I'm really sorry this one took so long to get out. I got hit with an extreme case of writer's block again. And since I've always had a policy of 'Update when it's ready' that really can't be helped.
"Shepard, wake up."
The Commander opened her eyes to see the Doctor's face over her. Shepard groaned, shook her head, and got up off the TARDIS's floor. "What happened?" She inquired.
"You collapsed like a bunch of bricks." The Doctor said. "I can only assume it's because of Compassion sorting through your memories. How are they?"
"Honestly, I only really got the general details." Shepard answered.
"Oh... Well, I suppose that's for the best." The Doctor stated. "We can't have you running around with all sorts of forbidden knowledge, can we?"
"I guess not." Shepard agreed.
"I've went ahead and dropped Compassion off on an unsettled planet. She'll be free to do whatever she plans with the baby TARDISes in relative peace. We can head back to the Normandy whenever you're ready."
"Then what are you waiting for?" Shepard rhetorically asked. "Get us back."
The Doctor nodded, and set the TARDIS into motion. Moments later, the engines ground to a halt, and the timeship settled. Shepard moved to open the door and looked out, before realizing-
"This isn't the Normandy." Shepard noted, looking out at the massive Asari city in front of her. "Does this happen on a regular basis?"
"Not... really?" The Doctor lied, moving towards the scanner. "According to the map, we're on Ilium, an Asari colony. Don't worry, I'll have us back on board the Normandy in to time."
"Wait." Shepard interrupted the Doctor's movements. "The next two people I'm supposed to recruit are here on Ilium."
"Well, I suppose that saves us a bit of time." The Doctor conceded. "So, if you're wanting to recruit them, who do you want to go for first?"
"We should go for Samara first." Shepard replied. "I get the feeling that we won't be needing an assassin for the moment."
"Right." The Doctor nodded, throwing on his coat. "You should... suit up? I think that's the term. I hope it is. I don't keep guns aboard, you understand, but there should be some suits of armor hidden in the back of one of the storerooms."
Shepard nodded, and went off to go find what she was looking for. Moments later, she came back, wearing a hardsuit very similar in appearance to the armor that stereotypical knights wore.
"Why do you have one of these?" Shepard wondered, looking at the gauntlets on the armor.
"I borrowed it." Was all he said. "Susan!" He shouted into one of the corridors. "Shepard and I are going out, you're in charge of the TARDIS while we're gone. No joyrides!"
"Got it, grandfather!" Susan shouted back. "You two have fun on your date!"
The Doctor did a double-take. "Th-that is just wrong on so many levels!" He then sighed, and turned to Shepard. "Well then, let's be off." The Doctor said, opening the door, and stepping out. "Any idea where we are?" He inquired, looking at the unfamiliar surroundings.
"No idea." Shepard truthfully replied. "I don't make it a habit to travel to planets that legally condone slavery. Or as they would call it 'indentured servitude.'"
"'A rose by any other name smells the same.'" The Doctor agreed, using as quote that shouldn't have fit the situation.
"Did you just quote who I thought you did?" Shepard questioned.
"I quote lots of people." The Doctor retorted, as he and Shepard walked along.
"But Shakespeare?"
"Who d'you think came up with that one in the first place?" The Doctor responded, with a slight twinkle in his eye.
"No... You're shitting me!"
"I most certainly am not! Poor old chap came down with a case of the flu, so I had to finish some of his stuff for him while he got better."
Shepard just scoffed in disbelief as a response. "Any other famous authors you filled in for?"
"Well, I gave Jules the inspiration for writing Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Then there was that business with Agatha Christie that bled into some of her works, but then again, that wasn't really filling in per say... After that I met Douglas Adams. Splendid fella, that one. Gave him the inspiration for Dirk Gently. Then I had to write out about a quarter of the Declaration of Independence. And don't even get me started on the Treaty of Versailles."
"You're not serious."
