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Post by grandest on Feb 6, 2014 16:54:45 GMT -6
Cruendi'has nodded to himself as Lysander's speechifying came to a close. It was a good plan, but the thought of "making relics" out of the Collectors made the Batarian chuckle. The Quarian female walked up to him with much less hostility in her slight frame. "Good luck, Cruendi'has Tarmikos," she said, offering her hand. With his lower pair of eyes, he looked at the hand and watched her face-mask with the top pair. "To you as well, Shala'Bekk vas Neema." Cruendi'has put up a smile and took her hand. He knew of many Batarian slavers who took a special enjoyment from enslaving Quarians. There were many in the galaxy that traveled alone by the nature of their Pilgrimage. They were easy prey, and hardly missed. Cruendi'has wanted then to tell Shala he was sorry on behalf of his people's actions. On behalf of his own. He wished to explain that, one day, he wanted to turn the Hegemony away from the path they were currently on. There was so much that needed to be said. "Let's get shit done." Cruendi'has shook Shala's hand.
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Post by Eric Lysander on Feb 6, 2014 21:41:34 GMT -6
Eric holstered his gun and began to walk towards Shala. The quarian approached Cruendi’has and offered him her hand. The N7 veteran paused to witness the two mercenaries – nearly a week ago very close to coming to blows –appear to make peace with each other, if only for the sake of the mission. Not wanting to ruin the moment, Eric decided on another method of communication with her.
She is diligent about checking her email, Eric remembered as he composed a message on his omnitool:
--- To: Shala'Bekk Vas Neema From: E. Lysander Subject: Being Prepared
Hey Shala. I didn’t get to say thanks for your help in going over the ship’s scanners. It was… an education. Remember what I said earlier about the ruins themselves possibly being a threat? Well there’s something I need to show you. Trust comes at a premium with this crowd but I think I can trust an engineer of your caliber with this. You happen to be in a spot I need you to be in should the worst come about. I know the cloak-and-dagger speak doesn’t help but I’ll fill you in on everything while we’re getting the drone prepped.
Maybe, in some strange, funny way… it’ll be an education for you… ---
END MESSAGE… SEND
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Post by Iregos on Feb 6, 2014 21:58:06 GMT -6
With nothing left to be said, the Asari left to prepare the drone attack. What time was remaining she spent meditating and inspecting her equipment one more time.
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Post by Shala'Bekk vas Neema on Feb 10, 2014 11:02:11 GMT -6
"Let's get shit done," Cruendi'has said as he shook Shala's hand.
She knew then he was sincere in his wish for good luck for her, and that made her smile. He would not have said such a manly thing unless it was to cover for any weakness of his he felt he may have allowed to be seen.
Knowing that made her feel much better. She could now face the battle knowing that not all batarians were like the ones she had encountered before.
Any further musings were interrupted by the tingling in her forearm; she had received another message. She stepped away from the batarian to signal their conversation was over, then tapped a few keys on her omnitool and brought up the message.
*****
“Maybe, in some strange, funny way… it’ll be an education for you…”
The last line roused her curiosity. She looked up and saw he was still in the room, so she went over to him. “That last line has me intrigued, Eric Lysander,” she said. “What is it that you have to teach me?”
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Post by River Havens on Feb 11, 2014 4:29:29 GMT -6
With everyone leaving to make final preparations, River made a mad dash to where her footlocker was being kept. She muttered lowly to herself, checking off all the necessary amp and ammo checks she would need as well as going through what weapons were best suited for the mission.
She was a bit worried. A part of her wondered if it should've been a good idea to mention to everyone that she wasn't the best sniper on board. Sure, she had experience but not by much.
'No, don't start doing that now,' she muttered to herself. 'Dad told you about doubting yourself.'
It was true. There had been plenty of talks between Corwin and River about her lack of confidence whenever it came to sniping. On more than one occasion, Corwin had to sit her daughter down and lecture her on how it was her doubts that where making her miss her shots. When it comes to sniping, you have to be confident in what you're aiming at. Otherwise, you'd miss everytime, he would sometimes say.
