Author's Note: Dear readers, I hope you enjoy this installment. Feel free to follow, fave or review, they give me the warm and fuzzies :) Also, a special thanks to Musicalrain for agreeing to be my beta reader and helping me improve this chapter! And one more thing, time isn't as abundant as it once was, so, I will most probably be updating about every two weeks now, instead of every week.
Chapter Seven
With reluctance, Garrus activated his omnitool and checked the time. Alpha shift would be starting soon, and in a few hours the ship was due to arrive at their destination. Looking down at the naked woman sleeping next to him, Garrus gently brushed a lock of hair from her face. The action caused her to stir and green eyes fluttered.
Garrus nuzzled her neck, "Good morning."
"Morning." Edi's lips curled into a lazy smile as she brought her long arms above her head and stretched.
Mesmerized by the taut muscles moving under lightly tanned skin, Garrus made a quiet growl and pulled her against him. "You're a tease."
"You're not much better," she said and shifted against the naturally plated leg that was now pressed between her thighs.
He brushed his mouth against her lips then disentangled himself from the beautiful human, "Mmm, as much as I'd love to keep exploring your body, we have to get up. Today's the day we get to deal with pissed off krogan and annoyed quarians."
The young woman groaned in response, rolling onto her stomach and shoving her head into the pillow.
A deep chuckle filled the room as Garrus rose up and grabbed his clothes that were strewn about the floor. His bruised and aching body protested as he got dressed, "That sparring match yesterday combined with our extracurricular activities last night have made me realize I'm getting old. Damn. Muscles that I didn't even know I had are sore."
Slim arms circled his waist as Edi came up behind him, "You're not old, just out of practice."
"Aha, and I suppose you're going to help me get into shape?" Garrus turned in her arms and rested his forehead against hers, sliding his taloned fingers through her hair.
"I'm more than happy to help," Edi replied.
"Glad to hear it."
Releasing her hold, Edi grabbed a change of clothes and a couple of towels from a cupboard on the wall. With a smirk she wrapped a towel around her body and punched in the code to unlock the door, "Figured I'd use the showers down here, don't want to disturb the sleeping crew." She threw another towel at Garrus, "Care to join me?"
Raising his brow plates he followed her down the hall, "What if someone catches us?"
Edi shrugged her shoulders, "Most of the crew are still asleep, it's only Beta shift at the moment and the two engineers stationed down here are both men, so the women's bathroom is safe. Plus, I can program the lock just to be extra careful."
They entered the bathroom and locked the door. As he watched Edi's towel drop to the floor any hesitation he had about being found in a compromising situation flew out the window, and he stripped, stepping into the shower to join her.
A glorious shower and change of clothes later, Garrus sat at one of the dining tables in the mess hall. Several crew members from the Alpha shift collected their breakfast from the kitchen, and mumbled a few greetings to him as they gathered at the other end of the table. Sighing as he took a sip of hot kahvi, he nonchalantly scrolled through the latest report from his fellow councillors and caught a whiff of a familiar scent. Glancing over the pad, he observed Edi as she poured herself a glass of orange colored liquid and made her way towards the table, taking a seat across from him. Garrus couldn't help his eyes from wandering down her body to admire her curves as she crossed one leg over the other. A small cough caught his attention and Edi's eyes were shimmering with mirth.
"Good morning, Councillor Vakarian."
"Good morning, Lieutenant."
Green eyes met blue and the look lingered. His mind started to replay excerpts of their shared night, like it had recorded the whole experience in high definition. A warm tingling pervaded his body and he felt his mandibles spread wide in what was sure to be a goofy expression.
A voice coming from Edi's left jarred them back to reality, "Hey, you two love birds need to get a room, all this goo goo eyes shit is gonna make me barf!"
"Shut up, Cy," said Edi, punching the asari in the shoulder.
Cy hissed through clenched teeth and glared at the young Lieutenant, "Fuck, Alenko. I've got a bruise the size of Nos Astra there thanks to you."
"Good. You deserve it for being a smart ass," Edi bit back.
Sending a glance in Garrus' direction, Cy sniggered, "You like 'em fiery don't ya?"
"Makes things more interesting." The turian swallowed the rest of his drink, "Wait, you know about us?" he said, waving his hand between himself and Edi.
Raising a painted on eyebrow, Cy gave him a look that seemed to question his intelligence, "Ah, yeah. I'm not blind. You guys are sending all kinds of signals, like the one right now, screamin' that you bonked each other last night."
