Local Cluster
Earth, Citadel
April took a cab to the Huerta Memorial Hospital. Her nose wrinkled when she stepped past the doors. The smell of opiates was palpable. It was moderately crowded, voices pitched high and low, coming together in a harmonious murmur with soft music playing in the background. Against this backdrop, a steady visitor traffic flowed through the patient wings and labs.
After an inquiry at the information counter, she headed for Nyrine's room. The familiar surroundings reminded her of the times she had dropped by, the people she had visited and spoken to during the war. Thane, Kolyat, Dr Michel, Dr Chakwas, Jacob, Kaidan. Of them all, only Dr Chakwas and Dr Michel survived the war. She had no idea if Kolyat made it. She could only hope he did. When she entered Nyrine's room, the captain was not alone. Sanar and another Asari were by her side. They were surprised to see her.
"Who's minding the fort while you're here?" she said to Sanar after they exchanged greetings.
"Corporal Gallia and the other officers. She is very capable," Sanar said a twinkle of laughter in her eyes.
April wondered what was it about this corporal Gallia that seemed to tickle her amusement. Sanar turned to the Asari next to her. "Shepard, this is Hiaras Ronoh. She saved the three of us from the TI."
"You were saving yourselves by the time I showed up," Hiaras returned with a chiding look.
April's eyes widened slightly at the affectionate undertone and hid a grin when Sanar flushed prettily. "Please to meet you," she said. "You're with Aethyta?"
Hiaras nodded. "For some time now."
"You must have some good drinks at the bar."
"Only the best." Hiaras grinned. "I'll set up a few I've concocted when you have time."
"That's a rain check I'll be picking up. So how is she?" April looked at the unconscious Nyrine. The fading line of the healing seam from the captain's right brow to the rising crest was clearly visible.
"Prognosis is good. She woke up briefly a few hours ago," Sanar said.
"I heard what happened. It must be hard on her but she did a fantastic job."
"That she did," Hiaras agreed. "With her help and Zelenia's, we took out the network of sympathisers in the academy. Snagged a number of recruits, a few training instructors and officers."
"I'm not surprised Zelenia is in on it. It would be difficult to travel without question to Armali. I don't suppose any of the bigger fish was hooked?"
"I'm afraid not. They're too canny," Hiaras said with a shrug. "It's not in our hands to do it."
"With the academy more secured, we should have an easier time," said Sanar. "At least for a while."
"I can tentatively say there probably will be some shake ups in the coming months, perhaps enough to get the job on retaking Thessia on the roll. But," April added when curiosity and hope sprang into their eyes, "it may get rough."
"There will always be trials to the greater good. We will surmount them," Hiaras said with conviction.
April smiled. "I'm afraid I can't stay long. I'll drop by again if I can."
"Thank you. Nyrine will be pleased you came to see her," said Sanar.
Bidding farewell to the two of them, April left the hospital and took another cab to the Streaik restaurant at the Presidium Commons. Both Liara and Aethyta were already there. Conversation was light as they dined on a simple three course dinner. They tossed around the possibility of a visit to the planet below. A tour around London. April and Liara were keen to find out how much the city was restored, having seen it in ruins in the last phase of the war.
April was of a mind to try the beam conduit on the return trip. She didn't remember much of her journey through it five years ago. She could only recall a flash of light, darkness and a confusing whirlwind of sparkles before she found herself face down on the floor. Since then, no one had attempted travelling through it. The Systems Alliance was sending hard materials up to the space station through the beam. This facilitate cheaper, faster goods transfer and at the same time, kept track on how safe it was. Like the primary mass relays, it seemed to go in one direction; Earth to the Citadel. Liara put her foot down on that idea. She didn't need April to take up a career as a lab rat. The debate was adjourned to the gardens after dinner.
"A pity none of the adversarial members of the Assembly are on hand," Aethyta said as they sauntered along the path winding through the gardens that surround the reservoir. "I would volunteer all of them. Scramble them around and see if they're any better on the other end. Hardly a lost if they ended up fried."
