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#MSVJackOfDiamonds – December 10, 2017
The hatch to the passenger cabin opens, and Halisi climbs down the ladder, grunting as she struggles to keep a hold of the stack of clothes and equipment she received from Jason, while also holding onto the rungs of the ladder. A boot inevitably falls to the floor with a thump just before the doctor gets her feet on solid floor herself. "Oops... sorry it took a little while. But-... guh... I have-" she says distractedly, using
Ehanis went down to Ilyna's quarters after finishing breakfast, bringing a bowl of chili and a bottle of beer with her, though the latter was refused. "I know, I know," she sighs, giving a dismissive wave. "Well, too late now anyway." Ehanis points to the still full bowl in Ilyna's lap, but Ilyna doesn't seem to take the hint; still staring at Ehanis.
Ilyna breaks her stare as she sees Halisi climb down the ladder. "It's... no problem," she says distantly as she turns back to look down at the floor. "How can I... I trust that you'll listen when the time comes, Ehanis?"
Halisi is quick to turn around when she hears Ehanis' voice, a slightly uncomfortable expression briefly crossing her face. Ilyna's words causes her eyebrows to furrow slightly, but she doesn't comment, looking to Ehanis instead and offering a nod. "Ehanis. I didn't-... hello." she says, leaning down to grab the boot she dropped before delivering the clothes and the rest to the bed, putting it down carefully. "Should I...?"
she says, gesturing towards the ladder, presumably wondering if they'd like to continue their conversation in peace.
Ehanis stands up, leaving behind the unopened bottle of beer on the bed. "No, no, don't let me ruin a romantic moment," she says with a smirk, backing off towards the ladder. "To answer your question, sis: I'll listen because you know how to kick cybernetic ass, I don't." She grabs a rung on the ladder while looking between them. "Anyway, you two," she changes the subject before allowing a response. "Is it what
Ilyna stares at Ehanis as she speaks, but the last question causes her to avert her gaze; her cheeks turning a shade of purple. She is caught off-guard, and looks to Halisi for an answer.
Halisi seems equally caught off-guard. She sucks in her lips slightly, glancing over at Ilyna. She clearly doesn't feel it is her place to answer that question. At least not when it's coming from Ilyna's sister. "I..." she starts, clearing her throat quietly and shooting Ilyna another look as she hopes she'll take a hint and answer.
Ilyna looks down as Halisi has no better answer. "We... don't know yet," she says, her voice very low, but it seem Ehanis heard her over the hum of the ship.
Ehanis smirks and turns away. "Of course," she says as she starts climbing the ladder. "I'll take that as a 'yes'." Her tone is light-hearted. Ehanis has voiced her displeasure with this mission, but she doesn't appear as tense as many of her coworkers.
Halisi remains in place for a moment, slight hints of embarrassment briefly crossing her expression, but it doesn't last long, and she soon joins Ilyna in sitting on the edge of the bed, looking over at her as she studies the clothing and field equipment. "Your sister is-..." she shakes her head slightly, turning her attention to the clothing. "I... know it's not exactly your style, but it should be the right size."
Ilyna raises her brows as Halisi stops herself from saying what she thinks of Ehanis. She looks like she's about to say something when she moves on to talk about the clothing. "I didn't expect that," she says, her tone still as flat as in the morning. "Atana has been... offering to help me with my poor sense of fashion for a while."
Halisi snickers slightly, moving her hand to Ilyna's arm, running her fingers across the fabric of her dress. "I don't think there's anything wrong with your dresses..." she comments with a small shrug. She continues to study Ilyna, her expression shifting into a faint frown as her mind drifts back to the current situation. She slides her hand down to Ilyna's giving it a squeeze before letting go, her gaze moving to the
Ilyna gives a faint nod, though she seems a bit tense at the hand trailing down her arm. "Thank you," she whispers before her attention is once again directed at the chili. She pokes at it with a spoon. "I... don't need it today," she says. "We're still a day away."
Halisi lets out a quiet sigh, offering a faint, sympathetic smile and leaning forward a little to study Ilyna's expression. "Believe it or not, most species should eat every day to stay healthy." she says before falling into silence as she watches her.
Ilyna keeps looking down at the bowl. Guilt, worry, sadness, it's all showing in her expression making neither of them clear. "I'll eat, it's... just that...-," she shakes her head. "I'm not-...." She digs the spoon into the bowl's content with a resigned sigh. "Fine," she mutters as she lifts a tentative amount up to her lips, showing no reaction as she tastes the food.
Halisi moves her hand up to Ilyna's shoulder, rubbing it gently. "I know..." she says quietly, some of the asari's emotions reflecting in her own face as she studies her. She goes silent as she searches for the right words, but she doesn't seem to find them. At least not before they're interrupted by the sound of the hatch opening. "Ey, can I come down?" Elena's voice sounds from the top of the ladder.
Ilyna takes another bite of the food with the same lack of enthusiasm, not saying anything else until Elena's interruption. She lets out a sigh, but a nod follows. "Yeah," she says, not wanting to miss out of potentially important information.
Elena climbs down the ladder, turning around as soon as she's down. She's carrying two plastic containers of chili and a bottle of water. "I just thought you two might-..." she trails off as she realizes Ilyna already has food. "Oh. Well shit." she says, furrowing her eyebrows for a moment before realizing Halisi at least doesn't have any food. "You want some?" she asks, offering one of the containers to the doctor
before placing the other, and the water, on the desk, leaning against it as she looks at the two of them, clear discomfort in her face.
