The Citadel- The Year 2175

The turian adjusted the collar of his navy blue suit with an uncomfortable grunt. He wasn't the type of man who liked to dress up, or be out of uniform for that matter. Ever since he had turned nineteen C-Sec had been his life and for the most part he was happy with the things were. There were still days that Garrus questioned the wisdom of his superiors, days when guilty men walked free and the deaths of innocent people went unpunished. But he was making a difference, that's all he cared about.

The flowers were nice. Garrus didn't know anything about flowers but they at least looked appealing. They had been a last minute impulse purchase in the lobby gift shop. The elevator rattled a little as it took him to his destination. The smell of sick mixed with the stench of sterile chemicals stank in every room of the hospital. It was a smell he knew all too well.

The lift's doors opened and Garrus stepped out into the hall. The pretty nurse behind a large desk waved a three fingered hand at him as he walked by. He recognized her face and her friendly voice but Garrus had never stopped to ask her name in all the times he'd been here. He never left the hospital in a particularly good mood.

He counted the rooms as he passed until he came to the tenth. After he took a deep breath Garrus stepped inside. The familiar beep of a heart monitor greeted him immediately. A woman lied on a bed on the other side of the room, the turian was hooked up to more devices than Garrus cared to count and her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths in her sleep. Beside the bed on an uncomfortable chair sat a much younger turian woman with a blue streak across her plates. She sat up straighter when she saw Garrus enter.

Garrus cleared his throat and set the flowers down beside his mother's bed. "How's she doing?"

"Doctors said the treatments went alright."

"That's good." Garrus said as he tried his best to look at his mother but quickly found it impossible. "How are you, Sol?"

Solana shrugged. "Dad was here earlier. Said something about dinner next week. You game?"

"Sure."

Solana rose to her feet and moved to her brother's side. After an awkward silence she sighed. "It's not getting better."

"Don't say that."

"It's not, Garrus. Dad knows it too."

He looked her in the eye. "She's been through rough patches before. She'll get through this one too."

"I hope you're right." Solana said. "I feel like we haven't seen each other in months. What have you been doing? Kicking ass and taking names?"

"You know me." Garrus said with a hint of forced levity in his voice.

"Dad's still thinking about retiring this year. The doctor's say she's gonna need to be moved to a more long term care facility back home. He won't ask, but I know he'd want you to come with us."

"I can't, Sol."

"Can't or won't?"

Garrus paused. "My place is here, with C-Sec."

"Right, C-Sec. Not your family. I guess some things don't change."

Garrus never liked fighting with his sister so he didn't respond. Solana buried her face in her hands and ran her claws along her plates. "I'm sorry. It's just been..."

"I know." Garrus rested a hand on her shoulder and his sister suddenly took him in her arms and buried her face in his shoulder.

"It's not fair, Garrus." She held him closer. "It's not fair."


Palavan Orbit-2192

The ship rattled as they entered the planet's atmosphere. Inside one of the small ship's private chambers Garrus was getting dressed for a meeting he was for once eager to attend. He should have known the second Victus made him spectre he was stepping out of one hell and entering a new one. Wrapping his head around this mess seemed to be an impossible task. Not one bit of it added up.

After they had left Illium behind along with an entire warehouse filled with nuclear weapons of mass destruction and the body of the turian councilor the real gravity of the situation hit him. Asari spies were infiltrating the turian military, their own people couldn't be trusted and the asari were gearing up for a full scale war. Whatever was really going on, it was bad and Garrus knew it was about to get a lot worse. He no longer trusted his own people, the only people he trusted were halfway across the galaxy and not answering his calls.

"Dammit, Shepard." Garrus said under his breath as he pulled up his pants. "Where are you?" His best friend was the only person who had a chance of making sense of all this. But instead of heading to Shepard he was on his way to meet with Primarch Victus to discuss the depth of the shit they were currently swimming in.

He had ordered Caius Metna to be cuffed and imprisoned the second they got off Illium. Whatever was going on Caius had an idea and he wasn't talking. He killed Sparatus without a second thought, whatever Garrus thought he saw in him was obviously a lie.

