Chapter 12.
Samantha and Kris slowly made their way through the park following a paved path along the Thames. They were going to meet with Tali and John to take the kids so their friends could have a romantic night alone before they all left Earth. It was something that the group had been doing for each other all week. They traded sleepover duties allowing the kids to stay with one set of parents while the others got the night off. Last night was Kris and Sam's night off, tonight was John and Tali's.
Samantha had taken Kris to some beautiful places that she had discovered when attending Oxford. Into the Scottish Highlands they had travelled and sitting on the edge of a seaside cliff, they watch as the sun set to the West throwing bright sparkles across the ocean waters. They spent the night just the two of them in a tent on that cliff, snuggled up and finding fun ways to keep warm as the chill of night tried to invade their space.
Early this morning they had returned and now they walked along the Thames, Kris with her arm around Samantha's waist holding her close and Sam resting her head on her wife's shoulder. They spoke little, just enjoying each other's company. It was probably due to that silence they were able to hear the first shot fired.
"What was that?" Kris' eyes snapping around her rapidly as the familiar sound of a gunshot reached her ears. Every part of her brain was screaming that what she had just heard was a gun shot, some sort of sniper rifle likely, but she was having trouble processing that here in this beautiful setting.
"I didn't hear it" Sam replied but she had felt Kris tense suddenly and disentangling herself from her wife's arm, she brought up her omni tool and quickly began scanning for news.
"There! Another one! That's gun fire. Sam, something is wrong." Sam had heard that second shot as well and fear began to creep into her thoughts. Both women stood frozen, straining to hear anything else when the air exploded into sound.
The sounds of dozens of weapons being fired at once tore through the peaceful silence of the park. From the trees, startled birds took wing in a black cloud squawking their displeasure. Screams soon followed and people ran in all directions trying to escape. Both women had acted instantly. Sam had emergency signals sent out to any and all Alliance and local police forces within range. Certain that channels would become flooded with similar messages, she used her rank as an Alliance Captain to access official channels to ensure her message and location reached those it was intended for.
Kris had a different response. She had taken off at a dead sprint towards the sound of the fight. It wasn't bravery or heroism that drove her, it was that that was where she was to meet her friends and she had a gut-wrenching feeling that they were at the center of whatever this was. Sam tried to run after her, but even though she was in great shape herself, there was no catching her biotically enhanced wife.
Kris had never ran faster in her life. Constant training both on her own and with the cadets at the academy kept her in peak physical condition. Add to that the enhancements of her overcharged biotic abilities and to say that Kris was in superior shape would not begin to touch it. That conditioning took over as she sprinted over the hundreds of yards separating her from her friends.
Emerging through the trees, Kris saw the rocket impact the concession stand. The building exploded from front to back and a fire ball erupted scattering debris across the patio and green grass. A primal roar of fear, pain and pure anger that would have cowed the most fearsome of wild creatures came out of the woman's mouth and the biotic display that followed would go down in history as the most awe inspiring and terrifying feat anyone had ever witnessed.
Biotic powers were far from new as species throughout the galaxy had been using biotic abilities for thousands of years. The Asari in particularly had developed natural biotic abilities that put them ahead of the other races while artificially implanted amplifiers have given rise to biotic abilities in other species. Humanity for instance has done extensive work with biotic amps to put their people on par with the natural biotic species of the galaxy.
Of course, as with all arms races, the push to get the upper hand always drives some people to go beyond what is legal or even ethical. Cerberus was no exception and the experiments they performed on children were nothing short of horrific. Kris was a survivor of those experiments.
Exposed to high amounts of Element Zero, or Eezo as it is commonly called, while still in the womb and after birth, Kris' body contained an extremely high levels of the biotic creating mineral. When Cerberus discovered this, they took Kris from her parents for experiments to create the perfect human biotic. For most of her childhood Kris, Subject Zero to Cerberus, was experimented on, tested, and constantly exposed to more and more Element Zero. They were exceeding the limits of anything that had been done with biotic manipulation at the cost of hundreds of innocent lives. In their attempt to create biotic supremacy, they instead created an unstable force of nature waiting to explode.
One day that explosion happened. Kris broke free of the facility and escaped. During the next few years on the run, she used her biotics in any way she could. Cerberus had done an excellent job in giving her the power, but they had failed at teaching her to control it or herself. She was smart but lacked a moral compass. While exceedingly dangerous, she still wound up being captured and imprisoned again until the day Shepard showed up to free her in exchange for her help defeating the collectors.
It was during this time that Kris regained her humanity and learned not only to harness and control her biotic abilities better, but also her own thoughts and impulses. Samara, an Asari Justicar who had joined the crew had spent many hours secretly guiding the wild woman. Over the following years as the war with the Reapers raged, Kris was pushed to the edge more and more and found herself discovering deeper depths to what she could do.
When the Shepard Academy started up and she took position as the lead biotic instructor, Kris knew that she needed more guidance. While she wouldn't admit it, she had been scared by her own power on several occasions during the war and was afraid of what might happen if she lost control. With Samara's help, Kris contacted a few Asari Matriarchs and veteran Commandos to join her in teaching. On the side they would also help Kris in her own labors.
Being raised in an environment that didn't believe in limits, Kris refused to accept that there were limits to what biotics could do. What she soon discovered was that the limits of biotics were often self-imposed by tradition. What people did with them was all the same be it floating, singularities, shockwaves etc., the differences came in the form of how much juice one person could pump into each display, how long they could hold it and how much energy could be expended before exhaustion set in.
Kris began to think about ways to refine the control over those abilities so that instead of massive bursts of power that drained a person, it could instead be focused into smaller but just as powerful, controlled points of energy. Day after day over the following years she practiced her theory. Failures slowly turned to successes and with the added benefit of actively instructing new students that caused her to constantly train and exercise her abilities, she had discovered deeper and deeper sources of biotic energy.
The morning of the attack, Kris still had no idea as to just how powerful she had become. She knew that she had taken biotics to levels never dreamed of and was in the process of publishing her findings, but she had not yet been truly tested and never unleashed her power like she was about too.
When Kris saw the building explode from the rocket impact, reason and restraint abandoned her thoughts in an instant. All she knew was that someone was trying to kill the people she loved and may have just succeeded. She called upon her power and released it upon the world.
A wave of energy leapt from her outstretched hand and flew across the park towards the exploding building. The wave moved so fast that the grass beneath it was pulled out by its roots and dirt fanned out in the waves wake. As the force of energy met the fire ball, Kris flattened her hand palm down and the wave crashed upon the fire as an ocean wave upon rocks instantly smothering the inferno. Clenching her first, the energy reformed into a dome that covered the remains of the concession stand. Then she turned to face the attackers.
Mere seconds had passed, and the group of attackers were still focused on the building. What they had just seen had stopped them all in their tracks. The speed was unbelievable and the power unheard of. None of them had seen an explosion stopped as it was happening by a biotic field. That stunned hesitation cost them their lives.
