Other than a few skirmishes, the return hike progressed uneventfully. They mopped up a couple outposts who were less than friendly with Urdnot, paving the way for their return journey with the women and children. But nothing over-the-top.
Jane tried, and failed, to carry Urz partway. He was growing like a weed, with his keratinous spines easily passing her knees. Soon his height would reach her hips. And even then, the growth spurt wouldn't be finished. Although, he'd then be growing out instead of up. And Urz already boasted eighty-four pounds, causing her to levitate him off every time he attempted crawling into her lap. His weight cut off circulation to literally everything south of the border.
She also began adapting to the miserable planet – a detail that nearly escaped notice. Sure she still felt like a soggy shoe after a day of trekking, and her skin remained perpetually chafed, but her every step was no longer accompanied by an uncompromising pull into the earth. Her feet were lighter, as was her spirit. Leading her to realize misery was etched clearer in her mind than any form of levity. Wrex said it had to do with seeing the world for what it was – an unfair race to survive. Negative memories are more potent because we learn from pain. But she wanted to experience more than misery, more than what she had lived, if that was even possible. So, she tried noticing the beauty in this desiccated, barren world. Emphasis on tried.
They were currently mapping out a return route. Once the refugees joined them, they'd be transporting 29 women and 13 children. That was 42 people total, and no lean feat. Young children and women were notoriously slow, even without taking cargo into account – which meant they'd be ladened with foodstuffs, along with all their worldly possessions. And the longer they were exposed, the more vulnerable they'd be. Wrex was being understandably paranoid.
Time after time, he had them circle back, erasing a route from his list of possibilities in the process. Then they'd have to map out another route, evaluating every square inch. Trail A wound around the dunes, providing a good bit of cover but was right in the middle of Jirma and Daski's territories, two tribes notorious for warring with one another come rain, shine or ruin. Legend had it, that they even fought among thresher maws once, choosing to die in glorious battle rather than retreat. It was typically krogan.
Trail B was a mess, and cut straight through No Man's Land. Even the warlords skirted around it out of superstitious fear. It was said that ghosts from the Rebellion haunted the desiccated wasteland, sapping the lifeforce out of any who dared venture too close. In reality, it was simply an infestation of roshmaws devouring foolish trespassers, but that was neither here nor there. The route was incompatible either way.
Their third option was a paved road, a rare commodity. It would allow the use of vehicles, yet leave them vulnerable to any number of threats. Nomadic warlords, tribes looking to bolster their numbers through force, and enemies of Urdnot to name a few. Still they'd move faster, and the road provided a buffer between them and the wildlife's jaws, which held as much pernicious intent as any warlord. A reminder that survival of the fittest was testament on Tuchanka.
They stopped at a roadside hovel to assess the ground-vehicle situation. A garage made from mud and sticks, baking in the unrelenting sun. The mechanic within was stout, dressed in multicolored fabric that clashed against the homogeneous sands. A quick glance, and Wrex's many lessons about krogan clan-paint, told her he hailed from Cazk Clan, a supposed ally of Urdnot. But Jane was having some doubts. For one, whenever Wrex leaned close, his fingers twitched while the rest of him remained rigid, upright, and uncompromising. And he only spoke in short phrases, one or two words max, as if he couldn't be rid of them soon enough. Something wasn't right. And relief washed over her when Wrex rejoined her at the entryway empty handed, choosing not to make a single purchase. They traveled in silence until they were far from earshot, and still, Wrex's voice was low, cautious at all times. "What's eatin' ya?"
"That mechanic." She hefted herself up and over the carcass of a bunker, now only scrap metal smoothing against the sand's tide. "Something was off."
"Tell me."
"He was watching very closely. Too close, like he was scared. Then he tried to play it off, said it was because I'm human…. but… I dunno. It's bugging me. He was acting cagey. I'm not confident that tribe's still your ally."
"Good eye. He was holdin' and doing damn fine job of hiding it. For a knucklehead anyway. There was a Carnifex under his right sleeve. Remember how stiff his arm was?"
"Yeah..."
"The baggy shirt did a good job of concealing the pistol's outline. But he was scared it'd fall, that's what the stiffness was all about. The gun wasn't secure, which means he wasn't expecting us. And he has somethin' in there he don't want me to see. Somethin' he'd die before revealing. Ten to one Weryloc turned him."
"You're smarter than you look Wrex."
