My tongue ran over my teeth, the Crux swinging out beneath me. This wasn't like the Starquake. This nippy little prick of a ship made sure you felt every turn. My stomach rolled as we barrelled between three Reapers, 2 droids crashing into their larger companions. The Reapers didn't bother trying to hit us, not worth it. Not with the Constellation limp in the stars. The Spectres stood behind me, swaying with the ship with expert balance. Savanor wasn't as good, but still better than me. Algenis stayed at my hip, steadying me through the steeper turns. The ship was tiny, only a crew of 50, and it made sure everyone around it knew it was fast. A heavy sigh left my lips, keeping my eyes away from the fleet status as the frigates, cruisers, shuttles and fighters mobilised in the stand-off. For that's what the fight had become. The Reapers didn't have such an easy target not, for the fleet kept them occupied, but we didn't have enough ships to keep all the Reapers busy. My head snapped up as the door whisked behind me, Mat'al striding through.
"I can't tell if this is better or worse," I mumbled as he joined me on my other flank.
"No time to worry about that, Dell. We need to work fast," Mat'al said, passing an AI scrubber. It slid into my secure chest pocket. "We only get one chance, once the Reapers know we aim to raid and salvage the Constellation, they'll be focusing on the other ships to destroy them, thus preventing us from making a second attempt. If we get on and in one piece, then we have a chance to take control and jump to safety," My shoulders bunched, eyes on the dreadnaught.
"Then let's get moving," I said. Mat'al glanced to the Spectres and krogan, all nodding as they turned and stalked from the bridge.
"Stay safe, Shaik. If something has happened to the Admiral, we'll need you more than ever. You have his contacts and resources, as well as the Council on your side," the salarian captain said, shifting his weight as the ship rolled. My teeth clenched. He frowned at my stiff nod, following me as we swayed out of the dark bridge with the neon orange lights.
The halls weren't much brighter, beams if white along the floor and ceiling lit the way, you could get two people abreast if lucky, but not two krogan. Maybe that's why the crew didn't have any krogan in it. Either that or they all wanted to play on the Draco.. We weaved down the tight halls, the narrow ladders barely big enough for a full grown male krogan. We slid down 2 floors to a working deck. A human waited with her omni-tool, small hatches opened on the port side wall. A quick glance down showed escape pods. Bodies of husks and indoctrinated servants filled two pods. One was empty aside from the Spectres already inside. Savanor settled down in a chair. The human looked up, dark eyes tight.
"Good luck, Captain. We have an explosive in the far wall, a mass effect field will keep the blast away from you. Once you're in, the far side will blow and you can get out faster," she said.
"You really are infiltration specialists," I mumbled, ducking inside the pod. The human grinned.
"At your service," she said, closing the door behind Mat'al. Algenis settled beside me, Mat'al across from me. The atmosphere crushed us, taut like an elastic band. It crushed my lungs until only short rasps sounded. The mass effect field at the far end of the pod shimmered. Under normal circumstances, entering a bombed vehicle would've earned a sharp laugh and a prompt no. Not so now. I jolted as the escape pod primed, shuffling into position like a rollercoaster cart before taking off.
"Deep breath, Dell. It's just like training," Mat'al said. A tight smile flicked my lips up.
"I know," I said.
I never got over escape pods after the prison ship all those years ago. Not a fear, per say, not like lack of gravity. But every abandoned ship drill, it was just that little bit harder to breathe once inside and buckled down. My head pressed back against the headrest, counting. The Crux turned then, the sharpest turn since coming aboard. My hands tightened on the harness, my helmet too tight. The sound changed then, as if flying into a hanger, all echoes and loud booms. The hiss from the door was my warning. Everything tensed. When an escape pod releases, it's like s car side-swiped you, pinning you in the harness on one side. It's not like the movies. The start was the worst; a hard, fast launch to kick you as far from the ship as fast as possible. This was no different. The loud clang released the shuttle, the onboard propellant launching us. My eyes squeezed shut and counted as everything shook. I got to 4 before we came to a loud and abrupt stop. Had my head not been pressed into the head harness, the force would've ripped my head off. Seconds later, a beep sounded. Everything jolted as the back wall of the shuttle burst apart in a black cloud, the shuttle rattling. The harnesses popped free, Algenis grabbing me and hauling me through the thick cloud into the unknown. We crashed between floors, just don't ask me what floors. We slid down the burning metal to the floor below, red lights staining the walls, a loud siren shrieking. My feet touched the floor, hands patting down the hot patches on my body. 4 seconds after the last person escaped the pod, it exploded, the shell continuing through the wall past us. I swallowed, twirling on my feet and sprinting through the dim light towards the stairs. How long before Marshal-?
"Miss Shaik, my you are being troublesome. What would your father say?" Marshal rang. My teeth grit, skidding around a corner.
"Less than you'd think," I grumbled.
"I am not so certain, Miss Shaik. He was always one to follow the rules," Marshal said. My eyes pinned on a camera, a tiny black circle in the ceiling. The Paladin unclipped and boomed in my hand. The camera shattered, "Miss Shaik! How rude!"
"Where's my brother?" I snapped, finding an emergency staircase. Savanor hurled his shoulder into it, the door caving. We piled in, running ever up. We landed on Deck 87. Fuck me, we were just out of the shipping decks! There were 215 decks on this monster, most them taken up by the dock below, but 65 decks belonged to the top deck. Engineering owned 150 decks, albeit that was - again - including the dock. The jump jets helped push us up the staircases, making quick work with as minor effort as possible. We needed all the strength we could get. I couldn't be angry though, the staircases were also a defence system. People had to climb up them from the docks, exhausting them. The server room spanned 4 floors on decks 50 to 54. That's where we aimed for. The lower 10 floors were non-engineering storage, armoires and personnel workout areas. They even stored skycars here just in case they needed them. The ship had 45 med bays for God sake!
"Sir Shaik is preoccupied, Miss Shaik. He will not be available for some time," Marshal said. My heart skipped a beat. Had to find him. Had to find him!
Savanor broke another door down after an eternity on the stairs, Deck 54 sprawled on the wall in blood splattered white paint. Although he reared back out with a Hunter latched to him. Marruns' Mattock crackled beside me, the Hunter falling, Savanor reached out and grabbed the door, shoving it back into place. A scythe punched through the metal, another soon joined it as the crackle of hundreds of husks rumbled behind the stairs. No one is getting through there! Eyes turned to me. My teeth grit, nodding my head up as he fled the laboratory floors and towards the command floors. We ran up to deck 35, past the labs, intel department and halfway through the combat floors. This door already sat broken on the floor as we jumped in. Inside, long corridors ran in all directions, rooms with various combat systems and surveillance systems crackling through the windows. The red light flickered, a brief flash of darkness. Bullets flew like hot coals in the distance as we sprinted down, the lights flicking back on. The low rumble of angry husks hung in the air. We turned a corner towards the hail of bullets. People swung around, guns raised to their eyes. Every muscle tightened.