Halisi furrows her eyebrows slightly as she spots Elena, but she accepts the chili nonetheless, remaining silent and letting Ilyna speak.
Ilyna looks up at Elena, her expression remaining the same. There's no point on putting on a fascade, the crew knows how she feels. "Thank you," she says in a low, flat voice. "What's the status?"
Elena lets out a sigh, looking out across the cabin for a moment. "We're moving. All we can do, right now." she pauses before looking back at Ilyna. "I, uh... I talked to your boss. Jason? He... filled me in. I just-..." she draws in a long breath through her nose, sighing again. "I wanna make this right. I'm gonna. Your girl? We're gonna get her back. I'm gonna be there for the fight. I can help. I-... I have to."
she says, stammering slightly at the end. She has an uneasy look on her face, obviously bothered by what's happened, and what she's learned.
Ilyna sighs, her gaze falling to the floor again. She has far from forgiven her and her crew, but she's in no place to turn away help. "Just... follow Jason's orders," she says, barely audible over the sound of the ship's engines. She knows finding Li will the only thing on her mind once she gets out into the field, and making decisions affecting the whole team is not something she'll be able to do.
Elena nods a few times, going silent as she struggles with finding the right words. Eventually a quiet sigh escapes her. "We're gonna fix this." is all she ends up saying before she pushes off, heading back toward the ladder. "Hope the clothes fit." she adds before starting her climb. They are hers, after all.
Ilyna doesn't look up at her, only muttering another quiet, possibly inaudible "thank you". Her attention is returns to the food, which she resumes eating with the same lack of interest as before.
Halisi allows Ilyna to eat in peace, her hand lingering on her shoulder as thoughts of what is to come run through her head.
The better part of a 'day' has passed since everyone had chili. The food storage has been open to Redrock's people, and they've been free to use the kitchen should they wish to eat something that requires a bit of cooking, but there are plenty of canned and frozen meals in storage.
Lucy has kept to herself all day, leaving Pivin in charge of the bridge, but she has just recently made her way to take over, giving the salarian a well-earned break for food and sleep, not that he needs much of the latter.
Senya has checked in on Ilyna and Halisi to make sure they’re doing alright, but otherwise hasn’t been seen much.
Halisi has gone to visit the infirmary and get a better idea of what kind of medical supplies and equipment the Jack of Diamonds has. She’s well aware there’s an unfortunate likelihood of injuries on the coming mission.
Elena is down in the cargo hold, tinkering with what appears to be a military-grade assault drone. She has it laid out on a crate, herself sitting on a folding chair as she uses a multi-tool to adjust something on its left thruster, several armor panels removed to give her access to its insides.
Nathan has spent most of his time since his breakfast... lunch... brunch? Anyway, he spent most of his time sat in his small 'workshop' fiddling with the weapons of Redrock, tweaking them where needed and stowing them away. His attitude is an odd one, having relaxed a modicum with Leah only to feel the tension rise once more. Yet, he has done his best to keep at least a friendly outwardly appearance. Currently, he
is working on the storage mechanism in his gauntlet for his knife, his face a picture of focus for the moment.
Oxaris awoke to find a tube of nutrient paste next to her. With a small smile, she opened it up and quietly ate her food, watching the others for a short time before proceeding to exercise where she could. Currently, she's going through a series of CQC moves, gliding through each attack and defence.
Jessica has spent a good deal of her time in the galley. Life has taught her that you never turn down free food and she's certainly going to take advantage of that knowledge. Whatever was left in that chili pot when Jason left the galley has been deposited directly into her belly. With a beer in front of her, she's sat at the table opposite of Pivin. She's using a knife to scoop beans out of a can and shovel them into her
mouth. The top of the can is a jagged mess due to her lazily jabbing a knife at it to open it up. She stares at the salarian for a moment, watching him eat. "What is that?" she asks with a nod towards the can in his hand.
Jason has mostly kept to himself after his discussion with Lucy didn't go his way. Eyes fixed on the ceiling, he's simply laying across Jessica's cot, hands behind his head, quite obviously bothered by the whole exchange.
Jattic awoke from his slumber to find that Jessica had already finished off the chili. A less-than-friendly exchange happened before he returned back to the cargo unit. "A blade is the most important tool in a soldier's arsenal." he comments as he watches Nathan work with a respectful tilt of his head. "Guns jam. Equipment malfunctions. A blade is simple. Reliable."
Leah has tried to keep her spirits up since the galley. She's not doing a very good job at hiding the concern behind her eyes but she's making an effort, so that's something. She's back on her makeshift seat atop the crates, idly swiping through articles on her datapad without paying any of them much mind.
Nathan blinks and looks up at Jattic in mild surprise. He nods, however, with a small smile, clicking the mechanism into place. "This little blade has saved my life on more than one occassion," he says, sliding the gauntlet on and flexing his hand. With his omni-tool open, he sends the command usually stowed within his HUD to trigger the knife. It slides out into his waiting hand and he grasps it firmly.
Jattic folds his arms across his chest and leans against a crate as he watches Nathan work in silence for a few moments. "You are prepared for what is to come?" he asks, no inflection in his gravely voice.
