Chapter Text
Edinburgh, Scotland, Earth – 16 Jan 2189
Gabriella Daniels Donnelly, having traveled to Edinburgh from the CGC only this morning, arrived at Kenneth’s family home in order to do a walk through. After meeting with Spectre Shepard the previous Monday, she was having second thoughts about selling the place; Kenneth had been raised in this house and gone to school nearby.
Tonight, a Friday night, was the wake… and, come Sunday, Gabby would be attending the funeral of her soul mate and love of her life… her husband, Kenneth. She felt her eyes begin to fill once again… Damn it!… so turned her attention to the rather small living area on the main floor. She felt the living and dining area would be adequate for the number of people she expected to attend. There were two extra bedrooms upstairs, should one or two people need to sober up overnight.
While wandering somewhat aimlessly about, musing on her life to this point, she looked at the furnishings, photos on the walls, and many knickknacks Kenneth’s mother had collected over the years. At Kenneth’s request, his mom’s brother-in-law and wife had maintained the house for him; they would be attending the wake but weren’t due to arrive until dinnertime. Gabby refilled her glass with water as her omnitool lit up to announce receipt of a message. Good, she thought. Shepard and Liara have arrived. She replied back with her location in the northeast corner of town, in a small residential suburb near Lochend. Lookin’ forward to seeing both of them again!
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Gabriella opened the front door, to be immediately engulfed by a pair of surprisingly strong arms. “Gabby! It’s so good to see you! You are positively glowing!” The Asari’s tight embrace was that of a sister, sharing in her loss. She felt her eyes filling with moisture as she returned Liara’s hug just as earnestly; a soft kiss feathered across her cheek as Gabby pushed back. Liara still clung firmly to the woman’s shoulders as she continued in a quieter voice, “You have my deepest sympathy… I cannot begin to imagine how you must feel having him gone so suddenly; just know that Shepard and I are here for you, Gabby! Whatever you need.”
“Thank you, Liara.” Gabby sniffled and pushed a small, thankful smile onto her lips. “I hope to not need anything more than what you are doing for me already… I can’t thank you enough.”
Liara stepped away and her place was instantly taken by Samantha; another hug with a small kiss on Gabby’s cheek and a whispered, “Ken will be missed by everyone who knew him, Gabby. I am so sorry for your loss.” Eyes shining, the Spectre pushed back and gently grasped a pair of soft hands. “Nothing we can say or do will make his death any easier to accept. Just know you have a lot of friends that feel the same as Liara and me. If there’s anything we can do… anything at all… that can make things easier between now and when you arrive on Thessia, please… tell us.”
Gabby made a supreme effort to rein in her emotions… she was tired of weeping every time someone mentioned Kenneth. “Thank you, Shepard. It’s really nice to have you and Liara here.” With a slight smile, she eyed Shepard suspiciously as she added, “And if I know you at all, I’d be willing to bet you wouldn’t visit this part of the world without procuring a couple of bottles – or maybe even an entire case – of some very limited production single-malt.”
The Spectre laughed out loud at that. “Not as much as I wanted to buy!” Still chortling, she admitted, “I actually did manage to procure a few bottles of Bushmills but had to round out the case with a mix of other select, high-quality hooch, Gabby. I’m gonna contribute a couple of those bottles to the party, but I would really like to make it back to Thessia with the remainder of the case.” Turning serious once more, she told Gabby of her conversation with Wrex. “He offered to help, any way he could, Gabby. He feels really terrible for you… that you’re a widow… and pregnant! He told me he’s going to really miss Donnelly.”
Gabby nodded in solemn acceptance and was about to respond when she belatedly noticed a third person standing at the threshold. Samantha Traynor had quietly waited for Shepard and Liara to greet the mom-to-be; she immediately moved to stand in front of her former crewmate and gushed, “My God, Gabby! It’s wonderful to see you again!” Sammi enthusiastically hugged her former comrade-in-arms before being pulled inside out of the weather.
Gabby wiped her eyes as she said, “Kenneth would absolutely love that you came to join the party, Sammi! He always spoke about your bartending skills with great fondness.”
