Author's Note: I try to post at least once a week, but I am on vacation this week and was able to get more writing done than I had expected, so here's an extra chapter. Please leave me a review and let me know what you're thinking so far. I would love to hear it. Thanks, and enjoy. - TLC
Chapter Seven
"Excuse me, Ma'am," Ashley spoke up once they had left the club. "About what Harkin said… about Anderson," They walked towards the transit station to call for a taxi to take them to Dr. Michel's Med Clinic, and Kaidan could sense Shepard's tension at Ashley's questions. Part of him wanted Ashley to drop it, a larger part of him was just as curious as she was.
"Captain," Shepard snapped her correction before sighing. "It's Captain Anderson…" She sighed and turned to face the pair. "Listen, it was close to twenty years ago, when Ambassador Goyle was our representative here on the Citadel. Like Udina, she wanted a human in the Spectres and she chose Anderson. The Council sent Saren to keep an eye on him and to evaluate him, just like they sent Nihlus to keep tabs on me," She paused and her gaze bounced between Ashley and Kaidan. She was conflicted, not sure if she should tell them. She sighed and locked eyes with Kaidan. Her voice was soft when she continued, "It's not something he's proud of. He was in my place and Saren made sure he failed."
"I think, with everything going on, maybe we should hear the whole story. It might help us understand why the Council is so reluctant to trust us," Kaidan urged gently. He meant that, but he was selfishly hoping this would shed some light on their relationship which he was having so much trouble getting a read on.
"I agree," Shepard nodded and reached a hand up to rub the back of her neck. "The Alliance had intel on a rogue scientist being funded by Batarians. The scientist was trying to set up a facility to develop illegal AI technology out in the Verge. Now, Alliance Intel had done all the work, but the Council wanted a Spectre involved. So they compromised and Anderson was assigned to help Saren in his investigation. They tracked the scientist to a refining facility on Camala. He was hidden inside, protected by an army of Batarian mercenaries. All they had to do was sneak into the plant, capture the scientist and sneak back out; quick, quiet with minimal bloodshed. They split up to cover more ground. About halfway through the mission, there was a massive explosion in the refinery core. Officially, it was ruled an accident, but Anderson believes Saren detonated it on purpose to draw off the enemy guards," Shepard dictated as if she'd been reading it from a report.
"How many casualties?" Ashley asked, her arms crossed over her chest as she listened to Anderson's story.
"The explosion tore the refinery to shreds. The whole place burned and chemical clouds poured into the atmosphere. Nobody inside survived. On top of that, there was a camp for the workers and their families nearby. Between the fires and the toxic fumes, the final death count was over five hundred," Shepard paused at Ashley's low whistle, "Mostly civilians and Saren didn't care. The target was eliminated. Mission accomplished. Anderson ended up taking the blame, and that ended all talk of him joining the Spectres." Shepard's face was grim as she went over the details.
"How did Anderson get blamed?" Kaidan asked softly, and her eyes met his before she continued. He still couldn't tell what their relationship was, but it was clearly very important to her.
"In his report, Saren accused Anderson of blowing his cover. He said it was Anderson's fault the guards were ready; claimed that's why it turned into the massacre it was. Saren's report was all the proof the Council needed," Shepard shrugged.
"Why'd Anderson let him get away with it?" Ashley asked, her tone incredulous. Shepard's stare was cold and frustrated when she turned to Ashley.
"Who do you think the Council was going to listen to? Anderson? Or their best agent? It's just like earlier today: no proof. Saren likes the violence and has no qualms with blowing an entire colony to get the job done and destroy any evidence. Don't get me wrong, either, I know sometimes you have to make sacrifices. Sometimes, it's better that 500 people die here so 50,000 can survive other there, but that should always be a last resort. Saren never bothered to look for another option," Shepard said, and Kaidan was reminded of Eden Prime and the charges that had been set before Saren left. He thought of his debriefing with Anderson afterwards, and the recognition that had flashed when he'd told him Saren was there. It was starting to make sense.
"Commander, if you don't mind my asking, how do you know this?" Kaidan asked, unable to control his curiosity any longer. Shepard turned her eyes back to him, and bit her lip. He felt his heart race under her scrutiny. Maybe he shouldn't have asked.