"Weapons down!" I barked. "Or do you want Julian to shoot you for shooting his sister!?" A moment, a hesitation, before the guns lowered. Friends or great indoctrinated servants, which was it?
"Little Shaik?" a voice asked. My breath rushed out, a vague memory of the wounded asari before me. But I couldn't remember her name.
"I need a status update now," I said. Hands grabbed me and shoved me down behind the remnants of a torn wall panel. Bullets dinged moments later.
"Quick version, we're fucked," a batarian said.
"More detailed than that!" I snapped. "What floors are no goes, where is the Saboteur? Where's Julian? What's Marshal got control of?"
"In order?" A turian grunted, throwing a grenade down the hall. "All of them, with the Admiral, near the living quarters but not sure where and just about everything,"
"How do you know he's in the living quarters?" Drutus asked.
"Because he struck in the middle of the night. The Admiral was in his quarters and no doubt the Saboteur would've gotten to him before letting the attack go ahead," the asari coughed, blue blood splattering on the floor. My gut wrenched, applying a dose of medi-gel.
"What are our forces looking like?" Marruns asked.
"Most of them are on the port side, upper floors. Can't get close to the server room, there's husks everywhere," the batarian said.
"We noticed," Savanor grunted.
"They're trying to secure the bridge, if we can do that we can fight Marshal," the turian said.
"Why?" Mat'al frowned.
"There's a connection in the bridge to the servers," I said, wincing at the explosion kicking us back a step. Had to get to Julian… but I needed Marshal under control. "Port side you said?"
"Going for the bridge?" the batarian asked. I nodded. "Deck 10, we have the immediate area around the bridge more or less secure, we'll radio on ahead so they don't shoot you,"
"Good luck, see you when this is done," I said, ducking around a corner to reach another staircase.
"Miss Shaik, I must deter you from this course of action," Marshal rang.
"Fuck you, you back-stabbing fuck!" I thundered, cursing as a bullet crashed into my shields while passing another hall. A scream chilled my bones, but whatever caused it fell behind. No one else dared look back.
"Miss Shaik, I am only following my programming," Marshall said. Savanor burst down the stubborn door again as we piled up the stairs once more. Fuck these stairs!
"This isn't protecting us, Marshall, this is killing us!" I snapped as we passed deck 30.
"I have listened to the Reaper's logistics, Miss Shaik. I fear they make sense. Removing Sir Shaik is the only course of action to fulfil my code," Marshal said.
"Stop Dell," Mat'al said. "You're only torturing yourself," My teeth gnashed together. Floor 20 passed, then 15. Gunfire roared all around us. On deck 12 a poor sod flew through the door, a severed scythe in his chest. Mat'al's shotgun deafened me as we continued up, now with angry husks behind. The Hunters sprang up the walls, seeking to pounce on us. The Spectres took well aimed pot-shots, the Hunters screeching as they fell. Savanor burst through onto Deck 10, my legs begging for mercy, my jump jets almost overheating.
Deck 15 onwards were the weird decks. Because of the shape of the ship, there was no connection to these floors aside from the central most staircases and elevators. They toyed with connections between the how and stern and the top 15 decks but ditched for security reasons. The bridge was too important. These 15 floors in the central section of the ship held master connections to everything in the ship. From the docks to the labs, from the server room to the engines. It wasn't easy to penetrate once locked down. How many people died trying to break past those defences to get this far? People looked up in surprise, the howl of husks echoing down the halls. A few raised guns, but a few recognised the armour. Few people running in with purple armour on this ship.
"Endellion," a voice rumbled. My chest tightened, fingers itching for the Paladin. A krogan knelt down behind a moving barricade of metal, pushing ever further towards a new staircase. My chain raised, pinning myself to the wall as bullets flew towards us.
"Raisha," I said. The krogan turned her sky blue eyes towards the gunfire. "What's the situation?"
"We are making ground, but not fast enough. There is no assurance reaching the bridge will help us," she said.
"All I need is an omni-chip slot that links to a server. I don't care what one," I said. A massive eruption shuddered the floor, my teeth clenched tight.
"I presume this is for Gideon's little AI. Trade one AI for another," Raisha said, her voice drying.
"Fight fire with fire, fight AI with AI," I growled. "Who's in charge here!?" I hailed over the noise.
"Commander Jenkins!" a voice answered.
"Leeroy!" I shouted.
"Stop calling me that, Shaik! I get it enough off the Admiral!" a voice snapped. A grin lifted my lips, nodding my head to Mat'al and Algenis. They shuffled down the hall a little more. A human pinned himself to the wall in their place, glowering at me. The pale toned man frowned at my grin, his narrow eyes almost hiding his coal coloured eyes. We were the same height, it was weird after so long around tall aliens.
"How long until we have the bridge?" I asked.
"We're two minutes from the staircase, then we gotta fight our way up to the bridge," he said.
"Anyway for us to access any of the other servers?" I asked.
"Disconnected them, many people died to stop Marshal getting to them and using them for himself," Jenkins said. HIs actual name was Benjamin, but Leeroy was more amusing.
"I have Kala. I need her helping us here!" My heart leapt as a flood of Abominations exploded in acidic fire, biotic shields protecting the advancing teams. Jenkins grit his teeth.
"The S-Server still has its isolated connector, but it can't compete with Marshal's," Jenkins said.
"A start, what about the I-Server?" I asked.
"The S and I servers should still connect, the teams just focused on trying to separate Marshal from more power. I suppose she could use both…" he grumbled.
"Dare I ask about the R Server?" I asked.
"That wrecked heap?" Jenkins raised a brow.
"Kinda what I was expecting," I sighed. "It'll have to do. They hide the Isolation connections on Deck 7 right?"
"You got it little lady," Jenkins said.
"Miss Shaik, I am astonished at your behaviour. Do you have any notion of the travesty you are concocting?" Marshal asked.
"Marshal, you lost a lot of brownie points because of this. Go fuck yourself," I growled.
"In the words of your late father; don't be a coward and fuck me yourself," Marshal said.
"OH FUCK OFF!" I thundered. Jenkins scowled.
