BAMS: Thanks.

Subsider34: You've got a point. With any luck she'll be able to get herself moving if only to make it in time. No doubt Nihlus will bear some good tidings as the story progresses. It's too bad he didn't see Saren though.

Wolf Girl811: Yeah, I love interaction too. I can't wait to write up those chapters.

Kitcat1228: Maybe he just didn't kill her because… well I don't really know. And if I did I wouldn't tell you. We'll just have to find out later.

Kaiya Smith: Anytime. I'm glad you didn't actually want him to die, but you do have a point. Yeah, there are a lot of things that can happen. So many in fact that I'm not sure how this story is going to turn out. Of course, I've been letting it write itself so far, so we should be okay.

Jeremy Pine: Well no, I didn't do it just to spite you. I thought he was going to die myself until it just didn't happen. So hah. Interesting ideas there chief. Any one of those things could be true or not. I guess we should see how it gets explained. With any luck that will be somewhat soon. And yes, I felt the sorrow. And I'm sorry. I will be sure to have the crazy people rant on and on in the times to come just for you.

Hopelessly Blue: So it seems. They might have more than Tanin in common, however. Whatever similarities they have, Tanin's the one with the answers. It's too bad he's so locked up about his past so we don't really know. I know you're a lot of things Marcy, but I don't believe 'patient' is one of them. Of course I say that with all the love in the world. ;) In any case, I love Shepard too. I wonder what personality she'll have in this story. By the way, the kerosene isn't the worst part. It's actually the smoke that comes out of the flames it creates. Imagine tear gas and soap put together and then breathing all that in. I was worried I might go blind after those embers blew in my face. But I'm okay. And thank you. (I kind of just wanted to say it. So yeah… Thanks.)

Athla: Don't worry. Tela will make her appearance soon. I can't wait either, by the way! It'll be so awesome.

OnyxTemplar: I agree. Sometimes I don't mind it if one of my favorite characters die- as long as it's an awesome death. And you were one of the factors urging me to update as fast as I could. So you can take credit; it's legit.

"What happened?" Ash didn't waste much time making sure I was uninjured after she finally released me from her death hug. Obviously my shoulder and ribs were still messed up but beyond that I only had a few bruises and cuts. Tanin's sash was alright but my beloved white jacket was just covered in dirt, blood (blue but mostly red) and more than a few grass stains. It was a good thing people in this day and age have mastered the method of getting blood out of clothing.

I sniffed and kept my gaze on Tanin's face. "After I ran off I tried to find Tanin at the beacon site." I began. "But he wasn't there, and neither was the beacon. So when I remembered the beacon was moved I assumed he'd be at the spaceport too, to make sure it was handled properly. When I got here and met up with Tanin some other turian showed up."

"Another turian?" Nihlus asked.

I nodded and fixed him with my gaze, "A Spectre. His name's Saren. Saren Arterius." I didn't think Tanin would want me to tell them he was Saren's father. Even if I thought he wouldn't mind, it wasn't really right to just blurt out they were related.

"Saren?" Nihlus repeated incredulously. "But that can't be."

Shepard met my eyes next, "What was he doing here?"

"He's the one that started this attack." I answered. "He argued with Tanin and shot him. After seeing how Saren seems to hate Tanin I can't come up with a conclusion as to why he didn't kill him." I sniffed again and wiped at my eyes to make sure no more tears were coming.

"Who is Tanin? What does he do?" Kaidan asked.

Nihlus was the one to answer, "He's the oldest Spectre alive. He's retired now but he used to be the best we had. Some consider him more of a legend than a real person. Now, he lives on the Citadel."

I nodded, "But sometimes the Council asks him to give his opinion on something or examine an artifact. Because of his knowledge and wisdom he's regularly called upon for things like that."

"How is he?" Shepard asked Nihlus.

"He's still weak. We'll have to get him to the ship as soon as we can." He murmured.

I grabbed Stone's pistol I'd taken and stood up. "We have to get going." I stated, interrupting the thought process Shepard seemed to have been having.

She regarded me questioningly, "Is something wrong?"

"Yes!" I replied hotly. "Tanin's weak so we need to hurry anyway, but Saren told me that he's going to kill everyone! He's set charges at the spaceport where the beacon is so he can take it and make sure no evidence is left behind!"

