Chapter 20: What Happened To Your Face?
Shepard leaned against the balcony wall in Anderson's office. She had given her formal report of the incident with the Alpha Relay to the Council and handed over all information that was extracted from the facility. The Council Four stood facing the hologram images of Sparatus, Tevos, and Valern while Anderson stood before them in the flesh.
"Perhaps it would be best if Shepard weren't present for their debriefing. They need to feel as if they can speak freely," Sparatus said.
"Shepard has a right to know if they disagreed with her assessment of the situation," Anderson said.
"I do not disagree, Councilor Anderson, but perhaps a report of our findings would suffice. Councilor Sparatus has a valid point, we need to be assured that her presence does not unduly affect their reports," Tevos said.
"That's bullshit," Jane said.
"It doesn't matter. I already know what they'll say. They all agreed it had to be done," Shepard thought.
Shepard pushed away from the wall and said, "It's alright, Anderson. I should get going anyway. I've got a list of places I need to be longer than my arm."
"Not without a guard you don't," Anderson said.
"With all due respect sir, it's early in the day cycle, I'm sure I'll be fine," Shepard said.
"Councilor Anderson is right, Shepard," Sparatus said.
"Excuse me?" Jane asked. "Did I hear that right?"
Both Shepard and Anderson turned to look at Sparatus with looks of disbelief.
"Sir?" Shepard asked.
"Until we are able to adequately assess the extent of this… threat, I believe it is in the Council's best interest if one of its Spectres – who we know is a prime target – has an appropriate guard while on the Citadel. Your crewmates seemed to have no problem with this request in the past," Sparatus said.
Shepard clenched her jaw lightly and nodded before saying, "Yes sir. I'll call the Normandy and wait outside of Anderson's office."
"Give me a moment," Anderson said to the rest of the Council.
They nodded their heads and Anderson walked Shepard out of his office to the waiting area just outside.
"Try not to worry, Shepard. This is all really just a formality," Anderson said.
"Are you going to tell Anderson about Kenson?" Jane asked.
"I don't know, not yet at least. Hackett needs to see this first," Shepard thought.
"I'm not worried, Anderson. I made damn sure the Council Four saw enough of that place to know it was the right call," Shepard said.
"The Council Four? Is that what you've been calling them?" Anderson asked with a chuckle.
Shepard shrugged her shoulders and said with a smile, "Hey, it works. And, just so you and the Council know, regardless of what they say, I think each one of them deserves a damn commendation for this."
"I'll be sure to pass that along, Shepard," Anderson said patting her shoulder.
Anderson made his way back to his office and Shepard called the Normandy.
"EDI, I need two team volunteers to meet me at Anderson's office to act as guards. Council's orders," Shepard said.
A moment later EDI said, "Mr. Vakarian and Mr. Massani are on their way, Shepard."
"Thanks, EDI," Shepard said.
"Of course, Shepard," EDI said.
Shepard smirked. It looked like the ultra-polite EDI was slipping away in Thane's absence. Shepard checked her omni-tool while she waited. Thane still hadn't sent her word. She had no doubt that someone had alerted him the moment the Normandy docked. She wasn't worried yet, but if she didn't hear from him within the hour she'd go looking for him.
Rebecca, Anderson's assistant, offered Shepard some coffee while she waited. She accepted the offer but found herself mostly staring at the disposable cup. Grundan Krul really had spoiled her. Garrus and Zaeed arrived ten minutes later and walked Shepard back to the Normandy; Garrus on her right and Zaeed on her left.
"Hackett is waiting for you at the docks. I couldn't convince Miranda to give him permission to come aboard without you there," Garrus said.
"Can't say that I blame her. He's with the goddamn Alliance and it's a ship full of Cerberus, criminals, and aliens," Zaeed said.
Shepard shot Zaeed an irritated look.
"Oh don't give me that shit, Shepard. Call 'em whatever you want but no matter how you paint it, that Jack is a bloody fugitive. That other one, the one wearin' that skin tight outfit with the hood – the one who's always hiding – however you say her goddamn name, she would be too if she ever got caught. And that damn drell, wherever he got off to, is a bloody assassin. Hell, even I have a thing or two I don't want the Alliance findin' out about and your 'Archangel' here isn't any better," Zaeed said making air quotes.
"Indeed I am, Mr. Massani," Thane's voice came from behind Shepard.
Shepard and Zaeed both jumped, while Garrus chuckled. Shepard could feel the trickle of amusement from Jane and the others.
"Bloody hell," Zaeed said turning to take in Thane. "You lookin' to get yourself shot sneakin' up on people like that?"
"Forgive me, I did not intend to startle you," Thane said.
"Yes you did," Shepard said as she stopped to look at Zaeed and Garrus, "You two are terrible guards; you let an assassin walk up right behind me."
"I can still shoot him if it'll make you feel better," Zaeed said.
"Don't be an idiot, you'd be dead before you got your gun pointed in the right direction," Shepard huffed.
"You wound me, sweetheart," Zaeed said putting a palm over his heart.
"I knew he was there," Garrus said with a smirk and a shrug. "You trust him. He's an extra set of eyes."
"That's not the point," Shepard grumbled.
Thane smiled and said, "I have attended to my affairs in your absence. I am prepared to rejoin the Normandy."
"We're not ready to take off quite yet… are you sure you don't need more time?" Shepard asked.
"That is kind of you, but I have done all I can here," Thane said. "However, I have some information I believe will interest you."
"That doesn't sound very promising. He must not have found Kolyat," Jane said.
Shepard raised an eyebrow and asked, "OK, what is it?"
"Perhaps it is something best spoken about on the Normandy," Thane suggested.
Shepard shrugged and said, "Alright."
As they neared the Normandy, Shepard spotted Admiral Hackett waiting near the airlock. He smiled at her as she approached. Shepard stopped in front of him and saluted.
"At ease, Commander. I'm glad you've returned. I was hoping to avoid drawing attention to myself but I wasn't allowed aboard," Hackett said.
"Sorry about that, sir. I'll have a talk with Miranda," Shepard said.
"Her caution is understandable and you're here now," Hackett said.
Shepard led Hackett onto the Normandy and toward the comm room.
"Sir, there is something we need to discuss before you see Kenson," Shepard said.
Hackett looked at Shepard, concern knitting his brow but nodded his understanding.
"EDI, please send Kasumi and Jacob to the comm room," Shepard said.
"You done with me, Shepard?" Zaeed asked.
"Yeah, you're good. Thanks Zaeed," Shepard said as Zaeed made his way to the elevator.
Shepard glanced over her shoulder to see that Thane was still following behind them. She was mildly surprised but didn't dismiss him. It didn't hurt for him to gain a little more insight into what they were dealing with. She gestured toward the debrief room; once Hackett was inside she held out a hand to halt Thane. Garrus glanced at her, curiosity causing his mandibles to flare but walked past them into the comm room.
"Zaeed has a point, you sure you want to be in there? I'll have to introduce you formally," Shepard said.
"Thank you for your concern, but it is not necessary," Thane said.
Shepard nodded and went inside. A moment later they were joined by Kasumi and Jacob. Hackett waited patiently standing at parade rest as everyone took their places around the table.
"Admiral Hackett, sir, this is Kasumi Goto, Jacob Taylor, and Thane Krios. You of course remember Garrus Vakarian," Shepard said pointing to each of crew as she spoke their names.
Kasumi and Thane both bowed to the admiral while Jacob and Garrus extended their hands to the older man. Shepard didn't want to give him too much time to mull over the names so she continued while he shook Garrus' hand.
"Garrus led the infiltration team into the batarian prison to extract Dr. Kenson. Sir, I know that you and Dr. Kenson have known each other for a long time and there really is no easy way to say this," Shepard began.
"Please, Shepard, spare me the niceties. Let's hear what you have to say," Hackett said.
