"Attacks on our colonies will not be tolerated. Relief work is already underway and our engineers are helping to stabilise the structural damage to Elysium in preparation for rebuilding, but rest assured, those that fled will not escape. We will find them and we will bring them to justice."
It was always strange seeing her Uncle Steve on TV. Trish had caught sight of him a few times in the past, taking part in parades and memorial services, normally if given a choice he tried to avoid having a speaking part. She had no doubt he'd made plenty of speeches to the men and women under his command, and sometimes he'd read out pre-prepared statements to the press but they tended to be short and to the point. He preferred action not words.
Her uncle's face disappeared, replaced by that of the newscaster: "Admiral Hackett went on to praise both the professionalism and quick reaction times of the Alliance fleets and the grit and determination of the colonists who held out against the attack in a medal ceremony earlier today..."
Trish scanned the faces of the assembled marines as the camera panned across the crowds, hoping for a glimpse of Nikki but couldn't see her. She didn't even know if her girlfriend was planetside. The mixed species conglomerate of slavers and pirates responsible for the attack had apparently been unprepared for the speed and ferocity of the Alliance reaction force. The first wave of ships blasting the enemy vessels from orbit like fish in a barrel, F-61 Tridents launching from carriers to engage in low atmosphere dog fights while marines were dropped on the capital city of Illyria, fighting their way through ground forces to relieve the beleaguered defenders.
By the time the second wave arrived enemy forces were already attempting a scrambled retreat, the third wave turned out to be unnecessary and held back at the Charon relay awaiting further orders. The only logical explanation for the one-sided beating was that the pirates had expected to be in and out much quicker and had spent their credits on personal weapons and armour rather than ship upgrades. They likely would have been as well if it hadn't been for the actions of-
"Private Orion, who defended the North East sector single handedly for 9 hours before finally succumbing to his wounds shortly after relief forces reached his position, was posthumously awarded the Star of Terra..."
The biotic looked so young in the picture they showed, smiling proudly in his uniform. As they launched into a retrospective of his far too short life she found her mind drifting back to her own smiley marine, wondering what Nikki was up to now. It wasn't long before her omni-tool was out, composing another message to send despite the fact she hadn't heard back to any of the other ones she'd sent in the last three days.
...
[Hey babe, thanks for the messages, they mean a lot. Sorry I've not had a chance to reply to them earlier, we've been real busy. Afraid I can't tell you what with, you know how it is. I miss you too... and now I've spent too long trying to figure out what to say and I'm needed again. Just gonna send this as is, will try again later. Love you, Nikki]
Trish read and reread the message so many times. She was glad Nikki had sent the half written message anyway instead of holding on until it was finished and polished, it had been wonderful to receive something from her marine and know she was safe.
Even if she had to stop her mind from getting carried away with speculations over just what Nikki had been needed for that had resulted in the early sending.
...
[You will be pleased to hear that I am bored. Now I know what you're thinking Trish, you're going to try and deny it and claim that you're really sorry to hear that and you wish I had something to do, but let's just lay it out a moment: If I'm bored then it means a) I'm not currently in combat and b) I've finished doing every possible task I need to do with the vehicles so it's been awhile and we're not expecting anything in the next couple of hours either. Therefore I'm safe. You're happy I'm safe. You're happy I'm bored. See?
Oh, and I totally get what you said in your message about you thinking of me at really random and awkward moments, it's been happening to me too. Just the other day I was working on one of the M29s and I thought: 'I wish Trish was here, scraping off this omni-gel instead of me!'
Nah seriously though, I know I don't get to message you anywhere near enough but I do think about you a LOT. I'll try and message more often but can't promise anything. Love you, Nikki]
[I'm not entirely sure why I'm replying, you seem more than capable of filling in my part of the conversation! :)
I am glad you're safe and well, for the moment at least. Contrary to your opinion however I do hope you find something to do and don't have to stay bored for too long.
Otherwise next thing I know I'm going to get a message about how you decided to count how many separate components are needed to make a cruiser and was busy dismantling the ship from the inside, while traveling at FTL speed, in order to count the parts and everybody onboard is slightly dead now all because you were bored.
Maybe you should find a hobby. You know you could always try and catch back up with the show... Lana and Frankie are back together now. Love you too, Trish]
[Ha, you know me too well! I promise I'll start small, maybe start with counting how many nuts and bolts are in a grizzly, at least I know how to fix one of them if I mess up. Much as I know you love Hooves & Harlots I'm afraid I'm going to have to give that one a pass. Seriously though, they're back together? Frankie's a bigger idiot than I thought! Love Nikki]
[I thought you liked Frankie and Lana? You know I'm keeping track of every time you insult my show right? When you get home you will be punished.]
