The docking clamps secured with soft clicks, rising sniggers from the cockpit leaking through into the shuttle deck. Shayan looked up from a weld, smothering his giggles as best as he could. I stood ever watchful from the deck, smiling as Gideon heaved the final shuttle seat back inside. He glared in my direction, a promise of revenge in the future. I smiled, his shoulders rattling like a varren in a cage. All around the shuttle, used cleaning equipment, buckets and clothes lowered every section of the floor. It was a minefield. Mat'al smiled beside me, amused by the sight before him. A wrench rattled in the background, Gideon muttering under his breath the entire time. He was red faced with effort and fury. And who could blame him?
"Is that good enough now, dad?" he asked, his voice rising to pre-puberty highs.
"Oh I don't know, maybe Mat'al will find something else this time," I drawled. Mat'al grinned. Gideon seethed.
"Am I done yet? I'm tired!" he wailed.
"Hi tired, I'm dad," I said. Gideon screeched in fury, ripping laughter from the crew gathered here to watch. "Well, have you learned your lesson?"
"I didn't mean to be nasty! I tried to tell her gently!" he wailed, now giving up on life. He only whimpered at my laugh.
"Go on, get showered. I need to report to the Council, so meet me at the base of the tower and we'll go find Dell," I said.
"Ok…" he mumbled, rolling out of the shuttle. Kala, with repaired new leg, nudged him towards his room. Mat'al chuckled as we exited via the cargo ramp.
"Perhaps next time he'll be a bit more careful with his words," Mat'al said. A soft snort pulled a chuckle from the salarian. Neither of us believed for a moment this would teach him anything. Shaiks were too stubborn for normal life lessons.
The ride from Irune was slow and uneventful, giving the crew time to rest before no doubt rushing off on another adventure. We didn't read any further reports on what happened with the space terminal, most likely destroyed with everyone there in retaliation for our actions. All we knew was we disposed of the Saboteur before coming back to the Citadel. We didn't need any more information from the spines, they were too dangerous to keep around people, especially on the Citadel. Who knows if Reapers could track their tech as well? That was just a giant target on the Starquake. The Council got my report the other day as well, so no doubt that would raise a few concerns. I don't think even they realised just how shit the situation was in regards to holding back the Reaper forces. Mat'al and I stepped into a cab once outside and whisked towards the Presidium. Not before spotting the Normandy in dock, however, as we flew away from the docks. We both sighed. Shepard was the last thing Dell needed to deal with. Both of us pondered how to break it to Dell, and how to deal with him if we ran into him, as we walked to reach the Council offices. The Council decided that maybe the top of the tower wasn't the best place to be during a war. So they decided to be in the upper floors of the Embassies in the Presidium. We wasted no time in jumping the queue either, earning hot glares. I tapped on Tevos' door, 'Available' blinking beside her name. The asari glanced up as we entered and saluted, her expression relaxing shoulders slumping as she sat back in her chair. The Presidium light shimmered through the massive windows.
"Captain Autillin, Tis good to see you are well. The mission was successful from the reports. However, I wish to hear it from yourself," she said, her voice tense. A slow breath eased the tightness in my throat.
"I am forever glad Dell was not on that mission," I said. Tevos closed her eyes, measuring each breath. "I don't even want to give numbers, that is how bad it was. That's before we even take into account the gravity and pressure,"
"We have extensive training plans for Endellion after the war, tis on the agenda. Along with many other things. This zero gravity issue is of top priority once we can steal her away from her duties," she sighed, linking her fingers together. "I will give you what updates and information I have been given from Spectre Bargatus and Endellion, and to a greater extent Yumesa herself. Yumesa will guard her tongue once you are within earshot of Endellion and I doubt she has even told the following to Endellion herself, given the fragile nature of her mind. I think the weight of the challenges ahead is beginning to sink in. Endellion's first meeting with Yumesa was… tense. Yumesa tried to assure me, saying her first meeting with Julian was not dissimilar. Both were untrusting when they met her. I must admit, I didn't realise how much Yumesa knew of Julian Shaik, or how closely she worked with him. Yumesa has been… Generous but cautious with the details she gives us. She knew him well, and appeared distraught when we met before her meeting with Endellion," Tevos said.
"We assumed they had some connection, Julian and Yumesa had codes for certain circumstances," I said, glancing to Mat'al. He frowned along with me, his mind churning as well. Yumesa was an unknown to us, even Dell didn't seem to know her. Tevos nodded, brows curling up.