Garrus sat down on the bed in his captain's quarters. His shirt still laying beside him as he opened his omni-tool to see if they were still in buoy range. He figured he'd give Shepard another call but his heart froze when he saw he had a missed call. A missed call...from Tali.

Tali, spirits, he had tried not to think about her waking up on Rannoch without him, unable to move, unable to do anything. He had hoped he would deal with this mess before she woke up. A part of him was terrified to call, seeing Tali hooked up to those machines was like watching his mother slowly waste away all over again. He was not eager to relive that.

His finger hovered over the call button, he didn't know what he was going to say. He didn't even know if there was anything to say. Suddenly the door to his quarters opened and Vivia stepped in. The female turian still wore her armor. "Sir, we'll be on the ground soon."

Garrus nodded and the woman left. He powered off his omni-tool, maybe he'd figure out what to say to Tali later.


The surface was crowded. The military base Victus currently called home was a hub of activity. A response to the recent concerns no doubt. Garrus moved through the crowd with Vivia at his side and Caius in cuffs. Vakarian kept a stern grip on Caius' neck as he pushed him forward. Some of the soldiers saluted Garrus or hollered praise at the hero but most stayed silent.

They entered the large headquarters in the center of the base. Two female marines escorted them to a small waiting area outside of Victus' officer before leaving them alone.

"If there's anything you wanna say, Caius, now would be the time." Garrus said.

"We had a job, Garrus, I did it."

"You murdered a man in cold blood."

"I put down a traitor."

"Enough!" Viva cried. "We'll let the Primarch sort this out."

Garrus wasn't so sure he believed the primarch could. Something about this whole thing stunk worse than the hospitals he used to visit in his youth. He wished Shepard was here, he wished Tali was here, he wished none of this had ever happened. But nothing in life is fair, he learned that lesson many years ago.

The door to the office opened and out stepped another turian woman in armor. "The Primarch will see you now."

They all rose to their feet but the woman stopped them with a motion of her hand. "Just you, Mr. Vakarian."

Garrus looked to Vivia. He trusted her more than the others but that wasn't saying much. He was relieved that he would have the chance to speak with Victus alone. Garrus followed the other woman into the office, she escorted him to Victus' desk before she left them alone.

Victus had his eyes on a datapad in his hand as he read the mission report Garrus had sent. "Spirits..." he muttered. "Garrus, tell me this isn't true."

"Surprised at what we found?"

"Surprised? Of course I am!"

Garrus crossed his arms. "I figured you had an idea before you sent us."

"I had no idea." Victus said and Garrus heard truth in his voice. The primarch powered off the datapad and gestured for Garrus to sit. "I think it's safe to assume that whatever happened to the Migrant Fleet, the asari were involved."

"It doesn't make sense. None of it adds up."

"You're right of course. The asari aren't stockpiling weapons as a precaution. I've already set all fleets on high alert and prepared them for the worse."

Garrus wanted to tell him that wasn't necessary, but he knew it was. "The bombs on Illium. They weren't asari make."

"No?"

"They were turian. The same kind of bomb your son died defusing on Tuchanka."

Victus leaned back in his chain, his mandible twitched and his eyes widened. "You're sure?"

"I was there with Shepard the day Tarquin died. There's not a damned doubt in my mind, those bombs are ours."

"If that's true...Garrus, just one of those weapons has the capability to kill millions. It's clear our own military can't be trusted, I still need you."

"I'm needed elsewhere." Garrus said.

"Please, Garrus, the galaxy is on the brink of war once more. You can't turn away from this, I know you."

"You want my help? You answer me a question."

"Anything."

"Did you put Caius on my team so he could assassinate Sparatus?!"

"What?!"

Garrus leaned forward his voice growing cold. "You read the report. The kid is a damn murderer, Sparatus was giving us intel and he put him down without a second thought. Almost like he didn't want me to hear what Sparatus had to say."

"Garrus, that's insane!"

"So the name Aquilla doesn't mean anything to you?" Garrus asked.

"Of course it does. Aquilla is the asari councilor. You think she's involved?"

Garrus nodded.

"That is...disturbing news. Listen, I know you didn't ask to be a part of this, I respect that you have other obligations to your family. But it is the duty of every turian to stand up when his people need him."

