Thanks to the wonderful ElCapitan18 for beta-ing this. You are wonderful, honey bear, and I adore you!

Thanks to everyone who read, followed, faved and reviewed. You people make my day and you have no idea how each review, each follow and fave, brightens my day. Anyway, hope you enjoy this one! *hugs*


The howling wind mixed with the sound of burning fire raged in the broad daylight, accompanied by the stench of rotten flesh and the screams of the very few people that survived. The Citadel was a mass grave of the millions of people that used to live here. Now they were gone, killed by the one person that now held her little brother captive.

Her gun was held tightly in her hands and pointed at the unknown silhouette that held her brother captive by pressing the point of the gun into the back of his head. The silhouette stood behind her kneeling brother. Tears streamed down Chris's face as he struggled to keep it together. She'd lost Kaidan somewhere on the way here as she followed the unknown figure that had kidnapped her brother. She worried immensely for him, but Kaidan could handle whatever threats lurked in the ruined streets of the Citadel.

"Let him go!" she demanded, cursing her inability to see who exactly was standing behind her brother.

The silhouette laughed, a loud and rich sound that resonated in the dreary atmosphere. Jane lowered her gaze to her brother and her heart broke when she saw the pleading look her little brother gave her, silently begging her to save him. Returning her narrowed blue eyes to the silhouette, her lips turned down into a snarl when she barked again.

"I said let him go!"

The silhouette shook their head and chuckled, and even though she couldn't see their face she could feel their eyes piercing through her. "And what if I just kill him, hm?" The silhouette spoke, its eery voice reminding her of that of a ghost.

"Then I'll blow your fucking head of!" she shouted, her patience slowly slipping away.

The silhouette laughed and again shook their head. "But you would have failed," they mocked. "Your brother would be dead and my death would have no importance at all."

"I'm not going to repeat myself!" she barked as she kept her aim steady. Her heartbeat was getting harder to ignore as fear and panic threatened to claim her. She needed to keep a cool head and find a way out for all of them. "Let. Him. Go." she punctuated every word in an attempt to make it clear to them that they wouldn't walk out of this alive if they kept threatening her.

The silhouette 'tsked' scoldingly when the wind howled again, its freezing touch biting even through her armor. "How very little you understand," they scolded. "You are not in the position to make demands. You are here to surrender, then I will let your brother live..."

Jane gripped the pistol tighter as the chilliness under her armor grew despite the burning fire around her. She was cold and angry and scared, but she needed to keep a cool head.

"Sh... Shepard..."

She shot her head to her right and the color drained from her face. Kaidan was limping towards her, the white shirt he wore bloody, almost no trace of white left. A trail of blood was making its way from his forehead down his face past the other cuts and bruises that marred his surface. Her blood froze and a cold feeling settled in her stomach when she realized just how pale and beaten up he was.

"Kaidan!"

"Make a move and he is dead!" the silhouette warned when she started to run to Kaidan but its chilly voice forced her to stop. Her head shot back in time when the silhouette pressed the gun harder against Chris's head and Jane heard a threatening click, one that made her stomach do an unpleasant, frightened flip.

"NO!" she yelled when she pointed her weapon at them again. Her arms shook when panic threatened to claim her. Kaidan was badly injured but if she risked getting to him she could lose Chris in the process. "Let him fucking go!" she yelled again, desperate to save both of their lives. Her eyes flickered to her right and her blood froze when Kaidan fell forward, lying on the ground without giving away that he was alive.

No... Kaidan please stay alive...

The silhouette grinned but didn't move their gun from Chris's head when he goaded, "You have failed."

Her vision became blurry as she was pulled into a cold abyss of despair and loneliness. She blinked to keep the tears at bay but the unknown figures words cut her more than the sharpest knife.

"You have failed... you cannot save them..."

'You are useless, Janey... pathetic...'

