[Book Three] Chapter 26: Deadly screams

Chapter 26: Deadly screams

To Jane’s surprise, she had been the first to arrive at the Cargo Deck for her morning training. Usually she met Rick taking the elevator down from her cabin or he was already there but this time he was nowhere in sight. It was only an hour later at precisely 6:03 am that her brother showed up and seemed tired as hell as his movements were a bit sluggish.

“Was the dinner with Ash’s family that tiring?” she asked after greeting him.
“Nah. I had a really good time, her sisters were sweet and all though her mother was a bit of a bitch but I put her in her place. It’s just… large gatherings like that are absolutely draining for me. That and I only slept two hours because of Ash who by the way will probably be unavailable all day unless we have a wheelchair stashed somewhere.”
“Large gatherings? You were what… Six? That’s not large. And no we don’t have a wheelchair. I hope Ashley left some for me in the tanks.”
“Six is large for me in a public setting. And I’m not sure if there is any left. Not like I am in the mood anyway.” he replied as he began his usual meditation to train his biotics.
“That’s not fair!”
“Life is not fair and Ash is my lover, you… you’re my sexual offender. Not quite the same and that makes all the difference.” he explained with a yawn.
“You should go back to sleep if you’re that tired.”
“Nah, I’m *yawn* good.”
“Nu-huh.” Jane replied before picking him up from the floor. “Don’t make me drag you back to your room.”
“Don’t wanna.” he said petulantly.

With no other choice she dragged him back to the elevator and thankfully was too tired to resist her. For a moment she thought about bridging him back to his room but she wasn’t sure she wanted to see the mess he and Ashley made and the mess that Ashley was, out of jealousy. In the end she brought him to her cabin and put him to bed. In less than a minute he was up and gone to dreamland. Not missing the opportunity she had she forwent her morning training, disrobed and spooned him while being stark naked. Setting her alarm on her omni-tool to 8:00 am she joined Rick in Morphea’s embrace for two hours. Afterwards she dressed up again appropriately and went down to the cockpit to give Joker his instructions.
Lessus was only three days away which left plenty of time to check the new canon installed with Garrus.

Hopefully he won’t talk about calibrating too much.

She knew it was a vain hope but had to try regardless. She checked with EDI if her turian friend was awake and when she got confirmation went to the Crew Deck. When she reached the cannon room, the sight of Garrus bent over a console and doing calibrations made her rethink her decision.

“Good morning, Garrus.”
“‘Morning, Jane.”
“I’m passing by to see the new cannon and learned a bit more about it. I admit it wasn’t a project I followed with a lot of focus.”
“Oh! Well… You’d be disappointed, it’s the same Thannix that we installed when we were dealing with the Collectors.”
“What? I thought we changed it?”
“There was no need to change the cannon itself, just the length of the energy tubes connected to it from the eezo core.”
“Why is it called a GR-Cannon, then?”
“I think it’s a simplification for naming the system. Rick did invent an actual cannon for dreadnoughts with the new spring shaped tubes. However for the frigate, the cannon was obviously ill adapted so from what the guys that work on the ship said they went with a Thannix which was already at the top of tech. Since we already have one, they just installed the spring and added some stabilizers on the Thannix itself because the fire power output was greater and made it shake a bit. If you want to see the system you need to go down to the Engineering Deck.”
“Okay, I’ll do that. What about the fire power and precision?”
“The fire power had been multiplied exponentially. At least twenty times.” Garrus shared with excitement.
“Wow.”
“Yes! It should have been less but since the Normandy is built differently from a regular frigate, the engineers connected a second spring to the first one. We may not reach the power of a dreadnought but half of it at best! The reaper on Tunchanka would have probably taken a hit or two before going down.”
“I’m happy to hear that.”
“As for the precision. Well, that’s where the news is mixed. The stabilizers do the job properly but depending on the power output we may need to recalibrate it between each change of power.”
“That’s not mixed news, Garrus, that’s bad news.”
“Not really. As I said the stabilizers do the job so the loss in precision won’t be enough to make us miss a shot after a single change of output so during a fight we’re good.”
“That’s a relief.”

She left the room leaving behind Garrus and took an apple and a banana from the kitchen before going down to the Engineering Deck. She had a shock when she saw her former engineers Gabby and Kenneth there. Last time she checked they were still under arrest for joining Cerberus in their fight against the Collectors.