"As serious as spoiled custard and rotten fish-fingers... Okay, I wouldn't go that far." After shaking his head at his last statement, something caught the Time Lord's eyes. "A police station... Perhaps they have some idea where we can find Samara?"
"Good eye." Shepard complimented, leading the way into the police station, as the Doctor followed with a look of pride on his face.
The two passed through the entrance, and walked up to the Asari detective at her desk.
"Commander Shepard." The Asari addressed, recognizing Shepard. "Welcome to my district, I'm detective Anaya. What can I do for you?"
"We're looking for a Justicar named Samara." Shepard truthfully answered.
"If you've got a score to settle with Samara, take it somewhere else." The detective sternly replied. "I've got more than enough trouble already."
"All I need to do I ask for her help with something, and then we'll be on our way." She outlined, gesturing to herself and the Doctor.
"Justicars usually work alone, but they they tend to be drawn to impossible causes." Detective Anaya stated.
"Well, I suppose that's step one complete." The Doctor piped up.
"If you want to get her out of my district, I'll get you to her ASAP." Anaya offered. "She's at the crime scene. It's outside and on the right of the station."
"You seem awfully anxious to get her out of here." Shepard noted.
"My bosses want me to detain her. They're afraid she'll cause a cross-species incident. But that code of hers won't let her be taken into custody. If I try it, she'll have to kill me." She explained. "I have no interest in dying, so if you lure her away with some big noble cause before I have to carry out my orders, I'll be glad to help you."
"Then I suppose we'd better get this done before you have to take her in." Shepard said, moving to the door.
"Hold on." The detective said, stopping Shepard in her tracks. "That crime scene's Eclipse territory. They'll slaughter you if you don't have a gun." She approached the weapons locker sitting in the corner of the station, and pulled an Eviscerator shotgun out of it. She approached Shepard, and handed it to the Commander. "It's the only one I can spare, so don't lose it. Good luck."
Shepard nodded, and she and the Doctor left the station, heading around the corner, through the police line, and into the alley. There were three mercs clustered together, talking amongst each other.
Shepard activated her omni-tool, and fired an incineration blast down the alley, setting one of the mercs alight. The other two frantically scrambled to take Shepard out, only to be stopped by their guns not firing.
"Now," The Doctor began, lowering his sonic screwdriver, "you two can try to fight my associate here, and be killed. Or you can run, and live to see another day. What do you say, eh? No hard feelings?"
The two mercs looked at each other, nodded, and readied their omni-blades, charging at Shepard.
But that proved to be especially stupid, because as soon as they got within range, Shepard unleashed the full power of the shotgun at them, shredding into them, and leaving them dead on the floor.
The Doctor shook his head, simply saying nothing as he gingerly stepped over the bodies, and followed Shepard through the door at the end of the alley.
As the two went through, an Asari Eclipse member slammed into the wall next to them, falling to the floor in a heap.
Further in the room, Samara herself was facing off against another Asari as she glowed with blue Biotic energy.
"Those were my best troops!" The Eclipse merc said, shaking with fear.
"Tell me what I need to know, and I will be long gone from here. Where did you send her?" Samara demanded, her voice cold and unfeeling.
"You think I'd betray her?" The other Asari asked, holding an incredulous tone. "She'd hurt me in ways you couldn't imagine!"
"The name of the ship." Samara repeated. "Your life hangs on the answer, Lieutenant."
"You can kill me, but one of us will take you down, Justicar." The other Asari vowed. She leveled her weapon, and moved to shoot, but was instantly stopped by being lifted into the air by Samara's biotics, and she was thrown through a pane of glass, to the level below.
Samara jumped down after her, slowing her descent as she did so, and the Justicar approached the Lieutenant. The other Asari scrambled to get away, but Samara was faster.
The Justicar put her foot on the merc's neck. "What was the name of the ship she left on?" Samara asked for the final time.
"Go to hell." The other Asari grunted.
