The Lives and Deaths of Commander Shepard

by MosaicCreme

The essence that is Commander Shepard has fought the battle against the Reapers more times than she can count, only to find herself right back where it all started. Never the exact same body, never the same first name or history. The disembodied voice struggles to break her way through to the consciousness of her current incarnation, trying to find a way to break her own cycle.

50. Chapter 27: Coexist

Chapter 27: Coexist

Shepard leaned against a crate in the hangar catching her breath. She ran the towel over her face before draping it over her shoulder. Thane stood in front of her with his hands tucked behind his back, waiting for her to decide where he would spend his day.

"I'd like to keep you on the ship during the hotter parts of the day; it gets humid down there so close to the ocean. I'll send you down overnight when it's dark and not so bad. You can take over for Legion this morning and watch our prisoner for a few hours. That'll give you time between to rest if you can." Shepard rubbed the towel over her face again. "Grundan Krul, Kasumi, and Miranda will go down with me to replace Garrus, Jack, and Mordin. I'm going to have to order Jacob to come back to the ship."

"He has not returned yet?" Thane asked.

Shepard shook her head. "No, he wants to help fix what his dad did to those people. I get it, but there's really not much he can do and exhausting himself isn't going to help anyone."

"Leave him alone. He needs this, and I never thought to give it to him," Jane said.

Thane nodded and turned his eyes to the ground.

"You're thinking about Kolyat, aren't you?" Shepard asked.

"There have been whispers among some of the Cerberus crew since Mr. Taylor was brought aboard." Thane turned his eyes back to Shepard. "Some people might believe that the things I have done in my life are as wicked as those done by Mr. Taylor and although Jacob was not a small boy, his father disappeared from his life. It is not difficult to see the parallels."

"You can't compare apples to oranges," Jane said. "It's not even the same league of wicked."

Shepard pushed away from the crate. "Thane, I don't pretend to know all of the details of your life but taking lives professionally pales in comparison to the utterly repulsive choices that Ronald Taylor made not only as a man, but as a leader. So unless you can tell me that in his position you would have done the same thing to the people under your command, you are nothing like that piece of shit. I'm not saying that all of your choices have been stellar, but who hasn't made bad choices along the way? I sure as hell have."

Thane smiled. "It pleases me to hear you say so, Siha."

Shepard shook her head and snorted. "Look, we don't live in a galaxy of black and whites. I know you're no saint, Thane. Some of the others weren't always as accepting of what you do, I'm not going to pretend that they were but not a single one of them would think that you compare to Ronald Taylor."

Shepard slid her arms around his neck and laced her fingers together behind his head. A part of her marveled at the fact that the galaxy's greatest assassin had come to trust her enough to allow her to do that. Shepard smiled as his hands found her waist and pulled her a little closer despite the sweat soaking through her shirt.

"And let's face it; I'm the great Commander Shepard. At the end of the day, my body count is far higher than yours," Shepard said.

"Significantly, but we are a part of the Alliance Navy and not a glorified hitman," Jane said.

He chuckled. "Indeed."

She gave him a quick kiss and pulled away. "I better get going. I've got to shower and get groundside."

Thane fell into step next to Shepard as she made her way to the elevator. "Will you … be spending your time with Garrus when you return?"

"He means will you make time for him later," Jane said.

"Yeah, I got it. Thanks, Jane but I don't need you to translate for me," Shepard thought.

"Mmm. I've got a report I need to finish for Hackett, and I was hoping to spend some time with you if you're up for it, but yes, I'll likely be spending some time with Garrus as well," Shepard said.

She thought she saw his shoulders relax a fraction as he smiled.

"I would very much like that, Siha," Thane said.

Shepard stepped into the elevator and pushed the button for her cabin. Her finger hovered over the button for the fourth deck as she raised an eyebrow to Thane in question. He nodded his head and she hit the button for the fourth deck as well.

"Just make sure you're ready for guard duty tonight. I need you alert down there," Shepard said.

Thane smirked and his brows twitched in response.

"Yeah, yeah, badass assassin is always alert. I got it." Shepard leaned against the elevator wall. "Trust me, the bruises I have from training with you make that clear."

"Am I too rough with you?" Thane asked.

"Please, he already pulls his punches and we've had far, far worse," Jane said.

Shepard mimicked the look he just gave her and he laughed. The elevator door slid open and Thane stepped out, making his way towards port cargo to watch Ronald. The elevator slid closed again and took Shepard up to her cabin. She stripped down as soon as the cabin door slid closed behind her.

"EDI, tell Miranda, Grundan Krul, and Kasumi to be ready to go down in twenty minutes," Shepard said.

"Right away, Shepard," EDI said.

"Thanks, EDI," Shepard said.

"Of course, Shepard," EDI said.

Shepard stepped into the bathroom and took a quick shower before getting dressed and suiting up. She checked all of her weapons and made her way to the hangar. The shuttle had already been stocked with rations and water, as well as extra medical supplies. Her team arrived a couple of minutes after her and once they were all in the shuttle they left the Normandy for Aeia.

"EDI, patch me through to the ground team," Shepard said.

A moment later Shepard heard the click in her earpiece telling her she was connected to the ground team's comms. "This is Shepard. We're on our way down. Any trouble down there?"