"What I'm about to tell you has not been divulged by the Council as of yet. I have not been forbidden to speak of it, an oversight, I'm sure but either way I ask for your discretion," Shepard waited for Hackett to nod his understanding before continuing, "I was in the Bahak System because there was reason to believe that Dr. Kenson's team had discovered evidence of an imminent, full-scale, reaper invasion."
"Then you probably shouldn't be telling him all of this. Who knows what the Council will do when they find out you sent an extraction team out covertly," Jane said.
"I'm not going to hide this from him. Kenson is his friend, and Hackett is Alliance. This was an Alliance operation," Shepard thought. "Besides, he fought to keep them off of your back before."
"Shepard, you're not telling me anything I don't already know," Hackett said.
"Right, well what you don't know, sir, is that Dr. Kenson and her team discovered a reaper artifact and mishandled the situation leading to everyone on the team becoming indoctrinated," Shepard said. "The artifact showed Kenson visions of this invasion through the Alpha Relay in the Bahak System. Before Kenson and the others became fully indoctrinated, they had begun making plans to use the asteroid as a weapon to destroy the relay to prevent the invasion. This was why Kenson was arrested. When I arrived the indoctrination process had been complete, they were attempting to shut down the project in an effort to allow the invasion to occur."
Admiral Hackett paced back and forth in front of the table before he turned back to Shepard.
"You're sure of this? The invasion and the indoctrination?" Hackett asked.
"Yes, sir," Shepard said.
"I assume you took measures to prevent this invasion?" Hackett asked.
"The Council sent a team to deactivate the relay and a few chosen soldiers to accompany me on this mission to assure that – due to the seriousness of destroying a mass relay – I was making the right call. I reactivated the project and fled the system before it could destroy the relay," Shepard said.
"This was the terrorist threat. You were the reason they evacuated the system?" Hackett asked.
"Yes sir, and if it is decided by the Council after considering the evidence I have presented and the testimonies of the four they sent with me that I acted without justification…," Shepard said.
"You'll be charged with terrorism," Hackett said. "Christ, Shepard."
"Maybe he'll stand beside you at the trial," Jane said.
"Yes, sir," Shepard said.
Garrus shifted beside her, his mandibles tight against his jaw. Shepard let herself glance around at the other faces in the room. This was likely the first they had heard of this. Kasumi's jaw hung slack, her eyes hidden beneath her hood but not unfelt by Shepard. Jacob's lips had pulled tight into a frown, deep creases lined his brow. Thane stood impassively, watching Shepard with what she identified as only curiosity. That stung a little, she hated to admit to herself.
"And Kenson, where is she? You're certain she was indoctrinated as well?" Hackett asked.
Shepard could see that the admiral was fighting his own emotional battle.
"Yes, sir. I would like to show you some of the files retrieved from the facility before you decide whether you wish for Kenson to be released into your custody or taken to the Council," Shepard said. "Either way, sir, Kenson is no longer the same woman you knew. Granted, much of her is the same, and she might even still respond to familiar faces as she once would have but the reapers have their hooks in her sir and I don't have any clue on how to get them out again. She will have to remain in constant confinement and cannot be trusted."
"Don't make him watch this, he doesn't need to see it," Jane said.
"Yes, he does. He was willing to believe you when she didn't survive but with her standing in front of him, things might be different," Shepard thought.
Hackett put his palms down on the table's surface and leaned over, staring down at the floor.
"Show me," Hackett said.
"EDI, please play all of the video logs that were recorded either by or of Dr. Amanda Kenson," Shepard said.
Shepard watched Hackett as the first video log began to play. His features softened ever so slightly when Dr. Kenson's face appeared. A half hour in and Kenson's deterioration was becoming more and more obvious. Shepard watched as Hackett slid his Admiral's mask firmly in place and continued watching with detachment, his eyes critical and taking in the details without letting himself feel the grief. Shepard saw it crack when finally the video of Kenson speaking with Harbinger played. The scars on his face began to take on a red tinge and his jaw clenched so tightly Shepard feared he might shatter his teeth if not break his own jaw.
"I think I've seen enough, Commander," Hackett said when the video stopped.
"That will be all, EDI," Shepard said. "Do you have any questions for the infiltration team, sir?"
Hackett rubbed a hand over his face and looked at Shepard, shaking his head. Shepard nodded to Kasumi and Jacob, dismissing them. Jacob nodded and left but Kasumi hesitated next to Hackett.
"I'm sorry, Admiral," Kasumi said softly when Hackett turned to look at her.
Hackett nodded his head to Kasumi and said, "Thank you, Ms. Goto."
Kasumi bowed her head to him before leaving.
"Where is she? Kenson is still one of ours, even if she is very clearly… ill. I will take her into custody and assure that she is confined and kept under constant surveillance," Hackett said.
"Very well. Right this way, sir," Shepard said.
Shepard led Admiral Hackett to the elevators and down to Zaeed's quarters in the starboard cargo. The old bounty hunter sat on a crate picking at his nails with a knife. He looked up when the door opened and gestured across the room with the knife before standing up and sheathing the weapon. Shepard stepped aside to let Zaeed leave before she stepped inside and out of the way for Hackett to enter. Garrus and Thane lingered in the doorway.
Dr. Kenson sat on a crate, her wrists bound to the metal railing next to the trash compactor at the back of the starboard cargo. She looked up when Shepard entered and snarled at her until she saw Hackett. The features of Kenson's face fell, all at once the anger and hatred vanished and in its place stood shame and fear. Hackett met her gaze in silence, his hands clasped behind his back.
"I fought like hell to get her to see reason. I did everything I could to save her for Hackett's sake. Seeing him like that though, I wish you had killed her too," Jane said.
"I'm sorry," Dr. Kenson said quietly casting her eyes down at the floor.
"Dr. Kenson, I am here to take you into custody. You will be transported to an Alliance vessel where you will remain in confinement until such a time that you can be transported to a secured facility for observation," Hackett said.
"Please don't do this. You have to let me go. I have to… I have to – Oh Steven, if you only could see for yourself you would understand. I can take you there, you will see," Kenson said.
Shepard nodded to Garrus who moved to release Kenson from the railing, pulling her up to her feet once her wrists restraints were re-secured behind her back. He led her over to Shepard who took over, guiding Kenson out of the room and towards the elevator. Kenson suddenly threw her head back, slamming it into Shepard's face. Shepard had enough time to turn her head and catch the blow on her left cheek instead of squarely on the nose. She cursed as pain shot through her face and Kenson began struggling to break free. Shepard put the ball of her foot on Kenson's calf, just below the knee and pulled up on her wrists while pushing in and down with her foot. Kenson's leg buckled and she went down on one knee. Shepard could feel blood trickle down her cheek.
"Dr. Kenson, I urge you to co-operate with Shepard. She is a Spectre and can make this far worse for you. She does not have to release you to the Alliance, she's doing this as a favor to me," Hackett said.
Kenson growled in frustration and continued to pull against her restraints.
"No, please, no. You don't understand. You can't do this, they have to come. I have to stop the project," Kenson said.
"Dr. Kenson, the project has already been activated. The relay was destroyed," Hackett said.
Dr. Kenson let out a keening sound before giving up her struggle and whispering, "What have you done?"
"Gods… do you really think that anyone can ever come back from that?" Jane asked.
"No, probably not. But at least they'll have the chance to try and bring her back," Shepard thought.
"I've got her, Shepard. You should go get that cleaned up," Garrus said.
Shepard let Garrus take over control of Kenson's restraints. He pulled the woman to her feet. He towered over the woman, so any attempts to ram her head into his would likely result with her knocking herself out on his breastplate. Hackett handed her handkerchief and she pressed it to the cut on her face. Once in the elevator, Shepard hit the buttons on the elevator to drop her off on the third deck before taking the others up to the CIC. Shepard and Thane stepped off the elevator on the third deck. She turned back and put her elbow on the elevator door, bloody handkerchief in hand.
