Beyond the Horizon

Emily stared at the tank curiously, her finger lightly tapping the glass causing air bubbles to fly up into the water.

"You're going to open it aren't you?" Garrus asked, mandibles held tightly against his cheeks in disapproval.

"Mhm..." she mumbled as she continued to stare at the krogan in the tank.

"Even if I strongly think it is a bad idea?" Garrus continued.

"Okeer sacrificed his life for him, like we're most likely sacrificing our lives for the whole galaxy. I'm not going to put anything I can use to waste Garrus," she said with a commanding voice. "Get out Garrus, I don't want him to see a turian as soon as he opens his eyes."

Garrus growled and stormed out the room, turned and glared as the green light turned red. He began to pace outside the door, his hand rubbing the back of his neck.

Emily studied the tank her hand pressed lightly against the glass, "Open it EDI."

Emily watched as the water drained from the tank, before the glass slowly slid upwards. Her eyes focused on the krogan's face.

Its eyes blinked open, instinctually surveying the room. After it's observation was complete it's eyes locked onto Shepard before launching at her slamming her into a table, it's well muscled arm pressed against her throat.

"Human. Female. Before you die, I need a name." it said in a cold detached voice.

"I'm Commander Shepard, and I don't take threats lightly. I suggest you relax," Emily's body began to flicker with her biotic flare.

"Not your name. Mine. I am trained, I know things, but the tank... Okeer couldn't implant connection. His words are hollow," it spoke in a husky tone. "Warlord, legacy, grunt...grunt... 'Grunt' was among the last it has no meaning. It'll do..."

"Well then Grunt, I suggest you stand down before I blow a nice new hole into your body," Emily said pressing her hand against the krogan's side causing him to laugh.

"You've got quad, human. I'll give you that much," Grunt laughed again as he released her. "Got anything to eat around here?"

"Yeah c'mon, mess hall is this way. Oh, and don't mind the turian outside the door."

"Turian eh? I smell him on you," he chuckled as he pounded her on the back.

Garrus watched in amazement as the two exited the room, laughter bubbling between them as the krogan tossed him an assessing look.

"He's big for a turian. And smells like you. You two mates?" Grunt eyes sized up the turian in blue armor.

"Keep asking questions, and I won't feed you," Emily drawled as she made her way into the elevator.

"Commander The Illusive Man would like to speak to you," EDI's blue orb popped up in front of the elevator.

"Alright, uh...Garrus take him to the mess hall."

She made her way into the briefing room and stepped into the holographic circle that connected her directly to the Illusive Man.

"So Shepard, I think we have them, Horizon - one of our colonies in the Terminus Systems - just went silent."

"Mordin's almost done with the countermeasure I'll take my team and check it out."

"Good to know, very good to know... oh, and Shepard?"

"Yeah?"

"You might want to hurry, someone you know is on that planet... Kaidan Alenko."

Emily froze, and schooled her face into polite blankness as her heart began to pound hard in her chest.

"Good to know," she echoed his sentiments and stepped out of the portal and rubbed her forehead.

"Joker."

"Yes Emily?"

"Fly us directly to Horizon, quickest way possible."

"Understood Emily."

She sank down into the ground staring blindly into the wall. Not even blinking when Kasumi popped up in front of her and sat down across from her.

"Emily..."

"Don't 'Sumi just...don't. I'm scared...so so fucking scared. Collectors hitting a planet where Kaidan's on. What if we're too late?"

"Hey Joker what's our ETA?" Kasumi yelled suddenly.

"Uh...6 hours, maybe 5."

"Okay good!" Kasumi said quickly tugging Emily to her feet. "Let's get some drink on!"

Emily paced the confines of the shuttle, stepping over Garrus' legs as she continued to walk back and forth. Jack was tucked into a corner, her legs pulled up to her chest as her head bobbed along to music from her headphones.

Garrus stretched his foot out slowly with eyes slightly narrowed causing Emily to trip and glare at him with eyes wide and dark with swirling emotions. He let out a sigh and with a quick grab, pulled her into his lap.

"Sit still," he growled into her ear.

