The stinging passed even if the pain didn't. All the while, Delly's omni-tool turned in my hands. Another spike of pain twitched the muscles on my back, but my teeth grit and the pain ebbed. My eyes lifted, watching the female turian clean another wound on my shoulder. A light wound, not even worth the time, but she insisted. 7 hours after the start of the assault, the Starquake hovered above a rough dock thrown together with new parts and the scavenged docks. 3'524 lives lost. Well, at least we stepped up the recruitment drive a few weeks ago. Most of them would come through RIT and Reaper screening in the next few days. Another wound burned as Valérien strode into the med bay. He folded his arms, white tape holding a cut on his neck together.
"We got off lightly, had we not had so many defences in place and so many hands to help, this would've been a different story," he said, "He alright, Saere?" he asked.
"A few scratches and burns, most of the pain is from the SS: PD so he has painkillers if he wants them. Now if only I can get Dell to sit this still after a mission," she grumbled. A snort escaped, a light smile lifting my mood. She always hated doctors…
"Good. Well, we must be on the right track. The Reapers don't want this plan to work," Valérien said.
"Two Saboteurs, not uncommon but positive enough," I said.
"Four," Valérien said. My eyes rose, focusing on him. "Sitoln went after Gideon but he later escaped. We haven't found where he went, the carnage of husks, indoctrinated servants and fire gave him more than enough time to flee. Mat'al took down a geth Saboteur disabling the air defence cannons, a Tech Incap Saboteur. Indira radioed in to say she took out a Thebe, Sensory Overload," Thebe, krogan, a brute of a beast, rally a krogan army. The words flashed through my mind. My head shook. "Then we had our Saboteur. They threw one of each specialisation in our direction. We have them worried,"
"I don't think I've seen four Saboteurs together for… for a long time," I said. "Even the last assault on the Constellation only had 3," The ship shuddered, the docking clamps securing.
"We're taking on injured, so you're being kicked out," he said. A snarl curled my lip up. His scowl only made it worse. "Delly will be fine, but right now we need the space for the injured. Are you ready to take on people, Saere?"
"Send them my way," she said, removing her gloves. The under-armour yanked over my shoulders once more, the bandages wounds tugging. "Do you know anyone who needs immediate attention?"
"Indira is limping hard, from what I heard. Thebe tried to crush her while she was pulling his spine out. Phentos said his team has burns from the dock fire but they are stable. We may get a few from the Constellation coming through, but all ships are prioritising based on resources and injuries. The worst ones are heading to the Constellation," Valérien said. Saere nodded, rallying her medical team. "How's Dell?"
"She's sutured up and now in recovery. We had to wait for the Saboteur to pass and for us to get into space to remove the device, we had to put some of the prongs deep inside and a steady hand is necessary. Her brain waves are still going a little crazy, but it has settled somewhat," she said. My hands wrung. Some good news, now if only it could last…
"Val, we've got people coming aboard, the crew and a few extra," the pilot said. My head shook, sliding off the bed as the armour clicked back into place. The guns snapped back into position.
"Thanks Lanster," Valérien said. "Shaik, let's go, you'll go crazy staying in here all day," He ignored my snort, waiting by the door until I realised he would not relent. With an aggravated sigh, we stepped out of the med bay, my instincts wishing to drag me back.
Blood stained the walls, floor and elevator from the fallen Saboteur, his body and spine already in the sun while we waited for things to calm down. A river of people trickled through the airlock, most nursing a wound or two. The female drell commander limped in, arm thrown across a female, blonde human's shoulders. We pushed into the bridge, away from the noise as my eyes studied the cameras around us. The dock burned still in places, half demolished from flames and the salvage operation to rebuild a new dock. Thus far, only two docks were ready to take ships, the rest of the frigates took shelter in the Constellation for now until more were ready. Smoke filtered up from the surrounding area. The radio hummed, stray husks and indoctrinated servants popping out of the woodwork. A pale object grabbed my attention. Gideon limped back to the Starquake, right arm limp by his side. Valérien breathed hard, air rushing out. Beside him, Mat'al guided him through, the sandy Spectre carrying a dark toned turian over his shoulders. Valérien paced by the captain's chair, waiting for the boy to surface in the corridor. Mat'al noticed us, narrowing his eyes as he continued down the hall towards med bay. Valérien shook his head. Minutes passed before the salarian entered the bridge.
"Well?" Valérien asked.