Samara stayed silent for a moment. "Find peace in the embrace of the goddess." She said, before twisting her foot, and with it, the merc's neck.
Looking up from the now-dead Eclipse Lieutenant, Samara spotted the Doctor and Shepard approaching her. "My name is Samara, a servant of the Justicar Code. My quarrel is with these Eclipse sisters, but you are well-armed." She directed to Shepard. "Are we friend? Or foe?"
"Friend." The Doctor hastily nodded. "Definitely friend."
"That merc was wounded and helpless. Do you just kill anyone who won't help you?" Shepard accused.
"If my cause is important enough, yes." Samara calmly responded. "Are you different?"
"I've killed people," Shepard shamelessly admitted, "but always with good reason."
"I answer to a code that is clearly define. If my actions are true to that code, I am just. If they are not, I am unjust." Samara explained. "I don't pretend it is a simple matter, or that it seems right to everyone, but I sleep well at night, and that is more than most can say. How may I be of service to you?"
"I'm going up against suicidal odds, and I need the best-that's you." Shepard truthfully answered.
"I sense the truth in what you say, and it humbles me. But I seek an incredibly a dangerous fugitive. I cornered her here, but the Eclipse smuggled her off-world. I must find the name of the ship she left on before the trail goes cold." Samara explained.
"I wish you were willing to go with Shepard, Justicar." Detective Anaya said from nowhere, approaching the group. "I've been ordered to take you into custody if you won't leave."
"You risk a great deal by following your orders, Detective. Fortunately, I will not have to resist. My code obligates me to cooperate with you for one day. After that, I must return to my investigation."
The detective shook her head. "I won't be able to release you that soon."
"You will not be able to stop me." That didn't sound like Samara was making a threat. It sounded like a promise.
"Um, excuse me, if I may." The Doctor interjected, waving his hands about awkwardly. "It sounds like you want her to leave, detective, but her code won't let her until she gets what she wants. But she can't get what she wants if she's in your custody. And you can't release her to get what she wants because that's be disobeying your superiors, right?"
"That's right. What are you suggesting?"
"Well, if Shepard and I were to go get what Samara wants, and bring it back, she'd have no reason to stay, and you'd have no reason to keep her, and we can go our separate ways without one of us dying."
"That is reasonable." Samara nodded. "You should begin by speaking to Pitne For, a Volus merchant. He used to associate with the Eclipse, but now they are planning to kill him. If you speak to him, get the truth out of him, he may know a way into the Eclipse base."
"Well, I've got to get back to the station. And I guess I've got to take you with me." Detective Anaya said with a distinct tone of discomfort as she approached Samara.
Samara nodded, and followed the Detective out of the room.
The Doctor and Shepard followed them out, but headed back to the large area in front of the police station, where a Volus, presumably Pitne For, was standing around, looking perturbed.
"Hello, Earth-clan." The merchant greeted. "What can I do for you?"
"The Eclipse are after you." Shepard began. "I want to know why."
"I know nothing of any mercenaries, Earth-clan." For denied. "I am merely an innocent merchant, trying to make his way in life."
"The Eclipse are out for your blood; I need help to break into their base." Shepard said, getting closer. "Shouldn't we work together?"
Pitne sighed. "Yes. I suppose you are correct, Earth-clan. Let's talk. I smuggled a chemical onto Ilium that boosts biotic power in combat."
"I don't see why they would kill you over that." Shepard interrupted.
"They would not... but the chemical is extremely toxic. I may have -erm- forgotten to mention that to the Eclipse, so now they are furious, and want my blood."
"Well, tell you what: Ill cut you a deal. You get me into the Eclipse base, and I'll get them to stop going after you." Shepard very calmly outlined.
"Into their base!?" The Volus was not as calm. "Why would you want to go in there!?"
"Does that really matter? You want to get the Eclipse off of you, and all I want is to get into their base. Trust me, this is the best deal you can get given the situation."
