Thessia 2191

Pain. It was so hard to breathe. Suffocating! Her heart pounded madly as she frantically gasped for air. Her eyes snapped open. Darkness. Bewildered and confused, she stared into nothing. What? Where? Had she been rescued? Was she in hospital? She felt chilled, her eyes were gritty. She reached up with shaking hands to rub her face and realised she was sweating when her fingers came away wet. As her heart beat slowed, she tried to remember where she was, becoming more aware of her surroundings. The warmth and weight by her side and something draped across her middle was disconcerting. More so the fact that there was someone beside her. Who?

She reached out to the weight around her waist and encountered silky cool flesh. Who was with her? Her questing fingers encountered smooth cloth. Whatever she was lying on was firm. Bedsheets? Bed? Something sleepy roused at the back of her mind. How odd.

"Hmmm?"

Movement beside her. She blinked in the sudden glow of soft amber light. When her vision cleared, she stared blankly at the asari for a few seconds. Memory returned in a flash. Liara. She was dizzy with relief.

"Nightmare?" Liara queried softly as clouded blue eyes stared at her, aware of the traces of fear and pain in them.

"I'm sorry, did I disturb you?" April said apologetically as she tried to wet a dry throat.

"One moment."

Perceptive as always, Liara knew what April needed and slide from the bed to get it, moving across the room to the flask and glasses on a small table beside the wardrobe. April sat up, drawing up her legs and propped her chin on her knees. Liara was deliberately putting in that sultry wiggle, she was sure, as a means of distraction. She was willing to be diverted, anything from the phantom pain in her body that was slowly ebbing away. Liara's naked form scintillated into various shades as she moved in and out of the shadows. Not for the last time, April wondered that so many shades could be discerned under various lighting.

"If you have finished your appreciation, you can drink this," Liara said with a smile as she held out a glass of water. Startled, April realised her thoughts had drifted off.

"You are a masterpiece of distraction," April grinned, taking the proffered glass, mentally sending Liara a surge of warmth, knowing she would feel it. About to take a sip, she paused as a feeling of chill and nausea descended.

"Are you all right?" Liara asked worriedly at the grimace of discomfort that flashed on her bondmate's face.

"I'm fine." April managed a small smile to assure her. She took a sip cautiously and more when she didn't throw up.

Liara settled back down in the bed and muted her worry as she watched April slowly drained the glass. The simple act pleased her enormously for it affirmed that her bondmate was alive. Not dead as some of her dreams would often tell her. They had been together since the Reaper War ended in 2187. They were married for five years but sometimes she would wake up in fear that it was all a dream.

"What was it?" she asked softly after April put the empty glass on the bed-stand.

"Nothing. An old memory," April said evasively.

"It sounds gripping," Liara said carefully. "Would you care to share?"

Anger and resentment rose up in April. She struggled to stay calm, consciously holding back the words that rose involuntarily to her tongue. Her bondmate asked out of concern and love but she had no desire to talk about her experience. No desire to share. She couldn't see why Liara couldn't leave it alone. The gentle touch on her arm brought her gaze to meet Liara's eyes. The silent pleading appeal in them nudged her.

"Akuze," she said reluctantly. "I was dreaming about Akuze."

"I remember," Liara nodded. "I read about that when I looked up your personal records onboard the Normandy." She reached to take April's hand. "You never told me how you managed to survive."

Why are you even looking up my file? April wanted to say angrily before she remembered that she forgave Liara for it years ago. "There's plenty of details in the after mission reports," she said instead.

"Details, yes. There are many. The most boring missives filed by a conscientious officer bent on the tiniest minute details." Liara frowned disapprovingly and shook her head. "Did no one complain about the monotony of those dreadful precise reports?"

"The brass like it," April shrugged. "I could have made it one page but they would think I'm trying to hide something."

"Be that as it may." A dimple on a cheek flashed before vanishing. "A personal account -," Liara turned over the hand she was holding, smoothing the palm with her thumb, "is different from a report." She looked up into blue eyes a shade deeper than hers. "April." A soft plea. "Please."

"I..," April sighed, looking down at their hands before turning to Liara. "Share it with me, love," she murmured, kissing Liara lightly, felt her bondmate's hands moved to hold her face and resolutely pushed aside her fear.

We embrace each other in peril. In life. In joy and sadness.

We are one. We share. Now and forever.

Pain. Someone was struggling to breathe, the gasps were loud. Choking. Gradually, she realised she herself was making the noise. Dry hacking coughs that hurt her chest, her entire body. She wished she could stop but there seemed to be something stuck in her throat. Her head was heavy and throbbing to an invisible drum beat. Where was she? It was so dark. Her legs felt numb. Was she injured? Was her body working? Where was everyone?

She twitched her fingers experimentally and felt them respond. Her throat was dry and itchy. Her head, her back and her ribs felt painful. Another cough racked her. When it ceased, she realised there was no other sound saved for her breathing. Memory flooded in. Did the shuttle crash on Doc and herself? Were they buried beneath? Where was Doc? She raised a hand to tap the comlink in her helmet but nothing happened. Her helmet must be damaged. The visor would have lit up otherwise.

If she was to get out of whatever place she was in, she would have to do it herself. She reached out tentatively. How was she to see where she was going in the dark? But of course, she cursed herself for her slowness. She tapped her omni-tool, hoping it was still working. To her relief, it flared but the glow did not have the usual brilliance. Damaged. However, it was enough for her to see. Her vision adjusted quickly.

