An oversized hula-hoop shaped space station loomed closer, the Starquake and Normandy weaving through space towards the glittering structure. The Starquake, full rotary spinning, swung wide to cover the rear side of this space station… wait, it's a ring, it doesn't have a rear. The far side to our current position, whatever side that was. Nerves danced, my feet itching as they paced up and down the Normandy CIC, my ground crew waiting with more patience than I ever could. An hour after escaping Kahje, every nerve and muscle felt recovered enough to resume the mission, even after the Physical Disablement igniting fire in my blood. Earlier, the Starquake and the Normandy docked to allow us to transfer Indira for medical treatment and to get fresh hands. Marruns, Utren, Searte and Laegan tagged out while Mat'al, Cathleen, Shual, Rosmani and Iona tagged in. Shepard had his only little team, Grunt – that small-crested krogan of his, Samara – who turned out to the be asari on the team, Zaeed – the older, scarred human who I now knew helped to found the Blue Suns, that was a tense conversation, and Thane – for his knowledge on the drell and hanar.
After all the damage inflicted after Kahje, the Starquake had to hang back for this mission. One engine took a cannon round, knocking it out of action. The Council wouldn't like that on the ship's repairs and maintenance payment records but hey ho, this was the nature of our job. The main concern was the main airlock. It refused to open without help and we had to weld the cargo door shut after this mission until we found a dry dock. Two hull breeches had a mass effect field covering the holes until they too saw well needed repairs. Then we the injured, few in number but enough to set my teeth on edge. Indira was the only one who wasn't able to move, although it left me without a Commander of Intel, it was better than the entire ship and crew wasted. With the Starquake on support duty, the Normandy held the mantle of the offensive should any ships appear or defence systems activate.
My armour was in a state after this mission, but we had to push on. Phentos fixed what he could with the Normandy's equipment to give me a fighting chance. The team restored their thermal clips and everyone was awake and ready for the final push, whatever that final push may be. All the equipment came from Cerberus, since that's what funded Shepard these days, which ushered a grumble from me, but hey, any money out of their pockets and in mine had to be better. Shepard led us down to the shuttle in the cargo hold. The combo of his team plus mine made it a tight fit but we put up with it. Kodiak shuttles weren't affected by weight in the same way a fighter did, so we didn't have to worry about a weight limit. My back pressed into a wall between the cockpit and the main hold, not listening to the chatter around me. Shual seemed amused by Grunt for whatever reason. Krogan were complex creatures behind the bulging muscles and angry tempers.
"I have located an unsecure airlock, Commander, however I would recommend caution. My primary sensors are detecting little life within the station. It may be possible that the Saboteur has mech support or masking its servants from traditional sensors," a voice called over the shuttle intercom.
"Thanks, EDI. Update us if you find anything," Shepard said. "Alright people, prepare for anything. Remember, let Dell and her team handle the giant jellyfish, they're the specialists here. Let's go in and blitz this place!" he rallied. His cry clamped my teeth as nerves danced, the initial unease of a mission start building. With care, the shuttle lined up with the airlock, sliding in and touching down on the clean, gleaming landing pad. The shuttle doors opened, freeing us to pile into the space station, listening to the shuttle backing off.
The bright, metallic station felt dead, not a soul wandered the halls, not a sound rumbled through the station. We crept through a door, guns primed and held on outstretched arms. The large, round hall towered above my head, the curve masking anyone hiding around the bend. Doors acted as bulkheads along the hall, giving us cover as we pushed deeper. Windows lined both sides of the hall, the right wall peeking into rooms beyond. Empty labs stared back, dark and lifeless. The Paladin quivered in my hands, expecting pain to flood me in an instant. Shepard mimicked me, the pair of us leading the crew down the solemn halls of the outer hoop. Every step tightened my throat a little more, pausing by a window to shine my torch through the window to the room behind the glass. A small lounge, not that interesting. TV screens sat on the upper walls but only dead screens stared back. The clean tables and empty chairs didn't fill me with confidence either.
The Starquake and the Normandy stayed in constant contact. My radio hummed with voices from both sides as my analysis team worked with EDI and Shepard's crew. The chatter lined up with my suspicions. There was something wrong here. Where were the people? There should have been people, should have been signs that people used this place. There was nothing, nothing but a big fat question mark and a helluva lot of unease. We stuck together, completing a circuit around the doughnut shaped station without incident. My guard couldn't drop, the sickening sensation from earlier rising with bile with each passing moment. Where was the Saboteur, what they were thinking, where was the trap? There had to be a trap if nothing else!
