Illium-2192

Garrus Vakarian sucked in a ragged breath. The turian found himself crammed under a production line, two bullet holes spewed blood from the man's side and left shoulder. The sick taste of iron filled his mouth as he struggled to take aim from his less than ideal position. He could see the legs of at least six asari so he took aim and blew the toes off the one on the end.

The wounded soldier fell to the floor and Garrus put a round between her eyes. Even with two bullets in him Garrus still was a damn good shot. Somewhere out in the facility's main floor he could hear Caius opening fire with his assault rifle on the hostile group. His XO had drawn the enemy's fire so Garrus took a moment to assess his situation.

His head was growing lighter by the second and he was laying in a growing puddle of his own blood. He'd either have to find an exit route or face the inevitable pretty soon. Soon he spotted Caius roll into cover behind a shipping crate a few yards from him. Deciding it was his best shot Garrus grabbed his rifle and scurried out from under the assembly line.

Bullets whizzed by the man's head as he sprinted across open ground. He fired a few blind shots behind himself and thankfully arrived without a third bullet in his body. He stacked up next to Caius and saw his XO was in the same boat as him.

The younger turian had two wounds in his side, blue oozed from the crack in his armor. One of the turian's boney frills that sprang from his head had been blown off and yet the man mustered a chuckle.

"Now this is the kind of fun I was hoping for, Boss. Nothing quite like getting your ass shot at."

"We'll get out of this." Garrus said.

"If you say so."

In the room above the crack of gunfire sounded below. Sparatus approached the large window and observed the scene below, he saw two turians fighting for their lives.

"Ah they're right on time." Korria said, the gun still clutched in her hand.

"You knew they would come for me?"

"Their arrival was foretold yes."

"So you're just going to kill these men?"

Korria shook her head. "No. Actually the asari down there are laying down their lives today, all for you."

"Me? How do you figure?"

Korria observed the turians opening fire on her people. "This is part of it. You must have figured it out by now. Those asari are merely putting on a good show. They might make the turian's really feel it however, they have to sell it after all."

"I understand none of this. You take me to this room...show me those things and..."

"Doesn't make sense does it?" Korria asked. "Why would I tell you all that I have? Why would I have provided you with such accommodations?" she gestured to the lavishly furnished space they stood in. "Why would those asari down there let themselves get killed? You're right, It doesn't make any sense."

Sparatus's mandibles twitched and his eyes widened. "No..."

Korria smiled. "There we are."

The councilor smashed his fist against the glass. "If you're going to shoot me then just do it already."

"The gun isn't for me, Sparatus." Korria offered the weapon to him. "It's yours."

"Scratch one!" Garrus cried over the gunfire as he reloaded his rifle.

Caius and him had ducked behind a large metallic vat that provided ample cover for the two men. The asari had been relentless and offered no explanations or pause for surrender. There had been multiple squads of the asari when the shooting started but between the two of them the herd had been thinned somewhat. Garrus was impressed, Caius moved and shot with the skills of a man who would have much more experience than a lowly corporal. Maybe Victus had been right to send him along with Garrus after all he thought.

Garrus primed a grenade and rolled out from behind the vat before tossing the sphere at two of the hostiles. The explosion detonated before they could get clear and Garrus put down another guard running for cover.

The remaining asari opened fire in a concentrated attack that chipped away at their cover. Bullets tore through the metal and bounced off the turian's shields, knocking the men to the ground.

"We need to move!" Garrus advised as his shields recharged.

Caius grunted in pain, a round had grazed his shoulder and blood was spewing from the crack in his armor. "Lead the way, boss."

Garrus primed his last grenade and tossed the explosive into the bulk of the asari for cover. As the asari scattered to avoid the blast Garrus and Caius ran for a nearby staircase.

Rounds soared over their heads. Caius gave suppressing fire with his Phaeston as they moved. As luck would have it the two turians reached the top of the stairs and were able to duck behind a wall for cover.

"Mine? Why would you give me a gun?" Sparatus asked as he stared at the weapon in the hand of the beautiful asari next to him.

Korria pushed the weapon towards him. "Take it."

The former councilor snatched the pistol from the woman. "What am I supposed to do with it?"