"I have known Captain Anderson for a very long time," She answered, simply. She looked like there was more she wanted to say, but she stopped herself when the taxi pulled up to take them to the Clinic. There were plenty of superiors Kaidan had known for most of his career, he still couldn't imagine them sharing information like that with him. It was personal, and embarrassing, and Kaidan felt a little guilty that he had pressed Shepard to share the story with them.
As the skycar made its way through the wards, he watched the haunted look play on her features and wondered where she went when she looked like that. He knew he should be focusing on the mission but instead he was watching the artificial lights play over her face, lighting up her scars. It didn't take long for the taxi to pull up to the Med Clinic and as they made their way towards the entrance they came to an open spot looking out over the station. It was more like looking at a city scape on Earth, with sky scrapers, a midnight blue sky and the bright lights of windows and sky cars lighting up the streets. It was massive, and breathtaking and all three stopped to take it in. "This place is huge," Kaidan said as he let out a deep breath.
"That your professional opinion, Sir?" Ashley mocked with a chuckle and a smirk as she looked at him with a cocked eyebrow. Shepard came to his rescue before he could reply.
"He's right, Chief. This isn't a station, it's a city," She stated as she followed his gaze, repeating his thoughts from moments before.
"There must be… millions here. It can't be possible to track everyone coming and going," Kaidan commented as he calculated the force necessary to create the gravity needed to keep the station together.
"This makes Jump Zero look like a porta-john and it's the largest deep space station the Alliance has," Ashley commented as she looked back over the view.
"Jump Zero is big, but this is a whole other scale. Look at the ward arms! How do they keep all the mass from flying apart?" Kaidan voiced his thoughts from moments before, sounding a bit like an enthusiastic tech nerd but if Shepard had looked over his test scores, she would know that's exactly what he was. The sheer scale of the station was mind-blowing. They had been on the station all day, but only now did it sink in how grandiose it was.
"The Council represents more races than I thought. No wonder they're careful with newcomers," Shepard noted, absently. Her voice sounding oddly detached from her thoughts.
"They probably just want to keep everything running. It has to be hard keeping all these cultures working together," Kaidan suggested, momentarily coming to the defense of the Council.
"Or maybe they just don't like humans," Ashley accused gravely. Kaidan wondered, not for the first time, where Ashley's distrust of aliens came from. It seemed pretty deep-rooted.
"Why not?" Shepard asked incredulously. Kaidan looked over to her and watched her speak. "We've got oceans, beautiful women, and this emotion called love. According to the old vids, we have everything they want," Shepard stated. Her eyes were bright, and there was a smile playing on her lips for the first time since they met with the Council and Kaidan was struck again by how beautiful she was.
"When you put it that way, there's no reason they wouldn't like you," Kaidan said, and it wasn't until she turned her gaze towards him, the smile still on her face, one sculpted eyebrow raised and a slight blush on her cheeks that he realized just what he had said. He looked away from her, noticed Ashley's shocked expression, and stuttered, "I mean… us - humans, Ma'am."
"You don't take much shore leave, do you, LT?" Ashley teased through her smirk. Kaidan dropped his gaze to his hands on the railing and cursed silently. He was a grown man not some love struck teenager. He choked on the embarrassment as he tried to bury it.
"Alright, laugh it up, Chief," There was a slight chuckle in her voice when she spoke to Ashley before turning her attention back to Kaidan. He could hear the sincerity in her voice and the smile on her face when she gently chided him, "I appreciate the thought, Alenko," He looked to her, and her eyes were warm when they met his, "but we're on duty here."
"Uh… Aye, aye, Ma'am," He answered, and returned the small smile.
"I'll walk drag, Ma'am," Ashley interrupted the moment with a chuckle and Shepard nodded breaking their eye contact and moving to lead them to the clinic. She was a few steps ahead of them when Ashley teased, "Smooth, L.T.," quietly near his ear and turned to glare at her.
"That'll be enough, Chief," He stated reminding her of her rank and she laughed quietly while raising her hands in surrender as they reached the clinic.