He roared with laughter now that they were a solid mile from the mechanic, a bit of civilization in the vast and unyielding desert. "Stick with me Junior, and I'll teach you how to live a life full of action and survive long enough to make it count. But yeah. We're not takin' the women and kids this way. Somethin' is about to go down and I want them as far as possible from whatever that is."
"And that means?"
"For one, we're gonna have to walk." A groan. "And we're gonna have to do it through the worst part of Tuchanka. The Wastes. It's the safest option I can see. We've already trekked it several times, everywhere else is as unstable as ever."
Jane shrugged. "Been there. Done that."
"Uh huh. Not with a bunch of pregnant women and kids."
"Pregnant?" She queried, alarmed. "As in could go into labor at any time or what are we dealing with here?"
"Well, not Kiash. She's too old. But the rest are. Should be due in… Four, maybe five, months? Bahh. I can't remember." He paused, scratching along his head-plate. "Yeah. That sounds about right, Wrendrok was the first then Khala and Vendra cycled within a day. From what I gather, when women house together, their conception cycles sync up. Maybe it's evolution. Hell if I know. But with the genophage, we can't afford a single non-gestating cycle, so I made certain to do my part. Stayed a whole week to make sure everyone got a turn."
Jane stopped dead in her tracks. "Wait you…with… all of them?"
"Nah. A few were already up the duff."
"There..." She held up a hand, wincing at the mental image. "There are things I really don't need to know. And this is one of them."
"Don't tell me you're stodgy, like the turian."
"There's stodgy and then there's hearing about giant lizard orgies." She bit her lip, futilely stifling a laugh at the double entendre.
"Whatever. We'll be there soon, so make ready."
They arrived at the hatch, and Jane, now understanding the need for a hasty entry and exit, thrust herself forward, landing gracefully in the corridor. Urz was hot on her heels, although his landing was far from graceful. A bit of dust rose with their entrance, forcing out a couple coughs.
Kiash was first to arrive, leaning heavily on the cane, nodding when she emerged. "You-a back girl? Couldna cut it in the sun?"
"Not a chance." Wrex called from behind, sealing the hatch as he spoke. "It's time. You're being integrated with Urdnot."
Kiash's shaking hand slid along the cane, losing its grip with the revelation. "We-a gonna see the sun again? Notta seen it in…" She trailed off, voice quieting to a rasp. "Be hundred odd-years."
"She don't look like much, but this one here is helluva warrior. And the reason I finally took that old Weryloc base. We have room because she helped make it."
Kiash stared after her for a few moments. And Jane's cheeks burned under Wrex's praise and her newfound respect with the leader of the refugees.
"And here Iyya thought she was a snack." Amata barreled forward with gusto, grin revealing all of her extremely large, flat teeth.
The news traveled through the camp like a shockwave. Whispers of excitement and awe. Relief. Even a few sobs of joy reached Jane's ears. And she couldn't help but smile at the fact that she was a part of this.
Then the camp became a bustle of activity. At first, Jane busied herself with helping the women pack. Transferring dried goods to clean barrels, and levitating them towards the exit to be loaded onto hover-wagons. But she was small, and biotics weren't so precise as to be capable of working a clasp. So, when they found her in a hopeless struggle with container seals, she was reassigned to babysitting. The youngest children were constantly getting underfoot, and while it was a hassle, possibly even a dangerous one, she was stunned. Completely and utterly stunned. It was gesture of trust. A big one.
For six weeks she stayed here, and only once had she seen a child younger than ten. Normally, they weren't allowed to venture beyond the nursery, located in the deepest reaches of the bunker. Radiation resistance didn't fully develop until ten years of age. And that was the safest area from nuclear fallout, should a bomb hit. Plus, at the time, their distrust had been clear and adamant. So they kept the younger children far from her presence.
"Don't look so happy pyjack." Amata grinned, ladened with a barrel of rice under each arm. "You-a wait 'til you-a gotta wrangle Drix. He a hellion."
Drix turned out to be a 195 lb. eight year old who thought it'd be great fun to bite the ankles of random passerby, delighting whenever a crate dropped as a result of his mischief. A hundred questions flooded her mind the moment they met. How can he walk? Don't you live for a thousand years? Shouldn't he still be an infant? But there was no time. Her questions perished on her lips as Kiash hobbled down the corridor, leaving her to supervise nine younglings, including the omnipresent Drix who seemed to overshadow the entire nursery with his demanding nature.