"No," she growled back and quickly surging to her feet to continue her pacing. She moved to the window and watched as they drew closer to the planet.

"Kaidan's on there," she said. "The collectors have hit it..."

Garrus' face twitched at the name.

She pushed away from the window and continued to pace, eyes narrowed as she moved.

Garrus raised to his feet before pinning her against the wall.

"Hold yourself together," he said, a hand lightly touching her cheek.

She blinked, her eyes filling with tears.

"Garrus..." her hand going over his scarred cheek.

"It'll be okay, I promise," he lightly nuzzled her cheek.

They landed shortly, Emily gripped her shotgun and nodded to Jack and Garrus.

"Let's do this..." she said before charging off.

"Glad Mordin's thing worked," Jack grumbled as she charged after Emily.

Garrus growled angrily as Emily charged ahead, careless of the danger she put herself in. He had seen her shoulder fly back with a small splatter of bright red blood before she charged into the collector, quickly knocking it down and feeding it full of shotgun bullets.

They found the bodies, in stasis, faces contorted in fear. Found empty pods and more collectors and modified husks. She managed to find a new weapon too, quickly slinging it on her back without giving it much study. They found one survivor, hiding in one of the buildings and led them towards the AA guns pointed directly at the Collector ship. In but a moment Emily had gone running off again. Her eyes bright with rage and biotic energy crackled along her skin, Jack glowing just as bright sporting a savage smile.

'Spirits...she's..beautiful...' Garrus thought as he watched her dance across the field heedless of the pain in her shoulder.

"EDI get that tower running!" Emily yelled into the comm as she dived for cover. Wincing from pain as she ripped open a medi-gel and slapped it on her shoulder.

"Jesus Christ you're insane!" Jack yelled as she slammed next to Emily reaching for the medi-gel and applying it to her bare midriff.

"More incoming Commander," EDI's voice echoed into their comms.

A giant flying collector came, mouth open with body parts hanging out of it flew over their heads.

"Oh fuck..." Emily paled as she looked at it.

"Concussive rounds, Jack, stay in cover and put that gun of yours to good use."

Emily rolled out readying the particle rifle she had found and quickly took aim, dodging incoming fire. When she ran out of ammo she grunted then balled her fists as biotic energy crackled over her skin. Her arm surged with power before she closed her eyes and charged into the creature, causing it to explode and disintegrate, her body tossed into the air and slamming into a crate.

She blinked up at Garrus who stared down at her worriedly. She gave him a small smile and held out her hand for assistance.

"Are you fucking insane?" he shook her slightly.

She smiled crookedly up at him and nodded.

"Should know the answer to that by now."

"Commander, the guns are now online."

"Fire at will!" Emily yelled as the guns came to life, shot after shot aimed at the Collector Ship. In seconds the ship was decimated signaling it's retreat.

"No! You let them get away!" a man said shouting at Emily.

Emily's fist balled tightly at her side in frustration.

"You did all you could Shepard," Garrus said softly.

"Shepard? I know that name..." the man said staring at her with dawning horror.

"Commander Emily Shepard, Captain of the Normandy. First human Spectre and Savior of the Citadel. You're in the presence of a legend, Delan...and a ghost," Kaidan reached the group, his once warm eyes now muddled with cold anger.

"Kaidan..." Emily's voice almost cracked as her mind filled with a swarm of emotions.

"All the good people we lost, and you get left behind, figures," Delan growled angrily as he turned away.

"I thought you were dead, Emily. We all did," Kaidan took a step closer to Emily, his eyes crossed with Garrus' before his arms went around Emily.

She buried her face in his neck and shuddered slightly as she struggled to contain her tears. He pulled away slightly and caressed her cheek.

"It's been too long, Kaidan," her cheek nuzzling his hand. "How've you been?"

"Is that all you have to say? You show up after two years and act like nothing happened. I thought we had something Emily, something real, I loved you. Thinking you were dead tore me apart. How could you put me through that?! Why didn't you try to contact me? Why didn't you let me know you were alive?!" anger brimming in his eyes as he pushed Emily away.