"...Very well." The Volus conceded. "I did have a passcard to get inside. Well, they took that when they found me out. But I did happen to make a copy. Take it. But be careful, every Eclipse sister commits murder to earn her uniform-no exceptions."
"Thanks for the tip." Shepard said, taking the keycard, before leaving and pulling along the Doctor. The two walked to the back of the police station, and into the waiting elevator. The door slid open, and the two stepped in. "I hope this all goes alright." Shepard suddenly said, as the elevator moved up the shaft. "I don't usually do the whole 'one-man army' thing."
"We'll be fine." The Doctor responded, as the elevator slowed to a halt.
The door opened, and Shepard instantly spotted a mech waiting for them. She reacted immediately and fired at its head, talking it clean off, and causing the mech to shut down. She crouched down, pulled the pistol from its broken chassis, and got one one side of the door. The Doctor got on the other side, and the door slid open, allowing access into a large room, filled with more Eclipse and canisters of the toxic compound that was smuggled in.
Shepard peeked around the corner and fired three shots at the head of the closest Eclipse merc. The first two ripped through her shields, the last one ripped through her head, scattering blood everywhere, and causing the merc to die instantly.
The Doctor, meanwhile, was aiming the sonic screwdriver at the toxic canisters, and pressing the activator down, causing the canisters to explode and scatter their contents all over the Eclipse. While this may have caused their biotic powers to increase in strength, the Eclipse started breathing the chemicals in, and started choking to death. The Doctor grimaced as they all started falling to the floor, dead.
"Now how are we going to get through?" Shepard asked. "That's the only way, and we'll choke trying to go through."
The Doctor turned to Shepard, fixing her with a look of amusement, like he knew something she didn't. "Respiratory bypass. Comes in handy in situations like these. Just take a really deep breath, and hold it." He instructed, doing so himself.
Shepard followed the Doctor's example, and the two ran through the cloud of chemicals, into a safe area. The Doctor pressed the door control, and it sealed behind them, allowing them to breathe. "Ah, the perks of being a Time Lord." The Doctor smiled to himself. Then, he stopped as he heard something. "You hear that?"
"Sounds like someone wallowing around in fear." Shepard answered, heading towards the source. They opened another door, this time with an Eclipse merc hiding behind it, cowering behind a desk. "Get up." Shepard ordered.
"Wait, stop! I didn't fire my gun once! I pretended to because the others were watching, but I didn't really shoot!" The Asari scrambled to say.
Shepard began to lower her gun, but the Doctor piped up.
"Shepard, remember what Pitne said?" The Doctor reminded. "If she's wearing that uniform, then that mean she's already killed."
Shepard nodded, and raised her weapon again, but the Doctor interjected again. "Wait, don't just kill her!"
"Well then, what do I do?"
The Doctor thought about it for a moment, before approaching the Eclipse merc. "Sorry about this." He said, before headbutting her. "OW!" He yelled, cradling his forehead.
"What the hell did you do that for!?" Shepard asked in surprise.
"Needed to knock her out." The Doctor groaned in pain, looking down at the merc. He shook off the pain, and pressed his fingers to her temples. A moment later, he pulled his finger away, and stood back up.
"What did you just do?"
"I put a suggestion in her mind." The Doctor answered. "When she wakes back up, she'll be compelled to go turn herself in to the authorities."
"Can you teach me how to do that?"
"Maybe." The Doctor answered, as he and Shepard exited the room, and proceeded up the stairs. They headed out into another open area, again filled with Eclipse.
Once more, Shepard used her gun to take out the Eclipse, while the Doctor used the sonic to run interference, and the duo proceeded through the base.
They eventually came to a large open area, with the path deeper into the base on the other side of a bridge.
"It seems kind of... empty here, doesn't it?" The Doctor commented as he and Shepard walked across the bridge.
