There were only a few hours of rest given to individuals who had committed to fixing their home—the Citadel. Being a space station, which sustained severe damages during the Reaper Wars, meant hourly inspections on critical infrastructure. The Citadel's life support systems, essential to preserve breathable air on the station, endured the most damage from the blast. Fortunately, it was recovered and restored to backup systems housed inside C-Sec Headquarters. But the copy was corrupted and brought forth new problems.
Alisha Gleaves, a former secretary to some multigalactic corporation, was now contributing through the restoration effort. She had been assigned with the evacuation of Docking Bay F-18 after the life support systems began failing in the section. So, the decision was made to abandon the area and transfer power over to the remaining bays. But there was resentment from the Displaced, the few survivors of the Reaper invasion of the Citadel, tired of relocating every few weeks. A squad was sent over to ensure things went smoothly.
"Just got done escorting the stragglers out." One of the squadmates reported and then continued. "We will make the rounds again to be sure before giving the all-clear."
"Sounds good. Notify me once you're done." Alisha approved before ending the transmission. It felt great that something was going smoothly for once. Behind her, a familiar man stood tall as if he was cherishing his work. She didn't notice until he went over to the other side of the room, observing one of the monitors while someone approached him with a datapad.
"Here's what you asked for." Zrartak Kruzki, a former computer engineer turned soldier after the Cerberus incursion. He was the lead engineer assigned with restoring the life support systems on the Citadel to pre-war conditions. Even with a brilliant mind working tirelessly, the task seemed insurmountable with constant malfunctions growing more concerning by the minute. But, the salarian engineer was ready to face the impossible with some help. Zrartak handed the datapad over to a close friend. "I hope it's sufficient, Tamás."
Upon hearing his first name, Tamás Zsolt-Cox felt everyone's eyes gawking at him in the room. It was something that he had never gotten used to since being designated leader. Well, more like compelled than anything. Tamás didn't have the qualities of a born leader, but he had the potential of saving the Citadel. And now, he was leaving his home to do so by answering the Sol Restoration Network's call to action.
"Thank you, Zrartak." Tamás thanked his friend and grabbed the datapad, which contained real-time data on the Citadel. "Good luck."
Tamás took a brief glance at the memorial wall, thinking to himself for a second, before going outside. There wasn't time to reflect on the dead, especially when it's still painful to do so. And the fact that the shuttle's driver, Eto Mitsuru, was technically violating the law. He was inspecting the shuttle while another familiar face was standing nearby. Inès Gobeli, the acting security chief, was still investigating reports of increased patrols close to the Citadel. She wasn't in a good mood as a result but apparently made time to bid farewell to her friend.
"I had hoped that we meet at a better time." Tamás admitted with a hint of sadness in his voice. But instead of sorrow, Inès just smiled and hugged her friend.
"This will do just fine."
Tamás held his friend for a moment longer before letting go and putting his hands on her shoulder. "This isn't goodbye. I will be back someday with enough support to restore our home to its former glory."
"I know." Inès said. "Urato and I will make sure that the station doesn't descend into chaos in your absence. Speaking of... have you seen Urato?"
"I did yesterday, but I suppose he's still in his room." Tamás looked at the C-Sec headquarters and then frowned. "Just... be there for him. He's still hurt and needs someone more than ever."
Inès nodded. Eto stood near his shuttle with his arms crossed, clearly annoyed. "Hurry up already! I don't need to remind you of the huge risk I am taking for you guys."
Tamás breathed and made his way towards the shuttle, still wearing the armor brought by Canlius. He remembered how it was wrapped up in a mixture of used wrapping paper and printer paper. And how the paint retained its fresh coat of olive green. It was a perfect gift. Now, it served as a painful memory of what was lost. Tamás barely squeezed inside the crowded shuttle as its doors shut close. He began praying for the shuttle to not crash on the way to its destination: Earth.
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