Chapter 3: Javik

Location: Attican Traverse
Date: October 30, 2183

The Attican Traverse was the home of four major human colonies; Eden Prime, Terra Nova, Shanxi, and Mindoir. In the two days since the Reapers attacked the Citadel massive evacuations of these colonies were taking place. There were also dozens of minor colonies being evacuated, but where these evacuees were going to go was beyond anything any normal person knew.

Serena continued to look into the galactic map in front of her in the CIC. Next to the CIC was the new War Room where Ann and John were both currently talking to the surviving counselors; Trevose and Valern, on holographic screens. Turning away from the War Room she saw Joker near a console typing something. "What are you doing?" she asked as she sat down in the seat next to his.

"Looking to see if anybody picked up the SSV Normandy crew," he continued to type when he suddenly smiled and then laughed. "Ever heard of the SV Kilimanjaro?" This got a blank look from her. "In our reality it was lost to a Batarian raider attack. Its captain was a crazy assed woman named Hannah Remington. In this reality its captain's name is Hannah Shepard and is John's aunt. She was at the Citadel during the attack and was able to breakaway from Malcavich's fifth fleet in order to save the Normandy's crew."

Serena chuckled. "Let me guess, your number two was saved?" she giggled at his smirk.

"Yep." he chuckled. "And the reapers will never have a chance with two of us around."

"That's good to hear Joker," came John's voice from behind us. "Glad my aunt is still alive too."

"You two close?" Ann asked as she leaned against the glass of the War Room's door.

"No." He paused. "She's my dad's sister and I hated her as a teen. Joined the Systems Alliance N7 program even as she protested against it." He shook his head. "She was okay with anything else, but not the N7 program."

"Wonder why," Ann said, not really expecting a reply. She turned towards Joker. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, she's off the grid," he said. "After leaving the Citadel, the Kilimanjaro went silent...that is until you guys hit the dirt on Eden Prime yesterday. She's docked herself near Tiptree."

"Tiptree?" John inquired.

"It's a small colony world that circulates a big gas giant." He tapped a few buttons on the console and brought the planet up on the galaxy map. It appeared next to a blueish gas planet, which had two other moons circulating around it. "Tiptree has one major landmass with four smaller landmasses surrounding it. It's mostly a farming colony, but two of the smaller landmasses have two large corporations on them. One is a terraforming corporation called T-Forming Corp and the other is called Zaren Mining Corp. Both are owned by a Alsir Vas Quib and Alister Jarzenski."

"Alsir is quarian,"Ann stated. "Why would a human and quarian go into business together when all quarians live within the fleet?"

"He was exiled," came Tali's voice from behind the group. Everybody looked at the young quarian girl who John didn't recognize because he hadn't seen her in the purple suit she was now in.

"Tali," Ann said sadly. "How's Kal?"

"Better." she sighed. "We wanted to thank-you for the clean room that's on the other side of the medbay."

Ann chuckled. "You making it of use?" she inquired.

"Commander!" she squeaked.

Ann began to chuckle. "Can you blame me?" she defended herself. "I want to be an aunt!"

"Oh Keelah!" Tali gasped out. "Ann it's gonna be...awhile for that."

John coughed to cover a laugh of his own. "Can't blame me for trying," Ann defended. "Guess John and I should go down to the cargo hold and check on our Prothean friend." She turned to Joker. "Put in a course for Tiptree."

"Aye, aye." he nodded as he headed to the cockpit.

Ann turned to Tali. "Why was this guy exiled?" she inquired.

"He tried to kill an admiral." was her reply.

"Why?" Serena asked Tali who seemed shocked to see her at first.

"Uh..." she began. "It was Zaal'Koris. He disagreed with him on many policies and finally just had enough. Zaal had him exiled for the attempt, but before that Alsir was a very good man and was my fathers best friend."

As the group approached the elevator Ann turned to Tali. "That reminds me, we need to get into contact with the migrant fleet, including your father Admiral Rael'Zorah." She watched as Tali nodded as both she and John vanished into the elevator.

Tali then turned to Serena. "So when were you going to say hi to me?" she inquired.

"Uh...been busy?" Serena said as she made up an excuse. Truth was she had wanted to but had, had her mind fill with thoughts of first trying to survive, then finding out about the baby and then trying to get Ian to smile again. Something was off about her British friend. After returning from his mission with Ann that had produced Javik, he had gone into hiding in the Main Battery and had basically lock himself in there only coming out for food in the last day.

"Huh...maybe you and I need to get reaquainted," she said with a laugh. "A lot has occurred in the last year or so." Tali happily grabbed Serena's wrist and dragged her down to engineering.

Keeping his yellow eyes closed, Javik continued to ignore the inquisitive stares of the human guards in the room. He knew they were only doing their job, but it had been their Commander who had brought him here; so why they felt the need to guard him he didn't understand. In his mind no time had really passed since the day he'd gone into the cryogenic pod. One moment he had been fighting and the next he had awaken to find that human awakening him. She had known who he was. She wasn't from this reality, but had somehow passed from one reality to this one. He knew his own people had tried, unsuccessfully, to jump from their waring reality to a peaceful one where the reapers had already gone through and wiped out their kind. Obviously that hadn't worked. Then there had been rumors of a dimension called The In Between, which to him was even more confusing. He was a warrior, not a scientist who theorized about the impossible. He killed things. It was all he'd ever known. These humans knew nothing of true war, but they'd learn or they'd be fated to the same fate as his people had been.

A whirling of the elevator doors opening was heard. Looking up he saw the female Commander with her counterpart in this reality. They may have been opposite secession, but their scents were one and the same. Both had an aurora of authority, power behind that authority; but only one of them knew of that power and the other was oblivious to it. Oblivious or not the female was the stronger out of the two and his people were known for liking strength above power. "Commander." he greeted through clenched teeth.

"Commander Javik," she greeted in a friendly manner. Javik watched as the human male watched her and his own reactions. Obviously this human wasn't going to introduce himself. "My name is Ann Shepard, this is John Shepard; no relation between us." She waved the guards to leave.

"I understand more than you realize," he said standing up from the floor as the human guards left. "You come from another reality in which all of this has already occurred and in which you have already destroyed the Reapers."

"Yes," was her reply.

"Then tell me why you awoke me if you already know how to stop these creatures," he said as he turned his back to her as he began looking over his pods circuitry to make sure it could be used once again.

"Because I need the best in this fight and you are the best." She paused. "In my reality you were one of the few I could give an order to take so many people with you into battle not have to worry that they'd be killed." Javik's hands paused what they had been doing. "I know you have lost many good soldiers when you last fought, but I also know of the promise you made and because of that promise I know I can give you an order and you'll never lose a single person I put under your authority."

Turning around she was greeted by a smirk upon the Prothean's face. "Then what are my orders?" he growled out.

"For now, rest and eat what is nourishing to yourself because when you'll be needed it'll be a battle where you more than likely will die."

"Agreed," he said before turning back around to his pod and as she began to leave he spoke out. "Commander."

"Yes?" he heard her reply. "Do send the jumper down here. We have things to talk about." He heard the whirling of the doors open and then close and once again he was left alone with his thoughts.

M-Angel: So there is your second chapter for the month. Tell me what you think of this chapter. Also I'll be updating my other story later this month.
xoxoangii: Sorry for the late post, I have been in and out of the hospital, but all is well :) Please remember to review! 3