The Firefly (Mass Effect Andromeda)

Chapter 51

Scott received word immediately that something had happened to Sara. "Pathfinder, I don't want to alarm you, but I have lost contact with Sara."

"What do you mean, you've lost contact?" Scott froze, ducking as Kett opened fire upon him. He saw Liam and Vetra glance his way.

"It's as if I'm being blocked somehow." If an AI could sound perplexed, then SAM did.

"Explain." He commanded tersely. "Guys, pull back." He shouted through the radio to his companions.

"But they're on the retreat." Vetra pointed out reasonably.

"Something's happened to Sara." His voice choked. He couldn't stand this, the worry. Not again. He'd lost his mother, and then watched his father sacrifice his life for his son. He'd had the months of worry while Sara lay in a coma.

And then there was Liv. Where to start with Olivia? She just seemed to attract trouble. What she had been through in the last year should have broken her. It would have broken any lesser person. But she had soldiered on, she had survived and recovered from the atrocities done to her. He loved her for that.

Since they'd escaped the past, they hadn't seen one another as much as they wished. He'd had to get back to work, she'd gone back into journalism for a time, but was being railroaded into more of a diplomatic role. Tann had noticed her admirable ability at making friends and sent her off to be their presence on Aya for a while.

He missed her smile.

He couldn't take it anymore.

"Pulling back, boss." Liam's voice was soft.

"SAM, I need you to explain." Scott said as he jogged for the Nomad.

"She had a message saying Dr Gaari needed to speak with her, during the planned rally. She went to a docking bay and then nothing." SAM told him. "I can't see her, or feel her."

"We need to get to the Nexus...now!"

It was a tense flight. No one seemed to know what to say as Scott started his furious calls to various Nexus officials, all of who seemed to know nothing.

"Oh just forget it!" He shouted, finishing a call and stalking like an angry panther around the halls of the ship, heading for his cabin and flopping down on the bed, head in his hands. There was a call coming through, he realised after a while. Whoever it was, was persistent. For a moment, he looked up from his despair.

Olivia.

He answered.

"About time." She said immediately. "If you didn't pick up soon, I was going to send Drack down to make you talk to me."

"I'm sorry," he stuttered, "I just..."

"I know. Liam called me."

He didn't have to say it again. Hot tears flickered behind his closed eyelids and he blinked them back. "I don't know where she is! How can this be happening again? First we lost you, and now Sara!"

"We'll find her, Scott." She told him firmly. "We always have found each other and we will find her again. We've all come back from worse than this alive." Her voice calmed him instantly. He took deep breaths, regaining some control. "I've asked Tann if I can come back to help. He says yes so I'm on the next ship out of Aya."

"Thank goodness." He managed a smile. "I think I can do this if you're with me."

"That's the spirit." She winked at him, though he could see the fear and concern lurking in her face, despite the optimism she tried to show him.