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[Cknarf]

Frank stood from his crouched position, and stretched his arms.

 

What a mess…

 

He thought as he yawned, letting his arms fall lazily to his sides.

 

Blood and bodies all over the damn place...  F*ckin’, gaping holes in the walls and sh*t… Missing phalanges...

 

“This club sucks. We should leave.” Frank said flatly, as he held up his hand, and examined it again.

 

That’s so crazy. I still can’t believe they’re gone… Well, sort of gone.

 

Iole had picked up his disembodied digits earlier on.

 

“Hey, commando?” Frank started, not seeing her with the group standing around the batarian corpse. He turned around. “You still got my--”

 

It was his first time actually seeing Mira since she had been launched across Afterlife.  He knew from the bits of comms chatter he’d picked up that she was hurt, but was unaware of the extent of her injuries.

 

Frank quietly shuffled over, and took a seat on the ground next to Iole.

 

This club sucks. We should leave.

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Aria walked upstairs. "It's over, but my club is a disaster."

 

"We nearly got our arses kicked saving your hide, and you're complaining about your club?" Irina asked.

 

"And for that I'm grateful," Irina replied, "So this is the leader? The Prophet? I knew I should have simply flushed him out an airlock. 'He's harmless. Exile him.' That's the last time I do anything like that.

 

****

 

Naleena saw the bodies of civilians and mercs laying on the floor of the entrance to the concourse, and in front of the entrance to Afterlife. Innocent civilians, some of them children, gunned down. She paused and tried to give comfort to a family of one of the dead. Then she turned and walked up the steps to the nightclub and gingerly made her way down the foyer climbing over debris. A war had been fought here. The Commandos were tending to their fallen leader, and Irina was close by.

 

Jenus, now in command of the fire team saw Naleena and approached. "Ma'am."

 

"It's over. I hope," Naleena said.

 

"I hope so, too. They got Mira, then we kicked ass. We've got to get her to Med Bay." Jenus said.

 

Naleena got on her communicator. "VERA, please have Dr. Tolus send an evac team, and some techs to treat some minor injuries. Mira is critically wounded."

 

"Right away, Boss," VERA replied.

 

Naleena knelt next to Mira and closed her eyes and opened them. They were black. "Stay with us. Help will be here soon. No pain, Mira." and she broke the meld and continued walking toward the other group where Aria was standing.

 

"Looks like I missed all the fun," Naleena said, "It looks like a war zone in here. Our mission was a success. The fact that you're still standing tells me the same story. But could someone tell me the details?"

[Cainhurst Crow]

"The cultists we were trying to stop from launching a coupt against Aria...launched a coupt attempt against Aria." Essul spoke up as he approached Naleena slowly, his feet not following an even, steady path as he did so, "We were prepared to deal with civilians getting uppity, perhaps a merc band trying to pull something stupid. But this...this was a goddamn blitz. And none of us were prepared..." Essul stopped as he swayed off towards one side, falling down hard as the arm he'd normally catch himself with lay limp at his side.

 

He grunted as he worked to stand up, but with the rush of chemicals used for his fight or flight response fading, his body was starting to feel the burden he'd put it through. If not for the enhanced hydraulics his armor offered, he'd probably already be on the floor, crippled, instead of working to stand up with one arm. "I'm going to be fine...my meds...they keep my nerves dulled. I don't feel pain as well as I should..." He explained to her before she or anyone else thought to call him a medical evac as well, "Mira. Frank. Any merc or civilian out there still breathing...they need a medic more than me." Essul said, making it clear he wasn't going to budge from this stance.

 

He could wait for a medic. Simple as that.

 

Vayne let out a sigh and shoke his head, sometimes it wasn't the krogan who was the most stubborn. "The bastards dropped YMIR mechs on us. Then a Krogan team of chargers. Than a goddamn Gunship and what looks like a souped up construction Mech with missiles and machine guns. We handled most of what they threw at us, until they busted out the asari with biotics on their side..." Vayne said, recounting how to **** everything had gone once the biotics entered the field. "I've never seen biotics used with that kinda freaky coordination, who weren't part of trained military. They set off an explosion right at our center line...and Mira ended up being right in the middle of it." He said grimly, looking towards the asari with a sigh.