"Well what? How did the battle fare or what happened to Gideon?" Mat'al asked, leaning against an idle console in the control ring. Valérien raised a brow plate. Mat'al narrowed his eyes. "Gideon is fine, looks like a trapped nerve more than anything. A Hunter got up behind him to disarm him of the Daemon. Sitoln knows about the ammo. Safe to say Nyryntha didn't know what we were getting when we rescued those scientists, she just knew it was bad,"
"A small relief," Valérien asked. His gaze shifted, studying me. "What do you think of our new ammo? I don't think you've seen it in action,"
"So that was the ammo Saboteurs hate," I mumbled, shaking my head. "Something for me to stay clear of?"
"Oh yes, unless you want to be a twitching bundle of flesh on the ground. We don't know what the long term effects are. It could kill you. The ammo is twitchy, so far Gideon's Daemon is the only gun able to fire them," Mat'al said, eyes turning to the cameras. "The battlefield is stable, we need a few more hands to clean up but we aren't as bad as it could have been. Not sure how you will replace your frigate though,"
"We Indus was an old ship, we were replacing her anyway. Another 3 frigates and a cruiser are almost out of dry dock, we'll have our numbers bulked up soon," I said.
The sooner the new ships dropped out of dry dock and finished their trials, the better, especially with the Indus a smoking ruin. The Virgo would complement the cruisers with her sturdier armour and powerful weapons, cannons following the new specifications for military vessels with Thanx cannons for the upcoming war with the Reapers, no doubt. And then the Canis and Dorado would not only replace the burnt remains of the Indus but also give us time to retrofit the other frigates with the new armour. They were faster, stronger and packed bigger teeth than most of the frigates in the fleet. The Crux was a special one, a new stealth frigate. The smallest of the fleet, she could drop behind enemy lines and strike hard before vanishing once more. She took 45% of the new ship funds, and dammit, she better be worth it. My fingers rubbed my eyes. If the Starquake were under my control… no, no, Delly needed her own ship. She couldn't get involved with our plans.
"Oh? And where are you getting so much money to build four new ships, Admiral?" Mat'al asked, eyes tightening. A dry smile tugged my lips up.
"Wouldn't you like to know," I said.
"Your ships won't save you forever, Shell" Palalrian hissed. My eyes blinked, clearing the white spots from my eyes. Back to treading old ground, it seems. Just as well even I didn't know the specifications for those ships. Palalrian rumbled but subsided. "Your docks will fall first, Shell. Even with your resources, your connections and allies, you will fall. You will know true failure,"
"Someone sounds stung," I muttered between clenched teeth. The aliens beside me frowned but made no comment. After so long with Delly, they must know of Nyryntha's tendencies and assumed the same. "If you need guns out there, I could use target practice,"
"We'll see, we don't want to give away too much now," Mat'al said, chilling his tone. "Captain, a moment?"
"Tired of my presence already?" I asked, eyes scanning the cameras once more.
"With Dell still out, we can't reveal anything to you. Why don't you go make yourself useful," Mat'al said. My hackles rattled, biting down on my tongue.
"Such as? I can't leave the ship without giving away details, I can't stay in med bay because it'll be full in seconds," I said, tone light but dry, holding back the snarl. He picked it up though, the salarian frowning.
"I have an idea," Valérien said. "Why don't you head up to Dell's room," My heart skipped a beat, Palalrian shifting in my mind as he prepared countermeasures.
"Why would I go into my sister's room?" I asked, fighting to keep my tone level.
"I won't ruin the surprise, but open the back of your parent's wedding photo. While thinking about Dell, I found something there. I can't figure out what it's for," he said. My mouth opened, but I knew this turian well enough from Delly's spurts. He smiled at my aggregated sigh, turning with a glare frozen to my face towards the elevator.
Once the elevator doors parted, the Officer's deck stretched out before me. They gave me a room here, but I never slept there. I may have to tonight however, if the injuries were bad. That thought swung my jaw, too far from my sister to bring me comfort. The door parted to Delly's room. Her smell rushed to greet me, a swell of emotions and memories rising. She always had something fruity; shampoo, soap, whatever she used, but she never went for perfumes. That damn sensitive nose of hers, the thought passed with a rising smirk. Her room was neat and tidy, her desk dotted with rocks, books and whatever other ornaments she had gathered along the way. Charts pinned above the desk; a galaxy map, rules of conduct in space, a timetable of the day's events. No one had updated since she… my head shook, ignoring the pain and the rush of Palalrian. Between the desk and next tier, a small case occupied the battered remains of two guns inside. A Locust and a Carnifex sat on simple gun holders with a small note between the guns saying 'Gifts from those who believed in me. Retired after a prick took offence when I mocked his rank'. A smaller note sat below, years for the service lifespan. The end date matched the original Starquake crash. My hands twitched, shaking away the horror after reading the reports during the catch-up with Delly.