The asari shrugged. "That's for you to decide. But if I were to make a suggestion. The turians sent here to retrieve you will be here any moment." she said as she reached out and took the man's hand. She spoke in a soft almost loving tone of voice. With a gentle push she sat Sparatus down in the chair behind the large wooden desk in the room. "When they get here they will find you, alone and living comfortably here in our little safe house. They'll want answers, they'll ask how you got here and why you disappeared when so many inconvenient truths about yourself began to circulate. And what will you tell them?"

"The truth!" The turian cried.

Korria nodded. "And what a story that will be. Think they'll believe you?"

The man grew silent and Korria circled around him. She leaned in close and spoke in a whisper. "And even if they do. What do you think they'll do with a traitor like you? We both know what you should do don't we?"

Sparatus jumped to his feet and aimed the gun at the woman. "Maybe I'll take you with me."

Korria didn't look alarmed. "You could. But is that what you really want? To murder me?"

"You deserve it."

"Me? I've done nothing. But if you really must then by all means...kill me. I know the Goddess will accept me with open arms. Can you say the same for your spirits? Or whatever it is you believe."

Sparatus gripped tightly to the weapon trained on the woman's face. His finger curled over the trigger where it stayed for some time, but the gun never fired.

"No." He said and lowered the gun. "That's what you want. I won't give in to this madness." He slumped back into the chair.

"I'm sorry, Turian, truly I am. But it seems you still don't understand so let me explain it. No matter what happens here...Aquilla wins. It's up to you if you to decide if you wish to die with honor like a turian should. Or be dragged out to answer for your crimes and hung in front of that beautiful family of yours."

"Why are you doing this to me? Do you hate turians so much that you really feel this is right?"

Korria sat down on the desk next to the seated man. "No. Actually my father was a turian. I was even born on Palavan. This isn't about you, or even the turians. It's about something much more. Something greater than us."

"What?"

"It's about peace." Korria reached down and took hold of the turian's hand. She gave a comforting squeeze and a smile. "About preserving life. When I met Aquilla I was a slave, a beaten down little girl with no purpose in life. She gave me one. And what greater purpose is there? You're not giving your life for death and destruction though I know it may feel this way." Korria gave the man a soft kiss. "You're a hero, Sparatus. And there is nothing more noble than a silent sacrifice."

Korria rose to her feet and headed for the room's exit. "Farewell. Thank you for all you've done for us. History will not remember you...but I promise to never forget you. Goddess go with you."

With one last look Korria left the man behind. Sparatus looked down to the gun in his hands. He thought of his daughter, of his wife. He thought of his people, the race he betrayed in a misguided attempt to do what he thought was right.

"Vivia! Respond!" Garrus barked into his comm as a series of gunshots rang out.

Caius turned the corner of the long hallways they had been running down and stacked up next to Garrus. The young turian put pressure on his bleeding shoulder.

"Comms must be down." He told his XO.

"Of course they are." Caius said and winced in pain. "You got any medi-gel? I'm out."

Garrus finished sealing the bullet hole in his own shoulder and side. The gel sizzled as the wound closed and he handed the applicator to his XO. "Make it count, that's the last of it."

Caius applied the remainder of the kit to himself and both turians began to feel the effects of the painkillers moments later.

Soon the heavy footsteps of an approaching asari squad grew louder. "These girls don't quit." Garrus said as he loaded a fresh magazine into his gun.

"What's the play?"

Garrus looked around the barren hallway and saw no cover, no escape, only a single door at the end of the hall. "There! Let's move!"

Caius limped by his side as they ran for the door. Before the asari were upon them they arrived at their destination and with a wave of their hand the door opened. Caius sealed the door with a quick command of his omni-tool and the two turians turned to see the lavishly decorated room they had entered. The two men froze when their eyes landed on the turian sitting behind a large wooden desk.

"Well well well." Caius said. "If it isn't our noble councilor."

Sparatus was shaking but he made an attempt to hide his nerves. "Gentlemen, you have listen to me."

"Why's that?" Garrus asked.

Caius looked around at the big comfy bed, the fancy fireplace, the massive vidscreen on the wall. "Looks like you've been sitting pretty out here to me."