The door opened, and the first thing Kaidan noticed was Garrus, crouched low and out of view of the Doctor and the man who held a gun on her. Shepard instantly lifted her pistol as Ashley and Kaidan flanked her. Ashley also had her pistol ready as Kaidan activated his omni-tool and readied a tech attack. The man grabbed the doctor and pointed his gun at Shepard, Kaidan already had the overload ready to go but he waited, "Let her go." Shepard ordered stepping further into the room.
"Who are you?" The man hollered. It was just enough distraction to allow Garrus to stand up and take the headshot, dropping the man easily. Ashley and Shepard turned their guns on the other thugs in the room, making quick work of them before going to check on the Doctor.
"Thanks, Shepard. You gave me the perfect opportunity to take him out," Garrus said as they moved over to the Doctor.
"It was a clean kill," Shepard nodded. Shepard asked Ashley to inform C-Sec and sent off a message to Anderson as Garrus turned his attention to the Doctor and asked if she was alright. She was okay, if shaken. Apparently, there had been a Quarian poking her nose around. She had information on Saren and the owner of Chora's Den, Fist, had been trying to keep the Doctor from telling Garrus about her. "I think it's time we paid Fist a visit," Shepard stated.
"I know this is your show, Shepard, but I want to bring Saren down. I'm coming with you," Garrus stated boldly, and Kaidan was surprised when Shepard let him tag along. Ashley reminded Shepard about the Krogans they'd overheard at Chora's Den. "Wrex, he's a mercenary who was hired by the Shadow Broker to take out Fist. Fist was an agent who abandoned him and went to work for Saren."
"What's a Shadow Broker?" Ashley asked curiously as they made their way to the transit call terminal.
"An information broker, the Shadow Broker is the most powerful, well connected broker. You can't sneeze without him knowing. Not the kind of person you want to betray," Kaidan responded and Garrus nodded adding in that no one has ever seen him in person. "Might be useful to have a Krogan around," Kaidan suggested and Shepard agreed. She decided they would stop at C-Sec to check in with Wrex.
"So, Vakarian," Shepard started as they made their way down the stairs, "This is the second time I've had to draw my weapon since I set foot on the Citadel. That normal?"
"It may look clean and shiny, but it's as dark and dirty as a big city on any planet," Vakarian answered and Shepard nodded, though his answer only seemed to sharpen the edge she was on. They rounded the corner, and entered the vestibule of C-Sec to find Wrex in a heated argument with one of Garrus's fellow officers.
The Krogan are a race of large reptile bipeds, and Kaidan always thought their faces looked a bit like turtles. They have large shoulder humps that store water and nutrients, allowing them to go without sustenance for long periods of time. Their eyes are wide set, giving them an excellent field of vision to allow them to see incoming attackers. They have thick hides which are nearly impervious to cuts, scrapes or bruises. They are also resistant to toxins, radiation and weather extremes. They can stand over seven feet tall and when fully armored can weigh roughly one ton. They have backups of major organs; for example: two hearts, four lungs, four testicles. Hence the Krogan slang term "quad." Their near indestructibility allows Krogan to live for centuries.
Shepard knew if she could find an ally in a Krogan, it could prove to be invaluable. The arguent ended with Wrex telling the officer he was going to kill Fist, and that he would like to see the officer try to arrest him. As Wrex moved to leave, Shepard stepped in his way. "Yes, human? Do I know you?" His voice was deep, and gravely.
"Name is Shepard. I'm going after Fist and thought you might want to come along," Her tone was matter of fact and she added a shrug.
"Shepard, Commander Shepard. I've heard a lot about you. We're both warriors Shepard, out of respect I'm giving you fair warning. I'm going to kill Fist," Wrex rumbled, turning his head slightly to allow a bright red eye appraise the human before him. It was then Kaidan noticed the impressive stretch of scars running from just under his eye, over his mouth and down his neck. He'd been deeply cut by something, or someone, at some point.
"Fist knows you're coming, you'll have a better chance if we work together," Garrus interjected, adding incentive for Wrex to come with them instead of going off alone.
