A/N: Nothing new. Simply posting two kissing scenes together since you cant have two chapters detailing kisses next to each other. Simpler this way and hopefully some thumbs up from kiss-lovers.
He sank into his bed, sighing deeply.
The recent events were lingering in his mind. Tali had shown her desire to share herself with him, to hold him, and to be with him. She wanted to experience something special with him before their ill-fate catapulted them into the battle against Saren.
No matter how much he wanted her, reality always pushed them away. His quarters were ill-equipped for such an experience and using the Med Bay would have been a bad idea with the amount of nervous energy that flooded the Normandy.
It just wasn't safe. But, as he had told her, he do anything in his power to give her the experience she wanted.
He snapped out of his thoughts as a faint beeping and blinking light caught his attention. It was at his private console.
Sitting up and sliding himself off of the bed, he approached the terminal, not bothering to sit but, instead, leaning over the seat. It was an encrypted message from none other than Anderson.
Shepard cracked a smile from underneath the helmet and opened the file, knowing the exact sequence for the decryption cipher.
'Shepard.'
'I hope you get this message. You have no idea how hard it was just to send it on a secure network.'
'I must admit, I'm surprised it worked, but more importantly, you managed to get out of the Citadel.'
'I'll be truthful with you Commander, your escapade has caused quite a commotion with the Council, and Udina is still recovering from his coma. I'll explain that later.'
'Those few who helped redirect C-Sec in the embassy district wish you luck. Per their request, they wished me to give you their best wishes.'
'Your former N7 squad mates are as tough as you are. I'm not surprised since you used to lead them.'
'I'm just letting you know what's happening over here since your departure. We wish you luck, Shepard. We all do.'
'- Anderson'
Shepard chuckled underneath the helmet. It was obvious that Anderson had been the cause of Udina's accident. He knew it when he mentioned Udina and went to his office to 'release' the Normandy.
Opening the consoles holo-pad, he pressed his fingers deftly over the holographic keyboard and wrote his message.
Making sure to heavily encrypt the message, he sent it through one of his many secured channels, small green confirmation light a positive sign. He hesitated slightly as his fingers hovered above the box marked inbox.
There was a vast array of messages that he had received since his last inbox check. Scanning nonchalantly through them, he stopped at one marked 'Terra Nova Thanks You'
He opened the message and read its contents.
'From - Terra Nova Representative, Kris Johnson'
'To - Commander Imre'Shepard'
'Commander, the crew you saved on the mined asteroid of X57 is as thankful as the people of Terra Nova.'
'Looking into our records, we have found out that this is not the first time you helped save the planet.'
'Your efforts to hold off the Batarians at the planets capital, Elysium, those dreaded nine years ago have not been forgotten, but those who have forgotten, soon remembered you as information of your raid on the asteroid spread throughout the planet.'
'Your efforts of defending the planet and its capital have not gone unrewarded. If you may not have been made aware of, your account has been given a substantial reward for these efforts as thanks from the people to you. The people, however, see this as only a fraction of a thank you.'
'There will be a celebration held in honor of the brave who fell on Elysium and it would be a great honor to have you there.'
'Please, do consider it.'
'- Sincerely - Terra Nova Representative, Kris Johnson.'
Shepard scanned it over once more, bemused.
A celebration? If the people of Terra Nova were truly grateful, then why would they celebrate one of the bloodiest nights in its history?
He closed it, ignoring the invitation. He scrolled through the miles of messages until another interesting message caught his eye; it was from Ahern.
Opening it, the name suddenly reminded of the bet he had won at Pinnacle Station. Eying it, he read it closely.
'From: Admiral Tadius Ahern.'
'Well, Shepard, I must admit, your skills are impressive. As promised, and wagered, my retirement home on Intai'sei is now yours. Its not like I was going to retire anytime soon, so I'm glad someone's going to use it and not let it gather dust.'
'Once again Commander, I'd like to express my most sincere congratulations. That was one hell of a display. Come by anytime and try to beat some records you haven't already broken. Maybe even show some of these rookies how it's done.'
'Attached to this message is a little share of the bet me and the boys pooled in and the security code for the door.'
'Enjoy the place, Commander. You've earned it.'
'- Ahern'
Shepard silently thanked the Admiral for the apartment. He had completely forgotten about it. He now had a place to set everything up.
Ignoring every other message in the inbox, he quickly opened a window for the extranet and started his research.
…
[2 lengthy hours later : 20:32]
Tali stopped in front of the door, wondering to herself if it was a good idea.
