"No thank you. It's being attended to. If the finest medical minds in the Hanar Illuminated Primacy can't solve the problem, I doubt your ships medic could. Thank you for your concern. Trust me, this won't affect my performance." Thane turned down Shepard's offer to help find a solution to his sickness politely. He was surprised by her continued concern, he wondered if she acted this way toward everyone she met.
"If that's what you want, but if you change your mind Thane, just let me know. I also wanted to tell you that we will be leaving to find the Justicar in about twenty five minutes, so I would start getting ready. Meet me and Garrus up in the CIC when you're ready." Shepard informed him.
"I will be ready Shepard," Thane told her.
"Good, see you in a bit." Shepard smiled and then walked out.
Thane watched her walk out. He continued to stare at the door even after it closed. He had never met a person who showed so much concern for those they just met. Well except for . . . he had to stop that thought there, he needed to get ready for the upcoming mission and slipping into memories of sunset colored eyes would be counterproductive.
Thane left the chair he was sitting on and walked over to the glass case that housed his guns and began to ready himself for the mission ahead.
"Hey Garrus," Shepard called, as she walked into the tiny space that was the Main Battery Room. Garrus jumped from the sudden entrance of the Commander, which resulted in him hitting his head on the weapons board that he was under.
"Spirits be damned!" Garrus cried out. He made his way from under the board to glare at Shepard. "Don't you ever knock?" Garrus grumbled, rubbed the top of his head as he stood, towering over the Commander.
Shepard just rolled her eyes and grinned up at the big Turian, "My ship, I don't need to knock." She told him, amusement plainly shown on her face. Garrus continued to glare. "Stop being a baby, we both know you have gotten knocked in the head harder than that, remember the Mako rides?"
Garrus cringed in remembrance. Spirits those rides were hell, with Shepard almost driving them off cliffs, sometimes actually driving off of those cliffs, or making sharp turns, running into Colossuses. The whole way she would wear a smug smirk, knowing the occupants of the Mako could barely hold the contents of their stomach as she drove. The only one who had ever been able to endure those rides was Rex. He would encourage her every chance he got, laughing along with her. Good times, he thought, horrifying and stressful, but good.
Garrus stuck his tongue out at her, something Shepard always did when she knew he was right but didn't want to admit it. "So what can I help you with Commander?" Garrus asked her.
"Just wanted to let you know we are leaving to recruit the Justicar in about twenty minutes. When you're ready, meet Thane and me up in the CIC." Shepard instructed him.
"Thane is the Drell we picked up yesterday right?" Garrus asked.
"Yes. I want to see how he works in a team; lord knows he can take care of himself alone." Shepard explained, leaning against the door frame.
"Yeah, he was very impressive, but who would you say had the best entrance? Thane, Jack, or me?" Garrus gave Shepard a Turian smile, while pulling out his sniper casing. Garrus sat on his cot and took out his sniper parts from the case and began to put them together as he waited for Shepard's answer.
"I don't know Garrus" Shepard faked thinking hard. "Jack took down three YMIR mecs and Thane took out a whole squad of Eclipse guards and his target in twenty seconds, you just shot people in the head from a ledge." Shepard joked, waving off his accomplishment.
"Hey, I did that all by my lonesome for hours! I managed to piss off every large gang in the Terminus and I did it all coming out looking better than ever." Garrus struck a pose, with his head pointed upwards and his hands on his hips.
Shepard gave out a bark of laughter, giving Garrus a big smile, "Ok hot stuff, be ready in twenty minutes and get your ass up to the CIC."
"So I'll take that as 'yes Garrus you had the best entrance?'" Garrus smiled at her.
Shepard rolled her eyes and closed the doors on him. She walked down the hallway to the elevator, waving to Gardner like she always did. As the elevator stopped at the CIC Shepard exited and went to the armory.
"Hey Commander," Jacob greeted her.
"Hey Jacob, could you unlock my armor case for me?" Shepard asked him, as she continued to walk past him and stopped in front of her locked case.
"Sure thing Commander." Jacob tapped the keys on his terminal, disabling the lock on Shepard's case.
Shepard thanked him before reaching in and retrieving her armor. It was custom built N7 armor, which she had Jacob paint a deep crimson color, black for the color of the strands around it and bright red for the stripe on her arm.
"So, you're going after the Asari today?" Jacob asked, not looking away from his terminal.
"That's the plane." The Commander told him. She stripped off her Commander uniform, wearing a tight military tank top and fitting black shorts, her gold necklace rested between her breasts. This is what she always wore under her armor.
Jacob admired the Commander through his peripheral vision. The Commander is a beautiful woman, he thought to himself.
"So, who are you taking with you Shepard?" Jacob asked. He had hoped he would be the one to go with the Commander, but obviously not, or she would have told him to be ready by now.
"Garrus and Thane," Shepard said plainly.
