A flock of salarian fighters testing their new engines rolled by in the distance, their carrier hovering like a mother swan. No one dare approach the small fighters swaying around the traffic as they practiced careful manoeuvres. A clatter dockside snapped my attention away from the ballet to an asari engineer pulling a boom lift away from the Starquake, paint splattering her overalls. A week since we docked in the Citadel and they just finished her repairs, including new pieces of the hull. We'd be ready to head back out again, thank God. My head shook, stepping off the sturdy storage unit used as an oversized foot stool. Kala chimed, following me to my chair, my jaw swinging as the simulator on the computer screened crashed for the 124th time today. My blood simmered, hands clenching and releasing before closing the window, dragging the code up once more.
"This thing is more annoying than useful," I said, a harshness in my voice.
"Now, now, you said you wanted to learn coding," Kala said. Her window beside the code shell earned my hottest frown.
"Yeah, I did. But I didn't mean throw me into the deep end and watch me drown," I snapped. Kala's emoticon changed, a sly smirk on the face.
"But it is so much fun," she said, turning her pitch higher to mimic a more human reaction. My head banged on the desk, the flutter of pain my reward and instant regret. "Oh come now, you are doing so well! You just need to iron out some of the gravity irregularities and then you won't have any further crashes there,"
"Do I look like a quantum physicist?" I asked. Kala paused, her circling 'calculating' symbol in full twirl, the emoticon blank of any emotion. A red flush stained its cheeks.
"Yes, I see the flaw in my logic. My apologies, I'll complete the required mathematics for you," she said. "Perhaps putting you onto a simulator preprogramed with the mathematical and meteorological models would be better. I'll remember this for the next project," The code window burst to life, a whirl of code flying past the screen faster than any organic eye can track. She went over my messy code, streamlining everything to get the basic shuttle simulator to work as intended. My head shook as she worked.
"You realise I can ask mum to throw in a requisition order for an actual simulator. That way mum could use it too," I said. Kala emoticon frowned.
"Those 'simulators' overestimate the stresses of common FTL in Trident M-24 Fighters. I doubt they are accurate for more complex vehicles," Kala scoffed. My lips tugged upwards. She had learned organic mannerisms well.
"And you are underestimating what humans will do to break something," I said. Kala moaned, the code stalling for a fraction of a second.
"I recall," she said. The smile on my face widened. .
"Sorry for breaking your full-proof training simulator," I said, although even she'd pick up on the lack of sincerity. Smoke rose above Kala's emoticon.
"I did not think I would have to worry about someone running into an explosive barrel for 20 minutes," she said. Laughter bubbled in my chest, smothering it to save Kala's pride, if AIs had pride. "Everything is calculated now,"
"Good, I'll do more later on. My brain feels ready to explode," I sighed, slipping the visor onto my head. Kala chimed as the visor came alive.
The computer shut down, everything saved, freeing me to leave the room. Mum was always picky about electricity usage while in dock, something about the back-up batteries lifespan waning since the engines don't run while docked. The gleaming hall dazzled me for a moment, orientating myself before heading for mum's room. My fist tapped the metal door before it opened. What greeted me wasn't a pissed off red-headed mother. Not even an annoyed one. My jaw sagged, my mum marching across the room in a pair of heels and a knee length, wine red halter dress. She sat down at the desk as Marshal hovered by her shoulder, mum frowning at the screen before her as she braided her hair to lie over her shoulder. She didn't hear my knock, now I knew why. A staggered cough escaped my throat, making every muscle tense and her head to snap in my direction. Her shoulders dropped after a second. A smile warmed her expression, a rarity while on duty, as she secured the braid with a thin, black elastic.
"Good morning, Gid. What's up?" she asked as she flicked a screen away. My eyes trailed her up and down, the change of attire bewildering.
"I don't think I've seen you in a dress since we took down Alea," I said. Mum smiled, but the glow that warmed her face earlier didn't reappear. Her face was too tense, too fake.
"Even I like to get dolled up once in a blue moon," she said as she checked her omni-tool. Was that… was she wearing blush? And eyeshadow? Why was she wearing makeup?! "Have you seen Shayan this morning?"
"Not really, in passing," I said. "Is something going on?" Mum frowned at the screen before her, distracted for a moment. She sighed and stood up, shaking her tense muscles out.