“Gabby, Kennet, good to see you.”
“Good morning, Commander.” the former greeted  her.
“Good to see you too and to be back on the Normandy, ma’am.” the latter added.
“I’m glad that you’re here, though I wonder how you escaped your arrest.”
“That’s my and Major Alenko’s doing, commander.” EDI said from the coms.
“What did you do exactly?”
‘I kept an eye on engineers Daniels and Donnelly. With Major Alenko’s status of spectre we were able to get them released.”
“Then we met Jack on the Purgatory when we went to drink our sorrow away.” Kenneth explained.
“Drink your sorrow away?” Jane repeated with a brow raised.
“Since we properly quit the Alliance to join you under Cerberus’ banner, people were not so keen on hiring us back so we couldn’t fight in the war. That’s when Jack advised us to reach out for you.”
“They reached me instead.”
“Well, that’s great. Any more pleasant surprises like that, EDI?”
“Garrus, recruited Yeoman Chambers.”
“She’s here too?!”
“From what Kelly said, she took your advice to change her identity before Cerberus attacked the Citadelle and that saved her life. When Garrus met her on the Citadelle he asked her to join thinking that a psychologist was needed.” Gabby explained.
“I’m surprised she did, she had refused when I asked her.”

Jane remembered perfectly the day when she stumbled upon the redhead on the lower floor of the Normandy’s dock before they left to recruit the rachnis. The woman declined the offer wanting to lay low after her defection from Cerberus but hadn’t been thorough.

“You can ask her about her change of mind yourself, commander. She’s working along Dr. Chakwas in the med-bay.”
“Thank you EDI. I’ll do that after I’m done here.”
“Done here? You need something, commander?” Kenneth asked.
“I wanted to see the upgrades installed on the ship while I was away and asked Adams a few questions about it.”
“And I’d be happy to answer them, commander.” came the voice of the said man from behind Jane, entering the room.
“From what I understand, the energy from the eezo core directed to the Thannix is traveling a longer distance making our fire power greater. Are there notable changes that I should be aware of?”
“Yes. Since the power is greater the heat produced is greater too. Thankfully Wald thought of that when he designed the system and added a cooling unit all around the springs. It’s working on liquid azote which is the best way to avoid burning to death from the heat. The problem is that the error margin must be incredibly low. If the temperature drops too much, the energy’s power decreases and our shots' power decreases in consequence too.”
“Liquid azote? Isn’t that a bit dangerous?”
“Extremely dangerous but less than an overloading eezo core and way easier to calibrate. Honestly, commander, you don’t have to worry about it.”
“Cherry on the cake is that it’s cooler down there.” Kenneth said from his console.
“And the shields do not drain more power than needed to protect us.” added Gabby.
“That too.” Adams confirmed.
“But the need for energy is greater than before, no?” inquired Jane.
“Yes but it’s negligible. In the long term we’re actually saving on energy by a lot. With the increase in heat the energy of the shield would have gone through the roof.”
“So, no one is going to die of cold or heat and while uptake in energy is greater, which was expected, it’s not as great as it could have been. Did I get everything right?”
“You did, commander.”
“Well, I should go see Kelly, keep up the good work!” Jane said as she left the room to go back to the Crew Deck.

Once out of the elevator she made a beeline towards the med-bay. There she saw Karin but no trace of Kelly.

“Commander? Is there something wrong?”
“No, Karin. I was just searching for Kelly. Gabby and Kenneth told me she was back on the ship and was working here.”
“Well, yes and no. She intended to work here but it was an ill suited environment for her. She chose to work in the lounge with all the couches there.”
“Thank you, Karin! See you later.”

Exiting the med-bay she went straight to the lounge, hoping that this time Kelly was there. She was.

“Shepard!” exclaimed the redhead, now blonde at the sight of Jane.

Quickly getting up she rushed to give her a big heartfelt hug.

“Thank you! You saved my life!”
“You saved yourself, Kelly. You made the choice to change your identity … and appearance I see. Blonde? It suits you.”
“Thank you! However, I liked my red hair more, it made me feel… fiery and a bit unique? Though you were there so not so unique but I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.” the former Yeoman joked.
“More than I can imagine with all those nicknames I'm called.”
“Rick is still not using your name?”
“No but I’m not giving up! It’s just a matter of time.” Jane replied with a wide grin.
“That’s the spirit!”
“I’m glad to have you back on board, Kelly, however I’m curious about your change of mind on the matter.”
“Oh! Well… when Cerberus attacked the Citadel, they were searching for me among others. The ones they found were executed on the spot and with my new look and identity I pulled through. That scared me, to think I could have died just like that. Afterwards I began searching for a new job away from where I currently was when I came across Garrus. He said that a psychologist was desperately needed on board, notably for you and Rick. At that moment, I thought that being on the Normandy under your watch was in a way the most secure place in the galaxy against Cerberus and I could help you deal with anything happening to anyone on the crew.”
“Well, you’re more than welcome and so is your help. God knows Rick needs a lot of it.”
“That bad?”
“He made a suicide attempt. Almost succeeded but thankfully we got to him in time.”
“Oh, yes, that bad.”
“EDI will fill you in on the subject and everything we learned about him that’s not classified. As for the help… I asked Mordin when he was on board and told me that only a psychologist as smart as Rick could really help him.”
“That is correct. I’ll do my best though.”
“Actually, I was more thinking of you helping me understand him. Because let’s be honest, Rick coming willingly to talk to you is unlikely and trying to force him to do so would just end up with casualties.”
“Probably.”
“If you could also check on EDI too…”
“Me?” / “EDI?”
“I mean organic you, EDI, to see if everything is alright. Just in case. Or is my idea stupid?”
“No, your idea is sound and perhaps Miss Chambers could help me understand myself more.”
“I’m not sure I understand. EDI, you have an organic body?”
“Oh boy, that’s a long explanation.”