Once again, Edi smacked her friend's shoulder, "You're only assuming that because I didn't sleep in the crew quarters last night."
"That, and I know how to read people. Like, for instance, when Lili came storming into the room last night, I could tell she had just been given the brush off by Mr. tall, dark and turian over here."
Garrus rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, "Are we going to have issues with her?"
The asari's expression was thoughtful, "When she finds out you're screwing a human instead of her? Yeah, she's gonna be pissed, but she won't do anything. Lili might give Edi the cold shoulder but she won't let it affect the mission." Massaging her sore muscle, Cy rolled her shoulder, trying to release the tension, "I take it Shep doesn't know yet."
Edi scratched behind her ear and shook her head mildly, "To my knowledge you're the only person who does."
"On a ship this size, Alenko? Not a chance," Cy scoffed and eyed the murmuring crew members a few seats down, "There are already rumors and it's only a matter of time before the whole crew knows, including your mom."
The lines around Edi's eyes became more pronounced as she squinted, and she started worrying her lower lip. Garrus couldn't tell for sure, but it seemed like she was hesitant about people finding out they were in a relationship. Figuring now was not the time to question her about it, he stood up, "We'll be arriving in the Tikkun system soon, I better go and find Shepard."
Collecting his pad he walked towards the elevator, all the while trying to clear his head and concentrate on the political shit storm they were about to enter.
Several hours later the Normandy was orbiting the contested asteroid in the Tikkun system. Captain Shepard and Garrus were standing on the bridge, hovering just behind Joker. A dreadnaught class ship flew beside the Alliance frigate, dwarfing the Normandy.
"Shit, krogan don't mess around, huh?" Joker said, pulling his cap off to angle his head up, allowing himself a better look.
Garrus walked up to the side window, marveling at the giant. The 'Maka Sichu' was the flagship of the Krogan fleet, commissioned not long after the Reaper Wars. It's aim was to showcase the power of the now space faring krogan, and it did just that.
"Look at the size of that main gun!"
Shepard rose an eyebrow, "Garrus, really? You still get that excited about guns?"
"You know me and my guns, Shepard," the turian replied, not bothering to look away from the impressive display.
Shaking his head, Joker glanced down at the blinking light on his board, "Captain, Emperor Urdnot Tavek is requesting permission for himself and his advisor to come aboard."
"Permission granted," replied Shepard.
The Maka Sichu's docking tube shot out and attached to the Normandy. Once sealed, the airlock hissed opened to reveal several armored krogan. The Councillor and the Captain stood at attention before bowing from the waist, and the Emperor stared intently at the two aliens before dipping his head.
There was a low, rumbling growl as one of the security guards was shoved to the side, "No need for this formal bullshit." A familiar krogan appeared next to Tavek, "Shepard! Garrus! It's been a while."
Shepard was the first to move toward the old krogan, "Wrex! How the hell have you been?"
"Good. Bakara and the brood are doing well and I've been busy trying to keep our illustrious leader from starting a damn war," said Wrex, shaking the Spectre's hand before turning to Garrus, "Ah, Garrus. I suppose it's good to see you too." The krogan chuckled and slapped the turian on the shoulder.
Emperor Tavek stepped forward, "Councillor Vakarian. I'm surprised you're here."
Expecting the question but not liking the tone, Garrus placed his hands behind his back and tightened his jaw, causing his mandibles to compress against the sides of his mouth, "I was scheduled to depart the ship when it docked at the Citadel, but due to the urgency of the situation it was decided the Normandy's presence was needed in the Tikkun system immediately, so we were diverted."
Tavek's lip curled, "I see. I'm not sure how I feel about the turian councillor interfering with krogan business."
"Need I remind you that both the quarian's and krogan are Citadel species and have been for the last 20 years." Garrus' hands clenched and he rose to his full height, "Both species have representatives on the Citadel and brought this issue to the Council's attention, therefore the mining treaty in question is council business."
To Garrus' surprise, Wrex walked up to the now growling Emperor and head butted him, "Back down Tavek and show some respect. You may be Emperor of Tuchanka and her colonies but that means squat to the other species. Councillor Vakarian is just as important as you, if not more so. Remember that, whelp."
Stumbling backwards, Tavek rubbed the edge of his teal colored crest.