Sammi smiled softly, responding, “Well, I hope you remember me for more than that, Gabby.”
She had just finished showing the threesome around the house when the front door unexpectedly opened wide to admit Ashley Williams, Greg Adams, Steve Cortez, Karin Chakwas, Jeff Moreau and Sarah Campbell; tears that had threatened to fall when Shepard, T’Soni and Traynor arrived finally slid down her cheeks unimpeded as she was engulfed in greetings and hugs from all her former shipmates. Of them, Adams and Dr Chakwas seemed especially happy to be there – it was as if they needed to see her – in this house – to confirm for themselves that Normandy’s former propulsion engineer was dealing with everything going on in her life … her pregnancy and her medical leave, as well as Kenneth’s death and his impending funeral.
The door opened once again as all her former crewmates completed a tour around her small house, this time for her new best friend Tamiko Miyazaki, and of some surprise, her boss in the propulsion lab, Lieutenant Commander Fletcher Voight. When asked, he admitted, “You’ll be gone for a number of weeks, Ms Donnelly. Ms Miyazaki tells me you’re going to Thessia for the birth of your children, and I wanted a chance to see you in person so I can wish you good luck. Just know there’s a workstation awaiting your return to the propulsion lab, whenever you’re ready to come back.”
Gabby embraced the man long enough to whisper in his ear, “Thanks, Commander… means a lot that you’re here today.” Voight’s face had a touch of pink as he released her. Technically, he was still her CO; he just as quickly realized that in this house, she considered him a friend.
Gabby introduced the pair to the rest of her former shipmates – they had already met Williams and Adams – and managed a smile as she watched an awe-struck Tammi greet Spectre Shepard and Liara T’Soni. She showed Tammi around inside, then led her outside for a brief tour of her backyard.
“This is really nice, Gabby!” her friend gushed. Keeping her voice low, she queried, “You’re not still thinking about selling this place, are you? Fresh ocean air… grass under your feet. It looks like a really nice place to raise your kids!” Before Gabby could answer, Tammi said, “Come on… back inside out of this drizzle; don’t need you catching a chill that might turn into something worse. I’ll start prepping the snack and veggie trays; oh, and I really hope you have a cooler full of beer!”
With a sigh, Gabby replied, “I think there’s enough alcohol inside to put most everyone… except Shepard, anyway… under the table by midnight!” She ruefully rubbed her belly with both hands, saying, “Only thing I can drink is water or juice. Hell, even if I was inclined to cheat, Dr Chakwas would put a stop to it before I could even swallow a mouthful!”
Tamiko grinned slightly at her friend’s grimace, countering, “You’ll have plenty of time and probably lots of reasons to get potted after your children are born.” They strolled into the kitchen, where Gabby showed her friend where the party supplies were stored.
“Soon as I knew we’d be holding the wake here, I ordered what I thought I’d need for a party.” Shaking her head slightly, she sighed and murmured, “Just hope there’s enough.”
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“You’re a life-saver, Tammi! I don’t think I could have pulled all this off by myself.” Gabby was praising Tamiko’s skills at preparing snack trays – with veggies and cold cuts – and keeping the several small bowls filled with dipping mix and chips, along with various nuts, the most popular of which appeared to be those containing a mix of cashews, almonds and peanuts.
As the twosome carried yet another pair of serving trays to the dining room, Gabby gazed about at her friends, all enjoying themselves and reminiscing about their time in the Navy; for some, that included meeting on the SR-2 during the ship’s tenure as a Cerberus vessel.
By now it was dinnertime for most folks. A light drizzle had been falling since late afternoon; it was now accompanied by tendrils of fog, and it was quite dark outside. A knock on the front door drew Gabby’s attention. Hope it’s not gonna be the neighbors asking about all the visitors, came the thought. She opened the door wide and was a bit startled to see an older couple standing under the overhang. The man doffed his hat as he said, “You must be Gabriella. My name is Eadan Matheson, and this is my wife, Heather; we’re Kenneth’s uncle and aunt.”
