REACH

SHIPBREAKING YARDS OF ASZOD

AUGUST 30TH, 2552

20:00 HOURS

.

Noble Six had spent the past hour walking around the outpost, honoring each of the dead marines he found in the area. Each one had given his life for Humanity; each one now a part of Reach. The silence and solitude had made it exceedingly difficult for him to accept the losses. There was nothing to distract him this time, no battle to occupy his thoughts.

Six made his way to the top of one of the gun emplacements, sitting down to rest. It was the only thing he had now. CASTLE base was far out of reach to him, and the Pillar of Autumn was his last chance at escaping the planet. Accepting his fate, the Spartan removed his helmet, breathing the air of Reach for the last time. The once crisp air now choked him with heat and smoke. Six could see a mountain in the distance, split in half by the Covenant's glassing. Dirt had somehow made it to the top of the emplacement, covering the tower he now sat on. The Spartan grabbed a handful of it, running it through his fingers. He smiled, seeing that he would die where he was meant to.

He was exactly where he was supposed to be.

Before he could completely relax, his enhanced hearing alerted him of a very familiar foe. He quickly put his helmet back on, looking to the east, using his visor's zoom to clearly show him the new threat. Multiple Phantoms and Spirits were flying in the area, and they seemed to be very aware of him, as they sped directly towards his position.

'So this is how it ends, huh? Guess that's what I get for shooting down a Covenant cruiser...'

He readied his DMR, quickly scanning the area for loose weapons and ammunition, and prayed to God that he would take as many of those bastards with him as he could.

.

21:35 HOURS

Exhausted from the seemingly endless fighting, the noble Spartan stumbled onto his knees, ripping his damaged helmet off to get a full breath of air into his lungs. Standing fearlessly, his began firing at his hip with the MA37 he took from one of the dead marines that littered the area. Noble Six knew he would be joining his brethren soon.

But not yet.

The Covenant had long since abandoned sending any Unggoy and other regular infantry after the Lone Wolf, leaving the task of defeating the Human to the best of the Sangheili ranks. And even they were still unsuccessful in killing this single target.

Killing yet another Ultra marching towards him with a plasma rifle, Six felt the first burn of plasma on his side, turning immediately to kill the approaching Sangheili. Taking more hits, Six drew his pistol with his left arm and began firing on his enemies with both weapons, killing yet another two attackers, their corpses pilling around him. Finally, an Ultra lunged at him, knocking him to the ground with an ideal position to deal the deathblow.

But the Spartan endured, knocking it to the side while still defending himself from a Zealot that attempted to impale him. Just as he disarmed the Zealot, he was attacked yet again by the Ultra, while the Zealot roared in rage and activated an energy dagger. For just a split second, the lieutenant noticed out of the corner of his eye that a calm Field Marshall stood close, activating an energy sword, seeming to wait for the ideal moment. Enraged at the memory of the Zealot killing Emile, Six pulled the Ultra onto him just when the Zealot attempted a killing blow, guiding its dagger into the back of its comrade. Using the moment to his advantage, he jumped up and dug his combat knife into the neck of the Zealot, mirroring Noble Four's actions just hours earlier.

"Welcome to Noble Team, bastard!"

The defiant Spartan now collapsed to his knees, exhausted from the intense firefight. Panting, he still had the energy to look up and see the Field Marshall, now flanked by a dozen Zealots, all armed with swords and plasma rifles. Murmuring in their own language, the one closest to the leader walked to Six, ready to finish him for good. It spoke directly to him, and in English.

"This is where you die, Demon!"

It had fallen for Six's trap; taken the bait. Just in the moment it raised its energy sword, Six dove with all his remaining stamina, impaling the Zealot with one of the swords dropped by Six's original attackers. Both falling to the ground, Six drove the sword through its body all the way to his grip, smiling in the aliens now shocked face.

Finally done, the Spartan fell back onto the ground, catching himself with his hands, looking to the Field Marshall with a look of… arrogance on his face, and smiled at the Sangheili before him.

"Is this all the might of the great Covenant Empire? Is this all you can muster against one lone Spartan! I have defeated your kind more times than I can ever hope to count! I would rather die than waste my effort sending more of you to Hell!"