____________________________________________________________

After a long talk that left Kelly dumbfounded and curious, Jane exited the lounge. It wasn’t noon yet so, with nothing to actually do she went back down to the Cargo Deck and actually began to lift some weights; something she hadn’t done in a while to focus on her biotic and sword training. She found James trying not to drool at the sight of organic EDI’s boobs jiggling up and down hypnotically as she ran on the treadmill.
She had to admit that body was the most impressive she had ever seen  and felt a little jealous though she knew that on the battlefield the obscene size of her assets would be a hindrance. How EDI had no problem with that was a wonder.
Kaidan was there to finish a series of push ups and thought it was the right time to talk and catch up properly.

“Morning, Kaidan. How are you doing?” she asked in a cheerful tone.
“Morning, commander. Doing great so far, glad to be back on board.”
“What do you think of the SR-2?”
“Better than the SSV, for sure. It’s good to finally have some space to move around and to have a Gym to pass the time.”
“I know what you mean. Whoever didn’t think of putting one in standard Alliance vessels was a dumbass. That should be mandatory for the physical and mental health of the crew.”
“I agree. Maybe we should make a report to the higher ups, I feel a bit bad for any soldier not serving on the Normandy now.” he joked.
“Any problem integrating yourself?”
“None. Well Javik perhaps but I get where he comes from so I’m understanding. Otherwise no. I mean Joker is here and Dr. Chakwas, Williams, Garrus, Liara. Not so different. Well, Liara changed a lot. She's more… She’s harder than before. Tougher and a bit less naive and excited by things which are good and a bit depressing at the same time.”
“I know what you mean. It’s like she has already entered her matron stage but if you look closely her bubbly side is still here.”
“Yes. There is EDI too. That was a shock. A free Cerberus AI? Took a bit of time to adjust to it but all the old crew trusted her so I went along with it. I’ve not been disappointed yet. Through an organic body?” he said, turning his head at the ebony goddess running on the side.
“You were not the only one a bit disturbed by that. Even Rick was and it was indirectly his idea. So far we never have any problem in that regard and she’s monitored properly. Not in the ‘she’s a threat’ monitored but more like ‘Let’s make sure this kid experiences the right things.’”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, since she sees herself as female, EDI is participating in girls' nights and days to do girl things. Last time we dolled her up and we had a great time.”
“We have girl’s nights and days?” Kaidan said bewildered.
“Didn’t know you identified yourself as female.” Jane teased with a mocking grin.
“Ah ha, commander.”
“Jane, please. Come one we’ve been working together for years, enough of that commander bs. At least when not on mission or official situation.”
“Duly noted.” he replied with a nod. "Are there guys’ nights?”
“Not that I know of. It wasn’t a thing when we were fighting the Collectors but again the male population on the ship was weird. Too much testosterone. Garrus was clearly interested though. James would probably be in too and dragged Steeve. Joker also but you would have to get him out of his seat which is easier said than done since it’s leather and he’s quite fond of it.”
“Good to know, I’ll see what can be done. It’d be good to relax like that once in a while.”
“Anything, you’re curious about?”
“Rick’s quarters? I mean they are big.”
“When I took command of the SR-2 it was actually the armory and his bedroom is where the meeting room was. The corridor leading to the com center? It was a lab. The alliance designers did a really bad job and a lot of space was wasted, so Rick took the armory and simply re-designed and rebuilt the interior himself. At first he was in Allers room but those idiots scrapped everything and we put her there so he found somewhere else to make a lab. Very useful in the end.”
“Not scared he’d blow us up?” Kaidan joked.
“Eh! He’s watched closely by EDI, especially after nearly killing Wrex and me inadvertently with his sword when he was testing it. But so far no. He’s really careful with security. He just works the theory in there and builds it then comes down here to do the tests.”
“Good to know.”
“How are your biotics? Still adapting to your new implant?”
“A bit but it’s way better than before.”

When kaidan had reached N7 almost a year prior, the Alliance offered him the possibility to upgrade his L2 for L5. The procedure was new and comported some risk but was mostly safe. Kaidan didn’t hesitate and accepted on the spot. The rehabilitation had been difficult and his control was a bit botched but he had managed so far to use his biotics properly.