"My people have a saying: Seek the enemy of your enemy and you'll find a friend," Wrex stated, holding his hand out to Shepard. Shepard welcomed him to the team and shook his hand. "Let's go, I don't want to keep Fist waiting," Wrex said with a chuckle. Kaidan was a little stunned at Shepard's willingness to work with aliens. Then again, if she was going to accept the Spectre position she would have to get used to unorthodox crews. Ashley, on the other hand, was not as accepting and as they made to leave C-Sec and head back to Chora's Den she muttered something Kaidan couldn't quite hear under her breath. Shepard did.
"Excuse me, Chief?" Shepard asked as she stopped and turned to glare at the younger woman.
"Ma'am, it's just that this is an Alliance mission, and an Alliance vessel. It seems inappropriate to invite aliens along," Ashley's stare was cold, her tone hard and she stood at attention while questioning the Commander's decisions.
Shepard's eyes were narrowed at her, and she was frowning slightly. The rest of the crew had stopped and were staring. "Get back to the ship," She said, pointing towards the elevator that would take her down to the docking bay.
"Commander!" Ashley started to argue, her tone surprised and slightly desperate.
"Now," Shepard barked the order. Ashley saluted and turned on her heel. Shepard watched her go before turning, "Let's move."
They weren't far from the club and as they made their way over, they heard someone shouting Shepard's name. She stopped, looked around, and spotted a blond man waving excitedly. Kaidan trailed slightly behind her as she cautiously made her way over to him, as if she was trying to see if she recognized him. Before she could speak, he started, "You're Commander Shepard, the hero of Eden Prime! I am so honored to meet you! My name is Conrad. Conrad Verner. They say you killed more than a hundred geth on Eden Prime!"
"I wasn't exactly counting. Is there a reason you were shouting my name across the station?" She asked, trying not to sound as annoyed as she was but failing, and Kaidan looked to Garrus whose mandibles flared as Kaidan suppressed a chuckle.
"Well, I know, I mean, I know you're probably busy, but do you have time for a quick autograph?" He asked, star struck. Kaidan couldn't hold it in any longer and chuckled softly, and Shepard turned and glared at him. She agreed. "Thanks! My wife is going to be so impressed!"
"Right, I've got to get back to work," She said dismissively.
"Of course," He sounded disappointed. "Hey! Next time you're on Earth, I'd love to buy you a drink!" He said, and Shepard offered him an awkward smile and a small wave before turning and heading towards Chora's Den. She was shaking her head as they walked, Kaidan took a few extra steps to walk beside her.
"Seems like you've got fans, now, Shepard," Kaidan teased with a smile.
"Can it, Alenko," She answered with a chuckle of her own, and a sidelong glance from the corner of her eye. Kaidan was grateful for the lighthearted moment, and the fact that she'd smiled, in the middle of all of this drama.
The atmosphere was much different when they reached Chora's Den this time. Shepard motioned for them to flank the door before going in. She waited for them to be in position before opening the door. Bullets started flying immediately, and Kaidan threw up a biotic barrier and went in first taking cover as he overloaded the nearest merc's gun and used his rifle on the merc to the opposite side, allowing Shepard, Wrex and Garrus time to enter safely.
The club was overrun with thugs, and they made their way slowly around the bar taking them out with a mix of biotics and weapons that Kaidan was growing used to. Shepard rushed out from behind cover to take out a Krogan bouncer when the Krogan suddenly charged at her. Kaidan knew there was no way for her to avoid him, he charged up and with a violent flick of his wrist sent the Krogan flying into the wall. He didn't hold back this time, like he had with Jenkins. The release of the energy gave him a rush he felt down to his toes and the Krogan hit the wall with a sickening crunch. Shepard stalked over and was able to finish him off with a quick rap from her rifle. His breathing was heavy as he scanned the area for hostiles, "Area's clear." He announced. He looked up to see Shepard staring at him as if she were looking at him for the first time. He cleared his throat and moved passed her towards the back office, where Fist would be.
They moved together through the stock area, and Shepard ordered the warehouse workers to leave and they did, allowing them to save a little bloodshed. The door to Fist's office was locked, and Shepard signaled for Kaidan to hack it. He stood next to her as he opened his 'tool and worked through the code. "We're going to talk about that later," She promised him quietly.
"I don't doubt it," He answered as the lock turned green, "Ah, I mean, aye, aye," He corrected and he turned so his back was to the wall opposite Shepard as she opened the door.