 

His species was tough and could shrug off a spike of glass through the lungs. Asari weren't so tough, and he couldn't help but worry she might not make it out of this one alive and in one piece.

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

"I have medical staff arriving, and a med-evac team for Mira," Naleena replied, and she shook her head in disbelief, took out a cigarette. "This makes our part look like a walk in the garden."

 

"It's 'walk in the park,' Naleena," Irina said. "Not 'walk in the garden.'"

 

Naleena made a mental note. She wondered how many other human sayings she got wrong, then turned to Essul. "Essul, you look like you need to sit. Was there anything else?"

 

"The guy said something," Irina said.

[Cainhurst Crow]

"The preacher...his eyes glowed like someone had shoved a light in his head." Vayne said as he thumbed towards the body, "Broke his neck to make sure he wouldn't get back up."

 

"He...talked about our races. About a viability, and salvation through destruction..." Essul sat as he raised himself into a sitting position, looking towards the body with a fearful look, as if he expected it to get back up as he recalled what was said, "He said that the krogan, asari, and the batarians weren't suitable...and when he came to humans, he said their time of ascension would be soon..."

[Redbelle]

Anika stepped up from the stair's leading to the level below them. Her armour had fresh impacts from gun fire and her left gauntlet showed marks where something had wrapped around it, burning itself into the armour. Her right carried the Typhoon whose barrel's looked to have been sliced off midway down it's length.

 

"Sorry". She said nonchalantly as if unaffected by the abuse she'd absorbed. "I hoped I could hit the ATLAS from below.... But it seems they'd tried to sneak another team in". Reaching up with one hand she undid the clasps and pulled her helmet off. Her face was flush with a layer of sweat and her hair plastered to her scalp. "They won't be coming up...... How did we do"?

 

Anika scanned the ruins of what had once been the bar and her eye's suddenly fixed on Mira. A team of medics had arrived with a grav gurney and as a group, they lifted her onto it and began moving off with her. Anika watched silently, her face betraying dismay.

 

She softly breathed. "Damn".

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

"You said the eyes glowed?" Naleena asked, "Like the Collectors? I assume someone got that on their helmet cam."

 

"We were supposed to have them turned on?" Irina asked with shock on her face.

 

Naleena glared at her.

 

"Just pulling your leg, Boss," she replied while sitting on hers. "It's getting a nice shot of my arse right now."

 

Naleena sighed. "Take him aboard. I want Dr. Tolus to perform a medical autopsy. These other dead mercs need to be identified, irradiated, and burned." She saw the other medics start attending to her wounded. "Anyone see Aria?"

 

"I'm over here, Naleena!" Aria said climbing over debris inside her club. "It will be weeks before I can reopen, but with your team's help we stopped them. I promised each of them a reward if we were successful, and I keep my promises. Several members of your team look like they could use new armor. That can be arranged. Whatever else anyone needs, let me know. Right now, I have to address the station."

 

***

 

Aria entered her office and took a position overlooking the main entrance to Afterlife. She flipped on the stationwide broadcast and prepared to speak.

 

“Citizens of Omega, hear me. I, Aria T’loak along with loyal supporters have given you back your lives. The rebellion is over. My rule is reignited; my hand is firmly on the controls and I will not let go. Each of you owes a debt. Gain my favor by rounding up those responsible for supporting the mad prophet’s movement in any manner… and we will take our revenge. Going forward your lives will be hard, but the price you pay is for your freedom. Only I can protect that.

 

“Soon corporate enterprises will arrive to undo the damage done to our great station by the rebellion. These corporations will hire those among you who are qualified to do the work.  We will rebuild Omega greater than she was before. Her riches will spread among you. Know that I arranged this.

