Chapter Eighty-One: Family Ties
"Nice sweater, Commander," Hackett said with a slight raise of the eyebrows. Colt glanced down at Traynor's silly sweater and felt embarrassment start to creep into his face. What the hell was he thinking? Who the hell wore something like that to a private meeting with an admiral?
"Sorry, sir. I just returned from Christmas festivities and I forgot to take it off. It won't happen again, sir," Colt said firmly. God damn. He needed to get his head in the right place.
"It's quite alright, Shepard. Anyways, Lieutenant Vega was right. Intelligence just confirmed that the Krogan was Urdnot Darius. He killed four other Krogan on December fourth. Do you have any ideas regarding the hallucinations?"
Urdnot Darius? Who the hell? Was there a problem with hallucinations? He strained towards remembrance. At his prompting, a memory appeared at the edge of his consciousness. It was something important. Shit. What was it? He struggled to grasp the barely formed memories hanging just outside his mind.
He snapped his fingers while he tried to recall. A sudden burst of people, lights, and colors spread into his mind and reminded him of the day's activities.
"I do, actually. I've been thinking about it and I think my initial reaction pertaining to the hallucination being a side-effect of indoctrination was right on the money. I think that it's partial, temporary indoctrination caused by close proximity to a severely indoctrinated person. All the signs point to that, sir. I mean, what else could it be?"
"I guess that's true. Do you think you may have misremembered other things during Messines?" The Admiral asked.
"I don't know, sir. It's possible. As long as the Reapers are gone from Palaven, then I don't think it really matters," he told Hackett.
"Maybe, Commander. Still, I want you to stay on alert. The Reapers may be gunning for you. And we can't have anything happen to you," the Admiral said. It was meant as a compliment, but it left a sour taste in Colt's mouth.
"Thank you, sir."
"You be careful, Shepard. And keep me updated. If you feel that something may be off, you let me know ASAP," Hackett said.
"Yes, sir."
"Keep it up, Commander. Hackett out."
Okay. At least Hackett was up to speed with everything. What was next? Getting the turians on board and entertaining his mother for a few hours. Easy. Right?
"Shepard, we'll be docking in about five minutes," EDI's voice said over the nearby intercomm.
"Thanks," he said tiredly. Colt walked from the QEC into the War Room. There was some Ensign flittering around in the corner, but besides her it was entirely empty. He walked down the steps leading into the War Room's inner walkway and made his way toward the center island. He wrapped his hands around the rail encircling the main hologram. As soon as his hands touched the railing, a hologram flared to life with an image of Palaven. Little red dots were so thick across the planet they looked like a blanket.
So much was accomplished today.
So, why did it feel like the war was even farther away from being won?
Colt ran a hand over his head. What was missing? What was wrong?
He hadn't slept in too long. Maybe that was it. Maybe the remedy was a dance with the sandman.
Shepard straightened up and made his way out of the War Room. What was everyone else doing? Was there a party? That made no sense. What was there to celebrate? They were probably getting ready for the incoming turians. Good. That meant time for sleep.
He nodded to the two Privates guarding the scanner before turning the corner to the elevator. A few crew members occupied the CIC. They saluted him before turning their attention back to their consoles. The interactive map lit up temptingly as he passed by. Colt let his eyes linger on it for a second before dragging himself towards the elevator. God, he needed sleep.
He leaned into the elevator's sides as soon as he stepped in. He pressed the button for the Captain's Cabin before letting his body turn to jelly against the metal paneling. Bone-chilling cold seeped into his cheek. His body felt a bit fuzzy. Like all his nerves had been replaced with watery sand.
Shepard heaved his body off the elevator's railing as soon as he arrived at the Commander Cave. He stumbled through the cave's doors and towards his bed. If he was being honest, he didn't know how he made it down the stairs without faceplanting.
Colt stiffly rolled himself into bed and under the covers. What else was there to do today? Right. His mother and the turians. Turians. Which turians? The Vakarians maybe. Garrus. Where was Garrus? Was there a party? What was there to celebrate?
"Shepard," a soft voice called. He knew whose voice it was, but he couldn't quite place it.
"Commander," another person whispered. Their voice was strained in pain.
