Screens decorated the space before me, stomach twisting with every passing moment. The ring of the RIT transmitters bounced off the walls, heard only if I paid attention to them. The 360° view from the bridge painted the picture better than any report. Floating in the purple haze, 23 ships waited, recovering. 22 flanked the Constellation like chicks comforting their wounded mother. She had a permanent list to starboard, a massive water and fuel leak turning many rooms into ballast tanks that even Kala couldn't correct without water-tight doors. But the fighting was quietening, the husks no longer resupplied. And with Kala working overtime, the ship is safe apart from 3 locations, all on lockdown until Kala herded the Reaper soldiers to specialised rooms for incineration. The metal banister of the Admiral viewing area pressed cold beneath me, my eyes trailing to the Admiral chair. Julian sat slouched in it, his breathing rasping and wheezing, the light only worsening. It was impossible to stare at him for long. Nothing slowed it. And most of the RPAT team lay dead. The crew count came in. Half of the 60'000 strong army lay cold and still. Just under half of that lay in various hospitals on ships and the Citadel. Much to their dismay.
A turian cruiser inched closer on its arc around us. An inch too close. The Draco spun, the main gun lowering below the hull with an ominous growl. With a jolt, the cruiser tipped a wing, backing away once more. The Draco's cannon remained cold, but refused to draw back until the cruiser was far from the wounded fleet. Councillor Valern knew the fleet was due into the system. But perhaps even he didn't expect the damage, injury and death that bounced through the relay. The Cassiopeia huddled close, along with the Dorado and the Musca, the most damaged ships up against the Constellation's hull. The least damaged patrolled around the fleet, the Starquake ferrying as many injured as possible to hospitals on the Citadel. We alone took the entire capacity of the Citadel, but a good chunk would be out in a few days once the doctors assessed them. Two hours after arriving in the system and exhaustion was winning. But someone was losing. My eyes fell back on Julian. He wasn't improving. He was trying, but he wasn't winning. My hands clenched the armour as Kala's multitude of damage reports flew in.
"Captain Shaik," a voice hailed. My heavy head tugged up, spotting an Asian human near the double doors a floor down. "Medical Wing 28 is ready to take the Admiral," he said, eyes trailing over the glowing man.
"Thank you," I said, voice weak and croaky. With a shaking hand, I touched Julian. He jolted awake, wheezing as if punched in the gut. It ripped my heart in two as he coughed, blood splattering on the chair. "Come on, Julian. Let's get you fixed up," I wanted to sound reassuring. It sounded more panicked.
"Leave… me," he said. My jaw clenched, grabbing his arm and yanking him onto my back again. He groaned, shuddering, clothes soaked from sweat. God, he was still so heavy!
"You need to eat less macaroni pies," I said, trudging down the stairs. Julian grunted as an elevator dinged nearby. One of the few working ones. The buttons lay smashed and smeared with blood, but Kala whisked me down to deck 36. There was still a lengthy walk to the medical bay. Kala got a few travellators working to make the hike easier.
The Council had been in touch to demand updates on the situation. They took one look at my expression, one glance to Julian limp on the chair and glowing like a lightbulb to realise things hadn't gone as well as one would have hoped. They kept the call brief, giving us a splash of space to ourselves. And the fleet protected that space like starving dogs to a ham joint. No one got within a click of the fleet, and those that did got the friendly warning, the not so friendly warning and the 'fucking try us' warning. No one had gone beyond that. The fleet is still combat capable, albeit not for long. Then the next horror reared its head. The Saboteur had killed all the Admirals, Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals before going for Julian. The highest rank in the fleet was Captain, aside from Julian. But if Julian was losing… no, no he can't be. He's just tired. That discovery came around after looking for help in figuring out where to send the ships for repairs. No one answered. Apart from Kala. She was gracious enough to look at Marshal's data, write her own version just in case his was corrupted and organised it for me before she deleted him. There were 40 dry docks available to us.
I knew the owners of 4 of them personally. Most through old members of the fleet who decided they couldn't take the nomad lifestyle anymore. Only one dock could take the Constellation, the original one that fixed up the ship when she first emerged from the Omega-4 relay, Julian and I were good friends with the owner, and he had made a fortune off of us. He did excellent work. One look through the accounts though… they weren't bad by any stretch of the imagination. But they were tightening a touch. Julian had assets in property and stock and co-owner for multiple businesses and manufacturing companies. We got discount rates as a result and a share in the profits. The war was knocking out supply chains though. But we had enough coming in to repair the 21 frigates and cruisers and we had several bonds due for release within the next month. Our accountants were expensive but hot damn, they were worth every credit. Those bonds alone wound pay for the ship's repairs. We could sell stock as well if necessary. No, money was no problem within the Constellation fleet. Not yet anyway.
