Time Period: Priority Palaven Mission, Mass Effect 3
Current Love Interest: Garrus.
Point of View: Garrus.
"Vakarian, sir. We need you to come back to base, there is, uh, situation."
My mandibles clicked at that, the hesitation was not a good sign, something had happened, something they didn't want to tell me over comm…. Wait? The tower is working again?
"Roger that. You got the comm tower up and running again?"
"I can explain when you get here, sir."
Was it worth pulling rank to find out the answer? ... Think, Garrus, what would she do?
"Fair enough. Garrus out."
Time to move, the main base isn't really that far away, but the sooner I get there, the better.
(The Turian hitches his rifle to the back of his armour, pulling out the assault rifle as he went. Guided by his trademark visor he made his way across the uneven terrain of Menae, a priority message crossing his visor as he moved. He had entered the base within five minutes.)
"What have you got?"
I had to stop, an odd feeling ran through me, one I've felt before, when I saw her across that bridge in Omega, it didn't have the same impact now as it did then, I knew she was dead before, I had just assumed…
"As your partner said, succession is normally simple, only now the Hierarchy is in chaos. So many dead or MIA…"
That's why there had been that message…
"I need someone. I don't care who! As long as they can give us the Turian resources we need!"
Nice going, Corinthas, you pissed her off… better step in before we lose more in the command structure.
"I'm on it, Shepard. We'll find you the Primarch."
Shepard watched me carefully as I made my way up into the bunker, that smile crossing her face as realisation came.
"Garrus!"
"Vakarian, sir… didn't see you arrive..."
Heh, in other words, thank you for getting the aggressive human to think about something else.
"At ease, General."
"It's –."
There it is, the smiles gone, back to that carefully constructed commander face. All that happiness I saw in her eyes swirling away as they became as blue as a deep ocean, hiding whatever she had beneath. I guess she was right to do it – we're in the middle of Turian territory, under attack, no time for sentiment, really.
"It's good to see you. I thought you'd be on Palaven."
She was worried… good sign…
"If we lose this moon, we lose Palaven. I'm the closest damn thing we have to an expert on Reapers, so, I'm… 'Advising'.
Ahem…
Ah, another human, he seems young…
"Oh, James, this is Garrus Vakarian, he helped me stop the Collectors and take down Saren, he's… a hell of a Soldier."
Lieutenant James Vega; was assigned to guard me while I was under watch by the Alliance. Still good at hacking undetected there I see, Shepard.
"Lieutenant… It's good to see you too Liara."
She gave me a quick smile, I had to let her know that I had noticed she was there… maybe just… it's hard to take my eyes away from Shepard.
"It's good to see you in one piece Garrus."
It's time for business, I guess…
"I know who we are after, General Aiden Victus."
"Victus… his name has crossed my desk a few times."
Shepard gave Liara a nod, anyone whose name had been passed to the Shadow Broker was either very talented, or in a whole load of shit… sometimes both.
"Know him, Garrus?"
"I was fighting alongside him this morning… Lifelong military; gets results, popular with his troops, not so popular with command. Has a reputation with playing lose with the rules."
Lines crossed Shepard's face, she was thinking…
"What do you mean by, plays lose?"
That's your on the clock way of saying, is he a crazy bastard or actually capable…
"On Tatrus, during the uprisings, his squad and Turian separatists both found Salarian spies at the same time, he gave up ground, even a stronghold to the separatists."
Damn it Liara, do you have to know, everything?
"He waited while the Salarians and separatists fought and wore each other out before he moved in, didn't lose a man."
"Bold strategy, but wild behaviour doesn't get you further up the Hierarchy."
Ah, so that's what you think I'm trying to do is it, Corthinus? Good guess, but wrong… I'd rather be with Shepard.
"Primach Victus… that will be something to see."
Her face un-creased, she was happy with those answers…
"Think he can get the job done?"
"We both know conventional strategy won't work against the Reapers. Right now he could be our best shot."
But that's not what you want to know;
"And I trust him."
"Ok, let's get him on the shuttle and get out of here."
Shepard's hand flew up to her ear, something's never change…
"Sigh… Can it wait, Joker? We're in the middle of a warzone."
She glances up at me, and gives me a "just a sec" face, I've become a hell of a lot better at reading her since we first met.
"Huff, I need the Normandy standing by, we may need to bug out."
"Should I go back and take a look?"
"Do it, Liara."
Liara ran, Spirits know where she went, or if she even knows where she I going. Turning back to Shepard, I finally notice, her blonde hair is out and it's… long.
"-rrus, you were with Victus this morning?"
Oh!
"Yeah, but we got separated. He went to bolster a flank that was breaking, could be anywhere by now."
"We're trying to raze him, Commander."
"In coming Harvester, heading for the airfield!"