"Hey, Alliance. Not really, this shit is boring as hell. Had a few of the men try some territorial bullshit over one of the supply crates. I floated one and Garrus put another on his ass with a concussive shot, the rest scattered," Jack responded.

"Any more stragglers come in?" Shepard asked.

"Shit Shepard, I'm not keeping a damn count," Jack said.

"Well, where's Garrus?" Shepard asked.

"I'm here, Shepard. Sorry, I had my hands full helping Mordin. Three more have come in on this shift. They're all starting to get restless though. I don't think they understand why we aren't just taking them away on the Normandy," Garrus said.

"Alright. Thanks for the update. See you on the ground," Shepard said.

"No problem, Shepard. See you soon," Garrus said.

When the shuttle landed next to the other, Shepard's eyes went to the ridges above as they climbed out of the shuttle. She could feel the eyes on her, even if she couldn't pick out the faces amidst the trees. She caught movement from above once or twice on the way up to the camp but the hunters that watched her remained hidden.

They were welcomed into the camp by several of the female survivors who avoided Grundan Krul with wary looks even while pushing to surround the humans in the group. Shepard stood firm by Grundan Krul's side, trying to make it clear that he was with her and safe for them to be around. Garrus spotted them and gently pushed through the crowd of women to get to Shepard.

"Jacob and I got most of what was salvageable moved down from the second camp while most of them slept. Those two over there have been awake since I got here; they seem to be trying to help guard the place. I'm not sure if they're expecting company or if they've just decided the camp belongs to them now." Garrus pointed at two men pacing the perimeter of the camp.

"I'll keep an eye on them. Where's Jacob?" Shepard asked glancing around the camp.

"He's up at the second camp, digging through his father's logs. It's not good, Shepard," Garrus said.

"He's just looking for answers. Wouldn't you be doing the same thing if you were in his shoes?" Jane asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I would," Shepard thought.

Shepard nodded. "I'm going to go talk to him. I'm sending him back to the Normandy with you." Shepard turned to look at Miranda. "Go ahead and have Mordin brief you so you can take over. Kasumi, Grundan Krul, pick a spot and keep your eyes open. Remember, you don't eat or drink anything we didn't bring with us."

Shepard left them to their tasks and made her way up the trail. Someone had moved the bodies of the hunters from the previous day's battles. They had been cleared from the paths and laid out in rows off to the side, their eyes closed and their hands folded over their stomachs. Shepard had a feeling it was Jacob's idea, he might have even done it all himself. She saw Jacob off in the distance, sitting on a crate looking at a datapad in his hand. When she got close enough she rapped her armored knuckles against a crate to draw his attention.

Jacob looked up at the sound and put the datapad down before slipping down from the crate. When Shepard reached him she studied his eyes and frowned. They were bloodshot with exhaustion and the ghosts his father left to haunt him.

"He looks like shit," Jane said.

"Commander," Jacob said before turning to point at the crates around him, "These are all spoiled. Those over there have a few supplies that might be of use at the camp; tarps, rope, that kind of thing –."

"Jacob, you need to go back to the Normandy now," Shepard said. "I can handle the crates."

"I'm OK, Commander, really. I just –," Jacob said.

Shepard put her hand on his shoulder. "It's not a request, Jacob. You're going to go back up to the Normandy, you're going to eat some hot crap that Gardner fixes you, you're going to take a shower, and then you're going to sleep for at least six hours before I let you come down here again."

Jacob dropped his head and Shepard saw his jaw clench. He wanted to argue, but when it came down to it, Jacob was a good soldier who wouldn't argue with his CO. He nodded his head and looked back up at her.

"Yes, ma'am," Jacob said with a salute.

"Good, now that that's out of the way … I'm sorry, Jacob. Gods, I'm so sorry," Shepard said.

Jacob looked around him with vacant eyes, not really seeing anything. "I just don't get it, Shepard. I'm trying to understand but I just can't. It's sickening, what he did here."

"There aren't any good answers for this. I wish there were, but there aren't and nothing you find in those logs is going to suddenly make all of this make sense," Shepard said.

"I know. I guess I'm just hoping that I'll find something, some indication that he knew what he was doing was wrong. Or maybe he cracked, you know? Maybe he's got a mental illness or … something. Damn." Jacob looked at her with pleading eyes, begging her to understand.

"I think he wants you to give him the answer," Jane said.

"There is no answer. The man is a repulsive piece of shit," Shepard thought.

Shepard turned standing side by side to him and put her hand on his upper back. She patted him a couple of times and nodded her head.

"Maybe he does. Come on, the others are waiting for you," Shepard said.

Jacob walked with Shepard back towards the camp, keeping his eyes resolutely away from the corpses that lined their path. Shepard left her hand on his back, guiding him forward.

"Garrus said you've got a guard rotation on him," Jacob said.

"Yeah, he's in the port cargo. Thane's watching him now. I imagine Grunt's in there too, but probably asleep," Shepard said. "He's not going anywhere."

"I don't want to see him again, Shepard. I know that you need to keep the rotation, and I don't want to put anyone out but …" Jacob said.

"I had no intention of putting you in there with him," Shepard said.

"Good. Thank you," Jacob said. "I'm afraid of what I might do to him, Shepard."

