Chapter 23 – To Travel Hopefully is Better Than to Arrive
The ward was heaving with revellers as Zaeed made his way above them on the catwalks, a bottle of water and packaged food in one hand. He swallowed the last mouthful of his own on-the-go meal. The noise levels were high now, and 'Blasto' was still signing away, the queue of idiots no less than it had been before the start of Zaeed's trip.
Re-entering the maintenance room, Zaeed was impressed at how invisible the kid had made herself. "You can come out now."
At the continued silence he crossed over to the space she was hunkered in, to see her completely zonked out in a sitting position, knees up and head tipped forward onto them. Zaeed was perfectly happy to leave her like that; if she was asleep he could relax without the constant chatter for the remainder of the time. He placed the bottle and food on the crate where she'd see it, made himself comfortable on a nearby container, and closed his eyes. A flash of the kid's ecstatic face popped into his head, and he realised he was actually feeling something close to guilt for lying to her about the goddamned poster.
Zaeed reasoned there wasn't anything else for him to do… and she was Hackett's grandkid…. With a sigh he left to re-join the masses below, this time walking around to another ladder so as not to attract the same people's attention, grumbling to himself about pain-in-the-arse kids.
…
Arriving on the ward where Liara's agent had reported her sighting, Shepard briefly scanned the busy area, her interest on the catwalks above. An asari immediately approached her.
"Admiral Shepard, I have been instructed by the Shadow Broker to assist you."
Shepard fought the urge to look at Liara beside her. No one but a select few knew her as the Broker, which didn't include her agents.
"I can show you the access point he used. I couldn't follow him up without giving myself away, but I know he went left."
"Thank you." Shepard followed her, negotiating the crowds, most of whom were either waiting to get into the nearby club, or at some promotional signing for the latest Blasto film. Terra was seized with melancholy. Rorie loved Baby Blasto, and the beginning always started with the adult Blasto reminiscing his childhood before it turned into the computer-generated 'Baby Blasto' Rorie adored. She would be so excited to know he was here. She'd love a signed poster. Terra decided she'd get her one... She just had to find her first.
Ascending the ladder the asari agent indicated also raised Shepard's heartbeat. From Mathers' description, it was Massani who was with her daughter. Rorie had to be up here, just waiting for her.
…
He sure as hell wasn't going to queue, so Zaeed shoved his way to the front, ignoring the comments and protests, giving glares to any who looked like they might make more of it until they lowered their eyes in submission.
"This one sees you are eager," Blasto was saying at Zaeed's impatient arrival.
"I couldn't give a rat's arse. Just sign the goddamned poster."
"This one thinks-"
"You've made sixteen crappy films. You don't think. Just do what you're here for and sign the bloody thing so I can get outta here."
The volus event promoter stepped in as the hanar bristled. "Who do you want it made out to?" He readied the paper-thin screen with the promotional movie-still emblazoned on it.
"Kid," Zaeed shrugged in irritation. "No wait… Rorie." He figured she'd like that, then wondered why the hell he gave a toss what the little pest would like.
"Blasto. Just sign it and let the human on his way," urged the volus.
The hanar scrawled the special pen across the screen-shot, and the volus disabled the editing so the autograph couldn't be removed, then passed it to Zaeed.
"This one will ensure we have your look-a-like in the next film," shimmered the Blasto actor. "He will meet an unpleasant end."
"You had the Shepard cameo played by a man. I'm not worried." Walking away with the rolled-up poster, Zaeed had to laugh at the absurdity of it all. It wasn't every day he got threatened with a fictional death.
That's when he noticed Shepard heading up the catwalk ladder he'd used the first time. Swearing, Zaeed knew this was no coincidence. Somehow they knew he was involved, and he must have been spotted during his sojourn earlier. Retreating back into the throng, Zaeed looked for an escape route.
…
Setting foot on the catwalk, Shepard checked around. The area was completely deserted except for an approaching Keeper, and she briefly wondered how they managed to get up here. Re-focusing, she saw various routes Massani could have gone, all leading to more lengths of catwalks, but just opposite her was a room. Could that be it? She worried about the confrontation with Massani. He wasn't likely to come quietly, and the last thing she wanted was for Rorie to be caught in crossfire. He'd likely use her to get himself out of the situation, and Shepard couldn't allow that. She needed to catch him off-guard.
Motioning for Liara and Edi to wait, Shepard noticed her father wasn't there – maybe he'd got separated in the crowds below – but she couldn't worry about that now. Cloaking, she closed in on the room, the doors sliding open at her proximity. She tensed, expecting, hoping to see Massani so she could pummel the shit out of him and relieve herself of some of the frustration and anger that jostled for attention with her fear and pain.