"Is this normal?" Shepard asked. His voice sent my heart bursting through my chest, feet stumbling as they found traction once more. After a few deep breaths, my voice sounded.
"No, not really. Either they have abandoned this station or there is a nasty trap in store for us," I said. My head bobbed towards a door. Alder moved, popping it open for Iona and Phentos to storm the room. Seconds later, Shepard and I fell inside with Val snapping at my heels and Mat'al watching our flanks with Zaeed.
"All clear, Captain," Phentos said after a brief scan. A pained moan slipped from my throat.
"Anyone else got a sense of impending doom?" I asked, a sour mutter worsening my churning stomach.
"Are you about to have a heart attack? I'm honoured I have that effect on you," Shepard laughed.
"Fuck you," I seethed, sidling up to a door on the opposite end of the room. There was no window to peer through to see what awaited us on the other side. My fist slammed on the button, the door parting with a smooth whoosh. My head poked around the edge. Before my brain could register the environment, instinct dragged my head back in with a scream. A swarm of bullets crashed into the door frame behind me. "Found 'em!" I cried. My back pressed into the wall, knees straining as an explosion rippled behind me. "And they have heavy mechs!"
"Ah bollocks," Cathleen grumbled. "Alright, who has the rocket launcher?"
"Shepard has a Cain," Grunt said, a growing grin on his face. My face scrunched up, turning the name in my head. Cain… it sounded familiar. Shepard unshouldered a bright yellow, brick-like monstrosity from his back. My eyes fell to the trefoil on the side. My eyes bulged, blood rushing to my toes.
"A nuke!? An honest to God nu-… Why am I even surprised by this point? …A NUKE?!" I screeched. Shepard laughed as he rested it on his shoulder.
"Don't worry, the nuclear fallout only has a 60% chance of causing a mutated 5th limb," Shepard said, eyes glittering. My jaw dropped. Val scowled before pulling me away from the door to take my place. His head eased around the gauge to assess the incoming swarm.
"Yeah, just fire it in there already before we get obliterated," he said. Val's eyes slid to my open, draw dropped expression. "Relax, the trefoil is decoration. There is no nuclear material in it. It's still a big explosion though so let's back off a bit,"
Shepard shrugged before strutting over to the door, the Cain's barrel opening. Val edged me further back from the door to give Shepard space and keep us out of the firing line. The Cain hummed, my blood vibrating as it powered up. My hand clamped around Val's wrist, blood pooling away from my vital organs. Shepard winked, snapping around the corner, his shields shattering in the second he took to line up and fire. He pulled himself in before another bullet smashed into him. A white explosion rattled the entire station, my feet shaking as my hips wobbled for balance. The light blinded everyone, my arm raising to shield what they could. It didn't stop my eyes watering though. The light faded, my dripping eyes blinking hard to clear my vision as Shepard inspected the carnage. His frown sank my heart.
"Alright, 3 of the mechs are down, 2 have had their pilots KO'd and the last one is shambling around. There's also a… is that an armoured hanar?" he asked. My heart picked up the pace, blood rushing to my limbs once more.
"Armoured…?" I echoed.
"Yeah, big black thing, I can't see anything else-" he said.
Instinct stole the reins, my body leaping without command. Val grunted as he stumbled away, my hand forcing him back before shouldering Shepard away from the door with all the strength. Shepard stumbled, reaching for a hold that was there and landed on his ass. My shambling feet stumbled into the room, the Paladin rising in my hands. Within seconds, my vision tunnelled on the hanar. It was Alurylna, albeit hard to see through the dark plates. Snakeskin-like armour covered each delicate leg aside from small circular patches for venom to escape. Angular plates encased the balloon like head, dark Reaper metal glinting in the light and fire. The Saboteur took careful steps forward, towards me. My jaw locked, words forced through grit teeth.
"Saboteur," I said. The hanar stopped, indoctrinated servants pouring out beside it, flooding in from other rooms around the station. The scattering of turian and asari among the sea of hanar twitched my lips, stomach churning once more
"Advocacy, how one so foolish can live for so long is beyond me," Alurylna said. "Do you not know when to cease?"
"Monkeys and typewriters, bitch," I said, snorting venom. The hanar fell quiet, churning my words even as a sharp laugh from Shepard sounded. "You got a name, sweetheart, or are you going to leave me to come up with one for you?"
"You know how to learn our names, Advocacy. Not that you would ever utilise it," the Saboteur said.