Garrus looked down to his feet. Victus was right, this threat had to be dealt with before millions of lives paid the price. "You look me in the eye and tell me you had nothing to do with Sparatus." Garrus demanded.

"I had nothing to do with it. I swear." Victus said with a level voice.

Vakarian leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment. "Fine."

"Good. I've ordered a bombing fleet to orbit Illium. I'd like you to join that fleet."

"Don't you think you're jumping to extremes?"

"Maybe. But I need to speak with the council, with the asari, and nothing will make them more agreeable then that. I want you there because I trust you. And it seems trust is becoming harder and harder to come by."

"Indeed." Garrus agreed as he rose to his feet. "I'll join your fleet. I'll ride to Illium, but I will not be a part of another war until we know what we're fighting over."

Victus offered his hand. "Thank you."

"And one more thing. I want Caius thrown into the darkest cell you can find."

"That can be arranged. In fact, send him in next. I'd like to debrief him personally and figure out what the hell he was thinking."

Garrus nodded and exited back into the waiting area. He grabbed the cuffed turian by the arm and yanked Caius to his feet. "The Primarch wants to debrief you."

Caius looked to the office door. "Right. Garrus, you know I just did what I thought was right."

The words were familiar. They were the same ones Garrus used to tell himself back on Omega. He said nothing as he dragged him to the door and threw him inside with Victus.

Garrus turned and saw Vivia sitting alone. "One hell of a mess huh, sir."

"You could say that."

"They'll probably reassign me to reserves after this."

"Why?"

Vivia shrugged. "They hardly ever let me off world these days." she rose to her feet and offered her hand. "Sorry it all went sideways, sir. It was still an honor to work with you."

Garrus didn't shake her hand. "If you want off-world so much you're coming with me."

"Sir?"

"Victus wants a fleet orbiting Illium and he wants me on it. I want you with me. I don't trust that things won't go to hell again and it can't hurt to have someone else in my corner."

"Can...can you do that?"

"I'm a spectre remember. Gear up, Vivia and meet me in two hours."


"Perhaps you'd like to start by explaining to me what happened." Victus said as he stared at the man in cuffs across from him.

"You know what happened." Caius said. The young turian cocked his head to the side.

"Garrus says Sparatus was giving up information when you shot him."

Caius nodded.

"Care to elaborate?"

"He said the asari wanted us to find him, that we were all in danger, choked out something about an Aquilla before he died."

"Wanted you to find him?" Victus asked.

"That part didn't make sense to me either."

Victus ran a finger along the side of his plates.

"So..." Caius leaned back in his chair. "I'll take the second half of my payment now if you don't mind."

Victus took a deep breath. "Of course." he spun around and opened a safe on the wall behind him. "First I'd like to share something with you."

"Unless it's money I don't really care. This job wasn't worth the trouble." Caius said.

"Indulge me for a moment." Victus said as he removed a pistol from the safe and set it on the table.

"What's this?" Caius asked as Victus moved around the desk.

"It belonged to my son, Tarquin." he said as he uncuffed Caius' hands.

Caius shrugged and picked up the weapon. "Looks like any other pistol to me."

"The first he ever fired in fact." Victus said as he returned to his seat.

"Well that's great and all but not why I'm here. I killed those asari spies for you like you asked and I took out Sparatus too, I've upheld my end of the arrangement despite my own personal objections. It's time for you to uphold yours."

Victus seemed to ignore the man. The primarch had his head hung down and his hands below the desk. "I'm sorry." he muttered.

"What?"

Suddenly something hit Caius with enough force to knock the wind out of him. The man gasped for air and looked down to see the bleeding hole in his chest. That's when he looked up to see the silenced pistol held in Victus' hand.

"What...what the fuck?" Caius grunted before he slumped forward, the gun falling from his hands as he did.

Victus' gun hand trembled as smoke trailed out of the barrel. His heart was beating painfully fast in his chest and his breath was coming in short. He swallowed hard and set the gun down on his desk before he scrambled over to his door to lock it. Victus pressed his head against the wall and tightened his fists.

"Dammit." He muttered before he ran for the vidcomm on the other end of his office. He wasted no time making the call.