Six fell to his side, barely able to remain conscious from the blood loss and fatigue now. The Field Marshall made his way over to Six, standing over him like the Angel of Death. But rather than finally kill him, which is what Noble Six now welcomed, he instead deactivated the energy sword that was to relieve Six of all his pains and torments.

"You have shown yourself to be a worthy enemy, human. This planet will not be your grave."

Two of the Zealots came to the defenseless Spartan, grabbing him and taking him to one of the Phantoms that had been lingering on the outside of the outpost.

.

COVENANT CARRIER, SWIFT REPENTANCE

UNKNOWN OUTLYING STAR SYSTEM

NOVEMBER 3, 2552

"Field Marshall, I do not disagree that the Humans have shown themselves to be valiant and honorable. I too feel that they should at least be allowed to join our Holy Covenant. I even think that they could be considered equal to us. But, if the Prophets were to learn that we have a living Spartan onboard... and the Jiralhanae numbers on our ship are significant as well… We will not be on this distant assignment forever, and we'll reestablish communications with the fleet when we leave this system."

The Field Marshall looked at the Spec Ops officer next to him, looking him directly in the eyes. He could see that his friend was not afraid of the Jiralhanae or the Prophets, at least not like a coward. But concern was in his eyes. And rightly so.

"Then I would be the one held responsible. It was my decision to keep the Spartan alive, and I intend to keep doing so. We may have found their home world, but I do not think we can ever truly defeat the Humans. I wish to use this Spartan to show the Council the value of humanity, and that they should be allowed into our Holy Covenant."

"As you wish, Field Marshall. You have led us this far with absolute victory. I will not start to question your judgment now. Speaking of the matter: have you spoken to our captive recently?"

The Field Marshall turned slightly towards his companion, amused how easily intrigued even his best lieutenants were by the Spartan they found on the Human planet of Reach. The younger Sangheili proved to be extremely interested in learning about him.

"Indeed I have, Sesa. He may not be thrilled by our kind, but he has no choice until I can reveal him safely to the Council. I have explained this to him, and he has been surprisingly cooperative to that goal. I doubt he likes it, but maybe he realizes his race needs to find a peaceful solution to the war…"

Before he could finish, another Sangheili, only a Minor, rushed onto the bridge and immediately began yelling for their commander. "Field Marshall! I have urgent news for you! You need to be made aware of this at once!" The Sangheili was now standing before him, panting and unable to speak more for the moment.

"You are here, sergeant, now rest. I assume this means you have been able to receive transmissions since we lost contact with the fleet last month? What is so important that you had to come all the way from communications to tell me in person?"

"This, sir. I have a message from Rtas 'Vadumee of Special Operations Command. Please, if you would let me play it on the holotank…"

"As you desire, sergeant."

The Sangheili Minor moved to one of the command consoles, punching in a short series of codes and activated the transmission received only moments ago. Special Operations Commander Rtas 'Vadumee appeared on screen, holding the head of a Brute Chieftain.

"My fellow Sangheili! Let my voice be heard and heed my warning! The Prophets have betrayed us and led us astray! The bastard Truth is using the Jiralhanae to slaughter our brothers, eliminating us to be replaced by those mindless beasts. All but a few Councilors are dead, at the hands of the mongrel beasts! The Halos are not what we think they are, and even worse: we have been murdering our allies for decades now. That is right, brothers! The Humans are not our enemy! I urge you all to cease any attacks on Humanity, and turn your attention to our long-standing nemesis, the Jiralhanae. On the blood of our fathers and sons, we will avenge our fallen brethren!"

The transmission cut after that, leaving the room wild with anger. The dozens of Sangheili on the bridge roared in anger and frustration after learning of the many lies they had recently believed so fervently in. They demanded blood, and blood they shall receive.

"Sir, I also have confirmed transmissions that the Kig-Yar and Yanme'e have solely joined the Prophets' side. They are all to be treated as enemies. The Unggoy and Mgalekgolo have almost solely vowed to follow us into battle. Those on this ship should follow our command willingly."

The sergeant, now finished, stood back from the Field Marshall, who was still contemplating his next action. Several of his soldiers walked towards him, a look of vengeance in their eyes. The Spec Ops officer he had been speaking to earlier was the first to ask him.