"She told me Julian had been thrown into the Admiral position suddenly as well, though the fleet consisted of significantly less ships though with arguably even more pressure. RIT didn't exist then," Tevos said.
"Yumesa knows about RIT?" Mat'al said with a deepening frown.
"She helped develop it, though I wish she had told us sooner," Tevos grumbled. Our brows flew up. "She did not know we knew of the technology until after her meeting with Endellion. But yes, she claimed Julian was suffering from multiple problems, seemed to be in constant head pain. She scoured his mind in the way only asari can - eventually when he granted permission - and found the touch of another asari. The trail was weeks old, but still clear enough to follow. Whatever that asari did, it helped descramble some of the indoctrination afflicting Julian at the time, to the detriment of infecting her. An equivalent exchange if you would. Yumesa used this to develop RIT based technology, she and Julian were the first test subjects," Tevos said. "She has a long history with Julian, and she said she sees a lot of the same tendencies in Endellion. Albeit she recognises Endellion is more… fragile in some ways. Her brother had time to harden himself. Endellion has not. Not to the same extent anyway,"
"She'll get there," Mat'al said. "Thank you for the information, I presume there is a reason you told us this?" Tevos nodded, eyes drifting to the door.
"Yumesa has agreed to assist in planting RIT beacons around the Citadel and on every military vessel. Not to run constantly, but to be used similar to decontamination. Yes, our experiments with the beacons have had some… undesirable results but what option do we have?" Tevos said. "She wishes to put the newest beacons on the Constellation and the fleet,"
"That isn't our decision, besides we have beacons already," I said.
"She says these are the newest models, though she won't go into details. And the Starquake is your ship seeing as you are now captain?" Tevos asked.
"I may be Captain but Dell still owns her. But I know Dell will put these beacons in, you don't need to ask. It's just a matter of getting these beacons to the ships in their dry docks," I said.
"We are already firing them out, but we need assistance locating the Constellation. We have checked every dry dock we know of and cannot find it," Tevos said with a frown. Mat'al and I shared a look, both smiling. James, you sly bastard. Hiding from even the Council.
"We'll contact him, he'll be keeping low in case the Reapers come looking," I said. "...You don't think Yumesa is going to be away from Dell's side. That is why you are acting as a go-between,"
"No, Captain Autillin. I don't think Endellion will let you be away from her side once you are back beside her," Tevos said with a wide smile. The blush stained my cheeks purple. "Perhaps XO Delern will have better luck speaking with Yumesa without her guarding her words,"
"Noted," I said. "Where is Dell now?" Tevos smiled, rising to her feet. A frown crept along my face, following her. She stood by the window, staring at something in the distance. With care we rose, standing beside her. Across the grassy and water filled plaza in the middle of the Presidium hoop, a red haired woman spoke with an elderly, pale hued asari and a dark turian. The café was up-market to be kind, fountains raining down from the upper layer like a curtain. A slow breath released, the tension finally gone.
"We sent word to Yumesa you were due to arrive today. Her choice of location is not without reason," Tevos said. I nodded, mandibles waving. She was 3 floors higher than the entrance to the Embassies, but easy enough to get to. Mat'al caught my attention with his head, spotting a blond boy and a white FENRIS mech walking down our side of the Presidium to wait outside.
"We best then go settle her fears then, Gid's here too to help," I said.
"On that subject, we have noticed Gideon has not submitted any schoolwork for the past few weeks," Tevos said.
"We need him in the Intel department, Councillor," Mat'al said. "Although Dell agreed to the terms after his illegal piloting, we cannot afford to waste his skills with the war going as it is,"
"I presumed as much, but I wished to make sure. You can assure Dell if she asks we have waived his education demands for the time being," Tevos said.
"Appreciate it, thank you. One last question, if I may. You wouldn't happen to know where Shepard is, would you?" I said. Tevos blinked once, eyes on Dell in the distance.
"He is due to speak with Sparatus about Palaven. He should be on his way here," she said. A heavy sigh escaped, Mat'al rubbing his eyes. "I realise he and Endellion do not get on well. I shall tell Sparatus to keep the blinds lowered in case he or his team spot her across the Presidium,"
"Thank you. I might intercept him just in case to make him back off. Let's head off, Delern," I said.
"Aye, aye. we'll be in touch, Councillor," Mat'al said, saluting. Tevos nodded as I saluted.
"We will have new orders for you soon," she said. We nodded, leaving the airy room and back into the rumblings crowds. The crowd was not thinning. How many were indoctrinated servants, how many Saboteurs? We kept quiet until we got to the elevator back down.