Kris never stopped moving. Her left arm lifted, fingers extended, and bolts of blue energy shot from their tips to pierce through the first five leading attackers including the man who had fired the rocket. They dropped lifeless before they knew they were under attack. That finally snapped the other attackers into motion and the battle commenced.
As the attackers began to raise their weapons open fire on the lone woman, Kris' movements became a beautiful dance of motion. Legs extending, contracting and extending again, twisting her torso left then right, a duck into a roll then springing back to her feet all the while her eyes would lock onto targets, her arms would extend, fingers pointing, and another attacker would fall dead. Her entire body glowed blue with biotic energy and the occasional flash of sparks would indicate another bullet finding its mark and bouncing off uselessly.
Rockets launched from the shoulder mounted tubes of three kneeling soldiers. Kris slammed two of them together with a wave of one hand while stooping the third dead in midair inches from her face. The rocket hovered for a moment before Kris ripped it apart and sent the pieces hurtling through the air back at the source in an expanding cloud of lethal shrapnel. The rocket soldiers died, and Kris wheeled to face her next targets.
In a decidedly unconventional attack, two sword wielding attackers had managed to close in on the biotic woman. As Kris turned and they came into view, one leapt into the air, sword raised in a deadly blow aimed at her head. Kris flung a burst of energy at the air born attacker, knocking her off course as Kris tucked into a roll and threw herself away and towards the second.
Coming out of the roll, she sprang to her feet. Her left arm shielded in biotic energy caught the descending sword blade, sparks exploded as the steel met the biotic barrier. Kris never flinched. Twisting her arm, she grabbed the blade and in a surge of energy, she ripped the blade apart into thousands of tiny pieces as her right arm formed a biotic sword, like an omni blade and shoved it through the attacker's chest. The first attacker had regained their feet, but before they could strike, Kris reversed her motion and cut the attackers head off with her biotic blade.
A line of fresh attackers emerged from the tree line, weapons blazing. Kris spun, dropping low to the ground, right arm out, hand flat to the ground as a line of blue energy uncoiled like a whip, extending from her hand and bisected all six men. Both halves of their bodies were still falling to the ground as Kris completed her spin, releasing the biotic whip and rising to face the next attacker.
The attacking soldiers had had a rough start but were not amateurs. They had circled around and now had formed a solid ring around the biotic woman. Knowing that they were attempting to assassinate one of the most highly skilled marines to ever wear the uniform, they had come armed for war. As one, rockets and grenades began to rain down with hellfire intensity and within seconds, hundreds of high explosives and thousands of rifle rounds destroyed the very ground upon which Kris stood.
As the smoke cleared, a blue glow could be seen within. Kris had dropped into a crouch and surrounded herself with layer upon layer of biotic energy creating an impenetrable shield that was now hovering above the cratered park. They watched as the blue ball of energy rose and elongated as the woman within straightened. As Kris cleared the heights of the trees, the blue light around her continued to intensify until it became blinding to anyone who looked upon it. The soldiers shielded their eyes.
Kris had decided it was time to send a message to whoever sent these men and end this fight. As the soldiers fired, she shielded herself and waited. From within the shield, she had watched as the very Earth itself was ripped apart by the firepower being unleashed. Her shield was a constant blaze of sparkling energy as thousands of rounds bounced off it harmlessly. She never stopped to think the shield might fail. She knew it wouldn't. She knew these men were about to die. She also knew that if the Shepards had been killed, there was no place in this galaxy that the person who ordered this attack could escape her. The firing stopped and she smiled. "My turn assholes."
She directed the biotic field to lift her into the air. Higher and higher she rose while directing the light to intensify and illuminate everyone in the area. There would be no survivors. She wanted to make sure she hit them all. Rotating as she rose, her senses locked onto every living soul within the park. Dozens of these soldiers were in a ring around her. A few more were hidden in trees at sniper posts. She recognized others in custody already as the local police and Alliance troops were arriving along the perimeter. She saw civilians hiding and lastly, she found Samantha, hiding behind some trees but filming the fight.
Kris let loose. The outer layer of shielding formed into biotically charged bolts of energy and for a moment Kris looked as though she were enclosed in a spiked ball before they were released to find their marks. The bolts flew, precision strikes hitting the attackers between the eyes leaving clean holes through their heads, the wounds instantly cauterized by the heat. Minutes after the fight began, nearly two hundred men lay dead in a circle with Kris at the center. Slowly she lowered herself to the ground and looked around her. Silence descended upon the park. Nothing moved.
Samantha came out from hiding, omni tool still broadcasting and began walking towards her wife. Step by step the British woman approached the still glowing biotic. Kris was staring at her as she approached. Anger flashing in her eyes, sparks of energy dancing from her fingertips and muscles tensed. Sam continued to approach and when she stood within arm's reach, spoke, "Kris. Kris, sweetheart. It's okay. It's over. You did it, you won."
Kris blinked once and then her entire body began to tremble. The blue biotic field vanished, and she felt dizzy. "Sam, help." Was all she managed before collapsing and vomiting on the bare dirt. Sam had caught her mid fall and knelt in the dirt with her, holding tight as tears began to fall.
Sound returned as the approach of police sirens and running feet entered the clearing. A shuttle landed next to the destroyed concession stand and Garrus, Ashley, James and Miranda disembarked armed and armored for battle. Wrex and Grunt were at the head of a platoon of Alliance soldiers, each bearing a shotgun and looking ready to tear off someone's head.
Miranda approached the still shielded building and before she got within ten paces of a tendril of energy shot out and slammed against Miranda's own biotic field rocking her back a few steps. "Shit! Everyone stays back until this field is deactivated." Miranda warned the gathering crowd. "Kris, turn off your shield!"
Kris remained silent even when Miranda repeated her demand. She was losing focus as her vision was swimming and she began to lose consciousness. "Kris, honey, can you hear me?" Sam spoke to her softly while holding her face, trying to bring the woman's attention to her. "Sweetheart, I need you to lower your shield so Miranda and the others can get to our friends. Please honey, it's okay, you stopped them. Now we need you to let us take it from here."
Some part of Sam's talking reached through Kris' blurred mind and she relaxed more into Sam's arms. The shield went out and the waiting group was presented with another surprise. Under Kris' barrier a smaller dome waited. This one was of a translucent purple and within it five people were huddled together.
"What the hell is that?" Miranda asked as the group stood in otherwise stunned silence.
When Tali had realized they were about to get shot by a rocket, she had released a scream full of frustration and anger, originating from deep within herself and building upon a wave of emotion that threatened to rip her apart.
What came next Tali would never fully understand. To her, it was as if time suddenly came to a screeching halt. She heard the impact of the rocket and the room blossomed with heat and fiery light. She felt a surge of energy start to radiate outward from deep within her being. It was the same energy that she and John shared. The same energy that she had pulled upon to heal herself, John and her daughter was now rushing out from her body. She had pleaded for help and now she had it.