A little giggle to his left brought him back to the Everest. Back when he used to help with homework and kiss away playground injuries. Back when living didn't feel like such a betrayal.
A hand briefly touched his shoulder before pulling back timidly. Alex used to do that when he was real little. The same hands ran through his hair and giggled again. Dear God. He begged the scene to change. Take him to Eden Prime, to the Collector Base. Whatever. Anywhere but here.
An ear splitting Reaper roar was already fading into echoes by the time his eyes opened to a dimming red light.
Fuck.
It was never a good sign when the sky was gray. He turned his head to the side to get a better look at the trees. They were a muted gray as well. The whole place spun around him without moving a single inch.
He clambered to his feet. A familiar pinch on his legs let him know his armour was on. Only his helmet seemed to be missing.
A tree branch snapped off and thudded to the ground just to the left of him. He peered into the branches, searching for a culprit. Glowing green eyes stared back at him. A shiver ran down his back as soon as their eyes met.
"Shepard," someone behind him whispered.
Colt whipped around to find an army of oily shadows drifting through the trees aimlessly. They seemed to be darker than usual, even taking on a more humanoid shape.
"Some souls die in battle. Some die in their sleep. And some die for no reason at all," a familiar voice behind him said. Shepard wanted to wake up as soon as he registered who the speaker was.
He turned around slowly. The butterflies in his stomach mixed with an uncontrollable urge to run almost made him puke.
"Ahhh, you're a fighter. Just like your Mom!" Rowan laughed. A baby cooed in his arms and gripped the older man's thumb. His father looked up from baby Alex and smiled warmly at Colt. "Come, sit down," he said.
Shepard moved slowly towards his father, his joints aching with every step. Somehow he managed the five steps between them and sat down heavily on the bench.
"How are you?" Rowan asked. A peel of laughter erupted from Alex, making Rowan chuckle.
What was Colt supposed to say? "I don't know," he said dazedly. A shadow walked right in front of the trio before making a sharp turn and disappearing deeper into the forest. The others seemed to wander aimlessly.
A teardrop balanced carefully on Colt's chin before splashing on his folded hands.
"I don't know how else to say it, Colt. Something's wrong," Rowan said. His voice was as cheery as ever.
"What?"
Red light bathed the whole forest before a Reaper call screeched in Colt's year. The shadow people evaporated as soon as red hit the forest floor. The need to run made him start to stand up off the bench. Before he could bolt, the red light receded and the shadows came back.
His dad was still playing with Alex as if nothing had ever happened. "What's wrong?" Colt demanded. He grabbed his father's shoulder to turn him. Colt's hand flew back towards his own chest as soon as he touched Rowan. His father was red hot.
Rowan turned to face him. A loving smile spread across his face.
"Shit!" Colt yelled in alarm. Flames were leaping up from his father's legs.
"You tell me, Colt," he said calmly. Flames were now lapping at Alex. Colt beat furiously at the fire with his bare hands. The skin on his father's arms started to melt off, revealing taunt muscle. Alex started to scream as soon as his skin started bubbling. In a desperate frenzy, Colt threw himself on top of his family. He started yelling once his armor began melting against his skin.
Shepard awoke to the sound of himself screaming.
…
"Here is the list of incoming turians. All of their various health conditions are listed next to them. I provided Doctor Chakwas with this information before our departure, so she should have all the necessary supplies to care for them short term. Also, I want to point out the Vakarian family," Liara said as she pointed to three names before continuing. "It looks like Garrus's mom and sister need some serious medical treatment on the Citadel. "
"Uhhhuuh," Colt said mindlessly.
"Are you okay?" She asked. The asari stepped a little closer to him. She tried to catch his eye, but he kept his head down.
"Hmmm? Oh. Umm, I guess? I don't know. I didn't have what you would call a restful sleep," he admitted.
"What happened?"
Shepard shook his head miserably but said nothing.
"Maybe it is time that you talk to Chakwas about this."
"I'm fine," he snapped, "Let's focus on these turians."
Liara stared at him coldly. Her mouth formed a single harsh line which started to twitch into a comment. Apparently she thought better of it because she started to turn.