"I wonder what's so different about these RIT transmitters." I muttered. Mat'al hmmed eyes narrowing.
"You distract Dell with Gid, I'll speak with Yumesa," he said. I nodded as the doors opened, exiting the building and escaping the crowds. Kala noticed us first, bouncing to her feet. Gideon jumped and looked over, sitting on a wall outside. He bounced off onto his feet, the souring scent of soup wafting from him. For levo-amino creatures, he'd smell fresh.
"Everything go alright?" he asked. Mat'al nodded.
"Your mother is across the way, let's go calm her down before she thinks we died," he chuckled. Gideon perked and followed.
A walkway connected the two sides, crossing the bubbling fountains and curious planets nearby. All bright and colourful, peaceful in the midst of war. You wouldn't think there was a war, staying here, but the air still carried a twinge of anxiety. We climbed the stairs to reach the café Dell, Drutus and Yumesa sat at. We spotted her moments later, Gideon beaming as he ran forward past the leafy planters. Kala beeped in surprise and chased him, the pair of us chuckling as he let loose a whistle. Dell leapt out her skin, wheeling around in surprise, Drutus calmer but his hand dropped to his hip. Yumesa smiled, having spotted us no doubt as we turned around the tall potted trees at the entrance to the long café, all circular tables with neat crimson tablecloths and fresh flowers, the stench of coffee overwhelming. Within a heartbeat, Drutus' hand returned to his cup and Dell launched the chair back with surprising force, half running herself.
"Gid! Oh you're alr- urgh -right," she grunted as Gideon all but rugby tackled her, Dell fighting to stay on her feet. It was hard to say who clung to who.
"Everyone's ok, don't worry," Gideon mumbled as we got closer, face pressed into her shoulder. "I was more worried about you,"
"Don't worry about me, Gideon. I'm a big girl," Dell said.
"Debatable," Gideon said with a rising grin. A flash of fire crossed Dell's face, Gideon yelping as she grabbed his ear. He wailed as she scowled at him, a ghost of the usual Dell breaking free. "Help! Sassy!" Mat'al raised a brow, cold grin spreading. He popped free the Predator with the air rounds.
"Help who, exactly?" he asked. Both Dell and Gideon paused, glowering in his direction. Laughter ripped from my throat.
"Now, now, leave the Pigmy Maw alone," I said. Dell's shoulders sagged, releasing Gideon. She ruffled his hair before crossing the final two steps to hug me, burying her face in my chest. "You look a little better," I murmured.
"It's… getting a bit easier," Dell sighed. "A bit,"
"Need me to get sweaty?" I asked. She looked up, cheeks glowing pink. She tried to scowl at the grin on my face, but she couldn't hold it. The image was in her head and she was enjoying it too much.
"You are terrible," she sighed, enjoying the hug for a moment longer before stepping back. "Was Irune… bad?"
"Better than Khar'shan… worse than most other places though," I said. Dell shook her head. "Saboteur is dead though, I'll give you the report later,"
"Thank you," she said, dragging in a deep breath before taking my hand and leading me to the table with Yumesa and Drutus. Gideon and Mat'al followed, Kala in tow. Yumesa smiled and rose to her feet as we approached, Drutus joining her. Drutus saluted. We answered back with our own.
"You must be Captain Valérien Autillin, Endellion speaks highly of you," Yumesa said, her voice quiet from age, yet felt as firm as stone. She was not a woman to be on the bad side with. Mat'al and I saluted.
"I am, Admiral Yumesa. Good to meet you," I said. Yumesa chuckled as she lowered her cup to the saucer.
"No need for my title, Captain. I am too used to not using it," she said. We shook hands before lowering ourselves down, Gideon pulling a couple of extra chairs across. "Admiral Shaik has been fretting since you left no doubt," Dell coughed, hiding her face in her coffee. My hand rested on her leg, feeling the muscles relax.
"She's a worrier, unfortunately," I said with a grin. Dell looked up from under her eyebrows, cheeks growing hotter. "Speaking of worrying, we have a health and safety warning," Dell frowned, lowering the cup. "Shepard's on the Citadel, no doubt he'll know the Starquake has landed as well. He's on his way to speak to Sparatus," Dell squeezed her eyes shut, her frame trembling.
"I can't deal with him right now," she whimpered.
"I know, we'll deal with him if he shows up," I said. My eyes rose to Yumesa. "So, how is the hunt for new admirals going?" Dell's shoulders sagged.