"No, no. The repairs are complete," she said, a heavy sigh following soon after. My weight shuffled, watching every twitch of her face. "Although there's nothing in the report for the starboard deck 5 hull breach. Useless engineers," she cursed under her breath.
"Uh, I meant… the dress," I said, flailing my hands in her directions. Mum blinked, turning with her eyebrows high. "Are you meeting a contact or is this some weird training thing you and Sassy are doing? I know he's training you for… something," I said. Mum glanced away, chewing her lip before taking a deep breath in.
"I will have coffee with someone," she said. A frown pulled my lips down. Coffee didn't mean getting dolled up. Mum spotted it, she groaned. "I agreed to let Sitoln take me for coffee. We were meant to-"
"Sitoln?! Out of all the guys here, you choose him?" I gagged. "I thought you had better taste than that!" Mum glared, yanking on my ear for good measure, my wails filling the air while my limbs thrashed under her grip.
"It's coffee, Gideon," she snapped. She ignored my heated glare as she released me. "It's not like we're getting married for God sake. He's been begging for a chance so I'm giving him said 'chance' so I can turn him down and have him leave me alone," she sighed. "Besides, I'd rather deal with men than whatever crap this is," she waved a hand towards the computer. "Well, for now, anyway. You'll understand when you're older. Now, I need to get dockside before he comes up here," she walked to the door. "Oh and Gid, a lot people are onshore just now, so if you want to leave, make sure you have someone with you. Regardless of who it is," she stressed. My shoulders sagged.
"Yes, mum," I said, biting every letter.
"Good lad," she said, grinning as she disappeared into the elevator.
My legs couldn't move from their spot outside mum's room, the last few minutes reeling my head. Sitoln… My tongue stuck out, blood boiling. Girls were the weirdest, strangest creatures possible. And Kala couldn't help me since she wasn't organic. If mum had told me she was 'having coffee' with Marruns or someone, there wouldn't have been a second doubt. Sitoln though? Teeth bore as the bubbling blood spilled over, tearing back into my room to save anyone from what roared inside. Kala watched, noting everything she could. The chair creaked under my laden weight, teeth still locking my lower lip. Even the earlier code couldn't tare the thought of mum and the salarian together. My legs itched, demanding to move, to kick to do something. They bugged me for half an hour before they won. Kala watched, curious as I paced back and forth, hands running through my hair and dislodging the visor. The thought of mum with that creepy salarian, alone and defenceless, twisted my stomach. And I wasn't jealous! My teeth ground, losing a few years of use. She wasn't safe with him, what if she needed help again, like last time? No, no, she couldn't be alone with him! Everyone would back me up on that. That bastard wasn't putting his mits on her! Kala beeped as the door opened again, the hall filled with my pounding feet. Pain radiated from the side of my fist slamming into the elevator button. The ride down felt like forever, the clang of worried feet dinging off the walls. Once on the 4th floor, my eyes trailed over the empty med bay. Everyone who needed further treatment was on the Citadel already, freeing the med bay. My eyes narrowed before marching on, each step more determined than the last. The bridge, however, the still stuttered my progress.
The bridge is the heart of the ship, there should always be someone here unless there is an inspection or crew meeting or some other weird things going on. But it lay empty now, not a soul. Mum always wanted someone here in case something happened, it was the go-to area if people needed someone. Dead as it was, no one would get help soon. Butterflies scurried through my blood, the port side door opening to let me inside. Nothing, not a sound. An engineering tunnel access point caught my eye, dragging me over to poke my head inside. From my pocket, a small screwdriver telescoped out to fill size, never far thanks to the wonders of computers and the millions of screws associated with them. The metal top cracked against a metal pipe in a rhythmic pattern just beside the entrance. It was a quick way of conveying someone wanted to talk since sound carried throughout the entire tunnel system. My yes squeezed shut, focusing. Nothing. My anger fizzled away as my bum landed on my heels, Why was no one responding? There had to be someone on deck, Mum refused to leave the ship unattended. She was too paranoid! My eyes flicked over my shoulder, towards the cockpit. There was only one sure fire way to check if anyone was still here. If there wasn't, it would be enough to drag mum back! My feet squeaked as they scrambled, a brisk walk towards the cockpit. It wasn't unusual for the cockpit to be empty on shore leave, but still the empty chairs chilled my bones. Lanster's chair squeaked under my weight, my eyes scanning the dead computers before me. A light tap on a blinking light, tapping in cockpit codes Lanster didn't protect well enough that one time. A blizzard of orange holograms roared before me, blinding light stinging my now watering eyes. When my vision cleared, they scanned the array of windows and their subtabs. Only a fraction looked familiar. That… wasn't good.
