never really made any jokes before." The AI said, causing Anna to stop herself for a moment before continuing. It was always odd when he showed new sides of himself. Humor, was a new one.
"Meh. Keep trying though, you'll get the hang of it." She shrugged, keeping up with the group of high-ranking officers. They rounded a new corner, crossing over the border from military areas to civilian and political sections and departments; "Price, how is Cole coming on those Turbolasers?"
"Seems to be a bugger, that one. On small-scale, it's relatively easy to implement, could even do it on something like a rifle. Would have to be a one-shot thing though. But... the bigger you build it..." Price said, audibly being a little annoyed by the fact that there was a kind of science he couldn't crack.
"Give it to me." Anna muttered as she resumed walking behind the Admirals.
"The need for power goes up exponentially with each increase in power. If we need firepower beyond two kilometers, each gun would need its own nuclear reactor." Price said, not really sounding like he enjoyed giving the news.
"Fuck me sideways... okay... okay, what if we decided to use the Turbolasers for close-range only?" Anna asked as they crossed through a shaft that offered an overview of space and the void beyond.
"If you mean inside a range of two thousand meters, then it would be more efficient to just use the GARDIAN-system. No, I think we need some way to understand the workings of plasma-technology. Heck, where I come from, we use gunpowder in our guns. Rail guns are pretty much reserved for ships. Element Zero? Doesn't even exist there." It was not necessary for her to see Price to understand that he was annoyed.
"Dammit... okay, listen. I'm heading to the Parliament with the Admirals. Take the issue up with Cole and her people, maybe ask the hospitalized commandoes if they have any ideas."
"Got it. Good luck in there, you'll probably need it." Price said. And with that little comment, he left the device in order to fully concentrate on the issue of bigger and bigger guns. Anna let out a sigh.
"Damn right I will..." She muttered. She looked ahead of her then, noticing that they were entering the complex holding the Parliament. Oh, this was going to be a long day.
Virmire, Hoc System.
Somewhere near Saren's base of operations.
20:11
"If you'd told me I'd be spending my day killing zombies and shit, I'd have brought a chainsaw." Clarke mused as he used a biotic throw to send a husk flying into the cliffs, where it splattered over the rocks like a popped balloon of grey and black water.
"You didn't ask Clarke, so deal with it." Lieutenant Lee Riley said, pumping her shotgun before shooting another husk down, removing its head and shoulders from existence. Pumping it again, she repeated the action with two more of the shrieking human-like monsters.
"At least the geth stay quiet when they try to kill you. These guys cry like they're in pain. I almost, gah... feel sorry for them." He answered, grabbing a husk in the throat mid-sentence before slamming it to the ground. When it tried, he stomped its head into the rock it was lying on, resulting in Clarke having to retract his boot from a gooey, sticky mess; "Yep, definitely preferring the geth over these guys."
"Jesus Christ, I swear... how you - ever got - into the N-program and I didn't, die you mutated piece of crap!" Riley cut herself off as a new husk, this one looking more like a big, burned marshmallow in pain, popped out behind some rocks and started shooting at her. While rounds were biting chips from her armor, she rolled up to it and shoved her shotgun down its throat.
"You were saying?" Isaac asked from her side, having just sent a stasised husk through the air with a well-placed throw.
"I said go eat a dick, Clarke. I'm - fuck you! - kinda busy here!" Riley sneered, kicking down a new husk before using her shotgun as a bludgeon against the face of another one. Having sent both to the ground, she performed a quick execution by following Isaac's example and using her armored boots to do the job.
"Language Lee, language. What won't our dear Captain think of you if you go foul-mouthing like that?" Clarke asked, silently laughing behind his visor. People would often ask why he was so cheery all the time, and why and how he could even be this happy despite the situation.
His reason, was Nicole Brennan. His wife, and the most perfect and funny woman in the galaxy, was two months in through her pregnancy, and he was not going to be stuck on some muddy planet when the time came. Sure, the military had some downs, but being in the small core of N7's, he did have the perk to choose his free-time.