Ilyna has taken up a corner in the cargo hold for the last few minutes, though she hasn't paid any mind to Elena's presence. She is standing right behind Ehanis, who is currently holding up a biotic barrier sorrounding both of them. It's small in radius, inconsistent, and unstable; especially so behind her. So it doesn't take more than a moment before it dissipates, pushing some dust around in the process. "Do you
remember what I said about using your eyes?" she asks with a sigh, the flat lack of enthusiasm is still present in her voice. Ilyna is wearing the clothes Halisi brought her, doing her best to hide her discomfort wearing it.
Nathan doesn't look up at Jattic as he slides the knife back into the mechanism. He stands there behind his crates silently for a moment, setting the gauntlet down with a gentle clunk. "...I don't know. Can anyone be prepared for what you all describe?"
Pivin glances up from his can, taking a moment to swallow before he speaks. "Bug mash. You want to try?" he asks quite sincerely, offering the can to Jessica.
Elena glances up from her work as she hears the sound of biotics, looking over in Ilyna and Ehanis' direction for a moment, watching the practice, but she soon returns her attention to her drone.
Jattic doesn't immediately respond, falling into his thoughts for a moment. "I don't know how much the others have told you." he says eventually, "But this will be unlike anything you've trained for. Wolfe's explanation does not even begin to cover what we experienced..." He trails off, all four eyes moving to Nathan's gauntlet. It's one of the few signs of any emotion other than rage towards Jessica that he has shown. But
he packs it back in soon enough. "The chances are low that everyone will make it back. It is our job to improve those odds." With a small nod towards the gauntlet, he pushes off from the crate. "Make sure that you are prepared." he growls as he steps away.
Leah continues to stare at her datapad, pretending to read as she listens to Jattic and Nathan. Her gaze turns distant for a moment before she silently wills herself to shrug it off for now. The waiting is doing her no favors. With a small shift, she brings her knees up and rests her datapad against them.
Jessica furrows her brow as she studies the can. With a shrug she leans forward, dipping her knife into the can. Once she's collected an ample amount of paste on the end of her knife, she raises it up in front of her, studying it curiously.
Zaylus was quick to remove himself as much as possible from the emotional interaction between Jason and Halisi, recusing himself to his hidden wedge of space near the unit wall. Passing the day with little more than shallow sleep and absent self entertainment, he seems increasingly eager to get up and leave their temporary home in the modular cargo hold. This time he emerges to find
his turian companion testing her moves out in the open space, and moves to meet her, though keeping a respectful distance for wild throws and jabs. "Practicing?" He perks a browplate, crossing his arms over his chest.
Pivin withdraws the can once Jessica has scooped up some of the bug mash. It's a thick, brownish paste that glitters slightly in the light of the lamp above. Small bits of exoskeleton can be seen amid the mash. For crunchiness. The salarian waits eagerly to hear Jessica's opinion on the food.
Nathan 's fist clenches around his gauntlet as he listens to Jattic, closing his eyes as the Batarian steps away. 'The chances are low that everyone will make it back.' Those words burn into his brain as images flash by like a movie on repeat. Burning buildings as gunfire rips around him in a maelstrom of destruction, his squad, his friends falling one by one as they push him along. "I'll be prepared," he growls
Oxaris finishes an open hand strike to the thin air, not moving her eyes to meet Zaylus as she breathes in deeply. "No, thought I'd just swing my arms around for no reason," she quips with a small chuckle. She draws her arms back and exhales sharply, turning to smile at her companion. "I suppose I have you to thank for my breakfast?"
Jessica doesn't seem offput by the disgusting paste. She's eaten worse. She shovels it into her mouth, testing the taste for a moment before chewing. "Mmm. Is okay." is her official opinion that accompanies a shrug of her shoulders. Soon enough she's burying her knife back into the can of beans.
Leah furrows her brow as something on the datapad that she's been staring at for the past half hour seems to catch her attention. "Fuck!" she blurts out, brows furrowed as she sits up a bit.
Jattic wordlessly stomps off towards the cargo hold where he takes a position beside the door, silently watching the others practice.
Zaylus gives a small snort at her quip, but doesn't retort. He lets his arms swing down, perhaps just mimicking what he see in front of him. His shoulders roll into a dismissive shrug as he gives a small wiggle of the head that seems to be for the purpose of loosening his neck. "I knew you'd be excited when you saw these people had paste. Can you imagine? Paste? Just for us?" He
Lucy is sitting alone on the bridge, her feet propped up against the pilot's console and her guitar in her lap. She's plucking idly at the strings, humming quietly under her breath. She seems to have hit the whiskey again, judging by the bottle sitting on the floor next to her chair.
Nathan suddenly starts at Leah blurting out, one of his tools soaring into the air as it slips out of his hand. He juggles with it in the air for a moment, eyes wide before he catches it and sets it down with a relieved sigh. He moves around the crates to Leah, frowning at her. "What? What is it?"
Pivin seems quite pleased with the verdict, nodding a few times before he starts scraping more mash out of the can. "No one on the crew appreciates proper food." he comments before shoving another spoonful into his mouth.
Oxaris hums and rolls her eyes, taking a few steps back from Zaylus. "Well, I wouldn't say excited. But it was a pleasant surprise." She seems to watch him for a moment, sizing him up with a small, "Hmm." She cranes her neck and motions before her, smiling. "So, you going to join me?"
Leah scrunches up her nose, a small scoff escaping her as she scrutinizes the article. "Industry News Weekly named Devin Tanner as their number 2 on their top 10 breakout stars list!" she says, turning the datapad towards Nathan and waving it about angrily. "I'm so sick and tired of seeing that asshole's face all over the place!"
