Chapter 21 – A Trouble Shared
Liara stood at Normandy's war-room central console. The four people most invested in those missing were waiting on her.
"I accessed Caleb Antella's financial accounts and can confirm he made a sizeable payment to Zaeed Massani."
"So Garrus' abduction is connected to Aurora's," murmured Teryck. "You have history with this Antella, too?" he directed at Shepard.
She shifted uncomfortably.
Hackett took over, needing something else to concentrate on other than an old friend's stab in the back. "Antella was Terra's superior at one time. He abused his position over her, and didn't like her refusal to acquiesce." He didn't go into it; Teryck was intelligent and worldly enough to be able to read between the lines. "While Terra's career accelerated, his didn't, and he went to Internal Affairs. He tried to bring her in while she was working alongside Cerberus, and in the process shot himself in the foot career-wise when he over-stepped into blatant misconduct towards her, to which Admiral Anderson was witness to. That got Antella kicked out of the Alliance."
"The man sounds like a petty lowlife," summed up Teryck.
"He is."
"But to do this?"
"I have to admit I had him pegged as all bark and no bite, but it seems he's hired all the muscle he needs."
"So there's a third person involved."
"Reese Kryek," announced Liara. "Antella's finances show a transfer to him shortly after Massani's."
"Kryek," uttered Hackett, the name filling him with even deeper concern for the welfare of his grand-daughter. "That reinforces what the boy said about the man who took Rorie."
Reading her father's face filled Terra with foreboding. "You're familiar with him?"
"By reputation only. Went by the moniker 'Brawler' during his time in the Alliance because he liked to use his fists. An effective soldier, N4 and rising. He was placed on Torfan and proved himself more than eager to get the job done. There were reports from his unit that he liked to torture the batarians whenever opportunity arose. He should have been removed right then and there, but his superiors decided they needed him where he was because he got results. Elysium was still raw for a lot of people back then. The potential victims had you not held them back, Terra, would have been astronomical. Those brutalised or taken as slaves from the outlying areas were proof of that. Command were willing to let things slide."
"Ticking time-bomb," bit out Shepard, trying not to imagine Rorie in this man's hands.
"Exactly. It culminated in a fight with a member of his unit. A biotic - Myers. According to those in his team, Kryek had an extreme dislike of anyone with biotics. After taking down an enemy base, he accused Myers of cheating to get a higher kill score than him. Myers had simply used his biotics on the battlefield, and Kryek beat the man to death for it. Myers never had a chance to fight back." Hackett frowned at Liara. "Last I heard of Kryek he was facing a life-long stint in prison. He was designated Category Six."
"He never made it there," informed Liara. "The two corporals who witnessed the event weren't alive to testify when it came to the court-martial. One died the day before he was due to leave Torfan. The other was killed by a batarian in an alley here on the Citadel."
Hackett didn't ask how she knew what could only be in confidential Alliance files. "But they would have made written statements."
"Which went mysteriously missing shortly before the trial. Without witness testimony they could not make a case. He was charged over misdemeanours and dishonourably discharged."
Hackett shook his head in disgust.
"What is interesting," Liara continued, "is that Antella was part of the Internal Affairs team who put together that case."
"Favour for a favour," murmured Kaidan.
"And now Antella's called it in," gritted Hackett.
"It seems so," nodded Liara.
"That was a long time ago," observed Teryck. "Any intel on what Kryek's been up to since then?"
"Bounty hunting, drugs, slaves, weapons. He's wanted on several worlds for murder, rape, kidnapping, torture, and extortion, to name a few."
"My God," hushed Shepard, gripping the edge of the table. "This is the person who has our daughter…"
"Antella has a formidable duo working for him," remarked Teryck.
"Actually, I do not believe that Antella was the instigator," declared Liara. "The sums of credits involved in each transaction to Kryek and Massani were far beyond Antella's means. I went back further in his accounts, and found an exceptionally large deposit."