"What are our orders, Field Marshall? What would you have us do?"

Their leader turned to his companions, fury filling his eyes and vengeance filling his heart.

"You shall kill all of the traitors on this ship. Show no mercy and leave none alive. Make them suffer the deaths they now deserve!" They all roared with quick acceptance, all drawing their weapons and leaving to issue orders to the rest of the ship. The Field Marshall stopped the Spec Ops officer, pulling him to the side and speaking very intently. "You, Sesa, will accompany me to the brig. We have a special guest that will most certainly be glad to join the fight."

.

Noble Six sat in the corner of his cell, making himself as comfortable as possible. He had spent the past two months in it, and was now actually beginning to enjoy the space. At least, he had finally convinced himself to do so…

The Sangheili had surprisingly let him keep all of his armor, save his helmet that now rested on Reach. He was happy he could still find some comfort, especially after all that he had endured recently. Why the Sangheili were keeping him alive, he still didn't really understand. The Field Marshall of the carrier had spoken to him almost daily, claiming he wished to show the "Council" the value of Humanity. Maybe he was being honest, maybe he wasn't. Either way, Noble Team was dead, and Six was still stuck in that damn cell, Brutes guarding him every moment since he arrived.

He reached into his soft case and pulled out the three sets of dog tags he had been carrying, each one worn and faded from his constant touch. Two of them were covered in dry blood; the other was clean, as if it belonged to someone still alive. Carter's was missing from the collection, left somewhere on the surface of Reach in a pile of rubble and debris. He took the second one from the group, looking it over slowly and reading the inscription on it to himself.

'Lieutenant Commander Catherine-B320, SPARTAN-III PROGRAM. I'm sorry I couldn't save you, Kat. I should've turned around in time…'

He was interrupted by a few tremors through the hull, causing him to tense a little. He sat up, looking to the two Brutes that were guarding outside his cell. They seemed to be alert to something also, as they had begun to yell at each other in their guttural language.

A Human attack, perhaps? It seemed unlikely that anything in the remaining UNSC fleet would be capable of damaging a carrier like the one he was on. Far more likely it was something the Spartan didn't expect. And that couldn't have been truer.

Noble Six heard the door of the brig open, the Brutes now yelling at whoever entered. They raised their weapons, only to be quickly and efficiently gunned down by a hail of plasma fire. Now very intrigued, Six stood up and walked to the shield that acted as the barrier for his cell, only to find the Field Marshall he had met on Reach, escorted by several other Elites. One of them, dressed in the blue armor of a Minor, hit a few of the console controls by his cell, and his cell's shields dropped. The Field Marshall then picked up the needle rifle one of the Brute guards had been holding, offering it to Noble Six with several ammunition canisters.

"Come, Spartan. We have much to discuss."

.

He could barely hear it; something in the back of his mind. He felt like it was trying to get his attention. But he wasn't certain.

'Lieutenant, wake up…'

The Spartan could barely understand the voice in his mind, trying to reach him.

"Wake up Six!"

This time it got him, snapping the Spartan awake and causing him to roll off the sofa, landing on the floor with an uncomfortable thud.

"Agh, Leliana. Isn't it a little early to be waking me up…?"

"If it was early in the morning, then yes, you could say that. But I think I can wake you up when it's past 1200, Six" Leliana answered, a faint hint of sarcasm in her voice.

Six quickly focused, looking down at his TAC/PAD to see the time. He couldn't even remember the last time he had slept in so late. "What… why would you let me sleep so long? I'm sure Shepard has things for us to…"

"Actually Six, EDI spoke with me this morning to forward a message from the commander: he returned after us last night with the Justicar, and gave the whole team today off. He recommended letting you get some rest, after hearing about your fight with the Krogan. And sleeping in your armor, on a couch, won't be doing you any favors. We are supposed to go shopping for amenities for the cabin once you are ready.

Six stood up, cracking his back after considering his AI's comments. His head throbbing unsurprisingly, he looked down at the table Leliana was standing on to see the bottle of scotch, half empty. He coughed at the sight, and walked over to the sink Gardner had installed for him and immediately began drinking from the faucet.

