Take My Breath Away

Thane wondered why he still came here. Perhaps for a place of tranquil familiarity, though Life-Support was no longer his quarters. His things had been moved to the captain's cabin, and life-support had been returned to its original function as a secondary armory, much to Vakarian's delight.

Where his cot once was a table rested with cluttered with weapons and ammunition. Even the table at which he sat, his tea growing cold in his hands, was littered with heatsinks and power cells. The view of the drive core, at least, would always be the same.

Thane tapped his fingers idly along his mug. He wanted to meditate, to be at peace with himself and his thoughts. The Normady had only recently finished repairing at Omega, just enough that Shepard felt they were flight worthy to dock somewhere else.

Which meant the interior of the ship was still in disarray, and his choices for solitude were limited. The parts of the ship that had been mostly untouched by the attack were crowded with crewmembers, still celebrating Shepard's impossible rescue. What was even more unfortunate was that the lounge had been spared, and most if not all of the crew chose to celebrate by taking advantage of it.

The party had been nonstop for days, drifting between renovations and drunken escapades. And drunken escapades creating the need for more renovations. He would have secluded himself in Shepard's room, but as the human saying went, he was 'banned to the couch.'

Thane sighed. They'd argued about the Collector Base after she'd finished meeting with The Illusive Man. 'I should have kept it, damn the ethics. You make me lose sight of what's important,'

'The soul of your species is important. Your soul is important.'

'Damnit, Thane, souls aren't real! Just like your gods, and just like this relationshit!'

He pulled himself out of his solipsism. That was always what it came down to. That was always what they really fought about. He hadn't known what to expect from a relationship with another species. He'd never felt affection for them before, and now he was sure he felt too much. Enough to keep him selfishly at her side, despite the pain it brought them both. In the very least, he was content the good memories outweighed the bad.

The doors to life support slid open, and he recognized the footsteps as Shepard's. They were distinct, boots on metal, left foot leading, purposefully advance just short of a run. He never knew what to expect when she entered, not that he'd ever let her know. She could be looking for a fight, a philosophical debate, time together… Her stride was always the same.

She stopped behind him and rested a hand on his shoulder. He took it without hesitation, and she leaned forward to wrap both arms around him from behind and bury her head in his neck. They never apologized; he never wanted them to. They fought because he was dying; Thane would have been concerned if it didn't upset her.

"You smell like leather,"

"Unsurprising," He pulled one of her pale hands away from to place a kiss on the back of her palm, "Considering I am wearing leather."

"I mean you," She gave him a light squeeze. Her spine must have ached from the awkward slant she'd forced it into. "The bamf I'm with. Smells like leather."

"… the what?" He pulled her around him to sit in his lap.

Red eyes sparkling with mischief, she draped her arms back around him rather than answer. "Maybe someday I'll tell you what it means."

"Edi, what does bamf mean?"

The AI's spherical display coated the room in a shifting blue light. "An Earth-based acronym standing for 'Bad Ass Mother Fucker,' popularized in the twenty-first century by-"

"Edi?"

"Yes Shepard?"

"Go away."

"Logging you out,"

Thane chuckled and was rewarded with a glare. Standing up, Shepard uncoiled from him and fell into her old chair. Folding her arms across her chest, she pouted. It was almost cute. "That's cheating."

"You could have done the same when I first called you 'Siha,'" He pointed out, reaching across the table to take her hands. With a huff, she let him.

"I did. Have you ever tried to research an obscure culture that lives with an isolated species?" She ran her thumb over his fused middle fingers. Originally, it had been out of fascination. Now it was a habit. It warmed him to know they already had a few. "I couldn't find shit. Turns out I was spelling it wrong."

"Badass motherfucker..."

"It's just an expression."

"Somehow, I'm not surprised your term of endearment is filled with uninspired vulgarity."

"Uninspired? It took me all day to come up with a pet name for you and you ruined it under a minute."

"I have no need of one, Siha. I prefer –"

"I'll just think of another."

"Please do not."

