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[Terca]

The civilians in the front of the train were easily persuaded to go onto the Audron, if not because there were rather heavily-armed men and women with guns then for the fact they were over a massive trench. They were escorted along by the Armigers to the ship while the last few Asari were dealt with. Eteon found her helmet inside the last car, she assumed because she had dropped it before and it rolled into the open gaping hole in the side. She was a bit happy to see it because of the tech inside though she still disliked the decal. She was a bit beyond caring about that now though. Continuing to work on moving the Asari she was hailed on her Omni-tool. It was Septimus.

 

"Yeah?" She asked as she lifted the last Asari out and hopped onto the train itself.

 

"One of your charges received some disturbing news in a traditional format." His tone was measured though disgust was evident in the way he spoke.

 

Eteon turned to look into the bay of the Audron and found that a couple of the younger members of the ship's staff were staring at something. "What?" She asked, concerned.

 

"The head of one Oda. It seems that she received eviscera from members of her crew. She has just exited the bay area." His tone was clipped and Eteon was shocked for a moment. How the hell did it get here? "We are re-sealing the crates they came in."

 

What is with this day. Eteon thought to herself. The world has gone to hell for some reason.

[Kel Riever]

The last of the commandos was being taken away by an Armiger.  A turian and salarian, apparently the engine crew, were also being escorted, although not in cuffs, onto the Audron.  And Vayne’s shuttle was carefully loading on while the frigate remained over the train car so that the rest could climb aboard.

Morgan and Dahlia hopped up onto the lowered ramp and entered the Audron’s main bay.  As they did, a cry went up from one of the turians.  Morgan’s curiosity led him to see first one, and then a handful of turians looking over some opened containers.  Though their features were more alien to Morgan, he knew the look on each of their faces as they came to the containers.  It was a look of horror.

Ready for anything, or so he thought, Morgan went to see what was happening.  He heard Septimus say, “Close these up and seal them.  I want Androkan to know about this immediately.”  Most of the turians didn’t react immediately, though one did, and began shutting the lid on a container.  But the others were open to see.

There within, lay the mutilated parts of men and women; bloody, partially rotting charnel.  In his years of battle, even against the batarians, he hadn’t come across anything like it, despite having heard about the kind of cruelty that those containers showed happened to people.  That, of course, was the difference; this was in front of him and he was stunned.

Automated wheels in Morgan’s mind began to click, the kind of instincts that overrode and kept him alive in the worst of times.  His eyes wandered to the shipping information on the side of one container, and read:

To:  Captain Jess Stone, the scourge of high space

From:  The Medusa, with affection

Regarding:  Back atcha!

Then Morgan’s thought wheels spun again, and his eyes searched frantically for Jess.  She wasn’t in the bay.  Morgan took off running for the elevator, desperate to find her.

[Terca]

Eteon was last onto the ship after Deidrus once she had warped through the cars to make sure nobody had been left unconscious in the cars. The second she was over the line and into the conditioned space of the bay she relaxed a bit more than she had allowed herself during the entire ordeal. They would have to go to the council now and petition for the armour while simultaneously fending off any scandals that would arise from this particular debacle. At the very least going to the Citadel meant that any R&R wouldn't be interrupted by something as insane as a train robbery.

 

She sauntered over to her locker and began to stow her equipment. She would be responsible for the Commandos at least for now since she was alien ambassador or some similar difficult title. She would need to check on their kinda-prisoners soon, but before that came taking off armour. All the damn armour.

[Kel Riever]

Every step seemed to take too long, as Morgan moved through the Audron.  He didn’t see Jess on his way to her cabin.  When he got to her quarters, the door was closed.  Morgan didn’t know if she was inside, or hadn’t been there at all.  He tried to open the door at it was locked.

Locked.

Had Jess ever locked her door as far as Morgan’s could remember?  Maybe it hadn’t been that many times, but if he recalled, she hadn’t ever locked the door even in their most intimate moments. 

Morgan knocked, feeling stupid for doing so.  There was no answer.

“Jess, I’m here.  It’s Morgan.”

There was no answer.  Morgan waited patiently.  It didn’t help.

“Don’t do this alone.  I know I’m not one to talk, but I need to see that you’re…I need to see you.”

Nothing.  Morgan pressed his hand and face to the door, as if he could hear through it.

“You’re defeating my whole routine here; the hard guy.  I’m the one who dealt with her.  Maybe there’s a way to get through it.”

Morgan wondered if he was doing more harm than good.

“Please…let me come in….”

What could Morgan say?  He felt hopeless to do anything for Jess.  Morgan knew about the kind of killing that happened, from within, silently.  It was about her now.

Morgan waited.  He couldn't leave.

[Redbelle]

Jess didn't have a clue how to clean Mr Bojangles. He just stood on the table looking at her still covered in the drying blood of her crew.

 

Her crew.

 

Someone had murdered her crew. Not just tried to murder like the commando's.... Had actually killed her crew and chopped them into......

 

Oh, that was right..... the Audron wasn't her crew. Pity. They were a likable bunch. Even that Irina when she knew which side she was on.

 

She wondered if she should call Anika and tell her to clean her Gecko....

 

Anika was with Naleena..... Right. Forgot that too.

 

The cabin was empty without her. Even when she'd been staying at Naleena's she'd only been a ship's breadth away.

 

The Gecko kept staring at her.

 

"Stop that". She whispered.

 

It didn't understand.

 

.......