Ashley put her hands up and curled her fingers around my non-injured left shoulder, "Hey, calm down Cali. This isn't a good time for Grinch mode."

"I'm being realistic." I replied with irritation, though my voice was back to a normal level.

"What do you mean, he's set charges?" Nihlus questioned. "Why would he do that?"

I rolled my eyes. I knew he trusted Saren since they knew each other, but really. He was supposed to know this guy was kind of an asshole. He's blown things up before, indoctrinated or not. Nihlus should know that right?

"I just told you why!" I snapped. My helplessness and my day were not helping my mood.

Shepard stood and held her AR in both hands. "Kaidan, can you carry Tanin?"

The male biotic hesitated for a split second before nodding and bending to pull Tanin's uninjured arm over his shoulders. I saw Tanin's cane on the ground and felt the need to take it. My hands were full with the pistol however, so I pressed the button to fold it up and slipped it behind me, between my back and my sling backpack. I didn't want to leave that either. It held a personal value to me, and it was a good gun. So when that was taken care of I bent and picked up Tanin's cane to hold it to my chest securely.

"Where exactly is the beacon?" Shepard asked me, speaking as if I was an adult like her. It pleased me enough to take my attention away from my racing, chaotic thoughts. I would have more time to think later, after all.

But I couldn't just give away all the answers. If I was correct, Powell was supposed to be here. So I turned and rushed around the crates.

I swear, if he was really there and he didn't come out to help me press Tanin's wound before Nihlus got here I was going to pop one of his organs.

And sure enough, that cowardly rat was crouching and hiding like he was the one that had been threatened by Saren. I could understand needing breaks in your work day but this guy was just too much. He was lazy to a 'that's bad, man' degree and he was… well, as you can see, he was a jumpy sort.

He yelped when he saw me round the crates but calmed when he saw it was just the nine year old. An intense glare twisted my face into a scowl, letting him know I was not happy with him.

I stepped right up to him and shot a right hook to his nose, "Asshole!" he cried out at the feeling of his nose breaking and slumped to the side.

"What'd you do that for?!" he whined before realizing he'd made noise, and curled up again like he was still hiding.

"Get out here before you lose some teeth!" I snapped, reaching forward and grabbing his ear. He was then pulled unceremoniously around the crates to stand before the group of soldiers and warriors.

The image of a child my size man-handling a grown male was probably both funny and strange to see for them. I released his ear and he quickly leaned up, holding the reddened appendage with a look of a kicked puppy.

I was still mad at him for hiding as long as he did so I swung out my leg and caught the back of his knee. Naturally, he fell to his knees with another cry of pain.

"Okay Grinchy, that's enough abuse for now." Ashley murmured, gripping my shoulders gently and guiding me away from Powell and toward Shepard.

I frowned at her but agreed inwardly. "He deserves it." I grumped quietly.

Shepard, that magical woman, caught what I'd said and regarded Powell appraisingly. "Who are you?"

Powell sat down at this point, holding his knees with one arm and his nose with his free hand. "I'm Powell. I work the docks here."

Shepard's eyes narrowed, "What were you doing back there?"

"He was hiding." I answered, getting Shepard to turn her attention to me. "He's lazy so sometimes he sleeps back there during his shift. When the attack started he was already back there so he just never came out."
I leveled a new accusing glare at the man staring at me, "Even when Tanin was attacked by all those Geth and Saren shot him and threatened my life."

Ashley matched my glare upon hearing this news and, knowing I was always right (not to brag), backhanded his head. With the armor covering her hand it had to hurt. I knew just getting hugged could damage something so getting bitch slapped in the back of the head must not help you retain brain cells either.

I smiled at Ashley when she returned to my and Shepard's side, and she gave me a subtle smirk in return.

Shepard didn't comment on our brutality and instead moved forward. Most likely because she still had my rant about Saren blowing us all up in her head. "Where was the beacon moved?"

I almost felt sorry for Powell now that I was looking at him as he wallowed in pain. "Ahead, in the spaceport. We were getting it ready for you guys to pick it up."

Shepard nodded and looked toward the path leading to the cargo train, "We need to move." She stated.

"Take the cargo train. It's the fastest way to get there." Powell managed.

As the others moved forward I looked at Powell and held out my hand. He flinched at first but relaxed a little upon realizing I wasn't going to hit him. "Give 'em to me." I ordered.

