Re: FemShep/Mordin - Fragile 1.5/?
anonymous
November 29 2012, 15:03:55 UTC
Legion stood motionless between the seats of the shuttle. Shepard stared at the display of the scene outside the shuttle, anything to avoid looking directly at Mordin as they waited for the shuttle to deposit them at the coordinates the Illusive Man had given them. The salarian however, seemed to be amused at her obvious avoidance of him.
“Shepard-Commander, we have detected your heart rate is above average for a human at rest. Are there any problems we are unaware of ?”
Crap, Shepard thought to herself. She turned to find Legion’s head facing her.
“No Legion, well besides suspecting this is another trap,” Jane answered.
Mordin studied both the Commander and the geth a slight smirk crossing his face.
“Understood Shepard-Commander. We have another query.”
“Go for it Legion.”
“We have calculated that there is a 95.9% probability that there will be no useful data obtained. Why do you risk yourself for such a low probability of success?”
“It’s a chance I have to take, but that is why I’m going in with my best hacker and scientist. If Mordin sees there is nothing of value we will hightail it out of there. We know so little about the Collector’s that any chance has to be taken.”
“Acknowledged Shepard-Commander. We are prepared.”
A soft sigh of relief escaped Jane, the geth was just as clueless about organic relationships as she had hoped.
The shuttle momentarily shuddered as it dropped into the planet’s atmosphere. As it descended closer to the planet, the vehicle rocked violently from side to side causing it’s occupants to grab onto the nearest handhold.
“Sitrep,” Shepard barked out to the pilot when she staggered up to him.
“Ma’am, we were hit with an electrical discharge of some sort. Communication and navigation are down, I’m bringing her down manually.”
Lights and alarms flashed urgently all around the cockpit. Outside the cockpit window she could see several projectiles heading directly for them.
“Son of a,” Shepard swore, “brace for impact!”
The pilot forced the shuttle into a steep dive, causing one missile to whiz harmlessly by the ship but the other connected with the thrusters of the vessel. The ship careened wildly for a moment before the pilot compensated for the damage. Trailing smoke the shuttle dove rapidly towards the ground.
Shepard dropped into the nearest chair and strapped herself in. She turned around and made sure that her squad mates were similarly situated. Mordin’s safety harness was on and he tightened the straps one more time to be sure. Legion held the same position as he did before except both hands now held onto the bars.
“Legion, sit your ass down!” Shepard yelled at him over the whine of the damaged vehicle.
“Shepard-Commander. Sitting down will not ensure this platforms continued function. From this position we can compensate for multiple problems.”
Rolling her eyes at his response, she turned forward even as the shuttle plowed into the ground.
Re: FemShep/Mordin - Fragile 1.5/?
anonymous
November 29 2012, 15:31:04 UTC
OP here!
I LOVE it! What a great start. You had me giggling several times; I loved the part about Shepard coming on to Mordin after his singing and loved clueless Legion asking those embarrassing questions. Also, this:
“Legion, sit your ass down!” Shepard yelled at him over the whine of the damaged vehicle.
LOL!
I'm so excited that you're filling this and I can see already that this is going to be great!
Re: FemShep/Mordin - Fragile 2/?
anonymous
December 1 2012, 13:41:23 UTC
Shepard’s head ached from where it had connected with the shuttle. The lights and alarms only made the pain throb in time with the ship. A groan escaped her as she lifted her head from it’s current resting place against a console. She tentatively put her hand to her head and found a large bump already forming.
“Shepard-Commander are you functional?”
She turned her head to find Legion standing between her and the pilot.
“Ugh not so loud Legion. I’m in one piece...I think.”
Jane looked at the pilot, she could see a faint movement of his chest but that was the only indication he still breathed. By the time she had freed herself from her harness, Mordin had already moved up to tend the wounded man.
“Well, now we know it was a trap,” Jane muttered angrily as she turned the ship’s warnings off.
“Can stabilize him for now, but will need more medical attention than currently able to provide here. We need to get him back to the Normandy and soon or else it will be too late.”
“Right do what you can and then we need to prepare for our welcoming committee. Legion, find some vantage point to watch from. Keep us posted.”
“Acknowledged Shepard-Commander.”