"Well, surprisingly. Endellion is flexible and willing to give people chances. I chose from a select few who I knew were itching to get back into the game with the war kicking off. I had to be a bit careful. Many of the old turian admirals served in the First Contact War. Their opinions have not paled with time,"
"Ah," I said. Yumesa smiled as she took a sip.
"But she is doing well. Tis good to keep her busy," Yumesa said. "I believe we have all the roles filled now, so they will be preparing. Admiral Shaik and Admiral Bargatus have been preparing information packs of the fleet for them. I am afraid I am a bit out of the loop, I didn't realise the fleet grew by 3 recently,"
"Mmm, it would have been four had the Indus not fallen," Dell sighed. She leaned back in her chair, quiet and musing. "At least the crew have been behaving, though I get the feeling they might be getting a bit rowdy soon,"
"Boredom does that. Fret not, we have ways to keep grounded crews on their toes," Yumesa chuckled. "Any word from the dry docks?" Dell blinked.
"Repairs are well underway. I know the Draco is done and guarding the dock with the Dorado in it. The longest may honestly be the Virgo and Vulpecula since they are getting keel modifications that are going to change the lower floors," Dell said with a frown.
"Asari ships are mostly empty after a few floors. It's just modifying the lowest floors to allow access still once retracted. Tis mostly storage or fuel and water down there… usually," Yumesa said. "It will be good to see all of the fleet inside the Constellation for the first time,"
"Yeah, James said they are making surprising progress. They are basically just cutting sections of the hull open and sliding new sections in, connecting and welding everything and then resealing the outside hull. The dock modifications are ready to go in, they just need to strip the old dock clear and then slide the new ones in. Making everything modular has sped up repairs considerably," Dell said, shuffling in her chair.
"You'll be fine," Mat'al said. Dell sighed, sagging.
"I can't believe how fast the repairs are going…" she said.
"Many docks have been hiring extensively because of the war. You probably have triple the volume of people working on the ships," Drutus said. "They need to get your ships repaired and out so they can get new ones in. The backlog is incredible," Gideon glanced to Dell, chewing his lip.
"I trust the owners to make sure their quality doesn't drop," Dell frowned. "But I need to have the individual engineering teams examine everything to be sure," Drutus chuckled as he tapped on his datapad.
"I'll schedule the reminder," he said. Dell groaned in answer. My eyes skimmed the Presidium, content to have Dell near. She didn't look as broken, but she still had a ways to go. Movement caught my eye. A sharp intake gave it away. Dell snapped her head up, looking at me before scanning where I stared. Blessedly, they vanished inside the Embassy. Mat'al frowned, but he had caught the tail end of them. Gideon just flailed his head around wildly. Mat'al and I shared a look.
"I'll go deal with it," I said, rising. Dell's eyes found me again, wide and confused. "Health and safety," I said, patting her shoulders. Her face twisted, eyebrows curling high. "Back in a bit,"
I turned, leaving the café. About 5 strides later, my eyes drifted down, spotting Kala trotting by my heel. My eyes rose to Gideon, his eyes narrowed, the boy looking more like a man by the moment. I nodded, disappearing down the stairs. He didn't like anyone going alone. Even if it was only 50m. This damned war was destroying the last moments of innocence Gideon could have had in his life. My shoulders sagged as we crossed the foot bridge. Back in the embassy, we waited by the door. There was only one entrance and exit to the place. The minutes ticked by. Shepard spent less time with the Council than Dell, so he wouldn't be long. I'd spotted Garrus by Shepard's side, no other turian could tolerate to be in his presence for long. I didn't recognise the human, broader than even Julian. The asari may have been Liara, she looked pale enough for her, though Liara didn't appear on vid very often for me to confirm. Kala sat by my side, watching the people go by. The minutes ticked by, Mat'al watching from the café, inching his chair to the point he could watch comfortably while still being part of the conversation above. Kala nudged me, snapping me awake. Shepard strode down the hall, scrubbing his face. Strain marked his skin, a tightness around the eyes, bags beginning to form below his eyes. My fingers raised to my lips. A smirk rose when my whistle jolted him. His shoulders sagged, that cheeky grin rising. He approached with a confident gait.
"Autillin! Just the man I need. I'm looking for Dell, I heard the Starquake docked from EDI and-" he froze, his grin dropping as he spotted the stripes on my shoulder. His eyes rose to mine, nothing friendly in them. "What happened to Dell?" he asked. A slow breath released.
"Shit, but she's alive," I said. Shepard clenched his jaw as his team fell in around him.