"Shut up... I can save them." she whispered more to convince herself than her enemy. The diffidence, the fear of failure, the uncertainty, everything crashed down at her at the same time and it ate at her soul. She needed to save both Kaidan and Chris, otherwise she couldn't live with the knowledge that she failed them both.

Suddenly the unknown figure moved more closely to Chris, and their face became visible. Jane's eyes widened in horror and cold sweat formed on her forehead when she looked at the Illusive Man, blood trailing out of his empty eye sockets and mouth. She gasped, mortified at the sight and the plastered smile on his face that revealed his pearl white teeth. He grabbed Chris's hair and pulled his head back roughly so she could look at him.

The Illusive Man brought his gun to her little brother's temple as he reminded, "You cannot save them... you belong to me!" before he pulled the trigger, his loud laugh joining the sound of the raging flames around them. Jane watched helplessly as her little brother fell dead in a pool of his own blood, his wide, lifeless green eyes directed at her. Tears streamed down her face and she screamed in utter rage when she fired until the heat sink clicked that it was empty.

The first thing her eyes spotted was the great dark universe on the ceiling, and the first thing she heard was the low hum of the engine. Jane gasped for breath as she sat up, desperately looking around for any sign of her brother, Kaidan or the Illusive Man, but quickly realized that she was alone in her quarters, and she'd never been happier.

A breath of relief escaped her lungs when she sat on the edge of the bed, the cold feeling of the metallic floor proving her that that was just a nightmare. Her heart thudded rapidly against her ribs, threatening to jump out of her chest at any second, and the deep shaky breaths did nothing to slow it down. She ran her hand down her face in an attempt to calm down, and became suspicious when she felt something warm and wet on her palm.

She looked at her open palm and horror overwhelmed her when she saw it entirely covered in blood. "What the-" she turned to look at her bedside only to see her pillow entirely bloody.

She shot up from the bed and headed straight to the bathroom. Without thinking, she splashed cold water on her face and regretted the action immediately.

"Fuck!" she cursed when the cold water did nothing to lessen the pain, it only intensified it. She quickly wiped her face off the water with a towel and was careful not to rub too roughly. Putting the towel down, she glanced at her reflection and the color drained from her face.

The Lazarus scars were bleeding and they hurt like hell. Her cheeks pulsed with every beat of her heart, stinging and burning as her system tried to close the wounds, but couldn't because the scars weren't natural. They were the result of a sick and horrendous experiment, and Jane felt as though she didn't know her own body anymore.

Thankfully, the blood flow didn't take long until it stopped, but the fact that they bled at all unsettled her immensely. But then she remembered what Chakwas had said, about lowering her stress levels in order for the scars to heal properly. Jane knew her stress levels were immense and the dream she just had only made it worse. She knew she needed to calm down, to stop worrying so much about everything and focus on getting out of Cerberus without losing her little brother or Kaidan. She needed a plan and she needed it fast.

The dream was the manifestation of her greatest fears as to what could happen if she wasn't careful enough. The Illusive Man was smart and cunning, but she needed to be smarter and more cunning if she wanted to gain his trust completely just so she could break it more easily. Her hands gripped the end of the sink hard when the image of her little brother lying on the ground appeared in front of her closed lids. She wouldn't allow that to happen, not to him or to Kaidan. They were both under her protection and she would do everything to protect them, even if it meant that she stayed in this hell for an unknown measure of time.

Releasing a deep breath slowly and easing the stress off of her mind a little, she opened her eyes and felt relief washing over her when the red glow emanating from her scars dissipated a bit. Certain that the scars wouldn't bleed anymore, she walked out of the bathroom and as soon as she stepped into her quarters, the AI called for her attention.

"What is it?" asked Shepard calmly, trying her best to keep her cool.

"Thane wishes to speak to you," the AI answered. "He's waiting for you in Life Support."

Shepard sighed and dismissed the AI before she walked out of her quarters, though she was in no hurry to reach the Crew Deck. As much as she avoided the drell, he kept insisting on talking with her. Jane crossed her arms in front of her chest and leaned her back on the elevator wall as she tried to understand what made her so edgy around him.

