AN: So, this might actually be the new 'longest chapter I've ever written'. Or, at least, at over 10k, it's close. Which is why it took so long to write.
I meant to say last chapter, but then got distracted by cookies, Oh My Gandalf! Reviews for this story have gone into triple digits which is just mental... I love all of you guys for even just reading. You're the best. So, thank you everyone who reads, with special thanks for everyone who has followed and faved this story, with mega, super, awesome thanks to Horrorclown for the review. You are the best!
Okay, on with the plot mental-ness. Of which there is kind of a lot...
Also, smut warning for the middle of the chapter.
Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 35 - Time... Line? Time Isn't Made Out of Lines. It is Made Out of Circles. That is Why Clocks Are Round!
"You're leaving already?"
Ali frowned a little as she shrugged at the turian next to her. "Well, the mission is over so yeah."
"Where are you headed next?"
"Wherever. There's no real plan yet…"
"If there's no real plan then why don't you stick around for a bit? It's been… fun. Having you around, I mean…"
Ali sighed as she regarded Tom, folding her arms. "You're right. It has been fun. But now I'm ready to move on. I'm not Kira, Tom. I don't want to sit around playing house."
"I don't think Kira's playing anything…"
"Oh, please. She's trying to force herself to be something she's not. She's always been fighting herself but this is just ridiculous… It's no wonder she can't accept herself if she's with someone who can't accept her."
"What are you talking about? Of course Cai accepts her."
"No, he accepts the woman he thinks she is. There's a difference. Here's my point, you like me on the surface. When I'm helping you work for the good guys. Most of my jobs aren't like this and I know you well enough to know that won't sit well with you. You and your friend like to play the rogue, but you have no idea how to actually operate in the moral grey areas. Not like Kira and I."
"I think this is possibly the first time ever 'I'm not your sister' has been used as a reason why you shouldn't date someone…" Tom managed to joke. He wasn't used to putting himself out there with women. It was just easier to avoid anything too real. Easier, but also lonelier…
Ali gave him a small smile. "You know, one day you'll meet a nice girl - one with a heart of gold - and you'll be stupidly happy. I'm just smart enough to know that girl's not me."
"Yeah, girls like that are pretty hard to come by in this line of work…"
"Hard to come by, but not non-existent."
"So, this lead…" Kira started as she and Nihlus walked through the crowded market.
They had stopped at a nearby colony to pick up some supplies, however Nihlus hadn't put any thought into the fact that the colony's environment was just a little hotter than humans were good at handling. Kira had insisted that she could withstand the same amount of radiation and heat as a turian quite happily, but it did mean that her standard combat gear had been replaced by a tiny pair of shorts that covered her arse, but not much more, and a piece of red fabric tied around her breasts that she had called a 'bikini top'. He was rather a fan of the ensemble, if he was being honest, but it was hard not to noticed the way she… bounced as she walked. Not that he could chance looking. She had replaced her visor with a pair of sunglasses that, instead of her eyes, just showed him a reflection of himself, so he could never be sure of when she was looking at him.
What Nihlus didn't realise was that Kira was having a very similar predicament. Though, she was more than comfortable knowing that he had no idea where her eyes were wandering. She had seen him out of his armour before, but not often. Even the few days they had spent travelling on his ship, he had seemed more than comfortable remaining in his full body armour. Not that she was much better. Her combat gear was specifically designed for her by some friends in the STG, making it about the most comfortable thing she owned.
But, currently, Nihlus was in a set of civies that clung to him quite nicely. And she was taking every moment she could to admire that fact, though she was more than a little annoyed by the fact that she was becoming so easily distracted by him. Of course, it didn't help that they had easily slipped back into their old friendship. The days on his ship had reminded her of those on the SR1, when she hadn't yet trusted Tali and Tom had spent all of his time with the quarian, while Kira had also avoided her parents, hoping that they wouldn't realise who she was. They would have been very lonely days if not for Nihlus. It was comfortable, in that way that old friendships are, but there was still that something about him that she couldn't quite put her finger on, drawing her in and keeping her thoroughly enthralled by him, even if she knew that it wasn't a good idea…
"My lead is a man named Alexander Stendahl. A human billionaire. He owns the facility I've tracked Cerberus to."
"So, he's one of their backers?"
Nihlus shook his head. "That's where it gets tricky. I don't think so. He doesn't fit the profile. He seems the standard eccentric billionaire. One of his eccentricities is trying to improve relations and cooperation between species. If anything, he's the exact opposite of xenophobic…"
"Xenophilic?"
"If his string of asari flings are anything to go by…"
"Right, so not exactly the type to throw his lot in with Cerberus. At least, not on the surface… Does the facility belong to him or one of his companies? I'm assuming he has companies..."
"He made his fortune in technology, a lot of which was used in weaponry during the war. Though, now that the war is over, he's got no problems with selling to other species."
"Another reason why he wouldn't be working with Cerberus…"
"Exactly. The facility was one of his private ones where he would have people working on the slightly crazier projects that his company wouldn't fund…"
"So, if it is him, then it's him, not someone at his company," she concluded.
"Regardless, they're still using the facility. So, we have two options; we can ask him for help, hoping that he's really not working with Cerberus, or we take the access codes, security details, and blueprints for the facility without his knowledge."
Kira thought only for a second before sighing. "We can't risk tipping him off if he is in on this… Stealing it is…"
"See, I knew you'd say that."
"Why? Because it's the sensible option?"
"No, because it's more fun," he replied with a grin.
She smiled back, unable to help it. "So, how are we going to do this?"
"We're going to take advantage of one his other eccentric obsessions."
"Not asari, then?" she joked.
"Well, not unless you have any to hand…"
"What about your friend?" She cursed herself as soon as the words left her mouth. They had both been avoiding any topic of discussion even vaguely near romance or relationships or anything… It was an unspoken rule of their renewed friendship.
"Which friend?" Nihlus asked, frowning.
"The friend who was with you when I called before the Collector base. She sounded asari."
"Oh, right. That was Gia. She… won't be inclined to help."
"How come?"
"We… It's complicated…"
"Bad breakup, huh?" She made an effort to keep her features neutral.