"But is she ok?" Shepard asked.
"...She's getting better," I said. Shepard exhaled, searching my eyes, demanding answers. "She's been through a lot in the last week. You remember her big brother?"
"You can't forget an asshole like that," Shepard said.
"The Reapers finally got him and fucked the whole fleet," I said. Liara's eyes squeezed closed, as if her fears were confirmed. "The fleet is away for repairs and Dell was promoted to Fleet Admiral,"
"Wha… but… how?" Shepard asked.
"A Saboteur killed everyone of higher rank before striking Julian, just in case. The fleet rallied around Dell because there was no one else leaping to the position. Dell held everyone together to escape the Reapers and get the ships under control. The Saboteur onboard got Marshal, so they were fighting a rogue AI on top of everything. So Kala is now the Constellation Fleet AI. Julian gave Dell his stripes as his last act. As you can imagine, she's distraught with grief and now stress,"
"Shit… but she's ok other than that?" Garrus asked. I nodded. Shepard ran a hand down his face.
"Fuck… I needed help," Shepard said, voice serious still. My brows furrowed. "I'm going to Tuchanka, I'm reversing the Genophage," my stomach plunged.
"Why?!" I yelped, Kala leaping at my exclamation, looking around with wild flicks of her head. Well, she picked that up from Gideon.
"Palaven needs the krogan, Wrex has agreed to put boots on the ground once we cure the genophage," Shepard said. My wide eyes scanned the crew around Shepard, all stoic.
"Spirits have mercy," I wheezed. "But what does this have to do with Dell?"
"Wrex said he found a Saboteur, the other krogan one that got away. It's nearby to the Shroud where we are dispersing the cure," Shepard said.
"Oh…" My eyes fell to Kala, the AI beeping. My eyes rose to the café 3 floors above. Mat'al narrowed his eyes, noticing my open expression.
"...Promise me you'll behave and I'll take you to Dell. She's still in charge but she is fragile," I said. Shepard nodded. For once, there wasn't a playful smirk on his face. After a deep breath, we began meandering our way back to the café. From my peripheral vision, Mat'al's stare would have frozen a sun. We wound up the stairs, finally reaching the third floor. Dell looked behind her. Her whole face scrunched, eyebrows curling up to the sky. Yumesa raised a brow, Drutus clicking his mandibles. Gideon shuffled in his chair as Kala trotted back to his side. Dell took a moment before raising her head as we stopped beside the table.
"Sorry Dell. But this is important. They found Innot," I said. Her crumbled face relaxed, opening as her eyes widened. She glanced at Shepard, noticing his serious expression. Dell took a moment to sip on her coffee, standing slowly. She looked up to Shepard, his eyes glued to the stripes on her shoulders. Shepard tore his gaze away to focus on her face.
"I know this is a bad time, but I really need the help. The closest I've come to fighting a Saboteur is Megan when Nyryntha attacked Earth and that was only a 5 second fight. That and Sitoln on the Cerberus space station and he fucked me," Shepard said. Dell blinked, measuring every muscle movement she did.
"Where is she? The Saboteur?" Dell asked.
"Near a structure called the Shroud. I think the Reapers have learned we are looking to use it to cure the genophage," Shepard said. Mat'al's spine snapped straight. Dell blinked again, taking her time.
"They sent a Saboteur to fuck with it no doubt," Dell said.
"Exactly. Which is why we can't wait much longer. With so much on the line, I cannot afford to fuck up. Palaven needs the krogan and the krogan won't help unless I can get to the Shroud. Can you help?" Shepard asked. Dell glanced to Yumesa and Drutus, her teeth catching her lip. After a moment, she turned back to Shepard.
"I don't have a fleet. I have no doubt in my mind there are Behemoths there. Reapers as well… but dammit I need to close this book once and for all," Dell ran her hand through her hair. She studied Shepard, still standing serious and tall. Dell exhaled slowly. "...I'll help," she said. Shepard's shoulder sagged.
"Thank you," he said. Dell turned to Drutus, her brows turned down.
"Drutus, we'll need ground crews. Get the Behemoth specialists gathered and on en route to the coordinates. They'll need time to prep. None of the ships are ready, but I'll pull strings and see what I can get," Dell said. Drutus nodded, already tapping away.
"Try the turians, they are already helping," Garrus said. Dell nodded.
"I'll call Fedorian and see what-" Dell said. Shepard winced. Dell's expression froze. "...what?"
"...Primarch Fedorian is dead," Liara said.
