"We'll be ok Mali." Liara glanced at her while she drove. Mali was clenching the seat hard, but not for the reason they thought. My friends are close, Mali thought. It's time for revenge. A month's wait couldn't douse the flames of anger she still held for that ship. It was time to make things even.
"When we get back, Mali you go straight to your bunkhouse. From there you'll be evacuated to a safe underground shelter."
"What about you?"
"Dickens has ordered me and Liara to the council room after we drop you off to plan an attack." Mali could see the outskirts of the campus growing in their windshield. Liara must have been going twice her normal speed. They sped through the town of Kaprithian and quickly made their way to Mali's bunkhouse, and she climbed out giving them one last look. She smiled bravely.
"Be careful Mali." Liara said with a pained expression, "I love you."
"See yah kid." Shepard said as he clambered up into the front seat.
"Bye, stay safe." Mali wished them well, and then they were gone. The girl watched as they lifted from the canopy and sped away toward the town, then she ran inside, anxious to find out what was going on. Inside, however, it was strangely dark. She was about to call out, but something warned her to stay quiet, at least for now. Mali warily padded over to the kitchen table; her presents were still lying there, so she picked up her short swords.
Something was definitely wrong, the house should have been bustling with activity. Charlie and Audin should have been hunched over the TV, arguing over what video games to take. Cadence should have been sitting tense in a corner, Oli should have been yelling his lungs out getting everyone on a move on; yet, the house was dead silent. Had they already left? Mali worked her way to the girls' hallway and quietly checked every room, but all were silent and empty. Then she heard a thump from downstairs; Mali tensed, someone was in the house.
She slowly crept down the steps to the boy's level. It was also quiet, but somehow it felt different. Just as the hair on her arms started to rise Mali spotted Cadence on the pool table in the middle of the room. The girl looked like she was sleeping, but she was at an odd angle, as if she had been thrown on there. Her hands and feet were tied, and her mouth was gagged. Definitely not sleeping. Mali jerked herself forward to help, shocked; however just as she did a figure emerged from Audin's room to the left of the pool table. Immediately Mali sunk into a crouch and quickly took cover behind the table, avoiding detection by a hair.
The teen listened as the figure walked over, not making a sound, and picked up Cadence from where she lay. Mali crept to the side and peered around the wooden corner and watched as the figure hefted Cadence over one shoulder and made their way to Audin's room. Mali decided she had had enough. As the intruder disappeared into the room, Mali quickly skimmed over to one side of the door, ready to ambush them when they emerged. She didn't have to wait long.
Only a few seconds after she took her position Mali could hear the tell-tail sounds of the gears working to open the door, and only a second after that it slid open. Acting immediately, Mali crouched and swept her leg out, effectively tripping the intruder. They fell to the ground grunting and Mali pinned her foot right on the back of their neck. "Who are you?!" Mali commanded.
"Mali! Get your foot off me!" Ara grunted from the carpet.
"Ara?" Mali asked in confusion, letting up on her neck a little, but not all the way. "What where you doing with Cadence?"
"Helping her, idiot! Someone came in and knocked them all out, I hid and now I'm untying them! Now get off me!" Ara squirmed.
"Ok, ok!" Mali relented, stepping back.
"Jeeze, what were you thinking? I'm some imposter?" Ara got up, brushing off her clothes angrily. Mali turned to the door to Audin's room, intending to go in. "Sorry, jeeze. Don't blame me for being careful. So what's wrong? Can I help? You know the reaper is coming, we need—," Suddenly Mali felt cold metal pressed up against her temple. A gun clicked. "Ara?" Mali asked, not moving.
"Sorry Mali, nothing personal." Gone was the warmth of Ara's voice, replaced by cold indifference. Surprise, and then hurt and anger followed, what was Ara doing? She took Mali's swords from her hands, "Move." She pressed hard against Mali's head and forced her toward the door.
"Ara? What are you doing?" Mali asked as they moved.
"What do you think?" Ara replied, annoyance clearly evident. "Man, it was so easy fooling you guys. You never had the slightest clue." She forced her into the room. Inside, all Mali's bunkmates were unconscious, gagged, and tied, splayed this way and that. Well, all accept one. Oli was furiously gazing at Ara with hate in his eyes, cold blooded fury written all over his face. They had been betrayed. He strained at his cords, but they held tightly. "What losers." She spat, looking at all them. "So easy to take down, they never even knew it was coming."