Gunshots rang out, Shepard reaching for her pistol as fast as ever, being under arrest seemed to not have damped her reflexes, or her body… that damn soft, curvaceous Human body, with that arse that filled in her armour just right and… shit, head back in the game Vakarian.
"General, tell Primach Victus we will rendezvous here, meanwhile we'll go take care of whatever that thing dropped off…"
She turned and smiled at me;
"Comin' Garrus?"
"Are you kidding? I'm right behind you!"
We headed of at a sprint to the airfield, a loud panting filling the newly set up comm.
"Heh, James, that you breathing so hard?"
"Yeah, atmosphere is a little thinner than I'm used to is all… Adrenaline is better than Oxygen anyway."
Shepard and I took cover next to each other while James headed down a little further, it was easy to tell he didn't have the attention span to be a sniper… and then it happened, that instant moment where Shepard and I start playing our little game. Each of us trying to one up each other with trick shots… she gave a chuckle as she heard an exasperated sigh from James after she picked off the Husk he had been preparing for.
"Just me, or do those Reapers look like Turians?"
"You're right, they do…"
Spirits… now I know why Shepard has such trouble with the Husks, it's hard to shoot someone whom you might have been fighting alongside with an hour ago.
"Commander, I've been unable to raze Victus, but we have trouble at the main barricade! If they breach the wall this moon is as good as lost."
"We're on it, General."
She didn't even flinch as a soldier fell from the mounted turret; she simply skipped over him before climbing the ladder;
"I'll take the turret, you two bolster the line."
It was good fighting with her again, my eyes fell a little too far south once or twice while we made our way to the barricade, before I noticed James was watching that area too… and my mandibles gave an involuntary click… I can't help if I'm a jealous type when it comes to Humans watching her, if there is one thing I know about Shepard, is that she's an extremely attractive, and desirable Human, especially to her own kind. It got ten times worse when, whilst on the turret, her armour started to make her jiggle, her breasts following suit, and a growl made its way out of my mouth, the same one I'd make a year ago when we were taking down the Collectors and she'd tease me around the Battery, she gave a satisfied smirk while red flushed James' face.
"What the hell is that?"
Out of the burning crater came a huge figure; about the size of a Krogan, but it had a long bendable neck, with what looked like half of a Turian face. Before any of us could shoot it, it charged at the barricade, knocking Shepard from the turret, cloaking as she fell, dust flying up as she landed, before reappearing again from behind a rock she was using as cover.
"Vega, draw its attention while I get down there."
"What? Wait!"
No time to argue, boy… unless you want a crushed Commander… which would be the least of your worries once I was done with you. I quickly climbed down; thankfully he had taken the hint and started shooting and yelling at the brute. Before Shepard took its attention again, allowing James down as well.
"Its charges hurt… don't get hit."
With one shot from both myself and Shepard, it fell;
"Kill shot!"
We both glanced at each other, and I smiled at her. The supporting troops where quickly disposed of.
"Shepard, Cornthus here."
"What's the word on the Primach?"
"Still can't get a stable comm link."
"Alright, I'm going on foot. Shepard out. Garrus, can you take me to where you last saw Victus?"
"No problem, Shepard."
She started to walk behind me, damn it, why do I have to lead…
"You go ahead a bit too, Vega, you can both look at my arse some more later."
I felt my face go hot and I turned to look sheepishly at her, James was doing the same.
"Was hopping you didn't notice, Lola."
Lola? Her names not Lola, its Airliza.
"You are about as stealthy as Joker trying to get down to the bathroom to 'clean up.' You too, Garrus."
I had to laugh at that. Neither of us had been very subtle.
"So, how far Garrus?"
"Should be pretty quick unless we run into trouble."
"So, it's going to take hours then?"
"Yup."
We made our way down the track, and I had to stop for a moment, Palavan caught my eye…
"Look at that…"
"Damn it! Look at Palavan! You see that blaze of orange, the big one, that's where I was born."
"That's rough? Got any family down there?"
"My father, and sister too."
"How bad is it?"
Are you just trying to be talkative, James, or are you actually interested?
"Three Million lost on the first day. Five the second."
Shepard gave a sigh;
"How is your military holding up?"
"Take a look around; that should give you some idea."
"You're putting up a good fight."
"For now, but how long does it take before the fight is kicked out of you?"
"Hey! No talking like that, Vakarian."
"Sorry, Shepard, it's just hard to see this."
"I know…"
"If they'd only listened to your warnings about the Reapers, we might have been ready."
We continued to talk as we made our way around the moon, James is an alright kid, I could get to like him, but I need to ask about this Lola business. Gunshots got slowly louder as we moved closer to Victus;
"Uh, that sounds bad."
"Alright! Double time it! No Reaper is taking this Primach away from me!"
The camp was completely infested, and I could hear Victus yelling commands across the field.
"They're putting up a hell of a fight!"