"I would hate to have you on my tail," April said with grin, halting by a bench.
A fountain gushed nearby, a perfect spot for them to relax and chat. With the artificial sky overhead turning dark grey, lamps were brightening all across the Presidium. Dreamy reflections floated on the water. The shadows of trees and bushes grew longer and longer. Scattered around the garden were other groups, all looking to lose themselves in the lazy hours of the evening. There was nobody near the trio when they sat down on the grass by the fountain. For several minutes no one said anything, each lost in her own thoughts as she gazed at the water.
"How did you pick Nyrine to be the poultice?" April asked curiously.
Aethyta chuckled. "I knew her mother. A very good well known actress in her days. She would have been more famous if she didn't end her career early. It took one look at her bondmate for her to dump it all and hid herself on some freezing planet to teach. Turned out she was good at it too. She thought Nyrine would take after her. The young one was full of questions, constantly asking about her former job and acting in plays during the course of her studies. Never saw it coming when Nyrine chose to take up a military career instead."
"What kind of screenplays was she in?" Liara asked curiously. Watching movies was her favourite hobby when she was young. She had amassed a large collection of mementos and holovids before she headed to the higher institutions to further her studies. Not a single collection survived the years and the war however.
"Three Depths. Dark Rising?" Aethyta shrugged when Liara shook her head. "Hardly any in the first and second cycle would have heard of her. And never will," she sighed regretfully. "I haven't seen Nyrine since she became a lieutenant but we kept in contact via email. After the war, I arranged to meet her secretly and prodded around to find out what she thought of the situation on Thessia. Turned out her head was screwed on right. She agreed to take up the role I suggested and damn, she did a fine job of it. I expect she raised a hackle or two out of you," she said to April.
"More than two," April admitted with a grin.
"She wasn't happy, I know. Now that she has achieved the objective, she will be working full out to get that training program of yours in stride."
"Glad to hear it. I'll help in any way I can," April said with relief. "Sanar seems to be preoccupied."
"They're not making out yet. Not at that degree of intimacy," Aethyta supplied helpfully. "It's not all lust," she grinned. "Trying to see if they could tread the waters in unison is the first step though I know Hiaras is itching to dump Sanar on the bed the way she looks at her."
"Dad."
"Fine, I'll take a timeout." Aethyta acquiesced after a glance at Liara. "Shall we continue where we left off before she starts itching for more dessert?"
"I am hardly at that stage." Liara wished she did not drink so much of the wine at dinner. She could feel the beginnings of a headache, the fluctuations of her mental shields and was feeling less tolerant of Aethyta's idiosyncrasies.
Picking up her discomfort, April sympathised. She had noticed her bondmate imbibing more than usual. That much alcohol would only add to the anxiety she was feeling ever since Aethyta announced the intent to dissolve the Assembly if they refused to come to heel.
"You were saying about the Cypher?" Aethyta's impatient voice broke her train of thought.
In answer, April reached out, offering her hand to Aethyta who looked at it in puzzlement.
"What?" Aethyta asked.
"If you were to touch my hand, could you see into my mind? Read everything that I am with that first touch?"
"I could pick up stronger emotions and surface thoughts," Aethyta said, curious where she was going with the question.
"Not so for the Protheans. They were born with profound tactile sensory ability." April leaned closer to Aethyta. There was no one about and the sound of the fountain would distort her words but the less audible she was the better.
"With a touch of his fingers, Javik could read someone by touching materials that person had acquaintance with. Be it the floor, the table, a datastick. I've seen him read with precision of those who had once shared the same quarters as he on the Normandy and he had never met them."
She saw Aethyta's astonishment. "There were Asari who had the same abilities," she reminded her.
"Indeed there was. A very long time ago," said Aethyta. A few thousand years in fact.