"Sparatus, if you have an explanation for this, now's the time to share it." Garrus said.

Sparatus' mandibles twitched. "You, I know you don't I? You're one of Shepard's."

"Garrus Vakarian."

"Garrus, I know how this looks but you need to listen. The asari, they have to be stopped...what they've created here needs to be destroyed before it's too late."

"The hell are you talking about?" Caius asked.

"They're going to attack Palavan! They'll kill millions of us in the first hour! You must believe me, we only have a matter of weeks before it's too late!"

"Why would the asari start a war with us?" Garrus asked.

"I...I don't know." Sparatus admitted.

Caius laughed. "How convient. Spirits, I've heard enough, boss."

"Even if the asari wanted a war, they're not equipped for one. And the other races would never back this." Garrus said.

"Not to mention that we have it on good authority you were selling us out. And you disappear only to turn up in this place? With an army of asari trying to kill us." Caius added.

"They weren't trying to kill you!" Sparatus cried.

Caius pointed to the wound in his shoulder. "They got a funny way of saying hello then!"

"They were here to make it look convincing. They wanted you to find me like this because they knew you'd never believe me!"

"They were right. We just fought our way through dozens of guards and you want us to believe they let us kill them and they shot us just to make whatever this is look convincing?" Garrus asked.

"You were wrong! You said the asari aren't equipped for a full scale war with us, they are, Garrus. I saw it myself...they showed me." Sparatus cried.

"Is this before or after they told you their attack plan?" Caius asked. "Kind of a strange thing for them to tell their enemy don't you think?"

"Dammit!" Sparatus screamed and rose to his feet revealing the gun in his hand. Garrus and Caius aimed their weapons at the man. "You're making a mistake! They wanted to discredit me! To make it seem like I was involved in all this."

"You just want me to believe you? To believe that the asari would launch a full scale war for no reason. That you're just caught up in the middle of this?" Garrus spat.

Sparatus nodded. "Yes!"

"Why should I, Spataus? You didn't believe Shepard when it counted." Garrus said.

"I was wrong. I should have listened to Shepard." The former councilor finally admitted.

"Yeah, you should have. I stood right by her side as you mocked her to her face about the Reapers. And here you are with a story just as insane."

"Learn from my mistakes then! You have to listen."

"If I was to believe you. How do you fit into all this?" Garrus aimed his weapon for the Councilor's shoulder.

"I..." Sparatus looked down to the pistol in his hand. "I was working with an asari. A Matriarch by the name of Aq-"

A loud Bang cut through the air. Before the name escaped Sparatus a bullet tore through the man's throat. The old councilor dropped his pistol and reached both of his hands up to the wound as he fell to his knees.

Garrus's eyes were wide with shock. He turned to his XO and saw a wisp of smoke trailing out of the barrel of his rifle. He didn't have the time to process that before he rushed to Sparatus' aid. Garrus knelt down beside the man, blood foamed from his mouth. Garrus fumbled for his medi-gel before he remembered the tank was empty.

"H-Here...It's here." Sparatus choked.

"What's here? Who were you working with?"

"Aquilla..." The man managed to mumble out before his eyes rolled back in his head. The last member of the Reaper Era Council was dead.

"That shut him up." Caius said.

Garrus charged at the man and smashed him into the window behind him. "What did you just do?!"

"He had a gun, Garrus! I took him out before he used it on us! The asshole was a traitor. He got what he deserved."

The spectre took his XO by the throat. "Did you not listen to anything he just said!"

"He was lying to cover his ass! I did what I had to."

"You murderer!" Garrus threw the man to the floor ignoring the pain that spiked from his multiple wounds.

Caius rubbed his throat and raised a hand up to the man. "Wait a second, Garrus! You weren't the only one with a mission here."

"What?"

Caius winced and put pressure on the bullet hole in his shoulder. "He knew you wouldn't have the stones."

Garrus loomed over the man. "What does that mean?"

Before Caius had the chance to respond the comm in their ear sprang to life and a woman spoke on the other end.

"Garrus, Caius, do you read me?"

