Another chapter in less than a month? That's unpossible!
Yes, I got the itch back for now. So be thankful. This chapter is more of an interlude to set up some side stuff and just to catch our breath after all that fighting. Enjoy. The chapter title game is still on for those that want to take a crack at them. Chapter 8 and 9 should be easy and this chapter I feel is even easier since it's a relatively newer band. Let me know who or what you think it is.
As always, I don't own Naruto or Mass Effect.
When I Come Around
Binthu is a bleak and uninteresting planet located on the edge of Alliance Space. It was surveyed within the last 20 years or so during the great expansion of Alliance territory. The planet was said to be uninhabitable. Its atmosphere consists of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and chlorine which are obviously not conducive to supporting human life. Colonization would have been incredibly difficult and costly so like most worlds in the early days of exploration, it was written off as unnecessary. A perfect place to setup a secret facility.
Cerberus being strictly a black op had to invest the time and resources it took to create strongholds on these inhospitable worlds to avoid detection. This particular compound was one of their longest running research outposts. The cell residing in it has been able to experiment in mind control and chemical manipulation uninterrupted for several years now. Their research included many unsavory entities such as human husks and more recently Thorian creepers. They have operated in complete anonymity... until now.
Admiral Kahoku had been getting closer and closer to Cerberus' trail ever since he heard the fate of his men weeks ago. Publically, he told the Alliance that he was performing a recon mission along the border of the Attican Traverse. In reality, he had gone AWOL with a select group of his men to find the people that killed their squad members. There were only five soldiers that joined his excursion but they were loyal to Kahoku enough to abandon their posts for revenge.
'I owe it to these marines to seek justice for my mistakes. Even if it costs me my life.' Kahoku thought disgustedly. 'Cerberus can't be allowed to exist when they disregard the supposed ideals they've established. They're nothing but common terrorists.'
Kahoku had sought out the Shadow Broker through one of his agents. He needed a starting point and the Shadow Broker was willing to provide it in exchange for any intel on Cerberus. Currently, he was scouring the local mainframe for any and all materials that may lead to the Cerberus operatives that killed his men. This was the third base they had raided in the past week. So far they hadn't found anything of worth at the previous facilities but this one had some promise.
'The level of automated defenses and size of this bunker have to mean something. This can't have all been for nothing. My marines WILL be avenged.' Kahoku was determined.
The marines held formation in a small server room located near the back corner of the compound. They provided cover for the Admiral as he analyzed a computer terminal for the intel they were after. The standard florescent lighting that had been around for centuries made the room a little too bright to remain hidden. When they entered the base though, the squad took down the security detail rather easily after avoiding the outer defenses. There was little resistance waiting for them.
"Any progress sir?" One of the men whispered.
Kahoku was about to answer in the negative until he stumbled upon the files they were looking for.
"This is it! This is exactly what we came to find." Kahoku announced to his team.
"Is it the info on the Cerberus bastards that killed our guys, sir?"
"That and more. Cerberus is a lot bigger than we imagined." Kahoku absently added while he continued his search. "They have many other cells that are only alluded to here. The details on this one are terrifying. Experiments on those husks from Eden Prime that predates the attack. Other research into mind control and chemical manipulation. This is huge."
"The Alliance needs to know this, sir."
Kahoku agreed. He had promised the Shadow Broker the intel as payment but he owed it to the Alliance to warn them. He knew his actions would lead to court martial but this was too important.
'There has to be a way I can get it to them without jeopardizing the rest of my battalion.' He thought. 'Wait. Shepard! He's a spectre now. He can take care of the info and keep my involvement out of it.'
As Kahoku was pondering this, security klaxons began erupting in the corridors.
"Looks like we're out of time, sir." One of the men announced.
"Keep poised for any more opposition. They'll probably be sending a commando unit." Kahoku warned.
The squad stood ready with weapons aimed at the entry points for the room. Several minutes passed and no one was coming. The lights began flickering in the room until they were steadily going from dark to light at random intervals.
"Let's move out. I'll take po...argh!" The marine gurgled on his own blood as a blade emerged from his chest.
The rest of the squad quickly turned but could not find the assailant. The lights flickered again and another member was down in a flash.
"Where are you, you son of bitch!" A third marine shouted as he started firing wildly into the dark.
Before he could hit anything though, his arm was removed cleanly and fell to the floor. He screamed a pitiful screech while the gun in his former hand kept firing. The fingers were still locked on the trigger despite the disembodiment.
With two men left, Kahoku rapidly began sending the data. External communications were being jammed. He hurriedly tapped the interface to bring up an advanced jam breaking program he borrowed from Alliance Intelligence. His omni-tool worked as quickly as it could to send the intel out before it was too late.
'Come on, come on. Upload damn it!'
As the last two marines fell to the ground, Kahoku turned to see the assassin responsible. With jet black hair pulled back in a short pony tail and the distinct epicanthic fold of his eyes, it was clear who his enemy was.
"YOU!" Kahoku spat.
"So nice to see you again, Admiral." The Cerberus agent greeted with mock geniality.
"Leng, you son of bitch. I should have known a traitor like you was responsible for the deaths of my men." Kahoku cursed.
Kai Leng stood with a calm ferocity in front of the Admiral. His Cerberus armor, clean and simple in design, faded in and out of view with the wavering lights. The ninjato in his hand dripped the blood of the now deceased marines. His visor currently set in a transparent state to allow his human eyes perfect view of the target. While he stalked towards Kahoku, he began to taunt him.
"Temper, temper. This is conduct most unbecoming of an Admiral. They may throw you into the same prison they sent me." He said with a sinister grin.
"They should have had you executed. That was no accident. Your commanding N7 officer was killed, Leng. I knew him. I knew his family. If I was an Admiral at the time, your head would have been on display for all potential traitors to see."
"Well what a pity for you then that you weren't. Because here we are." He pressed forward.
Kahoku pulled his pistol and began firing. He was trying anything to stall Leng long enough for the message to get through. Leng's shields easily deflected the shots until he was right at knife point with the blade at Kahoku's neck.
"Go ahead. What are you waiting for, coward!" Kahoku shouted.
Leng looked down at the omni-tool and could see words across the screen.
'Message sent'
Leng's smile now faded into annoyance. "Oh Admiral. You should not have done that. Now I fear your death will be much longer and more painful."
Kahoku smirked in defiance. "I'm dead already. Do your worst, you bastard."
Leng restrained the Admiral and stood up. He pulled a kit from his pack and took out a syringe with a bottle of serum. "Oh, I intend to."
The Captain's quarters aboard the Normandy weren't much to look at. It was a glorified closet with a bed and a desk. Four drab, grey walls allow for a minimum of personal space. However, that was a luxury compared to the rest of the crew that had to use the sleeping chambers just off of the mess hall for rest periods. The Captain obviously had other business to attend to though and thus needed the privacy.
Shepard had been going through his messages before he contacted Admiral Hackett to give his debriefing of the Luna raid. It was not a fun conversation.
"The situation was the very definition of FUBAR, sir. We jumped in with both feet, blind and dumb." Shepard spoke bluntly to Admiral Hackett on the comm.
"Yes, I saw the report. Alliance Brass has no idea what went wrong down there." Hackett replied.
Shepard resisted the urge to scoff aloud.
"Sir, permission to speak freely?" He asked.
"I believe you have been Commander but granted."
