The Firefly (Mass Effect Andromeda)

Chapter 54

Scott had barely seen Olivia all day. He was exhausted. Now things were moving, they were moving fast. He'd been trapped in meetings, overseeing battle plans and organising the assault. She'd quietly said to him that she was willing to slot into whatever plan they came up with, but was going to spend the day with her father.

She was their only way of reaching Sara. He could go through, but would likely end up almost dying just like the first time. He worried for her though; he didn't want to put this much pressure on her, though she was much stronger than she had been.

He was asking her to face some of the things she feared most too: the Kett and the evil that was Kendra Croasdale. It was no wonder she'd disappeared for the day. She probably didn't want to think about it.

Tomorrow, they had reinforcements coming flying in from the Nexus and the day after it would begin.

"Have you seen Olivia?" He asked Vee, perched on a stool cleaning a gun. Beside her, Nina was opening up fresh packs of ammunition.

"Not since this morning." Vee replied, "Think she's with Martin."

"Yeah I went to their house but they weren't there." Scott replied. "Laura said they went out."

Vee shrugged, absorbed in her task, but Nina looked slightly perturbed. "They shouldn't be leaving the settlement with all this going on. Maybe they're at the clinic, though I can't imagine why."

"Maybe they're prepping for casualties." Scott frowned.

He crossed through the town, trying to ignore the number of people calling out to him, trying to start conversations. Eventually, he reached the clinic. The door was locked. He knocked on it. No answer but he could hear voices inside. He tried calling Liv and she didn't answer.

He hammered on the door again, not wanting to resort to using SAM to hack open the door. It could be perfectly innocent. "I can hear people in there!" He insisted.

The door opened.

Lexi was standing there, her arms folded defensively.

"What's going on Lexi?" He asked, surprised at her presence.

"Oh let him past." Lyora said from inside, "He needed to know sooner or later."

He stepped past them, hurrying through the aisle of medical equipment, noticing Martin and Nunok as well as Lyora sitting by a bed. Olivia lay on it, her eyes half-open, lazily glancing around. There was a small, bloody dressing on her temple.

"Scott, hey." She giggled. "Ssh. It's supposed to be a secret." She laughed again.

"She's high." Lyora grinned.

"What...what the hell, guys?" Scott shouted. "Has she had surgery?" His stress levels were about to hit the roof.

"It was minor." Lyora said placatingly.

"It was on her brain." Lexi continued and Scott almost choked.

"Not exactly helpful, Doctor." Nunok sighed. "She's fine. You think her father would have helped operate if the risks had been so considerable?"

Scott paused. They were all smiling so whatever they'd done, it had obviously gone well. "What exactly did you do?"

"We tweaked her implant. It was all planned." Lyora's voice was placating. "She's fine. Better than fine."

"I'll be able to take more people through." Olivia said, a weak smile on her face. "I can help." Scott sighed, stepping up to her bedside, and ruffling her hair. She turned her head, her cheek pressed against his palm. "I'm alright."

"Then I guess we have a plan." He replied, filled with affection for her. Everything she'd been through, everything she had endured, and she still kept on trying to help. He didn't deserve her. He couldn't let her get hurt.

*****

It was the morning of the operation.

Cora was taking point on the surface with the majority of Ryder's crew. Nunok wasn't involved. He wasn't a soldier. He was staying with Olivia's father to deal with any injured upon their return. Kallo would be flying above providing some fire support.

A strike team comprised of Scott, Olivia, Lyora, Vee, Nina, Drack and Liam would be pushing for the ruins and would go through.

It was going to be risky, they all knew, checking their packs over and over, loading and reloading weapons. Nina kept fussing over Liv, checking the tiny scar on her head where they'd performed surgery. Scott smiled at Liv's long suffering sigh at her sister's interference.

As the others started to head for their jeeps, Scott strode to his girlfriend, sweeping her into his arms. "Scott, I need to get ready!" She laughingly protested. He smiled at her, pressing his lips gently against hers at first but as they moved they deepened in intensity. "Are you okay?" She asked him, her eyes pleased but curious.

"I love you." He told her, serious.

"I love you too." She replied, reaching up to cup the back of his head with her hand, pulling him for another kiss. "Now stop getting serious on me. You're making nervous."

He grinned. "Yes, ma'am. Sorry ma'am."

"That's better." She winked at him. "I'll see you at the ruins, Pathfinder." Before he could say goodbye, she was jogging after her sister and Vee, all dressed in their armour.

"Ryder!" Liam was yelling at him, "We need to go."

Scott nodded, hurrying across. He switched his radio to broadcast to all channels as he climbed into the jeep. He was letting Cora have charge of the Nomad. "This is it everyone." He said, knowing everyone could hear him from the town to the Tempest. "Stay coordinated. Lieutenant Cora Harper will give orders in my absence. If you have a question, put it to her. Now let's give them hell."

The small army of vehicles rolled out, the Tempest gliding overhead with several attack ships.

The first wave started with the aerial attack. Even before he could see the Kett structures in his vehicle, he heard the first explosions and saw the rising plumes of smoke, followed by the rattles of gunfire as the Kett rushed to their posts from their siege on the mercenaries who had fortified the ruins.

The vehicles under Cora's command were rolling in, firing off, making a play for the closest Kett tower. Cora's plan was to take it, Scott knew, to give them a fixed position.

"Want us to give you a hand?" He asked over the radio. He loathed sitting back.

"No Pathfinder." Cora replied irritably as she leapt from the Nomad, slamming three Kett off their feet with a biotic blast. "You're the strike team. We open a path through the Kett and you fly through, remember?" He did remember. He just didn't like it.

Still, he watched as Cora and Vetra and Pee-Bee smashed their way into the fortification and up while soldiers from Prodromos took another.

"Laying down covering fire on your side, Firefly team." Kallo's voice called. "Go now!" Scott drummed his fingers in impatience, unable to see Olivia's vehicle as it careered into the fray, through the explosions and gunshots, heading for the ruins.

They'd left their radio on.

"Where did you learn to drive?" He heard Nina complaining.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, I'll get you there safe." Vee's voice was strained.

"Okay." Lyora said calmly into the radio. "We're through. About to hit the mercs. Raising biotic shield."

"There's no cover." Liv's voice was in the background. "Where are we going to..." he couldn't catch the rest.

There was an expletive and then a crash. Then nothing. "Firefly team?" Scott called. "Olivia, come in?"