Hey all! Blue here for my very first 'Mass Effect' fic. I'm really proud of this moment since it's taken me a while to catch up with everyone else. But enough of that, for now at least. On to what we're all here for! I own nothing save the copies of the games, the books and one day… a Garrus plushie. Cuz I want him to be mine dammit! Enjoy!

"Iii" = speech

"Iii" = tele/radio speech

Iii = thought

Chapter 1: Perspective

Commander Hayden Shepard couldn't help but rub some of the oncoming sleep from her eyes of silver-grey, a few strands of her chin-length brown hair doing little to fight off the bright glow of the Galaxy Map. She'd been standing there for what felt like days when she was damn sure it was hours. Hell, she half expected her boyfriend and lover, Garrus Vakarian to come up from the gun batteries to drag her to her—no their she corrected herself—quarters for some well earned rest. But last she checked, their platinum supply was still too low for her liking and she'd already gone through ten different planets looking for more. And so far, the most she'd gotten was some palladium, a shitload of iridium and very little element zero. Not the best hunt she'd ever had but at least it was something for her efforts, especially having to tell EDI, the ship's AI to shoot probes over and over. It was starting to get a bit tedious. Not to mention annoying when the female voiced computer kept announcing the launch of each pod. If not for the still warm mug of coffee in her hand, she would've been bored out of her mind at having done nothing but mine for resources for the past few hours.

Kelly Chambers, her bright eyed redhead of a yeoman, had yet to say anything to her about her excessive work ethic, but Hayden could feel the woman's cool green eyes on her back as she mused over the surfaced of her eleventh planet. Sipping the dark brew, Hayden lazily let EDI send probes to a few more elemental hotspots before her brain told her she was officially bored of what she was doing. Swiftly and easily she exited the Galaxy Map, letting the hologram become the oddly orange model of her ship as she stepped down from the platform to head towards the elevator.

"Get some rest Kelly."

"Thanks! And you too Commander." The bubbly redhead practically exclaimed with a smile. Her perky personality had its advantages sometimes.

Hayden just nodded, smiling at the redhead as the door shut before her, the gears slowly taking her up to her quarters. By now, Hayden was sure that Garrus had, most likely, beaten her there. Entering only to find the room was dark save for the light from the fish tank, not stopping her from setting her mug down on her desk. Her private terminal blinked to life at her proximity but she ignored it. Right now, all she was interested in was a nice, warm shower and a long night's sleep next to the only man that mattered to her. Her pre-bed activities only lasted about five to seven minutes, quickly drying her hair of any residual moisture before tossing the small towel to a chair she was sure was somewhere in the dark. With the blue glow of the fish tank to help her, Hayden noted that Garrus was, very much indeed, already in her bed. And for once in their relationship, he was already asleep. Staring at his slumbering form, she couldn't help but smile. He'd been working as hard as she had for the past few weeks. Fighting down a chuckle at her mate, Hayden slipped under the covers, bringing her pale arms around him from behind as she pressed her face into his back. It only took her a few seconds to sigh in contentment.

Until she felt him move that is. Surprised, the woman almost let go only to find his equally thin arms wrapped around her, the scarred side of his face rubbing against her skin as he whispered a bit too sexually into her sensitive ear. "Gotcha."

Hayden couldn't help but chuckle, his skin touching hers easily waking her up again as she whispered back. "You, Garrus Vakarian, are a naughty boy."

"Only around you." He said, pulling back so that their eyes could meet, her silver-grey and his cerulean blue. "Up a little late weren't you?"

The woman in his grip just rolled her eyes, as humans he'd found, were prone to do when asked what they deemed the obvious. "Garrus, I just got here. I think it's safe to say I stopped working a while ago."

"True, but it's still pretty late. And I do distinctly remember someone lecturing me about working too hard. 'Work myself to death' I think your words were." He stated, sounding smug at his own wit.