"Javik gave some insights of his people but from the Prothen V.I, we learned more of their culture and abilities. Like the Asari who were trained from young to master basic control of their biotics, the Protheans were trained to block, to break and to decipher whatever they touched. They were able to imprint memories into special repositories called echo shards. These shards were passed from generation to generation. According to Vigil, not all imprints were successful. Failures resulted in the lost of information. In an effort to prevent such loses, a small group experimented with another way of memory storage."
"Which was?" Aethyta prompted when April paused.
"Cumulative memory repository in physical bodies."
At that, Aethyta's relaxed pose stiffened. "They did what?!" she said incredulously. "Did you say cumulative? That's not pos-," she began to say but stopped abruptly.
April wondered what she had just remembered. She could see the matriarch thinking furiously, but continued with her narrative.
"It was an innovation that didn't work well at first. Mistakes were made but they got it right eventually and continued to improve it," she said. "Not all Protheans were eligible. Tests were conducted to find those who had the capabilities they were looking for. Once the recruit successfully passed through their training and tests, another assessment was carried out before they were deemed suitable to assume the role of an avatar of memory. The present avatar would begin preparations to inject their own selective memories into the whole and the transfer would be carried out. When it was done, the new avatar was sent to the relevant administration for which that memory was suited, to serve until certain factors determined they could not continue."
"Not all Protheans," Aethyat noted. "Selective preference and class?"
"They were called Zardiene or Avatars of Memories," Liara said. "It seemed they were revered, likely exalted among the Protheans."
"The Cypher was one of the avatars," Aethyta said. It was a statement than a question.
"Yes," said April. "One of the head researchers of Ilos was called to the Feros colony to investigate a mysterious virus outbreak. As it turned out, the Thorian was in the midst of padding its nest for the next hibernation cycle. This occurred before the Reaper invasion. With all mass relays shut down, the avatar was trapped and the entire colony was absorbed. His name was Irzik Pythan."
"How did you know his identity? You're not suggesting he spoke to you?" A shiver went down Aethyta's spine. She couldn't imagine having a conscious memory speaking to her in her own mind.
April waved her hand in denial, horrified by the thought. If such a thing happened, it's all too likely she'll end up as a basket case.
"No. The Cypher is an encapsulation of a vast store of memories. It has no personality nor true consciousness. It provided me with the codes to break the Prothean security nodes."
"Provided? How?"
"I have no idea," April admitted, perturbed. The idea of using something buried within her mind without understanding how it worked was daunting but she didn't have much of a choice. "I just-," she tried to describe it, "look at the thing, say an encrypted Prothean vid and sooner or later, I know how to decipher it."
"I think it is an intuitive process," said Liara. "Perhaps each avatar used some form of mental ability to form a protective layer when he added his memories to the whole. Like building a new room to an existing dwelling to store his possessions, leaving behind a door through which it can be accessed. A strong thought or perhaps desire could open that door."
"That is plausible," Aethyta said thoughtfully. "So what is this thought you two have that could be relevant on what's happening in the Assembly and that old hag?"
Exchanging a glance with April, Liara said, "The temple of Athame held many clues, all pointing to Prothean interference in Asari evolution. Javik said the Asari were the most promising younger species they had come across, such that they took an interest in providing guidance and protection. He did not specifically alluded to what it was that made us attractive. Perhaps it was our biotic and mental abilities. Because of this, we are thinking-," another glance with April who nodded encouragingly, "what if they had also taught memory repository to the Asari?"
For a few minutes, Aethyta didn't say anything, deep in thought. They watched her keenly, wondering if she would agree with their assessment. Years before, Liara would have thought it outrageous the Protheans had interfered so deeply with the evolution of the Asari. After finding that the Assembly was secretly hiding Prothean archives in the Athame incident, she decided the Assembly was possibly worse in their machinations after careful thought. She couldn't deny that the political body had contravened the very laws they had set up to ensure equitable apportion of Prothean data throughout the galactic community, refusing to admit their deeds, placing their own people and every one else at risk when information was desperately needed.
