Author's notes: Just a reminder, if you catch any errors while reading this or other chapters please leave a comment or message me. As I said before I lost my editor (brother) due to, for lack of a better term, "loss of interest".


"Commander. He's waking up." A woman mentioned with a french accent.

"Thank you Doctor Michel." Commander Shepard spoke in a serious tone.

Shepard paced beside a bed that Lieutenant Walker was sleeping in. The Commander stared at Walker's eyes, noticing brief flickers under his eye-lids. After a few moments his eyes opened and his pupils dilated then retracted from the light. Walker squinted his eyes then exhaled sharply making a groan.

"How are you feeling Lieutenant?" Shepard questioned.

". . . alright I guess. . . where am I?" Walker mumbled.

"Your in the med clinic on the Citadel. You've been under Doctor Chloe Michel's care for two days." Commander Shepard informed, Doctor Michel slightly waved at Walker in the background.

"Thank you Doctor."

"No, the pleasure is all mine Lieutenant. It's not everyday I get to vaccinate a fully grown human with the basic immunizations." Dr. Michel thanked.

"What did you inject me with?!"

"The mandatory immunizations all human infants receive at birth. Carcinogenic inhibitors, IDIV or Infectious Disease Immunity Vaccination, and the VIV, Virus Immunity Vaccination. It's very surprising that a man of your age and active military career has not yet had these, very intriguing." The doctor said in excitement of the medical anomaly. Walker raised his eye brow in confusion at the situation. He looked at Shepard and she nodded to him to remain quiet.

"Your free to leave the clinic Lieutenant. I'll walk you out." Shepard told Walker. Jason looked around puzzled by just waking up and no healing time. He then slid out of bed and walked toward Shepard. She handed him a pair of shoes to put on.

"How do you like your new outfit? I bought it for you yesterday. Figured walking around with a bullet hole in your shirt wouldn't appeal to you."

"It's. . . different." Walker replied looking down at his clothes. It was a blue civilian suit with white features. After Jason put on his shoes he looked up at Shepard.

"Now where to?"

"Now, you and I are going to have a drink. Follow me." Shepard motioned to the door. Walker followed her out to the right toward Flux. The skyline of the Citadel wrapped the outer rim of the city, its purple glow rendered a mellow mood throughout the Upper Wards. They passed a staircase where two C-Sec officers were stepping down. Walker heard them discussing the battle that took place in the Presidium, nothing seemed too relevant until one mentioned the woman with white hair. Jason tuned in intently trying to see if they knew anything about the attack, or even better, the woman he had fought. The other officer said she belonged to some sort of outfit, most likely slavers, and that she had been spotted several times here on the Citadel. Shepard caught what Walker was doing from the corner of her eye and stopped.

"Wanting to know more about that bounty hunter?" Shepard consulted.

"You heard that too?" Jason questioned, surprised by Shepard's hearing.

"When your job is to solve problems you tend to keep an ear out. Especially on the Citadel."

"I imagine so. Do you-"

"Let's not talk about anything regarding that bounty hunter until we're in the nightclub." Shepard interrupted "See that salarian on the balcony, alien with the elongated head, I think he's onto us. He's been here since you were rushed into the Med clinic."

"What do we do?"

"Just follow me, act normal."

The two traveled into the hallway to Flux side by side. The salarian glared at the door opening then pushed off the railing and walked toward the door.

The bass from the club resonated into the hall, the thumbs rattled in their chests. As Shepard and Walker entered Flux Shepard spotted an empty table next to the window. Jason followed behind weaving in between tables and chairs. Jason pulled out a seat for the Commander and preceded to sit across from her. A waiter came by and stood next to the table.

"Welcome to Flux, I'm Rita and will be your server for tonight. Now what can I get for you?" Rita looked at Shepard and smiled, remembering what she had done for her.

"I'll take the usual thank you." Commander Shepard stated.

"And for you sir?" Rita turned to Walker.

"I'll have what she's having." He said, trying to be as smooth an inconspicuous as possible. Rita nodded and walked away to the bar.

"Do you know anything about that bounty hunter?" Walker questioned.

"From what I've found out she's running with a slavers group. She's more of an assassin than a bounty hunter. Various cases popped up in the C-Sec database regarding a mysterious assassin in the Citadel, all unsolved." Shepard informed.

"And how do you know these cases were all linked to her?"

"I don't, but the only unknown assassin can only be her. All the rest have either been identified or killed."

"But why didn't she kill me?" Walker interrogated.