 

“And hear this. I will make Omega impenetrable. No one will ever threaten my domain again. From this day on, the galaxy will know one hard truth: don’t f*ck with Omega!”

[Redbelle]

Head tilted up as Aria's words resounded through the rubble strewn wards of Omega on the way to the Jeniri, Anika looked around and saw residential fabrications shattered. People lying or sitting on the street with their heads in their hands openly weeping as people with guns strapped to their backs hauled bodies out and zipped them up in bags on flat bed grav-lifters.

 

Anika shook her head and bent towards getting to the ship as fast as possible.

 

"Omega looks plenty f***ed to me".

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Naleena's communicator blinked. It was VERA. "Go ahead."

 

"Boss, civilian casualty reports are starting to arrive.... They are not good," VERA said.

 

Naleena started pacing with a worried look on her face. She saw Aria descending the stairs to the main level out of the corner of her eye.

 

"Initial reports from the intact side of the station indicate that 30,000 civilians are missing and presumed dead as a result of our bombardment of the station," VERA said, "200 more confirmed dead from the fighting not counting the hostiles."

 

Naleena sunk to her knees, her eyes welled.

 

Aria saw her and approached. She put her hand on Naleena's shoulder. "What's wrong?"

 

Naleena looked up at her. "Casualty reports. 30,000 civilians dead, a result of my bombardment. I executed them."

 

"They wouldn't evacuate, Naleena. You did what you had to do."

 

"There might have been another way."

 

"There was no other way!" Aria shouted.

 

"Don't patronize me, Aria." Naleena countered.

 

"I'm not patronizing you! I don't know what's going on under that crest of yours, but snap out of it." Aria said. "Things are about to get better around here for the rest of the people."

 

"At what cost, Aria?" Naleena asked. "I need to be alone."

 

Naleena left Afterlife. On her way back to the ship a shuttle arrived in the parking area and a group of refugees were escorted off. Naleena paused, and took a few steps toward it to get a better view. Gavorn was nearby Naleena.

 

"First arrivals from the evac zone post detach," Gavorn said, "It was rough down there."

 

A Salarian child was among the group. "Where's my mommy? I want my mommy!"

 

"Poor kid. He'll have to find a family to take him in. No child services here," Gavorn said, "But some families lost their kids, too."

 

Naleena turned to Gavorn. "I should go." She returned to the ship and went straight to conference room.

[Cknarf]

Frank left Afterlife, doing his best to step around the bodies that had yet to be moved.  Many of them were civilians killed in the initial attack.  It was nothing he hadn't seen before, but he still kept his eyes directed at the ground, to avoid conjuring up any more old memories. Simply being on the station was bad enough.

 

There you are!

 

Frank bent down, and picked up his helmet.  It had been caught in the blast from the breaching charges, among other things. Although blackened, and missing the visor, it was still intact. Mostly.

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

She sat at the terminal in the conference room typing her report, and contacted Yalson Sao.

 

Sao was in bed sleeping when she called. He was groggy and hit his communications device. "Sao. What is it?"

 

"This is Naleena T'sarius. We need to talk."

 

Sao propped himself on the pillows in his dark bedroom. "Go ahead." He switched on a light, grabbed his omni-tool, and turned it on to take notes.

 

"I'm sending you a copy of my report to the Council regarding my job on Omega," Naleena said.

 

"Whatever it was, that's in the Terminus. It's off books."

 

"Not like this. Did you read the copy of my initial report?"

 

"I scanned it. The Council told you to make the decision. And why are you calling me?"

 

"We finished. 30,000 civilian casualties, and that's just the beginning." Naleena said.

 

"Goddess!" Sao said and pulled up Naleena's report. "You evacuated that part of the station first, right?"

 

"Yes, Aria said there were people who refused to leave. We tried our best. I'll send you a copy of my full report. I might need some help on this."

 

Sao paused for a moment. "I'll see what I can do."

 

He disconnected. Naleena was finished with her report and forwarded it to the Council. It was time to contact the Council and get this over with. She stood, pressed a few buttons and the table lowered, she stepped onto the QEC platform. "VERA, patch me through to the Council."

