Chrysanthemums
He was the unseen, the silent blade. She was the protector, the shining lance.
Together, they will fight.
Right and wrong are more often shades of gray than black and white.
Can they change the fate of the galaxy?
Can they save each other?
Night on the Normandy. Engines thrummed and keys tapped in the distance. There was the smell of old food and antiseptic. Scent of ginger wafted past.
"Here, I'll bet this will taste better than what you've got in there." Sound of a mug being replaced.
He opened his eyes to regard the woman's hooded face. "Kasumi. My thanks. More time had passed than I expected."
"No problem, Thane. I'm surprised to see you here. You're usually holed up in your room."
"I felt a need of a change in scenery. I hadn't expected anyone to be awake. Did you need something?"
"I'm just looking for some dinner. I kind of miss not having to steal it, though." She finished putting together a sandwich and sat down, munching quietly.
"Shepard's getting an interesting group together. Each one is so different. I wonder how she does it," Kasumi mused between bites.
"She inspires us to do more than we think we can," he offered. "And we strive to meet her expectations. Her presence signals chaos, yet her actions bring order..." His voice trailed off.
Silver shapes in the dark conceal my presence. Security guards blind to my movements. Silently, I remove the vent cover and make my way toward the second tower.
Screams start when I am halfway up the tower. Have I made a mistake? I rarely make mistakes, but anything is possible. Perhaps Nassana is more clever, or more paranoid, than I thought. Panicked sounds over a radio echo through the tunnel I am in. A guard has been killed on the first floor. Commandos are now alerted. Forces move toward the disturbance. The distraction could prove useful.
Salarians up ahead. Workers. Unarmed and unarmored. Gunshots get closer. I vault over crates in my way, hit the control to shut the door. Omnitool glows silver, invisible to normal eyes. I lock them in. They'll be safe there until morning.
Shouting ahead of me. Voices are nasal. More salarian workers. A guard is gesturing at them. They don't move fast enough for him. He draws his weapon. My shot takes him through the eye. The salarians are clear. I move on.
Bridge ahead is uncovered. Easier to get past if security is focused on another threat. The other intruder will draw attention from me. I find a sheltered corner to watch for my chance.
She emerges from the elevator with her gun already drawn, lined in brightly glowing blue. She makes no effort at stealth, but moves with a deadly grace. Each action is quick and competent. Her movements urgent, purposeful. She takes down mechs and mercs with ease, crosses over the bridge.
Now. Reinforcements are focused on her. I take advantage of the diversion and shadows to slip through the fray. One merc, more clever then the rest, has made his way behind her. He is lining up a shot, aimed directly at her head. The opening is small, but sufficient. Silent round buries itself in his skull. He falls without a sound. She disappears into the tower, unaware. I must hurry.
Wide cables brace the bridge. Wind makes the ascent precarious but I make it to the top. Narrow girders span the chasm. I cross over them, taking care not to fall. I must finish the job. Another vent beckons. I crawl inside and climb toward the penthouse.
"Thane, you in there, buddy? Come on back."
His eyes refocused on the hand waving in front of his face. "My apologies. I was..thinking."
"You seemed pretty out of it there." Her tone was curious, but not intrusive.
"It was merely a memory. Lately, I've found myself reviewing my life. Some of the events are more vivid than others." He sipped at his freshened mug. The liquid was sweet, with a hint of honey. "This is quite good."
She let the change of subject go by unremarked. "Glad you like it. I found the recipe for it in an old book. The ingredients are hard to come by." She smirked. "Lucky for me, I know how to find difficult items. It's a tea made from an earth plant called a chrysanthemum." Kasumi finished her sandwich and rose to leave. "Thanks for the chat, we should talk more later."
"Good evening, Kasumi Goto."
"Krios." Jacob greeted him.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Taylor." Thane had come down to the Normandy's practice range today. Shepard had recovered weapons upgrades and he was interested to see how they performed.