The medical bay appeared to the left, bullets and blood painting the walls. A few remnants of husk remains lay here and there, but the drones were working on clean-up and the repair team would clean the rest. The dry dock workers got a bit squeamish with blood and remains. Inside, the remains of the RPAT team waited. All 11 of them. There used to be 204. My eyes squeezed shut, hands grabbing Julian as I lowered him to a bed. Before my mouth opened, hands from behind grabbed me. My head swung, staring at Lae. The turian glanced at the RPAT team before yanking me from the room.
"Lae, goddam it, let me go!" I snapped. The turian only released me once we were 2 city blocks from the med bay.
"There's a meeting, Shaik. Autillin said we can use the Starquake. We need to talk," he said.
"Can't it wait?" I asked.
"The Admiral will not change for an hour or two, Baby Shaik. Move your little ass," Lae rumbled, half dragging me down the endless staircases to the docks.
The Frigate docks were a mess. Most unusable, others patched to take a few ships. The Starquake sat in dock, the only ship in good condition. The familiar halls eased the tension in my shoulders, the smell pulling my mind away from the blood splattered hallways. It didn't stink of used heatsinks and fire. My head rolled on my neck, cracks echoing as Lae followed me to the War Room. For the first time since the ship's rebuilding, the room was near full. Captains and XOs sat around the oval room, mumbles and mutterings igniting a hum in the air. Val looked up from the head of a narrow end of the oval. He left the chair beside him free. The hum quietened by my arrival, eyes turning to me. My hand scrubbed my face, landing hard on the chair beside Val. Data screens popped up along the desks before everyone, like little hologram laptops. Only two seats lay empty, and no doubt Mat'al would want one when he arrived.
"So, what's the meeting all about then?" I asked, voice tired. Lae sighed as he lowered himself on the chair beside Demo.
"The future of the fleet," he said.
"What do you mean? Can't this wait? Julian is-" I said.
"Exactly. Dell, I saw him. We need to decide what to do with the fleet once he… passes," Lae said. My hands clenched before me, tongue stilled only through Val squeezing my knee below the table.
"What are you most concerned about?" Val asked, not trusting my voice. Neither did I to be fair.
"What's next. We have a war going on and everything has gone to shit," Lureng rumbled, the bronze crested krogan unsettled in his chair. The Draco Captain glanced to his XO, the olive batarian frowning. "We have our last instructions, but if the Reapers stop chasing us then what? Do we fight the war or continue the hunt for Saboteurs?"
"Or both," Demo said. "We need an admiral if the fleet is to survive,"
"Several admirals. And soon a new Fleet Admiral," Radayah said, the lime coloured drell captain of the Carina sighing.
"He's not dead!" I snapped. Heads swivelled to me, blank stares in every face. My eyes dropped, hands running through my hair. "He's not dead…"
"Dell, sweetie, I know this is hard," Purity said, keeping her rolling voice soft, her dark skin glowing from the screens before her. "They'll do what they can for the Admiral. But you need to be ready for the worst," My eyes fluttered, staring at the fake wood grain. A wet splat landed before me. My shoulders jolted, wheeling the chair around to face the opposite direction, away from everyone. My face felt fevered as a few exhaled breaths released behind me.
"...We can't stop fighting," I said, summoning every ounce of will to force my voice stable. It didn't work. "We'll lose everything if we stop,"
"Shaik has the right of it," Ictan wheezed, the Andromeda captain shaking his head. "We cannot stop here. What resources do we have left?"
"All of our contacts should still want to help us," Dan said, the blue masked quarian glanced towards me. "...Assuming someone does the talking," Heads shuffled. In the reflection before me, more heads turned to me. No, goddam it no!
"There is also the possibility of tugging at the Council," Vayx said, XO of the Ursa. Her pale skin looked paler from exhaustion, the tribal tattoo over her right eye more pronounced.
"Fuck no! I won't be a Council lap dog!" Mikal snapped, the turian captain of the Hydrus snapping his mandibles tight to his cheeks. A loud rumble rolled across the room. Lots of unhappy ones. My eyes felt dry enough to turn around, even if my face still felt too hot.
