-10:17:10

…

In total, there were ninety-one civilians, three military and two civilian law enforcement personnel.

There was a small wave of relief which washed over Soka as she, James and the rest of the armed troops led the unarmed civilians towards the New Esperance Spaceport. The freighter was slated to comfortably carry 125 people. More than enough room for everyone they had gathered.

So in groups of 12 to 15 over the course of several hours, both James and she along with Private Nascimento and the police officers led them to the port. Larger groups might arouse detection and they were already taking a large enough risk as it was.

With the final group safely transported to the port, James and she went to work. They collected weapons and supplies from the dead Alliance sentries and set up a small stockpile, they moved around the perimeter sentry guns into kill zones in case the Reaper Dreadnought hit with infantry first. With that completed they turned their attention to the most dangerous part of the job: disarming the colony killing weapon of mass destruction so that they could turn it into an even bigger weapon of mass destruction.

Even with a few hours to process the Reaper murder plot, it was still a daze to her that they were already deep into the plan. The bomb was disarmed and the two of them were carefully loading it out of the ship and setting it into a commandeered cargo truck as the delivery vehicle.

Between the fast march into the city, the various running firefights and now all this manual labour, exhaustion was starting to set in for the both of them. It was mutually decided they would manoeuvre the bomb into place in eight hours. Enough time to get something to eat in them, and then get some rest and sleep. Well, at least whatever they could get while the Reapers roamed freely.

Glancing to one side, she found James there. He was out of his body armour and was picking through his MRE as though he had little interest in eating it. Like the whole affair was a chore to him. She couldn't blame him for his lethargy. He was likely coming down from the stimulants he had been using for days on end to get him to where the two of them met.

She had to admit that he had impressed her more than her initial appraisal of him. With him not turning his back on the civilians when it would have been so much easier to do so, he proved himself to her to be someone worthy of her respect. This only increased between defending her indefensible decision to sacrifice New Esperance and his unconditional display of loyalty to her. She fully expected that his allegiance to his species would win out. But it didn't, he stayed true and stood with her despite everything.

There was a strange pang in the pit of her gut. Something foolish was festering in the back of her thoughts which she refused to give any sort of serious credence. It had to be induced by the close quarters she was working with the human. Combat-related emotional attachment. He was the first person she met following the decimation of her platoon. He got her back to her feet and gave her purpose. That was the extent of what was going on. It was simple gratitude that kept her as close as she was to James Merrick.

Yes, that was it. There was nothing else to it.

Besides it was a foolish notion to begin with and completely inappropriate considering they were in the middle of a warzone, planning the demise of a Reaper and about to be hit with the consequences of said plan. The last thing she needed to be wondering was just how smooth human males were…

Soka poked through her MREs moodily. She had to be realistic.

Exhaling unsteadily as she pushed her forming libido down, Soka gave her head a mental shake and focused all that she could on the mission and not the human. It was a stupid feeling that would have to go away. Thankfully for her, the mission would keep her mind off it until they got off of Eden Prime. Perhaps then something could be talked about. Get it out of the way… But considering Merrick's penchant for teasing, she was not sure she could live it down.

"And just who is that?!"

Soka looked up from her food and found James standing, she watched stunned as his battered expression brightened in a way she hadn't seen before. There, in Private Nascimento's arms was a small human infant he was clutching against his chest like it was his own. The private rounded back in a slight shock and found the Lieutenant was almost hovering over the smaller man.

"Wish I knew for certain," Nascimento addressed his superior, finding his senses. "I found her screaming in a bassinet outside of her home two days ago. Her parents were dead… I imagine her medical records are off-world to identify her…"

Soka felt another small pang, but it did not seem to faze James in the slightest as he hung out one of his index fingers to the child as though it was some sort of pet he was trying to play with. Wordlessly, James looked to Nascimento, who hesitated for a moment before he pulled the infant away from his chest and offered it out to James' quavering hands. Soka frowned at the small tick she noticed in him. He seemed to carefully control his every movement.

James chuckled softly as the small infant squealed and whimpered as it found itself in strange arms. There was only the briefest of struggles until she settled down at the sight of James' finger being waved in front of her again. The infant blinked and reached one chubby hand out to take it like it was a toy. James' expression lightened up as he placed his forehead against the small infant's.

As Soka tilted her head at the display of human affection for infants, the human only gave her the briefest of smiles, before he rubbed his nose against the infants and said something to the effect of 'Eskimo kiss!' (Whatever that was) and grinned as the baby squealed with delight and placed her fist into her mouth, drooling as she looked up at the man happily.

"Oh… well aren't you the sweetest thing I've seen in weeks," he cooed to her like she was his own. "Well… with the possible exception of the Lieutenant when she's not advocating option two…"

Soka narrowed her eyes into a sharp glare at the human.

"I haven't advocated option two in several hours!" she nearly squawked at him, scandalized that he insisted on bringing it up yet again.