"Another fact that's unanswered. Only explanation would be that you really put up a fight she wasn't expecting, a formidable opponent. Some sort of assassin code or something." Shepard tried to answer, almost as confused as Jason.

Rita returned with two glasses in hand. She put one in front of the Commander and the other in front of the Lieutenant. Shepard took a sip of her glass, staring at Walker's eyes trying to look for something hidden. Jason took a drink from his glass but nearly choked on the liquid inside.

"What is this stuff?!" Walker blurted out, clearing his throat.

"Water. . . why?" Shepard question rather cautiously.

"Sure as hell doesn't taste like it!"

"Oh that's the carcinogenic inhibitor. Makes everything taste like eezo for a couple of hours."

Walker's eyes shifted from his glass to behind Shepard. Shepard moved her eyes to the right then quickly turned out of her seat holding her pistol out front. A salarian held his hands up and looked at Shepard.

"Why are you following us!" Shepard demanded.

"I'm not here to start a fight Commander."

"Then why are you here!" She questioned intensely.

"I'm here to deliver a message from the great lord."

"Who?"

"You can not elude your pursuers. You may have already escaped me twice before but you will never do so again. Consider this message a gift for keeping you waiting, my dear Shepard, because now you have become the lamb." The salarian spoke the message in a vile tone.

Shepard's eyes stared at the salarian, her deep emerald orbs glared past the messenger as if she was staring back into the authors own.

"Who wrote this. . ." Shepard said in a deeply menacing voice. "Who wrote this!" She yelled in extreme anger. The whole night club stood still, everyone turned at Shepard and the salarian in fright.

"Now you must give me something in return. . . What is your first name?" The salarian questioned unperturbed by the Commander's attitude toward him.

". . . You're a Lystheni, aren't you." Shepard realized. "nothing but galactic refuse, an exiled salarian. . ." She continued talking almost off in her own world.

"What is your first name?" The salarian continued to say.

"I'm not giving you anything. Go back to Omega or where ever the hell you crawled out of and tell your 'lord' he's messed with the wrong Spectre."

The salarian stood silent for a moment then laughed.

"Your foolish not to comply. He always gets what he desires." The salarian commented eerily with joy.

Then in a split second the salarian took a shotgun from his back and lifted it. Shepard held her pistol firmly at the salarian's head about to fire before a bang broke the silence. The messenger had shot himself in the head. Shepard watched as the body slumped to the floor, her face suggested she had no remorse for the salarian. Walker looked up at the balcony above him and saw a woman with white hair lift herself from the railing and head toward the exit. Jason got up from his seat and wondered over to the exit hoping to intercept the woman. She looked down at the floor while she was walking down the stairs to notice the Lieutenant tracking her. She hastened her efforts to reach the door. Walker saw she was hurrying so he picked up his pace. The woman stepped to the floor and bolted for the exit.

"Hey! Wait!" Walker yelled to no avail.

She continued dodging back and forth between the people leaving the club. Jason ran after her accidentally knocking two club-goers over. The bounty hunter silently slipped through the door out to the hall. Jason slammed into the crowd then dug his way past the clubs entrance. Walker witnessed the assassin jump the flight of stairs and dart to the turn. Jason jumped on the stairs median and slid down it on his backside before hitting the ground run. The woman looked back before she turned the corner and rushed down the second flight of stairs. Walker grinned, not liking where this chase was going. He grabbed the corner of the wall helping him turn the corner. As he got to the middle of the stairs he jumped for the floor, rolling to break his fall and continued out the door. The assassin turned right toward the markets, Walker followed closely.

"Stop!" Walker yelled once more to try and halt the woman. "God dammit!" He said under his breath. The pursuit blew past several vendor stands and along a railing before the assassin leapt from the banister to the stair case. Walker briefly shook his head knowing full well he'll have to attempt the same thing. The woman continued down the stairs normally, most likely catching her breath. Jason leaped from the guard rail and landed on his right foot. He then sprinted down the stairs after the bounty hunter. The woman looked back in shock to see her pursuer actually made the jump, then she started back to running. The lieutenant launched himself from the flight of stairs toward the woman. He managed to grab her leg and take her down with him. The two tumbled to the floor, Walker landing on his right thigh and the assassin on her hands. They slid into merchant crates, covered by the falling boxes. As the merchandise stopped falling it managed to knock Walker's arm free for the assassin's leg. She lifted herself from the floor and with a quick burst of speed she resumed the chase. Jason knelt up from the floor holding his arm then started limping after the woman. He leaned to the right in pain trying to "gallop" after her. The two passed Morlan's shop and in through two doors leading to Chora's Den. The woman suddenly pounced from her stride to the railing then with one foot on the waist high wall she dove down into the Citadel rapid transit highway.