"...The Council already have the Starquake. That's all they're getting. They can pretend to own the fleet through me because let's be honest, they have me by the balls. They won't own the fleet. The Council don't own it. They might need us but they fleet will always do its own thing unless it's an absolute emergency," I said, rubbing an eye. God, I was wilting… The furious voices settled, the rising fear calming.
"So what's the plan?" the turian captain of the Hercules, Kurana, said.
"We repair, we heal, then we destroy a few Reapers," I said, shaking my head. "Kala, I need every dry dock we can send the ships to, I need the crew's help here,"
"List and map coming up for you now, Captain," Kala said. My eyes flicked up, towards the holographic sphere spinning in the middle. The galaxy map spun, pin points of lights with labels dotting the map. Before everyone, a list formed.
"The Constellation is going to James' dock, he's the only bastard who can fix her. I'd prefer to send to the ships in pairs, if possible. The Dorado and the Draco I'd like to send to Franco, the Draco isn't too badly banged up but the Dorado needs an overhaul," I said.
"Keep the most banged up with a more intact ship," Lae mumbled. "The Crux or more or less fine, send it with the Cassiopeia,"
"I'd recommend Dactallum. He's always been good, quick, and able to keep his mouth shut," Tolova said, the green salarian more rested than most. His ship escaped first, after all.
"I've already called Avia. She can take 2 cruisers or 5 frigates. She's hired more hands than she knows what to do with due to the Turian military pulling ships into service early," I said.
"Send her the frigates. She always worked better on the smaller ones," Isari said, the Lyra's Captain leaning back in her chair. Her XO, Rutitana, nodded, the off-cream turian looking more than worse for wear.
"Outiana has been in touch too. She was expecting the Vulpecula for new armour and grew concerned when she didn't hear from us. She's able to recall her full staff and take two cruisers," I said.
"I'd still like to send the Vulpecula there, she already has all the armour ready for us," Petre said, his heavy French accent hard to hear through with my tired ears.
"Send the Eridanus, she's worked on her before," her captain said.
"What about the crew?" Ophtera asked, the recovering Centaurus Captain leaning heavy on the desk. Silence stretched. "If every ship is docking, then what?" My fingers fidgeted.
"...There's a lot of Saboteurs on the Citadel," I said.
"If we empty the entire fleet there, they will go to ground," Lae said.
"Good. We need more time," I said. The eyes never left me. "We need to keep a crew on the ships while repairs are ongoing regardless, just in case. Flight and engineering crews. The rest are in hospital or sitting idle. Those in hospital will need protection. That won't leave much sitting around for many,"
"True," Rank rumbled, the green crested krogan glancing around the table. Nothing escaped the Cepheus XO these days. "I don't like it, but we need to be a true fleet again,"
"So we need admirals," Lae said.
"We have time though. No point in admirals with every ship in dock," Calren said, the Dorado's turian Captain looking like he'd gone through a minefield. A low rumble rolled around the room.
"Let me talk to Julian. Figure out what's what," I said.
"You're probably the only one who knows his plans, if he has any left," Toleum said, the sunny peach batarian folding her arms. The Canis Captain looked less than convinced.
"...He'll have more than I can chew on," I sighed. My legs shook as I stood. I shouldn't have sat down. The door parted, Mat'al striding through with Drutus. He raised a brow in my direction. "I'll be back soon. I need to talk to Julian,"
"How is he?" Mat'al asked.
"He's fine," I lied, teeth clamping together. Mat'al blinked once.
"I'll join you soon. I'm here to drop off Drutus, see where the ground lies and then pick up a few things," Mat'al said. He frowned as his eyes followed me walking around the pair and back into the halls.
It was a long walk back to the med bay. A lengthy walk of hand twiddling and stomach twisting nausea. He just needed some help, a little medication, a touch Reaper work and he'd be back up and punching. My throat tightened, escaping the Docking Deck and into the handful of working elevators. Kala flashed report on a screen on the wall, stating only one area remained in lockdown. The RIT transmitters would shut down soon for a rest and stop people going mad from the constant ringing in their ears. The halls were empty; cleaning crews, engineers and non-injured crew wandering around doing what they could before the ship eased into dry dock. James hated cleaning blood. And this was more than usual. The med bay loomed before me, my shoulders bunching as I stepped inside. The 11 RPAT physicians glanced up from the pow wow huddle, eyes tense, lips flicked down. My heart clenched, shuffling to the spare chair beside Julian. He looked tired, more so than when I left him. The glow had only worsened, the circuitry covering his arms and inching onto the back of his hand. He fluttered a heavy eyelid, his eyes burning white like the sun. He closed it as after he saw me.