Except there was nothing but a vacant room; a maintenance area also used for storage. To add to her plummeting heart, the alarm vibrated from her omnitool.
Their five hours was up.
She'd failed.
Kaidan would be arriving at the rendezvous.
…
Zaeed hustled into the tunnel, cursing. If they found the kid before Weasel contacted him, there was a chance the exchange could be stopped and Weasel would renege on the deal.
"Stop right there, Zaeed."
Freezing, he slowly turned to see Hackett with pistol raised. Zaeed knew the man could put him down with a single precise shot, and he held his hands out to his side, the rolled up poster still in his grip. "Been a long time, Steve."
"After what you've helped do to my family, I'd say it wasn't nearly long enough," remarked Hackett, those ice-cold eyes locked on Zaeed's. "Where's my grand-daughter?"
Zaeed chewed on that. He still had a chance of getting Vido. "She's safe."
"Where?" demanded Hackett.
"Not yet. I need Alenko in their hands or I don't get what I've been promised."
An angry disappointment crossed Hackett's face. "Whatever they're paying you, I'll match it."
"Ha! If you can match it I'm going back to the goddamned Alliance!"
"I've a sizeable amount. Enough to set you up for a comfortable retirement."
"Huh. Retirement," Zaeed laughed bitterly. "Unless you can give me Vido Santiago, the answer's no."
"Damn it, Zaeed! You're taking my grand-daughter's father away!"
"Call it payback for that dagger you sank into my back. I was looking at a good stint in a stinking Alliance cell before I got my opportunity to bust outta there, you son of a bitch. You know what grates even more? I was going to leave your shitting Alliance. But you had to put the boot in, and make your point, didn't you?"
"I wasn't the one who made that happen."
"Yeah, yeah. I get it. I did it to myself-"
"You did," agreed Hackett, getting peeved that Zaeed wasn't really listening. "But you really think I'd hand you over? After all the times I covered up for you? You were a liability but I never once considered allowing you to go down for the crap you did. We grew up on the same streets together. You had my back a hundred times over." Hackett jabbed a finger to the right side of his face. "I got this scar saving your worthless backside."
Studying Hackett, Zaeed believed him - because it had never made sense that Steve had turned on him. They'd been as close as brothers once. He still remembered the fight he'd found himself knocked back on the ground, rifle out of reach, and a batarian with a big-ass knife coming in for the kill. Hackett had appeared out of nowhere, diving at the batarian and receiving that wound in the process. It had given Zaeed enough time to regain his weapon and between them they'd finished the enemy off. "We're a couple of ugly bastards, hey?" he joked, by way of an apology.
"Speak for yourself."
"So it wasn't you," Zaeed said flatly. In his defence, the investigators had known a whole lot of shit about him; it had been a logical conclusion to assume it had come from Hackett - he was the only one who had been with Zaeed for all of it.
"Who do you think gave you that opportunity to escape? I called in a few favours. You owe your liberty to me."
"Thought it was rather fortuitous at the time. Doors not secured, backs conveniently turned, and that shuttle fully fuelled and unmanned." Zaeed heaved a sigh at the situation he was now in.
"Zaeed, I'm asking you as an old friend – one that always stood up for you, even at the end – don't take this any further. You can still stop this."
Running his hand over his face, Zaeed was truly torn. Vido or Hackett. He couldn't settle both accounts any longer, and now he was in deeper debt to Steve. … "Fine. I'll take you to her. But keep your credits. Seems I owe you one. Fuck," Zaeed cursed as he began to lead the way back out to the ward. "More than one. What a goddamned mess. Knew this job was gonna be nothing but trouble."
"Thank you," breathed out Hackett, holstering the weapon he would have used if Zaeed had forced him to.
"For the record, I didn't know they were going to take the kid. Stupid arseholes," growled Zaeed.
"You stopped them from taking her with them, didn't you?"
"Figured it would repay you for all the other stuff - then you could go fuck yourself, grandad.
"Don't knock it until you've tried it. Best job in the galaxy." Hackett's voice softened, a light inside him as he thought of Rorie and the fact he was about to see her.
"The great Admiral Hackett, going bloody soft. I can see you're happy, though. Knocked me for six that Shepard's your kid… So you got it on with that hot chick, Hannah, then. Should have seen the similarity. Breaking the rules, Steve? Bad boy. Good to know the Alliance couldn't completely scrub out that rough upbringing."