Jane had to repeatedly levitate him back to where she was occupying the other children. It was the only way she could keep an eye on all nine of them, as Drix was determined to cause no end of trouble. That worked for a few hours, until one of the toddlers wandered off while she was rescuing his latest victim from becoming a chew-toy. Thankfully Kiash caught Wusagi, the toddler, before she found her way to the kitchen and into the numerous, razor-sharp meat cleavers. Jane was certain the old crow was about to lay into her when she turned, smacked Drix on the rump a couple times, and told her not to be so soft on them. 'They-a krogan girl, they-a gotta learn fro-a bit-a pain.'
All she could think was yeah but he's just a baby.
She had no problem gutting a man, disemboweling him and leaving him to rot in the scorching sun. But the idea of hitting a child made her inside squirm. Kids were off limits. And she lived in constant terror of crossing a line, of going too far. She was a killer, not a nurturer.
Not that her squeamishness changed the facts. The world was harsh and cruel. It was the older's job to teach the youngers the truth about reality, or allow them to be torn limb from limb the second they were out of reach. But some memories hit hard. And the time she struck Sciffy out of reflex was one of them. A whimper died in her throat every time it surfaced.
It was a bright Spring day, full of curiosity and mischief for Sciffy's wonder. But rife with danger. They had been living in the old, dilapidated Resistance Base. A scrap of hope for the destitute, a bit of safety. But Sciffy didn't heed her warnings. After telling her to remain hidden, the girl followed her on a hunt, nearly winding up a penaska's lunch. Jane scarcely managed to win that fight. Her nose gushed blood from exertion, biotics pressing through the inhibitor. When it was over, she fell to her knees, trembling and retching into the dirt. Maybe someone older would have handled things better. Maybe someone wiser. But Jane was a half-starved teenager intent on one thing, survival.
Sciffy ran up to her, and Jane lashed out slapping her across the face while screaming. How dare you disobey me! You nearly got us killed! I told you stay! What the hell is wrong with you?
Only then did she realized Sciffy wet her pants during the fight. Now blood dribbled from her lip. The girl was already terrified. Lesson learned. She'd never do that again. All Jane accomplished was scaring a child, who lived in a state of perpetual anxiety, even further.
To this day, the memory of it made her cringe. But Sciffy was still alive. So, maybe she did something right.
Heeding Kiash's order, the next time Drix tried biting, she biotically smacked him across the butt. Issue was, he found it hilarious. The boy roared with glee demanding she do it again, this time on his head-plate. She didn't have the heart to tell him that his plate hadn't even begun to form yet, but honored the request by gently pushing back on his face, letting biotics brush against his leathery skin. Which resulted in him hugging her so hard she had to summon a barrier to keep from choking to death.
"Mama used to have the blue too ya know." The boy snuffled against her hair.
She leaned into his embrace, body encased in a barrier, the only thing keeping this very large, but very vulnerable little boy from popping her head off. When the biotics brushed against him, he broke down, bawling and bawling, face pressed into her neck. That's when she realized the entire reason for his disobedience was to taste her powers. He missed the feeling. The tingling warmth. The encasing levity. Each individual biotic had their own signature, so to speak. A texture unique to the individual. But there were similarities. And all this child wanted was a piece of his mother.
That was also the moment she learned that krogan do indeed cry, only the tears drained out of their nose. But she couldn't push him away. This was a young, traumatized child regardless of size. So, she sat there reaching backwards to awkwardly pat his miniature hump. By the time he finished, she was nothing more than a giant ball of snot. Yet, after that, he hung on her every word.
When Kiash arrived later that evening, she took one look at her, laughed, and said she'd look after the youngins. Go grab a bath.
She emerged, clean, freezing and starving. Kiash, now surrounded by a gaggle of younglings with hungry bellies, beckoned her over, setting a massive bowl of stew in front of her. "Um… You realize I didn't run on the wheels at all right?"
"You-a warrior girl! How I neva' understand. But warriors eat till-a they canna eat no more. It don' matter none if we have food but we all dead." She clapped her on the back, nearly causing Jane to slam head-first into her dinner. But out of the corner of her eye, she caught Drix beaming up at her as if she was the only thing in the world. How that reminded her of Sciffy. A terrifying notion.