"Why?" Mali asked. Ara shook her head as she forced Mali's hands behind her back.
"Because when your two rich, scientist parents abandon you to their work and never call, never check in, never seem to care, you get a little angry."
"Your parents? This is about your parents?!" Mali asked disbelievingly, gritting her teeth as Ara bound her hands tightly together behind her back. The girl scoffed.
"They work on campus, only a few miles from me. I work my butt off to get accepted into this damn program so I could be close to them, and when I finally get in, I go to see them, and they still don't care, they didn't even have time to see me. "Our work is too important" and all that crap."
"But why us?" Mali asked.
"I got enlisted, to help, when they found out my dilemma. They knew you would be coming, so they placed me here. It wasn't about you, or them," She nodded towards their comrade's still forms, "for me, it's all about getting back at my parents. I want to destroy all their precious work. My employers just gave me the means to do it." Oli grunted and squirmed.
"You mean Groose?" Mali asked. Ara forced her to sit next to a knocked out Alex.
"That idiot? No, he was working for me."
"That was you, that day at the library, giving him orders…through an earpiece?" Mali gasped, realization hitting her, "and you were the one that set him free, not Finch!" As she said those words, it was like everything fell into place. She knew what Ara's answer was going to be before she opened her mouth.
"Yah, of course, I've been running this whole thing. My employers have known all of what you were eating, doing, and thinking this entire past month, although I must apologize for what happened at the library, it was never supposed to get that…dramatic. This was the deal for the opportunity I needed." Tears of betrayal sprang into Mali's eyes.
"Why though?" Mali almost cried, "I thought you were," She shook her head, "I thought you were a good person." Ara just sniffed and looked at the distraught girl in front of her with indifference.
"How would I expect you to understand, when you don't have any parents?" She spat harshly. With that she forced a rag into Mali's mouth and tied it behind her head so she couldn't spit it out. Mali struggled vainly, shouting profanities and curses, all of which sounded like she was gurgling water behind the gag. Hot angry tears coursed down her cheeks, Mali was torn inside. Ara laughed at her efforts. She stood, tucking her gun into the back of her pants.
"Don't worry, someone will be here shortly to collect you. After that, I don't know what's going to happen to you, but it probably won't be drinking tequilas at a beach." She stepped outside the door, raising a hand, smirking. "See yah." She grinned coldly. The door closed, and Ara was gone. Mali was left in silence and darkness, except for the sound of the other's breathing. A few more frustrated tears slid down her cheeks and soaked into the gag. Loathing for Ara and loathing for herself filled her. She had been tricked so easily, she had trusted her. Thought her a friend. She looked over at Oli, she could just see his face in the dark, his eyes were filled with hopelessness, and Mali realized he had been counting on her for rescue. That revelation filled her with even more regret, and Mali buried her face into her knees.
There was no way out. No one was coming for them, and a reaper was on its way, intent on capturing her. All seemed so hopeless.
I
She didn't know how long she sat there, head buried like an ostrich, trying to shut out her mistakes. A gentle nudge surprised her out of her reverie. Oliver had scooted his way over until he sat back to back with her; it was the best he could do with all his limbs tied. He threaded his hands through hers and gave her a gentle squeeze. Mali gently rested her head on the back of his shoulder, glad for the comfort he provided. Around her her bunkmates were starting to wake up, Audin's eyes roamed restlessly under his lids, Charlie was softly groaning. All had taken a hard blow to the head, as many had small trails of dried blood running down their temples.
Just as Mali's shoulders started hurting from the constraints there was a loud rumble that started to shake the room. Audin's blinds slapped the window, and outside, branches flailed like striking snakes. Furniture started shaking—lamps, computers, and trinkets started jingling. The distant roar grew louder, like a scream in Mali's ears. She shouted into her gag, her eardrums exploding. Just when she thought she couldn't take anymore, there was a bright red flash, coating the room blood red, and a powerful thump that seemed to tear the tree up by its roots, and then as suddenly as it had come it stopped. There was nothing. Silence.