My heads drifted away from the case, mounting the stairs to the upper tier. She kept everything neat, keeping things tied down, glued down or nailed down. Even the photographs sat in slots dug into the wood. My heart warmed, noticing the photo of us after we found her again. She hid most of it behind photos of her, Gideon and Valérien, but it was on display all the same. The photograph of mum and dad though… The photo fell into my hands, staring at the image with an aching heart. Dad's will… Marshal kept dad's will in the safe in Ireland. It wasn't so much of a will as in a biography should we somehow return. Delly didn't know they existed, but maybe it was time she did. She knew mum committed suicide after my disappearance, so deep in depression and despair she couldn't hang on. Dad fought on, but his work took his life sooner rather than later. Their ashes locked deep in the safe in my room on the Constellation… we had to deal with them. Opening it to see those brown urns in the back… Palalrian struck, a flood of memories of dad crying out Delly's name, torchlight punching through the darkness of the trees. My terror, my guilt and regret swamped me, threatening to plunge me back into the darkness that held me for so long. Mum shrieking as she watched me walk through the door for the first time in 3 years, her arms crushing my neck as she clung on. Dammit, Palalrian, fuck off! The Reaper crackled, digging to surface more memories to torment me with.
My hand flipped the photo, realising only a heartbeat later to be more careful with such a fragile image. My eyes squeezed shut, shoving the rising migraine to the side. The clips slipped free as my knees lowered me onto the sofa. Even now, tendrils of red weaved over the back cushions. No, stop it! My head rested in my hand, the migraine growing, drowning out sanity. My finger inched towards the medi-gel, knowing full well it would do nothing. Pain consumed me, the robotic crackles in the background more than enough warning about Palalrian's influence in all of this. The photo trembled as it lowered to the cushions, pushing it to safety as both hands ran through my hair. It reminded me get my hair cut, the long strands only made it more painful if my hands could grab them during these moments.
Middle drawer, bedside table," a voice crackled over the intercom. My eyes blinked back the bleary veil, easing up with difficulty. Middle drawer… MY hand leaned on the coffee table, heaving myself onto heavy legs before stumbling to the bed. A knee collapsed, hand fumbling for the ridge to yank. A bottle rolled, pills rattled in their sachets. The label on the bottle looked familiar, the name ringing bells in my pained mind. In seconds the bottle opened, bitter fluid assaulting me. Bile churned, but my throat forced it down all the same. My ass landed on the carpet, heaving breaths as the pain crackled over the top of my brain. 15 minutes passed before it subsided, Palalrian snarling with it. My vision cleared, thoughts snapping back to focus. The label fell back under scrutiny. The same medication; they put Delly on the same medication. Well, we had another thing in common. Hopefully no longer, if this plan worked.
With my mind itself again, the photo came back into the forefront as the card backing eased off. A frown formed, spotting a yellowed envelope behind the photo. With care, it slipped out, a single piece of paper inside with a random jumble of numbers. It was dad's handwriting. It didn't… why would he put this here…? They weren't coordinates, it wasn't a phone number, it looked familiar though. My omni-tool scanned the image, copying for future reference. There would be something in dad's books, although it meant re-reading everything. Delly mentioned nothing, other than this photo came from Ventry… wait, was this-. A slow breath slipped free. Dad, you suspicious bastard. The paper folded up. Oh, I knew what this was. With luck, I would never have to use it. The paper disappeared back inside the photo, the photo sliding back into place. But now, mission complete, I couldn't… leave. My eyes trailed over the room, finding little specks of Delly everywhere; the arrangement of her things, the layout of the room. Dammit, she always wanted a clear shot from bed to bathroom without deviations. The stairs would annoy her though, a grin rose. Maybe, when this was all over, we could spend time here, fix those bridges I tore down all those years ago. The air in my lungs soured. Maybe then we could figure out what to do with me in the end… I couldn't live until old age, not with RIT failing. Saria… forgive me. My eyes squeezed shut, her voice surfacing from the depths of my mind. We hadn't found another way.
"I'm fine," Gideon said through grit teeth. The snort only worsened his. "I am!"