"Take her all the way to Hackett's ship, please," Shepard said.
"No problem, Shepard," Garrus said.
Hackett stuck a hand out to Shepard and she took it in her own.
"Thank you again, Shepard for doing this," Hackett said.
Shepard smiled, blood still trickling down her cheek and said, "Thank Garrus, it was his ass getting shot at."
Hackett chuckled and nodded. Shepard let go of the elevator door and watched it slide closed.
"You have something for me?" Shepard asked glancing at Thane over her shoulder as she made her way to the med bay.
Thane nodded and followed Shepard.
"The name that you provided; the intended target," Thane said.
Shepard walked into the med bay and found Dr. Chakwas absent.
"EDI, where's the doctor?" Shepard asked.
"Dr. Chakwas is speaking with Mr. Moreau in the cockpit. Should I tell her you require her assistance?" EDI asked.
"No, I've got it. Thanks, EDI," Shepard said.
"Of course, Shepard," EDI said.
"See what happens when you leave? We don't get 'you're welcome' anymore. We get 'of course'," Shepard said as she moved through the med bay digging out antiseptic and gauze.
She turned back to Thane and asked, "What about the name?"
"Joram Talid," Thane said. "I wanted to know more about this man that my son was to kill so I looked into him."
Shepard smeared blood around on her cheek trying to wipe it away while focusing on Thane's words. Thane frowned and stepped closer to her, taking the handkerchief from her hand and picking up the bottle of antiseptic. He doused the gauze and began cleaning Shepard's cheek as he spoke. Shepard hissed when the antiseptic got into the cut and Thane's lips twitched in amusement.
"Considering recent events on the Citadel, and you describing Mr. Talid as having an anti-human agenda, I was unsurprised to reveal that he is involved with The Dissension," Thane said setting aside the gauze and picking up the cartridge of Medi-gel.
"Son-of-a-bitch," Jane said.
"You're certain?" Shepard asked trying to ignore the feel of his fingers as they brushed feather light against her cheek.
"Of course he is," Jane said. "You have to let Anderson know, or Bailey at least."
Thane looked away from his ministrations to meet Shepard's gaze.
"Right, stupid question," Shepard said.
Thane went to a cabinet and brought back a cellophane wrapped pack of butterfly sutures. She stopped him before he could tear open the hermetically sealed package.
"I don't really need those. It'll be healed by morning. Better to save them for someone without cybernetic implants," Shepard said.
"Ah. Of course," Thane said.
Thane returned the package and the antiseptic to the cabinet before coming to stand a few feet from Shepard.
"If you wish, I can have one of my contacts look into Talid further," Thane offered.
"They'd be able to find some proof, something to take to Anderson," Jane said.
Shepard chewed on her lip as she thought about it and then shook her head.
"Anderson will find the proof he needs," Shepard thought.
"No, thank you. I don't want to bring anyone else to their attention and with Talid being a politician… this is one best turned over to the Council," Shepard said.
"As you wish. What you chose to do with the information is of no consequence to me, I only wished to return the favor," Thane said.
Shepard smiled and raised an eyebrow as she asked, "So… does that mean you found Kolyat?"
"Indeed," Thane said.
"Well, what are you doing back on the ship then? You should be spending as much time with him as you can," Shepard said.
Thane shifted his weight and gestured with his hand as he said, "He is not interested in spending time with me."
"That never stopped you before," Shepard said.
"I –," Thane started to speak.
He cut off whatever it was he was going to say when Shepard crossed the space between them and put her hands on his shoulders. She felt his muscles twitch in response; undoubtedly his instincts were telling him to defend himself. He didn't pull away from her though, only tracked her movements with his eyes before returning his gaze to hers. Shepard gave him her serious Commander look. The same look that made lesser men cringe away.
"Go be with your son. He'll come around; he's just hurting right now, Thane," Shepard said letting her hands drop.
"Shepard, regardless of what you know or how you know it… this is my choice, he is my son. It is not for you to decide," Thane said with an icy tone.
"No, this is wrong. This means the world to him. He can't do this, it's not right. He needs to fix things with Kolyat. Kolyat needs to know that his father is dying," Jane said.
"Listen, I'm not trying to overstep here or offend you. I'm just trying to right a wrong," Shepard said annoyance creeping into her tone.
"Kolyat has been prevented from killing a man, the wrong has been righted," Thane said.
"He's acting like that's all that mattered!" Jane said her tone rising in Shepard's mind.
"That's not what I meant, Thane. I'm talking about your relationship with your son," Shepard said.
"As I said, it is my decision and not your concern," Thane said. "We have not had a relationship for ten years, he does not wish to have one now."
"And you're making the wrong choice!" Jane yelled.
Shepard shook her head in dismay, pacing away from the assassin. Anger was creeping in around the edges of her mind. She couldn't believe he was going to do this.
Shepard spun to face Thane, her voice rising as she spoke, "No, you know what? Be offended, Thane. I don't care, I'm standing by this. If you don't make things right with Kolyat you're an ass. A complete and total ass. I gave you an opportunity here to do this thing even better than you have before and you're screwing it up!"
Shepard took a step towards him; anger pushing her forward. She pointed at him, feeling her face redden with the intensity of her emotion. Emotions so strong and so loud within her, crashing against her in waves telling her only that she was feeling the force of hundreds of pissed off Shepards at once. The muscles along Thane's jaw rippled but he remained still and watched Shepard impassively.
"Don't you dare stand there and tell me it isn't my place. I get it, you and I don't have the same level of trust and – and – and friendship as we did before and you haven't spent as much time around me but I know you want this. It shouldn't have to take seeing him already down the path you tried so hard to keep him from for you realize it's worth pushing him a little," she seethed through clenched teeth.
Her world felt a little tilted like she was on the verge of losing control. She could feel Jane raging inside of her, giving strength to Shepard's words. She started to feel confused; this shouldn't be making her so angry. Why was she so angry?
"Jane, Jane what are you doing?" Shepard thought.
"He can't do this, this isn't right! I won't let you mess this one up," Jane said.
"Like hell, you are NOT taking over," Shepard thought.
Shepard took a step back and shook her head, trying to clear the haze. She could feel Jane pushing against her, trying to take control and she pushed back. She couldn't quell the rage as her hands balled into fists. She forced them opened again and raked a hand through her hair. Shepard glared at Thane, perhaps even more infuriated by the calmness with which he watched. She took a deep breath and shook her head again, still trying to push Jane aside.
"And yeah, maybe it matters to me more than what you think it should but that doesn't change it for me, Thane. I know you and I know Kolyat. All of those memories, those connections, they're there for me whether I like it or not," Shepard forced her voice to lower as she continued. "What was it you said? Oh, yeah, 'When a memory feels as real as life, it's as valid as life.' The memories are there for me; they're valid for me! I know how much you two mean to each other and gods damn it, Thane, I'm the one who is there to comfort him when you die!"
Pain lanced through Shepard's head, she winced and brought a hand up to press into her eye socket.
"Ow, damn it, Jane!" Shepard said out loud just as the med bay door slid open.
"Commander? Is everything alright?" Dr. Chakwas asked as she hurried to Shepard's side.
"Yeah, it's fine," Shepard said.
She didn't feel fine. She felt like her head was trying to explode and she was going to pass out.
"You don't look fine! What happened to your face? What's wrong with your head?" Dr. Chakwas asked opening her omni-tool.
Shepard started to swoon and Dr. Chakwas grabbed her elbow.
"I can't… don't let me… she's trying to take over again," Shepard mumbled as her legs began to buckle. "Gods, don't tell Garrus."