As the brightness of the fire increased and the heat began to singe her hair and clothing, a translucent purple shield formed around the family. Like a biotic shield, the field crackled with energy as the flames began to lick at the surface. Tali could feel the heat intensifying even with the shield in place so she pulled on more of the energy and channeled it into the field protecting them. At once the heat vanished and she watched as the flames raced across the purple tinted dome blasting away the concession stand and leaving them surrounded by a raging inferno.
All of this had happened nearly simultaneously and Tali had barely taken a breath when the fire was extinguished, and she could see a biotic field slam into her shield trapping them beneath it. Not knowing that this new attack was anything other than the enemy trying a new approach to kill them, she strained and poured every ounce of power she could find into the barrier, praying that someone had heard her cry for help. Tali pulled her children in tightly to her body, shielding them from the horrors outside their bubble and closed her eyes to wait.
Miranda looked at the others hoping they would have an answer and was met only with silence. Inside the dome they could see the Shepard family, John and Hanna unconscious on the floor of what remained of the concession stand. The other girl and her brother were pressing cloths to the wounds on Hanna's shoulder and hip. Tali was crouched over them, arms extended and wrapping around the group and a strained expression was on her face as though she was exerting a tremendous effort to hold something in place.
Taking a few hesitant paces forward, Miranda began calling out to her friend. "Tali, can you hear me? Its Miranda. If you can hear me, I'm here with Ashley, Garrus and James. Others are here as well. The fight is over. You are safe now." There was no response from the Quarian. Miranda looked back at the others for advice. They were just as unsure, and a few shoulder shrugs and uncertain expressions told Miranda that her guess was as good as theirs.
"Tali, I need you to hear me and look at me." Miranda walked around the dome until she was in front of Tali. Still a few paces away, she squatted down so that she would be in Tali's eyesight. "Tali, open your eyes and look at me. Tali, do it!" Miranda yelled at the woman hoping the command might break through whatever barrier was blocking Tali from hearing.
It worked. The loud and firm sound of Miranda's commanding voice brought Tali out of the intense focus she was in. Cautiously she opened her eyes and lifted her head, not releasing any of the hold she had on her shield, she focused her sights upon the blurry shape in front of her. Slowly the blur cleared, and the familiar site of Miranda Lawson came into focus.
The dark-haired woman who was once one of Tali's most untrusted associates due to her having been a part of Cerberus, now filled her vision. Over the years since the collector war, they had come to be close. As Miranda struggled to make up for the things she had done in the past and earn the trust of those around her, Tali had watched with admiration and respect. Miranda had become someone that Tali could, and often did, turn to for an honest opinion. She trusted Miranda to be straight with her, and Miranda was. There were no secrets between them and when they needed brutal honesty, they turned to each other.
Today, seeing her crouching on the debris covered ground, Miranda was perhaps not the first person Tali wanted to see, but was the person she needed to see. "Miranda?" Tali slowly spoke the woman's name, unsure if it was really her. 'Miranda, John and Hanna are hurt. It's not safe here."
The confusion and uncertainty in Tali's voice cut Miranda to her heart. Tali may have insecurities about herself from time to time, but she was always strong and firm when it came to her family. "I know Tali, it's okay now. The fighting is over. We have the area secured. Let us help you." Miranda waited as Tali processed the information. When the Quarian looked back up at her she went on.
"Tali, are you making this shield?" Tali nodded. "Yes, but I'm not exactly sure how I did it."
"That's okay. We will figure it out later. Right now, I need you to lower it so we can help John and the kids and you also. Can you lower it for me?" Tali again nodded and closed her eyes. Nothing happened for a few seconds then Miranda watched as Tali exhaled, shuddered and the dome collapsed. As the shield fell, so did Tali. She rolled to the side so not to crush the children with her body.
Everyone moved in fast. Garrus and Ashley ran to the downed family and quickly administered heavy doses of medi-gel to the three wounded people. They were shocked to find that the bleeding had been stopped and the wounds closed, but they didn't waste time looking too closely. Performing quick scans to check for broken bones or other injuries that could be made worse by moving them and finding them clear, Garrus signaled for stretchers to be brought.
A medical team had landed just after the shuttle bearing Garrus and his team and it was they who now raced forward and with practiced ease, loaded up the three injured Shepards. Miranda and Ashley held the hands of the other two children as they watched the med team carry their family back towards the waiting shuttle.
"Chakwas, this is Miranda. The med-evac team is departing now. ETA three minutes. John, Tali and Hanna are severely injured and in route. Krios and Vala are with me and Ashley. They are banged up a bit, but nothing major. We will be a few minutes behind." Pausing to look over the clearing towards where Sam was now supporting Kris as they made their way to the group she continued. "Kris will be coming with us. I don't know what she just did, but I have a feeling she will need to be examined for internal biotic damage."
"Roger that Miranda." Replied the doctors voice. "I have a team moving to meet them at the shuttle pad now. I will have another waiting for your arrival." A silence lingered a moment before Chakwas added, "Miranda, what the hell happened out there?"
"I'm not sure. I don't think it's over though."
Samantha lay with Kris on her bed in the hospital room watching video playback of the fight. It had been a day since the fight and Kris had spent most of that time sleeping. After releasing the shield protecting the Shepards, Kris had fallen to her knees vomiting and nearly fainting. Her body was being slammed with fatigue from the extreme exertions it had just been through. Once the vomiting had stopped, Sam had half carried Kris to the shuttle and again into the hospital till the waiting staff made her lie down on a gurney for transport.
Kris' body was unscathed after the fighting. Her shields had kept her from any harm. The only damage was in the form of exhaustion, dehydration and muscle fatigue as well as a few pulled and torn muscles. Her enhanced biotics had allowed her to move at astonishing speeds and contortions that the human body was not built for. The resulting strain on her muscles exceeded their capacity in some places and tore. While all would heal in time, she would require bed rest and physical therapy.
Earlier this day, after waking and eating some food, the questions had started. Police and Alliance investigators questioned her over anything and everything she could remember. She told them what she had seen, but the fight was a blur. Fortunately, between Samantha's video broadcast and the security cameras throughout the park and city in general, they were putting together a rather comprehensive story line.
The scientists and doctors were worse. While the videos could show them what had happened, they did little to tell them how. Those were the same videos Sam and Kris were now watching. Kris herself was unsure as to just how she was able to do what she had. Yes, she had been training herself and pushing herself to expand the limits of biotic capabilities within people, but she had never done anything to rival that kind of power.
The biotic bolts were something she had created and had even demonstrated them to Sam on multiple occasions. They were difficult to do as channeling that much into such a tight construct with no focusing element was a mental strain that left her tired and shaking after a half dozen or so bolts. She watched as she released hundred within minutes and many of them simultaneously.
Her initial blast to extinguish the fire on the concession stand had been a result of rage and grief being released through her biotic energy. While not unheard of for a powerful biotic to be able to unleash a wave of energy on that scale, it was rare and usually left the biotic in a drained state for some time afterward. Typically, attacks of that nature were used only for shock and awe approaches when you had additional biotics available to step in or as a last resort. It was akin to releasing a napalm bomb. Powerful, deadly and virtually unstoppable, but also difficult to control other than aim and fire.