She smirked at him, an enthralling expression whispering of temptation and unspoken desire. He tugged invitingly on her wrist and her face went flat. "We're going to Illium." She announced abruptly, remembering why she'd come to see him. Her fingers curled around his palms and squeezed to impart the gravity of whatever she was about to say. He stayed respectfully silent. "You told me I've done a lot for you," She took a deep breath and held his gaze, and for a brief moment, the fire in her eyes seemed real. "Well, I haven't done everything I could,"

"Siha, if this is about my illness-"

"It's not," She snapped. It was still a forbidden topic. Thane couldn't blame her. He could hardly bring himself to face it. "Before the Omega relay, when death was right there, you weren't ready." It shamed him to be reminded, but he kept quiet, letting her find the words, "You weren't at peace… I don't want you to die like that. I don't want you to die at all," She added under her breath. "I couldn't do anything then. I can now."

"I'm not sure I understand, Siha."

"I can give you peace. Irikah. Kolyat. All those missing years… The batarians couldn't have found you without the Shadow Broker. If not for him, it never would have happened," Her teeth ground together at the memory, imperfect and not her own, such was the extent of her compassion.

'I also wouldn't have met you,' Thane was about to say, when Shepard continued.

"Well I know how to find him." Thane was grateful for his initial lack of reaction. If he'd been too willing or unwilling, he would have been disquieted, torn between reconsidering his emotions and sticking with his instincts. Instead, he tried to stay neutral.

"… You're talking about revenge."

"I'm talking about justice."

"I've moved beyond such things," The words felt hollow.

"Lie to yourself. Don't lie to me. No one 'moves beyond such things.'"

"That is a jaded outlook."

"It's an honest one." Shepard scooted forward and pulled his hands up to her chest. "Thane, I want you to want this. We're going to Illium, and Liara and I are going to hunt him down. I want you to come with. I want you to be there." She brought one of his scaled hands up to her splintered cheek, "Maybe when you can say it's over, the memories will stop haunting you,"

He didn't bother denying it. He'd lost himself to solipsism in front of her more times than he cared to admit. "Just… meditate on it." Standing, she released his hands and walked around the table, pausing by his chair to kneel down and kiss the black diamond scale on his forehead. "And maybe when there's no one left to blame, you'll stop blaming yourself."

"Welcome back Mister Shadow Broker!" The drone screamed at her as she walked into the control room of the base. It bounced in place and spun in a happy circle. Shepard frowned and kicked it.

Its kinetic barriers sparked white, and it skittered away in fear. From the front of the room, Liara laughed. "If you and Feron hate it so much, you could just install a new personality program."

"I offered you the one of me," Shepard shrugged, crossing the vast empty space the original Broker's table had once occupied. She was glad the fat bastard was dead. She could still hear his voice in her head, like gargling gravel. 'I'll give Mr. Krios's son my regards.'

There was a dent in the floor off to her left, where the table had knocked Thane unconscious. She'd dove for Liara without any hesitation; she'd been so sure he would dodge it…

"It would just say it had a galaxy to save, and tell me to find the data myself," Liara shook her head bemusedly.

"How've you been Liara?"

"I'm good Shepard. Having all this information at my finger tips... Speaking of which, you still haven't checked the dossiers on your team."

"Liara, I would never..." Her friend raised an eyebrow at her, "Pass up an opportunity like that. The one by the entrance, right?" Shepard grinned rhetorically, and sauntered over to the terminal. She passed the dent in the floor again, and couldn't help but wonder if she'd been wrong about Thane.

If she'd been in his place, she would have jumped at the chance. And while he'd been at her side the entire mission, he hadn't treated it any differently that an everyday strike on a mercenary base. When it came to the final throw-down, he'd seemed more eager to meet another drell than kill the man-yagh-thing responsible for his wife's death.

Maybe he's just a better person than you. Even as she thought it, she knew it wasn't true. He killed for money and didn't hold himself accountable, abandoned his family, went on a killing spree, barely talked to his son… Shepard stopped herself. He might not have been a good person, but unlike her, he tried to be.

Shepard tapped open the terminal, wanting to pull up a chair and make herself some popcorn. She figured she'd start with the Illusive Man and work her way down the Cerberus ladder. She would not spy on her friends. She was not going to spy on her friends. She was most certainly not going… to…

Shepard clicked on the Thane Krios dossier. He didn't try that hard to be a good person. He went from killing for money to killing whoever he thought deserved it. It was a compromise. So she followed his example and decided to compromise. She wouldn't spy on her friends; she'd just spy on her lover.

Shepard smirked to herself as she read through the file. She should have felt guiltier, but all she could think was how happy she was to have him. Listings of known kills, something called the One-Hour Massacre on Omega she'd have to make him solipsism about, preferred assassination methods….

