Chapter 6: Decisions, Decisions
"Well…what do you think?" Rouge asked in a slightly apprehensive tone as Mal strolled across the bridge of his newest ship. She had just given him and Wrandok a guided tour of the gargantuan dreadnought that she'd named the Anubis whose construction had just recently been completed and she was eager to hear her boss' thoughts.
"What do I think?" Mal playfully pondered. "I think you've outdone yourself. Again. Rouge, this ship is even better than I imagined and I imagined a lot." he added appreciatively.
"I knew you'd like it!" she happily replied. "The designs that Zade stole from Sur'Kesh were impressive but there was still plenty of room for improvement. The stealth capabilities were nice but I knew you'd expect more from a ship that's going to be the flagship of one of the Terminus Wolves' fleets."
"The guns are big and the armor is tough too. This thing might actually be worth all the resources you sank into building it." Wrandok remarked wryly.
"Weren't you the one who said I should be ready for anything?" Mal quipped. "Besides, resources are the least of our worries. We've got plenty of element zero and our refineries and depots are finally operational. There's also more than enough mineral sources for us to exploit now that we've started mining the asteroids near the satellites that we've constructed. And that's not mentioning the treasure trove of goodies that we haven't even started extracting from the planets that we recently surveyed. Our fleets aren't just going to the best armed, they're going to be the best, period." he explained resolutely.
"You don't have to convince me, Mal. I'm glad you're sharpening your claws and readying your fangs, it's a good habit to have." Wrandok replied earnestly. "So woman, exactly what kind of firepower did you build into this thing?" he asked brusquely after turning to Rouge who quickly frowned.
"This ship shares many of the Apex's capabilities but also a slew of improvements and unique alterations that only a dreadnought could benefit from, the main one being the inclusion of a fully functioning magnetohydrodynamic cannon as its primary weapon." she explained.
"So we've got a reaper gun now, huh?" Mal mused.
"Yup and it's a huge improvement over those slow firing travesties that Equinox had installed in their obelisks. There won't be any delay in between shots with our cannon. Plus the broadside guns are all thanix models and it's also been equipped with an expanded array of advanced disruptor torpedoes. This ship makes the volus' famed Kwunu look like an outdated Kowloon by comparison. I can guarantee you that no one else in the galaxy has a dreadnought this powerful." Rouge assured him.
"Good, now I just need you to build a few more and begin work on the other designs we discussed." Mal leisurely ordered.
"You mean for the carrier and the stealth corvettes?" she inquired.
"You're planning to build more toys to sneak around in?" Wrandok scoffed.
"Dreadnoughts and cruisers aren't the only ways to win a battle, Wrandok. I've got a lot of vorcha fighter pilots thanks to the training academy on Heshtok and they're gonna need a reliable transport. I've also got a surplus of dangerous loners who don't work well with large groups and they'll need their own way of getting around to handle whatever assignments I need them on. The 'Ravens' will be perfect for them once we get a few finished." Mal explained.
"I guess you got all this from that quarian who reared you. You damn sure didn't learn it from Drax." Wrandok surmised.
"Pop taught me how to fight on the ground and in close quarters but you're right, Mom was the one who showed me how to handle space combat. She tutored me on everything she knew about naval tactics and ship designs. It was the only personal lesson of hers that I ever excelled at. I always sucked at using tech and omni-tools but flying…that was the one thing she and I could always share together." Mal fondly reminisced.
"I guess the woman managed to pass along something useful after all." Wrandok added gruffly.
"Yeah, she did and I plan to use it." Mal sternly countered. "Rouge, you can start as soon as you're ready. Oh and tell Lance I'm sorry about hogging all of your time." he joked after turning to face his engineering genius.
"You don't have to apologize, he knew what he was getting into when he started chasing me. And so far, he's enjoying the role of homemaker. It's nice to come home to a clean house and happy kids." she cheerfully replied.
"Pathetic." Wrandok remarked derisively. "I hope they don't all end up like him. You have to keep your Wolves at their best, Mal. Not only to keep our enemies in check but also for the cubs' benefit. They deserve to have the best teaching them, not some housebroken fool who let his skills die along with his pride."
"Would you like to test him some time, old man?" Rouge suddenly exploded while summoning her omni-tool and stomping towards Wrandok. "Or me?" she seethed while staring up at him.
"He didn't mean any harm, Rouge." Mal calmly interjected after getting in between the pair. "I figured you'd all be used to this by now. He calls me a worthless, lazy, completely whipped disgrace whenever I blow off a training trip with him in order to spend time alone with Tess." he humorously added.