"Can't break up if you were never together. We occasionally worked together, but it was never more than casual. Anyway, we left on an awkward note last time…"
She answered him with a silent nod, not trusting herself to speak. It was one thing for her to suspect, but it was another to have those suspicions confirmed. Though she really had no idea why she was letting it bother her. She had bailed on him, after all. And if she had been given the opportunity, she too would have found someone else to keep her bed warm. The only difference between them was that he had succeeded. She couldn't resent him for that.
"I was thinking something closer to home might be equally enticing," Nihlus explained. "His other… hobby is dance. Since moving from Earth, he's been in need of a new partner."
"Ah," Kira spun around to face Nihlus as she figured out where he was headed, "have I mentioned that I've been a little too busy recently to keep up with any of my hobbies?"
"All you really need to do is keep him occupied. He's throwing a party and I've got us invitations. With your skills, it shouldn't be too hard to set up a remote hack into his system."
"So, if I'm programming the hack and being the distraction, what will you be doing?"
Nihlus shrugged. "Watching your back. Also, finding the main system before activating and running the hack while you keep him distracted. Plus, it would be nice if you could mine him for information about the facility. Just so that we have some idea of what to expect…" Nihlus trailed off, looking a little uncomfortable.
"What?" she asked, allowing her subharmonics to voice her confusion.
"Just… you're probably going to need everything in your arsenal for this one…"
She gave him a blank look for a few moments before realising what he meant. "Ni, I am perfectly capable of seducing someone without my pheromones active." He didn't miss how defensive her words were.
"I'm not saying that," he told her quickly. He was well aware of how well her charms worked without them. "I'm just saying, given how important this is to you, you probably don't want to take any chances…"
She sighed, her features becoming grim. "You're right but… the effect on humans is minimal, especially compared to the effect on other species…" She trailed off before adding, "On turians…" so quietly that he almost missed it.
"Is there no way to… turn it up?"
"Not without turning it up for turians too."
"Well, I don't think there'll be many turians there."
"You will be there," she pointed out, reminding him that she was still under the impression that his feelings for her had simply been a result of the pheromones' effect on him.
"I'm sure I'll be fine."
"Okay then... So we're looking for an information mining dress. I think I can handle that…"
But Nihlus wasn't all too sure if he could...
Shepard really didn't want to get up. She knew that they were approaching the batarian prison where Kenson was being held and that she only had an hour or so to prepare, but the bad feeling in her gut refused to fade, intensifying at the thought of going alone.
However, she knew that she had no choice, so she slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Garrus as she got ready.
She had fully intended to leave without saying goodbye, hoping that she would be back not long after he woke up. But, just as she prepared to go, she couldn't resist one last kiss on his plated cheek, sensing the shift in his life force as soon as she touched him, through the haze of biotics that the anticipation for the mission had conjured.
"You're leaving?" he asked as he woke up, sitting up in their bed.
"Yeah. But don't worry, I'll be back soon."
He nodded absently but his gaze was drawn to her neck. He brushed his fingers gently across the scrapes his teeth had left there the night before. "I'm sorry," he told her gently. "Each night it gets harder…"
Sophia nodded, her gaze dropping a little. It had been weeks and he had shown no sign of wavering, no indication that he didn't want to be marked by her. He had even gone so far as to act affectionately towards her in public, despite the disgusted looks they received.
"It's okay, Garrus," she told him, cupping his face in her palm as she brought his gaze up to meet hers. "I… I want you to."
"Soph, I've already told you that if you don't-"
She cut him off with a shake of her head. "Maybe I'm tired of being sensible. Maybe I just want to mark you and be marked by you. The rest of the world can piss off."
Garrus just stared at her, surprised, for a few moments before Joker's voice sounded over the intercom.
"Commander, we're approaching the drop off point."
"Thanks, Joker," she called back before turning her attention to the worried turian in front of her. "I'm coming back, amore mio. I'm coming back and then I'm going to bond with you."
He gave no other response than simply nodding mutely as she leaned in, giving him one last kiss goodbye.
"I love you," she said as she got up to leave.
"I love you too," he managed, just before the door shut behind her, leaving a feeling of dread in both of their stomachs...
Tom was concerned.
He and Tali had taken a shuttle back to the quarian fleet with a group of young quarians returning from their pilgrimage. Of course, as soon as they had found out who Tali was, a few of them had been a little excitable with their questions. After all, Tali had helped to take down Saren, helping to give quarians a better name throughout the galaxy.
What worried him was the way Tali gave no more than monosyllabic answers. She seemed preoccupied which, while perfectly understandable, still worried him.
"Are-" he started but stopped himself as he sat down next to her. "I'm sorry. I feel like I've asked if you're okay a dozen times since we left the Citadel."
"More like a hundred…" she responded quietly.
"Well, if you'd give me a response other than 'fine'..."
She sighed. "Tom, what if they exile me?"
"I told you, that's not going to happen."
"But what if it does?"
"Then we'll figure it out. No matter how things turn out, you'll be okay. I promise."
She shook her head. "Tom, you don't get it. Sure, I've lived outside of the fleet for extended periods but it's still my home. To never be able to go back… To be cut off from my family forever…"
"Yeah, I couldn't possibly understand what that's like," Tom muttered, his gaze dropping.
She gave him a confused look only to suddenly bring her hands up to her faceplate with embarrassment. "I'm sorry… I didn't… I didn't think. I mean, obviously I didn't think. I just… I forgot how well you do get it."
He shook his head. "It's okay, Tali. But I did mean it when I said that you'll be alright. It won't be easy but… you'll get through it. And I promise I'll help however I can."
"I'm sorry. I've been being all self-absorbed and… Sorry…"
"Tali, it's fine. Just stop shutting me out, okay?"
"I promise. Just, you know, I'm stressed and upset and probably will be until we get some answers. Both about why I'm on trial and… well, the other thing…"
Tom nodded as they felt the shuttle dock before moving to collect their things.
The others moved passed them, all ready to head off to their ship of choice to present their gifts to the captain. Tali and Tom, however, were greeted immediately as they stepped off the shuttle.
"Tali'Zorah, Captain Viktal. It's good to see you both again," greeted Captain Danna.
