Wow, hi. Once again, sorry this took so long. I'd like for it to be longer in length but I didn't want to push it. Thank you for your continued support! And I edited this about twice but there may still be some errors. I apologize!
xoxo
THR
Chapter 46
Your name was Garrus Vakarian and you gazed out of the shuttle and let your eyes rest on what was known as Project Base.
Unsurprisingly, the nerve center for the audacious operation was situated on the asteroid itself. Thinking about how they were going to use that very object to kill so many batarians made you grind your teeth in rage. Hoping that Shepard would see their true intent was all you were able to do. You could encourage her and step out of line as much as you wanted, but didn't necessarily mean that she was going to see this as you did. You were all for killing Reapers and delaying their arrival for as long as possible. You had learned about their true power on Ilos and during the Battle of the Citadel. There wasn't a single doubt in your mind that the Reapers did in fact exist and their powers were limitless.
However, a gutsy thought kept lingering throughout your mind.
What if there was a way to save everyone that didn't involve getting rid of the Alpha Relay?
You turned off the chat client on your omni-tool and gave Shepard a nod. It didn't appear as though she had a chip on her shoulder when in reality she was crumbling away. She wrung her gloved hands a few time and put her own omni-tool into sleep mode, causing the orange light to fade out. She too looked out the window and pressed a hand up to the reinforced glass. A lot was riding on her decisions right now. Playing the helpful boyfriend or resilient executive officer card wasn't going to work right now. It was all her and everyone in the whole damn shuttle was going to know it in the forthcoming hours.
"I've never seen such an elaborate station built on an asteroid. How did you manage to construct such a thing within a small timeframe?"
Kenson, who had been tinkering with the ship's map, turned to Shepard to answer her inquiry.
"Enhanced VIs and black market building plans can do wonders, Commander. You'd be surprised to see what the place looks like on the inside. It's much larger than you'd expect."
You took a good look at the structure's architecture while the shuttle closed in on the location. Against the ashy hue of the asteroid, bluish lights cascaded up and were just visible to the naked eye. The distance between the base and you became less and less and you got a better view of what you would be working with.
Intense networks of pod like metal buildings were connected together with long tunnels that were lined almost entirely of windows. Like a web, they interlocked and kept in a consistent shape. You supposed that there was additional work space deep underground. Humans tended to keep their buildings buried deep into a planet. Sometimes they built up as well, but the Project Base hardly had any height to it. However, a plethora of tall towers dotted the perimeter and a few oversized buildings and platforms broke the pattern of the web on occasion.
The shuttle turned into a midsized docking bay and spent no time touching down. Kenson pushed yet another button on her console, sending the shuttle's doors flying open. Shepard, who had been antsy since the mention of "Alpha Relay", jumped out with Kaidan on her six. She turned back and gave you a puzzled face before surveying the area. Her eyes narrowed and scanned the station, which was just as impressive inside as it was outside.
You stayed behind and made sure that Kenson got out before you sealed the door to the stolen space vehicle. As immature as the thought was, you wanted to backhand the woman with your talons for what she was planning on doing.
You ran a hand up your fringe and exhaled, letting your subvocals hum out. Instinctively, Shepard looked back yet again at the sound while others ignored it.
"Shepard, welcome to Project Base. Everything you need to know about us is contained in these very walls."
Shepard's head extended up and she crossed her arms in thought.
"What's that?"
There was a large set of doors that guarded the entrance to Project Base. On top of the archway that led into them was what looked to be a countdown clock. You read what it said out loud.
"Two days, three hours, twenty five minutes and twenty one seconds. That's a little too precise."
You went up further and took a position next to Kaidan. Kenson proceeded towards the door and gestured the rest of the party to follow.
"That's our calculations hard at work. Once the time runs out on that clock, the Reapers will have entered the system. We've called it the Arrival, so to speak. Please, follow me in and I'll show you the artifact I was talking about earlier."