"I just don't want to see any of you get killed." Wrandok stated earnestly, causing Rouge to back down. "It would be embarrassing for me and my clan especially after we went out of our way to join you." he added tersely.
"No one's taking us out, Uncle." Mal assured him.
"Maybe not but it won't be long before a few idiots try. Your most dangerous enemies are dead Mal but bigger ones are on their way and there are more lurking in the shadows outside of your domains. I suggest you keep an eye on the SPECTRES. The krogan holding a seat on the Council doesn't mean shit as far as I'm concerned. The rest of those bastards are afraid of you and cowards have a habit of doing stupid things when they're scared." Wrandok warned him.
"The Shepards will keep the dumbasses from hurting themselves." Mal casually replied before checking the time on his omni-tool.
"You really believe that?" his uncle asked seriously.
"I'm not having this argument with you again. I trust Ethan and the others. End of story." Mal replied firmly.
"And Admiral Shepard? I'm not turning back on this, Mal. All it'll take is one, one Shepard who's willing to bow to the Council's spineless paranoia and agree to kill you when given an opportunity. If you aren't willing to sever your ties then at least keep them at a distance. Five of them are SPECTRES and four were ready to murder you in the past. That little girl isn't worth-"
"Wrandok, I suggest you stop, NOW." Mal warned him in a severe tone. "You know where I stand on this and I'm not changing my mind." The two men eyed each other for a few moments before Mal received a message from Virgo. "Great, now I'm gonna be late picking Vince up." he grumbled. "Rouge, you know what you have to do. Wrandok, try not to piss anyone else off today." he hurriedly advised before departing the bridge.
"You really don't like them, do you?" Rouge quietly asked the old krogan warlord after Mal was gone.
"No, I don't but for now I'll put up with them. And if the day ever comes when my nephew or any of his whelps face a threat that's a result of them or the fearful weaklings they serve, I won't be so generous." Wrandok replied ominously.
"That was amazing, Mal!" Vince exclaimed as he and Mal entered Virgo's spacious home in Hunter's Haven. They had just spent several hours playing in a park nearby and practicing with their biotics. The exercises were small and mainly involved levitating and tossing a few small balls around without losing control.
"Just wait until you can get some real practice once your new school opens. You'll have better teachers, top of the line training facilities, fancy classrooms-"
"But I'll still get to play with you, right?" Vince anxiously cut in. "We'll still practice together, won't we?"
"Of course we will." Mal promised. "Man, you and Lou." he quietly chuckled before lifting Vince into the air and then collapsing onto a sofa in the living room where they both laughed.
"I trust you had fun?" Virgo asked while smiling after descending a set of stairs that led to the second floor.
"Lots and Mal says we can keep training together even after school starts!" Vince happily stated.
"It's a shame that you don't show that level of enthusiasm for your Mommy's lessons." Virgo replied while pouting as she approached the pair before taking a seat next to them.
"Mom, it's not like that. I mean, let me make it up to you." Vince pleaded.
"I don't know if there's anything you can do to erase the pain and neglect that I'm feeling right now." she replied while feigning sadness. "Except for cleaning your room." she added brightly.
"I, uh, okay." Vince replied in embarrassment before hugging Mal and sprinting up the steps.
"Nice one." Mal humorously stated after watching the boy leave.
"A mother has her ways." Virgo replied pleasantly before scooting over closer to him. "I'm assuming you had another rough day before you arrived to play with him." she pondered while stroking his cheek.
"Just the usual." Mal sighed. "I don't know how I'd get through this crap if I didn't have my family to look forward to at the end of the day." he confessed.
"You and Wrandok had another argument, I take it?" she gently asked.
"The same argument, actually. How long are we gonna be going back and forth with this?" Mal pondered in exhaustion.
"I'm sorry to say he isn't alone in his sentiments. Some of our friends feel that we should be more insular when it comes to dealing with those outside of our territory, especially the Shepards." Virgo explained.
"Does that include you?" Mal asked curiously while facing her.
"No, but I'm hardly an impartial voice of reason. I'm too attached to Angelica to entertain any thoughts of isolation. I couldn't honestly offer an unbiased view either way." she explained.
"So we're still split down the middle, is that it?" Mal seriously inquired.
"Yes but on the bright side, everyone agrees that Angelica should have the freedom to come and go as she pleases once she's older. She is part of you, part of us." Virgo replied warmly.