"Krios?" Jacob repeated with what could only be described as disgust. The solider abandoned his work at the terminal to turn his full attention to Shepard now.
"Is there any other Thane on the ship that I'm not aware of, it's not the most common name to hear?" Shepard continued to dress, not even turning her head in Jacob's direction, though the tone of her voice was clearly laced with irritation. If Jacob was smart he would back off now.
"Honestly Commander is taking an assassin with you the smartest idea." Jacob asked.
Nope, he isn't very smart, is he? She thought snidely. "Mr. Taylor, I am the Commander of this ship and I decide who comes with me on missions. I don't recall you complaining when I took Jack or Zaeed or even Grunt with me on missions. Mr. Krios appears to be most civil and mild tempered person on this ship. Now, you have succeeded in questioning you're commanding officers judgment and intelligence and also acting in an unprofessional manner towards another crew mate. You have also succeeded in pissing me the hell off." Maria was on her feet, fully dressed in her armor and her hands cupped behind her back; the already intimidating woman made for a more imposing figure. "Now you either learn to get along with Thane or keep your mouth shut." Shepard snapped angrily, finishing her speech, her eyes glowing a brighter shade of orange.
"I . . . I'm sorry Commander. It won't happen again." Jacob let out in a quiet voice, Shepard could see that he honestly knew he made a mistake and was sorry.
"Jacob, I understand why you would mistrust him. He is an assassin, he is trained and paid to kill dangerous and important people for a living. But really, the whole crew including you and me are not saints. No one on this crew has the best reputations or ideal job. We are all the best at what we do and what we do the best revolves around killing or some form of crime." Shepard gave him a smile, laying her hand on his shoulder to let him know she wasn't angry anymore.
"You're right Commander. Thank you" He honestly didn't know why he was acting this way towards Krios, he didn't even know the guy. Just when he saw the man walk through the doors, with that damn hole in the middle of his shirt and the tight leather he was wearing it all instantly irritated him, adding fuel to his already prejudice ideas of the mans profession. Jacob just couldn't stand the guy. But the Commander was right, he needed to act professionally; didn't mean he had to like the man.
Jacob became very aware of how close the Commander was just then, still in her shorts and tank top, with her hand on his arm. He flashed her a smile giving her a small salute before turning back to his work. Shepard turned away from him as well now that the confrontation was over and continued to get ready for the mission, strapping guns to her armor. Neither of them knew about the Drell listening in on them outside the door.
Shepard might not know what was going on with Jacob but Thane did. The man was being territorial. He didn't want him near Shepard, for some reason he saw him as a threat and was jealous he was going with Shepard on the mission. Drell were no acceptation to this universal behavior, and if Thane had the slightest interest in Shepard he might react similarly, just not as obvious.
Thane was a bit amused by this new information, but didn't think much on it. He wasn't here to build a relationship with the human Commander, he was here to work for her and that was it. With that last thought, Thane turned around and headed for the front of the ship.
Thane walked over to the ships exit, waiting by the door for the Commander and the other crew member she was bringing along. Thane didn't have to wait long, the armory doors opened and Shepard walked through, fully dressed in her armor. It was hard to think that such a small human woman had accomplished so much. That she was one of the most feared individuals in the galaxy, one of the strongest from what he had heard. How could something so small be that powerful? Thane thought as he watched her.
As the Commander continued to make her way towards him, Thane took the time to analyze her. The woman walked with her back perfectly straight and her head held high, radiating confidence. She was an intimidating figure but not an unapproachable one, a person could clearly see the kindness in her eyes, but they also held a warning in them that spoke volumes to her skill and experience. Physically she was very small, only standing at five three or four, and her body thin, but strongly built with lightly defined muscles. Her skin was the color of wet sand in the sunlight, reminding him of the rare days on the beaches of Kahje, when the rain would stop falling, allowing the light sand to be darken only by the waves, then dry in the warmth of the sun. The comparison stimulated a warmth in his chest that began to slowly spread. Thane caught her eyes at that moment as she drew closer, they were the brightest green he had ever seen, they almost appeared to glow. However, he had witnessed the change in them during her fight through Nassana's tower, the almond shaped orbs glowed a deep orange color during battle and was possibly in tune with her emotions somehow, along with the scars on her face. Thane was curious where the unnatural glow originated from, but would not allow himself to ask for fear of coming off rude or out of line. The assassin concluded that the human woman was definitely unique, inside and out. It is easy to see why the other human, Jacob, would be so infatuated with her. Her physical beauty wasn't the only quality that causes every person in the room to turn to her as she passes, Thane thought to himself, the warmth in his chest now working it's way pleasantness down his spine. Thane ripped his gaze from the Commander's approaching presence, attempting to banish the unusual feeling that had taken over his body. He hadn't thought of another woman as anything more than just another person in the crowds since Irikah, and had not felt such a strong reaction to anything since her death. Thane didn't have long to dwell on the matter, Shepard had arrived at the doors next to him, flashing him a large smile, showing off her many white teeth.