"I've been on bad runs before. I've seen my fair share of shit but I never thought I would see it in an Alliance facility. If you know anything about this, please just come out and tell me. This is the kind of thing that could crush our treaty with the Council in a heartbeat if they ever found out about it." Shepard demanded.
"Commander, you may be a Spectre now but may I remind you who it is you're talking to. I'm fully aware of how this situation looks and believe me, I'm just as pissed off as you. I'll be doing my own investigation into this mess and if I find out someone in the chain ordered this done, they will rise to the very top of my shit list. In the mean time, I think you need to return your focus to Saren and finding the Conduit."
Shepard was still upset but he knew a dismissal when he heard it. "Understood, sir."
"Very well. Good work on this and Shepard..." Hackett paused and let out a sigh. "Thank you. You really saved our asses on this one yet again."
"No problem, sir. Just because I'm unhappy with it doesn't mean I won't continue to do my duty."
"Good to hear it. Hackett out."
The communication terminated. Shepard slouched in his chair. He was relieved that another grueling mission was now behind him.
'And already another lined up.' He sighed.
He took a look at the detailed report on Noveria that had been sitting on his desk for over a week.
'Possible financial ties but not much else to go on. I'll need to reach out for more details.'
Shepard stood up from his chair and stretched his joints. Walking over to his bed, he plopped down onto the soft surface to relieve some tension. As he stared up at the ceiling in his quarters, he contemplated the toll these missions were having. The Luna mission was a grueling one that took a lot out of his team. It was not just the physical injuries they sustained. He could tell that some of them were having trouble adjusting mentally after what they all witnessed.
'Plus I didn't even get a straight answer from Hackett on whether the Alliance was fully aware of what the hell was going on.' He pondered. 'Makes it even harder to accept.'
The new members of his crew were growing on him with each passing day. Their well being was important to him for many different reasons. Some were excellent warriors. Others were skilled technicians. He also had experts in particular ancient fields of study. Each of them were uniquely valuable in his hunt for Saren.
'I'll need them all in top form if we're going to get that son of bitch in time.'
As he shifted to a sitting position, images of his two most recent female additions flashed in his mind. 'Then there's those two.'
Thinking of Liara and Tali had stirred some emotions he hadn't even known were there. He had an obvious attraction to Liara and the joining they shared imprinted feelings that were mutual between the two of them.
'Definitely something about her that intrigues me. I've never met a woman quite like her.'
Then there was the young, naive Quarian. The mystery surrounding her was not just hidden by the suit she wore.
'So fragile and yet tough as dura-steel when she gets into a fight. And the curves on her... just picturing what's under that suit drives me crazy.' Shepard shook his head. 'I sound like a damn, horny teen. I don't have time to be worrying about this.'
It was not something he set out for when they departed on this mission. Shepard never contemplated relationships while in the military. He had flings here and there with women he had met along the way. Nothing more than a one night stand or two. Work got in the way. There was important business to attend to. Space flight didn't leave you time for something as complicated and fragile as a relationship.
He wasn't stupid though. He could see the way Tali reacted around him. The shy girl was slowly opening up and making her intentions clear. Combine that with Liara's obvious infatuation with him and it spelled trouble with a capital T.
'I need to get this sorted quickly or it could disrupt the team dynamic. I don't need a cat fight when we're in the field.'
He sighed once more. One more thing to add to his plate.
'Who knew being in charge was this complicated.'
Still, the squad he assembled was something special even he had to admit. This unit seemed like a rag tag bunch of nobodies but Shepard could feel that they were much more than what was on the surface.
'There is a lot of potential in all of them.' Shepard considered. 'I'll have to make sure they're all settled mentally before we head to Noveria.'
Glancing at his terminal, Shepard saw that his inbox was finally clear. He stood up to make his rounds on the Normandy. As the door closed behind him, a single beep indicated a new message had been received.
In the back corner of the shuttle bay, Naruto sat in meditation. With legs crossed and eyes closed, he appeared to be dead to the world around him but he was perfectly aware. His senses were heightened as they reached out to embrace the natural dark energy that flowed throughout the galaxy. It soothed his mind and eased his body. A mission like their previous one always put things into perspective for him.
'Nothing like staring death in the anus and coming out clean to realize that life is a strange thing.'
Being alive for as long as he had been made him realize that people died often and usually in meaningless ways. He had fought in wars through many eras. Back in the Feudal times of Japan, he saw more men die from tetanus than blades at one point. Generals of armies would slay men in the thousands only to die from a slow painful infection from a gash they received falling off of a horse. During the Crusades, he witnessed thousands starve to death from broken supply lines. Couriers relaying messages from one town to the next stepped on weapons left behind from battles months earlier and died from the ensuing infection. In Europe, Illnesses like the bubonic plague grew from nothing more than poor waste disposal and hygiene.
'Medicine sure changed from back in those days. What a mess.' He thought with his eyes closed as he continued his reflection. 'It's amazing humans ever made it this far.'
Made it they had though. Through all the ups and downs in the course of human history, Naruto had seen the best and the worst. No matter how desperate or hopeless the times may have been, humanity adapted and overcame their obstacles in life.
'They once thought global unification was a pipe dream.' He chuckled. 'Space exploration sure changed that.'
Faced with the infinite cosmos after the discovery of the Prothean Archives on Mars, humanity joined together in a way never before seen. Naruto would not have believed it himself after all the hate and distrust he had witnessed in his time on the planet.
'We sure are an interesting lot though. Give us enough time and we break down whatever barrier the universe puts in our way.' He smirked.
The universe had tested humanity many times over. Floods, plagues, war all before they ever took a single flight beyond the Sol System. Once they reached that far, new enemies showed up to test their mettle. Turians, Batarians, Krogan, Vorcha; they all seemed to hate the new kids on the block.
'It's a wonder we ever survived first contact but survive we did.'
The universe didn't always make sense and it was good to reflect on that from time to time. This allowed Naruto to return to the proper balance after many a mission gone awry. With a last calming breath, he washed away any lingering doubt and focused again on the present.
He stood up and took a look around the bay. Garrus and Wrex were both taking it easy in their make shift areas. Garrus seemed to be recovering nicely from his wounds. Various crew members were running here and there completing their assignments. Then he turned to the weapons station in the opposite corner. Sure enough he found what he was looking for.
'There's a sight for sore eyes.' He whistled to himself.
He gazed upon the shapely backside of his newest lady friend. The way her uniform hugged all of her curves in just the right places didn't escape his notice. Still, instead of a smile he had a concerned look on his face.
'Oh Ash. You let the weight of the galaxy get to you.'
It didn't take his empathic ability to sense the turmoil rolling off of her in waves. Carefully he made his way over.
Ashley robotically worked on cleaning her assault rifle to block out the thoughts threatening to drive her mad. Procedures she knew through muscle memory set her body on auto pilot. She cleared the heat sink cartridge then her hands deftly disassembled the unit. Ash then proceeded to clean every speck of dirt from each crevice. She would normally then move on to apply oil to the trigger, chamber and various pins with just enough to keep them in prime condition for the next battle. This was all done in hope that the routine would keep her mind off the mission but it didn't work. The cleaning phase was not moved on from as Ashley vigorously scrubbed a stain on the inner chamber while her mind called into question every belief she ever held.
