Ships floated by the temporary accommodation, the sights a welcome break from an exhausted, grubby ship collapsing around us. Two weeks after docking, the crew soiled moods and behaviours healed, those injured during those hellish days were back on their feet and full of life. Although unease still hung over the air, something even I couldn't solve. Raisha. After a fight with that damn officer friend of Dell's, Satrino agreed to move Raisha into a prison temporarily until they finished repairs to the ship. With Raisha away from the rest of the crew, they relaxed but we didn't know what the future held. The Council must know by now something had happened to Dell. Would they dismantle our team and through a captain to lead the whole operation? Last time didn't work because we knew we could get Dell out of prison with enough time. That wasn't the case now. My mandibles clicked, wishing for the red head to step in and sort things out. She always knew what to say, what to do. The Council had talks with us, but none of them mentioned Dell. A few quizzed about Gideon, hoping finding the boy would locate Dell. We didn't know where he was, but we didn't tell them he was with the Normandy. They never asked. My head shook, forehead pressed to the glass. The new captain question returned us to the when the team first came together under Council funding. We did everything in our power to get Dell back. Now… well, things were different now.
The temporary accommodation overlooked the Yvera Ward, a quiet ward occupied by business people and military staff for the Citadel. The Council wanted to give us time to recover, but they kept us under watch from what Spectres and other military staff bounced around the area. From my perch, the main shopping street spanned to the horizon, electronic trees colouring the walkways. At this time of the afternoon, people stayed in their offices, but give it another hour, the rush hour will drive this quiet sector of the Citadel into overdrive. Pain punched my chest, tearing my gaze from the purple hues staining the sky, turning towards the small apartment shared with other male turian members of the crew. Phentos, Lanster and Quin were all out, relaxing by a bar somewhere if they were lucky. Drutus had his own apartment with his family, so he took the time to spend time with them. My hands clenched, forcing my mind away from the thought of family, from what family I had left. Spirits, what family did I have left?
A knock on the front door jarred me awake. With a sigh, the small, navy floored room vanished, eyes on the door down a narrow hall. A peek down the eyehole revealed a dark toned turian with dusty red markings. A groan escaped before popping the lock. Satrino glared at me, piercing eyes pinning me in place before he barged in, shoving my back into the wall. He trudged inside, heading for the living room. He ignored my grumble as the door clicked behind me. Satrino spun to face me, arms folding over his chest. Spirits …
"Ok, we've tried being gentle and you've told us jack shit. So now you get the hard way. Where the fuck is Shaik?" he asked. Here we go… His teeth grit at my silence. "Alright, where's the runt?"
"Not here," I said. Satrino's plates twitched tighter together.
"As you said, but why isn't he with you? You're his guardian, aren't you?" he asked. My shoulder pulled a tight shrug, his words striking me harder than any bullet, than any volume of acid. My chest stabbed at the thought, at the words. Satrino popped his jaw. "You are a terrible guardian,"
"Oh fuck you," I snarled, pacing away back towards the window. Satrino growled as he stalked after me.
"Autillin, the Council want to know where Shaik is. Both of them," he said. He snatched my shoulder, shoving me to face him. "She's not on the Starquake and she's not answering her comm. I'm suspecting she's not in this coma you keep going on about," He growled at my snort. "And the Council has the proof," My eyes twitched towards him, jaw tightening. "We've had some interesting reports coming in from Earth after a little incident with a Reaper there. Something about a cryo-coffin transfer onto one of the Alliance ships not long after the Reaper fled. From one of your shuttles no less. Now, I suggest you start talking, boy,"
"I have nothing to say on the matter," I rumbled, shaking my shoulder free. My eyes found the scenery once more. Satrino's harsh sigh whistled out his nose.
"Then I'll assume that the reports are correct then," he muttered. "Shaik is dead, or at least in stasis after turning against us,"
"She did not turn," I snapped, shoulders bunching.
"Dead then. So tell me; why did the runt run off to Earth with a corpse, a Council Spectres and a Council commander?" he asked. "And no half-arsed questions, Autillin, the Council are jumping on my ass and they aren't happy," My mandibles clicked, but otherwise remained silent. "Spirits give me strength…" he cursed, marching towards the door. My eyes tracked him in the reflection. Satrino stuck his head out the door. "He ain't talking, like I said he wouldn't. He ain't Shaik, I can't do anything with him. Send her in," My mandibles waved, focusing on the reflection. Seconds later, an asari strolled in, hands clasped behind her back. My heart fluttered.
