The confines of the tomkah itched, my hand flexing to loosen the frustrated anxiety collecting in my muscles. A krogan shaman sprouted what may as well have been nonsense for all the sense it made, krogan culture being the 'wonderful' thing it is. The whole tomkah stank of grease and burning rubber. The clanking of the metal shell on the rough terrain pulsing in time with the headache rumbling up the back of my neck. On top of all of this, Grunt rumbling behind me like a rutting stag, worsening the headache and the frustration. Why do krogan have to have such stupid 'rites' for puberty? On the other side of me, Mordin muttered, calculating a thousand different possibilities on what could have happened to his kidnapped colleague. I only hoped he didn't talk his jaw off… that was one way to shut the man up. To reach the hospital where his kidnapped colleague was. I moaned as another hard bump sent the suspension-less machine jarring. Why don't I take more people with me? Their company would be a thousand times more preferable than this!
The tomkah rang like a shattered bell that made my head spin. Every sound echoed and amplified until you couldn't think straight. I winced as Grunt banged his head on the side, roaring. I glared at the krogan, ready to punch his damn lights out. How long I would last against a krogan in hand-to-hand was a different question. I needed to do this damn rite now. The tomkah passed over a valley, I pleaded with every deity in the galaxy to give me something to distract myself with. I pried a look through the tiny window in the side, to the landscape, my only form of entertainment.
The mountains pierced the skies in the distance, highlighting the lack of vegetation on this barren land. Former riverbeds cracked like tiles, sand blown on the wind in a carpet of yellow. The smoothed, rutting rocs resisted the wind, red giants above the dusty ground. The mountains gave way to old prairies, spreading to the horizon. Gouges tore through the prairie, rupturing in radial patterns away from craters marring the landscape. Through these fissures, the wind howled, great clouds of sand pouring from the fissures to form valleys as they intertwined. Below the tomkah road, a gorge ambled through the prairie, forming vertical cliffs lined with steep scree slopes. Small hills, former mountains, poked free from the dust, chunks torn free from landslips and armaments. Hugged on two sides by mountain ridges curling meet each other, sailing from ground to peak, sat a small settlement. The ridges act as wind breakers, but they could not protect the plume of smoke that rose, dragging it across the sky.
"Is there a camp over that way?" I asked. The brown crested krogan shaman turned, gazing through the same hole as I. A frown creased his face.
"Once," he responded. "Thresher maws appeared in the area 3 days ago. It was a Jorgal Female camp, one the largest female camps we have. None have been injured, they fled the area before the maws approached. We have all the women accounted for," he said.
"I would've thought the krogan would have put more safety measures in place," I said. The shaman's frown deepened.
"We did," he growled. "We set up Maw hammers to drive the maws away from populated areas and lure them elsewhere. However, we have found them to be malfunctioning of late. We repair as best as we can, but they continue to fail. At this rate, the female camps will need to be closer to the male camps for protection," he shook his head. "I warned them to keep better care of the hammers, without them, the maws would have killed us all,"
My gaze followed the Shaman as he took his seat, the jarring of the tomkah forgotten for a time. Maw hammers malfunctioning? How often did a maw hammer break? After seeing krogan engineering first-hand, I knew it had to be something large, clunky and effective. These sorts of things didn't break without help. Krogan engineering is... well, it is something special. Delicate work would never survived long. A hammer? As maws lived underground, it would just be a ground pounder. Nothing complex about it. If they were anything like these damn tomkahs, then it was built like a tank. My thoughts turned to the krogan who had lost their homes, their family members, my eyes found the smoke again. It my headache didn't seem so significant now.
The tomkah swung to the left, unseating everyone in the cabin. I grabbed the chair before I landed on the floor, saving my ass from a nasty bruise. I grunted as I pulled myself back onto the chair, gripping the walls until the damn thing stopped. No one seemed hurt when I turned to check them. Grunt growled as he found his feet, Mordin already trying to assess the situation. The Shaman banged a fist against the wall leading to the cockpit.
"What the hell is going on?" he barked.
"Thresher to the west. It's blocking our passage through the valley," the krogan in front said. "Moved the tomkah onto the rocks up the mountain until it passes,"
"You still haven't gotten those hammers fixed?" I gawked. "They nearly killed your females!"