[Promises, promises. I honestly don't know whether to be worried or excited, are we talking like withholding of chocolate rations or something a bit more physical? I need to know how many more times I can insult Hooves & Harlots before I end up dead in a ditch somewhere.
And yes, I admit, I did think Lana and Frankie were good together, until Lana cheated. The amount of crap she put Frankie through, I'm sorry, but Frankie's an idiot for accepting her back. If I was ever stupid enough to do something like that I'd expect you to kick the crap out of me, not take me back after I dragged you through hell just cos I said I love you...
Aaaaand now I got to sign off this message saying I love you, good going Shepard... Miss you lots and lots, Nikki]
...
[Hey Trish, I know this is going to sound really random but if Mount Everest was declared the tallest mountain on Earth in 1852, what was the tallest mountain before then?]
Trish looked bemusedly at the message on her omni-tool, trying to work out why she had been asked. With a shake of her head she opened up the extranet to do some research.
[Alright Nick, I have no idea why you want to know but before 1852 the tallest mountain on Earth was Kangchenjunga. It's also in the Himalayas like Mount Everest but was later proven to be only the third tallest mountain on Earth with an elevation of 8,586m. Oh and in case you're wondering, it's taller than anything on Mindoir. Have they limited extranet access on the ship or are you just too busy to check?]
[Ha, you're wrong! I thought you were supposed to be clever! Before 1852 the tallest mountain was Mount Everest, it was still the same height even if it hadn't been measured by anyone.]
[Seriously? I put actual research time into that and you were just messing about? I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be mad right now.]
[Aww I'm sorry babe, please don't be mad. I wanted to message you but couldn't think of anything to say. There's got to be only so many times I can type 'I love you, I miss you' before you get bored reading it.]
[Alright I forgive you, and for the record I never get tired of reading your messages. I miss you too. Love Trish]
[That's good to know because I seriously love and miss you so much and I never know what to write. It used to be so much easier on the vidcom, at least if I fucked up and said the wrong thing I could apologise straight away, but I never know how things are going to come across on text.
So... if I got two candles of equal wax content but one was a long, thin green candle and the other was a short, fat blue candle, which would burn longer? Just curious. Love Nikki]
[Really, again? Whatever happened to that Lance Corporal "I better quit while I'm ahead" Shepard I met in a bar the other year? If this is like the last question you asked me then I'm going with neither, candles burn shorter not longer.
So is this a thing now? Am I going to get weekly riddles? Love Trish]
[Not that I mind! Just re-read my message and thought I best make it clear, I have NO problem with this being our thing. - Trish]
[Weekly? You want weekly riddles? Guess I'm going to have to talk to the Sphinx more often. If you don't hear from me for more than a fortnight assume my brain imploded from his sneaky twisty ways. The risks I take for you, it's a good thing I love you, Nikki.
(PS She got promoted... and a girlfriend. I'm still not sure which one to blame for the attitude change)]
[The Sphinx? Is that a person or one of those strange military slang words you guys seem to have for everything? Oh and formerly Lance Corporal Shepard has a girlfriend now!? Why am I always the last to find out about these things?]
[Fine, Private Spinks. When a man with a surname like that confesses he likes riddles what else are we supposed to call him?
It can be hard work talking to him sometimes. Still, at least he knows when to turn it off, could just imagine it in battle: What has fins, is shaped like a discus and about to kill us all? GRENADE!
We are talking about the same Corporal Shepard right?]
[Black hair, brown eyes, about your height... Terrible sense of humour. No taste in TV shows... I think she's supposed to be a mechanic.]
[Must be a different one. The one I'm thinking of has an awesome sense of humour!]
...
[Sorry I got no idea what time it is over there but are you free to talk? As in like audio call, lets say between now and the next 15 minutes?]
"Nikki, is everything alright?" There was badly disguised panic audible in the civilian's voice.
"Yeah of course. Why wouldn't it be?"
"You mean other than the fact you asked me to call in the next 15 minutes when we've been text based for months? I thought you were in hospital!"
"Oh, OH! No, I'm sorry, I didn't think about how that would sound. I just wanted to hear your voice, I've missed it."
"Just my voice?" Trish's voice became coy as the fear faded.
"And the rest of you."
"Missed you too. You sound tired."
"Ha, I am tired! I'm supposed to be sleeping right now but I heard we were going to be passing a comm buoy, figured it would be worth being tired for, I missed your voice."
"You said that."
"Sorry."
"It's alright, you can say it as much as you like, I missed yours too."
"Well clearly not as much as I missed you. I missed your voice, I missed your voice, I mis- Wait, this isn't right. Why am I doing all the talking? I called you to hear YOUR voice!"
