Chapter 12
Shia felt the corroded metal against her fringe as she pressed her head against it. It felt cold to the touch, but she was sure it was only the moisture and relative temperature to the warm air fooling her senses. The place gave her the creeps, the dim lighting and the dripping echoing through the long, curved corridor could have been quite cozy if one enjoyed the feeling of being trapped in a giant metal casket on the bottom of the ocean. Her mother had told her stories about one particular prothean ruin on Kajhe that would fit the description, though she remained thankful that her escape route would less hazardous; hopefully.
She flinched as a metallic cringe erupted through the empty space, and the team froze in position for a moment. She exhaled slowly, fighting back the rushing pulse thumping in her ears. It's a metal building on a planet that's hot as hell, metal expands when hot. Get a grip, fear makes you stupid. she rambled in her head, exhaling slowly again as the sound of boots on the filthy floor once again alerted her to move. They moved in silent tension for what felt like kilometers, the distinct feeling that they'd been moving in large circles made them quietly sigh with relief as they reached the end of the long, swirling tunnel, a large door blocking their path.
"There's no technology here, no terminals, no relays... no nothing! Why make it this huge if you're not going to fill it with anything?" Shia whispered as she hunkered down next to James. His brows formed into a frown as he shook his omni-tool to life, scanning the door in front of them and bathing the decaying metal in soft amber.
"Spiral structure acts as some kind of magnetic field amplifier... powers the transmitter or something, I dunno." he scoffed "Regardless, shit's interfering with scans. I can get a rough layout, but bioscan's a no-go." He tapped the interface with unnecessary force in frustration, making it flicker out and return the corridor to it's original murky dusk. "Seems all that's left is the chamber behind this tin-can lid right here. Should be the control room."
"So what's the plan then, Captain? Just storm the place? Amherst asked, turning to face him.
"Well, there's only one way in, no?"
"So that's a yes on busting in through the front door, sir?" Shia asked nervously.
"We'll bust it in gently, Corporal." He replied with a wide grin. Shia nodded and swallowed hard at the prospect.
"Just be ready with those fancy barriers of yours." he added as he began the process of disabling the locking mechanism.
James had never been much of a tech, preferring to shoot at problems rather than mind-wrestling them. Still, his years of service had taught him the value of being able to hack something in a crunch. Being ordered to repair a turian communications tower as a rabid horde of cybernetic zombies claw at your boots while almost passing out from lack of oxygen could do wonders for ones outlook. He smirked at the memory, it hadn't been funny then but it certainly was now.
He shuddered slightly with satisfaction as he heard the muffled thud of the interlocks releasing within the frame and the holopad shifting to green.
The chamber wasn't as large as the long corridor had made her expect. They entered onto a large platform that connected to a staircase that ran to the bottom of the chamber to their left, and to their right up to a windowed pod that stood out from the wall, overlooking the cylindrical coil that ran from the bottom of the pit and connecting to thick wires towards the top. She followed it with her eyes, squinting as she met the soft glare of the outside world through the gap between the top of the building and the large dish above them. Even the hazed brown light of this world stung at her eyes after so long in the dark corridor, she waited for her eyes to adjust before turning back to James. The team let their eyes wander around the chamber, looking for any signs of movement.
Confident that the area was clear, or at least appeared to be, James motioned for them to move on the pod up the right staircase. As they took a few steps toward the stairs, a loud cringe made them swing around to see the large door slam shut, a buzzing sound following in its wake.
"Fuck, secondary circuit." James hissed angrily.
"So, what? We're trapped in here?" Shia asked with barely contained desperation.
"Calm down, we'll get the job done and then blow the damn door up if we have to."
"We'd better move... if there's more hostiles they probably know-" Amherst began, her words cut short by a bullet gracing her shoulder guard. "Shit! Like I said!" She shouted, huddling into a firing position to trail her aim at the batarians now swarming into the bottom of the chamber through an opening which had been concealed by the large coil.
James shuffled over to Amherst, placing a hand on her shoulder and pulling her back. "I'll hold them off, get started on that damn door." he said, raising his voice over the gunfire. He turned to Shia before continuing. "Shepard, get to that control room and get the data." he said, throwing her a small device, she caught it clumsily. "Once you do, activate that thing. It's a transponder, should paint the facility nicely for the Narva to drop a little package down their chimney!"
Shia fidgeted with the device in her hand. "Sir, I-I'm not sure if-" she stuttered as James cut her off sternly "That's an order, Corporal. Go!"
Shia swallowed nervously, embarrassed by her own insecurity and her fear. She shrugged and tried to compose herself, locking eyes with James as she spoke. "Aye, sir!"
She secured the transponder in one of the pockets that lined the arms of her armor and threw a quick glance at the enemies below them before she bolted quickly up the stairs towards the pod. She heard James yelling behind her and Amherst frantic responses, though the words didn't register. She threw herself through the opening of the pod violently, letting her pistol trail over the room before planting her hands on the console. Her eyes searched the projected surface, but the symbols made no sense to her, swirling together into a chaotic blur. She felt panic start to seep into her mind as she punched the interface in frustration. "Jani..." she gasped as she activated her her omni-tool, the signal was weak and the call kept getting disconnected.
"C'mon you piece of shit!" she yelled frantically.
["...hia?..hat you?"] the speaker crackled with static, but she could make out the unmistakable voice of the young quarian woman. A jolt shot through her heart and a nervous, almost desperate laugh escaped her lips.