She patted his back again. "I know."

"What might we do if we see him again?" Jane asked.

"We won't do anything," Shepard thought.

"Are you sure? You want to beat him to death, squeeze the life from him with your hands. I can see it, don't pretend it's not there," Jane said.

"I'm not pretending it isn't there, but it doesn't mean we're going to act on it. We're giving him over to the Alliance," Shepard thought.

Shepard escorted Jacob over to where the others waited and watched as they headed back to the shuttles. When they rounded a corner and disappeared from her sight she turned back to the camp. The men and women who called this place home for the last ten years were looking significantly better than they were the day before. Minor wounds had been cleaned and wrapped. Larger wounds cleaned, treated with Medi-gel as necessary and wrapped. The men women were becoming more trustful of the hunters' presence and Shepard could see them working together to survive the whole mess. An hour into her watch, Shepard got a call from the shuttle.

"Shuttle One to ground team, do you read me?" The voice of Crewman Jenny Goldstein sounded panicked as it cut through Shepard's comms.

"We read you, Shuttle One. This is Commander Shepard, what's going on?" Shepard asked.

"There are men with weapons trying to get into the shuttle, ma'am," Jenny said. "They're all around; if I start the shuttle the ones in the back will be burned by the shuttle's boosters."

"Alright, lock the shuttle down. We're on our way," Shepard said.

"Yes ma'am," Jenny said.

"Kasumi, stay here. Grundan Krul, with me," Shepard said into her comm.

Grundan Krul ran across the camp to Shepard's side. Kasumi and Miranda watched from their locations, frowns etched into their faces. They didn't like her going off without full back up but she wasn't going to leave the camp undefended. Shepard tapped her comm again.

"I need you guys at the camp. We've got this," Shepard said.

Shepard watched as the two women nodded to her in acknowledgment before she headed out of the camp. A few feet outside she drew her pistol and checked the thermal clips; Grundan Krul wordlessly did the same. They jogged down the path, stopping at the bend to peer around the corner of the outcrop. The shuttle was surrounded by hunters; Shepard counted five in her line of sight. There were likely more on the other side. They were trying to get into the shuttle, banging and pulling at the doors. Two of them had climbed on top and were firing down at the shuttle's roof, their weapons inferior and out of date by ten years did nothing to the shuttle's more advanced shielding.

"Drop your weapons and step away from the shuttle. We are here to help you, but if you persist, I will shoot," Shepard yelled at the group of men.

One of the men on the roof of the shuttle turned his gun on Shepard and fired. She ducked behind the outcropping but needn't have bothered because his shot hit the rock about three feet away from where she was. Shepard growled in frustration.

"You didn't really expect that to work, did you?" Jane asked.

"Alliance medical transport is on their way, they will be here to take you all off of this planet tomorrow. Drop your weapons and come to the camp peacefully. There's no reason for you to die here," Shepard yelled.

"Liar! You come to take his place. You … steal the food. The … the guns! We won't let you." The man who took the shot at her tried to take aim again.

Shepard didn't hesitate; she aimed for his leg and pulled the trigger. He screamed in agony as his leg buckled. He dropped to his knees on the shuttle roof, his pistol skittering across the surface before sliding off and hitting the ground. Immediately, more bullets flooded her location forcing her back into cover.

"Don't shoot to kill if you can help it," she told Grundan Krul.

He nodded his head before returning fire. The fight didn't last long; the hunters were ill equipped and any training they might have had before was now lost to the neural decay. Shepard could have handled them on her own if she had needed to. She thought anyone on her team probably could have handled them alone if needed, even Lia had gotten in enough training that as long as they hadn't swarmed her, she could have handled the group of men.

When the last man fell, Shepard tapped her mic. "Shuttle One, this is Commander Shepard, do you read?"

Jenny's shaky voice responded, "Shuttle One reads."

"You alright in there, Jenny?" Shepard asked.

"You – yes ma'am. They weren't able to breech the shuttle, and external damage appears minimal. The shuttle will be safe to return when you're ready, ma'am," Jenny said.

"That's good to hear. I'm going to get the wounded back to the camp and then we'll take care of the dead. Let us know if you have any more problems," Shepard said.

"Yes ma'am," Jenny said.

Shepard and Grundan Krul secured the wounded; those that could walk were made to walk in front of them back to the camp where they were watched over by Kasumi while Miranda tended to their wounds. Those that couldn't walk were carried back on makeshift stretchers. When all was said and done, there were eight more unwilling additions to the camp and three more bodies to be lain out with the others.

The men who had been at the camp since the day before pushed in around the new hunters, acting aggressively and using intimidating posturing in a territorial display that made Shepard nervous. She assumed that this meant that not all of the exiled crew had banded together, but formed factions amongst themselves and these groups were rivals. The two men who had been acting as guards refused to leave their self-imposed posts but watched the new group with an intensity that forewarned of trouble.

"Shit," Shepard said. "We've got to get them separate and keep them apart."

"How are you going to keep them apart in this little camp? It's not even fortified. There's hardly any shelter. You could move some of them up to Taylor's camp, but then you'd have to separate the team," Jane said.