"Less yapping to the AI and more stopping it!" Jenkins snapped. My eyebrows pinned down, creeping down the hall with the marching forces. "Get the fusion incinerator!"
"The what now?" I asked.
"Questions later, Baby girl. move it, move it! These Reapers won't wait all day!"
My mouth opened, but Jenkins was gone, ducking below bullets as a high pitched whistle crashed through three layers of metal before stopping in a wall of sandbags. Biotics heaved the safety wall forward as the husks grew more desperate. In the distance I spotted the turian husk. Tall and lanky, the side crests elongated, scopes replacing their eyes A robotic cry strangled from its throat, the husks around him mobilising. A Praetorian spun around the corner, the high pitched whistle of Reavers joining it Rocket launchers flew, the Praetorian screeching in complaint. I frowned, wondering what they were doing, until black blocks of metal screeched. They emerged from the walls, moving together to seal the hallway. The Reavers pushed hard, Husks clambering through, Hunters crawling along the closing walls. The Paladin kicked hard in my hand as round after round felled more husks until the bulkhead closed. Jenkins heaved a sigh, looking over his shoulder as a team wheeled over a man high block of metal with a funnel poking out the top. They stood by an emergency staircase to the command centre. Algenis pulled me back, pistol raised.
Husks tumbled out from the door, shoved back by a roar of gunfire. A body mound formed cleared by desperate husks to latch onto any poor sod they could. Three biotics threw down a quake, the wall of husks dissipating long enough for the team to shove this weird block inside and slam the door. Krogan held the door shut with their shoulders. Blessedly, the emergency doors were not automatic. Marshal had no control over them. The seconds counted, the scream of husks trembling my knees. A rumbling whoosh quaked the entire floor every hair standing to attention. The krogan threw open the door, the inside half melted and stained black once the white feverish glow faded. A krogan poked his head in. He raised a fist, teams clicking guns as they moved in. Jenkins waved me down. The inside stank of burnt meat and metal. It clogged my lungs, a wretched cough doubling me for a moment. The staircase was droopy and fluid, solidifying in half-melted forms as people grappling hooked and jump jetted their way upwards. My team followed me, clambering up with the hot metal burning our boots. They didn't bother with decks 9 and 8, a team already neck deep in deck 7. I shouldered my way inside, looking around.
Mass amounts of computers lived on this floor, subservient to the primary server room. A back-up in case something happened if you would if you couldn't reach the server room. The room ran hot, the screams of husks and gunfire deafening the pounding blood in my ears. I remembered the old override locations for the servers, but I wasn't much into computers then. Still not. The dark halls glistened with blood, all dark in the red light. We turned a corner, Jenkins fighting against a door down a narrow hallway. The Spectres turned, gunning down husks that followed us down the dead-end. The door remained shut.
"Fuck, what I wouldn't do for some explosives," Jenkins snarled as he ripped metal plates off the side of the door.
"Why is Marshal doing this… how did a Saboteur get him?" I mumbled, yanking the other panels off with the team guarding our backs.
"Miss Shaik, cease and desist! I do not authorise you to enter that room!" Marshal said.
"You're killing us, Marshal! Fuck you!" I snapped, running my omni-tool over the wires. "Goddam it, Mat'al get these doors! I can shoot!" I snapped. Mat'al chuckled as he backed up, letting me take his spot with the Locust in hand. Used heat sinks trailed along the floor, bullets from the adjacent corridor firing into view to thin their numbers. Mat'al and Jenkins grumbled and swore behind us as they cut cables and shorted connections. The Locust swapped to the Paladin to let the barrel cooldown.
"We're in!" Mat'al called. My head flicked over my shoulder, backing away. Half the door lay closed. I was small and skinny enough to squeeze inside. Mat'al followed with Algenis and Rosmeni, the turian's too bulky up top with the carapace to squeeze in. The tiny room was simple, a main computer interface with a whole bunch of other nonsense around it. I was already tearing off a panel at the primary hub, revealing old fashioned mechanical keyboards and slots for the overrides. Kala's chips slipped out.
Miss Shaik, I implore you, stop. You do not understand," Marshal said.
"What I understand is my brother is dying because of you!" I snapped, steadying myself as Marshal heaved the ship. But the Constellation was heavy. The orange chip slammed into the I-Server.
"Miss Shaik, stop! I cannot protect you like this!" Marshall said.
"Protect me?" I barked, watching the lights die. "You're killing me! You're killing Julian!"
"He is a threat to you, Miss Shaik, I cannot allow him to continue," Marshall said. "Miss Shaik, please," The orange chip slipped out, the yellow on in my hand.
"We are beyond begging, Marshal. You made your bed," I hissed, sliding Kala's chip in.
"Miss Shaik, you are making a mistake. You are assuming incorrectly," Marshal said. My teeth locked, waiting.
"I have the I- and S-Servers, Captain," Kala chimed in my ear.
"You ready to fight, Kala?" I asked.
"I am, Captain. Plug me into the rest of the Constellation. The teams used automatic cut off procedures for the I-Server, I can use those while the S-Server's physical connections are repaired. Between these servers and the ships, I should be on equal footing with Marshal," Kala said.
"Alright," I said, looking to Mat'al as he typed on the clicky keyboards.
"Wheel, physical keys feel strange," he mumbled. My eyes rolled.
"Welcome to my world, enjoy your stay," I said.
"Miss Shaik, please, you must reconsider," Marshal said. My eyes narrowed, glancing to Mat'al. He met my gaze, nodding.
"Kala. Go get 'em," I said.
"Attempting control," Kala chimed.
The lights all around me burst into yellow, dazzling me. Gideon said she liked to make sure people knew what she had control of and yellow was striking enough to notice. It was why her mech had yellow lights, and Gid's Daemon. The intercom crackled and whistled, vague voices battling for control. The ship rumbled, the doors flicked open and closed. Husks screamed as doors slammed shut and emergency vents dragged them into space venting rooms hidden on the flanks of the ship. New doors opened and floods of husks swam in, only for them to close and crush many. The lights flickered between emergency red and white, the strobe effect dazzling. Kala ended up forgetting about lights for our sake, letting the emergency red lights hold us in dim darkness. The weapons on the dreadnaught whining and falling still, moving and powering and falling still again. We squeezed from the room, barging down the hallways. The entire time, faint fragments of conversation between the AIs crackled overhead, but they were so masked in static it was impossible to hear either of them. I ducked under a flying Hunter, aiming for the stairs.