"How are you feeling?" I asked.
"Numb," he said, his voice crackling with the electronics. Almost like a short circuit. "Can't feel… anything… below the… chest. Can just… about feel… my hands," he dragged in a pained breath. "He's winning, Delly," My hands clenched on my lap.
"Stop it. He's not winning!" I snapped. "Dammit, Julian, I just got you back! You're not abandoning me again!" His eyelids fluttered, but refused to open.
"...Sorry. For everything," he mumbled. My head thumped on the bed, a rising swell clogging my throat.
"…There's nothing to forgive, Julian. You know that," I mumbled. Julian squeezed his eyes, as if fighting something. "How, Julian? How did this happen?" I asked, trembling as my watery voice echoed out.
"...I failed," he said.
"No you didn't!" I snapped.
"My fleet… is in tatters. Everything… I aimed for… gone. I'm tired," he said.
"The fleet's fine, we can rebuild, we are rebuilding! We've got dry docks ready to go, we're getting planning sorted out, hiring will start soon, people are getting medical attention… We'll get there," I said.
"...I can't," Julian sighed. "I saw… everything… burning. He… fought me… I lost. I didn't… expect Marshal… to…" he tailed off, unwilling to finish.
"It'll be fine, Julian. Please… please don't let it end like this! What are we meant to do? The Admirals are dead! We need to rebuild the chain of command. We need you. You expect me to get through this damn war myself? Without my brother backing me up?" I asked.
"...Autillin… can keep… you safe," he mumbled. An icy stone sank in my stomach, pinning me to the chair. Dear God… he was dying… oh fuck no he was going! "The Fleet… what remains... will keep… you safe,"
"We're at war with the Reapers. I'm not even sure Lae can take a Reaper death beam to the face," Julian's eyes fluttered open, staring at the ceiling.
"Who's… alive?" he asked.
"The Captains, XO's, most of the commanders," I said. Julian blinked, consideration peeking through the sea of white light.
"...Is a VI in charge?" he asked.
"No, Admiral Shaik. I am," Kala said.
"...Send… a message to… Yumesa. Tell her… to instigate… Dogma. Tell her… to contact… Delly," Julian said.
"Yes, Admiral," Kala said.
"Dogma?" I asked.
"Retired… or those… no longer… with their… military. Admirals, Vice Admirals, Rear Admirals. She'll… fill up the… top ranks," Julian said. "She helped… a lot… before. When I lost… people last… time,"
"She'll send… someone to replace you?" I asked, throat tight.
"No," he said. A bubble of hope surfaced. Julian moaned, struggling to lift his arm to his shoulder. He might have lost most feeling in his arms, but his fingers were still deft. He unbuttoned and tugged the stripe from his shoulder. My stomach twisted as he slid the other off. The two strips of fabric fluttered to the mattress between us. "Take them,"
"And… give them to who?" I asked, easing the stripes from the bed. They weren't new, a few stray threads fraying here or there.
"...You," he said.
"No! Absolutely not! Have you lost your mind!? No! Julian-" I cried leaping from the chair, a tingling running down my arms.
"Delly," he mumbled.
"I can't, Julian, I can't! There has to be someone else, I'm barely a captain! I shouldn't even be a captain! Lureng is more than qualified for promotion! Or Mikal, or Isari-" I said.
"I trusted… Ethenu. I don't… know how… she slipped… the net… for so… long. I don't… have any… trust left," Julian said.
"Julian… please. Please don't do this to me," I pleaded, voice weakening, dissolving as sobs reared. He wasn't dying… but he was. He'd never… Oh God, he was actually dying! No! "Please…"
"Sorry…" he mumbled. "You'll… be fine. It's… not as hard… as you think,"
"And how the hell am I meant to keep the Council's mitts off the fleet?!" I demanded, but my voice had lost its fire.
"Just… point a few… cannons at them. It tends… to shut people… up," Julian said, his lips tugging up.