But James wasn't having any of that at the moment. He was enamoured by the child. She was sort of… touched by it. It was a nice break from the death they went through to get to this point. That and he seemed so… natural… at least for a human. He probably wouldn't get away with that in traditional turian child-rearing.

"Oh, never you mind Miss Grumpy Turian over there…" James spoke to the child directly as though it could comprehend him. "…You know, I think Soka would like to hold you, don't you agree? Yes you do, oh yes you do!"

Revealing her teeth, Soka shook her head quickly. No… no this wasn't what she had signed off on.

"Oh no… No… I am fine, thank you…" Soka mumbled, her talons rose in front of her as she stepped back away from the encroaching man and infant, who was now staring at her wondrously.

"Oh, she acts the stern one, but she just wants to hold a baby!" James spoke again to the baby as he backed Soka into the corner. Behind them, Soka could see Private Nascimento grinning somewhat at the interaction.

"James, I don't know what to do and… oh…"

And just like that Soka had found herself cradling the infant in her arms. James stepped back and in quiet amusement, he watched as Soka held her first infant. She came from a large family with many younger siblings that came before her. Not once had she had an interest in interacting with an infant. She stood there in a state of stunned silence as the child poked and prodded her.

"Well… hello," was her awkward-sounding first words to the child as she ignored the child pulling on her left mandible as she had pulled on James' finger. "…So you are a human infant… A female, I suppose? You're very… flabby. Are human infants supposed to be fat?"

James emitted an outraged hiss. It seemed more for dramatic effect than a serious display of outrage for her remark.

"She's not fat!" he snapped back scandalized by the suggestion. "She's cuddly. Just because she's not made out of iron and can float in water, doesn't mean she's fat!"

Soka closed her eyes and exhaled sharply as the girl ran her hand over Soka's chin, taking in the grooves with apparent delight.

"Because I am holding a baby in my hands, I am not going to take offence to that-"

Without warning the infant hiccuped and vomited all over Soka's chest plate and exposed neck. The white and yellowed viscous slime stunk of something utterly alien to her nose. She stood there in a state of shock as she silently wondered if this was a common thing for human infants to do. If it was then they were truly disgusting creatures despite their outwardly pleasant appearance. Worst yet, the infant looked as though she was having the time of her life in vomiting all over the turian.

"Oh… well this is lovely," she said as she struggled to remain as cool and collected as she could covered in baby vomit. She looked to James, who was physically shaking from the suppression of his laughter at her expense and added in a low tone. "Thank you for this experience. I will value it always."

Thankfully for her, Private Nascimento stepped forward with a towel in hand and took the infant girl out of Soka's grasp and had enough sense to look sympathetic to her plight.

"Sorry… I think she was breastfed. She's still getting used to the formula I scavenged…" he explained as he stepped back from the still-in-shock turian. He looked to James, who was still fighting to keep his expression straight and added. "I'm going to go change her and lay her down, sir. You both should catch some sleep as well. I'll take watch and wake you two when we're moving out."

Nascimento and the infant left, leaving James struggling to remain in control and Soka, who was attempting to clean the infant's vomit off her armour. Growling lowly, Soka gave up on her dignity and simply pried her chest piece off in front of the human, leaving her feeling exposed in just her soft suit. Ignoring her trace of embarrassment, as James watched her; she dropped the plate armour down onto the table and went to work scrubbing it off. She would probably have to use industrial cleaner to get rid of that retched stench….

Ninety-two… she hadn't counted the infant before, but the child made ninety-two civilians rescued from this hell. She took a little comfort in that as she cleaned herself up, washing her neck and hoping that she would not get a rash from it. Another life that would be spared the Reaper menace…

Or her plan…

"We're saving that child, you know," she heard James say finally, his voice returning back to his relatively professional tone. "That's thanks to you."

Soka did not respond as she continued to scrub her armour. She did not deserve praise for accidentally forcing him to change his mind on the whole rescue mission. Not when her conscious was heavy with her other decision. The one that loomed over them as large as the Reaper they were facing.

"…and condemning many others…"she whispered to herself. It was just loud enough for the human to hear it.

"I doubt there are many children left when the Reapers hit…" James tried to comfort her. "And by the looks of it, I think he rescued them all…"

Soka glanced up and looked in the direction of where Nascimento had taken the infant. Surrounding him were a dozen kids, all of which seemed to be under the age of human adulthood. Nascimento was smiling and talking adamantly at them as he was changing the infant. Occasionally the children would look James and Soka's way with wide eyes. It was like he was reassuring them that the two newcomers they had picked up had a foolproof plan to get them to safety…

"You know… that kid is a goddamn hero…" James voiced exactly what Soka was feeling. "Note to self, I am recommending Private Eduardo Nascimento for a field commission and a medal… Don't know which one, but sort that detail out later."