"You've all been very quiet," I noted, watching Tevos pause beside me while Satrino leaned against the wall.
"We have been busy with a Reaper running amuck over the galaxy, XO Autillin. I apologise it has taken this long to find the time to speak with you. I have already spoken with Jorgal Raisha and… well, what she told me has me worried," she said.
"What do you want?" I asked.
"Answers. Jorgal has told me Endellion Shaik passed away after an encounter with Nyryntha during the STG base attack. She then claims you led a mutiny over the Starquake," she said. My mandibles waved. "Autillin… Valérien, we cannot help you if we do not know the situation," My eyes squeezed shut.
"And what will happen?" I asked. Tevos wrapped her arms over her stomach, holding her elbows, keen eyes locked to my expression in the window.
"We have theories. Sparatus is already chasing one of them while Valern is assessing what options we have should Sparatus come back empty. Or otherwise. They have left the Starquake in my hands for the time being. Udina is tracking movements from the Reaper, plotting its course and possible areas it may target. But the first thing we must do if get you and the team back into action as soon as possible. We have worrying news about Saboteurs here on the Citadel we need you to investigate," she explained. My mandibles waved. "Judging by what we have seen on the Starquake's servers, you have been working very hard over the last month, perhaps a little too hard if the overall state of the ship and crew is anything to go by,"
"Raisha worked us like slaves," I said. Tevos rubbed her chin, listening now that my tongue freed. "She's stuck in this tunnel vision of destroying all the Saboteurs as fast as possible because one of her own children is a Saboteur and tried to kill her. I don't know what she hoped to achieve, but the crew dropped like flies. She tried to space someone because they couldn't fix something without a dry dock. We ran out of food, fuel was depleting… I'd argue against the 'leading a mutiny', but I dealt the final blow. There is only so much we could take. She pushed us past that limit,"
"I see. The best course of action In this case is to keep Jorgal Raisha away from the Starquake for a time. We shall keep her here for the time being until she calms down. Perhaps some professional help will calm her. What of Shaik?" she asked. My mandibles waved, torn. Tevos was the most reasonable of the Councillors, and if she needed our help as much as she seemed to suggest, then she may be more amenable. With luck.
"Raisha's report is… right," I said, eyes squeezing shut. "We weren't fast enough…"
"And her body?" Tevos added.
"Gideon took her. He… he didn't… didn't take the news well. I don't know what he wants, but he wanted to bring her back, find a way to reverse what happened. There is no other reason for him disappearing off to Earth otherwise. I think he thought Shepard could help, seeing as all of us were in no state to toy with his ideas. Delern and Bellum went with him to stop him from getting himself killed," I said. "What they are doing now, I don't know. I've had no contact beyond a message from Delern telling me they left Earth on the Normandy with Shepard," I sighed.
"So the reports are correct… Shepard has returned to the scene. Perhaps things are not as bad as we feared," Tevos mumbled. My brow plates clenched down. "What of your Saboteur connection?"
"We've had limited connection with them. If they ever find out about Dell then we'll… we'll lose them too," my brow leaned against the glass. "We need them too much,"
"Then we will keep our reports minimal," Tevos said, hands folded on her lower back. My eyes flicked towards her.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked.
"We need you and the team. Endellion's loss will make things more difficult, but we believe there are Saboteurs within the Council ranks, if not then they will soon," she murmured. My shoulders bunched. "We have Council elections upcoming in the next week. If a Saboteur is going to strike, it will be now. If they get a spot on the Council and we cannot stop them…" her head shook. "I do not wish to think about it,"
"But… We don't have a captain. Delern isn't with us to lead and Raisha has lost her mind. The crew won't follow her," I said. Tevos smiled.
"Then you will have to captain," she said. My muscles quivered.
"You are not afraid I'm rising from Commander to XO to Captain too soon?" I asked.
"I doubt Endellion would allow another Saboteur into her bed, Autillin. I imagine she had plenty of time to examine you," Tevos said with a wide smile. My cheeks stained purple. Spirits damn you, Indira! My teeth ground, eyes on my glowing reflection to ignore the bubbling heartache. "I understand you have all gone through a period of intense trauma and exhaustion, some more so than others. The Council will push any endeavour you require so you need not fear. We need you, now more than ever," My mandibles waved. This… this is what Dell wanted. She wanted… me to captain. My eyes squeezed shut. Would the team follow through with it?