“Did you think of asking Rick for tips? He went through the same thing, I'm sure he could help.”
“He did?!”
“Oh yeah! Quite a story honestly. If I hadn’t been there to witness myself I don’t think I’d believe it. Anyway he’s a great teacher and made many breakthroughs with biotics in general. Good enough that the Ascension Project put that in their curriculum. From what I heard the kids are doing a killing on the front line with their support.”
“Really? Then it wouldn’t be a bad idea to ask him.”

Jane nodded in agreement and began some set of pull-ups then push ups. Afterwards she just joined EDI who was still running on the treadmill.

“How long have you been running?”
“Around an hour?”
“An hour?! Aren’t you tired?”
“I’m finally feeling it in my muscles so I’ll stop soon.”
“I have to say it’s new to me to see you exercising.”
“I have to maintain this body in peak condition. So far I was focusing on the sensation and putting its maintenance aside.”
“... You tried too many different types of food and gained a bit of weight.” Jane stated knowingly with a smirk.
“Yes, though everything went into my chest and butt.”
“Oh that’s not fair!” the redhead exclaimed in outrage.
“Jane, you’re a biotic, you almost can’t get fat.”
“I know but I can’t make my breasts and ass bigger! Not like I’d want ones as impressive as yours, though. Don’t they bother you on the field?”
“No. I just adapt to their movement but you’re correct depending on the situation. If I have to go through tight spaces or lay down on my front it would be uncomfortable; at the same time this body wasn’t made for infiltration but fighting on the front line.”
“Do you regret making it that way?”
“No. The primary reason this body was created was to integrate myself with organics, to be seen and so far it had worked beyond expectation.” EDI replied, making Jane snort.
“Yeah, I can imagine that. Are the stares still a problem?”
“No, I got used to it and now that I have baggy clothes people look at me less. In fact the first thing that most look at are my hair then my eyes.”
“Well, white hair for someone so young is not common, so that’s normal they’d attract attention. Purple eyes too, that is unnatural. I’m glad it’s working out for you.”
“Thank you, Jane. I’m very glad too, especially when I make Rick react. It’s quite… Pleasing to observe him in those moments; I gathered a lot of data.”
“I can imagine. Speaking of data, how do you deal with it? Is it different from the data collected with your sensors? From the ship and your synthetic body I mean.”
“Yes. I used it mainly for understanding.”
“What do you mean?”
“With my sensors I am able to recognize almost anything and just know about it but do not understand it.”
“I… don’t get it.”
“Let’s see… My sensors can detect a scent and I’ll know what scent it is, its chemical composition, where it can come from, where, how and from what it can be produced and what it can do but it’s just that, knowledge. Should I smell ammonia with my sensors I wouldn’t be repulsed by it but know that humans should. With this body I understand the why of the reaction. It’s like knowing that getting shot hurts because of the pain induced then experiencing getting shot and the pain that comes with it. The information I gather is different but an important key to understand better. I read multiple times that true understanding can be found through shared pain among other places.”
“True. I hope you’re not going to hurt yourself and others, similarly to…”
“Nice joke, Jane but no. Being destructive is a sure and fast way to collect data but in the long term very detrimental. I’d rather take it slow and steady. The objective is to observe and experience, not act on someone else. They would be the one experiencing it in that case and the data wouldn’t be as interesting and important as it would be indirect and second handed.”
“Good to know. You’re talking about sympathizing.”
“Yes. It’s amazing! To feel like another person is feeling out of a memory of a sensation and observation.”
“It is and sometimes it isn’t. It will be on another whole level when emotions are involved.”
“Yes. I’ll see for myself soon.”
“Soon?”
“I have enough data on sensations and have enough time to properly integrate it. I’ll decrease the effects of my dampeners slightly bit by bit. I’m glad that Miss Chambers is back on board, her help would be invaluable.”
“I’m a bit worried that she can’t help, despite having the idea of it. I mean, you’re smarter than Rick and…”
“But I have none of the traumas he has. I’m a blank slate so to speak, so I have no defense mechanism that stops me from reliving experiences.”
“Well.. that’s true… Anyway, I’m happy for you. Just be careful and good luck!”

On this, Jane stopped running and left the Cargo Deck to find something else to do with her time.