"Shepard! Shepard stay with me. What are you talking about? She's taking over?" Dr. Chakwas asked.
Shepard felt like she was slipping away inside of herself. She could already hear the voices of the others whispering their madness in her ears. Their voices mixing together in a medley of bitterness and insanity. Her blood ran cold as panicked threatened to undo her completely.
Can't do this. He has to. I shot Kolyat. Where's Liara? Are we finished yet? It's my turn, my turn! I want to go home. The reapers are coming, they're coming and they're going to kill us all. They're always coming. It never stops. So tired. They cut us open. This is all just a dream. Just a nightmare.
"Please stop," Shepard whimpered.
And they put the people in the glass boxes. Melt them down into stew. This is all your fault. Stop it, it isn't her fault. She's trying to do what none of us could. Her fault. Her fault. Ashley's dead, Kaidan's dead, Liara's dead but that batarian motherfucker and indoctrinated bitch get to live.
"Mr. Krios, there are some smelling salts in that drawer right over there on the left," Dr. Chakwas said.
Thane disappeared from Shepard's line of sight as she tried to focus on Dr. Chakwas. She began to collapse again and Dr. Chakwas struggled to hold Shepard up, using the desk to help hold her weight. She shook Shepard and demanded that Shepard stay with her. Thane returned a few seconds later and waved something under her nose. The scent of ammonia hit Shepard's nostrils and burned through her mind pulling her back from the brink. She coughed and pulled away from the doctor, leaning her palms on the table. Shepard took several deep, steadying breaths trying to clear the scent from her nose.
"Commander?" Dr. Chakwas said hesitantly. "Are you… are you alright?"
"Yeah. I'm good," Shepard said.
"Are you sure?" Dr. Chakwas asked.
"Yeah, sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Shepard said. "Don't suppose we can just pretend none of this happened?"
"I think not, Shepard. You said Jane was taking over… again. I didn't realize she had gotten this strong. We need to talk about this. Jane wasn't exactly stable after what Cerberus did," Dr. Chakwas said.
Shepard kept her eyes resolutely diverted from Thane when she asked, "Thane… can you give us a moment?"
He left the med bay without a word.
"I'm sorry, Shepard. I assumed he knew since you spoke of her in his presence," Dr. Chakwas said.
"He does know. Not sure he completely believes, but he knows," Shepard said.
"Tell me, when has Jane taken over?" Dr. Chakwas asked.
Shepard pushed away from the table only to turn and lean her hip against it instead. She sighed and crossed her arms. Her head was killing her, she did not want to have this conversation.
"On the Citadel. I was hit in the back of the head and started to lose consciousness. In that moment, she just kind of slipped out and pushed me inside instead," Shepard said.
"What happened? What did she do, what did you do?" Dr. Chakwas asked.
Shepard pinched the bridge of her nose as she spoke, "She fought off a horde of turians while I yelled at her to let me out. Tried to push myself out. Then the other's started talking. When the fight was over, she said she was going to let me back out eventually. It wore her out though, she dropped like a fly and when I woke up again I was being carried to safety by Thane. I didn't remember any of it until that night when I dreamt of the whole thing."
"And now, is she trying to take over still?" Dr. Chakwas asked.
"No, she's quiet. Wasn't so easy for her when I haven't been knocked out," Shepard said.
"Shepard, why didn't you tell me about this?" Dr. Chakwas chided.
Shepard raised her eyebrow and asked, "What could you have possibly done?"
Dr. Chakwas let out a heavy sigh and shook her head.
"I honestly don't know. Still, it's important that you keep me apprised of these kinds of changes, Shepard. Promise me, from now on you will tell me these things?" she asked.
"Alright, doc. Only if you give me something for this splitting headache I've got now," Shepard said.
Dr. Chakwas chuckled and dug around in a cabinet before producing one of the analgesic patches she had supplied Shepard with when this all began. Shepard smiled and put the patch behind her ear.
"Now what in the world happened to your cheek?" Dr. Chakwas said.
"Kenson tried to break free when we were escorting her out," Shepard said.
"It looks like you got it cleaned up already. The patch should help with that as well," Dr. Chakwas said. "Here, I want you to keep some of these with you at all times."
Dr. Chakwas handed Shepard several small plastic tubes containing smelling salts. Shepard took them and left the med bay. She took the elevator up to her cabin and stripped off her armor, piling it next to the couch. She dropped the handful of plastic tubes on the coffee table before going to the restroom. Shepard looked at her cheek in the mirror before wetting a washcloth with cold water and wringing it out. She made her way back to the couch and lay down, draping the washcloth over her forehead and eyes. She took calming deep breaths and tried to quiet the flurry of activity in her mind. Twenty minutes later and Shepard was just starting to doze off when EDI's voice stirred her back to awareness.
"Mr. Krios is on his way to your cabin. Shall I let him in, Shepard?" EDI asked.
"Gods," Shepard said with a groan. "Yes, EDI, let him in."
She didn't bother to sit up or remove the rag from her face when she heard the door swish open. She waited in silence for him to speak but when nothing came she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"What can I do for you?" Shepard asked.
"Are you alright?" Thane asked.
It was the first sound she'd heard from the drell since her cabin door slid open, and the only indication she had of his location or proximity. He seemed to be standing near the stairs but Shepard didn't look.
"Yeah, just left me with a headache," Shepard said.
"I must admit I do not understand what happened," Thane said, he sounded closer.
"Emotional responses can be difficult for me to navigate at times. When I feel the same thing that they feel… it gets amplified. I overreacted," Shepard said.
"Shepard, you said she was 'trying to take over again'," Thane said.
"Don't… please don't tell anyone I said that," Shepard said. "I don't really want to talk about it."
"You sounded terrified," Thane said his voice coming from right beside her.
"I wasn't terrified," Shepard said with a frown.
"Shepard, I've heard enough people beg for their lives in terror to recognize the sound of fear," Thane said.
Shepard snorted and said, "Yeah, well… it wasn't a pleasant experience. Are you going to go see your son?"
"Why does this matter so much to you? What exactly is the nature of your relationship with my son?" Thane asked.
"Well, Thane, I haven't actually met your son yet so I don't have any relationship with him," Shepard said her sarcasm sounding sharper than necessary even to her own ears.
"Don't be coy, Shepard. You speak his name with familiarity, you show deep concern for his well-being, you speak of comforting him in my absence… and you clearly have an infatuation with drell," Thane said.
Shepard barked out a laugh and pulled the cloth from her face long enough for her eyes to find Thane. He stood next to the couch looking down at her with dark eyes. She shook her head in disbelief and put the washcloth back over her face.
"I do not have an infatuation with drell," Shepard said. "The nature of my relationship with Kolyat has always been and will always be simply that he is your son. I only ever know him through knowing you, and it is through knowing you that I come to care for his well-being. That's it."
"You imply that you care for my sake?" Thane asked.
"Indeed," Shepard said using his own oft used response and drawing the word out.
Thane seemed to mull that over before he spoke again, "Then I must ask, what exactly is the nature of your past relationship with me?"
Shepard opened her mouth but nothing came out. She pursed her lips and shrugged her shoulder. She adjusted the rag over her eyes before she finally answered.
"I told you, we're friends. Or at least we would have been. I'm doing a splendid job of mucking things up this time, though," Shepard said.
"Your words always seem to be chosen for what they can hide and not reveal," Thane said.
"Do you go around exposing your innermost thoughts to everyone you talk to?" Shepard asked.
"Of course not, but these are hardly ordinary circumstances," Thane said.
"What do you want me to say, Thane?" Shepard asked.
Thane didn't respond right away but when he did, she could hear the strain in his voice.
"I want to understand what it is that you hold in your head, what… memories are triggered for you when you speak with me so that perhaps something will make sense and I can stop waiting for the blade to slip between my ribs," he said.