"You are joking," Dell said, pupils shrinking. "How…?"
"He didn't leave Palaven alive. We have the new Primarch on the Normandy though," Shepard said.
"Spirits have mercy," I mumbled. Dell clenched her teeth, fists shaking at her side.
"Dammit… Dammit he had so much information for us on the last turian Saboteur!" Dell snapped. "First Gunner, then Julian, now Fedorian?! IS ANYONE ELSE GOING TO DIE ON ME!? NOW'S THE PERFECT TIME!" Dell screeched, pacing away with her hands in her hair. Shepard winced, glancing at me for help. We shared a look for a time. My eyes trailed over to the Embassies, spotting Tevos standing by her window. I took a step towards Dell. She twirled on her feet, her expression thunderous.
"What forces do we have?" she asked.
"Dell, we can't-" I said.
"I know! I fucking know! I can't bring back the dead, I don't care about that. I don't have the resources to help Palaven, but I damn well get the krogan to help! I don't have my fleet, but if I can get a turian frigate we can do more good. Get Imperious on the line, dammit! Goddam it, this might be the last happy ending I'll see until the end of the war!" Dell snapped. My brow furrowed.
"What happy ending?" I asked.
"What forces do we have?" Dell said between grit teeth. Drutus raised his chin a notch, smiling.
"A good chunk of the crew is mobile. A ground mission will keep them occupied," he said. "I have called the Behemoth Specialists. They are preparing and putting in requisitions orders," Dell nodded.
"All ground crew who are bored are to prepare for deployment. Leave enough behind to guard the injured and keep the Citadel Saboteurs to ground," Dell ordered. Drutus nodded, already on the omni-tool.
"And us?" I asked.
"I'll be aboard," Dell said. My brows furrowed. "I will not sit this mission out. And I will not argue with anyone about it,"
"Then I had best rally your Admirals then, Admiral Shaik," Yumesa said with a smile. "Twould be a good time to begin working with them and for them to see exactly how their Fleet Admiral operates," Dell nodded, going onto her omni-tool.
"Here's the mission details so far. We'll talk more on Tuchanka," Shepard said.
"The sooner we get the krogan free, the better. We really need them around the galaxy if Irune is anything to go by," I said. Shepard's eyebrows curled.
"Raisha, back your stuff," Dell hailed. We turned to her, the krogan's face on the screen. My blood froze, staring at the golden crested krogan as she narrowed her eyes.
"Oh? Is it time for my 'last trip'?" she asked.
"Yes," Dell said. "It's time to put an end to Innot," Raisha's expression solidified in place, staring at Dell. Her eyes widened, the pupils slitting.
"Innot…?" Raisha said.
"You can either sit on your arse on Tuchanka and sulk or end this madness. I don't care which you do, but you are coming all the same," Dell said, her hard-arse captain voice breaking free. Raisha was quiet for a moment. She saluted.
"Understood… Admiral," Raisha said.
"I'll forward you the dock details. You have 3 hours and you will wait outside until I come to collect you, understood?" Dell asked. Raisha nodded. The call ended, Dell turning to us. "Shepard, take me to the new Primarch. We need to talk,"
"Where the hell is Raisha going?" I asked. Dell narrowed her eyes, as if expecting this.
"She's coming on the Starquake," she said.
"Absolutely not!" I thundered. Dell quivered, but her eyes held firm. "You may be Fleet Admiral, but I am still Captain. That.. thing isn't taking a step on that ship!"
"Val-" she said.
"No, and that's the final word," I said with grit teeth. Shepard frowned between us.
"Valérien," Dell said, her voice growing dark.
"No," I snapped.
"Captain Autillin, you will stand at attention and fucking listen!" Dell thundered. My mandibles pinned, but the back straightened all the same. Spirits damn me, she just had something in her voice that put the fear of hell into anyone. Dell stared me down, making damn sure I wasn't going to open my mouth. I wasn't sure I could, not with my jaw clenched as tight as it was. "Let me make one thing perfectly clear. Yes, you are Captain and I am grateful you are not afraid to tell me to shove it to protect those under your command, but the Starquake is still my property. Do not make me wave those papers in your face," My mandibles pinned ever tighter. "Raisha rides in the Starquake one last time. Once Innot is dead, she's left on Tuchanka. She will be kicked off the Constellation Fleet and left to her own devices. I have had this planned since I learned what she did. I don't need you to agree, but I need you to understand. The only thing that can snap her back to any form of normality is to take it out on Innot. And if this damn cure works, then she can rebuild her family herself. That is what I want," Dell said. Her shoulders rolled back. "One last happy ending. That's all I want. I need something positive," she said more gently.
