The Firefly (Mass Effect Andromeda)

Chapter 12

She felt a little guilty about lying to Scott as she landed in Prodromos. Still, she wasn't being reckless. Tann had sent her, after all, and promised her an escort. This was as safe as she could be. Bradley introduced her to Aaron Swanson and Corporal Des Patel. They were to be her escort he declared, though he had no idea what Tann had sent her for and watched her with a little suspicion. "He just told me that we're to provide you with an escort and anything else you could need." Bradley had said, "Must be some story you're chasing?"

"Yeah." She said, a little sheepish, "Should hopefully not take too long."

"I don't like risking my people for something I don't know about." Bradley raised an eyebrow at her. "I hope you intend to tell them what they're looking for."

"I won't risk them unnecessarily." Olivia replied, feeling uneasy. "And of course. We're looking for a community of scientists on a Nexus research project. They've gone dark and Tann wants me to check it out."

"An odd task for a journalist." He pointed out. She didn't reply.

Liv had been keen to leave immediately but a storm had rolled in, whipping up the sand and making travel downright dangerous. Bradley insisted that she stay a night or two until it died down. Instead, she sat that evening in front of a terminal doing some digging. She started by accessing her friends' personnel files. Nunok and Lyora she noted had the same employment code, despite their employment records otherwise being sealed. She then ran that same code through the Nexus database that Tann had given her partial access to. It came up with a list of twelve names, who she could reasonably assume were the Project Firefly staff. One of the names, marked deceased, was Pavara D'Rosi.

Out of interest she ran the code again through older records from before the mutiny. A thirteenth file appeared. The name was Kendra Croasdale. She'd worked on virtual intelligence systems in the Milky Way, according to her file. Upon coming to Andromeda in the Nexus team, she'd been assigned to Firefly. It looked as though she'd been exiled, though there was no particular reason given as to why.

A disgraced former team member seemed a likely suspect. If only she had Scott's scanner and SAM access. It wouldn't take her long to track any of this down. As it was, she'd have to keep plodding on alone.

Swanson came to collect her the next morning. The winds had died down enough to make travel safe again. They had a crate of supplies and a truck ready to go. Both men were surly, clearly unhappy with their assignment of escorting a journalist and so said little as they drove out of the outpost.

Eventually Patel, a former Alliance soldier, started chatting. He had come across her sister Nina while in service he said. He told some stories that made her laugh, involving Hanar diplomats and Batarian pirates. Meanwhile their truck cruised north.

"I think we've got a puncture." Swanson cursed from the driver's seat. He pulled up the truck. "This isn't going to be a quick fix." He grumbled, "You may as well eat your lunch."

Olivia and Patel dragged the crate from the truck, sitting down together in the sand to pick at the food. It was peaceful, and Olivia relaxed, looking around. No Kett, no raiders, just the three of them and a new world.

The bang took them all entirely by surprise. It was deafening in the silence. Swanson jerked once and dropped to the ground.

It took a moment for she and Patel to understand as they turned, staring at Swanson's contorted body, blood trickling from the hole in the back of his head, his eyes open, staring into infinity.

"Sniper!" Patel yelled. "Get to the truck!"

There was another crack of a bullet that slammed into the side of the truck, punching into the metal. Olivia shrieked in fear, scrambling up onto her feet as a third bullet whizzed past her. She'd gotten inside as a fourth bang occurred, and Patel let out a cry, toppling forwards into the vehicle. She leaned over dragging him in with a strength she didn't realise she possessed and slammed the door shut.