Ignoring the fact that he was a ruthless, professional killer, Jane found that Krios was a kind and compassionate man that fought for the greater good. Recently she'd helped him reconcile things between him and his son, and witnessed another side of him, one that was so guilty and heartbroken that it almost broke her own heart. She'd pitied Krios when he'd stood in front of his son, begging Kolyat to forgive him for not being there for him. He was a caring person, a protector of the weak and a slayer of the wicked.

But something about his mere presence was choking her, pushing her away from him and giving her no chance to understand why he affected her so negatively. Krios was a normal man, not a disease that deserved to be treated with the same level of suspicion and fear.

The doors hissed open and Shepard released another deep breath when she left the elevator space, lowering her hands at her sides. Today, she would try a different approach and at least try to understand what unsettled her so. The doors to Life Support came to her view moments later and she forced her heartbeat to calm down; she couldn't stress on the matter, she didn't want to risk her scars bleeding again. She would talk with him, finish the conversation, then head back to her quarters and read the mission reports until they reached Illium.

The doors to Life Support opened and she spotted him sitting in his usual seat, his back turned to her, and Jane fought the uneasiness that threatened to overwhelm her. It frustrated her just how much he affected her with his mere presence.

She stopped in front of him, swallowed hard and forced a polite smile on her face when she sat down. Though keeping calm became even harder when his black eyes found hers, a smile hinting at the corners of his lips.

"Shepard," he greeted kindly. "Thank you for coming by so quickly."

"No problem," answered Jane, ignoring her ever increasing nervousness.

Krios lowered his head and gaze to the table when he confessed, "I wanted to thank you for saving my son. I couldn't have done it without you."

Jane was taken aback by his honesty, but thankfully she managed to keep the mask of forced politeness and easiness. "I'm glad I could help," she stated honestly, a little wider smile stretching her lips.

Krios looked so happy and peaceful when he looked into her eyes again, admitting, "You helped me mend the rift that had grown between me and my son, and you have kept your promise by placing him under Captain Bailey's care. For that I owe you my loyalty. I'm ready for whatever tomorrow might bring."

She couldn't fight the smile that unearthed at his admission. Hearing such pleasant words even from someone she was uncomfortable with was easing her nervousness. Keeping the shy smile on her face, she stated, "When we destroy the Collector's, you will have plenty of time to spend with him." in hope to lift the mood.

Smile turning slightly rueful, Thane corrected, "Or as much time as I have left."

Her smile fell a little, but his attitude couldn't beat her sudden optimism, and the urge to prove him that everything would go smooth even beyond the mysterious Omega 4 relay. "You'll have one hell of a story to tell your son once we get back from the Omega 4 relay."

His smile widened at her statement and it threatened to awoke the anxiety she'd managed to keep under control for now. Krios was the definition of peaceful when he stated softly, "True. I have no doubt you will get us home from the Collector homeworld, siha."

Her brows arched in confusion, her expression that of curiosity. "I think my translator just glitched. What did you just call me?" She thought that it was some kind of insult in drell language, one that he would pay for dearly.

But the smile that crept up his feature was warm and honest when he repeated the weird, yet pleasantly sounding word, "Siha."

Shaking her head as if trying to get a grasp on the situation, she furrowed her brows and asked, "What does it mean?" her smile turning cautious and suspicious.

"One day, I'll tell you what it means." he said, and closed his eyes when he intertwined his fingers in front of his mouth, the smile still present on his face. "Thank you for everything. If you don't mind, I will return to my meditations, siha."

Jane was taken aback with how he dismissed her, but somehow she couldn't be angry. She nodded more to herself than him when she stood up and moved towards the door, keeping her head slightly hung. The conversation with him wasn't that bad, she had finally convinced herself that it wouldn't kill her for talking to him. What unnerved her now was the unknown word he'd called her, and mostly why he had called her 'siha'.