"Vivia?" Garrus said. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I ran into some heat. That doesn't matter right now, you need to come to my position immediately."

"Why?"

"I've found something...something big. You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"We're on our way." Garrus said and glared at the trigger happy man on the ground. "This isn't over. You're gonna answer for this."

Caius put pressure on his wound as he got to his feet.

Thessia

"Uncle Javik! Uncle Javik!"

With an annoyed groan the grumpy prothean stared down at the tiny asari tugging at his pant leg. "What is it now, child?"

"I painted you!" Benezia said as she held up a sloppy rendition of the man painted in various colors on a piece of paper.

Javik took the "art" into his hand and judged the piece. "I look nothing like this. You would think with five fingers you primitives would at least be able to paint."

Benezia giggled. "You're silly, Uncle Javik."

"I am not."

"I'm hungry!" Benezia cried and jumped up on to the couch next to her uncle.

"Then you should have eaten all the food I prepared for you earlier instead of half of it. In my cycle, letting food go to waste was punishable by death."

"That food was gross. Mother always makes me Kolamia sandwiches for lunch."

Javik sighed. "Let us play a game."

"I like games!"

"It is called the silence game." Javik said and returned to the datapad he was reading.

Moments later the young girl tugged at his shirt. "Am I winning?"

Before the prothean could be annoyed further the doorbell rung. "Wait here." he instructed and headed for the door.

Javik didn't bother checking the exterior cam before he opened up his front door. He was taken aback when he didn't initially recognize the woman standing before him. An asari, a rather beautiful one at that. She wore a set of red armor that left those strange fleshy orbs all the asari seemed to possess on their chests half exposed.

"Asari." Javik said.

"You are the prothean, Javik, are you not?"

"I was unaware there were others left."

"May I enter your home? We have matters to discuss."

Javik stared the woman up and down, he didn't say anything when he stepped out of her way and allowed her entrance. The woman stepped inside and Javik spoke.

"We have met before." He said. "You are an acquaintance of Commander Shepard."

"My name is Samara, a servant of the Justicar code." Samara said as she looked around at the alien's large home. "I served proudly beside Commander Shepard aboard the Normandy during her quest to stop the Collectors."

"Why have you come here?"

"I have been tasked with finding Shepard's bondmate, Liara T'Soni and her companion Miranda Lawson. I have reason to believe you may know where I can find them." Samara turned to face the man and tucked her arms behind her back.

"And you search for them for what purpose?"

"They harbor a dangerous fugitive. It is my duty to put a stop to that. As the code demands."

"I have nothing to offer you, asari." Javik said.

Samara didn't seem fazed. "I found their home abandoned, I believe Commander Shepard and her bondmate are no longer on the planet. But several family holos in their living room featured you and their daughter. So I ask again, where may I find Liara T'Soni?"

"I do not know." Javik lied.

Samara's face remained blank as she spoke. "Lying to a Justicar can have severe consequences. I will not ask you again."

"Wow!" A tiny voice cried out from behind the woman. Benezia came running into the entry way and stared up at the woman. "Are you really a Justicar?!"

Samara's tone and face seemed to soften at the sight of the young girl. "I am. You must be Benezia."

Nezzie smiled a big toothy grin. "You know my name? Do you know my mother and father?"

"I do. I carry great respect for your father."

"Benezia." Javik snapped. "Wait in the other room."

'But-"

"Do as I command, Child."

"Let the girl speak." Samara ordered.

Suddenly Javik pushed his way between the two asari. "Leave." he spat.

"You are hiding information from me, Javik. As a favor to Shepard I will grant you a final chance to tell me where Liara has fled. After that my code will decide my actions. Your life hinges on your answer."

Before Javik could speak the small asari cried out. "What?! Mother just went to visit, she'll be back. Don't hurt Javik! He didn't do anything bad!"

All of Javik's eyes narrowed as he glared at Samara. He turned his attention to the child and quickly shoved her behind him for protection from the stranger. "The child does not know what she is talking about. We have not seen her mother in weeks. She informed us she was traveling to the Terminus systems on business."

"I did not wish for things to come to this." Samara said before she seized Javik by the throat and lifted the man off his feet.