"These things take time, Shepard," the Shaman grumbled as he kicked open the door. I pushed myself up, following the krogan outside. "On top of our repairs not holding, it is difficult to repair the hammers when you have thresher maws attacking you,"
The amber landscape poured out before us, a sea of dust and rock. I scanned the horizon, trying to pin-point where this maw was. I didn't have time for this shit, I needed my crew to have tied all their loose ends before attacking that derelict Reaper. This maw was ruining my timetable! A pillow of dust floated up from a valley, a roar screeching over the landscape. I pulled out the sniper, scanning the area before zooming in on a valley close to the gorge below our feet. The dust billowed out from behind a turn in the fissure.
"It is hunting," the shaman said. I glanced to him, lowering the sniper. "With luck, it will move on. We have no krogan in the area other than a scattering of Jorgal males,"
"Why do you place your Rite Grounds so far away from any populous?" I asked. "It's a pain in the ass,"
"You'll see, Shepard," the shaman waved me off, turning to the maw as Grunt and Mordin joined me.
We waited, watching the dust plumes lift upwards into the sky. I clucked my tongue, bouncing on my toes as it circled the area 4 times. I shuffled in the sun, growling as the sunburn threatened the back of my neck. Was this thing going to leave soon, like today? If it hadn't found what it was hunting, it wouldn't now! I growled, teeth gnashing as I paced the area. The shaman followed me, a grin on his face. I glowered at him as he leaned on the tomkah. I grit my teeth. Half an hour passed and the thresher refused to leave.
"Oh fuck this. Lock and load, we're killing this thing. We need to go through this valley anyway, right?" I snarled. The shaman frowned.
"We do. However I do not recommend fighting a maw on foot-" the shaman said. I growled.
"I've done it before. Let's go, I've got work to do," I stomped down the valley, aiming for the shrieks in the distance.
The large fissure towered high above us, blotting out the harsh rays of the sun. The team marched behind me, a group of krogan soldiers following behind. I scanned the fissure and the branches that sparked away from it. The shriek was near. It couldn't be too far away. At least the sun was off my head. I rolled his shoulders. I felt the terrain change, glancing down to see soft mud sticking to my boot. One of the rare signs of moisture on this forsaken world. I pressed on, moving to the side as the mud widened. After 10 minutes of walking through mud and dust, a trickle of water flowed over the cracked mud. The roar of the maw echoed down the canyon. It must be close now.
I turned a jutted corner as the stream spread. I heard something squelch below me, evening out the mud. My leg froze, staring at a dark brown rag soaked from the stream. I shook my foot out to dislodge it. It flopped open. The tiny stream tinted red as the water flowed over exposed blood that had dried. I scanned the area, frowning. I knelt down beside the rag, lifting it up. Patches of a pale brown material glimpsed through, but blood saturated the cloth. Blood that was only days old. I stood up, dropping the rag. The dried blood softened and drifted down the flow. I clicked the assault rifle in my hands, pushing on as I focused on my senses.
I meandered around a boulder poking out the softened clay. A form loomed before me. I raised the gun, every weapon behind me clicking into action. I side-stepped towards the mound on the ground. There didn't seem to be any danger, but one couldn't be too careful. I flicked on my torch to get a better look in the dark valley. My heart fluttered. A krogan lay face down in the mud, head turned upstream. I noticed claw mark around it, following them to a groove in the mud. Beyond that was a depression, mud splattering the wall of the canyon. Had they fallen and tried to drag themselves to safety? I frowned as I approached. Mordin stepped up beside me. He crouched in the mud, examining the krogan.
"Female, old, estimate no younger than 700. Lacerations to face and throat. Maw? No, too fine, damage restricted to only face and neck. Blade possible," Mordin mumbled. His hand stuttered over his omni-tool. "Alive?" he snapped a hand to the injured neck. "Pulse! Shepard, still alive!"
"She's alive?" I echoed, dropping beside him.
"Yes. Primary lungs collapsed, filled with fluid, blood most likely. One secondary lung still operable but laboured. Primary heart failed, secondary still functioning. Anaemic, blood loss substantial. Requires immediate medical attention," he said.
"Do we have any medical facilities nearby?" I called to the krogan.
"The nearest was Camp Jorgal. Now Camp Urdnot is the closest," a krogan rumbled.