'Of course it isn't… but I want to give him something before we fight Saren.' she assured herself. She nodded at her reasoning and entered nervously; the door sliding open revealing the spacious, to Quarian standards, room.
She saw him sitting on his terminal, observing schematics of machines and parts. As soon as he realized she had entered, he calmly closed the screen, not wanting her to get suspicious. He moved from the terminal and stretched as soon as he stood. He had been sitting for a while.
"Tali." he stated, nodding at her after finishing his stretch.
Faced with the problem, she stopped her thinking. She only looked at him, observing him, scanning his body with her faintly glowing orbs. She eventually forced herself to stop the scanning. She was there for a reason.
"Shepard… I wanted to give you something," she spoke silently. She started to walk to him, activating her antibiotics. "Before we fight Saren… there is something that I wanted to give you… for a while now…" She couldn't believe the words that were escaping her lips.
His own green eyes gave the impression of a questioning look. "Tali, if this is about being with me before we fight Saren, then I have already told you we cant… I don't want you sick with a fever when we go down there."
"Its not that." she responded. She stood before him, reaching for his hands. He let her grab them. She played around with them, rolling her thumbs around, playing with his fingers and resting her palms in his. "Its something else. Something you and I have not yet experienced…" her voice trailed as her eyes fell to their playing hands momentarily before quickly relocking with Shepard's ever-present stare.
His eyes never left hers. She noticed that behind his quizzical stare was a gleam of care and compassion. Oh, how she loved that stare…
"Tali, I already told you we can't..." he sighed.
"And I already told you its not that." she retorted, looking at where his mouth should have been, behind the mask. She was going to do it, whether or not he knew or agreed to it.
"Then what are-" Shepard started.
'Here goes…' the voice in her head commanded.
He instantly felt himself hit stumble backwards in surprise, astonishment splashed on his face. He felt his lungs nervously heave in as he felt the air strike his face as he realized that she had managed to pull his visor off. He quickly looked up to her to see why she would have done that to him when his heart nearly stopped at the sight in front of him.
Tali stared into his eyes, a look of bewilderment at what she had done. I hope that wasn't too straightforward… her eyes shifted quickly in amazement between both of his exposed eyes. He too stared at her exposed face, trying to catch his breath and make his mind compute and express the words that now stood at the end of his tongue, begging to be heard.
"Tali… you're… you're…" Shepard started, his words jumbling in his head from the suddenness of the situation.
He was quickly silenced as her warm soft lips pressed against his. His heart almost rang out as it began to beat wildly and randomly confused at the sensations that coursed over his skin. Her nose brushed against his cheek as she moved her head around as her lips opened and closed with an instinctual desire for more. She finally breathed in a deep breath of her nose as she buried herself deeper into the passionate kisses, her hands raised to his face, resting on both of his cheeks.
He noticed the passionate and wanting look on her half closed eyes. While he continued to express surprise, she returned more passion.
She blushed as she retreated her lips from his, making the noise which Tali had only heard from the humans. She nervously backed away cautiously, her head looking down, but her eyes still deadlocked on the emeralds in front of her.
"That was what I was talking about…" she confessed in a gentle whisper. She didn't know what to expect. It took her a long time just to come up with this plan, but now that she had done it, the conclusion of the plan had been lost. She looked to him for the answer.
His face slowly turned from surprise to a neutral look. He advanced to her causing her to panic. She thought he was upset.
"Shepard… I'm sorry I can… I can-" she didn't have to find the word "explain," As it was quickly given to her.
She was now the one surprised as he pushed her back, his face locking with hers. Their lips now shared excitement as they both moved in desire and want. Tali found that she was still being pushed back, but it was already too late. She fell backwards onto the bed with Shepard's lips getting deeper and more passionate onto hers.
Her heart sang as their noses swept passed each others cheeks, constantly flipping sides to try to get further into the kiss. Shepard's hands grabbed the back of her head, caressing it and pushing on it to keep her close and comfortable as the kissing intensified.
Her eyes opened as she felt something warm move inside of her mouth. She didn't flinch but she felt surprised by the sensation that it caused. At first, it traced along just the inside of her mouth but eventually it touched hers. It felt dirty, dangerous, but it felt so right at this moment. Her heart called to her brain as her body reached a level of ecstasy that she had never felt before.
She found her tongue joining in on the playing, sensations flickering and pulsing through their loving bodies. She moaned slightly as her eyes closed to the sensations, their lips falling apart again, but their tongues still touching the lips. The bond was quickly reestablished.