"I think you'll find I called you."
"Well I would have called if you messaged that you were free instead of panic calling."
"Yeah right, I bet you did it on purpose."
"I didn't, I... We're not seriously going to spend our time arguing about who called who are we?"
"I don't care what we're talking about as long as we're talking. If you've got a better topic then I'm all ears."
"I hope not! Your ears are nice but I happen to like your eyes and that cute little nose... Your boobs are still boobs right? I know I said I'd love you no matter what but if your tits and fingers and toes are all ears now I might have to change my mind."
"What are you even-... you're stupid!"
"And you're made of ears! I bet that's the reason you didn't vid call, you didn't want me to see you."
"What? You said audio call!"
"Yeah, yeah blame it on me." Even without video Trish could hear the smirk in her girlfriend's voice.
"Hey, I'm up for vid call if you are?"
"The lag's probably going to be terrible but we can try if you want."
Trish fiddled around with the settings on her omni-tool until Nikki's face popped up on screen. The image quality was awful, grainy and distorted but after all this time she didn't care, it was practically a miracle to be able to see-
"You look like shit!"
There was a loud, genuine laugh from the other side.
"Thanks babe, I've been waiting months to hear you say that! You look good. Slightly blurry, but your eyes and nose are the right shape at least. Although... This angle doesn't answer the question about your boobs..."
"No chance Nick, I'm at work." There was a tutting noise.
"If you're at work shouldn't you be, I don't know... Working?"
"I took an early lunch."
"How early?"
"Quarter to ten."
"Ouch, you're going to be so hungry later. Sorry."
"It was worth it."
"You say that now..."
"Nikki, it was worth it."
"Shepard!" A new voice came over the comm but it took a couple of seconds for the video to catch up to events.
"Ger off Badger!" Nikki's face suddenly disappeared from sight as a pair of uniformed arms descended into frame, large meaty hands angling back up to ruffle her hair.
"There's a poker game in engineering tomorrow night, you in?"
Nikki freed herself from the man's grip, lips moving in protest completely out of sync to the audio. "Can I think about it? I'm kinda busy right now."
There was a low whistle.
"Damn, not bad Shepard." The man stared forward into the omni-tool, finally noticing Trish on the vid call and pursing his lips.
"Come on man, I don't crash your calls with your wife... Hang on, ain't you supposed to be in med bay?"
"Fuck that! 'S full of sick people... Besides they needed the beds." Trish tried not to dwell on the implication of his words but this time she couldn't help but notice the soldier's bandage as he leant closer to the camera to tell her: "This gorgeous marine saved my life you know."
"This marine's gonna end your life in a minute, fuck off!" He chuckled, ruffling her hair again before walking off, calling over his shoulder:
"Eighty credit buy in, be there!"
"Shout it a little louder Badger! I don't think the XO heard ya!" Nikki turned back to the camera, burying her face in her hands. "Sorry 'bout that babe, so much for my 'everyone not on duty will be asleep' plan."
"It's alright... So, Badger huh, do I want to know how he got that nickname?"
"No, you really don't. I've heard about five different versions now and I don't think any of them are clean."
"He says you saved his life?"
"We all make mistakes... Aww come on Trish, it was a joke! Yeah I probably saved his life, he'd have done the same for me. Any of the guys out here would."
"The news reports are terrible, how bad is it out there really?"
"Well the cabbage mechanics can't cook to save their lives. Not sure how many more times they can feed us pasta and meatballs for breakfast before we mutiny. I did try breakfast blocks for a bit but we ran out of Full English last week, only got continental blocks left. Let's just say 'croissant flavour' really isn't the same when the texture's all wrong."
"Nick, you know that's not what I mea-"
"How about you? How's the work on that top secret thingy-mijig going?"
Trish took the hint and dropped it with a sigh.
"It still needs field testing, but all the simulations so far suggest I've managed to enhance the realtime software capabilities of the thing I can't talk about by an estimated 1.7%"
"I have no idea what that means so I'm just going to assume that's impressive and that you're super awesome."
The civilian laughed, her amusement short lived as the video quality degraded further before cutting out altogether, static starting to affect the audio.
"Wow, those private corporations and their non disclosure agreements sure are powerful! You didn't even tell me the project name!" Shepard teased before going serious. "We must be going back out of comm range, I'll have to go."
"Ok, take care of yourself Nikki. I'm glad we talked. Now go get some sleep, you need it."
"I will, for both points. Have-... at work... love you."
"I love-... too. Sweet dream-" The heavily static line finally cut out completely, leaving behind an oppressive silence in its wake.