"No, because I'm not an indoctrinated piece of shit," I snapped. "Your name," I hissed. The armoured hanar stayed on the thin legs, leaving me to seethe at the silence.
"Well, Advocacy. I go by Silverio," the Saboteur said. "Not that it will matter. Palalrian cannot make use of this before he falls-"
"Oh fuck up for God sake!" I heaved. "Blah blah blah, you will succumb, blah blah blah, the Enforcer will fall. Do you guys do anything other than sound like a broken record?"
"Ah, my apologies. Then allow me to freshen the mood," Alurylna said, pulling herself straight. The servants moved then, flowing like water. My finger squeezed the trigger, instinct crying out to defend myself. But the servants ignored my bullet… and me. They surged towards the door where the crew waited. Bile rose, the captain screaming in my head.
"Fall back!" I ordered. "Incoming!"
My legs launched me forward, to intercept the wave of death rushing to my team, to re-join everyone before hell broke free. Silverio didn't give me a chance. A lightning pain dropped me to the ground, my shrieks drowned out by gunfire and cries. Every bone felt stressed to breaking point, bending in ways they should never bend, every cell overloaded, fire burning my nervous system Muscles twitched and fitted, leaving me on the ground for an eternity, deafened by my belting howls. Then it stopped as quick as it started. My body quavered, knees knocking as my fetal position unfurled. Everything felt singed and dead, numb and painful at the same time. My body didn't want to hold its weight, but forced it I did. A Saboteur stood too close, refusing to stand would sign my death certificate. My feet fumbled below me, arms swinging out to find balance as my brain returned to normal, relocating where I was. Knees trembled below me, pain flaring like a supernova. My eyes found the door I entered from, where the gunfire was worst. The hologram was red. Sound tingled in my ears, a sound unlike that of my thundering heart. The sound wasn't the gunfire either, faint pops echoing in the air. This room had no windows, masking my crew from view. My heart skittered, praying Shepard didn't fuck up.
Silverio's light footfalls snapped my attention back to the sole creature in the room. My knees heaved me straight, shuffling into a stable position to prepare for whatever hell awaited me. Silverio began a delicate pace towards me, walking wide as she sought a weak point. But she paused, turning her attention towards a bank of tall, battleship grey containers leaning against the inner wall of the round station. She regarded me for a moment, weighing her options and studying the battle that raged beyond the solid walls separating me from the team. A heartbeat later, the Saboteur took purposeful strides to the containers. The Paladin's trigger pulled, but the bullet bounced off the armour. Silverio opened a tall container, hauling a long, hexagonal object from the tall cabinet. Even with my bullets pinging off her, she ignored me and typed on an interface on the device before pushing it back in. An ominous tick echoed from the cabinet. My heart skipped a beat. Silverio began her approach, forcing me to take steps back until we circled each other. Did she arm a bomb? Shit, how much time did I have? My teeth grit, brows dropped. The silence drove me mad. We stood off against each other, waiting to see who would crack first.
My nerve couldn't handle it, not with the threat of a bomb over my head. My finger squeezed the trigger again and released a full clip towards the hanar before me. Silverio didn't blink, assuming she had eyes. Although I knew hanar were sluggish on land, it only took a moment to realise Saboteurs didn't fight like normal hanar. Silverio used those long legs of hers to leap through the bullets, the metallic pinging sending tremors down my legs, and straight into strangling range. Desperation hurled Marshal into action to distract the Saboteur to give me time to recollect myself, the reassess the situation. Silverio had other ideas. Marshal beeped in surprise as a tentacle wrapped around him. My eyes widened a split second before the drone flew back in my face. If nothing else, I now appreciated what a drone to the face felt like. The force left me sprawling on the floor, eyes rolling my skull. Instinct rolling away, throwing myself off the ground to gain distance from those ever reaching arms. My hands strained under me to force my disorientated body back onto my feet, Paladin still glued to my hand. My jaw set, eyes scanning the armour to find some kinda of weakness. With my powers now recharged, A cryo blast soared from my omni-tool, a silent prayer flying that a water-based lifeform would be more susceptible to ice than normal. Silverio let loose a robotic rumble of discontent as three of her legs stiffened, refusing to bend.