This time was different however. This time she had a whole team relying on her and they were going up against the likes of the Collectors. There was no room for mistakes or doubt.
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Post by Eric Lysander on Feb 11, 2014 8:50:30 GMT -6
Eric started for the stairwell, reviewing modifications and items required for Zeus and the bomber drone in his mind when Shala suddenly came up to him.
“That last line has me intrigued, Eric Lysander,” she said. “What is it that you have to teach me?”
She reads awful quick, don't she?
"It's a device," said Eric in a hushed tone. "Something I cobbled together based on some R&D work back in N7 Skunkworks. I think you'll find that when we really apply ourselves, we humans can pull off some engineering marvels of our own..."
The human's lip scrunched up. "A weapon of last resort. Now, now - don't worry; it's actually pretty sturdy and it works like a symphony orchestra. Any part missing, damaged or out of place and it won't work... I'll show you how to assemble it while we're getting ready... the pieces are small enough to store on and around your suit..."
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Post by Shala'Bekk vas Neema on Feb 11, 2014 10:44:17 GMT -6
While she missed the meaning of some of his words, one thing she did not miss was his confidence, his absolute belief in what he was doing, and she found that she liked it. "Now I'm really intrigued, Eric Lysander," she said. "Tell me more..."
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Post by Eric Lysander on Feb 11, 2014 14:55:14 GMT -6
Eric was glad that Shala appeared willing to go along with his contingency plan but he was not quite sure if she fully understood what he would be entrusting her with. For a moment he wished he was back at Chora’s Den or some other bar discussing how best to pass their evening together instead. Non-human females had their charms. The mystery of what the quarian looked like beneath her suit certainly piqued his curiosity. It would have to wait - there was the job. Maybe afterwards, if all went well, he could chance another pursuit. He looked about him to make sure no one else was in earshot before he continued quietly.
"I was hoping you would be... but you realize that if we wind up setting this thing off it'll piss off Mr. B to no end? I can't show you up here for obvious reasons but it's real simple. Just seven pieces that snap together in seconds; it'll be about this big,” Eric held his hands apart about a foot and a half. "It uses mass effect fields to concentrate and magnify the yield, so that's a lotta power in a small package. I'll get a signal on my omnitool when its assembled. Parts on it glow to let you know the status: green if it's ready to go, blue if a part is faulty meaning it's a dud. It glows red when I send the arming code and it's ready to blow. Mind you - once it’s armed there’s no defusing it, by me or the enemy... I'm leaving it to you to decide if things get bad enough to need it..."
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Post by Shala'Bekk vas Neema on Feb 13, 2014 3:14:59 GMT -6
Another last resort, she thought as she listened to him. But this is far more aggressive than Maelstrom's plan...
She didn't like it. She didn't know why, but it just felt wrong somehow. Perhaps this goes against the captain's wishes?
"Curious," she said in a low voice. "Why would you ask me for help in this? You are far more skilled at this than I am."
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Post by Eric Lysander on Feb 13, 2014 11:56:26 GMT -6
"Curious - why would you ask me for help in this?” asked Shala in a low, concerned tone. “You are far more skilled at this than I am."