What had the Shadow Broker said? Bringing an assassin was shrewd? The dossier just reminded her he wasn't 'an assassin' he was the best assassin. Her assassin. Completely and utterly-

Shepard blinked. Her eyes fixed on Chakwas' medical report the Shadow Broker had managed to get a hold of. None of it was surprising, except for the line that stood out obscenely from all the others. 'Viable transplant candidate but refused to be added to list.' Her fists clenched. She went over the line again and again, and every time it stayed the same. She was so intently focused the words merged into an angry blur. A horrible, disgusting, wrong-

"That son of a bitch." Shepard smacked the terminal off without bothering to read the rest of the dossier.

The sudden outburst made Liara jump, "Shepard, is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," She lied, rolling her shoulder to avoid running her hands through her hair and yanking, "Thanks for letting me see these; I need to… go do something."

"Alright…" Laira looked bewildered, "Thanks for stopping by."

Shepard nodded distractedly and left, power walking back to the shuttle. When she got inside, she kept pacing, rather than sit down. All that bullshit about being afraid to die, when a way out was right in front of him. Maybe it had risks, maybe it wasn't permanent, but it was there. It was an option. It was time.

As soon as the shuttle was back in the Normandy's cargo hold, she kicked open the door and jumped out, much to the pilot's alarm. "Edi, where's Thane!"

"Mr. Krios is in your quarters, Shepard." The AI announced pleasantly from the elevator's speakers. Shepard punched the holo for the loft and paced. She had to calm down. Maybe it was an old report. Maybe he'd already changed his mind and she didn't know. Maybe there was a reason-… a reason for what?

The elevator opened up to her quarters, and Edi opened the door to her room so she wouldn't have to halt her stride. Thane was reading a datapad at her desk, where her ruined helmet sat on its stand, a constant reminder of the time she'd lost. The life she'd lost.

She knew what it was like to suffocate. What it was like to die. There was no reason to want that. No reason at all. "You son of a bitch!"

Thane stared at the hololock in front of him, and took a deep breath, locking his hands behind his back. There was no logical reason for his hesitation; the lock was green. But as everyone on the Normandy had come to learn, when the door to the main battery was open, it was only open for Shepard.

Anyone else was given an almost coldly professional reception, which Thane approved of. Vakarian was a born leader, but emotionally, he was closed off. His true feelings hidden behind a cocky façade, facial expressions limited by his scars.

Out of everyone on the ship, he'd likely made a poor choice, but Thane needed to talk to someone on a personal level, and didn't know where else to turn. Keying open the lock, he waited for permission to enter that never came, so stepped over the threshold to better make his presence known.

"Elasa and Flux Dance Mix." Vakarian said over his shoulder in greeting, typing away at the console.

Thane blinked both sets of eyelids, caught off guard, "I-pardon?"

"You were going to ask me what to get Shepard," Vakarian still didn't bother to look away from his calculations. "Wine and music. Her favorites are Elasa, an asari liquor, and the Flux Dance Mix from the Citadel." He glanced at him, visor whirling readouts Thane caught and registered as his vital signs, none of them favorable. Vakarian frowned briefly and turned back to his work. "I got nothing else, man. Sorry."

"I was hoping more for your counsel on what to say, as opposed to what to get," Thane rolled his shoulders back, feeling uncomfortable in the small space. There was only one escape route, and that was the way he'd entered from. He preferred to always have a way out. Vakarian evidently picked the best place to bunker down and fight.

"Haha-egghhh," The gunnery officer's laugh strangled into a cringe. "As irresistible as I am to women, I really don't have any experience apologizing to them." Regardless, he tapped a button on the holodisplay and turned around to lean his back against the terminal. Algorithms hung half-finished in the air, paused rather than closed, as a testament to his intrusion.

"But you have experience as Shepard's closest friend," Ordinarily, Thane would have turned on his heel and left Vakarian to his work. As it was, he intended to stay until inspiration struck… or Vakarian struck him. "She refuses to see me outside of the company of another, and goes so far as to relay messages through a medium. I'm uncertain whether I should wait it out, or force the issue…"

"Honestly, Krios? I'm with Shepard on this one." The turian rolled a kink out of his neck, "I don't get why you refused."

"There are countless others far more deserving than myself."

"Maybe," He shrugged, "But what about what she deserves?"