"Siha," she whispered, to feel the word rolling off of her tongue. It was a strong name, one that she muttered all the way to the elevator as if repeating the word would reveal its meaning.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when the elevator door closed in front of her and she pushed the button to the CIC. Dismissing the earlier thoughts of Krios and the pleasantly sounding word from her mind, she prepared her mind for the next encounter with her faithful pilot.

Krios's confession didn't leave her mind, she kept worrying whether the Illusive Man needed to force her friends into her team or not, and no matter how hard she tried to convince herself that they would willingly follow her into hell and back, the fear hovered over her like a veil.

Joker was the most honest person she knew, he wouldn't lie to her no matter how grim the truth was. Garrus would try to butter her up, to make it sound less catastrophic. Tali would try to go easy on her when things went utterly bad. Jane didn't need any of this, she needed the truth, and Joker would supply her with it.

She walked past yeoman Chambers and greeted the young woman with a court nod before she made her way towards the bridge. A smile inched it's way on her lips when she heard Joker arguing with EDI again about something that had no importance at all. Kasumi was right, they were like an old married couple.

"Joker," she greeted the helmsman when she took the co-pilot's seat, a smile on her face.

Joker gave her a quick glance before he returned to the controls in front of him, a worried gleam in his eyes. "Oh man," he sighed. "I swear I didn't do anything."

Jane raised one eyebrow as she made herself comfortable. "Something I should be aware of?" she asked, knowing that even if Joker tried to sweep the truth under the rug, the AI would still exploit it.

Joker shook his head assuringly before admitting, "No, just making sure that if something indeed happened that it isn't my fault. I'm just the pilot, you know, flying the ship and arguing with the annoying AI. Nothing more."

Shepard shook her head. "The way you say it makes me think the exact opposite."

Joker gave her a pointed look, but couldn't hide the smile that unearthed, showing her that he was indeed just fooling with her. Jane chuckled and glanced swiftly over the controls displayed in front of the pilot, and admired in awe just how well he piloted the ship.

"So I guess there is a reason for you visiting my workstation, or are you just here to admire the way I work my magic?" he asked and winked when he met her eyes.

Jane let out an amused laugh. "There is actually something I need to talk to you about." she admitted, and could almost feel the tension rolling off of him.

Joker tensed for a second, before he pushed a few more controls, confidently swiping his hands across the holo screen. Giving the holo screen one more look, he leaned back into the seat and turned it to face her completely, giving her his undivided attention.

He leaned forward and intertwined his fingers as he sighed, "Okay, look, if this has something to do with the way that drell assassin looks at you, then-"

Jane furrowed her brows in confusion and shook her head. "The hell you're talking about?" she interrupted, and locked her eyes on Joker's pale blue ones, silently asking him to enlighten her on whatever he meant.

Joker blinked twice and clarified, "Uhm, I thought this was about how pissed off you are because of the constant looks he sends you?"

Jane shook her head as if to shake her confusion away and to further validate her answer, "No!" she rebuked, the thought that the drell might be looking at her that way unsettling her.

Joker sighed and was visibly much more relaxed. "Oh boy, I did not want to hear that you might start to have feelings for him as well. That guy creeps me out and reminds me of the killers from the old school horror movies." Shaking his head, he added, "I don't think I could live peacefully with him around."

Jane grinned, but silently wondered if the name the drell had given her had a more romantic meaning. She shuddered lightly and shook the thoughts from her mind.

"Don't worry, it's nothing like that," she assured, and smiled when the pilot let out an almost inaudible 'phew' in relief. Jane's smile fell completely and tension took its place instead of comfort. She shifted slightly in her seat and scratched an imagined itch under her brow when she started. "Krios mentioned something that keeps bothering me, and I think that it also might be the case with you... with all of you."