"Why bother, she nearly killed Shayan, all of us?" I said, measuring my tone.
"Because I owe her a happy ending, after everything she did for me in the early days. This isn't just to make me feel better, this isn't just a throwback to days gone by. I need to say goodbye to the only mother figure I've had since I woke in the future. Family sticks with family, and Raisha was part of mine during my darkest days when I needed all the help I could get," She said. My eyes diverted, Gideon's eyes locked to his boots. Mat'al squeezed his shoulder. "Family doesn't abandon family, no matter what kind of shithead they are. I want her to close the book on what happened and move on. I owe her this, and I need closure. I must see this to its conclusion," My eyes rose, locking with hers.
"...She stays locked away somewhere and she does not leave that locked room until the mission starts," I said. Dell nodded, her shoulders relaxing as she turned to Drutus.
"Fly me by everything we have," she said. The old Dell was back, a job to distract her from the inevitable. Shepard watched, quiet.
"We'll deal with the Saboteur. We'll pass you details on the Reaper forces we know, you need to get the krogan prepared for Behemoths. If anywhere is going to have one or a few, it's Tuchanka," I said, though there was a snap to my voice now. Dell approved that I resisted her, but was still going to force it. Maybe this is why people didn't date people in the same workplace. Shepard nodded as we both tapped on omni-tools.
"Yumesa, you'll forgive me if I cut today short," Dell said. Yumesa chuckled.
"Go, Admiral. You have a mission to deal with. We can continue our talks later," she said. Dell smiled, looking up to Shepard.
"Take me to the Primarch. We need to talk," I said. Shepard nodded, his team already stepping away. Gideon went to rise, when Mat'al pressed a hand on his shoulder. The boy frowned at the salarian, but lowered himself back down on the chair regardless. Dell gave Gideon a smile, even if her eyes narrowed at Mat'al before turning to follow Shepard. I glanced to Mat'al. He flicked his eyes to Dell, raising a brow. My mandibles clicked, but stepped after Dell while Mat'al and Gideon remained with Yumesa and Drutus.
Dell kept a hard march, one Shepard seemed eager to take as well. Garrus and I shared a look, hapless soldiers as our commanding officers dragged us into another mess. My eyes scanned the Presidium, then the Wards. People swelled as normal, as if nothing were amiss. No one in the group relaxed until the clamour of docks and the smell of oil, fuel and ezzo soaked the air. The Normandy sat before us, a glimmer of the Starquake further down the line. Garrus offered a tight smile as we delved inside, the ship humming with activity. My eyes trailed over Dell. She hadn't been on the Normandy very much, or me to be fair. But Dell hesitated a step, eyes flicking around the CIC. She shook her head, hands clenching and releasing as she followed him into the back. My brows flew at the dark, circular room. Monitors filled the edges room, a dozen or so operating stations glowed in emergency red with the stink of fresh oil still in the air. The middle was bright, a massive circular projector occupying most of the space. It was jarring really. My eyes caught Wrex, the krogan casting his eyes up as we entered from his terminal near the door. HIs back straightened, shoulders rolling back. Dell caught sight of him around the same time, freezing on the stairs down the central donut. They stared at each other, Dell's brows dropping lower by the moment. Though she shuffled her weight closer to me as I stood by her shoulder. Wrex heaved a sigh, dragging himself away from the console. Dell folded her arms.
"Shaik," he rumbled.
"Wrex," Dell said. The silence stretched, Shepard glancing between the two. Wrex grunted as he shook his shoulders out. He finally snorted, looking almost sheepish though begrudgingly.
"Sorry," he said. Dell rose a brow. He sighed. "About Innot," Dell trembled, but with how her brows dropped, it wasn't in fear.
"I asked you to trust me," she said. Wrex blinked, standing his ground. "I was in crutches for a week after that…"
"...We'll get her this time," he said.
"I will. You won't," Dell said with an icy snap. Wrex drew his brows down. "I have been through hell, Wrex. The last thing I need is to discover if someone who already fell to Mind Manipulation can fall to it easier the second time from the same Saboteur," Wrex grumbled. "Only this time, I will shoot you. And it won't be a warning shot," Wrex's eyes narrowed, pupils slitting. Dell held the gaze as she turned, refusing to break contact until she took a step down closer to the lowest part of the room. I followed close behind.
"When did the Pyjak become a Maw?" Wrex grumbled.