As if in direct response to his comment, a gunship flew up directly in front of them.
"Doctor, into cover!" Shepard shouted, as she dove into cover. The Doctor followed, and now both of them were trapped as the gunship fired on their position.
"Any ideas?" The Time Lord shouted.
"It's not like I can take it out with a pistol!"
The Doctor cursed mildly under his breath, and looked around for something to help. Then, his eyes brightened as he spotted something. "Shepard, over there!"
"I see it!" The Commander responded.
"Right, you go get it while I distract it!"
Shepard nodded, and waited for the Doctor.
The Time Lord hopped up, ran out into the open, and shouted: "Look at me, I'm a target!" And then he resumed running as the gunship tried to fire at him.
Shepard, meanwhile, ran over to a stack of crates, and pulled a rocket launcher out of one of them. While the gunship was occupied, she took aim at its exhaust port, and fired.
The rocket headed right for the large port, and went straight in, exploding and heavily damaging the engine's mechanisms. The gunship smoked and spluttered, and it exploded as the engine began to overheat, scattering small pieces of debris.
"Good... good job." The Doctor congratulated as he caught his breath.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, 's just... outrunning gunfire is a lot harder than it looks."
"Well, catch your breath, and come on. We still have work to do."
The Doctor nodded, did as Shepard instructed, and followed her as she passed through the final door of the base. The door opened into a long hallway, a Volus at the end of it trying to get food out of a vending machine.
"I am a biotic god." The Volus said, turning around. "I think things, and they happen." He continued, glowing with blue energy. "Fear me lesser creatures, for I am biotics made flesh!"
"I think the poor fella is high." The Doctor diagnosed.
Shepard shook her head. "You need help." She frowned at the Volus.
"You need help!" The Volus retorted. "You stand before the mightiest biotic ever! Yes, the Asari injecting so many drugs into me was terrifying. But then I began to smell my greatness!"
Shepard just continued to shake her head.
"They my laugh when I fall over, but they don't know what I know in my head-that I am amazingly powerful!" The Volus huffed. "Fear me!"
"I'd sooner be scared of an ugly asari prostitute." Shepard snarked. "Where did you come fro- wait... did you work for somebody named Pitne For?"
"When I was mortal, I worked for Pitne." The Volus confirmed. "Poor soul is probably terrified that I have not returned."
"He didn't say a thing if I recall." The Doctor stated. "Probably didn't want to wind up stuck here. People like that tend to prefer money to friends."
"Bah! I will wreak a just revenge upon his people! But first... the leader of the mercenaries is in the next room." The Volus said, staring at the door at the end of the intersecting corridor. "I shall toss Wasea about like a ragdoll!"
"Sorry, little fella, but you'd get shot before you made it past the door." The Doctor informed.
"I will tear her apart! My biotics are unstoppable!"
Shepard facepalmed, sighed, and did the next best thing that came to her mind.
She put her foot on the Volus's chest, and gently pushed him to the ground.
"But... biotic god." The Volus mumbled in denial of what just happened. "Great wind... I- I feel tired."
"Go get some rest." Shepard ordered.
"Yes... Yes, I think I'll go and take a nap." He mumbled, stumbling away.
After the Volus was away, Shepard and the Doctor ran down the corridor, and into the office.
The door opened, and in response, the Eclipse leader looked up, scowled, and let loose a torrent of biotic energy, directed at the two.
Shepard tackled the Doctor, pulling him into cover as the wave of energy slammed into the wall with the force of a semi truck at top speed.
From all sides, enemies were closing in.
The Doctor frantically looked around for something to help out, until he spotted an intercom on the wall. "Cover me!" He shouted, running out of cover and to the speaker. Shepard followed behind, shooting up the mercs that dared to get close.
He pushed the tip of the sonic screwdriver to the intercom's microphone, and activated it. Instantly, an ear-piercing screech sounded throughout the room, and caused many of the Eclipse to fall to the floor, significantly thinning their numbers. Then, Shepard proceeded to take out the rest of the mercs, leaving only the Captain.