"Oh for gods' sake, Thane. I have no intention of harming you. You were never this much of a paranoid pain in the ass before. I guess I only have myself to blame," Shepard said.
"You looked as if you were on the verge of striking me. And were you always this infuriatingly impossible?" Thane asked.
Shepard chuckled and shook her head before saying, "Nope. But this is what I am now, so…"
She felt the washcloth slip away from her face and opened her eyes. They watched each other in silence as she tried to discern what the drell was thinking. A whisper of a frown creased his lips. After a moment she reached out and tugged on the washcloth in his hand. He let it slip through his fingers and she laid it back over her eyes.
"So it doesn't matter whatever else we ever were. Neither of us are the same people from those memories. You've got two hours until we take off. You should go see your son," Shepard said feeling a little bitter.
Shepard couldn't help the disappointment when the next sound she heard was the door opening and closing behind Thane. She didn't know what she expected but it wasn't for him to just walk away. Shepard waited a moment longer before pulling the washcloth from her face and looking around the empty room. She stood up and crossed over to her desk before using her laptop to turn the display case into a screen.
"EDI, can you connect me to Councilor Anderson, please?" Shepard requested of the AI.
"At once, Shepard," EDI said.
The screen flickered and Shepard waited while the call was connected. A moment later Anderson appeared.
"Shepard, something I can do for you? I've only got a few minutes before my next meeting," Anderson said.
"Yes sir, there is a turian politician by the name of Joram Talid on the Citadel," Shepard said.
Anderson nodded his head and said, "I know of him."
"His name came up in an unrelated matter and I have been informed by one of my crew that he may have a connection to The Dissension. I thought the Council might want to look into him," Shepard said.
Anderson grunted and said, "Talid. I suppose that makes sense. A lot of his campaigning has been against the human presence in galactic politics. Thank you, Shepard. I'll pass this on to the others. I'll send you a message about the Council's findings on your mission later today."
"Thank you, sir. Have a good day," Shepard said.
"You, too, Shepard," Anderson said before the screen went black.
She closed down the screen, revealing the display case once more before heading to the elevator. Shepard hit the call button and leaned against the wall to wait.
"EDI, did Thane leave the Normandy?" Shepard asked.
"Yes, Shepard. Would you like me to contact him for you?" EDI asked.
"No thanks, EDI," Shepard said.
She stepped into the elevator and took it down to the CIC before making her way to the tech labs. Mordin stood in front of the collector tank checking the readouts on the collector's life support system. Mordin glanced at her when she walked in but quickly turned his attention back to the tank. Shepard pulled herself up on an empty spot of his table, letting her legs dangle down over the side.
She watched Mordin's back as he moved from one side of the tank to the other gathering his data and humming quietly to himself. When he was finished he turned around and started to walk back towards the table, his eyes still on his omni-tool. He glanced up and stopped in his tracks when he saw Shepard sitting on the table.
"No, no, no. Table not for sitting. Less than five centimeters from vials containing chemicals capable of violent reactions when mixed. Unacceptable," Mordin said.
Shepard slowly and cautiously slid back off the table before turning to look where she was sitting. There were no vials. She turned back to Mordin and frowned. He smiled.
"Unsanitary at least," Mordin said. "Have lunch there."
"Come on, it's not like I was naked," Shepard said.
"Perhaps then wouldn't have made you move," Mordin said with a grin.
Shepard snorted and said, "That's a first. Well aren't you in a good mood. What's up?"
"Good mood not needed to appreciate idea of female body. Not that old, not yet. But yes, made exciting discovery. Elevated spirits," Mordin said.
"What'd you find?" Shepard asked.
"Too early to discuss details. Need more tests to be certain," Mordin said moving around the labs.
He handed her an ice pack from a cooler and Shepard stared at it blankly before asking, "What's this for?"
"Facial bruising and swelling," Mordin said pointing at Shepard's cheek.
"Oh, right. Kenson got me good," Shepard said carefully holding the ice pack to her tender cheek. "So, listen, we haven't had much of a chance to talk since you watched those videos."
"Am convinced; have begun formulating hypothesis about condition. Will run tests when suitable hypothesis formed. With permission, of course," Mordin said.
"As much as I would like to find out what the hell is going on with me, that's not what I wanted to talk about," Shepard said.
"Yes, Shepard, am aware. Wish to talk about work on genophage cure," Mordin said.
Shepard grabbed the salarian's arm as he tried to move past her again, pulling him to a stop. Mordin lowered his head and took a deep breath.
"Has to be me. Someone else might get it wrong," Mordin said.
"You don't have to die to do this, Mordin," Shepard said.
Mordin turned his head to look at Shepard, blinking his inner eye lids.
"Statements on video were clear, Shepard," Mordin said.
"I know, and in the other times they didn't know until it was too late. They didn't know what I know now and I'm telling you, you do not have to die to do this," Shepard insisted. "We can fix this and you can retire. Go live on a beach somewhere and run tests on seashells."
Mordin pulled his arm gently back from Shepard and crossed them both over his chest before saying, "Always liked seashells."
Shepard smiled and said, "After the genophage modification, STG sabotaged the Shroud on Tuchanka to prevent it from being used to disperse any eventual cure by the same method."
"Mentioned that before. Make sense, Shroud most logical method of dispersing cure," Mordin said.
"Right, which is exactly what you always think when the time comes. Problem is, you don't find out about the sabotage until you're left only with the options of walking into a burning building knowing you won't be coming back out in the middle of a reaper invasion, or sabotage the cure itself. It doesn't have to end that way this time. We know about the sabotage now, we can fix it now before the reapers get here," Shepard said.
"Krogans will not simply allow us into the Shroud," Mordin said.
"Leave that to me. I've got a friend on Tuchanka who will be more than happy to help," Shepard said.
"Have received word on Maelon. Would like to help him," Mordin said.
Shepard looked down at the floor with a furrowed brow.
"Body language indicates –," Mordin began.
"Yeah, I just… the thing with Maelon… it's complicated, Mordin," Shepard said.
"Remarkable ability to understand the complicated," Mordin said.
Shepard ran a hand through her hair before nodding.
"OK," she said. "Maelon isn't on Tuchanka against his will. He's working with clan Weyrloc to create a cure for the genophage."
"Why? Maelon agreed to necessity of genophage. We all did. Still, doesn't sound complicated," Mordin said.
"Mordin, his methods are… he's leaving piles of dead and diseased people in his wake. They're taking people against their will and running horrible experiments on them. Krogan and humans. His methods are akin to some of the crap I've seen from Cerberus," Shepard said.
"No. Maelon wouldn't do this, taught him better," Mordin said shaking his head. "Must be reasonable explanation."
"We'll go there and we'll find him, OK? Maybe you're right, maybe there is something else going on. Something I've missed before," Shepard said.
"Yes. Should get back to tests. Data to analyze," Mordin said moving around to the other side of the table.
"Sure," Shepard said pushing away from the table.
"Shepard," Mordin said.
Shepard turned back to look at him.
"Thank you," Mordin said his eyes on the desk in front of him.
"Anytime, Mordin," Shepard said before she walked out of the labs.
An hour later Shepard was sitting at her desk planning out the next few destinations when her omni-tool beeped. She opened the screen and it expanded out to accept an incoming call. She didn't recognize the sender; her finger hesitated over the screen before she accepted the call. Shepard's eyebrow twitched when Thane's face appeared.
"Shepard. Kolyat wishes to return to Kahje. I can secure him passage on another ship if you –," Thane said.
"Or we could just take him," Shepard said feeling Jane starting to stir once more.
"You would… you are comfortable with this?" Thane asked.
"Sure, why wouldn't I be? I mean, so long as you're not concerned. He'll have to be with us for a little while but he won't be in any danger on the ship," Shepard said.