 

Councilor Tevos was first to speak, as usual. "Spectre T'sarius, we've read your report and see you went through with the plan you were so hesitant to execute."

 

"30,000 civilian casualties estimated? Was that really necessary?" Udina asked.

 

"Aria tried to evacuate nearly 300,000 people from those districts of the station. As you know no evacuation is 100% complete, and time ran out." Naleena replied.

 

"Yet parts of the station turned into a war zone." Sparatus added.

 

"You make this sound like it was an easy decision! If I hadn't done this we might have lost the entire station and a major relay hub."

 

"Or you might have looked for an alternative." Sparatus said.

 

"There wasn't time. Besides there were others involved in this decision." Naleena said.

 

"Yet who made the final decision?" Valern asked.

 

Naleena glared at them. "I asked you for support. I asked you for ideas."

 

"Spectres can choose their assignments, Naleena," Tevos replied. "In the future, if you do not want to make a decision like this, perhaps you should defer the assignment to someone who can. Nonetheless, given the magnitude of the situation there will be an internal review of the mission. Good day, Spectre."

 

The QEC went dark. Naleena stormed out of the room to the elevator, and hit the button for deck 1, her quarters.

[Redbelle]

Anika had arrived on the ship and was heading to her's and Naleena's shared quarter's when up ahead she heard the lift doors closing. She looked up just in time to see Naleena disappearing behind them. Trudging over she pressed the button and had to wait for the lift to return before she stepped inside and rode it up to the 'loft'.

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Naleena realized had been played: played by Aria, by Ashland, and now by the Council. All those lives: 30,000 of them gone, and no one seemed to care. Everyone had gotten what they wanted. Everyone except the families of the dead. And her. She realized she probably should have gone over the plan in more detail, but it was too late for that now. The door opened to her dimly lit quarters, she entered, and heard it shut behind her. She locked it and walked straight to the liquor cabinet, took out a bottle, tumbler, and a couple packs of smokes, and then headed over to her bed and sat on the edge, poured a glass, and drank it. She took out a cigarette and put it in her mouth with her shaking hands. Tears streamed down her face as she lit it. The com light flashed. She ignored it and angrily threw her glass across the room; the acrylic tumbler bounced off the wall and rolled around on the floor. 30,000 innocent people dead on her watch; a result of her call. She picked up the bottle and drank.

 

(PS: of course Anika has the passcode to enter since they're now her quarters, too)

[Kel Riever]

“Hurry up!”

That is Doctor Tollus.

“You’ve got field experience.  She’s in your unit.  You can help me.”

Where are the angels?  I want to meet the one that took away the pain.

Wait, that was Naleena.

“I’m not a doctor.  You need someone from your staff…someone with experience.”

That’s Iole.  She sounds worried.

I would be too if my friend was dying.

“No.  I require excellent experience.  Do not understate your resume, I’ve seen it.  You are qualified.  I need caring hands and someone who will listen.  There is no one else….”

There was a fade to blackness, and then Mira came to the edge of consciousness again as she was hooked up to the medical devices that would keep her alive while in surgery.

I’m not dying.

“No you’re not!  We’re going to do everything we can, Mira.  Stay with us.”

Iole?  How did she hear me?

“You’re talking.  But we’re putting you under.  You’re going to feel…

“Even with the state of the art medical devices here, she will need to be transported to advanced care…” Tollus sounds far away.  Maybe he thinks I cannot hear him. “…shattered glass is going to take a long time to remove but it is the aggravation of the damage she received after her initial impact…” I am not talking now? Do not speak like I am not here! “…hundred years ago we’d save the arm, but it would be a useless…”

“We can save her arm, as well?”

“In a manner of speaking.  This arm must go.  We must give her another.”

I don’t want to lose my arm.  I want to live.  I want to live with my arm.

“Mira?  Listen, this has to be done.  If you tell us not to, we won’t, but this gets worse if you don’t let us do what we need to now.”