"We have nothing closer?" I gawked. I spun to the female on the ground. "Let's get her out of here, before that maw gets here!" I ordered.
Grunt heaved the women onto his back, Mordin twitching through his omni-blade like a hamster on a sugar rush. The krogan surrounded the females, I took point. The mud made for slow going, feet sinking in the slippery clay. Grunt slouched onwards, growling as his feet slid out from under him. He never fell, the krogan was too stubborn for that. We approached the valley mouth, back towards the sun. Maybe some warmth would stir the krogan. We burst into the light, back in the open plains.
A rumble was our only warning. I yelled to scatter, rifle raised. The krogan split, Grunt bolting for the tomkah with Mordin. A maw split the earth, screeching. It found prey. Only this prey had teeth. The krogan unleashed Armageddon, a hail of bullets that blinded me. I pulled out the grenade launcher, releasing hell before it retreated underground. I pulled the team back, scanning the ground for the thresher. The screech echoed behind me. I spun around to the tomkah as the maw reared up, the tomkah soaring. I grit my teeth.
We pounded it with every drop of ammo we had. I used all my grenades on the bastard as it clung on. I would have used to Cain, carried by Grunt, but there were too many people in the area. The maw roared, hurling spit at us. I rolled out of the way, emptying another clip. Several krogan hurled Incinerates at it. The monster shrieked, doubling over on the ground. We emptied the last of our ammo to be safe. With the maw burning, I ran towards Grunt, assessing the tomkah on its roof. The krogan set to work to pull it back over onto its wheels.
"This female will die if we don't get her medical attention," I snapped to the shaman. The krogan frowned.
"The nearest medical facility is back in Camp Urdnot. Camp Khel is further away," he said.
"That isn't good enough!" I growled. I turned to the limp krogan over Grunt's hump. "Fuck it, we'll take her to Normandy. Normandy, do you read? I need you to get down to my position. We have a medical emergency, have Dr Chakwas on standby," I summoned.
"Understood, Commander, moving to your location," Joker said. I nodded as I ushered Grunt to an open area, large enough for the Normandy to hover in. I glanced up as a sparkle winked above us.
"Shaman, I apologise. We'll postpone the rite," I explained. The Shaman snorted
"You underestimate the strength of our females," he said. I glowered at him. "You have doctors, if you are so concerned, your crew can take care of her. Delaying the rite does nothing but worsen Grunt's condition," he waved a hand towards Grunt, pacing on the rock. I frowned at him, gritting my teeth as I glanced to the bloodied female. The Normandy swooped low, the engines kicking up the dust. I covered my eyes as the cargo door opened. I snorted.
"Fine, have it your way. Just give us a few minutes to get her on board," I grumbled, already contacting Jack to join the team.
Miranda and Jack biotically lifted Grunt with Raisha and Mordin on board. Mordin insisted he treat the female. I sighed as I called to Jack to grab her guns. Grunt vanished in the ship for several minutes to drop the female off in the medical bay. Jack burst out, landing on the rock with a blue aura softening the landing. Grunt soon returned, leaping over the distance to land just before us, shaking the earth with the landing. I waved the Normandy on, watching the Normandy easing itself away from the ground. She spun, the dust coating us in a thick layer before she bursting out into space. I set my jaw, turning back to the tomkah. The krogan rolled it onto its side. My eyes scanned the horizon. I prayed for no more thresher maws.
I leaned on the counter of the kitchen, staring into the medical bay. I ignored the smell of dinner, the curry burning my nose. Less than 8 hours had passed since we found the female. Grunt thumped his fists in the cargo hold after a successful Rite and another thresher maw sprawled on the dusty soil. While Jack, Grunt and I avoided dying to a maw, Mordin and Chakwas had stabilised the krogan. By the time Grunt finished and had accepted the Urdnot name, the krogan was stable enough for Mordin to drop to the surface. I sighed. After treating Raisha and all those dead females in the hospital and Maelon trying to reverse the genophage... did Mordin still believe the genophage was the best method? I hope he didn't, but time would tell when the krogan stepped to the plate once more to save us from something. I wondered where he kept the data Maelon had been collecting. But Mordin had no qualms about it, tossed it somewhere so he could focus on the Collectors. A cure to the genophage… could I use that to entice Raisha to speak?
