MASS EFFECT 2: DARK RENDITION

*PART XX*

'Anderson stonewalled me, but there were rumours that you weren't dead, that you were working for the enemy,' Kaiden said grimly. His eyes were fastened on Shepard's, searching for something; an answer, a reason, a lie? The commander could not tell.

Shepard bristled at his friend's accusing tone. Kaiden could not have known what he'd been through, what had been taken away from him. Despite the overwhelming sense of longing he felt to regain his stolen past, Shepard's reply was curt and lacked the affection of his first greeting.

'I'm not working for Cerberus, Kaiden. All I care about is stopping these attacks on our colonies. Hell, if the Alliance was doing its job then I wouldn't even be here!'

'You were part of the Alliance too, Shepard, have you forgotten that?' Kaiden snapped back, angrily. 'We all fought together before you became a Spectre, back on Eden Prime. We stood with you while you exposed Saren and chased him across the galaxy. By working with Cerberus you're dishonouring all those we lost, all those who died on the Normandy that day! Ash gave her life for the good of the galaxy and you're throwing her decision, her sacrifice away.' Shepard's expression was bitter as Kaiden looked past him, his glare resting on Garrus. 'And you, Garrus? I never thought that you of all people would be involved in this. You know what Cerberus are like, what they're capable of!'

Garrus narrowed his eyes and his response was steady. You're not looking at the bigger picture here, Alenko. The fact is human colonies - your colonies - are disappearing and only Cerberus are taking action against those responsible. You can say what you like about them but I won't let you judge Shepard for doing what he knows is right.'

'So, you're in the Illusive Man's pocket too?' Kaiden murmured, shaking his head in disbelief.

'I follow Shepard, no one else,' Garrus growled. 'If you weren't so blinded by your own self-righteousness, you'd swallow your pride and join us.'

The turian's show of support could not lift Shepard's heart. His chest felt heavy and his mind was sluggish with regret. The man in front of him had known him before he was a Spectre, when he was the XO of an experimental new warship that could change the galaxy. They had shared quiet drinks on shore leave, seen horrific combat on distant worlds and suffered the tragic death of Ashley together. In all but name they had been brothers, and to see such naked contempt in Kaiden's eyes was almost too much to bear.

'I'm going to call for reinforcements,' Kaiden muttered and turned his back to them.

'Come with me, Kaiden,' Shepard said hurriedly. He didn't even expect an answer and yet his old friend halted hesitantly. Silence stretched between them as the wind softly rustled patches of dry leaves, scattering them across the ground. The dark clouds that had engulfed the Collector ship were beginning to disperse and a single shaft of glaring sunlight bathed the group as they waited for an answer.

'I'm sorry, Shepard,' Kaiden said finally. 'I want to believe you but I don't trust Cerberus.'

Though it was not unexpected, his reply sent an aching shiver through Shepard's body. Everything he had known and loved was truly lost.

Muffled sounds echoed through the hazy recesses of Shepard's mind. Reality interjected in momentary spikes, piercing the thick, yet shapeless veil of his dream. Kaiden faded into nothing but the sharp pain of regret remained in Shepard's heart as his vision was filled with blinding white light. Suddenly a voice worked its way into his ears, followed closely by a series of short chimes. The light spoke and its voice was familiar, Shepard knew that much, but his thoughts were still clouded and nothing seemed clear.

'It's about time,' the voice said. It was bore the unmistakable flanging of turian vocal chords. 'We were about to begin more coercive methods if you didn't wake soon.'

'Who are you?' Shepard rasped, his throat dry and filled with the bitter, metallic tang of blood. He tried to move but could only struggle against restraints that bound him to a hard, cold surface. A chill of dread swept through him as he realised it was an interrogation chair.

'It doesn't matter who I am,' the turian snapped. He was still hidden by the light, and no matter how hard Shepard focused, he couldn't make out anything beyond the glare. All he could do was listen as the turian paced around him and strain to make out what he could. 'All that matters is who you are, and what you know.'

***ME2-DR***

'I don't care what you think!' Tali spat, her milky eyes glaring angrily. 'It's been too long!'

The confined space of the Normandy's main elevator was no place for an argument but Jacob did not have a chance to take it elsewhere. Tali stared at him furiously and he shook his head in exasperation. Jacob too was concerned at the disappearance of Shepard's suit signal but the soldier inside him pulled at his impulses, reining them in. He could not risk everything on rash action, not until they had more information to go on.