His greeting caused both Tali and Tom to exchange a relieved glance. Thanks to Tom commanding his vessel in his timeline, he had been afforded the title of 'Captain' amongst the quarian people, despite the fact that he was technically no longer even in the military and had never reached the rank of Captain. The fact that that hadn't changed was very reassuring to them both.
"May you stand between your crew and harm as you lead them through the empty quarters of the stars," Tom said, glad that he had remembered the old ships' captains' blessing.
"Keelah se'lai," the captain responded. "I wish I could do more to help, Tali. The trial requires me to be officially neutral but I'm here if you need to talk. They're charging you with bringing active geth into the fleet as part of a secret project."
"That's insane!" Tali countered. "I used to send parts and pieces back but I took every precaution to make sure they were deactivated. Ever since Tom warned me about my father's work, I refused to send any more back."
"Regardless, I am under orders to place you under arrest pending a hearing. So, Tali, you're confined to this ship until this trial is over."
"Thank you, Captain."
"Preparations got underway as soon as you arrived. The hearing's being held in the garden plaza. Good luck."
"Wait, Captain," Tali called, before he moved away. "I'm just wondering… You don't seem to be reacting harshly towards Tom. I had feared… My father seemed to be being more vocal with his disapproval of my lifemate just before I left."
The captain seemed to take an unnaturally long pause before answering. "It is true that your father spoke out against Captain Viktal, but most of us recognise that without his warning, we may very well have lost the Idenna and Cerberus would have captured the biotic girl. As it was, we were more than prepared for their arrival.
"It wasn't difficult to figure out that your father became overprotective after you became seriously ill. Most of us ignore his remarks as simply an extension of that. He loves you very much and he worries, that's all."
Tali nodded. "I know but… Never mind."
"We should head out," Tom told her and she nodded before they both continued on towards the garden plaza, finding Shala'Raan on their way.
"Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, I am glad you came. I could delay them only so long."
"Auntie Raan," Tali greeted coolly. She and Tom had already figured that she must have known at least some of what had really happened and, therefore, must have been a party to the secret keeping, but Tom hadn't expected her to be so cold with the woman.
"Tali, are you okay?"
"I don't know. Maybe I picked up another 'bug' while away," she said, harshly.
The admiral bowed her head in shame at that. "Tali, I-"
Tali sighed, cutting her off. "No, I'm sorry. That wasn't very mature of me."
"It's okay, Tali. Were I in your position… I asked your father not to lie to you but I also had to respect his final decision as your parent."
"Even if that decision was a really crappy one?"
Raan looked nervous at that. "Tali, your father loved- loves you very much. His actions were simply a result of him being worried for you."
"I know… It doesn't make it any more right, though. Wait a minute… Raan, you called me 'vas Normandy'..."
Tom could have hit himself for not seeing it earlier. He had known her by that name in the future and, yet, he had forgotten all about it. As soon as he had heard about the trial, he should have realised what they were going to do.
"I'm afraid I did, Tali. The admiralty board moved to have you tried under that name, given your departure from the Neema."
"They stripped me of my ship name? That's as good as declaring me exiled already… Tom, usually my captain would speak for me but if they have declared me as 'vas Normandy'..."
"I don't suppose there's any way to delay this until we can call Mom, is there?" Tom asked.
"Your mother?" Raan inquired, confused.
"Oh right. It was still a secret when we were last here," Tali remembered. "Tom's not just from the future, he's also Shepard's son."
"You know, I'm kind of getting tired of explaining this," Tom sighed.
"Tell me about it," Tali agreed before turning back to Raan. "Had I known, I would have asked Sophia to be here. Instead, I decided not to bother, thinking that we could handle this ourselves. And now I have no captain to speak for me…"
"It's not over yet, Tali. You still have friends that remember you as Tali'Zorah vas Neema, whatever we must call you legally. You'll be okay."
"Yeah, I wish everyone would stop telling me that I'll be okay," she muttered, shaking her head, before bringing her gaze back up to meet her aunt's. "You can't really promise me that, can you?"
"There's more to this that you don't understand yet. However, what's important right now are the details. As her son and highest present ranking officer on her ship - as well as a captain in his own right - Tom will be allowed to take Shepard's place and speak for you."
"Isn't that a conflict of interest?" Tom asked.
"Tom's right, Auntie Raan. I've recognised him as my lifemate."
"Then I know he will fight for you. Tali, this is really the only option."
"Are you okay with this?" Tali asked Tom as she turned to face him.
"Of course. You know that I'd do anything for you, amvimae," he told her softly.
"I know," she confirmed, just as softly, before turning her attention back to Raan.
"Our legal rules are simple," her aunt told them. "There are no legal tricks or political loopholes for you to worry about. Present the truth as best you can. It will have to be enough. Now, come. I promised that I would not delay you."
With that, they followed her through to where the admirals were waiting for them.
"This conclave is brought to order," Raan announced. "Blessed are the ancestors who kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season. Keelah se'lai.
"The accused, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, has come with her lifemate to defend against the charge of treason. Captain Thomas Shepard will also act on behalf of Captain Sophia Shepard in Tali's defense."
"Objection! A turian has no business at a hearing involving such sensitive military matters."
Tom frowned a little at that behind his mask. While he had been aboard the fleet before, he had had to bring his knowledge of the impending attack on the Idenna to the Admiralty Board. While they hadn't spoken much, he had never received the impression that Koris hadn't liked him. What was going on here?
"Then you should not have declared Tali crew of the Normandy, Admiral Koris. Shepard gave Thomas authority to speak on her behalf as Captain and he, therefore, has a right to stay." Tali and Tom both recognised the stretch of truth, but they also knew that, if asked, Sophia would back them up in this.
"May I also point out that the last time he stood before us, he identified himself as Thomas Viktal?"
Raan sighed at that. "The Admiralty board is aware of Thomas'... peculiar circumstances. They lead to him having to conceal certain aspects of his identity. However, this is no longer an issue."
"Objection withdrawn."
"Thomas'Shepard vas Normandy, your crew member, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, has been accused of treason. Will you speak for her?"
"If it helps Tali, I'll do anything. But I do regret that her true captain is forbidden to stand for her today. After all, despite what you may say, Tali still considers herself to be Tali'Zorah vas Neema and a proud member of the migrant fleet."