I had no experience with female krogan aside from Dell's XO. My impressed at the time was that Raisha showed more diplomacy than their male counterparts. Although Raisha's grated on Dell from time to time with her pandering from the last time I saw her. I sighed as I pushed myself off the counter, approaching the med bay. Only the regenerative abilities, spare organs and dirt clotting the wounds prevented her death. Even then, Mordin was unsure if she had the strength to survive. Stable did not mean safe. The door parted. Mordin ran the omni-tool over the krogan again. We hadn't tried to clean her up yet, her crest was still dusty and blood splattered. I approached.
"How is she, Mordin?" I asked.
"Stable, breathing eased. Revived her third lung. Primary pair not as promising. Blood clotted, damaged bronchioles. May need to remove for own sake. Infection risk high. Treated lacerations. Missed main artery but still cut through trachea and blood vessels. Vocal cords damaged, would consider surgery to limit trauma. Must wait until krogan is stronger," he breathed. "Too weak to survive anaesthesia,"
"No ID for her?" I asked.
"Not checked, too busy stabilising patient," Mordin waved a hand.
"Fine, I'll check," I sighed, walking around the salarian.
As I searched the krogan for any form of ID, I clucked my tongue. The shaman had said all the females had been accounted for. Was this just a stray krogan, a coincidence? I needed to know. If she was Jorgal, then she must have been at the camp. I then would have to ask why they said everyone made it. I lifted the sleeves of the unconscious krogan. I found an omni-tool, snapping it free. With luck I would get answers now, assuming it hadn't broken or something. I frowned, I hoped it still worked. I re-adjusted the bracelet, snapping it on my arm. As it powered up, I crossed my fingers.
The welcoming screen struck me. The background symbol – the Citadel with a Reaper cut in half by a sword – with R.R.T.F above it. I knew that from somewhere… Fuck, I knew that! Where… where had I see that? And it had a Reaper as well! I tore my eyes away. Several lines of text printed on the background's top right corner held the answer. Name; 'Jorgal Raisha', the line below said 'RSS-2 Starquake Executive Officer [XO]'. My heart pounded harder. Starquake... was Dell here? Was she on a mission here when the maws... I pulled Raisha's omni-tool off, returning it to the original size and snapping it back on her wrist before straightening and activating my own.
"EDI, is the Starquake in this system?" I asked.
"No, Shepard, according to the Aralakh Relay records, the Starquake was last in this system a week ago but has since left,"
A week ago? Had Dell dropped and sent the Starquake onwards? I flew through the contacts list on my omni-tool until 'Endellion Shaik, Captain, RSS-2 Starquake' appeared. I called the omni-tool, not something I did often but this was an emergency. If she was still on Tuchanka… I shook my head. I never called her omni-tool because she was a captain, a busy woman and a mother. If I needed anything, a simple message or calling the ship was more than sufficient. I waited for the call to connect, my stomach knotting itself.
My heart stopped as a message appeared. 'Connecting call via FTL buoys'. I re-read the message several times. Dell wasn't on Tuchanka, if she was, then we wouldn't need the buoys. She wasn't here… My heart settled, calm returning. She wasn't here… but why was her XO here? Her omni-tool said 'Jorgal' and there was an old Jorgal female camp. She must have been visiting family or something. But everyone made it, right? Had Raisha never reached the camp? The omni-tool dialled. Seven rings later, a sleepy red head appeared on the screen. She sat on her sofa with a light purple dressing gown on, haphazardly tossed together. Was it… yeah, it was inside out. Her frown deepened when she saw my face.
"Shepard," she grumbled, one eye open more than the other. "It's 4 in the morning, what the fuck do you want?"
"Dell, I'm in orbit around Tuchanka, I've just found your XO," I said. Dell's frown softened, confusion taking over. She blinked, eyes returning to normal. She glanced over to something in the corner of the room, out of my sight.
"What do you mean 'found'?" Dell asked, shuffling, brain waking with each moment.
"She's been attacked by something, we found her before a thresher maw tried to eat her. She's wounded," I told her. There was no reaction. Dell stared, trying to process what I had said. She straightened, jaw slacking, eyes widening as her eyebrows dropped. She looked past the screen and pinned her gaze. I heard rustling off-screen.
"How bad?" she asked, a trace of panic settling in. The camera wobbled as she stood up.