 

What was she doing?

 

Riiiight. She was supposed to be angry. People were killing people for no good reason. Or at least trying too. Something about armour? The clock was ticking. Light's were going out across the galaxy and..... looking into the futuuuure?

 

Politics. Jess felt the urge to vomit return. That meant a trip to the Citadel.

 

Probably some grand theatre of investigation and slight of hand where the guilty would be rewarded and the one's who weren't afraid to get their hands dirty protecting the galaxy would be punished.

 

Was she thinking of...... Right.... Deidrus and the Commando's and that other Spectre. The Asari had really screwed this one up and Jess just knew deep down they'd be patted on the back for it.

 

She should have speared that one through the visor. One less knuckle head to have to worry about.

 

Wait.... she was leaving. Only she couldn't. The Medusa was dead. No.... Not the Medusa which was never alive. Her crew. Only they had brought the Medusa to life. All of them. Sweat and tear's from three generation's of her former lover had pervaded that ship and someone had spilt blood on it..... She didn't know that. Maybe the crew had been taken from the ship and kiiled and packaged......

 

Where was the bloody ship?

 

Who had done this!

 

"Stop. Staring". She growled.

 

Mr Bojangles seemed to understand this time. Maybe it was the promise of violence if he didn't do as he was told but he turned around and slithered off the table and under the couch. Maybe he liked it better under there.

 

Her mind was misfiring. It was everywhere. She had problems on this ship. She'd face problems going on board the Citadel. She had a major problem with the fact someone had killed her crew and now had her ship! Somehow..... her mind tied them all together but beyond knowing that the last mission and the Asari were responsible for it's failure..... The Asari owed them for what could turn into hundreds of thousands of stolen humans from colony worlds...... Because right now they couldn't do a BLIND BLESSED THING!!!

 

Aaaaah. There was that bigger picture. The clock was ticking. Valuable equipment for their survival had been lost.

 

People were going to disappear. Be changed into monsters. Mauled and reshaped into someone else's idea of life and given purpose not of their own.....

 

In that light, her crew were lucky and her stomach seized at the cruelty of that thought. Her crew should be alive. They should have the armour. They should be on there way to one of those lights that hadn't gone out to make sure it stayed on but more than anything she wanted to go back home. Not her ship. The home she'd left behind. the one where her mother and father still lived thinking their little girl was dead and her sister was politiking for parties.

 

What if whoever had killed her crew found them? She'd been careful. She was sure. Erasing every damn link to her past but someone on the Citadel.....

 

Huh.....

 

Suddenly a trip to the Citadel sounded like a great idea. Things were out of her control. She needed to clean house. Put her affair's in order. Balance the scales and remind people what happened when you crossed a pirate and made choice cut's out her crew.......

 

Freddie in engineering had been new..... He had a mother and two brother's when he'd taken off with her..... She'd have to tell them......

 

Was she still wearing her helmet? She'd forgotten she still had it on.

 

........

 

What was that noise! How long had her door alert been going off?

 

Crossing to the door she hit the cancel only for it to go off again. She hit it and it came back like an annoying fly.

 

Finally she hit the door release and barked at the person on the opposite side. "WHAT"?

[Cainhurst Crow]

Vayne rose slowly as he heard a scream, walking out of his shuttle in something of a shuffle as he walked into the bay. His eye scanned the area, going to a gathering of turians as he walked towards the group. He looked at the boxes and knew halfway over what was inside.

 

The smell...it was the smell that hit his senses first. Plunging him back into the dark days, the days spent hauling dead and rotting carcasses in the boiling atmosphere of his homeworld. Death. But not normal death.

 

It was the smell of aged death, of rot and decay, of some meat being turned chemically by a process of acidic and bacterial blooms all part of a larger complex web of a great threseher maw constantly eating its own tail in a endless cycle of life and death.

 

His eyes looked to the expressions around him, shocked, horror, disgust, anger, someone yelling to get the containers sealed. It was not a normal rotting death, but a grusome one. Vayne walked silently with the others looking down at one of the open crates, seeing the mix of red, bits of various cream colored tones, some dark, some brown, all clearly having been part of a bigger whole. Multiple bigger wholes in fact.

 

Dead bodies. In creates, in a bunch of pieces.

 

Vayne looked to the body, towards the cuts, his mind unaffected by the gore from centuries of desensitization as he examined instead the deeper meaning of the bodies. They were done somewhat roughly, yet with a precision to them. Each cut limb had a pattern to it, a symmetry that kept repeating with each similar part in kind. Arm cut at this much cm from the joints, hand cut at this specific amount from the wrist, over and over.

 

This was not done in a random rage, or a psychotic impulse, or even possibly a drug induced bad idea, the cuts were too neat and orderly for that.

 

This was deliberate. This was calculated. This had emotions beyond the crude and base involved.

 

This had been personal, and cold. Like a surgeon had had a grudge and decided to get back at someone.

 

And it was starting to look familiar. Strikingly like Captain Sangar's old specialty to captains who mistreated their crews, or traitors whose loyalty was to someone outside the crew. Cut apart body, shipped out location to someone significant, made for shock value and a splash of terrorism and old school theatricality.

 

The crate was closed, and vayne saw a note on the side of the crate. He bent down to read it, and his eyes narrowed. Captain Jess Stone, a captain with a crew, a ship called the Medusa.