"Wait," he said. Colt reached out and gripped her shoulder lightly. She allowed herself to be turned but said nothing. "I'm sorry. I just...Do you feel off? Because-I-well I don't know. There's something wrong, I guess. You know what I mean?"
"Now that you say it, yes, kind of. It feels like all the furniture has been moved half-an-inch to the right," she said.
"Exactly. Everything's fine, everything's not fine."
"Why do you think this is?"
"I don't know," he sighed, "We should be celebrating, but-I just don't know."
"You do seem a bit off. You have been misremembering things at the very least."
This caught Colt's undivided attention. "What do you mean?" He asked.
"Like the whole knife thing in the Mess Hall. You cut your forearm open and then when Garrus tried to get you to clean it up, you acted like you had no idea what he was talking about. I just thought you did not want to clean it up. Do you remember that?"
"Why would I cut my forearm open?" He wondered.
"So, you do not remember?"
"No, I guess not. I haven't had a good sleep in...," Colt paused to think, but the last few days were kind of misty, "...A long time. Maybe that's it?"
"Maybe, I think-"
"Commander, Doctor, I'm sorry to interrupt but the turians are ready to board as soon as you give the word," Traynor said to Shepard.
"Thank you, Traynor. I better give a speech first or I'll have sullied my name," he chuckled. "Let's talk later," he told Liara. The asari nodded.
Shepard walked past the two towards the loading dock. The cargo hold was empty except for the various crew members milling about. All the supplies must've been unloaded while he was napping.
"Commander," a few of the crew greeted before slapping off a salute. Colt saluted back before stopping on the loading bay. He surveyed the scene below him in order to get a feeling of the refugees.
A few members of the ground team, including James, Javik, and EDI, plus a couple of the Ensigns were conducting biometric scans and signing in the new arrivals. About twenty five turians sat around in smaller groups waiting. They looked up dully as he walked onto the loading platform. Watching their listless eyes transform into recognition and genuine happiness made everything he'd been through seem almost worth it. The turians scrambled to their feet and then helped up others who couldn't stand on their own.
Colt coughed and shook himself nervously before speaking, "Hello everybody! My name is Commander Colt Shepard and on the behalf of the Alliance Navy, I would like to welcome everyone aboard the Normandy SR-2. It is my pleasure to host such fine individuals as yourselves. I hope you find the Normandy up to your standards." The turians seemed to be listening intensely.
"I need to get through a few housekeeping items before my crew can finish processing your arrival. We should be taking off Palaven in a few hours. The trip to the Citadel is only a few hours more. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me or any of my crew. I'll be walking around with Doctor Chakwas performing medical checkups if you need me. Food and water are located to the right once you're inside the cargo hold. Please do not hesitate to take any. If you have health requirements that need immediate attention, please go to the station located on the cargo hold's left side. Alright, I think that's it everybody. Please enjoy your stay."
The turians started clapping and cheering. Even the very sick managed to flare their mandibles in appreciation. If nothing else, at least Colt had their admiration. "Thank you," he said, "Thank you." He liked people that went ape shit over some of his drier speeches.
After the excitement died down a little bit, Colt scanned the crowd for facial markings similar to Garrus'. It didn't take long to spot a group of three huddled together towards the middle of the group.
Shepard walked down the ramp and into the swarm of turians. They were still watching him closely and started to congregate around him once he reached the group. Talons reached out to touch his arms and back. One even tentatively ran itself through his hair. Colt didn't mind - almost every public event involved people trying to touch him. Turians being so touchy was a bit strange as their culture was reserved in that aspect. Maybe it was comforting to them? Maybe they needed the physical confirmation that things would be okay? The few that were accustomed to human culture held out their talons for a handshake, but most bowed in the traditional form of turian greeting. Colt bowed right back. Most asked questions, which he answered smoothly and efficiently. He even got a few laughs.
As soon as the final turian asked all the questions he could ask, Shepard started to make his way to his original objective. The Vakarians hadn't been in the question asking mob, instead they were huddled in the same place he'd seen them earlier. None of them seemed to notice his approach.
"Excuse me, are you the Vakarians?" He asked.
The man he recognized as Garrus's father stood and offered a hand. "We are," he answered, "And you must be Commander Shepard. Garrus talks a lot about you."