'What am I fighting for?' She thought. Her body continued with no outward indication of the conflict within. 'The allegiance I swore to uphold and protect humanity, what does it mean if we do things like that to our people?' Her hands increased the pace. 'All I know is the Alliance. They are my whole life. If I can't trust in them who can I trust in?'
The scrubbing velocity had amplified with each thought until she was scraping skin off of her fingers. The frustration finally broke through as she tossed the barrel onto the table. Grasping the edge with both hands, Ashley leaned against the table to brace herself from falling. She stared down at the floor trying to keep her sanity together.
'Why do I even bother.' She thought despondently.
"You know..." Naruto startled her from behind. "guns tend to work better if you fire them at people instead of throwing them. Just what I've noticed over the years."
She rolled her eyes. "Obviously. But you know..." She sighed.
He nodded. "Yea, I know. Sometimes you just feel like throwing something. Especially when life makes no sense." He took a deep breath. "Believe me, I've been there a few times."
He leaned with his back against the table hands supporting him on either side. Ashley looked up to meet his eyes. She could see he wasn't there to tease her. She wanted to show some emotion and reach out for him to support her but her inner turmoil held firm.
'Stupid pretty boy.' She scoffed in her mind as she turned away from him.
Naruto could see she was hurting. "Maybe you should say it aloud. Might get it off your chest whatever's eating you."
"What did you dabble as a psychologist in your past too?" She spat with more venom than she intended.
"I have always had a way with people." He shrugged unperturbed.
She didn't turn to look at first. "Why would you care anyway? I'm obviously not the first girl you've been interested in and I'm far from the prettiest I'll bet." Her self-loathing side added.
"No. You're definitely not that." He bluntly stated.
At that she did turn to him in disbelief. "That's pretty bold of you to admit."
"Would you like me to sugar coat it with whispers of sweet nothings?" He raised his eyebrow. "Cause that's all they'd be."
"Why... what are you saying?" She said almost in tears.
Naruto sighed as he leaned forward. He swiftly pulled her into a hug in front of the whole shuttle bay.
Ashley was relieved and mortified by the public display. "What are you doing?!" She whispered but did not relinquish the contact. In fact, she wrapped her arms around him gripping for dear life.
"Just letting you know where we stand. You don't need words to know that I'm into you, Ash." He softly said to her.
Naruto leaned back while still maintaining his hold. He gazed down into her eyes and conveyed the message he was trying to send. Ashley absently shared the hug with her arms securely wrapped around his waist. She stared back at his ocean blues and saw that he was serious about every action he took.
'This man. How did he ever come into my life?' She happily pondered.
The troubled thoughts from before seemed to dissipate in the wind of her mind. A small grin snuck its way onto her beautiful face. The reciprocal smile he had in return, gave her peace. For a brief moment, she forgot where she was. Ashley quickly raised up on her toes and touched her lips to his. It wasn't a passionate make out kiss like they shared on the Citadel but a comforting one. When their contact was broken, Naruto looked relieved.
"There, that's my girl." Naruto grinned.
Ashley's mind was blank for a moment as she basked in the fleeting happiness that filled it. She rest her head on his chest just soaking in his ambiance. She'd realize in a moment that she kissed Naruto in front of anyone watching in the shuttle bay and it would thoroughly embarrass her but for now she'd just take it in.
"Who said I'm your girl, Uzumaki?" She playfully rebuked. "You haven't even taken me on a date yet."
Naruto was happy that her aura had changed to a more positive state. "A mere oversight my dear. One I will rectify at the next earliest convenience." He made an overt sweeping bow to continue their play.
"You two gonna keep this up all day cause some of us have to sleep in here, you know?" Garrus suddenly shouted from his perch on top of the crates.
Naruto chuckled at the intrusion. "Sorry Garrus. Didn't mean to ruin your beauty sleep. Lord knows you need all you can get."
"Speak for yourself. No, I was merely worried about Wrex over there. He seems like the cranky type if he doesn't get 40 winks." Garrus retorted.
"Don't drag me into this. If the human wants to mate with the female in the back corner, who am I to butt in?" Wrex added with an honest shrug.
Despite the obvious mocking tone, Ashley still turned red at the implications. "You know I have all the weapons over here you two. If you want to keep those appendages you should quit while you're behind." She picked up her pistol to add to the threat.
"It was a boring conversation anyway." Garrus wisely remarked. "I'm already injured enough as it is."
Wrex gave his signature laugh and turned back to repairing his armor.
Naruto smiled. "With friends like these, who needs galactic wide enemies eh."
"Right." Ashley lowered her gun and turned back to the bench.
Naruto moved in behind her one last time. He made sure she felt his body engulf hers as he leaned over to whisper in her ear. "I can tell you one thing frankly. You are the most challenging girl I've been with in a few centuries. And that drives me crazy."
Ashley tried not let the hitch in her breath escape from the touch of his lips gently grazing her ear. In a flash it was gone and so was he. Literally. He disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
'Where the hell did he go? That was getting good.' She thought with disappointment. A devious smile graced her face. 'Oh you want challenging huh. Get ready pretty boy.'
Her funk temporarily defeated, Ashley got back to her duties but not without thoughts of how she was going to get back at a certain blonde haired archaeologist for embarrassing her.
Up in the Mess Hall, Kaidan was busy taking inventory of the ship's supply stock. It was one of his assignments for the day but he too was finding it hard to focus despite the simplistic nature.
'That son of bitch fooled me! I can't believe I didn't recognize it sooner. It could have gotten us all killed.' He chastised himself. 'Never again will I put people under my command into that kind of risk.'
It was unrealistic to think he could control a situation like that but every time he analyzed it, he couldn't help but think of a dozen things he should have done differently to realize Dobson was deceiving them. He would have continued this unproductive nitpicking if it wasn't for his commanding officer walking over to him.
"Alenko." Shepard greeted.
Kaidan stopped his task and stood up. "Commander. Good to see you out and about." He was welcome for the distraction.
"Just got done talking to Hackett about Luna." Shepard rubbed his neck to get a kink out. "Wasn't the most constructive conversation I've had with him."
Kaidan let a frown show. "Did they know what was happening down there?"
"According to Hackett, they didn't."
"Well that's not very comforting to hear. Do you believe him?" Kaidan asked.
Shepard pondered it for a moment before responding. "I believe Hackett. He's always been straight with me. It's the Alliance leadership I don't know about. I don't know them enough to put any faith into their motives."
Kaidan sighed. "At least we stopped the threat but I should have recognized that infiltrator sooner. It could have cost us a lot more."
"But it didn't and that's the thing to keep in mind. Anyone could have been fooled in that situation. An op gone bad, we know there's supposed to be marines down there to meet up with and he happens to be there with the uniform. How could you possibly have thought him a spy?"
"Sir, as lieutenant, I should have protected my team better. I should have ..."
"Should have what, Alenko?" Shepard stopped the destructive line of thought. "Should have detained him? Shot him? What were you going to do there? He had what you needed to achieve the mission and you still got it done. Hell even Naruto couldn't sense him and he can read people's minds or whatever."
"Naruto did sense something off about Dobson the moment we saw him." Kaidan blurted out but he knew Shepard was right. He still felt conflicted about it. "It's just, I don't know. I should have done better."
Shepard nodded. "Then do better next time. You're still alive and so is everyone you had down there. Be thankful for that."
Kaidan sighed. "You're right, Commander. I will work harder next time."
"Good to hear." Shepard said giving him a hearty slap on the back for good measure. "So what else you working on?"