"How about you take this seriously before something blows your head off?" Jane Shepard suddenly snapped from the side where she was pounding one of the bloated mutants into the ground with biotically encased fists. Isaac almost wanted to comment that she was supposed to throw the throws, not beat something up with them. He did, however, choose to belay that when he noticed the icy tone to her voice.
"Yes ma'am!" He snapped back with perfect clarity. Damn, if she wasn't scary, he wasn't named Isaac. And he was pretty sure he was named Isaac. He then turned his attention back to the dwindling horde of husks and bloated mutants, and the marines busying themselves with shooting them up. Being a biotic, he was in the vanguard of the fighting, and thus took the brunt of the firing. While he was being shot at, the mutants were being shot themselves by the marines. It was with more than the usual amount of satisfaction that he claimed the final opponent for himself and drove his fist straight through the skull of the Husk.
"Clear!" He called out as the thing fell to the ground, with nothing but a mangled jaw above its neck.
"Sound off, casualties!" Shepard, the human one, barked. Clarke did find that part a bit confusing, that he was taking orders from two Shepards, and that one was a human while the other was a Quarian. Looking around, Clarke noticed that they certainly had taken a pounding.
Wounded and injured soldiers were picking themselves up from the ground, slumping down against rocks or simply kneeling on the ground, clutching at wounds. More than a few marines, and one of the Bulwarks, were lying still on the ground with large gaps missing in armor, necks that bent the wrong way, or bodies filled with holes. The Quarian Shepard was in the process of copying the Normandy marine, Fisher, cleaning his blade in the sand. Strange really, using swords and machetes in modern day fighting.
"Seven dead..." Someone called out.
"Five wounded... Tjowski needs immediate attention." Another man called out. As a response, one of the marines, donning the same colors as the rest but with satchels, ran over to where the wounded was slumped against a rock. Not a moment after, Williams from the Normandy did as well.
"Fuck me... how far yet?" Thomas Fisher asked as he panted and huffed for breath, leaning over while finishing dragging his sword through the sand. It didn't really get off all the... whatever the geth and the Husks had for blood, but it cleared away the meaty chunks of grey tissue stuck after he had carved through a couple of the bloated Batarian husks.
"Don't ask me, I'm still trying to get my breath after that last fucker almost tore my arm off. Thanks for that one by the way." Tequila said, checking the bar on her rifle before nodding, accepting that her remaining amount of ammunition in the weapon was enough.
"Hey, Nicolai would break my arms and legs if he found out I'd let'n you get killed." He said, sheathing the blade in the sheath on his back. No matter how badass it might look when he was swinging it, there was no elegant way of putting it back in its place.
Dammit all, all those games where you could have a two-handed weapon, were a lie. You couldn't just draw and sheath blades like that.
"How long's he going to be in a coma like that, by the way?" The Hispanic corporal asked, sitting down on a rock while looking around. Those they had lost were either lying in the sand or floating in the shallow waters, often missing an arm or a leg. No matter how easily the Husks went down, they still had many times the strength of a regular man. Tearing off an arm seemed disturbingly easy.
"Anna said about a week or so. After that, it'll be constricted to a bed while the rest of us go about saving the galaxy." Thomas said, feeling a slight pang of guilt that he had not spent nearly the same amount of time near his friend's sickbed as Nicolai had at his.
"Well..." She snorted, looking at one of the closer dead enemies, a mutated Batarian missing its upper half as a result of meeting Thomas's sword. He was still coming up with a name for it, maybe Ashburn, for the fire and the fact that Ashley was the one who gave it to him. Thát, or maybe Buffer, because it looked kinda like the big sword from that fantasy-game he couldn't remember the name of. Strange, that he remembered the name of the sword.
Or it could just as well be something completely different again. He really didn't know for sure.
"Considering the kinds of enemies the galaxy needs saving from, I can't say I don't envy the bastard." Tequila continued. Thomas nodded, looking around as well. Powers or no, these things were horrifyingly disturbing and disgusting. It was one thing to kill something from afar with a rifle, but up close he really looked it in the eye... or eyes with the Batarian. Seriously, how and why could and would Saren and Sovereign make the Batarian thing have three faces?