The geth dropped out of the shuttle prepping his rifle as he went. A glance out the shuttle door and it became clear that the vessel had landed in a rocky gully. The report she had received on the planet stated that it was classified as having a breathable atmosphere, but just barely. Any indigenous life was only in the micro stage thankfully. But that meant at least she wouldn’t have to try and force her throbbing head into her helmet.
“Shepard, help me move him into the back,” Mordin asked.
Jane nodded and moved beside him, together they lifted the man out of the seat and into the back of the shuttle as gently as they could. Mordin knelt beside the man even as his omni-tool was already busy scanning his body. Shepard watched as he abruptly stood and began rummaging around the shuttle.
“If you tell me what you are looking for, I can help.”
“Medical supplies, blankets, anything of use.”
Jane joined him in the search but the only useful items they found were some water bottles and a few military rations for both chiralities.
Mordin let out a frustrated huff, “He shouldn’t have taken this much damage. Hypothesize that Cerberus didn’t maintain the same standards on the pilot harness versus the troops. Your armor and implants are the only reason you are not in the same condition as him.”
Jane shook her head in disgust, “I can see Cerberus being more interested in making sure their troops were alive after a crash versus the pilot. And it would be too much to ask for if medi-gel would help him, right?”
“Medi-gel useless, he suffers from internal injuries and swelling of the brain. He needs the med-bay.”
Legion’s voice came through their suits comm system, “Shepard-Commander, three vehicles are on an intercept course with the shuttle.”
“Anyway we can funnel them towards us Legion?”
“Quickest avenue would be directly down the gully. Access is possible from the sides, however we are stationed to minimize that threat.”
“Excellent. Keep the ridge line clear, force them into the gully where we can finish them off. This rock has no legitimate inhabitants so I won’t bother talking to any of the bastards. But try and spare their vehicles, we will probably need them for at the very least parts.”
“Acknowledged.”
“Mordin, we need to get ready. I’ll try and keep a singularity going where they will be coming at us so we can pick them off easier.”
Mordin nodded even as he filled his pockets with heat sinks. Jane followed his example as she struggled to keep a grimace of pain off of her face. Final preparations made they exited the vehicle. The sun was already beginning to dip towards the horizon, in a few hours it would be dark and the temperature would begin to drop.
Re: FemShep/Mordin - Fragile 2.5/?
anonymous
December 1 2012, 13:44:30 UTC
Jane and Mordin found outcroppings they could take shelter behind for at least some protection. The low whistle of the wind was drowned out by the rumble of the arriving vehicles. Jane pulled up her barrier and prepared to break cover to throw the first salvo when the crack of Legion’s sniper rifle rang across the area.
“What the fuck?” one attacker screamed out.
“We got geth!” another shouted.
“Dammit, this was supposed to be Shepard’s ship.”
Jane grinned over at Mordin, her mind already racing on how to use this to their advantage.
Activating the comm unit she spoke low into it, “Legion, make that noise like you are talking to more geth. We want these assholes to think they got a ship full of geth to deal with.”
The weird mechanical noise that geth used to communicate with each other echoed in the wash. Legion’s voice had the desired reaction of causing further confusion in the merc’s ranks. The hurried steps of someone heading towards the shuttle forced Shepard out of hiding. Her body lit up by her biotics she cast a singularity at the man. As he was lifted into the air he managed to give a single shout of alarm before her pistol put an end to him.
At least one of his squad had spotted her because the shouts now changed to pinpointing where she currently hid. Of course, they also speculated on how she had managed to forge an alliance with the geth. Jane would have laughed if they weren’t being pressed so hard by them. Legion did his part keeping them from coming at Shepard and Mordin from the sides.
Stubbornness kept her going past when she should have stopped using her biotics. Not hearing any more footsteps she leaned against her rock. She was just grateful that none of these bastards had a tactical cloak. The blood trickling from her nose she idly wiped away while she caught her breath.
“Shepard-Commander, only one enemy is unaccounted for. He is currently out of our sight, you should prepare for him.”
“Right, got that Mordin? One left.”
Mordin nodded, he glanced over to where she was resting when he heard the weariness in her voice. Dread pooled inside of him when he noted the wavering of her barrier and the blood that still flowed from her.
“Shepard, drop your barrier and stop using your biotics,” he hissed urgently into the comm.
“As soon as we finish this last one Mordin.”