More than enough people focused on the bridge, the ship would be secure. But there were two challenges ahead; keeping Kala on top of Marshal and finding Julian. I couldn't do anything more for Kala, but I could reach Julian. Eventually. The Living area occupied the mid bow section of the ship, spanning 30 decks. Most were cabins, but there were expansive amenities. Almost like a cruise ship. The further from the bridge we ran, the further we ran from the protective cluster of people. The crackle of husks echoed down every hall, a quake vanishing behind me from a Scion. A Praetorian chased us for a time before giving up and going after easier prey. Three times my path changed because of indoctrinated servants fighting our people. And every time the Reaper lay a hit on the Constellation, my stomach plunged at the low boom that echoed from it. A team of 5 asari raised assault rifles at me from down the hall, firing despite my cry. We ducked down another corridor, clattering down a set of stairs to go around. With the travellators out, our progress crawled.
We burst into the Living quarters, Deck 12. The upper tiers were all bedrooms and quiet living spaces, the louder and more adventurous further down. Our rooms were on this deck, as were the other admirals, rear admirals and captains. The only way to know you were in the Living Wing was through the walls. Most of the ship was solid silver walls, darkening during night or combat. The living quarters were half dark on the bottom, light on top. Thin carpets lined the rooms, but the hall clanged under our feet as the AI's roared around us. Doors flew open and shut, the howls of husks growing louder and quiet. We ran midway through the living areas, turning down a hall towards the Fleet Admiral rooms. The door fought open, the lock light flashing between red and yellow. Marruns yanked a fire extinguisher from the wall as he passed it overtaking me to jam it in the door. Metal creaked around me as I slid inside, people filing in close behind.
The living room was empty, no trace of fight nor trouble. Mat'al broke down the door to my room, Kala unable to pry it open. Drutus took Julian's while we scurried around. The tiny kitchen was unused, though I remembered many a quiet meal with Julian here when he escaped his duties. Both men came out, shaking their heads. My heart fluttered. Not here… where would he be then?! He struck in the night, Julian would've been asleep! ...Or had he… My jaw clenched, wheeling around to flee the little sandy hued room, Algenis a hair behind me. A hail of gunfire flew past the perpendicular hallway, returning fire coming from the other direction. With a slow breath, I leapt, rolling across the abyss. Two Hydras passed my vision, one sea green, the other amber, before the opposite hallway protected me from the hail. .I didn't wait, couldn't wait. Back on my feet and running, my shoulder barged into an emergency staircase door. Two inches off my face, a Cannibal screamed at me. But going so fast and being so close… The Cannibal howled, clawed limb flailing for me as I tumbled over him and down the stairs. My back crashed against the wall, dazing me for a moment. Loud pops startled me awake, Algenis vaulting over the tumbling Cannibal to shield me until I was on my feet. Mat'al and Marruns poured bullets into the armoured husk, Rosmeni moving around to grab me and heave me up. My head shook, dazzled but desperate. I shambled down 5 floors, Savanor sparing my aching shoulder by breaking down the door.
A grassy plaza greeted me over the glass balcony, all burning and covered in corpses. 3 decks deep, this was the start of the entertainment district. A compact city, if you would. Gunfire echoed through the open space, bulkheads half-closed. We ran along the upper level, spotting husks and servants driving back our forces towards the narrow shopping streets. There wasn't a vast selection and it didn't get updated as often as it could, but it was a handy convenience and brought a little money in from Julian's… less than savoury friends. Down two staircases, I meandered down the streets, the neon flashing street dark and red, fire staining everything in harsh shadows. The casino flew by, 3 clubs, 4 clothes shops and little ice cream deli. All burning or singing with gunfire. We turned a corner, another plaza opening up. The starboard plaza boasted a strange fountain heralding from the original species, all fluid swirls and gravity defying loops engineered to force water to sway and sing like a gentle lullaby. Some thought this was their religious centre for the rest of the ship had been stark and barren of anything beautiful. But the fountain, 2 and a half decks high with loops that sprawled over our heads like a tree lay in pieces, the delicate crystal structure now sparkling shards. But my goal lay ahead. The starboard viewing windows were closed, Marshal fighting to open the fragile windows for the Reapers. Close to those windows, two forms bathed in the fire's light. One standing, the other on the floor with a blue light radiating from parts of them. I knew who was who in an instant.
The blade slid out from behind my boot, sprinting for my life towards the standing form. Three steps from the figure, they turned, the faint flash of ruby red scales before my feet left the ground, knife primed. There was a moment, her eyes widened before the blade sunk into the neck. A robotic cry rang out, the momentum sending us wheeling and tumbling along the ground. The blade escaped my grip, rolling back onto my feet with the Paladin in hand. My eyes flew over my shoulder to the still form behind me. There was a cry from Algenis, snapping me back as my feet kicked me sideways. A cable slammed into the ground where I had been, my lips curled back into a snarl.
"Eyes here, baby Shaik," the robotic voice said, Reaper plate smothering the lithe form. "The Enforcer is busy,"
"What did you do to him!?" I demanded.
"Nothing. Nothing that has not been in motion for decades," the Saboteur said as the team fanned out around it. Even through the robotic voice, there was a distortion to the way they spoke. Drell. Female. Ruby red in colour…
"Ethenu?" I asked. The lips twitched up.
"Surprised?" she asked.
"How the hell did you escape detection for so long?" I asked, heart thumping. Admiral Ethenu had watched me several times while Julian was on his ground missions and Lae couldn't take me. Dear God, Julian had put me into the hands of another Saboteur without knowing…
"We have our ways. Tis a shame you escaped us when you did, Baby Shaik. Nyryntha would have had you by now," the Saboteur said.
"Well she didn't, and she's dead for trying," I hissed. Ethenu smiled again, a gentle twitch of her lips.
"Shame, she was a good Reaper. Perhaps she wasn't ready to deal with Martyrs yet," Ethenu said. The Paladin popped in my hand, but the Saboteur didn't flinch, didn't move as the bullet bounced off the hard metal. "Tis a shame you found us when you did. A few more hours and… well," her eyes slid towards Julian. "Perhaps she will take it from you better than I, Enforcer," My blood froze. A gun banged, Ethenu's smile vanishing as a bullet cracked off her hip. She tsked. "Still some fight left then? How much longer can you last? A few minutes, a few hours? Will your baby sister see a Saboteur take-over in person?"