 

This couldn't be a mutiny. Mutinies were done by a crew, and with the boxes here, the dead in this one crate alone, it'd be impossible for a crew to have killed this many and not signed their own death warrant trying to run something bigger then a corvette.

 

Which meant it wasn't done by the Crew of the Medusa, but someone else. Someone who'd done something horrific out of an age centuries gone by. Who'd decided to get revenge in a way even most krogan would balk at. And who'd probably hurt the pirate captian harder then anything else in the entire galaxy.

 

A captain was nothing without a crew, their family. And the one thing that hurt more then a family turning on someone, was a family removed all together.

 

Vayne stood and walked away, the voices echoing out around him as he walked towards the elevators. Stone would need to someone watching her if only to make sure she didn't do anything drastic. He didn't know her as well as he should, but he figured anyone losing their whole family couldn't be doing too well.

[Cknarf]

Frank's eyes snapped open.

 

Still alive.  So far so good.

 

He made an attempt to sit up, but immediately fell back to the bed with a groan.  He looked down and felt at his ribs.

 

"Ow."  He winced, as he poked an especially sensitive spot.  Let's try this again. He rolled onto his side, and pushed himself up. 

 

F*ck.

 

Frank stood up, and the blanket fell to the ground.

 

Aaaaand I'm not wearing pants.

 

He tried to pick it up, but the sharp pain in his ribs kept him from bending over.  "This'll do."  He grabbed the pillow, and covered himself up.

I need clothes.  There's got to be something around here.

 

He shuffled across the medbay, one arm holding his ribs, the other keeping the pillow in place.

I don't know any of these people.  Hope everyone else is okay.
 

Frank stopped at a closet, and pulled the door open.  "Thanks, doc." Gritting his teeth, he slid on one of the lab coats. It was just long enough for what he needed. He slowly made his way to the med bay door.  

Leaning against it, he took a deep breath.  "Ow."  He hit the controls, and stepped out of the room.

[Terca]

Deidrus had been packing his things away when he had heard his name called by Septimus. A stench had risen in the air and a crowd had formed in the centre of the large and open area. It felt like death, and the expression that came across his face when he saw the expressions on the Turians observing was that of someone who was meeting an old, unpleasant and unwanted friend:

 

Brow creased, jaw set, eyes narrowed, deep breaths that cut through the disgust.

 

"Get back to work." It wasn't a yell though the force carried. For those that had enough discipline the tone was familiar, even comforting in the face of gore. They snapped to and moved to their places, mind shifted and set to their tasks. It was the Turian way. If one could not handle the situation they should move, shift, act, achieve something else which was within their grasp. Do not stall, change lanes. Simple. Difficult at times.

 

Those that stood rooted, eyes accustomed to war but virginal to the brutality of such things were eventually pulled away. Even Armigers, people of a lifetime serving the highest military ranks were shaken. But they did as they were trained, they continued on, their minds shifted ahead. Even with crew's jumble of blood and bones in sight and mind it still operated and did so efficiently. That was how it worked. That was how he liked it. How it needed to be. He would address the most recent failure later, for now there were other more pressing issues. Smaller ones.

 

"Septimus." He spoke low as he approached. The Quartermaster had already sealed three of the opened crates and was remarkable calm in doing so. "How many dead?" It took a moment for the older Turian to reply but when he did he sounded older. Memories maybe, disgust possibly.

 

"Dozens though it impossible to tell at a glance." Septimus walked over to one of the farther-back crates and motioned for Deidrus to follow. The Spectre did as such and was greeted with a most foul display. Arms and legs, torsos and other eviscera laid in a heap. "Stone was sent these from her ship. They passed through scanning at last port because the crates are smuggler's chests. From the observed scans it was only possible to see average personal effects and only a specific gravity analysis could have disproved it."

 

The Spectre lifted a dismembered leg and looked over the handiwork. His eyes were not as trained as the old Battlemaster but he had his share of the experience. Methodical. He dropped it back in with the other limbs before pulling out an arm and seeing similar grinding marks. Someone had decided to do this the old-fashioned way and had forgone omni-weapons. A very particular and personal way of sending a message then.

 

"At next port should we come into more possessions of Stone or any other member of the crew have the contents verified." Deidrus said after a moment before tossing the arm back in though he was careful it wouldn't fall out of the box. He held his hand low against the armor of his legs before shorting the gauntlet and burning off anything that remained on the sleek metal. "Has she said what she plans to do with the deceased?"

 

A shake of the head from Septimus answered. The Spectre nodded, partly to himself. "Keep these sealed and only allow Stone access to the particulars. And if they are opened I want it done on lower D so that nobody will be disturbed by the smell." Until we reach the Citadel no amount of time spent will be able to completely recreate the bodies. She'll have to wait until then.

 

Under nominal circumstances Jess would allow them to be be incinerated in Turian tradition in space. It was fine, for now, since they would be at a bay that could fully service the Audron.

 

Lifting his omni-tool he comm'd up to the bridge. "This is Androkan. Have we received word from the Republics or the Council about the bombardments or the recent train incident?"

 

There was a pause before someone on the bridge returned his message. "We have receiving nothing thus far. A hail was received from Xanthe however the comm's request was belayed at the order of the XO during your time in the mission area."

 

Why was this not forwarded to me? Deidrus thought for a moment. The XO of the ship was known for being proper even by the terms of a Turian. He was haughty, slightly xenophobic and had an intense dislike for any tactic, strategy and communication which was not strictly within the lines of Turian honor code. Not the Military requirements but the ancient and outdated rules that had been carried along more or less for years.