Colt was under the impression that Garrus didn't talk to his family very much, so it was surprising to hear that he'd even been mentioned in one of those rare conversations. "All good things, I hope, " Shepard said with a smile.
The younger female clicked her tongue before saying, "As if Garrus would ever say anything bad about you."
"Solana!" Garrus's dad growled. The younger turian glared at him but said nothing.
"Excuse my daughter, Commander. She sometimes forgets her manners."
"No need to apologize," Colt said, "In fact, I should be apologizing. I'm afraid I've forgotten your name, sir."
"I'm Talus Vakarian. This is Solana, and this is Alena," the turian said. Shepard bowed to all three.
"I trust that you're comfortable and my crew has been welcoming," Colt said.
"Of course, Commander," Talus said smoothly. An uncomfortable silence stretched between him and the turians. He had so much more to say to them, but their thinly veiled disdain made Colt want to run away.
"Alright, well, let me know if you need anything," he said.
"Thank you. It was nice to finally meet you, Commander."
"Likewise. Enjoy your stay," Shepard said. He turned quickly and retreated back to the docking bay.
Colt scanned the bay for Chakwas. They needed to get rolling on their examinations. He spotted her hovering by the medical supplies, probably combing through what they had. He started to make his way to her before taking a small detour over to Garrus. "Woah, hey Garrus. Why are you still up here?"
"I haven't seen them in a long, long time, Shepard. And I didn't exactly leave on the best terms."
"What happened?"
"I got into a screaming match with my dad after I told him that I was going to become a Spectre. I said some things I shouldn't have and then I left for Spectre School the very next day. We've talked a little since then, but never in person," Garrus said.
"Any reason you didn't become a Spectre?" Shepard asked.
"Yeah, you. I got word about what had happened to the SR-1 and you, and I quit training. I went to Omega, which, by the way, was another source of contention."
"I see. Look Garrus, I know all about what it's like to have a family like that. I-"
"-Really? I thought your parents were all cuddly and loving."
"They were, I suppose, in their own way. My dad was very much like that. He had his issues, but I've never doubted that he loved me. My mother, on the other hand, is a bit more harsh, I guess. She is a difficult lady to impress. I've certainly never seen her proud."
"Does she know you? Spirits," Garrus said.
"Ya, well, that's just who she is. And I've come to accept it. But here's my point, I would give a lot, I mean almost everything, just to see my whole family together again. Don't waste this opportunity. Take it from someone who knows. Go see your damn family, Garrus. Make peace with them and just enjoy them being here. I certainly wouldn't mope around in the cargo hold if my family was right outside. This is a gift," Colt said.
"You're right," the turian admitted.
"When am I wrong?" Shepard asked with a smirk.
...
"Have you ever believed in anyone else? Besides yourself, I mean?" Garrus asked.
"Of course," Solana snorted. Her dismissive tone told Garrus she was lying. Or she didn't fully understand the weight of the question.
"Have you ever met someone that you would die for?"
"I would die for you or Dad or Mom, easily."
Garrus shook his head. She really wasn't getting it. "That's family obligation and it's completely different. You'd do it for your honor and nothing else," he said.
"You'd die for the Commander, then?" His father asked.
"Of course I would. And you would too if you knew him. That's why I left, Dad. Not because I hate you guys or because I'm rebelling," Garrus explained.
"I'm not sure I'm following," his dad said.
"You told me to follow my convictions. And I did. I'm doing it now."
"It sounds like you're in a cult," Solana said.
"I suppose it does. It's hard to explain. Maybe it's one of those things you have to experience to understand."
"I'm trying to understand, Garrus, I really am. But it just seems so, I don't know, unhealthy? And I certainly can't understand why you'd leave the family for a Spectre. Hell, you even wanted to be a Spectre for a little while because of him. We just want you to be safe, that's all," his father said.
"I'm as safe as you can be these days and I'm happy knowing that I've helped so many people. We do good work, Dad. Shepard does good work. Trust me on this," Garrus said.
"I just worry about you."
"Why?" Garrus asked.
"It's easy to be manipulated by people like him."