The call didn't connect the first time and so tried again. Still nothing and so he called over and over until finally an image materialized on the holo-projector.

"We need to talk." Victus said sternly.

Matriarch Aquilla crossed her arms and tried to hide the amusement from her face. "We do?"

"What the hell is this, Aquilla?! You told me that Sparatus backed out of the agreement and he had to be dealt with, I agreed."

"And it appears you've followed through." Aquilla said.

"I did. What we're building together is bigger than Sparatus, a better future for both our people is built on sacrifice."

"We agree on that."

"You didn't tell me about the warehouse full of turian nukes!" Victus cried.

"No. I didn't. What is your point?"

"My point? Explain this!"

"Victus, I am sorry to say I don't feel compelled to do so."

"What the hell are you talking about? You said the asari and the turians could ensure galactic stability together. You need us! So you tell me why my men found those weapons and why the asari are preparing for war?"

"We did need you. Now we don't." Aquilla said. "You played your part. The asari thank you for your sacrifice."

"What?!" Victus yelled. "Have you no honor, Aquilla?"

"Honor and pride is for fools. I told you what I needed you to hear and you did what I needed you to do, it's as simple as that."

"You won't get away with this. I have an entire turian bombing fleet heading for Illium! I will destroy those weapons and then I will come for you unless you rethink your position."

Aquilla chuckled. "Do what you feel you must, Victus."

Suddenly the call ended and Aquilla's blue hologram fizzled out. "No!" Victus cried as he tried to hail her again. He paced back and forth in his office after several attempts. Then his eyes fell on Caius' dead body still slumped over in the chair.

He might have made a terrible mistake but Victus was a turian, he wasn't beaten so long as he still drew breath. He walked back over to his desk and picked up the pistol on the desktop. With his eyes trained on Caius and his thoughts swimming with the consequences of his actions he pressed the barrel of the pistol against his left shoulder.

"Victory...at any cost."

He pulled the trigger.


Deep Space

A classical tune echoed throughout the bedroom. The hum of the transport ship's drive core just barely audible against the pleasant sounds of strings and piano. They had been traveling for quite some time and they were nearly at their destination.

Lilium held a glass of wine in one hand as she admired the large oil painting before her. The piece was stretched out along the length of the bedroom wall. It was an interesting abstract mix of colors and shapes, Lilium thought she might have saw something in them.

She used to be a nobody. Someone who worked to get by and was ignored by almost everyone. Unremarkable she used to call herself. Now though, now she was a part of something.

She wore a white gown that left the majority of her torso exposed. Her bare breasts pointed through the thin fabric and she had stepped out of her heels when she was invited into the bedroom. The door behind her opened and she heard the sound of high heeled shoes click on the tiles.

"My apologies." Aquilla said as she stepped inside. "Our business does have a talent for getting in the way of pleasure."

"It's okay." Lilium said, her voice was soft and unimposing.

"You like it?" Aquilla asked as she came to a stop beside the matron and admired the painting with her.

"It's beautiful. Who painted it?"

"An elcor artist by the name of Forta."

"An elcor?"

Aquilla smiled. "You're surprised?"

"I suppose I thought you wouldn't care for a piece of alien artwork."

"The elcor have a beautiful culture. I find it profoundly sad that most people dismiss them as a joke." Aquilla said.

"I...I thought you would hate them."

"Of course not. It would be arrogant to think an entire race worthy of hatred. Humanity has produced some of my favorite pieces of literature in fact. Do you read?"

Lilium shook her head. "Not as often as I wish I could."

Aquilla walked over to a well stocked bookshelf and retrieved an old looking book. She handed it to the girl. "Of Mice and Men. It's an ancient human story I find very...moving. I recommend it."

Lilium flipped through the pages. "If you don't hate non-asari. Why did you start this?"

"It would be easier wouldn't it? Some days I tell myself I hate them, some days I believe it, things would be much easier if I could. But do we hate a disease for taking a life? Do we hate hate fire for burning us? You cannot hate someone for doing the only thing they can. Humans, turians...even us, we all are victim to the same sickness. The cure is...unpleasant but necessary."

"And that's you? The cure?" Lilium asked.