"No one has been forbidden from any-"
"Lie to them if you must, Koris," interrupted Admiral Gerrel, "but don't lie to me and expect me to stay silent. The turian is right."
"Admirals, please. Shepard's willingness to represent Tali in this hearing is appreciated. Tali, you are accused of bringing active geth back to the migrant fleet. What say you?"
Tom found it incredibly odd to be referred to as just 'Shepard' but ignored it as he continued on with his defence. "Tali's innocent. She would never endanger the fleet."
"I used to send parts and pieces, but that stopped years ago. And I would never send active geth to the fleet. Everything I sent was disabled and harmless."
"Well then explain how geth have seized the lab ship where your father was working."
"What are you talking about?" Tali demanded. "What happened?"
"As far as we can tell, Tali, the geth have killed everyone on the Alarei. Your father included."
"What?! Oh, Keelah…"
"And you decided now was a good time to have this trial?!" Tom asked, incredulously, before sighing. "Let me guess, your strike teams have had no luck?"
"No," Raan confirmed.
"Tom, we have to take back the Alarei," Tali told him and he couldn't miss the slight note of pleading in her voice. In that moment he decided that he would face an entire geth armada for her.
"The safest course would be to destroy the ship, but if you are looking for an honourable death instead of exile-"
"I'm looking for my father, you bosh'tet!"
"You intend to retake the Alarei from the geth? This proposal is extremely dangerous. Especially for just the two of you."
"I'm pretty sure we've faced worse," Tom told them. "And Tali needs to find her father."
"And if you die on this worthy mission, Tali, we will see that your name is cleared of these charges."
"We can decide that later…"
"Then it is decided. You will attempt to retake the Alarei. You are hereby given leave to depart the Rayya. A shuttle will be waiting at the secondary docking hangar. Be safe, Tali. This hearing will resume upon your return. Or upon the determination that you have been killed in action."
Everyone moved off at that as Tali turned to Tom.
"I can handle this myself," she told him. "You don't have to come with me."
"Funny," Tom commented, "I was about to say something similar. But now that I've heard how ridiculous it sounds, I don't think I will..."
"Tom, I might have lost my father. I can't lose you too."
"Yeah, well, I can't lose you either. And, in case you've forgotten, a ship filled with geth is just another day at the office for me."
"Tom-"
"Nothing you say is going to change my mind and the quicker we stop arguing, the quicker we can get to the Alarei."
"Fine," she grumbled. "But first we need to have a quick chat with Raan…"
"More yelling?"
"I haven't decided yet…" she told him as they made their way over to her aunt. "More secrets?" she asked Raan simply. She sounded tired.
"The admirals needed to hear the shock in your voice, Tali. Otherwise they might not have agreed to let you try to retake the Alarei. That is your best chance at uncovering evidence which can exonerate you. I'm sorry, we cannot afford sensitivity, Tali."
"That seems to be the motto around these parts lately," Tom countered, sharply. "But what I want to know is why Tali's father continued his experiments with the geth after I warned him about the consequences. He seemed… reluctant, but he still agreed that it would be best not to continue."
"Things changed," Raan told them. "What exactly do you know about what happened to you?"
Tali shrugged. "I… I was pregnant, it made me ill, and the pregnancy had to be terminated. And then no one thought it would be relevent to tell me anything about it."
"So… you don't know?"
"Know what?! What could you possibly have left to tell me?"
"Tali, it's not important right now. What is important is you finding your father. It would be better if you weren't distracted. All you need to know is that… something changed. Your father needed some information. Something that has been lost to our people over the years. He suspected that the geth still have the data. That's what he was searching for."
"And he felt that this information was worth risking his life?!"
Raan nodded. "He did."
"But you still won't tell me what it was he was searching for?"
"It… requires a lot of explanation and we don't have the time. You had better get to the Alarei. I promise I'll tell you everything when you get back."
"I'm going to hold you to that…"
"Okay, so, what do you think?"
Nihlus spun around in his chair - having finished getting ready himself some time ago - only to find himself confronted by Kira in an extremely form-fitting black dress. The side with her good arm was sleeveless but the other had a sleeve that reached down almost to her fingertips, which were, themselves, covered by a black glove. There was no doubt that she looked incredible.
And that was all before her scent had hit him.
He had remembered vaguely the initial pull he had felt towards her. The way she had smelled intoxicatingly good whenever he got too close. But this… It was like being hit by a wall of pure desire. He found himself having to resist the very primal urge to close the small space between them and simply take her here and now, the mission be damned.
But he knew that she didn't feel the same way about him and he clung to that thought in order to keep himself sane. To keep himself from doing anything rash.
"Ni?" she asked, noting his silence.
"It's… great. It looks great," he managed.
"I also reactivated the pheromones," she told him sheepishly, a little shame creeping into her tone.
"I noticed…" he said quietly, trying not to give away how badly they were affecting him.
"Are… Are you okay?" she asked nervously.
"I'm gripped by an almost overwhelming urge to kiss you, but that's nothing new," he told her, trying to downplay their effects.
A wide range of emotions flickered across Kira's face as she processed what he had said, but she eventually seemed to settle on fear. "Ni, maybe this was a bad idea…"
"You said before that you couldn't reverse it once it was done."
"I can't. It will wear off in a few hours but-"
He cut her off. "Then don't worry about it. I'll be fine. I promise."
She nodded, hoping that he was right.
Nihlus and Kira parted ways almost as soon as they had entered the party, for which Kira was glad. She didn't want him to be exposed to her for longer than he had to be. Her caution was as much for her sake as his, as she was now acutely aware of how much this could hurt her. When he had told her that he had wanted to kiss her, it had taken all of her self-restraint not to just close the space between them and press her lips to his. She had to remind herself that it was all just fabricated - that he didn't really feel that way about her - and that hurt more than it should have.
Of course, the ideal would be for them to be in and out as quickly as possible. But Kira was quickly coming to the realisation that that wasn't going to happen, as she made the rounds again and again, only to come up with nothing.
It would be just her luck that this Alexander guy would have made off with some asari chick for the rest of the night. Not that it was too detrimental to the plan. Getting some info from him was more of an addition than a necessity.
She needed some fresh air, she decided, moving to the gardens. The guy really had a nice set-up, she decided. All big and mansion-y.
