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Garrus had to hand it to Leviathan—it may just have picked the least welcoming place in the galaxy to hide. The derelict ship the shuttle had crash-landed on rolled and pitched in the waves from the constant storm that lashed the endless sea, and Garrus's stomach was beginning to roll and pitch with it.
Shepard popped the hood of the Atlas mech they had found on the ship, which she had just used to clear the decks of Reaper forces. It wouldn't be long before there were more, though, which Garrus was not looking forward to.
Cortez walked around the mech, studying it. "Yeah, this is in pretty good shape, all things considered."
"So it'll hold?"
He made a face. "I think so?"
"Good enough for me." Shepard prepared to climb back into the thing, intending to dive deep into the ocean where they believed Leviathan was lurking.
Kaidan looked at Shepard, then at Cortez, then at the water. He passed by Shepard on the second round, focusing on Cortez as being likely the more reasonable of the two. "Wait a minute. Are we seriously considering this?"
Garrus clenched his jaw, no longer certain whether his nausea came from the movements of the ship or from the idea of Shepard trusting her life to some rusty old piece of equipment that had been sitting here spirits knew how long … not to mention to the ancient danger down in the depths that had even the Reapers running scared. "I guess we are."
Shepard ignored them both, focusing on studying the mech's internal workings.
"It's the only way we're getting off this planet. If she can't reach Leviathan …" Cortez let his voice trail off, but they all knew. The shuttle couldn't take off, the Normandy couldn't land, and they would starve to death if they didn't go crazy and kill each other from indoctrination. Garrus knew all this, but he didn't have to like it. Cortez approached the shuttle, calling up his omni-tool. "Shepard, why don't you come down out of there so I can do a systems check?"
"I'm sure it's fine, Steve."
"Commander." Cortez's voice was even and calm, but they could all hear the edge to it. "As your pilot, it is my duty to make sure that any vessel you are going to be traveling in is up to spec. Let me do my job."
For a wonder, she didn't argue with him, just slid to the ground.
Kaidan approached her, his brow furrowed with worry. "Shepard, I've got to say … I'm not too crazy about this plan."
She looked at him coolly. "We've come too far to stop now. The only way home is through Leviathan. It may be that the only way to win is through Leviathan."
Cortez climbed down from inside the mech, collapsing his omni-tool. "Okay. Seals check out, oxygen pressure is nominal. Systems are a go. It's as ready as I can make it."
Shepard grinned at Kaidan. "See? It's ready. Cortez said so."
"That's not exactly—" Kaidan sighed and shook his head. There was no arguing with her.
Garrus had watched Kaidan tilt at the windmill knowing what the outcome would be, telling himself he would wait and be calm, he would trust her and let her do her job, he would let logic be his guide. But watching the love of his life preparing to drop into an ocean of unknown depths to face off against an entity of unknown intentions in a piece of equipment that looked like it was one good kick away from falling apart, he couldn't hold back. "Shepard." There was an agony of fear in the single word, and when she looked at him he would have given anything to have taken it back.
"I'll be fine," she told him, with an edge in her voice that said she didn't think she should have to say it—and that this was hard enough for her without him making it worse.
He cleared his throat and mustered the closest thing to a supportive look he could manage. "Of course you will. Foolish of me."
Shepard's quick smile in response forgave him for his worry and thanked him for giving her the trust she needed.
Then the hood of the mech closed between them, cutting off his last glimpse of her big brown eyes and beautiful face, and the giant machine took five hull-shaking steps across the deck of the ship and stepped off into the air. It made a splash as it hit the water, and Garrus watched it as long as he could see it. Once all he could see was endless grey water, the fear and the seasickness were too much and he emptied the contents of his stomach into the rolling waves.
"That's pretty much how I feel," Cortez observed. "I've got to fix the shuttle—can the two of you hold off the Reapers when they come?"
Garrus and Kaidan exchanged looks. Pulling his rifle, Garrus nodded. "As long as I need to. No, as long as she needs me to."
Kaidan was watching the skies. "Here they come. Get ready."
"It's been nice working with you, Kaidan."
"No one I'd rather kill Reapers with, Garrus."
They nodded at each other and readied their weapons, preparing for the onslaught.