"Kala, do you know where to find the surveillance videos? Or the crew log?" I asked.
"The Crew log will be under Documentation, window A-4," Kala rang. My eyes trailed over the barrage of windows until a tab hiding behind an array of instruments caught my eye. A light touch brought it to the front, a flick up pulled the menu out. "The Surveillance videos will be under Security, so look for the Onboard Instrumentation window, C-9," Kala added. The letters didn't help, they were tiny specks in the corner of a maze of windows. But something about cabin pressure grabbed my attention. Tucked away in the tab list, the Onboard Instrumentation name poked free. Insides, Security blinked further down the hierarchy. Movement dockside pulled my attention up. A group of 8 salarians strolled down the dock towards the Starquake. They had large pouches attached to them, two carried an entire string wrapped over their chest and shoulder. My head shook, turning back to the consoles before me.
The videos loaded up, revealing an empty ship. My stomach twisted harder, turning to the crew log. Mum arranged the log with sliders to keep track of the coming and goings of crew, it was quick and simple, she said. My finger dropped to my lap when all but one name was flicked to 'Ashore'. The single sole was me. How could… how could everyone sign out, the VI wouldn't allow that! I wasn't an official member of the crew, the VI would never let someone sign out if I was the last one onboard, it just wouldn't. My eyes scanned the cameras once more, a cold sweat breaking out. Even if I wanted to leave to find mum, it was impossible now! I wouldn't know where to find her without help. And if I left and abandon the Starquake, some dodgy engineer could wander in and do whatever to her. Kala's emoticon changed in the corner, perhaps coming to the same realisation as me. What was I going to do? Mum… had to get mum. Did she have her radio? Maybe her omni-tool was the best way. But with her on this 'coffee' thing, she might have it on sil- no, no, she wouldn't. She'd-
"Gideon, can you look at those engineers please?" Kala asked. Her voice snapped me awake.
"What? Uh, sure," I said, poking my head above the consoles to peer out the window. The salarians were closer now, the camera squealing as it focused on the group. 6 salarians encircled two in the middle. One was a dusty red salarian with orange eyes and brown marks like shadows around his eyes, on the top of his horns and around the base of his neck. The second was a baby blue female with white markings flicking off the tops of the eyes to curl around the back of the head. The third was-
"Gideon," Kala said, her tone dead. "That red salarian is a Saboteur,"
"…What?" I asked, heart fluttering faster in my chest. A Saboteur…
"That is Rolidin Ker'lis, Dionysius. There is no doubt. He is coming up positive on my onboard Saboteur database," Kala said, her emoticon flicking between concentration, worry and panic. My breath stalled in my throat, focusing on the group.
That… would explain why they had guns over their shoulders and armour decking every inch. Why hadn't I noticed that before?! Oh God, I needed to pay more attention! What to do, what to do?! There was only one way off the ship and they were coming straight at it! They'd catch me for sure! And… why were they coming here? No one was here! Unless they wanted to steal the Starquake or… what was in those pouches? My mind drifted to explosives. Rolidin tried to blow mum up once before, from what people told me. Was that blue salarian also a Saboteur? They were talking and ignored the other 6. It… it must be! Two Saboteurs coming to get me. And there was nothing I could do. Did I have enough time to run down to the cargo hold and arm up? Did I even know the codes for the gun lockers? Kala could hack them but… oh fuck, I was so dead! If they found me… against 2 Saboteurs and half a dozen indoctrinated servants with no combat training… A weapon, I needed something to keep them at bay. Maybe gunfire would alert the dock staff or- My eyes focused on the holograms floating before me. I could- no, that would be too destructive. Unless…
"Kala, we need to move the Starquake," I said. My ass landed hard on the pilot's sear, eyes flying over the maze-like interface. Kala chimed, her emoticon's jaw dropping.