"People like him?" Garrus growled, "What the hell does that mean?"
"I didn't mean it like that," Dad said.
"How'd you mean it then?" Garrus asked. The fire was already starting to die down in the turian. The constant cycle of anger and shame over his family was exhausting.
His people weren't forgiving in nature, and his dad was no exception. The First Contact War's legacy lingered on in the minds of turians. To many, humans were still bumbling newcomers with an itchy trigger finger and a smart mouth. Shepard had made tremendous strides towards remediation between the two races, but distrust still radiated from turians, especially from older traditionalists. Turians like his father.
The humans, much to their credit, seemed to have forgiven and forgotten the old conflict. A few comments here and there was all Garrus ever really dealt with. Compared to the treatment Shepard endured from turians, it was nothing.
Shepard was right. Like always. This was a gift. And wasting it over a series of petty disagreements was silly. This could be the last time they could see each other for a very long time.
"Don't answer that, Dad. I don't wanna know. I know who my friends are. Let's just stop the stupid fighting for once. I'm just happy you guys are safe," Garrus said.
"And we're happy to see you, sweetie," Mom said, "How's C-Sec been treating you?"
Garrus looked at the bright, empty eyes of his mom. She was too thin. Her mandibles seemed to be oversized on her starved face. She looked incredibly breakable. At least she could still potter around with only a cane. "You know, Mom, it's been going really well. I'm having a lot of fun," he told her.
...
"Go ahead and gather the crew, Specialist."
"Yes, Commander," Traynor said. She turned away from him and immediately started speaking to Joker. The pilot had wandered down from the cockpit to meet the turians. Or so he said. Shepard suspected that he'd mindlessly followed EDI down to the cargo bay.
He scanned the bay for a familiar spiky head. Colt wanted to find Garrus before addressing the whole crew. Hopefully everything had gone alright. He spotted Gar Bear lingering in some dark corner. Goddamit. At least he'd tried.
"Garrus," Colt greeted as he approached.
The turian's bent head snapped up before he grinned and said, "Shepard."
"How'd it go?"
"Really well, actually. I decided to let some things go and that seemed to make all the difference. Maybe things are finally starting to come together."
"Wow! That's awesome...and unusual. Aren't things usually turning to shit around us?" Colt asked.
"Only around you, buddy. It's like you have a magnet for death and decay shoved up your ass."
"Ya, well, it beats a stick you piece of shit," Shepard said dryly, "Speaking of death and decay and assholes, I hope you remembered my mother is coming aboard today."
"How could I forget? Mama Shep is my favorite Shep."
"What the hell?" Colt said.
"If I'm not your favorite turian, then you're not my favorite Shep," Garrus said matter-of-factly.
"Oh come on. When did I say that?"
"In the Command Center. And the trip there. It hurt my last feeling."
Command Center. Where was that? Did he mean the War Room? "I think you're making this all up, Gar Bear."
"Oh, hell no. You pulled that shit on me with the knife. Not again. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, shame on you. Fool me three times-Wait, did I say that wrong? Human sayings are beyond me."
"Alright, alright. I don't want you to strain your brain too much. Come on. We have a group talk to attend," Colt said. He turned and started towards the small group amassing in the bay's center. Garrus walked shoulder-to-shoulder with him.
"Group talk? This is gonna be an inspirational speech, isn't it?" Garrus said.
"That's all I'm good for these days."
"You better be joking."
"What do you mean?" Colt asked.
"What do I mean? Are you shitting me? You better be messing around, Shepard," Garrus warned.
Colt shoved Garrus with his shoulder before stopping before the group. "Who's ready to get inspirationalized?" He asked. Two reluctant hands went up into the air before quickly being brought down.
"Well, get ready people. Your minds are about to explode with passion," Shepard said.
"Umm, Commander?"
"I know. That was a terrible choice of words. Let's just move on and never speak of it," he said. Everyone nodded in agreement. "The Alliance and Co," he said, looking at his alien friends, "has become so much more than a military power. We have become the standard for race relations and inclusion. We must continue to uphold the standards we have set for ourselves. While our compassion and mercy cannot outweigh the crimes committed on these turians, we can do our best to remedy the pain with mercy and genuine compassion. I expect nothing less than respect be shown to these individuals. Because there's nothing more reassuring than having kick-ass bird people in your corner when the galaxy is heading directly into the shitter."