Hayden groaned. As much as she loved him, she didn't want to have this conversation right now. But she just smiled at him, his crystal blue eyes watching her like a predator that'd just found the perfect prey. As their eyes met, she could see the fire in them. Nuzzling her nose against his face, her mouth rubbing suggestively against one of his mandibles, her eyes didn't even waver as she spoke. "I guess it all depends on whether or not you were a good boy or not now doesn't it?"

"You're such a tease." He stated, his flanged voice low and husky. She could only grin to herself. She knew exactly which buttons to push.

"Only around you." Hayden whispered, her warm breath coming in contact with his rough skin, making the turian shiver. Most likely in anticipation was her guess.

This time he chuckled, the sound low and reverberated through his chest, making her even more heated than before. He pulled back to look her right in the eyes, on arm around her waist while the other stroked her cheek. "Careful Shepard. You just might go too far. Back yourself into a corner you can't get out of if you keep it up like this."

"Oh? And what's stopping me? You? Mr. 'I'm Not A Good Turian'?" she said, smiling triumphantly at him, chuckling at his feigned pout.

"My, aren't we feisty tonight? Did something good happen?" Garrus couldn't help but ask. Hayden was rarely like this unless she was in a really good mood.

"Yeah." Her voice brought him out of his thoughts, her lips placing a chaste kiss on his own, taking him by surprise. "You hugged me."

Blinking at this information, Garrus quickly recovered. The face he put on only told her he was about to get devious on her. "Well then! Maybe I should hug you more often."

"Slow down big fella. Only on our off hours. Like now." She said coolly, using her free arm to bring him closer to her, wiggling innocently, earning her another groan of well-reigned pleasure.

His voice had come down another octave when he spoke, not hesitating to attack her neck with playful nibbles of affection. "Definitely like now." His mandibles quivered at sudden moan at his actions, smiling to himself as he went on. "Miss me?"

"Terribly. You?" the woman slowly falling under his spell managed to say, her breathing becoming deeper, longer. Plus she was holding him pretty tightly.

"Like a missing piece of myself." Garrus whispered just loud enough for the translator to pick up, his three fingered hands seeming to be all over the place. Suddenly one of them was under her shirt and dancing across the skin of her back and spine, his attention having come to her collarbone. Shifting so that he was above her had been easy enough, his soft touch and light kisses sending his love into a state of pure bliss.

"Garrus." She whispered, her voice soft and breaking in the pleasure he was sending her into with his constant attentions.

"Yes?" he inquired, his tone still smug as he turned his attention to her stomach. An area where, he'd long since discovered, she was most sensitive, especially when he wasn't even trying.

"Don't stop." He heard her moan, her body arching, their forms connecting and melding in blossoms of warmth, despite their clothing being in the way.

"I don't plan to." Garrus stated calmly, coolly, making her shiver. He was on a roll and there was nothing-. The comm. suddenly beeped, the source coming from the nightstand. Garrus shut his eyes. This wasn't happening. Only it beeped again, the noise seeming more urgent.

Dammit. His growl rumbled from deep in his throat and chest as he pressed on. Like hell a mission was going to ruin their moment. "Don't answer that."

Blinking at the distraction, Hayden's eyes were already losing their passionate fire, her mind trying to piece itself back together. "Garrus I-."

"Just let it ring. It's probably not that important." He didn't mean to sound angry, since she winced at his words. Calming himself for a second, he spoke again, this time choosing his words carefully. "When was the last time we got some real alone time? Really? Just ignore it."

Hayden just quirked an eyebrow, giving him a look that only told him one thing: he'd dug himself into a hole, and there was no way out. Garrus was sure his mandibles were twitching nervously without his knowledge. "And just who is the commanding officer here?" she asked, staring him right in the eye. Sighing and burying his face into her shoulder, Garrus mumbled something, only making the woman speak again. This time her voice was smug as hell. "Hmm? I didn't hear you."

Lifting his head a little, he finally admitted. "You are."

"And who decides whether we go on missions or not?" she asked, a hand lightly gripping the back of his head to make him look at her again.