"I'll see what I can do. Any information, send it my way. I need to bring the crew together, assess their mood and thoughts on the situation," I said. Tevos' shoulders slackened, a subtle drop in the reflection.
"You have my thanks. I will speak with the other Councillors and see if their endeavours have been as successful. With luck, perhaps we can salvage this. I wish you luck, Captain," Tevos said, turning from the window to evacuate the room. My shoulders shuddered, but my mandibles refused to flutter. Satrino snorted behind me, pushing off the wall to escort the Councillor to the safety of the Council chambers. Heavy eyelids dropped, stealing the neon from me.
10 minutes later, when my mind recovered from the shock, the glow of my omni-tool vanished after sending out a message to the crew to congregate on the Starquake dock. The ship itself needed another week at least to be 100%, so this Council election would be a good time to keep the crew distracted. As the skycar danced through the rush hour traffic, my mind wandered. Would the crew be willing to suffer under another change in command, would they still fear an emotional train wreak leading them towards a cliff? The Captain had been my partner… Only time would tell for both. The Saboteurs still terrorised the galaxy. We couldn't stop now, not after all of this. Spirits, Dell would never look me in the eye again, her disgust would overcome her. It hardened my resolve. If we lost, at least we went down fighting. As the skycar touched down outside the dock entrance, nerves rattled. Anxiety bubbled as the sound of my boots echoed down the metal halls, trudging towards the Starquake dock. My brow plates rose at the bustle of people waiting dockside. After all that happened with Raisha, even a handful of people answering my summons would've pleased me. To see the majority – if not all – here now… Spirits forgive, it boosted my spirits. Eyes spun towards the door as I crossed the threshold onto the dock, a silence creeping as they noticed my arrival. The crew spread into an arch, 3 layers thick as they waited.
"Sorry for the late notice, the Council has given me some news that is too important to ignore. First, take comfort in that Raisha will not be on the Starquake until the Council are satisfied she has her emotion in check. She will get therapy for the next few months so we can only wait and see what happens. The Council have also told me they will still support us to the fullest of their abilities, despite what happened to Dell. They are not about to leave us out in the cold," I said. "As you may have guessed, they need our help still. They… have put me forward for the captain position, if you will accept that. Council Elections are upcoming in the next week, the Council are jumpy. The elections are a good time to get Saboteurs into the Council. We cannot allow this. The want us to get back to work as quick as we are able,"
"What about the XO?" Shaul rumbled. My mandibles fluttered. No… mention of me taking the reins? My mandibles rested against my cheeks.
"I will discuss with the commanders. One consideration would be to ask Julian, but then we don't know who we are getting to fill the position. After everything that happened, we are done with surprises for a while," I said. A rumble echoed my concerns. "The only other alternatives is to raise a commander, asking Saria or Algenis or… a spectre," The atmosphere tensed. "I know, I know, even I don't want to consider it, but we have few options available to us. Saria and Algenis do not have commanding experience. Drutus does and as far as I can tell, only Anthon has any commanding experience within the team in the higher ranks,"
"I scrape by as Commander, Valérien, I do not think I would make a suitable XO," Anthon sighed. "On top of which, Julian will raise red flags at my rise to power. We don't need him sending a team to find Dell missing," Dammit, well that was something else to consider.
"Then the only thing I can consider is raising either Indira or Shayan," my eyes drifted the quarian, his eyes bugging as he quivered. "Or putting Drutus though a trial period. We are short on hands and we need experience. Despite what I want otherwise. How are we with that?" I asked.
"We have no choice," Mari mumbled. "After what happened, Shayan has only just recovered. I am not sure how well he would cope with the XO position," Shayan nodded, a frantic motion to plead for an escape from the idea.
"We need Indira in Intel," Seth said. "She's the only damn person who can keep everyone on the straight and narrow,"
"And I've just been promoted," Phentos shrugged. "Besides, not much experience leading in a position higher than that,"
"So shall we put Drutus through his paces?" I asked. A reluctant rumble surfaced. "I'll speak with him. For now, go home, sleep off any hangovers and get ready for action tomorrow. I want everyone to report to the Council Chambers at 7am sharp. We've got a lot of ground to cover," I ordered.
A hail of 'Aye, Aye's ran free. A few remembered Captain, a few forgot and said XO. Despite that, a smile lifted the tired mandibles. With luck, things could pick up. If I didn't fuck up. No, you won't. The doubt shook free with a hard shake, turning my attention to the real problem at hand. Speaking to Drutus. Setting my mandibles, his number danced under my fingers. The omni-tool called. After a moment, the call connected, the dark metallic blue turian waiting with taut plates. In the background, the bustle of activity. A few children squeaked as crash echoed up the hall. Drutus scowled, eyes drifting away from the omni-tool.