Gabby smiled in welcome as she extended her hand. “Welcome, both of you – it’s a pleasure to meet you! Please, come in out of the weather! Let me take your coats.” Conversations nearby went quiet as Gabby ushered Ken’s relatives… her relatives, into the house; taking their overcoats, Gabby looked at Shepard. “Captain, this is Heather and Eadan, Kenneth’s aunt and uncle.” Turning back to her guests, she said, “This is Spectre Samantha Shepard. If you don’t mind, she can introduce you to all my friends while I put these away. Would you care for some tea?… coffee?… something stronger?”
“A beer for each of us would be just fine, Gabriella, thank you,” Eadan smiled.
“Perfect. I’ll be right back.” As an afterthought, she said, “And please, call me Gabby.”
Eadan nodded, then turned his attention to Shepard. Gabby was somewhat amused to see the embarrassed fascination both of them had as they were introduced to Liara. Not many people in this part of the world have seen an Asari, much less met one in person. After hanging up their overcoats, she retrieved a couple of beers from the cooler, poured them into a pair of ‘pint’ glasses and took them back to Heather and Eadan.
Matheson took the proffered glass, took a long pull of the contents and said, “Thank you, Gabby. You didn’t need to pour it into a glass for me, but it’s appreciated, all the same.” He took another sip, then said, “Tastes very much like the beer Ken’s parents used to serve.”
With a nod, Gabby replied, “That’s because it’s the same brand, Uncle Eadan.” Glancing at Shepard, she innocently asked, “What tales from the war has my captain been sharing with you?”
Eadan looked down at his glass and his face flushed slightly as Heather supplied the answer. “She was telling us that, outside of herself and Dr T’Soni, the relationship between you and Ken was the worst kept secret amongst the crew during the various wars. She swears she once saw both of you hugging and kissing in the equipment spaces below main engineering!”
Gabby felt her face flush in embarrassment and seriously wished she had a drink in her hand at that moment. Disregarding that possibility, she simply wished she had never asked the question and attempted – completely unsuccessfully – to explain it away. “I… umm, that is, we were just, uhm, double-checking the thermal ducts.”
Shepard chuckled. “Gabby, I believe the only thermal duct you were inspecting was Ken’s. You two were so obviously in love with each other… I couldn’t help but to see it! I’m actually surprised either of you managed to get any work done!”
Heather moved to embrace the mortified woman. “Don’t you fret over it, Luv. I think it’s really endearing. Neither of you realized what you had, long after the rest of your crewmates knew you would end up together.” She gently lifted Gabby’s chin and pulled her hands down from her face. “Loving someone wholeheartedly is nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about, my dear. It’s just part of life.”
Caught out, she finally confessed. “Kenneth didn’t believe Shepard noticed,” Gabby stuttered. “I was so mortified, thinking she had seen us. Now I discover she really did see us!” She shook her head at the revelation.
Shepard chimed in with, “You might remember it was me that encouraged Ken to pay more attention to you than the other women on the ship.” With a chuckle, she added, “He finally admitted to thinking you possessed a nice pair of legs.” This brought a much-needed laugh from everyone within earshot, except Gabby, who turned her eyes to the ceiling in silent supplication. God, what have I done?
Her aunt placed an arm behind Gabby, saying, “Come on, then. It’s been a long while since I’ve seen my sister’s old house. Show me around your new home, Ms Donnelly.”
Gabby sighed good naturedly as she led the way to the dining room, and then the kitchen. Her uncle watched the pair while thinking, Aye, she’ll do just fine here. I only hope she stays…
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Edinburgh, Scotland, Earth – 18 Jan 2189
Gabriella stared at the plain, black dress she was loath to put on, even knowing it to be a necessary next step in getting on with her life. Kenneth would be buried in a private ceremony; she had planned to keep attendance small, limited to their closest friends… their shipmates on the Normandy, several of Gabby’s co-workers from the Alliance Propulsion Research Center on the CGC, and the few relatives she had been able to contact. Ken’s parents had died several years ago – a sky car accident, before the Collectors… before Sovereign.