She examined her surroundings. The space she was in was small and enclosed. It did not look like the interior of the shuttle. The shape of the roof above her was too odd for that but it was reassuringly metal. There was no liquid or any fetid smell. Proof that she did not end up as food in the creature's guts. Was that a glimmer of light at the lower edge of the floor? Pain flashed through her sides as she pushed herself up. Breathing in short pants to control the pain, she got to her hands and knees and crawled over to take a better look. The opening was too small to make out anything other than a sliver of light. She examined the edge with her omni-tool. If anything, light beyond indicated an exit so if she wanted to get out, she would have to get rid of the barrier.

Tapping the omni-tool, she tried to bring up the cutter but nothing happened. The fabricator must be damaged too. She felt along her back and hip. The rifle was gone but the pistol was still clipped to her belt. She fired an angled shot carefully at the opening, having no idea if it would ricochet or create an explosive reaction. The shot went through cleanly. She waited for a reaction but she heard nothing. Carefully, she stitched the shape of a hole big enough for her to crawl through. She didn't dare to make it too big. Having no idea what was above her, she did not want to destabilize whatever foundation was propping up her shelter. Putting away her pistol, she examined the edge.

Tentatively, she gripped it and pushed, gasping when pain shot through her. Sweat broke out. Her ribs seemed to grate. Damn it, they must be broken. The metal gave slightly which improved her mood. Laying herself back down and bracing with her arms, she kicked. The impact of boot against metal sent waves of agony through her. Gritting her teeth, she continued to kick at the metal, giving rein to her emotions and almost whimpered in anguish. Out, she needed to find out what had happened. More light flooded in as the metal began to bend outwards. Then the whole piece cracked and went flying. She wormed her way through the hole she made, feeling the ragged edge of the metal scrapping along her back. For a moment she rested, allowing the pain to subside to a bearable throb before she took in her surroundings.

It was the cargo compartment of the shuttle she was in. Instead of flattening her, the hatch and part of the bulkhead had crumpled in, creating a pocket of bent metal that trapped her. The last thing she remembered was a confusing jumble of images. A shuttle spinning through the air, bodies flying, screams, awful sounds. She frowned. Someone had pushed her. Doc? Grief welled up but she pushed it away. Not now. Surely he was dead. What about the rest? Erial? Captain Landry? She hobbled to her feet and made for the cockpit. The hatch open readily. Grimacing, she lowered herself into the pilot's chair and brought up the console which flared readily to life.

There was still power. She ran a systems check. It could fly but she would have to do a visual inspection of the shuttle first. Hopefully, the exit hatch on the other side was undamaged. A cough racked her and more pain blossomed in her sides. When it was over, there was a spatter of blood across the console displays. She was bleeding internally. Her undersuit biomeds would only go so far to patch and ease some pain, internal injuries were not within the medical protocols provided by the suit.

Grimly, she got up and made her way to the exit hatch which open smoothly. Bright sunlight flooded in. Hell, how long was she unconscious? Odd she did not notice it when she got out from the crumpled bulkhead or through the cockpit windows. Breathing heavily, she made a slow inspection of the shuttle. The engines looked intact. When she got to the other side of the shuttle where it was damaged, she saw McKey, his lower body crushed by the torn hatch of the other shuttle.

"Doc, doc," she whispered, tears finally slipping from her eyes as she knelt beside him.

His eyes were faded and grey, sightless in the sunlight. Controlling herself, Shepard undid the collar of his undersuit and removed one of his dogtags before getting up. Tucking it carefully away in one of the pouches on her belt, she finished her examination. The damaged hatch was going to be a problem but not as much as it would if it had dangled outside. She could take off but before she did that, she had to look for survivors.

She looked around. So silent. In the daylight, the terrain was an ugly muddy sight. Torn, churned up with dark glistening patches that could only be more body parts. Another cough made her reel. Her vision blurred. Survivors. She hung on to that thought and returned to the cockpit. Survivors. Bringing up the shipboard comm, she took a deep breath.

"This is Lieutenant Shepard, if anyone is still alive, please respond." She gulped down the bile rising in her throat. No, she couldn't let go now. "Is anyone out there, respond," she coughed and hastily turned aside, vomiting violently. Hell, bile and blood. Her eyes watered, her nose, throat and mouth burned. Focus, focus.

April, you ass, you're in no condition to mount a rescue. Get the hell out of here.

"Erial? Captain? Toombs? Anyone?" Silence.

Over and over, she repeated. She wanted to activate the emergency beacon but knew she could not risk any more people. There was no telling if the creature was nearby. She was also feeling worse by the minute. A dreadful cold was taking hold of her. Finally, she fired up the engines and said a silent prayer. The structural damage to the shuttle would cause some problems but if she flew low, it ought to be fine.

Her hands shook so hard it took her several minutes to hit the controls. Slowly, the shuttle lifted. The sound of the engines roared through the torn bulkhead. There was some slight wobbling but it was stable. She set the course and put it on autopilot as she was in no fit state to fly it. Closing her eyes, she settled back in the seat, shivering and struggling to stay awake.

It was a gut wrenching journey. When the autopilot beeped a warning, she was able to land the shuttle back at the settlement and finally enabled the emergency beacon. The Alliance cruiser, Emden, was in orbit. Someone would respond. With that in mind, she staggered from the seat and laid herself down on the deck. Rest. She could finally rest.