Reviviscere - Chapter 12
Pairing: Future Shenko Characters in this chapter: Phoenix Shepard, Kaidan Alenko, James Shepard Genre: Multiple Genre of this chapter: General, ‘mutual pining’, fluff (ish?), a smidge smidge of angst (if you look close enough), action Warning: None? Words: 4, 830 Tagging: @ljandersen @rpgwrites @pathogenic @crqstalite Chapters/Parts: 1. The Raid | 2. Grief | 3. Elysium | 4. Defence | 5. Suspicion | 6. Searching for the beacon | 7. Beacons and Visions | 8. Evidence | 9. Family | 10. Dr. T’Soni | 11. Chaotic Arrival | 12. Zhu’s Hope AO3 Masterlist
Phoenix saw James reach for his pistol and she held up her hand. He frowned, left hand momentarily froze halfway towards his right hip for the weapon, and kept his narrowed eyes upon the colonists that stood in the doorway, shaking, nervous, eying him carefully as he took a step back and folded his arms across his chest. He was on edge and the cut to his forehead only seemed to further agitate in his anger, seeming to sting as it creased with the furrow of his brow. A couple of the colonists in front of them wore armour - security guards. she assumed. The others were clearly not used to defending their skins - or their livelihoods - with how their armour was pieces of metal, welded and curved, not fitting quite right. No one should be used to it. No one should have to turn to violence to protect themselves. No one should expect Batarians, Pirates or Geth, Saren or Husks, slavers or criminal gangs looking for new rites and creating new murder rituals as an induction protocol. What did Feros have? Any Prothean tech was scavenged long before the Colony was founded, the towers were unstable, there wasn't land to farm on. It was a skeleton of what it once was.
Phoenix twisted her body to look at them fully with undivided attention, the N7 symbol upon her chest plate undoubtedly the cause of their widened eyes before she spoke. "We're not with the Geth." She lowered her hand. "I'm Staff-Commander Shepard, this is Lieutenant-Commander Shepard and Staff-Lieutenant Alenko." With the hand she previously held up to halt James, she gestured to the members of her team respectively. "We're with The Alliance."
One of the colonists lowered their weapon. "Wait… Shepard… As in the Shepard siblings?" Her eyes widened in awe and Phoenix felt her stomach fall as if her entire body had sighed. "You're the Hero of Elysium! And he's your brother - the Butcher of Torfan."
"Butcher of Torfan or not, we need a Butcher of these Geth."
"And Hero of Elysium or not -"
"The Commander here has saved more colonies than just Elysium." James took a step forward. "We're here to help you and push away the Geth if we can. You can continue arguing amongst yourselves over us, or you can accept that she has a Star of Terra, is an N7 operative far superior to others I've seen and the first human Spectre, and let us help. You're in no position to argue with Geth on your doorstep."
The apparent leader of the group lowered her weapon."I'm sorry for their disrespect, Sir. We've been fighting Geth for a week or so now."
Phoenix nodded. "There is no need to apologise. You’re all on edge. We all get like that when morale is low. My team and I got here as quickly as we were able after losing contact."
"I -” She paused. “Thank you. It’s not often anyone but Merchants visit, let alone Alliance personnel and Geth. I don’t know all the details but I can fill you in as much as I can on the way to the colony.”
Phoenix held out her hand. “Lead the way.”
At first, the corridor narrowed and dimmed. Lights flickered on when the door closed behind them. They were dim as if their circuit was broken or they were what little juice remained from the building’s Prothean past, connected in hope to serve a temporary purpose before being updated. Cables hung loosely from the ceiling, bullet holes within the walls, blood spray against the concrete. It was clear there had been a recent fight down the corridor and they had no time to clean the blood, only to respect and bury their dead. The narrow corridor offered little cover and little defence. Against AIs armoured and with better weapons, they never stood a chance.
“The Geth attacked out of nowhere a little over ten days ago - took out our communications and jammed our sensors.”