Holding back another sigh, Garrus couldn't hide his disappointment. "You do."

"That's right. So if I answer, and decide it's a waste of time, we can keep going. If it really is something urgent, then you," she said smiling, giving him a light kiss on the nose as her eyes looked into his. "My dear and beloved turian can finally be rewarded for your good behavior at a different time. Deal?"

This time Garrus couldn't help but sigh, wondering when the hell he was ever going to win these discussions. "Do I have a choice?"

She was smiling at him, the expression almost too cheerful for his tastes. "Always. I'm just not going to give you any."

Garrus simply grunted, biting down a bitter chuckle as Hayden pulled away from him to press the comm. button on the nightstand. "And here I thought I was the mean one."

Ignoring him, Hayden's voice suddenly turned professional. "What is it Joker?"

"Something weird just popped up on sensors Commander. EDI says it's a ship but even I'm not sure what the hell it is. Just thought you might want to know." Their ever sarcastic pilot Jeffery 'Joker' Moreau stated over the intercom, his voice echoing in the silence of the loft.

Hayden had to turn to look at Garrus, her face etched with confusion. "Are you sure it's not a space station?"

Joker's voice seemed to convey his concerns. "No ma'am. It's too oddly shaped to be a station, but it's not moving for it to be a ship. Plus its configuration doesn't fit anything we have on record."

"I'm guessing that's not all." Hayden pondered, eyeing the ceiling as she sat back onto the bed pillows.

"You guessed right. As far as we know, nobody's supposed to be posted out here. And no governments have record of having a station this far into the Terminus Systems." Joker paused, not sure what to do or say. "What's the plan Commander?"

"How long until we reach its location?" she asked, eyeing Garrus, who was simply watching her with as much patience as his turian pride could muster.

They heard Joker fiddle with some of the screens on his end before he spoke, sounding a little unsure of his own estimates. "Oh… roughly twenty minutes. We didn't even know it existed until we were almost on top of it. Your orders?"

"Take us in low and slow Joker. We don't want to spook anyone who might be on board. And you're sure that it's not moving?" she had to ask. For all they knew it was some new and improved Collector ship. That was an adventure she didn't want to repeat.

"It's a sitting duck Commander. The damned thing isn't even giving off a mass effect field for cryin' out loud." They heard Joker retort, his tone showing he was somewhat insulted.

Hayden nodded, then seemed to remember that Joker couldn't see her. "Call Grunt and tell him to meet me and Garrus at the airlock in fifteen minutes. Shepard out."

The two let the comm. shut itself off, sitting in the silence for a moment before Garrus finally spoke up, sounding just as confused as the pilot had been. "Did I hear him right? It's not a station but it's not a ship either? That doesn't make much sense." He glanced at her, blue eyes taking in her thoughtful gaze into the darkness of the room. "So does this mean I get to kill something for ruining our moment?"

This witty statement seemed enough to make her smirk with a low laugh, her silver-grey eyes turning on him with amusement dancing in their depths. "Not so fast hotshot. You'll get your chance to shoot a few things. But only on my order you got it?"

The double implication immediately clicked in Garrus's head, making him glad he couldn't blush, otherwise he'd be beet red. Instead he let his mandibles flutter in a turian smile as he nodded. He was about to rise from his position next to her when he felt a hand come out of nowhere against his shoulder, forcing him back down. Caught off guard, Garrus didn't know he was being kissed until Hayden's lips touched his, her tongue, the sinful thing, was pushing for entrance. Quickly enraptured in the action, his hands were roving up and down her back as they fought for control of the kiss. Eventually, like in most things, she won.

Finally pulling away, breathless and hungry for more but not daring to do so, Garrus's blue eyes searched her silver-grey. "What was that for?"

She smiled back, her face a little pink as he breath came in warm pants against the sensitive skin of his face. "That was to seal our deal. I can't go against my honor breaking promises now can I? Especially if it's to a turian of considerable pride."