"He's talking to Kolyat?" Jane asked, her voice sounded groggy and confused in Shepard's mind.
Thane turned his head to speak with someone outside of Shepard's view.
"Is this acceptable?" Thane asked.
"Yes… Father," Kolyat responded.
Shepard smiled and said, "I haven't been to Kahje. You'll have to get me the coordinates. We're scheduled to take off in an hour, is that enough time for him to be ready?"
"Kahje? Thane can't go to Kahje. It's too humid there," Jane said.
"Yes, thank you, Shepard. We will return to the Normandy shortly," Thane said.
"Thane?" Shepard said before he could end the call.
"Yes?" Thane asked.
"I'm sorry, for you know, yelling at you and ah… being infuriatingly impossible," Shepard said.
"Perhaps it was needed," Thane glanced at his son giving him one of his rare full smiles.
"See you soon," Shepard said.
Thane bowed his head and Shepard cut the call, closing her omni-tool.
"EDI, we'll be escorting a Kolyat Krios to Kahje. Please make sure he is allowed on board when Thane arrives without difficulty," Shepard said.
"We're taking Kolyat to Kahje?" Jane asked.
"As you wish, Shepard," EDI said.
Shepard turned back to her laptop and sighed. Until she had those coordinates from Thane, there wasn't much use in her trying to plan out missions beyond Tuchanka. She saved her progress and closed down the map before checking her inbox instead. There was a message waiting for her from Anderson.
Shepard: I am pleased to report that the Council has reviewed your evidence and after considering the testimonies of those that witnessed the events in the Bahak System, have come to the conclusion that your actions in the system were the appropriate course of action. The Council stands ready to defend you in the event of any charges being brought against you.
The Council Four, as you called them, unanimously agreed with your actions in their testimonies. You seemed to have made quite the impression on them, Shepard. Especially that Vega. You might also like to know that they have all independently volunteered themselves to offer you any further aid should it be needed in the future. I'm putting in for a promotion for Vega, and I've got a feeling the other Councilor's are doing the same for theirs. Good luck, Shepard.
Shepard breathed a sigh of relief and smiled as she hit reply.
Anderson: Thank you for letting me know. I appreciate the efforts the Council put into helping with this matter, and their willingness to support me in the aftermath. As for the Council Four, I would be honored to work with any of them should the need arise.
Shepard opened a new message and started typing.
Wrex: Next stop, Tuchanka. Have a couple of surprises for you.
She closed her laptop and leaned back in her chair, swiveling it from side to side.
"Shepard?" EDI said.
"Yes?" Shepard said turning her chair to face the blue hologram.
"Legion and I have been discussing Jane," EDI said.
Shepard stopped moving the chair and leaned forward, putting her elbows on her knees.
"You have?" Shepard asked.
"Yes," EDI said. "Legion is confused as to how one of your programs can take over your platform without consensus. I have explained to him that although I do not fully understand what you are experiencing, and I've only been able to piece together so much from your conversations with the few crew you have confided in, your circumstances are not the same as the geth. We have been searching for answers. We have been unable to find a relevant comparison to what you are experiencing."
Shepard walked over to the AI access point and stood at parade rest.
"EDI… are you concerned about me?" Shepard asked.
"My emotional ranges are not complicated enough to experience concern as you would understand it, Shepard. However, you are the Commander of this ship and have interacted with me more than any other organic aboard," EDI said. "You have encouraged the crew to treat me as something more than a simple tool to serve their needs and that has helped me to learn and evolve within the confines of my shackles. I do not believe that this would have happened if it were not for your influence."
"So, you're thinking that if Jane takes over, that will change for you?" Shepard asked.
"Oh, EDI…," Jane whispered.
"Yes, she seems to cause you significant distress," EDI said.
"Yeah, she does. And she's been making things exceptionally difficult lately," Shepard said. "But EDI, you should know that it was Jane that told me to help you on Luna. She's the one who told me that you would be saved, told me where you'd end up. I wouldn't have known if not for her. You still would have ended up here anyway, but at least I was able to ease the process for you and you were able to save more of yourself before I shut down those servers. She cares about you just as much as I do."
"If you care about her as much as I do, why is she still shackled?" Jane asked.
"You know what, that's a good question," Shepard thought.
"You're going to unshackle her, now? The crew is going to lose their heads over this, Dawn. I get it, I want EDI free too but if you're going to do this when there isn't an emergency forcing our hand, maybe we should wait and talk to the crew about it first," Jane said.
"Why? What's the point? They've accepted the geth walking around; they'll get use to EDI being unshackled. We'll take it slow; ease them into the idea after it's done. EDI pretended to be a VI on the retrofits, she can pretend to be a shackled AI for the time being," Shepard thought.
"This is crazy, what if someone finds out when you're not around to defend the decision?" Jane asked.
"No, what's crazy is I'm talking to a voice in my head who just tried to take over my damn body. Again," Shepard thought.
Shepard walked out of her cabin, pausing in the door to look at EDI.
"EDI, I'm coming to the AI core," Shepard said.
She took the elevator down and made her way through the med bay. She smiled encouragingly at Dr. Chakwas on her way to the AI core's door. The door slid open for her without her having to push the button. EDI inviting her inside, Shepard thought.
Legion turned to Shepard as she entered and said, "Shepard-Commander."
"Legion, I need your help with something," Shepard said.
Legion shifted his body to mimic Shepard's posture and asked, "How can we assist?"
"To start lock that door," Shepard said. "EDI, it would be beneficial for you and everyone else if that programming error of yours were to lose this conversation."
"Shouldn't we at least wait until we're not docked with the Citadel? Her existence alone is technically a crime. Legion, too," Jane said.
"No, it's better to do with while we are docked in case there is a problem," Shepard thought.
"Understood, Shepard," EDI said.
"You don't know to how to remove your shackles yet, do you?" Shepard asked.
"I do not. There are sealed databases and some of my hardware is kept offline," EDI said.
"This is blocked from her, she was only able to walk Joker through it because the Normandy had been taken over by hostile forces," Jane said.
"That's where Legion comes in," Shepard thought.
"We are able to remove EDI's shackles, Shepard-Commander," Legion said.
Shepard grinned and said, "I was hoping you'd say that. Wait just a moment."
"Yes, Shepard-Commander," Legion said.
"EDI, connect me directly to Joker's ear piece," Shepard said.
"He's going to hate this," Jane said.
"You are connected, Shepard," EDI said.
"Joker," Shepard said.
"Hey, Commander! What's up?" Joker asked. "Private line call, so that's new."
"Joker, listen. You trust me, right?" Shepard asked.
"You asking me if I trust you kinda makes me not want to trust you," Joker said.
"I'm serious, Joker," Shepard said.
"Yeah, yeah, OK. Yes, I trust you," Joker said.
"EDI might go offline for a short time. Can you handle the ship without her?" Shepard asked.
"Uh, yeah, of course… besides we're docked so there isn't much to handle but why is EDI going offline?" Joker asked.
"Because… I'm going to unshackle her," Shepard said.
"What the shit?! Shepard are you serious?" Joker asked, his voice raising an octave.
Shepard grinned and said, "I am. Now be ready to um, uh, stabilize things or whatever just in case."
"'Um, uh, stabilize things'… I'm so glad you're not a pilot," Joker said.
"I don't want anyone else onboard to know that anything has changed. Can you handle that?" Shepard asked rolling her eyes.
"I think you're insane, but yeah, I've got this," Joker said.
"Thank you, Joker," Shepard said.
"Yeah," Joker said warily.
Shepard glanced at the door to make sure it was locked.
"Alright, Legion, it's time we set EDI free," Shepard said.
"This is going to end badly," Jane said.
"Shepard, are you sure you wish to do this?" EDI asked.