Do what you have to, Iole.  I trust you.  I just wish it was different.

“I do too.  We’ll take care of it, Mira.  We’ll do it.  You’ll come back when you’re ready.”

I’m talking again.  I’m ready now.

“Here we go.  Iole, set the precision laser to…”

“See you when you wake up, Mira.”

Why do I feel so alone?  I wish I weren’t alone.

I am alone.

All is one.

~ ~ ~ ~

Outside the Janiri’s med bay, Tallis sat on the floor, knees up with elbows resting on them, and her head in her hands.  She was safe now, and her wail was internal.  Safe enough to let her tears out.  Safe enough to only think of Mira.

Jenus was across the hall, able to look through the glass window into the bay.  Of course, the screen around the surgery table prevented her from seeing much other than the silhouettes of Doctor Tollus and Iole over Mira’s body, the bed her commander was on, and the medical equipment.  The rest of the crew had gone wherever they needed to go.  Jenus wanted to go to the gym and work her stress off.  But she felt she was supposed to be here, showing that she cared.  Because that’s the kind of thing Mira would do if their positions had been swapped.

In truth, Jenus really didn’t know what to do at all.

Tallis embraced her emotions, all without losing her function during the fight, or afterwards.  She had control over them, whether she showed them or not, and Jenus wondered if she was supposed to be crying like Tallis.  Feeling more.  Iole, too…Iole was in there, helping save Mira’s life.  Jenus thought maybe she should also help, even though she knew little more than first aid.  But she could hold a tray or a knife or read a number on the monitor if they needed it.  The doctor wouldn’t stop her if she wanted to be in there, right?  Or maybe she’d be in the way, causing problems, being selfish when she was supposed to be thinking about Mira.

None of what Jenus could think of doing seemed wrong or right.  So she stood there, like Mira would do.  Or at least what she thought Mira would do.  Jenus wished she could cry, or even pretend to.

But she did nothing.

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Irina stood outside of med-bay with the commandos worried about their fallen leader and her friend. She'd been such a b*tch to her, but at least she'd apologized to her. At least she was able to tell her before this happened. She felt helpless like the others. She put her hand on Tallis' shoulder, motioned to Jenus to join her. Jenus sighed and walked over. Irina put her arm around Jenus. Jenus had suppressed her feelings so long that she had trouble expressing them. She had a limited range of emotions she could express. Anything that made her appear vulnerable she kept hidden.

 

Irina knew it, too. Regardless of what happened, these Asari were her friends. Being on the same ship with them was more than coincidence.

 

"I'm not religious or anything like that. I know Mira is. I'll pray with you if you think it will help." Irina said.

[Redbelle]

Anika made her way out the lift and onto the level of the captains quarter's. Approaching the door she found it locked and sighed.

 

Not a good sign.

 

She punched in the unlocking code and the doors swished open revealing the dim lit quarters. Anika's eye's quickly adapted to the dark as she stepped inside. She scanned the room but couldn't see Naleena anywhere when she heard the clink of glass hitting the deck. Stepping further in, Anika found her, sitting with her back to a bulkhead that protruded into the room. A bottle in one hand with her head in the other.

 

Naleena looked up. Her eye's filled with anger and shock and confusion and not a small amount of fear as she looked up at Anika's battle scarred form.

 

"Get out".

 

"No".

 

Naleena's eye's followed Anika as she instead walked to a case she had left in the room. Opening it, she pulled out the power driver she used to seal her armour. The small motor whirred as she fired it up and she quickly socketted the bolts and released them. Her armour split off and finally released her body from it's confines. The aches of battle, mostly the shots of the gunship, made her feel like she'd pour out once it was undone but after the last fastener was undone and the last piece of armour removed, Anika remained.

 

She looked at the backplate. The Atlas's gun had indeed ruined that section. Running her hand over the back she found the armoured plates bowed in. Barely able to hold back the force in which the shots had impacted.