You nibbled on your bottom lip plate. Her choice of words had been peculiar. Had she really dubbed her project "Arrival"? Hackett had used the same words to name your very own mission. There was no was that this was coincidental.
As the doctor proceeded ahead of you and your squad, Kaidan motioned for you to follow far behind her.
Once he was in whispering range, you craned your head ever so slightly so that he and Shepard could listen.
"I don't feel so bad about being paranoid anymore. Arrival? Really?"
The other man let out a grunt and led the pack in Kenson's direction.
"Those were the exact words that Hackett used." He muttered. For a man that respected Admiral Hackett so much, Alenko looked even more doubtful than you did.
"Something else is happening here. I don't know what it is but we need to put a stop to it. What are you planning on doing, Shepard?"
The two of you looked at the Commander as she walked at a calm pace. She hadn't said a word since speaking to Kenson.
Wrinkles formed on her forehead as she struggled to make sense of the plot unfolding around her. As she looked to the ground, she unfolded her arms and kept a careful eye on her footsteps.
"It puts things into perspective." she muttered. "She's implying that the Reapers could hit Earth in a little more than two days. How is that not compelling enough?"
"Shepard!"
Your voice was louder than it should have been but you didn't care. Was she still going to blindly believe this woman just because of a fancy clock and a few sincere sounding words? If this had been a C-Sec operation, Shepard would have been removed from the operation by just thinking about believing this woman without sufficient evidence. She was smarter than this. You knew it, Kaidan knew it, and you had to believe that she knew it too.
"Garrus." she replied, her voice now laden with more feeling. "If you were told that Reapers were going to strike Palaven in two days, what would you do? Even if you weren't one hundred and twenty percent sure of it, you knew that the Hierarchy wasn't preparing and that you might be facing an inevitable death. If you had the power in your hands to stop it, what would you do?"
You ceased all movement and watched as her eyes pierced your own. Her thought process was making sense now. Thinking of Palaven burning just like the Citadel was a nightmare. Seeing your own perish at the hands of unthinking monsters wasn't something that you could allow to happen. You thought of your own family and what would happen if the Reapers reached them.
"I'd stop them." you said while putting a hand on her shoulder guard. "But you'd better believe that I'd try and save every damn person I could in the process. You remember what I told you. I know you'll find a way, but just make sure it's the right one."
"Besides, it's not like it would be an easy decision if Shepard was involved. We've been through this time and time again. This isn't going to be the hardest thing we've faced if the Reapers are still among us."
You smiled as much as you could at Kaidan's comment but you were pretty sure that you just looked like an idiot with raised up mandibles. After taking one more look at the doomsday clock, you continued to walk into the facility where Kenson claimed to have evidence stashed.
Your name was Garrus Vakarian and you hoped that you never had to see Palaven burning like how Shepard described it.
You didn't know it now, but Palaven would be in an even worse state in less than a year.
Your name was Commander Liz Shepard and you had managed to get deep into Project Base's inner buildings.
Just like the outside of the building network, the internal structure was precisely designed for stealth and comfort. Kenson guided you through the place as if it was a museum to be marveled at. The many workers offered congenial smiles or salutes that you didn't deserve. Clean workspaces and bioengineered greenery dotted the hallways and you started to wonder if this place was really as serene and secure as Kenson made it out to be. Regardless of this, the place was still remarkable. You made small talk and asked about the Project. According to its leader, her return meant that it could be launched at any second. You asked her again and again about any alternatives that wouldn't risk lives, but to no avail. She made it seem like destroying the relay was the only way out of this mess.
As bright light shined through the station's windows while you passed by, you kept reminding yourself of Garrus' words. In the end, you had to make the right decision. That was what Commander Shepard would do. Despite all of the hardships and obstacles you would face, people were still expecting you to be moral and not fuck anything up.
Truth be told, that was starting to get harder and harder to accomplish.