Kris had controlled it. The energy had not only extinguished the fire, but Kris had directed it to then stop its forward motion and reconfigure itself into a hardened shield both instantly and within mere seconds of her releasing the blast from her hand. Asari instructors spent hours drilling into their children that once you release biotic energy, it is dangerous to try to reassert control. The energy is likely to rip you apart if you try. It is a force of nature and in the end, nature has always won.
If controlling that massive amount of energy wasn't bewildering enough to the scientist now studying the vids, Kris also held that energy in check all the while expending vast amounts of additional biotic energy in extremely powerful and difficult ways.
The entire fight from Kris' arrival to when the last attacker fell, clocked in at just two minutes and fifty seconds. It had been viewed millions of times in the day since, often frame by frame as that was the only way to fully see what was taking place as the movements were too fast to comprehend otherwise.
Many of the frames made Kris appear to be something like a human Tesla coil, arcs of electricity reaching out to strike nearby contacts. A favorite image of the press corps was of Kris in the air, her body twisting, arms stretched outward from her sides, hair blowing back from some unseen force, face set in a steely determination and eyes, sparkling with biotic light. Around her, the blue biotic shield gave her entire body an ethereal appearance and from her fingers arced bolts of power. She was an avenging god, and had it not scared the shit out of her, Kris would have had it framed.
A soft knock at the door brought both women's attention from the video back into the room. Kris acknowledged the visitor and the door opened to reveal Samara. The Asari Justicar was in civilian clothing instead of her customary armor, but still moved like one who had spent her whole life training to fight. The elder Asari approached and sat in a chair next to the bed. Sam and Kris watched their friend, but no words were spoken until Samara had settled. Samara may have retreated from public life to guide the Ardat-Yakshi in their monastery, but a Justicar never retires and suddenly Kris was filled with dread.
"Samantha, Kris, I hope you are recovering from your ordeal. I can't say to know exactly what you have just went through, but I feel like I have an accurate guess." The Asari's words were gentle and kind. Those of a parent who knows they have a difficult subject to talk about with a child.
"Samara, it is good to see you again." Samantha began. "It has been too long. I'm okay. I wasn't really involved, just there. Kris is… well…"
"I'm here." Was Kris' reply. Deciding this was a time for honesty she continued. "I don't know if I'm okay or not. I escaped unharmed, at least from the attackers. I have injured muscles and I'm still tired, otherwise physically I'm fine. Mentally, I'm not so sure."
Samara nodded silently. "That is largely why I am here. What you did was unprecedented. It was amazing and terrifying, dangerous and beautiful all at once. The Asari people had always known there was greater depth to what biotics could do, the Ardat-Yakshi had shown us that. It was perhaps because of this that we shunned deeper exploration or experimenting with the power. We had no problem with building upon what was known, but study into the unknown was if not outright forbidden, highly discouraged.
For all our advancements, prowess, and superiority complexes, we are also very conservative and slower than most would believe to change. Our long lives are largely responsible for that. As we have centuries to decide to change, we are never in a rush to change. This led us to a stagnating culture that took the Reaper war to break us free from. Many still hold on tight to what is known and comfortable. Our biotics is one of those comforts and now you have upset that comfort.
The Ardat-Yakshi did this many millennium ago. They were a branch of our people that used the biotics we were comfortable with in ways that at first, we didn't understand and then in ways we found abhorrent. Now Ardat-Yakshi are given a choice, live in permanent isolation in a monastery or die.
Obviously, you are not an Asari and our laws in this matter, be they right or wrong, do not apply to you. However, from what I know of humanity, you are not that different from the Asari when it comes to new and unknown things that appear scary. Your history is full of examples from the witch burnings of centuries gone by to the more recent First Contact War, as a people you are slow to accept the unknown." Samara stopped talking as she had been watching their reactions while she spoke and both women now wore the same expressions of fear and worry that was transitioning slowly towards anger.
Samara held up a hand in a gesture of calm before continuing. "I do not know if what I say is going to happen, a word of caution or false worry on the part of an old friend. Please do not jump to rash conclusions based on my words today. The people in charge today, many of them our friends and family, or at least trusted acquaintances, do not think and act the same way as those who have come before. That is why they are now in charge and the others are not. I believe that we are in a more tolerable and accepting galaxy than ever before and I have lived a long enough life that that statement carries weight.
I do believe that you will be looked at differently though as there are always some who fear what they do not understand. Others will be in awe, or envious. I am not sure which is worse." Samara sighed and lowered her eyes for a minute.
"Kris, I have known you since you were a wild and reckless young woman. Over the years you have calmed your inner rage, found purpose, love and have grown as a person to exciting new levels that seem unbelievable when looking back on who you were. We have spent hundreds of hours talking and working on your control and I am proud of all that you have accomplished. I think of you as one of my own daughters as you resemble them in many ways." Samara looked up and stared directly into Kris' eyes.
"Kris, I want to extend an offer to you, and you don't have to respond today. This is an open-ended offer from both myself and my daughter Falere. If you ever need or even want a safe place to get away to, you are always welcome at the monastery on Lesuss. If that need ever arises, please come to us and do not make us come to you."
It was a vague threat but one that hit home. Kris stared back at Samara and saw in the older woman's eyes, the love and caring of a mother concerned for her own. Mixed in she also saw the steel determination of a Justicar and her code. Kris knew that Samara wanted nothing but the best for her. She loved her and Sam, and if she was ever forced to hunt Kris down, she would do so with a broken heart and a tear in her eye, but she would do what she had to do to stop her. She had done so with her actual daughter. She would do so again.
Kris shuddered and Samantha cried softly on her shoulder. The seconds felt like hours as the two women stared at each other in silent communication. Breaking the silent deadlock, Kris replied. "Thank you, Samara. I hope it never comes to that. I may need to take you up your offer for guidance though. If I'm honest about what happened, I'm fucking scared. Not with what I did, but that I don't remember doing it. I'm scared that that wasn't me, and that now that I broke the damn, so to speak, it will happen uncontrollably again."
"We won't let that happen." Samara replied and seeing the distraught look on Sam's face she continued. "I could use a vacation after this tour. Falere and the others will be fine if I stay away a while longer. Plus, I didn't get to see much of Rannoch nor your academy while I was there. Let me make a call and find a place to stay and we will talk about it more. For now, let me leave you two to rest. I want to go find the good doctor and see how that precious girl is doing."
Samara rose and left Sam and Kris alone to talk. The women were shaken by Samara's visit, but it was nothing that Kris hadn't already though might happen. The fact that it was Samara though delivering the message took it to a whole other level.
"Sam, have the kids seen this video?"
"It has been playing everywhere since yesterday and if we told them not to watch it, they would have done so instantly. Of course, they have seen it."
"Do they think I am a monster?"