Whatever retort he would have made was drowned out by the bellow of the krogan crashing towards them. Mordin stepped out of cover and a push of a button on his omni-tool he sent an incinerate towards the merc. The krogan’s barrier fell to the blast but did little damage to the krogan himself. Shepard flung a barrier in front of herself forcing the krogan to crash against it. Mordin could only fire his pistol at the merc even as he pushed closer and closer to Shepard’s failing barrier. The krogan gave an ugly laugh when he smelled the blood that flowed even more freely from the woman he had been paid an exorbitant sum to bring in dead or alive. A few seconds more and her biotics would fail and she would be at his mercy.
A part of his brain registered the click of a fresh heat sink being applied to a weapon before a red hot muzzle of a gun was pressed against his head and then he knew nothing as bullet after bullet tore through his brain. Jane watched as Mordin took out the krogan, the salarian bravely shooting him at point blank range. Her barrier dropped and her eyes rolled back into her head as she collapsed.
Re: FemShep/Mordin - Fragile 2.5/? - OP
anonymous
December 1 2012, 14:58:26 UTC
Yay, an update! I loved how confused they were by encountering geth and got a bit worried there when the krogan charged her! I wonder what will happen next! :)
Re: FemShep/Mordin - Fragile 2.5/? - OP
anonymous
December 1 2012, 15:08:34 UTC
A!A - As I was writing this, I got to thinking that the galaxy mostly has no clue about the differences between the heretics and geth and what mercs would assume when they spotted Legion. And then I had fun with it. Glad you are enjoying this so far!
Re: FemShep/Mordin - Fragile 3/?
anonymous
December 5 2012, 14:09:21 UTC
Mordin swore under his breath as Shepard crumpled to the ground. His warning had come to late. The signs of biotic burnout had been there but he had failed to notice it until it was too late.
“Legion, Shepard has collapsed. Must move her into the shuttle,” Mordin spoke rapidly into the comm unit.
A loud metallic thunk behind him announced the arrival of the geth from a precipice above them. Legion knelt beside the fallen woman and with an unexpected gentleness he gathered the woman up and carried her back towards the shuttle. Mordin quickened his steps to keep up with the geth, his brain racing through all the possible scenarios.
Legion gently laid the Commander down beside the pilot. The gentle glow of orange from Mordin’s omni-tool illuminated the space while he scanned the unconscious woman. Mordin rocked back on his heels as he went over the results he had collected. He rolled Shepard’s head away from him allowing him to see the back of her skull.
There he visually confirmed what the scan had already told him. He had failed Shepard. If he had taken the time to check her before the fight maybe he could have prevented the implant from shorting out or at the very least warned her about using her powers.
Taking a deep breath, he turned his attention to Legion. The geth had stood silently at his side while he had worked.
“Must contact Normandy. Need an immediate evac.”
“Acknowledged.”
Mordin turned back to his patients before Legion had even made it into the cockpit. He cursed the fact that no one had seen fit to check that Cerberus had stocked any sort of emergency gear in the shuttle. An oversight he would be personally addressing if they made it back. No, when they made it back.
With nothing more to do but wait for Shepard to awake on her own, he moved over to check the status of the pilot. The scan revealed failing life signs, just as he knew it would. He could do nothing for the poor soul now but stand watch while his life faded away. The sound of footsteps brought Mordin out of his reverie. The willingness of the geth to work with the crew of the Normandy had been unprecedented but now the humans survival depended on the two of them cooperating.
“Message sent?”
“Negative. We will attempt to salvage the necessary components from our opponents vehicles. Will Shepard-Commander remain functional?”
“Expect her to survive. No, must survive,” Mordin declared hurriedly.
“Acknowledged. We will inform you when we successfully contact the Normandy.”
Mordin closed the shuttle door before Legion had completely disappeared into the dusk. The condensation of his breath in the night air signaled another set of problems. Pushing the panel to open the cockpit did nothing, had something shorted out? The emergency release latch was pulled and he pushed the door open.
His eyes flitted from console to the floor and back again. A groan escaped him as he surveyed the cockpit while he rubbed his damaged horn in frustration. The metal cover that housed much of the shuttle’s electronics was now on the floor while the wires and modules that once ran the shuttle now littered the area.
