The Firefly (Mass Effect Andromeda)

Chapter 22

"I can't believe Ryder stole our friends." Olivia grumbled, boarding the ship with Vee.

"Maybe he wanted his team to have more diversity." Vee joked. They were on board a supply ship headed for Eos. It had been almost six weeks since Havarl had begun functioning again. Three weeks earlier the Turian ark had limped in with its survivors and its new Pathfinder. It was another huge success for Scott Ryder, and Olivia had been desperate to call him. Instead, she dropped Liam and Lexi messages, and when they were on the Nexus had met up with them for drinks, and Vetra had joined them.

"Yeah right." Olivia rolled her eyes. "Still I bet Nina will be glad we're coming to visit. She'll be glad you decided to join me." She kept her face straight, purposefully oblivious to the turian's embarrassment.

"It'll be good to see her." Vee said finally. The flirtation between her sister and Vee had continued all the way to Nina leaving for Eos. "I wish the others were coming. It's been quiet without them."

When the crew of the Tempest had been leaving, Lyora and Nunok had gone with them. Ryder had been previously to Kadara to investigate a group who passionately hated artificial intelligence. He had stopped whatever the threat was, but the group had some sophisticated technology that he wanted experts to look at. Lyora and Nunok were nominated by Tann and had disappeared off to Kadara for several weeks. She felt a little resentful.

Bored on the Nexus, she had jumped at the chance of a small report on agriculture on Eos. She could get the scoop from her mother, and it would be a chance to see how her family were getting on.

Touching down in Prodromos, she stepped out in the familiar blazing sunlight. She'd not been back since she had almost died, and yet she felt no shiver of foreboding. "Liv!" A familiar voice yelled, sprinting over and almost knocking her over with her embrace. "Good to see you!"

"Nina!" She laughed, "You look very tanned."

"I'm enjoying it here." Nina grinned, "Had my first Kett encounter last week, which was a little terrifying. Mum and Dad are thrilled that you're here." She turned to Vee, "I'm so glad you came. I wish this place had a bar."

"We'll get that drink eventually." They wandered off together.

Olivia went to find her parents. Several days passed, travelling with her mother to the various farms she was aiding with, trying to produce in the arid soil. Her father seemed content, quietly working as a doctor. His health was improving daily with the fresh air and sunlight.

Night fell, and a message dropped into her inbox as she sent out her reports to be broadcast. It was from an unknown correspondent.

'Miss Taylor, I understand that you have been searching for a Dr Kendra Croasdale. I can tell you that she is on the planet Kadara. I have left the details with Umi in Kralla's Song. Come quickly.'

She sucked in a breath, her hands freezing. She didn't know what to do with this information. On the one hand, Kendra had tried to make a mind control device, been kicked off the project and then committed numerous murders. On the other, she had saved Olivia's life, and left Lyora alive.

She needed to be brought to justice by someone.

Vee had immediately agreed. "The others are already on Kadara. We have to make sure Kendra doesn't go after them. She needs stopping after everything that she's done." Nina walked in while they sat discussing.

"What's going on?"

"We're just discussing Kendra."

"The crazy bitch who tried to kill you all?" Nina sat on the floor, arms folded.

"She's on Kadara." Vee said, "Me and Liv are going to smoke her out."

"Not without me, you're not."

"What about your job?" Liv frowned.

"I'll get permission." She shrugged. "When do we leave?"

*

She landed in the Govorkam System with her sister and Vee. They were pretending to be exiles as they visited Kadara. Just because Scott had the run of the place didn't mean that other Nexus people wouldn't be shot on sight. It was a mountainous world, originally belonging to the angara. It was now a world of Nexus exiles and pirates. An atypical amount of sulphide minerals had made the water across the planet toxic. It was a rough place to live.

The ship touched down in Kadara Port. It was ruled by a woman named Sloane Kelly. She had once been a Nexus security official until the uprisings. She now ruled a gang called the Outcasts, and Kadara was theirs. Nothing happened without the permission of the Outcasts. The Angara once used that area as a trade port, and still had a limited presence, but mostly it had been taken over by mercenaries and pirates from the Milky Way. The Outcast headquarters dominated the area, as well as a bustling market.

They had exchanged their Nexus clothes for dark nondescript gear that allowed them to blend in. Olivia was worried that her face would be recognised, but HNS had no presence on Kadara, and so she slipped under the radar. As they stepped into the market place, a scuffle broke out, turning into a brawl that knocked goods from a stall. Armed men raced out from all directions, and with several shots, it was all over. Several bloody bodies were sprawled on the ground. The survivors were dragged off in cuffs.

"What is this place?" Olivia said nervously.

"Somewhere to shut up and keep your head down." Nina muttered. "While we're here, we say what we have to and do what we have to in order to stay alive."

"Liv, you wait over here." Vee indicated a corner. "Nina and I will chase down where this Kralla's Song place is."

Liv sighed, leaning against the wall, playing with loose strands of hair. An armed human and a turian were deep in conversation nearby. "So I was speaking with Kaetus..." The turian said. "He said no engaging potential Collective members in the port."

"Seriously?" The human replied, disgruntled, "They're all over the place, they even have a recruiter in Kralla's."

"Sloane knows." The turian shrugged. "I bet they've got something planned. Sloane makes the right moves at the right time. The Outcasts will rid this place of the collective. Kaetus said though if you're in the Badlands, feel free to blast them away. Spirits know they deserve it."

The Collective, she'd gathered were another group of exiles vying for control of Kadara. The whole planet just felt like a powder keg waiting to blow. The human glanced at Olivia, "What are you looking at, huh?" He asked aggressively.

"Nothing." She stammered out. "I was just admiring the way you handled the brawl earlier. If all the Outcasts were as able as you, Kadara would be so safe." She lied, smiling flatteringly.

"Is that right?" The turian replied, "Well aren't you sweet? What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Vanessa." She made up on the spot, "Vanessa Chambers."

"And what do you do, Vanessa?"

"I just got here." She stammered, "I was on Eos, trying to live there. The Kett destroyed everything. I heard Kadara was safe from the Kett."

"You're damn right it is." The human said proudly. "I bet we can fix you up with somewhere to stay." The human said, "I'm Lyle Slawter. We'll go to Kralla's."

"Haven't got time." The turian replied, "I'll see you around Lyle." He wandered off, leaving Olivia arm in arm with the Outcast who steered her away.

Nina was going to kill her.