____________________________________________________________

“Any ideas?” Jane asked Rick on their way down to planet Lesuss.
“Plenty.” was his curt reply.
“I mean about what’s awaiting us down there? Did you find anything?”
“Absolutely nothing.”
“So we’re going blind, great.” the redhead dejectedly said.
“That I found nothing actually says a lot.”
“So you know something! Start with that instead of…”
“And ruin my fun? Anyway what I said is true, there was nothing. Lessus is a planet just outside the perfect parameters for Asari to colonize. Gravity a bit too heavy, temperature a bit too hot, diseases a bit too nasty and the soil a bit too difficult to use for growing crops.”
“A lot of ‘a bit’, here.” Kaidan commented.
“Clearly, there is something wrong at play. If it’s true, the Asari wouldn’t have any problem surviving and prospering despite the harsh environment. Humans did many times and they are more or less similar in many aspects.” Organic EDI voiced her thoughts.
“Yes. Other than what I told you, there is little information on the planet on purpose. That makes me think that it’s to hide something. Either a lab where something had gone terribly wrong or…”
“Or?” Jane asked.
“It’s where the Ardat-Yakshi are secluded.”
“What’s that?”
“That’s one of the most well kept secrets of the Asari, Kaidan, so…” Rick warned.
“No talking about it, got it. Now what is it?”
“Ardat-Yakshi are… well… They’re Asari with a serious genetic mutation. That mutation made it impossible to meld properly with someone.”
“They can’t meld? I don’t see how that’s dangerous.”
“Oh, they can but instead of just linking and bonding their minds with others making it a pleasant experience, they completely dominate it and fry their partner's nervous system, killing them.”
“... I can understand why they are isolated and why it’s a secret.” he replied a bit scared after a pause.
“It’s not something they do consciously, it just happens. In fact many find out they are Ardat-Yakshi when they meld for the first time. There are tests of course but the condition is so rare that no one even bothered with it and it can only be checked when an asari has matured. Generally it’s done when an asari has sisters. A friend of mine did the test for her two youngest when her eldest turned out to be one. Both tested positive. Anyway, What’s terrifying is that for each victim, they get smarter, stronger and deadlier and lose more and more of their… humanity so to speak and become full fledged sociopaths.”
“From what Samara, Rick’s friend and mine, told me, once they are diagnosed they have a choice, death or living in seclusion in a monastery. Usually they choose seclusion.”
“They’re not bad people, just highly dangerous for reasons not their fault. There are bad apples though but that’s not because of the genetic mutation, just personality. The fact that life in a monastery is very strict doesn’t help, especially for the oldest or rowdiest of them who suddenly had to live like nuns.”
“Between labs and a monastery, which do you think it is?” Jane asked.
“Monastery.”
“Why?” wondered out loud EDI.
“Because it would be the worst and with our luck, it’s always the worst.”
“I don’t disagree but that’s not a very logical answer from you.” Jane remarked.
“Here… the fact that the place had gone dark and that multiple Asari commandos were sent and that they too had gone dark makes me believe that it’s not a lab, automatic alerts should have been sent. Besides, in that case the asari higher ups would have warned us. They kept mum, so they expect us to already be in the know somewhat or at least get the right idea. Only a monastery fits.”
“So what do you think happened? A rogue one?” inquired the Major.
“When I killed Morinth, Samara’s eldest, it was planned. There was a favorable setting otherwise I would probably have been killed in a fight. Samara herself wasn’t sure if she could take her on. So I don’t know, not to take one alone, I suppose. However there is another possibility.”
“Reapers.” said EDI and explained her reasoning further when Jane and Kaidan looked at her for more information. “Reapers used and proved tactics is to reap species and turn them into agents. Husks from humans, Cannibals from Batarian, Marauders from Turians, Ravagers, Brutes. So far every species encountered by them has been modified.”
“Ardat-Yakshi with their ability to get deadlier after each meld is the perfect opportunity for them to make powerful soldiers.” Rick concluded.
“So we’re in for a fight for our lives.” Kaidan voiced his thoughts.
“Chances are high that it’s the case but… Oh, who am I kidding, yes we totally are fucked. Hopefully they’re not smart just like the other types are and are just focused on kill and destroy.” Rick answered.

Steeve brought them down at the top of the building where a small landing zone was. To their surprise a bright red flying car was already there and the engine was still warm. That pushed Rick into thinking about something that he didn’t want to think about but did nevertheless. Jane saw it and had to ask.

“What is it?”
“Nothing.”
“You went all quiet and pensive, you only do that when your mind has been tickled.” she replied, making him sigh in surrender.
“That car makes me think of Samara.”
“Samara? How come?”
“It’s a simple model but the color is her favorite. Now with the possibility of this place being a monastery and Samara’s daughter being Ardat-Yakshi…”
“You think she’s here?”
“I… Yes, it’s a possibility. I hope I’m wrong. She lost one child already and it devastated her even if she didn’t show it. I don’t want her to lose more.”
“Then let’s hope.”

Rick nodded and the team entered the building. Immediately they were confronted with a broken elevator and had to enter its cage and follow the maintenant path, using ladders to go down. Touching the ground, they arrived in a great hall in almost total darkness. The team split in two to explore the area. Women on one side, men on the other as that composition was the ebay. EDI and Rick were front liners and tanks giving lots of damage in close quarter while Jane and Kaidan were mid-range fighters and biotics. Putting Jane and Rick together would have left the other team a bit unbalanced especially since Kaidan and EDI weren’t used to fighting along with each other.

The male pair found a console and Rick immediately began to run through the files. As he expected the place was a monastery and not some hidden lab.

“Shit.” he whispered.
“It’s not a lab, isn’t it?” Kaidan asked.
“N-....”