After following Kenson through elevator after elevator, she stopped at a door that had two human guards beside it.
"Behind this door is Object Rho, the artifact that's going to validate every single thing I've told you. We've catalogued it and have as much info as possible on it. I must warn you, though, there is something that I haven't been very clear on."
"What do you mean?" you asked. Part of you didn't even want to know what else Kenson was hiding.
She clasped her hands together and it looked as though she was fearful of what your reaction would be. This was the first time she ever looked as though she was truly afraid.
"Commander, this is a Reaper artifact. Everything I know has been caused by the visions it gives me. I did some research and the only thing I can think of comparing it to are the experiences you've had with Prothean beacons. It consumes me and tells me everything…and we are all in danger."
Had you heard her correctly?
Did she just say that it was a Reaper artifact?
You knew that you shouldn't have been surprised, but nothing stopped your voice from raising itself.
You lunged at the woman but kept distance between the two of you. You had tried so hard to understand this doctor's reasoning. Her points, which lacked a significant amount of evidence, were serious. Working with her could have led to the most powerful advancements when it came to understanding the Reapers. Now that you knew what she had been exposed to, there was no sense in trusting her any longer.
"Kenson, do you understand the consequences of working with such a thing?" you bellowed. "Every single one of these people could be in danger and you still want to proceed with this operation? How the hell are you getting away with this? The risks are too high! For all you know, you could be plagued with indoctrination. That's what the Reapers want and they're going to access everything through that artifact!"
A steady hand pulled you away from the elderly woman and you didn't know whether or not it belonged to a guard or one of your own. You barked at her no matter what until her voice surpassed yours in volume.
"I know of the consequences, Commander! You're not speaking to a child!"
By now a small crowd had formed around the debacle. Innocent workers pushed forward in awe to see the famed Commander Shepard and what her reasoning was for nearly attacking their boss. You longed to holler at them and tell them about the danger they were all in. If they were indeed indoctrinated, then it would be no use.
Trying to save them wasn't really an option right now, though.
When Kenson's fear melted away, the two of you stopped dead in your tracks and you narrowed your eyes at her. For the second time, she looked as if she was consumed by fury. Her eyebrows arched down and a sneer dominated her facial expression. It didn't last any longer than a second, leading you to affirm that something was very, very wrong here.
"I don't care how much you claim to know about Reapers. All that matters is that you and every single person on this goddamn team is in danger. They need to be evaced to the Citadel to make sure that they're not being controlled!"
The doctor ignored you and instead addressed the mob around the four of you.
"Please, there's nothing to see here! We have to get back to work on the Project and prepare for its launch."
She spoke with the voice of a dictator controlling her unruly subjects as if they were children. Like innocent sheep being herded by a shepherd, they wandered off and did their jobs without any questions asked.
This fueled your rage even more. You took a second lunge at Kenson; she had these people under control and it was getting under your skin. Even if you were exaggerating, nobody was going to hold you back.
Of course, there was always an exception.
A familiar touch pulled you back once again and it didn't take much for you to know who it was. Guarded hands kept a tight grip on your upper back to assure that you didn't make an ass out of yourself, but it was prepared to let go at a moment's notice. It had been a touch that had comforted you long ago yet also kept you in check.
"Shepard, we have to get to that artifact. We either shut it down or see what it has to offer."
"Kaidan…"
"I need an order, Commander."
He was attempting to look sympathetic despite his strained tone. Those dark eyes had been the same ones that had won and broke your heart. They were no longer as bitter and apathetic as they had been before. That made you feel good for a second; putting your life in his hands didn't feel like a risk anymore.
You pushed his hand away and gave the now unguarded door one final look before making up your mind.
"Hack the doors and get them open. Garrus, just cover him in case things get ugly."