Grundan Krul helped Shepard with crowd control, pushing and coaxing the first group away from the injured second group. The women huddled together as the men pushed against Shepard and Grundan Krul, testing the seriousness of Shepard's warnings. Shepard drew her pistol and fired it into the ground at one of the more aggressive man's feet. He snarled at her but backed away, the others followed him.

"EDI, we're going to need a couple of extra guards down here. Things just got a little more complicated at the camp. Send me Legion and Lia," Shepard said into her mic. "Recall the shuttle once they've landed and removed Lia's supplies."

"You're not going to put Legion and Lia at Taylor's camp with these men, are you? Lia isn't ready for that and Legion won't be able to differentiate between posturing and real threat," Jane said.

"At once, Shepard," EDI replied.

"No, I'm not sending anyone to the second camp. We just need more people down here now. We'll figure something out," Shepard thought.

"Shuttle One, do you read?" Shepard said.

"Shuttle One reads," Jenny said.

"I'm having more guards sent to the ground. When the second shuttle lands, let them move supplies from Shuttle Two to Shuttle One and then lock the shuttle back down. Shuttle Two won't be staying," Shepard said.

"Yes ma'am," Jenny said.

Shepard, Grundan Krul, and Kasumi stood between the two groups marking the invisible line she had forbidden the other group to cross. For the time being, the second group of hunters were injured and in no condition to defend themselves let alone provoke further aggression but soon they would be back on their feet and Shepard needed expectations made clear and order enforced before then. Her tension eased when Legion and Lia arrived.

Shepard didn't know if the immediate response to Legion's presence was recognition of what exactly Legion was, or simply the ingrained wariness the hunters had developed from Ronald's mechs. Either way, he definitely gave the hunters pause and most of the women as well. Lia looked around, taking in the conditions and shook her head softly. With Legion and Lia there to help hold the line, Shepard made her way back to Ronald's camp to dig through the supplies crate Jacob had pointed out earlier.

"Marking boundaries? Do you think that level of symbolism will mean anything to them in their current mental state?" Jane asked.

"Worth a try," Shepard muttered.

She returned dragging ropes and tarps with her to string up through the camp to build a partition. She hoped that maybe with clearly defined boundaries, even if they were insubstantial, the two groups might settle down. Legion helped her to string up the tarps and moved a few crates for her to help secure the boundaries.

The day passed in waves of tension. As more and more of the injured hunters got back on their feet and were moving around, they tested Shepard's resolve to keep them in the camp. When they realized that they weren't actually being held prisoner, and she would let them slip away if they really wanted to, all but two chose to stay. A few scuffles broke out but they were easily resolved by the looming presence of Legion, Shepard, or Grundan Krul.

Mordin had set up a way to distill the ocean water and fresh water was made readily available to them. The remaining food stores were rationed out, feeding all of the survivors equally. There was more than enough left for them to make it through the next few days if help was delayed without them needing to resort to eating the local food sources.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, Shepard hunkered down in a place of shade and let her mind drift. The women of the group had taken to the softer, more feminine natures present in Kasumi and Lia, something Shepard almost all together lacked. She watched as Kasumi ran her gloved fingers through a woman's hair before twisting it into a braid. The woman beamed at Kasumi with that childlike innocence that the neural decay had caused in them, and that Ronald and his officers took advantage of.

It wasn't long before one of the women came to sit with Shepard. She was the one who had given Jacob the datapad the day before, and a thousand times before in Shepard's memories. Shepard smiled as she settled down onto the crate next to her.

"What will happen … to us?" she asked.

"The Alliance will take you all someplace safe, I'm not sure where. Earth maybe? You'll receive medical treatment. They'll see if they can find a way to fix the neural decay. Your relatives will be notified, and if you're healthy enough, you'll go home to your families," Shepard said.

"I can't – I can't remember family." The woman glanced down at her empty hands as if they would hold the answers for her.

"That's OK. The Alliance will have the logs from the Gernsback, they'll be able to identify all of you and they can use that to see if there is anyone they should contact for you," Shepard said.

"I am afraid. I want to … go back to the sky … to home but I am different now. I can't … I was smart. Important. Now it's all … gone." The woman sobbed next to Shepard and tears started streaming down her face.

"Damn him. I hope they throw him in the worst prison we've got," Jane said.

"Hey, hey, don't give up hope now. You know how strong you are? You survived ten years in this mess. Help is finally here, you'll get through this. I don't know what's in store for you but I know that it takes a hell of a lot of strength to endure what you've endured, and I know that if you put that same strength into getting better, you will," Shepard said.

The woman sniffled and looked at Shepard with hope.

"I don't know if things will ever be the same as they were before, but you have a chance at a real life again. Don't be afraid. Be excited," Shepard said.

She wiped at her eyes and smiled at Shepard before nodding her head resolutely. Shepard's omni-tool beeped at her and she pushed a button to turn the alarm off. Her team's eight-hour shift was up.

"It's time for a shift change. We've got to go back to our ship, but some others will be down here before we leave. The Alliance ships should be here sometime tomorrow," Shepard said.

"What is your name?" The woman stood up when Shepard did, her voice sounded urgent as she spoke.

Shepard smiled and said, "Commander Shepard. You can just call me Shepard. That over there is Miranda. That one is Kasumi, and next to her is Lia. That's Grundan Krul, and that is Legion."