I’m glad the wake is done and no one will remain to toast his health after the funeral service. I no longer have to worry about how many will be passing out… or where! She chuckled at the mental image of the numerous people who had been sprawled on the furniture… and on the floor… after the wake. Gabby was surprised she could still laugh; she had wept every single day since learning about her husband’s death on the Normandy.
She thought she was gradually gaining acceptance that he would never be coming home to her, until she saw or heard or smelled something that dredged up a memory, no matter how trivial. She accepted that her pregnancy was screwing with her emotional stability, because she had never shed tears so frequently as she did now. Never had to deal with the sudden death of someone I love with all my heart, either, so I guess that’s as good an excuse as any.
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Immediately following the funeral, Shepard and Liara said their farewells. “We’ll see you soon, Gabby.” Shepard gently took the woman’s hands in her own. “Everything will work out… and we’ll see you at the Estate in a week or so. Just let us know when you’re ready to head our way and we’ll send a transport for you.”
Gabby wiped the last of the tears from her face and pulled Shepard in for a hug. “Thank you, Captain. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you and Liara… I feel kinda lost.”
“No need for that, Gabby.” Liara reached in and ran a hand across the woman’s back. “You will have a home on Thessia for as long as you need or want. You are always welcome to stay… though, I imagine, you’ll find your own path soon enough. You’re strong.”
As new tears came to her eyes, Gabby pulled away from Shepard and turned to give the Asari a quick hug before pulling away from both of them. “Thank you, Liara! God knows my future right now is nothing but confusion and worry. I still have to figure out how I’m going to support myself and two little ’uns on my own.” She sighed and wiped the gathering tears away yet again. “It’s good to know someone has faith in me… because I seem to be lacking it, right now!”
“That’s crazy, Gabby,” Shepard chuckled quietly. “You’re one of the strongest women I know… and that includes the likes of Admiral Hannah Shepard! You’ll figure it out.”
Gabby blushed and reached out with both hands, taking one of each of the couple before her. “I’ll see you both soon but, for now, I have to let you go… I’ve got things to do.” A reluctant grin eked its way onto her face as she let go of their hands and took a step back. “Besides, Riana is starting to fidget. I think you’re supposed to have left by now.”
Liara glanced over her shoulder at her non-repentant First, who met her eyes expectantly. “So, it seems.” She looked back at Gabby and smiled. “Stay well, Gabriella; we’ll see one another again soon enough…”
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At Large, Earth, Sol System – 19 Jan 2189
“Alliance docks in forty-five minutes, Commander.” Steve Cortez had just lifted the UT-47A up and away from the small, transient military docks at the site of the city’s old international airport. After entering their destination coordinates into the flight computer, he energized the mains, then sat back in his chair as the flight control VI assumed the task of piloting the ungainly craft in a southeasterly heading over the M8 and A71 towards London.
Traffic above and around the British Isles was moderately heavy as Cortez warily used his hands to shadow the VI’s piloting. After several minutes, he received an acknowledgement from civilian controllers that his Kodiak was expected to touch down at the Alliance docks near Farnborough Field in thirty-five to forty minutes.
Their climb to altitude rapidly leveled out as the shuttle reached its assigned flight level of 2100 meters; their flight path would take them to within 10 Km of the city center before they’d be required to turn in a southwesterly direction for their approach to London’s joint commercial-military air and spaceport, located on the site of what had once been Heathrow Airport. Cortez briefly glanced at Williams as he reported, “Thirty-five minutes to touchdown, Ma’am.”
Spectre Ashley Williams acknowledged his report as she watched the scene being displayed on the virtual viewport. She and her crew were returning to the Nalotir, docked at the Alliance shipyard; depending on her success – or failure – with finding a pair of specialists to replace Systems Engineer Donnelly and Propulsion Engineer Curt Manos, she might need to make a trip to the Western North America headquarters in Vancouver afterwards – before she needed to return to her job of investigating and eliminating pirate activity in Council space.