Leliana, ever aware of the Spartan's thoughts and feelings, also looked down at the liquor that had quickly disappeared last night. She had a concerned, almost sad look on her face, seeing what the Spartan did to himself. She held her tongue for a few moments, feeling rude to actually say something to him. But her logical mind eventually got the better of her. And a few seconds are an eternity for an AI to ponder things. "Didn't I say something about drinking that stuff last night, Lieutenant?"

Using his usual answer for the question, Six simply ignored Leliana. She may have gotten him to open up about Noble Team last night, but this was a fight she simply wasn't going to win for a while. He took a few more gulps of water, and then turned to his armor stand and began removing pieces, setting them in order on the stand.

After only a few minutes of undressing to his scrubs, Six grabbed his towel and walked out of his cabin, down the hall and into the bathroom. Quick to lock the door, he was thankful the rest of the crew had already awoke and cleaned for the day, leaving him time to enjoy a hot shower. Just before he stood in, he examined the knife wound on his shoulder, seeing that the medi-gel had worked very effectively. He was impressed that it was even quicker than bio-foam.

Stepping into the hot water, the wound burned even more than it did when it was actually inflicted, but after a few moments he adapted to it, and began to wash all the dry blood off his body. It was more than he had lost for a long time, coloring the water he basked in into a diluted red-mess. He didn't care one bit; he was just happy to relax for a few minutes. The shopping he was going to be doing later sounded as much of a chore as anything he had ever been forced to do. Hopefully Turians and Quarians like to spend credits…

.

"Lieutenant, how are you feeling today? I hope you had a comfortable rest." Doctor Chakwas stood up from her desk, walking over to the Spartan, seeing him fully clad in his armor again.

"I feel fine, doctor. I didn't come for a checkup on myself anyways…"

"Don't be brash, Lieutenant. Let me take a look at that wound again… Well, it seems to be healing nicely. I'm surprised at how quickly your body absorbed the medi-gel. Any normal Human would likely still be bleeding from a stab so deep. But don't think that means you have my permission to go waltzing around as if you can be shot on a daily basis."

"Heh, I'll try to keep that in mind, doctor. But I was saying before; I came here to see someone, not get a checkup for myself. How is she doing? Is she going to be ok?"

"You know Lieutenant, you're being more anxious than the time Liara was wounded on Virmire. She was knocked unconscious by Saren, and Shepard tried staying awake by her bed the entire time she was out. I ended up giving him a sedative in a glass of water. Don't make me do the same to you." She shot Six a teasing scowl, but serious enough to make him realize that she probably wasn't joking. "She's going to be just fine, Lieutenant. Though I expect her to have a headache for a few hours… Ah, Tali! I'm glad to see you're waking up."

They both looked over to the bed, seeing its Quarian occupant stirring under her sheets. Tali sat up in bed, stretching several times and yawning before reaching to the top of her helmet.

"Keelah, what happened to me? My head feels like it's going to rupture…"

"It's just some minor bruising, dear. The mercenary captain gave you quite a whap with her pistol. Luckily, that helmet you're stuck wearing probably saved you a lot of trouble. Any Human hit like that would normally suffer some brain damage. You should be just fine by the end of the day."

Still rubbing her helmet symbolically, she looked at the doctor while swinging her legs over the bed. "Thank you, Doctor Chakwas. You're exactly the person I would want looking after me… But what happened to Garrus and Six?"

"Maybe you should ask him yourself, dear?"

Tali, still dazed from the bruise on the back of her head, spun around to see the Spartan, standing right next to her bed. "Six! You're ok! I'm glad you and Garrus got away safely from… wait, Garrus is safe right?"

Six chuckled a little, relieved to see that Tali was already acting normal for herself. Thinking of others as usual. "Yea, he's just fine Tali. I'd guess he's up in the forward batteries, calibrating something. We handled the merc as soon as she hit you, and we brought you back here to the Normandy as soon as we could."

"That's the typical understatement I should expect from you, Lieutenant. Tali, Noble Six lunged at the Asari mercenary so quickly she didn't have time to shoot. Then he carried you by himself from the shuttle bay, sprinting in here as if you had a suit rupture. You may not have been in a life threatening situation, but the Lieutenant ran in here and made me attend to you right away regardless. It was very charming, Tali."