It sort of reminded her of her parents' garden back home. It wasn't too big and the hedges had it all sealed off from any outsiders.
"Pretty," she commented with a little smile as she examined some of the flowers.
"No arguments here," she heard from behind her. She spun around to see a human male, a little taller than her, with soft dark eyes and curly brown hair.
"You regularly sneak up on girls when they're talking to themselves?" she asked, folding her arms.
"Only the pretty ones."
"Smooth."
He shrugged. "I thought so." He paused, looking her over as he frowned a little. "I don't think I know you."
"Should you?"
"I tend to only invite people I know to my parties…"
"Ah. You're Alexander…"
"My friends tend to call me Alex."
"Kira."
"So, you a plus one of someone? Because in that case, I'll feel really shitty about trying to hit on you just now."
"Not exactly…" she told him, hoping that her cover would work. "Your friend - Jean - he was at one of my shows a few weeks back. He extended an invitation to me and my friend and, well, here we are."
"One of your shows?"
"I dance. But not like when you ask an asari maiden and they tell you they 'dance'. I mean, there tends to be more clothes when I do it…"
"I guess he told you that dancing is one of my hobbies…"
"I think he called it an 'eccentricity,' actually."
"Yeah, that sounds like Jean. But I'm glad he asked you here."
She made the effort to look sheepish as she replied. "Me too."
"So… Just checking, you are single, right? I'm not making a huge ass out of myself? I mean… Not that I thought… Just, you weren't too clear on who your 'friend' was."
She gave him a reassuring smile at that. "No, he's just… He's just a friend."
"Ah. Because that doesn't sound complicated at all…"
She gave a confused look at that. Had her ability to lie really rusted so much? Or was it just where Nihlus was concerned? "No, I mean really. He's not even slightly interested so I'm not either."
"Easier said than done."
"So, who's the girl who broke your heart? I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say she was cheating…"
"Yeah. She was nice. Or so I thought. But it did teach me that a scar on the neck usually means getting involved is a bad idea…"
"She had a turian bondmate?" Kira asked, the shock clearly evident in her voice.
"A very big, angry turian. He even gave me a scar to prove it." He lifted up his top a little to show the rather nasty looking scar across his side. It looked as if he had been clawed at by some wild beast.
"Yeah, bondmates are kind of a serious thing to them…"
"You sound like you know a lot about it… Let me guess, your 'friend' is a turian?"
She nodded reluctantly. "Yeah. You know how it goes… Boy likes Girl, Girl still getting over death of husband, Girl not ready for new relationship, Girl runs off only to realise it was a mistake, Girl comes back… Boy doesn't want Girl anymore… Girl comes to party hoping to move on and ends up talking about him anyway..."
"You did come to the party with him," he pointed out.
She rolled her eyes. "That's the problem with only really having one friend. It's difficult to cut off contact even if you know you should… Which I should. And move on and stuff…" She moved closer to him, hoping that the suggestive look she was giving him was convincing enough. Not that it was entirely difficult to fake. There was no denying that Alex was attractive and three years worth of sexual frustration certainly wasn't helping the Nihlus situation any.
"You know, we should head back inside. We can see how good at dancing you really are."
"Deal," she agreed, taking hold of the hand he offered as he lead her back inside.
He brought her to the centre of the room where people were dancing, placing his hands on her sides, drawing another smile from her.
"That's a fancy piece of tech you've got there," he told her as he took her gloved hand in his own.
"How did you-"
"It's a little out of alignment," he told her. "The jerky movements are a dead giveaway. I could fix it for you, if you like…"
"Another of your 'hobbies'?"
"Sort of how I pay the bills. I've never seen anything so advanced out of a lab…"
"It's kind of one of my hobbies, too."
"You are a very interesting woman. Are you sure Jean just picked you up out of nowhere?"
"It wasn't exactly nowhere…"
"But still, if this is an example of your work, I would be very tempted to offer you a job. You know, if that wouldn't make it inappropriate to kiss you right now."
"I definitely think that kissing would be prefered," she told him before leaning in.
"Definitely," he agreed before leaning in to gently press his lips to hers.
It was… nice. It wasn't time-stopping or world-spinning, but… it was nice.
She stayed close to him, resting her head on his chest. "It's nice. Talking to someone, I mean. Most guys are intimidated by a girl who can build her own arm."
"Can I ask how you lost it or…"
"I was in an accident when I was a teenager."
"You never wanted an organic replacement?"
"Where's the fun in that?"
His smile widened at that. "I don't think I can overstate how much I like you…"
"Same. So… what else do you work on? Other than bionic limbs, I mean."
"Right now? Mostly genetic engineering. Gene splicing and the like."
"Sounds interesting."
"Well, I like to think so…"
She had to suppress a sigh as a beep sounded in her ear, telling her that it was time to meet with Nihlus.
"I don't want to move," she told him.
"Then don't…"
"I kind of need to go to the loo."
"It's just around the corner," he told her with a smile, indicating to where she should go.
"Okay, thanks," she told him before heading off.
As soon as she rounded the corner, she found herself thrown against the wall by a very angry turian.
"Ni! What the hell?!"
He simply responded by growling at her. "He kissed you."
"Yeah. So?"
"I… I don't like him kissing you…"
She frowned just before her eyes widened with surprise. "Ni, I have no idea what the range is on the pheromones. Have you… Have you been exposed this entire time?"
"It… It didn't get any worse while you were outside but the second you came back…"
"The effect is getting worse with time and proximity… We have to go before you completely lose it…"
He nodded, his jaw clamping shut in an effort to stop himself from kissing her.
"Do we have the files?" He nodded once more. "Then come on," she told him, leading him back towards the exit.
"Leaving already?" Alex asked, catching Kira by surprise with his approach. She knew that Nihlus couldn't stay much longer.
"I'm sorry," she said, honestly a little sincere. While she may be undercover, it had been so long since she'd had such a nice time with someone. "The clock struck twelve and, well, I promised my fairy godmother that I really wouldn't stay out longer than that…"
He smiled at that before giving her a quick kiss, making Kira glad that he couldn't hear how Nihlus' growl deepened behind them.
"I'd better go," she told him.
"I hope I can see you again," he told her.