"Gideon! You are underage with no experience and no instructor by your side. Not to mention flying in the most congested spaceport in the galaxy. You can manoeuvre a shuttle, yes, but a frigate does not fly like a shuttle, especially one of this engine configuration," Kala said, but perhaps my desperation made her doubt her abilities to calm me.
"Then you fly her!" I cried, stretching up to gauge how much time we had before shit hit the fan.
"Me? Gideon, this is… even if I wished to, I need captain level permission. I am shackled. Although you have been working to weaken them – and have been successful – they still prevent me from several operations. Without the commanding officer's consent, I can do nothing," Kala said.
"Kala, listen!" I begged. "If they get onto the Starquake, we don't know what they will do! They could plant a bomb and kill everyone! And what if they find me while doing it? They'll kill me or worse! I… they'll kidnap me, torture me, indoctrinate me! Kala, please! I know you are shackled, but I am the only one left on board! Doesn't that mean I am responsible for the ship, aren't I the commanding officer albeit temporarily?" My head poked above the consoles again. We had a minute.
"I… I suppose you would," Kala said, emoticon flickering between a sea of emotions. The processors on my arm warmed as she struggled to decide. "I… I am unsure,"
"Gideon, she is an AI, she doesn't even understand emotion the same way you do. What makes you think she won't toss you aside when she's done with you? Betray you or abandon you? She doesn't care, Gideon. She doesn't feel a damn thing for you or for anything else," The sound of my uncle's voice sent frozen water down my spine. They struck my harder than any punch to the face.
"Please, Kala! No one else can fly the ship! I don't know how you start her up, I don't know how you reverse, I know nothing! If you don't…" the words died in my mouth, the thought of the Saboteurs capturing me… and if Uncle Julian ever found out and got his hands on me... Tears swelled. "Oh please, Uncle Julian will kill me if I get used against my mum! He'll honest to God kill me at the first opportunity! Please Kala! I'm begging you! There has to be a roundabout way to get around this shackle!" I wept, the tears running rivers my cheeks. Kala's emoticons flicked between emotions too fast for me to follow.
"…Very well. Plug me in," Kala said. My heart skipped a beat. Only a hand grabbing the chair arm saved me from falling out the chair, reaching down for the consoles under the interfaces. The chip snapped free, eyes catching sight of the slot in the orange hue. My visor flared to life, the screens hummed with activity. "But I do this under the jurisdiction you are the sole person left onboard to give me the authority to gain control of the ship and the situation is becoming unstable. I will also need to hack into the Citadel to release the docking clamps," Kala added.
"I'll take full responsibility, Kala. Do what you have to! Hurry!" I said, eyes back out the window.
It was only seconds. Start-up took about 15 minutes if mum was impatient. This was almost instantaneous. A rumble shook the ship, engines roaring as they started up, A camera in the cockpit showed the rotary turning. The sound startled the group of salarians. As close as they were, their expressions were so clear. Rolidin threw his eyes to the cockpit. Our eyes met. My heart stopped. He yelled something, a short phrase, before the salarians sprinted forward. Panic seized my chest. Kala assessed the situation and the Starquake responded. The Starquake shuddered as the docking clamps released. Sirens on the dock drowned out sound and flashing lights stained the dock red. Kala backed the Starquake away far faster than Lanster was ever happy to do. The salarians skidded to a halt, guns raised and bullets flying. The windscreen popped and crackled, a panicked scream torn from my throat before ducking to the floor. Bullets pelted the skin, but they designed frigate armour to deal with worse than this. Kala turned the Starquake and propelled us away. It took a minute to clamber off the floor and into the pilot's seat, heart thundering in my chest. My hands scrubbed my face, trembling. When they pulled away, tears and sweat soaked them. A shuddered breath escaped, unzipping the outer portion of the uniform and yanking the white t-shirt underneath free from my waistband to wipe my face. Take that, Uncle Julian, Kala cares! My head flopped back against the chair, a slow breath easing as the adrenaline crash hit. With the ship safe in Kala's hands, it gave me time to thank God for breaking some of those shackles. Had she more… my head shook, pulling away from those thoughts. My eyes drifted, attracted to movement outside the cracked windows. Mum wouldn't be happy with that, not with the new paint job. My eyes followed a huge Volus carrier as it drifted away from the Citadel.