Shepard had introduced herself to everyone the day before, and had already had to remind several people who she was as the day wore on. The survivors would forget who she was and why she was there, some would come running up to her excitedly as if seeing her for the first time and ask if she had come from the sky. It was the third time she had told the woman her name today. It was heartbreaking.

"Shepard." She seemed to test the name, rolling it around on her tongue. "I can't remember my name."

"I know. I'm sorry. When the Alliance comes, they'll help you remember your name," Shepard said.

Shepard left the woman standing next to the crates as she whispered Shepard's name over and over to herself in an attempt to make it stick. She had done the same thing earlier as well. Shepard called EDI and asked EDI to send down the next team. Dr. Chakwas would replace Miranda, and Samara, Grunt, and Jacob would replace her team. EDI assured Shepard that Jacob had followed her orders; returning to the ship to eat, shower, and sleep. Jacob had asked EDI to wake him exactly six hours after he fell asleep, he wasn't willing to miss a minute more. Legion agreed to stay behind to give additional support since he did not require food or rest. He would return after the next shift. Mordin, Thane, Jack, Zaeed, and Garrus would take the night watch. She wouldn't force Jacob to return to the Normandy again until morning, if he didn't decide on his own to return at the end of the next shift.

When the shuttle arrived, Shepard filled the replacements in on the day's activities explaining the need to keep the two groups of hunters separate. Dr. Chakwas frowned at the idea, but said she understood the necessity. Jacob definitely didn't look like he was at the top of his game, but Shepard kept her thoughts to herself. He had been gone long enough that some of the women and hunters had forgotten who he was, and responded to him just as they had when they arrived the day before. Fearful of the resemblance he held to his father, they shied away from him or acted aggressively. Shepard stayed long enough to get the new team settled in and tried to help the women and hunters remember who Jacob was, when that failed, she simply told them that he wasn't Ronald Taylor and he was there to help.

Shepard made her way back to the shuttle, hoping that they would accept Jacob and it wouldn't lead to an incident. They all knew that it was their duty to protect the survivors, even from each other, but priority stood with their own lives and safety no matter what. If things got ugly, Shepard knew she very well may get a call telling her that they'd lost half the survivors. Still, Jacob needed this and she wouldn't deny him.

They piled into Shuttle One where Jenny smiled back at Shepard. Shepard thought it kind of odd, because she had always been one of the crewmen who did their best to avoid Shepard. Maybe Shepard coming to her rescue earlier had sparked some warmth from the other woman. Shepard returned the smile and nodded, telling Jenny they were ready to go. The shuttle took off and Shepard leaned her head against the shuttle wall, glad to be off of Aeia for the time being.

When the shuttle arrived at the Normandy, Shepard waited around for Jenny to go through the shutdown process and exit the shuttle.

"You handled yourself well out there today, Crewman Goldstein," Shepard said.

"Thank you, Commander. I – I didn't think you even knew my name," Jenny said.

"Of course I know your name. I know everyone's name on my ship, it's important to me and it helps me do my job," Shepard said.

"I just – we all know that you hate Cerberus, and we just assumed …" Jenny said.

"That's an understatement," Jane said.

"That it means I hate all of you as well?" Shepard supplied the rest of the young woman's statement.

"Yes ma'am," Jenny said.

"That doesn't even make sense. They see us working with Jacob and Miranda. We talk to Kelley daily, even if it just is to get updates. We're friendly with Gardner … why would they think it means we hate them just because they're Cerberus?" Jane asked.

"To be fair, I haven't gone out of my way to convince them I'm their friend," Shepard thought.

"I don't know any of you enough to hate you. Most of you get quiet when I'm around, some of you give me wary looks, but you put up that wall. I'm not going to try to bulldoze that wall; it isn't my job to make you guys like me. It's my job to make sure that you respect me and follow orders," Shepard said. "If you guys get tired of that wall being there, well, knock the damn thing down."

"Of course. Yes ma'am, thank you, ma'am," Jenny said.

Shepard did her best not to cringe at the excessive use of the word 'ma'am' and smiled at the shuttle pilot before heading to the elevator. She took the elevator up to her cabin and happily ditched her armor before going down to the mess hall. She had barely sat down when she was joined by Miranda. Shepard smiled but saw the serious look on Miranda's face and groaned.

"What is it?" Shepard asked.

"Commander, you didn't come by my office after yesterday's … incident before going to Aeia and since then we have all been preoccupied. I think it would be best if you were to come to my office for scans once you've eaten," Miranda said.

"What kind of scans? Is it just scans? She's not going to cut into us, is she?" Jane asked.

"Just scans, Jane. Just scans," Shepard thought.

Shepard groaned and heard a chuff from behind her. She looked over her shoulder to see Garrus standing a few feet away, his arms crossed over his chest. He walked closer and looked down at Shepard, flaring his mandibles.

"She'll be there, Miranda, even if I have to drag her in myself," Garrus said.

"Thank you, Garrus. It's good to see that at least someone is being reasonable about this." Miranda stood and made her way to her office.

"Traitor. He's supposed to be on our side," Jane said.

"Not cool, Vakarian," Shepard said.

Garrus chuffed again and straddled the bench next to her. "Maybe not, but you'll forgive me."

"What makes you so sure?" Shepard asked.