The Captain herself was surrounded with a barrier, and more heavily armored than her subordinates. Shepard took out the barrier, and then switched to incendiary ammo to burn through the Captain's armor. After that, Shepard took care to aim at the Captain's head, and fired, killing the Asari.
Once the room was cleared, Shepard holstered her pistol, and turned to the Doctor. "If you could do that, why wait until now?"
"It only knocked them out. And I needed a speaker system to do it." The Doctor answered. "But enough about that. Let's find what we're looking for, and get out."
Shepard nodded, and moved around to the back of Wasea's desk. Shepard picked up the datapad, and read its contents.
Satisfied that they had what they came for, Shepard and the Doctor began heading back through the base, and towards the police station. Inside, Samara was sitting on a low barrier.
Shepard approached the Justicar, and began speaking. "I've got the name of the ship. The person you're looking for left two days ago on the AML Demeter."
Samara's eyebrows raised. "Shepard, you impress me. You've fulfilled your end of the bargain, now I will fulfill mine." Samara got up, and turned to Detective Anaya. "I am ready to leave immediately if that will satisfy your superiors, Detective?"
"You're free to go Justicar." Anaya confirmed. "It's been an honor having you in my station. And it's nice you didn't kill me, too."
"I'll send for my ship, and then we can be on our way." Shepard informed Samara.
"Very well. However, I must swear myself to your service, so that I may never have to choose between your orders and the Code." Samara's eyes glowed white, and she kneeled. "By the Code, I will serve you, Shepard. Your choices are my choices, your morals are my morals. Your wishes are my code." Her body then pulsed faintly with biotic energy, and she stood back up, the glow in her eyes fading. "If you make me do anything extremely dishonorable, I may need to kill you when I am released from my oath."
"I'll... keep that in mind."
"Now then, shall we return to your ship?" Samara asked.
Shepard turned to the Doctor. "You sure she'll turn herself in?"
"A hundred percent." The Doctor nodded.
"Then let's get back to the TARDIS." Shepard ordered. She left the shotgun she borrowed on the Detective's desk, and followed the Doctor out of the station with Samara, back to the TARDIS.
"Curious." Samara commented upon seeing the TARDIS. "Might I inquire what a wooden box is doing among a city of steel and glass?"
"We'll fill you in later." Shepard dodged.
The Doctor pulled open the door to the telephone compartment, pulled the handset off the hook, and turned to Shepard. "What's the Normandy's comm code again? I forgot to put it in the contacts list."
"742051701-74656-SR2." Shepard answered.
"Blimey, that's a mouthful." The Doctor muttered, dialing out the comm code into the phone. The TARDIS, being the TARDIS, routed the call to its intended destination, and on the other end, somebody picked up. "Garrus!" The Doctor addressed upon recognizing the voice. "Listen, we need a pickup. Ilium. Wait... Are you kidding me!? Well, where are you? ...Huh. Well, we're on our way." The Doctor finished, hanging up. "You're never going to believe this. The Normandy's been docked here the whole time!"
"What?" Shepard double-taked. "Well, where are they?"
"Nos Astra Spaceport, literally a few blocks away!"
"So you're telling me we could've spared the risks of assaulting an entire base with just two people, and called on the squad to help us this whole time?"
"That's right."
"...What bullshit."
"Ah, well, you know what they say: 'hindsight is 20/20.'" The Doctor patted Shepard on the back. "Come on, the TARDIS is usually good about these short hops. Usually." The Doctor said, unlocking the doors, and pushing them open.
"I fail to see how the three of us could be transported by that." Samara commented.
"Don't worry, it's a lot roomier than it looks." The Doctor said, as Samara and Shepard stepped in. Moments later, the TARDIS's engines engaged, and the timeship vanished from the streets of Nos Astra.