"Me too," she replied before moving away as she grabbed Nihlus' arm, dragging him away to the skycar.
"I'm sorry," she told him as they got into the skycar, heading for the docks. "I know being trapped in a confined space with me won't help but we need to get out of here before Alex realises that we took his files…"
She received no verbal response but Nihlus' growl deepened once more at the sound of Alex's name.
"I'm sorry," Kira muttered, seeing that he was clearly in pain - pain that she was causing. She reached out a hand to him in comfort, but he jerked away violently. She was tempted to just pull over and get out - to let Nihlus get the pheromones out of his system without her - but she knew that she couldn't stay planetside.
While the ride was silently awkward for her, she suspected that it was pure torture for Nihlus.
Once they reached the ship, Kira quickly left orbit before keying in the coordinates for another system, all the while very much conscious of the turian barely keeping control next to her.
She regarded him for a moment before grabbing him by the arm, dragging him into his room, which she knew had the most space.
"Hit me," she told him, causing his subharmonics to trill with confusion. "Look, you need to work this off one way or another. So, hit me." When he didn't respond, she decided to throw a punch of her own.
Faster than she could track, he caught her fist, spinning her around and pinning her against the wall. The feeling of his hard, plated body pressed against hers as his hot breath whispered across her neck, his growls vibrating through her, caused her breath to hitch involuntarily. She knew that this very much wasn't the time but her mind was going all kinds of places with this scenario. Most of which ended on his bed, but some kept them up against the wall, on the floor, even making a detour to his shower…
"Kira," Nihlus muttered against her neck, providing the one coherent word he had managed since his symptoms had escalated. She was about to respond when she suddenly felt his hot, slick tongue snaking across her neck, making a course for her earlobe which he then proceeded to nip at, drawing a moan from her.
"Nihlus," she managed, but his name sounded as loaded with desire as her own had. "Ni, please. Don't do anything you'll regret tomorrow…"
She knew that she should tell him that she didn't want this. Whatever coherency was left within him would surely stop his actions if he knew that this was wholly against her will. But it wasn't, and Nihlus had always been able to see through her lies. Not that she wanted to lie to him. She never had to; he never flinched away from anything about her as others had.
But this wasn't fair to him, she knew that. If she allowed this to continue, she would just end up hurting the both of them. He didn't really want her and as soon as the spell broke, he would blame her for not stopping him. She might lose a friend and she would certainly lose whatever she was pretending this was in her head. Whatever fantasies she was entertaining about him actually liking her would fade by morning.
But she couldn't bring herself to care as he spun her around once more so that she was facing him. Instead of pushing him away, she responded by kissing him as she had that day on the Citadel, losing all sense of reason as he tore at her dress, leaving her in nothing but her underwear, which she quickly removed herself.
It had been three long years since someone had touched her this way. She was already so worked up that she didn't really care that Nihlus was just moving with his instinct, ignoring her breasts for her waist as he treated her as if she were a turian. Something she was sure her subharmonic growls of lust weren't helping.
He spun her around once more, pushing her down onto his bed as he practically tore off his own clothes before quickly returning his attention to her. He nipped across her shoulder blade, his tongue dancing over the light scrapes his teeth had left, drawing wanting gasps from her.
Electric sparks of desire seemed to dance through her simply at being so near him, but it still caught her by surprise when they intensified tenfold as he impaled her with his length, bringing forth another wanting moan from her swollen lips.
"Spirits, Kira," he managed over the lust-filled growls of his subharmonics. "I've wanted you for so long…"
"Me too," she confessed before she could think over what she had just said. But she was no longer thinking of the consequences of the morning. She was far too wrapped up in how quickly she was reaching her climax. "Ni, I-" she started but was cut off by the feeling of her orgasm cascading through her, more intense than any she could remember feeling before, as it almost caused her to momentarily black out.
She was brought back to her senses by the feel of Nihlus' teeth pinching just a little too hard as he spilled inside of her. Her mind quickly identified the spot as where her bondmarks had once been placed, causing her to briefly panic before she realised that he had barely drawn blood, reassuring herself that he hadn't left a scar.
Her thoughts were pulled back into their previous lustful haze by Nihlus as he once again began thrusting into her, his cock already rock hard once again...
Shepard had always hated infiltration missions. She just liked blowing things up with her biotics. But… Peter hadn't been wrong to push her in that direction. She couldn't deny that she had a real knack for it.
And neither could the batarians as she escaped their grasp with Kenson in tow.
Of course, the more she spoke with Kenson, the more uneasy she felt. Especially when she asked about indoctrination and received no real answer.
So, she allowed her biotics to cloud her vision, and saw what she had most feared. The dark, smoke-like swirls of indoctrination had firmly taken root with Kenson…
Shepard knew she had to do something - that whatever Kenson had planned certainly wouldn't stop the Reapers - but she also knew that she needed Kenson to access the base, so she kept her mouth shut, playing along as if she had no idea.
Of course, as soon as she entered the base, she saw the same dark tinge present within everyone. She was well aware that she would have to fight her way out of the base, but first she would have to get in to reactivate the project, and following Kensen seemed like the quickest way to do that.
Only, Kensen didn't lead her to the project itself. She brought her directly to the Reaper artifact and, before she could react, the artifact slammed a wave of energy into her, effectively disabling her before Kensen and the others swarmed her.
Whatever blast had hit her had disabled her biotics, leaving her feeling completely vulnerable. A feeling that was reinforced as she was knocked out.
So, now that she was waking up two days later in Kenson's lab, she wanted nothing more than to smash the bitch's skull in. She hadn't felt so helpless in… well, in years.
She allowed her anger to dissipate for just a second as she realised that she had been out of contact for two days.
God, how worried must Garrus be right now? she thought to herself before allowing fury to flood her system once more, bringing her biotics to their peak as she made her way through the guards, tearing them apart one by one…
Tom would never describe Tali as 'brutal' in battle. Even despite the fact that she mostly opted for wielding a shotgun. Maybe it was just that his own definition of 'brutal' had become skewed over the years but, regardless, there was something different about the way she tore through the Alarei.
He knew that she was hurting - it would take an idiot not to see that - and he wanted nothing more than to make it better for her. He wanted more than anything for them to find her father, prove her innocence, and for everything to be okay.