“Like I said, you’ll be right where I’ll need you at the ruins. I’ll be far up on the ridge… believe it or not, we’re two sides of the same coin, you and me. We’re good at examining structures for flaws. You work to repair them and I use ‘em to bring the place down on someone’s head...“
Eric looked around again, drew in a breath and exhaled. "Okay, I'll level with you - I'll be glad to be rid of the damn thing in any case... maybe the Alliance’s the way I was meant to go… when Shepard died I didn’t see the point of being a soldier anymore so I quit and did the merc thing instead. My debt was already paid in full and I could make do on my own… I wasn’t afraid or weak anymore. I did pretty good, made a decent amount of creds. I was this close to starting my own little prospecting operation… then Shepard comes back. And this job comes along with the Collectors… all Mr. Bridges seems to care about is cashing in on more history. I don't think he wants to see the bigger picture. Think about it: two years ago the geth attack the Citadel with a giant robot squid. Shepard flies in to the rescue with the Fifth Fleet and saves the day. Then the Collectors come along and try to kill our conquering hero. Shepard's still alive, yeah, but doesn't have the same backup like before. And now we see the Collectors nosing around ruins... I think these things may be after another super weapon and they wanted Shep out of the way. And if they get their hands on one it’ll be bad news for everyone in the galaxy. What’s the sense of havin’ all the credits in the universe if there ain’t no one or nowhere to spend them on, right…? Look, I want everybody to get outta this alive and in one piece. Anybody here’s on somebody’s Most Wanted list or got a shady past, not my problem. I’m not exactly a model citizen, either. But who knows what the Collectors can really do? And if there’s a snowball’s chance in hell of stopping them, why not take it? If there’s one thing my life, my fighting pirates, slavers and geth taught me, it’s this: sometimes you have to get crazy to get an edge. And my little device is about the sharpest edge you could want in a last stand… should you decide you need one.”
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Post by Shala'Bekk vas Neema on Feb 15, 2014 3:40:54 GMT -6
"...And my little device is about the sharpest edge you could want in a last stand...should you decide you need one."
So if we fail, we make sure the Collectors fail as well, she thought. One thing about humans, they don't believe in small gestures.
As she considered his words, it struck her how different he and Maelstrom were.
*****
"A boy asked you for a date?" her father asked and then sighed. "Keelah se'lai, this is the day every girl's father fears. It reminds him that she is no longer a child, that she will soon be looking to another. What have you told him?"
"I don't know," she said. She may have been sixteen, more than old enough to date, but she had never bothered with it before; she was far more content helping out around the ship, doing her part to make sure it ran as smoothly as possible.
"Tell me about him," her father said.
"He helps out in one of the medical bays," she said. "A power fluctuation was reported in it and when I went to fix it, he was there. As I worked, he talked about how important it was to help others. He said he knew that the time for each of us would come, but he wanted everyone to live as long as they could, so that they might have a chance at seeing the homeworld."
Her father nodded. "He sounds like a good boy," he said. "If you wish to go with him, you may. But watch him, see how he handles things going wrong."
She cocked her head, not understanding his advice.
"How someone responds to setbacks and failures will tell you everything you need to know about him," he said.
*****
So it would seem that when things go wrong, Maelstrom's first thought is for the safety of others, while Eric Lysander's is to destroy, she thought, and then she knew why she didn't like his plan.
Her joy came from fixing things, not destroying them. Anyone could destroy, but it took real strength to fix something; and not just strength of body, but also strength of will to see it through. But even more important than that was vision, the ability to look at something broken and see it in a better state.
But then again, these are Collectors, servants of the Reapers, she thought, thinking back to Tali'Zorah's words. Whatever they are doing, it can't be good for the rest of the galaxy. What is the price of denying them their prize? Some ethical discomfort? Perhaps even my life?
"Very well, I will take it, Eric Lysander," she said. "Keelah se'lai, I hope I don't have to use it."
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Post by Eric Lysander on Feb 15, 2014 12:28:42 GMT -6
Eric exhaled again, nodding his gratitude. "... that makes two of us... all right, let's a move on- we've got a drone to retool..."
He stood in silence for a second and then added "Heh, Shepard'd probably have some really inspiring words or brilliant scheme to snatch the site right out under the Collectors' noses... I know I'll never be in that league but I can still do my part... in my own special way."
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Post by Maelstrom on Feb 16, 2014 5:10:26 GMT -6
Maelstrom's fingers hesitated over each keystroke, as he entered the command into Emily's program. He had been working on this new protocol for days. Never before had he done such a thing. To write a new directive like this... it invited betrayal, especially in company such as this. That's why he would not tell anyone about it. If the criteria came into effect, they would just find out. He still found himself puzzling over his motivations, as he continued organizing the various commands that would make up the whole of the protocol, syncing them with his suit's systems.