"Of course Commander. I'd hate for you to tarnish your honor by going back on your word. Especially if it's to a prideful turian like myself." He said smugly, this time kissing her, with a gentle tenderness he'd been careful to perfect before pulling away. Only this time his own voice serious and professional. "Shall we get ready then?"

Her smile, kind and filled with love, made both his heart and mandibles flutter. Just all the other times it'd done before. "That we shall."

Less than ten minutes later, both were in their respective armors, checking their weapons as the elevator lazily brought them down a level to the CIC. Kelly gave them a nod of acknowledgment, though her eyes sparked likely with thoughts about their 'activities'. But the redhead knew better than to voice it. Though it was likely that the whole damn crew knew about the two of them by now, they had enough respect for their commander and her companion to keep it to themselves. Whenever she was around of course. Coming up behind Joker to look out the large windows, Garrus couldn't help but go slack jawed at the sight before them: the large structure was long and sleek, its metal a dull grey with markings painted on that he was sure no one recognized. Various rows of square holes, some dark, others radiating light, gave the impression of windows. Its design had some semblance to the Normandy, only it was fuller, wider and larger. Plus the stern was built differently to suggest it was neither of human or turian design. Joker had been right, this ship wasn't like any they'd seen before. From what he could tell, they were slowly circling it.

"EDI, what's the status of that thing?" he heard Shepard ask, bringing him out of his thoughts as they both looked at the blue orb for answers.

In her almost monotone synthesized voice, EDI didn't waste time responding. "As you can see Commander, it is clearly a ship. But the design and markings do not match any in our current databases. All I can say is this ship is stagnant. And silent."

Confusion suddenly became the word of the day as Hayden gave the holographic orb a look of extreme puzzlement. "Silent? What's that mean?"

If the AI was annoyed, her voice didn't show it. "I mean silent. As in inactive. Thus far I've yet to get any real scans of the ship's interior, but just enough to say the ship is empty of any life signs. Save one."

"There's somebody still on board? Where?" Hayden may as well have demanded. Her concern for someone else's well-being was one of the reasons Garrus had been attracted and intrigued by her.

"Likely the area that may be the ship's engine room, though I've no true schematics of this vessel to know for certain. But life support aboard the ship appears to be deactivated and the life sign is very faint. I'm not sure that person will last much longer." The AI said almost matter-of-factly, blue lights lazily moving across its 'face'.

Turning to Joker, Hayden's voice was level when she spoke. "Bring us alongside and find us an entry point. That survivor might have some answers for us. Anything else EDI?"

"Indeed Shepard. It would seem that all but the hallways are heavily shielded against my scanning capabilities. I will be able to lead you to the survivor, but nowhere else."

"How heavily shielded?" Garrus said suddenly, a little surprised at himself for cutting Hayden off, but she didn't comment as EDI spoke up again.

"I'm not certain. Only that the compartments are composed of a light material that shields them from my scans. Analysis of the material is inconclusive. I can only sense the survivor due to the fact the doors to that compartment are ajar."

"Making it able for you to see inside. It'll have to do. We probably shouldn't open every door but it's better than nothing." Hayden mused, turning her attention back to Joker, whose hands were moving across his console with practiced speed. "Any sign of an airlock door?"

"Nothing yet." He grumbled, looking out the window only to do a double take. Green eyes went wide as he took in the sight outside. "Uh…Commander?"

"What?" she said, soon following his gaze only to whisper in shock. "Oh god!"

The Normandy had circled around the ship only to find the port side had been heavily battered and damaged. Scorch marks the size of cars marked the metal shell, a large hole ranging likely in over fifteen feet was sending up random sparks of loose electricity into the openness of space. Whatever had happened, it was definitely over now. It also explained why all the ship's systems were down and the engines weren't working. As they passed the stern, they couldn't help but see that one of the thrusters had been completely destroyed, some debris still barely connected to the rest of the ship. Either way, this ship was literally dead in the water. All could only stare in shock at the damage the large structure had been dealt. Even a few of the 'windows' they'd seen on the other side of the ship appeared to be broken, the rooms they looked into likely cut off for safety reasons. Coming back around to the undamaged side, there was no way their minds could erase their new thoughts on the derelict ship.