"Years ago, Wrex. You've just never had the teeth aimed at you," Dell said, voice tight. Wrex snorted as we approached a turian. Part of me wished he was brass gold for Dell's sake, but he was fresh bronze grey, the decorative markings of Palaven pale against his metallic skin. He glanced up from his station beside the donut wall of screens and consoles, the white hue from the middle blinding.
"Primarch Victus, this is Capt-... Fleet Admiral Endellion Shaik. She worked closely with Fedorian," Shepard introduced, catching himself. "This is Primarch Adrien Victus," Dell rolled her shoulders back as the turian took her in.
"Good afternoon, Admiral," Victus said, holding himself on delicate toes. This man wasn't long off the battlefield.
"Primarch, hello. Congratulations on your ascension," Dell said, the pair shaking hands. Victus snorted.
"Thank you, though you'll forgive me if I don't use the pleasantries Fedorian used. I'm a soldier, the transition to politician… isn't easy," he said. Dell grinned, though there was a shadow to her eyes.
"You'll get there. If I can go from civie to captain in a week, you can transition from soldier to politician," she said.
"A week?" I asked, smirking. Dell glowered over her shoulder.
"An hour then," she rumbled. A slow chuckle escaped from Victus.
"Desperate?" he asked. A groan escaped Dell, her hands finding her hips.
"You can say that," she sighed. "I'll cut straight to the point, I doubt either of us have time to spare. I don't suppose you have any data from Fedorian at all? He had an awful lot of information crucial to my mission," her voice drifted, sounding far away. Victus sighed himself.
"Possibly, it's impossible to know. I've had terabytes dumped on my plate in a week," Victus said. Dell nipped her lip. "I can have a look, but I'd need to know your particular mission," he added. Dell rose her eyes.
"Do a general search for Vitreous," Dell asked. Victus waved his mandibles. "Fedorian and I had… conversations," she said. Victus' plates relaxed, an understanding filling his eyes. Soldiers would know the key to keeping secrets, especially in a war. He turned to his console, mumbling as he searched. The minutes ticked by, Dell's lip chewing worsening. Victus clicked his mandibles.
"I'm finding an awful lot of coded and encrypted messages for Solis Aeris," he said.
"That's me," Dell said. Victus frowned, Dell waving her omni-tool hand as a hint. His gaze returned to the messages. After a time he ended up shaking his head and started working on his omni-tool. Dell's omni-tool flashed. Victus' mandibles clicked again.
"Well, that's one way to verify your identity," he chuckled. Dell smiled, strained. "I cannot make heads and tails of this, so I'll send you what I have,"
"I'll secure the line," Dell said. "Kala, help me out,"
"Of course, Admiral. Securing data transfer," Kala said in our earpieces.
"I appreciate it, Primarch. I realise this is all happening very quickly," she said. Victus leaned on the console, glancing to Shepard.
"Is this related to the Tuchanka mission?" he asked. Dell shook her head.
"No, it's related to a possible Palaven mission," she said. Victus' brows flew up. "But for me to get that mission underway, I need Palaven under some kind of control. Assuming the Saboteur is still on Palaven," she grumbled.
"You want to strike it on Palaven?" I asked. Dell shook her head.
"We might not have a choice, I have to prepare for it. Hopefully… hopefully by then the Fleet is out of dry dock," she said. She glanced to her omni-tool. "Thank you, that's should be everything. No doubt Fedorian had other details he didn't get a chance to put into writing, but this is better than nothing," she shook herself out. "I need to prepare my people for Tuchanka. I wish you all the best, and no doubt we'll be in touch again sooner rather than later," Victus nodded as they shook hands again.
"Indeed. Good luck with your missions. I hope Tuchanka goes well," he rumbled, clearly eager to get in on the action himself. Dell smiled as she turned to Shepard.
"We'll meet on Tuchanka," she said. He nodded. She glanced to Wrex. "And keep him under control," Shepard grinned.
"Will try," he said. Dell nodded, turning to march from the ship. We didn't need an escort, it wasn't a hard ship to navigate. Dell breathed a hard breath once we stepped dockside, scrubbing her face.
"Solis Aeris?" I asked.
"Copper Sun. Copper for my hair, sun for my temper," she said. Laughter burst free, smiling as she tied her hair back. "Come on, I have ground teams to brief," I nodded, following her as she traversed back down the dock, aiming for the Starquake. Aiming for home.
The Galaxy Map has been updated for this chapter. Please see profile for link to Archive.