"I don't blame you for that one..." Thomas muttered, looking back to the corporal. He noticed her holster for her sidearm was empty, and pointed it out.
"Oh that? My pistol kinda blew up when one of the robots pointed at it. Dunno why, but I'm sticking to gunpowder guns for a reason now." She shrugged.
"Only now?"
"Before it was mainly just wanting to have something from my home, you know? Now though, having simple weapons seems like the best idea since using gunpowder instead of arrows and swo... just arrows then." She said, stopping herself as she looked at the hilt and pommel of Thomas's sword sticking up behind his back.
"Here..." Thomas said, picking out the Carnifex from his side holster. Holding it towards her with the grip towards Tequila, he shrugged; "I aim better with one anyway."
"Thanks. I'll make sure not to blow it up." She said, accepting the gun with a small smile.
"Appreciate it." He said, drawing in a deep breath. Then he stood and extended a hand to help her up from her place on the rocks.
"Ey, I'm not thát out of breath." She replied, brushing away his hand with a huff. Turning around, she eyed Jane Shepard, in the process of discussing something with John, Nihlus and Riley, that red-armored marine; "Capitan, are we moving yet?"
"One moment Corporal, we need the wounded stabilized and moved back." The captain answered her. Tequila nodded and went back to watching over the marines as they went about the post-combat working, like treating the injured. Fuck it, she might as well pitch in.
"Need a hand?" She asked, kneeling in the sand next to Williams and a field-medic, both in the process of applying bandages and Medigel, the odd yellow goo, on some serious-looking injuries covering a downed marine. With what she had of training in treating wounds, the guy was on the shitter, but salvageable.
"He's losing blood too fast, the gel won't stick." Williams cursed, drawing a string of Russian profanities from both medic and patient alike.
"Check my satchel, there's a drop and some stims that'll help the blood coagulate faster." The medic barked, pressing down on a pulsing wound that kept spilling out a mixture of blood and yellowish liquids from the stomach. Tequila nodded and retrieved the syringes marked 'Hemoglobin' ; "Inject two of those near the wound, should help the blood stop flowing so fast."
Tequila nodded again and stabbed the wounded marine in the stomach, injecting the contents of the syringes with quick precision. There was a first time for everything. Odd, that the first time she could use her crash-course in field-treatment had to be in another universe.
Jane groaned, looking at their surroundings.
"Okay... we're about five hundred meters out from the base. How we get in though, I'm still working on." She muttered, pointing at their positions marked on the holographic map. A bonus to serving in a fleet instead of as a single vessel was that the fleet could deploy a shit-ton of probes that the Normandy simply couldn't hold.
"We could use breaching charges. I'm fairly sure we have enough of those remaining." Riley said. True enough, most soldiers of the 6th Raiders were carrying around a package of C5-breaching charge, to combat situations where they needed large-scale breaching operations carried out in unison.
"Wouldn't that make a lot of noise?" Kryik asked, giving the female lieutenant a glance.
"Well, it's not as if the geth don't know where we are. I figure they have us tracked since the first encounter... they are nothing if not efficient." John'Shepard muttered, glancing around as if expecting an aerial attack any moment now.
"Got that right. Still, say we enter via breaching charges, how much would we need to get through whatever barriers are protecting the base?" Riley asked, nodding to the Quarian. Jane sighed, then looked around until her eyes found Fisher.
"I might have a plan for clearing away the enemy forces around the base with... minimal casualties, but it's going to sound extreme." She admitted, feeling a bit conflicted about what she was going to suggest. True, he could probably do it, but the thought of sending one man in against an unknown number of geth and whatnot, was not something she relished.
"More than what we've done so far? I'm open to suggestions." John said, looking at the captain.
"Well...Fisher!" Jane barked, startling the corporal into a jump. When he landed in what could almost be called a comical way, he looked around for the source of the angry bark. When he spotted Jane pointing at him, beckoning him, he shook his head and trudged over to the collection of officers and Spectre.