 

Some got along better with him than others, that much was certain. He liked fealty and people who rolled over to show him their belly were his pets in a way which made Deidrus suspicious. The fact he had been so vehement on leaving behind the humans back at the settlement had not surprised Deidrus as much as...

 

The Commander shook his head and looked up at a corner of the ceiling which lead towards the area of the bridge and unerringly where the XO often found himself. There is a discussion to be had. He thought as he walked the distance to the elevator and rode it up. Anyone who had caught the Commander's eyes as the lift's doors had closed would have thought the man calm. On the inside of his mind however there was a tempest. Too many things to deal with coinciding at the same time. He would have to simultaneously be Captain of a ship, Spectre of the Council and Leader of an investigation at the same time.

 

He could almost feel his carapace thinning.

[Kel Riever]

“WHAT?”

Jess opened the door, still in her armor, part of her faceplate cracked.

Something in the simple scream of Jess’ voice withered Morgan.  It wasn’t the volume, and it wasn’t the question.  It was the primal emotion behind it.  Morgan felt her rending hate blast through him, as if to turn his insides out.  To him, it didn’t seem as if his being there mattered for her.

Morgan stepped inside, saying nothing, and closed the door behind him.  If Jess needed to take her fury out on someone, at least he could handle it.  Maybe she didn’t need him for anything, but he had to find out.

 

[Cknarf]

"I heard he fell from the train.  Twice."

"Twice?"

"Yeah, and that Kodiak in the shuttle bay?  It's his. Brutus said he crashed it."

"He's got to be the most unlucky human in the galaxy."

"He's still alive, isn't he?"

"I suppose you're right."

"Don't look now, he just stepped out of medical."

"You're not serious..."

"I am. And he's not wearing pants."

"Spirits.  Is that the doctor's lab coat?"

"You know it."

"Where do you think he's going?"

"Who knows.  Doc should be back any minute with his armor."

"What was she doing with it in the first place?"

"Apparently it was 'soiled'."

"Makes sense, after a fall like that.  Say, he's in bad shape, you think we should tell him to wait?"

"Nah.  He'll be fine.  He's walking, isn't he?"

"Barely."


Frank shuffled his way onto the elevator.  A turian stepped on after him.

"Hey friend, hit the button for the shuttle bay."

He hit the button for Frank, then slowly backed out of the elevator.

"I'll catch the next one."

"Thanks."  The doors closed, and Frank leaned against the wall, with his head down, clutching his ribs.  

I should have moved my clothes out of the Kodiak when I had the chance.

[Terca]

Eteon had stowed all her gear (including the helmet this time) and was in casual clothing in front of the lift when it reached the bay. Forgoing her normal reg. armor she went with her preferred wear, a tunic, trousers and a hood all the same navy blue. She had been leaning against the door and when the tone rang she turned to see Frank, not with his pants down but completely off. She took a step back and her brows creased as she looked the man up and down.

 

"Frank... Would you mind explaining why you are currently in a state of undress." Eteon asked as she pointed from his feet up to his head and back down again. "I'm responsible for the aliens on the ship so if you need pants... At least ask before the XO clips my mandibles over it."

[Cknarf]

Well this is awkward

Frank leaned forward, and pulled the jacket down with both hands, wincing as he did so.  "Pants would be great."  His right hand returned to his ribs.  "Although I must say...  I make this coat look good."  He laughed weakly, before gritting his teeth and sliding back against the elevator wall.  "I have some pants in the K-- ah, sh*t-- In the Kodiak."  Frank shook his head.  "Get me there, or get me pants, and I'll-- be very grateful."

[Terca]

"The pain of broken ribs?" She guessed based on how he was acting. She crouched down to be roughly level with the shorter human. She was just realizing that she was in fact over a foot taller than him. Humans tend to be short. Then again I am on the taller side of Turians. She reached to the inside of the elevator and hit the button which would put him on the same floor as medical before keying in the lift wait time for a minute. "Try to stay still while I grab your pants. I don't need you impaling an artery on a rib and then get reprimanded for it by the XO." It was said half-jokingly, half seriously because she would be considered at least slightly responsible for this.

 

The doors slid shut and the time counted down before the lift would move, and in that time Eteon dashed over to the damaged kodiak and pulled out Frank's pants and even a shirt that was visible but looked like at one point it may or may not have been an oil rag. She grabbed it anyways.

 

She made it back to the elevator and slid through the doors before throwing the clothing down beside Frank and activating the lift. "You probably should have waited in the med bay." She said, though the fact he wasn't in the bay didn't mean he didn't know that. It meant he wanted pants enough to walk around with bruised or broken ribs. Not too smart.

[Kel Riever]

Once the commandos had recovered in medical, they were escorted to the brig.  After twenty minutes, all of them had been transferred but one.

Of course, a certain group of commandos had been fortunate enough to arrive first.  Deidrus Androkan stared through the barrier shield at them while he finished talking.

“…and that is my Spectre code.  Now, you’ll sit in that brig until we get to the Citadel.  I’ll have you know there were at least two people who would prefer you be put under for the duration of the trip.  Don’t make me reconsider my decision about that.”

“Why didn’t you?” Jenus was brash enough to ask.

“Too many rules have already been broken,” Deidrus answered sternly.  He thought to elaborate, but questioned the use.  “I suggest you catch up on the reading I had my com officer sent to your cell about exactly what mission you put in jeopardy with that trick on the bridge.”  He then turned and left for the bridge.