"Hell no. They think you are a damn superhero. They have been bragging to the other kids that their mom can shoot people just by pointing at them." Kris groaned and closed her eyes letting her head sink back into the pillows. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes as another wave of emotion coursed through her body.
"Hey hon, it's okay." Sam pulled her close, wrapping her arms around her wife and letting Kris' head come to rest on her shoulder. "There has been some good come of this."
"What are you talking about." Was Kris' reply through the tears.
"I told the kids to be sure to be packed and ready to go before we get back and to make sure the room was clean and to obey Liara and Diana or that you would deal with them when you got out. Well, Diana messaged me right before Samara came in and not only is the room cleaned up and the bags packed, but they have been going to all our friend's rooms asking if they can help. Kris, the little shits are being good!"
Kris looked up at Samantha to see her smiling down at her. Suddenly both women burst into laughter and remained that way for several minutes.
Samara slowly walked down the corridor after leaving Kris' room. She felt terrible for having to deliver that message to her friend, though she did feel it was necessary. Within hours of the vids of the fight going out on the news stations, the Asari government had contacted Liara demanding to know more information on what had happened. Liara was of course unable to provide them with that information as they were just sorting it out and it went past Liara's own understanding of biotics.
Knowing she needed an expert, Liara reached out to Samara as that expert. Samara had been enjoying the reunion that the anniversary tour had provided. After the war had ended and life began to settle down for everyone, she had returned to Lesuss and swore herself through the Justicar code to helping the Ardat-Yakshi rebuild and find a peaceful haven to live. Together with her daughter Falere, the two had searched across the galaxy for both the Ardat-Yakshi and other Asari willing to help.
They were slow to succeed at first, but over time they built the trust that would be needed and gradually the Ardat-Yakshi came out of hiding and joined them. The monastery grew from a handful of Asari to more than two hundred people and not all were Asari.
Kris was one of the first non-Asari to approach Samara for help. During the Collector war, they had formed a trust, or at least as much of one as Kris, Jack at the time, was willing to give. Samara recognized the dangerous line the young woman was walking and through unlimited patience, she allowed for Kris to come to her and work at her pace. That patience led to Kris contacting her after they had reestablished the monastery and asking for help.
Samara had been impressed with the calmness and determination that the young woman had shown. No matter the task Samara gave her, Kris did it and did it well. When she finally questioned what it was that provided her the motivations needed, where it was her strength came from, Kris had replied her family. Samantha and the kids provided the foundation for everything she now did. Her life was dedicated to them and she would do anything for them.
Samara had tested this a few years later when Kris had started to dig deeper into biotic capabilities. She had begun to worry that Kris was becoming addicted to biotic power and wanted to make sure that the woman's motivations were still true. That evening she contacted her and told her that she needed to stop using biotics. Kris had questioned the reason for it and Samara told her simply that she wanted to see if Kris was still in control. Until Samara told her otherwise, Kris was not to use any of her biotic abilities. Even at the academy she was to rely on others to take over the practical teaching while she supervised only. When asked how long, Samara replied, till I say so.
The next six months proved a challenge for Kris. She had forgotten how much she relied upon her biotic abilities without even realizing it. The first couple of weeks found Kris with a short temper, headaches and exhaustion. While she never lost control of her anger, she was pressed almost to the breaking point and by the start of the second month, she was spending more and more time in isolated meditation.
At three months, she hit a turning point and finally calmed. She discovered a place of peace within herself that didn't rely on biotics. After over twenty-five years or torture, experimentations, violence, and crime, through revenge, redemption, finding friends, love, and a family, Kris had finally reconciled with herself and discovered true peace.
Samara was beyond proud of what she saw. Here was proof that what she and Falere were doing was right. Here was a person, condemned by life to be a bad person and someone to fear, completely turn their life around. For three more months she watched as Kris lived and worked without her biotics. Freely giving up what had defined her for others.
After releasing her from the test, Samara had kept an eye on her friend. Kris' studies into biotics resumed and she continued to dig deeper and deeper into the mystery of natural biotic capabilities. When she was asked to help co-author a book on the findings Kris had discovered, she accepted and as Kris revealed more and more to her, Samara found herself enthralled by the knowledge the woman had obtained.
This had of course raised concerns, but Samara didn't notice anything to indicate Kris was succumbing to biotic addition. In fact, the more they worked together, the more she became convinced that Kris was instead relying upon biotics less and her family more. She watched as Kris would wield her power with the same concentration and precision a martial artist would a melee weapon; deadly and with direct purpose. Then she would set it aside and live as though she had no biotic abilities.
Yesterday, Samara admitted had rattled her when she watched the vid and saw Kris unleash the power within. She had taken the vid into a quiet room and alone she watched the scene play out again and again. Unlike most people, she didn't care about what Kris was doing or how it was being done. To her, those answers were simple. She was using biotics to kill because she needed to, and she was able to. No different than the soldiers using their guns at the park's perimeter.
No, what Samara watched for was all in Kris's eyes. The tears that fell as she acted, the way she collapsed afterward. The way she clung to Samantha and the fear she saw etched on her face as the women had walked to the shuttle. She had unleashed a biotic hell upon those soldiers, but she had been in control of her actions, if only on a subconscious level, and hated what she was doing.
Samara exited the hospital and boarded a shuttle back to the hotel. Bringing up her comm, she contacted Liara. "I just talked to Kris. I relayed the message and all it implied. She heard and understood. I'm uploading my report now along with the audio conversation."
"I got it." Liara replied. "How was she?"
"Scared, hurt, confused. Sam was of course with her which helped."
"So, is she really a threat?"
"Yes." Samara's blunt reply spoke volumes. "Kris has the capability of being the single largest biotic threat this universe has ever encountered." She paused and took a breath. Liara waited on the other end of the line silent and worried. A few seconds passed and Samara continued. "She won't be though. At least not to us or in the way the Asari currently fear.
Kris will destroy the fundamentals of biotic understanding and acceptance. She will reveal that there are depths beyond anything we have imagined. She will challenge every rule, every tradition and take nothing as set in stone. We will have to adapt or be run over by progress.
Will she become the evil overlord that will bring death and destruction to us all? No. She will, however, use every ounce of her power to protect those she loves and those she is sworn to protect. Goddess help anyone foolish enough to challenge that."
"Thank the goddess for that." Liara replied to what she had just been told. "I will forward your reports on. I think they will leave things alone for now."
"Liara, I wanted to ask, do you know more about this attack?" Samara's question was met with silence from Liara. Samantha of course knew of Liara's double life as the Shadow Broker. Everyone in the group knew of it, they just respected Liara's secret, as well as the position she was in and left it alone. Samara listened to the silence which told her far more than Liara would say next.
"All I know is what Miranda told me in passing. They have made some connections and might have some leads, but mostly they have more questions. Miranda said there is a meeting later tonight if you would like to attend."
"No, I can't. I leave in a couple of hours to return home. Send me a report when you can. I will review and see if I can help from there."