"Some things are more important than following rules, but some of us try to work our way up from the gutter."
"Yeah, yeah. I like it down here. No airs and graces. No one telling me what to do."
That summed Zaeed up for Hackett: a law unto himself.
"So, do I get my old friend's protection? Can't imagine your kid's gonna be too happy to see me. Again."
"You may have protected Rorie, but you didn't hand her over, and because of it Kaidan's about to suffer at their hands. You're also the reason they have Vakarian. My daughter's going through hell right now. Frankly, you deserve whatever she decides to dish out."
Zaeed chuffed. "Harsh as ever."
"Just be thankful we have that past, because it's all that's stopping me from knocking you senseless, myself."
Then Zaeed was bulldozing his way through people without a care, Hackett following in his chaotic wake, holding onto the hope that they had just a little longer to save his son-in-law.
O
Kaidan could see the small vessel waiting for him and slowed the shuttle. He answered the hail.
"Welcome to your transportation to hell," laughed the voice Kaidan recognised as Antella. "Step aboard and we'll be on our way."
Not responding, he just manoeuvred the shuttle to the rear of the ship where the cargo-hold door lowered. Getting as close as was safe, Kaidan switched off the over-heated engines, leaving only basic systems on, and stood to leave. Placing his helmet on for the crossing, he slid open the shuttle hatch.
The open cargo hold was just a small leap from where he stood. Inside, Kaidan could see the man who must be Kryek – the man who'd taken his daughter. Armed with a shotgun, Kryek's gaze was an unspoken challenge for a fight.
Behind Kryek, Garrus was on his side with wrists and ankles bound. The plating on the unscarred side of his face looked like it had been smashed, but at least Garrus was conscious. Antella appeared, watching with arms folded, something in his hand, and a contemptuous smirk. Then he made an exaggerated gesture of inviting Kaidan in.
Bracing himself, Kaidan had to suppress the urge to biotically yank them out to die a nasty death in the vacuum of space.
This was it.
O
"Shepard?"
Liara had moved up behind her, and Terra could hear the gentle whirr that accompanied Edi. A numbness had descended upon her as she stared into the empty room. Shepard was about to turn away when something about the picture in front of her made her pause. A bottle of water and a take-away bag from one of the café's on the ward she'd just walked through was sitting untouched on a crate near the back wall. There was no sign of a worker who might have put it there, and the bottle still had droplets of moisture running down the side the way it does when it's just been removed from a cold place.
Then she was certain she heard a soft sigh.
"Rorie?"
This time it was a quiet whimper, and Liara's inhale said she'd heard it too. Shepard held her breath as she swiftly crossed the room, swept the water and bag aside and looked into the space in the midst of the crates.
The sight of Rorie, right there, curled up and sleeping, had Terra shoving the crates aside with a sob. The scraping sound jolted Rorie awake. When she was lucid enough to see who it was, Rorie's sleepy eyes flung open, her face one of pure happiness.
"Mommy!"
That was the moment Terra grasped up her baby in her arms, fearing she'd disappear like an apparition as soon as she touched her. But she didn't. She was wonderfully solid. Little arms wrapped around her neck, and Terra felt euphoric. "I missed you so much."
"Thank the Goddess!" hushed Liara, tears streaming.
"The bad mans took Uncle Gus away, mommy," came Rorie's sad voice.
"I know. But at least you're safe." Through her own tears, Shepard realised with a gasp that she might not be too late to stop Kaidan. Without relinquishing her hold on her daughter, Shepard tried to make contact.
O
With a deep inhalation, Kaidan made the leap across the gap to the ship's hold.
The minute his feet touched down, his omnitool signalled a call. Had Terra found Rorie!?
"Touch it and I blow his head off."
Kryek aimed at Garrus, and Kaidan held his hands up, slowly removing his helmet.
"Take off the omnitool and the armour."
Following instructions, Kaidan took the chiming omnitool off his wrist, loathe to lose the last connection he had. He had a gut feeling that Terra was on the other end, but for him it was seconds too late. Instead of dropping it to the floor, Kaidan flung it back into the opening of the drifting shuttle. The last thing he wanted was Antella calling Terra directly. Then he started to release the catches of his armour.
Antella just smirked, sealing the hold. "Relax, Kryek. Daddy will be on his best behaviour. He doesn't want to do anything that will get his brat killed. Right, daddy?"