Lieutenant Commander Fletcher Voight, Gabby’s CO in the Alliance propulsion lab, had assigned an engineer to ride along on the Nalotir as an observer. Ashley needed permanent replacements for both men; an Alliance Navy personnel specialist at the CGC had suggested she might have better luck recruiting the people she needed from London headquarters, or in Vancouver. That her lover was stationed in London was icing on the proverbial cake.
She must have dozed off for a few minutes, as she was surprised when the VI announced ‘five minutes to touchdown’ over the internal PA system, a warning to all to prepare for low-altitude chop as they slowed to less than 135 meters per second. Everyone sitting in the passenger compartment fastened or rechecked their safety harnesses as a precaution against a possibly turbulent approach.
With Cortez still shadowing the VI’s control inputs, the shuttle eased down to an altitude of 30 meters as it made the final approach to their assigned docking space. In less than the predicted five minutes, the VI gently eased the craft down to the concrete beside the Nalotir and cut all power to the ventral thrusters and main engines, prompting a redundant announcement from Cortez. “We’re back in London, Ma’am.”
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London, Earth, Sol – 19 Jan 2189
Williams was frowning slightly as she stepped out of the admin building. The number of qualified Alliance personnel available here was no better than on the CGC, and the petty officer in charge had – after contacting her counterpart in Vancouver – glumly informed Ashley there did not appear to be any qualified engineers available on the entire west coast of the North American continent.
Shading her eyes against the brilliant glare of a rare, cloud-free winter day, she idly looked up and down the docks, noting that few vessels were in port as a new work week had just begun. A flicker of movement in the sky caught her attention; she watched with interest as a tiny speck resolved itself into a very familiar shape that circled down to approach the civilian end of the docks. Can’t be, she thought. Still flying from here, instead of from a commercial dock?
Hoping her instincts were correct, she began walking on the path that would take her past the nearby Nalotir. By the time she had reached the civilian portion of the yard, the Auxilium, for that was the ship’s name, had settled into its assigned space. She cautiously stepped over and around cables, tie-downs and debris at the ship’s bow as a group of dock workers began to offload the freight pallets contained within the small vessel’s three cargo holds.
Overseeing the operation was none other than… “Storm Weatherly!” Ashley gushed. “I’d have thought you’d be retired by now! Don’t you get tired of always having to be on the go?”
The grizzled old captain turned at the sound of her voice, surprise and happiness evident in his expression. “Williams? Damn if you ain’t a sight for sore eyes!” He stuck out an arthritic paw as he continued, “I could ask you that very same question, Commander! Looks like you’re still in the Navy!” He pumped her hand twice and asked, “You still gallivanting ’round the galaxy in that over-powered frigate?… the Normandy?”
Ashley’s grin lessened as she replied, “I was, until it took a Quarian missile in the belly out in the Far Rim.” With a quick glance at her chrono, she said, “Got time for lunch?… my treat.” The grin she received gladdened her heart; she had met Storm during post-war recovery efforts, when civilian vessels needed an Alliance officer on board in order to deliver freight to any military facility. On her very first trip on the Auxilium, she had met then Major Andreas Falk at Farnborough Field.
“Jus’ let me get finished up with this job, Ash. We have a bit of time before we start loading out for the next delivery. You wanna wait here, or?…”
“I’ll wait… don’t have anywhere else to go at the moment, and I really need to speak with you.”
“Okay, Ash. Shouldn’t be long.”
Ashley nodded as she retreated away from the seemingly chaotic area; finding a nearby cargo box sitting by itself, she took a seat and composed a short message to Andreas, telling him she was going to be in London for the night. Not wanting to impose such a short time after her holiday visit, she didn’t ask if she could share his quarters for an evening – just told him it’d be nice to have dinner together. After sending her message, she watched the activity swirling in and around the Auxilium, marveling at how well-orchestrated everyone’s movements seemed to be. Guess some sort of order gradually comes about after doing the same thing day-after-day.