"He's Garrus. We'd forgive him anything. I'd forgive him anything … even if he can't forgive me," Jane said.

"Maybe he just needs more time … and for you to not cause any more problems," Shepard thought.

"Hmmm." He leaned in close, and spoke softly, just above a whisper in her ear. "Because I know how to make you see heaven."

"I'm only trying to save us all," Jane said.

Shepard snorted and Garrus sat back with an impish grin. "I've got news for you, Vakarian. I can get myself there alllll by myself with just these two little fingers. Only one, really, if I tried."

Shepard heard the familiar sound of Thane clearing his throat from behind her. She scrunched up her face at Garrus.

"He heard all of that, didn't he?" Shepard asked.

Jane laughed. It was a delightful sound to Shepard when it didn't have that maniacal edge.

Garrus smiled at her, his mandibles fluttering. "Join us, Krios. Shepard was just telling me the most fascinating story."

"Ass." Shepard slapped Garrus' armored chest eliciting a throaty chuckle from him.

She looked over her shoulder at Thane and smiled. "Hey, what's up? Sit with us?"

"I was just curious about how things were progressing on Aeia. I was … concerned when you called for reinforcements and EDI was unable to provide me with significant details. We can talk about it later, though, I don't wish to interrupt." Thane started to turn away when Shepard called out to him.

"Stay, Thane. Have a seat. Consider this your first lesson," Shepard said.

"You really think this thing with the both of them will work out?" Jane asked.

"I really hope so," Shepard thought.

Thane dipped his head and turned back to the table. "Very well, Siha."

"Garrus, stop trying to bait him," Shepard said.

"I'm not trying to bait him, I'm just trying to get him to relax," Garrus said. "Lesson for what?"

"On how to deal with an ornery turian," Shepard said.

Thane settled into the seat across from Shepard. "He has not offended me."

"Not that he would admit it if he had," Jane said.

"Probably not," Shepard thought.

"See? No harm no foul," Garrus said pushing a lock of Shepard's hair behind her ear, "Is that how the saying goes?"

Shepard smiled at the intimate gesture, but couldn't help but notice that Thane glanced away. It would definitely take time for him to adjust to the idea of watching another man touch someone he was becoming involved with.

"Yeah, that's how it goes," Shepard said. "A group of the feral men attacked the shuttle while we were at the camp. There was no real harm done, their weapons are old and the shuttle was well shielded. When the pilot called, Grundan Krul and I went to deal with the problem. Three died, but eight others were brought back to the camp injured."

Shepard looked at Garrus. "The two that you said were acting as guards?" He nodded in response. "Well, I think this group was the answer to your question. As soon as we brought in the second group, the first group of men started posturing and behaving aggressively toward the second group. I needed the extra hands to make sure the two groups didn't tear into each other."

"Rival tribes, it would seem. Interesting," Thane said.

"And intense. I used some tarps, ropes, and crates to set up some partitions. Of course they are insignificant as a physical barrier, but as I'd hoped, the illusion of boundaries seemed to help. So did Legion's presence," Shepard said. "Things are still a little iffy down there."

"That was wise, Siha, but I would prepare for them to test those boundaries," Thane said.

"Obviously," Jane said.

"He's right, with as aggressive as they are, the boundaries will only matter to them until they have a plan to push for more ground," Garrus said.

"They've already pushed a little. Firing at their feet gets their attention pretty well. So does having a geth loom over them with an assault rifle. For now, at least. Hopefully the Alliance won't be delayed and the boundaries don't have to last long," Shepard said.

"Indeed," said Thane.

Garrus turned, pulling his other leg in over the bench seat and faced Thane. "So, what is that? Siha? You've been calling her that since Kahje but I don't know what it means." He glanced at Shepard.

"Ah. I am surprised she hasn't told you," Thane said.

"I haven't asked until now. I assumed it was something personal, but I'm curious," Garrus said.

"I will allow her to explain, if she wishes," Thane said gesturing to Shepard.

Shepard closed her eyes, at her bidding the memories of conversations from other lifetimes floated to the surface of her mind, a smile tugged at her lips. "One of the warrior-angels of the goddess Arashu. Fierce in wrath. A tenacious protector."

She opened her eyes to see Thane gazing at her, a soft smile spread across his lips.

"Those were my words, were they not?" Thane asked.

"Exact words," Jane said.

She grinned. "They were."

Garrus nodded his head, the movement drawing Shepard's attention. "Yeah, I can definitely see that. Siha. Hmmm. It's fitting. I think I'll stick with Dawn. And Shepard, of course."

Shepard chuckled, turning her eyes back to Thane even as she spoke to Garrus. "Good idea. From anyone else's mouth, it just isn't the same."

Thane smirked and she winked at him. She turned back to Garrus who fluttered his mandibles and grinned.

"Hmmm. Well, maybe if I leave you can get him to whisper it in your ear." Shepard snorted and smacked his shoulder making him laugh. "I've got some things I want to run by Grundan Krul. Am I on night shift again?"

"Mmm, yeah. You, Thane, Jack and Zaeed with Mordin for doctor. I apparently have to go endure Miranda's torture and then finish that report for Hackett since someone insisted that it could wait," Shepard said.