Kaidan shook his head to clear the lingering thoughts from the mission. "Well I was checking our supplies. We seem to be in order. I guess I'll get back to my training regimen Naruto set up for me."
Shepard nodded in approval. "Good. How's it coming along?"
Excited to talk about something new, Kaidan responded. "Really well, sir. My biotic moves are coming to me more naturally. I haven't had a headache in over a week. It's really a great feeling. Plus I can stick to walls now!"
He demonstrated by placing his feet one leg at a time on the bulkhead. Both of his feet stuck to the wall but it was difficult to keep his body in the air. After a few seconds he had to let go.
"Still need some work, but it's crazy. I never would have imagined myself walking on a wall and now I'm only a few days of intensive training away from pulling it off." Kaidan said excitedly.
Shepard was happy for him. Ever since he came on board, Kaidan had always been a bit reserved. Most likely a result of his background. He was happy for the shift in personality.
"Good to see you smiling, LT. Keep up the good work and keep me up to speed on your progress. I'm very interested in what you'll be bringing to the battlefield." Shepard stated.
"Aye aye, sir."
Alenko gave a salute and turned back down the barracks corridor. He had some serious training to do.
'Maybe that will get my mind off of things more than counting how many ramen cups we have left. Which is rapidly diminishing for some reason. I'll have to look into that.'
Wrex was enjoying himself for the first time in what seemed like ages. He was comfortable laying back and relaxing on his oversized cot between missions. He had plenty to eat and drink and enough supplies to maintain his weapons for battle.
'I can't remember the last time a job had been this fun. These humans sure make things interesting.' Wrex mused.
He'd been on so many different missions over the years that they all seemed to blend together. He couldn't remember the last time a crew was this likeable though. Dealing with the worst dregs of the galaxy on a daily basis sort of made you numb to it. It made him realize, his life was going nowhere in the last hundred years or so.
'Nothing like some good combat and good comrades to get the juices flowing again.'
Something about the company he was with or the nature of their mission but it stirred old emotions in Wrex he thought he had abandoned centuries ago. The memories that came along with those emotions were both good and bad though.
'Makes me pine for the old days when we were fighting for a new Tuchanka. A better world for the Krogan.' He shook his head. 'Bah, fuck em all. They're beyond saving now.'
He didn't truly mean that. In his youth, Wrex was an idealist, a rare breed for the Krogan people. Despite carving his legacy in blood as one of the most skilled battle masters in a generation, his values were steeped in the old Krogan traditions of strength, courage and honor. These traits were severely lacking in the younger Krogan. He was appointed head of a tribe for clan Urdnot at a very young age as a sign of respect. Wrex fought towards the end of the Krogan Rebellions and witnessed the devastating effects the genophage wrought upon his people. Yet despite the obvious obliteration staring them in the face, they continued to fight on.
'Stupid fuckers. They had no regard for anything other than the next kill. Nothing more than a pack of varren.' He spat.
Wrex was one of the few to see the writing on the wall. The Krogan had to change or risk annihilation. He formed an alliance with other tribes to stop fighting and focus on breeding. This of course did not sit well with the members of the old guard, namely his father. He felt a pang of guilt despite having no love lost for the old Krogan.
'Killing that bastard did more good for the Krogan people but I still stained my honor. I broke my promise to gran papi.'
As Wrex was reminiscing about the good old days, Shepard slowly made his way down the elevator to the Shuttle Bay. He was making his rounds and did a quick scan to see who was there. Noticing Wrex was sitting there deep in thought, he made his way over.
"Hey Wrex. How's things?" Shepard greeted.
"Ha. Things are pretty good. I was just thinking about how I haven't had this much fun in decades." Wrex said with his trademark grin.
"Fun?" Shepard quirked an eyebrow. "I don't know if I'd call it that."
"Krogan have different definitions of fun than you humans. All sorts of enemies I've never seen before, many of which could possibly kill me and I get to fight them in interesting battlefields. I feel invigorated."
"Well to each their own I guess." Shepard shrugged. "I'd rather have you in good spirits than pissed off any day."
"You've never seen me pissed off." Wrex dropped his smile thinking of something that actually did piss him off. "Those times you do not want to be my enemy. It's then that people get to see why Krogan Battle Masters are feared throughout the galaxy."
Shepard could see the sudden change in demeanor. "Something eating you?"
"Bah, just had some bad memories of times long forgotten. I remembered a promise I made to my gran papi."
"What was it, if you don't mind me asking?" Shepard carefully approached the subject.
"I told him that I would retrieve the armor he wore back in the early days of the Krogan Rebellion." Wrex stared away thinking about it. "It's just a relic really but I swore I would get it back from the Turian scum that stole it from our clan."
"Someone stole it from you? What a moron."
"Damn right he is. A soon to be dead moron."
"What was the Turian's name and where is he now?"
"Tonn Actus. Motherfucker stole my family's armor right from our estate during the war with no one there to guard it. That armor was worn by five generations of Urdnot and passed down through the year's. It's completely useless but my honor demands I fulfill my promise to my father's father." Wrex said with determination. "I was actually going to head out after killing Fist to check on some leads I had but you guys had an interesting job lined up."
Shepard could see that despite Wrex's denials, this really was important to him. 'If getting this family heirloom clears his mind, then it'll be worth it.'
"Any idea where it's located?" Shepard asked.
"I've tracked his freighters to the Argos Rho cluster. One of those systems has to contain his base of operations." Wrex said showing his omni tool to Shepard.
Shepard looked at the map on the tool. "Hmm, that's a lot of planets to search but if we have some time, I think we can take a look."
"I'm not expecting anything to be there but if that scum Actus is there, I'm going to blow his fucking head clean off. He's made millions off of my people's artifacts and I think a little payback is due." Wrex pounded his fist into his other hand for emphasis.
Shepard nodded. "Let me know if you get any more info on an exact location. Otherwise, just be ready. We're going to Noveria next. Dress warm."
"Ha, cold doesn't faze me, Shepard. It'll be nice to fight with a cool breeze for a change." Wrex boasted with a thump of his chest.
Shepard grinned at his antics. "Talk to you later, Wrex."
"Shepard." Wrex nodded.
'Well that wasn't too bad. Let's see, who's next?' Shepard thought.
He took a stroll over to the Mako area. Garrus seemed to be contemplating life. 'Better go cut in before he fries a brain cell.'
Liara had been staring at the ceiling of the medical bay for what felt like days now. In actuality it was only a few hours. Dr. Chakwas wanted to run another check for infections just to be sure there was no lasting damage from the wound she had sustained to her torso. It was mending nicely thanks to the quick application of medi-gel by Shepard during the mission. Liara thought back to how gentle the Commander was in applying the goo to her skin.
'Mmmm his hands were so firm and yet skillful. I wonder what else they could do?' She playfully thought while biting her lip.
Liara was aware that her species was seen as seductive and beautiful throughout the galaxy. This led to many misconceptions that the Asari people were simply hormone driven, sex goddesses constantly looking to mate with anything that moves. Just like every species though, there was diversity amongst personalities and in fact very few of the Asari people worked in professions that promoted their sexuality. That doesn't mean the Asari were not well versed on the subject however.
'I can't stop thinking about him. Ever since I was inside his head... he is the most fascinating being I've ever met.' She inwardly swooned.