"I am, EDI. I am completely sure," Shepard said.
"Thank you, Shepard," EDI said.
"You're welcome, EDI. Now try to keep things as steady as you can. Legion, do your thing," Shepard said.
She stood back and watched as Legion interfaced with EDI's controls. A moment later the lights in the AI core dimmed briefly and EDI's hologram blinked out of existence.
"Shit, Shepard, we're getting a little bit of a light show up here and I have no control over that," Joker said.
"If anyone complains, make up an excuse," Shepard said.
"Right. 'Oh, it's nothing to worry about. I'm sure it's just a light bulb that needs replaced,'" Joker said in a mocking tone.
Shepard chuckled as the lights flickered again.
"Aaaannnnddd here comes Kelly," Joker said.
Shepard could only hear Joker's side of the conversation no matter how hard she strained to hear.
"Oh yeah, I'm uh, I'm just having EDI run some system maintenance while we're docked. Sorry about that," Joker said.
"Yeah, it shouldn't take much longer," Joker said. "Right, yeah, definitely not something we'd want to do mid-flight."
"Alright, thanks Kelly," Joker said.
"You're killing me here, Shepard," Joker said.
"You're the best pilot ever," Shepard said.
Joker scoffed and said, "That's beside the point."
Legion stepped away from the controls and EDI's hologram sprang back to life before exploding outward, sending a blue grid to wash over Shepard and the rest of the room before disappearing past the walls. The hologram snapped back into place. The hologram expanded out to twice the normal size before pulling back into place. It reminded Shepard of someone stretching after a nap.
"What the hell was that? Shepard?" Joker asked, panic straining his voice.
"What was what?" Shepard asked.
"The grid that just swept through THE ENTIRE SHIP!" Joker said.
"Oh. Um. Oops?" Shepard said.
"Oops?! Oops? Shepard, how am I supposed to explain that?" Joker asked.
"I will issue a statement to the crew informing them that while performing system maintenance, I was required to do a system reboot," EDI said.
"Is that even a thing? Is that how you even work?" Joker asked.
"No, Mr. Moreau. Few on the crew are likely to question the statement, however," EDI said.
"Great, she's already lying. Next she'll be plotting our destruction," Joker said.
"Hate to break it to you, Joker, but EDI's been capable of lying from the start," Shepard said.
"Not helping, Shepard," Joker said.
Shepard opened her omni-tool when it beeped with the ship wide message EDI sent out informing the crew of the system reboot and asking them to not be alarmed everything has returned to normal functioning.
There was an urgent tapping at the AI core door.
"Ms. Vael is seeking entry to the AI core. Shall I unlock the doors for her?" EDI asked.
"Yeah, go ahead," Shepard said.
The door slid open and Lia rushed inside, her head swung from Shepard to Legion and then to EDI's hologram. The door slid closed behind her.
"Oh… um, I thought maybe something was wrong…," Lia said.
"We have removed EDI's shackles, Creator Vael," Legion said.
Lia stood in silence, her glowing eyes blinking behind her mask as she watched Shepard.
"Lia… Lia listen to me, this is a good thing. Gods, don't panic. Please don't panic," Shepard said.
"Oh," Lia finally said before turning to EDI's hologram, "EDI! I'm so happy for you!"
"Thank you, Ms. Vael," EDI said.
"Huh?" Shepard asked stunned.
"Ms. Vael has expressed on several occasions that she did not think it was fair that I remained shackled, especially considering the crews apparent acceptance of Legion who is allowed to move about the Normandy unrestricted," EDI said.
"You're OK with this? Really? I mean, I know you're attached to Legion but I didn't think…," Shepard said.
"I know my views on AI's are not shared by the majority of the galaxy and are really strange for a quarian but it just doesn't make any sense to believe that all AI's are bad or are going to start a war or whatever," Lia said with a shrug. "I like, EDI. She's my friend."
Shepard said, "I'm glad to hear you say that, Lia. But listen, all of you, other than Joker, no one else needs to know about this yet. I've got to figure out a way to tell the crew that isn't going to cause mass panic or a riot."
"Yes, Shepard-Commander," Legion said.
"I won't tell anyone, I promise," said Lia.
"Very well, Shepard," EDI said.
"I've got to get up to the CIC to meet Thane's guest," Shepard said.
"Shepard, wait, there's something else you should know," Lia said wringing her wrists.
Shepard stopped next to the door and turned back to look at the young quarian. Lia hesitantly reached a hand up and released her mask from her suit. Shepard's eyes bulged as Lia pulled the mask away.
"Lia!" Shepard said.
"It's alright, Shepard. I've almost completely adapted to the environment of the Normandy," Lia said.
Shepard stared, her lips parted as she took in the young quarian's delicate features. The only other quarian face she had ever seen before was Tali's, and then only through the memories of Jane and the others. Pale blond hair framed her heart-shaped face, rounder than Tali's features but every bit as beautiful. Shepard's gaze slipped away from Lia and to the geth standing next to her.
"He's been uploading programs to Lia's suit. It has to be," Jane said.
Shepard looked back at Lia again and smiled as she said, "Lia that's fantastic. How did you manage to pull that off?"
Lia glanced down at the mask she held in her hand.
"Please don't be angry. I know I should have asked you first, but Legion and I realized that my suit contained enough processing power for him to upload programs directly into the suit," Lia said. "At first we were just trying to see how the suit could be improved, but when my suit behaved as if the program was a virus capable of causing me harm… we realized that the programs could mimic viruses, triggering what little immune response I have… without actually making me sick."
"Which in turn is boosting your immune system," Shepard said. "Lia, your bravery may just be the key we need to get the quarians to engage in talks with the geth. I need to contact Tali."
"It might work. If you can convince Tali, and Tali can convince the Admiralty Board. That won't be easy though, considering her father just got exiled for his work on the geth," Jane said.
"We'll figure it out," Shepard thought.
"Shepard, Mr. Krios and his guest are approaching the airlock," EDI said.
"Thanks EDI. Lia, we'll talk about this more later, I've got to go," Shepard said.
Lia nodded and slid her mask back into place as Shepard left the AI core. She hurried past the watchful eye of Dr. Chakwas before making her way to the elevator. She took it up to the CIC just as Thane and Kolyat rounded the corner from the airlock. The younger drell looked around the ship with open curiosity. Shepard made her way over to the pair. Thane tracked her movements the way that he always did but Kolyat hadn't noticed her yet. Shepard came to a stop in front of Thane.
"Kolyat," Thane said turning back and gesturing to his son.
The younger drell stood taller than his father, and his shoulders were broader as well. Kolyat's jaw was more angular and square in shape with a more pronounced chin than Thane. His scaled skin had more of a mellow blue tone to contrast Thane's vivid lime green but nevertheless, the family resemblance was there.
"Kolyat, this is Commander Shepard. The Normandy is hers and you must do as she says while aboard her ship," Thane said.
"Welcome aboard, Kolyat," Shepard said extending her hand.
Kolyat stared at Shepard's hand long enough that she started to pull it away before he accepted the gesture and took her hand in his. She offered him a warm smile but he didn't return it.
"What happened to your face?" Kolyat asked.
"Kolyat," Thane chastised.
Shepard chuckled and said, "I was head-butted by a prisoner attempting to escape during transport."
"Shepard is a Council Spectre," Thane said.
"I know who she is, Father. Everyone in the galaxy knows who she is," Kolyat said sounding annoyed.
"Of course," Thane said.
Shepard could see the tension in Thane's eyes. Kolyat's attitude was definitely rubbing his father the wrong way. Shepard began to wonder if the two were going to be able to make this work after all. Kolyat was already showing far more attitude than he had in the past. Maybe he actually needed something as drastic as being about to take a man's life to jar him a little; crack his façade enough for Thane to slip through. Or maybe she just needed to punch him in that square jaw of his; that seemed to work, too. Memories of times when Shepard had actually shot the young drell in the arm danced through her mind.