["..Clear up... signal"] Janis voice continued ["There, do you read me now?"]
"Loud and clear. Listen, I need help to download the database, I can't get in... I don't even know what I'm doing. Can you set up a downlink?" Shia felt herself rambling, but she was beyond caring about it at this point.
["Sure, just set your omni-tool to relay mode"]
Shia tapped the interface, having to steady her hand from shaking. "There it's set up-" A flicker of movement behind her made her snap around and raise her pistol.
Four eyes stared back at her, cold and calculating but laced with fear. The batarian froze as Shia trailed her weapon on her, a low growl escaped the woman as she eyed her cautiously, her teeth slightly exposed. Shia couldn't help but being slightly intrigued, meeting a batarian female was far from commonplace, and she almost regretted not being able to indulge her curiosity, assuming that the woman in front of her wouldn't be all that keen on conversation.
"Hands on your head!" Shia seethed, motioning with her pistol. The batarian did as she was told, but the growl in her throat intensified.
Shia stared her down codly. "Don't. Move." she spat, announcing each word harshly.
"How we doing, Jani?"
["Setting up the downlink now, should only be a moment"] Janis modulated voice rasped back over the comm.
"Good, let me know when we've got it all."
She heard the terminal behind her come to life, and in a moment of thoughtlessness, she turned her head slightly to view the flashes of code flowing quickly over the display. A sudden burst of movement at the corner of her eye drew her attention back to the batarian woman she was holding at gunpoint, she caught her arm moving quickly down to her side. Shia let out a loud yelp and almost on instinct, she squeezed the trigger. The world stopped for a moment before her senses returned to her. She felt warm and clammy splotches cling to her face as her prisoner fell to the ground, red blood flowing from a circular wound in her forehead. She went for a weapon... Didn't she? Goddess... I had no choice... she was pulled out of her thoughts by Jani screaming in her ear.
["Shia! What happened? Oh Keelah..."]
"I-I'm... I'm here." she stuttered, turning away from the body.
["Ancestors, I thought..."] Jani replied in relief, her voice was thick.
"I'm fine, Jani... The download?"
["Done, we got it all"]
"Good, we're heading back... I'll see you soon." she said, deactivating her omni-tool. She took out the transponder and placed it on the console, pressing the button on the device a small indicator light began flashing in even bursts.
As she headed out of the room, she glanced back at the body on the floor one last time, a deep sigh escaped her as she turned away and ran for her team. James had been joined by Amherst in suppressing the batarian soldiers, the door to the corridor now stood open, inviting them to make their escape.
"Transponder in place and active, sir!" She yelled, coming up beside him.
"Good work, Corporal." James hollered back, activating his comm. "Narva, this is Vega. Transponder active, target at ten minutes."
Shia didn't hear the response, but the smirk on his face alerted her that the ship was on it's way.
"Alright, we're pulling out. Amherst, close the door behind us as we withdraw!"
"Aye aye!" the woman yelled, moving backwards through the opening.
Running through the wet jungle they heard the roar of the Narvas engines in the distance. Shia stumbled against a thick tree as the ground shook violently, and the sound of thunder rolling over them. She turned around in the direction of the compound to see a plume of thick smoke rising towards the brown sky. She exhaled and slumped down in the mud on the ground, leaning back against the log. "Mind calling a cab, Captain?" Amherst mused "I think I need a shower... a very long shower."
"Yeah, I know the feeling." Shia replied solemnly.
She turned the water as hot as it would go, letting it scold her slightly as it ran over her fringe and down her back. She felt exhausted, but letting the dirt of the planet wash away made her feel better. She went over the mission in her head, her mind leading her back to the batarian woman. I had no choice... She had repeated the mantra over and over again. To her own surprise, she believed it. She wasn't happy about it, but she believed it. She tried herself of and slipped into her Alliance hoodie and headed down to Janis quarters.
Jani sat in the small sofa, flicking over something on the extranet. Nothing really caught her eye, her mind still slightly distant after the scare earlier that day. She brightened up as the door hissed open.
"Hey there." she beamed at Shia as she entered the room.
Shia smiled back, a weak smile but sincere, and strolled over and kissed her on the forehead. "Hey."
She made her way over to the bed and nearly fell face first into it, letting out a deep sigh as she let her body relax against the soft surface. Jani came over and joined her, stroking the back of her fringe softly.
"Probably more comfortable if you drag your head up to the pillow."
"Probably" Shia chuckled lightly, her voice muffled by the sheets. She forced herself up and turned to her side.
"You look totally beat"
"I am... feel like I could sleep for a decade."
Jani watched her silently for a moment before she continued. "Something bothering you?"
"I don't know..." Shia said tiredly "Before we left Arcturus, I had a talk with my dad... about the Chief. I told her I wasn't sure I have what it takes to be a soldier."
"And you're still not sure?" Jani asked worriedly.
"No, I'm sure... I'm just not sure I want to have what it takes."
Jani turned to her and looked deep in her eyes. "Whatever you did, Shia... I know you did it for the right reasons, that's all that matters."
Shia smiled widely before leaning in to kiss her again. "Thanks." she said brightly "You always know just what to say, don't you."
"I aim to please." Jani replied with a lithe chuckle.
They lay silently for a moment before Shia continued. "So, what did we get from the database?"
"Not sure yet, we're still compiling. We'll have some answers in the morning." Jani replied with a yawn.
"Good... Can't wait."