"Are you sure that there aren't any other survivors EDI?" Garrus heard her barely able to say. If he were anything like a human, he was sure that his jaw would be on the floor. His mandibles just fluttered in agitation instead.

"Quite certain. Various parts of the ship have suggested that all life pods have been ejected though scans show no signs of them. It is likely that whoever is in the engine room stayed behind for another reason. I'm attempting to activate the ship's docking subroutine so that you may get aboard Shepard." EDI said coolly. Nearly all the people in the cockpit refrained from rolling their eyes at the AI's lack of emotion.

Instead Hayden simply nodded at the blue orb, eying the damaged ship in a fashion that Garrus was starting to dislike. "Do your best EDI. If you can't, we'll take the shuttle and find the cargo bays of this thing."

"Understood Shepard."

It took a few minutes for the AI to find the right subroutine in the ship's programming, a walkway activating and extending from the undamaged starboard side as Joker easily eased alongside it. The loud click of the docking clamps safely securing themselves followed not long after, Shepard, Garrus and Grunt walking through with full gear and helmets. Once at the other end, the doors opened with a familiar hiss, revealing an empty intersection with the lights off, some flickering almost eerily in the silence. The most their eyes could see were random things like a metallic coffee mug, the liquid it contained floating midair and freely thanks to the lack of gravity. There was even what looked like a data pad, only it looked partially shattered and useless as they walked past where it hung without support.

Looking left and then right, Shepard tapped the side of her helmet to activate the radio build inside. "Where to EDI?"

As expected, the AI's calm voice sounded into their ears. "Continue down the hall and take a left, following it to a right. There should be a lift to take you down several decks to the engine room, as well as the survivor."

"You sure there're no other survivors?" Hayden inquired, her concern for leaving unknown numbers of people behind seeming to gnaw at her.

Garrus was pleased to see the tension come out of her shoulders when the AI spoke up once more. "Quite certain. No activity has been detected in the thirty-six minutes I've been scanning this vessel. All but the survivor, who remains in engineering are gone."

As they were about to move forward, the young krogan suddenly turned, his shotgun in hand as he pointed it at a doorway. If not for his helmet, both Garrus and Hayden were sure his blue eyes were darting around the small space that held his attention. When he finally stood down on his own, Shepard spoke up. "What's wrong Grunt? You're not usually this jumpy."

The giant alien just shook his head, his voice telling them his annoyance. "It's nothin'. Just thought I saw something over there. It's gone now though."

Nodding in understanding to this explanation, Hayden didn't hesitate. "Keep a sharp eye out for anything else. Whatever's going on here, we need to get the survivor and get out of here before whatever attacked this ship comes back."

"Roger." Grunt said almost in disappointment. Clearly he was practically begging for a fight to break out.

Garrus nodded when she looked at him. "You got it Commander."

"Move out."

The three moved through the halls, silent but watchful, their flashlights lighting the way through the darkness that surrounded them. And the eerie void of life wasn't helping their rising tension either. Doors, similar again to the Normandy's, whooshed open as they went, revealing more empty halls and dark spaces when they did. As EDI had said, they took the predicted right to find a door slightly different than all the others, its holographic panel active but flickered as it tried to remain in place. Fiddling with it only took a few minutes, both Grunt and Garrus watching the hallway behind them as their female commander used her omni-tool to get the door to open. Once it beeped and allowed them to pass, what they found inside lying on the floor was easily beyond unusual. Only it wasn't a body or even a mummified corpse: it was a small crate of some kind, the lid connected by a single hinge but empty, its sides and lid dented. Likely by a force that none of them had seen before. It almost look it'd taken biotic damage, the power behind it likely of much greater than any had seen the like of. Either way, the sight of it was unusual but something they could ignore as Shepard was once again fiddling with the console on the elevator's wall. Most of the symbols on it were hard to read or even illegible, others were just outright unknown to them. But they found, that with some smart tweaking, the symbols on the holographic console, glowing a light blue in the dark, could be changed to English. There was no time to find this odd since their mission took priority. Within seconds, the elevator clicked and ground to life, the light overhead flickering as the doors shut and the thing began to move.