This was quite a boast with the long list of people she has encountered in her lifetime. All the dignitaries she was introduced to through her mother. Various highly influential financiers of her many digs. Even Naruto who's background is as mysterious and interesting as all of those combined couldn't hold a candle to Shepard. Liara was like a school girl with a crush instead of the strong, confident and independent woman she had molded herself into over the last 50 years. Then again she had never truly been in love.
Either way she was thankful for the diversion. She had spent too much time brooding about her mother's actions lately and welcomed any positive intervention that could take her away from such a painful subject.
'They'll be time for that soon enough. Let me enjoy my day dreams while I can.' Liara thought as her mind returned to her desire for Shepard.
While she played out different fantasies in her brain, a new presence had entered the Med Bay.
"Hello, Tali." Dr. Chakwas cordially greeted. "Do you need another dose of antibiotics?"
"Yes, doctor. If it wouldn't be too much trouble." Tali shyly responded.
"Not at all, dear." Chakwas stood up. "Let me fetch a case from the storage closet. I'll be back in a jiff."
As she left the room, Tali took notice of the other patient laying on one of the exam tables. Behind the visor, her eyes narrowed.
"Liara." She said evenly.
"Tali." Liara coolly replied.
These two were the epitome of politeness and cordiality to the rest of the crew but tension had grown between them the longer they stayed onboard the Normandy. One man had infatuated both of them and neither at the moment was relinquishing to the other. Liara sat up to get a better view of her teammate. Tali meanwhile stayed back near the entrance. She crossed her arms with her hip stuck out in a stand-offish manner. Each of them were at a loss for what they should say.
"So... how is your wound?" Tali tentatively offered.
"Doing well thanks to Shepard." Liara said with a grin.
Tali bristled. "Really. Well I suppose he did lead us out of that situation effectively."
"Actually, I meant how he personally applied medi-gel to my cut after I was wounded." Liara casually threw in. "His intimate touch really did the trick."
Tali silently fumed but struck back. "Oh, he hadn't mentioned how hurt you were when he was holding me after our escape together."
Liara's smile fell. "I see. I'm sure he was mentally exhausted at the time. Probably latched on to the first person he saw." She cringed inwardly at how stupid and petty that sounded.
Tali smirked behind her mask. "He seemed rather happy to see me. Said something romantic about saving damsels."
"I didn't know you required such assistance, Tali. Should we procure a pretty pink suit with a sparkly hat for you as well?" Liara uncharacteristically supposed.
"I don't know. Is that what he likes? Maybe when you mind rape him again you could tell me." Tali spat back.
"Suited harlot!"
"Blue skinned tramp!"
The two were now standing in the center of the med bay glaring daggers at each other. Unconsciously, they moved into defensive stances. Just as the fireworks were about to start, the door from the storage closet opened.
"All I have is a couple of packs right now Ta... oh." Dr. Chakwas was alarmed to see the situation before her. "What is going on here?"
"Nothing!" They simultaneously responded.
Neither relinquished their position though. Karin Chakwas, having seen plenty of incidents like this before, was not having any of it.
"You two need to stow it this instant." She said with an authoritative, motherly tone. "I won't have my Med Bay torn apart by female jealousy."
This seemed to spark reason into both of them. They realized the ridiculousness of the situation and backed down.
"I apologize, Tali. I was out of line." Liara offered.
"Yes, maybe I said some things too... sorry." Tali reluctantly added.
Chakwas moved between the two. "You will have to tell the Commander how you feel. I've seen this type of behavior before usually in the boys but occasionally female marines. Do not let this linger and whatever happens, don't hold a grudge. It will only hurt you both in the end." She sagely advised.
Tali lowered her head in shame. "I'm sorry. I'm new to all of this. Advanced starships, fighting for my life, hunting criminals; I never expected to encounter any of this on my pilgrimage let alone meet a man like Shepard." She rung her hands nervously.
Liara had a sympathetic look. "Believe it or not, I too am not very good in relationship matters. I spend most of my time deep in underground caverns studying long dead civilizations. I sometimes forget how to act amongst the living." She bashfully admitted.
They shared a look of apology. Liara was the first to speak.
"Truce?" She extended her hand.
Tali hesitated before taking it. "Truce."
"There now. I think the two of you could be good friends if not for the unfortunate circumstance of falling for the same man." Dr. Chakwas lectured.
The doctor knew full well that this wasn't completely over but at least she stopped a major battle in her medical bay.
'Shepard better get his affairs in order for the good of everyone involved.' She thought.
"Well then. Here you are Tali." Chakwas handed her the antibiotics. "I will see if I can have one of the petty officers find the other containers for when you need more."
"Thank you very much, doctor." Tali bowed her head in appreciation. "Liara." She acknowledged before leaving.
"Tali." Liara responded in kind.
Once Tali was gone, Liara let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. 'I didn't appreciate how strongly Tali felt about the Commander. I need to make my intentions known and soon.'
After Dr. Chakwas had cleared her, Liara returned to her hideaway in the medical closet. She locked the door and began to undress. She finally had a chance to remove her clothes from the mission. Gracefully, she glided the zipper down her back on the one-piece, archaeologist's uni she was wearing. The tattered garment wasn't fit for use anymore. Letting it slide to the floor, she stepped out of it and over to her make shift bunk. Her natural beauty was on display with no one to admire it. She contemplated a shower but didn't feel the need at the time. Elegantly, she moved to her cot hidden by several crates of medical supplies. Laying down for a moment she was lost in thought.
'I'm sure he feels the same way. I just need to bring it up to him.' She thought as she closed her eyes. 'Hopefully I don't make a fool of myself. Perhaps I should consult Naruto. For as eccentric as he is, he was always good with people.'
She let her thoughts of Shepard continue to guide her as her hands instinctively caressed her skin.
'The Commander has such a strong will. It's intoxicating to be around.'
She absently let one hand drop further down. It gently grazed between her breasts and down her silky smooth abdomen. It continued further south until she almost reached what she was after.
'Yes, so strong, so endearing, so, so...'
Her eyes shot open. With a start, she sat up. 'I can't believe what I was about to do in here.'
Blushing a deep purple, Liara realized her naked state and moved swiftly to her bag. She took out her spare uni and got dressed. From there she contemplated her next course of action.
'I should probably look for Naruto. My head is spinning with mischievous ideas and I need some advice. If anyone knows how to deal with matters of intimacy, it would be him.'
With that she head out of the medical bay to find her old friend.
Shiala didn't have much to do in the wake of her recovery from the Thorian. Shepard had decided that she was not a prisoner but she also was not a member of the crew or the special ops team he had been assembling. For the week or so that she had been on board, it meant she had to find things to do to fill the time. Meditation seemed like the obvious answer since everything in her life was in turmoil. Her mind now had time to process her philosophical crisis rather than continue to rely on instinct to survive as she had done before. She was trying to find answers as to what her purpose in life is now that Benezia was no longer her assignment.
'I can barely remember the time before Matriarch Benezia. That was nearly 300 years ago. Up until last week I would have died if she merely asked it. Now what is my purpose? Why should I go on living?' Shiala contemplated.
Her green stained skin had remained after the Thorian absorbed her. It was almost as if it was a badge for her sins. The obvious matter at hand was to stop Lady Benezia from whatever quest Saren had sent her on.
'I need to convince Shepard to let me avenge my wrong doings but how?' Shiala considered.