"Have a safe trip home and tell Falere we all say hi and send our love."
Miranda sat at the head of a table with council members and military leaders to report on what they had learned about the attack. Other than walking back through the events that took place, they didn't have a lot of new information. What they did have though was disturbing and was the primary reason Miranda had been called in.
"Admiral Lawson," The human councilor Christina Liamson had been placed in charge of the investigation since the fight had happened on Earth. "Can you please give us your input on the findings."
"Yes, councilor. As you are all aware, the civilian police force and the Alliance soldiers managed to arrest a dozen of the attackers who had taken up positions around the perimeter of the park. All of them were dead within a quarter of an hour after the attack stopped. Autopsy reports found what is basically a kill switch imbedded in their brains. Once whoever had sent them learned of the failure, and capture of their troops, they activated the signal and all the remaining living soldiers involved fell dead simultaneously.
This was our first indication of who may be behind the attack. There has been only one organization in recent history who used kill switches to this extent in their troops, Cerberus. Along with that information, when we examined the weapons and armor used, much of it was made up of Cerberus gear. They don't leave a "made by" stamp inside, but the modifications that they make to their gear is standard Cerberus.
The last indication came in their troop movement. The attack patterns are textbook standard and the thoughtless lack of self-preservation is reminiscent of how the Illusive Man controlled his soldiers, especially with the enhanced reaper tech. Also, the two sword wielding attackers are perfect duplicates of the phantom program."
"We were given to understand that the Cerberus threat had been eliminated during the Reaper war. Was it not Shepard who destroyed their headquarters and didn't the Illusive Man die on the Citadel?" asked the Turian councilor. "Were these reports then not true or did Cerberus somehow manage to survive?"
"The reports are accurate councilor. The Illusive Man's base of operations, Chronos Station at Anadius was destroyed and later the Illusive Man took his own life on the Citadel shortly before the end of the war. Many of the organizations top leaders had been killed in combat and its scientific arms lost many of their best back to the Alliance after realizing that the Illusive Man was under Reaper control. After the war was over, we believed that the organization had been defeated. I believe we may have been wrong in that belief.
First, let me say that this could all be conjecture. Cerberus was not the only group to use kill switches to control their servants. Slavers and mercenary groups have used them in the past and still do today. The arms and armor could in fact be nothing but coincidence. With the vast destruction and defeat of Cerberus through hundreds of battles, scavengers would have had ample opportunity to collect and sell the discarded equipment. As for the tactics, while standard Cerberus, it was also the most strategic plan of attack given all the relevant circumstances.
This brings us to why you specifically called me in today. Everything I have thus far told you; anyone could have as it is merely repeating the reports you have already. What you need me to tell you is if the threat is real. Councilors, I do not know, but I will of course help.
Cerberus was made up of cells. Each independent and isolated from one another to the point that two cells could have been occupying the same space at the same time and they wouldn't know it. Extensive vetting of members and strict retirement plans reinforced loyalty and silence. The chain of command was heavily enforced, and communications monitored and limited. Even as high up as I was in the organization, I knew of only a fraction of it.
As to the Illusive Man himself, his resources, partners or personal life, to my knowledge, only he truly knew it all. Other than the Shadow Broker, there has never been a more enigmatic figure. Who he was, his history, anything, has likely been lost with him? What we do know is that originally Cerberus was an Alliance black ops team that turned rogue several years back. We do not believe that the Illusive Man was a part of that unit, though we cannot of course be certain. Instead, our theory is that he was a recruiter looking for a military arm for an established secret organization.
The Alliance team Cerberus was to become the face of the organization. They were the group that carried out the visible dealings with the galaxy at large, though it would be many years before anyone started making the connections and the name Cerberus would be used. That secrecy and silence is what made them so difficult to pin down and is largely why I theorize that they may still be active.
First, let me say that I would be willing to bet that many Cerberus cells survived the overall downfall and death of the Illusive Man. Many may not have even known for days weeks or months later that the war was even over as isolated as these cells could be.
Secondly, we do not know how big or how many heads the group had in place. All it would take is for one individual with knowledge of the organization at large to locate and reunite the fractured groups. The fact that they have been silent for ten years opens that possibility up to people further down the chain. People with even my former level of clearance and understanding of the system could have located many cells and reunited them in that time, if they were determined enough.
That brings us to my final major point for the theory. Cerberus' hatred of what Shepard did. Cerberus wanted human superiority. They worked to bring about that end through any means and methods regardless of consequences. Ethics, morality, none of that ever factored into the equations. Only the goal mattered.
Shepard not only opposed that way of thinking, he lived it. He demonstrated daily that there was always a better way to achieve a goal and by doing so, he began to destroy the organization from within. He motivated others to turn their backs on what they believed in and in many cases, the organization that gave them purpose. He took personnel and resources and turned them from evil paths and put them to work for the good of all. He used a "humanity first" organization to save thousands of alien lives and shared the technology and data that Cerberus wanted for humans only with the galaxy.
If you look at it from Cerberus' point of view, he became the true enemy. He was willing to throw away what they had come to believe was the only way to beat the Reapers, by controlling them, in favor of destroying them. To the Cerberus way of thinking, the potential benefits to humanities superiority over the other races lay within the Reaper technology. By destroying them, they would lose all that potential, but by controlling them, Cerberus would gain that knowledge and humanity would triumph.
Ludicrous as this may seem to us sitting here today, this was the way they thought and whether it was their own true thoughts, manipulation or indoctrination is a moot point. What matters today is that those who truly believed in it, not the indoctrinated nor the brainwashed, but those who truly deep down believed in what Cerberus was doing felt betrayed. This was not merely a personal betrayal either. From their perspective, this was a betrayal of humanity. They would have been outraged, and to extremists, a grudge can be held a long time."
Miranda stopped talking to let everything she had said settle in the minds of those watching. She took a drink of water and looked around at the faces of those before her. She knew that they were all wondering about her now as well as the others who had come from Cerberus and were now in positions of power. She and Jacob may be the most famous, but they were just the tip of a rather large mountain of people who had fled Cerberus during the war or who turned up after to beg forgiveness. There was nothing she could do now. This had to be said and she just had to hope that the trust she had built over the last decade would hold. Miranda set her glass back down and continued.
"Our current theory is that someone has reorganized what was Cerberus from the remains. As I said, chances are good that cells survived. I think that from amongst the ruins, someone has taken up leadership and used the organizations remains to build upon. Ten years is a lot of time to build from scratch and they would have been far from starting out with nothing. Let us for now, say that this person is motivated and driven from a core belief. They have resources available to them. Despite what we know was lost, evidence shows that the resources are there to be had. They also have had time and apparently, the patience to wait. They are smart and calculating. They knew when to hit, how to hit and brought plenty of backup which says that they are familiar with Shepard."
"So why did they fail?" Asked the Salarian Councilor. "They had sharpshooters, and enough firepower to wage war. How is that they failed if they truly were professionals?"