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Ashley had told Weatherly to choose where to have lunch; he had led her to a nearby café that seemed to be a mere hole in the wall of a large, still partially shattered building. Repair work was being done on the far side, with the sounds of carpenter’s tools faintly arriving on the light breeze. Inside, there were several booths along one wall, with a stool-lined counter on the other side of a narrow aisle. Most of the stools were occupied by yard workers, speaking in quiet tones as they ate their lunch. Storm groaned in relief as he slid onto a slick, vinyl covered bench.
Ash sat down opposite, then took a quick look at the menu to confirm what she expected was being served for lunch. She ordered one of the two specials, to which Storm nodded as he did the same. With a few minutes to wait for their lunches, the old captain leaned back and asked, “Okay, Ash. What’s so important you’d agree to buy me lunch? Not having relationship troubles, are you? And what in Hell is this about the Normandy taking a missile in the belly?”
Williams felt the beginning of a blush moving past her collar at his mention of her love affair with Dré. “Not at all,” she grinned. “Fact is, he managed to spring a real surprise on me for Christmas… flew my sisters and my mom here without telling me ahead of time! First time we’ve all been together since I don’t know when… way before the conflict with Sovereign and the Geth, for sure.” Taking a sip of water, she continued, “As for the Normandy, that’s why I need to speak with you. That damned missile killed both my engineers, Storm… and I need a replacement for each of them.”
“Don’t the Alliance assign personnel to that ship?”
With a small chuckle, she replied, “Both of those men were Alliance specialists, but the ship is owned by the Galactic Council. As a Council Spectre, I can staff the ship with whomever I wish. Hell, Spectre Shepard had a Turian weapons officer and a Quarian engineer at one time.” Another sip of water, then, “So, do you know of anyone – military or civilian, Human or alien – that might be a suitable candidate for either a propulsion engineer’s or a systems engineer’s position on the Normandy?”
Weatherly frowned slightly before looking up as their server brought their lunches and beverages. He silently shook some ground pepper on his clam chowder, took a slurping sip from the bowl, then sighed in contentment. “Damn! That’s good.” Apparently lost in thought, he swallowed several more spoonful’s as Ashley applied herself to the large turkey sandwich in front of her. She sipped her beer, cocked an eye at Storm and asked, “Well?”
The old captain stifled a belch, then looked up at her. “Any objection to working with a Batarian? Heard of a fellow… really crackerjack propulsion engineer. Scuttlebutt has it he’s been working on a variety of vessels since 2158 or so. Assigned to a Hensa-class cruiser, part of the fleet Ka’hairal Balak loaned to the Alliance after Councilor Udina turned traitor on the Citadel.” Storm looked off into the distance, focusing on memories he hadn’t had to recall in a long time. “Ship had to be abandoned over Earth… the guy made it to an escape pod… got picked up by an Alliance cruiser just before the fleet bugged out to Arcturus.”
Ashley finished her sandwich as she listened with a great deal of interest to Storm reminiscing. After downing her beer, she asked, “This guy have a name? And has he been working since the end of the war?”
Storm’s attention snapped back to his companion. “Only reason I know about ’im is he worked on a freighter outta Omega until ’bout three months ago. Disembarked on the CGC. Haven’t heard anything about him since then, but he shouldn’t be too damned hard to find… not many Batarians on that station yet. Name’s Garok Ferank.”
Ashley opened her omnitool, entered a credit transfer from her account to the café’s, then waited as Storm heaved himself to his feet. “Couldn’t hurt to take a look for this guy. If he’s good at his job and will take orders from a woman, that’s all that matters to me.” She walked behind the captain as he followed a couple of his ship’s crew outside. “So, no thoughts on a systems engineer?”
“Sorry, Ash. I don’t know of a qualified person for that job.” With a big grin, he stuck out his hand and said, “Thanks for lunch! My usual lunch companions ain’t nearly so nice to look at, and they ain’t that generous, either.”
Williams grabbed his hand and pumped it twice. “I’m glad I caught you in port, Storm. Really good to see you!”
“You as well! Say hi to that Brit for me – Major Falk?”