Jessica blinks as she studies the can in Pivin's hand. "Mmm. Is probably because that is a can of smashed up bug guts." she says with a sagely nod. "Many people do not like smashed up bug guts." With a shrug, she settles back into her seat and scoops a knifeful of beans into her mouth, speaking as she chews loudly, "Food is food."
Ehanis scoffs and closes her eyes, bringing her hand up in front of her again. Many small uncontrolled fields sorround her, between 2-4m away, dissipating almost as soon as they appear. They're not dangerous, causing an itch or a weak pinch at worst, and there is a slight increase in temperature. A throw is easy, with its single point to focus on. Telekinesis and warp — even if the latter took a lot of training
— involves an object to anchor the field to. The barrier dome is another beast entirely, it's a connected field with nothing but itself to anchor to.
Ilyna is standing behind her, giving a small shake of her head. "You're not focusing," she mutters. "Something is bothering you, isn't it?"
Ehanis keeps her eyes closed as she tried to make a field form around her, but it remains inconsistent. "This is fucking hard," she says, sounding frustrated.
Zaylus chuckles lightly at his own antics, for a moment not noticing her strutinizing look. "I suspected we'd probably just go hungry." He muses before his unfocused gaze returns to Oxaris and her proposition. He lets out a breath in something of a hiss, shaking his head but assuming a ready stance, or as close to one he can figure. "It's been a long time." He murmurs, obviously a
Elena 's gaze briefly travels over to the conversing turians before once again being distracted by chaotic-looking biotic display. "Ey! Don't tear the ship apart yeah?" she calls out to the sisters. "Not really dressed for space!" she adds, holding out her arms as if to make a point by showing of her decidedly not-vacuum sealed tank top.
Nathan perks an eyebrow with a flat look, his gaze barely acknowledging the article being waved around in his face. He reaches up to gently push it down, breathing out a sigh. "Oh come on, he isn't that bad," he says, folding his arms across his chest. "He's a bit pretentious, true, but still..."
Oxaris 's mandibles twitch as she steps forwards, throwing a few jabs towards Zaylus to probe his defences. "It can't have been that long ago, Zaylus," she says, stepping back to move out of his superior reach. "Come on, it'll be good practice and entertainment."
Leah scoffs, reeling her head back in frustration as Nathan voices his opinion. "No! Wrong! Factually wrong!" she says, quite clearly passionate about the issue, "He is that bad! He's worse than that bad! He's a-... a-..." her frown only deepens as she searches for the words, "...an asshole! And smug! And-...." she trails off, resigning to a frown as she realizes maaaaybe she's doing a little venting. "His movies suck." she adds childishly in a mutter as she settles back against the crate and haphazardly tosses the datapad onto the crate.
Pivin blinks, and then shrugs slightly. He seems unbothered by Jessica's lack of table manners. Or at least he doesn't comment on it. He scrapes the last of the bug paste from the bottom of the can before setting it down and studying her. "I am Pivin Mazeek. I know humans struggle to remember full names."
Nathan lets Leah vent her frustrations to him, a small grin turning up at the corner of his mouth as she spits out her curses and opinions on the man. As she settles into her sulk against the crate, he steps over and takes whatever room is left against the crates. He lets his head lull to the side to look at her, humming a laugh. "Sofia told me you were just as vocal at Vasquez's wedding party," he muses.
"Apparently you went really red in the face when she accused you of fancying him. I'm starting to see the merit behind her observations." He grins a little more, deciding that the small gestures of banter will hopefully be enough to ward off the crippling thoughts that permeate throughout their minds.
Zaylus grits his teeth and ducks away from Oxaris' jabs, narrowly at first but more deftly as his focus sharpens on her movements. His hands are up in a vaguely defensive position, but he doesn't throw anything back at her while she's in his reach. His mandibles twitch noticably as she moves back, and he gives her a sharp look in one eye as his head turns to one side. "Entertainment,
Oxaris starts to slowly pace around him before stepping in and sending a few more blows his way, her movements graceful and light. "For whomever wins, obviously," she says back, mandibles twitching in amusement before she makes to dart from his reach once more.
Ehanis snaps her eyes once she hears Elena, the biotic fields disappearing. "I wish I had biotics that strong," she calls back with a grin.
Ilyna takes a step back. "This..., this isn't-..., I can't do this," she says. "Just focus on what you can instead." She walks off, headed for the stairs.
Ehanis frowns. "Come on, sis," she says, but her words fall on deaf ears. She sits down on the nearest crate with a frustrated sigh.
Elena shrugs. She's not particularly clear on what a biotic can and can't do. She watches as Ilyna starts to leave, her gaze going to the frustrated asari that remains in the cargo hold. "What's the problem?" she calls out, having to speak fairly loudly to be heard without problems.
Jessica stirs her blade around in the can, collecting the last few beans in one spot before scooping them against the side of the can and into her mouth. She takes a moment to lick the knife clean before responding to the salarian. "Maybe if salarians did not have such long and stupid names we would care to remember them." she says in a shrug. It doesn't even seem to be intended to be insulting. Just an observation. "Jessica."
she introduces herself, leaning back in her seat as she brings her boots up against the edge of the table to prop herself up.
Leah snaps to Nathan, glaring at him. "I did no-... That's not true!" she argues. "He doesn't-... I just-..." she stammers, suddenly deciding to turn her ire on Nathan instead, a deep frown etched into her face as she studies him for a moment. "He's not even my type. He's attractive. And charming. And smart." she explains, not that she actually believes any of those things. Tanner is a rash. Irritating and always in places
you don't want him. A small smile begins to tug at her lips, replacing her frown as she nudges an elbow into Nathan's side. "I like my men dumb, ugly, and awkward."
