Chapter 5
Waiting for My Time to Come – Colony House

"Tomorrow will just be your induction around the building, meeting your department and your future partner, before you're introduced to your Academy tutors and begin the training process," Pallin mutters, looking back down to his desk. "I'd recommend you don't think about the hours. With your condensed training, any time you're not here, you'll be needing to spend studying. Now, if that's all, I do have important matters to attend to. You can show yourself out and prepare for tomorrow."

I'd never expected Pallin to dress up the truth about the hard work involved in becoming a detective, but there was no exaggeration in what the turian told me back in his office. As soon as Shai'ira left and I had the chance to eat, I managed to get some fitful sleep – maybe four hours of broken up tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable on a strange bed, breathing in the artificial air, twitching every time the bizarre sounds of living in an alien civilisation filtered through the windows. Back home, there was only ever the wind, maybe a few drunks shouting at each other when the pubs emptied out. In a city like the Citadel, with a population from all across the galaxy, everything I hear is new. I have to engage the rational part of my brain to remind myself not everything here is a threat, particularly outside the four walls of the hotel room – and by that time, I'm awake again.

So dragging myself into the C-Sec office at 6am didn't feel great the first time. Seeing all the other new detective recruits, looking fresh-faced, or at least what I assume a 'fresh-faced' turian is, as we lined up for the initial induction. Cauvan Revus, C-Sec head of recruitment, took us through the programme of classes – twelve hour days, a mix of classroom and applied learning, starting out predominantly theoretical and moving more towards application as the course continued.

Investigative techniques, studies into alien culture and subculture, demographic studies into the Citadel and its changing populace, tech modules into data analysis in the field via omni-tool, hacking and offensive tech modules for use against synthetic hostiles, basic self-defence training, shooting. The crux of the training and teaching was around improving our critical thinking, making connections between data points and evidence, but all this required context around the nature of the Citadel and the people that make it up – the same reason why detectives need to learn to protect themselves. Each module was assessed on an ongoing basis, with tests at the end of each month, before a final examination across all areas at the end of the six months.

From there, we got a tour of the C-Sec buildings and facilities, and met some of the detectives – though Garrus was absent because of that red sand investigation he'd mentioned. It felt like a bit of a kick in the teeth, and while none of the new recruits or staff were outwardly hostile, nobody came forward as particularly friendly as well. I assumed most expected me to quit – I was being assessed alongside turians, after all, many of whom had completed some level of military service.

It showed, too. The practical side was a nightmare – the other recruits could consistently outshoot, outmanoeuvre, and outfight me. Sparring sessions ended up with me on my ass, gym sessions were an embarrassment, and my shooting left a fair bit to be desired; but I, at least, had the advantage on the theoretical side. With no real friends on the Citadel, and the lingering fear of what would happen to me if I failed the course, I threw myself into my studies – not the most healthy motivation, but I've been coming out near or top of the class in the modules that rely less on physical prowess. Likely the only reason my continued enrolment into the course was tolerated. But as time went on, confidence grew; while I was still a little behind, I was at least starting to shoot better, keep up in the gym, and be less of a pushover on the sparring mats.

With the pay, I managed to move out of the hotel Shai'ira paid for, and find my own place a lot closer to the office; and while the asari mostly kept to herself, I at least got the occasional message checking in, or helping with the more baffling parts of some of the culture studies. Not that she ever talked much about herself or her motivations – but having someone to occasionally talk to about my situation helped keep me sane, even if she wasn't budging on getting me out unless I toed the line.

Between going to C-Sec and going home to study, there's not been that much time to really integrate with life on the Citadel; which I supposed wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It'stopped me from being overwhelmed, gave me time to at least try and process what I'd left behind. I could only hope time moved differently between universes, because otherwise...well, I didn't like to think about what my parents must feel, what my friends must. I still don't. Just vanishing like this. But if I don't do this, I won't ever be able to make it back to them. I can work out how the hell to explain all this once I've crossed that bridge.

The only exception to this regular training routine was the fourth month. While we were still expected to maintain our theoretical studies, and keep ourselves fresh in the range and with our technical skills, month four was about meeting and working with your future partner – in my case, in contraband, with Garrus.

That fourth month is where things got a lot more interesting.

I screw up my face in a disgusted expression as Garrus swivels the image on his terminal monitor towards me. Even with our differences in facial structure, the turian obviously recognises it, given the flanging chuckle slipping out of his mouth, mandibles flexed slightly.

"Christ, did you have to start me off with that?" I ask. "You're lucky we looked at things like this in the training, or I'd be throwing up all over your desk." The image in question is identifiable as a human, but it's initially hard to tell with all the viscera – on account of him being cut open, and all the organs being missing. Still makes me feel queasy, though Garrus seems to have no such qualms; though I imagine if it were a turian, it would change how he feels about it. Bit easier to compartmentalise when it's not your own species on the screen.