"You, you did that, Six?" He nodded, hiding his embarrassment behind his visor. "Keelah, thank you. That mercenary would have killed me if she only had another moment. Thank you." Tali stood up and walked to him, hugging him as if there was nothing uncomfortable about it for Six.

He awkwardly accepted, returning the gesture for a moment before Tali let go and sat back down on the bed, still rubbing the side of her helmet. "Do I need to stay any longer, doctor? I think I'll be fine after a little bit. I should probably get back to engineering."

"You're free to go, dear. Just mind your head for a while. I don't want to see you back in here tomorrow because of a concussion. Taking the next few days off would do you some good. If I recall correctly, the commander had recommended that you and Garrus accompany the lieutenant on a shopping excursion. And I agree; the three of you need some time off. If I see you in engineering I'll drag you out myself."

"What? Why would he say that?" Tali turned to look at Six, realizing her comments could easily be misinterpreted. "I mean, not that I don't want to. It's just that I don't need anything. I should be back in engineering preparing for the mission and…"

"And I am giving you a doctor's order that you take the day off. Lieutenant, why don't you escort Miss Vas Neema to the mess hall for some lunch? Then the two of you and Garrus should do some shopping around Nos Astra."

Six looked at Chakwas, then to Tali. He could see that the Quarian wasn't happy to be pried from her duties, but he also didn't want to go shopping in Nos Astra alone. And he doubted Garrus would be of any help picking out a bed and furniture. "Doctor's orders, Tali. Looks like you're coming with me this time."

"Hmph, fine. But if the Normandy's engines don't start when we try to leave Illium, it's going to be your fault Six" she proclaimed as she walked out of the med bay.

Six stood there, arms outstretched in shock. "How am I the bad guy, here? Thanks a lot, doctor!"

"Oh, don't worry lieutenant. I just did you a favor, leaving you with Tali for the rest of the day."

The Spartan turned around to see her, now sitting on her desk and looking at him with a mischievous smile.

"What are you talking about, doctor?"

"Nothing, lieutenant. I just had a feeling you wouldn't want to go shopping alone. Now go and catch up to Tali" she answered, winking at him and sitting down at her computer.

.

"So let me get this part straight, Six: you've been around for what, 27 years? And you've never gone shopping for anything more than a few drinks?" Garrus was unable to comprehend what the Spartan had told him earlier. "It may not be my favorite pastime, but I still know how to do it."

"That's right, Garrus. I've been in the military practically my whole life. Besides a bottle of scotch, what else would I need to get that the UNSC wouldn't have given me? And if you ask me, this shopping thing can be left to the girls."

"Well it's a good thing you brought me along then, Six" Kasumi interjected, leaving the Turian to wait to respond. "You two would be lost without me helping you. And Tali won't spend a single credit on herself, so she's no help."

"Hey! I just don't need anything! That doesn't mean I can't, you know, shop for stuff…" the Quarian shouted. While she was a brilliant machinist, Tali was just as lost as Noble Six and Garrus when it came to shopping. Shopping malls weren't exactly abundant on the Flotilla.

"Oh, save it Tali. You aren't any better at this than these two knuckleheads. Speaking of you two; why did the both of you insist on wearing your armor? If we're going to be spending money, I'm making sure you both get new outfits. And I bet they don't have changing rooms with enough hooks to hang all that stuff on. Did you wear that armor on purpose?"

"Well, that definitely wasn't our plan Kasumi. We both really wanted to get so new clothes. I mean, those Collectors wouldn't shoot at us if we were dressed nice!" Six said sarcastically, waving his hands in the air to mock the thief. "I asked for some help with my cabin, not my wardrobe. What's this place you're taking us to, anyways?"

"It's a department store called Bazar Astra. We'll find all the things you need to have a cabin that looks just like mine."

"I can't wait."

"Oh, hush. You'll thank me when you aren't sleeping on a sofa. If you three get really bored, this store has an outfitting department, too. They'll have all sorts of weapons and armors. Maybe we can get something for you, Garrus. You kind of need some armor that doesn't have a hole in it."

Garrus looked down and examined his armor, having forgotten the damage from the gunship on Omega. "But, I've had this since I worked at C-Sec. Why would I replace it?"