"Julian, for fuck sake," I wept, grabbing his arm. My head snapped around as the door whisked open, Mat'al marched in, Gideon and Val more hesitant behind him. "Talk to him! He's fucking delirious!" Mat'al frowned, glancing to the stripes in my clutched hands. He glanced to Julian.
"Dell?" he asked. Julian grunted.
"If not her… then you… may as well… disband the fleet," he wheezed.
"Julian, stop it!" I begged. "You're fine! You're just being a lazy arse again! I just you back… you just got me back!"
"Mum," Gideon said, shuffling as my tear soaked face struggled to face him. "Maybe… Maybe you should go back to the meeting for a bit," he said.
"Absolutely not! Not until this ass snaps out of this!" I said. Julian lifted a heavy eyelid, glancing around the room for a moment.
"…Autillin," Julian summoned. Val frowned, rolling his shoulders back as he stepped closer.
"Shaik," he said.
"Orders," Julian said. "Keep her… sane. If anything… happens to… her, I'm… dragging you down… with me," Julian said. Val flicked a slight smile.
"Dell will be safe. I promise," Val said.
"Julian, fucking stop it! It's not funny!" I snapped.
"Get her… out. She doesn't… need to see… this," Julian said. My heart stuttered.
"See… see what?" I asked, my eyes flew around the room. Tight eyes and frowns everywhere. "What does he mean? What's going on?!"
"He's a Saboteur, Dell," a human said, the raven haired woman from the RPAT team shuffling. "He's losing. We can't stop it. Palalrian is gaining more of the Admiral's body as we speak. Already he's begun to take over the brain. There's nothing we can do," Val straightened, a hand grabbing me by the shoulders. My mouth worked overtime, unable to swallow. All my blood pooled to my feet.
"My last… command," Julian sighed, glancing to Mat'al and Gid, then to the RPAT team. "Do it," The RPAT team nodded.
"Everything is prepared to remove the spine, Admiral. You won't feel anything," an asari said, her voice soft and downtrodden. My eyes popped wide.
"No… no, no, no, no! He's fine! He's fine!" I screamed. Val grunted as he grabbed me. "You're not hurting him! He's fine! Let me go! You can't let them- Don't let them hurt him! Please! He's fine!" Val heaved me up, staggering under my flailing limbs, the adrenaline riding me hard. No! Not Julian! NO! "Julian! No! Don't hurt him! He just needs help! Stop it! No! LEAVE HIM ALONE! LET ME GO!" My hands clawed the hair. They found nothing, nothing at all. The scene tore from my tight. Blooded walls and bullet holes passed by as Val struggled to heave me down the halls. "Please Val! Stop them! I'm begging you, stop them! Please! He's fine! He's fine! If you love me, let me go! Please!" Elevator doors shut then, my screams bouncing in a tiny box. Val's grip on me tightened, unwilling to let me go for even an instant. No matter how hard I kicked, how loud I screamed, how much I begged. He did not move. He dragged me across the docking deck, helplessness setting in. My screams melted into wordless cries and wretched wails. By the time the familiar halls of the Starquake surrounded us, the fight gone. There was nothing but a shotgun sized hole in my heart. Every now and then, a managed plea escaped, another attempt to beg, through the blur of tears faces passed by. But I never registered them. He was fine. This was some sick joke. He was fine! No… no, no, no, no!
The light flicked of with a gentle tap, the door easing shut behind me. My back pressed against the cold metal. 4 hours. 4 hours and exhaustion finally won. My hands scrubbed my face, trudging down the halls to the elevator once more. Kala diverted all incoming calls to a voicemail for the time being, leaving us with some time to reflect. The elevator pinged open, releasing me onto Deck 4. The War Room beside me was almost empty, only a few captains and XOs remaining. All crew needing medical attention was now on the Citadel, crew offloaded to guard and get some well needed shore leave. In the morning, the ships would depart to their dry docks, but we needed Dell. And who knows when she would be normal again. If ever. Lae glanced up from his spot at the table, a frown creasing the turian's plates. He mumbled something, Demo easing off his chair to shuffle from the room. Demo waited for the door the close before he leaned on the wall.
"How is she, Autillin?" he asked. I sighed, shoulders slumping.
"She's asleep," I said. "I won't risk waking her, I'm sleeping in my old room tonight,"
"I presume the Admiral's gone them, judging by her screaming," Demo said. My heavy eyelids fluttered.
"…Yeah, he's gone by now. Mat'al can confirm when he gets here," I said. Demo moaned.