"And now it's turning…"
Shepard took the last shot, the Turian Reaper falling before Victus.
"General Victus."
"…Yes?"
"I am Commander Shepard of the Normandy."
"Ah, Commander, I know who you are, can't wait to see what brings you out here. Vakarian, where'd you go?"
Memory like a sieve should have maybe mentioned that.
"Heavy Reaper unit on the right flank, I believe you exact words were 'get that thing the hell off my men.'"
"Appreciate it."
Shepard took a few steps forward, she was completely, and utterly in her 'get it done' mode, I kinda feel for Victus, he's either coming with us willingly, or with a bullet in his leg.
"General, you are needed off planet, I have come to get you."
"It will take something beyond importance for me to leave my men, or my Turian brothers and sisters in their fight."
Damn he's being cold towards her, I know he fought in the war, but damn, she's a fucking hero.
"Fedorian was killed, you're the new Primach."
"You're needed immediately to chair a summit, to represent your people in the fight against the Reapers."
That's a long pause, ugh, this isn't going well, please don't shoot him Shepard…
"…I'm Primach of Palavan? Negotiating for the Turian Hierarchy?"
"Yes."
"I've spent my whole life fighting, I'm no diplomat, I hate diplomats..."
Shepard smiled;
"War is your resume, at a time like this we need leaders who have been through that hell."
"Huh, I like that… You're right."
"And honestly, uniting these races might take just as much strength as taking down the Reapers."
Her nose scrunched up, it was so cute when she did that.
"See this devastation Primach? Double it for Earth. I need an Alliance. I need the Turian Fleet."
Seeing Earth get hit must have hurt her more than she's letting on… she's slipping from her Commander mask…
"Give me a moment to say goodbye to my men."
"Without him down here, there is a good chance we lose this moon."
She turned on me, her nose still scrunched;
"And without him up there we lose everything!"
"…I know."
She instantly relaxed;
"Sorry, bit stressed out."
A flash made me turn, a Reaper stood out in the not so far distance;
"Look at that, and they what my advice on how to stop it? Failed C-Sec officer, vigilante… scoff and I'm their expert adviser? ... Think we can win this thing Shepard?"
"Yeah, Garrus… I don't know, but I'm gonna try."
"Well, I'm damn sure nobody else can do it… and, for whatever its worth, I'm with you…"
"Well then, get your things Vakarian and get ready to head to the Normandy."
It felt good to be home, yeah, I consider the Normandy to be home now, feels like I've spent more time here than there. The Battery doors slid open, but I didn't look up.
"Hmm, you don't waste any time getting to work, do you?"
I turned to face Shepard, and my breath hitched, she was in a dress, a rather tight and revealing dress, her longer hair sitting comfortably on her shoulders, while the dress stopped a few inches above her knee, oh Spirits… think about something else, Wrex naked…urgh…
"After what I've been through, calibrating a giant gun is a holiday."
She was being herself here, her eyes a softer blue, every emotion that she was feeling swirling in her eyes, still making them slightly unreadable, but it made her more mortal, and less like the 'Legendary Commander Shepard'.
"Huh, well, the way things we're going, we're probably going to have to use it soon."
"I think we'll find a lot more giant guns this time."
Well, it's now or never Garrus…
"So, uh… is this the part where we shake hands? I wasn't sure about the protocol on reunions, so I did some research but I'm not sure if you still…"
Her lips brushed across my cheek and mandible, so soft, so unlike my skin;
"I haven't forgotten our time together… and that was the protocol on reunions."
"Uh, glad to know my romantic...erm … skills? Made an impression."
She laughed; she's even more stunning when she's happy.
"I thought about you every day while I was on Earth, and then when we closed in on Menae and we saw Palaven, I was so worried…"
"I was worried when I heard about Earth too… thought I'd lost you again, but then I thought, it's going to take more than Reapers to stop this cross-species liaison."
She laughed again, taking my hands and moving in close.
"I want you to know, I've seen Kadian…"
I couldn't help it, I gave a growl, more menacing than the one I had made while she had become the jiggling spectacle.
"He's at the Citadel right now; he got taken down by the mech EDI has commandeered. We haven't really talked about this yet… but I think he thinks we didn't break up."
I scoffed;
"The way he behaved on Horizon was pretty clear… and that message he sent you was like something a kid whose favourite toy was taken away would do."
"Garrus, there is no chance I'm ever going back there."
I let go of a breath I was holding… I was holding my breath? Before I had a chance to reply she kissed me again, this time, directly on my lips and I leant into her. Spirits she made me feel so good.
"I gotta go, make sure Joker isn't making a mess all over EDI's new body… but, you know where to find me."
I smiled;
"Ahuh and this time…" I bent down and pulled out the bottle I had stored under my table "I can afford the good stuff… one of the perks to being an expert adviser; you get the pay to match."