Re: FemShep/Mordin - Fragile 3.5/?
anonymous
December 5 2012, 14:10:10 UTC
He stripped off his coat as he returned back to the cargo area. He tucked it carefully around the pilot, perhaps it would help him hold on long enough for a rescue. Moving to Shepard’s side he pulled up her arm with the omni-tool and began running diagnostics on her armor. He needed to know how long her suit would be able to maintain her temperature inside the cooling vehicle.
“Please tell me you aren’t searching for my secret porn stash.” Shepard groggily asked.
“What? NO! Needed to see status of your equipment,” Mordin exclaimed.
A weak laugh from her made him realize she had been teasing him. His fingers found where he had stashed the ration bars earlier and he pressed the lot of them into her hands.
“Eat, all of them.”
Jane weakly pushed against the floor trying to force her body erect. Before she could quite master that maneuver, Mordin’s strong arms were around her and with his help she managed to get into one of the troop seats. The ration bars had fallen from her grasp during her transition to the seat but she never even got the chance to say anything before they were pushed back into her hand.
Numbly she looked down at the small pile.
“Mordin, these are all the rations aren’t they?”
“Yes. Now eat.”
“But I know salarians have to eat frequently as well. You should have some of them.”
“No. Biotics require more calories than we currently have. Who is the doctor here?” He asked, one long finger poked in her direction.
Jane ripped open the first one and took a bite. It tasted like old cardboard but it would at least give her body the calories it needed. One of the bottles of water, already opened, was next put in her hands.
She gave Mordin a weak smile, “Thanks. How long was I out?”
“Twenty-five minutes. Legion is attempting to find parts to get the radio working.”
“The pilot?” Shepard asked, her voice soft.
“Dieing. Made him as comfortable as I could,” Mordin replied sadly.
“How long does he have?”
“Few hours at most,” Mordin replied with a sigh.
Jane hesitantly patted at Mordin’s shoulder, not really sure if salarians did such things. “It’s okay, you did what you could for him.”
“My fault Shepard,” Mordin declared.
“Bullshit Mordin, don’t think you set this trap for us. Remind me to have a ‘chat’ with Miranda when we get back. I can’t believe she would let the shuttle be maintained like this,” Jane waved her hand about angrily.
“I failed you, Commander,” Mordin replied getting to his feet. He paced about the small space. “Should have checked you before the fight. Would have seen implant was not operating at full capacity. Could have stopped you.”
“Whoa, whoa there Mordin,” Jane interjected. “We had three trucks coming at us. I wouldn’t have done anything differently. We needed to take them out as quickly as possible if there was any hope of saving our pilot. I’m in charge, it’s my ass that is responsible for everyone.”
Her voice sounded different somehow, fragile and unsure and he began to see that the weight of the galaxy was wearing on her. He stopped mid-stride to glance over where Shepard sat, eyes closed and head resting against the wall of the shuttle. Just as the weight of the genophage had begun to pull him under, the much larger danger of the Reapers was her’s to bear.
He slipped into the seat next to her. Mimicking her earlier gesture of compassion to him, he reached out and gently patted her leg. “Not alone Shepard. Crew, believe you and follow you. Together we will stop them.”
The last mouthful of the bar was shoved in her mouth before her hand dropped down to cover his.
“Shepard-Commander, we have detected your heart rate is above average for a human at rest. Are there any problems we are unaware of ?”
Crap, Shepard thought to herself. She turned to find Legion’s head facing her.
“No Legion, well besides suspecting this is another trap,” Jane answered.
Mordin studied both the Commander and the geth a slight smirk crossing his face.
“Understood Shepard-Commander. We have another query.”
“Go for it Legion.”
“We have calculated that there is a 95.9% probability that there will be no useful data obtained. Why do you risk yourself for such a low probability of success?”
“It’s a chance I have to take, but that is why I’m going in with my best hacker and scientist. If Mordin sees there is nothing of value we will hightail it out of there. We know so little about the Collector’s that any chance has to be taken.”
“Acknowledged Shepard-Commander. We are prepared.”
A soft sigh of relief escaped Jane, the geth was just as clueless about organic relationships as she had hoped.
The shuttle momentarily shuddered as it dropped into the planet’s atmosphere. As it descended closer to the planet, the vehicle rocked violently from side to side causing it’s occupants to grab onto the nearest handhold.