But he very much doubted that would be the case.
However, despite his doubts, it was still a horrific thing to see them confirmed.
"Tali…" he called softly as he rounded the corner, recognising the suit of the dead quarian in front of him.
"Father!" she cried as she got close. "No. No, no, no. You always had a plan. Masked lifesigns or… or… an onboard medical stasis program, maybe. You- You wouldn't… They're wrong! You wouldn't just die like this! You wouldn't-"
"Hey, hey. Come here," Tom muttered gently as he helped her up before drawing her to him, holding her close as she gasped and sobbed against him. "I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry."
"Dammit… Dammit…" she sobbed as she pulled away. "I'm sorry."
"You've got nothing to be sorry about," he told her gently as his thumb stroked the side of her faceplate, automatically moving for tears he couldn't reach.
"Maybe he would have known I'd come… Maybe he left a message," she theorised as she bent down to activate her father's omni-tool, bringing up a hologram.
"Tali," the hologram greeted, "if you are listening, then I am dead. The geth have gone active. I don't have much time. Their main hub will be on the bridge. You'll need to destroy it to stop their VI processes from forming new neural links. Make sure Han'Gerrel and Daro'Xen see the data. They must-" The recording was cut off, presumably by the geth breaking through to where her father had been recording.
"Thanks, Dad," Tali managed.
"Tali," Tom started, "Amvimae, I know that this isn't what you had hoped for but… he was trying to help. He knew you'd come and he gave you what you needed."
"I don't know what's worse… Thinking he never really cared, or thinking that he did, and that this was the only way that he could show it… It doesn't matter. One way or the other, I care and I'm here. And we're ending this."
Kira awoke content with a smile on her face as she curled up closer to the warm body whose limbs were entangled with hers.
Of course, this feeling of contentment quickly dissipated as memories from the night before started to trickle into her consciousness, quickly becoming replaced by blind panic.
There were no two ways around it; she had taken advantage. He had made it clear that he didn't return her affections for him without the pheromones. It wasn't difficult to see that he would awake only to regret the previous night and it was her fault. She'd more than likely ruined their friendship. All she'd had to do was push him away. Lock him up in one of the other rooms until the effects wore off. But, of course, she had lacked the strength of will.
She was a bad person, she decided as got up quietly, careful not to wake Nihlus from his sleep. She took one moment to admire his sleeping form, figuring that she couldn't possibly make things any worse. He looked peaceful and… content, as she had been. And it broke her heart, knowing that it was all fabricated, that none of it was real. He'd wake up and realise that in due time. Maybe he'd just straight-up kill her for betraying his trust so that she wouldn't have to deal with the look of disgust he would surely give her.
She managed to make it into the bathroom before any tears escaped her eyes, though only just. She responded by hitting the shower controls with her left arm, reminding her of the one piece of clothing she still wore, the glove over her bionic limb. She tore it off violently before turning the shower up so that it was scalding. She had stopped producing the pheromones hours ago but she wanted to be sure that every last molecule was gone.
Nihlus awoke in the next room much the same way Kira had, with a smile on his face and feeling of contentment in his heart. Finally, after so much hurting and running, they had both stood their ground. And it had been wonderful. She hadn't shied away from his advances, instead reciprocating them in full.
Of course, it had been brought on by those Spirits damned pheromones. He knew now why she had been so reticent to use them; their effect had been more than potent. It was now easy to understand how she had so readily believed that they were the only source of his feelings for her. While he was now forced to admit that he loved her, he was only just beginning to trust her once more. He certainly had no intention of bonding with her. No, not even a little, he concluded. But he had come damn close the night before. Far too close for comfort.
Of course, his thoughts of Kira lead him to realise that she was no longer beside him. However, just as he began to question her whereabouts, he heard the shower start, leading him straight to her.
Spirits, she's beautiful, he thought as he took a moment to regard her naked form, especially appreciating how it glistened under the water.
But that was when he noticed that she was shaking. She was silent beneath the water, but it was obvious by her expression that she was crying, all evidence but the shaking covered by the shower.
He approached, frowning a little as he gently placed his hand on her shoulder, prompting her to spin around.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked softly.
She gave him a confused look as a couple of surprised sobs escaped her. "I… I messed up… Ni, I am so sorry. I shouldn't have let this go so far last night…"
"Kira, it's fine…" he told her gently as he moved his hand up to stroke her cheek. "I shouldn't have taken so long to be honest with you about how I felt. I… I never stopped caring for you… Never stopped wanting you…" He lowered his mouth to her lips, but she turned away, shaking her head.
"I should have known," she groaned. "Ni, you're still under the effect of the pheromones. Just… have a shower and I'll… I dunno, throw my dress and the bed sheets out of the airlock. That should finally do it…"
"Kira," he said, moving close to her once more, "it's not that. I felt this way when I saw you on the Citadel months ago and every time we've spoken since then. Every second you've been here with me has been… difficult. I thought that you didn't feel the same way, so I kept on lying, but-"
"No, no, no, stop right there. Ni, please. Don't say anything you'll regret when this wears off…" she managed, though she didn't push away from him this time.
"You're never going to believe me, no matter what I say, are you?" he asked as he moved so that he was as close to her as possible, his browplates almost touching her forehead as his hands rested on her hips.
Once again, she made no effort to move away, though she didn't actively move closer to him either. "No. Not until I can be certain that the effects have worn off…"
"What about if I show you instead?" he asked as he finally leaned down so that their foreheads were pressed together, before moving his mouth to hers, kissing her, though he was careful to keep his touch gentle so that she could move away if she wished.
However, that seemed to be the breaking point of her self-control as she then moved her hands to his waist, pulling him flush against her, moaning as she realised that his plates were fully open.
He took that as an invitation, pushing her up against the wall of the shower, prompting her to wrap one of her legs around him, giving him full access.
"We really shouldn't," she murmured against him, finally pausing her kissing frenzy as he began to emerge from his plates.
"We can stop anytime you want," he told her, but she remained silent, still silently debating with herself. "But, really, what's the harm in one more time?"
She seemed to agree with him, finally giving up on her internal battle as she ground her hips against him.
They could deal with the consequences when he was thinking straight again, she decided. For now, she had not the presence of mind to think any further upon it...