Iole sat down on a plain, built in bench.  “I wonder how Tallis is doing.”

Mira contemplated, “Hopefully she’s being treated as well as any wounded soldier should be by a Council military vessel.”  After seeing her shot out of the air, Mira had her concerns.”

“I want to slam that skycar crew who picked her off with biotics,” Jenus spat. “And what did they do with Irina?”

“Bring it down,” Mira said coolly.  “They got scared.  They are scared.  Of something that isn’t us.”

Jenus huffed in anger.  She threw herself to the floor and started doing push ups to blow off steam.

Iole looked perplexed, “I hope they keep level heads about the whole thing.  Some of them are even worrying me now.”

Mira intertwined her fingers and placed her hands on top of her head while she thought to herself briefly.  Then she went over to the wall panel where a secure viewscreen was installed behind a clear protective panel.  It had limited access, but a folder was highlighted.  Mira used the touch sensitive interface to open the folder.  “Well, let’s take Androkan’s advice, and start reading about what has them so upset.”

[Terca]

((I don't remember if Duellos has a moon))

 

The Audron left behind the stranded train and began its ascent to the direction of the first Lagrangian point of Duellos as it flew as a somewhat steep angle towards the outer-atmosphere of the planet. The wings of the great gunship pulled back slightly and the boosters angled in the wings to give it forward momentum. Fortunately, since the Atmosphere of the planet was quite thin the ship was able to enter minor FTL jump range at about two thirds the normal outer limit for safety.

 

All hands, FTL Jump will be initiated. Expect momentary feeling of weightlessness.

 

Three seconds after the warning was finished the ship's eezo cores fired at once with minor charges allowing it to break out of the atmosphere while taking up a relatively low amount of capacitance before hopping back out just within the mid-point between the planet and the moon.

 

FTL Jump completed. Currently 250 000 kilometers from the surface of the planet.

 

The VTOL wings shifted again to a near vertical (with relation to the horizontal of the ship) arrangement to speed itself up into a more-or-less synchronous rotation with the planet. The ship would expend fuel to stay in orbit at their relatively low speed but it wasn't much, and at this distance the arid planet of Duellos still had its definition.

[Cknarf]

"'Preciate it."  Frank said, with his eyes still closed.  "I don't want anything to do with that-- doctor.  I don't think she's all there."  He coughed "But it doesn't look like I have much of a-- choice."  He dragged his pants over with his foot, and did his best to step into them.  Bracing himself against the wall, he slowly bent his knees, and grabbed hold of the waist.

One... two... three... 

He pulled them up as he straightened his legs.

"Close enough."
 

[Terca]

"She's admittedly a bit... Off." Eteon ceded as the lift rose through the floors of the Audron. She had only really run into the eccentric Asari a few times during their time as a group, mostly because she didn't find herself injured often. The comments being made by the Turians who saw her work however... Those were a bit more obvious in their nature. They thought she was a bit overzealous in her interests. Usually of the experimenting kind. "But she is surprisingly quick to follow orders as long as they are laid out in a way which leaves little room for 'interpretation'."

 

Ah... That's probably not going to help the guy's nerves. "Look, she's a good doctor and she is the best trained of all of us. It also so happens that she is also used to being able to experiment. She gets bored. She acts like a kid. She's also a genius." She shifted in her position against the corner of the lift. "Just... She won't do anything weird." When the lift opened she moved from the corner of the room and looked down to Frank. "Need any help moving?"

[Cknarf]

"I think I got it-- from here." he took a few steps forward, before his legs buckled.  He caught himself, using  the wall for support. "Or not."  He motioned for Eteon. "If you don't mind."

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Captain T’lessi stood on the bridge of the Asari cruiser Nefrane as it entered the system through the mass relay along with its standard escort of eight frigates. It proceeded at .9 c to Duellos, estimated toa: 2 hours. She had a job to do – make sure the base and Anotaria facilities were secure.

 

“Scorpion to base. Evacuate immediately.” Xanthe ordered. “Ice Queen, prepare to go orbital and rendezvous with the Nefrane.”

 

“Roger, Scorpion.”

 

The fighters and shuttle accelerated through the atmosphere to reach orbital speed. The inertial dampers of the Zephyr kick in, and the ship began take off procedures. Aboard the Zephyr, Naleena and Anika awaited news about the fate of their comrades.

 

Naleena went to the door of their quarters. “Sergeant, have you heard anything from your commander regarding the train?”

 

“I’ll check.” The sergeant said, and she closed the door.

 

“What if everything went wrong? What if they’re dead?” Anika asked, “I’d have failed in my duty to protect my captain.”

 

“Anika! Stop it!” Naleena said, “Let’s wait until we have word.”

 

Anika was pacing. Naleena lit a cigarette. The Asari sergeant returned.

 

“One train car was destroyed, the armor was lost. There were no deaths on either side that we know of.” The Sergeant said, “The armor is at the bottom of the canyon.”

 

“But you don’t know for certain.” Naleena asked.

 

“No. Not for certain. Spectre Remi left the area after giving the orders to surrender and give up the cargo,” the sergeant said, “but the car had already been destroyed. No one had been killed at that point.”

 

“Thank you, Sergeant.” Naleena said, and then she turned to Anika, “It seems as if the Spectre saw some wisdom in the end, unfortunately the cargo was lost for both sides. I assume we’ll be going to the Citadel, and then we’ll get to the Medusa somehow.”