"I didn't hear any complaints last night," Garrus said turning sideways on the bench again.

"You don't hear any now," Shepard said. "It was totally worth it even if I'm not looking forward to finishing it today."

Garrus laughed, tracing the line of her jaw with a gloved talon and using it to guide her to him. He kissed her and stood up from the bench, looking down at her.

"Save some time for me tonight?" Garrus asked.

"Of course," Shepard and Jane said in sync.

Shepard watched as Garrus made his way up the stairs that led to the main battery before turning her attention to Thane.

"You don't have to be comfortable with it all right away, that's OK. If you're willing to give it time, though, it'll get easier for you I think," Shepard said. "I hope."

"There are some … conflicting thoughts. It's nothing that I can't manage." Thane waved his hand out from him, dismissing the notion.

"Maybe we can talk about some of those thoughts later? You could come to my cabin when I'm done with the report," Shepard suggested.

"If you wish, Siha," Thane said.

Shepard stood from the bench and walked around to the other side of the table. He watched her as she moved, until she settled onto the bench next to him facing the opposite direction.

"Is it what you wish?" Shepard asked.

"You know that it is," Jane said.

Thane smiled at her before propping his elbows on the table and clasping his hands in front of his face. "Indeed."

"I do, but I like hearing him say it," Shepard thought.

"Good. Then I'll have EDI let you know when I'm done," Shepard said.

Shepard stood and put a hand on Thane's shoulder, letting her fingertips drag across his back as she walked away. She felt a deep rumble though his back and she smiled. She walked into Miranda's office, resigned to her fate. Miranda stood from her desk and crossed over to Shepard, opening her omni-tool with a smile as she went.

Miranda moved Shepard to the center of the room and made her stand perfectly still with her legs shoulder width apart and her arms out at her sides. Shepard endured in silence, knowing that if she spoke or squirmed, Miranda would make her start over from the beginning. Instead, she let her mind wander the way she did back in N7 training when they forced her to stand at attention for hours at a time in the pouring rain or do countless squats until she literally couldn't even feel her legs anymore. At least she only had to do this for forty minutes or so.

She found it amusing that Thane thought she needed to learn to endure suffering. Shepard knew all about enduring suffering. Every N7 soldier did. She was trained to endure torture, both through life and through training. Still, this thing with Jane was something new. Something she'd never been prepared for. Something that no amount of training could have ever prepared her for. Shepard was enduring, though. Even with less grace. She figured that just about anyone else would have cracked completely dealing with Jane. Hell, she thought she nearly had a time or two. But on days like this when Jane was agreeable and rational she almost enjoyed having here there. Still, she looked forward to training with Thane. She had no doubts that the assassin had more than a few things he could teach her, and her anticipation was growing at the newest phase of her training he had suggested.

When Miranda was finally finished, Shepard dropped her hands to her sides and rolled her head on her neck trying to stretch out the tight muscles. Unsurprisingly, Miranda didn't tell her anything new, only looked over the scans and waved Shepard away when Shepard asked if she was done. She made her way to the elevator and took it up to her cabin before collapsing in her desk chair. With a sigh, she opened the laptop and got to work.

In her report she detailed everything she could about Aeia, including the events upon arrival and what actions had been taken to date since. When she was finished an hour and a half later, she reread the report to be sure she hadn't forgotten anything and satisfied she sent it to Hackett. Shepard stood from her desk and stretched, her neck popped half a dozen times when she rolled her head around on her shoulders. The muscles in her neck and shoulders remained stubbornly stiff.

"EDI, will you tell Thane I'm ready for him, please?" Shepard said.

A moment later EDI replied, "Mr. Krios is on his way, Shepard."

"Thanks," Shepard said.

"You're welcome, Shepard," EDI said.

Shepard went down to the couch to wait. A moment later she heard her door slide open and turned to look at the stairs. Thane appeared a few seconds later bringing a smile to her face. He came to sit on the couch next to her and she turned sideways so she could better see him. She rolled her head again trying to ease the tension in her neck.

"So," she said once they were both settled, "tell me about these conflicting thoughts."

Thane seemed to consider the request, he stared off at the wall across the room his gaze becoming unfocused. Shepard knew that he was remembering something, playing it through his mind. Whatever it was, he held the memory loosely, keeping himself from slipping fully into the memory and relieving it out loud. Shepard waited quietly while he worked through his thoughts.

"I spent much time away from Irikah while she was still alive. I assumed she took lovers from time to time in my absence. We never spoke of these things, it seemed … irrelevant. The body has needs, desires and if I was not there to fulfill hers it only seemed natural that she would find them somewhere else. Her soul … her heart, belonged to me and me alone. Never would she take another to her bed if I was available to her," Thane said.

"I had no idea, he never said. I suppose that's a reasonable expectation, though. Isn't it what the wives and husbands of those in the Alliance do when their spouses are away?" Jane asked. "I guess I just never thought that Irikah would … He always made her sound so … perfect."

"She was perfect, for him, for a time at least. Or perhaps it's just the way he cherishes her memory now that she is gone forever. Humans do that, too. Forget the bad and immortalize the good of someone that was close to us when they've died," Shepard thought.