Jane's eyes were focused on Joker's knees when she spoke but reluctantly lifted them to his face only to see the cautious look he gave her. He was clueless and Jane knew she had to clarify what she meant. "He said that the Illusive Man threatened to hurt his son, Kolyat, to get him on board," she stated as Joker furrowed his brows together in deep thought. "I need to know the truth. I need to know if the Illusive Man threatened to hurt your family to get you to work with me."

Jane pleaded and could see on her long time friend that he had a hard time struggling with what to tell her. Disappointment flooded through her when he turned his chair away from her to face the holo screen, and Jane felt dread spreading through her when she feared what his action could mean.

"Joker, I need to know it," she pleaded again, boring her narrowed eyes into his profile in hope to make him look at her again. "Did he threaten you, Garrus or Tali?"

Joker let out a long, exasperated breath when he turned to face her again, his expression deadly serious. "Look, I don't know about Garrus or Tali, but when they asked me to join Cerberus to help you, I signed up without a second thought, okay?"

Jane blinked, bewildered at the intensity with which he answered her question. Letting the silence stretch for a second, she wondered, "So he didn't threaten you?" just to make sure she was getting where he was going at.

Joker huffed and shook his head. "Why would he have the need to threaten me when all of this is my fault?"

Jane's heart contorted painfully, guilt stabbing her abdomen when she realized what he was getting at. His expression turned somber when he lowered his gaze to the floor as if ashamed for his earlier confession. Jane needed him to know that Joker wasn't to blame for anything, especially not for her death.

Leaning forward in her seat, her expression turned into that of utter understanding and empathy when she stated, "None of this is your fault Joker, and no one is blaming you."

Joker huffed in displeasure again, not buying her empathy for even a second. "Still doesn't change the fact that I am responsible for your death."

"Joker..."

"Look, you can deny it all you want, but the fact is that you stayed behind because of me, because you had to drag my crippled ass out of the bridge." He shook his head and clenched his hands into tight fists. "Nothing you or anyone else say will convince me of the opposite, so stop, okay?"

Jane's heart fell with sorrow as she watched his faithful pilot struggle with his emotions. She didn't know what to say. To see a usually cheerful guy like Joker so broken and guilty left her speechless. She watched him as he removed his cap and ran his shaky hand through his short hair while he looked at the floor. Her heart broke at the guilt she saw in his pale blue eyes, and she wished she could do anything to lighten up his mood.

Putting his cap back into place, he shifted lightly in his seat and stated, "But to answer your question; no. TIM didn't force me to join up with you. The Alliance took away the one thing that mattered most to me and the brass made me sick, so I left. And when I heard that Commander Badass is coming back from the dead... well, do you honestly think I would pass?"

Jane furrowed her brows when she gave his statement a second thought, then smiled when she wondered, "TIM?" not really knowing who he was referring to, but having a hunch as to who.

Joker grinned when he explained, "The Illusive Man." a laugh in his eyes. "Guess the most wanted criminal in the galaxy deserves a fitting nickname."

Jane laughed, and all the worries she had before were washed away. Relief washed over her when she realized that she worried for nothing; her friends would always be there for her, be it hell or high water. She stood up from her seat and leaned down to pull Joker into a careful, friendly embrace.

"Thanks Joker," she spoke, shutting her eyes tightly. "Thanks for being honest with me."

Joker patted her back before she pulled away and smiled down at him. "Just let me know when it's time to call it quits, and I'll steal the Normandy right out of TIM's greedy little hands. It'll be just like old times."

Jane grinned, remembering the time when they had to steal the Normandy in order to follow Saren to Ilos. She patted his shoulder before she turned and walked out of the bridge. "You can bet your money on it," she promised.

Before she was out of earshot, Joker commented, "Tell Liara I said hello, and take a picture of her kicking the Shadow Broker's ass!"

Jane grinned as she walked towards the CIC, eagerly anticipating Liara's reaction to the information she'd received from the Illusive Man about the Shadow Broker. Her asari friend was more than eager to find him and Jane couldn't wait to put up a fight against him and his armies. It's been too long she went without a good fight. She was getting edgy and she needed to blow off some steam.