“Where did they attack first?” “The Exo-Geni building, half a hours walk away from here, five, ten-minute drive.” “Do you know if the workers are safe?” Kaidan asked.
“No, Sir. Most of them practically live up there. We’re still in the process of cleaning out the rubble, fixing structures.”
“I suppose the Protheans didn’t leave a manual, huh”
“If they did, we wouldn’t be able to understand the language,” James stated. “There’s no language out there that we’d be able to compare it too.”
Phoenix ducked beneath a fallen, rusted bar of iron. “I don’t think they thought they’d go extinct.”
James sighed through his nose. “They most have done - why wouldn’t a race as smart as them think upon it?”
“Because it’s depressing.” She turned her head to look back at him. “Or because they never expected it.” She returned her attention to the task at hand. “How many deaths?”
The leader of the group of colonists tapped a few buttons at a console next to a door, embedded in the left wall. “Impossible to say. In Zhu’s Hope, we’ve lost… twenty. There’s no way of knowing about those at the Exo-Geni Building.” The door opened and she walked on through. Phoenix and her team followed - the corridor opening into a large, open space. Prefab units were dotted around, colonists going about making repairs. “I’m sorry about -”
“Don’t be.” Phoenix interrupted the security guard calmly. “You’ve just been attacked. Colonies aren’t always sunshine and rainbows. And they’re rarely what you see in the brochures.”
“You’re right. Of course, Ma’am.” The guard sighed. "The Mayor is up ahead, into the tunnel to the right over there. He can tell you a little more about the colony's situation than I can. We also have a Salarians Merchant who might be able to make some quick repairs to the Lieutenant-Commander's shields."
James held up his hand."They'll be okay."
"Sir, they took the full brunt of the rocket. They haven't started to recharge."
Phoenix turned her head to look at Kaidan, who had spoken matter of factly to James. "Alright, Alright, LT." Her brother sighed. "I'll get them checked out. But," he pointed at her, "don't you go leaving without me. And you," He turned his index to Kaidan, "... you are way too observant."
"It's why Alenko's with us - I'm too busy mothering you with half my focus." She watched James walk away, flinging an eye roll at him as he pouted childishly whilst he jokingly stomped off.
"You two always like that?"
Phoenix shook her head at the guard’s question. "Only when he doesn't cooperate.” She looked back at the guard. Thank you for your help. We'll do everything we can to help out."
It was only then, as she and Kaidan started walking, that she took note of the dingy settlement, not even large enough to be considered a street. It wasn't helped by the small fires being put out, the residue of smoke and soot. An acrid smell pervaded the air, just as it had done at Eden Prime, at Elysium, at Mindoir.
A few colonists were grieving and she felt their pain within her heart. It never got easier. It would always be fresh to her and these colonists.
She hoped that there weren’t any Dragon's Teeth dotted around. For the colonist's sakes. Geth strolling around and killing their friends and family was one thing, but then being attacked by what was once their neighbour? Their colleague? Partner? Spouse? Perhaps even their own child or sibling?
The fear that swarmed her judgement when she saw James being dragged towards one was still fresh. Whenever he walked past one, he’d give it the ‘I’m watching you’ gesture and walk to the opposite side of it. Whenever she heard the grating of steel shifting to release the mostly synthetic creatures, Phoenix shuddered and her head felt like it would implode.
But Alliance soldiers knew what they were. Chances are colonists would have no idea. There was no such thing as being fully prepared for the husks that would swarm like locusts, but soldiers were equipped and trained to handle enemies that swarmed and hounded. The colonists wouldn’t stand a chance, ran down and mutilated. Or worse, they’d be used to create more husks. Or -
“Commander?” Phoenix looked to her left. A haze of concern showed in Kaidan’s eyes for a moment brief enough for her to believe she simply imagined it. Yet he looked as if he had wanted to say something.
“Something on your mind?”
He hesitated for a moment. “Was this what Mindoir was like after the raid?”