"From who?" asked Kaidan.
"Unknown. I have Glyph trying to trace it back to its origins now, but it has been carefully encrypted. As for those we have identified, I have agents looking for any sign of them, but if they are in flight…" She left it unsaid. The proverbial haystack had grown into a galaxy-sized mountain.
"Sorry to interrupt-"
Surprised, Shepard looked up into the air. "Joker? Shouldn't you be in medbay?"
"I can't just lay there with Rorie missing," came his sad reply. "So I've been up here fielding endless fishing attempts for information by reporters and whack-jobs. I know Edi can do it, but at least I can pretend to be doing something useful. Anyway, there's a volus at the airlock with a message for Kaidan."
"Uh… let him in. I'll be right there," frowned Kaidan.
Curious, Terra joined him.
...
Standing inside Normandy, the volus spun in place as he took it all in.
"You, uh… you have a message for me?" inquired Kaidan as he walked up the aisle.
An intake of air preceded the volus' speech. "Spectre Alenko?"
"That's me."
The volus held out a datapad, whilst staring in awe at Shepard.
Kaidan sucked in a breath as he read it. "Who gave you this?" he rushed out at the volus, grabbing the man's suit.
"I don't know. Some human male," spluttered the courier.
"Kaidan?" questioned Terra, reaching for the datapad clutched tightly in her husband's hand.
"What did he look like?" insisted Kaidan, desperation in his voice.
The volus shrugged. "Like all humans."
It was clear the volus wouldn't be able to tell them anything, and when Kaidan let him go, Terra dismissed him with a "Thank you."
The volus made a quick retreat, and, stunned, Kaidan finally released the datapad to Terra.
ALENKO,
WE HAVE YOUR DAUGHTER. IF YOU WANT HER BACK ALIVE, WE REQUIRE YOU IN TRADE.
YOU HAVE FIVE HOURS TO TAKE A SHUTTLE TO THE ATTACHED CO-ORDINATES - ALONE. WE HAVE PLACED BEACONS AT VARIOUS UNDISCLOSED LOCATIONS. IF ANY OTHER SHIPS ARE DETECTED NEAR THE AREA, YOUR DAUGHTER WILL DIE. IF YOU USE ANY TYPE OF TRACKER, ON THE SHUTTLE OR YOUR PERSON, SHE WILL DIE. IF NORMANDY DOES NOT REMAIN IN DOCK, SHE WILL DIE. IF YOU'RE LATE, SHE WILL DIE.
COMPLY, AND YOUR DAUGHTER WILL BE RELEASED ON THE CITADEL, UNHARMED.
BE SURE TO SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR WIFE. SHE WON'T BE SEEING YOU AGAIN.
Shepard stared down at the words, confused and angry. They wanted Kaidan. She looked up to see him braced against the bulkhead by one hand, the other clasped into his hair as he lost himself in his thoughts.
"Guys?"
Joker's soft and uncertain tone gained Terra's attention, but she found it difficult to shake off the shock. "Joker… Advise Bailey that we've received a ransom for Rorie."
"Aye, aye." Joker didn't ask anything more. The two parents looked like their souls had been yanked out of them, leaving behind only pale shells. Forget the Reapers. This had to be the worst situation any of them had faced, and it wasn't lost on him that the couple who were usually so in-step it was like they were made to compliment one another, had turned to walk back to the war room like each of them were alone.
oOo
The ship in auto-pilot, Antella placed the call with a grin. His message would be delivered by now, and they'd soon be in place and ready to receive Alenko. "Miss Lawson. You'll be pleased to know we've secured Vakarian, and are mere hours away from obtaining Alenko. We gave him an offer he couldn't refuse. Him, for his brat's freedom."
There was a gasp. "Tell me that you're didn't take that little girl!"
His grin faded. "She's the perfect trade for Alenko."
"Oh my God! What were you thinking!? She's just a baby!"