"Be careful!" he called.
"Sorry grandpa!" a small voice replied. Drutus rumbled.
"Enjoying yourself?" I asked, ignoring how my chest tightened. Drutus snorted.
"Of sorts. What do you want?" he asked. My jaw clenched.
"I need to talk to you. In person," I said.
"Is it that important?" he muttered.
"Ah, so you don't want to become XO then?" I asked. Drutus' brow plates snapped down, mandibles parting. He glanced to the side, clucking his tongue.
"I see you in East Quay Square," he said.
"Good. On my way," I said, disconnecting the call. Well, that was one way to get his attention.
East Quay Square sat back near the temporary accommodation. Drutus lived not far either, so it seemed natural to meet between the two locations. The skycar journey back wasn't as heavy as the previous one, but with so much uncertainty over the long term… focus on the future. My goal for the short term was to ensure I didn't end up like Raisha. That alone drove warmth from my core. The neon blurred below me, mind turning to the tasks at hand. Depending on what the Council said tomorrow would drive how the team behaved. A good mission put everyone in high spirits, improved moral and eased them transition into the new captain and XO. The skycar landed 5 minutes away from the square, a long, plaza filled with hologram fountains sprouting light in all colours. A smile lifted my lips as the dazzling display appeared. Dell would've liked this, she always loved the neon, the sights, the sounds. Never keen on the taste though, she said it reminded her of stale air. My thoughts vanished as a dark turian fell in beside me. It snapped my spine straight, eyes focusing ahead until the illusions of light masked us from the light crowd. We found a small bench.
"So, what is this about becoming the XO?" Drutus asked, lowering himself.
"The Council has named me Captain. We… don't have many viable options to take the XO position without consequences elsewhere," I said, landing with a thud. "I spoke to the crew. They are reluctant but they don't see another option. We'd rather have the devil we know than the devil we don't,"
"Bringing in an outsider, either from Julian or from the Council. Although, asking Julian for another hand without giving away command problems will only have him investigate," Drutus said, eyes on the dazzling lights. My mandibles clicked. Shit… didn't think of that one. A sigh burst free. "It was my understanding the crew did not want a Spectre in a command position. What changed?"
"We have no choice," I said. "The Council want us back in order ASAP and I trust no one else. We've known you long enough. You're either a secret ass, the saviour we need or a damn good Saboteur," Drutus laughed.
"I see. Do you think you can deal with that? Without the little Red Head busting your balls," He asked.
"Oh shut up!" I snapped, a flush burning. "I've already had it from Tevos, I don't need you doing it too! And to answer your question, I have to!" I rumbled, diverting my gaze. "For the crew's sake," Drutus waved his mandibles, eyes on the lights before us.
"You'll be fine," he said. My eyes flicked towards him. "Unlike Raisha, you addressed your grief to an extent. If we have another captain go rogue, this crew won't hold together," My mandibles waved, a silent agreement from what could be a disaster. "When do we start?"
"Tomorrow morning, Council Chambers, 7am. We've got a lot of ground to cover in less than a week," I said.
"Then I shall report for duty tomorrow. We'll start your captain training once we… you assign tasks to the crew," he said with a smile, pushing himself up. "Now if your excuse me, I need to inform my family what is happening,"
"Understood, see you tomorrow," I sighed, standing. Drutus raised a brow, smile widening. My plates furrowed. "Dismissed, XO," he chuckled as he stalked away, disappearing into the lights and noise. Alone in the city, my mandibles sagged, heart pining for things that could not be. Or… maybe not. My eyes fluttered upwards. Tevos let slip they believed Gideon was up to something… impossible as it may be, maybe a little hope was all I needed. He is a Shaik, he's too stubborn to give up. If anyone could find a way, it'd be him. The metal clicked beneath me, mind turning to the mission at hand. Let Gideon work on his little experiment. If it worked, Spirits be blessed, I could shut up about her. If he didn't… his home was still there for him. All I could do was wait for him to come back. If he wanted to come back...
The Fact Sheet, Timeline and Galaxy Map have been updated for this chapter. Please see profile for link to Archive.
A/N: And my life is slowly becoming normal. Aside from Word, but I can deal with that for the time being. I am still writing the next chapter but now that my new laptop has arrived, I can finally diversify and get my writing back in gear!