Castaway
Garrus planted his temple absently against the institutional grays of the twelve by twelve stone slab that made up one wall of his cell. Distant noises like white static drifted past his ear canals—nothing he could make out even if he wanted to.
Heavy eyes once tinted with pearl blue now sank to his ankles cladded in iron links, secured to the wall. Pain drummed his wrists which were also secured; pain trailing up the back of his legs, mauling his spinal cord, up to his neck—pain from resting on bare rock for so long. He hadn't even bothered counting the days; emotions blurred out from the stupidity that beseeched his people.
"Charged with indecent exposure as well as fornication with a human, assault with deadly intent." Chief Vrtehhan exclaimed as if he were reading a tech manual. "Take him to his cell to await his sentencing." Without even looking up from his scroll, the Chief ordered Garrus away. The guards snatched him by his arms, dragging him from Chief Vrtehhan's presence.
He had been in prison for nineteen days with very little food, water, and sunlight. A bucket and sponge was brought to him for bathing; an insult given the fact that he was bound to the damn wall. His mind couldn't hold on the rage he felt inside for his own people. The fact that they would treat one of their own as if he were less than a fucking varren. Even the wretched smell of his own bowels couldn't bring him to the point his logical part of the brain desired.
Her red hair, long and thick… those saddened eyes dressed in leafy green. Her lips curved in a smile as I tower over her, offering a fruit in one hand and a silent hope of friendship painted in my eyes. That was the first time we met.
CRRRNK CLINK TICK TICK TICK CLINK! The metal bars slide to one side, weighted footsteps amble toward his pit of darkness. His eyes stayed fix on one spot for so long, Garrus doesn't even realize that his eyes are open. "Am I dreaming?" his mind whispered.
"Alright nakt'n lover, time to go." A turian encompassed in onyx body armor that exaggerates his naturally jagged edges spat as he undid the cuffs. The other two turian guards chuckled before the one dressed in black retracted sharply. "Ew, he stinks, like a newborn nakt'n."
Laughter flooded the space as Garrus' body stayed rooted in the fading memory of the human he had come to love.
"Get up, nakt'n-lover." He barked again before yanking Garrus up harshly on to his feet.
Weakness ate at his legs like termites eating wood. He dropped suddenly, only to be grabbed by several more hands. Then his body was drug out of the darkness, down a long hall, through some double doors, and into the light.
"Mmmm." He snapped his head away from the sun's happy rays, sealing his avian eyes shut to the noise of colors that greeted them. Garrus was brought outside in the early morning. The guards dropped him the ground in the middle of a clearing—a place that was used for storytelling.
"Get this nakt'n-lover cleaned up." The one in dark armor ordered. There were more guards outside, but Garrus could care less.
Talons lashed at his filthy rags, tearing them from his beaten body. Once removed, his body was stationed in the fetal position while buckets of cold water were thrown upon him. He felt what could've passed for a mop, sliding all over his frame. Garrus felt himself shivering as more water was thrown on him. The process repeated for a long time. He was repositioned by the guards so that all of his body would be cleaned. Afterwards he was clothed and forced to stand until the Chief and the rest of the tribe awoke.
The sun was trying to beat down on Garrus' back but his plates prevented it. A noise similar to grasshoppers was given off by some kind of insects hidden in the tall brush encompassing the entire village. Garrus just held his gaze straight ahead as Chief Vrtehhan moved to his sacred chair, several feet in front of him.
The audience encompassed Garrus, the Chief, and the rest of the turian hierarchy, gripped in suspense as the human they called a nakt'n-whore was brought forth. Her desperate grunts in the distance were enough to pull Garrus out of his haze. He turned his head slightly to her direction.
Limping with her head hanging down; thick locks coated in mud, a single article of cloth covered her warn frame. The guard escorting her, held her upper arms with both of his talons, practically dragging her—as he were taking out the trash. Verbal clamor of disgust at the sight of the human overtook the crowd. Once in the center, the guard jerked her sagging form into attention. She winced at the pain causing Garrus to tense up.
