Disclaimer: All obvious or otherwise Mass Effect characters belong to Bioware. Anyone you know that isn't in the ME universe is mine; this includes Sakkara, Emil, Sally, Tarriik, Healion, Vicky, Agaric, and Nula.
CE 2186…1400 hours…July 17…Purgatory, The Citadel
"After that I was taken back to Arcturus Station and awarded the Star of Terra." Sam says as she shifts uncomfortably in her seat, some of the patrons of the club had overheard her story midway through and had all began listening in uninvited.
"What happened to all the others?" Aria asks.
"Yeah, maybe we should call them up. That Sakkara sounds like she could really kick some ass. We could use her on the Normandy." James states excitedly from his seat as he downs his second shot of his Dos Equis, having been too engrossed with the story to really drink it during the tale, making a strange face because the drink was watered down from the ice that had melted into it causing Sam to giggle.
"I can tell you for sure where Agaric is," Garrus says, "he was on Menae; he left with us when we got Primarch Victus off the moon. Last I heard he was working with a fighter squad called Artimec Wing."
"Yeah, I hope he makes it through this." Sam says sadly, "He and Nula got together after their little adventure with Jason and have a daughter now. He's already going to miss so much of her life and it would be unfair to miss what little time he has."
Samantha pauses for a moment before continuing. "Healion continued to bartend at Xenosis, he ended up owning the place after the Blitz. I kept up with him until he died three days before I did after the Eden Prime War. He trusted me about Sovereign when I told him about it and warned his family. He had more than a couple of nieces who are dalatrass' now so hopefully they can get us some help with the Salarian Union since Valern won't help."
She silently hopes they will anyway, with him gone no one will vouch for her if they don't approve with Victus's war summit involving krogan, and if she knew her old friend Urdnot Wrex as well as she thought, she knew he'd ask for a genophage cure, which will definitely make matters more difficult.
"Sally returned to her station on the frigate Warsaw, and after some commendations was transferred to the Everest dreadnought and was still there last I heard." She continued, "Vicky left the service after the Blitz and got with that turian she was so worried about, I found out later that he had saved her in the club when the guy she was dancing with tried to use her as a shield, and then later held off the guards while she ran from the slave camp. I think they went off the grid trying to find somewhere to hide."
"What about Sakkara and that Emil kid?" James asks impatiently
"I especially want to hear about Emil, I remember you mentioning somewhere in your story his name was Emil'Koris, he wouldn't happen to be related to Admiral Zaal'Koris would he? He didn't mention it when we met them on the Citadel." Garrus asks inquisitively
"He's his son, though from what I gather he doesn't like to talk about his dad. He and Sakkara both probably went to the flotilla to…" Sam trails off as she looks at Jason, his look distant as he stares into the table.
"What?" Aria asks as she looks at Sam and then over to Jason, the patrons, Tarriik, and James doing the same.
"To join the war with the geth," Jason answers solemnly as he leans back into the couch as best he can with the large metal pack blocking him before he can rest his head in the seat, "I guess Tali wasn't able to keep them from it after all. I just hope she's okay."
"Would they even let a krogan help them with that?" one of the patrons, a turian, asks as he leans over the small wall that separates his cubicle from their own.
"I would doubt it if I didn't know the admirals, but even though they have their disagreements Zaal'Koris still loves his boy dearly, and I doubt the other admirals other than Daro'Xen would turn away the assistance of a krogan adept anyway. Killing Geth is too important to Han'Gerrel, and Shala'Raan is just a follower. The only reason I think Xen wouldn't want her is because Sakkara would break her toys." Sam answers the man, though she is more answering the question for the people she actually knows benefit.
"So what's next?" Garrus asks.
"I would like to repeat the suggestion of continuing chronologically with the Eden Prime War." ALI suddenly comments through the comms in the Death Mask still sitting on the table, startling most of the patrons around the table along with James.
"Damn, you gotta learn to talk more Maria." James says as he straightens his tipped glass.
"Ok, how did you come up with that one?" Jason asks with a laugh referring to the nickname he just gave ALI.
"Well, Loco, she sounds like a girl I used to date. She was smart and liked to get in my clothes, and I figured since she's always in yours…" James begins before he is interrupted by ALI
"Actually I am not housed in Jason's suit. I usually communicate through the quantum entanglement communicator built into the structure between his Eezo tanks from my blue box, though because we are in close proximity to the ship, and we are not in a hostile situation, I am simply communicating through the communicators in the helmet using a tight beam connection, using Jason's advanced greybox as a sort of comm buoy."
Some of the crowd began to mumble to each other as she spoke and after because of the realization that she was an AI.
"You have a *hiccup* damn AI in your suit?!" a drunken patron says as he throws a bottle of alcohol at Jason, which he catches with ninja-like reflexes and places in the middle of the table.
"Have I offended?" ALI asks innocently.
"Nah Maria, just some drunk being an ass," James says comfortingly, "don't worry about it."
The part of the crowd's uneasy expressions ease off, realizing that ALI means them no harm and trusting the great Commander Shepard's judgment on keeping an AI on board her ship, though some still kept a wary eye on the helmet as if it may lash at them at any moment before leaving.