“I… I’m not sure. I suspect so.” She furrowed her brows a little, thinking. “I remember bits and pieces but… I don’t remember most of it. I know that I know it, it’s right there but it’s out of reach. Like when your fingertips touch what you can only just reach and push it away and you grumble at it. I remember the aftermath from a couple of months later when I returned for the memorial and funeral, but everything had been cleared up for the most part.” Phoenix stopped walking and turned three-quarters to look at the degraded colony. “This is the first time I’ve seen a colony post-attack instead of during. Another could still happen with the Geth still here, but this tranquil moment of grief and pain whilst still living in fear it could happen again at any minute?” She shook her head. “Never experienced it before now.”
“Does it ever get easier as time goes on? Do you ever recover?” “No. We don’t." She released a breath. "If it does, it takes longer than thirteen years. But we move on as best we can. Even if the Council does ignore us." Phoenix offered the lieutenant a smile and reached up to clasp his shoulder. "Come on. Let's see what we can do." _____
According to Fai Dan, the mayor of Zhu’s Hope, the colony was… on its hinges. To say the least. The aqueduct was down, the power cells were giving out, food was running low but no one could hunt whilst the alpha varren was in the area. The Geth Attack couldn’t have come at a worse time, the colony barely holding itself together. Exo-Geni appeared to have no care for the colonists, no regard for their health or safety. Its as if all they saw was a neat tower they’d just have to put equipment in and think that enough to start a colony, surrounded by unstable towers, without enough land to grow anything and Prothean greenhouses and aqueducts that were barely holding themselves together, struggling after fifty thousand years of disuse. That’s excluding the dust in the air, the disease that could wipe out the colony in less than a fortnight, the ridiculous number of people suffering from headaches and the blatant dodging of a simple question over Exo-Geni’s business on Feros.
“Think the colony will be okay if another attack happens whilst we’re getting to the root of the problem?” Phoenix began her descent of the second flight of stairs, her right arm brushing against the roughly installed bannister within the wall. “They’ll be fine whilst James is getting his armour fixed.” Kaidan shot her a look. He clearly had no intention of forgetting the scenario at the port. “He was being an idiot earlier, but he’s a commander for a reason. He’s bringing in Williams and Vakarian as an extra defence. Tali’s examining the Hoppers - she’d be on call to help out if it’s necessary.”
“Good thinking on his part.” “I expected no less - he’s taking his role as second in command very seriously.” Kaidan walked at her side. “Think he’ll be okay without us?” “He was alright without me keeping him safe before I was N7, he’ll be okay now.”
She heard the lieutenant’s amusement, caught the one-sided smile through the corner of her eye. “That some, uh… that’s some faith you’ve put in someone who charged at a rocket trooper.” Phoenix sighed, just as amused. “Someone’s got to have faith in the idiot that isn’t his missus.” Her comment received a quiet laugh in reply and she surprisingly found her smile widening at the sound.
Or… was it surprising? Didn’t she smile whenever he laughed? Whenever he smiled? Whenever he said something no one else thought was funny but she did? When Joker had shown suspicion towards Nihlus with a ‘call me paranoid’, didn’t she hold back a laugh when Kaidan had done precisely that? She didn’t recall doing that on a regular basis with anyone else. Half the time she was too focused on her work to even notice anyone. And now she was beginning to notice, remember a spiral of instances whilst still hearing the odd drip of water, footsteps on old flooring, still checking her omni-tool to make sure she was heading the right way, still managing to focus.
Until her signal jammed.
She gestured for Kaidan to stay put whilst she took cover behind the wall adjacent. Two, three, four seconds passed before she heard the familiar trills of Geth, talking in numbers and binary, talking in a language reminiscent of morse code in sound yet still simply a pattern of noises she’d always find grinding. Poking her head around the corner, she could make out three Geth. None looking at their direction.
“Destroyer at one o’clock.” Phoenix cast her gaze over to the direction. “Got him.” He was too far away to get with an assault rifle, even if she made a break for the window-framed wall, at most forty metres away. At least twenty. It was a heavy risk, but one she’d have to take. With a small sigh, she returned her assault rifle to its rightful place on her back and spoke in a hushed whisper. “Think you can work some magic if push comes to shove?”