"Gid, lift your right arm please," Val said, arms folded across his chest. A smile lifted my lips as Gideon ground his teeth, eyes betraying his doubt as they trailing over the bandaged arm. With effort, the muscles tugged and whined, but he could not raise my arm more than a few millimetres. "…I'm fine!" he cried, defiant as always.
"You're not going back out there," Val said, the parental tone creeping out.
"What are you, my dad?" Gideon snapped.
"Yes! Yes I am, now sit down and shut up!" he growled, standing straighter.
"How are you my dad? I don't remember you adopting me!" Gideon rumbled.
"What the hell do you think I am going to do when your mother gets back, huh?" he said, controlling him temper. Gideon opened his mouth, ready to thunder another angry response before pausing, thinking. His jaw dropped.
"You going to marry mum?!" he asked, gawking. My brows floated up. Had he popped the question before the incident? They hadn't been dating all that long…
"Assuming the war doesn't get in the way, you bet your ass," Val rumbled, settling himself. A sharp ha sounded from behind him. "Fuck you, Corporal. At least I can get women,"
"It's commander you son of a whore!" Marruns barked.
"Delly and Vally sitting in a tree-" Indira sang. Val smirked.
"Indira and Lani sitting in a tree, K-I-" he started.
"Oi! None of that shit! I've already had it off Pigmy Maw!" Lanster wailed through the intercom. Indira flushed on the bed. Laughter bubbled up from the injured soldiers around us.
"Romance aside," I sighed, shaking my head. "I agree with Valérien. You are remaining right where you are,"
"But Sassy, I can't shoot left handed-" Gideon started. He flushed at my laughter erupting through the silence. "I can!"
"I have seen you shoot left handed, Gideon. It isn't a pretty sight," I said, a smile growing. "No, I think we can move you onto a new project to keep you busy,"
"Like what?" he grumbled.
"Fixing Kala's mech. We found the crumbled remains. I would recommend getting a new mech but how much pocket money do you have?" I asked. Gideon paused, turning the words in his head. A sly smile lifted his lips.
"No one will miss one mech missing from the requisitions," he said.
"Gideon Shaik!" Val balked. The turian snarled at my laughter. "I blame you for this,"
"The funny thing is, he isn't wrong," I said, chuckling. Val raised his chin.
"Ah, so if a FENRIS mech isn't accounted for, I can deduct it from your pay?" he asked. A coldness settled over my shoulders, frost growing around my feet. "I thought as much," he turned to Gideon, swinging his jaw as he thought. "Alright, I'll buy you a new mech. But it's your birthday AND whatever this winter festival thing you humans have present,"
"Christmas," Gideon said. He sighed. "Deal,"
"Good, then you can keep your ass parked here and see if you can help around on the ship. You can help with the full scan of the hall to make sure no stray nanobots are floating around. We don't want to down Julian," Val said. Gideon rumbled but said no more. "Delern," Val nodded his head to the door, sliding out with me in tow. "You heading back out?"
"Yes, we need to clear out a few more husks and indoctrinated servants before they nest. We also need to track Sitoln if we can. If he is still in the area, we need to deal with him or scare him off," I said.
"Without the Daemon?" Val asked, settling into the Captain's chair.
"The scientists may have a pistol working with the new ammo, but they are still putting it through trials," I said.
"They'll be ready soon, they're working hard," Val said. "Have fun out there,"
"Just keep the ship on standby the leave," I scowled.
"She always is these days," he said, turning to the screens around him.
Away from the cockpit and the havoc of the injured coming and going, my attention returned to the airlock, sliding into the early afternoon heat. The Black Widow hung on my back, shotgun and pistol ready. At the bottom of the rough dock, ammo caches salvaged from the field dotted an area far from the ships, just in case. Heat sinks tumbled into my backup pockets, reloading each of my guns before meandering around the burned warps hanging from warped, metal poles. The ground crunched below, burnt black from fire and a faint hue of blue as residue from the Wraiths clung on. It screwed with some sensors, but the wind would whip it away in no time. No shade other than shadows cast from towering rock protected us the sun. Krogan littered the area, carrying the dead to count and arrange funerals, picking off what beasts remained and burning any dead husks they crossed. The site was no longer secure, any person here can be a Saboteur or indoctrinated servant, we couldn't be sure. Once the site was clear, then we could kick people out the area. A constant guard of specific people hung around the Starquake. Only certain people crossed their line.