"Bad, she's unconscious. They messed up her face and throat and she's lost a lot of blood," I said. Dell froze, trying to think through the drowsiness and alarm.
"Orders?" A flanged voice said over on Dell's side. Ah, so they were sharing a room now…
"Get Mat'al, go!" she ordered, waving an arm. I heard running steps off camera. "Una, set a course to Tuchanka, now! Shepard, we're on our way. Give us coordinates,"
"Roger that, Sending coordinates now," I said. Dell's jaw tightened, she nodded and cut the call.
So we had to wait for the Starquake to arrive back in the system before I could get answers. I left Mordin and Dr Chakwas to work, trying to revive the krogan. They didn't need me hovering around them. I patrolled the Normandy to distract myself. Miranda continued with small talk but the reports to the Illusive Man demanded her attention. Garrus was too busy calibrating the main battery for any form of talking. Thane remained aloof but friendly. Grunt just wanted a fight, I was happy to oblige. That killed 15 minutes, although I now had a bruise on my back. 4 hours, 5 hours, 6 hours. The time dragged. Who knew where the Starquake was in the galaxy, it could take them days to get here. I moaned as I resigned myself to the wait. It ended up taking 2 days. At least Raisha hadn't worsened in this time.
"Commander, the Starquake has arrived in the system," EDI called, snapping me from my thoughts. I shook myself out, pushing myself off the bed in my quarters.
"Thanks, EDI. Joker, get into position to dock with the Starquake," I ordered, abandoning the room. I paced around in the elevator, a slow circle as it climbed downwards. In the CIC, all I was well, the usual calm. I enjoyed the quiet while I could. I took a few steps forward, ready to load the elevator again when Dell was aboard.
It took 15 minutes for the two ships to dock, but Dell had a good pilot and Joker and this Lanster guy had done this often enough. The green light blinked. Within seconds our airlock opened. Dell burst into the CIC, marching with a furious pace. Her eyebrows pinned downwards, lines bagging her eyes but tunnelled on the elevator. They held little emotion. Behind her, Val followed along with Gideon. I pushed the button on the elevator, striding in without a word. Dell's team fell inside. Dell folded her arms, foot tapping as her eyes skimmed the door before her, thoughts running wild. Gideon offered a small smile before turning to his mother, eyebrows upturning. Once on the third floor, I led the team around the corner to the medical bay. I opened the door before Dell barged it down. Dr Chakwas and Mordin looked up from their conversation. Dell glanced to Raisha, side-stepping to approach Dr Chakwas. I leaned against the wall by the door, out of the way.
"Is she ok?" Dell asked, voice strained. Dr Chakwas sighed as she turned to Raisha.
"Physically, the trauma will heal. Krogan are notorious for their regenerative abilities. However, due to her age, it may take time before the scar tissue stabilises. Complications are a worry, however. She has lost use of her primary heart and lungs, so we may need to think about removing them," Dr Chakwas explained. Dell's frame tensed.
"Injuries substantial but manageable. Must warn you, believe more is afoot than anticipated. Was attacked, injuries match knife wounds," Mordin said. Dell's tense back straightened further.
"Shit… shit, shit, shit, shit-" Dell cursed as she ran across the room to Raisha. I watched Dell as she walked around the bed to face Raisha. She bent down to force the krogan to look at her. "Raisha?" she called. She put a hand on her shoulder. "Raisha, are you alright?" Krogan had not regained consciousness. Dell snapped her gaze around the room. She jogged to a chair in the corner, yanking it free, knocking over several unused IV stands. I winced at the clatter. She dumped the chair down and threw herself into it, both hands on the krogan. She mumbled, trying to rouse the krogan. I averted my gaze. Dell ground her teeth, looking up to Val.
"Where did you find her?" Val asked. Gideon looked between us.
"Near the female camp of Clan Jorgal. There had been a thresher maw attack. The krogan say the Maw Hammers had been malfunctioning of late so got past the defences and attacked. We found her in a fissure nearby, she may have fallen off the cliff," I explained. Val clicked his mandibles as he turned back to Dell, still trying to waken the krogan
"Malfunctioning maw hammers, huh?" he said. I frowned at him.
"Saboteurs. What else could it be?" Gideon asked.