The ride only took around two minutes, mostly since the thing seemed to struggle just to function despite being undamaged. This thought changed when they finally got to the engineering deck… and found it an utter mess. Scorch marks were all over the walls, bulkheads even blasted almost to oblivion. Debris was floating like oversized dust everywhere, wires dangling from the ceiling, floor tiles cracked and broken. Some of the wires were sending random sparks of power into the open air, a light fixture flickering on and off as it hung half suspended by the lack of gravity and its own wiring. Some parts of the hallway looked like they'd been sliced open with an unknown blade or claw. A few looked ragged and rough, others clean and neat in a rather disturbing way.

"What the hell happened here?" Hayden's voice came almost in a whisper over the radio, conveying her shock at the sight of the place.

If not for his helmet, Garrus was sure that anyone would've seen his mandibles twitching with agitation as he fingered his rifle. "Somehow I think it's more 'who' rather than 'what' Commander."

Nodding almost half-mindedly at his comment, she spoke a little louder so that she was easier to hear. "EDI, how's our survivor doing?"

"There has been no change in their condition Shepard. Though I would recommend haste in this matter. I'm uncertain they will last if you continue to delay." The AI informed them, though it sounded like it was anxious for some reason.

"Any other pieces of advice?"

For a moment, there was silence. Then it spoke again. "Yes: do what you can to avoid any cut wiring. My scans show the power output on the level you're on is likely ten times more powerful than any standard installation. My estimates show extensive neural and physical damage if you make contact with any 'live wire'."

"Right, look but don't touch. Anything else?"

"Indeed. The survivor is moving." The AI stated calmly, though its tone told them the computer was confused.

Both aliens saw Hayden tense, her voice showing her surprise. "What? I thought you said there was no change!"

"In their health, as you'd requested before, but not in their positioning within the room itself or near it. The survivor is still in the room, but is likely attempting escape or some other activity. Haste is still highly recommended."

A low growl came over the comm. but Hayden seemed intent on keeping her frustration at the AI to herself. "Keep us posted EDI."

"Of course Shepard." Said AI agreed as calmly as before, the connection clicking off in their ears.

"Let's move!"

Both aliens nodded as she moved forward, ducking under the broken light and pushing away floating debris like they were smoke blocking her vision. Like the rest of the ship, this hallway was just as dark and creepy as the last one they'd been in. Grunt was starting to get annoyed that nothing had popped out to attack them, Garrus was glad for the lack of inactivity for once while Shepard continued as if nothing were wrong. As if the ship weren't abandoned and it was just another stroll to a casual destination. This wasn't helping Garrus's nerves in any fashion. Though he was glad for the calm, he couldn't help but feel that something wasn't right about the whole thing.

Spirits this could turn bad. Why aren't there any dead bodies? Who was fighting who and why? And what's up with the strange language from that console back there? Something smells… what was the human term? Fishy? Kicking the thoughts to the back of his mind, Garrus kept silent as he gripped his rifle, both eyes darting at closed doors and corners as they finally came across a door, its holographic console flickering in and out of existence. As EDI had said, the door was slightly open, some sparks and loose wires suggesting the door was damaged and was likely stuck in its position. Her omni-tool glowing to life on her arm, Garrus watched Hayden attempt to get the door open, giving her a look when she muttered a curse under her breath when the door didn't respond. After a few more tries, he could tell she'd had about enough of the damned thing. Just before she could screech at the thing in her anger, he quickly placed a hand on her shoulder, making her turn on him. The fire in her eyes through her helmet made various parts of his body respond in kind, but he fought to keep it to himself.