Antella gritted his teeth. "You wanted results faster. You said to do whatever it took to get Alenko where we want him. This was it."
"I never said…" There was another audible inhalation. "No…"
"Perhaps you should abstain from the alcohol for a while," patronised Antella. "You're mean when you're under the influence."
"Get her back to her family, Antella. Straight away."
"You mean her mother. We're taking her father. Remember?"
The silence that followed was lengthy.
"Miss Lawson? Are you still there?"
"Yes. Yes, I… "
"Look, we've made the ransom, Alenko will hand himself over, and she'll be returned. Job done."
"She's not to be harmed, Antella."
"Sure. I'll be in touch when we're on our way with both targets." He hung up in irritation. "Pathetic woman. What the hell was that? Second thoughts? Too late now, Princess."
Kryek laughed beside him in the co-pilot's seat, his feet up on the console. "Just as well she has us to keep her in the game. What's she look like?"
"Don't touch. She's our meal ticket."
"Thought that's what you brought me along for. Persuade her to extend a bonus for our hard work and dedication," Kryek chuckled.
Garrus was laying on the floor at the rear of the ship, his face raging from where the man he now knew as Kryek, had hit him back in that bay, but what hurt worse were his thoughts of Rorie. There had been such sorrow in her face. For him. He could still feel her arms clinging to him, and he'd never felt so inadequate. He still preferred that she was there with Massani than here with Kryek, but she wasn't safe. Massani was a law unto himself when it came to getting Vido. If they ordered him to kill her in return for whatever they had on Santiago, Garrus wasn't sure that this link to Hackett was enough to make him walk away.
But that last communication by Antella had shocked him. "Lawson's dead." His voice rasped, his throat dry.
Kryek strode over and kicked Garrus savagely in the midriff. "Making threats is pretty stupid for someone trussed up like a chicken ready to roast."
Unable to speak for a moment, his lungs struggling without air, Garrus gulped it in.
"Still think Shepard's going to come rescue you? Not that I'd mind," smirked Kryek. "Now that's a woman."
"She's a bitch," sneered Antella, joining them. "And she won't risk it." Antella crouched next to Garrus. "You or her kid? Who do you think she's going to be more concerned about saving? Because she can't have both."
Garrus didn't expect her to choose him, and that was as it should be. He'd happily die to keep Rorie Alenko alive. "Not what I meant," he managed to say. "Lawson. I killed her myself. Put a bullet through her brain."
"She looked pretty good to me. But no wonder she wants you so badly. I can probably guarantee Miss Lawson has a nasty ending planned for you." Antella stood and turned to Kryek. "Quit striking him. You'll jeopardise our pay-out if she isn't happy with the state of the merchandise."
Garrus frowned. Miranda couldn't be alive… No. What he'd heard just now didn't sound like the Lawson he knew. It was hard to believe that Miranda had a relation who could care what happened to her, but it was the only answer. But why did this person want Kaidan? Kryek stomped off to the front, followed by Antella, and Garrus was left reeling with the realisation that his past actions had doomed Kaidan, by association. Rorie would lose her father, Shepard would lose her life-partner. He, Garrus Vakarian, had, with one bullet, destroyed Shepard's family.
oOo
Shepard watched Teryck scrutinising the message. One thing had been glaringly absent: any mention of Garrus.
"This doesn't feel like it's so much to do with you anymore, Shepard," he concluded, lowering the datapad to the table in the conference area of the war room they'd moved to. "Maybe they're still looking to punish you, but it's by proxy. They wouldn't need Kaidan if that was their sole aim. Not when they already have Aurora. This is about Kaidan and Garrus."
"I'm inclined to agree," said Hackett. "Kaidan?"
"I don't know," was all he could answer. He was truly at a loss as to whom the two of them could have irked enough to invite this. How had this happened again? First Rahna…. He wasn't a protector to his daughter, he was a liability!
