SSV Normandy SR2
Shuttle Bay
Ten minutes later…
Garrus and Samantha watch the scuffed and battered Kodiak settle inside the shuttle bay. After a pause, the side door opens, and the Commander is the first to step out. Her armor is badly scratched and covered in dust, helmet visor cracked. Liara follows her, tears welling up and making streaks on her filthy face.
"Shepard. Liara." Garrus says after a moment. "We heard things went south down there. You ladies okay?" Shepard stops in front of him for a moment, before slowly removing her broken helmet and wordlessly placing it in the Turian's hands. She glumly passes her confused friend, who shoots Traynor a worried glance before following the Commander and the Asari. The Specialist looks back to the shuttle, where Cortez is helping a certain injured Assassin exit the vehicle.
"Abby!" Traynor nearly shouts, jogging towards her friend.
"I'm fine, Steve." Abby insists, despite the limp and drying blood on her jacket and pants leg.
"Yeah. Famous last words." The pilot grumbles, continuing to help despite the protest. "Sam? Can you take her to Sick Bay? Maybe you'll have better luck."
Abby stands up, holding her side and looking at her spectators.
"Look. I'm fine. See?" She takes a step, only to fall awkwardly into Traynor's unsuspecting arms.
"Ow." The Assassin whispers as Samantha helps her into a (sort of) standing position.
"Care to explain this?" Traynor asks as they hobble into the elevator.
"Kai Leng." Abby winces. "Cerberus beat us to the Temple."
After a quick lift ride, the pair find themselves in Doctor Chakwas' office, who intently looks over the globs of Medi-Gel on Abby's abdomen.
"Medi-Gel appears to have sealed properly." The Doctor says, scanning the area with her Omni-Tool. "No signs of serious internal damage. Through and through."
"Well, I'd hope so." The Assassin quips. "It was a sword after all." Samantha rolls her eyes at the comment, knowing all too well Abby's tendency to lean towards sarcasm even in the most serious moments.
Doctor Chakwas, on the other hand, ignores the comment, instead focusing on her patient.
"Infection seems...unlikely."
Abby looks up at Samantha and makes a show of wiping her brow with a sigh of relief. The Specialist can barely hide her giggling.
"Pain is expected, and is clearly present. However it could be much worse." The Doctor stands up, continuing to type and scan with her Omni-Tool. "For instance, you could have internal damage. Or you could be dead."
"Are you always so bright and sunny, Doc?" Abby asks.
"I try to be." Chakwas replies with a smile. "Let's see...there are also some bruises and scratches from kinetic impacts, but those are nothing to worry about. Just ask any member of the crew."
Traynor nods at the Assassin's glance.
"Other than that, you're the picture of health. However, I will be sending the Commander my recommendations. For you, Abigail, light duty and no Shore Party assignments for the next few days."
Abby simply shrugs, fixing her jacket. "As expected."
"And no working out. Come back in a few days, and I'll remove the Medi-Gel. Then, you can return to normal activities."
The Doctor puts away her Omni-Tool and reaches into a nearby cabinet. "Now, Specialist, you'll need these." She hands Samantha a box of cleaning wipes. "You'd probably like to get out of those clothes." Abby looks down at her stained clothing, some of which has started to dry and stiffen.
"Then why will I need these?" Traynor asks.
"Because you'll be helping, of course."
The Assassin and Specialist lock their gazes on the Doctor, demanding to know if they had heard her correctly.
"Um...what?" Abby is the first to break the silence. Doctor Chakwas turns around with slight confusion.
"You can hardly walk, Abigail. I highly doubt you could remove your own clothing, clean yourself off, then redress without assistance." The Assassin glances at Samantha, whose face is going to a deep red. "And unfortunately, I can't help." The Doctor continues. "I have to prep physical assessment reports for Liara and the Commander."
"I guess it's back to civilian clothes for me." Abby says as the pair leaves Sick Bay, trying to hide how awkward she feels. The feeling is mirrored by Samantha, who leads her injured friend to the Crew Quarters. Abby fumbles through her locker, picking out something from her 21st century wardrobe; Converse sneakers, blue jeans and a simple t-shirt. Across the hall to the female Head, the two are unsure how to proceed. Thankfully, EDI was willing to lock the door for them.
The Assassin finally decides to lead, unbuttoning her Assassin jacket and beginning to remove it. Traynor helps wherever necessary, especially with the boots, but she hesitates at Abby's pants.
"I have to say," Samantha begins shakily. "This is the fastest I've ever gone from talking to someone, to helping them undress."