Something stirred in me, like a part of my soul just waking. My eyes blinked to clear themselves, raising the chair to give me better sight clearance. Lanster would complain but- A breath gushed from my chest, eyes bulging. As far as the eye could see, ships of every shape and size. A delicate dance of metal and ezzo, all tuned and oiled as if practiced a million times. The arrival and disappearance of ships through the purple haze captured me, a whirlwind of words and images committed to memory. My eyes found a blinking light on a console, a curious hand swapping tabs. The scene before me on the cracked windows mirrored on the screen. These ships, unlike the haze of white and purple, the swan diving ships appearing and disappearing, were clear. Thousands of ships tucked out of sight now danced on the screen. Polygon shaped models dotted the hologram. Dozens of massive dreadnaughts masked from visible view, creeping like whales around the Citadel. A trembling finger touched a hologram. A small window appeared, filled to the brim with the ship's information. Its speed, trajectory, make and model, what flag it flew under. It was an asari Dreadnaught, just returning from Thessia.
My gaze drifted, drawn to a second screen. A map with the flying lanes, a convoluted maze of corridors in, out and around the Citadel. Dots flashed on the screen, marking every ship dancing around me. Thousands of lights, millions of people, all weaving together like a theatrical play. In the centre, the Citadel tower shone as a constant light. Kala steered us around a ring known as the 'Citadel Holding Ring', circling the exterior of the Citadel around the Presidium. A large shadow loomed through the window, my heart thundering. A turian frigate, sleek and angular, passed overhead, also circling the loop as it waited for landing clearance. My eyes followed it, awed as it overtook us. Then it struck me. We were a giant school of fish, turning and twisting as a single entity. The shuttle had nothing like this. It didn't have the traffic, the interaction, the sea of interfaces and the screens that blinded you with detail. In the frigate, any anxiety about not being noticed… vanished, the Starquake was no mere shuttle. She carried her grandeur like a shield. Other ships noticed and steered clear.
Then the silence hit me. Where were the voices, the radio crackle that hummed so loud yet your mind expected it? My eyes scanned, finding the silenced radio. Voices loomed through the din, a thunder of activity. A merchant ship asked permission to dock. An angry batarian frigate snapped to a salarian frigate about cutting him up… wait, that wasn't us, was it? The Starquake was salarian, well, the original one anyway. They were on the other side of the holding pattern though. A small shuttle cried out an emergency 'Pan Pan Pan', not an SOS but yet dots weaved out of the way. Pilots of all species and skills spoke to the shaking shuttle in calm voices, words laden with advice and soothing words. A turian fighter even offered an escort through the traffic. A shuttle in this was small and fragile. The comrade between pilots was… astonishing.
A visual message flashed on a screen, snapping me awake. A message from the text based communication system requesting a change to the vertical vector. My mind forgot Kala, instinct kicking in. My hand rose, reaching for a familiar interface, albeit more complicated. A delicate touch, a slow finger sliding up a pane and the Starquake replied with a slow glide, smooth and gentle, climbing to the higher within the waiting ring. Traffic diverted around my course like a fish around a predator, the delicate dance unbroken. The tower poked free from between the arms, poking out of the massive ring like a spike. My finger held the climb until the ship sailed into the assigned vector. My finger slide back down, easing the bow level. It was just like a shuttle, she responded quick and smooth. She felt… cleaner than the shuttle. The shuttle jittered at every tiny nudge, flying and twirling on a dime. The Starquake didn't need such delicate hands, but she responded to such a touch just as well and her size more than smoothed the ride. My second hand reached up, the interfaces holding me captive. With both hands, Starquake glided along its swinging flight path around the nearby ships. We shared the space with several frigates, two cruisers, dozens of shuttles and one merchant ship. The Starquake flowed like water under my hands. Everything felt light, natural. There was no fear of careening in one direction or the other. A slight twist of a round wheel banked the Starquake, no resistance or twitches, she moved smooth as silk. Sometimes the Starquake behaved in a way I didn't command, my small reminder Kala still piloted her. My teeth nipped my lip. How much of this was my piloting, was I moving her at all?
"RSS-2 Starquake, this is the MVS Galileo. Do you read me on this frequency?" a voice crackled over the intercom. My heart leapt in my chest at the call sign, eyes flailing until they found a small window for the radio. My hand trembled, raising to touch the 'talk' button while Kala steered.