"Aaaaaannnd, there it is," Garrus said.
"Consider me inspirationalized, Commander," Joker said with a grin.
"Alright, everybody, go do your thing. I'll be around if you need something," Colt said.
Shepard nodded to Javik as the Prothean passed him on the left. The thought of Javik wandering around and telling unsuspecting turians that hope was dead was sort of funny in a morbid sort of way.
A hand wrapped around Colt's wrist and yanked him around until he was face-to-face with the Prothean. "Something is wrong, Commandah," Javik said.
"Well, what is it?"
Javik gripped Shepard's shoulders tightly and all four of his eyes searched the Commander's face before he said, "I don't know. You're difficult to read."
"Really? Why?"
The Prothean shook his head. "I don't know that either. But you need to be wary, Commandah. The little that I can sense is poisonous."
"You've never had troubles sharing all your," Colt clicked his tongue uncomfortably, "fun war stories."
"That is much different. I've never had any problems giving you memories. The problem arises when I try to get information from you. I almost didn't learn your primitive language when we first met."
"I'm a little jealous that you can read people's minds," Colt admitted.
"I can't read people's minds. It's extrasensory perception that allows me to read biological markers."
"That's actually pretty cool. I bet it would be awesome to probe you."
Shepard really, really wanted to regret his choice of words, but he simply didn't. The smug feeling in his chest was too delicious and the look on Javik's face was too hilarious to even consider an apology.
"You best be careful, Javik. The last time someone wanted to probe another so badly, it ended with a makeout session in the Mess Hall. Right, Liara?" Joker jested. The asari's face turned bright purple as a last line of defense.
"Doesn't EDI come with a probing setting?" Colt asked.
"You are correct, Commander," The AI said.
Shepard turned his head back to his pilot and said, "Hmmm, how convenient."
"I have been trying to optimize my probing settings to prevent pulverizing," EDI explained calmly.
Colt took a second to look at the AI before doubling over in laughter. "EDI, you are a wonderful being," he said. He opened his mouth to say something, but ended up just laughing even more. Shepard shook his head once the giggles were gone and followed Chakwas before a new batch of laughter could erupt from him.
…
He was trying really, really hard to ignore the broken little family seated just in front of him.
All it took was a call on the father's omni-tool. And three people were shattered. Maybe more. Maybe it was just the three of them left.
There were still pockets of ground troops on Palaven. And they were still deadly. The son, the youngest family member, had been killed in a firefight in some urban center.
Was it too early in the day for Ryncol?
Colt took his gloves off carefully. He quickly put on a new set and started to move to his next set of patients. Chakwas needed him to keep going considering there was a relatively small number of crew members who had any significant amounts of medical training.
Shepard looked right only to find Vega watching the same sad scene. The Lieutenant caught his eye and walked over. "Do you know what that kind of loss is like, Commander? I can't even imagine," Vega said while shaking his head.
"I do, actually."
"Hmmm?"
"I know what it's like. That kind of loss. It's the kind that you'll never shake outta your bones. There's just some things that'll never go away."
Vega nodded in a way that made Colt think he knew exactly what he meant.
…
"At least someone appreciates his dancing," Garrus laughed.
"Christ almighty," Vega said.
"At least he's enthusiastic?" Liara tried.
"That's fair," Garrus said. The three watched Colt lead a horde of turian children in a rendition of the Shepard Shuffle. Only this version was somehow more disorganized and sloppy than usual.
"It's hard to...you know, have rhythm when there's children clinging to your leg," Liara said.
"It's hard to have rhythm when you're Commander Shepard," Garrus pointed out.
"True," Vega said, "But you have to admit, that's pretty damn adorable."
The horde was swaying side-to-side while a turian jingle played from Shepard's omni-tool. Some of the younger ones were wrapped around Shepard's legs and giggling loudly. He picked up one and started to spin her wildly. He spun her right, then left, then forward. And repeat. Right, left, forward. Repeat. They went round and round and round. And all the children followed suit, albeit much more clumsily.