The targets were holographic projections in front of several layers of ablative plating to prevent hull damage. EDI would monitor trajectories and impacts to calculate damage and accuracy, and the projections would react accordingly. Hits were shown in black, undamaged areas were outlined in glowing orange. Return fire was haloed in red on their own bodies.
He waited patiently while the other man finished off his shots. Even at moderate range, his shotgun blasts splattered black voids over holographic chests. Barely grazed himself, Taylor 'hah'd in satisfaction at his results and moved aside.
Thane took up position in a sheltered corner of the practice area. The projections flickered to life around him. He moved from cover to cover, avoiding fire. Ten outlines. Ten shots, and the simulacrums froze. He examined his results. Each had a single darkened blot through the head. He had EDI overlay the holograms to check his accuracy. The entry holes were within centimeters of each other on each skull. He nodded. The upgrade had improved his accuracy significantly, and allowed a single shot to kill.
"Not bad, both of you," a female voice congratulated them. Thane turned to see Shepard leaning against a bulkhead. "Jacob, you need to move around more. Opponents won't conveniently forget where that last round came from. Thane, I'm not sure if you're dancing or fighting, but sometimes you do want to draw attention, rather then avoid it."
"Subtlety is my art, Shepard. Drawing attention, that's one of yours."
"Why don't you give it a try, Shepard? I'd like to see you work that assault rifle of yours," Taylor challenged her. "Not many biotics choose that thing."
Shepard shrugged and willingly took up her rifle. "I'm no match for either of you with these things, but sure, I'll take a toss."
EDI brought up the holograms again, and Shepard sprayed volleys of bullets into each projection. She moved well, Thane thought, but she was obviously not yet accustomed to the balance of her weapon. Several shots went wide.
"Well, let's see how I did. EDI?" Results appeared on a nearby monitor. Her score was lower then either his or Taylor's, she had missed some targets completely. Shepard laughed ruefully. "It's almost embarrassing after watching you two. At least it keeps me humble."
"No worries, Shepard. That's why you got backup, right?" Taylor teased her.
"That's it exactly, Jacob," she chuckled back, taking his joke in good humor. "Don't know what I'd do without you." Shepard turned as if to leave.
Taylor picked up his shotgun again, instructing EDI to start another round, clearly thinking the session was over. Thane had caught the sly wink she'd sent his way, however, and kept still.
As soon as the illuminated figures appeared, Shepard flung an arm out. A darkly glowing, turbulent ball of energy shot through the center of the simulation. It was immediately followed by a bright blue orb. He could see the detonation even through his hastily closed eyelids.
When his eyes cleared, he saw that the projections were little more then blackened statues, few had any light-lines left.
"Enjoy your practice, boys," Shepard sauntered out.
"Impressive. Very impressive." Taylor still looked slightly stunned. Thane could sympathize. He knew she was a skilled combatant, the display had certainly underscored her abilities.
"Anyway. Glad she can take care of herself." Taylor deliberately slanted his eyes toward Thane as he spoke.
Thane didn't miss the innuendo. He glanced at the operative with narrowed eyes. Taylor had been cautious of him since he came on board. "You are not comfortable with me on this mission." His tone made it a statement. "Have I given you reason to distrust me, Mr. Taylor?"
"I just don't like hired guns."
"From what I understand, you joined Cerberus to take direct action, did you not? And Cerberus funds you and your work? What is the difference?"
"I joined Cerberus so I could be more effective, not for the money."
"I am not being paid at all for this mission, Mr. Taylor. We are fighting for the same cause. Your doubt could endanger the ship."
Taylor fired a few more shots off before answering.
"Alright. Maybe you have a point. I'll think about what you said."
"That is all I ask."
A/N: This story will be exclusively from Thane Krios' perspective, as he comes to terms with his life, and the mission that is not his, for a race that he does not know, through a relay no one has ever returned from. All characters property of BioWare. Only my fevered thoughts are my own. Please R&R with any input, critiques, corrections, or thoughts.
Special thanks to Kiwibliss and Hermia S and the wonderful people at NSAS for helping me get this put together. Their stories are worth reading.