He hesitated. I gave him the 'I will tell on you' look. He hesitated still, but soon deflated and looked down. He reached back and pulled a mag of explosive rounds from his pocket and placed it into my open palm. I curled my fingers around it and briefly examined the mag in my hand. If I was right this thing was for guns with heat sinks instead of thermal clips. You can tell by the shape of the cool metal. I suppose this means I was benefiting from my weapons study from before, if only a little.

"Be careful with that." Powell murmured. "It's sensitive, and highly flammable." No kidding. But it was nice of him to warn me of it since I had just punched him in the face and all.

"Thanks." Well, I can be pissed off at you but I still have manners. "Go meet up with Dr. Warren and Manuel. They're up in the campsite."

He nodded and ran off in that direction. Keeping as many survivors together as possible was a good thing. They would feel safer and less paranoid and unstable. As much as I was affected by all that had happened so far I knew I felt better with Ashley and Shepard around me.

Speaking of feeling safer with the group, I needed to catch up. Ash had hung back of course but the others had still moved forward. We ran after them and caught up in front of the cargo train. The Geth on the train were otherwise occupied so they hadn't noticed us from where we were at the bottom of the stairs.

I joined Shepard at her side and knocked on her armor like it was a door. It was a more effective way of getting an armored individual's attention than poking them. She looked down at me and I held out the mag of explosive rounds she'd be able to use.

"These might help." I said. "Do you want them now, or should I hold them until we're safe?"

She stared at me for a moment too long, and I wondered what she was thinking. Was it that I recovered too quickly? Well if that was so, she was wrong. I felt weak and pathetic and my mind was rushing, full of tangled thoughts and emotions. So many that I was just acting on a default mode of neutrality. I had to wait right now. Getting too caught up would only burden the others, and I couldn't have that. Especially when Tanin was still in danger of dying and those charges were soon to be set off.

Shepard briefly pressed a hand to my head, donning a softer expression from her intense one she'd had moments before. Okay, that was unnecessary. I know I was in a nine-year-old's body and I was having a horrible day but she didn't need to pat me on the head.

"Hold onto them for now." She said. "I have a feeling we don't have time to upgrade our guns right now." She kind of smiled at that, and I knew she was making a joke to get me to relax. Maybe I did look as tense as I felt.

I nodded and returned her smile to show I understood, "Yeah, okay."

She released my head and then off we went.

…

You know, if I didn't know it before- which I did- then I certainly knew it now. As I watched Shepard, Ashley and Nihlus rip through the Geth we ran into as we moved about the platforms of the port disengaging the charges, I came to realize just how good they were. Ash was experienced, sure, but she was a great shot too. She had always pushed herself to work harder than anyone else because of her family so she was a lot better than a regular Gunnery Chief would be. Nihlus was a Spectre, so obviously that meant he was a good soldier and a smart one too. I didn't really know much about him, but I wouldn't mind asking a few questions later. And Shepard… well, she was Shepard. That was all I had to say, for I had no words to describe exactly how… there were just too many words I could use to describe her… she was just… amazing.

I stayed back with Kaidan as he half-carried Tanin so we would stay out of the way and I could keep an eye on Kaidan. I was worried about my old man and I had to make sure Kaidan was gentle with him. Tanin may have been tougher than he looked but it didn't alleviate my concern in the least.

The husks we ran into were the worst part for me. It was hard for me, knowing they used to be people I might have known, people with families, to see Ashley and the others shoot them. I considered it a final rest, and an end to what pain the innocent people must have gone through, but it was still a tough thing to watch.

Once we finally did get to the place where the beacon rested I began to relax a little. This was the end of the mission. We got here, it was almost over. I even had more than two years to come up with a way to get on the Normandy so I had a plan or two ready. I could talk to Anderson and have him get me to join on due to my valuable foresight (and knowledge of Saren) or I could somehow convince Shepard of my dying and body switching and foresight to try and get her to let me join.

Honestly neither plan seemed very sure to work, and I was worried, but it was all I had. I mean, I could get the beacon's vision as well so no one would have any choice about me joining or not joining the Normandy, but there were two reasons I hadn't already done that. One, Shepard was supposed to get it. I didn't know how much it would affect the canon so I didn't want to screw it up. I mean, if she didn't get the beacon's vision then she wouldn't get the Cipher, and then she wouldn't understand Prothean speak and such.