She didn't think this moment could get any better, but then she felt Shepard's hands rise to her face, almost as hers had risen to his. She was now on the receiving end of gentle touches that sent pulses of pleasure through her body, causing her to hum slightly.
She had to separate from his momentarily to catch her breath, her breath was heavy and wanting her smile shimmering in the soft light before he neared her again. Her eyes closed as the lips just touched the edges of hers. She could feel his warm moist breath on her as he hovered just out of reach. She tried to raise her head to lock with him, but he held her back.
He smiled and laughed as he felt her challenge his strength to get more of him. He too wanted to feel her lips against his again, but he knew what he had to do. He continued to toy with her cheeks with his thumbs. She still smiled from those gentle rubs. She even laughed from it even though her eyes spoke of her annoyance. She tried to pass it off as a joke as she, again, tried to rise up to kiss him, but again she found herself held away from him. She stared at him and smiled, knowing his teases, his fingers still caressing her.
"Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are…?" Shepard cast into the air.
Even though they had already held an intimate moment, the words echoed inside of her heart and warmed her body. She felt her face warm slightly as an inner excitement caused that internal fire to burn brighter. She laughed innocently and cutely at the words that had left his mouth. She felt as though she had simply fallen in a dream. She tried to rise up to him again, but he still held her back.
"You have to be pretty stubborn to do something like this." he commented. She kept his gaze, and he chortled. "I guess I'm rubbing off on you."
"You have no idea." she answered, her voice no longer distorted from the visor.
He gave a light chuckle and sat her up on his lap.
"How strong?"
"Strong enough." she responded.
"I'll give it a good… seven minutes."
"Only seven?" she complained, the undertones telling him that she wanted to be with him longer.
"Tali..."
"Fine." she pouted rather cutely.
He chuckled lightly one last time before she neared his face again. He stopped her with a single finger against her lips. She looked at him quizzically.
He raised her up, an arm under her legs and another on her back, and, turning around, laid her on the bed. She was going to ask a question, but immediately stopped as he pressed his body on top of hers, making her feel the pressure of his body press down on her. She opened and closed her legs around his waist once more. A position she had gown to be comfortable. He pressed his pelvis against hers, making her emit a small hum of pleasure.
"We're not ready for a full-physical experience, Tali," he explained to her softly. "So I'm going to do what I can for you." he added in a gentle whisper.
"Whatever you can…?" She inquired playfully and a slightly lustful. He pressed himself on her again with a little more pressure. She bit her lip and looked at him, her eyes glittering with a moisture of happiness that caused it to shimmer around from the small amount of light in the room. She could sense the love in his eyes as he stared down at her. How her heart sang to that stare and those eyes.
"Whatever I can." he responded. He brought his face closer to hers and she opened her mouth slightly to grant him access. Before he could reach her, he stopped only a centimeter from her, his breath hitting hers, letting it tease and torture her lust. She looked at his eyes, so close to hers, and searched for an answer a truth to these feelings and attraction. Was it logical? Is it supposed to make any sense? When and how did this happen?
"Thank you for your gift, Miss Zorah." He whispered gently.
She would have responded, but the moist lips pressed against hers again. Her eyes closed, her arms took anchor around his neck. The "your welcome" was lost in the kiss. A tear fell from her closed eyes, not out of sadness or grief, but of an overwhelming sense of love and happiness. She knew he was the one for her. She knew it more than ever.
...
Raising the weapon to eye level, he looked through the scope, peering at the nearby wall. His Omni-tool connected with the weapon, activating an application specifically to Shepard's weapon. A small circle appeared over one of the commander's eyes, which was visible on the visor. It retracted and expanded as he looked through the virtual scope, an addition he wisely bought before leaving the Citadel. Once again, he was wearing the lone layer of fabric and his dog tags, whose dull hitting from the rubber guards meant to stop the clinking barely made a noise, swayed back and forth as he occasionally moved.
Deciding he's had his fun, he rose from his seat with the weapon firmly locked in his hands. Deactivating it, he walked over to the hidden weapon's compartment on the side of his quarter's wall and placed it next to his prized shotgun. He stepped back and watched as the compartments slide-action cover went into place and clicked closed. Observing the sides of the compartment, he saw the lines of the cover start to disappear and blend in with the wall.