“You’re going to make a break for it aren’t you?”
“That small window in the wall there” she gestured towards it with the tilt of her head “is the only way I can get a good shot without breaking my shoulder.” She shot him a quick glance. The crease between his brows, the way his lips were pursed slightly to the side, the corner of his lower lip lightly drawn into his mouth.
“I’ve got your back.” She nodded. “Once I’ve taken out the destroyer and the sniper, zig-zag your way down to me - cover to cover. Only strike first if I get spotted or at a high risk of getting caught, otherwise trust your judgement.” “Aye-Aye.”
Another look around the corner - they had barely moved, still sending out trills and checking omni-tools. Geth use omni-tools? Another second to allow the destroyer to turn to face away and she jumped into action.
The thirty-metre sprint would have been much slower, and louder, had she decided to run with a weapon out. Her back was once again pressed against a wall - safe again - and her sniper was in her hands. “Destroyer’s at your eleven. Sniper’s at you two.” Phoenix looked towards the destroyer - ten metres away at a push. She set up her sniper and shifted to her right in order to look through the hole (although it was more of a space where a metre by metre window once was) took careful aim. The sound of the sheer force of her sniper, the echo of its power, rang through the otherwise quiet room and she instantly retreated back into cover. “Sniper’s headed your way. On your right.” She didn’t have to look through the area she had just shot from to see the sniper. It’s three fingered-hand was already on the rim, and she prepared herself to hit the unit with the butt of her sniper before it had a chance to land. But the biotic energy brushed her skin first, forcing herself to close her eyes tightly and tense at the suddenness of it. The pure force had winded her as it rushed passed her like a gust of wind that was impossible to talk in. A trill coming up to her from her left - not a second later - kicked her back into action. She reached out from behind the wall in blind faith whilst she returned her sniper to her shoulder. Phoenix’s fingers latched around the arm of a platform and she used as much effort as she could muster to pull it behind the wall. Phoenix cried out at the exertion, bringing her right arm to lessen the burden upon her non-dominant hand, and guided the Geth into the wall. Glass shattered, littering the floor. Electric currents from the breaking of a circuit within the platform hampered her shields, flickering and beeping incessantly. Even as her hand quickly retreated at the shock - kept to her shields - they continued and she grumbled a string of curses under her breath as she reached for her assault rifle. “Commander -” “How many Geth do you see from your side, Alenko?” Kaidan was six feet away from her, taking cover on the opposite side of the string of walls - perhaps barriers at a market or some kind of polling station - if the Protheans elected anyone, that was. She barely looked at him, just enough to know where he was and long enough to know what he was going to say by the way he met her gaze. “Three - shock-troopers, ma’am.” She caught sight of him pop out of cover, pistol aimed down the corridor, and heard ta trill swiftly growing fainter, falling down the chasm between them and the tower a short walkway in front of them. “On my signal,” the beeping of her shields stopped and the blue hue of their recharge momentarily turned her vision a sheer blue. “you run to me, I’ll give you covering fire.” As she spoke, she took a grenade from her left side and roughly threw it at the two Geth she could see towards her left. The grenade went off, sending one down the chasm and the other against a power circuit which overloaded the trooper. “Ready?” She watched him carefully, waiting until he nodded.
She looked through the window and took the chance, gesturing him over with her left. Phoenix crouched in the centre of the window, shooting at the barriers and then the shock trooper behind, whittling down its shields for as long as she could keep on holding don her trigger, a steady gaze following its every move as it tried to escape the onslaught of bullets.
It was only when she felt the slight biotic charge that she shifted further to her left, taking cover within the corner of the wall. The final bullet had caused her rifle to beep, the barrel hot. She waited a moment, going to her omni-tool with her left eye closed as more biotic powers were unleashed. Her fingers typed and swiped, eye opening as the initially vibrant blue dulled, once her rifle had silenced. The barrel was cooler and a simple tap on her screen had reset the overheat setting and coated the rifle in a thin shield designed to keep the heat at bay.