Kaidan just gave a single emotionless nod. With his armour scattered around his feet, Antella approached, kicking the pieces aside to join Garrus', and began scanning Kaidan with his omnitool, checking for devices. He almost stopped breathing as he waited to see whether Antella would pick anything up. When the omnitool closed, Kaidan breathed out in relief he kept hidden.
Next, Antella held out what was in his hand. "Put it on."
Taking the biotic-suppressing collar, Kaidan clenched teeth as he put it around his neck. As it clicked into place he felt the crackling of interference. Would this mess with the tracker too?
Kryek secured Kaidan's wrists behind his back, then forced him to his knees and bound his ankles.
"How do you like your collar? Matches your daughter's," he laughed into Kaidan's ear.
Kaidan felt the rage burning inside him at the thought of Rorie with a collar round her tiny neck, but he kept his mouth firmly shut. It wouldn't achieve anything but a beating, and Kryek looked like he was waiting for his opportunity. His best chance of surviving for as long as he could was to remain calm. Detached. … It would be an internal battle.
Wasting no more time, Antella left, the engines re-starting a few seconds later. They were leaving.
Kryek walked around into Kaidan's field of vision. "So you're a Spectre. The best of the best. How good are you now without that 'infection' seeping outta you?" The disgust radiated from him. "You even spread it to that brat of yours. Fucking biotics. Should have been killed at birth."
Suppressing everything was far easier when Kaidan imagined the moment Terra found them. They wouldn't know what hit them. He was just waiting for that time, offering Kryek nothing except the same neutral expression.
Disappointed at the lack of comeback, Kryek stormed off to the front.
That gave Kaidan his first chance to focus on Garrus, an inane thought blooming - he'd rarely seen his friend without his armour. "You okay?"
Garrus gave the minutest shake of his head. "I'm sorry."
O
Terra closed her omnitool, that fury returning to mix with the cold clench in her gut. If he could, Kaidan would have answered. She stood, Rorie held tight in her arms.
"Edi. Notify the search parties Rorie's been found. Let everyone know that the crew and those who would like to assist in Kaidan and Garrus' recovery are to report to the Normandy a-sap. I want the ship ready to go the second I step aboard. Also, send word to my father's ship to head to the rendezvous, now. Maybe they can catch up enough to pick them up on long-range scanners."
"Yes, Shepard."
"Is daddy with the bad mans?" worried Rorie as Terra started towards the ladder.
It was then that Terra noticed the collar circling her daughter's neck, and a cloud of seething hate for those involved, descended. "Daddy went to… get the people who took you, sweetie. And we need to go and help him. Do you understand?"
Rorie nodded solemnly. "Uh huh. Go fast, mommy. The bad mans want to hurt Uncle Gus!" She said it with a tone of confused disbelief that anyone would want to harm her beloved uncle.
Wishing she could rip that collar off, Terra knew it would have to be removed carefully; they emitted an electrical charge to prevent tampering and she wouldn't risk it. "We'll bring Uncle Gus and daddy home. Okay?"
"I know," Rorie smiled.
The unquestionable faith in that short statement made Terra blink back tears. Carefully carrying Rorie down to the ward floor, Shepard turned to see her father emerging from the crowds.
"Ganpa!"
Hackett was taken aback at the vision of Rorie in Terra's arms. He hugged them both, kissing that sweet head in relief. "You had us worried, Angel."
The next seconds were a blur as Shepard saw Zaeed Massani coming towards them. Shoving her father out of the line of fire, and twirling Rorie to the ground and behind her, she had her weapon aimed, Liara and Edi moving out on either side to surround Massani as they too armed themselves, the surrounding crowds dispersing quickly.
"Terra, stop!" Hackett had his hand on her pistol. "He's not a threat."
"Sarni!"
In Shepard's confusion at her father's defence of Massani and her daughter's excited greeting, Rorie rushed forward before Terra could stop her. Looking at something Massani had in his hand, Rorie squealed and bounced, then clamped her hand over her mouth with a gasp.
"Sorry, Sarni," Rorie whispered. "I be quiet now."
Shepard was locked on Massani, who had frozen in place, and she sent him a look that warned him not to touch Rorie, her finger tightening on her trigger, resisting her father's pressure to lower it. She didn't understand what was happening. Rorie was waiting right in front of him with a patience that was restless with anticipation, and completely unafraid. Then Massani looked down at Rorie and offered her what looked like a rolled up screen.
"Here. Don't know why you want it though. Blasto's just a shitty actor."
Rorie didn't respond, just taking the poster almost reverently, and unfurling it. She gasped in delight. "It has my name on it!"