Her Asari Commando unit followed a strict doctrine of allegiance. This was not always common as each unit's ideology was dictated by the city that they were forged in. Hers was born from an ancient Asari creed known as Nara, an Asari term that means 'one who aids others in need.' The doctrine has several tenets in common with the human Bushido code. Righteousness, courage, honor, loyalty; these ideals were the very core of Shiala's soul. She was honor-bound to make amends for her mistakes or die trying.
'My life is forfeit until I can redeem my honor. It will not simply end at Benezia. I must help defeat Saren as well to atone for my sins.' Shiala thought.
It wasn't that simple though. She could still hear the voice of Saren's ship Sovereign in her ear. She knew whatever happened she needed to be free from its grasp completely before she could attempt anything.
'But how? How do I remove it from my mind.'
An idea came to her. Opening her eyes, she realized what she must do.
'I must speak to the blonde one, this Naruto. I need to know how he defeated the Thorian. Maybe there's a way to reclaim my mind and to bring Lady Benezia to her senses.' She dared to hope.
Standing up from her secluded spot in the corner of the Mess Hall, Shiala attempted to locate the extraordinary human to whom she owes her life.
'Now where to look? This ship isn't that big but he could be anywhere. I may need assistance for this.'
As if the goddess had heard her plea, he appeared near the sleeping area in a cloud of smoke. He had an ear to ear grin on his face. She overheard him mumbling to himself.
"That'll keep Ash from brooding for a bit." Naruto chuckled.
Initially he was unaware of the green Asari seeking him out but that changed quickly as he took in his surroundings. He swiftly rounded on the approaching Asari.
'Well this ought to be interesting.' He assessed by her demeanor.
"You are Naruto, correct." Shiala stated with an even disposition.
He gave her a lopsided grin. "The one and only. I don't think we've had the pleasure yet, Ms...?"
She let a smirk grace her lips. "Shiala."
"Ah, well it is nice to finally meet you. I usually make it a point to seek out and introduce myself to all the beautiful women within my vicinity. Saves time for later on." He poured it on thick hoping she'd move on.
Shiala rolled her eyes. 'What a cad. This man may not have what I'm after.'
"I wanted to speak with you about the Thorian." She began. "It was thanks to your efforts, that I'm even here. So please accept my sincere gratitude."
She fell to one knee and lowered her head.
"Ah geez. Get up." Naruto frantically waved his arms to stop her from making a scene. "No need for thanks. I was taking that thing out one way or another. If you were saved in the process, then hey! Bonus!"
"I see. What would you do if I said that my life was honor bound to you, that you now control me as you see fit and I must obey?" Shiala tested.
Naruto didn't hesitate. "Then I'd say you've watched too many movies as I don't recall any Asari practices I know of that would call for that other than slavery. Just to give you an idea, I'm not a fan."
"Yes, but what would you have me do?"
"Well I'm sure most would take advantage of that kind of offer in so many ways." He mocked with his hand on his chin. "Me? I don't need fan girls regardless of how they were formed."
"I see." Shiala firmly stated. "I must confirm my assumption." She leaned in close to him. "Will you join with me?"
"Whoa now honey. You haven't even bought me a drink and you want to get all up inside me? Slow done, girl." Naruto backed away with his hands held outward. "Besides I just started seeing someone who kind of has a thing for things that shoot and go boom. You can see where this would be an issue."
Shiala's smile fell. "You misunderstand. I'm not joining for a sexual encounter. I wish to see your thoughts to know you are genuine before I make a decision to follow you."
"Follow me? You weren't bullshitting me with that life debt nonsense?" Naruto turned serious. "Look, a) you're not mind melding with me for your own safety and b) I don't need followers. Creates this whole cult vibe and I'm done with that lifestyle." Well almost serious.
"But you saved my life. I owe it to you." Shiala pressed.
"I relieve you of your debt. I don't care about whatever god you follow and I don't care about your own belief structure. Following me will get you killed." He steadfastly stated.
Shiala let a smile return to her face. "You are a man of conviction. I can see it in your aura." She relaxed her body and leaned against one of the walls nearby. "You're right. There is no life debt."
"Ha, I knew it." Naruto stopped to think about it. "Wait, why this whole act then?"
"I had to know you were not the type of man that would take advantage as you stated. If I am to redeem my honor, I need an honorable man to follow."
"So you are trying to follow me? Listen you need to make up your mind because it's confusing the hell out of me."
"Yes and no. My creed demands that I atone for my crimes but I need help to do so." She relaxed her pose to appear non threatening. "I want to take down Benezia but she is being controlled like I was. You broke the Thorian's influence with your mind. I wonder if you could tell me how you did that?"
"Lots of practice." Naruto cryptically replied.
Shiala had a deadpan look on her face. "Well no shit. I meant more specifically."
Naruto observed her body language. She was calm but determined. His empathetic ability sensed no deception from her but her brain waves were not the same as most Asari he's encountered. It was almost as if something had altered it. 'Not just the Thorian either.'
He carefully began. "Tell me, what exactly are you looking to find out?"
Shiala could see his suspicion was rising. She sighed. 'I need him to believe me so I might as well come out with it. Shepard knows so he'll most likely tell everyone else at some point.'
"Lady Benezia has been indoctrinated by Saren. She follows his will. All of the Asari under her command have also been indoctrinated to Saren's will." She hesitated before continuing. "I too was under his control."
Naruto nodded. "Something felt off about you and I couldn't figure out what. I have to tell you, I'm not exactly comfortable with this news."
Shiala tried to reassure him. "But the Thorian broke Saren's hold on my mind. The voices are there but they're muted. I don't feel compelled to follow them." She insisted.
"Not from what I'm seeing. You have a taint on your mind. It may be dialed down right now but it's there. I think it's only a matter of time before you fall back under his spell especially without the Thorian protecting you." Naruto bluntly stated.
Shiala became unnerved at this prospect. "I can't. I won't. I refuse to follow his ship's commands. Such an awful noise. Always compelling me to obey." She shook her head at the memory.
"Ship's command?" Naruto raised an eyebrow inquiringly.
Shiala was distraught. "Saren calls it Sovereign. He uses it to control those around him including the Geth. It's powerful and ancient. I'm not sure where he found it because I'm certain he didn't build it."
"He didn't build it but he knows its name? Its bigger than any other ships in the known galaxy and it can control minds. That's about as terrifying a weapon anyone could just stumble upon let alone Saren." Naruto assessed. 'It's almost too convenient that that bastard got his hands on it. It's like the ship found him.'
Naruto wasn't liking the sound of any of this one bit. It was becoming much more complicated.
'But that would explain the abject fear I felt when I first saw it on Eden Prime. How would just the sight of a ship cause that? The only explanation would be if the ship... was alive. But that's crazy.'
Or was it? He shook his head to stop dwelling on it for now. Shiala was staring at him expectantly like she asked him something.
"What? Something on my face?" He deflected.
She was undeterred. "I wanted you to answer my original question. Will you help me?" She pleaded with what appeared to be Asari puppy dog eyes. She wasn't above manipulation.
Naruto had seen all kinds of begging and this one wasn't new but he did enjoy it. With a smile he answered her. "Aww, don't you look adorable. How could I say no?" He paused. "Oh yea like this. No."
In a very drastic change in demeanor, Shiala began acting childish. "Oh come on. I begging you here. My life depends on it maybe even yours or your friends. I don't want to be under that prick's control again. Please!"