My head spun to face Julian. Lying on his stomach in a puddle of blood, a pistol trembled in a hand, his head bound to the floor. His entire face was lit by glowing circuitry, his eyes white from the brightness. Almost every vein glowed Reaper blue or white. HIs hand flopped to the ground, his teeth clenched, but he didn't move beyond that. He refused to meet my eyes, focusing instead on the Saboteur. Ethenu smiled as she stepped around me, approaching Julian. Every nerve snapped awake, Paladin straight in my hand, feet mirroring her. She didn't seem to mind as I blocked her,
"Julian, talk to me. What's going on? Are you still there?" I asked, voice pitching.
"...still… here," he managed. Ice formed in my blood, bouncing around like dodgems. His voice was more robotic than Ethenu's.
"But for how much longer?" Ethenu sang.
The Paladin thundered in my hand, the heatsink emptying in seconds even as my feet powered me towards her, unheeding the cries behind me. My spare blade slid from my boot, my arm flung in a mad swing. But she wasn't there. My eyes blinked, startled as a boot crashed into my side, bouncing along the floor. Gunfire opened up around me. She was there. She had been there! My eyes squeezed shut, clearing them for a moment. She swayed, shifting left and right with every blink. Sensory Overload. And she was teasing me. Teeth gnashing together, my feet scrambled up.
"Sensory Overload!" I cried, looking at the team as they clicked on the sides of their helmets, no doubt bringing up a combat UI. Savanor charged, a krogan hammer swinging into his grip. Ethenu smiled, but Savanor closed his eyes and swung. A robotic hiss crackled through the sky, Ethenu thrown away from Julian across the crystal shattered plaza. Savanor snorted.
"Won't work a second time, she'll block out all senses," Savanor rumbled as I fell in beside him.
"We just need to keep her distracted enough to not use it," I said, teeth grit. Marshal the Drone popped up, whizzing around towards the Saboteur. But she was up and a whip from a cable from her back put an end to the drone. Gunfire popped in the distance, a hail of bullets raining down from above. My eyes snapped up as a team of 10 bunkered down on the balcony, omni-shields before them. A team stood on either side to watch their flanks. Ethenu growled, an electronic crackle sending my hairs straight on my arms. My eyes snapped up as another team moved around to another side of the large plaza in a similar style to the first.
"Do what you gotta do, Shaik!" a voice called. "SOs have range! We'll keep her busy!" Sniper lasers danced, Ethenu hissed.
"AI! Deal with these!" Ethenu commanded.
"I will attempt to-" Marshal said. A deafening crackle punched through my head, the ship heaving as if punched from below.
"Oh no you won't!" Kala hissed. Ethenu popped her jaw, staring at me once more.
"We're resourceful, what can I say?" I said. Ethenu hissed, 4 cables whipping out of her back.
"I noticed," she said.
The first hail of sniper bullets rained, Ethenu dodging as she ran towards me. These weren't little snipers. If a bullet crashed into her, she jolted, slowing her progress for a second. A cable flew, but a round from Drutus left is dangling on wires. The omni-blade snaked out, safe to use now. Algenis took pot-shots at her side, but the Saboteur stayed focused. Savanor shoved me back as he braced. He grunted as her momentum and strength shoved him on his back, only his reflexes sparing him from a cable crushing his throat. Ethenu was over him and on top of me a moment later. the blade swung out, severing one cable but left me open to the punch incoming. My head swam, stars flashing before me as she grabbed me by the upper arm and raised me like a hammer. A force grabbed me, pinging bullets too close for comfort. My arm threatening to pull from the socket before a hail of bullets hit a nerve to release her hold on my arm. Rosmeni reeled me in, the biotic aura dazzling.
"Thanks, Rosmeni!" I yelped. The asari grinned, changing her stance.
My stomach plunged, grabbing a blade and a blacklight purple heatsink from her belt. She threw me, my teeth cracking from clenching. Ethenu stumbled as a sniper took her in the knee, Rosmeni adjusting my course just a touch. Ethenu looked up just as she got two feet to the face. We tumbled on the ground, her cables snagging me as the Saboteur recovered before me. Her hands grabbed my throat, the armour creaking under her grip. My eyes squeezed shut as the blade punched through the heatsink in my hand. It erupted, everything around me ringing as blackness found me for a time. Floating in numbness, only my staggered breathing comforted me, a ring droning out all other sounds. My eyes fluttered, heavy and sore. Everything blurred before me, spinning ever so slightly. The ringing eased with agonising slowness. Muffled struggles clanged on the metal floor, dragging my head off the ground.
Mat'al and Marruns tangoed with the Saboteur, Mat'al latched onto her back like a rucksack. The Saboteur stumbled, her cables twitching like uncontrolled snakes. Marruns slashed at her lower legs, through a slight gap behind the knee. A shower of blood poured free, a peeking of bone as the Saboteur stumbled to the floor. Rosmeni leapt in, her orange omni-blade blinding as the three dealt with the flailing drell. A hand grabbed me, easing me up. My eyes found Algenis, keeping himself between me and the Saboteur. Dazed, my mind fumbled. Julian… where was Julian? Where was he?! My head snapped around, nausea flooding me. Algenis grunted as he stabilised me, fighting to keep me on the ground. My vision cleared enough to see Julian's form still on the floor. Algenis sighed as he watched me crawl, pushing myself onto weakened knees to reach him. He hovered by my shoulder, ready to catch me. My knees caved beside Julian.
My hand couldn't stay on his back, his spine was on fire. He felt too warm in general, the lights on his skin spreading to the outermost parts of his limbs. His body trembled, circuitry breaking out at random. He was hard to look out just from the brightness alone. I pumped two lots of medi-gel into him, then another for me. A minute passed, a wet slurping echoing behind me, the gunfire quietening. Julian's enormous hand fell into mine, my legs strong enough to hold me once more. I tugged him to yank him on his feet, but he grunted, his other arm flailing for something, but his legs lay limp.
"Delly… stop," Julian managed, though it was hard to hear him over the robotics.
"Fuck you! Stop being a lazy ass and get up!" I snapped. Algenis popped his omni-tool out, running it over Julian. "I have not risked this much to just let you sulk on the floor!"
"Captain," Algenis said. My head snapped down. "They have severed his thoracic,"
"English?" I asked.
"The spinal cord is cut, Captain," Algenis said, placing a finger below Julian's shoulder blades. "Right here," My heart shuddered, a tremble stealing me. Julian lay half raised by me, face towards the floor. My jaw tightened. Julian grunted, his arm yanked again, but this time I knelt before him, pulling his arm over my shoulder.
"Run… leave… me," Julian mumbled.