"It has to be something you and Garrus worked on without Terra, or she'd be a target too."
Kaidan slowly shook his head as nothing useful came to mind. "The only time we've been on a mission without Shepard was during the Reaper wars. After she fell into the coma."
"That's Thessia, Horizon, and Cerberus' headquarters," listed Hackett, all of it branded into his brain with the rest.
"An asari commando unit lost their lives helping us get to that temple on Thessia, but that was my call. It had nothing to do with Garrus. Same with Kronos station, even if Kai Leng wasn't dead."
"Leng was definitely deceased. I saw to it his body was disposed of to ensure any Reaper tech didn't make an appearance, like Saren," added Hackett.
"And Sanctuary…" Kaidan paused, looking at Terra, who gave the barest of frowns.
"Sanctuary?" pressed Teryck.
"Miranda Lawson. Garrus...killed her."
"People are killed all the time during the course of gunfights," considered the astute Teryck. "To isolate that incident… What you're really saying is that he executed her."
Kaidan nodded reluctantly. "He had a personal grudge. We both did."
"Only you didn't pull the trigger. He did."
"She was dead," insisted Kaidan. "He shot her in the forehead. Close range."
"Family?"
"She killed her own father moments before. I don't know of anyone else-"
"There is a sister," informed Liara, her fingers running over her omnitool. "Oriana Lawson. All assets of Lawson Enterprises went to her upon Henry Lawson's death. I need time to access their financial accounts. She is a shadow in terms of running the business. I have little intel on her other than that she is an avid benefactor to various multi-species charities on Earth, and Ilium, supporting families, and particularly children."
"Sounds nothing like her sister," murmured Kaidan.
"But she is genetically identical to her. Tailored with only the genes of her father, just like Miranda."
"A twin," Shepard muttered.
"Essentially, but sixteen years younger."
Teryck shook his head to express his distaste at people's propensity for messing with nature.
"Why do that?" frowned Shepard.
"Henry Lawson had his first daughter tested for fertility at fifteen," Liara said, reading from her omnitool. "Miranda Lawson was unable to have children."
"So he tried again." Kaidan grimaced. "The man was heartless. He probably just wanted the perfect accessory, and Miranda was a lot like him."
"Their upbringings were different. Miranda's childhood was overseen very closely by her father. With Oriana, he relinquished the reins to a live-in nanny."
"A mother figure," said Shepard.
"Yes. That is all I have on her, except for a personal address on Ilium, but my agents report that she left the planet several weeks ago."
"Charities…" mulled Shepard, uncomfortable with labelling this woman as ruthless as her sister.
"It could well be a front, Terra," cautioned Hackett.
"Who else can it be?" added Kaidan.
Liara closed her omnitool. "I will keep digging into Lawson. Find proof if it exists."
"Good," sighed Kaidan, staring down at the table. "We've already named the henchmen, and it's likely we've found the lynchpin. You'll bring them to justice."
Terra hated the way he'd already placed himself out of that upcoming retribution.
Breaking the silence, Hackett pulled up a galaxy map. "The quickest way to get you to the rendezvous is to take a ship along this flight-path, to this point." He indicated to the closest place that didn't veer from the standard routes. "You can detour to the co-ordinates from there in the shuttle. I'll have my own ship take you there."
"They chose the spot wisely," Liara said, grimly. "It is in the middle of nowhere. I have nothing in place anywhere near that area in order to ascertain if their claims of beacons are true."
Kaidan nodded in understanding. "We'll need to do this soon. That shuttle journey will take up a lot of the time."
They spoke so casually, like it was some routine mission, that it infuriated Terra. "Stop it," she said, harshly. "We know who they are. We know where they're going to be. There has to be some way we can outmanoeuvre them! Have a ship waiting nearby to chase them down once we have Rorie back! Something that doesn't involve you offering yourself up to join Garrus, for God knows what!"