Trying to prevent his features from showing his pleasure from watching the uppity krogan get put in his place, Garrus covered his mouth and coughed. Attention was brought back to him and his mandibles fluttered, "Now that we all understand why I'm present, let's continue with the pleasantries." He gestured toward Shepard, "May I introduce Captain Jane Shepard, Council Spectre." His eyes met Shepard's as he continued, "Captain, this is his Imperial Majesty, Emperor Urdnot Tavek."
The Emperor's blood red eyes widened to the size of saucers when it dawned on him who the woman was. He quickly recovered when Wrex nudged him and he took another step toward the Spectre, enthusiastically shaking her hand, "You're Captain Shepard? It is an honor to finally meet the hero who cured our people."
Obviously Tavek didn't realize Garrus was there with Shepard the day the genophage was cured, or maybe it was because he was turian that the krogan leader disliked him. The hate between both species had dulled to a tenuous civility since the Reaper Wars, but there was still animosity that was quick to surface when provoked.
"Thank you, and please, just call me Shepard." Tavek released her hand and the Spectre opened and closed it a few times, trying to encourage blood to circulate through the appendage once more.
The tension and formality from only a few moments earlier dissipated and Tavek grinned, "Sure thing, Shepard. Wrex is right, this formal crap isn't needed, call me Tavek." A quick glare was aimed at Garrus, "Same goes for you too, I suppose."
With a motion of her hand, Shepard called Curtis over, "Can you give these gentlemen a tour of the ship while we wait for the Admirals? Meet us in the conference room when you're finished, thank you."
Wrex and Tavek dismissed the security detail that had escorted them onto the ship and followed the confident marine, laughing with the man as they entered the elevator and disappeared.
"Well, that wasn't as bad as it could've been," said Garrus, releasing a long breath.
A scarred hand squeezed his shoulder, "I thought you were about to become a turian smear for a while there. Thank God Wrex saved your ass."
Laughing erupted from the cockpit and Garrus huffed, "Shut up, Joker!"
The pilot turned his seat to face the Councillor, "I'm sorry man, but the Emperor really doesn't seem to like you."
"That would be because he doesn't. Never has and never will. The feeling's mutual." He brought a hand up and rubbed the back of his neck, "I really wish Wrex hadn't retired from leadership. His nephew is a pain in the ass."
The corner of Shepard's mouth quirked, "Ah, Tavek doesn't seem to be that bad and it looks like Wrex is kinda grooming him. I mean, look at the progress you two made in just a few moments, he gave you permission to call him by his name."
"Right, we're on our way to being best friends," said Garrus with a snort and the pair left Joker, making their way to the shuttle bay to await the quarians arrival.
Everyone convened in the conference room, all five quarian admirals on one side with Wrex and Tavek on the other. Garrus and Shepard were at either end of the table, their eyes shifting anxiously between the two species.
"Alright, let's sort this mess out. Do you have your copies-"
Tali'Zorah quickly interrupted Shepard mid sentence, "I'm sorry Shepard, but we are not proceeding until the krogan have ordered their ground team to stand down."
A confused expression appeared on Garrus face, "Ah, Tali? What are you talking about?"
"His Imperial Majesty here has an assault team threatening our squad holding position on the asteroid."
"Why do either of you have squads down there?" Annoyance crept into Shepard's words as she spoke.
The quarian released a sigh, "When we asked the mining team to cease they refused, and a krogan assault team was sent to protect them." Tali air quoted the last two words, "In response to the threat we dispatched our own squad to defend our assets, but now both teams are on edge and it's only a matter of time before someone takes the first shot."
Garrus crossed his arms and watched Shepard's reaction. He could tell she was losing patience and so was he, how stupid could both parties be?
"So, you both have ground teams on the asteroid just waiting for the chance to shoot each other?" asked the redheaded Spectre as she looked between the two species. "And you thought this was an intelligent way of dealing with the situation? All in reaction to disputed mining rights? This is ridiculous." Shepard ran a hand through her short hair and looked to the ceiling.
"I have to agree, and I suggest a shuttle be sent to collect every single krogan and quarian on that asteroid before this turns into a bigger mess than it already is," Garrus added.
A clash of voices engulfed the room as both sides of the table spouted arguments and insults.
"ENOUGH!" a reverberating voice echoed and everyone turned to look at the quarian who yelled the command. Admiral Zaal'Koris continued once he had everyone's attention, "Thank you. Now, I agree with both Councillor Vakarian and Captain Shepard, we need to resolve this amicably. To do so requires us to evacuate our squads and I am more than willing to send the order on our end, what about you, Emperor?"