Snapping at the guard, more guards intercepted him, before he could do anything. He was hit several times with batons until he dropped to his knees. Then he was jerked up by the one wearing ebony armor.
"Pathetic," the guard in black spat.
"Enough." Chief Vrtehhan finally spoke. His mandibles were tight against his face as he studied Garrus who was now restrained. He tried to struggle in his grip but the arms that held him were fierce.
The audience voice their disdain for his actions. All were at agreement except for Garrus' best friend, Nihlus and his sister Sol. Garrus' father was a part of the turian hierarchy—the Chief's Intelligence Board, or CIB as it was called—and he did nothing to prevent what was going on. "It's obvious that you can't control yourself."
The Chief continued. "You are a rogue turian, a danger to our order, and disgrace to the people. And as for her… the… human," he waved his hand at her as if shooing a varren. "Being with that is a direct assault on the foundation of our core principles."
Garrus glanced at the human. Her head was still slumped and her breath was labored.
"Humans are the enemy here, always have been. They're vile, lying beasts that only desire authority over everything. They do not know instruction only chaos. Their appetites for power are insatiable, and for that we do not mingle with such-things!" He fanned the human away again.
A sea of heads bobbed up and down in agreement.
"Since we lack the numbers to go to war, we spare them the genocide they deserve—we spare your lives as well." Garrus couldn't say that he was relieved even though he felt his shoulders drop. They could've just given out. "We hereby sentence you both to exile-indefinitely."
Garrus heard his sister gasp, clapping her hands over her mouth. He glanced at her to see those sky blue eyes overtaken by grief.
"Was there any words you would like to speak before your departure?"
Garrus was still focused on the dirt in front of him. The whispers from the crowd melted in his ear canals. His mandibles hung open like broke doors at a saloon. He couldn't feel himself standing, it was as if he were floating, listening to the birds chirping and the wind blowing against the clouds; water dripping off leaves—the last of the morning dew.
"How could you?" she finally spoke, Camorra Shepard, Garrus' forbidden lover. Her once strong voice, now eroded from being without proper nutrients for so long. Her head finally rose, green weary eyes glaring at the real perpetrators. "How could you do this… to your own, your own flesh and blood." Her eyes, her truth bore into Garrus' father, the older turian shifting his weight uncomfortably.
"Nobody asked you, human." Chief Vrtehhan spat. "You have no say here."
"He's your son for fuck'sake," Shepard roared with what little strength she had left, drawing her capture forward. He tightened his grip on her. Pressing his hand over her mouth, she bit a leathery digit causing the guard to retract in agony.
"Ah," he yelped before Shepard was slapped by another guard; the blow almost knocking her off her feet.
Garrus attempted to lunge at the aggressor but was jerked back by several turians.
"See, the human has plagued his mind, rendering him incapable of honoring the turian code. This plague must be cast out." Chief Vrtehhan exclaimed.
Garrus and Shepard continued to squirm in the grips of their captures. His father, Kruxiv Vakarian, took a step forward, features steeled within his plated face.
"Garrus, my son, we can end this, right here—right now." Kruxiv offered; dead eyes tracing his son's features as his words stilled him. "Kill the human now. Show us all that you choose the clan over that… thing and all will be forgiven."
The guards that restrained him eased up as Kruxiv's words began to settle. The grip on Shepard was insulting as they forced her body to face Garrus. A hand pulled on her fluffy hair to expose her slender neck, suggesting that Garrus strangle her.
Kruxiv ambled toward his son. He stopped just short of him, placing a weathered hand upon Garrus' shoulder. Still in the grasp of the guards, Garrus was breathing heavily; onyx eyes glaring at his father.
"Go on son."
