Refugee
"Professor Mordin Solus?"
A rhetorical question in a sense and a completely valid one in another. Still, Commander John Shepard had learnt the value of compromise over the past few weeks, a value that had allowed him to work for the Illusive Man even if he was a xenophobe who belonged to a former age. So while the head of Cerberus had directed the Spectre to the krogan homeworld of Tuchanka to obtain a salarian scientist, Shepard was suspicious. True, a salarian scientist was standing in front of him, but even so, one couldn't be too careful. Not with vorcha walking around and your comrades being a trigger happy former marine and an informant whose ties with the Alliance seemed about as thin as the commander's chances of pulling this mission off.
Well, maybe those chances have just increased. The doctor isn't pointing a pistol or anything at me. That's a good start.
Then again, an omni-tool wasn't much better, especially when it was being used by the very salarian that Shepard wanted under his command. While there was nothing wrong with the tool itself, it did imply that it was the human rather than the doctor who was being examined.
"Hmm..." said Solus after examining whatever data he'd collected. "Don't recognise you from area."
Shepard could sense Miranda and Jacob glancing at each other, as if wondering how long this was going to take. And although the Spectre knew it was in his right to tell them to get in line, he couldn't help but agree with them. Salarians might talk fast but that didn't mean that the overall conversation would be over quickly, let alone there being an actual conversation at all.
"Too well armed to be refugees," Solus continued, now well and truly talking to himself and pacing around as he did so. "No mercenary uniform, quarantine's still in effect..."
Shepard rolled his eyes, still getting used to the cybernetic implants behind them. Refugees? Well, that was eliminating the obvious.
But then again, what is obvious? I'm dead to the galaxy on a suicidal mission with a crew who...who...
Shepard didn't know. In truth, he didn't even know whether Solus was correct in his assessment.
Vorcha, plagues, crews...they all washed over Shepard as he realized what the salarian had said. A refugee...that's what he'd become. No home to return to, no ultimate destination apart from likely oblivion, no path in life apart from drifting through the galaxy with fellow shady characters...He was a refugee. Not a mercenary, not a scientist, not someone to investigate potential for a bio-weapon, not whoever else Solus theorized he was. So it was as much a relief to him as it was to Miranda and Jacob when he stepped forward to stop the prattling alien in his tracks.
"Oh for the love of God, take a breath!" the Spectre exclaimed, catching Solus unaware. "I'm Commander Shepard and I need your help."
Solus fell silent, stepping back while staring blankly at the commander. And while the human could sense gratitude from his fellow species members, it was just that...gratitude. No thanks, no warmth, just business as usual.
More wandering. More death. More hopelessness.
Just like a refugee really.
A/N
You know, I've noticed a trend in the squad members for Mass Effect 2. Unlike the more diverse mix in the original game, BioWare seems to have confused "edgy" and "intense" with "scum." Right now, it seems that only Tali and Jacob are members whose morals seem to be fully intact and that's still stretching it with the latter. I understand that it's meant to be a darker story, but does that mean the characters have to follow suit?
So yeah. For someone who has paragon tendencies, Shepard would be a bit out of place in my mind.