 

Naleena put her arms around Anika. The two looked out the portal and watched Duellos grow smaller as the ship gained elevation and prepared to rendezvous with the Nefrane.

 

***=

 

 The Nefrane dropped to orbital velocity for a synchronous orbit over the facility. The altitude was 40,000 km. Xanthe Remi and her fighters docked in the launch bays. She exited her shuttle and immediately went to the bridge of the Nefrane. In her possession was the data file from the fighter flyby of the Drowned Aspire compound, the town and surrounding area.

 

She saluted Captain T’lessi when she approached. “Ma’am, I have important information regarding the threat planetside in this file.”

 

“On screen.” T’lessi viewed the video. “What are those things?”

 

Xanthe began to explain things. “One of our ‘guests’ aboard the Zephyr calls them Aspirants. She said they’re a fusion of a rendered human and some sort of specialized Collector carapace. As you can see there are thousands of them, and they are tearing the inhabitants to shreds. If any were to get off world…”

 

“Some may have already. We destroyed several ships attempting to leave the system that refused to answer our hails. That is standard procedure in a quarantine zone.” T’lessi said. “How many made it before our arrival is anyone’s guess. Anyway, we’re here and we’re going to end this.”

 

“Yes, Ma’am.” Xanthe said.

 

Captain T’lessi had the coordinates for the Drowned Aspire. “Main battery, lock onto these coordinates: Lattitude 35degrees 16 minutes 29.3244 seconds North; Longitude 44 degrees 22 minutes 55.6525 seconds West. Computer calculate for drift, gravitational, and magnetic anomalies.”

 

“Firing solution obtained. Target is locked. We are standing by awaiting your orders.” Lt. Selani said.

 

“Fire!” The captain said, and after five seconds, “Fire!” and after another five seconds “Fire!” and after another five seconds, “Fire and zoom in optics on the target.”

 

On the ground impact surface waves knocked down everything in a ½ mile radius of the impact. Air shockwaves destroyed everything within a ½ mile of the impact.

 

Every shot hit in exactly the same place, and had the effect of a tactical nuclear weapon without the effects of radiation. The Drowned Aspire was a crater about ¼ mile deep. Heat from the bombardment melted the rocks. Because of the repeated bombardment, all that was left was a molten pool.

 

“Is that it? Is that all you’re going to do?” Xanthe asked.

 

“No. We will launch several anti-matter charges. The radiation will kill everything within a 300 km radius of the Drowned Aspire compound, but will leave the technology and infrastructure intact. Prepare to fire missiles. Set to detonate at 4000 meters. Issue a warning to the fleet and all ships in the area not to look at the flashes.”

 

“Warning has been issued.”

 

“Fire missiles.” Captain T’lessa ordered.

 

Seven missiles bearing anti-matter warheads launched from the Nefrane. When the missiles reached the atmosphere the warheads separated and parachutes were deployed. The warheads slowly dropped to 400 meters and detonated. Seven separate flashes and high gamma radiation bursts were noted. The radiation pulse was devastating. The port would be rebuilt. Salvage teams would be sent in and recover the materials that were lost. The diamond mines for the Silaris armor would be reopened, and the base would be restaffed. It would take time, but these things would happen.

 

The Nefrane left its frigates to patrol the system and turned to leave via the mass relay. Its destination? Like the freighter Zephyr and the Audron, it’s destination was The Citadel. The Council had many questions that required answers.

[Terca]

"Not a problem." She waved it off before stepping forward. The difference in height would put strain on him if she tried to lift him or throw his arm over her shoulder sp so she went for the next best thing. "This might feel a bit weird." She admitted as she placed her hand between his shoulderblades before counting to three under her breath. She wasn't particularly good with projectile biotics since most of her skills were body-based. She could still do the basics on contact, so using a lift and pulling the guy into relative weightlessness was probably the most painless way to do it.

 

This is definitely weird.  I don't see how placing a hand on-- Frank thought before suddenly he found himself weightless.

 

The standard blue aura jumped from her hand into his back and begun nullifying his weight enough that she could pull him back by the scruff of his neck so he was effectively laying on his back on nothing. 

 

"Whoa, alright then."  He still felt some pain, but Frank could breathe much easier without gravity affecting him.  "This isn't what I expected, but hey, I'm not complaining."

 

She sent him a glance through narrowed eyes. "Vomit and I drop you." She said with deadly sincerity before rotating him by grabbing his shoulder and pulling him out of the elevator and in the direction of the medical bay.

 

"Yes ma'am"  

As he was being floated back to the medbay, Frank noticed her apparel.  "No armor huh?  Didn't think you could get away with that on a turian vessel.  You look good."  His face reddened "I mean your outfit  looks good, not you."

Way to call her ugly, dumb*ss

 

"I didn't mean it like that.  I meant-"  He sighed.  "Please don't drop me."

 

"As long as you don't make a mess of things I won't have a reason to." Eteon replied, ignoring his babbling in the middle. He seemed to get stuck on his words every once in a while so she tried to give the guy a break by not commenting on them. The man had hobbled through a ship essentially naked and was now being floated around by an alien woman like it was nothing. Similar circumstances on her end would have made her similarly hard-of-thought.