“You got it… and Andreas is a Lieutenant Commander these days.” With a quiet laugh, she said, “Fly safe, Weatherly.”
“You too, young’un. You got a more dangerous path before you than me.”
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Guanghui Solutions Mining Facility, Feynman, Boltzmann System – 25 Jan 2189
Shepard dove for cover for the third time. “Gods be damned!”
Liara almost laughed, barely managing to suppress the urge, but Shepard picked up on it via the link, despite her best efforts.
“You think this is funny, T’Soni?”
Unable to refrain any longer, Liara laughed aloud, still giggling as she replied, “I’m sorry, Love… but, yes, I do. What is he? Sixteen, in Human equivalent, at best? And that young Turian has the hero of the galaxy pinned down with nothing but a pistol!”
“That pistol is a semi-auto, Cerberus M-358 Talon, loaded with heavy disruptor ammo, and it’s cutting right through my damned shields! He’s already put three dents in my new armor, and it hurts like a son of a bitch!” Liara’s joviality was contagious, and Shepard found she had to laugh at herself. Smiling, she added, “And he’s damned good. I want to try to recruit him, not kill him! Otherwise, I’d just charge his ass and be done with it!”
“Seriously, Nara?” Livos was honestly surprised at the Spectre’s reaction. “He’s most certainly trying to kill you.”
“Based on what he’s yelling at us, it’s only because he thinks I’m a damned pirate…” Shepard paused, thinking about what she had just said. “And that makes me wonder if he simply doesn’t believe us… or maybe he doesn’t have a working translator?”
Catching her thoughts through the link, Liara replied, “That’s a real possibility, Shepard. Perhaps we should have Tonan come down to talk to him?”
“That’s a good idea, Liara…” Shepard immediately called up to the ship and explained the situation. “Ask him to make it quick, Lus. I’m tired of getting my new armor dinged up.”
Lusmeni chuckled, the playful tone of the Spectre’s voice obvious, so she knew she was mostly joking. “I’ll get him on his way, Shepard… as soon as we can get the shuttle spun up and out the door!”
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Poor Tonan had to execute a combat jump, as the shuttle became the new target as Daxa Rusim attempted to deliver the Turian to the stand-off. “Damn it, Shepard. I’m not a combat specialist! Why do you think I became a combat systems operator?” Without pausing to give Shepard time to answer the purely rhetorical question, he continued, “So I could stay on the ship, because I hate this shit!”
Shepard smirked, “I thought all Turians were ingrained with the whole duty and honor mantra?”
“We are… but it doesn’t mean we all get a thrill from getting shot at!” Tonan snorted and his mandibles flared in disbelief as he retorted, “Not all of us are suicidal vanguards!”
At that, Shepard laughed outright. “Point taken, Tonan. So, can you tell me what the kid’s yelling? And then, try to convince him who I am?”
“Well… he’s yelling some pretty advanced insults for a kid… not sure where he’s heard some of them… I think his father must have been either a merc or an infantryman to have learned language like that! And no, I’m not going to translate for you.”
“That bad, huh?” Shepard looked at Tonan with a smirk on her face. “I guess that means I have to do this the hard way… or do you think you can talk him down? We have to be home no later than Wednesday night and I still have to report to the Council before then.”
“I’ll see what I can do, Spectre… but no promises.”
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Edinburgh, Scotland, Earth – 25 Jan 2189
Gabriela Donnelly knelt on a waterproof pad placed on the winter-damp grass at the foot of the freshly filled grave of her husband, Kenneth. Tears filled her eyes yet again as she used her fingertips to trace the engraved letters on the small granite marker at her knees – The greatest gift in life is love – words she had chosen while her mind was in a grief-stricken fog. Yet today, she truly believed that Kenneth had whispered them in her ear when she had first entered his house… their house, on the 17th. My God, Kenneth! I never dreamed I could miss you so much!