"I think the person who was supposed to take out John made it too personal. There was no reason for them to shoot Hanna first unless they wanted to make him suffer. Then to shoot her twice while John watched was clearly to torture him. I think the shooter took it upon themselves to seek vengeance. That was why they failed. Everything after that doesn't matter. They should have killed John Shepard with the first shot. Not doing so is why they failed."
"Still, this doesn't mean that it was Cerberus, or a new group spawned in their wake." Councilor Liamson responded. "There are plenty of people, both individuals and groups that I imagine still carry grudges against the Admiral."
"You are correct Councilor, but this was an all human group. Most of the mercenary bands large enough for this level of attack are made up of mixed species. The main race with the biggest grudge against the Admiral is still the Batarians, but both officially and largely in general, they have forgiven him or at least laid aside their hostility. Plus, there were no Batarians involved so I think it is safe to say they were not responsible.
A lot of this is still conjecture and right now, aside from the items already presented, I have nothing but theory to offer. I do however feel that the Cerberus threat, whether it is a true resurfacing of the organization or a new group of people using their resources, is something we need to look at closely. The latter is terrible enough as their equipment and gear alone can add great advantages to any group. The former however, is a potential massive threat to us all."
"Thank you, Admiral Lawson." Councilor Liamson said as Miranda took her seat. While the councilor continued with the briefing, Miranda's thoughts were racing. She had always known that it was possible that Cerberus could have survived the death of the Illusive Man and to see them reemerge, if indeed that is what was happening, wasn't a shock, but it did worry her.
Nearly twelve years ago she found herself partnered with Commander John Shepard. Little did she know that her life was about to take a drastic change and her beliefs would be upset. These changes would in time be embraced and in the long run, she was beyond thankful for what had happened to her as a result. Cerberus however was not forgiving when it came down to traitors in their ranks. When she first left, she only had herself to worry about. Now she had a family, people she loved and cared greatly for and just like the attack on Shepard, there may be people who would prefer to see Miranda suffer than to simply kill her.
Miranda felt a chill run down her spine as she sat silently in that conference room. The councilors continued to talk, and the clock ticked slowly. Miranda listened, but in her mind, she only saw visions of Felicia being shot in front of her. Rage began to brew within, and Miranda swore to herself she would not let that happen.
A week after the attack, the Shepard family boarded a shuttle back to the Normandy and headed home to Rannoch. The Normandy was far less crowded as those who lived elsewhere had departed by other means. John and Tali sat in the lounge with Doctor Chakwas who had been waiting till they could have privacy to discuss what had happened, not in the fight itself, but in the energy field Tali created and the healing she had performed.
Having spent the past ten years learning everything she could about Quarian biology, chemistry, and their evolution as a species, she had become the foremost expert in the field and was highly respected among the Quarians, as never before had anyone outside their own species done for their people what Chakwas had. She not only studied their race, she had also brought vast medical advancements to treatments and more importantly, into improving their immune systems and health in general.
Thanks to her work, that of her co-workers and the Geth counterparts who did for the Quarian's technology what Chakwas did for their biology, every Quarian could today walk freely upon Rannoch without the use of environmental suits and many were able to do the same off world as well. The new generation only needed the suits during times of severe illness or in the rarest conditions and most believed that by the next generation, no Quarian would need the suits anywhere.
A new renaissance was upon the Quarian people and at the head medical advancement and study was Doctor Karen Chakwas. Her greatest achievements and what the Quarians were beyond amazed at, was in her study of their ancestral history and the biological ramifications of what she had rediscovered. While John and Tali were still unique in the reemergence of the Nthula-Dom traits, she suspected their children would show and within the new generation, others may likely as well. This past week, she had been proven correct.
"Tali." Chakwas asked. "Do you know how you were able to make the shield? Is it part of the same energy that you and John share or was this something else? More akin to biotic abilities?"
"I don't really know Karen. At the time I just reacted. Thinking back on it though, I remember feeling the energy. It was the same feeling that John and I share, and not. This was deeper, stronger and more intense. I can still feel it now, just as I can feel John."
"I feel it too." John added to the conversation. Through the fight, I felt it flare within me and I remember pulling on it to carry the kids and run. I didn't think to use it as a shield, but to be honest, I wasn't thinking on how to use it in any form. What I did was the same as Tali: instinctual."
"I think you did form a type of shield John." Chakwas replied. "Not in a visible sense like Tali did, but one within your body at least." They looked at her questioning as she said these words. "When we got you to the hospital and began examining the wounds, aside from the miraculous healing Tali had performed to close them, we realized that none of them pierced your body very deeply. In fact, most just broke through your skin and stopped one they hit your muscle. My theory is that when you enhanced your strength to allow you to run on your bad leg as well as carry two of your children, you inadvertently hardened your muscles to the point they were able to stop bullets.
Yes, you could still be injured and obviously, the loss of blood wasn't good for you, but you were protected from serious harm. In addition to the hardening, I think that you may have subconsciously redirected the rounds to hit you and not the kids. It is the only thing other than pure chance that your kids, except for the initial two shots that hit Hanna, were never hit while you yourself were hit multiple times. I think you pulled those rounds to you in order to save the children."
"I didn't know what I was doing. All I knew was that we had to get out of there. I didn't have a weapon; I didn't know who was shooting or why. I didn't know if we were the target or just collateral; all I knew is that I had to get Tali and my kids out of there, and that Hanna was hurt."
"I was the same." Tali added. "I knew John had stopped to help Hana when she fell. Krios, Vala and I kept on walking as they were still playing and having fun and I knew John would take care of her and catch up. Then I heard the first shot. I remember turning to try to identify the sound and I saw the second hit Hanna. The fear came first, but then I saw John grab Hanna and start to run towards me. I turned and grabbed the other kids' hands and started to run. That is when the anger kicked in and I felt our connection surge. John was pulling on it to enhance his strength to run on his bad leg. The next several seconds were a blur. I remember feeling impacts to my body and distantly to John's. We were both pulling on the energy pool harder than ever before. I began to fear it would not be enough. When I saw the soldiers come out from behind the building to block our paths, my rage overcame the fear and I jumped. The energy responded to my every instinct. It was almost as though it was anticipating my needs at the speed of thought.
I was terrified. I was terrified for John and Hanna who I knew were injured. I was scared for Vala and Krios who were now being carried by John. I was scared for myself as I fought the attackers. I didn't know if I could save any of them. When I recognized the sound of the rocket all I remember was feeling frustrated and angry. The one thing I was not scared of was the energy. It was a comfort in the storm, familiar and welcoming.
When the rocket hit, it was almost as though my body and knew what to do and the energy responded. It was intense as it coursed through me. I felt the connection between John and myself raging, and as the shield flared to life, I realized I could feel the same energy in the kids. We were all connected, not in the same way John and I are, but still joined in that moment. It was all I have said it was and more. It felt comforting and right, like it had always been there, and all would be okay. Now as I sit here it feels like…"
"Home." A soft voice spoke from the doorway. The three adults turned and there stood Vala, dressed in a nightgown, hands clasped in front of her and her face half hidden behind a curtain of midnight blue hair. She stood shifting slightly from foot to foot in obvious discomfort in the uncertainty of if she should be there or have spoken.