"Shit!" Walker roared as he saw her disappear. Jason hit the wall too fatigued to stop himself then peered over the edge. No sign of the assassin or any kind of transportation. Jason sighed in disbelief then turned and slid down the wall sitting on the ground.

"Son of a bitch!" He yelled slamming his fist on the metallic ground. What happen? Where could she have gone? Why would she do something like that? What is she hiding? All these questions flowed through the raging river that was Walker's mind. He stood up from the floor and hobbled away. A crowd gathered around the doorway watching Walker as he made his way through the lower markets. Hastened footfall echoed from the stairs, it was Shepard. she approached Jason halfway in the room.

"What happened? Did you subdue her?" She questioned.

"No, no she jumped off the railing -groan- into some, some highway." Walker uttered still out of breath.

Shepard picked up Jason's arm and draped it over her shoulder, helping him walk. As they headed out of the lower market Walker looked back at the door he came from, trying to see any sign of the bounty hunter.

On the Normandy, after the Commander brought Walker back on board, she went over several searches and leads with Joker about anyone proclaiming themselves a "great lord". As if Citadel space needed anymore psychotic leaders.

"I don't think we'll be coming up short on any self-proclaimed 'great prophets' commander. A lot of those floating around." Joker stated.

"Just run a search for anything under that category, I have a feeling this one is bigger than the rest. C-Sec or the Extranet has to have something on it." Shepard ordered.

"I'll do what I can commander."

The Commander walked away from Joker's seat and down the walkway. As she looked forward she saw Kaidan walking toward her with a bag in hand. Shepard gave him a shocked look. Kaidan watched her expression and sighed to himself. As he walked out to the decontamination room Shepard followed, the door slid shut behind them.

"What are you doing?!" Shepard questioned frantically.

"I'm. . .I'm going to take some time off commander." He replied hesitantly.

Shepard flicked her eyes back and forth to each of Kaidan's, trying to assess his feelings "Wh-why?" she spoke impulsively "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to take some shore leave, be alone for awhile, figure things out. You should do the same commander. For the crews sake, for our sake."

"I can't do that Kaidan, I'm a Spectre. People count on me. I can't just abandon them."

"But that's not all you are Shepard. Your so much more than just a Spectre. . . at least, to me."

"People will die if I take a break. I can't afford that."

"People die weather we can help it or not, you can't save everybody. You need to know that commander."

Shepard stood silent, not wanting to accept those words, not wanting to accept the truth.

"I know. . . I know why you do what you do. Why you try and save everyone. It's because of your family isn't it? You couldn't save them, there was nothing you could do, but you blame yourself for doing nothing. So you try and save everybody from the same feeling, the same grief you felt. And it's destroying you, every single loss that does happen, un-preventable or not, eats away at you. . ."

Shepard's eyes widened, she fell back on the wall bracing herself with her right arm. Kaidan looked away toward the ground, then walked out of the ship. Shepard, for the first time since her families death, felt vulnerable. She put her left hand over her eyes and slid to the ground, her feet bowing out as she lowered. All the blood, screams, fire and sorrow rushed back to her thoughts, a dread of immense power covered her. Silently she wept in that cold room, tears streaked down the thick ceramic plating covering her arm. Nothing but the sound of tears falling upon her hardsuit filled the air. The sounds and smells from the raid on Mindoir razed her scared memories. The smell of her mother and father's flesh as she watched them being burned alive. The sound of their shrills of agony as their skin melted off them. The iron taste of blood flooded her mouth as she watched her friends get butchered by the slavers. The chilling feeling as the raiders drilled implants into the skulls of the people around her. All of it came back to her, just as raw, just as real as before. At the helm of the ship Joker watched the whole incident through a camera in the decontamination room. He turned it off and closed his eyes, in physical pain for having watched his commanding officer break down.

In the garage, Walker sat in a corner next to all of his gear. He was looking at a picture of his wife on their honeymoon to the Caribbean. To himself he smiled remembering the good time they had and how beautiful her long blonde hair looked in the sun. He then remembered all the plans, all the journeys they where going to take as a couple. The two, together, buying a new house, having kids, raising a family, starting their new lives with one another. It all coursed through his mind. Then he realized he was stuck in a different time, a different age. Being dragged out of a gritty war, even then being away from his lover for seven months and still having three and a half more to go. Tacked on to that was this frightening time shift, how long will it take? Will he ever make it back? Lieutenant Walker wondered if he'll ever return.