With a quick breath, she was once again out of cover, keeping much closer to her cover this time, and opened fire. Shields whittled away, barriers down, leaving the Geth open. The ricocheting of bullets on walls, the pangs of pain where bullets hit her, her shields absorbing the kinetic energy produced from the impact, the increasing fire burning through her left arm, focusing mostly at her shoulder, as the minor vibrations from the rifle echoed through the limb more noticeable than ever before. Still, she held down the trigger until her rifle beeped again and the final trooper hit the floor.
Sweat beaded upon Phoenix’s forehead, her back hot and her neck sweltering. The muscles above her brows ached from sheer concentration and her knees clicked as she straightened. Her temples throbbed - not enough to render her unfunctional and they were easy to ignore, but enough to tell her they existed nonetheless - and her jaw tensed as she lowered her left arm.
Whatever she had done to it would heal. She’d get it looked at later by Chakwas. If she remembered, that was. If it still hurt. If it still caused her issues. If it proved to slow her down and rik the lives of her crew. She had injuries similar before and the typically went away on their own after a few minutes. What she was more concerned about was if Kaidan was okay.
He was quiet - quieter than usual. When she looked up to check how he was, give a quick scan for any visible injuries, she sighed when the first thing she saw was the look of displeasure in his eyes, integrating with the concern that been within them since the start of the corridor. Phoenix looked away, returned her rifle to her shoulder, and walked past him. “C’mon. The water controls are just around the corner.” “Shepard.”
She had only managed to walk to the other side of the window when he said her name. No rank. No ma’am But her name. Her surname. Caught off-guard at not only her name being used, but also at the dissatisfaction in his tone, she stopped mid-step, swallowed, and half turned to look at him. He stood close to what was once a doorway, leaning against the wall with the exact same expression as before. “Yes?” Kaidan approached then, taller than her by eight inches. Had he been anyone else, she could have been intimidated - but he did not look at her in anger, nor disappointment. No, the light had a chance to illuminate his left, there was simply concern that laced his gaze. “You cried out pretty loud earlier. You okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah.” She lifted her injured arm to move her fringe back into place, the tips touching her lashes. But the stilted movement, the small twitch at the corner of her mouth from her attempt to hide signs of pain, had not gone unnoticed by the way he rose a brow. “Kaidan, you worry too much.”
“And you don’t worry enough over yourself.” “It’s never been anything to worry about.” Kaidan’s concern didn’t lessen, nor did it seem to increase. Rather, he looked at her like she had caused some kind of pain. Like he’d heard it enough times it was no longer something he could simply ignore. “C’mon, don’t give me that look. That’s not fair.” “What isn’t fair is your disregard for your health.” Phoenix opened her mouth to retort, but. instead, she could only pout at the painful truth. “May I?” His hand was close enough to her arm to be respectful of her decision, yet close enough to barely be touching. “Yeah. Okay. It won’t hurt to have it bandaged for security at least.” She allowed herself to be guided back behind the wall, where she sat on the floor. She fumbled with the clasp at the front of her pauldron, close to her underarm, for a moment, then the second clasp halfway down her bicep, taking off the piece that blocked the pauldron.
The air was frigid against her now exposed arm, goosebumps appearing instantly. His armoured hand upon the area weren’t of much help, the metal just as cold. The fabric on the underside of his hand emanated very little heat, only noticeable due to chilly she was as her seat began to cool, and she wanted nothing more than for him to just take the damn gauntlets off so it would at least be a marginally pleasant experience.
A hiss escaped her at the, albeit tentative, touch at the tender area of her shoulder. “Sorry, Commander.” “No need to apologise.” Phoenix offered him a smile. “I wasn’t thinking when I decided to do that stupid move.” “It was impressive, I’ll give you that.” “Thanks, but you’re -” “Phoenix!” James’ voice echoed down the corridor, footsteps loud and heavy. She sighed in response. “Quieten down. We’re fine.” She saw the Lieutenant-Commander slow to a stride, his chest heaving. He came to a stop against the wall in front of her, leaning awkwardly with his hands on his knees. ”Armour fixed then?”