 

Once they were in the Medical bay she set Frank down gently before turning the biotics off. "Elara will do something to fix your ribs..." She looked around the empty bay and saw the lone Asari off to one side who was still recovering from her leg wound. It would still be a bit tender but she'd be better soon. But now it became clear why he was trying to find clothing. Walking through a Turian ship where the men and women looked alien enough to find clothes was better than laying around uncovered in a room full of humanoids that looked like their women. But between the ages of three-hundred to eight-hundred years. She actually had to chuckle to herself about that.

 

"We will be back at the Citadel by the time you are healed." She finally said once she had recovered her composure and turned to look at him again. "There might also be a broadcast of the planetary bombardment in the different rooms so you might have some entertainment." She nodded her head towards a display across from them in the corner of the room.

 

As she said that a feed from the Audron's scanners began showing the bombing of the Aspire compound. Each round seemed like the tiny blip of a light but each also had massive destructive potential. It cut off before changing color with a low-sensitivity filter when the AM bombs were deployed.

 

Spirits above and below. Eteon thought to herself when the show had finished and all that was left was the ghostly light of antimatter being annihilated in the atmosphere.

 

"Neat."

[Redbelle]

Jess glowered. Which behind her helmet was wasted on Morgan as he invited himself in. "This isn't a good time Morgan. We lost big time down there". At that moment an alert came up with Aelias's voice Calling for all personel to take stations as the Asari had called for a bombardment of the planet below.

 

If Jess's face hadn't been covered Morgan would have seen it turn Ashen.

 

"No...no no no no no.... boots on the ground you idiots! They don't have surprise anymore! There are people still down there! Why the hell"!

 

Jess turned on the big screen and most of the wall took on an image from one of the outer hull mounted camera's. Looking at the display Duellos turned under them. Peaceful in it's sandy land masses and patches of green water masses

 

Then a small dot of light appeared, grew in brilliance, then faded. The area where that dot had appeared became the centre of other small dots as a display on the screen showed that explosions in the mega tonne range, from slug's fired from orbit by the Asari fleet pelted the surface of the planet. In Jess's mind she could imagine the havoc being wrought. Anything caught within the blast radius would be atomised almost instantly whether friend or foe. The shockwave would spread for miles and miles around. Debris wuld be thrown high into the air and scattered through what passed as the planet atmosphere. Blanketing out the sun in the region before..... before.....

 

This was history repeating itself, she thought. The planet had once been home to an entire race. Of that she had no doubt now. Jeb had told them. the evidence of a highly advanced space faring race that just vanished, leaving few clues behind of their existance suggested that they'd simply been annilated. Turned to dust. the heat of the bombardment's would turn the sand down there to glass. Which over fifty thousand years of erosion could turn into vast deserts. Life had survived though.... it always found a way to cling on and comeback.

 

And now here they were..... History repeating. Duellos's fragile ecosystem was getting another pounding and this time there was no gaurantee that it would survive.

 

All because......

 

"Bloody arm chair captain think's she can fix all this with a few button's". She growled calling up Aelias. "Aelias"?

 

"Jess"?

 

"Find every last person not accounted for on that planet and start a tally. That captain, whoever, whatever she calls herself, just signed away the lives of everyone who escaped, couldn't find shelter and was still down there".

 

"That's..... Analytic's are already on it..... The death toll's only hit triple digit's so far.....".

 

Jess closed her eye's. Only triple digit's? They could just sign away that many lives and treat it like it was nothing? For some reason she imagined over one hundred spectre's shooting over one hundred bullet's and imgained the pain of losing her.......

 

She opened her eye's. "Those number's had a person behind each of them Aelias.... Find out who and if the Asari bombardment killed them. Maybe in a galaxy of trillion's three digit's doesn't matter..... but alot of people are going to find that people they loved aren't ever coming home and I swear.... This time the one's responsible aren't getting patted on the back and getting a medal. This time their going to take responsibility for what they've done".

 

"They stopped the Aspirant's.....".

 

"Did they? That planet has tunnels.... underground infrastructure's the council took for itself and moved off planet.... Those.... things..... we found them out. Took away the element of surprise and that Asari didn't want to risk her troops to save the remaining people down there"? Jess found her voice was becoming dead calm despite the urge to punch something. "Deidrus may have abandoned the town. But we still got people out on the Audron..... That..... Captain". She twisted the word sarcastically. "Did nothing but turn up and killed everyone and everything she could. She didn't even try to get the rest of the people off the planet. Didn't try to blockade it.....".

 

"It was a military operation Captain.....".

 

Jess's one remaining flesh and blood hand balled into a fist. "Well you can stuff your operation...... And since your the hot shot comm's officer.... you can start writing the letters and seeing that everyone who died down there has their next of sodding kin told that their husbands, wives, and children aren't coming home".

 

Jess stabbed the comm off and paced. None of this was going right. The body count was piling up. Nobody seemed phased. And now Morgan was here looking at her. She stopped and turned, saw him looking.

 

"Stop. Staring. At me".

[Kel Riever]

Morgan didn’t do this.  He didn’t go after people.  He wanted to say, If you don’t want me here, I’ll leave.  He wanted to turn his eyes away like Jess asked, through her cracked helm visor.

But Morgan’s feet might as well have been mag locked to the floor, and so were his eyes.

Jess never had to open the door in the first place, though that didn’t mean she wanted Morgan to stay.

And it was like Jess wanted to explode.

“Go ahead,” Morgan said, not quite even knowing what he meant as the words came out of his mouth.  

