An intense blast of light blinded me as I moved through the portal; along with the light was a very loud noise similar to moving through relays only twice as deafening. With no hull of a ship or anything to dampen the noise it rang through my helmet and lasted until the blinding light faded away leaving a ringing sound in my ears.

I was suddenly standing in a different room than what I was just in. I was still a little dazed from the blinding light and noise and had to shake my head hard to get back my focus. I took a look around, this room was larger than the one before, and there were several other claw-relays in the room, I had emerged through the largest one which was in the centre of the room. It took me a moment to register that I was still holding the chunk of keeper in my right hand. I had been clenching it so hard that I had dug my claws knuckle deep into the hunk of meat. Blood was still leaking out, oozing onto my armour and snaking its way to my boot. It was beginning to smelled like electrified rotting flesh. I shook my hand out of it and tossed it on the floor.

That's when I noticed that there was dry blood trails leading out from several of the other portals. Noticeable dried out blood trails where the keepers must of dragged countless corpses through here for... whatever reason, I didn't know. I couldn't stop my mind from racing through all the connections and thinking up a whole slew of nightmare scenarios. The worst thought of them all being as much horror and despair and near death moments I've experienced in these past few years; to the point where I entertained the idea that I've seen the worst if it. There was always the dreaded thought that there was always something worse that I could come across. To think that all the victims that painted the floor here and Shepard were likely connected sent my stomach turning.

Before I got any closer to blind delirium I took a few deep breaths, like when I'm about to take a shot from a distance. I scanned the area with my helmet, nothing but more hallways and what I would guess at more rooms than the one I was currently in. Below my position were very large heat signatures, perhaps giant food vats, or likely something worse. I must of been near the top of whatever structure I was in because there only about 5 floors above the one I was on. Aside from the layout I was also tracking well over 100 targets within 200 Meters, all clearly keepers. I looked around at the holo data my helmet was giving off and none of the signatures looked like a mass of keepers hauling Shepard and EDI off. Where ever they were now, they were just too far away. Pushing back another twitch of panic I started walking; I made my way out of the room and down the hall. Every second corner or so I would have to hide behind a support strut or into another hallway as a group of keepers would go walking past the halls just ahead of me.

Damn sol, sure wish I had that cloaking device of yours... hell, could even use Shepard's... but she never shares...hmm.

With that pang of sorrow came an even stronger feeling; anger at even considering the hopelessness of the situation, I didn't care what the black and white of the situation was telling me, none of it matters. If I'm going to find Shepard, and EDI, I'm going to have to deal with all the grey. I'm just going to have to embrace it and hope I come out on the other end with all of us alive.

Just need to keep moving, cant lose hope. I'll find them, I'll bring her, them back.

My helmet was pinging targets coming down the hall behind me, I turned the next corner and there were more keepers ahead of me, doubling back would put me up against the other ones, I was out of any sort of thermal clip, and I had the best chance of success if they didn't know I was here... though the keeper meat back in that first room would seem kind of obvious.

Hell, how smart are keepers to start?

Either way I had no time to ponder it, I was 15 seconds away from confrontation. I quickly looked around and spotted a vent system a few feet away from me. It seemed large enough to heft myself and my armour through, but I still cursed.

I hate vents.

I made my way into the vent, replacing the cover behind me, not two seconds later those keepers marched past, for moments I held my breath and could hear nothing but the fast beating of my heart and the patter of their limbs marching across the cold dark metal. A few moments after they past by I began crawling further down the vent, cursing under my breath about heavy armour and tight spaces. I kept moving until I ended up at a fork. I stopped and tried to get my bearings through my helmet's sensors. I was over an open space, but before I got a good look I felt the vent give a little. It only took a few seconds for the metal to start screaming under my weight. Before I could start moving again a section gave way and I tumbled out backwards and out.

I was free falling, any attempts to catch anything were met with thin air. I let out a small surprised gasp as I resigned myself to gravity. I was spinning through the air one moment I could see the trashed vent, the next, I could see the metal floor below me. Things flashed before me.

"Who's is this?" my father demanded at both my sister and I.

"What did I tell you about this kind of stuff?" we both stood straight with our back against the wall.

"Well, either one of you honours up or you'll both be dealt with" he demanded, I looked down for a moment, flashes of choice between honour and honesty, loyalty and strength.

"It's mine Sir... I... found it, fixed it. Sol didn't even know" I stated keeping my stare straight and trying my best to look sincere; though I still caught my sisters surprised sidewards glance at my lie for her.

Our father looked at us for a long moment, it felt like if I let a breath out I would also let the truth escape. I was gonna say something else but Solana gave out "I can't let you do that Garrus...I'm sorr-... I ...err, we happened upon it. Before we both headed back I snuck it into my pocket, Garrus is simply covering for me father; but I can't let him take the blame for me. Just... It was something I wanted. I-"

"Solana" my father interrupted. I was hurting from Sol exposing my lie and taking her own blame, but I also understood how tht improved both our standings in the situation. It would be very barefaced of her to allow me to take all the blame. The only issue now being neither of us knew what he would do. We bowed our heads and averted our eyes prepared for the worst.

"father...sir" she replied, perking straight up at attention..

There was a long pause before he turned a switch on the device and half his arm disappeared behind a cloak. "I don't think the enemy would be fooled by just a pair of legs walking around do you?"

My father gave us both a look equivalent to a stern smile, it's all in the eyes with turians. Sol let out a shocked gasp, holding back a laugh at the image of legs walking around.

"You need a larger harmonic booster, you're bigger than a drone now Solana. I want this perfected by 2500 tomorrow or I'm keeping it. Understood?"

Both sol and I said "yes father" and took the device and got to work.

running away, giggling at each other.

"Commander Shepard, Garrus Vakarian..."

'Breaking news, word of the destruction of Normandy SR1 in the Omega cluster and the death of hero of the battle of the Citadel Commander Shepard has generated a surprised and angry response across many groups extra guards have been posted around the Citadel tower as many citizens have begun violent protests-"

"I- no." I couldn't breath. This couldn't be real. Nothing felt real.

Shepard.

"Oh... didn't know you had a weakness for men with scars..."

"So much has gone wrong Shepard..."

"I...Love you too..."

I saw the floor rush at me and a moment before impact I closed my eyes and said "I'm sorry Shepard".

*CRACK!*