A terrifying screeching scream interrupted him. An echo from deeper in the monastery.

“Please guys, tell me you heard that.” came the voice of Jane through the radio.
“We did, commander. Rick found a console, it’s…”
“A monastery. EDI found a terminal. Let’s regroup at…”
“Our location. We’re closer to the doors leading down.” Rick interjected.
“Roger that.”

Less than a minute later EDi joined them and Rick Shared the map he got from the console. It was due to luck that it was connected to the entire network, apparently the terminal EDI found wasn’t connected to anything and just served as a journal. Looking at the map, Jane frowned.

“That palace is big.”
“Yes, we have to be careful.”
“Moving fast while being cautious.” EDI added.
“That scream… You think the reapers already…” Kaidan wondered.
“Probably. This is a nightmare. We’ll need to fight and kill one, find surviv…”
“Why fight one?” inquired Jane.
“Just in case they do that to normal asari. We need the intel on how to bring them down efficiently.” Rick answered.

Jane nodded and signaled Rick to take the lead while EDI would close the march. After walking a bit they arrived at the balcony of a well lit room with very tall windows, giving a great view of the snowy mountains the monastery had been built in. Looking around, they all turned towards a door when they heard gunshots and the noise of shattering glass. Leading the way Rick entered the room and his hope was dashed. There in all her glory was Samara kicking reaper's butts.

“Samara!” Jane exclaimed, catching the justicar off guard who turned around with her weapon raised.
“Commander? Rick?” she asked in shock as she lowered her arm holding her gun.
“The asari higher ups asked us for help.” the redhead explained knowing that Samara was about to ask what they were doing here.
“I caught the distress signal and came as soon as I could. Commander…”
“Your daughters are here, right?”
“I… yes. How did… Rick?”
“Rick.” Jane nodded.

Speaking of the man, he had walked toward one of the big windows and looked down. Displaying the map on his helmet visor, he calculated his exact position. Once down, he broke the window with his biotics and floated down before destroying another and landing on the lower floor.

“That’s weird, I’m feeling quite nostalgic and at the same time really exasperated.” Kaidan commented.
“You have NO idea.” Jane replied before using her com to talk to Rick. “You better have a good explanation as to why I won’t shoot you when we get back on the ship.”
“Samara’s daughters are here somewhere, I'm covering more ground to find them faster. I’m not letting them die or worse if I can help it.”
“And the impossibility of dealing alone with this new threat?”
“It’s worth the risk.”

Jane took a big breath but let it go.

“Should I hold on to your gun again?” Kaidan joked.
“No thanks, I’m used to it by now. Samara, wants to join the team?”

____________________________________________________________

Rick walked as fast as he could without making any sound. Going from room to room he wonders where the reapers troops were since he never saw any of them. He finally reached an elevator and took it down another floor. There he saw Cannibals dragging unconscious or dead Asaris towards another room. He watched in silence until a pair of them dragged a conscious one who tried her best to fight them off. Just as he was charging, she broke free and sent one of her captor flying, forcing Rick to choose the remaining one as a target and blasting it away.

“Who are you?” asked the Asari.
“Rick. Me and my team are here to help at the request of the Asari higher ups.”
“You’re alone.”
“I ditched them a few floors above to cover more ground. Are there other survivors besides you?”
“Not on the lower level, I’m the only one left.” she replied with a shake of her head.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, the others were taken by surprise or fought back. I just surrendered, thinking I could get away when their guard would be down. Look, I appreciate your…”

Another screeching scream was heard and Rick turned around in its direction, putting himself in front of the asari. The sight made his blood turn cold. On the other side of the room what clearly used to be an Asari was walking slowly towards them. Its skin was all gray and was at least eight feet tall. The only part of its body not emaciated was her belly which was bombed as if she was in the middle stage of a pregnancy. Overall the sight was hideous.

“Wha the fuck is that?!”
“That’s what they do to us! Transforming us into that monstrosity.”

Rick charged the abomination and unloaded his shotgun without any effect, its barrier being too strong. He barely dodged in time a swipe of the thing’s claw to not be impaled but got a gnashing wound on his side. With how deep it was he needed to patch it up soon or he would die of blood loss. Putting some distance between him and the enemy despite the pain and how slow it moved, his mind nearly lost it when it teleported a few feet forwards multiple times. He didn’t wait to be caught to grab the Asari by the wrist and run through the door behind them, trying to find some cover to hide behind. Quickly he started using medi-gel to stop the bleeding and close the wound. He had to used all of what he had and his head began to spin.

“Are you going to be alright?”
“If I live? Probably.”
“That’s not really reassuring.”

Another scream was heard, indicating that their enemy had followed them.

“Know how to use a gun?” he said as he offered his Junon after deactivating the ID recognition system.
“Yes. I’m not the most proficient as the last time I used one was four hundred years ago but, yes.” she replied as she took the gun.
“Ah! Asari. Older than entire civilizations but barely looks no older than twenty. Anyway, I’m going to distract it, shoot when it is."