He briefly glanced to the side and observed the peacefully sleeping figure, his new lover. She was mostly covered with the blanket that he rarely used since his suit gave all the controlled-temperature he needed. Her left shoulder and arm were exposed, her left arm covering where he had rested. He smiled coyly under his helmet at remembering waking up with her arms embraced around his waist and her head nestled on his shoulders. The fact that she remained asleep for so long and him managing to escape her grasp, proved how perfected his flexibility had been tuned.
He shot a quick glance over to the holo-clock beside his personal terminal and sighed sadly at the time. They had spent the last two nights simply around each other, him leaving and returning as soon as he could to share more moments with her. Now it would only be a matter time before they reached the relay and be projected into the storm of Geth swarms that filled the space beyond it.
Ignoring the nerves that challenged his bravery of the impending assault, he walked over to the bed. He stopped at its side and slowly sat down, making sure not to wake the resting figure. He stared lovingly into her visored face and felt this overwhelming warmth of love fall into him as he watched her padded hand reach out and softly grab at the blankets like he was still beside her. He reached his hand out to hers and grasped it gently, lifting it even slowly, pressing into her palm with his thumbs as his index finger caressed the top.
He never thought himself capable but here it was, a full show of love and compassion. He thought it would be a setback, but it was the opposite of it all. It completed him and through her, he would experience things he had been missing out on all of these years; things he had placed in the back of his mind to make way for his rigorous training.
He grasped her hand in both of his, his fingers still softly massaging her palm and feeling the strength of her fingers. He looked at his own five-fingered hands and to Tali's three-fingered hand. He didn't feel a sense of difference nor did he feel a sense of being out of place. He slid and locked his hand into hers like he would any other person that he had to give the grace of shaking their hand.
She was Tali'Zorah nar Rayya; she was his, and he was hers. He wouldn't treat her like he'd seen others treat their 'precious' ones. He would treat her with the love and compassion Ymir showed him. He hadn't shown love or compassion for thirteen years… it was time to make amends.
Looking over to the clock and giving another forlorn sigh, he softly broke one of his hands from the grip and placed it onto her shoulder, giving her a slight nudge. Eventually, two silver orbs started lazily opening and searched the area. After resting her eyes on him, they stayed there, softly shifting back and forth. She knew he couldn't see it, but she knew he could feel her smile behind her mask.
"Imre..." She spoke in a sweet, soft whisper. She grasped the hand he was using to caress hers returning the pressure and the show of undying affection. He returned the gesture. She had experienced much happiness in the last two nights before they began the mission. The way she looked at him made it a little clear.
He looked at the hand he was grasping and gave another light squeeze. She suddenly frowned at remembering a single fact. They were about to reach Illos.
"We have to prepare for the mission," He softly told her almost as though he read her mind. Noticing the disappointed look on her eyes, he squeezed her hand and gave her an apologetic look. "I don't like it any more then you do, but we have to."
He saw her close her eyes and give a silent sigh. Opening her eyes, she gave a nod. He gave one last squeeze before letting go of the hand and letting it fall softly onto the bed. He started getting up before he felt a hand grasp his wrist. He turned to face Tali and raised a brow at her actions. Her eyes, glistening with the dim lighting of the room, looked into her lover's emerald eyes. He heard her stammer slightly.
"Could we…" she eventually spoke but stopped. He tilted his head at her and instantly knew what she was talking about. She would of said it freely, but didn't know if he'd agree. After all, he was always the one that started the kissing. Well, at least most of the time.
"Antibiotics?"
She took her hand from his wrist and opened her Omni-tool. She checked the antibiotics gauge and gave a content sigh. "It's small, but its strong." she responded, deactivating the Omni-tool and resting her hands on her stomach. Of course she used antibiotics rather regularly for the last two days, and to make every second count, she used extra strength antibiotics, courtesy of the good doctor in the Citadel.
Her eyes darted around slightly, still nervous as ever about being with Shepard in such an intimate location and situation. Her hands that had taken a rest on her stomach slowly found each other and fumbled nervously with each other. She wanted to kiss him one more time, to get some form of compensation that they would survive and further the short and rather instant, yet strong relationship they had formed.
He thought about it for a minute, his own mind filled with the same thoughts. He wanted to make what they had special and to cherish every moment. He knew that, in the short time they had to express it, their love was an energy that couldn't even be contained in the small room that they were sitting. Now that he thought about it... he was sure he liked her from the start. He let his logic and callousness fall to the pull on his desire to be with her. He nodded slightly to her, telling her that he too wanted it.
Tali's heart bumped a beat. Her face burned and she felt that her suit was raising ten degrees as she felt the small amount of perspiration on her hands form. She never exactly knew what caused this, but she was more then sure it was him. He raised his hands to his visor's protective seals and clicked it open. The fresh, slightly cold air from his quarters flooded his face, welcoming him to his room's uncontrolled environment.