The realization had been trickling in slowly, how all these women and children were relying on her. Now that reality hit with a force like nothing else. Maybe it was then. Maybe it was the day Wrex laid his hopes and dreams bare, showing her what they fought for. Showing her that she was apart of it. This thing that made her proud of… her. He bestowed upon her the greatest gift – something to strive for. A purpose. And the women, the kids, were similar to herself. Their stories echoed in her mind, ringing bells of familiarity. Here she wasn't the ex-batarian slave girl that everyone pitied. Her story was no more or less gruesome, it wasn't this overshadowing thing, choking out life in the pit of her stomach. It simply was. Like they were. And she felt something she never had before, a sense of belonging. Tuchanka may be a wretched shit-hole but its people possessed a beauty, as alluring and multifarious as the jungle she once called home.
She spent days like that. Watching the children, singing and regaling them with tales of Kar'Shan. The vibrant planet with trees larger than the largest thresher-maw, and massive electrical pumas that only the toughest warriors could hope to vanquish. They ate it up. Listening with ingenuous eyes and cheerful smiles that warmed her bruised and broken soul.
Even the women grew affable to her presence. After Wrex announced her integral part in claiming the base, they seemed more open, less hostile, and genuinely interested in her. Wendrok, a seamstress, proffered several outfits in the making. Growing impatient with Jane's reticent nature, she grabbed her hand, gliding it over the coarse fabric. "My gift to the Shaman of Clan Urdnot." Wendrok announced, beaming with pride, before promptly rolling it up and stowing it in a crate. "But Iyya make you-a something, yes? After the journey, when we-a home."
She started to feel that word in her bones. Home. Their joy infected her, their hopes, their ambitions. Soothing her spirit. Lifting her dreams.
They were nearly packed after five days. And Wrex called her over to the kitchen, its stone cubbies laid bare. "Said you wanted to talk to the turian right?"
"Wait, seriously? We have a signal?"
"The satellite has'ta be situated perfectly in orbit. Happens in the summer months. But if you stand right in that corner, you'll get a signal off planet."
With so little left to pack, Amata offered to cover for her in the nursery. And she pulled up her contact list, wincing when her omni flashed Omega's time. 01:22 in the morning.
Incoming call: Garrus Vakarian
ID: Jane Doe
The image was grainy, freezing and unfreezing, the jagged pixels would rebel at times smattering in streaks of green as their paltry connection struggled and strained. But it was Jane. Her hair reached past her chin now, and her face seemed a bit rounder, more human than the sharp jawline with which he'd grown familiar. "Hey stranger. Forget about us? I was wondering if we'd ever hear from you. Nalah's… oh crap let me ring her up. She'll want to be here for this."
Jane blinked. "Isn't it like… really late there? She goes to bed pretty early."
"Trust me, she'll want to hear from you. Wrex messaged her a few months ago, and sent a grand total of six words. Which were, and this is a direct quote, 'She's still alive. Stop bothering me.' Now I know Wrex pretty well, but not Nalah. She's been beside herself."
"Tell Mierin he owes me a fifty!" A disembodied voice crackled through the static.
"Was that Ripper?"
"Oh… just some of the guys. They .. uh…" He coughed, "Had a pool going on whether or not you made it. Krul flipped them off, said they're all idiots and that you'd probably walk out of there with a smile, leaving nothing but a trail of corpses. That sounded a little extreme to me, but you know Krul."
Jane chuckled. She never quite fit with them, the purpose of their mission and the laws they hoped to impose had always eluded her. But now that she could hear their voices, it hit her just how much she missed the team.
Before she found the words to speak, Nalah came storming into view. The bathrobe, slippers, and disheveled hair spoke of someone who had just rolled out of bed. "Young lady, where have you been? Four? Five? Months and not a word?" Her voiced pitched in accusation.
"Yeah.. I've um.. haven't had a solid enough connection for a call…" Jane swallowed. Her extranet access had been sketchy at best, but she also hadn't thought of them much. And to be fair, she could have sent a short text message. Although her typing skills were horrific, and she cringed at the mere thought. Now that she was facing Nalah's angry, hurt face she felt like an ass. As far back as she could remember, her life had been one catastrophe after the next, rarely having time to stop and catch her breath. Memories of Balya resurfaced because of Krul. Yet, before that, Balya had been placed on a dusty shelf, perpetually alive, kicking Hegemony ass with Zeb and Jaok. But rarely on her mind. There hadn't been room. Tuchanka was different, in different ways that made all the difference. But it largely hadn't left her room either, which was better because she could breathe.
[Not that she needed people or anything, she just liked them and didn't want them dead.] It was fine if people needed her (for fighting) but she never needed them. That's what she told herself anyway.