"Are you sure…"

"It’s going to be fine Ice Blue. I’ll get you out in a bit and I’ll take the two of you on a date." He said as he made his way discreetly towards another part of the room. At least discreet for him as the enemy fired a warp at him, missing him only because he stumbled.

"Goddess, he’s completely high on the medi-gel. No wonder he saw two of me."

As he was about to get up another warp hit him square on the side and pushed his body back. That was a blessing in disguise as the shock brought him out of his delirious state. He rolled to his left dodging successfully a third warp before picking his Artemis from his back and used its scope to shoot its head. The bullet was stopped by the barrier which flickered and Rick shot it again two more times. Just as he was pulling out the thermal clip to put a new one in, the asari got out of her cover and shot the thing in the head, shattering his barrier and letting out another of her screams. Immediately, Rick ditched his sniper rifle and charged with his lightsaber in hand. He collided properly with the abomination and bisected it vertically from head to toe. The thing’s body suddenly began to disintegrate to ash the same way Saren did.

“Are you alright?” he said to the asari that was making his way towards him.
“Am I alright?! You’re the one who got hurt and is high on medi-gel!”
“The warp I took sobered me up.”
“Sobered you…” she began but let it go, clearly the man was crazy. “My hands are a bit numb, the power of your gun was too high. I’m surprised there was no recoil.”
“That’s because there is an anti-recoil system in it.”
“That kind of thing exist? Technology sure has gone far.”
“As the one who invented it, thank you.” he replied and opened the program to change the gun specs. “Here, It should pack a bit less of a punch for you, now.”
“What?! How?”
“I created the gun too and the software in it, so I can change its specs at will along certain limits.” he replied, walking to pick his Artemis and leaving her slack jawed. With his weapon now on its back he contacted Jane through the coms. “You there?”
“Yes, bit… busy though.” the redhead answered.
“I found what they did to the asari here and the thing made me wish I was fighting adjutants instead.”
“I know, we just put one down.”
“Nasty things. Anyway, I found a survivor. Everyone else is dead.”
“Same for us. Fortunately it was one of Samara’s daughters.”
“Which one? Rila or Falere?”
“Falere?! You found Falere?!” exclaimed the asari grabbing him to face her.
“Ah. I think I found Rila.”
“How do you…”
“Yeah, it’s her.”
“Know us?”
“Good. Samara and Falere are relieved, we’re getting down to the great hall, the asari commando put a big bomb there to destroy most of the place down.”
“Hey! I’m talking to you!”
“And I’m talking to someone else, so wait your turn, Ice Blue.” he replied Samara’s daughter before speaking to Shepard. “Is Falere as feisty as Rila? Nevermind, from what the map shows there is a big window at the great hall. I’m thinking about an evac’ through it, instead of going all the way back up.”
“Good idea, I’ll contact Steve.”
“Okay, see you at the great hall.” he replied and cut the transmission.
“Will you answer me already!”
“Alright! Geez! What do you want to know?!”

“How do you know me and my sister?”
“Your mom told me when we were traveling together.”
“Wait! You’re that Rick? The bounty hunter who worked with her for a few years?”
“In the flesh. By the way, your mom is here and with my team, they have Falere with them.”
“Mom is here?! Why?”
“Because she’s your mother and she loves you, duh.” he said as he began to walk back towards where he came from to take the elevator to the great hall. Rila caught up with him quickly.

When they arrived at their destination they found multiple Asari commando corpses and a decent size bomb to take down the place.

“I’m taking a look at that bomb, keep watch.”

He examined the bomb and found out it was rudimentary. Only the explosives and a simple remote detonator. No countdown to activate it.  He looked around and went to loot the bodies of the dead asari. After his third, he finally found the remote for the bomb. Jane and company had perfect timing  as they just came into the room.

“What’s the situation?” she asked.
“I need a moment to arm the bomb and after that it’s up to you.” he said, tossing her the remote and arming the bomb.
“No countdown?”
“Nope.”

Meanwhile on the side. Sisters hugged each other in relief under the watchful eyes of their Mother. When Rila hugged Samara the latter was as stiff as a broad, something that Rick didn’t like one bit.
Multiple screams echoed through the air, signaling that the reapers were near.

“God, that scream is really deafening. I’m going to call them Banshee.” Rick said.
“EDI already gave them that name.” Jane replied.
“Since when do you read lores?” he asked the AI.
“Since we began movie nights.”
“We have movie nights too?” Kaidan exclaimed.
“Well, not really? I mean it’s in my bedroom, so not much space for everyone. We can buy a projector and make movie night for the crew on the Cargo Deck?”
“You know what? That’s a good idea.” the redhead agreed.

The conversation was cut short when the door this time the scream came from the room.