"Coincidence, but if it is, I'll eat my helmet. What better way to fuck a race up kill their females and make sure they can't breed at all," Val rubbed his chin. I glanced back to Dell as she begged the krogan to wake, a faint tremor shaking her frame. I think she realised at that point it was useless. Dell dragged her hands down her face, launching herself to her feet to pace the width of the room.
"Dell, everything ok?" Val called. The red head shook her head, pacing. She covered her mouth with her hands, dragging air into her lungs. Val approached the human. He didn't stop her pacing, he mumbled words to her, trying to calm her. Gideon shuffled beside me, eyes cast down. Val glanced to Raisha, clicking his mandibles. He approached the woman before snapping her omni-tool off. "Gid, see if there is anything on this that explains what happened," he tossed the ring. Gideon gawked. I snatched the bracelet before it hit the ground.
"M-me?" he asked.
"Hey, you're the computer expert here," he snorted. "If we trust Indira's judgement,"
Gideon shuffled, looking to the offered ring. He set his jaw, drawing his eyebrows down as he took the bracelet, snapping it on his bare arm. Why he wore that dark sleeve with the intricate orange lines was anyone's guess. It was something else, though. Gideon powered up Raisha's omni-tool, touching a button on his visor to snap it over one eye. He scanned it before powering his own. I could only gawk as the boy's fingers flashed through the two interfaces. He ran a program on his omni-tool, looking to Raisha's as a bar filled on it. In the background, a blur of data flew past. All the while, Val tried to calm Dell from her frantic pace. I felt tempted to ask Mordin for some sedative if she didn't. Gideon frowned, staring as a single document popped open, a mangled array of text on it.
"There's a 4 day old document here," Gideon said. "It's garbled though, I'll try running it through some correction algorithms," he tapped on his omni-tool for a while until Raisha's lit up. Two small screens hovering above it. A third appeared below, a keyboard with darkened keys for letters used in the short sentence.
He was right, it was like someone had just slammed their hand on the keyboard a few times. Nothing made sense. I glanced down to Gideon as he chewed his lip. He studied the algorithm trying to form sane sentences from the keystrokes. After a minute, a list of alternatives appeared, highlighting the key's location on the keyboard compared to the keystrokes. Gideon scrolled through them, studying the percentages for each word in the sentence.
"No, no, no, no… heh," he smirked. He shook his head hard. "No, no, no. Possible? Hmm, doesn't sound like her. Oh, that's probably the start," he mumbled. He touched the first word 'My'. All other results with different starting words vanished. He read through more. His fingers twitched. "That… could be the end…" he touched another word, but he shuffled so much I missed it. He continued through this until his skin paled. "Um… I-I think I have it translated," Val looked over his shoulder. Gideon swallowed. "I-It looks like she said… 'My daughter is a Saboteur'. T-There is another word, but I can't make sense of it," Dell froze, staring at the boy.
"What?" she asked. Gideon swallowed. Val opened his omni-tool.
"Here is a list of Raisha's children. Filter them out, compare them," Val ordered. Gideon kept his eyes on the omni-tool as he worked, sweat trickling down his temple. The anxious wait drenched the med bay. Gideon quivered under the pressure. He looked up.
"I-it seems to match… either Phier or Innot. I-I'll try to narrow it down," Gideon said.
"Phier died during childbirth a few years ago," Dell breathed. Gideon looked up. "Innot… i-Innot is her next of kin. She's… She's a Saboteur?" Dell quivered.
"We'll confirm that, but it's a lead," Val said. Dell's quivering worsened. She paced, a furious pace compared to before. She held a hand over her mouth, eyes on the floor as she marched. "Dell," Val called, jogging across the distance. "Dell, calm down-"
"Why is this shit happening? Why is all this shit happening now?!" she screamed. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. Fuck this!" she roared, slamming her fists into a wall. "Just fuck it! I can't… I can't fucking take much more!"
"Dell, breathe," Val pressed, slamming his hands on her wrists, pinning her to the wall. The human resisted but the turian was stronger. "Dell, I need you to breath-"
"I am fucking breathing!" she snapped.
"No you're not, you're on the brink of hyperventilation. Now breathe," he pushed.
