The Citadel
Presidium
Post-Reaper Invasion, circa 4 years
7:30am, station clock.
" Admit it- you're glad I talked you into scoping this place out, instead of that Hanar poetry reading. "
The corner of Kera Shepard's mouth automatically tugged itself upwards, into a slight but genuine smile in response to Garrus' prodding. She couldn't help it- the combination of that flanging, dual toned voice the Turian possessed simply did that to her on its own.
It had since day one, when she'd seen him for the very first time: standing in the center of Citadel Council's chambers' cathedral-esque atrium, arguing with the then-Executor of CSEC, Venari Pallin. Before that day was over, she'd learned that while there were certainly more than a few things she liked about the Turian, his voice was the first thing that'd grabbed her.
That was well over 2 years ago, but the charm was as strong as ever. She didn't doubt it wouldn't last a few decades or so.
" What made you think I wasn't ? ", the brunette Spectre replied, turning her head to look at the scarred ex-cop standing beside her, as she continued watching the steady, unending stream of hovercars flowing past beneath-and above-the spar they were standing on.
It was one of the strongest signs that things were existing as they'd always had, and especially after the days of the Reapers- that endless river of cars. Every time Kera had been to the Presidium in the past, she had always looked up into the " sky " overhead, or out over the glass parapets of the Commons, and seen all those hovercars, thousands and thousands of them, racing by. It reminded her exactly of scenes of Coruscant's own skyline.
An amazing and vibrant display of urbanization. More than that, of civilization- that the denizens of the galaxy were still building and enduring, and carrying on, despite the best efforts of the Reapers to end them all.
As a lifelong city kid, born and raised on Bekenstien, Kera found the sight of so many cars cruising along like that to be a way of taking her back home, every time she saw them. There was no way to know where each of them was headed, or where each of them had come from, but simply watching them accelerating through the air on their respective journeys was more than good enough.
" Hmm- wait a moment, let me think ". Garrus made a show of having trouble thinking of the memory in question, even theatrically tipping his crested head back.
Raising a brow, Kera let him have his moment nonetheless. She knew better than to try intruding on it- and frankly, it was another of those things about Garrus Vakarian that she valued so much- he always had that witty edge about him. It wasn't forced. It wasn't a brave front; it was how he was, and had always been.
He said once he was a bad Turian, because he'd had trouble following bad orders, but if being a bad Turian had brought him this all this way, then Kere was fine with that.
" Oh...that's right. That was the day we pulled that op to secure that fission reactor on Cyone. Remember, when we walked into a nest of Reapers and radiation ? That was a high risk encounter if ever there was one. ". The Turian snapped a few talons, as he brought up the mission.
" I figured, after so much excitement, you'd be in the mood for something...more casual. After that. "
It wasn't an exaggeration; in a heartbeat, Kera recalled the stress in Captain Riley's voice as the fellow N7 reported, over the jackhammering roar of gunfire, how her squad was on the knife edge of getting overwhelmed by all those Marauders and Husks that were flooding the facility. If James Vega had not been dispatched immediately in response, Riley and her men would indeed have died that day- or, infinitely worse, been converted into more Reapers.
Garrus wasn't attempting to dredge up something painful. Things had worked out for the better that day. Still, to say that it'd been a close call would be an understatement. Definitely one of the closer ones they'd experienced over the course of all their years together.
It wasn't Mindoir, though. Everything is forever tame compared to that.
To answer Garrus, though, she responded:" Well, not quite. If I'd known about the Silversun Strip's Combat Sim, I'd have decided it was worth a look. "
. The Turian's plated brows rose. " Hmm- I underestimated you back then. You're more hardcore than I thought. "
He reached over and slipped an arm around her as deftly as he would wield his M-92 Mantis, easing her firmly up against him.
" Well, on the outside, anyway. All those workouts do wonders."
Another common saying about Shepard; everyone from the next person on the street to the 5 star admirals up at Alliance brass always said that about her. That she could handle anything, and withstand anything, and was basically a Terminator, both psychically and mentally. Unlike the vast majority of hyperbole that was spread around, that was actually...mostly true about her.
Kera had deconned herself for hours after that mission- it'd been a rough ride. And yet, for all of that, if someone had told her about the Combat Sim on Silversun...she would've been interested in taking a shot at it.
Because, as crazy and insane as it sounded, she was as comfortable in the thick of it as she was out of it.
" You are so cheesy ", she informed him, leaning into the embrace.
" I know. Too late to ditch me. "
" That's ok. I don't want to "
Below, the hovercars traveled on.
Like the rest of the Citadel.
And the galaxy- free forever from the Reapers.