"Not just me. All of us. Outsiders would call us monsters, the more dramatic might label us as evil. I'm not sure I'd say they're wrong. But sometimes evil is necessary. In the end we will be the saviors of our galaxy."

"Did the Goddess tell you that?" Lillium asked.

Aquilla smiled. "She did."

"What's she saying right now?"

The matriarch chuckled. "It doesn't work like that. I can't simply speak for her."

Lilium looked disappointed until Aquilla snaked her hand around her waist and turned her around to face her. "I could show you."

The younger asari smiled and set her wine glass down before she silently reached up and pulled down the straps of her dress to expose her breasts to Aquilla. "Please." she said.

Aquilla smiled and gently cupped her hands over the woman's breasts. She circled her thumbs around her nipples as she looked back over to the painting. "They say art isn't truly about a visual. It's about how the art makes you feel. And that true masterpieces mean something different to everyone who sees them. It's not really about the color or the skill, it's about who you are."

Lilium reached around Aquilla's back and unzipped her dress. She removed the dress leaving the matriarch's large breasts exposed. "Then tell me, Aquilla," Lilium said. "Who are you?"


Thessia- Many Years Ago...

There was an undeniable beauty to the asari's homeworld. From the gorgeous cities to the undisturbed beauty of the wilderness Thessia was by all meanings of the phrase, a marvel. In the picturesque Kiami Mountain range a lone tent sat perched atop a rocky cliff. The moon shone bright above the scene and painted the valley below in light that shimmered off the creek water.

Inside this tent rested two naked asari. Their blue bodies were entwined together, the shorter of the couple rested her unmarked face on her lover's ample breasts. She listened as her love drew breath in her sleep. She wished she could find peace as easily. It had been so long ago and yet sometimes it still felt like only yesterday.

In desperation she shut her eyes and tried to focus on the relaxing sounds of the cool breeze blowing up against her tent, or the bugs buzzing out in the wilderness. No matter how hard she tried nothing drowned it out.

It was a feeling almost impossible to describe. Like a thought she wished she could purge from her mind but trying to forget it only seemed to make her focus on it more. The more she fought it, the more it resisted. It was more than just an urge, it was a need, a curse. A constant craving that was driving her closer and closer to madness with each agonizing second she drew breath. She had seen what that desire did to the others and she knew the cost of giving in may very well be worse than any hell she could imagine. But giving in was the only solution and she knew it.

Aquilla had fought it for years but she didn't know how much fight she had left in her.

With a huff she sat up, not caring if she disturbed her sleeping lover as she climbed out of their tent. The cold night air tensed her naked body. Goosebumps rose on her blue flesh as she stared up at the moon. Even the beauty that surrounded her did nothing to distract her mind. The urge was creeping into her every thought, her dreams, her everything. Aquilla fell to her knees in the dirt at the edge of the high cliff they had camped upon. She looked to the creek far below and tried to admire the way the moonlight danced off the water.

Suddenly she heard her lover's voice. "It's getting worse isn't it?"

Aquilla turned her head and saw her love climbing out of the tent with a blanket wrapped around her body. "It is." she confirmed.

"I feel it too." She said as she sat down beside Aquilla. "I thought we could get away from it out here. But it's still there."

"There is only one way to end it and we both know that."

Her lover looked taken aback. "We both know that's not an option."

Aquilla looked to her side and locked eyes with the other woman. "Do we?"

"Of course we do! You saw what it did to the others."

"I saw what you did to them." The asari hung her head. "Maybe we had it wrong. Maybe...maybe the others were right and we killed them for it."

"Aquilla! Do not even entertain the thought!"

"How can we not?!"

"The others were weak." Her lover's voice turned cold. "We were given the gift because we are strong enough to resist it."

"I remember what they said."

"We can't fail them." The tall asari said.

"Fuck them. Nothing is worth this. I can't take it anymore, the urge gets worse every day. I need it to be over, we both do!"

"No!" The tall asari cried and rose to her feet.

"We have to!" Her lover cried.

"I have sacrificed far too much to give in to temptation now."

"We've sacrificed too much. Please, love, we must!" Aquilla pleaded as she kneaded the sides of her head under her fingers.

"This will pass. Or we will learn to live with it."