 

She tossed it on the floor in front of Naleena. "If you want to know how badly things could have gone for us..... there's your answer." She moved close and sunk down next to her. Trying to keep her tender back off the wall as her finger's coiled around the bottle and took it from her to take a long swig. The alcohol burned her throat as she pulled the neck awy and handed it back to Naleena. "Could have gone better.... Could have been a lot worse. But the dust will settle and life goes on. I know it's not much comfort Nally..... what happened is something no one wanted.... But we did something that means tomorrow won't have people sucked into a brainwashing black hole of a cult. All those people would have succumbed eventually. We only found out about them by chance. I wish we'd gotten here earlier but....". She left the sentence hanging in the air. ".....But..... wishing doesn't change anything. We found what we found. We dealt with what we faced. It's over. And here we are, the survivors. It's cold and callous. But we're alive. Other's died..... Get used to it".

[TheMajonese]

The medigel had stopped the bleeding and despite the pain Arian was still able to move his arm. Even the numb feeling in his face was gone so he felt safe to assume that nothing was broken and didn't intend to go to the med-bay. At least not now. He knew that right now the doctor was trying to save Mira's life. It was a miracle that the asari was still alive. Such injuries could usually kill most people within minutes, except for krogans maybe. Arian hadn't expected Mira to be so tough.

 

He looked up and blinked confused. Since his return to the Janiri with the others he was sitting in his quarters, pondering and not realising how much time passed. Although he had left his rifle in a locker he was still wearing his armor. After this battle there wasn't much left of it. Parts of the armor plating had splintered off during the fight and the rest was covered in blue and dark red blood splinters. Arian had stolen the armor from a merchant on Caleston with little regard for its usefulness in combat. He remembered Aria's offer to get a new armor for those who needed it. There was no doubt that he was one of them.

 

When he wasn't able to stand  the quietness of his quarters any longer Arian left and wandered around the ship. At the moment he was uncertain what to do. He imagined some of the crew being in their own quarters, down in the hangar or maybe even at the lounge.

 

His thoughts circled around the battle, Mira being wounded and the batarian preacher. Everything seemed unreal and as if it was making no sense at all. He somehow knew that it would take time for him to process this, it wasn't the first time he had been in a fight but this time something felt awkward. Maybe it was unusual for him to not spending the aftermath of a battle in a med-bay with bullet wounds or burns all over his body. He usually processed these things while lying on his back and gazing at the ceiling.

 

Without realising Arian ended up in the corridor that led to the med-bay of the Janiri and spotted Tallis, Jenus and Irina, giving each other consolation while Iole was probably inside with Mira. Feeling completely out of place he wanted to turn around immediately and leave. They were fearing for Mira's life, friends who probably knew each other for a long time. It felt wrong for Arian to be here and disturb them but at the same time he didn't want to be alone again.

 

He came closer to look through the window of the med-bay but kept his distance to the others. "How is Mira doing?", he asked, visibly uncomfortable.

[Cknarf]

"Spirits..." Septerax was startled at the sight of a severed pinky that had appeared upon his counter. He leaned in for a better look. It was still clad in the remnants of a white glove.

 

"Eli?"

 

Frank snickered. He was pressed up against the other side of the counter. He tossed his ring finger over his shoulder, prompting a shout from Septerax, as it landed in his collar.

 

Frank sprung from his hiding spot. 

 

"Sup?"

 

Septerax, not at all amused, calmly plucked the finger from his collar.

 

"Aw, man. It landed in there?" Frank chuckled. "Sorry." He held out the palm of his hand to receive the digit.

 

"You need to go to medical." Septerax said sternly, upon seeing Frank's injuries, and his blood stained armor. "Immediately." He dropped the finger into Frank's palm, mandibles twitching with disgust as he did so.

 

"They're busy with more important things."

 

"I don't care. You're not staying here and getting blood all over the place."

 

"It's okay! it's dry!" Frank rubbed at his chestplate. "See? It's not going to--"

 

"GO!" Septerax thrust a finger in the direction of the elevator.