Thomas wondered just what he had done to piss Jane off this time, since he was pretty sure he had been serious and calm the entire time the mission had been going. He had even made them a tunnel through the cliffs. Was it his 'Haaaadoken' shout that had pissed her off? If so, why had she waited until now to shout at him? Still, he stopped in front of the Captain and saluted.
"Reporting, what did I do this time Shepard?" He asked, glancing between the officers and Nihlus. Most visibly wondering at his behavior was the red-armored officer, whom he believed was named Riley or something. He really needed to get better at remembering names. She was looking at him with her head cocked slightly to the side in a wondering manner.
"Nothing, nothing... nothing bad anyway. Fisher, I need to know if you're up for a mission. Solo, pretty dangerous." Jane said. Thomas looked to John who returned the glance with a shrug, declaring that Jane made the call on this one. Great, I can already feel the headache coming... do I have any painkillers left?
"Only the stims. And since you hate-"
"Damn straight, I am not injecting myself with a needle!" Thomas sneered back, glad his helmet provided a small sense of privacy so that his sneer wasn't seen by the others.
"Uh... what sort of mission?" He asked. Jane, as a response, drew up a section of the map on the holographic display. In the section was a large area of rocks and other debris, but there was one central object that was in the center of the area. A large, flat disk of metal that seemed to be dug into the ground. Saren's base of operations was swarmed by dozens of geth and husks, and not just the human ones.
"Here, Saren's base of ops. I need you to clear away as much of the enemy infantry around the base. We'll provide you with as much covering fire as we can to take out snipers and heavy armament targeting-" Jane started. Thomas, having wrapped his mind around what she was saying, held up his hands in a stalling manner of saying 'wut?'
"Hold, hold, HOLD! Ja- Cap- Shepard, what the... are you saying you want me, as in just me, to go out there and take down I don't know how many geth and mutants... alone?" Thomas demanded, aghast and disbelieving.
"Captain, I have to ask, have you thought this through? One biotic, no matter how powerful, cannot hope to take on the kind of resistance waiting out there." Riley said, thumbing at the ridgelines separating them from the large, open area they were headed for.
"Fisher is... not your average biotic. As long as we can make sure no heavy-duty armaments and rockets are shot at him, he can do it. Can't you... Thomas?" Jane said, turning from Riley to Thomas. Thomas, a little befuddle with Jane using his name, a rare occurrence since she almost always called him by his surname or rank, took a moment to process the words.
"I... maybe...I don't know how much it would take to... you'd be covering me?" He tried, asked and rubbed at his helmet. Gods be damned, sometimes having these powers were more a bother than they were a boon. Of course, leave it to a semi-Renegade Jane Shepard to view him as a useful tool before an actual person.
"Yes, a few of the marines here are equipped with long-range weapons. We won't be able to take out the entire enemy force, but if we can spot them in time, we should be able to take out any snipers and heavy troops. You'd have to deal with the rest."
"Fuck me... do I get a choice, or am I being volunteered?" He asked, groaning while muttering a string of self-invented curses.
"You get paid to do your duty to your homeworld." Jane said, very as a matter of fact-like. Too much, to him.
"Was that A or B?" He muttered, almost afraid he already knew the answer. Jane took a breath, then looked him straight in the eye, through the polarized visor and everything. Damn, she was scary when she stared someone down like that.
"B, since you're asking." Jane stated. Thomas groaned again.
"Thalosi Akame! Talos take you!" He growled, looking at his captain with every bit the same amount of grit as she had stared him down with; "Do I get a few minutes to prepare?" He asked, with no less of a scowl than before.
"Really I'd just like you to get this over with and done, but yeah, take a minute or two to get ready. Riley, have the Recons mount the ridge and deploy whatever long-range ordinance they have. Do not open fire." Jane ordered, looking from Thomas to Riley. She then looked back to Thomas, sending him a questioning look; "What does... 'Thalosi Akame' mean?"
"Hey, if I'm risking my sorry ass out there, I'm allowed to make up my own swearwords." Thomas retorted, glaring at Jane. That was a first, actually, that he had directly and clearly glared at her. Not waiting around for her response and possible negative reaction, he trudged back through the sand and muck, reaching where Ashley was getting to her feet from treating a marine along with Tequila and another marine.