“Sitrep,” Shepard barked out to the pilot when she staggered up to him.
“Ma’am, we were hit with an electrical discharge of some sort. Communication and navigation are down, I’m bringing her down manually.”
Lights and alarms flashed urgently all around the cockpit. Outside the cockpit window she could see several projectiles heading directly for them.
“Son of a,” Shepard swore, “brace for impact!”
The pilot forced the shuttle into a steep dive, causing one missile to whiz harmlessly by the ship but the other connected with the thrusters of the vessel. The ship careened wildly for a moment before the pilot compensated for the damage. Trailing smoke the shuttle dove rapidly towards the ground.
Shepard dropped into the nearest chair and strapped herself in. She turned around and made sure that her squad mates were similarly situated. Mordin’s safety harness was on and he tightened the straps one more time to be sure. Legion held the same position as he did before except both hands now held onto the bars.
“Legion, sit your ass down!” Shepard yelled at him over the whine of the damaged vehicle.
“Shepard-Commander. Sitting down will not ensure this platforms continued function. From this position we can compensate for multiple problems.”
Rolling her eyes at his response, she turned forward even as the shuttle plowed into the ground.
Reply
Reply
Reply
I LOVE it! What a great start. You had me giggling several times; I loved the part about Shepard coming on to Mordin after his singing and loved clueless Legion asking those embarrassing questions. Also, this:
“Legion, sit your ass down!” Shepard yelled at him over the whine of the damaged vehicle.
LOL!
I'm so excited that you're filling this and I can see already that this is going to be great!
Thank you! :)
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
“Shepard-Commander are you functional?”
She turned her head to find Legion standing between her and the pilot.
“Ugh not so loud Legion. I’m in one piece...I think.”
Jane looked at the pilot, she could see a faint movement of his chest but that was the only indication he still breathed. By the time she had freed herself from her harness, Mordin had already moved up to tend the wounded man.
“Well, now we know it was a trap,” Jane muttered angrily as she turned the ship’s warnings off.
“Can stabilize him for now, but will need more medical attention than currently able to provide here. We need to get him back to the Normandy and soon or else it will be too late.”
“Right do what you can and then we need to prepare for our welcoming committee. Legion, find some vantage point to watch from. Keep us posted.”
“Acknowledged Shepard-Commander.”
The geth dropped out of the shuttle prepping his rifle as he went. A glance out the shuttle door and it became clear that the vessel had landed in a rocky gully. The report she had received on the planet stated that it was classified as having a breathable atmosphere, but just barely. Any indigenous life was only in the micro stage thankfully. But that meant at least she wouldn’t have to try and force her throbbing head into her helmet.
“Shepard, help me move him into the back,” Mordin asked.
Jane nodded and moved beside him, together they lifted the man out of the seat and into the back of the shuttle as gently as they could. Mordin knelt beside the man even as his omni-tool was already busy scanning his body. Shepard watched as he abruptly stood and began rummaging around the shuttle.
“If you tell me what you are looking for, I can help.”
“Medical supplies, blankets, anything of use.”
Jane joined him in the search but the only useful items they found were some water bottles and a few military rations for both chiralities.
Mordin let out a frustrated huff, “He shouldn’t have taken this much damage. Hypothesize that Cerberus didn’t maintain the same standards on the pilot harness versus the troops. Your armor and implants are the only reason you are not in the same condition as him.”
Jane shook her head in disgust, “I can see Cerberus being more interested in making sure their troops were alive after a crash versus the pilot. And it would be too much to ask for if medi-gel would help him, right?”
“Medi-gel useless, he suffers from internal injuries and swelling of the brain. He needs the med-bay.”
Legion’s voice came through their suits comm system, “Shepard-Commander, three vehicles are on an intercept course with the shuttle.”
“Anyway we can funnel them towards us Legion?”
“Quickest avenue would be directly down the gully. Access is possible from the sides, however we are stationed to minimize that threat.”
“Excellent. Keep the ridge line clear, force them into the gully where we can finish them off. This rock has no legitimate inhabitants so I won’t bother talking to any of the bastards. But try and spare their vehicles, we will probably need them for at the very least parts.”
“Acknowledged.”
“Mordin, we need to get ready. I’ll try and keep a singularity going where they will be coming at us so we can pick them off easier.”
