Volair's gun wasn't the only threat trained on Tacticus. Few of the individuals within the ship's battle field aftermath would notice it, but RK's gun had shifted and pointed in the direction of the hallway where the Krogan had gone the moment RK noticed his direction. She had finished off her targets, making her too late to adjust her aim, and now just parked in the direction. Seemingly inactive. That fact wasn't completely true, as Avatar would notice on his read outs, while RK held her breath during the conversation over the Comms. She hadn't allowed Raa's or Volair's to shut off completely, allowing her to eavesdrop on the scene.
Tacticus was clearly going through the stages of grief, a thing no one needed. It actually surprised her a bit to notice him taking the loss of his friend so hard and she shifted through the data collection over Nasyrius Revex. The Turian was also a Cabal, though an ex one after the lost of his legs, which at least explained the attachment factor. However, Cabal were trained as soldiers despite their distance from the Turian military’s inner workings, loss being a factor they were trained to cope with and overcome should the experience arise.
So, RK wondered, why was Tacticus breaking down so rapidly? The only explanation she could conclude was because this death was the Turian's first brush with death.
She recalled, on research into the Cabal, that Nasyrius never did take his first loss too well like most Turians. While she could now understand, RK lacked the ability to sympathize. Mainly because they were in the middle of a hostile ship and with the enemy about to close into their position, this not the time to have a mental break down and head into the five stages of grief. After all, he wasn't the first alien to experience this. RK had watched both her creator and Noami'lie slip into a lengthy depression stage, Pai'Seef unable to pry himself away from work to eat let alone sleep for months without her reminders. It was even worse when Devyrn died and for a dreadful moment, RK's calculations of his survival was at their lowest. It made her miserable.
Logically, rage was often the first stage to appear. Especially in the heat of combat since it was easiest to tap in during the moment and it was often followed by the others, hitting the individual at their weakest. Acceptance was always the hardest and usually the last stage to reach since afflicted had to finally face what happened and acknowledge it, healing being more emotionally tormenting than the denial itself.
This made her glad she wasn't organic. So much drama, she thought in an acidic tone.
Her data tensed as she listened helplessly over the Comms, her worry increased upon what Raa was likely to do and her knowledge proven accurate from Voira's words. The Asari's words warning Raa to get back before she got hurt. If he so much as touched Raa, RK would end his life the moment she got a chance. The ship was easily enough to create small spaces and isolate Turian long enough to eject him into space should he prove a threat to Raa. And unlike the organics, RK had little problem jettisoning the trash if it came down to it.
Though her worry turned to relief when Raa obeyed Voira and made her way timidly into the shuttle, her sensors decided to keep tabs on Tacticus. She didn't trust the Cabal, despite how helpful they had been, in keeping their pal under control. One thing about her, she didn't trust either the humans or turians to keep their own in line and she was ready to put down any unexpected hostiles to keep her own safe. Even at risking Raa never forgiving her.
They departed without further incident. Her interceptor gliding through the black space easily and humming like a kitten, her eyes peeled for trouble. When they reached their destination there was an unwanted surprise waiting for them. A graveyard of ships, or rather ship pieces, floating among the vast void and scraping against the barriers coating their ship's outside. The blue energy buzzed in protest but RK ignored it. Her scanners already searching the area for answers and downloading the data back to Avatar for his own analysis.
Upon recalling Raa's emotional state, RK opened her Comm up to give Voira aheads up. “Might want to hold Raa and keep her from looking out the window, she won't enjoy the view. The whole turian group was wiped out.”
Raa froze in place. Her figure abruptly halting in its motions and eyes widen in shock, her ears catching Tacticus' low growls and wiggling mandibles that showed his stress rising higher at her offer. Fear ran its cold claws down her back causing her spine to shiver as it spread through out her rigid skeleton. She tried to move her limbs, to slowly reach for her gun, and grasp it for protection the more it seemed the Turian was about to attack her. Finally, her foot took an instinctive step back to increase the distance. Her purplish eyes were filled with worry and pity, her helplessness washing over her. A loud click, followed by Voira's warning snapped her away from her frighten state.
Raa's head jerked to her friend and her jaw quickly tightened in terror. The Asari held a gun out and pointed it in Tacticus' direction, the blue woman's eyes harden in warning. It was such a look that Raa doubted her ally would hesitate to take him down. It wasn't something that was acceptable as they were suppose to be working together, not fighting among themselves.
She had been about to do something when Tacticus was approached by his commanding officer. Unable to get her throat to work properly, the quarian merely stood there in silent and watched him speak to his deceased friend. Her heart hurt in desire to help him through this rough time but her experience in grief was greatly lacking thanks to the effort of those around her. She had blessed to see the world's best rather than its worse, her eyes sheltered from the horrors they were likely to face. Upon hearing Voira's orders, she felt the tension leave her body and began to move toward the ship. The humans, most seeming nervous to her over either her encounter with the Turian or their situation, started to shepherd everyone into the shuttle quickly.
She found a small, out of the way corner here she settled in. Her arms held her tightly as she laid against the cold metal seat and felt the immuno-boosters wearing off. She coughed slightly and merely watched the passing of bodies enter the shuttle. Each new individual filled out the space as she tried to make herself as small as possible, giving everyone enough room to fit onboard.
Raa had kept silent during the trip, her body pulled upright and eyes studying the outside the ship when RK’s voice interrupted her thoughts. Though she barely listened to the sound, letting it become background noise. She had been reflecting over the scene which had happened during the station and relieved it was finally over. They were heading to safety which meant they would be parting their ways again. Something that drew a slight hint of guilt that seeped into her conscious.
Would the Turian be alright?
Twisted metal and melded hull floated by her window, her eyes widen as the thought slipped past her focus to a new, more morbid subject. She blinked, questioning the reason there would scrap metal out this far until it came to her what the origin might be. She gasped, her hand jerked up in a gasp. No… no! The group they were suppose to meet up with later was now nothing more than a massive grave, their corpses lingering among the ship remains. Her imagination naturally filled in the blank and lacking details causing her to jerk into Voira’s arms, her face buried in the asari’s shoulder. She had forgotten Voira’s condition in order to purge her mind of those unwanted images.