"So…who's telling the story this time? I personally would like the tale to be told by someone else." Sam says as she leans into Garrus.
"I can tell it I guess." Jason says as he drinks a large gulp of his water.
"No, I'll do it," Garrus says, "I was with her on most of the missions, and I was there before you, makes the story more interesting, especially since I'll be in it more." he ends jokingly.
"Why don't you both tell it?" Tarriik says suddenly, "An epic is usually better with drama and action and having one without the other can cause the tale to become stagnant."
Most of the crowd gives a surprised look at the so far stoic guard's sudden idea causing him to flex his mandibles uncomfortably and rub the back of his head just under his fringe.
"That's a great idea, that way Garrus won't be able act like he didn't have a huge stick up his ass, and Jason can't act like he isn't a mini-me."
The small crowd turns to see an unshaven man in an Alliance uniform wearing a cap that read SR-2 limping towards them with some sort of female mech walking beside him.
"Don't I have you by…I don't know, at least half a foot?" Jason asks him, smirking.
"Joker, EDI, good of two to join us, especially after I was done with my stuff." Sam says interrupting whatever quip Joker was going to come up with. The pilot makes his way to the seat next to James and the group slides over to allow him and EDI space to sit finding the couch now almost full.
"Oh, what did I miss?" Joker laughs.
"Oh, nothing important, Shepard was a Reds assassin; she fought a krogan warlord just before saving Elysium…" Garrus begins
"So, the usual?" Joker interrupts sarcastically.
"And she had an obsession with Jason." Garrus ends, prompting Samantha to punch him in the shoulder, causing the turian to hiss and grab his shoulder.
"Glad to see that one finally came out!" Joker exclaims. Sam takes a cube of ice from her Ryncol and tosses it gently at the pilot as it tips the brim of his hat, "Hey! This is a new hat; I know it looks exactly like my old one but still!"
"What do you mean? It's news to me." Garrus states surprised, changing the subject back to Samantha.
"Never mind, just tell me there were vids." Joker says changing the subject
"Vids of what?" Jason asks.
"Come on, you two grew up in the grimy underbelly of Atlanta. There has to be a vid or two of you two…"
"Please Jeff, Garrus said obsession, you are more likely to find vids of Shepard alone rather than them together." EDI interrupts nonchalantly before adding, "That was a joke."
Sam turns a bright scarlet as she turns to hide her face in Garrus' chest. Garrus places a comforting hand on her back and rubs up and down soothingly as some of the crowd, including Aria, laugh and giggle from her embarrassment.
"Can you guys just start the story now?!" Samantha yells into Garrus' chest, resulting in it being just more than a mumble.
"Sure Sam," Jason says as he leans forward, "go ahead Garrus."
Garrus lifts the hand not stroking Sam's back up to his mouth and clears his throat, then reaches for one of the many bottles of brandy Tarriik had brought him and downs some of the amber fluid before speaking.
"I was talking to Executor Pallin about my investigation into Saren when I first met Shepard…"
CE 2183…0800 hours…January 28…Citadel Tower, The Citadel
Garrus gets off the elevator and heads up the stairs as he looks for Executor Pallin, the commander of C-Sec and his boss. He quickly sees Pallin standing next to the fountain and approaches him
"Executor, we need to talk." He says.
"What do you want now Vakarian?" he says irritated, "I told you, you were out of time, the council is ready for the report now."
"Saren's hiding something, give me more time. Stall them." Garrus says, almost demanding.
"Stall the Council?" the Executor asks with a sarcastic laugh, "Don't be ridiculous! Your investigation is over, Garrus."
The brown plated turian turns and heads towards the elevator. Garrus turns his head following him to see a deep tanned human woman in white and yellow Liberator armor standing there, her bright red hair shining in the lights of the tower room. He noticed a look in her nearly clear blue eyes, one of calm determination common among soldiers. She was accompanied by two more humans, one male, and the other female as well. He assumed this was the Alliance soldier Commander Shepard and decided to approach.
"Commander Shepard? Garrus Vakarian I was the officer in charge of the C-Sec investigation into Saren." He says with a nod.
"Sounds like you really want to bring him down." She states.
"I don't trust him. Something about him rubs me the wrong way." He starts, "But he's a Spectre; everything he touches is classified. I can't find any hard evidence."
The human male behind the Commander suddenly speaks up, "I think the Council's ready for us, Commander."
As she moves to leave Garrus states after her, "Good luck, Shepard. Maybe they'll listen to you."
She goes around the fountain behind him as he moves to go down the stairs to the elevator, just reaching it before its doors close. He then turns to the Executor, who is also in the elevator and decides to try to get the Executor to reopen the case into Saren.
"Sir, I have a lead, if you reopen the case I can nail him!"
"For the last time Garrus, drop it, the case is closed. If you don't like it you can always quit C-Sec." he says, never slacking his stance.
Garrus had had enough, "Fine then, I quit!"
The elevator door opens and Garrus storms out of it into the Presidium not bothering to look back at whatever expression was on Pallin's face. He headed straight to the elevator to the Wards. He had to go see a Doctor Chloe Michel.