This action garnered Kenson's attention. As the crowd began to go about their business, her attention redirected towards you and your squad. Garrus' talon was at the ready and could snatch a heavy pistol from the holster on his back if anyone dared to fire at Kaidan. You, on the other hand, were poised and prepared to duke it out with this woman. You wished to avoid a physical altercation as that would easily turn into a diplomatic incident, but someone had to fight for the health of these people and you were prepared to do it.
"Shepard, tell your friends to stop what they're doing so we can have a civil conversation. Your actions are futile and now I'm not surprised why your record with the Alliance is so…tarnished."
Her words cut into you and they shouldn't have. You were too wound up with anger to think any other way.
Just like the other workers, though, you listened and you didn't know why.
"Kaidan, Garrus…give her a chance to speak."
Your voice was weak and didn't have much merit to it.
With reluctance, the biotic dropped his omni-tool and shook his head in shame. Garrus, on the other hand, chose to do absolutely nothing. That enough was disturbing on its own.
Kenson pushed past them and pressed her hand up to the door, which gave her instant access to the artifact. She beckoned for you to come inside.
"Come in here. Let's talk like the adults we are."
Right then and there you predicted that something was going to go horribly wrong within a short period of time. This had happened more than once over the course of the last twenty four hours, but now things were starting to get more realistic. Everything around you was wrong and there was no way you could fix it. You were in a cage that you were unable to escape from. Your feet dragged you towards the artifact, which towered over you like a powerful ruler. You weren't moving towards it willingly. In fact, you would dare to say that you were being indoctrinated yourself.
You heard the words of your squadmates trying to pull you back, but Kenson and the artifact had sucked up your ability to control yourself. Your boots moved at a substantial pace and the doors behind you closed.
The object itself was beautiful in design. It had metallic roots that were planted on the ground and spindled up to become large, thick branches that were similar to a tree's. At the same time, it almost looked like a fledgling flower bud with gentle, puckered petals that were seconds away from blooming. Turquoise lights ran like veins around the structure, making it feel like it was alive.
Inside of its protective metal frame was an orb that glowed brighter than anything you had ever seen before. The device was emitting its own energy at a rapid rate. The closer you came to it, the more you could sense it in the deepest depths of your body.
"Shepard, this is Object Rho. It'll show you a vision if you give it a moment. Just relax and give in."
As you felt your freewill slip away, you tried your hardest to retaliate.
As thorough as N7 training had been, they hadn't addressed what the proper procedures would be during mind control. However, you had been taught one thing: never, ever give in.
Your mind raced as you thought of all of the things that you needed in this galaxy. There was no room for you to give into anything, not even yourself.
You had to stay for Garrus and Kaidan and the entire Normandy crew. You had to stay to fight for humanity. You had to fight for your own uncertain future and everyone else's.
Your legs, which had been putting up a damn good fight, gave out.
Your name was Commander Liz Shepard, and as you fell to your knees and watched as visions of Reapers passed through your eyes, you weren't aware of how your squadmates hacked the door open.
You also didn't know that Garrus was at your side, shaking you violently to wake you up while his subvocals chirped out in distress.
Or that he was being held at gunpoint by Kenson.
Your name was Garrus Vakarian and you didn't know a pair of arms could feel so good.
Although Shepard's thin arms had a hard time enveloping your bulky frame, she managed to move in all of the right directions and even got her hand up to stroke your scarred bicep plate. Her touch was warmer than usual and her words were fueled with change and motivation, which were qualities that she hadn't exhibited since the two of you had reunited.
You laughed at the subtle joke she had told and a purr like sound exited your lips. Her embrace was the sole thing that you wanted right now. It let you know that she was still there for you and she always would be no matter what.
After all, there was no Shepard without Vakarian.
"What exactly do you mean by 'getting out of here'? I could think of more than a few other places I'd like to head off to."
You felt her shrug while she pressed her body against your back. You felt her every curve and shivered while her nails travelled up to your neck. All of a sudden, the touches stopped and you let out an accidental pout to request for more.