"I don't want to live with it! I'd rather die!" Aquilla's tone turned savage. "What's the point in resisting it?! Why give it to use if we were not meant to see!"

"I don't know. And that is exactly why we can't!"

Aquilla jolted to her feet. Her mind was made up, she wouldn't be driven to madness like the others. "If you won't do it. Then I will!"

"Aquilla!" The tall asari screamed her lover's name. "You can't!"

"I refuse to end up like the others."

"You will if you try." The tall asari promised as she rose to her feet as well, but threatening her love seemed hollow.

"You wouldn't. Not to me." Aquilla said.

The two asari began to move in a circle, their eyes still locked. "Please. We're strong enough to fight this together."

"I'm not. I can't. And sooner or later you won't be able to either. You know I speak the truth."

"Aquilla...my love, you can't do this."

"I can." The asari defied her lover and scrambled over to their tent to gather her belongings. "You're welcome to come with me. I have to put a stop to this and we both know it's the only way."

Suddenly a jolt of biotic energy knocked Aquilla off her feet. The nude woman rolled to a stop in the dirt. She looked up at her tall lover and saw her naked body glowing with blue energy, tears were in her eyes. "Don't make me stop you."

"You couldn't!" Aquilla cried as she retaliated with a biotic strike of her own.

The throw tossed her lover off her feet and she rolled to the edge of the cliff they camped atop of. The tall woman looked up in time to see Aquilla charging at her, whatever resistance her lover had to the urge had finally crumbled. Aquilla was now as overcome with the desire as the others had been.

She blasted Aquilla off her feet and pounced on the woman. The increasingly unstable asari thrashed under her and so she seized Aquilla's wrists and pinned them above her head.

"Calm down. Please! We can do this. I know we can!" She pleaded.

"Release me! I won't end up like them. I won't!"

"It will pass!"

"I have to know! I have to know!" Aquilla repeated over and over again.

Before she could calm her lover down Aquilla kicked her knee up into her gut and rolled over on top of her. Her fists came down hard and fast on her lover's face as she beat her bloody in the dirt.

"Don't make me! Please!" The bloodied asari cried with tears in her eyes. But her love was beyond reason, beyond gone. It had consumed her.

"I have to know!" Aquilla screamed again as her fists crashed down.

"Forgive me." The tall asari said before she shut her tearful eyes.

When the woman's eyes reopened they were filled with darkness.

Aquilla's savage attack ceased immediately as a painful sting began to burn from within her brain. As her lover's mind forced the meld upon her that pain grew. Soon it was all there was. Every nerve ending in Aquilla's body felt as though they were set ablaze, her blood seemed to turn to fire in her veins and her limbs began to spasm uncontrollably.

Aquilla fell on to the dirt beside her lover and howled in agony, she pounded her own fists against the sides of her head. Suddenly a spurt of hot blood erupted from her lips and even more began to stream from her nose. Her arms and legs twisted unnaturally causing bones to snap and pierce her flesh as they did.

Beside her, her lover began to moan in shameful ecstasy. Pleasure rocked her body as she drained the life out of the other woman. Their minds finally joined for one brief moment and all she was able to say was "I love you."

The color drained from her prey's eyes until they were ghostly white. All at once the meld ceased and one final breath left Aquilla's lips before she fell still.

Beside the twisted corpse the tall asari's entire body trembled. As the aftershocks caused by the onslaught of orgasms she just endured coursed through her body she looked to the woman laying beside her.

Aquilla's face was locked in agony, her ghostly white eyes still wide open as they stared at her murderous lover.

"I had to." The woman told the corpse. She climbed over on her hands and knees and took the woman's face in her hands. Tears streamed down her cheeks and her voice cracked with agony. "I...I'm so sorry, Aquilla!"


Notes- Sorry for the delay. So at long last we have an Aquilla flashback. I'd love to hear what you thought of that and of Garrus' return and Victus' betrayal in the reviews. ALSO I have recently started a collaboration with my friend and fellow writer RevansMask. If you like Dragon Age, Cassandra, Leliana and Varric I strongly urge you to check out our story "The Seeker and the Nightingale" on RevanMasks profile. You can find their profile and the story in my favorites.