"Well, this is how it works young lady. You call your family! We installed a long distance chip in that thing, so you should be able to connect on the planet's surface. Maybe not full video but…" She paused, half laughing half sighing. "You have no idea what a long-distance chip is, do you?"
"Sorry."
"Don't apologize. I should have thought of it. Everything happened so fast it slipped my mind. Now tell me how you are! What are you doing? Has Wrex been good to you? How about the other krogan?"
Jane gave her a heavily redacted rundown of her time on the planet, mainly focusing on Urz's antics – who was currently lazing about the bunker, lapping up endless belly-rubs and table scraps. A good fifteen minutes were spent detailing the joys and pitfalls of raising varren pups, making her life on Tuchanka seem like a tame ball of glee. The video portion of their conversation fizzled out within ten minutes, leaving them solely with audio. And as sleep threatened to overwhelm her, Nalah bid goodbye and returned to bed. Although, not before lecturing on her lack of an under-suit, whose purpose was to ward of radiation. She vowed to send a bucket of iodine pills as an additional safeguard and told her, in no uncertain terms, to take two daily.
"So," Garrus returned to the com, "How are you really?"
"I'm good. No complaints."
"Uh huh. Jane listen, I spent my life bullshitting parents. And that was a load of crap. So, I'll ask again, how are you?"
She sighed, leave it to Garrus and those predator senses to hear the exhaustion in her voice. "I'm alright. Maybe a bit tired. Tuchanka is… a challenge in and of itself. The planet's all but dead and the weather is harsh. The only wildlife still around is mutated and weird. Everything is carnivorous. Plant life died off in the nuclear war, so whatever survived evolved to eat one another. Did you know that the Shroud is the only reason the atmosphere is breathable? The planet is dead as dead can get. But I've learned a lot, and my body is starting to adapt. It's not as grueling, the long hikes that is."
"Wait, hiking? You don't have trucks or… I mean, I've never been to Tuchanka so it's hard to picture."
"Trucks make us a target. And Wrex doesn't have the manpower to deal with that level of attention, not yet anyway. Although, we're changing that. We overthrew Weryloc's main base of operations in the Kelphic Valley, along with several outposts. So we're slowly releasing their hold on the one and only spot with a bit of water. He wants to build a community around our new base. A home for Urdnot and any others that join the Clan Alliance."
"Oh? Are your biotics fixed then? If you're fighting, you must have made progress." There was the unspoken question, the one she'd been dreading, when are you coming back. She gulped, guilt eating at her insides.
"It's not that simple." Her voice caught, panic setting in. "I… I don't know how to tell you this."
"Take your time. Although, our connection is gradually waning. I'm doing what I can to counteract it but you've probably got about another ten minutes tops. Just breathe okay? I'll listen to whatever you have to say."
Gods she missed his voice. The gravely patience. That steady, warm presence. He made good on his promise to have her back even now, separated by light years.
"I'm … staying."
For a few seconds, there was nothing but silence. And she worried that their connection dropped.
"You… like it there? I mean, it's fine if you want to stay, I'm just … curious or perhaps a little worried. Tuchanka is a rough place to live, and you sound drained. The planet produced the krogan species, so I can only imagine."
"I don't think it's about what I want, or like for that matter. But I think it's what I need." A nervous laugh. "This could all be a moot point. I still haven't met Urdnot, I'll have to earn a place among the krogan as an equal. But if I can, if I succeed, then yeah… I plan to stay."
"Alright, can I ask you something then?"
"Anything."
"WRITE US." The words were loud and deliberate.
"I'm sorry about that." Jane chuckled. "Um… well, it just takes a really long time. And I'm so terrible. It's embarrassing."
"Which module are you on anyway?"
"Module? I don't know what that is, but I finished Mavis when I came to stay with the refugees."
"You… finished? I'm not sure that's possible. That thing extends past basic typing into university level reading and essay questions."
"I got to the part that said congratulations and … then that was it. There was confetti and everything. And a funny dancing monkey. Whatever. I'm teaching younglings how to print and do cursive when I'm not trekking or fighting. Wrex says they need it, so I can keep teaching after we relocate. Problem is, it's all in Rishini. He insists that there are more translation programs for that than the old Krogish dialects, whose alphabets aren't even complete. Their written language is lacking. Guess they blew up their own libraries along with everything else. So, it'll be useful to them. I guess. I dunno. I kind of think they're crazy for letting me teach."
"Jane… when was the last time you heard from Tali?"