He could feel his fists clinching so tight that his talons were sinking into the softer flesh of his palms. Warm blood ran from cracks in between his digits. Garrus glanced at the human, at Shepard. He could see the worry in those steely green eyes. She wasn't as fragile as she looked but still breakable, like a shattered glass that had been glued back together. She was an orphan that had been adopted by a general in the human colony just twenty klicks east of their position.
Twenty years ago, the first contact war began. A turian battle cruiser in hot pursuit of a human battle cruiser ended up flying dangerously close to a black hole. The vacuum power of the black hole threw both ships off course. They ended up flying through a debris field and crash landing on a small planet with an unstable atmosphere. Com systems were unable to establish a connection outside the planet. The turians blamed it on the brown dwarfs surrounding the planet—causing some sort of electromagnetic interference.
"I won't." Garrus admitted, his voice low but resonating harshly.
Most of the audience gasped. "Is this your final decision?"
Kruxiv moved closer. "Garrus, I know we've never seen eye to eye, but please… think of your sister, your friends, and your mother—please this will kill her." Garrus' mother was gravely ill.
Garrus' eyes left his fathers, mandibles fluttering to illustrate his fragile composure. He took a deep breath before speaking. "I won't let a some turians' blind hatred compromise who I am. Think of all that we can accomplish if we just work together."
"Blind hatred, Garrus look at it. Humans are nothing more than primitive barbarians. Their feral minds can't even comprehend the idea of true unity. Spirits, look what they did to this one—she was cast out of her own clan-"
"I have a name you turian bastard." Shepard spat.
"Yeah, that's all you have. Is the ship ready?" Chief Vrtehhan questioned one of the guards.
"Yes sir." The guard replied.
"Get this traitor and his pet out of my sight." Chief Vrtehhan fanned them both away.
Kruxiv stepped aside, mandibles spread and eyes widened with disbelief. Garrus and Shepard were ushered down the path leading to the boat that would take them far away. The two were bound at the wrists and blindfolded before being forced into the makeshift canoe.
Nihlus, the dark armored turian—Beartham, and four more guards accompanied them.
"There is one other that will be joining you two love birds." Beartham was known for borrowing human sayings as well as his brutality. He abused Shepard once she was in his custody. Then he had her go without food or water longer than Garrus.
Another body was felt stepping into the boat. "Convicted murderer and sociopath—Saren Arterius will be joining you."
Shepard could feel Beartham's sickening smile as well as his burning gaze. It sent a chill down her spine; sensing a heavy presence settling down next to her. Garrus remained silent. He was sat far away from Shepard.
"Sit right there Saren, next to Shepard and make yourself comfortable. It's going to be a long trip." Breatham spat.
Garrus hissed, "Get that freak away from her."
"Garrus, is that jealousy I'm sensing?"
The other turians excluding Nihlus laughed.
"Enough." Nihlus barked. The guards grew silent.
"Nihlus please." Garrus kept his gaze straight ahead, unsure of his friend's vicinity until he put a reassuring hand on Garrus shoulder.
"I'll make sure he doesn't harm her. You have my word."
Nihlus' words didn't ease Garrus' tension but it would have to do for now.
"Let's get this heap moving, I want to be back in time for the Two-Moon fest." This planet's second moon could only be seen every three months for a whole week. The festival was more about relieving tension than witnessing a second moon.
CHINK! A guard hit the switch on the control panel causing the anchor to draw up. Once the lines were untied, the boat's engine brought to life; the current carried them toward the center of the river.
"Garrus! Garrus!" a strained voice from the shore called out.
Garrus perked up. "Sol? Sol!" He stood abruptly.
"Sit down." Beartham hissed, ramming his gut with the butt of his rifle.
"Stop it." Nihlus responded, grabbing at Beartham's gun. He snatched it out of Nihlus' grip, reluctantly taking his seat.
Garrus grunted as the pain pulled him back down. "Sol." He cried against the discomfort.
"Garrus, please… Garrus!"
"Stay strong Sol."
He didn't hear an immediate response until the boat started drifting down the river. "I will." She finally responded through tears.