Mordin nodded even as he filled his pockets with heat sinks. Jane followed his example as she struggled to keep a grimace of pain off of her face. Final preparations made they exited the vehicle. The sun was already beginning to dip towards the horizon, in a few hours it would be dark and the temperature would begin to drop.
Reply
“What the fuck?” one attacker screamed out.
“We got geth!” another shouted.
“Dammit, this was supposed to be Shepard’s ship.”
Jane grinned over at Mordin, her mind already racing on how to use this to their advantage.
Activating the comm unit she spoke low into it, “Legion, make that noise like you are talking to more geth. We want these assholes to think they got a ship full of geth to deal with.”
The weird mechanical noise that geth used to communicate with each other echoed in the wash. Legion’s voice had the desired reaction of causing further confusion in the merc’s ranks. The hurried steps of someone heading towards the shuttle forced Shepard out of hiding. Her body lit up by her biotics she cast a singularity at the man. As he was lifted into the air he managed to give a single shout of alarm before her pistol put an end to him.
At least one of his squad had spotted her because the shouts now changed to pinpointing where she currently hid. Of course, they also speculated on how she had managed to forge an alliance with the geth. Jane would have laughed if they weren’t being pressed so hard by them. Legion did his part keeping them from coming at Shepard and Mordin from the sides.
Stubbornness kept her going past when she should have stopped using her biotics. Not hearing any more footsteps she leaned against her rock. She was just grateful that none of these bastards had a tactical cloak. The blood trickling from her nose she idly wiped away while she caught her breath.
“Shepard-Commander, only one enemy is unaccounted for. He is currently out of our sight, you should prepare for him.”
“Right, got that Mordin? One left.”
Mordin nodded, he glanced over to where she was resting when he heard the weariness in her voice. Dread pooled inside of him when he noted the wavering of her barrier and the blood that still flowed from her.
“Shepard, drop your barrier and stop using your biotics,” he hissed urgently into the comm.
“As soon as we finish this last one Mordin.”
Whatever retort he would have made was drowned out by the bellow of the krogan crashing towards them. Mordin stepped out of cover and a push of a button on his omni-tool he sent an incinerate towards the merc. The krogan’s barrier fell to the blast but did little damage to the krogan himself. Shepard flung a barrier in front of herself forcing the krogan to crash against it. Mordin could only fire his pistol at the merc even as he pushed closer and closer to Shepard’s failing barrier. The krogan gave an ugly laugh when he smelled the blood that flowed even more freely from the woman he had been paid an exorbitant sum to bring in dead or alive. A few seconds more and her biotics would fail and she would be at his mercy.
A part of his brain registered the click of a fresh heat sink being applied to a weapon before a red hot muzzle of a gun was pressed against his head and then he knew nothing as bullet after bullet tore through his brain. Jane watched as Mordin took out the krogan, the salarian bravely shooting him at point blank range. Her barrier dropped and her eyes rolled back into her head as she collapsed.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
“Legion, Shepard has collapsed. Must move her into the shuttle,” Mordin spoke rapidly into the comm unit.
A loud metallic thunk behind him announced the arrival of the geth from a precipice above them. Legion knelt beside the fallen woman and with an unexpected gentleness he gathered the woman up and carried her back towards the shuttle. Mordin quickened his steps to keep up with the geth, his brain racing through all the possible scenarios.
Legion gently laid the Commander down beside the pilot. The gentle glow of orange from Mordin’s omni-tool illuminated the space while he scanned the unconscious woman. Mordin rocked back on his heels as he went over the results he had collected. He rolled Shepard’s head away from him allowing him to see the back of her skull.
There he visually confirmed what the scan had already told him. He had failed Shepard. If he had taken the time to check her before the fight maybe he could have prevented the implant from shorting out or at the very least warned her about using her powers.
Taking a deep breath, he turned his attention to Legion. The geth had stood silently at his side while he had worked.
“Must contact Normandy. Need an immediate evac.”
“Acknowledged.”
Mordin turned back to his patients before Legion had even made it into the cockpit. He cursed the fact that no one had seen fit to check that Cerberus had stocked any sort of emergency gear in the shuttle. An oversight he would be personally addressing if they made it back. No, when they made it back.