"One question," said Aethyta. "So far you have only the knowledge of this Irzik Pythan who I gather was the last guardian of his repository. Are you able to look into the other doors?"
"I didn't try," April said uneasily. "I don't know how. I'm not trained as a Prothean would have been."
Aethyta nodded, as if coming to a decision.
"What I have to say cannot go beyond." She waited till they murmured their assent. "Those in their maiden cycles would not know about this. Those in the third stage of the matron cycle wouldn't either, saved for a few. There is an unspoken practice to test politically aspiring Asari on certain mental capabilities. Mainly, memory transference."
"Wait, are you saying-," Liara stared at her, eyes wide.
"You did suspect it, didn't you? Why are you so shocked?" Aethyta chided.
"I-," Liara sighed. "I was hoping you would disprove the idea. Such an ability denotes how far the Protheans had reached into us."
"I would be surprised if they stood idly by with the knowledge and power they had," Aethyta said dryly. "I myself was tested by the clan Elder when I reached the third stage of the matron cycle. I never knew or understood what it was all about. I was told it was a prerequisite procedure to test my abilities. She didn't explain what kind of abilities she was looking for, only that I was sufficient," she chuckled as she recalled the conversation. Her questions had bordered on the impertinent in her desire to know the reasons behind the test.
"Oh she didn't say it in so many words but even if I passed that little test, my mouth would have disqualified me," she snorted deprecatingly at herself. "Didn't think much of it until now. So if it is true, that old hag herself is an avatar. One of many. The question is, how far back do those memories go?"
"Might it be all the way back to when the Protheans began to teach our ancestors?" Liara suggested. The idea was mind boggling. She found it hard to absorb as she tried to imagine, without success, looking through a multitude of memories stretching thousands of years back.
"It's possible. I'm not sure I can take it all in," April confessed. "But it does explain the Assembly's stance, their decisions. They don't want to lose those avatars."
"Fichar's quad," Aethyta spat in disgust. "Everyone, even a child, knows organics have no ability to withstand Reaper indoctrination. I doubt the avatars have it either. That's why they lied to the younglings to get them to fall in line. They are prepared to sacrifice so many lives to get those avatars back, put the future of Thessia on the line. The avatars have to be the heavy weights behind the Assembly for thousands of years. They belonged to those clans that held power for generations."
"What are you going to do?" asked Liara, as outraged as Aethyta but reined in her temper. "We have speculations, there is no evidence."
Aethyta did not immediately answer. She weighed the few options she had.
April thought there was one other thing they should take into consideration. "There is one fact we can't deny," she said. "These avatars are able to extend their life span. You did say she has exceeded expectations."
"She is at least close to two hundred over the known limit which makes her a thousand and four hundred years old," Aethyta admitted. "That old hag is indoctrinated, beyond doubt," she said slowly. "As to whether she is indeed holding a vast storage of memories. The only thing to find out if it's true is-."
"No!" Liara objected, knowing what she was going to say. "Not that. It is too dangerous to meld with an unstable personality," she said forcefully, fearing Aethyta would try it herself.
"She's right, it's too risky. Question her verbally instead," April suggested, equally revolted by the idea of a mind meld with a TI. Who knew the one initiating the meld wouldn't be influenced?
"Getting showered with waves of spitting invective doesn't accomplish anything either." Aethyta reached over to pat Liara's hand reassuringly when she saw her fear. "Don't worry, I'm not that desperate to lose my brains or ask anyone to." But what to do with the old one? "Perhaps I should release her into their custody. What do you suppose they would think when they see her?"
Liara thought that was a good gambit. "Dispel any hope that the avatars have survived intact. They might finally authorise a full fledge campaign to take back Thessia."
"They could continue to hang on stubbornly to their course to retrieve all the avatars," April said gravely. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they do so. Their grading card for the past five years aren't exactly chalking top marks."
"If they insist on their present course, I will have no choice but to take apart what they hold dear," said Aethyta.
"If the public should get hold of this information, the consequences if they cannot answer for their actions-." Liara shuddered at the thought.
