Part 7: Send-off

Jessie sat in the mess, playing with her food. "Never gets easier, does it?"

"No it doesn't, Macchia."

Cookie crossed his arms. "Well, aren't you gonna ask me to sit down?"

"Not much point in that, you were going to anyway." He nodded slightly.

"True, but I usually like to be invited."

"And I hate useless gestures." retorted Jessie.

Cookie sat himself across from her. "So what happened to the Tedronai kid?"

"You know the answer to that." replied Jessie.

"I suppose I do. How is everyone taking it?" Jessie rolled her eyes.

"You know the answer to that too. Look Macchia, I don't need a sounding board
or a shoulder to cry on. So if you want to council someone, go talk to
O'Connor." Jessie stood and began to stalk away.

"Just thought you'd like to know, burial detail is at fifteen hundred hours."

Jessie stopped just long enough to glance back at him. "I'll make a note of
it."


On the other side of the mess, others were discussing the same topic. "I
heard Gamma lost one of their own." said Unholy.

"Yeah, now they know what its like for us." replied Dagger.

"Show the proper decorum, Private."

Dagger looked surprised as he asked, "Oh come on, Lieutenant, like they care
if one of us dies?"

"Whenever anyone lays down their life for the rest of us, its an action to be
commended, not scorned." answered Crow. "I'll be attending the funeral. I
can't order any of you to be there, but I'd ask that you come." Crow looked
for some sort of response, when he got none he promptly turned on his heel to
leave.

* * *

In the quiet of her quarters, Jessie ran the mission over in her mind. A
thousand things to do different, a thousand ways Hephaistos could have
countered them. She rubbed her shoulder, the med-techs had done a good job of
stitching it back together. There was a knock at the door. "Come in."

Captain Jose entered and stood in front of her. "Problem with your hand,
Sergeant?"

Jessie tried to stop it from trembling. When unsuccessful, she balled it into
a fist and crossed her arms. "Comes and goes sir. Its nothing."

"Maybe you should have the med-techs take a look at it, just in case."
suggested Jose.

"I'll make a note of that. You wanted something, sir?"

"I just got through talking with Mengele. He'll be going to Tedronai's
funeral."

"And you?" asked Jessie.

"I will be too. The day we don't care when one of our own dies is the day we
become like the Neos." Powers nodded. "What are you going to do?" asked Jose.

Jessie stood up. "I was thinking of going. And hoping the men would get the
hint and follow us."

"Sounds good. Here, I thought you'd want this back." Jose produced a small
rectangular box and handed it to her before leaving the room. Jessie opened
it. Contained within was a small dagger and the rank insignia of Commander
Hobbes.

"Thank you, Captain."

* * *

Gamma's hanger was quiet. An unnatural occurrence given its purpose but
befitting its function for the day. Tedronai's black coffin lay near the
center. Clustered around it were members Gamma Squad and the Normandy's
command staff. They were about to begin when Jessie, Mengele, and Jose
arrived. It had seemed they were the only members of Sierra Three to show.
Nikki Montgomery hadn't noticed their presence until she felt a hand on her
shoulder. Mengele said nothing, and he didn't have to, the expression on his
face conveying everything required. She drew close to him and rested her head
on his shoulder. From a small distance, Amy Hiatt nodded her head in
approval. Jessie stood a short distance behind most others, staring down at
the coffin. She was saying goodbye, in her own way. Jose looked back towards
the entrance, and discovered the faith he had in his men was not misplaced.
With the addition of the rest of Sierra Three, Captain Henry stepped forward
to begin...