'The signal wasn't even a part of his suit to begin with,' he argued. 'For all we know, the transmitter could be malfunctioning.'

'I installed that transmitter to keep him safe from you, from Cerberus,' Tali responded, her words filled with indignation. It was bad enough that her technical competence was being questioned but she would not suffer it from a member of Cerberus. 'The only way we'd lose the signal is if it was being jammed or the transmitter itself has been destroyed.'

Jacob sighed. He could not allow Tali to blindly run after the commander but neither could he stand by and do nothing while Shepard was in danger. His every sense compelled him to act but he had other considerations.

'You're still injured Tali,' he went on as he glanced at the sling that bound her arm. Although she still favoured it on occasion, it had almost healed completely in the week since Illium thanks to a genetic booster concocted by Mordin. As if to demonstrate the point, she unhooked the sling and let it fall slowly to the ground before flexing her arm stiffly. Jacob sighed deeply once again. 'If we're going to go after him, we'll need to inform Miranda. She's vital to keeping the Illusive Man happy and us sneaking around behind her back will only cause trouble.'

'Do what you have to,' Tali said abruptly. 'I'm going to see what information I can uncover.'

Jacob cocked an eyebrow. 'You're not exactly in top shape and quarians aren't exactly the most popular species on the Citadel. Take Grunt with you, he should keep you safe. If you're digging up intel, better take Kasumi along too.'

Tali nodded slowly and, despite her distrust, her aggressive stance softened visibly. When she spoke, her voice was reluctant but civil. 'All right, I guess I shouldn't take any unnecessary risks. It will be good if you can convince Miranda to help too. Thank you, Jacob.'

'No problem,' Jacob replied with a wary smile. The elevator doors opened to the crew deck with a quiet hiss and the two went their separate ways.

As she approached Kasumi's quarters, Tali tested her arm carefully. Though it still ached, it was strong enough to hold a weapon and for that she was thankful. She did not want to rely on Grunt and Kasumi too much.

***ME2-DR***

Guilt and apprehension ran through Garrus' veins like searing fire as he ran. He remembered seeing Shepard go down. He remembered his own breath catching in his lungs as he released the pressure on the trigger. His thermal clip had still been full; the barrel of his rifle still cold. Shepard's assailant was not far away and, when Garrus spotted him, he had instantly recognised him as a drell and gave chase.

It could have only been Thane. Garrus had distrusted the assassin since his sudden arrival and his disappearance during the hunt for Harkin had only strengthened his suspicions. The desire to catch him, however, was tempered with a single, nagging worry.

Shepard had fallen but it was clear the shot was not fatal. He trusted the Commander would survive and make it back to the Normandy but the doubt was growing with each passing minute. He did not know what had possessed him to give chase. He had just acted, emotion gripping his body and forcing it into a sprint before he even realised what was happening. Thane had cost Garrus his chance for revenge and he would take it out of his green, scaled hide if need be but had he made a mistake leaving Shepard alone? Garrus cast away his concern with a sharp shake of his head and tied to focus solely on catching Thane. It was too late for second thoughts now.

The streets of the thirtieth level of Zakera swelled with activity. For hundreds of metres in every direction, large, noisy arcades and gambling centres littered a causeway that appeared to have no end. Garrus edged carefully between groups of various species, all trying to make themselves heard above the synthesized sounds of weapons and racing ships. Somewhere nearby, a short melody was accompanied by a scream of joy as a Quasar machine jettisoned its load of credits into a lucky player's account. With a rough push, Garrus forced a gap between two salarians, who could only glare impotently at the turian as he continued to work his way through the crowd.

'Where are you?' he mumbled to himself.

Shepard's attacker was fast but he underestimated Garrus' tenacity. It was the same dogged determination that brought down the most powerful mercenary groups on Omega and he would not rest until he had taken the shooter down. The ceiling widened before him and a large, transparent canopy illuminated a vast hall with the thick purple glow of the Serpent Nebula. The hall was filled with similar arcades to those in the causeway, packed between holo-theatres and darkened, seedy-looking floor shows. Garrus' mandibles twitched as he surveyed the scene and his fists clenched instinctively as he caught sight of a slim figure dashing into an arcade. He was achingly close as Garrus followed.