Pivin looks over at Jessica's boots, not seeming quite comfortable. "The captain does not approve of feet on the table." he comments, remaining seated.
Nathan mentally scores himself another point as he manages to strike at Leah with his jab, listening to her stammer with a smug grin. As she continues, however, his smug grin turns into a frown that is accompanied by a pout, his body crooking as she nudges his side. Annnnd that's the point struck away. "I-... well that... uh...". He harrumphs and looks away, muttering in his native tongue under his breath. "...I'm
at least only two of those things, alright!" And that is what he decided to settle on in the end. "Peh...".
Ehanis lets a few seconds pass before she shrugs. "Nothing," she replies. She closes her eyes again and a shimmer forms around her hand as she tries once again to create a biotic field, causing small bits of flat, flickering fields to come in and out of existance about half a meter in front of her.
Zaylus tracks her carefully, unable to surpress winces as he moves backwards to escape her repeated jabs. His hands remain up, but he is clearly hesitant to throw anything in return, his footing becoming unsteady as he tries to navigate away from her. "Mmhm." He frowns as she once again jumps back from his range, stretching his fingers out and rolling his shoulders as his focus
Elena watches Ehanis' biotic display, seemingly quite interested. "What are you doing?" she asks, tilting her head slightly.
Oxaris watches Zaylus and she manages to hide her expression well as she settles into a neutral stance. She waits for a moment, still pacing around him before she darts in with a sharp kick aimed to strike at his side. Not enough to hurt, mind, just to unbalance. She would dart forward after the kick to slam a forearm into his chest to push him back.
Ilyna stops in the doorway to the cargo module, looking out into the room. She seems tense and uncomfortable as she walks the ship without the purpose she had just a minute ago.
Jessica cocks an eyebrow as she looks to Pivin framed between her boots across the table. She gives a slow, sweeping glance about the galley. Nope. No captain in sight. "So?"
Leah's shoulders bounce as a bit of genuine laughter finds its way out of her. "Oh yeah? Is that so?" she teases as she gives Nathan another nudge, jabbing a thumb into his side. "Keep telling yourself that." she adds through her grin.
Nathan squirms and reaches to catch her wrist and shove it away, chuckling faintly as he narrows his eyes at her. "Oh shut up," he muses. "I still know how to make you bluster, alright?" He grins teasingly at her before he glances around, sighing softly. "I'm going to go have a talk with Jason in a minute. He seems a little bothered by something... well, more than just one something... you know what I mean."
Ehanis opens her eyes again. "I'm trying to focus," she sighs. "I can do a barrier that's super close in my sleep, but if it's even at an arm's length... it just tears itself apart."
Zaylus fails to anticipate the change in her tactics, being unbalanced and ultimately shoved backwards by Oxaris' assault. He wavers for a moment before planting one foot hard, turning the momentum back and funneling it into a direct jab at her center mass.
Pivin seems a little caught-off guard by Jessica's response. "You should... maybe..." he seems at a bit of a loss, having thought what he meant to be quite clear. He goes quiet for a moment before looking over at Jessica again, opting for a change of topic over trying to confront her. "I have noticed many humans like to decorate themselves like you have. Elena says each of hers carries meaning. Do yours?" he asks,
Oxaris takes advantage of Zaylus' wavering for a moment and dips her knees, dropping her shoulder for the strike to skim past her face, rather than strike her center mass. As she does so, she reaches to grab his arm and use his momentum to throw him over her shoulder and onto the ground.
Zaylus widens his eyes as his opponent continually out maneuvers him, the stolen momentum used against him to throw his dumbfounded self to the ground. He is not prepared to counter the throw and hits the floor with a groan, starting to curl in on himself. "Spirits, Ox..." He grunts, glaring up at her through one narrowed eye while the other is squeezed shut.
Elena furrows her eyebrows. "Can't help ya. I don't know shit about biotics. Is-..." her attention turns to the turians as Zaylus hits the floor, wincing slightly. "Oof..."
Ilyna turns back as her presence seems to have gone unnoticed by the people in the module. She moves to stand against the railing, holding it without leaning. The asari idly watches the activity in the hold, her eyes settling on the turians' sparring match once Zaylus hits the floor.
Leah's grin remains, despite the eyeroll she gives in response to Nathan's threat. As he mentions Jason, her gaze moves to him, causing her grin to falter somewhat. With a sigh of her own, she leans her head lazily against Nathan's shoulder. "Yeah..." she agrees, her boss's shift in mood- from bad to worse- not having gone unnoticed by her, either. After a short pause to enjoy the moment, she forces herself to sit up
straight again, giving Nathan another nudge in his side. "It's gotta suck." she muses aloud, looking Jason's way for a moment longer before looking back to Nathan, "Just married and now-... this?" She brushes some hair aside and gives a shake of her head.
Jessica holds the salarian's gaze as she waits for him to elaborate, boots still pressed firmly against the table. When he changes topics, she furrows her brow, reaching across herself with her left arm as she studies her sleeve. "Mmm." she hums. "This one is meaning that I like skulls." she says flatly. She then turns her head to the side, reaching up to touch a fingertip against the misshapen Alliance logo beneath her ear.