"Vala, honey, what are you doing up?" John asked. He extended is arms and indicated that she should come over and sit with them. Vala nervously walked over and hopped up onto the couch next to her father. "I was having trouble sleeping and wanted some water. That's when I heard you talking. Am I in trouble?"
"Honey, no." John's reply was soft and loving as he pulled his daughter in close for a hug. "I think you may have just helped us in fact. We were looking for a name to put to a feeling your mom and I had, and you nailed it. Home. It felt like home." John smiled at Vala who was looking back at him. A smile blossomed on the young girls face as she realized that she was not in trouble and that she had helped.
"I do need to ask you though, when did you start to feel it? Was it just at the fight or before then?"
"It was after the fight. Krios and I talked about it. He feels it too. So does Hanna, but she has been quiet since she got hurt. Krios and I both think that we felt something during the fight, but we were so scared and what happened was so fast that we don't know. We didn't know what it was or if anyone else could feel it. We tried getting Hanna to talk, but she won't. We were scared to ask you or mom as we thought something may be wrong with us. But you feel it, too right?" Both John and Tali nodded that they did and Chakwas smiled at the child in a reassuring way that Vala was put at ease and relaxed. "Okay, good. Can I tell Krios that we are okay?"
"Yes, dear." Tali responded. "You can tell him that." Vala beamed with happiness at those words. She and her brother had truly been scared about what had happened to them and had spent most of the days since hiding and talking about it in hushed whispers.
"What about Hanna? Should I tell her or leave her alone? She won't hardly talk to us."
"Maybe, we can talk to her Vala." John said to his daughter. "Why don't you talk to your brother and when we get home, we will have a family talk and explain what we know. It is a lot to talk about and we don't have all the answers. Doctor Chakwas can come over and help as she knows a lot more than your mom and me. Does that sound good sweetie?" Vala, still smiling, nodded rapidly. "Good. Why don't you try to go back to sleep now okay?"
"Okay dad. Goodnight." Vala hugged her father, then jumped off the couch and repeated the process with her mom and Chakwas before leaving the lounge with a glass of water to return to her bed. The adults watched her leave with smiles on their faces, but hidden was a fear of what their children were going through. Chakwas knew this and after the door closed behind the departing child, she was ready to calm the parents across from her.
"Tali, John, relax. I know you have questions and are worried, but your children are fine. Remember, this is all uncharted territory, but I can assure you that they are healthy. What is happening is likely normal. From what I have gathered on the ancient Quarians, it was not unusual for their children to awaken the energy within them that is eventually used to create the bond between two individuals. Like many biological changes in young beings, it is most often associated with puberty, but as it is not only about reproduction, but physical and mental growth as well, it does not seem to be unheard of for it to awaken earlier as a result of severe trauma. Your kids have just experience sever emotional and physical trauma that put their lives in grave danger. It is logical to assume then that that danger awoke the energy in order to protect them."
"I knew this trip was going to be bad." Tali said. "From the moment I read the invite from the Council, I had a feeling in my gut that something bad was going to happen. Now, here we are. Someone tried to kill us, and our kids have to deal with this new thing that we can't help them with because we don't know enough about it ourselves!" Tali's voice had risen to a near hysterical level as she began to panic. John quickly reached over and took her hands in his and brought their eyes to the same level. Through their connection he used his own calm to give her a focal point to hold onto.
"Tali, look at me." He began as he used their connection to try to calm his worried wife. "You are right, I feel just as helpless in our ability to help the kids, but we are not alone, and we are not without hope.
Karen is going to continue to help us out, and she knows far more than we do. If she believes that it is all okay and will work out, then we can believe in that. Also, we have been through worse than this and came through alright. The kids will be alright. Yes, they will have stuff they need to learn to deal with, but that was going to happen no matter what. They are something new. Something unknown. Yes, it is scary, but it is also exciting."
"I know John." Tali's reply came in a much softer voice. "I just worry. Maybe too much sometimes."
"Tali." Chakwas cut in. "You are a good mother. The best I have ever seen. You worry yes, but you also trust, and you allow your kids to grow and learn without over protecting them. You let them explore and be kids. You encourage, support and warn them, and when they make mistakes or get injured, you have been there to comfort and set them back on their feet. The only difference between those instances and this is that you are learning with them. Instead of being an expert to advise, you are an explorer with them. There is much good to be said in that as well. It will make you stronger as a family. Closer as parents and children, and as siblings it will create a connection between the kids that other siblings don't have. Place trust in each other as you have always done, and you will get through this as will your children."
"Thank you, Karen." Tali replied. "You have always been a good friend and councilor."
"It is my pleasure Tali. As I've said before, you are all my family, and families look after one another."
Three months later Tali sat watching her kids playing with James and Kasumi's kids in the pool behind the Shepard's house. Kasumi sat beside her as the two women chatted and sipped on a new drink concoction James had created. The guys were cooking at the grill and the smell of meats and vegetables roasting on the fire drifted across the deck. The sounds of laughter and screams followed the splashing of water as kids jumped into the pool and splashed their friends with waves of water.
About a week after returning to Rannoch, as promised to Vala, Karen had come over and sat down with the entire family. She explained all she knew about the Nthula-Dom and the history of the Quarians as well as the history of humans and how they were a combination of both legacies. She did so in simplified language that could be understood by the young children, even Krios. The kids had listened with rapt attention with Vala asking many questions and often wanting deeper explanations. Hanna had not said much during that meeting, but a few weeks later, she had returned to her former playful self. Tali and John were happy with this turn, though they did not fully understand what caused the swing. Vala told them that Hanna had simply needed more time to process everything.
Today, life was normal. Tali was happy and looking forward to her and Kasumi spending some girl time next week on a shopping trip and spa day. John and James were drinking beer and telling jokes while discussing the academy, the cadets and what changes they wanted to implement for the next class. The sun shone high over the Rannoch landscape, bathing the friends in a warm heat that penetrated deep into their bodies and pushed out all worries.
Elsewhere, the eyes were full of rage. The plan had been perfect. Every detail planned and variables counted for. They had sent two whole platoons to Earth over several months. Weapons and armor had been shipped in a small amount at a time to avoid suspicion. Schedules had been intercepted and analyzed to find the best opportunity and no expense had been spared. All of it had been ruined by one person. They had one job to do: kill Shepard. They had failed.
For months now the eyes had screamed in rage at anyone nearby. Their silvery red coloring was intense as the anger within emitted through their irises. Scientists and soldiers quickly looked away when they came near. The labs and garrisons were constantly on alert and discipline had never been tighter. It didn't matter that is came from fear. The eyes didn't care. They only wanted to see work being done as it should. They would rebuild from this. It would not matter how long it took. The vengeance promised would still happen. They would succeed. Shepard will pay.