Kaidan wanted to comfort her, but he knew she'd simply push him away. She was frustrated and afraid, and it was dictating her reactions. "Maybe these beacons they mention don't exist, but maybe they do. We can't risk it. I won't risk it," insisted Kaidan.
"This is ridiculous! We're just going to let this happen!?" Shepard didn't wait for an answer. There wasn't one that would satisfy her. She was livid. She was scared beyond belief. She was disintegrating from the inside out. Storming from the room and out to the elevator, Shepard stilled in front of the open doors with no idea where she was heading.
"Terra?"
Kaidan's voice was strangely distant, though she could feel him behind her. She didn't turn around. "What if they don't intend to let Rorie go? What if you're handing yourself over for nothing?"
"I have to assume they will. I certainly can't stay here, idle. I'd never forgive myself if they…make good on their threat."
She spun angrily, her index finger jutting into his chest. "You're giving up! They could still be here on the Citadel. We could still find them!"
"Terra," tried Hackett, moving forward, recognising that her distress was spilling out in the guise of fury, her instinct to fight threats surging forward with the reality that she might lose her husband as well as her daughter and closest friend.
Terra raised that same finger to ward him off. "No, Dad! No! We can't let him just hand himself over to the enemy. I know he's a soldier, and I've always been prepared for the worst, but this? It's like sending him off to the torturer's table! You said yourself, Kryek hates biotics!" She felt sick then at the thought of Kryek with Rorie.
"Terra." Kaidan kept his voice soft. "If you were me, what would you do?"
"I'd hand myself over to them willingly for even the slightest chance of getting our daughter back," she replied without hesitation. That wasn't her problem... and as the words formed on her lips she thought how selfish they sounded. "Now, how would you feel…if you were me?"
Kaidan felt the air knocked from him. Sacrificing himself, whether to face death or torture, meant nothing when it could potentially save his child. He wasn't afraid of what awaited him. But to put himself where Terra was… "I'd fear losing you both."
Terra swiped away the single tear that escaped, her shoulders slumping. "I know you have to do this, and I would never stop you, because we have to grab that chance that it will bring Rorie home. But if I don't have a way to find you… and Garrus... then I'm going to lose you forever. And if these people choose to, they could take you all away from me."
Kaidan knew only too well how it felt to have everything you loved ripped away. "I'm sorry." Not caring that others were watching, Kaidan went to hold her, only for her to keep him at a distance, hands splayed across his chest. He sighed sadly. Her anger was misdirected at him because she had nowhere else to aim it at this moment in time. Then her hands fisted, the fabric of his jacket clutched tightly, and he covered them with his.
The ferocity to keep those she loved safe, seeped away with the truth that she was ineffectual, leaving Terra spent. "This is a waking nightmare, Kaidan. I don't have any control. I just want my baby back. Why do I have to lose you in the process?"
"Maybe... I have a suggestion."
They looked over at Teryck who was standing at the war room threshold, just behind Liara and Hackett.
"A tracking device-"
"No," cut off Kaidan. "They'll check."
"For normal trackers, yes. But I have knowledge of a prototype. It's a top level project." Teryck winced as he was faced with breaching his oath of confidentiality.
"You need permission from Victus to tell us about it," assumed Hackett.
"Yes." Teryck hung his head as he made a decision. "But without it Garrus is dead for certain."
"It's alright, Teryck," came the Primarch's voice.
Terra noticed for the first time that the CIC wasn't empty any longer, those of the crew who'd heard about the ransom had returned, and they parted to allow Victus an unhindered path.
"It's specifically designed to be undetectable to all scanners. It was an idea Teryck had when I asked him for solutions to stop anything like the Purgatory break-out from being a problem again, as well as keeping track of those released after serving their sentences." He nodded at Teryck to continue.