A set of heavy doors slid aside and Garrus was instantly hit by a wall of sound. Wincing slightly, he allowed his senses a few moments to adjust before stepping forward tentatively, his head moving from side to side as he searched. The arcade was small but filled to bursting point with salarians, turians, humans, even hanar. To his right, Garrus saw a krogan rage furiously at a shooting game, a litany of profane curses pouring from his mouth as a friend struggled to restrain him. All around him, people streamed between the amusements. It was a good place to hide, Garrus knew. It was busy, loud and full of places to slink into shadow. It was not large enough to provide an easy means of escape, however, and it did not take Garrus long to search the entire floor.

A single door simply marked 'Staff Only' in roughly penned salarian stood ajar and immediately Garrus ran a hand along the grip of his pistol as if to loosen it from its holster as he entered and immediately keyed the door lock.

'You can't hide forever,' he muttered under his breath. The noise of the arcade was instantly muted as the door closed behind him and the locks engaged with a click.

'Against you, probably not,' came a quiet, deliberate reply.

Garrus strained to see into the dimly lit space in front of him. It was only a small area, filthy and littered with computer and machine parts. Still, just ahead of him, Garrus could just about make out the outline of Thane's graceful form. The drell stood with his back to the wall, his arms crossed and his eyes downcast.

'Amonkira gave you an impressive gift, Garrus. There are no ways out of this place; you would have me cornered if you intended to kill me.'

'What makes you think I don't?' Garrus snarled, his pistol in hand.

In less than a heartbeat, the barrel was pressed under Thane's chin. Still, the assassin did not resist and his voice held no sign of fear or hesitation.

'You doubt that I was responsible for trying to kill Shepard. You saw me run but several questions remain. My rifle would not be sufficient to penetrate Shepard's shields, let alone his armour. Why didn't I try to kill him aboard the Normandy, where he was more vulnerable? Why am I not fighting back right now?'

Garrus' finger twitched. He burned to pull the trigger and it took every fibre of his will to remove his weapon from Thane's throat. 'You may have a point, Thane, but I've been lied to before and it cost me the lives of everyone important to me. I won't be fooled again so easily. Why did you disappear back at Harkin's hideout? Why were you there when Shepard was shot?'

Thane dipped his head slightly and unfolded his arms, bringing his hands down to rest gently on the wall. 'I had hoped I could stop all of this, that I could stop him.'

Garrus narrowed his gaze. 'Stop who? What are you talking about?'

'There is a contract on Shepard's life, did you know that?'

Though the turian could not say he was surprised, indeed he suspected every member of the Normandy's crew had a price on their heads for one reason or another, the news was still something of a shock. He blinked slowly, trying to digest the news as Thane continued.

'I was approached to carry out the job, shortly before coming to Illium. I had already heard of Commander Shepard's actions against the geth and had no desire to put an end to his life. I refused the contract and thought nothing more of it.'

'So who took it?'

Thane lifted his head to look at Garrus directly, his expression fierce. 'Someone calling himself Thane Krios has taken the job. He was the one who tried to assassinate Shepard. If I had not interrupted, he would have succeeded. I did not get a clear look at the weapon he used but it was like nothing I have ever seen before.'

'It was sloppy marksmanship but still, from what I saw it punched through his shields like they didn't exist, tore straight through his armour too. Nothing like that should exist, in or out of Citadel space.'

'So," Thane said, 'now you understand who is responsible for the contract.'

'The Collectors,' Garrus replied venomously. Only their enemy possessed such potent technology and Garrus was shaken by how close they had come to eliminating the Commander. His mouth set in grim determination, Garrus eyed Thane resolutely. 'We need to find this assassin and take him down.'

'I'm afraid it will not be that simple. When we infiltrated Fade's base of operations I did some investigating of my own. I had something in my possession that made it possible.'

'The datapad, the one with Harkin's client list!'

'Yes. Using the datapad I was able to penetrate Fade's internal networks and used the list to find the assassin. He used one of my oldest aliases, managed to convince Fade that he was myself, and sought his services to disappear here in the Citadel, ready to spring from the shadows before melting away once again.'

'How did he know Shepard was here? Has he been tailing us since we arrived?'

'I don't know. It's possible. All I know is one thing,' Thane closed his eyes and his features shifted subtly with grief. 'His name is Kolyat. He is my son.'