"This one is meaning that I needed a better mirror." Once again, her delivery is flat. Perhaps betraying the fact that she's just stonewalling the poor salarian.
Oxaris steps back, making no motion to help him up onto his feet as she moves out of range. "Mmm? Want me to tone it down?" She teases with a gentle chuckle, slowly sliding back into her defensive stance. "Come on, Zaylus, I know you got something held back."
Pivin seems a little puzzled by the response. Eventually he lets out an "Oh. You are-... of course." He sighs and stands up, taking his can with him as he heads over to the kitchen to throw it in the trash. Noticing that the bag is full he ties it up and takes it out of the bin, carrying it off down the corridor without a goodbye. Perhaps expressing his annoyance with Jessica in his own way.
Nathan exhales gently, nodding softly as his body leans a little towards her as she leans against his shoulder... only to quickly squirm away from her as she nudges him in the side. A small, almost comical, noise of discomfort sounds at the jab, but his focus settles on Jason. "It's not fair on him or Vasquez... but if I know Jason, he would've come regardless. It's just his way." He looks down to, gently nudging
Jessica doesn't seem to even notice the sleight. As the salarian takes his leave, she just shifts in her seat to get a bit more comfortable now that she has the entire galley to herself.
Leah gives a few slow nods, another sigh escaping her as Nathan speaks. As he finishes, she forces a small, encouraging smile. "Good luck." she adds before reaching out for her datapad.
Ehanis watches the turian's fight as it interrupts Elena, but she makes no comment on it. She returns to her training without a word, though her fields are only getting less coherent.
Zaylus snorts, a defiant smirk appearing as she steps back into place. He rolls deftly back to his feet, finding no trouble pulling himself back up to height but appearing uncertain again when he reluctantly raises his hands up. "I told you, it's been a long time." He mutters, flexing his fingers as his head rolls to either side. "It's not... it's just..." He trails, his hands
dipping as his focus falters. They snap back up into position after just a moment, but he doesn't finish either thought, setting his jaw as he silently studies her, and waits.
Nathan nods and makes to give her arm a quick squeeze before he walks slowly over to Jason, footfalls audible and easy to catch. He stops a few steps away from the cot and shoves a hand into his pocket, giving his boss a small nod of greeting. "Jase," he says to catch his attention, a small smile tugging onto his face.
Oxaris 's browplate furrows as he trails off, her mandibles twitching slowly before she nods once. "Then come on," she says as she steps forward, jabbing her fists towards her sparring partner in rapid sequence.
Jason doesn't seem to notice Nathan's presence until it's announced. "Hey, Ten..." he offers, quickly shifting to swing his boots out of the cot and onto the floor so he can better address Nathan. "Everything good...?" he asks as he looks up at the man. Despite his best efforts, it's not hard to see that something is on his mind.
Nathan motions idly with his hand, shifting his stance to get a little more comfortable as he eyes the man on the cot with hard to disguise concern. "I was going to ask you the same thing. What's on your mind? Beyond the obvious, that is." He steps a little to the side, using a nearby crate as a point to rest against.
Jason forces a lopsided smirk as he lets out a snort, glancing off to his side as he runs one synthetic hand through his hair. "Beyond the obvious?" he asks. "I think the obvious is a pretty damn good reason to feel like the wind was kicked out of me." he jokes, doing his best to- as usual- deflect.
Zaylus tenses as Oxaris rushes forward again, his teeth clenched tight as one hand shoots out faster than any move he's made previously, seizing a wrist as he turns sharply against her. He only aims to pull her in for as long as it takes to drive his shoulder into his opponent with a crude charge, taking whatever blows may come in the process.
Nathan chews on his inner-cheek, perking an eyebrow as he notes the deflection of his question. So he just remains quiet for the moment, looking at Jason with a look that seems to gently chide his attempt at avoiding the issue, but also shows understanding that there is probably a really damn good reason as to why it was required.
Oxaris seems momentarily caught off-guard by his sudden speed and she finds her wrist caught in his hand. Her armour absorbs most of the blow and she makes to jar her wrist free by tugging it downwards to the gap between finger and thumb. She would try and sharply twist, sweeping a leg to take his legs out from under him before backing away.
Ilyna remains where she is as the minutes go by, still watching the turians' sparring match. The distraction is not enough to push the worries to the back of her mind, however, so she lets out a long sigh. It does give her a glimmer of hope to see the others fare much better than her, though, as these are the people she'll be counting on tomorrow. Except her, she thinks as glances at Ehanis. Ilyna is going to do
Elena goes back to her tinkering with the drone after tiring of watching the turian sparring, soon entirely focused on stripping away unwanted wiring with her multi-tool, soon to be replaced.
Jason pulls his attention back to Nathan, blinking a couple of times when the man doesn't respond. For a moment, his expression falls to frustration, but he's quick to reel it back. After all, it's not like any of this is Nathan's fault. "It's nothing, Ten." he finally says, "I just-..." he gives a shake of his head, gesturing idly in the general direction of the bridge before settling his attention squarely on Nathan,
"...Today I had to tell a woman that her husband is dead." He gives a shrug of his shoulders that says 'what can ya do'.
Nathan sucks in a breath through his teeth, brow furrowing as he looks ready to argue that there is still a chance that he is alive and that they can bring him back, even if he was the asshole who took Li. But he clenches his jaw and sinks a little harder against the crate, his own way of admission. "...Oh. Yeah. That's... that's never easy," he says simply, tone defeated. "Is it really that final?"