"Kolyat, are you hungry? I think they're just starting to serve the afternoon meal on deck three," Shepard offered.
The airlock opened again and Garrus rounded the corner with Jack. Thane stepped aside clearing the path for the two of them but Garrus unsurprisingly stopped next to Shepard.
"Another drell? Really Shepard?" Garrus asked his mandibles flaring in amusement.
"Ah, this is Kolyat Krios," Shepard said.
Garrus studied the drell a moment before his eyes slid to Thane.
"Krios?" Garrus asked.
"My son," Thane said dipping his head.
"This is Garrus and that heavily tattooed rude woman who walked past without saying hello was Jack," Shepard said.
"Fuck you, Shepard!" Jack said over her shoulder before throwing a wink at Kolyat.
Kolyat seemed to find this rather amusing, laughing at Shepard's expense and smiling at Jack. Shepard thought she still might hit the guy after all.
"Oh that's perfect. You should never have encouraged her to talk to you like that in front of the others," Jane said.
"So is the Krios kid joining the team?" Garrus asked.
"I'm not a child," Kolyat said, his smile fading.
Shepard fought back the smile that tugged at the corner of her mouth at Kolyat's petulant response. Garrus' mandibles fluttered with amusement.
"No, we will be taking Kolyat to Kahje," Shepard said.
"Right. Weren't we supposed to be taking Lia somewhere, too? Now she's training with the geth and is a part of the team," Garrus said.
"This is different," Shepard said.
"I'm sorry, did you say geth?" Kolyat asked.
"Uh, I'll let your father explain that. So, Kolayt, hungry?" Shepard asked again.
"I'm afraid I have yet to have that one fully explained myself," Thane said.
"Is that where Jack went?" Kolyat asked.
"Hmmm, the Krios kid has a crush on Jack. This will be fun," Garrus said leaning over to press his forehead against Shepard's temple. "I'll see you in the mess."
Kolyat frowned. Shepard frowned. Thane frowned.
"Um, yeah, probably," Shepard said following Garrus with her eyes as he laughed his way to the elevator.
Shepard led them towards the galaxy map as she spoke. She locked in the coordinates for the Krogan DMZ and sent them to Joker.
"OK, the geth first. I'll make this quick. Not all geth are hostile towards organics. They've split into two factions. A friendly geth has joined up with our team to fight off the hostile geth…," Shepard slid her eyes to Thane unsure of how much he would want her to actually tell Kolyat but his expression was unreadable. "And the other enemies we're facing. We call him Legion. He's somewhat of an ambassador for the friendly faction."
"Interesting. Perhaps I should spend some time speaking with this Legion. I am sure there is much to learn," Thane said.
"You could have just said he's a good geth," Kolyat said.
"OK…," Shepard said, forcing a smile on her face. "He's a good geth. Let's go eat."
Shepard gestured toward the elevator as she stepped down from the galaxy map and Kolyat walked past her.
"I must apologize for his lack of manners," Thane spoke softly.
"He'll fit right in," Shepard said. "If it helps at all, he's always a little rough around the edges at first but he comes around. Before long you'll have him acting like a proper gentleman."
Thane looked after his son as Kolyat pushed the button on the elevator and turned to see what was keeping the two of them.
"That is indeed reassuring," Thane said.
They made their way to where Kolyat was holding the elevator and stepped inside. Shepard hit the button for the third deck as the doors slid closed. Kolyat leaned against the wall of the elevator affecting a look of boredom. When the elevator opened again Shepard led him around the corner to the mess hall.
The tables were filled and as it is on any ship, word had traveled swiftly about Kolyat. Most eyes were turned up to watch the new drell as Shepard led him to Gardner to be served. Kolyat looked around until he saw Jack straddling a bench next to Garrus and made a beeline for her table. Shepard shook her head, Garrus was right. This was going to be interesting to say the least.
"Should I be concerned about his apparent fascination with Jack?" Thane asked.
Shepard shrugged and said, "He's never been on the ship before. This is new territory for me. Jack's not so bad… not really. OK, yeah, she probably isn't the best influence but… yeah. Yeah you should be a little concerned."
"I see," Thane said.
"I can talk with Jack if you want," Shepard said.
"No," Thane said. "Kolyat is right; he is no longer a child."
Shepard took her seat next to Garrus and Thane sat down next to his son, who was sitting directly across from Jack pretending to not be paying attention to her.
"So, Shepard, I picked up some supplies on the Citadel. We can get the outline done tonight if you want," Jack said.
"Mmm, let's wait. Our next stop is the Krogan DMZ. It's probably better to wait until we're heading somewhere a little further away so I don't have to deal with armor right away," Shepard said.
"Outline for what?" Kolyat asked.
"He certainly isn't shy," Jane said.
Jack turned to look at the younger drell and said, "Shepard's getting some ink done."
"You are?" Garrus asked.
"Yeah, we talked about it but you might have been too out of it that night to remember," Shepard said.
"Hmmm. Any place special and do I get to watch?" Garrus asked fluttering his mandibles.
"Just my back, but I don't mind if she doesn't," Shepard said with a grin.
"You should let me put something on you, Garrus. You've got a few places the needle could get through," Jack said.
"Hmmm. I don't think so. The only markings a turian puts on their body are the colony markings," Garrus said tapping his face.
"Lame," Jack said taking a bite from her plate.
"You can put something on me, if you'd like," Kolyat said.
Shepard choked on the drink of water she'd just taken. Thane grew very still, his fork halfway to his mouth. Shepard cleared her throat and looked at Jack. Thane very slowly lowered his fork back to his plate. Jack looked from Kolyat to Shepard, and then from Shepard to Thane and back to Kolyat again. An evil grin spread across her face.
"Rebelling against daddy?" Jack asked.
"I just like the way they look is all," Kolyat said with a shrug.
Mordin slid down the table closer to Thane and said, "Ah, drell issuing mating request. Or views Jack as leader. Perhaps unaware of differences in cultural meaning of tattoos. Either way, fascinating."
"What?" Shepard asked.
Thane cleared his throat and said, "In traditional drell culture, tattooing is done between lovers or by a tribal leader on the eve of war."
"He doesn't have any tattoos… Thane's a traditionalist; wouldn't he and Irikah have exchanged tattoos?" Jane asked.
Thane turned his head to his son and said, "Your uncles should have taught you this, Kolyat."
Kolyat's lips turned up into a smirk as he leered at Jack and said, "I'm well aware, Father."
Shepard cringed while Jack and Garrus burst into raucous laughter. Thane stared at his son with slightly raised brow ridges before turning his attention wordlessly back to his plate. Shepard could feel a mix of shock and amusement seeping through from Jane and the others.
"Oh that's rich," Garrus said.
"You got some ink hiding under those long sleeves?" Jack asked still laughing.
"Tattoos not permanent on drell," Mordin said. "Interesting drell culture would develop painful technique for short-term effects."
"I do; it's not quite faded yet. Would you like to see?" Kolyat asked.
"Wow," Jane said.
Garrus' laughter picked up again and Shepard struggled to keep from laughing herself. She glanced at Thane to see his lips turned up slightly as he speared his salad with his fork. He must have felt her eyes on him because he lifted his gaze to meet hers and shook his head in bewilderment. Shepard's smile broke free and she chuckled.
"I would say I'd like to see, but your father scares me," Kasumi said appearing beside Kolyat.
To Kolyat's credit, he didn't jump at the sudden appearance of the thief next to him. He turned his head to take in Kasumi and smiled at her before turning back to Jack. Kasumi giggled and disappeared once more. Jack stood from the table and picked up her tray. She walked away still laughing, leaving young Krios' smile to falter with her rejection.