"'So do it for me!' She screams. Her scars split, tracks of red in snow-pale skin. 'It's not like you to make such selfish demands,' I snap at her. 'Yes it is,' she cries, tears of blood stream down her face. 'I'm selfish, and you're selfish! You're so ready to die that you're afraid to live!' Dark energy fills the room, countless fixtures lift, 'Get out!' glass shatters in my wake,'"

Thane shook away his solipsism, "… it's not about what she deserves." When he came back to himself Vakarian was pressed up against the opposite wall eying him warily.

"Heyyy not that that wasn't one of the creepiest things I've ever seen but can you never do that again?"

"My apologies, it was not my intent to unsettle you."

"Unsettled? No, I'm not unsettled. I'm settled. Completely settled."

"I'm not sure that makes sen-"

"So, yeah. Wine and music. Nice talking to you, Krios." Thane wasn't entirely sure how he ended up on the other side of the door to the main battery, only that the hololock had turned abruptly red. Ruffled, he straightened his cuffs and sighed. Vakarian obviously had no advice for him. Perhaps it would be better to ask Shepard's other best friend…

Thane gave a cough to announce his presence behind Tali'Zorah on the engineering deck. Despite her envirosuit, she was easier to read than her turian counterpart, gestures and tones making up for her lack of facial expression. Her choice of quarters was also far more comforting, as countless exits were available to him. Tali spun around, startled, with her hands up defensively. "Miss Zorah-" He started.

"Don't touch me!" She barked, scrambling back onto her console. Thane kept his hands locked behind his back to resist massaging his forehead. She obviously hadn't forgotten his and Shepard's… lapse of restraint… on Omega. "Ever."

Enginner Donnelly stopped beside them on his way back to his post, glancing from one to the other, "Oi, Tali, y'alright over there?"

"Nobody touch me!" She snapped, scooting away from both of them along the wall towards the exit.

"I was hoping to talk to you alone…" Even before Thane said it, he realized it was futile. Tali all but ran from him on sight. He supposed it would be disquieting for her to know he was intimate with her best friend.

"No!" Tali cut him off, "I can't. I have to-fix my suit." She scuttled away and smacked the holo for the door to the hall. "Thank Keelah for the suit, I'm safe in the suit…" she mumbled to herself as she fled.

Thane ultimately decided to wait it out, but Chambers had somehow gotten wind of their conflict - hardly a difficult task for a perceptive soul. Which meant that everyone on the Normandy was aware of the discord between them by the end of the day. And everyone he hadn't wanted to ask advice from suddenly felt the need to impart their wisdom on him.

"Thane, glad I caught you. Wanted to talk. Medical matters. Aware Shepard more irritable lately. Wondered if physical discomfort related to emotional state. Need more lotion to counteract effects of drell-human skin contact? Imagine her rash would be…. Unpleasant."

"Ah-no…We-no…"

"Oh. No physical basis? Purely emotional? Apologies. First hypothesis not always correct hypothesis, after all."

"…"

"In that case, recommend flowers."

"Augh! About time I found my battlemaster's mate! I'm tired of her sulking! We haven't KILLED something in days! Fix it!"

"The fact that Shepard trades her allegiances like playing cards is likely more to blame for-"

"Words! Noise! Fix it like a mated pair and fight her! Whoever wins is right!"

"Heard the krogan bitchin' from down the hall. Guess the honeymoon's over, huh?"

"Considering we were never married-"

"Never lasts with women. I had a good thing goin' with this asari once, till she sold me out to the Blood Pack. Just be glad Shepard didn't sell you up the river."

"I highly doubt-"

"Bet you didn't do a thing wrong either, eh? Women. Like bloody unstable bombs, go off at any minute."

"…"

"You know, I remember this one time-"

"Fuck, Krios, watch where the hell you're going."

"My apologies I was just… departing Massani's company…"

"That old bastard never shuts up."

"… as you say."

"Hey, not that I give a fuck, but what's up with Shepard?"

"How do you mean?"

"She hasn't come to chat in a while, and she's the only one I can stand for more than a minute in this Cerberus hellhole."

"It's somewhat personal."

"Mommy and daddy fighting, huh? Just fuck her so shit can get back to normal."

"… It's not exactly that simple…"

"Whatever."

"Krios… normally, I would welcome your presence, but you cannot hide out in my room forever."