James nodded and roughly gestured at her. “What… the hell made you uglier?” He held his hand up. “Wait, you’re smiling at something. Or is it… someone?”
Phoenix rolled her eyes. Of course she’d be sat on the floor, getting bandaged up, and he’d react without even questioning how she got hurt in the first place. “Since you’re unbothered and had to deal with the water stuff on Mindoir, is there any chance you could the aqueducts sorted? Should be three thingies to deal with. Omni-tool should be able to do the work pretty easily.” “Great instructions. You’re lucky I know what they look like.” Phoenix gave him a grin that was sheepish. “You’re welcome.” She hissed again at the bandage that was being wrapped around the tender area and James poked his head into the window.
“Is Alenko hurting you?”
“No!” She reached up to whack him with her right hand. “He’s bandaging my arm, you prat.”
“You’re a prat for being stoopid.”
Phoenix huffed at James’ statement and returned to silence, watching Kaidan wrap the bandage around her arm. He’d done it a couple of times before on the extremely rare occasion they had a chance to work together on the field. He was always gentle, always apologetic. A soldier could have been swearing and cursing at their injuries whilst he got to work and he put up with it. “As I was about to say before being interrupted,” she spoke quieter, a conversation to be private. “I think you’re more impressive than you give yourself credit for.”
Kaidan shook his head at her words. “You’re just saying that to be nice.”
“Since when have I ever said anything for the sake of ‘being nice’?” She rested her head against the wall. “I could come up with a list of reasons why you’re so much more than you think you are: you were the only person besides Anderson who asked how I was holding up after Eden Prime, you make great hot chocolate, you’re so gentle in your medic mode, you think logically whilst being a man of integrity, you’re steadfast, determined, you work harder than anyone on the damn ship - apart from Joker, but he gets no sleep, you are extremely strong-willed, you -” “Okay, I get it. It’s embarrassing hearing you list compliments like that.”
“Alright, Alenko.” She sat up as he leaned back, finished, and she started to fix her armour, covering her arm once more and fiddling with the clasp. “I’ll only do them should I have to. So long as you know at least someone you work with thinks the very best of you, even at your worst.” She pat his shoulder as she stood again and looked through the window. James was on his way back, a little more dishevelled than before. “Everything good?” “Yeah.” He rolled his shoulders back. “One of them had a wire to refit, the others just needed to reset. They’re faster models than the ones that used to be back on Mindoir, but otherwise, they work the exact same.” He sighed. “Anything else you’d like me to do whilst you get back to the colony?” Phoenix thought for a moment. There wasn’t much, if anything, he could do on his own and they’d need him to continue to reach the bottom of this Geth incident. But there was something she didn’t want to do unless she had no choice. “Have a bonding experience with Garrus and Williams - there’s an Alpha Varren that’s preventing the colonists from hunting for food.”
“You want me, to take down an Alpha Varren. With this injury?”
“You asked and I answered. By the time you three are finished, us two ill be ready to continue taking down Geth.”
James rose a brow and crossed his arms. “If you say so. But be warned, weird things are afoot back at the Colony. And the Mayor doesn’t want to discuss it.” “Shady business, you think?” “Your guess is as good as mine, Lieutenant. Either way, you two be careful And Phoenix?” “What?” “Don’t go thinking all their headaches are stress-related. And if you start getting headaches, be concerned.”
Phoenix swallowed and nodded. “What a way to not trigger anxiety. Thanks, mate.” “I’m serious. They’re not natural.”
“Alright. We’ll be as quick as we can.”
Whilst James walked ahead, Phoenix looked at Kaidan, who’s confused - yet thoughtful - expression mirrored her own. Whatever was going on, either the Geth had caused it or it was the reason why they had attacked. Whichever of the two reasons, she’d find out why. If it saved the colony? She’d do anything to get to the bottom of it.