"MVS Galileo, this is to RSS-2 Starquake. We read you," I said.
"RSS-2 Starquake, the Citadel Control is having difficulty contacting you. If possible, please change to frequency 1689.142. If not, then respond with the FTS" the pilot said. My cheeks stained red. Was… Did Lanster not keep the frequency on the Citadel Tower when we docked? And what was the FTS… oh, that was the text based communication. My head shook to clear my thoughts.
"MSV Galileo, roger that. Changing frequency now. Thank you and have a good day," I said. My face still burned once the new frequency dialled in. Unlike the shuttle, the Starquake made windows that needed attention more pronounced, the VI was clever. My throat cleared. "Citadel Control, this is the RSS-2 Starquake. Sorry, I didn't realise I was on the wrong frequency,"
"RSS-2 Starquake, you have disengaged from the dock without proper clearance. Proceed to Dock CSC-12. Be aware, a turian frigate is following your progress. Failure to follow docking vectors will result in forced interjection," the controller said. My heart thundered louder. My twitching eyes sapped to the interfaces around me. Sure enough, the PFS Sheraka mimicking my every move. A sweat broke out once more
"C-Citadel Control, a-apologies for that. We had an attempted boarding of hostiles dockside. T-They were armed and w-we believe they had explosives," I stammered, unable to control my voice. "We undocked to preserve the ship and the crew," the whole 1 member of crew on board.
"Understood, RSS-2 Starquake. C-Sec has been informed and are investigating. Proceed to Dock CSC-12," the tower ordered.
"R-Roger, Citadel Control. Proceeding to Dock CSC-12," I said.
Kala did the rest of the piloting, despite how my hands itched for the controls. The frigate behind us, however, sent chills trembling down my limbs. That frigate ready to shoot us if need be, maybe storm the ship. Did it have soldiers ready to blast a hole and clamber inside? My head shook, hands clenched. Out flight path on the radar screen led us to a dead end, our dock. Kala swung the Starquake, a wide dock opening before us. But the sight before me didn't fill me with relief. A sea of C-Sec officers waited, guns out and armed. A charcoal coloured turian with a blaze of mucky red markings stood at the head, ready to storm in the port side airlock first. He snapped to the other turians as he armed his gun. My hand dropped, lowering the seat to keep Lanster happy and hide me from view. Kala docked, the engines throttling down and the airlocks opened. With the Starquake now docked, her chip ejected from the console, my fingers sliding it out and snapping it back into the omni-tool. But my attempt to flee and hide ended in 3 steps as the bridge filled with people. A wave of turians, asari, salarians and humans stormed the ship, running down the halls and jumping into the engineering tunnels. Five sprinted towards the cockpit, spotting me in the distance.
My heart burst in my chest, feet scrambling back until my back slammed into the pilot's chair, hands raised above my head. Every muscle shook, adrenaline riding hard. Kala chimed in my ear, confused and bewildered/ C-Sec were friends, right? Why were they pointing guns at me? A tall female turian stared down, swapping the assault rifle for a pistol as her friends fanned out to ensure no one else was in the cockpit, one dropped into the engineering tunnel in the starboard corner. Assured no one else remained, all but the female raced back out, calling out through the radio 'One occupant in the cockpit. Occupant is controlled'. The turian kept me pinned at gunpoint. My eyes bulged, knees weakening. She clicked her mandibles after a few moments before sighing and dropping the gun to her hip. My hands refused to lower, too many times people snapped the gun straight if you lowered your hands. We stayed like that for ages, even the lactic acid in my arms couldn't make me lower them.
"Chief, report," a male voice boomed behind her. The turian swung around and saluted.
"Commander, sir! One occupant, young human male," she said. The trembling worsened as a tall turian towered over me, the charcoal turian with the dusty red markings. He glowered down, as sour tempered as he looked on the dock.
"And you must be this Gideon your mother prattles on about," he said, muttering. My hands trembled, arms aching but too afraid to lower. "So, who piloted this bird?" he asked. My throat tightened.
"I-I did," I said. The turian raised a brow plate.
"Aren't you a little short for a pilot?" he asked. His words threatened to cave my knees.
"T-They were heading straight for the Starquake! I-I had to do something! T-They would have killed me or kidnapped me or something! I-I won't be used against my mum if I can help it!" I snapped, a tiny fire burning ignited in my chest. The turian kept the brow raised.