He wanted to maintain a professional face when he took it off, but he knew the words that his eyes were now telling Tali could easily be understood. He diverted them briefly to try to control them, but they wouldn't change back to what he wanted. He heard her do the same with her own visor. His eyes removed themselves from the object in his hands and looked at the uncovered face dimly lit in the dim lighting of the room's sleep cycle. He smiled lovingly into her eyes, the flood of attraction and love growing with each second he stared. He found himself trapped in the gaze.
The soft glow of the room's transition between the day and night cycle, worked wonders with the gentle radiance of Tali's softly shimmering, silver eyes. He smiled as he felt his vision zoom in on her face, or was it his head slowly falling towards her? He didn't know, but he saw her eyes softly close and his own begin to fold close. He felt the warmth of her lips against his, but it was only a small peck. He pulled back again.
"I'm going to miss seeing that face of yours," He whispered to her.
"With what you told me, I'm sure you'll see enough of me," She responded as if she debated whether to say it or not. He knew what she was talking about and slowly nodded in agreement as his hands grabbed hers. The way she openly stated it… she was definitely opening up a little more.
She tossed around Shepard's hands before she pulled them from his grip, placing them on his face, a hand on each cheek. She brought him to her; he willingly let her control his face's direction. She brought him close to her and closed her eyes, preparing for the last kiss of the day, one that would be worth the short time. They never made contact this time. She lightly opened her eyes and tugged on his cheeks. Shepard had just stopped his head on the edge of her lips, his hot breath warming her lips, but their lips never made contact. She sighed with a loving frustration as she tried to move her head, but found that Shepard's hands had grabbed her helmet.
"Imre…" she said in a mix of frustration and longing.
She could just feel his hot breath and the edges of his lips graze her lusting lips. She breathed in his hot breath and could feel his own longing to press the romantic embrace, one of the highest of quarian affections. Her lips trembled as her heart raced at the pause that felt like an eternity of lingering. He breathed out slowly as he attempted to control his own desire to feel her lips on his. He pulled back and looked at her, sifting his hands to her hands, keeping them up above her head.
Her eyes spoke a world of constant love, an internal background shimmer. Her mouth was opened just enough to show her teeth. Shepard watched as her pupils shook slightly at staring at him. She sounded frustrated, but her face never showed it.
"I thought you would have gotten used to it by now." he simply told her in a gentle whisper.
She was going to speak until she saw him lunge onto her. Was he going to toy with her again? Was he going to torture her with his teasing once more? She didn't care for the response; she simply opened her mouth slightly.
Shepard's lips caressed Tali's with great care, as they made small circling motions causing a loving rub between their most lips. Shepard would pull slightly away from each kiss as he breathed, causing the small smacking noises from their lusting lips to break. Tali couldn't help but keep a smile as each kiss was applied to her. Her hand ran the length of Shepard's chest, stopping just at the top; her fingers rubbed affectionately against it as her other arm rose under his armpit and onto the back of his head.
The thoughts of the mission they would soon engage in quickly dissolved as they both felt the stimulation of contact with another. They quickly became lost in the moment as their hearts starting pulsing with attraction, beating with a rhythm that matched each of their bodies. It had happened before and they nearly lost control, had Shepard not heard the beeping of an antibiotic's affects wavering. He may have been a Human, but he was no stranger to a Quarians response to direct contact with anything. Neither of them felt the gravity pull them back down on the bed, but once they hit the soft sheets that were still a mess on the mattress, Imre repositioned himself between her legs as they fell into a room of just themselves.
Shepard kept himself propped as to not crush her with his arms as they continued to kiss. He shifted his body so he was resting just in between her legs that had instinctually spread from the affection. She quickly accepted him and wrapped her legs around his waist, but she knew this was only for kisses and nothing more, time and lack of equipment would not permit more, but she greatly enjoyed feeling his pressure against her and in positions that made her mind wonder to greater times and things to come. They both went in to feel each other's tongues causing them to lick each other only briefly. Tali's hips slightly began to wave like she was belly dancing against Shepard. She loved the feeling of the friction and pressure of her human lover against her. Shepard ran his hand down her side and across her cheek and ending at her thigh. His fingers kept moving as he held her legs up and began swaying his own hips into her.
Their kissing slowed, but did not lose any of its passion. The only noise they could hear in the room was their hearts and their heavy breathing. Shepard's hand rubbed past her cheek again, causing her to tense slightly, but she tensed even more when he caressed one of her breasts with his hand. She stopped the kiss to breath out again and look down at Imre's hand rub her breast. Her hips kept the slow pattern, maintaining the slow, underlying pleasure. She sighed out and pushed up on his causing him to fall on his back, but he sat up quickly.
She straddled his pelvis and kept her body up with her legs bent slightly. Her breasts were pushed against his powerful chest and her hips and stomach still rubbed against his body. She sighed again before she pressed her face back against his, their lips easily accepting each other. This was beyond how she would naturally act, but something unleashed this... demanding side of her... and she liked it. Anything for a more pleasurable, if brief, experience.
Tali's tongue softly massaged the muscle inside of Shepard's mouth. She shivered slightly when Shepard placed his hands on her shoulders and began to massage the soreness and tension from the work that she had been done; it was her first romantic massage with the man that she had deemed unreachable and the most fascinating. She felt herself melt on top of him.
She felt relaxed and Shepard could feel her relax more as he felt more of her weight fall on him. Both of his hands moved down her side and sat at her hips for a few seconds, feeling the rhythm and motion of her muscles tensing and contracting. Shepard kissed her passionately. He even sucked and bit slightly on her bottom lip. Tali really loved the feeling of the pressure of his teeth on her lips, softly gnawing on her tender bottom lip. Shepard's hands fell once more as he took both of her cheeks in her hands and pressed her curvaceous hips and stomach into his body. He had some control of the rhythm, but he just used it to tease Tali who loved feeling him touch her in such intimate ways.
A soft beeping noise filled the room from Tali's wrist. Shepard stopped almost instantly, but he moved his head slowly away from her, his eyes stuck in a dreamy state, but wanting and wishing for more. Tali bit her lip with frustration as her hand curled up into a fist.
"Bosh'tet…"
They pecked one last kiss before Tali resealed the mask and began to re-decontaminate her suits environment. She softly slid from his lap and stood up and looked around at Shepard who sat on the bed still. She walked back to him and pressed her visor against Shepard's.
"I love you Shepard…" she whispered to him, her eyes drooped almost closed as she stood there. His response was a firm hand on her back, a tight grip forming and repeating the words to her.
...
Location - Cargo Bay
"Lets move people!" Shepard shouted; the Spectre edition HMWA X Assault Rifle raised with one arm and his other arm gesturing to the Mako.
Kaiden was the first prepared and ready to move out. His weapon clanked against his light armor as he grabbed onto the high support railings and swung into the Mako. Next was Garrus, who was the second closest to the Mako. He double checked the Mako's statistics and nodded quickly to Shepard. Afterwards, he, too, climbed into the armored assault vehicle, nodding at Alenko who was buckling himself into the drivers seat.
Wrex was next, his heavy Warlord X armor making his footsteps heavier than ever. The large hump on his back swayed slightly, the armor covering it, moving to his own laborious steps. Shepard made sure to purchase him the heaviest weaponry he could find; it was the way Wrex did his job. Giving Shepard a slight nod as he walked over to the Mako, Wrex entered and took his seat on the side, crossing his arms and ignoring the belt since it wouldn't fit him even if he tried.
Liara appeared from the elevator, running towards the Mako and sealing the last part of her armor into place. She had grown accustomed to pistols, so she had two at each side with no other armament. She went past Shepard and into the Mako quite fast. She breathed heavily and looked around once inside. She saw Garrus and Kaiden in the front with Wrex to the side. She nodded to the Krogan as she took a seat across from the lizard-like warrior He simply grunted.
No sooner had Tali left the Engine room then the cargo bay doors started opening. Air rushed outward and Shepard waited patiently as she made her way to her locker. Shepard felt a strange feeling raise in his stomach. He cleared his throat once. It came back to him. He finally understood what it was and gave a low curse before he coughed.
Both their hoods were being tugged back by the large force of air sucking at them. She fumbled through the weapons and eventually gave a frustrated sigh. Dropping what little she didn't need, she only holstered her shogun and pistol. She quickly turned around and ran to the Mako. As she entered the APC, Shepard followed closely. As soon as he entered behind her, Kaiden started the sealing of the door behind him.
Imre looked around carefully. Wrex nodded at him. Garrus turned from looking at the Mako's statistics and also gave a nod. Liara activated her weapons and checked them. She turned her face to meet his and gave yet another nod. Alenko sat in the drivers seat, clicking what needed to be set to prepare for their drop into the hell zone that was Saren's location. If he could, Shepard knew Kaiden would also give yet a fourth nod.
Not wanting to waste any more time, Shepard moved past Wrex and Liara and sat across from Tali, ignoring the belt. He crossed his arms and kept his hands ready in case the dropping speed would cause the Mako to tilt head first instead of horizontally.
He looked up at the quarian and noticed she was surprisingly calm… or was trying very hard not to show how nervous she was. This is it, the final mission that will decide the fate of the galaxy in either our success or our failure. Nothing else matters… not now. Well, nothing but her. Shepard looked up briefly and locked eyes with Tali who had just looked at him. He finally saw the nerves flicker in her eyes, but another underlying motive to them echoed to him. He felt a stronger strength in his heart now as he turned back to where the mission was driving him.
Jokers voice filled the Mako's inner comm speakers. Joker started talking, giving Kaiden the necessary information to make this specifically dangerous drop. Imre and Tali merely looked at each other, everything going blank and voiceless.
Shepard gave a nod to her. She returned the gesture along with a slight wringing of her hands.
They held the eye contact as the Mako began moving, and the Normandy reached its drop point. Everyone straightened their backs and held onto the emergency railings on the sides of their seats, as the Mako got closer to the opened cargo bay doors.
As soon as Joker gave the green light, Kaiden kicked it into full gear.
The Mako literally shot out of the Normandy and dropped at an alarming speed. Shepard and all the others riding in the back, held onto the emergency railings; well, all besides Wrex, who laughed as Liara began shouting from the intensity of the drop.
Alenko quickly activated the thrusters on the sides of the Mako, quickly reducing the rate of drop and preparing the APC for the landing. Shepard noticed how close they were to the ground when the Mako jumped from landing rather violently. Everyone in the interior of the ship instantly jumped with the impact, but suffered no injuries. They dropped at an extremely dangerous level and speed… but they made it nonetheless.
Kaiden informed Shepard that they had just made it, but Saren managing to squeeze behind a thick gate of sorts. Shepard stood up and prepped Wrex to the door. Wrex, being as eager and energetic as a Krogan getting ready for his first battle, kicked the side hatch open instead of simply propping the door open.
Shepard shook his head at the ridiculousness of the Krogan psyche. He still raised his gun as his muscles tensed and the outside light blinded him. With a quick motion the team jumped from the hatch, landing in defensible poses on the ground. Shepard looked at the vine-covered door and sighed at the sight. They were going to have to take a detour to get this door open. He knew that Saren's plan had to be stopped.
"Lets get a move on." Shepard declared, removing the assault rifle from his back and activating it with a click. The application started as soon as the weapon activated, a small circle appearing over his eye. All but Tali looked at it the device with mixed confusion. He hadn't shown it to them. Deciding it would be easier as to not ask what it was, the others moved with him aside from Garrus and Alenko who stayed behind to secure the Mako from any wandering hostiles.
As they proceeded up the moist dirt floor, Imre looked down at the shallow areas of dirt and realized that there used to be a metallic walkway underneath them. As it seems, the soil must have broken through the metal covering over the years and without any maintenance; it was allowed to grow and spread. It truly was a ruined planet.
It wasn't long after they made it into the pathway that they heard the familiar clicking and sputtering of the Geth forces. Shepard's application quickly marked each target with a red triangle, though he was surprised when he found two Armatures, who were signified as purple octagons. Whether people could see it or not, the miniature words that appeared on Shepard's visor were in Khelish and whether the crew of the Normandy ever figure it out or not, he hardly ever spoke English.
"Wrex, Tali, right side!" he yelled, pointing two fingers to some cover the Geth had prepared before they had arrived. They ran to the cover before he could finish speaking, knowing what to do as soon as he called their names and pointed to the cover. Liara followed Shepard as he sank for cover to the left of them.
As soon as both groups landed onto their respective cover, a hale of Geth plasma fire erupted from the other side of the battlefield. The Commander peered over the cover and made out three common white Geth with one red missile trooper. The Armatures were not far from them, but given the direction they were facing, it would be a while before they could get a shot at them. A series of burning plasma bit into his cover and exploded chucks of the thick metal barrier. Shepard ducked behind his cover as he waited for the fire to stop before he poked a cautious eye up again.
By the time Shepard stood to fire, Wrex had already let out a round on the closest Geth to him, though it was at a medium range instead of the preferred range for shotguns. Nevertheless, the Geth fell as fragments of the round hit it enough times to take out its shields and pierce its synthetic 'flesh'. Shepard took aim through the virtual scope on his visor and aimed directly at the Geth behind the one Wrex had recently 'killed' and fired a full burst. As expected with all Spectre master gear, the HMWA X fired accurately and smoothly with barely a hint of recoil on it. The Geth fell as fast as the first one had fallen, two loud thuds hitting its chest as the initial three hit and deactivated its shields.
Liara and Tali had taken out their pistols during the deaths of the two Geth shock troopers and started firing, Liara ducking behind cover and Tali peering over the heavily armored Krogan. Their shots were scattered and inaccurate but managed to damage a Geth, though not enough to kill or incapacitate it. The Geth, in turn, fired at Wrex, whose shields took the plasma fire before depleting at the third round. The Krogan was forced to take cover, Tali following suite. Shepard rose from his cover and gave a tug at the Geth, his hands becoming blue with biotic energy and bringing the Geth to him instantly. The synthetic soldier in turn hit his cover with a loud thud and tried to recover before being shot by the Asari that hid behind Shepard.
Three of the triangles that were stacked on Shepard's upper left corner of the visor had disappeared. All that remained were the missile trooper and the two armatures. The last triangle instantly faded as Wrex raised the last of the Geth, the missile trooper, into the air, both of its arms held in his. He pulled the Geth apart at the arms and watched its torso fall to the ground. He brought his foot down on the "flashlight head" of the Geth trooper who would have raised his hands to protect its head, but quickly became aware that its arms were sitting on the ground a couple feet away. Wrex's heavy boots smashed the Geth's head into a sputtering and electrical mess. He laughed to himself. Shepard turned back to the two purple octagons.
The Armatures had finally prepared for the strike, both of them positioning their legs in front of them and raising their 'heads' as high as they could manage.
"Cover!" Shepard shouted as he sank behind his cover and pressed his rifle against his chest. Wrex also sank for cover with Tali behind him, or more accurately in front of him since he followed what Shepard had done, pressing his shotgun against his chest. Liara was sitting beside Shepard and simply pressed both her hands against the cover, her back lying solidly against it.
The Armatures sent a shot to each cover piece, one to Shepard's position and the other to Wrex's.
The result was an aurora of blue and purple mist appearing and going past them violently with a loud explosion behind the cover they were hiding behind. The same happened with Wrex, though he had to anchor his feet to the floor to stop his cover from being pushed back since it wasn't as heavy as Shepard's.
As soon as the two synthetic heavy units stopped firing, Shepard and Wrex ran from their cover, crossing each other as they ran for different cover diagonally. As they ran they also fired upon the two machines, Shepard in bursts and Wrex in heavily recoiling shots.
By the time they reached their cover the Armatures once again prepped to fire. Tali and Liara started firing at the blue bulbs on each of them, Liara with her two pistols and Tali with her single one. Liara managed to damage one and hit its bulb directly resulting in an implosion from the bulb and through the body, a glorious combustion of blue energy and mechanical failure.
The other however fired upon Wrex, ignoring its fallen brethren and anchoring its feet on top of a fallen Geth. Wrex anchored his feet once more, his feet digging into the soil and body pressing heavily against the crate he had hid himself behind. It pushed back even more violently then the other cover; mostly due to how close they now were to the Armature.
As soon as the blue and purple aurora faded past him, he roared and took aim with his shotgun. He fired round after round into the machine until his weapon overheated. As the heavy unit readied another shot, Shepard took aim with his assault rifle and fired at its neck, then its 'head'. It resulted in another explosion, except this one had more of itself remaining, fragments flying off.
Imre waited for the remainder of what it used to be to fly off in every direction before peering over the corner and scanning for hostiles. He kept a close eye on every little detail in the area for a full five seconds before eventually grunting in satisfaction.
He rose with a mumble, declaring, "Clear." to his team, who also rose. They each walked over to the synthetic dead and looked for any signs of a feigned death. Satisfied with the acknowledgment of their permanent deactivations, Shepard stepped over a Geth corpse and continued deeper into the ruined city. Saren had undoubtedly proceeded very far into the ruined city and closer to the Conduit, wherever it was. The rogue spectre was far ahead… but Shepard was determined to catch up with him, and slit his throat.
We may be... 'overdoing' the passion between the two, but apparently there can never be too much... unless reviewers suggest otherwise. Speak your mind, for you may receive what you plea for... or not.
A/N: Same thing may happen with chapters 19-20, though some changes may be made to that chapter concerning beginnings and endings.