"Nihilism," Aethyta said bluntly. "The people will hunt. All the things they kept under for thousands of years will come to light. Nepotism, dealings, whatever. Clans will sunder even further. Traditions, affiliations will be abandoned. Faith, trust is destroyed." She closed her eyes. "We will not be the Asari."
Gloom settled over them as they contemplated the fate of a race, once premier, thrown down into obscurity.
"No. I will not allow it. They will fall, one way or another if they fail to see reason," Aethyta said in a low voice.
That sounded like a vow. One that Aethyta seemed adamant in seeing it through. Liara half wondered if the next year would see a disunited Thessia and fervently prayed it would not be so.
Thessia
It was a rare occasion. Lifting her glass to the light, Telienos examined the colour of the wine. Close. Not quite that intensity of prescribed quality. It was still better than any of the current stocks in the market. A sip brought that familiar sweet spicy tang to her tongue and heat down her throat. Ahhh, how long was it since she last tasted wine that good?
A hand proffered a bowl of dried Yenial petals which she took with a murmur of thanks. Holding her own bowl of petals, Zelenia settled into the lounge chair, taking a sip from her own glass of wine before putting it on the small table between them. She slipped a petal into her mouth. It melted on her tongue.
"Seven hundred was it?" she said after a while, thumbing a key on her chair to lower the shade further when the rays of the sun stabbed brightly into the veranda.
"Seven hundred years, eighty-six days since we departed from Thessia," Telienos corrected softly.
"Fleeting as the lightest kiss, slippery as the shadow, never still as water." Zelenia took another sip of wine. "Remember what we said to each other at the spaceport?"
Telienos laughed as she recalled the aspiring vows and visions they had exchanged while waiting for their transports. Though not as fresh faced nor as young as they were when they first met, the fires of dreams still burned.
"Look where we are now?"
"High perches, the best of wine and flowers, a peaceful skyline." Zelenia waved at the buildings opposite them. "Almost peaceful," she corrected. "We almost got them all, haven't we?" she said bitterly. "Never, never did we ever imagine we would one day fear the skies. That we would hem ourselves in with towers, turrets and shields. Everything that flies is not innocent. The borders that was once free is now our peril. We huddle behind walls, barricades and the lives of our young."
She downed the rest of her wine angrily and reached for the bottle, pouring another measure into her glass.
Telienos was tempted to speak words of caution on drinking too much but she knew her old friend would temper herself. That practical fearless determined nature of hers were honed by years of experience in her tumultuous career. Zelenia would never indulge in foolishness so she held her tongue.
"Have you seen the forums?" she said instead, munching another Yenial petal. Bland and crispy, it offset the sweetness and fire of the wine. A favourite snack. How they had spent days and days in finding the proper recipe that would turn out the ideal Yenial petal snacks. It took them two years after their return to Thessia to find it.
"The clamour is growing louder."
A vindictive smile lifted Zelenia's lips as she thought of the overwhelming deluge of criticisms against the current policies of the Assembly. Official intervention and statements had failed to stem the tide. It was only a matter of time before the surging waves become a flood to wash the incumbents off their perches.
"The rest of us are prepared for the dissolution but are they? Are they prepare to be ejected?"
Putting aside the bowl, Telienos sat up so as to see Zelenia better. "I do not believe they did not see this development from the start."
"It has crossed my mind," admitted Zelenia. "What are they trying to achieve in taking such a path? Why are they so willing to threaten the unity of the people? What are the Aiahcra? Where do they stand relative to us? What will they do to calm the rising waves? What will they say or do to return the people's faith in them?"
"Are these Aiachra worth the lives of so many?" Telienos said, incredulity sharp in her voice. "We are diminished in the war and the continuous attrition is reducing us further. We cannot afford to carry on as we are, yet they persist." Her fist thudded onto the armrest of the lounge chair. "We waste time with questions."
Zelenia fingered her glass and glanced at her in amusement. "That would have been mine to state."