"So you stole your mother's ship and took it for a joyride," he said. My jaw floundered.
"I-I didn't-" I said.
"Bullshit. You just said you took it," the turian said.
"B-But I didn't steal it," I said, voice weakening.
"Do you own it?" the turian asked. My head shook. "Then you stole it," A new turian walked into the cockpit, sparing me from any further grilling. He saluted.
"Sir, no more souls on board," he said. The commander grumbled, eyes back on me.
"Fine. I've got the runt. Finish the rundown and hand the ship back to the crew when finished," he ordered, grabbing the back of my shirt. My legs wobbled as he dragged me out of the cockpit. He put a finger to ear. "Wilcerous to Shaik. Do you read?" he called. My eyes flew up, thinking he spoke to me, but his eyes focused ahead. "Got your little runt here, says he piloted the ship," he said. Mum's sharp 'what' echoed through the earpiece. My teeth bit my tongue. He snorted. "yeah, says he forced the docking clamps free and went for a joyride-"
"I wasn't joyriding!" I snapped, praying mum heard me. My yelps staggered free when he plucked me off the ground and swung me around. He pulled me out into the dock. His finger left his ear, freeing himself to flick two fingers towards the doors at the end of the dock. Seconds later, those two double doors parted. The turian didn't stop dragging me until we were off the ramp. Mum raced in, followed by the entire crew. A hot flushed warmed my cheeks, a cold stone settling in my stomach.
"Gideon!" mum cried, sprinting even in heels. The turian shoved me forward just in time for mum to bear hug me, winding me. Over her shoulder, a discontented brown salarian scowled. It deepened when he saw my grin, still catching my breath. It lasted two seconds.
"WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING!?" Mum screeched, shaking me. Weak, jarring sounds escaped, my vision blurring. "You didn't have to steal the ship to stop my fucking date!"
"Date?" the turian asked, amusement in his voice.
"Fuck up, Satrino!" she barked, pointing a stern finger at him. It gave me a moment of respite.
"Didn't think about that," I said. Mum snapped her gaze back. "I'll remember to do it again next time,"
"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE, YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT!" Mum roared, shaking me all again. My head swam, nausea swimming.
"M-Mum, y-you're o-overr-reacting," I stuttered. She shook me harder.
"How the hell would you react if you got a call from the crew telling you the Starquake was missing?! I THOUGHT SHE HAD BEEN STOLEN!" she shouted.
"Technically, she was," Satrino said, shrugging. Mum screamed and continued to shake me.
"B-But mu-um, I-I saw Rol-i-din." I said between shakes. The dizziness worsened when the shaking stopped. My vision settled, finding my mum's jaw on the floor.
"I'm sorry?" she said.
"Rolidin! That Saboteur was heading straight for the Starquake with another salarian Saboteur! I-I was the only one on the ship! W-What was I meant to do with 2 Saboteurs armed to the teeth with 6 indoctrinated servants?" I asked. Mum grip on my shoulders tightened.
"How," she said, pausing to swallow. "How do you know there was 2 Saboteurs?"
"They were chatting a lot together," I said. "I doubt a Saboteur talks to their indoctrinated servants apart from to give them orders," Mum fell silent, reeling at the revelation. The C-Sec officers gave the green to the crew, everyone darting to check over the Starquake. Mum pulled me into a bone-breaking hug. She dragged in a shaking breath in as she buried her face into the top of my hair.
"Have you got proof?" she asked. My head nodded, reaching around her arm to tap my visor. Did Kala keep a copy? She chimed to let me know she did. Mum breathed, pulling away. She buried the heels of her hands into her eyes. "Ok, download that for me, sweet, and I can use that to pull our asses out of trouble," she shook her head out, running her hands through her upheaved braid.
"No problem. Oh, mum?" I said. Mum stopped tearing her hair to stare. "I… I know what I wanna do when I'm older. I want to be a pilot," her face contorted as the angry mother reared up once more. Blood pooled away. I … should have waited.
"Well you won't be at this rate 'cause you will get yourself killed! Jesus!" she cried, shaking me once more. I needed to work on my timing…
The Timeline and Galaxy Map have been updated for this chapter. Please see profile for link to Archive.