My gaze swung around the room, looking for help or anything I could use to weaken this damn thing. The room looped around the entire inner section of the station with bulkheads that close at will. My eyes landed on the heavy mechs. The idea bloomed even as my legs sprinted towards the mech in the best condition. The old equipment at the Dekuuna base had saved my hide – Thank God for politics for being so slow and financially tight-assed it was cheaper to let old equipment rust than recycle them. Maybe the same could happen here. Dammit, I was an Engineer class for God sake, what good was I if I couldn't work a goddam mech? A leap and a bound, my feet landed just outside the cockpit of the mech. A second cryo blast flew from my hand just in case the first wore off. The mech's glass cover had shattered from the Cain, but it gave me access to the cockpit. Without thinking, I jumped feet first, ignoring the cuts to my armour and face from the splintered glass and hunted for a power button. A switch at the edge of the console flipped, the beast rumbling to life, albeit with some mechanical failures as shown by the lovely red warnings blaring my eyes out. It didn't matter, it didn't need to walk. My hand yanked back the controls to pull the arm up, praying it was near enough to give me a few seconds.
Just as well stands demanded well marked controls in these things, otherwise I'd never have been able to operate it. The rocket fire button glared below my thumb, teasing me. Once Silverio lined up on the sight, my thumb crashed onto the button. As the rocket soared, the mech recoiling and stumbling back. A light scream of surprise slipped free, yanking myself from the cockpit and leaping to safety. My head shoot as the mech crashed behind me, eyes rising back to the smoke covered hanar. After scrambling back onto my feet, the omni-blade slipped free, sprinting towards the Saboteur. Silverio struggled to get back on her feet, mangled metal and flesh twisted and soot covered from the explosion. A second later, the Saboteur roared, thrashing after my weight crashed onto the head, omni-blade slicing deep into the exposed pink skin. MY other hand grabbed plates to hold myself on, but they ripped off as the Saboteur twirled and shambled. The hanar screeched as it struggled to recover stable footing. The Omni-blade pushed deep into the flesh, my hand opening to find something to yank out. But it found nothing solid, nothing that would tell me 'this will kill this thing'. My body froze, elbow deep in hanar goo. My eyes twitched towards Silverio who had now found stable footing and realised I didn't know how to kill her.
"…Hanar Saboteurs don't have spines, do they," I said. The Saboteur released a small bioluminescence glow, a robotic purr sending chills down my knees.
"How astute of you," she said, allowing a drop of humour to escape.
My throat closed, blood cooling. My scream bounced off the walls when two tentacles reached up and encircled my chest, swinging me in the air before slamming me into the floor. Even as my arms reached above my head, to find something to grab to drag myself to safety, the Saboteur healed faster than any krogan and refused to relinquish her prey. My limbs flailed under a sea of armoured arms. Throughout it all, I cursed myself for not throwing my helmet on before the fight, eyes skimming past bright pink spots reaching for exposed skin. Against 6 legs it was impossible to resist for long. A pained roared thundered from my throat as a burning sting rushed along my cheeks. My hand found my omni-tool controls, releasing an Overload to free myself from the strangling venom. Silverio dropped me, my back crashing into the ground as if struck by lightning as the burning enclosed me. Hanar venom took 15 minutes on me before breathing was impossible. I had to either finish this quick or run to safety. My helmet unfolded, slipping it over my head to minimise any more venom seeping into my system. It also gave me a good supply of oxygen if breathing became difficult. My knees trembled under my weight but the Saboteur was on me before my feet could get under me. Pain clamped my teeth clamped together to stop the surfacing screaming as she hurled me halfway down the long room. My shoulder crashed into the inner wall of the doughnut. With my heart beating faster, forcing the venom through my system faster, the burning danced down my limbs, they were growing too heavy to lift. My weak glare aimed at the hanar as my breaths began to shallow already. Was Saboteur venom more potent? Oh that wasn't a good thought. Medi-gel flooded my system to slow the allergic reaction.
My hands grabbed the wall to pull me onto my feet, but my knees couldn't hold my weight. When my eyes lifted, they popped, noting Silverio walking towards a console rather than me. Why wasn't she trying to finish my poor, useless ass? My arms quivered, fighting to keep my face off the ground. A loud clang and a flashing red light dragged my attention up, a siren stirring my slugging mind. A steel wall slid along the ground, the bulkheads sealing. My eyes wheeled, spinning to the other direction, bulkhead on my other side also closing. My mind went into meltdown. Even weakened as I was, my arms and kicks thrashed to push me beyond the closing wall, fighting to beat the trap. Every second that passed, my breaths shortened a bit more. Black spots marred my vision, mind running through a trillion scenarios in my head. Alurylna spared me one look, the armour folding back as if to mock me. A weak wail slid from my mouth as a wall slid past me. A resounding thunk trembled the floor. Seconds later, the one behind me thudded close. Ribbing on the bulkhead gave me enough hand holds to pull myself into a seated position. My eyes fell on the dark grey cabinet, the electronic ticking prominent in the air.