She stumbled back her eye's waning in pain, "I...I was dead, Kaidan you have to believe that. Otherwise I would have tried contacting you! I even asked Anderson where you were but he refused to tell me!" She palmed her hands, "Cerberus rebuilt me...they gave me a second chance even if it was to stop the Collectors from taking human colonies..."

"You're with Cerberus? You too Garrus? Can't believe the reports were right..."

"So you knew...that Emily was alive?" Garrus growled out, taking a protective step closer to Emily. "And you didn't even try finding her? And yet you claimed to love her?" Garrus scoffed, his arm reaching for Emily's waist to pull her closer to him.

"Rumors said she was with Cerberus. I didn't want to believe that, let alone that you were alive."

"You knew what Cerberus did, we destroyed a lot of their bases and yet you work for them! You betrayed the Alliance, you betrayed me."

"Kaidan...you know me...you know I'd only do this for the right reasons. You saw them, they're attacking human colonies. And Cerberus is the only one willing to do something about it."

"I want to believe you, I really do...but not Cerberus. What if they're the ones behind it? Working with the Collectors?"

"Damnit Kaidan, you're so focused on Cerberus you're not seeing the bigger picture," Emily bit the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from crying out loud. She leaned into Garrus' arms as she struggled to breath.

"You've changed, but at least I still know where my loyalties lie. I'm an Alliance soldier, always am and always will be," he said, taking a step back.

"Kaidan...please...I could use you on my team, it'll be like old times..."

"Old times? Ha, those are gone. Whatever was between us? It's done, it's over. Goodbye Emily, take care of yourself."

Emily froze, pain filled her heart as she fell to the ground. Garrus flung himself at Kaidan enraged. His mailed fist meeting Kaidan's bare face.

"You fucking asshole," Garrus growled angrily as his fists swung repeatedly at Kaidan.

"Garrus stop!" Emily yelled as she jumped to her feet to tackle Garrus.

Kaidan growled out angrily as his biotics flashed across his body, he flung both Emily and Garrus off him. He charged after Garrus, swinging a biotic covered fist. Garrus dodged then twisted Kaidan's wrist sending him spiraling to the ground.

"Give me one good reason not to break your fucking arm," Garrus growled as he added a bit of pressure.

"You should be happy Garrus, you can have her now. I saw that mark on her neck, you already fucked her didn't you?!" Kaidan's face grew with rage, "she cheated on me, with you even. You were suppose to be my friend and you fuck her behind my back."

"ENOUGH!" Emily yelled, tossing a shockwave at the two of them.

"Vakarian get your ass on the shuttle, I'll talk to you on the ship and as for you Kaidan," she gave him a hard glare, "go to hell..."

Jack approached the group sneering, "Well shit...I'm glad I came."

"Hey pretty boy..." she leaned down over Kaidan's face drawing back one biotic covered fist and driving it into his face knocking him out. "That's for hurting her. Next time I see you, you better watch your back."

As she rose back to her feet she gazed out the the still furious turian, "And as for you blue man, good job. You're fucking alright in my book. Drinks on me after she rips you a new asshole."

Joker swallowed the bile of fear that was sliding up his throat as he watched the vid from Horizon, he recognized that look in Emily's face. It had flashed up at him before she had recognized him.

Dead.

Soulless.

Lost.

He shivered as Emily walked onto the ship, her eyes cold and blank as she scanned the suddenly quiet CIC.

"I'll be in my room, No one is allowed to bother me unless the reapers or the collectors are knocking on the fucking door."

"Emily, The Illusive Man would like to speak with you," said Miranda almost biting her tongue.

"Tell him he can go to hell for sending me there in the first place."

"Er...okay..."

Emily made her way into the elevator and stepped into her room. Sinking to the floor she stared blankly at her hands.

'Traitor...is that what I am?'

She dragged herself around the room, pacing about as her mind attempted to sort out the emotions. Her eyes fell upon the picture of Kaidan on her nightstand. Her fingers coiled around the edge before slamming it flat against the counter shattering the glass.

'Son of a bitch...'