"I guess I'll be grateful that we can all agree on that much at least." Mal stated before stretching and sinking deeper into the cushions of the sofa. "I love this couch."
"I got it just for you." Virgo replied seductively before crawling over and resting her head on his lap and staring up at him. "You haven't been getting enough sleep lately." she chastised him while softly running a finger down the contours of his face and taking notice of the bags under his eyes.
"I have a house full of kids, a space station to run, fleets to manage, armies to organize, a planet to govern and a company to oversee. I'm lucky I manage to get any sleep at all." Mal quipped.
"It's because you try to do everything on your own." Virgo scolded him. "With the recent expansions you won't be able to keep this up. It's time you started delegating some of the larger tasks before you burn yourself out. Leo and Libra can manage our operations on Illium, Mason can handle the Omega branch and we'll all lend our expertise in organizing and overseeing the training and operations of the soldiers and fleets. That way all you'll have to worry about is the station, Hesthok and us." she whispered before kissing her index finger and gently pressing it to his lips.
"Normally I'd try to fight you on this but I just don't have the energy right now, so I'll agree to your proposal." Mal acquiesced. "Now I just need to find a few teachers and staff members to hire for the school and-"
"Already done." Virgo cheerfully cut in. "I took the liberty of identifying the most qualified candidates and interviewing them after performing extensive background checks. Most of the positions have now been filled with the exception of a few, key teaching posts. Finding qualified engineering, science and biotic instructors is difficult enough as it is but finding those who meet our standards has proven to be even more arduous." she explained.
"Sorry but I want our kids learning from the best. They deserve it." Mal replied sincerely.
"I wasn't faulting you, I happen to agree." Virgo assured him. "This would be a lot simpler if Zade and Taya weren't preoccupied with that 'other' project. They'd both make excellent teachers." she lamented.
"It can't be helped, I need them on that Virgo. They're the only ones I can trust. But I understand how you feel. And with Nox and Lira helping Rouge and the rest of our naval engineers, it looks like we really don't have any tech or science experts to spare, do we?" Mal sighed.
"What about that salarian doctor, Kibo?" Virgo mused.
"He's still perfecting that medi-gel. It should be ready to market in a few years." Mal casually replied. "I suppose I could ask TED but I really don't want to distract him from his music."
"Alright, I think I have a solution. Maura and I can act as biotic instructors for the time being and Libra can handle science. That means Leo will have to manage Illium's red tape without her assistance but he can handle it. Sye isn't doing anything right now, so he can take a position as an engineering teacher. Once Gage returns from his assignment on Sanctum, he can lend a hand teaching biotics as well." Virgo proposed.
"That'll still leave us weak in the engineering department." Mal pondered. "But I guess it can't be helped. Ryla is still busy training the new Cyber Fangs and she's really good at it. I wouldn't feel right pulling her away. The same goes for Hildy and the Spirit Fangs. Damn, we really are stretched thin here." he lamented.
"I think you should consider asking TED for his help. He'd be happy to aid you Mal and he enjoys the company of children. They could learn a lot from him and he's far better equipped to handle multitasking than the rest of us." Virgo explained.
"You're probably right." Mal agreed. "I'll run it by him when I get home later. You really saved me a lot of work this time, Virgo. I owe you."
"Do you now?" she replied coyly before sitting upright and pouncing on him.
"This is why I don't pay you compliments more often." Mal replied in exasperation after being pinned beneath her on the sofa. "You do realize that Vince is right upstairs, don't you?"
"I do and I also realize that you're running on fumes at the moment. So right now, let me take care of you." she commanded before gently kissing him and resting her head on his shoulder.
"Mom, my room is clean!" Vince shouted while stalking down the stairs an hour later. He quickly paused after reaching the bottom and noticing Mal and Virgo asleep on the very same sofa where he'd left them earlier.
It wasn't the first time that he'd seen them in such a position and he often found himself pondering the seemingly complicated nature of their relationship. Mal was married and had made it clear on numerous occasions that he had no intention of straying from Tess. Despite that, Virgo continued to persist in her affections.
"Maybe I'll understand when I'm older." Vince wondered aloud. Afterwards, he sped back up the steps and grabbed a blanket from the second floor linen closet before finally returning and spreading it over his snoozing parents. "I hope you guys are in the mood for pizza when you wake up." he joked before walking over to a computer console on the coffee table and perusing a local delivery menu. Finally attending school would be a nice change of pace for him and his friends but nothing would ever replace the feeling of having both of his parents around.