"Every time you talk about C-Sec, you whine that 'they slow people down' and 'Pallin was a pain in the ass' or 'too much paperwork'. I thought you'd be happy to get rid of that armor. You don't seem the sentimental type."

"Well, it's not that. But I've had it for years… I…"

"Well then it's time for an upgrade. Six said he has enough creds to buy anything we want. And since he won't spend it himself, I'm going to do it for him." Kasumi smiled ear to ear, and walked up ahead of the others into the department store.

Garrus walked over and nudged the Spartan in the side. "Looks like you made a mistake telling her that, Six. Heh, I can't want to see what she picks out for you."

"Yea, I'm beginning to think the same thing Garrus. At least I don't have to do it myself. Come on, let's go and see what she has in mind. I have a feeling I'll have to keep her from spending all my money."

The three companions proceeded to walk into the department store, walking in through the automatic doors to be greeted by a large, open atrium. Escalators went up to multiple floors, each one looking as if it was dedicated for a certain department. Hundreds of people of all different races walked around, smiling and laughing as they enjoyed and purchased the best Illium had to offer.

"Wow. I kind of have to admit; this place seems like fun" Garrus stated.

"It makes me feel like we're on the Flotilla. The crowd, the noise; it's great!" Tali exclaimed, looking around like the first time she set foot on the Citadel.

"Huh. Maybe Kasumi can actually make this fun. If nothing else, I'm going to buy some stuff for the two of you before we leave. It's the least I can do" said Six.

The three companions looked around some more, locating Kasumi on an escalator to the next floor up. Waving at them to follow her, the three walked over to the base of the same escalator and followed her up. At the top, they were greeted by Kasumi, already holding store brochures of different bed sets.

"Look at this one, Six! It's a traditional North American style bed frame, and it's a king size! Otherwise we have this other one here… Asari design. It looks a little weird, but it's the most in-style selection right now."

"Well, I want to be fashionable don't I?" he quipped with a hidden smirk.

"Very funny. Come on over and look at them in person before you make a decision. They're both right over here."

The four then walked over from the escalator, making their way into the furniture section of the store. They passed several sofa and chair selections before reaching the bedding. The two that Kasumi had picked out were right in the middle of the display area; probably because they were the most expensive. Six did say she had permission to buy whatever she wanted…

"Ok, here are the two that I already showed you. What do you think? Oh, and if you don't like them, there are a few others here that I would also allow you to buy" Kasumi said.

"Wait a minute Kasumi: I have to have your permission before I pick one of these out to keep?" Six asked.

"Of course. I won't let you go back to the Normandy with some ugly hunk of garbage. You're going to be spending a long time on the Normandy, Six. We can't have you in something less-than perfect. Now come on, make a decision!"

He looked the two sets over, having a surprisingly hard time making a decision. The Human-made bed frame was dark metal, and looked like it would match the interior of the Normandy well. But the Asari frame was… somehow appealing. It had an organic feel to it, just like a Separatist ship. If someone had asked him before Reach what he thought, he'd probably light the bed on fire. But after spending so much time on their ships, the Spartan actually developed affection for them.

"I'm having a hard time deciding on this, actually. What do you two think?" he asked, turning to Garrus and Tali.

Garrus was the first to answer him. "Hah! Remember that I'm the one who sleeps on a cot in the forward batteries every night. I'm not really the person to ask for help, Six. Tali can offer a female opinion for you."

"Ok Tali. Which one would you want to sleep in? I mean… if you were getting this for yourself." He was quicker to catch himself this time, but stumbling over his words again made Six once again nervous. But, as usual, Tali didn't even get a hint.

"Well, they're both nice. But, if I had to choose one, I guess it would be the Human design. It reminds me a little of our bunks on the Neema. Except this is bigger than what an Admiral would even get" Tali said.

"It's settled then. This is the perfect one, Kasumi. What else do you insist we shop for now?"

"Actually, for now the three of you can walk around the store. I have to sort the shipping out with the managers over there. It'll be delivered to the Normandy and set up before we get back. They'll even take some of the benches in your cabin out to make room for everything."

"Everything?" Six asked.