"Here even before the Commander. You're punctuality is much appreciated Thane. Now only if the rest of the crew followed suit." Shepard's hand went up to her right ear and she spoke into her comm, "Hey Garrus, where you at?"
"I'm on my way up Shepard, keep your pants on!" A voice from the other side of her comm replied in an amused voice.
Shepard laughed lightly, "Hurry the hell up, Thane was here even before me!"
"Well I'll be sure to congratulate him when I get there" The voice retaliated sarcastically, before Shepard dropped the connection.
"That smart ass you just heard on the other line, is Garrus, he is the Turian that was pointing the sniper rifle at you when we met. He will obviously be accompanying us on this mission." Shepard explained to him.
"I see. Does he always speak to you in that manner?" Thane questioned stoically, though honestly curious about the interaction. He didn't think military soldiers spoke to their Commanders that way. He doubted the Turian military was any different than the human one when it came to how you address your Commanding officer. That man, Jacob, had been ashamed by the way he had spoken to Shepard, and he had still referred to her by her respectable title of Commander throughout the conversation.
"Garrus is one of my closest friends. We've went through hell and back together, along with Tali and Joker while fighting Saren, the geth and the reaper two years ago. So if you hear them being smart asses, it's because they have earned it, they are family to me. That and I have a pretty great sense of humor." Shepard explained to him.
She really cares for her old crew members, Thane thought as he stared down at her. He had never met anyone like this human, she was . . . intriguing.
"Alright I'm here you can all call off the search party" Garrus announced as he walked up to them.
"Finally! Now let's go." Shepard muttered, grinning as she rolled her eyes, she pressed the button to activate the doors to let them out of the ship.
Well that had been a productive day, the Commander thought pleasantly to herself, as Garrus, Thane and her made their way back to the ship. They had succeeded in their goal to recruit the Justicar, Samara, helped out the Asari police women with her investigation and brought down a volus drug dealer. Now they were walking through the kiosks, looking at the venders varies items while returning to the Normandy. Shepard stopped at one of the kiosks to get a better look at what the Asari had for sale. Garrus walked over to a sniper rifle kiosk while Thane stood by the railing overlooking the city.
Thane couldn't take his eyes off the scenery before him.
"Thane, you ok?" Shepard asked as she walked up alongside him.
"Yes. I just noticed . . . I spent the last two years here. I had a purpose, a goal, now that I have accomplished it something has occurred to me. In all that time . . . I never looked at the horizon. It is, spectacular." Thane breathed in a memorized voice.
Shepard just stared at him for a second, not knowing what to say. Then she looked out at the horizon and agreed; it was spectacular. "Es hermoso." Shepard commented.
Thane turned his head towards her, with what Shepard could only describe as a confused look on his face. "I think my translator just glitches. What did you say?" Thane questioned her.
Shepard laughed lightly at his question and the look on his face, "It means 'it is beautiful'. It's Spanish. Most humans speak English now, especially those in space so that's what an alien's translator is programmed to pick up. You can get it programmed for every language, but most don't bother because it's not necessary." she explained to him. "I thought an assassin would know that," Shepard teased him, keeping a smile on her face just in case he took it the wrong way.
"Most of my targets weren't human. Maybe that's why the Hanar did not feel the need to update my translator?" Thane stated. "And even as a freelancer, I never come in contact with a human I could not understand with my translator." Thane turned his body completely towards her, "How did you learn that language?" Thane asked her curiously.
"I was born in Mexico. It's a country back on Earth. I was raised in an orphanage and the nuns there would teach the children to speak the native language. None of us had homes or families, so they just wanted to give us a connection to the land. Gives us a bit of heritage, something we would always have to keep with us." Shepard's hand went to her chest, before she realized she couldn't play with the cross around her neck due to her armor. Thane saw this and wondered why she did it, but did not comment on it.
Thane stared at the woman in front of him, taking in her smooth alien skin that was a rich tan color, the soft looking silky brown stuff on top of her head that humans called hair, her scars on her face and her bright green eyes. Every color stood out to him and each of her features he lingered on, taking them in. He could smell her scent, a clean smell, like the smell of rain. It reminded him of Kahje once again. He also noticed all the sounds, smells and colors around him. He had been here two years and he hadn't ever noticed any of this before. The only sounds he heard were those pertaining to his target and possible threats, there had been no color in his world for the longest time. Now he was able to see everything, as if he was awake for the first time.
"You guys done?" Garrus broke through Thane's trance. Both the Commander and Thane looked towards Garrus and nodded their heads. The trio continued their walk to the ship. Thane's mind filled with his knew awareness as he glanced at the Commander once more, but he wasn't sure what to make of what he just realized. He was awaken from his battle sleep.
I give much thanks to my new beta reader, voltagelisa, She is wonderful and has helped me a LOT! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter.