Once he'd stowed his gear in his locker, Kaidan joined Tali down in engineering at her customary location in front of the drive. Currently, she was trying to lock on to a message that was looping through geth signals in order to locate their main base of operations. It had been a long day for the two of them and Shepard as they'd tracked down and obliterated each of the geth outposts located in the Armstrong cluster. The four bases had all been heavily guarded and reinforcements had been just a dropship away. The only small reprieve they'd had gotten had been the travel time between planets.

After they'd cleared the fourth base, Shepard radioed for extraction and the three of them piled into the Mako to wait for the Normandy to arrive. Tali had already begun the tracking process and was lost in the work as she hunched over her omni-tool with extreme focus. With a groan, Shepard pulled her helmet off revealing the tangled, matted mess of her hair and dropped it to the floor at her feet. She'd sagged back in the seat, her armor plates thudding softly against his as she leaned ever so slightly against Kaidan. Long before the gentle purr of the Normandy's engines filled the air, Shepard had been asleep on his shoulder. Kaidan hadn't had the heart to wake her until the Mako had been secured back in the cargo bay. She'd rushed off quickly once he'd finally nudged her awake and he'd busied himself cleaning his gear. Now, with that out of the way, he had time to kill while they waited for the coordinates to their next location; hence the visit to Tali.

"Hey Tali."

"Kaidan," she greeted him without looking up from the console in front of her.

"I was wondering; how did you manage to launch so many tech attacks so quickly?"

At each of the bases, Tali had been a whirling spitfire of tech support; she'd launch a hacking program to temporarily override a geth's programming to force it to fight on their side, followed by a blast of her shotgun and another tech attack to overheat their weapons. Kaidan had never seen an omni-tool recharge so quickly.

She looked up then, her eyes glowing from behind the purple tint of her helmet. "You haven't overclocked your omni-tool's microframe?" Something in his face must have given Tali his answer. "Here, let me show you while we wait on that signal."

In truth, he hadn't even thought of that. Though the Logic Arrest didn't have the best tech cooldown rates out of available models, it had higher than average shield enhancements and was better equipped at handling medi-gel distribution than any other omni-tool on the market. Both were things he relied on extensively and didn't want to compromise for faster tech.

Before she'd dug too deep into the operating system, her own omni-tool beeped with results from the signal tracking. "We've got them! Let's go tell Shepard that we should set a course for Solcrum."

When they arrived at the facility located on Notanban's largest moon, more than one geth colossus sat in wait for them. The large machines kept flanking them, prolonging the battle. When the Mako began to smoke, Shepard parked it as close to the facility as she could and ordered the others to evacuate the smoking ruins of their vehicle. They used the dome shaped building as cover. Each colossus lumbered across the crusty surface, one on each side. Kaidan stretched around the dome, concentrating all of his energy into his biotics and lifted one of the machines with everything he had in him. He staggered with the sheer amount of power it took, but the geth floated a few meters in the air. The three of them took advantage of the slight reprieve and slid along the exterior wall to keep the bunker between themselves and the second colossus while opening firing on the lifted machine.

It went down in a heap of metal and they turned their attention to the last remaining machine. As they fought, Kaidan's monitoring system pinged to alert him that their suits were struggling against the radiation of the moon. They needed to finish this fight and get in the bunker quickly, before their suits failed completely. The Mako was their primary safehaven against environmental hazards but, in the state it was in, it would offer no protection until it had been repaired. Once the second colossus exploded in a shower of sparks, the three of them darted through the door of the bunker. Kaidan's heart froze as Shepard sank low against one wall in the entry.

"I'm okay," she said with a grim smile, pulling her helmet off as he hurried to her side. She'd taken the brunt of the attacks as she tried to be everywhere at once to keep him and Tali safe. "The medical interface I have installed in my armor will perk me up in no time." He narrowed his eyes at her but, upon finding no visible wounds, begrudgingly took a step back without administering any further doses of medi-gel.

As he waited for her to feel up to moving forward, Kaidan voiced one of the absent thoughts he'd been pondering over since they'd first encountered Tali. "If the geth revere the reapers as gods, what the hell were they like?"

"Let's hope we never find out," Shepard said, reaching out her hand and letting him pull her to her feet.

Ready to throw herself back into the fray, Shepard led the charge into the depths of the bunker with a vigor that belied the fact that she'd been on her last reserves of strength just moments ago. With her renewed fury at the forefront of the assault, it didn't take long to clear the building of its unwelcome inhabitants. As the last geth finally went still, Shepard hurried across the room and shut down the transmitter. With a few swipes of her fingers, all of the encrypted files on the geth terminal were downloaded on to her omni-tool.

Tali stared out over the silent, sparking husks of the machines. "We did it," she said, her voice filled with incredulous glee over their victory.

"Damn right we did! Let's get back to the ship. I've got a present for Garrus," Shepard grinned.

Shepard winced as she peeled her undersuit off of her sweat slicked skin. She tossed it to the floor and contorted her body to look over her tender flesh. A dark bruise was already forming on her ribcage. With a sigh, she pulled open one of her drawers and began wrapping the bruised ribs to provide some support to the damaged muscles. She couldn't afford to be immobilized or put on bed rest so the tape would have to do. With some luck and infiltrator skills, perhaps she could also pilfer some ice from the chow hall without anyone being any the wiser.

Just as she was pulling her tank top on over the tape, her intercom buzzed. "Commander Shepard, I have Admiral Hackett on the line," Private Draven informed her. "Would you like me to patch him through to your private terminal or the comm room?"

"Here's fine, Private. Thank you." With motions as quick as she could muster, Shepard shrugged into her uniform blouse before answering the transfer. When she looked mildly presentable—the best it was going to get at this moment—she flicked the monitor on and Hackett's face popped into view.

"We just received your report. Looks like this geth incursion was bigger than we thought. They were probably preparing for a major offensive in the system. We're increasing patrols in the Armstrong cluster to make sure they can't establish another foothold in the region. Nice job, Shepard. You saved a lot of lives on this mission."

"Just doing my job, Admiral."

"Maybe," his deep voice acquiesced. "Still, it's good to know that you haven't forgotten your Alliance roots now that you're a Spectre." He paused, watching her carefully with bright blue eyes set in his deeply lined face. "Your report isn't the only reason I've contacted you. I've received some information I thought you'd want to see, Commander. Someone is killing former Alliance scientists. There have been four deaths in the past month."

Shepard's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Sounds like someone has a project they'd like to keep secret. Are they connected with each other?"

"With each other…and you. They all worked on a classified project several years ago. On Akuze."

"Akuze?" Shepard's forehead furrowed into deep lines as she considered the implication of this words. "Wait…you're telling me our scientists were involved?"

"I can't get any information on what they were working on. The project records were sealed, but if it was more than just an accident, we need to know."

Shepard closed her eyes against the thought for a brief second and resisted the urge to suck her bottom lip between her teeth, a sure sign of weakness. "You want me to look into it." It was a statement, not a question.

"Commander…Shepard," Hackett said with a shake of his head. A hint of softness dulled his usual gruff, no nonsense voice. Her jaw clenched in response; she didn't need his pity. "What you do with this is up to you. I just thought you'd want to know. Should you decide to pursue this yourself there was one other scientist on the project that should still be alive: Dr. Wayne. I'm transmitting his last known coordinates to your terminal. Good luck, whatever you decide. Fifth Fleet out." He didn't wait for her response before terminating the connection.

Shepard's dim reflection stared back at her from the dark terminal after Hackett's picture blinked from the screen. The image swam before her eyes, morphing into a younger woman with light brown hair and blue eyes full of laughter before Shepard blinked and the ghost of the woman was gone again. Hackett was right. Shepard had been around too long, or maybe was just too cynical, to believe in coincidences. If there was someone out there responsible for the massacre six years ago, Shepard would find them and make sure they paid for their sins.

"I would advise against that, Shepard," Garrus's voice rose in the cargo bay.

Kaidan looked up from the weapons bench where he was helping Ash clean some of their firearms. Well, more like keeping her company. She was very particular about the weapons and tended to re-clean behind him so Kaidan had given up on assisting her and resigned himself to chatting instead. Shepard's arms were crossed tightly across her chest and she stared down at the crouched turian. He didn't hear what she said in return, but Garrus pulled himself up to his full height to argue back. Kaidan and Ash exchanged a look of concern and then both crossed over to the Mako.

"Is everything alright?" Kaidan asked.

"Shepard is insisting on taking the Mako planet-side. It's not ready yet," Garrus explained.

Shepard scoffed. "Oh, is that what it is?"

"Of course. What else would it be?"

She watched him silently for a moment. "Whatever. I drop in an hour. You have until then to get it as ready as you can."

"Wait," Kaidan said, planting himself in front of her as she turned to the elevators. "What do you mean you drop?"

"Seems pretty self-explanatory, Alenko."

He pulled her a step to the side and his voice dropped with a reminder of her previous promise. "What happened to never leaving your medic behind?"

She paused, likely remembering the circumstances under which they'd had that conversation, but her face hardened. "I'm a fully trained N7 infiltrator. In and out, on my own. No need for a medic. Or anyone else. Now move." Her eyes were cold as steel as she surveyed him, daring him to challenge her orders.

"No." The firmness in Kaidan's voice surprised even himself. She frowned, her eyebrows forming straight lines while her jaw dropped, forming a tiny o between her plump lips. Garrus turned and stared at him as well, his mandibles twitching back and forth.

"I mean it, Kaidan. This is personal." He crossed his own arms and raised an eyebrow at her, holding his breath because she could lay him on his ass if she really wanted to. A pissed sigh forced its way from her lungs. "I don't have time for this. If you're ready when we reach the drop zone, you can go. Now, excuse me, but I need to go put on my armor. Unless you want me going like this?" Her eyebrows lifted in frustrated annoyance as her hands made a loose sweep down her body, indicating her non-protective BDUs.

"If the LT is going, so am I," Ashley said decisively.

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" Shepard threw her hands in the air. "Fine. But you're coming as strictly backup. I don't wanna hear a word from either of you, got it?"

As the Mako dropped to the surface of Ontarom, the tension vibrated off Shepard in waves. The planet, despite being incredibly hot, had an atmosphere ideal for habitation so none of them had bothered with their helmets. The tight clench of Shepard's jaw and the iron grip of her hands on the wheel left an alarmed feeling in the pit of Kaidan's stomach. He hadn't seen her balled up with this much anxious energy and anger since…Edolus. Could this be related to Cerberus? Why had she wanted to come alone?

Keeping their promise, Kaidan and Ashley said nothing to her. They didn't say a word, only clutched at their harnesses, as she drove the Mako up a nearly vertical incline and then back down the other side. They kept quiet as bullets ricocheted off the hull from sniper fire across the valley. When she slammed the vehicle to a stop in front of a cylindrical bunker peeking out of the ground, the two of them scrambled silently behind her as she climbed out of the hatch, her pistol booming her reply to the angry shouts of the mercenaries that opened fire.

There were more hostiles than Shepard had apparently accounted for. Kaidan's omni-tool registered multiple hits to her suit and her shields stuttered and then disintegrated, leaving her wide open to their shots. He flung two closely grouped mercs over the side of the plateau while Ash's assault rifle blurted out a rat-a-tat response of its own. One mercenary charged out from behind the cover of some crates and managed to squeeze off a round from his shotgun before a flick of Kaidan's wrist sent the man soaring up through the air. The force of the shotgun blast dropped Shepard to one knee. Her pistol clattered out of her hand as she clutched her side with a muffled cry of anguish.

Leaving Ashley to finish the last merc—a task he knew she was more than capable of handling—Kaidan lowered himself next to Shepard and gently peeled her hand from her side. She'd been close to the merc, too close, and the scattered buckshot of the blast hadn't radiated far, wedging themselves in a small cluster along her ribs. Luckily, none had pierced through the dense fabric of the durable suit she wore…Kaidan frowned. She shouldn't be in this much pain.

"Damn it, Shepard! How bad is it?"

"It's nothing," she forced out from between clenched teeth. "Just took me by surprise, that's all."

"So help me God…tell me the truth or I will carry you back to the Mako and call for an extraction." She couldn't stop him, not in this state, and both of them knew it.

"You know, you promised not to say a word." An amused snort followed which morphed into a groan. "Okay, okay. Bruised my ribs on Solcrum." Though clouded with pain, her green eyes were intense and focused when she turned them to him. "I need to do this, Kaidan. It's…it might be related to Akuze."

Kaidan sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Okay. Against my better judgment, but okay. We'll get you inside and help you get answers." She pressed her lips together and nodded with a small smile before relenting to what little first aid he could provide for her ribs.

Shepard went along without complaint when Kaidan gestured for Ash to take point as the three of them entered the compound. The medi-gel he'd given her seemed to be easing the pain slightly, though they both knew it wasn't a cure. Only rest would do that and Kaidan doubted she would give herself the necessary time for a full recovery. His omni-tool vibrated with an alert as they approached one of the interior doors; a warning that hostiles waited on the other side. His fingers circled around Shepard's wrist to hold her back while he checked the enemy's positions.

Once through the door, Shepard pressed herself flat against a column opposite the door and, as Kaidan lifted and threw any mercenaries in his range, she ducked around the cover to take each of them down with a single headshot. Ash guarded the both of them, making sure no one could sneak up around them. Kaidan grinned at the two women once he'd confirmed that the room was clear. They worked well together, the three of them.

They reached the last room, having found nothing as of yet that Shepard was looking for. Muffled voices of arguing men could be heard beyond the door. Weapons at the ready, they approached the door cautiously. The hissing beep of the parting metal announced their arrival and a man in armor, his back to them, immediately raised his pistol and pointed it at the man in a scientist's jumpsuit.

"Stay back!" The man barely glanced over his shoulder at them. "I've got no grief with you! All I want is this bastard!"

Voice cracking with panic, the scientist pleaded with the gunman though his eyes locked onto his would-be rescuers in sheer desperation. Given the circumstances, 'madman' and 'insane' probably weren't the best choice of words. Shepard's pistol drooped, the muzzle pointing at the ground as her jaw went slack.

"What did you call him?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

The gunman turned his body so he was facing their group, but he kept his pistol pointed at the man he held hostage. "Shepard? My god, Shepard, is that you?"

Shepard took a step back, her face paling as though she had seen a ghost. "Toombs? But…you were on Akuze! I saw the thresher maw pull you under!"

His voice thick with anger, Toombs explained to her that Akuze had been a set-up by these scientists, the doctor before him one of them. They'd lured the threshers to the location and then watched so they could study the creatures. When some of the soldiers had been found alive, the scientists had studied them too, right down to the effect of maw acid on their internal organs when injected, among a slew of other inhumane experiments. As could only be expected, the scientist protested. Ice ran through his veins as Kaidan noted that the man never said it didn't happen, just said that Toombs had no proof.

"I…I didn't see anybody. I looked Toombs, I swear I looked. If I'd known you survived…" The repentance was thick in her voice as she trailed off. Kaidan ached to give her some comfort, but he wasn't what she needed right now. For her, Kaidan knew, only Toombs could grant her the forgiveness she wanted for surviving, even if what she really needed was to forgive herself.

Toombs' hand clenched the grip of the pistol, his finger tightening on the trigger. "This man deserves to die, Shepard. For you, for me, for everyone else in the unit. Are you with me?"

"I can arrest him. He'll answer for his crimes in court." The room froze. Though her eyes were wild with anger and grief, Shepard's words were firm, unwavering. Kaidan's eyes darted from Shepard to Toombs to the scientist and back again. She didn't let criminals walk, nor did she give them the easy way out by the barrel of a pistol. Kaidan steeled himself for the coming fight without flaring to avoid giving himself away to the unstable man, in case Shepard couldn't get Toombs to see her way. If he could spare her the pain of having to pull the trigger herself, Kaidan would do it.

"Weren't you listening?" Toombs shouted. "He was part of a secret organization! I don't know what Cerberus is, but they'll never let their operation become public." Shepard's head jerked to the scientist and the tension on her pistol increased as she tried to steady her shaking hand. Toombs continued, pressing the advantage when he sensed her wavering. "This is the only way! Are you helping me, or are you killing me?"

"What makes you better than him if you just kill him now?" she glared at him, her hand once again stabile.

"You can't judge me! You don't have the right! You got away with a few scratches and a scary reputation while the rest of our unit died. I was tortured for years!"

"You think I don't want revenge for Akuze?" she snapped. "Listen, Toombs! What we want isn't important. 3rd platoon needs justice. Arresting him helps get that."

A harsh, sucking noise filled the room as Toombs swallowed the revenge he'd spent the last six years planning. "Hadn't thought of it like that. Just as long as he goes to trial." The muzzle of his pistol turned to the ground as the man's haunted eyes looked up to Shepard's. "The vids say that you were the sole survivor of what happened at Akuze. Who am I to argue?"

"No!" Lightning fast, Shepard launched herself at the man, mindless of her injury. The shot meant for himself went wild and the bullet buried itself in the ceiling as Shepard tackled Toombs to the ground. In the chaos, the scientist tried to make a break for it. Ashley's armored fist knocked the man to the floor and Kaidan grabbed him before he could scurry away.

Shepard sat on the floor with the man, her arm around his heaving shoulders as his sobs filled the room. "Toombs, I don't want to be the sole survivor, I never did." Kaidan could just barely make out the sound of her voice. He tried not to listen, but her words filled his ears anyway. "You have to help them, Toombs. Only you can tell everyone what Cerberus did to you, to all of them. 3rd platoon still needs you, more than they've ever needed me. Please don't stop helping them now."

When he finally nodded, Shepard let go of him long enough to radio Joker. Hackett, aware of the situation, should have a ship nearby. She wanted it for pick-up. It only took a few hours for the small transport ship to arrive to collect the two men. The Cerberus scientist was placed in cuffs. Shepard shared one last hug with Toombs before he followed, finally on his way to the help he would need after everything he'd been through.

Shepard crossed wearily to Kaidan's side. Her green eyes danced with anger, reminding him of the old Greek myths he read about as a kid of liquid fire and its all-consuming nature, burning even on water when it should have been extinguished. "I'm going to hunt down every last Cerberus fuck I can find and I am going to make. Them. Suffer."

Author's Note: I've been struggling for the past couple weeks to make my deadline to publish every Tuesday. Forcing myself to meet the schedule has sucked a lot of fun out of writing at the moment. I will continue the story, but I can't promise regular updates right now. I hope you will understand.