Survival instinct kicked in. Every drop of medi-gel in my position flooded me in an instant, the sudden burst of relief and adrenaline giving me strength to throw myself onto my feet and scramble on shaking legs to the back wall, towards the outer side of the loop. My hands grabbed a bank of towering server towers, straining to pull it to the ground. As it tipped beyond its centre of gravity, my labouring body side-stepped, arms swinging as it crashed to the ground. The adrenaline powered my muscles, turning it 90 degrees for the long face to point towards the inner section of the loop. When it collapsed, the adrenaline found the will to raise it on one of its long sides and turn the broadside towards the impending tick. My hands grabbed thick cables from the wall hidden by the server before it collapsed, praying they were sturdy enough to hold me. My eyes squeezed shut, bracing for whatever happened next. A loud bang rocked me, my ear drums threatening to burst. The shockwave crushed the server against my back, pinning me between server and wall. The crush only lasted a second however. My mind realised a second later that the bomb wasn't meant to kill me. The air fogged around me, my suit pressurising as a deafening whoosh drowned out all thought. My lungs emptied as the scream whispered against the thundering sound of rushing air, as loud as my tightening throat could muster. My hands' hold failed, the wall vanishing as everything not tied down, myself included, tumbled along the floor towards the black hole that awaited me. A server crashed just beside me, missing me by hairs as sound vanished around me and my body twirled through the darkness of space.
My screams of terror resounded in the helmet like an echo chamber, driving sanity from my mind as not part of my body responded. My limbs couldn't fight against the force of momentum carrying me away, all the while my body burned and stung. Air struggled through to my labouring lungs, throat swelling to beyond comfortable. Everything tumbled around me, stars whisking past like strobe lights. The sun in the distance blinded me as it twirled past my vision 4 times in 10 seconds, my eyes losing sight of the station shrinking in the distance. But my vision blurred, my blood rushing to the wrong parts of the body through the force holding me in the spin. When my screams stopped, it strained my lungs too much, my heaving breaths echoed. It amplified the sound of my beating heart, the sound of silence and only my body around me. Nothing else, just silence and me. The venom took full hold, my fingers losing feeling. That sensation spread up my arms and legs. Nausea punching my gut in, unable to focus on anything, panicked gasps blurring my vision as hyperventilation took over. Everything moved away from me, the space station an undefined speck flying past my twirling vision. Always smaller
All the while, my mind churned. Was this it? Was this the end? What would kill me first; the venom, the blood draining from my brain, suffocation or dehydration? None of those options filled me with warmth. The swinging vision didn't get better with closing my eyes, it only heightened the turning sensation pulling my body in the wild tumble. The streaking stars, the blinding sun banishing me into darkness only to torment me in light again. When did it end, would it ever end? God please, I don't… I don't want to die. Not like this, please not like this! Stop it! Please! My lungs managed one last weeping scream of denial, my hands wishing to find my head and drag me into a ball. The silence destroyed me. Alone, tumbling through space. Alone and dead. Never to be found again. No, dammit, no. No… A crackle sounded in my ear. My body jerked, snapped awake, delirious. Was I hallucinating, was this a near death experience? One last drop of sanity before the end? God, just let it end… please…
"Dell? -ell, do you re-d? We're get-g swarm- o-er -re! What -s that e-plo-on?" A voice crackled over the intercom, static and broken. My brain couldn't decipher the accent, but it was sound, my mind making up one last happy memory, one last peaceful moment.
"Explosion… spinning… can't… breathe… can't… see," I wheezed, sobbing. Near death experiences were meant to be peaceful, supposed to sooth you before you die. Why did I calm, why did everything feel worse, why did the pain not stop? Was this some sick, twisted hallucination Nyryntha threw my way to destroy what little chance I had at a happy memory? There was a long pause, a hesitation. It was a lie… this wasn't real. It couldn't be.
"Wh-e are you? W-'ll sen- bac-p," the voice said, the static easing up, although it didn't make it easier to understand. My eyes couldn't focus on anything, tears smearing my vision.
"Sp-Space. It's so quiet, so dark. I… can't move," I said. "Does… it end? Will it… ever end?" my voice pitched, uncontrolled sobs winning. This was it, I was dead this day. Gone, fading into nothing.