“Steve! ETA?!”
“Three minutes commander!”
“Alright let’s hold them off!” she ordered.
“EDI take down the Husks. Everyone else, let’s put down those bitches’ barriers!” Rick shouted as he sent a Warp towards a banshee.

The fight went smoothly, EDI completely obliterating the husks with her Freyja. With her enhanced body she could use the maximum fire power of her assault rifle without breaking a sweat. Meanwhile the rest just primed and detonated the banshees with Rick charging in and chopping them up when their barriers failed.
It was easy at first, but more and more banshees and husks showed up along with some cannibals. Fortunately for the group, Steve arrived just in time. Breaking the window with a biotic enhanced punch, everyone jumped into the shuttle rick covering everyone with an area barrier. When they were good to go, Jane signaled Steve to get them back up at the top and detonated the bomb. The shuttle landed just like it did when they arrived here and everyone got out to take some fresh air.
The destruction of the monastery posed a problem though as no Ardat-Yakshi were allowed to live outside their confines. Not wanting to  have to kill her daughters and fulfill the code Samara tried to take her own life. Rick had been so dumbfounded by her actions that his brain shut down but thankfully Jane was there and stopped her in time.

“Are you crazy?!”
“I will not kill my daughters! Losing one was more than enough!”
“Then don’t! There is no need to take your own life!”
“The code…”
“FUCK THE GODDAMMED CODE!” Rick shouted in anger.
“Now you’ve done it, he’s pissed.” Jane said as she let go of Samara.

Stomping towards his oldest friend, Rick grabbed Samara by the wrists and dragged her to the other side of the landing zone for privacy.

“What is wrong with you?!”
“That’s no any of your…”
“One Samara killed before my eyes was enough!” he shouted, shutting her up when she realized what he was talking about. “The code this, the code that. If the code tells you to take an innocent life then it’s not worth following! Look at your daughters! Yes they are Ardat-Yakshi, yes they are dangerous but they are innocent! Seriously Samara, its time for you to stop being a drone and make decisions for yourself. Good decisions! Because suicide is not!”
“What do you…”
“Enough! I know enough, Samara. The temptation had been there as long as I can remember and when I visited their graves during a mission I made the same mistake that you just did.” he confessed and Samara’s eyes widened. “And just like you, I was lucky to have a friend to pull me up and out of it. Fuck the code Samara, you don’t need it anymore. Yes, you needed it to find strength and courage to deal with Morinth but she’s gone now. There is no reason for you to continue on this path. Instead, be their mother. They need you, Samara. How do you think they would feel, knowing that you took your own life for them? You think they’d be happy? You’d think they won’t be traumatized by the sight of you blowing up your head? I guarantee you they will have nightmares for years.”
“I…” she tried to speak but the words wouldn’t come out. Words of realization and agreement.
“Was utterly stupid. Come on, say it.”
“You’re right… I… I was stupid. I didn’t think of the effect my death would have on them.”
“‘Course you didn’t. Your head is filled with the code. Now empty it a bit and replace it with thoughts of your daughters, would you?”
“I guess… I can do that.” she replied with a small smile.

“Good, now let’s practice hugging, because the one hug you gave Rila earlier was lame.” he ordered and embraced her. “Come on, put your arms around my back. Tighter… tighter.. Mor.. Right, perfect. Now you just said you love them, and you’re good.”

They separated and Samara had  an embarrassed smile on her lips.

“You think you got this?”he inquired.
“I do.”
“Good. Now go before I bend you over my knee and spank that perfect ass.”
“You’ll die first.” she joked, surprisingly.
“Maybe but it would be worth it.” he smiled and kissed her cheek. “Go.” he said with a shooing motion of his hand.

While she went to her daughters, the rest of the Normandy team climbed up the shuttle, ready to depart. Jane came to speak to Rick as he watched Samara hug both Rila and Falere tightly.

“Ready to go?”
“Yes, let’s.” he replied and climbed after his sister on the shuttle which immediately left for the Normandy.

“So mother… Is he going to be our new daddy?”
“Falere!” Samara exclaimed in shock while Rila snickered.
“That would make things awkward at family reunions since he asked me out on a date.” the eldest confessed.
““What?!””
“To be fair, he had just patched himself up with a tone of medi-gel and was high. So much that he saw two of me.” she chuckled. “In any case I'm glad to have met the famous Rick you used to talk about.”
“That was him?!”
“Yes, Falere. It was him.”
“Is he always so…”
“Vocal, blunt? Yes.”
“I was going to say behaving like an idiot…”
“He is too despite being the smartest person I’ve ever met.”
“Really? He looked like a big brute to me between his physical build and his shooting at you, mother.”
“If what he said about his invention is true then, yes he’s a smart one. In any case, you have my blessing for dating him, mother. Not like you need it but I want you to know that I don't mind.”
“Me too.” supported Falere with a teasing smile that her sister sports on her face for her mother.

Samara just sighed at that but felt nostalgic of the times when her daughters were young and free.