"Yea, everything. You get a night stand and a couple sofa chairs to match it. You did say I could spend some creds, Six…"

"Heh, alright Kasumi that's fine. I've got plenty from those Eclipse mercs from the last mission. Might as well spend it on something. And speaking of that; you two are coming with me for some new gear. Don't bother arguing with me, either." He took both Garrus and Tali by the arm and dragged them off towards the outfitting section, intent on buying them both some new gear.

They only struggled momentarily, both realizing they were not going to overpower the Spartan that was dragging them. They walked around a little bit following Six, eventually making their way back to the center of the building with the escalators.

"Why are we stopping here, Six?" asked Tali.

"Well, I was going to drag you both off to the outfitters. But I realized that I don't know my way around the store" he said, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I can't read anything on the directory."

"And you were so determined to take us shopping Six. Now you need our help, hmmm?" Tali asked, playfully. "Come on, I already looked up where the right sections are. Just follow me."

Tali led the way for Garrus and Six, giving them another chance to look around the store. Six was simply amazed at everything he saw. The open design of the department store allowed him to look at all the different floors, seeing clothing, furniture, electronics, jewelry, and more things that he didn't even understand. It must have been alien stuff.

None of it really interested him; what did grab his attention were all the different aliens. While he and Garrus were on the Citadel, they were in such a rush that he didn't get a real chance to look at the different races. The Asari were easy to get used to; they just looked like women who fell into a tub of blue food coloring filled with squids. And the Turians were close enough to Sangheili he was comfortable around them. But the Hanar, Volus, and Elcor? They were another story.

"All these aliens are so…"

"Ugly? Is that what you think of me Six? I'm insulted!" blurted Garrus, clearly playing with the Spartan.

"Heh, funny Garrus. I wasn't event talking about the Turians. You're alright. It's some of these other ones, like the Volus and the Hanar. I didn't really notice how different they were on the Citadel. Isn't it weird being around so many different races wherever you go?"

"It's not like that Six. At least, not for most people. Of course there are always people in the galaxy, regardless of their own race, that hate aliens. But we all grow up knowing that the entire galactic community is waiting for us, and it's just a part of life. I couldn't even imagine trying the galaxy if we all kept to ourselves. If everyone in your galaxy had already been willing to work together, that war you fought may never have happened."

Six snapped his head to look at Garrus, quickly noticing the Turian had phrased his statement in the wrong way accidentally. Apparently, Turians did have pigment in their scales, as Garrus' face turned as white as snow. Tali had even stopped in her tracks, turning to look at Six, seemingly waiting for what he would do.

"Six… I didn't mean for that to come out the way it did. I don't think it was…"

"Relax Garrus; I know it was a mistake. It's just a touchy subject, even though it's over. And just to make sure you know, I don't blame aliens for what happened. It was just one insane fool that made the decision. If my superiors gave me a questionable order, I'd still follow it. It was no different for the war."

"Ummm, alright. I mean, if you really aren't mad about it…"

"Don't worry Garrus. If you ever do piss me off, you'll know." He patted his Turian friend on the back, and kept walking, motioning Tali to continue leading the way.

The three continued walking for a few more minutes, going up a few more floors and winding around some corners to finally make it to the weapons and armor section.

"I think I'm in Heaven…" Six stated.

The view before him was something pretty close. Hundreds of weapons, armor sets, and upgrades on display made the three of them smile like kids. And to make Tali even happier, in the center of the floor was a tech table, littered with Omni-tools and upgrades.

"I think we're going to be here for a while" Garrus said with a big grin.

.

Author's Note:

Well, there you have it. That's how Six escaped Reach in my story. I didn't want anything to dramatic, like having Jun swoop down in a Falcon and save the day. I wanted to include a reason Six is so acceptable of aliens, and I figured this would work. Working with the Sangheili for some time helped him get over the past.

I don't intend to show any more of his events while on the carrier, or with the Elites at all for that matter. Eventually, he was brought back to Earth and that's that. He helped kill all of the Loyalists on the carrier, and whoever else the Field Marshall fought over the next few months.

Now it's time to focus again on the real story, and as always, I'm more than excited to have feedback and reviews to help shape the story for the chapters to come.

Thanks!