Taking a moment to rub his chin, Tavek nodded, "I agree." The krogan turned to face his mentor, "Wrex, send a shuttle to retrieve our men, the miners included."
An orange glow emitted from Wrex's arm as he used his omni-tool to send the order and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, "Done."
Tali nodded her helmeted head to indicate the quarians had held up their end of the deal as well.
"Great. Now lets go over both copies of the damn agreement and find out who screwed up." Shepard grabbed both pads and threw one to Garrus. His finger slid down the screen, scrolling through the text, noting that the quarians were correct, negotiations weren't finished.
Shepard spoke up, "According to this, Tavek has permission to mine the asteroid. What does the quarians version say, Garrus?"
His brow furrowed and his mandibles fluttered, "Ah, according to this," he waved the pad for emphasis, "The Admiralty Board is correct."
"Okay, we need to verify both versions," said Shepard.
Tali raised her hand to volunteer, "I can do that."
"I draw the line there, pyjak. No way am I gonna trust you to do it," growled Tavek, pointing a thick finger across the table. Wrex swatted his nephews finger and mumbled something, making the krogan drop it.
Garrus rubbed the back of his neck, "Sorry Tal, but Tavek has a point. Someone who's not involved needs to do it."
Knowing what she was going to ask next he started going through the crew members, trying to figure out who would be suitable. Neither Ari or Kael were allowed, due to being quarians and that only left Edi. He was a little unnerved by the prospect of having his ex-wife and girlfriend in the same room.
"What? You have someone who can verify the source just as quick as I can, do you?"
He recognized the tone of Tali's voice and inwardly cringed. Maybe I shouldn't have been the one to say that.
Shooting a desperate look towards Shepard, he tried to send a silent request for back up, breathing a sigh of relief when she nodded in understanding and intervened, "Tali, we need to use someone who will be acceptable to both parties. My daughter, Lieutenant Alenko, is a tech specialist, she's more than capable of doing this."
"Yes, she sounds agreeable," said Admiral Koris, patting Tali on the arm.
"Wait, Shepard. Your daughter's on the ship? Why haven't I met her yet?" asked Tali.
Scratching the side of her nose, Shepard lifted her shoulders, "Just figured this was more important. I'd planned on introducing you both after we sorted out this mess, I promise." The Spectre typed out a message on her omnitool and turned back to the rest of the diplomats, "This room's getting a bit stuffy and we don't all need to be here to watch Edi work." Just then, Lieutenant Curtis appeared at the door and Shepard continued, "Tavek, why don't you and the Admiral's follow Todd to the mess hall for some refreshments."
"I could use a break, lead the way pyjak," said Tavek as he and four of the five quarian admirals followed the marine out.
Tali stood next to Wrex, wringing her hands, "Do you mind if I stay? I'd like to meet Lieutenant Alenko."
"Yeah, and I'd like to see the whelp too, it's been a few years," Wrex added.
Garrus couldn't help but be amused, even if the impending arrival of Edi might make things uncomfortable. His flanging vocals hummed jovially, "Have you guys noticed we only get together when things turn to crap? We can't just be normal and meet for dinner every few years, can we?"
The other three thought about what he'd said and started laughing.
Shepard's mouth spread into a smile, "Nope, I guess that's not our way, but at least we don't have to save the galaxy this time,"
Intrigued by her mother's message, Edi quickly approached the conference room and saw two other aliens laughing with Shepard and Garrus. When she noticed one of them was an old family friend, a toothy grin appeared on her face, "Uncle Wrex!"
Turning at the sound of her familiar voice, the krogan embraced her, tightly, "Pup! How ya been?"
"Not bad. You?" Unable to breathe properly from being bearhugged by a krogan, Edi's voice was strained and Wrex released his hold.
"Ah, can't complain."
She inhaled deeply, absently rubbing her bruised shoulder, "Good to hear."
Edi noticed the strange look that Wrex was giving her and watched as he looked from her to Garrus, who was standing at the opposite end of the table. He took a few short sniffs, like a dog trying to find where the juicy bone was hidden, but didn't say another word as he narrowed his eyes. Her dark brows knitted together as she wondered what that was about and spared a quick glance in the Councillor's direction. His alien features mimicked her expression and he gave her a small shrug.