...
"Commander." A hand clamped over his shoulder. "Shepard."
"Yes?" He asked. He looked up from his patient's chart.
"Admiral Shepard has arrived," Cortez said.
"Thank you, Steve," Colt said, "Take this to Chakwas, please." He handed his pilot the data pad before walking to the edge of the loading bay. A small posse of people were walking towards him. One waved.
"Don't worry," Liara said behind him.
Shepard turned to face her before saying, "If I'm not back in an hour, assume I've died a terrible death."
"Be nice. Just be you and it'll all work out," Liara said.
Shepard shrugged. "Maybe."
"You'll be fine," Liara reassured.
Shepard swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. He turned away from the asari and looked back towards his mother. He could already tell that she was going to be appalled by his appearance. His hair was a few inches long and starting to curl. His beard had grown beyond a shadow. The bags under his eyes were starting to grow their own bags.
"Commander Shepard," his mother greeted. She made her way to him while her guards spread out around them. "How are you?" She asked. She didn't even so much as linger on his face or indicate repulsion in any way. What a day.
"Listen, we have to keep this under an hour. We need to get these turians back to the Citadel pronto, so we can't be lolligagging around."
"I get it. We better get going," she said.
"Just a quick tour, then we have to leave," he warned.
"I said I understand," she said harshly. In a lighter tone she added, "Lead the way."
Colt nodded and turned towards the elevator. His mom followed slowly. She was looking around at the clumps of turians strewn about. A few looked back and ticked their mandibles in greeting. Most of them were asleep or hunched over a packet of nutrition paste.
Colt knew disappointment better than just about anybody. He knew what it was to be beaten down into an unrecognizable pulp. But at least he wasn't a turian who couldn't muster the strength to acknowledge an admiral. Goddamn.
He slowed and waited for his mother to catch up. For all of her numerous faults, at least she didn't hold a grudge against the turian people.
Someone brushed against his back, letting their hand linger on his shoulders. Colt turned to find Liara walking away slowly. She winked and gave him a thumbs up.
Why?
His mother. Right. He just had to get through this.
"Ready?" Hannah asked as she sidled up next to him.
"Of course," he answered. His mother followed closely as he stepped on the elevator.
"So, what's been happening?" She asked.
"Well," he said. He'd been, ummm. He was helping the turians. Right. "I've been providing all those turians with medical treatment. And, ummm…" He trailed off. There was something else that he wanted to talk about. What was it? The command center. Right. The indoctrination.
"That's good. You're taking them to the Citadel, right?"
Was he? "Ya, ummmm," he said. Colt breathed out heavily. "Ummm, ummm. Well," he said. Shepard clicked his tongue. "Things have been a bit strange lately," he said.
"What do you mean?"
"I've been forgetting stuff. I was around some, umm, some indoctrinated krogan. And I think they, uhh, he, uhh, is causing some memory loss. At least some fogginess. Kind of like second-hand indoctrination, I think," he said.
The elevator doors opened to the Crew Deck. Colt stepped out and said, "So, we'll, ummm, we'll start here for the tour and end up in my cabin."
"Sounds good."
"So, this is the ummm, memorial wall," Colt explained, "It's important to honor our dead. I, uhhh, yeah. Questions?"
"Nope, carry on," she said.
"Okay, so, ummm, this is where some of the, some of the crew stays," he said.
The taste of iron started to seep into his mouth at an alarming rate. No pain. Just blood. "Oh great," he muttered. Blood spilled out the side of his mouth and dribbled down his chin before it spilled onto his uniform. "Christ," he growled.
Where the fuck was he? Colt looked around trying to get a grip of his surroundings. Hannah stood behind him and was watching him curiously. Right. He was giving a tour to his mom. Maybe telling her about all the weird happenings was a good idea.
"Hey, I don't think I told you this, but I'm having some hard core-Uhh, could you give me some room?" He asked.