[Redbelle]

Jess blinked. "Go ahead? Go ahead what? You want me to go somewhere with you? Rant? Start organising the piece's of my crew like a jig saw puzzle? What's the point"!

 

Jess started pacing. "We lost our advantage out there today. I'm a captain! I have to see things ahead of where we're at and I'm telling you..... because of the Asari we are going..... to lose more colonies. We're going to lose colonies because this ship hasn't got the armour to start equipping it to the hull. We have to waste time trying to find more when we had a source! An actual source to tap! But nooooo. The Asari couldn't let that happen! So now we're flying away from the source and the armours gone and this ship isn't prepared to meet the collector's head on"!

 

She paused for breath. "Because..... that's what this is about. Human colonies going dark.... But there not are they. They are being killed. You saw the collector influence in the Aspire. Why aren't we seeing more of them? Hundreds of thousands of our people. Gone! and all that's left are becoming those things. So what's happening to the one's who are taken"? She shivered. "I don't think I want to know".

 

"And then this crew? I got it wrong! I had Deidrus bring us here for a lead and the armour and we found the leads.... but then I lost us the armour". She growled. "I should have dropped everything we had on those four. Their soldier's. To much bad wiring in the head to know when when to give up. To much Rambo, making bad choices. They were there to stop opportunists. Not a sodding organised assault carried out by another Spectre! It was over their heads and the sanest.... The only rational choice was to let us take the armour..... Then get the council involved..... By which point who cares? We'd have the armour and could go toe to toe with a collector ship and maybe have this whole thing over and done before they attacked one more colony"!

 

"But they couldn't do that could they? Noooo they had to blow it all up and then there's Irina! Fer crying out loud! WHOSE SIDE IS SHE ON"??? Jess bellowed. "The Asari were the enemy! We were making nice and then they attacked us..... And then she's begging us not to hurt them? Anymore friend's of her's who want to screw us we're supposed to not kill"!

 

Jess rested her palms on the back of the couch and something red and green scooted out from under the bed and ran towards the door's of the next room. "Stay off the bed"! Jess called after it. It disappeared and Jess returned her gaze to the monitor. The bombardment had stopped. Only a flash that the monitor helpfully told her was antimatter was at work now. Matter and antimatter, colliding and annilating each other in tremondous bursts of energy.

 

"I can't..... I won't.... go with that woman into combat again. There are always two sides. Your's and there's. If she can't be on ours then she's on there's and there's a bullet in Sinbad for each of them if they try that crap again. I was worried for her. I thought she was a prisoner. But apparently their chums and she'd turn her back on the mission to save the human colonies just so she can chin wag with them...... We don't even know her. We just picked her up and brought her along and she helped.... She helped and then she turned on us. Snap. Just like that and by not helping she helped them". Jess looked at Morgan. "On my ship she'd be irredeamable. She'd be tossed out on the next nearest port planet and good riddance. This job Deidrus has us doing..... It's hard enough to do without thinking the person by your side's going to have a change of heart...... Who the hell is that woman"? Jess asked. "Deidrus and Eteon never vetted her! She wasn't brought here like the rest us right?........ RIGHT"?

[Kel Riever]

Morgan nodded, not so much in agreement, but because he saw Jess begin to unfold, and he couldn't help but think it was what was needed.

 

Jess was hurt, and hurt badly.

The movement across the bed of a tiny creature caught the edge of Morgan's eye.  He glanced at it, and saw, hiding behind the corner of the bed touching the floor, a gecko covered in red.  He knew what the red was. 

 

Morgan's eyes softened.  He left Jess and walked to the little creature.  It wouldn't keep coming out if it weren't famished, or in need of help, it would instead simply go into a dark spot and stay there.  Morgan knelt down by the creature and extended his finger to it.  The gecko turned its head sideways to look at him with one lidless eye, then crawled up to the back of his hand.

 

The sadness of the blood on the gecko, which must have been in one of the cases, was almost overwhelming.  Morgan clamped down. The irony of destroying so much life, and yet leaving the smallest creature to survive, tore at him.

 

Morgan took the gecko over to the makeshift cooler Jess or Anika had rigged into their quarters.  He opened it up, and pulled out a few cubes of ice.  Nearby, from when the chilli had been served, was a clean napkin.  Morgan went over to the couch and sat down to take care of the little creature.  He punched a few buttons to release the gauntlet clasp on his unoccupied hand, and yanked the glove off.  Gently he held the napkin in the palm of the hand the gecko was on, and coaxed it around to sit on the soft cloth.  Gripping an ice cube in his bare hand, he let it melt, slowly dripping the water on the gecko to wash it.

 

"What else," Morgan said as he looked again at Jess.

[Redbelle]

Jess's head swiveled to look at Morgan cleaning the Gecko.

 

"Bojangles". She said.... Then. "His names Mr Bojangles. He's Anika's. Aside from the crew he was the only other living thing on the ship".

 

Jess's voice was flat and emotionless. "I know what your thinking Morgan. But when it comes down to it I am the one person who is not allowed to vent. I don't get to beat my chest and I don't get to tear my clothes and wail in hysteria. Captain's don't get that priveledge. All we get is figure out the next best course for the ship and crew...... And right now..... The next best course......". She stopped suddenly and looked down at her hands. The one's that had held Oda's head between them.

 

"I don't want to talk. And I don't want to share my feelings. I want to find the ones who did this. I want to find them, and I want to look them straight in the eye....... And then I'm going to share my feelings".