Zaylus releases her wrist without fight once he's made full contact, pulling back as he lets go. Still, her sweep unsteadies his footing, and he stumbles over the upsetting limb. This round he wastes no time righting himself, pushing off the ground with one hand as he throws himself backwards, fists returning quickly to their defensive position. There is a fearful glint that shines
across his eyes for a moment, before being squashed down under steely focus. He bounces his weight from foot to foot, ever unwilling or maybe unable to make the first move against his opponent.
Oxaris seems to allow mild frustration to shine through as her opponent merely settles for pure defence. Her mandibles twitch and her teeth bare a little as she starts to circle him once more, her eyes focused purely upon him as her steps are slow and methodical, practiced and disciplined. She merely waits for a few moments, gauging him.
Jason sucks in a deep breath, Nathan's question causing his gaze to fall. His eyes search for something on the floor, but soon enough he looks back to him. "I don't know." he admits with a defeated shrug of his shoulders. There's an obvious bit of guilt weighing on him for potentially pre-emptively sentencing this man to death when they barely have a grasp on what's going on. "Nobody does. But we do know that whatever in the
hell it is that happens to these people? It's contagious. As for how or why or when or-..." he shakes his head as he lists, frustrated over the gaps of knowledge, "...or whatever? I couldn't tell you."
Nathan stares at the ground, unable to meet Jason's gaze as the mere thought at condemning Lucy's husband as a lost cause. But no matter how much he wants to argue otherwise, to say that there is always a way to save someone, he finds himself unable to. Jason, Jattic, Ilyna, Leah, Halisi... the fear, the dread is oh so prominent in them all. Well, maybe not with Jattic. He's just uncharacteristically vocal. And
Nathan soon finds his mission to come talk to Jason slowly slipping away as the crushing sense of imminent doom sweeps over him. "So," he begins softly, "We go in there. We do what we can, we grab Li and we bug out. Seems like a standard hostage rescue. Yeah, should be simple enough." He tries to inject a false sense of confidence, more for his own sake than anything, but finds it is left wanting.
Zaylus tracks her with his eyes as she circles him, no doubt annoyed with his reluctance. He holds his stance as much as he can, the slight shuffling of his feet as he recalculates his position the only evidence he's reacting to her. He can only stand the tension for a few moments before growling low, his breathing too heavy for the limited action of their brawl. "I know you want
me to strike." He murmurs, forcing an uncomfortable laugh for the next thought. "I don't know how." He shrugs the smallest bit, otherwise not deviating from his defensive hold.
Oxaris blinks in surprise, but that only seems to further her frustrations. She steps towards him in a sudden blur of movement, aiming slam two sequenced strikes into either side of him before reaching to grab the front of his armour, pull him forwards... and head butt him. If her strike succeeds, she reels back as her head throbs. "How? How don't you know? Anyone knows how to swing a punch."
Jason gives a few hollow nods as his gaze moves back to the floor, settling there distantly. "If it was Linda?" he says, as if everything Nathan just said barely even registered, "I'd do whatever it took to bring her back. Whatever. It. Took." He gives a solemn nod, that fact alone weighing heavily on him. That the rules wouldn't apply to her. Not to his wife. Not to Vasquez. But to Lucy's husband? To James? They have
to. It's the only way for Jason to guarantee they all get home in one piece. "But-... One of these artifacts was on the Evening Star." he continues, his voice growing more distant as he recalls the experience that feels like a lifetime ago now. "It was nearly a total loss. One person gets infected. Then another. Then another." He gives a slight nod of his head as he recounts the events. "But not me." he says with a
defiant shake of his head, "Not Ilyna. Not Linda. Nearly a total loss. Everyone dead. But somehow we made it." He sucks in a deep breath, perhaps giving away the survivor guilt he's been living with. "Ogofau. One hundred and twenty four people dead. Di Yu. We did our damndest to try and evacuate the nearby town." A few more distant nods follow, a bit of charged silence passing as he urges himself not to dwell on the
nightmare Redrock unleashed on those unsuspecting people, "...And then onboard they started turning. Dead. An entire colony." He swallows, finally forcing himself to look back to Nathan. To look him in the eyes. "I don't have all the answers, Ten. Hell, I don't even know what questions I should be asking. But I've seen what this can do. I'd love nothing more than to bring that woman's husband back to her. But not at the
Nathan finds his fingers curling around the edge of the nearby crate, trying to crush his way through the material as he feels his stomach churn at the revelation. He looks up at Jason, eyes wide and skin paling as his knuckles turn white from how hard his grips his rest. "Wh-...what?" That's all he can say, searching desperately for any sign that the man is just playing some cruel and sick joke on him. But he sees
nothing. Only the distant trauma that seems to plague the face of his boss, his friend. Nathan is no stranger to death. After all, he was responsible for the deaths of a couple of dozen militants. Seeing his squad get wiped out. But there is something about the reality of a whole colony getting wiped out, turned into twisted abominations of machine that knocks the wind from his lungs, the false displays of
confidence that he is so usually good at displaying. The fear that he feels is something on an entirely different level that he has never experienced before. A wave of dizziness washes over him and he can't quite control it, get it handled. He's not sure why this is effecting him so, but he can't deny that it is.
Ilyna looks down at Ehanis again, seeing her struggle with a biotic field barely a meter in front of her. She's well aware of her deteriorating performance, but she's in no shape to teach right now; and Ehanis doesn't seem to be in the right place of mind to learn. She shakes her head, and after a moment's hesitation she turns around and makes her way into the cargo module with some purpose in her step. She
catches the tail end of Jason's words as she approaches his cot. "And still you didn't tell Ehanis to leave the ship," she says, a hint of bitterness in her flat voice.