With nothing more to do but wait for Shepard to awake on her own, he moved over to check the status of the pilot. The scan revealed failing life signs, just as he knew it would. He could do nothing for the poor soul now but stand watch while his life faded away.
The sound of footsteps brought Mordin out of his reverie. The willingness of the geth to work with the crew of the Normandy had been unprecedented but now the humans survival depended on the two of them cooperating.
“Message sent?”
“Negative. We will attempt to salvage the necessary components from our opponents vehicles. Will Shepard-Commander remain functional?”
“Expect her to survive. No, must survive,” Mordin declared hurriedly.
“Acknowledged. We will inform you when we successfully contact the Normandy.”
Mordin closed the shuttle door before Legion had completely disappeared into the dusk. The condensation of his breath in the night air signaled another set of problems. Pushing the panel to open the cockpit did nothing, had something shorted out? The emergency release latch was pulled and he pushed the door open.
His eyes flitted from console to the floor and back again. A groan escaped him as he surveyed the cockpit while he rubbed his damaged horn in frustration. The metal cover that housed much of the shuttle’s electronics was now on the floor while the wires and modules that once ran the shuttle now littered the area.
Reply
“Please tell me you aren’t searching for my secret porn stash.” Shepard groggily asked.
“What? NO! Needed to see status of your equipment,” Mordin exclaimed.
A weak laugh from her made him realize she had been teasing him. His fingers found where he had stashed the ration bars earlier and he pressed the lot of them into her hands.
“Eat, all of them.”
Jane weakly pushed against the floor trying to force her body erect. Before she could quite master that maneuver, Mordin’s strong arms were around her and with his help she managed to get into one of the troop seats. The ration bars had fallen from her grasp during her transition to the seat but she never even got the chance to say anything before they were pushed back into her hand.
Numbly she looked down at the small pile.
“Mordin, these are all the rations aren’t they?”
“Yes. Now eat.”
“But I know salarians have to eat frequently as well. You should have some of them.”
“No. Biotics require more calories than we currently have. Who is the doctor here?” He asked, one long finger poked in her direction.
Jane ripped open the first one and took a bite. It tasted like old cardboard but it would at least give her body the calories it needed. One of the bottles of water, already opened, was next put in her hands.
She gave Mordin a weak smile, “Thanks. How long was I out?”
“Twenty-five minutes. Legion is attempting to find parts to get the radio working.”
“The pilot?” Shepard asked, her voice soft.
“Dieing. Made him as comfortable as I could,” Mordin replied sadly.
“How long does he have?”
“Few hours at most,” Mordin replied with a sigh.
Jane hesitantly patted at Mordin’s shoulder, not really sure if salarians did such things. “It’s okay, you did what you could for him.”
“My fault Shepard,” Mordin declared.
“Bullshit Mordin, don’t think you set this trap for us. Remind me to have a ‘chat’ with Miranda when we get back. I can’t believe she would let the shuttle be maintained like this,” Jane waved her hand about angrily.
“I failed you, Commander,” Mordin replied getting to his feet. He paced about the small space. “Should have checked you before the fight. Would have seen implant was not operating at full capacity. Could have stopped you.”
“Whoa, whoa there Mordin,” Jane interjected. “We had three trucks coming at us. I wouldn’t have done anything differently. We needed to take them out as quickly as possible if there was any hope of saving our pilot. I’m in charge, it’s my ass that is responsible for everyone.”
Her voice sounded different somehow, fragile and unsure and he began to see that the weight of the galaxy was wearing on her. He stopped mid-stride to glance over where Shepard sat, eyes closed and head resting against the wall of the shuttle. Just as the weight of the genophage had begun to pull him under, the much larger danger of the Reapers was her’s to bear.
He slipped into the seat next to her. Mimicking her earlier gesture of compassion to him, he reached out and gently patted her leg. “Not alone Shepard. Crew, believe you and follow you. Together we will stop them.”
The last mouthful of the bar was shoved in her mouth before her hand dropped down to cover his.
“Thanks Mordin. I appreciate that.”
Reply
“Please tell me you aren’t searching for my secret porn stash.” Shepard groggily asked.
Hahaha! You always manage to put something funny in, and I love it. :D
I also like Mordin taking charge, and that part where Legion picked her up and took her to the shuttle - aww! :)
Can't wait to see what happens next!
Reply
Leave a comment