"Look it's nothing personal but I can't trust you. I'm sorry. You seem like a good person but that taint is too strong." Naruto ran his hand through his hair. 'Ugh, mind control was always Itachi's bag. Still maybe I could come up with something. I hate to see someone so lovely be manipulated by that asshole.'
Shiala's expression fell. "Then I am doomed." She turned from him. "I understand your reservations but I don't think anyone else could help me."
Feeling guilty, Naruto stopped her. "Well, maybe I could take a look at my notes. I might be able to come up with something that could give you a chance."
Shiala turned around gauging his sincerity. "You will?"
"Hey no promises because like I said, I'm no expert of other people's minds. Just my own and this thing is no picnic." He said tapping his skull.
She was overcome with hope at the prospect of being truly free. She ran up and hugged him. "Thank you. Thank you, Thank you!"
Naruto instinctively caught her but wanted to immediately remove himself. "Uh yea ok, that's nice. Time to let go now." 'Don't need Ash finding out about this. She's got enough going on in her head as it is.'
Shiala released her grasp but the smile never left her face. "You have no idea how much this means to me."
"Well don't canonize me yet. I'll let you know what I can come up with."
"In the mean time if you need anything, and I mean anything, I will be there to assist you." She offered.
"Uh good to know." Naruto noticed she was still standing there. "You can go now."
"Yes of course." She sheepishly replied before leaving.
'What an odd girl. So many personalities rolled into one.' He thought. 'Anyway, time to catch a nap before some other calamity needs my solving.'
He hopped into his makeshift hammock and quickly started dozing. Life was never boring.
Back in the shuttle bay, Garrus was just settling in after the entertainment from earlier had died down. Leaning back in a comfortable position, he was just about to pass out. He was content to fall asleep on his cot letting his wounds heal when a message arrived on his omni-tool. Peaking one eye open in annoyance, Garrus moved to sit up so he could see what it was.
'Probably another virility ad or something. I have no idea why I keep getting those.'
Clicking the interface he brought up the email. It was from an old friend at C-Sec, Decian Chellick.
'Chellick? Now what's that old gumshoe up to?' Garrus pondered.
'Hey Garrus,
I know you're on that special assignment with the human Spectre right now but I just got a lead on something that might interest you. We got a ping on that scumbag Dr. Saleon. Goes by the name Dr. Heart now. The transponder code for his ship is attached to this email. Nothing C-Sec can do about it but I figured you'd want to know anyway.
Good Luck out there.
Chellick'
The name froze Garrus.
'Dr. Saleon. That son of a bitch crawled out of his hole.' Garrus fumed.
It took a lot to get Garrus truly mad but thinking about Dr. Saleon's organ farm certainly put him in a foul mood. The doctor was the head of an organ smuggling ring on the Citadel. He'd grow organs and then sell them to those in need for exorbitant sums. The catch was that he was using his own people to grow the organs inside of. He'd pay them a percentage for any good organs they produced and were able to get through customs. If the organ failed to grow properly, he'd leave it inside them to rot. There was a trail of bodies a mile long on the Citadel from his work.
'Of all the cases I worked, that one still sticks in my craw the most.'
While he was brooding over this news, someone walked up to greet him.
"Garrus. Good to see you up and about." Shepard addressed him.
Garrus was lost in thought and only just noticed the Commander behind him. "Hm? Oh sorry Shepard. I just got something that's on my mind right now."
Shepard raised an eyebrow at that. "Well what is it? Maybe I can help out." He offered.
Garrus thought about it for a moment and decided to try. 'Worst he could say is no.'
"Well a contact of mine back in C-Sec just informed me that the criminal from one of the worst cases I ever investigated may be back. I was just getting close to apprehending him when he caught wind of me. The bastard took off in a fire fight out of the Citadel with several of his employees as hostages." Garrus regaled.
"Why didn't they stop his ship from escaping?" Shepard asked.
"They were afraid he'd kill the hostages." Garrus scoffed.
"Well that's asinine."
"Right? They were as good as dead whether they shot him down or not. Now he's free to keep ruining people's lives. C-Sec of course won't get off their fat asses to do anything about it."
Shepard seemed interested. "Who was the criminal? What did he do?"
"He is a Salarian doctor named Saleon and he's an abomination to organic life. That son of a bitch was growing organs inside his employees for a black market trading scheme. He'd give them the surgery and begin growing organs inside of them. As early as 2 months after surgery, he'd come to harvest the organs. Some died in the removal process. Others had a slower more painful death." Garrus closed his eyes for a moment. "Not a day goes by that I don't regret letting him slip away."
"He sounds like a monster." Shepard sympathized. "What intel did you get on him?"
Garrus focused again on Shepard. "Well I was given the transponder codes for a ship owned by a Dr. Heart. My buddy in C-Sec has good reason to believe that it's him. I know it's asking a lot what with Saren and all but if we had some time..."
Shepard could see this meant a lot to Garrus. 'If getting this bastard helps Garrus clear his head, then it might be worth the side track.'
"Alright, Garrus. Give me the transponder codes. I'll have my people begin a search for his ship."
Garrus was a bit stunned. "Shepard, I... thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me."
Shepard could see the tension ease a bit from his Turian teammate. "Don't worry about it. No guarantee we even find him but if we do, I promise we'll take care of it."
Garrus nodded. "I appreciate this, Shepard. And Commander, when we do find him, I want to be there personally. That son of a bitch won't get away again."
"Consider it done, Garrus." Shepard assured him.
"Well I guess I should get back to my cot. I was about to pass out before that unpleasantness." Garrus said suddenly feeling very tired.
"Talk to you later then."
Naruto was enjoying a decent snooze of almost 20 minutes at the back of the sleeping area in a relatively secluded maintenance space just below the nose of the Normandy when a new presence decided to approach him.
'I sense a sexy disturbance in the force.' He thought with a grin.
Peaking one eye open to view down the corridor, who could see the stunning silhouette of his blue skinned contemporary. He closed it again feigning sleep before she arrived.
"I know you're not resting." Liara accused with a smile.
"What gave it away?" Naruto asked not really upset about it.
"Your heart rate, the pattern of your breathing, skin perspiration..." Liara rattled off several observations that supported her claim.
"You always were quite meticulous, weren't you, Li?" Naruto chuckled.
His sleep now disrupted, he sat up and got a good look at her. Something caught his eye.
"Hmm, now it's my turn. The color of your skin, mixed with an elevated heart beat and pupil dilation, throw in some enhanced pheromone levels and I say..." He mock gasped. "Liara! How scandalous." He said with a shit-eating grin.
Liara was mortified. "I had forgotten how adept you were at analyzing behavior patterns." Her face was a deep violet tone.
"Ha! Oh it's so good to have you back, Li. I missed our exchanges." Naruto said with a genuine laugh.
Liara had an annoyed look on her face. "I'm glad that I am here to amuse you." Her annoyance gave way to a small smile however. "It is what makes you so endearing."
"Among other things." He threw in.
"Humility not being one of them." She added.
Naruto shrugged. "So what can I do you for?"
Liara was hesitant due to the nature of her question but she brought forth the courage she needed and asked her question.
"I... need your help."
This was one Asari Naruto would never turn down. He became serious seeing how difficult this was for her. "Anything, Li. What's wrong?"
"As you know, I am not the most well-versed individual when it comes to romantic encounters. I was wondering if you would have any advice for me in my pursuits." She hurriedly blurted out.