Telienos chuckled. "Old friend, the sea leaves none untouched, not unless she dwells moribund at the bottom. Unseeing, unknowing."
"The Assembly would exemplify such a fate for us and call it excellent however," Zelenia said with loathing, eyes clouded with memories. "They will not as long as I live." She started when Telienos reached to touch her hand.
"Old friend," Telienos said with sympathy. "Let the past serve as example, not rule. Should Aethyta not find the answer to break them, the Prothean device would force their hand."
"Let us drink to that."
Telienos picked up her glass and drank. If Aethyta could find the lever to trounce their opponents, they would be able to force changes. Leaving the Assembly no options than to renounce their policies. That would be better than forcing through the Right of Determination. A step they hoped to avoid. With the weight of discontent growing louder, it would come a point when deferring the subject would become pointless. The next convocation was mere days away, would Aethyta find the lever in time?
Feeling the effects of the liquor, Zelenia poured a mere finger length into her glass. It would not do to get drunk since she had to return to the academy later. "Where have you been hoarding this wine?" she asked.
"Kaleia." Telienos grinned when her friend paused in the act of drinking. "A gift for sharing my thoughts with her."
"Should have known they send sniffers. You kicked her out disappointed, I hope."
"After I made it clear I am supporting the use of the Prothean device even if the researchers on Ilos fail to alter the original programming. She left it behind in her haste."
"You did run tests on it, no?" Zelenia examined the liquid in her glass and looked over when Telienos remained silent. "Lienny!" she growled softly.
"Really, do you think me the fool after all these years?"
Zelenia snorted. "I wished you were not away for so long but I'm glad it turned out well for you. You would not be here to share this with me otherwise."
"Let's not bring that up," Telienos sighed, not wishing to go over an old argument again. They did that seven hundred years ago at the spaceport. A muffled boom drew her attention to the window. "What's that?"
Getting up hurriedly, Zelenia went to the balustrade, peering in the direction of the spaceport. Was it another attack? A siren rang out across the city as another boom went off. This time, it came from another direction. Their omni-tools lit up simultaneously. Messages from their subordinates, requiring their presence back at their respective offices. They stared at each other in disbelief. The city was under attack.
"Look!" Telienos pointed to the building opposite theirs. In automatic response to the city wide alarm, kinectic shields that were installed around every dwelling had come online. Something had impacted against the shields. An explosion went off against the blue glow and debris rained down. Faint cries could be heard.
"Come. I'll get you to the centre." Zelenia waved to Telienos who ran after her as she made for the front door. Out in the corridors, those who lived on the same floor were already out, flowing towards the stairs to get down to the bunkers in the basement. They made, not for the stairs, but for the carpark a floor above.
"Shields?" Telienos gasped out as they piled into Zelenia's skycar.
"Not on this one, don't worry. Take eyes," Zelenia said tensely, disengaging the car V.I. and taking manual control.
"Just like old times," Telienos murmured as she slapped on the seat restraints. She watched the skies keenly as the skycar lifted.
"We're not going to be much of a target when I skim," Zelenia said confidently, diving the skycar all the way down the building.
Telienos's eyes widened as the wall of the building rushed dizzily by them. "You could at least take a shallow angle and slow down!" she gasped. She gripped her seat in fear when they dove past several skcars that were still in the air. By rights, all skycars should have grounded the moment the siren sounded. Perhaps some denizens felt they should get to their destinations as fast as possible for safety.
"Relax."
Telienos felt her stomach did several flip flops when Zelenia did a tight pull up. She took a deep breath. It wouldn't do to make a mess. They leveled off several meters above the ground. Crowds were running for shelter, trying to dodge debris that rained down. As Telienos looked across the streets, she could see flicking lights from Gardian turrets atop buildings firing away. That could only mean the TI, or some of them, had successfully crossed the defense perimeter. How?