Jason nods a couple of times as his attention falls back to the floor. And there it remains until Ilyna speaks up. His gaze moves to meet the asari's, that guilty look returning to his face. His expression shifts. From guilt to sadness until finally settling on actual frustration. "No. No, I didn't." he snaps. "Do you know why? Because we need all the help we can get and you know it. I didn't force her to come. You want her to
stay on the ship while the rest of us risk our lives? You want her to just ignore the fact that her niece is in danger and needs help? Fine." he nods towards the door, "Then go and talk to her about it. I won't stop you." As soon as the words leave his mouth, his expression softens and the guilt creeps back in. As if it was a reflex, born of frustration and nerves and lack of sleep.
Nathan swallows and pushes away from the crate silently. He tries to recall the directions to the bathroom unit and starts walking at a brisk pace to it, gaze down as he feels a surge of bile build in his throat. One hundred and twenty four people. One hundred and twenty four people dead. One hundred and twenty four people turning into the abominations described. He chokes a little on the air and finds his body
automatically piloting him towards the unit. As he gets outside of it, however, he merely braces himself against the wall and gulps in lungfuls of air, closing his eyes and focusing on pushing down the rising nausea. He remembers this feeling, come to think of it. It reminds him of that first time he was in a firefight in close quarters with a slaver group. Apart from now, it is amplified.
Ilyna stays put at first, her breathing getting shaky as the earlier resolve fades from her expression. Out of everything she feels, guilt is the easiest to read on her face. "I... I... I didn't...-," she says, then sighs. "I'm sorry..., I'm... I'm being-..., ... just... forget I said anything." Ilyna turns around and starts walking back out the door she came from. Leaving her quarters was a bad idea.
Jason leans forward, gesturing as if to say something, but only silence follows as he opens his mouth. He grunts loudly as his gaze moves to the wall, frustration pouring over him at being unable to keep his emotions under control. "Fucking-...." he begins to mutter before climbing to his feet and chasing after the asari. "Ilyna, wait." he calls out as he exits the cargo unit behind her.
Jattic watches as Nathan storms past, suddenly finding Jessica hogging all of the food a plus. He silently makes a mental note to avoid this human dish known as Chill'E.
Ilyna is already half-way up the stairs when Jason calls out to her. She stops and turns around. "I... mean it, Jason, I... I shouldn't have...," Ilyna says. "It's not your fault." She lifts a hand up to wipe away the tears welling up under her eyes.
Elena 's attention is pulled to the exchange between Jason and Ilyna, furrowing her eyebrows as she listens from a distance, her gaze soon returning to her drone as she tries to act as if she isn't.
Ehanis pauses her practicing once she hears Ilyna's name being called, and she looks up as well. She's seated quite a distance away from the stairs, so it's unlikely she'll be able to overhear anything the two say.
Jason passes a glance towards the show on display in the hold, but pays it little mind as it's obviously just sparring and gives a short jog to catch up to the asari. "Ilyna..." he sighs, giving a shake of his head, "...I'm just-... We're all a bit on edge. I didn't mean to-..." he trails off, hands moving to his hips as his gaze moves to the floor. "If you don't want Ehanis coming with, then talk to her." he says, finally
looking back to his friend, "I meant it. I won't stop you. I get it." He holds her gaze as he repeats himself, "I get it. But-..." he sighs, passing a glance Ehanis' way briefly and lowering his voice slightly, "...But we could use all the help we can get right now."
Ilyna casts a glance down to Ehanis as well, and she draws another deep, shaking breath. "It's-... I don't know what to do, Jason," she says. "I want Li back, and... so does she, and I know how it is... to be on the sidelines when-..., but... when I look at her, I don't see a mercenary. I... I still see the little girl that I failed,... failed by being absent from her life for fifty years."
Jason gives a couple of slow, understanding nods. Ilyna's pain is the only cue needed for him to step in and wrap his friend up in a tight hug, pulling her in close. "We're going to save Li." he whispers confidently, fighting back against the tears welling up in his own eyes. "And then we're going home. All of us." It's a promise that even he himself doubts, but he'll be damned if he isn't going to do everything in his power
to make it so. "You're family, Ilyna. That makes Ehanis family. I'll look after her like she's my own sister." he assures, repeating his earlier sentiment. "You have my word."
Ilyna wraps her arms around him in turn. "All of us," she manages to whisper before losing composure. Tears start to roll down her cheeks. "Thank... you," she says. "For... for putting up... with me."
Jason gives her a gentle squeeze, a small snort escaping him as he hears her words. "Putting up with you? The way I figure it, we're stuck putting up with each other." he jokes, doing his best to keep his emotions in check, " So, shit, I got the good deal in that exchange." He gives a short snicker but, as soon as it fades away, his tone grows more serious. "It's gonna be fine, Ilyna." he says softly, content to remain where
Ilyna does not let go of him anytime soon either. A soft snort interrupts her crying at his joke, but she doesn't say anything. Ilyna rests her head on his shoulder. She still isn't sure whether she'll allow Ehanis to come with, but her stance is not as firm as it was previously.
Elena briefly glances over as the conversation quiets, but she's quick to turn her attention away when she spots the hug, a faint frown crossing her face as she actually resumes her work.