"…We don't need this right now. Did Dell say what the Admiral's plans were?" he asked. "The entire fleet is on edge,"
"…He gave his stripes to Dell," I said.
"We saw that coming. She ready?" he asked.
"Hell no," I rumbled. "The war was bad enough. Now she's jumped up 4 ranks while in the middle of a damn war," Demo's brows tipped up. "All while grieving. I don't know how she will pull this out her ass,"
"She's a Shaik. She'll find a way. We're shutting up shop soon, let us know if you need anything," Demo said.
"Appreciate it. I need to grab people before it gets too late," I said. Demo nodded, sliding back into the war room. My aching shoulders rolled, kinking in the worst places. With Dell now knocked out for a few hours at least, I could focus on getting some plans in place. "Kala, any sign of Drutus?"
"Admiral Drutus is aboard the Constellation, he will be back onboard within a few minutes however," Kala said.
"Good, tell him to report to me on the bridge when he gets back," I said. The doors to the cockpit slid open, Lanster glancing up as he prepared to hand control over to the night crew.
"Val?" Lanster frowned. The flight crew looked up.
"First, keep everyone away from Dell's room. Put a warning on the elevator for everyone going to the top deck to keep the noise down," I said. Mari curled her brows up.
"Is she alright?" she asked.
"No, not really," I sighed. "She's Inconsolable,"
"She'll pull through, she always does," Quin said, the silver turian patting Kael on the shoulder as he surrendered the Navigator's seat.
"…I hope so," Val sighed. "Prepare for some crew reshuffling as well,"
"Oh no, why now?" Kai groaned, leaning on the co-pilot seat as Mari tidied up.
"She's Fleet Admiral now… once she's out of dry dock, she'll be on the Constellation. I'll be captain again," I said.
"Oh," Una said, holding her elbows. "…The Council won't like that,"
"I'll deal with the Council in the morning. Hopefully Dell's recovered enough to get the fleet moving by then," I said. "Spread the word when you can. I'm not sure how things will play while the ships are in dry dock, but things will shuffle sooner rather than later,"
"On it. I've already put out the noise level restrictions for the top deck." Lanster said.
"Good… that also means you need to keep it down too, if that's even possible," I said with a rising grin. Lanster flushed, though it was hard to notice under his dark scales.
"Rich coming from you. What the hell do you do to her?" he asked, voice hot and flustered.
"Want some tips?" I asked. Smothered smiles and sniggers rolled around us. Unlike Lanster, I'm used to the jibes and prods.
"Unless they work on drell, no," Lanster said through gritted teeth. A soft chuckle escaped, release.
"XO, Admiral Bargatus is waiting in the Control Ring," Kala chimed.
"Thank you, Kala. And its Captain for the time being," I said, nodding to the flight crew before leaving the flight deck.
"Of course, Captain. I did not wish to assume," Kala said. Drutus glanced up, leaning on a console with his arms folded while watch my approach.
"I presume by the position change something has happened," Drutus said.
"Mmm. Dell's Fleet Admiral now," I said. Drutus blinked, his aged eyes considering as he studied my worn expression.
"…You all made her Captain from nothing 3 years ago. While I would say the jump from Captain to Fleet Admiral is not so large as she has already done, the situation does not allow for easy learning. Fleet Admiral is an enormous step. Especially one like this," Drutus said. "Admiral Shaik is gone then,"
"I'm waiting for Mat'al to confirm, but yes. Julian gave her his stripes. Dell mumbled something about him not trusting anyone else," I said.
"And none can blame him, considering. What is the plan then? The Council will want answers soon," Drutus said.
"I'll deal with the Council in the morning. But Dell needs support. I want you to advise her," I said.
"I believe Saria is her advisor," Drutus said.
"Her advisor in political and decision making. Not advisor in how to manage a fleet," I said. Drutus flicked his brows up for a moment, turning the study the bridge. The silence stretched.
"You want me to teach her," he said.
"She didn't have anyone teach her captain. But she'll need someone to teach her this. She needs help," I said. "There won't be a fleet until everyone is up and at 'em again, so Dell has time to learn,"
"You realise I will restrict her ground missions in that case?" Drutus asked. My mandibles clicked against my cheeks. "The fleet has lost its entire command. It cannot afford to lose the last simple choice they had,"
"I know. Honestly, I think keeping Dell on the ship longer is for the best. After Khar'shan and Kahje… I don't want her to see anymore horror," I said.