"It's a small device, planted beneath the skin at the nape of a prisoner upon conviction – without their knowledge, of course – and, with the use of a special program we can activate a trace and locate them. It means that we can know exactly where they go, allowing us to make quick arrests should they re-offend, or even detain them before crimes take place."
"Why at the nape?" inquired Chakwas, stepping forward.
"Much like a bio-amp, it enhances the electrical element created naturally in the brain. That creates a strong signal that can only be picked up with the designed program. It would be nothing but white noise to anything else."
"It is, however, in its early stages of development," warned Victus. "It hasn't been fully tested beyond knowing that the concept works."
"Have the research sent to Edi," said Kaidan. "She'll be able to assess it."
"I want to have access to that," piped up Chakwas. "It sounds like it would be placed close to Kaidan's biotic implant."
"Kaidan?" Terra looked at her husband, knowing how he felt about his L2. Now he was agreeing to have another experimental implant.
"It's okay. I trust Edi and the Doc."
Terra felt like she could breathe again as she grasped onto this new lifeline. "Dr Cole would be able to assemble it."
"But Terra-" Hackett said, loathe to bring a halt to this idea, only to be cut off.
"How do we actually track the signal?" she asked Victus intentionally. That fire was burning inside her again, and she wanted solutions, not a 'but'. "You said something about a special program?"
"It would have to be installed at various locations."
"Beacons," blurted Liara. "Once they have Kaidan they will eventually have to re-join the standard flight-paths in order to access the relays. I can send out agents to my beacons immediately. They can install the program and it will update me when the signal is detected. We can then follow it."
"There's a problem," Hackett said with more force, and it was clear from his face that Kaidan had also remembered the ticking clock.
"We don't have the time," Kaidan said sombrely, getting straight to the point before Terra could continue in false hope. "Three hours in the shuttle, and an hour before that to get to the point I can fly from. We've only got a half hour left before I have to leave. Recreating the prototype from the schematic alone will take time. Even if we could get someone to the ship in time before departure to assemble it on the way, the chances of getting it done and implanted in the space of an hour is remote. Terra, I'm sorry. ... I need to start prepping a shuttle, make sure I have extra fuel on board to get me there."
"I'll help with that," stated Cortez, his brow deeply creased.
The crew had silently watched the exchange. It should have warmed Shepard to see them there for Rorie, but she just felt empty as she gazed at them all. James hung back on the periphery, looking as though he thought he didn't belong here, a battered Jack matched James' beaten stance, not meeting her eyes. Terra knew she should reassure them, but she still couldn't get to that place inside her. Forgiveness. Her head told her it was as likely to have happened had she and Kaidan been there, but her heart wasn't listening yet.
"I'm fairly certain I could double the speed of the shuttle if that would help," Clay said from the edge of the group. He nearly baulked as everyone looked at him, but he swallowed and explained. "I've done something like that before with our quarian shuttles. It will burn out the engine, but for a one-way journey that length, it'll hold."
Hackett looked at Kaidan. "That gives us an extra hour and a half."
It energised Shepard. "Joker. Get Dr Cole through to the war room."
"Aye, aye."
"Victus," prompted Hackett.
"Getting the schematic sent to you now," he confirmed over his omnitool.
"Edi. Could you isolate the detection program for me?" requested Liara.
"Sending it to you now."
"I'll get it to my agents immediately." With the ping, Liara rushed into the war room.
Adams nudged Clay. "Looks like you've got some tricks to show me – or horrify me with. Let's get down to that shuttle and get this underway. We're on borrowed time."
There was a flurry of activity as people started moving.
Dazed, Terra stepped aside to allow Adams, Clay and Cortez access to the elevator. She'd been on such a roller-coaster. One minute they had something to give them hope, the next it was taken away, and now Terra felt on edge, waiting for the next problem to appear to tear her asunder. And there was an uncertainty hanging over them: would this prototype work?