I straightened, watching Dell crumble before me. Her knees trembled, caved. She remained standing only because Val held her up with biotics. She squeezed her eyes shut. Moisture built up around her eyes. I threw my look down to Gideon as the boy trembled. I grit my teeth, swooped down and yanked him off the ground. He yelped but I pressed on as I carried him out the med bay. The boy thrashed in my grip but I ignored him. I slammed a hand on the elevator, waiting for it to take me up. Gideon glared at me, pushing against my chest to free himself. I ignored him as we reached my cabin. The door parted and I locked it behind me. I released the boy. He stumbled away, glowering at me.
"What the hell?" he demanded.
"Gideon, there are things in life you nobody needs to see. What is happening down there is one of them," I said. Gideon's fists clenched by his sides.
"It's not anything I've not seen before," he growled. I raised a brow.
"Oh, this a common thing then?" I asked. Gideon shuffled, the anger easing. He glanced to the fish tank, watching the brilliant creatures swirl in the water. His shoulders sagged. "What's going on, Gideon?" he glanced up, chewing his lip. He folded his arms across his chest, squeezing himself.
"Mum's been… stressed," he muttered. I tilted my head to the side. "She's… The Council…" Gideon ran a hand through his hair. He sighed as he slouched against model display case. "A Saboteur took out a small salarian colony 6 days ago,"
"What?" I blinked. "How? How did they know it was a Saboteur?"
"Because it left a message," Gideon growled, muscles tensing. "The Salarian Union sent people to find out why the colony went silent. They tampered with the found the air filtering system. It produced toxic gases that killed the entire colony, 3000 people. All the communication systems shut down, satellites destroyed. They found a message sprawled in salarian blood from the survivors who donned suits. 'The Advocacy cannot protect you'," Gideon sighed.
"The Advocacy?" I echoed. Gideon froze, eyes on the fish. He swallowed, a slow motion. He glanced up, quivering.
"A uh… r-rogue Saboteur. W-we work with him sometimes. H-He's free of his Reaper," Gideon stuttered. I frowned. A rogue Saboteur? Were there many of them? "A-Anyway, when they Council found out, they jumped on mum like a bulldozer. T-They wanted to know why we ignored readings from the colony's communication malfunctions or why they slipped the net. M-Mum didn't have an answer. They're… angry that we've only confirmed the deaths of 7 Saboteurs in 2 years. We still have another 36 to deal with. The Saboteurs are kicking it up a notch,"
"Your mother is only one woman, Gideon. It isn't her fault," I said.
"Tell that to the Council," Gideon muttered. "They are demanding results and we can't reach them. Mum's… breaking under the pressure," I frowned, glancing to the door. I ruffled his head, earning a scowl as he struggled free.
"I'll go check on your mother. Stay here and watch the fish. You never knew, they might do tricks," I winked. Gideon scowled as I left the room, securing the door behind me.
The kid could hack that thing open, I knew that. But it was just to delay him until I saw what state him mother was in. I sighed in the elevator, running my fingers along my jaw. Looks like I wasn't the only one under pressure. I walked out the elevator, striding towards the med bay. The doors parted, revealing Dell leaning against a wall, head in her hands. Val trapped her between his arms as he leaned over her. He glanced up as I entered. His eyes returned to the human pulling herself together. I glanced to Mordin.
"How is she?" I asked.
"Stressed. Lots of screaming, tears. Is calming now, however," he said. "Would recommend sedatives if worsens," I frowned as I turned to Dell, trembling as she dragged her emotions back under control. This war took its toll on everyone, no matter how hard they tried.
The Timeline has been updated for this chapter. Please see profile for link to Archive.
A/N: Time to crank up the tension! So, I did toy with the idea of killing Raisha, but then I realised a) it wouldn't be character development for her if she, y'know, died and b) I had a great dream last night for a potential scene! ...which means I need to re-write at least half of the next chapter... I'll leave the old one as an Inclusion add-on (maybe, depends on the response).
Now, you may have noticed a slight change in the chapter numbers. This is because I'm combined chapter 24 and 25 together. They only needed a single sentence to join them and they were both short as hell so... well, it made sense. I'll be combining a few more chapters in Homecoming as well, but I'll do that when I edit the second book. Speaking of which, the first book edits are complete! I rattled through them again with an editor I bought for Word, so that should help keep my writing a bit tighter. I've also finished up the poster for the next book so I'll release that Revenant is done.
Now, I need to go re-write the next chapter. Oh Dell is going to have a horrific day...