"There is worse yet to come. All we can do is prepare her," Drutus said. A hard grunt rumbled in my throat. "Very well. I will teach her,"
"Thank you," I said, shoulders sagging. "Dell called all the dry docks before this happened. They know to expect us, even if they don't know exactly what they are receiving. No doubt they'll want the full damage reports, so I'll send them when I can,"
"I've spoken with the captains and XOs. Most assumed this would be the case. What of the higher ranks?" Drutus asked.
"Admiral Shaik asked me to send a message to someone named Yumesa to fill up the ranks," Kala said.
"Yumesa…? Spirits, there is name I've not heard in years. No wonder she and Julian knew each other, all things considering," Drutus said. My brow plates scrunched. "An old matriarch, she was on the Council before Tevos took over the position. She knows everyone in the galaxy with the title of 'Admiral', no matter how unpalatable or venal. She's reach out to me several times. That Julian rose to the rank of Admiral of a fleet, albeit an unofficial one, Yumesa would make it her job to know,"
"Well at least we have friends," I sighed.
"Commander Delern and Gideon are returning to the ship. Or would it be XO?" Kala asked. My eyes fluttered, suddenly heavy.
"…XO, he's XO," I sighed. "I'll leave you in peace, you'll have a lot to do tomorrow," Drutus nodded, saluting as he departed for the elevator. My tight shoulders rolled again, dragging myself to the hall by the airlock. The minutes ticked by. Who knew what took those two so long, but right now wasn't the time to ask. My eyes fluttered up as movement jolted my scales to attention, Gideon shuffling up the hall, rubbing his face. Mat'al strode by his shoulder, a hover carrier loaded with boxes. One was human sized. Our eyes met. For once, Mat'al looked tired, a long invasion followed by whatever the hell he saw. Gideon jumped when the hover carrier stopped, saved by ramming into the back of it by Kala. The mech sat, Gideon leaning heavy against her.
"He's gone then," I said. Mat'al nodded.
"He is. Palalrian didn't make it easy. We removed his spine and it cooled down. Those generators were burning hot and took an hour to finally stop. His body is ready for disposal, though it will be up to Dell where to send him," Mat'al said.
"She'd prefer him to go into Sol, as we did with her old Saboteur body. But with the Reapers in the Sol system… I'm not sure we'll get the chance," I sighed. Mat'al grunted.
"She'll think of another sun to put him into. Hopefully soon otherwise we must make the choice for her," Mat'al said. He turned to Gideon. "Put everything back in the lab,"
"Will do," he said, eyes looking so old on a face so young. He glanced up. "Don't tell mum… but he was scared. He was really scared," My brow plates curled up.
"Few can face death without being afraid. Especially if you know death will win," I said. Gideon diverted his gaze, jaw tensing, a hand gripping the hover carrier until his knuckles turned white.
"I didn't like him… but no one deserved that," he rumbled, tugging the carrier after him. "Palalrian will burn for this…"
"We'll get him one day, Gid. We'll get him," I said as he disappeared around the corner. Mat'al heaved a large sigh, rubbing his face. "How you holding up?"
"I'll be fine. I had no special attachment to the human," Mat'al said, eyes trailing after Gideon. "Tis the Shaiks I worry about. Gideon refused to leave once Julian started losing his nerve. Said family sticks with family, no matter what," His silver speckled navy eyes returned to study me. "How is Dell?"
"Shit. Absolute shit. She's finally asleep," I sighed. With gentle tugs, the XO stripes pulled free. "Drutus will teach Dell, and the fleet is resting before preparing to travel to their dry docks tomorrow. You'll need these," I said, passing him the stripes. His eyes narrowed, taking the offered stripes. "Dell will be in charge once she's ready, and even then she'll be aboard until the Constellation is out of dry dock. She'll… probably move onto the Constellation then,"
"And are you going to cope with her on another ship?" Mat'al asked.
"I dealt with her being dead for months. I can deal with her being alive but on another ship," I rumbled. Mat'al chuckled.
"Just checking," he said. "Get some sleep, Captain," Mat'al said, moving off towards the labs after Gideon. My shoulders sagged. Spirits… and the war was only beginning.
The Saboteur Sheet and Galaxy Map have been updated for this chapter. There is also a new sheet for the Constellation Fleet. Please see profile for link to Archive.
Link should work now, since I've noticed DeviantART links no longer work on FF.