"When she dropped me off."
"Huh."
"What?"
"I'm sure it's nothing."
"Yeah..." Jane quipped. "Now who's full of crap?"
"It's just a little odd. She was hell bent on keeping your Mavis packet up to date."
"You do realize that almost nowhere on this planet gets the extranet right? It's like pre-spaceflight here."
"Tali would've accounted for that and done something to boost the signal… It's probably nothing. She goes on covert geth missions all the time. Maybe she's hung up on a project."
"Or maybe she's not." Something changed in her voice. Something sharp. "She's soft Garrus. And I don't like how that sounds. Doesn't sit right."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"She's the type to get in over her head, and I'll kill anyone who messes with her."
Garrus chuffed through the static. "I'll put in a query with the Migrant Fleet. But I'm sure it's fine. Now, before I go let me explain how to check your inbox. There's a little envelope at the bottom of the..."
The connection cut out, leaving him mid-sentence with no small amount of frustration. He tried omni-ringing but the thing went straight to voicemail, which he noted hadn't been setup. It blathered on in a mechanical tone about leaving a message, not like she had a clue how to check that. So that was great. But it was good to hear from her.
There was a clamor of laughter in the living room, and Garrus strode in to find the newest members of the team hanging out, drinking beer, and catching up on biotic-ball. Monteague, the ex-security consultant Weaver brought in, was laughing along with Erash and Sensat, making bets on who'd win the playoffs.
Erash had been a surprise. Garrus stumbled across him in the markets during the aftermath of a drug-buy gone bad. A couple civilians found themselves caught in the crossfire, and Erash was tending to the wounded. He not only recognized the salarian but knew he'd be an ideal candidate for the team. Erash was the first person he met after landing on Omega, the one person who helped when everyone else turned a blind eye. How could he not offer him a spot on the squad? Plus, adding a medic to the roster gave him peace of mind. Well, as much as one could have running a team whose lives were his responsibility. And Sensat was much happier having another salarian around. It must get lonely, being awake for 23 hours a day.
Garrus settled on the sofa next to Ripper, who let out a head-piercing whoop as his team scored. He gave the man a level stare, and turned to the latest batch of recruit applications. They had enough manpower for their current mission, yet he promised Ripper they'd get Tarak one way or another. And they needed more firepower to pursue the bastard. One resume, submitted by a drell, caught his eye. The man claimed to be a highly trained sharpshooter, an essential component to pursuing bloodthirsty, yet paranoid merc leaders. So, he took down the guy's contact information and sent it Krul's way. The batarian would run a thorough background check, ensuring this guy was on the up and up.
Once that was finished, he pulled up Admiral Rael'Zorah's email with no small amount of hesitancy. Technically, he wasn't supposed to have it. Or, at the very least, it wasn't obtained through proper channels. Tali Bcced him regarding her findings on the Cerberus datapad. The contents were heavily redacted to respect Jane's privacy, but addressed the entire Admiralty board as it was regarding a matter of fleet security.
Still, it didn't add up. Tali wasn't the type to leave something unfinished, especially when one considered it was John's sister on the line. And he was well aware of Tali's infatuation with Shepard. After all he could overhear most of their conversations, regardless of how hard he tried to tune them out. Tali's voice practically bounced with glee every time John came down to engineering.
That woman would never abandon Jane's education.
To: Raelzorah_Vas_Rayya
From: Garrus_VK2180
Dear Admiral Rael'Zorah,
I hope this message isn't too forward. Some time ago, I received your contact information from your daughter, Tali, and wanted to check on her well-being. It's been awhile since I, or any of our mutual friends, have heard from her and we found it odd. She's been a devoted friend to us and we simply want to know she's safe.
Sincerely,
Garrus Vakarian
He hesitated for several minutes, talon hovering over the send button. The most likely scenario was that she was on a covert mission that he had no business knowing about. And he was contacting one of the most powerful men aboard a fleet of 17 million strong.
But whatever, Tali was his friend.
A/N: Couple things I forgot!
1) Jane's song was supposed to be posted back in Chapter 86. (Her current song at least, that girl has several.) Anyhow, it's Katja Stevens's Cover of May I Stand Unshaken
2) I totally stole banthas (referenced in the last chapter) from Star Wars. :p
3) Erash was introduced in Chapter 18. He was the salarian dude who provided Garrus with the sedative. I finally got around to formally welcoming him to the team. It only took… oh 78 chapters. O_o.