The Firefly (Mass Effect Andromeda)

Chapter 66

They kept Sara drugged, and Drack carried her through the pipes. Olivia was eager to get them out, but she couldn't leave. Not without Dr Raleigh. And certainly not while Kendra was alive. "What's wrong?" Scott asked her. "I know that look."

"It's just...I promised Dr Raleigh I wouldn't leave him behind. He didn't choose to be here, Scott."

"We can come back for him." Scott said, pausing, taking her hand. "Right now, we need to get Sara to safety, away from that psychopath."

"Scott..." she stared at him.

He sighed. "You're too tender hearted for your own good, you know that? Okay, we get Sara out but we'll stay behind and then go find your friend."

"Thank you." Olivia went on tiptoe to kiss him.

"Hey lovebirds!" Liam called out, "Get a move on!"

They dropped down near the console room, knowing that they would now be on the cameras, if Kendra was watching. "Time to escape this madness!" Vee said in relief.

"Yes." Olivia nodded. "Sara first. Liam, I'll take you with her." No one argued as Olivia focused, laying her hand on the console with single minded determination. Her vision blurred and then refocused as she reappeared in the present with them.

There was a Prodromos soldier on the other side whose mouth dropped at the sight of them. "You're..."

"Leaving." Olivia smirked, head aching as she travelled back through, leaving Sara and Liam in safety.

"Good, you're back." She heard as she steadied herself. Nina was watching her. "I think they're on their way to stop us. Who's going through next?"

"You are." Olivia said before Scott could speak. "You and Vee." She grabbed their hands, pulling them in close before activating the console.

This time in the ruins, there were several curious people. "Get out of the way!" Nina said in exasperation. "Time travellers coming through."

"Get them back safely, Liv." Vee clapped her on the shoulder. "We'll start sorting things out back here."

Olivia grabbed the console once more. She felt a little guilty. After all, she was about to ask the others to risk their lives and she hadn't given Nina that choice. But, just like Scott, she needed her sister to be safe. She needed Nina and her girlfriend to be home and happy, no matter what happened to her.

"Are you alright?" Scott asked as she reappeared. "You look pale."

"Fine." She said shortly. "They're safe."

"So are we doing this?" He asked her.

"Doing what?" Drack asked.

"I promised someone that we would rescue him. And Kendra is still here."

"You want to kill her, kid?"

"Maybe." Olivia whispered. "But first, we have to save who we can."

"We've got incoming." Lyora had been up in the pipes and floated down. "Be ready to fight, I could hear them further back."

The doors slid open. Kendra, her face awash with fury and desperation stood there. She had obviously come running the moment she saw they had taken Sara. Without Sara, or Olivia, her people were trapped, her empire cut off and powerless.

"Stop!" She shouted. "Not another step or I..."

Olivia never knew who fired the killing shot.

Her own gun had risen, firing at the woman's chest, without even blinking. Beside her, Scott had done the same thing, as had Lyora and Drack.

Kendra crumpled under the force of multiple shots. She was without armour, in her haste to find them. And in her arrogance, she had not conceived of them firing upon her.

In moments, without a battle, without any resistance, Dr Kendra Croasdale died, bleeding from multiple bullet wounds on the ground. Blood spread beneath her in a dark stain.

"Finally." Scott murmured. He wasn't gleeful, but quiet and serious.

"She caused enough death." Lyora agreed. "It had to be done, or it was never going to end.

"Nothing wrong with eliminating the threat." Drack nodded.

Olivia felt oddly sad. She had never wanted to kill, but it was inevitable. Kendra's evil could not be allowed to spread any further. They had tried capturing and imprisoning her and it never worked. Only death would end it.

She could have done so much good, Olivia thought, if she had been so inclined. Kendra had been a genius. If she had wanted she could have changed the face of Andromeda, been a force for good. Instead, she had seen people only as tools to control and destroy.

"There's still mercenaries on their way." Lyora had turned her attention to the oncoming fight. "We could just leave."

"Not without Raleigh. I promised." Olivia said obstinately.

The doors slid open again. It was Evans and three others, including Scott's friend, Swanson. There was a tense moment as both groups aimed at one another. Their eyes travelled downwards to Kendra's body, slumped on the floor. "Oh." Swanson said. "That's...unexpected."

"Kendra is dead." Olivia said fiercely. "And we're leaving. You can try and stop us but you will fail. I promise you that. You have a choice now, like everyone here. You can come with us back to the world or you can stay. But there will be no one here to open doors or activate consoles. You will be on your own. Or you can try and fight us."

"I wouldn't recommend that." Scott added.

The men were exchanging glances. "Nice to see you guys alive by the way." Swanson grinned at Scott. "Thought you were gone for sure."

"We were lucky." Scott replied. "So what's your answer?"