Did they drive their vehicles as high an altitude as they could go and then descend at speed at their targets? It could only be a suicide run. They knew the city had strong and dense defenses. Her thoughts were interrupted when several missiles shot overhead. Instinctively, she threw up her arms when their skycar rocked. Metal debris rained down on them as they passed beneath the buildings that were struck.
"Don't worry, we're not the target," Zelenia said as she sped up, leaving as far a distance between the buildings and them as possible.
"This is insane."
"Which they are all along," Zelenia quipped.
"Something set them off. They must be thinking of getting back that matriarch."
"Aethyta is not going to be pleased."
Zelenia poured on more speed. It was essential she get back to the academy. She had the sinking feeling the academy resources would be called upon. Something that she dreaded very much. Her friend said nothing when she weaved dangerously in and out among the buildings, at times just barely clearing corners. She took the fastest shortcuts to get them to the medical centre. Telienos was going to get her hands full soon. As would she herself.
To Telienos's dismay, she could see the frenetic activities at the entrance when they arrived. Her hope that there would be few casualties were dashed when she saw how many wounded there were. Exiting the skycar quickly when it set down, she paused a moment to exchange a glance with Zelenia. They knew each other long enough to know what each were saying. Zelenia nodded to her and closed the door of the skycar before driving off. She reached the academy in record time to find her assistant, Pesair, at the entrance, waiting to update her.
"What's the situation? How many sectors are hit?" she rapped out, strolling quickly through the corridor to the lift.
"All of them, Izharia," Pesair said, running after her. "Izharia T'Annor wants all recruits to reinforce defense forces at the barriers. Command has linked in all battle zones to the CIC," she continued as they took the lift down. "She is designating control of sector C1 to C5 to you."
All of them. Zelenia closed her eyes, feeling the ache in her heart. Fury at the Assembly rose to the fore but she pushed it away. Such distractions she could do without, if she wanted to ensure few casualties among the recruits and the populace.
"Alliance and Geth forces have authorised access to airspace."
"How many allied forces?" With the Systems Alliance and Geth called in, the scale of the attack must be unprecedented. She dreaded to see what the CIC would show.
"Currently, only one Alliance cruiser, the Colenso. Her captain is sending down all the ground troops he has and will cover the airspace over sector A2. Geth dropships number 25, covering sectors B3 to B4 and Sharzis," Pesair's voice trembled. Zelenia wondered why. "Our own cruisers are covering the rest."
So few. If the Assembly had allowed the Geth to deploy more ships, recovery would have been faster. They would also have more ships to provide support but no, the Assembly chose to do otherwise! The urge to run to the CIC was strong but she set herself to jog once they were out of the lift, thankful that she chose to wear a long tunic and pants that day. CIC was a hum of frantic tension when they reached the room. The techs did not look up at her entrance but the atmosphere eased a little.
Red. It seemed every display was painted red. Her eyes hazed for a moment before she made sense of what she was seeing. Kelice was under siege, both on the ground and in the air. The numbers she was seeing was far beyond her expectations. Several towers were knocked out and barriers breached. Ground troops were engaging the encroaching enemy. Reinforcements were needed.
"Izharia?" someone said behind her. She turned to see the Alliance officer, Gallia, in hardsuit. With her were the company commanders. "The recruits are ready to move out."
Zelenia nodded, checking incoming updates and orders from T'Annor. "They will be reinforcing sector C. You are in overall command of the field at sector C3." She turned to the other officers. "Major Reylia, C5. Major Telissia, C4. Major T'Ilas C2. Major Oliane C1. Updates will be transmitted to you en route."
"Sir." They saluted.
"Gallia," Zelenia added as the human turned away. She was grateful that the Alliance had posted some of their forces at Thessia to help. Gallia most of all. Her help with the recruits was valuable. She hoped fervently that Gallia would survive this conflict. "Be careful out there. Bring them back, if you can."
"With my life, Izharia," said Gallia, touched by her concern, saluted again and jogged off quickly.
Zelenia watched her go sadly, wishing she could join the troops but her place was behind the lines. How she wished it wasn't so.