"I was hoping to join you in your meditations."

"You are an honest man, Sere Krios, and you lie poorly."

"My apologies. I merely felt the need for a reprieve. No matter where I turn, I can't seem to be alone with my thoughts."

"The same is true of me at this moment."

"…"

"You in my armory for a reason?"

"It is Shepard's armory. And I have full access to the Normandy."

"Uhuh. You got full access to a lot of things around here."

"Who Shepard gives clearance to is hardly any of your concern."

"Maybe not. But you two sure go out of your way to make it our concern."

"Only when you go out of your way to notice, Mr. Taylor."

"You saying I'm jealous?"

"I believe those were your words, not mine."

"I think you should go."

"For once, we are in accord."

"… you have been in life-support with me for the past fifteen minutes and not spoken. Did you require assistance walking back to your quarters, Miss Lawson? Forgive me, but you seem… less than sober."

"This domestic disturbance is affect-… affecting morale. Why can't you men just do what women want? You know what I would like a man to do for me, Thane? I would like to get pregnant."

"You're suggesting I get Shepard pregnant…"

"God no! She'd make a terrible mother… and you're a bad father!"

"… I should depart."

"Krios-Assassin," Amonkira, grant him patience. Even the geth had a suggestion. "Recommend reaching consensus with Shepard-Commander to facilitate unit cohesion. Current state of emotional discord decreases operational efficiency."

"Thank you, Legion. I am aware."

"…" The geth's head panels shifted and twitched in a way Thane liked to muse signified thought. "We treasure our awareness. Organics do not seem to appreciate theirs, as too often, nothing is done with it."

Thane felt his composure slip as his frustration grew. Certain his self-control would shatter if he was confronted again, he decided to seclude himself where no one would look. Feeling juvenile but mercifully safe in the vents near the loft, he lost himself in prayer. He was right in declining to put his name on the transplant list. His concern was his soul's redemption, not his body's greed. He couldn't deny an innocent a chance to spend more time with their family and loved ones or make peace with their fate, all for a few stolen years with Shepard.

His every moment since their meeting had been stolen. She'd pulled him from off the shore and given him a chance to atone, given him far more than he deserved. He couldn't dishonor the love she'd entrusted him with by grasping at straws for more time, as if what he'd been given wasn't enough. Couldn't fill either of them with false hopes born of selfish desires.

She'd understand. Eventually, she'd understand and come see him. If not… he could always write another letter.

"Hey Thane, whatcha doing?" Gods give him strength, it was not her fault she'd shattered his calm. He was already on edge, his nerves frayed to the last strand. It was not her fault he hadn't taken her into account when he'd chosen his hide-away.

"Hello Miss Goto." He tried not to growl, exhaling slowly through his nose and not opening his eyes.

"Spying on Shep?"

"No, I was not."

"You're awfully close to her room."

"I am aware of this."

"You two still not talking?" She mumbled sagely, lying on her stomach next to him in the vent and propping her chin up on her palms. Thane massaged the bridge of his nose to block the migraine growing behind his eyes.

"Keiji and I had a bad fight once," The thief rolled over to stare at the top of the vent, locking her hands behind her head. Her hood fell back at the motion, revealing her face and a mess of dark hair that she took no notice to. Strange, that she was comfortable around him when she took such great pains to conceal her identity around everyone else.

"He brought me a single red rose to apologize," She continued obviously, twisting her hand in the air above her. "It used to be my calling card; I'd leave it in place of whatever I took. I was so angry with him until he said the rose was for his heart, because I'd stolen it… and you know what's funny? He was the one who convinced me to stop leaving them. Said I was just being sentimental."

She went silent, lying next to him in the vents, letting everything she'd said linger in the air. The silence had almost become comfortable by the time she continued, "I guess what I'm trying to say is just because you were right about something, doesn't mean you weren't wrong about it too." She pulled her hood back up and crawled back the way she'd come.

Thane sat in the dark of the vents for a long while, trying to return to his meditations and prayers, but serenity escaped him and the gods were silent. He'd tried to confront her, but she'd given Edi orders to refuse his access to her cabin. Admittedly, he hadn't tried very hard, as he knew several points of entrance the AI had no control over.

When he reached the vent overlooking her quarters, she was seated at the desk in the sunken half of her quarters, elbows on the desk, hands buried in her silken black hair. There was nothing at the desk with her, save for her old helmet and a holo of him. She'd placed them side by side, and looked to be staring at both.