She had decided the best way to honor her husband’s memory would be to raise their children in his childhood home. Being widowed while Kenneth was serving on a warship owned by the Galactic Council, Gabby would be the beneficiary of a modest, one-time death gratuity payment. How can I afford to leave the Alliance now? she mused. I don’t want my children raised by the daycare system! That’s no life for a child! I need to raise my kids… Kenneth’s kids… here… in Edinburgh! She gave herself a mental shake and huffed. Just have to see what opportunities arise to meet me.
She had spent a lot of time thinking about what she wanted to do… how best to move forward… and still believed that making a clean break – with the Navy… with the Alliance – was the only way she would ever find any peace of mind. She simply could not bear the thought of returning to the propulsion lab on the CGC, with the constant reminders of everything she had lost with Kenneth’s death. One thing was certain: she sure as Hell wasn’t going to raise her children on a damned space station in the middle of nowhere.
She would be leaving Earth shortly, heading to her office to pack up the last of her personal belongings; then, she’d be traveling to Thessia for her maternity leave. If everything went well, eight weeks after delivering her babies she would tender her resignation from the Alliance Navy… that is, assuming some opportunity for financial stability presented itself. Thinking of resigning made her sad for another reason. She had met Kenneth at the tech academy run by the Systems Alliance Navy; they had served together ever since graduation.
In spite of herself, she chuckled at the memory of his mouth derailing his Alliance career – he had nearly been court-martialed for his vociferous defense of Samantha Shepard after the Normandy SR1 had been destroyed over Alchera in 2183. As it was, the Navy discharged him for insubordination; she had immediately resigned in order to follow him when he joined Cerberus shortly thereafter.
Upon receiving pardons from Spectre Shepard at the conclusion of her campaign to eliminate the Collector threat, they had both been reinstated into the Navy; after the destruction of the Bahak system and its relay, she and Kenneth had spent the intervening months working on retrofitting the Cerberus constructed Normandy SR2 to Alliance Navy standards for a stealth frigate. They remained on the ship after it escaped Earth during the opening hours of the invasion, served for the duration of the Reaper war, through the nearly yearlong victory tour, up until she had become pregnant shortly after Spectre Williams had taken command of the ship. And now… she took a shuddering breath of air… and now, Kenneth was entombed in the cold ground before her, the victim of a so-called ally.
A soft cough behind her brought her head around. The driver of the X3M taxi she had hired in Edinburgh inclined his head as he said, “We really should get going, Ma’am. Your flight is scheduled for a 1600 departure.”
Gabby smiled at the young man. “Okay, Mr McMillan.” Raising a hand, she added, “If you wouldn’t mind?”
Keir McMillan was only too happy to assist Gabby to her feet. He felt really terrible that she was a widow, and pregnant, at such a young age. Truth be told, he was a bit in awe that the young woman had served on the Normandy during the Reaper War. He assisted her to her feet, then picked up the waterproof pad and carried it along while she clung to his other arm for the walk across the wet grass of this cemetery. She smiled and thanked him after he helped her sit down in one of the oldest X3M shuttles she’d ever been in… a 2172 C-111 Skyline.
Gabriela sat back in the worn seat and closed her eyes, remaining silent during the 20-minute trip to the nearby spaceport. She reopened them when the speeder shuddered to a halt within a few paces of the main terminal building. Before McMillan raised the canopy, she looked at him and said, “Please… you really need to get this speeder into a shop so someone can inspect the drive core. I suspect the field coils are slightly out of phase; it’s causing a tremor in the anti-grav repulsors this thing depends on. They’re going to fail entirely, and soon.”
McMillan’s mouth dropped open in shocked surprise as she was speaking. When she paused, he asked, “How in the world would you know that?
Gabby smiled as she replied, “You know I served on the Normandy… I was the chief propulsion engineer on that ship since its launch.”
The man nodded slightly as he replied, “Thank you, Ma’am. I’ll see to it immediately.” After assisting her out of her seat, he added, “Your bags are loaded,” he pointed to the closest UT-47, “… on that shuttle, Ma’am.” Before walking to the spacecraft, she said, “Thank you for your help, Mr McMillan. I really appreciate it.”
“The honor has been all mine, Ma’am.” He gave her a final nod. “Travel safe.”