She looked at Kaidan, who seemed just as overcome as she was, but she felt detached in his presence. To allow his comfort would be to open herself up, and she was certain if she did she'd be completely drowned with the emotions she was already being swamped by, rendering her completely useless to Rorie. She couldn't face the thought - of failing Rorie, or Kaidan. She needed to be busy. She needed to be the Admiral who brought together a galaxy to defeat the Reapers, and so she walked past Kaidan and Teryck to re-enter the war room. She was Shepard, N7 and Spectre.
For the first time since Rorie went missing, Shepard found a calm clarity. Focused, she passed Victus and her father in the conference room, and brought up holo-maps of the Citadel on the central console, a gut feeling forming as she thought over the facts.
"Terra?" came Kaidan's soft voice, as Terra circled the console in thought.
"We know they've left the Citadel, because we have co-ordinates for the rendezvous, but they also said they'd release Rorie here."
"They didn't state how long after I've stepped onto their ship that would be," warned Kaidan, watching his wife desperately searching for threads. Beside him, Teryck also looked like he was trying to see where she was going with this.
"But we'll be on high alert for ships coming into the Citadel. It would be safer for them to keep her here. With a team of three, and a small ship, they would only need one person to stay with Rorie. A small ship would draw less attention and they'd only need a hanger to dock."
"Edi's checked all the flights," Kaidan moved forward.
"And we've already started searching all the bays in the sector that crate was delivered to," added Teryck.
"Right, but only the active bays. Only three-quarters of those bays in that sector are actually working. Even less in the bay sectors either side of it."
"Those are the bays that were designated as unfit for use."
"But what if they've been able to access one of those disused bays? Enough to get a ship in and out."
"They could also be holding Rorie there," seized Kaidan.
"That's not something that occurred to me…" Teryck was frowning at what he saw as his failure to think outside the box. It was something he'd been good at once, but time had made him rusty when it mattered the most. He turned to Shepard. "I'd like to join you."
"Of course."
"But it's still miles of bays," said Kaidan, studying the map.
"With enough manpower we can cover it in a reasonable amount of time. With luck, we can find her before you have to leave, or before you get to that rendezvous. Without her at risk we're free to take the Normandy and get Garrus back."
"If she's here at all," Kaidan cautioned.
Terra steeled herself. "I need to keep fighting…" She met his eyes, wishing she could lose herself in them, "and this is all I have."
Kaidan saw only the elite soldier staring back at him, felt the distance between them. She was holding together the best way she knew how - it just wasn't the right way. "Okay."
"Kaidan," called out Hackett. "Dr Cole is certain she can have that tracker together in an hour. I'll have someone pick it up."
"I'll do it. As a Spectre I can bypass the standard routes, avoid traffic. It will give me something to do, too."
Hackett nodded in understanding. "Terra?"
"Teryck and I are going to extend the search to the defunct bays in the area that crate was delivered to."
"I'll help with that," spoke up Victus.
"I need to get my ship ready to leave," murmured Hackett, wanting to be with the search team, "and I'll oversee that shuttle adjustment, as well as check in with the status of Liara's agents."
With their purposes decided, they all headed out. In the CIC, Shepard announced the new search parameters. "Jack. You're not joining us until you've been seen to properly," she said as she passed her on route to the airlock.
"I'm fine, Shepard," protested Jack, following her. "The Doc saw to me earlier."
"Patch-up jobs don't count."
"Shepard!"
"Jack!" Shepard spun, stopping her in her tracks. "Don't argue with me on this. I need you at your best for when we find those responsible."
Surprised by the dark promise in Shepard's voice, Jack backed down. Shepard was an eruption waiting for the right time to appear, and Jack was determined to be part of the explosion.
…
As they headed for separate cabs, Kaidan looked over at Terra. Like she could sense his gaze, she turned to meet his eyes. This time, despite the resolve and fire, despite the sadness and fear he read there, he didn't miss the intense love that had her in such torment, and he hoped she felt his.
oOo