Colt could feel Hannah starting to encroach upon his personal space. He turned around to face her. The last thing he needed was some uncomfortable mother-son hug. "Uhhh, Mom, you're, ummm, kinda freaking me out with this lack of personal space," he said. Despite his words, she continued to get closer to him. What the fuck did he just say? Colt turned around, a sharp comment waiting on his tongue. "Mom-"
Hannah grabbed the front of his uniform and tossed him backwards. The back of Shepard's head collided solidly with the wall before he slumped on the ground, unable to keep his body from completely crumpling. Colt let out a screech that was a mixture of anger and surprise. Bells chimed cheerily in his ears while his vision swirled hypnotically.
His mom stood above him, a wicked grin bewitching her face. "I have to give you credit, Commander," she said. She reached down and grabbed his shirt before hauling his ass off the floor. She started dragging him out of the the crew's quarters, tearing his shirt in the process. He flailed his left arm to try and grab the wall. She simply ripped him off the metal paneling and continued to drag him towards the women's bathroom.
"You have a very impressive mind," Hannah said. She heaved his shoulders up into her arms. She whipped her body around violently and threw him against one of the sinks. Colt tried to pull his arms up for a brace, but they stayed by his side uselessly. The right side of his ribcage collided with the stainless steel sink. The screech of metal ripping echoed in his ears as he came down heavily on his side. The sink landed close to his left hand and water started to spray on his back. Cold from the metal flooring melted into his cheek.
Shepard laid there a second before rolling onto his back. A grunt escaped his lips before he could stop it. He tried standing but nothing wanted to work. His limbs lay uselessly around him in a confusing heap. "Who are you?" He asked, though he knew the answer.
The click of his mother's shoes tapped rhythmically against the floor before stopping by his face. She looked down at him and replied, "I am Harbinger."
"Of-fucking-course," Colt spat. "What the fuck do you want?"
Water was still spraying onto his abdomen, soaking his clothes to his body. The pain from his ribs was fading fast. Still, nothing wanted to move.
"You were close, Shepard. Only about every fourth cycle figures out-What did you call it? Secondhand indoctrination. That does occur, but it is not what has been happening to you. Can you imagine, Shepard, what could happen if you were indoctrinated?"
Colt shivered but chose to keep his mouth shut.
"The possibilities are endless, as humans say."
"How the hell did you know about secondhand indoctrination?" He said.
Hannah scoffed, "You told me the whole story not a minute ago."
Shit. Had he really? "Why are you attacking me then? Why not let the indoctrination take a hold?" Colt demanded. Discomfort flashed across her face so fast he couldn't even be sure it happened.
Colt taunted, "Well bitch? I'm wai-"
She dropped to her knees and lunged at him. Her hands wrapped around his neck tightly before she bashed his head against the ground. Darkness clouded his vision before light flooded back in. His right arm flew out from under Hannah and towards her face. His left hand escaped the paralysis as well and went to her face. Colt dug his thumbs into his Hannah's eyes while gripping the back of her skull for leverage. He started pushing in and could feel his thumbs sinking in. Hannah screamed shrilly.
His thumbs were about an inch deep when one of her arm's flailed desperately to the side. She ripped a pipe from the sink off the wall and whipped it around at Colt's head. His thumbs ripped out of her eye sockets as he flew into one of the stalls. Dark spots grew bigger in his vision and threatened to take over. The sound of distant footsteps sludging through water kept him awake.
Colt let himself indulge in the darkness for a second before attempting to stand again. The bathroom's lights burned his eyes as soon as they were open. Water lapped at his face, mixing with the blood pouring from his head. Colt lifted himself off the floor with his arms. Water and blood streamed down his chin. He spat out a mouth full of blood into the water below.
Hannah was about a foot away and getting ready for another blow with her trusty pipe. Colt jumped to his feet and scrambled out of range. Dark red blood was spewing out of where Hannah's eyes should've been. She ran head first into the stall Colt had been in a second ago.
Colt grabbed another pipe from the ruined sink and turned towards his mother. With Hannah blinded, this fight was coming to a close.
He moved toward her slowly and carefully. She wouldn't get the jump on him again.
Hannah's back was turned to him, with her head cocked to the side. He moved into striking distance and whirled his shoulder back in preparation for a neck-breaking blow. She stood completely still before wheeling around at superhuman speeds. Before Colt could even step back, her hands were once again wrapped around his throat.
He strained against the call of unconsciousness before finally fading out.