Soka turned back and found that James' omni-tool was activated and in vocal record mode. Smiling half-heartedly at her expression of confusion, he deactivated it and joined her, leaning against their table as she continued to stare at him leery. Forgetting her armour, stood up properly and looked at him carefully. James had lost all traces of humour now and bowed his head, his hand shaking; it reached up and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Taking notes… well… sort of a record of events…" was his mumbled explanation, still unable to look her in the eye. "I figure there should be a record. If I don't make it-"

Soka reached her talon out and took his forearm, her eyes narrowed at the human she was inspecting.

"You'll make it, James," she sternly reassured him.

James looked at her like she was deluding herself. His hand reached down and slowly he pulled up the side of his shirt, his other hand, pulled down his pants slightly. Soka blinked as she stared at the serious-looking internal bleeding discolouring his pale flesh was bruising that was black, yellow and purple; it was such an awful sight. It wasn't the drugs he was coming down off of that had made him so lethargic. They had kept him moving, kept his mind off the pain and now they were wearing off. For who knows how long he was in more agony than he allowed her to know about.

Soka looked up and found the human smiling at her grimly. Like she was finally in the last secret he possessed. As she inspected him closer, she could see how awful James actually looked. He was paler than when they first met, large black bags were under his eyes. He was blinking rapidly like he was trying to keep his eyes open.

"Look, Soka… I'm not feeling too hot… and I'm not moving so well and no amount of media gel is going to change that fact until I get to a hospital," he spoke gently to the turian still clutching onto him. "We're going out into a hot spot in a matter of hours… There's a good chance I'm not going to come back from it-"

"Then don't come!" she hissed at him, her face snapping closer to his so that anyone watching would not see the concern and fear that she was washed in."Keep the ship secure, I can take the mission myself!"

James shook his head.

"You need all hands on deck for bomb delivery, Lieutenant," he refuted as he pulled the omni-tool off his arm and extended it to her. As she stared at it, he added. "Soka, listen to me. I want you to take this, and in the event of my death, I want you to deliver it to Command and my personal effects… I have letters to be given to my siblings… my mother…"

Soka shook her head and pushed her hand away from as she stepped back. She wasn't having this conversation. Not now. As she advocated suicide, he stood there willing her to live in the face of his mortality. Rubbing her face, she turned back and grabbed James by both his arms.

"You're going to make it, you foolish bastard," she reassured him, her face only inches away from his. "I decided that the only suitable compensation you can pay me back for knocking me out and tying me up is you taking me out on the Citadel and getting me good and drunk. So if you start with this morbid end-of-life planning, I am going to make you regret it!"

James remained silent. He just stood there looking at her in slight confusion.

"You don't want to die anymore?"

The question James had asked made Soka blink. Soka glanced at the floor and remained silent. James remained silent as well as he awaited her response.

Yes… she wanted to live. She was still alive and could do more for the fallen alive rather than join them. She wanted to help the united front against the Reaper bastards to the best of her ability, she wanted to help these civilians escape Eden Prime. She wanted to live with the ghosts of New Esperance. She wanted to tell the story of why a city had to be sacrificed to stop a Dreadnought from re-joining the galactic extermination program. She wanted to live… to have another day with James: a better day under better circumstances. She did not care about what it was defined as. Friends or something more… she just wanted another day with him.

"James, I want to live," she breathed to him as she looked back up at him. "But we're partners now, so you have to live as well. Understood, Lieutenant?"

Soka watched as through his slight grimace, James managed to smile for her. It was enough to bring a small smile to her face as well. He exhaled and nodded in apparent agreement. He would join the mission to the fusion plant, but he would let her take the lead and he would not take any risks, nor strain himself terribly. Then they would activate New Esperance anti-ship batteries, forcing the Reaper to deal with them. When it approached the one stationed near the power plant, the bombs would go off and the city – and hopefully the Reaper – would be erased in the sunrise James and she created.

"So... no more fatalism from you…" Soka murmured as she let go of James. "But since we're preparing for all things… I want you to take these…"

Moving to her left, Soka dug into the shoulder pouch of her armour and produced a fistful of identification tags and an OSD. Soka turned her attention back to the human who had directed his gaze to the personal objects she was presenting to him.

"Holotags of my men… and these letters to my parents," she explained to him as she glanced at the Omni-tool in James' shaking hand. "If I'm going to take your death relics, you better damn well take what I have."

As James nodded, human and turian exchanged their morbid gifts and each looked at them carefully, respectfully. Soka attached the omni-tool to her arm, and James placed the OSD and fistful of tags into his pants pocket. Quietly they stood there together in an awkward silence. This wasn't exactly a conversation neither of them had wanted to have had… but it was better that they got it out of the way.

"So…" James spoke, naturally breaking the silence first. "Drinks on the Citadel? Is that like, what, a date or something?"

Soka snapped her head up and hit him lightly on the chest for the sly… potentially flirtatious comment. It was a playful hit. She didn't want to knock the wind out of him, all things considered. Anything more and James was liable to fall flat on his ass.

"James…Shut up," was Soka's only warning as she struggled not to look too pleased that he had said that.

For the first time since they met, James would heed her warning.