"Sorry," Garrus says, sounding genuinely apologetic. "I'd been planning to work on some of the smaller cases with you, but this is going to be our priority case for now. Do you need a moment?" To be fair to Garrus, we've not seen a lot of each other while I've been training, given that I've not had much spare time – but he was waiting in the office foyer this morning to come and pick me up, doing his best to come off as friendly, talking about his own experience with training and making a few jokes at some of the instructors' expense.

Then he showed me this once we were sat down properly.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good. Just...ugh. When did they find him?"

"Only about an hour ago. Down on Tayseri Ward, a salarian civilian found him lying in an alley while on regular patrol. C-Sec presence isn't too high there, and whoever did this..." Garrus clicks his mandibles. "They didn't seem worried about subtlety. Any initial thoughts?" Not much time for any gentle settling in, then, let's see...

"Well, I'm guessing this is ours because of the organs, or the lack thereof?" I ask, getting myself together a little more and pointing over at the screen. This month is assessed, just like all the others – by Garrus, this time. At least he seems ready to let me demonstrate I've learned something in the past three months. "I read up on the black market organ trade, some of the previous murders in the lower wards. Whoever did this really went all in on getting as much out of their victim as they could. Can't have done that in a hurry, not with the precision to remove organs properly. How long were they dead before getting discovered?"

"About three hours," Garrus nods, looking satisfied with that as a starting point. "And you're right, it's not a quick process to strip the organs. Anything else seem unusual?" His eyes glance back over to me; there's no pressured stare, just a curiosity, to see how much I want to string this along. It's a little less intense in mannerism than the instructors, but, well...it's Garrus. Even with everything else going on, there's still that little part of me that is legitimately extremely excited about being with him in the flesh, getting to talk to him – which also means feeling a huge amount of pressure not to disappoint someone I know so much about, that I already like so much. Also means I have to remind myself not to get too familiar with him yet, giving that we've only just started working together properly.

"Uh..." I tap my chin for a few seconds, before perking up. "Do we know what killed the guy? I'm assuming a homicide team responded first before it got landed with us."

There's another faint hint of a smile on Garrus' face there as he nods. Obviously I must be scoring some points with the insight here. "Precise incision to the throat. A deep one, and no sign of a struggle beyond some tensed muscle. The killer would have wanted to avoid damaging the organs as much as possible, after all."

"Right. So they must have caught the victim by surprise, cut their throat open without a struggle, which can't have been easy, and then...why open up the body at the crime scene like that? That's what confuses me," I frown. "Couldn't they have taken them off somewhere else? Where they're less likely to get discovered?" I glance back up at Garrus. "Am I thinking along the right lines here?"

He gives a chuckle at that, leaning back in his seat with a proper smile this time. "I know they teach it differently in the classroom, but your theories don't all need to be correct first time. Do you think I'm going to mark you down if you don't crack the case from seeing one image?"

I give him a slightly panicked look as I try to work out whether or not he's reprimanding me. "No?"

"Exactly. So you don't have to be as rigid as they teach you in the academy, Shaw. Good detectives adapt their ideas," the turian smirks, giving me a nudge on the arm. "If it makes you feel better, you're approaching this similarly to how I did. I wondered why they wouldn't move the body too, which is why it's always important to understand not just what you're looking at..." His hand drifts over to the holographic keyboard, and a quick switch to a new window shows a slightly zoomed in Citadel map. "But where, too." As much of a knack for dramatic timing as I remember. "Do you know Tayseri Ward?"

"Err...not really. Should I?"

"It's a business area, so I doubt it. Not exactly a high class one, either. The Citadel never had much need for industrial work, not with the costs involved operating out of a lone space station in Council space with no natural resource, even one this big, so a lot of the property there is unused. There's been plans to improve it for a couple of years now, but, you know how it can be with the Council. The credits end up on another fountain for the Presidium."

"Have to keep it nice and pretty where the decision makers work, right?" I ask, getting a little snort out of Garrus. That's a win, at least! Feels a bit free taking cheap shots at bureaucracy, but I know I'm playing to a good crowd for it. "So who's ever down there these days?"

"You get a few pop-up shops, a couple of cheap apartment buildings, but until they find buyers for the industrial buildings..." Garrus shrugs. "Not much. It also means C-Sec doesn't have a lot of surveillance coverage down there, and not many patrols either. The victim was found inside one of the old factories, so the killer mustn't have been expecting to have been discovered."

"Perfect spot to murder someone away from prying eyes, and probably less risky than dragging a corpse through the streets, so long as you know a quiet spot. Why not hide the body better?"