Mali was shaking—that's how intense it had been. Oliver's grip was like a clamp on her fingers, his back felt like she was sitting up against rock. What possibly could have made that commotion? Mali thought to herself. There isn't anything in the universe that big as to make such noise; but then it wasn't, wasn't it? Horror started to fill her as revelation dawned on her. The reaper had arrived. She was a fool to think that she could have taken it on; to think that she could find and save Alexandra and Niles from its depths.
Gunfire and shouts started to fill the air. Explosions went off, only a few miles away. The ground vibrated with the powerful guns aimed and firing at the reaper. Heavy laser cannons would have been Mali's guess—powerful enough to take a dreadnought out in space—but apparently not working to well now, if the screams she was hearing weren't testament enough. I hope Liara and Shep are safe, she prayed, but they were probably in the thick of it. Suddenly, above, Mali heard footsteps coming down the stairs.
Fear pounded in her gut—Ara had said someone would be coming. She squeezed Oli's hand (it was becoming quite sweaty) in warning, and he became aware. Struggling, he turned around and scooted up next to her, and then to her surprise, in front of her. Oliver had placed himself between her and her attackers. Outside, they could here as the attacker scuffed across the carpet, making no effort to be quiet. They knocked up against the corner of the pool table—they heard a muffled curse. Than a few seconds of silence. Mali stared at the door, apprehension growing. A bead of sweat slid down her spine, chilling her.
Suddenly the door sprang open—Mali instinctively flinched back, but to her upmost surprise it wasn't a tactical squad in full gear toting rifles, or a monstrous yargh, it was a quite disheveled looking Ms. Finch. Thick strands of her hair had come out of her severe bun, thick dirt covered her cheeks, hands and clothes which were ripped and torn. Her glasses were askew on the bridge of her nose, and there was a small crack in the lens of the left one. In her hand she toted a rifle with a black strap around her neck.
"Oliver, Mali," She looked at them, "I've been looking everywhere for you." She set her rifle down and brought out a knife. Oli lunged at her, as best he could, but Ms. Finch easily dodged. She held up her hands. "Easy, easy. I'm here to set you free, not harm you. Ok? I know about Ara, ok? I'm not like her." She slowly walked around behind Oli, and knelt to cut his bonds. The rope cut easily and soon he was rubbing his wrists, gag free.
"How did you know we were in trouble?" He asked, standing up. Ms. Finch answered as she worked on Mali's bonds.
"Your bunkhouse didn't show up at the evacuation point, we assumed something had gone wrong. A dispatch team was about to be sent to check for you when the reaper arrived, and then everyone was busy, so I volunteered myself to go. I almost ran into Ara on the way here who was surrounded by men from the reaper." Finch shook her head, "it's a war out there." Mali's chords snapped free and she pulled the gag off her mouth.
"What about Liara, or Shepard?" She asked. Finch tisked, thinking.
"Last I heard Liara was leading a squad of biotics to engage the ground forces of yargh. Shepard was still in the command tent, but he was about to join a mantis crew to fight the reaper."
"A mantis, against a reaper?" Oli shook his head. Mali grit her teeth.
"We need to get out there." She said. Finch shook her head.
"I came to get you guys out so you could flee, not go out and die. Besides, you don't even have a plan." She tossed an extra knife to Oli, who started cutting away at Cadence's bonds. Mali stood, pacing. She knew that she should run, it's what Liara would want her to do, but she couldn't just leave and hide, it would kill her. If there was something, something that she could bargain with—to stop the fighting…and as she watched Oliver helping Cadence to sit up, it struck her. The plan was so simple, so brash, and so plainly suicidal that no one would ever think that someone would attempt it.
"I have it!" Mali exclaimed.
"Aspirin?" Cadence asked hopefully, rubbing the side of her head. Mali gave her a look.
"No, a plan!" Mali exclaimed. Ms. Finch rolled her eyes.
"I thought I told you no." Mali shook her head.
"Ms. Finch, people are dying out there! Real people! We can save them, I know we can!" Ms. Finch bit her lip.
"We are the best at this school." Oliver added, "We've been trained for this." It seemed that she had a moment of indecision, but then her eyes cleared and she looked up.