"You'-e in…oh f-ck! Starquake, do you re-d? Dell's been s-ced! Locate her tra-er ASAP!" the voice cried.
"What? Is s-e ok?" a new voice asked.
"What do yo- thi-, Shep-d?! You know w-at, fuck th-! We'- pull-g o-! Mat'al, gr- Sh-al and get – shut-e dammit! H-g on, Dell! We're com-ng!" the first voice cried.
Sound rang in my ear, a static ridden hell-fest but it didn't matter. The sound brought warmth to my bones, even if nausea gave way to unease and drowsiness. The blood gone from my brain, the air in my lungs almost spent. But I died with noise around me, not silence, not my pounding heart or heaving breaths. Noise. My body spun, eyes closed to the meteor like stars, listening to the best song in the galaxy: activity, voices. Everything felt heavy, everything drifted away, my body on the brink of failure. The sun would turn my gaze white, but that was my only sole source of light, the only thing that told me I wasn't dead yet… or maybe I already was and I was tumbling to the pearly gates. An eternity passed, the sound quieten as time passed. The thrill of dozens of voices. Swearing, people calling my name, orders and explosions. Was it going to be much longer? How much longer would I have to listen to this lullaby?
My eyes peeled open, expecting to see my parents sitting over me, their faces warm and smiling. I expected to see clouds and sunshine, the peaceful afterlife everyone raved about. Through the darkened spots and the shadowed hue around the edges of my vision, everything still tumbled, pain till flooded my numbing body, darkness still surrounded me. My heart broke a thousand times, wishing for peace, for an end. Before my eyes shut closed for what could have been the last time, something glinted in the sunlight. It was impossible to watch through the wild tumbles that sent my stomach quivering. But it drew closer and larger, the faint speckling of silver and purple. As it blurred by again, a small shape emerged, dark against the burning sun. It blurred too make out, too small. But it came closer, more shape emerged. Tall and lanky, looked top heavy… if that was the top. A person? My heart thundered, swelling to the point of bursting. What was it, debris, an actual person? Would this kill me or save me?
My throat tightened as the form crashed into me, no air able to escape my deadened lungs. My eyes squeezed shut, praying for a quick end. Every muscle trembled, numb yet on fire. After a few moments, nothing happened, but the pressure on my limbs lessened. My eyes pried a petrified lid open. The stars danced as tiny pin points, the sun burning far in the distance. Nothing spun, everything sat as it should. The only thing that spun was my head, upset after so long spinning. A white streak of cloud appeared, stirring me. My eyes flew upwards. I saw a helmet, the sun glaring against the visor, but as a shadow passed overhead, green eyes poked through the dark glazed visor. A cold sensation flooded me and my breathing eased enough to draw a breath, to push back the nausea and drowsiness pushing me under. The helmet lifted, staring over my head. My sluggish neck followed, darkness hazing at the edge of my vision. A large shape was a shuttle, edging ever closer. It lined up with us, a door held open as dark frames inside waved. Small, white jets puffed past my vision before we moved, my heart thundering again. No more spinning, no more moving. No more! A dozen hands grabbed me, hauling me in from the zero G to safety. My back crashed onto solid ground, noise surrounding me like a white hiss. My mouth floundered as hands found me, yanking the helmet off. Fear blinded me, hands scrambling for it. N-No, I don't want to die! I need the helmet to breath-
"Dell, Dell, it's ok," the first voice crooned, taking my flailing hands and squeezing. My gaze fixated to the helmet, the stranger using a free hand to rip it off. Val shook his head, tossing his helmet to the side to keep my hands still. With noise, life and a solid sense of gravity, my brain restarted, starting making sense of all the nonsense. "We're getting out of here, we're taking you home. Is the Saboteur dead?" Val asked, squeezing as if afraid I would drop dead. The tears swelled in my eyes. Saboteur… Silverio… no… no, she…
"No spine…" I said. Val sighed.
"I suppose it was too much to hope for that the Reapers would overlook that," he muttered. He glanced up as a sharp pain radiated from my neck. A gained cry shuddered free, tears pouring off my cheeks, body writhing away from the pain. Val held my hands in one of his, his other finding my shoulder to hold me down. "Shh, shh, it's ok. It's antihistamine. We'll get you to Saere, alright? We'll let this Saboteur live another day," My eyes squeezed shut, body begging for rest. As an oxygen mask eased over my face, the marred hull of the Starquake a welcome sight as it swallowed us whole.
The Saboteur Sheet has been updated. Please see profile for link to Archive.