Abby nods in agreement, getting to work on her pants fasteners. "Do you think we're going a bit too fast? I mean, we just met."
The Specialist shrugs, pushing past the awkwardness to help Abby remove her pants, as well as doing her best not to let her eyes linger. "Unless of course, we're secretly in a porno and don't know it?" Abby suggests, only making Samantha laugh more. "If that's the case, your acting is spot on."
"Yours as well. Let's just hope the good part is just as convincing." After a moment of silence, worried that she may have said too much, Traynor looks up to see the Assassin fighting off a wide grin. For a moment, the two are motionless, before Abby finally lets her laugh out. Relieved, Samantha laughs as well, placing the filthy garments to the side and silently reveling in how oddly smoothly all of this is going. Abby is feeling it as well. Despite how unusual the situation is, as well as the other present circumstances, Samantha is a surprising smooth talker when she wants to be.
"This is not how I pictured my day going." The Assassin muses, picking up the box of cleaning wipes and beginning to clean the dried blood from her leg.
"Oh? And how did you picture it?"
"With us being able to finish the Crucible." Abby mutters. She lifts her feet off the floor so Samantha can help with the new clothes. "And then I find out that Cerberus wants to try to control the Reapers? I guess what Vendetta said makes sense now."
"What? Who?" Traynor stops in her tracks.
"This Prothean AI we found in the Temple. He told us that this Reaper invasion thing is part of a cycle. It's happened before, thousands of times. Every time, the denizens of that period failed because a splinter group of their own favored submission and control over fighting back." The Assassin looks down. "Fuck Cerberus, man." She growls. "You know they once did good things? Like fighting the Collectors and protecting Human colonies from pirates? Where did it go wrong?"
"All the more reason to take them down." Samantha says reassuringly, pulling Abby's pants back up and allowing her to secure them. "And I may have something that will help."
"What is it?"
"Now hear this." EDI's voice says robotically over the intercom. "Abigail Williams and Specialist Traynor, please report to the War Room. Williams and Traynor to the War Room."
"I'll tell you at the meeting." Traynor helps Abby to her feet and the two make their way up to Deck Two.
"To Hell with predictions!" Commander Shepard shouts angrily, clearly feeling the effects of the failed mission to Thessia. "Thessia is lost, and that's on me. As is the data on the Catalyst." Abby and Samantha take a spot around the hologram projector between EDI and Ashley. The mood in the room is clearly frustration and sorrow, with Liara on the verge of tears and Shepard glaring at the hologram of Thessia, likely beginning to burn a hole through the metal beneath.
"I'm tired of Cerberus beating us to the punch." The Commander says through gritted teeth.
"It's time we kicked them in the balls first for a change." James declares, punching a fist into the palm of his hand.
"I'm with James." Shepard agrees, looking around to the other members of the team. "Anyone know where they're hiding? Anyone?"
Samantha shoots Abby a quick wink, then looks to the Commander. "I...may have something, Ma'am."
"Let's hear it, Traynor."
"I was able to track Kai Leng's shuttle through the relay, and find his destination." She brings up a small galaxy map, with a line being traced from the Athena Nebula and jumping through several systems. "But...the signal disappeared in the Iera system."
"Naturally." Shepard grumbles.
"It's not just gone, though." Samantha continues. "The signal is being actively blocked."
"How?"
"I'm...not sure. But something is interfering with all signal activity in that region."
Abby can't help but smile at Traynor. When they met, she had always been so nervous talking to people. Now, she sounds so sure of herself.
"Commander." EDI pipes up. "The Iera system is home to Sanctuary and little else. Sanctuary has been advertised as a supposed safe haven for war refugees."
"You think it's worth looking into, Traynor?"
"Yes, Ma'am. I do." Samantha says with a nod.
"If Specialist Traynor hadn't examined the data so astutely," EDI concludes. "The interference would have likely been undetectable." Traynor looks down modestly, but lets out a small smile when Abby pats her shoulder reassuringly.
"Nice one, Sam." She adds quietly.
"Nice work, Traynor." Shepard says with a nod of approval. "You've given us a shot. Now let's make sure we don't waste it."
"When I was stationed on Horizon, you were the only Cerberus presence." Ashley muses. "Why would Kai Leng go there?"
"It's a slim lead." Liara adds. "Let's hope it's the right one."
Shepard stops in her tracks, looking to the group again.
"I don't care how slim the leads are at this point. We've come too far to let Cerberus stop us. I want the Prothean data. I want the Catalyst. Failure is not an option. Dismissed."