Choked gasps came from the prothean as Samara tightened her grip. Benezia screamed in terror, tears streamed from her eyes soon after as she stared up at the Justicar glowing blue. "Stop it!" She screamed and pounded her tiny fists into Samara's legs.

"Your mother. You claim she has left to visit someone. Where can I find her?"

Before Benezia could answer Javik's body glowed dark green. With a fierce cry Javik unleashed a directed blast of biotics. A jolt of green energy smashed Samara into the wall behind her. The Justicar didn't pause before she blasted the man back with her own attack.

Benezia cried out in terror as Javik was thrown from the entryway into the kitchen. The prothean landed hard on the tiled floor. The old warrior quickly rose back to his feet and snatched a cooking knife from the counter.

"You should not have come here, asari."

"Lay down your weapon and surrender." Samara said as she stalked towards him. "My quarrel is not you. I do not wish to harm you. But I will not hesitate to defend myself."

"You claim to have served Commander Shepard yet you so easily betray her. In my cycle traitors like you were burned at the stake."

"I serve only the code. It is my sworn duty to deal with Liara T'Soni."

"As long as I draw breath...you will not." Javik charged at the woman with the knife pointed her way.

Samara spun around the attack and avoided the lunge but Javik quickly spun around and slashed the blade across the woman's exposed chest. Samara blasted him back with her biotics, the knife was wretched from Javik's grip as he tumbled backwards. The prothean rolled backwards and landed on his feet before shooting two warps at her.

Samara ducked under the strike, the attack laid waste to the kitchen behind her as she snatched Javik off the ground. But the man's biotic abilities were surprisingly strong. He broke free from her hold with a large pulse that sent furniture flying.

"Get to safety, Benezia!" Javik ordered

Benezia ran to her room as Samara charged at the man once more. Javik braced himself but he was swept off his feet by the asari. The prothean was carried by the force of the impact into the nearby living room. Both warriors went tumbling over the sofa and rolled to the floor.

Javik struck first with a hard punch to the woman's face. Samara tasted blood as she picked the man up from the floor and smashed him into a nearby wall, shattering a display case containing a prothean relic Liara had gifted him. Samara wrapped her strong hands around the man's throat. Shards of glass dug into Javik's flesh and the alien gritted his teeth. He reached his hands out and cupped them over the woman's face, involuntarily reading the woman as he did.

He saw pain in her, terrible life long pain. But he also saw nobility, compassion and determination. This woman was unlike any Javik had ever encountered. As the events of her life flooded into Javik's mind in what was in reality only a few brief seconds he came to understand Samara. But that didn't stop him from wrenching a sharp piece of glass from the broken display case and stabbing it into the woman's ribs.

Despite herself Samara cried out in pain. Her grip on the prothean loosed and Javik kicked her back before snatching another shard of glass. The shard glowed green and with the assistance of his biotics Javik flung the glass at Samara. With a flick of her wrist Samara countered the attack on instinct. Javik's biotics were impressive but they were no match for a Justicar's. The charged glass buried itself like a dagger into Javik's stomach and the man fell to his knees.

Blood spewed from the injury and Javik tried to raise his fists once more but before he could Samara was upon him. She tossed the man to the ground and he landed on his back. The asari stepped her boot on the man's exposed neck and pinned him to the floor. With a grunt she pried the shard of glass buried in her ribs out and tossed it to the floor.

"You fight well." Samara said. "But I do not wish to continue this exchange." the asari put more pressure on Javik's throat. "Where did Liara T'Soni go?"

Suddenly a tiny voice interrupted. "Earth! Mother went to visit Uncle Kaidan! He lives in that cold place where all the soldiers stay!"

Samara snapped her attention to the small child cowering in the doorframe of her bedroom. "The Alliance headquarters in Vancouver?" Samara asked. She had visited the city once shortly after the war.

"Yes! Let him go!" Benezia screamed, tears pouring from her eyes. "Don't hurt Uncle Javik anymore!"

Javik tried to choke out some words with Samara's boot on his throat. "My thanks, Benezia." The asari said as she stepped off the prothean and offered her hand. Javik slapped her hand away and shakily rose to his feet, putting pressure on the wound in his stomach. He moved over to shield Benezia from his enemy.