"Yeah. Who'd have guessed? Hanar can write."
Shepard watched in shock as Rorie threw herself at the unprepared Massani, hugging his leg as he stood there in a self-conscious discomfort.
"Thank you, Sarni." Then Rorie released him and returned to Terra. "Look what Sarni got me, mommy! It's from Blasto!" Then she frowned at the pointed gun in her mother's hand. "It's okay, mommy. That's Sarni. He looked after me."
She didn't understand why Massani would have gotten Rorie the poster, but Terra knew her daughter had a loving nature that didn't see the reality of her previous situation because of her innocence. She tried to smile at Rorie, her free hand taking her daughter's, and lowering her pistol despite her temptation to put a round through Massani right then and there. He may not have hurt Rorie, but he'd been complicit in this; he'd taken Garrus, and she couldn't comprehend her father's reaction.
"What the hell is this?" she gritted out to Hackett.
"Hear me out," he pleaded. "Zaeed's an old friend. An idiot, but a friend."
"Charming," commented Zaeed.
"A friend?" Terra couldn't believe what her father had said.
Then Massani's omnitool rang out, and the atmosphere got a lot tenser.
"Answer it," prompted Hackett.
Zaeed did so, placing it on speaker. "What?"
"We've got Alenko. Release the kid. Send her location to that contact I gave you, along with your deletion record. Tick-tock, Massani. Remember what I said. If you don't send it, my guy won't give you that info on Santiago."
"I get it," barked Zaeed, closing the call. He started to access his tool. Things were looking up. Shepard hadn't shot him yet, and he could still get what he wanted.
"It's pointless," bit out Shepard. "We have the man at the end of that address. He has nothing about Santiago's whereabouts."
Zaeed paused, eyeing her suspiciously. "How do I know that's true? You want what's on my tool."
"Then take it from me," Hackett said. "The man you've been dealing with is Caleb Antella, ex-Internal Affairs with an axe to grind with my daughter because she said no to him. The man who took my grand-daughter is Reese Kryek, former N4, and now designated category six. We believe Antella's in the employ of Oriana Lawson, sister of the woman whom Garrus Vakarian executed. I doubt there's much your omnitool records can tell us that we don't already know."
Zaeed swore, swinging around for something to punch, then kicking his foot through an advertisement screen instead. "Fucking Weasel." He spun back to Hackett. "There was nothing on Vido?"
Edi stepped in. "I checked it thoroughly. Had it been there it would have garnered my attention, given that we also knew about your involvement. There was a file containing footage along with co-ordinates-"
"Then that's it!" Zaeed said with exasperation, reaching for his omnitool again.
"However, it was doctored."
Fingers froze in place as Zaeed stared back at Edi. "You mean fake?"
"Yes. The footage was from five years ago, though the time-stamp had been changed to a recent one."
"I checked the co-ordinates," added Liara. "They belong to a small colony of volus. There is no mercenary presence there at all."
This time Zaeed punched his fist through the remaining shards of the advertisement. "I'm going to rip his head off and shit down his neck," he promised with venom.
"Unless you know where's he's heading, you're done here," Shepard stated, darkly.
"I do," Zaeed lied, his breathing fast from his outburst.
Shepard's eyes narrowed. "You're lying."
Zaeed met those eyes with equal intensity. "The only way you'll find out is if you take me with you; I know enough about you to know you plan to hunt them down. I've got a score to settle with that weasel, and your ship is the fastest way for me to get there."
Her face turned to a derisive sneer. "You seriously think I'll let you on my ship? That I'll allow you on the ground where you could put my people at risk for another of your personal vendettas?"
"What choice do you have?"
"Zaeed," warned Hackett, angrily. "You're not in a position to play games."
"I want in. That's all." He re-focused on Shepard. "I could have just walked away. They would have taken your kid with them if I hadn't stepped in. CAT6 would have beaten her for her little biotic display. I can guarantee, the mood he was in after she threw him against the wall, she'd have been brain-dead from the first punch."
Fighting the nausea evoked by the image Massani had described so starkly, Shepard caressed Rorie's head where it rested against her thigh. She couldn't discount the unfathomable connection Massani had with her father that he'd risked getting Santiago for. They were also relying on untested tech to locate Kaidan, and if Massani knew anything he certainly wasn't going to relinquish it easily. She hated him for bartering Kaidan and Garrus for his own agenda.
Unable to deal with Massani the way she wanted with Rorie present, Shepard picked her up and started to head out of the ward at a fast pace. "I haven't got time for this. We have to leave." At the elevator she blocked her father and Massani from entering. "Get another one."