"Commander." He managed to say in a forcibly calm voice. "Why not let Grunt give it a shot? He's clearly ready for just about anything."

"Fine. Grunt, get this damn door open." Hayden snapped, though most of her anger's bite stayed well within reign.

They both heard the young krogan chuckled darkly, rubbing its small gloved hands together in anticipation of burning energy. "You got it."

Gripping the edges of the doors, Grunt let out a slightly strained growl as he began to force the two panels apart. Once it was halfway open, he stepped in-between them and pushed them further until the visible edges were only a few centimeters of metal.

Nodding in approval, Hayden's voice showed her appreciation to the krogan's strength where tech had failed. "Hm. Good call. Let's move."

Only just as soon as they'd walked into the room, Garrus immediately noticed something coming flying at them, his brain registering it as another crate. But this crate's momentum was practically monstrous. Acting on instinct rather than impulse, he didn't hesitate to grab Hayden by the back of her armor as he jumped behind a computer console shouting. "Watch out!"

"Holy-!" Hayden's response was cut off by a grunt as she landed on her side, her pistol somehow already in her hand as she shouted into her radio. "EDI I thought you said the survivor's life signs were weak!"

The comm. clicked to life, EDI's voice coming in a slightly concerned tone. "They are. And they're growing fainter. Delaying any longer would be dangerous to the survivor's health."

"Tell that to the shit they're throwin' at us!" Garrus's voice rumbled as he got up to peak from their hiding spot, only to duck as another crate came flying and bashed against the wall behind them.

"I don't-!"

"That was an expression EDI!" Garrus and Hayden said in unison. Both were clearly not in the mood for the AI's ignorance.

The AI paused, as if thoughtful, before speaking again. "Of course Shepard."

Thinking quickly, Garrus had already drawn his rifle, a Harpoon X and had it pointed at the unknown figure sending random objects at them. Quickly taking aim, Garrus was a little surprised that the figure wasn't just humanlike, but female. Her hair, something he'd long since given up on trying to understand, was a dark brown and seemed to come down slightly past her shoulders, though it was kept in a simple tail. Some of it, bangs he was sure they were called, came down over the left side of her face, although it was hidden by a mask of an unknown design. Her clothes were also a mystery to him in the few seconds he had to take her in: dark blue, almost navy in color, her jacket and pants made of a material Garrus distinctly remembered it being called denim.

With absolutely no hesitation at all, Garrus pulled the trigger, the crack of his rifle resounding off the walls like thunder, the woman still in his scope toppling over less than a second later. Saying nothing, Shepard was quickly vaulting over the computer console they'd hidden behind, he and Grunt right behind her. Once beside the fallen figure, Shepard put her gun away to get the woman upright. It was only then did they all see that the woman, whoever she was, just so happened to be bleeding. The wound, an almost gaping hole in her right side, could be seen through the hole in her shirt. Droplets of blood, some smeared on the floor with others floating in the air, showed where she'd managed to move away from another console. A door nearly opposite theirs looked like it'd been shot near to death, scorch marks and holes adorning the wall, and likely the hallway beyond.

Now having a chance to better look at the woman, it was obvious that her attire were civvies rather than an actual uniform. Her jacket only seemed to cover half her torso, though her sleeves still covered her arms, just a little past the wrists. Even her mask was proving to be something worth noting, since it seemed to be similar to one he'd seen Jacob wear, only it looked mostly like an old fashioned gas mask than anything. Though he didn't really think to look when she was in his scope, Garrus could now observe the shirt she had on was a navy blue v-neck. Hell, the woman even had a strange set of shoes on. Sneakers, they're called sneakers. His mind provided, a small memory of Hayden having worn a pair when they'd gone on shore leave together once. Plus she had equally blue almost skin-tight gloves on, some of the fabric having turned an odd shade of purple since they seemed to have soaked up some of the blood coming from the wound in her side. Only she was now gripping tightly while the slight, possibly unconscious or even subconscious, twists of her body against the floor showed just how much pain she was in.