She instead stood next to you and looked into her mirror herself.
"I thought about what happened last night. This place is like an enclosure for me." she muttered. "For so long I felt like I wasn't able to get out and now that I have freewill I don't even take advantage of it. Before I came in here, I kind of had one of those revelations. I just…I know that I can't stay here. I can't have that happen again. We need to go somewhere, but with everything that's going on I don't know if it's physically possible for me to leave the Citadel. For all I know, the Council is gonna throw me in jail again."
The last sentence was accompanied by a chuckle and you spun around to take hold of her hips, which felt like they were beckoning to you. It didn't take long for you to switch up your positions, to which she greatly obliged. Her scarcely covered body was clothed in nothing more than the lingerie that she had been wearing the previous evening, and the bruises that you had inflicted upon her were becoming more and more obvious.
You focused your attention on a mark near her hipbone, which was on its way into turning into a small welt. You felt bad for putting her through hell, but you hadn't exactly made it out unscathed either.
"Are you saying that you want to play the Citadel's real estate market? Which, by the way, is overpriced no matter where you go. Too many people want to live here."
"I couldn't imagine why." she replied, a cheeky grin spreading across her face. Just like her careful touches, though, the smile left her face as she moved on to a more serious note.
"I've already got a place for us, though. The problem is that I don't know how we're going to get there. Remember the apartment on the Silversun Strip that belonged to Anderson?"
You watched as her expression fell while she spoke about the deceased man. He had been her idol back during the SR-1 days and he remained in the position until his death. Some viewed him as another casualty of the war while others look at him as Earth's savior.
Shepard viewed him as both.
"He left it to you, didn't he?" you asked. You wouldn't mind living there again. It was more luxurious than this place and everyone would be able to have their own room.
"I guess so, yeah. He wasn't here to change his mind and I don't think Kahlee is living there anymore. I couldn't imagine the pain she's still going through, with Grissom and the Admiral's passing. I was thinking that maybe we could have a go at it, you know, moving in there and all of that. I'd rather be in a place surrounded by more positive memories than…"
She stopped talking and pushed herself up against you, looking for protection.
"You know what I mean."
You pressed your forehead down until it met hers and planted a soft kiss on her nose.
"Anything is worth a shot. I can't see you like this anymore."
She snaked her hand down and held your talon, which swallowed her hand in comparison. As she pulled away, this was the only contact the two of you kept.
"I can't see myself like this anymore. If the old version of me was here, she'd be kicking my ass!"
You laughed and began to pull off your own pants in preparation for your shower. She eyed you and you didn't know if she was expecting some sort of striptease. Left with only your tight fitting undergarment covering your sheath, you began to fuss with the waistband without even knowing it.
"The old you is in there somewhere and she'll be out kicking ass again before you know it."
She leaned against the vanity and reached behind to undo the clasps of her own bra, much to your pleasure.
"You don't mind someone else in your shower, do you?"
This elicited a subharmonic moan from you and you stepped towards the shower, waiting for her to remove the rest of her underwear. You, on the other hand, removed the last garment that was on your plated body.
"Do I mind?" you asked. "Please, the pleasure's all mine."
She followed your lead and took off what little clothing was left with the exception of her brassiere, but not without making it a little more enjoyable for you. While you worked on undoing the clasp yourself, she checked her omni-tool and her eyebrows rose in excitement.
"Kaidan forwarded me a message…" she said. "Liara's on her way here…for me…"
The sheer joy in her voice was enough to make you smile. It would be good for everyone to see Liara. You just needed to get Wrex and Tali back to the Citadel and the entire old crew would be back. You wondered if she was going to be bringing all of her equipment with her but you figured that asking would be too complicated.
"Can't wait to see her. How much do you think she knows about all of this? She is the Shadow Broker."
"Garrus?"
"Mm?"
"Talk later, please."
"Oh, right, sorry."