The second reason was because I was apprehensive about getting my mind torn open and dumped with an entire race's pain and destruction. Warning or necessity or whatever, I was significantly less developed than Shepard. I had no idea how my vessel's younger brain would deal with such a highly traumatic experience. The human mind just wasn't developed enough in the first place to understand or grasp the beacon's message completely so if I, in a child's body, were to be taken by the beacon I could go brain dead or insane or some other horrible thing.

So no. I just couldn't get trapped by the beacon. I'd have to rely on one of my other plans, if not both. Hell, maybe I could talk to Admiral Hackett and see how he could hook me up with some position on the Normandy. He must have had the power to request my presence or something, right? Even if I didn't get on the Normandy I could ask him to send along messages to Shepard to help her out and then try my luck with the Illusive Man.

I blew out a breath and pressed the back of my hand to my forehead. I had been thinking too hard for too long, and with the day I've had, that headache from the passenger ship those few days ago was coming back. It seemed to do that whenever my emotions were intense or I was really worked up. It was like a fever headache; it doesn't hurt so much that it impairs you but it just doesn't go away. I hated it.

"That's weird." Ashley's voice filtered into my mind and I felt dread creep into my stomach. "It wasn't doing anything like that when we found it."

I looked up quickly and saw Ashley walking back toward me. Kaidan however, remained planted before the glowing beacon. My eyes widened as I watched him take a step forward.

"Something must have activated it." He murmured. I inwardly hated how he seemed to have no common sense (really, who would approach a gigantic machine that has an unknown purpose and is glowing like that?) and turned my head to look at Shepard. She was about to jump in and save Kaidan, right?

Unfortunately she was busy being turned around and oblivious to the situation as she spoke to Joker on the comm for pickup. Naturally, I got a little worried. Okay, I was seriously panicking. Kaidan was inches away from getting the beacon's message and no one seemed to notice. Was I already insane and seeing things or was this really how it was going to happen?

"Stop it!" I couldn't bear it if Kaidan got the beacon's message. He probably couldn't either.

He paused and turned to glance back at me as I rushed up to him and around him to stand between him and the beacon. I held my hands out as if to ward him away. "What? Is something wrong?"

"Yeah, don't touch the beacon." I answered as if it should be obvious.

The man frowned at me in confusion, "There's nothing wrong with it is there?"

I paused, wondering why he was going to argue about this. "Well no, not that I know of, but-"

"Then it should be perfectly safe." He interrupted. I scowled. "You people managed to move it here without it self-destructing, right?"

His asinine rhetorical question was punctuated by him moving forward again, forcing me to step back. I could almost feel the beacon's event horizon at my back like a black hole ready to suck me in, and I tried to push Kaidan back. He was intent on getting closer however, and ignored my efforts.

I began to panic more and more as he edged us closer. Why wasn't Shepard here yet? How long was I supposed to hold Kaidan back for? The dread in my stomach twisted and adrenaline kicked in. I felt my headache flare up at my alarm, and I flinched, recoiling back.

Kaidan took the opportunity to step around me, but I caught the movement quickly enough to feel a defensive instinct explode, snapping up instantly. Time once again slowed around me. My leg went back, my back straightened and my hands came up. My arms primed backwards, hands at the ready. An instant went by when everything was just paused and still.

But in the blink of an eye my hands shot forward, palms out, and slammed against Kaidan's stomach. He was shoved backwards by a purple shockwave, feet and arms flying in front of him as he was sent twenty feet back.

Time returned to normal as my breath came out, relieving pressure in my chest. My headache began to subside as I watched Shepard and the others turn to see Kaidan on the floor.

When their eyes went to me, I found them to be at a strange height. It was like they were getting smaller, or I was… being lifted…

My body was turned around as I rose high, and I stared, eyes wide with fear, at the beacon as it pulled me closer.

A/N: I'm sorry I had to cut it off, but it's getting late and I wanted to update. Just so you all know and don't freak out, I will be unable to update tomorrow and Thursday. There's no internet connection where I'm going, so I apologize in advance. Oh, and Friday I'm driving home so I'm not sure if I'll be able to update then either. I will try but I want to warn you just in case that doesn't happen.