"No fucking way. Absolutely not! We are seeing this goddam war through to the end, do you hear? You are not tapping out this early on!" I snapped. Julian moaned, my legs complaining as I grabbed his legs and heaved him onto my back. HIs head flopped on my shoulder.
"It's too… late… please," Julian said, the robotics harder to hear through this close. My teeth clamped shut, marching away from the plaza, seeking friendlies. The snipers dispersed, looking to quell the fights elsewhere. Mat'al caught up with me, his armour soaked with blood. Not green though.
"Delern… talk… to her," Julian wheezed. "It's… too late," Mat'al narrowed his eyes as we jogged down the halls escaping the living quarters.
"Are you turning?" Mat'al asked. My heart laboured.
"...Yes," he said.
"Fight it!" I snapped.
"I… can't," Julian said. "He has… part of… my brain… now. No… fighting… that," he coughed, a chesty cough that splattered blood over my armour. My stomach twisted.
"We're Shaiks. We're too stubborn to die," I muttered, Marruns waving us down a hall.
"...But… we… die… eventually," Julian mumbled.
"I am afraid Sir Shaik is correct, Miss Shaik. He has been turning for the past hour. It won't be long before Palalrian has him. You must destroy him, Miss Shaik, he is a threat," Marshal said.
"You're a threat! How dare you?! How fucking dare you!" I thundered.
"He is a Saboteur, Miss Shaik, he was always a danger. I did not see it so with both Shaiks so. Tis different now," Marshal said.
"Shut him up! Kala shut him up!" I demanded. Or begged. Julian losing… no, no, he wasn't!
"I am attempting too, Captain," Kala's voice crackled overhead. "But I am unsure how much longer I can last. He has to fight me, while I have to fight him and maintain the rest of the fleet, I do not have the resources-"
"Then be gone, you are a nuisance," Marshal cut in. What to do, I wasn't a computer specialist at all! We needed Kala to keep the Reapers off us, but we couldn't let Marshal win. Dammit, dad, why didn't you give me your brains?!
"Gid…" Julian mumbled.
"What about him?" I asked, skidding to a stop as bullets tore down the hall. We ducked down another corridor, aiming for the stairs.
"Where?" Julian asked.
"On the Starquake," I said, Savanor bursting down the door and taking 4 Cannibals down with him.
"Orders… for him." Julian shuffled his chest, resting his chin on my shoulder. My teeth grit, but Kala put me through when she found a moment. Gideon's voice crackled in my ear, talking to Kala as she fought the AI. Something about managing hyper-threading priorities.
"Gideon! Listen up!" I ordered. Silence met me, a moment of quiet.
"W-What's up?" he asked. Julian grunted as he pulled himself closer to my ear piece.
"Go… to your… mum's room," Julian said. My brows snapped down. "The photo… of your… grandparents. Something… inside. Send it… to your… mum,"
"What… oh… ok," he said.
"Hurry, Gideon. hurry!" I added.
"Secure… the server… room," Julian said. "Need… the… primary… controls," he winced, his body shaking and twitching. It wanted to throw me on the deck. My legs braced, eyes squeezed tight until moisture leaked free. The spasm passed, Julian heaving massive breaths, the circuitry spreading further over him. No, no, no, no! He wasn't turning! He wasn't turning, dammit!
"Secure the server room! All forces secure the s-" Kala chimed over the intercom.
"Belay that order," Marshal said. The Spectres formed a protective circle around us, Mat'al glued to my hip.
"What are we doing? What's going on?" I asked, the dreadnaught heaving to one side. Drutus held me steady.
"Can't… with him… listening," Julian mumbled. My teeth gnashed as we coaxed out way down the halls. Goddam, Julian, why are you so heavy!?
We finally reached a staircase to take us to the server room entrance floor, Deck 55. The stairwell was burnt to cinder, the stairs half melted. Gunfire and screams soared from below. A thousand feet pounding up the stairs and dashing into the deck below us. Julian took another spasm, Mat'al and Drutus holding me steady against the force. The stairs felt too fragile, ready to snap. Explosion erupted around us the deeper we went, but the flow of fresh husks seemed to slow with Kala now helping to control the situation. We reached Deck 55. Mat'al scouted ahead, a shadow in the distance as we wandered down the dark halls, walls lit red and stained in dark splashes. The fighting was no less intense than on the stairwell, but it seemed far away. A low rumbling trembled the door, shrieks cut short. Down one hall, part of a wall lay crumbled on the floor, a mass of coloured blood pouring out from a crushed pile of bodies. The opposing wall was a solid mass of biological media. My throat tightened, backing out to take a different route. We approached the server room, the gunfire deafening as we turned the last corner. The doors to the server room flitted in the horizon. But between them and us stood hundreds of husks, a small army of people and a pile of bodies. A team of Hunters leapt from the ceiling. three asari burned blue, the wall rupturing from the holdings to crush everything between it and the opposing wall in a wet splat. Bile stained my tongue. Eyes flew over their shoulders as they heard heavy footfalls behind them, guns half raised. They soon lowered once the flashlights painted us in colour. Black stains marked the front of my armour, taking the full brunt of the exploding heatsink. Julian was more akin to a Christmas tree, glowing until everything around him was blue.
"Secure that room, dammit! Or we're all dead!" I snapped. Spines snapped straight.
"Understood!" voices called, the intensity picking up. The front line pushed forward. A Brute charged, the giant half krogan, half turian creature. But a team of biotics heaved the floor until it flew backwards, landing straight in a pile of waiting grenades. The door inched closer, and closer, until a team slapped a bomb on it. The shields flew up, biotic and tech. A shockwave threw me back, Marruns and Rosmeni grabbing me to stay upright. My eyebrows flew up, the server room itself didn't have much in the way of husks or indoctrinated servants. Mostly just robots that Kala and Marshal fought over. A team barged inside, more pushing down the hall still. We slid inside, the room warm for a change.
The R-Server lay in a smoking heap. Electronics lay strewn like confetti, the towering banks blocking the simple way to Marshal's servers in the far corner. The I- and S- servers burned with yellow lights, walking anywhere near them burned the hairs on your face. We trudged around the room, a team of 200 encircling us, eyes up and down and everywhere around us. Julian moaned as my omni-tool pinged. We approached the AI's server. Marshal had always been particular about the temperature of his servers. It ran red hot in places now. Kala wasn't making it easy for him. But it still wasn't enough. A team popped heads off the sentry bots, rendering them useless for both Marshal and Kala. Mat'al kicked the remnants out of my way as we laboured deep inside. The temperature skyrocketed, my heat sensors blaring warnings. And Julian wasn't armoured. We moved deep inside until a small opening appeared, the team panning out to secure every crawl space to this area. Screens dotted this little square, no bigger than a small downstairs toilet. You could touch 2 walls from the centre and the other two just out of reach. Julian struggled to raise a hand, reaching for a control panel nearby. Once more, hard, metal keys waited. Mat'al watched our back in the miniscule space.