####

The sound of the ongoing battle kept her focused, the nearby explosions always sending a surge of adrenaline through her that made her feel alive. Jane peeked out of cover and spotted two asari Vanguard's crouched behind the wall in the not too close distance. Allowing a mean smile to curl her lips, Jane hid behind the wall and changed the thermal clip in her shotgun before she turned to Liara, only to see her asari friend focused on fighting two enemy tech's.

"Liara!" Jane called for her, her voice roaring over the sound of gunfire and explosion. Liara threw a singularity and crouched behind the wall to change her clip before she turned to Shepard, nodding her head to show that Shepard got her attention. Jane pointed with her thumb at the wall where the two asari Vanguard's were crouching and said, "I need a warp for them!" Then pointed with her thumb to herself, "And a barrier for me!" a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Liara shook her head in a scolding manner, but did exactly what Jane said. Liara warped their barriers then enveloped Jane in a powerful, almost indestructible barrier. Inhaling sharply, Jane nodded to her asari friend in thanks before she jumped out of cover and ran towards the two Vanguard's, who were out of their hideouts as well. The two asari commandos were clearly not anticipating a head-on approach from a non-biotic which gave Shepard the advantage of surprise.

One asari lined her shotgun at Shepard, but Jane was quicker to tackle her to the ground before she turned her attention to the other commando, who managed to line a shot at Jane. Thankfully, the barrier deflected it completely and Jane smirked when she noticed the shock on the commandos face before she lined her shotgun at the enemy's chest. The ferocity of the shot sent her flying backwards, the shot fatal.

The other asari gaped in horror at the scene unfolding in front of her, and only turned to gape at Jane when she lined her weapon on the asari's face before pulling the trigger. The asari's head splattered around when Jane felt bullets hitting her back, but were deflected by the ever decreasing barrier. She jumped behind the nearby wall and peeked out in time to see another asari commando approaching her, but was shot down by Garrus and his sniper.

"Scratch one!" he spoke into their com's and Jane couldn't help but chuckle in delight. The fighting always thrilled her and made her forget about everything. She was more relaxed and calm here, in the middle of the Shadow Broker's ship while they fought waves of enemies that closed in on their position while Liara's mechanism was unlocking the door. Here, she could focus on the battle instead of the things that usually made her restless on the Normandy.

Biotic throws were fired, grenades exploded around them and Jane couldn't be more excited. This was her thing, fighting was the only thing she was ever good at... and the only thing she knew she loved. She had no idea what her interests were before the Alliance. Hell, she didn't even know why she'd joined up with the Alliance, or how she'd met Anderson. There were no memories of her time from before the Alliance; only dreams of a little girl, crying alone in a street corner while it poured heavily from the heavens.

Jane grit her teeth and blocked the thoughts out of her mind. She was on a mission, she wasn't supposed to think about such things while bullets were flying all around them. She gathered her thoughts and focused on the next few waves of enemy reinforcement, and when the last one fell, the mechanism beeped its annoying sound, indicating that it had finally unlocked the door.

The three of them stepped closer to the door and waited as Liara retrieved the mechanism. Jane watched her asari friend as she focused on putting the mechanism into one of her pockets, before she turned to face her, her eyes narrowed.

"That was reckless," scolded Liara, her mouth slightly turned into a scowl.

Jane rolled her eyes dismissively, before she met her gaze with a grin on her lips. "No, that was fun," countered Jane, earning an irritated huff from Liara.

"You could have died," Liara reminded how fatal her head-on approach could end. "Again."

Jane's grin fell a little when Liara turned away to face the door. "But I didn't," she assured. "I knew you'd pull a barrier strong enough to fend off their attacks." She nudged her shoulder playfully before she teased, "You've improved your biotic's. I'm impressed."

"Very funny," Liara sighed before bringing her narrowed eyes to Jane, a playful gleam in her eyes. "You're not gonna get away with this so easily."