Garrus had spent three days as a complete wreck. Three days he spent, cursing the Alliance for sending her on this Spirits-forsaken mission alone.
They had both known that it was a bad idea, but still she had gone. Still she had put herself on the line because they had asked her to.
And then, even when she had returned, she had gone straight back up to their quarters and shut herself in. He had no idea whether or not he should enter.
But, after a few moments of standing outside of the door, he decided that he simply did not care. He had to see her, to know that she was alright.
Of course, he wasn't prepared for what lay beyond the door. He opened it, only to see Sophia sat, curled up, on their bed. She had clearly showered since coming back and, evidently, had enough of her wits about her to finish her shower and get dressed once more, but she was now clearly lost to her sorrow. She wasn't sobbing, but tears still fell down her face as waves of biotic energy poured from her, knocking their belongings about the room.
He had half a mind to call Chakwas, mindful that this much biotic use would soon exhaust her, but decided instead to simply try to make his way over to her.
The biotic waves seemed to divert away from him as he approached, forming a path that lead directly to Sophia. As soon as he reached her, he sat down next to her and she grabbed at him, pulling him close, despite the fact that she still refused to speak, instead she finally began to sob into him as he held her close.
He wasn't sure how much time they simply spent like that before the overuse of biotics took its toll on her and she finally fell into a deep - and hopefully dreamless - sleep. He couldn't find it in him to leave, so he simply lay back with her, keeping her held securely against him at all times. He wasn't sure of what exactly had happened down there, but he knew it must have been significant. Sophia was well aware of how dangerous her biotics could be and how easily affected by her emotions they were. It had given her every reason to have full control over her feelings. To lose control like that… must have meant that she was hurting terribly.
It was only a few hours when she woke, but no biotics followed her return to consciousness. She simply sat up, wiping the remains of the tears from her face.
"Three hundred thousand…" she muttered. "That's how many batarians were killed…"
Garrus gave her a questioning look, which she answered with the full tale of what had happened to her on the asteroid, her tone strangely devoid of any emotion as she spoke.
He responded by pulling her close as soon as she had finished.
"I have to go back," she told him. "I have to answer for…"
"You mean they need a scapegoat?"
She sighed. "Basically. But… it's my best shot for preparing them for the Reapers…"
"I'll come with you."
She shook her head. "You can't. I need you out here, Garrus. You need to convince the turians of the threat. And you need to keep an eye on Tom and Kira… Please."
He nodded as he ran his talons through her hair, hoping to reassure her. "Of course, amvimae. Anything."
"If I remember correctly, there was some talk of bonding before I left…"
"How many days until we have to… separate?"
"Three, I think. Why?"
"It can wait another couple of days. I… I need to be sure that you're sure when we do this and not upset…"
She nodded, sighing against him. "I love you."
"I love you too, Soph…"
"Sorry we're late," Tali called out as they re-entered the garden plaza, interrupting the admiral's debate as to whether or not they had perished.
"Tali'Zorah vas Normandy saved the Alarei," Tom told them. "I hope this proves her loyalty to the quarian people."
"Her loyalty was never in doubt. Only her judgement."
"Perhaps Tali'Zorah can offer something to encourage more trust in her judgement."
"Did you find anything on the Alarei that could clarify what happened there?"
Tom stepped forward as Tali turned to him. "Tom, my love, please," she pleaded quietly, reminding him that he had promised not to turn over the evidence they had found to the admirals. Even though it could clear Tali's name, she would still rather protect her father's.
"Captain Shepard, do you have any new evidence to submit to this hearing?" Raan asked him.
"Tali helped to defeat Saren and the geth at the Citadel. That should be all of the evidence you need."
"I fail to see what relevance-"
"Oh, come on! You're not really interested in Tali. This trial isn't even about her! It's about the geth."
"This hearing has nothing to do with the geth."
"You want people to sympathise with them! Han'Gerrel wants to go to war! None of you care about Tali! She knows more about the geth than any other quarian alive. You should be listening to her, not putting her on trial! Tali'Zorah saved the Citadel, she saved the Alarei, she showed the galaxy the value of the quarian people. I can't think of stronger evidence than that."
The room fell eerily silent, but Tom didn't need to hear the admirals pass their judgement to know they had won. Though, it was still nice to hear it.
"I can't believe you pulled that off," Tali commented as they headed away from the crowds.
"I may have cheated a little," Tom admitted, allowing his biotics to crackle across the arm of his suit in way of explanation. "But I've also been trying to pay more attention to Mom when she deals with this stuff… But we could still go in and get you exiled if you want…"
Tali laughed a little at that and the sound warmed Tom's heart. "Thanks, but I think I'm fine with things how they are. Plus, it's fun watching you shout."
He smiled back at her behind his mask but it quickly faded as he thought on what he would say next. "Tali," he started, "about what your father said… what he did… You deserved better."
"I got better, Tom," she told him. "I got you."
He replied by pressing his helmet to hers, only to pull away once more as Admiral Raan approached.
"I believe I owe you two one last explanation," she told them.
"Indeed," Tali commented.
"Come on," Raan said, motioning towards the docks. "It will be easier to show you."
"Where are we going?" Tom asked as they got aboard one of the shuttles.
"Another of the lab ships," Raan explained. "It was where Tali stayed while she was… unwell."
"So, why are we going back there?" Tali asked as they approached.
"As I said, there is something there to show you."
"The last secret?" Tali asked.
Her aunt nodded. "I promise. Your father just… he didn't want to worry or upset you. Not until we had a viable solution."
"A 'viable solution'? Auntie Raan, what are you talking about?"
"You'll understand in a moment," Raan assured her as they docked with the lab ship.
Tali and Tom remained quiet as they made their way through the ship, their thoughts focused on speculating what Raan could possibly have to show them.
"This is the main lab," Raan eventually told them after a labyrinth of corridors speckled with a variety of security checkpoints.
They both nodded silently as she opened the door to reveal a large work space, filled with quarians moving about their business.
Raan lead them to a monitor, turning it to face them as she pulled up an image of…
"Wait, is that…" Tali managed warily. "But that's… not possible…"
Tom simply nodded at that, thinking to himself that 'not possible' only begun to describe how bizarre things had just gotten...