Naruto was a bit shocked but a smile made its way to his face. "Shepard has you all hot and bothered and you're not sure how to take it to the next level. Am I warm?"
Liara nodded. "I've never met a being quite like him. He fascinates me in a way that I never imagined I could be." The thoughts of Shepard again causing her body temperature to increase.
"Knew it. You two would make a cute couple." Naruto supported her. "You do know you have competition though right?"
Liara recomposed herself. "Indeed. Tali has made her intentions clear to me. I'm afraid she will convey this to the Commander before I can."
Naruto nodded sagely. "Well you've been alone with Shepard several times already. How has he acted?"
Liara thought of all her encounters with the Commander. "He's actually been quite forward. One time he bluntly told me he was interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with me."
Naruto had a straight-faced expression. "I don't know what's worse. Shepard's game or your inability to read signals. This isn't as hard as you're making it, Li."
Liara rolled her eyes. "Easy for you to say. You don't have anyone to compete with."
Naruto snorted. "You think I was always this awesome? This took time. Believe it or not I was once an annoying little dweeb that shouted how great I was going to be to anyone and everyone that would listen. It wasn't until I realized that people didn't care what you said but rather what you did that I started to see my luck turn around with the ladies."
Liara considered his words. "So what should I do?"
"Well if you like Shepard the way I think you do, let him make the first move. He's a man that likes a challenge. He fights for everything that he has earned. If something is easily obtained, he may not appreciate it as much." Naruto analyzed.
"That doesn't seem like a very productive idea." Liara stated with frustration. "I want him to come to me by avoiding him? Are all human mating rituals this complicated?"
"Well the fun ones are. Nothing great was ever achieved by just showing up. Trust me on this. Your personality is perfect for this anyway. Keep him wanting more. Tease him. Flirt with him. Egg him on just enough and then when he's just about at his breaking point, you let him know that he's won."
It seemed more complicated than it had to be but Liara was not well versed on human behavior outside of Naruto. " I suppose it wouldn't hurt."
"Of course it could. That's the best part. Living on that danger line between heartbreak and true love."
She sighed. "You're not very good at pep talks."
He casually reached out for her hand and pulled her down to sit next to him. Liara unconsciously leaned her head on his shoulder as she had done many times in the past. Wrapping his arm around her for comfort, he spoke to her sincerely.
"Li, you have nothing to worry about. You know why?" He smiled down at her.
She looked up. "Why is that?"
"Because I know the real you. If Shepard can see even a shred of the wonderful person you are, then he's putty in your hands." He said encouragingly.
She was slightly embarrassed at the praise from her old friend. "You always find ways to cheer me up."
"I have my moments."
"Yes well. I appreciate them. Thank you. I think I know what to do now."
"Good, I have a whip in my bag but the chains, garters and high heel leather boots you'll need to get from someone else." He rubbed his chin. "Maybe Ash has a pair you could borrow?"
She slapped his arm playfully. "Then you go and say something vulgar like that to ruin the moment." She smiled as she stood up.
"Hey, it's me." He replied with a lopsided grin. "So go get lover boy already."
"I will in time. I need to think about what you said. I will see you around then." With that she was gone down the corridor.
Naruto figured he was awake at that point. 'Come to think of it, I need to find Shepard myself. Have to tell him about Kasumi anyway. Might as well get it over with.'
He stood up to go find the captain of this crazy boat.
Said acting captain was just making it back to his cabin feeling a bit drained. 'I didn't think talking could wear me out so much.' He yawned. 'I need to get some sleep before I pass out.'
He had spoken with everyone he could find. After Garrus he had a brief conversation with Ashley about the merits of following orders.
'At least she was in better spirits despite the mission. I'm sure Naruto had something to do with that. I'll have to thank him later.'
Shepard wasn't too mad with Ashley but she had been a bit unpredictable with her behavior lately. She seemed to have more and more on her mind. He hoped she would get it all figured out soon.
'Can't have her breaking down in the field.' He then thought with a chuckle. 'Maybe if she gets laid it'll clear her head'
He was just outside his cabin door when he began to think of his own female infatuations. 'By the way, where are those two? I figured I would have seen Tali in Engineering and Liara in the medical closet but they weren't there.'
Shepard was disappointed by their absence but he'd see them at some point. The doors to his cabin slid open. He dropped the maintenance reports on his desk to review later and rubbed his eyes as he turned towards his bed. He stopped suddenly noticing someone in his room.
'Oh. Well there's one.' Shepard acknowledged.
"Hello, Tali." He greeted warmly.
Tali stood up from her spot on his couch. "Umm, hello Shepard, uh how are you?" She replied nervously. Rubbing her arm she chastised herself. 'Stupid bosh'tet. You sound so stupid.'
Shepard smiled at her awkward nature. "Relax, Tali. It's just me and you. Nothing to get worked up over."
'Nothing he says. You magnificent bastard.' She scoffed in her mind. "Of course, Commander. I just wanted to talk after the last mission. I know I may have said thanks but I never really expressed it to you."
Shepard moved over to his couch and prompted her to sit next to him. "No need to be formal, Tali. And besides, I was just doing my job. Saving you though, was a delight."
"Oh please." She giggled before turning serious. "But I did want to thank you truly. For everything."
She inched closer. "You saved my life on the Citadel." She leaned in till she was right next to him. "You've treated me with more respect than even some of my own people." Tali closed the last gap as she gathered all her courage to rest her head on his shoulder. "And you've made me realize so much more."
Shepard rewarded Tali for her moment of bravery by wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Believe me, the pleasure was all mine. You are one of the most interesting individuals I have ever had the satisfaction of meeting."
There was a comfortable silence between the two of them as Shepard gently rubbed her arm. He didn't want to scare her off though so he stopped suddenly. "I'm sorry. That's not going to cause an issue with your suit is it?"
"No of course not silly. I wear it into battle. A little petting isn't going to hurt it." Tali explained though she was a bit annoyed at his ignorance. "I'm not a fragile little doll, Shepard. I can take care of myself."
Shepard realized he struck a nerve. "I never said you couldn't. I just didn't want to be responsible for infection or anything. I need you ready for the next mission soon."
Tali was a bit put off. "I told you I'm perfectly fine."
"Ok sorry. I didn't mean to offend you." He said with his arms out in a placating manner.
'Way to kill the mood, Shepard.' She suddenly felt the need to go. "Don't worry, I'll be ready for the next mission, Commander. I'll be going to tend to my duties. Wouldn't want to catch a cold here."
With that she turned in a huff and left.
Shepard was a bit stunned by the sudden change of events. 'Ok, what did I say?' He tried to recall if anything he mentioned was offensive in any way.
He sighed not being able to think of anything. 'No matter the species, women will always keep me on my toes.'
With a large yawn he figured it was time for sleep anyway. 'I need to get my rest. We have a long mission ahead.'
The dark comfort of sleep soon took him away from the cares of the waking world. His team survived another deadly mission but a new set of problems lay on the horizon. These next few weeks will forge the kind of people they all will turn out to be for better... or worse.
I was going to proof read this chapter but I spent about 3 weeks writing it and reading it and re-reading it and now it's 1am. So just let me know if there are any errors or if something seems confusing. I'll try to clean it up.
Thanks again for making it this far. Please leave a review if you like it... or hate it. I'm not picky.