Jane rolled her eyes when Garrus chuckled beside them. "Just like the old days, eh Liara?" Garrus's mandibles flared in a smile when Liara gave him a pointed look, but smiled nonetheless. The doors parted and the three stepped in, their weapons drawn and ready to shoot anyone who dared step in their path.

The silence of the ship sent Jane over the edge, and despite she knew that starting a conversation now would compromise their position, she couldn't help but talk. She didn't know why she felt so uncomfortably tense at the moment. "So Liara," started Jane when she peered out of a corner to scan the hallway, only to find it surprisingly empty. "What have you been up to the last two years, except searching for the Shadow Broker?"

Liara stepped up beside her, her weapon drawn and her attention in front of them. "Now is really not the time to start a conversation, don't you think?" she gave Shepard another pointed look that reminded her that they were in no position to have a pep talk now.

Jane grit her teeth as the hum of the engine raised goose bumps along her skin. Nervously blinking back into focus, she assured her asari friend, "We'll save Feron, don't worry. Relax."

It was exactly the wrong thing to say. Liara spun around and nudged her shoulder a little roughly when she retorted, "How can I relax when my friend is trapped in here for the last two years?! Because of me?!"

Shepard gaped in wide eyed shock at her friend before the bullets started flying around them. They quickly went behind cover and battled the oncoming threat, but won quickly before they resumed searching for Liara's friend. The anger was rolling off of Liara like an avalanche, forcing Jane and Garrus to keep the asari's angry pace. She didn't know what Liara meant with Feron being trapped in here because of her, but she had a feeling that there was more to all of this than Liara let know. Even Garrus seemed to know Feron, which made her wonder.

Shoving the questions and thoughts that plagued her into the back of her mind for now, Jane had to calm Liara down a little. She was on the breaking point. Jane had to put out the fire raging inside of Liara if they wanted to get out of here alive. Before they could venture any further, Jane placed her hand on Liara's shoulder and pulled her to a stop.

Liara turned around, sighing, her head hung low. "I'm sorry, Shepard, it's just-"

"Hey, it's okay," assured Jane, giving her friend an honest smile. Now Jane understood just how badly she wanted to save Feron, and instead of trying to distract her own thoughts with a forced conversation, she decided to focus on helping Liara. Pointing with her head to the hallway in front of them, Jane said, "Come on. Let's go kick the Shadow Broker's ass and save Feron."

Liara gave her the smallest of smiles in gratitude before sighing, "Thank you, Shepard."

The three of them delved deeper into the lair of the Shadow Broker, and not long after Liara's short outburst of anger, they found Feron, and Shepard had never seen her any happier.

"Feron!" she exhaled happily when she immediately stopped in front of the controls, to hack her friend free. But before they could heed Feron's warning not to touch the console, the security mechanism sent a jolt of electricity through his body and Liara stepped away from the controls, shock and fear evident on her features.

"You need to... kill the Shadow Broker first..." he muttered, before he locked his eyes on Garrus, a small, tired smile tilting the corners of his lips. "Good to see you... Garrus," he muttered before electricity surged through his body again.

Jane furrowed her brows and turned to look at Garrus who's mandibles flared in a smile, but there was a tension in his features that she couldn't understand why it was even there. Before she could give voice to her questions, Liara hurried them to go kill the Shadow Broker. She looked at Garrus one more time and their eyes met, and something about the way he looked at her showed her that he knew Feron from before.

As they ventured deeper into the lair of the Shadow Broker, Shepard tried to remember if she knew Feron from before, but couldn't. Liara only mentioned that Feron was 'an old friend' of hers but Jane felt, no, she knew there was more to it. Garrus never mentioned Feron during their time on the old Normandy, neither did Liara, which meant that the two of them met him during the time she was dead.

Dismissing the thoughts and doubts out of her system for now, she focused on the here and now, and on killing the Shadow Broker.