 

"Okay, okay! I'm going!" Frank raised his hand. "But first..." He plopped his trashed helmet upon the counter, before dashing away. "You're a good man, Septeraaaax!" He shouted, all the way to the elevator.

 

Septerax just shook his head, while taking a look at the helmet.

 

What am I supposed to do with this?

[Kel Riever]

Tallis hugged Irina tightly and rest her head on the woman’s taller shoulder.

Jenus shrugged her shoulders and looked at Irina with her dark eyes, which were serious, but devoid of any sadness.  “They wouldn’t be working on Mira so hard if she wasn’t going to make it.  Maybe she gets a nice desk job and a big paycheck.  Has kids.  Everything a person could ask for.  She even got to be a hero; saved Tallis too.”

With a pat on Irina’s shoulder, Jenus broke away from her.  For a brief second, Jenus furrowed her brow, but then Arian showed up and asked his question.

“Hey, mer….scarface!  I was just talking about that with these two.  They’ve gone soft on me.  I was trying to let them know everything would be fine, because we wouldn’t be wasting time on Textbrain if she wasn’t going to get out of this little R and R stunt.  Wouldn’t be surprised if she was back on duty in a couple of days.”

Iole stepped around the screen at that point.  Her navy and gold combat leathers were replaced by a white medical outfit.  For the most part, Iole’s outfit was clean, but there was a slight purple spatter, which became obvious as she walked closer to the window in.  Behind the screen, Jenus noticed Tolus moving the shadow of the large surgery tool over Jenus.  Iole stared out the window at the four people waiting outside for a minute.  The expression on her golden flecked face was neutral.  Then she said something which was inaudible through the thick window glass.  The window's polarization activated and it went completely opaque.

Jenus didn’t want to think about what was going on with Tollus and the large surgery tool she’d never seen before.  The corner of her lips became tense for a moment, then she walked away from the glass, finally realizing she was staring at a black surface.

 

[TheMajonese]

Arian nodded slowly and crossed his arms, still staring at the opaque window. "If Mira has survived this so far then she won't die now."

 

He turned to Jenus. "Besides, I've been through worse." Maybe he was exaggerating a bit. Some time ago Arian had been stabbed in the abdomen and had probably lost a quarter of his blood before someone was able to help him but Mira's injuries were more severe. "And look at me now...a few scars, that's all." A talon pointed at his face and he tried show an encouraging smile but instead his face was a grimace.

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Naleena looked at the back plate. Anika could have died without that armor. “Goddess, it must have been terrifying down there. I should have been with you, but I was needed on the ship to give the order to our gunner and the Zorya.

 

“VERA gave me the preliminary civilian casualties from the evac zone. There were those who wouldn’t leave,” Naleena said, took the bottle and drank another couple of swallows, her speech starting to slur a bit. Her brain numbed, somewhat but the pain wouldn’t go away. “Preliminary estimate: 30,000 civilians dead. A result of my order.”

 

She looked down at the floor. “When I was returning to the ship, a shuttle arrived from the evac zone. A child got off the shuttle screaming for his mother. Gavorn said he’d have to find another family. The Council sits on their hands because this is the Terminus. Tens of thousands of innocent civilians dead because I made that call – I killed them.” She took a couple more swallows and handed the bottle to Anika.

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Irina tapped her omni-tool looking for a Siarist prayer. "Tallis, I found something, maybe this will help, but I know you'll just recite every word twice so let me do this for Mira. Jenus, Arian, you may join if you wish.

 

"Just as the soft rains fill the streams,
Pour into the rivers, and join together in the oceans,
So may the power of every moment of your goodness
Flow forth to awaken and heal all beings:
Those here now, those gone before, those yet to come.

By the power of every moment of your goodness,
May your heart's wishes be soon fulfilled
As completely shining as the bright full moon,
As magically as by a wish-fulfilling gem.

By the power of every moment of your goodness,
May all dangers be averted and all disease be gone.
May no obstacle come across your way.
May you enjoy fulfillment and long life.