When Shepard attempted to touch it with some of the medi-gel she'd opened, the strange woman's voice suddenly snapped into their ears. Obviously at some point she'd switched channels, and from her tone, she wasn't happy. "Son of a-! That stings dammit!"

"So you do know how to talk. How reassuring." Garrus stated in annoyance, shifting his stance as both the woman and Shepard looked at him.

The stranger, whoever she was, wasn't in the mood for his wisecracks. "Go fuck yourself. How the hell was I supposed to know who you were? For all I knew you were my death comin' 'round and tryin' to kill me from another side of the goddamned room!" turning her attention to Shepard, she brought her voice to a more civil level. "All your people this sarcastic?"

"Only the good ones." Garrus bristled at the sound of amusement in Hayden's voice.

"Fan-fuckin'-tastic." They heard her grumble, squirming a little as the medi-gel touched the edges of her wound. "Any chance you can pull this chunk of pipe outta me? It's makin' me hurt all over."

Hayden shook her head, keeping her voice calm and professional. "Sorry but we can't. But I know a good doctor who can do it all the same. Can you walk?"

"That's what I was tryin' to do when you busted in here and made me think I was under attack for the second time today. Why? You plannin' on shootin' me again?" the woman practically snarled, her unseen gaze falling on Garrus again.

"No he isn't but that's not the issue. We need to get you some medical help, and I don't think medi-gel's gonna cut it." Hayden stated, her voice showing hints of worry. Not a good sign. I wonder what she's thinking. Garrus pondered but kept it to himself.

This was clearly enough to silence the woman as she nodded, accepting Shepard's hand as she floated upright bracing her left foot onto the floor. When the right touched ground, the woman immediately winced, gripping the area as she cursed.

"Aw shit!" when Hayden moved to help, the woman waved her off. "I'm okay. It just hurts a lot. Where to then?"

"This way." Concern laced Hayden's voice when she spoke, and Garrus had only heard it when he'd nearly been blown up. "You sure you're alright to walk?"

The woman nodded, though her heavy breathing could be heard over the comm. system linked between them. This woman was hurting, badly. "The lack of gravity's helpin' but you're gonna have to drag me to your doc though. Just proof that I hate getting medical help, even if all that's wrong is somethin' like this."

"You're not the only one but that's not your choice now is it?"

Seeming to stare at them, the stranger just shrugged, gingerly leaning down only to grab what looked like a long thin cylinder and a satchel of some kind. Both of which had been on the floor unnoticed until now. "I guess not. Just make sure your guy doesn't shoot me again."

"Trust me. He won't." Hayden stated, lending the woman an arm. Garrus could hear the smug smile in his ear. But now wasn't the time for such things.

They heard the woman let out a low chortle, though the sound bore no true amusement. "I wouldn't say that. He shoots like a five year old with a makeshift slingshot."

Grunt and Hayden couldn't help but snicker at Garrus's rumbling growl at the woman's comment, but said nothing. Their priority was getting off the ship, not giving in to verbal jibes from someone they'd just met. Despite the fact that now, shooting the woman again was all but becoming just a little too tempting. Shaking his head at the thoughts, Garrus scanned the room one last time, his blue eyes missing the shifting shadows gathering in the far corner of the room as they turned to leave.

And done! A bit longer than my standard number of pages but well worth the wait I do believe. Hope you guys enjoy what's here and I hope you anticipate the next chapter. I know I am. Read, review and no flames people. I mentally set crap on fire enough as is. So without further ado, here's what's to come next:

Next Chapter:

Chapter 2: Plague

With a new unknown in their lives, what new adventures could this person bring? Is she the key to victory, or the trigger for disaster? Just what exactly happened upon the strange ship and why? Want to find out? Stick around for:

Chapter 2: Plague!