A harsh cough made the young Lieutenant flinch and she turned to face her mother, "Before we get started, there's someone I want you to meet." Shepard walked towards the female quarian dressed in a beautiful, black suit with deep purple fabric flowing from her helmet. "Edi, this is Tali'Zorah vas Rannoch, an old friend of mine who served on the Normandy with me and your father during the Reaper Wars."
Out of the corner of her eye, Edi could see Garrus start to fidget and she smiled, focusing again on Tali, "Growing up, I heard many stories about the Normandy's adventures and you were one of the main characters. It's nice to finally meet you."
Grasping Edi's hand, the mouthpiece on Tali's helmet started to blink as she laughed, "Thank you." The pair stood for a moment, not moving and Edi scratched behind her ear with her free hand. Tali chuckled nervously and released her hold, "I'm sorry, it's just that I was captivated by how much you remind me of Kaidan. I mean, you're very similar to Shepard, but you have your father in you as well." Turning, Tali launched toward Shepard and gave her a hug, "I know it was years ago, but I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the funeral, Jane. I should have been there."
"Don't worry Tali, I understand you were busy, and I'm sure Kaidan wouldn't have held it against you," said Shepard, patting her friend on the shoulder.
Silence blanketed the room and Edi's mind swam with her most vivid memory of her father. It was one of those rare days when he was on shore leave. He'd spent hours patiently helping her design her first overload program, taking the time to correct her errors and commend her accomplishments. A wistful smile tugged at Edi's mouth as she remembered his warm, whiskey eyes crinkled at the corners, watching in delight as a young version of herself excitedly jumped up and down in triumph, pigtails bouncing around erratically.
The feeling of a gentle hand on her shoulder made Edi jerk back to the present and she rubbed the side of her nose, trying to hide her embarrassment at being caught reminiscing, "Um, Captain, you wanted me for something?"
The look of understanding in Shepard's eyes quickly sank back into the depths and her touch disappeared from Edi's arm, "Yes. We need you to verify these two copies of the mining agreement."
Her mother handed over two pads and Edi walked to the terminal at the head of the large, wooden table. Swift hands flew across the holographic keyboard as the tip of her tongue protruded from between her lips. A crease formed between her shaped, dark brows, "Um, the quarian copy is legit, but the other one...hmm, hold on, I need to track the source of the transmission."
Everyone in the conference room had eyes on Edi. Her mother was starting to pace, trying to wear a hole in the carpet and the other three stood together, staring intently. The young Lieutenant felt like one of Doctor Gillettes experiments, being eyed like she was a bacterium being studied under a microscope.
Finally a beep sounded from the console as the result flashed across the screen, "Um, Admiral, you might not like this."
Edi's utterance made Tali's head quirk to the side, "What do you mean?"
With sure steps, Garrus appeared next to Edi, leaning over her shoulder to get a look at what was in front of her, "Interesting. The krogan's version of the agreement originated from Rannoch, specifically from the federal buildings located in the capital," he said, pointing at the screen.
Pleasure thrilled through Edi as his voice worked it's magic on her nervous system and she discreetly leaned into him. Without looking away from the terminal, he nudged her back and she could feel his subharmonics vibrate with contentment.
"You must have traced it wrong, let me see," Tali uttered as she approached the pair.
A little insulted, Edi stepped to the side and crossed her arms over her chest, "I'm not wrong. The quarians sent the altered documents." Her tone and posture caused Garrus to send her a sympathetic look.
"So why the hell would the quarians want to create problems with the krogan?" Wrex scratched at his chin, pondering his own question.
"I don't know, but we need to figure it out and soon," Shepard said, walking over to Tali. "We need to make our way to Rannoch and investigate further."
Nodding in agreement, the quarian sighed, "We definitely need to get to the bottom of this. I'll let command know what we're doing." Shuffling over to the corner of the room, Tali activated her omnitool.
Quietly waiting for the quarian to finish her task, Edi felt the warmth of Garrus' hand as it brushed across her arm. She sent a sidelong glance in his direction and he inclined his head, his warm breath tickling her ear as he spoke, "Dinner later?"
As she opened her mouth to respond, Tali's frustrated curse interrupted, "You bosh'tet, piece of-"
Surprised by her friends outburst, Shepard headed toward her, "Tali, what's wrong?"
"I can't get through to Rannoch, communications are down!"
Garrus and Edi shared a knowing look with Shepard and all three of them spoke at the same time, "Fuck!"