"What'd Shepard want?" Ashley asked, probably noticing the way Thomas was walking, and recognizing it as a sign of 'hey, I've got bad news'.
"Gaahhhh... figures really. I'm being volunteered to go in Rambo-style and take out the geth and whatever kinds of shit they have over there. The marines here will, from what I understand, which can be annoyingly little, provide some sort of covering fire that'll help keep me somewhat alive... Yay for me, huh?" He said, throwing out his hands in an annoyed gesture.
"What? You alone against... how many?" Tequila asked, seeing as Ashley was momentarily taken aback by this.
"Beats me... fuck, I should really have known that Roku would get me something besides Honor and Glory, like they say. Anyway, Ash, do you have a moment?" He asked, looking from Tequila to Ashley, the woman standing stock-still with her hands curled into fists. Even through the armor, it was clear that she was enraged. Thomas was, for once, somewhat glad he couldn't see through her visor.
"I'll... leave you two alone." Tequila said, more or less shoving the medic and the groaning patient out of the way. Ashley apparently took that as her cue to speak, or maybe she had just lacked the ability until now.
"...Why?" She demanded, her voice strained. Thomas, not knowing how to answer that, pulled her into an embrace that was, at first reluctant, but then she gave in to it.
They stood there for a moment, neither knowing what to say. Despite the armor, Thomas could feel the waves of frustration rolling through her body. He felt he knew pretty well what she was thinking, and he was thinking the same thing. He hadn't been concealing the fact that Virmire might claim the life of someone dear, and now he was being sent into what could very well be his death. Permanent, should something hit his head and destroy his brain.
Considering how precise the geth snipers were, that wasn't all that impossible.
"Ash..." He said, wanting to get something off his chest he had wanted to ask her since their lovemaking on Arcturus.
It took a few seconds before she responded, instead just clinging to him in a manner that was uncharacteristically feminine and vulnerable for her. She nodded, giving him an extra squeeze before starting to let go.
"I know... you'll be fine. Roku will make sure of that... he'd better." She muttered.
"And I will, she can be sure of that." The spirit added, probably trying to reassure the corporal. Thomas sighed, attempting a smile. None came though, and he was once more glad his helmet didn't allow for transparency.
"Ash, I... there's something I've been meaning to ask you... didn't really know when to do it though, and I'm probably going to fuck it up either way." Thomas said, letting a small, sad chuckle escape him. He looked at her, seeing but her helmet. Tapping the side of his helmet, he opened the private connection that let him see her face.
She was red-eyed, strained and stressful of appearance. That much was clear even to someone as daft as he tended to be. He didn't doubt that if it wasn't for Roku promising to keep him alive, and had delivered on previous occasions, Ashley would probably be tear struck as well.
"What is it?" She said, sounding like she was fighting to keep the fear from her voice. Fear of loss, perhaps.
"I...I told you, once, how I pretty much fell in love with you on the spot, as you stood above me in the sunlight, offering me your hand on Eden Prime. Feels like a lifetime ago, now that we're here, doesn't it?" He asked, looking into her eyes, those beautiful brown eyes, dimly shone upon by the interface of the helmet's lights. She nodded, looking down.
"Yeah... you did. It's funny, in a way..." She pressed out, looking back at him with those same, soft eyes.
"How?" He asked.
"I never was a believer of the whole 'Love at first sight' thing. But..." She said, throwing her arms out; "You kinda disproved that theory." She muttered. There were the first small tears making their way from the corners of her eyes.
"Yeah... and now my question will sound half-assed no matter what I say... figures." Thomas said, chuckling in the same, saddened voice. Dammit, why couldn't he just ask this without feeling like a total ass?
"A lot of the things you say sound half-assed, Thomas. Doesn't mean I love you any less for them."
"Well... when did you start falling in love with me?" He muttered, unsure of how to word it, if that was even the issue. He didn't know, so much was confusing him and unsettling him at the moment.