For all those in whose heart dwells respect,
Who follow the wisdom and compassion, of the Way,
May your life prosper in the four blessings
Of old age, beauty, happiness and strength.

All is one."

[Cknarf]

Frank joined the group outside of the medbay. Without saying a word, he walked up to the window, and gently thunked his forehead against it.

 

"I can't see anything."

 

He stepped back from the glass, and leaned up against the wall.

 

I can totally make that shot...

 

Frank looked down at his fingers, then to Arian's collar area.

 

Nah.

[Kel Riever]

Faed hadn't left the Janiri for the entirety of the time on it had docked with Omega, and hadn't left his cabin for the entirety of the mission it was last on.  He hadn't talked much to VERA either, at least not while he was in his cabin.  He very badly wanted to take a look at the hardware in the 'blue boxes' that were the heart of the AI, but he wasn't going to be able to get a glance at VERA while the mission was underway.

Or maybe ever.

In frustration, Faed sighed.  He was deep in the datastream of the computer he'd made from the tablet the asari crewmember had discarded.  It was completely independent, with its wireless connection components removed.  The computer had a physical keyboard attached now, not even using hard light interface.  There was no ability to project a hologram or three-dimensional graphics either.  The device simply had a flat screen display now. 

And a completely independent device was what Faed needed to do his work.

The little cylindar that lay at rest on Faed's desktop was quiet.  He had removed the prior red/green binary light display and replaced them with a multichromatic system.  Certainly, it was too quiet in his cabin for his own thoughts.  Faed needed music while he worked on his code.  At first, he thought of some deeply complicated music from the memories of his Migrant Fleet life.  But then he'd come across an old human song, which had the sort of resonance and mood he wanted in that moment.

Fortunately, Faed didn't even have to stop his typing.  He'd installed a voice activation module he'd found on board the Janiri in supplies, had no problems requisitioning it, and had installed it on the cylinder.

"Cylinder, cue human playlist, chorus, Messiah, please."

The cylinder bleeped an affirmative sound, and then played the song, coordinating its new colored display with the notes of the song  ( https://www.youtube....E&v=JtoNHnR_WhE )

"Much better," Faed stated in satisfaction.  Once again, he became engrossed with the code.

[Redbelle]

Anika took the bottle and put an arm around Naleena. As she set the bottle down away from them she hugged Naleena close.

 

"They died. But you didn't kill them. Those cultists we saw. You didn't see them. They weren't.... them anymore. Someone took them, scooped out what made them.... them. And we know it was spreading. More and more being overcome by whatever was happening there. We couldn't stop it. And if we tried we would have been overrun. And then who would have protected the people"?

 

Anika sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. "I've been here before. Jess and I. Time and again, we'd find ourselves in the middle of something we weren't expecting. Nothing we could have expected and we'd usually end up on the bad end of a deal". She paused and sighed. "And then Jess would open her big mouth and come up with something insane. Something mad and hair brained and after it was done we'd walk away". She gave Naleena a hard look. "It wasn't always pretty. Sometimes we lost people. Other times we'd get out with our lives. But Jess never let go of a situation till she knew she'd done the best she could. Even if her best was that everyone lost out someway. But we kept our lives. And the ones who tried to get one over us walked away without being allowed to profit from their actions....... That's what we did today. We stopped a group of victims making more people victims by our inaction. Those who died.... your right, your decision saw to their end.... But what else could you have done in the time you had"?

 

Anika raised a hand along Naleena's neck and pressed her forehead to her temple. "It wasn't just you.... You told us all what was going to happen and none of us could think of an alternative either. And for what it's worth, this decision is one I stand behind you on. I'm sad to..... But we did what we did to stop an infection the only way available to us. Omega's own ruler signed off on the plan. Pushed it from what I hear. She could have stopped us... She didn't. The council? They could have stopped you... They didn't. your team could have stopped you. I could have stopped you. We didn't. Maybe it's time to accept that this fallout is the only way it could have ended. And it takes a strong woman to shoulder that burden because no one else had the guts to do what needed to be done".