"Sounds like he got disturbed before he could. You can ask the salarian that discovered him. They're still keeping him at the scene for questioning, and we get to talk to him." Garrus moves up to his feet, shutting off the terminal screen. "That's everything we're going to work out by looking at a picture. We can talk about any other questions you have on the way. Ready for your first real crime scene?"

I'd only just started getting comfortable in the chair, but if he's keen to get me out and into the field, suppose I can't give any complaints. Getting to do detective work, with the real Garrus, it's...I mean, with how tough all the training has been, what it's been like trying to adapt to life on the Citadel, this is the first time it's felt genuinely worthwhile. That I've not just been indulging Shai'ira to get myself home. This is legitimately exciting. "Guess so. Can't say I'm not going to have an exciting month here, huh?"

"I wouldn't get your hopes up. We don't normally get murders to look into. Most of the time there's just some small-time smugglers from the Terminus who feel like trying to make it big on the Citadel," Garrus chuckles. "But I suppose it's good to have you starting off on a more memorable case. Might mean you actually get to use half of what they're supposed to be teaching you."

"Well, you went through it the training too, right? You don't use what you got taught?" I ask, quirking a brow as we head through the office, towards the elevators leading down throughout the building – including down to the vehicle pool.

"Some of it. The Citadel works a bit differently in practice to what you get told in classes, though," the turian explains. "Teaching recruits every single regulation in the C-Sec book is fine, as long as you don't forget that good detectives need to be able to adapt on the case."

We step into the elevator, my eyes shifting over to Garrus as the doors start to slide shut. It's just the two of us – still quite early for most C-Sec staff, after all. "You're saying I shouldn't worry about the regulations too much?" I can see the slight pause as his mouth opens, presumably trying to work out how to phrase an answer that isn't just a blatant 'no'. This is more like the Garrus I'm familiar with the games – not like he's ever had a great deal of patience for that sort of thing getting in the way. Bit difficult to balance that against him being a 'role model' for me in this month, though.

"You should worry about them because your exams need you to. For now," he finally explains, flexing his talons a little. The elevators really are as slow as in-game, notably. I'd taken them as masked loading screens, but it turns out in reality, the C-Sec building has a lot of layers. "And I'm not saying you should break them either. You just learn which ones are more important than the others."

"Right. You going to teach me which ones those are?" I ask, shooting him a grin. May as well try getting pally if we're working together, and I'm not a complete stickler for the rules. "Don't want to step on your toes."

"If you're as sharp as they say you are, you'll work them out fine yourself," the turian replies. Most of the other turians would make that sound sarcastic, but there's less malice with Garrus, even if his expression remains unchanged.

"Not worried about a human getting in your way?"

"Should I be?" I can see some of the plates above his eyes shift into what I've learned is an inquisitive expression, as the doors slide open to reveal the vehicle bays. "You're a little too small to block my line of sight."

He's out the elevator before I can think up a good enough retort, just hurrying after that longer stride once he's heading towards our cruiser. There really is quite a size difference – I'm only five foot seven, after all, while turians...well, they're a fair bit larger on average. "Hey, c'mon, you know what I mean. Not a secret most people aren't thrilled about me being here, I just want to make sure we're on the same page."

Our cruiser is one of the ones parked up nearest the lift, and Garrus shrugs as he pops open the door. "Pallin likes his little clique down here. He made it sound like you were going to be completely incompetent, but from what I've seen from some of your module reports..." He settles into the driver's seat, as I clamber into the passenger side. "I'm open to being surprised. If just for the look on Pallin's face if you graduate, of course."

"Right, course," I chuckle, settling back a little bit. He's not said much there, but it means a lot that he's at least willing to be a little open minded about things. "Thanks."

"Doesn't mean I'll give you an easy time with your assessment. I still want to see what you can do if we're going to be working together full time," Garrus points out. "Don't start relaxing too much."

Right. I can already feel myself lowering my guard about him a bit, which is bad when we've only been working together properly since this morning. Just because I know about him extremely well, doesn't mean we know each other as colleagues or friends. But I've got a good feeling about it, and they've been in quite short supply ever since I arrived here. "Got it. Not relaxing, don't worry. You're not the only one who wants to see the look on Pallin's face."

"Good," the turian smirks, starting the engine as the cruiser slowly starts to take off. I glance over at him, flexing my hands slightly in the seat. After three months buried in books and getting knocked on my ass by turians, time to show everyone what I can do. Time to start looking out for myself.

Even though I'm still alone out here, having that purpose is at least something to cling onto. If Shai'ira is right, if getting close to Shepard and guiding events is what can save this galaxy...then this is where it all starts.

Detective Shaw on the case. Bring it on.

A/N: Blame Dylan I guess.

No commitment to update scheduling or anything, given how that's worked in the past, but I'm still kicking at least.