There was a long moment of silence, where Ashley didn't answer him. He started figuring that he had, indeed again, fucked up his wording of an important question. It was just like him, always messing up the most important parts of things, always fucking up his-
"I don't know... it happened over the weeks, I guess. Probably started with how you were the only one there for me after Eden Prime, the only one who could relate to what had happened. When I found out about your past, at first I was appalled, that it was even possible. But... then a small part of my mind, the one that seems to always stay sane, asked me, said to me, that I was being a monster. I was, really..." She muttered, looking away. She took in a deep breath before continuing;
"I was so upset about what was real and what was impossible, that I didn't even start realizing that through all this, you had been stranded in some new and strange place, with no connections, no family and no one to rely on... and you just worried about me. I suppose that was the realization that really kicked it in." She said, looking back up at him. In what he would later always ponder, if it had been something akin to a deeper understanding, they both took off their helmets and dumped them on the sand.
With an almost desperate passion, Thomas pulled Ashley's lips against his own, a gesture which she followed with a silent moan, a plea for him, for him to do whatever he could do to survive and be hers. Their lips brushed against each others' for a moment, the two sharing a long gaze into each others' eyes before closing the distance again, pressing their mouths together in a small show of love. It wasn't the sort of passion they would show each other when alone, when in peace and safety. It wasn't the warm, happy type of passion that each had grown accustomed to over the months. But it was still sweet.
As sweet as it was though, it had to end, as time passed and the mission started making itself painstakingly clear. They broke lips, Thomas resting his forehead on hers for a moment, wanting to just remain there, to forget the battle, the war that was going on around them. And yet, he knew that he had a duty.
Had anyone thought to cite Uncle Ben at that moment, Thomas would have broken his or her jaw.
"I'll come back to you. I promise." He swore, low enough that only Ashley could hear it. She held her breath, her fingers digging through his hair. He knew it was too long, he really did need to get a haircut.
"You better. Now... just, go. I'll do what I can from here." She said, her voice suddenly strong with conviction. Gods, was there ever a reason he loved her, it was probably for moments like these, where her resolve was unbreakable.
Thomas sighed, sliding his helmet back over his head, waiting for a moment as the HUD came back online. He then made sure all his gear was at the ready, and headed up the hill. Up the hill, and to the top of the ridge, where he could see just how many enemies were guarding the base. Glancing back, he saw the rest of the marines lying ready, with weapons pointed at the enemy. Jane was lying with her assault rifle, looking him in the eye. She nodded, and he looked back at the ridge.
It was a steep, but not drastically steep, drop to the bottom, and he could probably do it by running downhill. Better not have the sword in his hands when he did that, since he remembered the rule about running with scissors. This was just a tad bigger... and he would probably be shot at the second he started running. Right... Roku, I'm counting on you here."
"Permission to go, as you say 'Apeshit-mode' sir?" Roku asked with what seemed a pretty good impression of a British officer.
"Permission granted Roku, let's try and not get dead." Thomas responded, then started running down the hill.
A/N:
Well, I am back.
Damn, I'll have to take back the statement that Jenny is based upon a certain little girl. I seriously doubt Jenny has the same amount of energy and near-destructive levels of activity and happieness that her inspiration has. Still, in her moments of calm, the little Banshee is the foundation on which I made Jennifer's personality.
Well, expect some epic ass-kicking in the next chapter, as we now unleash a full-on Avatar-like Thomas and Roku upon the enemy. He is, though, a glass-canon. One shot from a weapon strong enough, and he's dead. His barriers draw on his brain, and... yeah, you get the picture. Hence the covering fire and Ashley's worrying. Still, against that many enemies, how would you have planned the attack?
I'm liking Anna's parts more and more as they progress. What's funny is that I invented her as a sort of one-shot character... shows what I know about my own imagination, huh? More than most of the introduced characters, such as Delta squad, Kasumi and Anna, were all intended to be used in one of two chapters, but... well, you saw and read how it went.
Now, the year is past for most of us, and a new one is about to begin. To that, I have a wish and a piece of advice: Happy New Year, and try not to blow off your fingers :D