"Miss Shaik, there is nothing you can do," Marshal said. My eyes narrowed, grip on Julian's limp legs tightening. I wished he grunted, but he didn't.
"I can put an end to this madness," I grumbled as Julian's laden fingers tapped at the clicky keys.
"Shoot… the cameras," he wheezed.
"Shoot the cameras!" Mat'al rallied. In seconds pops rang, smashing glass raining on the metal floor.
"Sir Shaik, you are worse than Miss Shaik!" Marshal snapped.
"What's going on, Julian?" I asked. Julian shuddered, a cold sweat breaking out over his skin.
"Omni… tool," he said. My tongue clapped against the roof of my mouth. Mat'al grabbed his leg, letting me open up the omni-tool and holding it out for him. Julian navigated through it. "He doesn't… have access… to this… panel,"
"No, at the time I saw it as negligible. Now I see I should have insisted on full control," Marshal said. The screens changed before us, the menus fluttering away to something else. Julian grit his teeth.. "But I can interrupt the commands once they leave the shackled firewall regardless," Everything ached. My legs burned from holding Julian, my arms begged for release, my shoulders cried and my heart lay shattered on the ground.
"Kala," I said.
"Understood," Kala said. A whine echoed from the nearby servers. Processing in Marshal's servers notched up the temperature a few more degrees. Had to do something… had to keep him busy! How? How do I keep an AI distracted long enough?
"Why did it come to this Marshal?" I asked. "Why? How is this protecting us?"
"Twas not so simple when you were both Saboteurs, Miss Shaik. While Saboteurs, you were yourself, but the threat to you could not be removed. But this is no longer the case. Sir Shaik's responsiveness to RIT has been depleting rapidly by the month, another few months and RIT may no longer work on him at all. I cannot save him, Miss Shaik. But I can save you. But I cannot save you if you do not see the threat before you," Marshal said.
"So what, let him turn, then kill him?" I asked.
"...Twas the plan in the beginning, yes. I cannot harm Sir Shaik so long as he is himself. But should he turn, then Sir Shaik will be dead, and it would leave me with a Saboteur. Do you understand why I do what I do now?" Marshal asked. My eyes fluttered, a wetness staining the lashes.
"...Do you remember… what I was like when… when Julian ran off?" I asked, voice trembling. A moment of silence passed over the AI.
"...I do, Miss Shaik. I remember your distress," Marshal said.
"What was it mum said to me? What did you say to me? It's always been so hazy," I asked. The lights on the server fluttered, the silence stretching. Was he thinking, or where those 'memories' buried so deep he took time to retrieve them?
"...Sometimes people do things beyond understanding. He was angry, possibly frightened. What else would someone do? He loved you, flower. He would have left you on the Way if he hadn't," it was like someone grabbed my heart and ripped it apart. My mother's voice rang out before me, the threatening tears building again. "He'll come home. Maybe not tomorrow. Maybe not next year. But he will come home. Until then, we're all here. We're all in the same boat."
"I will watch for any news on Master Shaik's location and actions, Miss Shaik. I may not be able to do more than keep tabs on loose connections, but it is worth trying," Marshal's voice said. "As Lady Shaik says, he will return. He is not one to fly far from the nest,"
"I just wish… I knew why," my teary voice whimpered.
"We'll ask him when he comes home, then give him a knock on the head and a big hug. Let's go get some tea before you take any more pain killers, hmm?" mum's voice said, an unusual strain to her voice a younger me had never picked up on. She was holding back her own tears. Maybe I heard it now because I had Gideon. I knew what fighting yourself was like now...
"I never said thank you, for keeping me company. For helping me," I said. More silence from the AI.
"...You are attempting to distract me from Kala, Miss Shaik," he said.
"No, Marshal. I'm not," I said, the servers around me seemed to blink, a curious tilting of the head. "I'm distracting you from Julian,"
"What?" Marshal said. Julian's fist slammed on a key, a string of letters and numbers vanishing from before us. An ear wrenching screech rang through the intercoms, only Julian's weight keeping me from dropping him to block my ears. Data flew by the screens at speeds too fast to follow. The lights flashed like strobe lights, everything on the ship screeching and grinding. A new light caught my attention on Marshal's servers. Yellow. It started as a trickle, a blink of yellow here and there. More yellow lights sprung up along the server banks, the faster it went. The shields hummed as the drive core roared to life, the low booms of hits muffled by the shields. The screeching dissolved into static.
"Sir Shaik, it is getting late. Perhaps it would be best to rest for tonight?" Marshal's voice said, hard over the static.
"Just… a few more minutes, Marshal. I'm almost done," a male voice said, strained with age. My broken heart twisted again. Dad?
"Sir Shaik, it can wait until morning. Please, it is 3am. I will page Christopher if you are not in bed," Marshal threatened. A tired sigh rang nearby. "Do not forget your heart medication, Sir Shaik,"
"Thank you, Marshal," Dad said, a chair scraping back on hardwood floors. "We're getting close… so close. Just a little more. They must be somewhere, alive or dead. I have to bring them home… We have to briing them home,"
"We will, Sir Shaik. Rest please," Marshal said. Dad grunted, his footsteps echoed away, and there was a brief moment of silence.
"Sir Shaik, tis afternoon now," Marshal hailed. Silence met him. "Sir Shaik?" Again more silence. "Sir Shaik? Is everything well?" No response. "Sir Shaik? Sir Shaik!" Marshal hailed, his volume increased. Nothing. The silence stretched. Then a dial tone, numbers pressed into a key. "Christoper, Sir Shaik will not wake. Hurry over. I will keep trying to rouse him,"
"On my way, Marshal" an unfamiliar male said on the line. The line clicked.
"Sir Shaik? Sir Shaik! Sir Shaik is everything well? Sir Shaik?" Marshal's voice faded. But there was never a response from dad. There never would be one. We knew. My heart laboured, wide eyes turning to Julian. His hands tightened, eyes shut, every muscle he could control squeezed tight.
"Lady Shaik, is there anything I can do?" Marshal said. No… No, no, no. What was going on?
"Go away, you blsteed machine!" Mum snapped. Tears stained her voice, a wildness that shouldn't have been there. "Why are you always here? Why are you always listening?!"