"Fine. It's the right thing to do. So what is it?"
"We need something to stop this fight, but nothing we have is powerful enough, or appealing enough to either fight with or bargain with, so—,"
"Except for you." Alex interrupted.
"What?" Mali asked.
"Well their here for you, so, we have you." Oliver slapped him on the shoulder. "Hey! Just giving the facts. I'd rather not have it end that way, but if we have to…"
"We won't." Mali shook her head, "because there's something better than me."
"What do they want more than you? They just infiltrated a military base to get you."
"The planet's core." Cadence gasped. Mali could literally see the light bulbs going off above each of their heads.
"Cade, how'd you know? That was confidential. I wanted to drop the bombshell!" Mali asked. The small girl just wiggled her eyebrows slyly.
"Well, get on with it." Ms. Finch urged.
"So, we sneak on board and grab it. Shepard has been teaching me about reapers, I'm pretty sure I know where they'd stash it." Mali said.
"Simple as that?" Oliver asked.
"Simple as that." Mali crossed her arms. "It's the last thing they would expect. They would never guess that I would go near that thing of my own free will, so they will be looking for me everywhere but there."
"How would you sneak on?" Charlie asked. "There would be hundreds of yargh!"
"Cloaking devices." Oliver nodded, getting into the plan.
"That wouldn't be enough," Alex shook his head, "not for the front entrance, or any entrance for that matter. You will need a diversion to slip by."
"Like what, an explosion?" Charlie asked, grinning. Finch shook her head.
"We ran out of explosives ten minutes ago. We put everything we had against that reaper and it's still standin' there as shiny and clean as if it's fresh from the car wash." There was silence, they had hit a bump.
"I could whip up something." Alex finally said, almost a whisper.
"What?" Mali leaned in, "My hearing's a little shot from the reaper's landing."
"Only a little?" Oli joked. Mali rolled her eyes at him.
"If I had the right ingredients, I could make a really big explosion." Alex grinned.
"Where would we get those?" Cade asked.
"The science building?" Audin cocked his head to one side, "could you get 'em there?" Alex nodded.
"Definitely, but it would probably explode the building." They all looked at Finch.
"What?" She shrugged, "that isn't my department, I don't care, and hey, this is war. Besides, most personnel would have been evacuated by now."
"Most?" Mali asked.
"Except a few very dedicated scientists who were trying to save what they could."
"Sounds like those might be Ara's parents." Mali frowned. "She's probably making her way over there now." Audin cracked a few knuckles.
"I'm in for a little revenge." He said. Mali looked around at their little group. Ara's betrayal weighed heavy on them all; she had been the center of them. Mali nodded.
"Fine, but see if you can talk to her."
"I'm going with Mali." Cadence suddenly said.
"What?! No!" Mali answered, surprised. "It's too dangerous for you!" Like a flash, Cadence was at her throat with a knife pressed tightly against her jugular. Mali didn't even remember blinking, and she was sure that knife had been in Finch's hand a moment before.
"Don't ever say anything is too dangerous for me! I'm going." Cade stared into her eyes, daring her to disagree. As much as Mali hated herself for it, she had to admit Cade was right. If anyone could sneak onto a dangerous battleship, it was she.
"I'm going too." Oli said.
"Guy's, I wish both of you could come, but I only have one cloaking device." Mali said, secretly rejoicing that they would be out of harm's way. Her hopes were dashed however, when Cadence held up two flat silver disks.
"Good thing I have two." Mali sighed, she had tried.
"Fine." Mali relented. Cadence stepped back, satisfied, and clearly smug.
"I guess this settles it then," Finch nodded, "Cade, Somali, and Oliver will enter the ship and try to steal the planet core, while I lead the rest of the group to the science building to make an explosion. Ok, gear up. There could be people here at any moment. Kitchen in five." They all nodded and separated to their rooms. Mali opened her closet to stand face to face with her battle armor. She started into the helm; she could see her reflection in the tinted visor. A shot of fear coursed down her spine, her stomach twisted. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and she let all her anxiety, fear, anger and sadness build up into one huge rolling ball of emotion. Breathing out, she let it all slide away from her and drain out of her body.
Again, she looked at the helm, but this time, she didn't look away.