Maybe it's because you never cared, with the merc bands surrounding you before. After all, they had their own drop ships. Why not have Emily just transmit the data on broad-beam and then self-destruct the shuttle if I didn't make it out? He hated the idea of the VI being destroyed, but he hated the idea of Cerberus getting her back more. How irrational can I get?
Maybe it's because I never had someone I thought I could trust to see the data into the right hands before, he wondered. After all, it's not that they don't have another way off the planet if the Vengeance goes "boom." This is a frigate, after all. But they have a better chance on this. And with this program... with this program, both the data and the ship just might be put to good use.
"Command sequence complete," Emily assessed. "Implement?"
His finger hovered over the control. Several times, he clenched and opened his fist, trying to summon the will to input the command. You're giving yourself too much time to think about it.
Running through another brief sequence of controls, he minimized the readout to a single control option, "Confirm" or "Cancel," and moved it off to a part of the console that a co-pilot would be unlikely to look at, next to the long range comms array controls. When it's time for the drop, I'll have to make the choice. No time for hesitation then.
He mulled over the situation awaiting him again. The stories people circulated that were supposedly told first by Shepard. That the geth were not the true enemy during the attack on the Citadel. That the Collectors were nothing more than mindless pawns. That there were machines coming with the purpose of wiping out all life in the galaxy, that they were the ones orchestrating all the chaos recent years had brought. The Cerberus files he had on the Collectors supported Shepard's claims. There is something more to this all, but since when did I trust anything Cerberus says?
Shepard was a unique case. The one person who worked for Cerberus Maelstrom had no interest in attacking. Maybe it was naivete, but from everything he heard, the reports on the extranet- the real ones where Shepard was interviewed, the stories people told about the Spectre's missions- not the ones from humans but from others, and even from the evidence of the former N7's actions- felt throughout Citadel space and beyond, Shepard was doing what needed to be done, using whatever resources were available to stop the evils in the galaxy. That was something Maelstrom could understand. Only that fact kept Shepard off Maelstrom's hit list. Probably saved my life, too.
Leaning back, he mused again how nice it would be to someday be free to help Doctor Narei bring life back to her dying world. A hopeful dream. Nothing more.
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Post by Shala'Bekk vas Neema on Feb 21, 2014 6:21:54 GMT -6
Shala cocked her head at Eric Lysander's mention of the heroic human captain. While the wearing the environmental suits, it was impossible for any quarian to read the facial expression of another one, but they had gained an increased ability to read another's tones and body language.
"Curious," she said. "There's something in your tone that says you know Captain Shepard a little bit better than most...or am I reading that wrong?"
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Post by Eric Lysander on Feb 21, 2014 9:38:31 GMT -6
As Eric started for the stairwell, Shala said "Curious - there's something in your tone that says you know Captain Shepard a little bit better than most...or am I reading that wrong?"
Eric stopped and turned slightly to her while staring at and grasping his left arm where his omnitool was situated, remembering the vidmails he composed that had yet to be answered.
"No... you could say I've... worked... with a certain Alliance Marine... before they got promoted to Spectre..."
He then looked up at the quarian engineer and breathed out. "Shepard and me... yeah, we go back a bit, even before we enlisted... maybe I'll tell you 'bout it after we handle this little job."
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Post by Shala'Bekk vas Neema on Feb 21, 2014 11:01:48 GMT -6
"I look forward to that story, Eric Lysander," she said. "I should mention that I am shipmates with the quarian he traveled with, Tali'Zorah vas Neema. Perhaps we can share stories after the mission?"
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Post by Eric Lysander on Feb 21, 2014 12:20:37 GMT -6
"I look forward to that story, Eric Lysander. I should mention that I am shipmates with the quarian he traveled with, Tali'Zorah vas Neema. Perhaps we can share stories after the mission?"
If fate was kind and they survived the mission, it was something pleasant to look forward to.
Eric smiled and nodded. "... yeah... I'd like that..."
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