They moved in and found Fist bookended by two defensive turrets that activated instantly. Garrus and Kaidan each sabotaged a turret and Wrex placed Fist in a biotic stasis, effectively freezing him in place allowing Shepard to close in on him. She aimed her pistol before Wrex released the stasis and Fist fell to the floor. As soon as Fist was down, his arms were up blocking his head as he begged for his life and surrendered. Kaidan lowered his weapon, noticing Wrex hadn't. "Where's the Quarian?" Shepard asked, as she cocked the gun. They were so close to getting the evidence they needed. He insisted he didn't know where she was as he curled up into a tighter ball on the floor.
"Can I kill him now?" Wrex asked sounding bored. His weapon pointed at the man.
"Wait!" He peeked out from behind his arms and looked to Shepard, fear etched in his features. I don't know where she is but I know where you can find her! She said she'd only deal with the Shadow Broker himself," Fist pleaded for time, pleaded for his life.
"Face to face? Impossible! Even I was hired through an agent!" Wrex insisted. Shepard lowered her weapon and Fist rose to his feet.
"Nobody meets the Shadow Broker. Ever. Even I don't know his true identity. But she didn't know that. I told her I'd set up a meeting. But when she shows up, it'll be Saren's men waiting for her," Fist admitted. Shepard grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled his face close to hers. She demanded to know where the meeting was as her pistol rested just under his chin. "Here on the wards. The back alley by the markets. She's supposed to meet them right now. You can make it if you hurry." As soon as Shepard released him, Wrex fired his shotgun into Fist's belly sending him hard to the wall. Shepard jumped and Kaidan cursed loudly.
"The Shadow Broker paid me to kill him. I don't leave jobs half done," Wrex answered simply, as he stowed his shotgun. Kaidan glared at Wrex for a second before shooting a glance at Shepard. Fist had surrendered, he didn't have to die. Kaidan turned his attention to Fist's desk. Garrus was already on his comm reporting the shooting at the club.
Shepard stared at Wrex for a moment before speaking, "You did warn me, and I get it, Wrex, but your contract is done now. If you're staying with us, we don't kill captives." He grunted his assent. "Now, let's find the Quarian." Shepard let Garrus lead them to the alley as he was more familiar with the station having worked in C-Sec. They got there quickly and found the Quarian facing down Saren's men who attacked when she refused to supply the data.
From their position at the top of the stairs in the alley, they were able to make quick work of the thugs between Garrus's sniper rifle and the combined biotics of the rest of the group. Once they were down, and the Quarian was safe, they moved towards her.
When she spoke, her soft voice had a pleasant trill to it. "Fist set me up! I knew I couldn't trust him!" Quarians are a race of nomads, driven off their homeworld by the geth. Over the course of the centuries that passed while living on their ships, their immune systems weakened to the point that they have to wear suits that cover them from the tops of their heads to their feet. No one outside the Quarians themselves, know what they look like under their suits. Even their faces are covered by an opaque, domed mask. The shape of their eyes are barely discernable beneath the mask and their filtered, circular mouth pieces light up when they speak.
"Fist won't be a problem anymore," Shepard reassured her. "We're you hurt in the fight?"
"I can take care of myself," She sounded defensive, and Shepard raised an eyebrow at her tone. "Not that I don't appreciate the help. Who… who are you?" She asked suddenly sounding nervous.
"My name is Shepard. I'm looking for evidence to prove Saren's a traitor," Shepard answered.
"Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, I may have a chance to repay you for saving my life. Just, not here. We need to go somewhere safe," The Quarian introduced herself, and said the words they had been waiting to hear. Kaidan suggested they take it to the Ambassador's office.
Shepard nodded before turning to Garrus, "This makes four, Vakarian. Still think it's just like any city planet side?" She asked dryly.
"No, Shepard, now I think it might be you," He answered, humor lacing his tone and Shepard chuckled as she sent a message to Anderson as Garrus, once again, alerted station security.
"Wrex, Garrus, Why don't you two meet us down at the Normandy? I expect Captain Anderson will want to speak with both of you before we leave the station," She suggested. "I'll send you a message when we're heading down that way. If that's okay?" The aliens consented, and Shepard turned to Tali. "You'd better come with us."