Samara opened her Omni-Tool and Javik was surprised to see his own device light up. "This should cover the damages." Samara said and headed for the exit. "I will send for medical attention. Farewell."

Illium

Garrus and Caius moved with silent steps down a long hallway. He had relieved his XO of his weapon as they followed Vivia's signal to her location. Thoughts raced in the turian's head. That name Sparatus had whispered before he died echoed in Garrus' head, Aquilla. Whoever Aquilla was Sparatus spent his dying breath to tell Garrus. Had his situation been as it initially appeared Garrus doubted he would have gone to grave maintaining the illusion. He believed Sparatus at least thought what he was saying was true, but that did not make it fact.

Garrus was not a soldier. From C-Sec to Omega his whole life had been dedicated to justice not war. But even he knew that the asari had no reason to attack turians or abduct Sparatus. None of this made any sense. Just like how his XO had so gleefully executed the poor man. He had thought Caius to be a reminder of his youth but Garrus was mistaken. Whatever Sparatus was guilty of, he hadn't deserved that bullet. Things were spiraling out of control and he was quickly realizing he couldn't trust his own people.

"He was gonna incriminate us." Caius said.

"Shut up." Garrus snapped and pushed the man forward.

"The asshole sold us out. Victus wanted him dealt with before he could do more damage to us."

Vakarian spun the man around and grabbed him by the collar. "Victus sent you with me to kill him?"

Caius nodded. "I'm sorry, Garrus. I was just following orders."

Garrus cocked his head to one side. "How could Victus know we would find Sparatus here?"

His XO shrugged. "I don't know. Intel I guess."

Garrus shook his head clear and pushed Caius back on their path. "Keep moving. We're almost there. We'll figure out this mess on the ship."

"It wasn't supposed to go down like this." Caius said.

"You'll answer for what you've done."

It took a few more minutes of creeping around and avoiding the asari patrols but they soon arrived outside of a large metal door that rose at least twenty feet. Outside of the door a few dead asari laid sprawled out on the floor. The turian checked to see if they were clear before they opened up the massive door.

On the other side they found her. Vivia was leaning up against a wall, blood pouring from a few injuries and tears in her armor but that was not what caught their eyes. The bodies of ten asari littered the floor of the circular room.

"You did this by yourself?" Garrus asked.

"Yeah." Vivia grunted. "New personal record." The woman tried to sound composed but her whole body was shaking.

"What did you find?" Garrus asked.

"Follow me."

The two men followed the woman past a few more dead guards and into a some sort of decontamination chamber. A white cloud of gas shot out from the walls of the cramped space as they moved through and after a high pitched ding the doors opened. When the three turian's stepped inside the massive underground room on the other side they were stunned to silence.

Below them in a series of rows rested nearly two dozen of the largest warheads ever created. The terrifying weapons let out a booming hum that could be felt in the chest. A few asari scientists worked on the devices, seemingly unaware of the turian intruders on the walkway above them.

"Spirits..." Garrus said, his wide eyes locked on the bombs.

"The bastard was telling the truth." Caius said.

Suddenly the large metallic sphere's covering some of the devices triggered a memory for Garrus. "These weapons...this is Turian technology."

"What?" Caius said.

"I've seen them before. We planted one on Tuchanka after the Krogan rebellions. Victus' own son died defusing it during the Reaper war. They're not just warheads...they're doomsday bombs. They could destroy entire planets with these."

Vivia nodded. "I know. It gets worse."

"How?" Garrus asked.

"Siame corp runs this facility. As I said before they report directly to the Matriarchs on Thessia. There's no way these were created without Matriarchal knowledge."

"And those blue bitches are gearing up for war." Caius said.

"We have to warn Palavan." Vivia said.

Garrus nodded. "A new war is about to begin."

Vivia crossed her arms. "I think it already started."

Notes- Happy new year! So this chapter was a couple hundred words longer than usual but I hope it was worth it. The true stakes of this story are finally coming into view. Tell me what you think of the Asari's fireworks, of poor Sparatus being put down, Javik Vs Samara and Korria in the reviews!