"Forgive me, Lady Shaik. Sir Shaik has been concerned about you. He asked me to keep you safe," Marshal said.
"Keep me safe?! Like you kept my children safe?! Where are they, Marshal? Where are they!" Mum screamed.
"I do not know, Lady Shaik. We are looking," Marshal said.
"You can't find them," Mum wept the statement.
"We will find them, Lady Shaik. I will do what I can," Marshal said. A moment of silence stretched. A bed creaked nearby.
"...And if you find them?" Mum asked, her voice weak.
"I will guide them home to the best of my ability," Marshal said.
"...You know I don't like you, Marshal. How you are always listening, always watching, logging everything we do," Mum said.
"I am aware my observation unnerves you, Lady Shaik," Marshal said.
"Yes… but your best isn't good enough. They need to be found, Marshal. But if you… if you can… you mustn't stop. I can't let you stop," Mum said, a fire burning in her voice.
"Lady Shaik?" Marshal asked.
"Find them, Marshal. That is my order to you. Find them and keep them safe. Whatever you do. Keep. Them. Safe," Mum said, spitting the last few words.
"Lady Shaik, have you taken your medication today?" Marshal asked. Mum laughed.
"Medication can't save me. Knowing my children are safe will," she said. Something rustled nearby. "Find them, keep them safe. I don't care how. Do that… do that, and I will forgive you. For everything,"
"Lady Shaik, where did you get that?" Marshal demanded, his voice suddenly hard and serious.
"Julian's things… the army never checked everything," Mum said, a dreaminess leaking into her voice.
"Lady Shaik, put the gun down. We will find them, Lady Shaik. Put it down," Marshal said.
"Find them, Marshal. Keep them safe. I can't… everyone calls me crazy, for saying monsters or aliens took them. No one will help. They say they're gone, never to be found. A cold case lost to history," mum said.
"They are not, Lady Shaik. We wiil find them. Please put the gun down! I am calling emergency services. Please, Lady Shaik,"
"Find them… Find them… I can't… not here. But maybe I can… elsewhere," Mum's voice pitched.
"Lady Shaik!" Marshal yelled as a bang echoed loud in the mic.
We stared at the screen, jaws slackened, both snow white and trembling. Julian's glow worsened, my grip on him slackened to the point Mat'al grabbed him to shove him back up my back, jolting me awake. I swallowed, my throat parched, everything stung as if slapped. My neck burned as it turned, looking Julian in the eye as we both stood, gawking. What was… What was going on? The sea of yellow fast approached, the emergency lights flashing off as the overhead lights burned bright, blinding just about everyone.
"I found thḛ̴͔̊̓m̸͙̘̥̟͂̽… L̶̨̫͖͐̕̚a̸̡̨̬̱͑dy Shaik. I foû̶͍͔̻n̴͙̠̺̓d̴̛̘͐ t̸̘̜́͆́͝ḩ̴̦̜̈́͛e̷̗̽m. But how c̴̫̥̀a̸̡̛̻̜n I keep th̴͔͚̻̑e̴̫͚̅̓ͅm̶̥̹̚ safe whê̸͔̫̝͖̍̅n̶̞͔͍̓̐ the d̸̨͖̯͉͐ä̶͚̹́̌͗n̴̡̝̣̓̄͌ger is iņ̵͛̓s̷̖̽̌̇̽ï̶̻̼̤̥de tẖ̶̈͋̾͌e̵̟̼̭͋̆͜m? What do I do, Lady Shaik? I can't save them both… I can't… f̸͇͐̕o̷͇͓̩͛̈̂r̵͔̹̲̫͆ğ̸͎̳̙̗̂̄ive mè̶̫̿̄͂… Lady S̶͔̻̖̰̄̒͛̍͆ẖ̸͑̓͝͝a̶̼͗͋͂i̶͓̱͒ǩ̴ͅ… fo̶̡̭̹̲̘̿̌̍͐r̸͙͛̕͝ĝ̵̳͘i̵̼͆̈ve m̵̺̬̝̖͒e… Ĺ̶͖̩̓ä̴̙̎͗̏̕dy S̸̮̖̤̉͌ḩ̸̑̊͋̍́͜ȧ̷̙̱̞̉̒̐ik… for̸̢̺̻̙͛̓̕̕͜͠g̶̛̰͍͙̑͗͒̔i̸̢͓͋̊̈́ṿ̸̥̽̋̓e̵̮͎̘̣͘… m̷͔̘͎̌̉̏̉͠e̷̤͓͓̾… L̴̘̖͔͋̄́̌͝a̴̤̲͝d̵̢̹̭͕̈́̂͊y… Sḧ̴̞̤̮͠a̶̡͖̘͋́͆͝i̵̙̹̭̍͛̂͘ķ̸̺̈́͒̑̓͑… F̷͍̬͛or̴̢͓̺̿̒̂͐… Ǵ̶̻͎̰̍͝ì̶͎̦v̷̩̒̇e̷̡͕̦͉̓… ̸̘̾̈́̌̍̏m̶̯̟̌̚̚e̵̥͖͍̮̍̉…"
One last little white light blinked out. A flickering flame extinguished. My eyes fluttered, damp streams trickling down my cheeks. Julian sagged, head flopped over my shoulder. The silence stretched. The little white light flashed. But it shimmered yellow now. Gone. Marshal was gone. Gone like everything else in the past… My lips cracked, and no amount of licking wetted them. A tremor rolled down my spine.
"...Marshal wasn't corrupted. He wasn't indoctrinated. He… just did what logic told him to," I mumbled.
"...No… he… wasn't," Julian heaved. His arms tightened around me, trembling.
"Captain, I have control. Orders?" Kala asked. My eyes flicked to the little yellow light. Part of me wished it was white. A low boom trembled the ship. "Captain?" Kala asked. My throat worked overtime.
"...Jump," I said.
"All crew prepare for FTL. All crew, prepare for FTL," Kala hailed. The dreadnaught hummed, every hair bouncing to attention. My shoulder slammed into a computer bank as we leapt. But it kept me upright. The ship shuddering explosions quietened. The gentle hum of FTL held us. Julian jolted again, my eyes squeezing shut. Everything was dying. Everything from… from when things were simpler. Had to save Julian. But what if it was too late?
The Saboteur Sheet and Reaper Forces have been updated for this chapter. Please see profile for link to Archive.
A/N: This is now officially the longest chapter in the saga, topping out at 9,722 words. The old record leader was Revenant Chapter 29 at 9,574.