He could have unscrewed the grating and dropped into her room without a sound. Instead he twisted around and heaved bodily with both feet, sending the grating flying into the opposite wall and clattering noisily to the ground. Shepard didn't bother to look up.

Thane dropped to the floor, then moved to stand behind her. Waiting for an acknowledgement that never came, he placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a light squeeze. Rather than reach up to take his hand, as he'd done with her, she spun out of her chair and aimed an elbow for his face.

Thane twisted away from the blow, grabbing her arm and twisting it around her back, while simultaneously kicking her off balance. Shepard lost her center of balance and he quickly had her pressed face-down against the table. "If I'd known you were in such a mood I would have brought my mask."

"Fuck you," Shepard snarled into the table, trying to worm out of his grip.

"Maybe after you give me a safe word, Siha."

"Don't call me that. I'm not a damn angel." Thane released his grip on her wrist and quickly backpedaled out of her range, which proved overly cautious on his end. Shepard spun around and gripped the table hard enough to turn her knuckles white, likely to keep from attacking him.

"No, you most certainly are not." He agreed so readily it caught her off guard, making her release the table and calm down by some small margin, "But you are a Siha."

"They're the same thing," She snapped, pushing off the desk, then continued before he could lecture her on the variations between the two, "Whatever. I don't want to talk about this. I don't want to talk to you. Just get out."

"I will not." Thane took a step towards her and Shepard took a step back.

"I gave you an order, Krios," She glowered, "Get the hell out of my room."

"I have no intent of obeying such an order." Stealing himself, more emotionally than physically, he walked forward until the two of them were inches from each other. As this range he was risking a knee or elbow to a variety of unsavory places if she managed to catch him off guard. "I'm not leaving." He wrapped a hand around her upper arm, stiff and unyielding, tensed to strike. "I won't leave you."

"Yes you will," She smacked his hand away. "You will because you won't get a transplant. Because you'd rather die than spend another year with m-"

Thane pressed his lips to hers to silence her. It wasn't a kiss. She didn't melt in his arms or go weak in the knees; she was never so easily swayed. It was simply a kinder alternative than placing his hand over her mouth. Regardless, he kept his hands on her shoulders rather than release her, trying to massage away the almost painful tension in them. "It's not that simple."

"Yes it is."

"You are my reasoning for living, Siha. You know I'd give anything to stay with you, but the life of another is not mine to give."

"You can't believe that. You've killed without hesitation for decades."

"I have much to atone for."

"So what difference does one more life make?"

"…Siha…" Thane blinked his inner set of eyelids at her and frowned disappointedly. Shepard shoved both hands against his chest, and he took a step back more to placate her than out of necessity.

"No. What makes some waste of skin- scales- whatever, any more worthy than you? Why shouldn't you have the same chance?"

"Because I don't des-" Shepard slapped him then caught his chin in her hand.

"Yes you do," Her glare didn't soften, if anything it hardened, the cybernetic lenses shifting behind already red eyes. "Yes you do," She pushed herself up and kissed him, the taste of rage and sorrow in mouth. Thane wrapped his arms around her and lifted her back to the bed, tripping and falling onto the mattress.

He ran a hand through her hair, brushing it away from her face when she fell beside him. Her eyes were surrounded with dark rims from lack of sleep, and her scars were as clear as they always were. Her color was what concerned him, but it too was the same as it always was. Shepard never cried. It would be adding literal salt to literal wounds.

"I love you."

"I know," He smirked and she slapped him. "Siha, I never thanked you for taking care of the Shadow Broker,"

"You didn't need it."

"Perhaps not, but you tried to help me while I refused to help myself, and that is what counts. I did not realize it before, but I am at peace, I am alive… though only with you."

"So stay with me," She did so much for him, yet he was hard-pressed to think of what he'd done for her. Would his soul suffer so for delaying its return to the sea for another year? "Get the transplant, you're worth it."

"You have more faith in me than I in myself," Thane traced one of the scars on her face; the glow beneath seemed to dim at his touch, though it may have just been wishful thinking.

"Well yeah," Shepard pushed herself up on her elbow to stare down at him, the room's lighting shifting along her face as she moved. The new angle made it clear it wasn't just wishful thinking, "I have to. I'm your Siha, remember?"