The doors closed on Hackett, leaving him with the last image of Terra's face an angry accusation. He found it difficult to take.
"That went better than I'd hoped," remarked Zaeed. "For me, anyway. You're in the doghouse, though."
Hackett speared him with a glance. "Not another word."
oOo
Entering Normandy's docking bay, Shepard was met with the cheers and applause from her crew and more, who had congregated there with the news. In her arms, Rorie was looking around with a bemused expression at the rapturous attention.
"Thank you for all your effort in the search, but we're not done yet," Shepard said. "Everyone to your posts. Altair."
The young pilot stepped forward. "Yes, Ma'am. She's ready to go, as per your instruction."
"Good. No waiting. Use my Spectre authority to bypass Control."
"Aye, aye, Admiral."
The bay cleared quickly, leaving only the non-crew and Edi.
"You're a sight for sore eyes, little one," Bailey smiled at Rorie. Then he gave Shepard a serious look. "Mathers got that last message from the kidnappers. I sent it to Edi, but if I were you I'd give it a miss. It was nothing more than a gleeful statement meant to rub your nose in it, from people who are too stupid to realise they're dead men already."
"Thanks, Bailey."
After Kolyat had hugged them both, he left with Bailey. Brynn and Zabeleta followed after with Victus, who said he'd keep them updated on developments with the Council decisions over Parnack. Coats explained that he'd agreed with Hackett to remain here to represent the Alliance, giving Terra his best wishes with a kiss to her cheek and an affectionate ruffling of Rorie's hair. As Coats left, Grunt strolled nonchalantly into the bay.
"You found the midget. Good. Now we can get to the fighting," he grumbled as he passed Shepard, heading for the airlock.
"Not that he's single-minded," she muttered to Liara.
"Shepard…" started Teryck, but he faltered, looking unsure of himself, then gave a resigned sigh. "I'm of no use to you on a ship, or in a fight." His long-damaged knee halted any thoughts he may have had of arming up to rescue his son.
"There's sure to be something you can do, Teryck. Welcome aboard."
Relieved, Teryck sent her a look of gratitude before heading onto the ship.
"You, too, Jack."
Jack looked like hell, but managed a smile that was trying to hide the emotion as she reached out to touch Rorie's hand. "Hey, kiddo." Her voice was hoarse.
"Sorry I ran away, Antie Jack," answered Rorie, remorsefully, gently running her fingers over Jack's bruised but healing face.
With a tearful glance at James, Jack could only kiss her cheek, then ran through the airlock.
That left only Edi who had stayed close beside Shepard and Rorie the whole way here, Liara and Javik, and James.
"If you will allow it, I would like to travel with you, too," Liara said. "Feron and my father have my ship ready to follow you."
"I'd appreciate your company," Shepard nodded. "You too, Javik."
"As you wish," answered Javik.
Then Hackett arrived with Massani in tow, and Shepard's insides ignited again.
"James."
He stepped forward with a swallow. "Ma'am?"
"Take Rorie inside. She's coming with us. Edi. I want that collar off her."
"Of course, Shepard."
James felt a weight lift as Lola passed Nugget over to him. She was entrusting him again. It was a silent forgiveness - her hand resting on his arm before he turned was the proof. He held Nugget tightly to him as he carried her inside Normandy, accompanied by Edi.
As soon as the airlock closed behind Rorie, Shepard twirled to Massani, and swung a hard punch that had him staggering back in a stunned haze of intense pain. When he looked up at her with fire in his eyes, she only registered the satisfying feeling that she'd dislocated his jaw. "Get to medbay and be in the war room in thirty minutes. Keep me waiting and you'll be left on the nearest rock."
"Or I could jettison him from the airlock," provided Javik. "Save time."
Hackett hauled him upright, ignoring the accusatory look Zaeed sent his way. "Like I said: you deserved it. Just be thankful I didn't do the same earlier, or your jaw would have just hit the other side of the bay without you attached."
"Feel better?" Liara asked as they watched the two men enter the airlock.
"For now," Shepard said, making it clear that Massani was still on precarious ground. She led the last few steps to the airlock. It was time to go get the rest of her family back.
"Dr Liara T'Soni."
They all spun at the voice behind them.
"Samara!" Shepard was surprised, though pleased, to see the asari matriarch. But then she noticed Samara was staring intently at Liara.
"I am the Justicar, Samara, and you are Ardat-Yakshi."
oOo