The battlefield itself was still alive with gunfire, but they were in controlled bursts in certain pockets, not throughout the area. The bodies of the Saboteurs were on their way to the sun for disposal, spines included. Down the slight embankment towards the first of the sniping rocks, chattering snapped the shotgun in my arms. A Hunter crawled along the ground, one scythe gone and both legs blown off. A shotgun to the head felled the sorry looking beast. Further down, an intact Husk sprinted towards me, but fell when someone else shot at it. This continued until the elevator to the sniping point loomed, armfuls of ammo loaded onto the elevator. The wind howled, a dust storm on the horizon. It was worse as the elevator crawled up, pressed between the bodies and crates. At the top, my arm raised to shield my eyes from the glaring sun. Kala's remains no longer lay over a gun locker and all the covers to protect snipers and their spotters from the weather stood in place once more. Nothing some fixing couldn't deal with. At this height, the incoming storm twisted my mouth down. We had best work quick, even krogan didn't like working in the dust storms. Pockets of smoke drifted in the wind, piles of husks thrown onto the flames. It was a garish sight.
Before I could buckle down to assess the fortitude of the area, a warning blared, a new siren punching through the wind. Saboteur in sight. People around me froze at first, quivering at the thought of another battle before rushing to their stations. The Black Widow stretched out in my grip, the scope rising to my eyes as the coordinates flew in. In the distance, over the south of the field and the rocky mounts, a speck stood in the distance. My heart thundered a little louder before hailing out the orders. Shuttles eased off the ground, packing soldiers ready to deal with the Saboteur. One hovered beside the pillar, an opportunity for a ride. A small drop from the top of the sniping point to the still rising shuttle and my feet thudded into the roof. The people inside squeaked in surprise, guns slipping free. The door cracked open, a cautious head poking out. An asari squealed as she saw me scramble down and shoulder my way into the full shuttle. The guns quivered before lowering, recognising the stripes on my shoulders. The shuttle tore off to follow the others. Was this a new Saboteur, or was Sitoln still in the area?
News filtered in, the Saboteur was on the move, gunning for the dust storm. The shuttles would be faster, fingers crossed, but we could never be too sure. The door popped open, the wind rushing through the cabin. Down below in the valleys, a small lithe form sprinted. The Widow straightened once more. Sitoln entered the scope sight, his armour taking the brunt of the bullets flying in his direction. His eyes glanced over his shoulder, spotting me in the shuttle. The plates on his arms shifted before he raised an arm, a bullet soaring for the shuttle. The pilot swerved, hurling me deeper inside the shuttle as the bullet cut through the door. Everyone hung on, the shuttle falling back as those behind me hailed bullets above my head. Sitoln refocused on his path, the huge cloud encroaching closer with every second. A tingle of tension crossed my temple, spiking my heartrate. We couldn't be close enough for Mental Assault, could we?
"Stand and fight, coward!" a human screamed in my ear.
"Oh shut up," I scowled. The human jumped, cheeks stained pink. Blue patters lit up over Sitoln's armour, my grip on the Widow tightening.
"Your plan will fail," his voice came through my ear piece. "A simple biological trigger won't save her mind. It will rip itself apart and there is nothing you can do to stop it,"
"You forget who you are dealing with, Narciso. Endellion Shaik will find a way," I said with a smile. A robotic crackle burned my eardrum. The Widow fired, but Sitoln deflected it with the tough armour. My eyes lifted, looking ahead to the incoming storm. The Widow lowered, gripping something solid to hold me in place. Seconds later, Sitoln hurled himself into the dust, the wall seconds from crashing into us. The shuttle wheeled, applying full power to flee in the opposite direction. No one was foolish enough to follow a Saboteur through a raging dust storm.
What did he want? Was this just a recon missions to assess our position or was this something more? My lips pressed together, the shuttle outpacing the storm long enough to drop us back behind the defences. We only got one other message before the dust descended; a frigate in the middle of the storm had launched towards space. The Constellation fleet were on the move to intercept. A sour snort escaped. With any luck, Sitoln had fled, realising it was too late. Why did the forces try to free Nyryntha though? None of the foes attacked the chains and when they did, it was to attract people to them. Had the Reapers… given up on her? Dell always said the Reapers frustrations were growing with every failure on Nyryntha's part. Getting captured and losing her memory drive may have broken the camel's back, as humans say. The dust storm swallowed up the site, the shadows of fleeing people the only source navigation back to the burnt out docks. Husks used the dust storm as an opportunity to strike. Biotic shields flew up, protecting us as the stream of people followed the blue hue towards safety.
A/N: Just a spacer chapter for the book's overall pacing. Don't worry, next chapter will be the one everyone will be waiting for. I needed to flesh out Julian a little so this was a good time to do it.