Thane fell silent again; his eyes moving back and forth seeing something that only existed there for him. "The hanar trained me from the age of six, and through that training I have learned to … ignore and endure the discomforts of the flesh when they did not aid in the taking of the life of my intended target or saving my own … aware that they exist, but acknowledging them and letting them go. Rarely did I indulge the whims of my body outside of my wedding bed, and even then it was a weapon, a way to get closer to my target."

"Oh." Jane's shock mirrored Shepard's.

Shepard's eyebrow twitched. This wasn't something that she knew about Thane. It wasn't territory that they had ever delved too deeply into. She schooled her features, forcing her mask of indifference, the one she so often wore as Commander, firmly into place. Normally, Thane would have caught even the faintest twitch of her brow, but she thought that perhaps while in his reverie he might have missed it.

"They were … unimportant, insignificant. My heart belonged to Irikah and Irikah alone." Thane looked back at Shepard and her mask of neutrality. "After Irikah was killed, I returned to my battle sleep … I have explained this to you?"

Shepard nodded.

"For a time, I did not have want for a lover. My body sought no release. Eventually, in time, when I found myself around other drell I would find another desirable and seek her out for a night. Mostly women like those you spent time with on Kahje; those who would not mourn my absence when the sun rose and I was already gone. The Unwed," Thane said.

Jane seemed to squirm uncomfortably in Shepard's mind but said nothing. Shepard allowed herself a small smile at the memory of her time spent with the drell women on Kahje. Of course, now she couldn't help but to wonder if Thane had slept with any of them. She thought about it and decided that if he had, they would have known him and been excited to share that experience with her upon seeing his face again.

"They were kind women, understanding that the night was all I had to offer them. I was … grateful for the gifts they gave me. Their memories sustained me on the nights that loneliness would creep in and I couldn't bear the thought of being left with Irikah's memory alone." Thane trailed off for a moment. "When you first found me on the Citadel, you sparked something in me. You woke a part of me up that I thought forever lost. As I told you on Kahje, trying to unravel the mystery gave me purpose. Learning about you, I came to admire you even before I realized it myself."

"Why is he telling us all of this?" Jane asked.

"Because he wants me to understand what he's feeling. Where it comes from," Shepard thought.

"He's never told us all of this before, and he wanted some of us to understand his feelings then," Jane said.

"The circumstances are different, and he's changed," Shepard thought.

"They've all changed. Haven't they? You … you've changed them all," Jane said.

"I think so … but is that so bad, really?" Shepard thought.

Thane shifted on the cushion, angling his body more towards hers and smirked. "When I first joined you on the Normandy, I confess, I considered the idea of seeing if you would indeed allow yourself to be lured to my bed. I told myself that it was merely curiosity, brought on by the years spent looking into you. Perhaps it was the novel idea of being with a human. I found many reasons to deter myself from that course of action, yet still I found myself dancing around the edges, testing your limits. Pleased by your reactions. It was unfair of me."

"I did nothing to dissuade you," Shepard said.

"I – I don't know," Jane said.

Shepard felt Jane retreat to the edges of her consciousness. Still present, still listening, but no longer an active participant in the conversation, Jane mulled over her own thoughts keeping them private from Shepard. Shepard envied her that, being able to keep her thoughts private.

"Indeed. After Kahje, I realized that I had misunderstood … no that is not accurate, I had chosen not to see. I was foolish, convincing myself that it was not you that felt something for me … and that I felt nothing for you. I had already come to care for you, Siha." Thane reached out and stroked his fingers along Shepard's cheek.

She let her eyes drop closed and smiled at the contact, pressing her lips against his palm.

"I didn't sleep that night. The memories of you wouldn't allow me; they tore through my mind unbidden and unwelcome forcing me to see them in the light of truth. I was in a state of tu-fira, something I had not experienced since I lost Irikah," Thane said. "I found myself at a loss; unsure of how to proceed or even if I should … if I could. I didn't know if I was able to allow myself to have something more with you than I had dared to imagine before … especially while you loved another as well."

"I have had moments of … envy watching you with Garrus, such a strange feeling for me. I at last came to realize that it was not Garrus standing in my way, but myself. I decided I had to try, if you would have me even after I had treated you so callously." Thane wrapped his arm around Shepard when she tucked herself in against his chest.

"It has not been … pleasant, seeing the ease with which he touches you and brings a smile to your face. Yet I enjoy seeing it there," Thane said. "I do not know what is appropriate in these situations … whether if I were to wrap my arms around you would it bring you discomfort or a smile. Whether it would upset him, and cause conflict within you. I do not know if I should be cautious around the rest of the crew. I am at a disadvantage with this, Siha."

Shepard held Thane's hand in her own, splaying her fingers out beneath his palm and watching the light reflect off the soft sheen of his scales. "You're not at as much of a disadvantage as you think. Before Garrus, I didn't get involved in serious relationships. Not really. I didn't have time, and Alliance regulations stood in the way of my getting too close to anyone under my command. So, I had my fair share of one night stands myself. Had a few casual relationships but that was about it. I mean yeah, I'd been in love … had my heart broken but nothing like this."

Shepard tilted her head back to look up at him. "I don't have all of the answers. I don't know that they even exist. I just know that I want to be with you, and I want to be with Garrus. I think that as long as we're honest about what we're feeling, and we're patient with one another, things will fall into place."

"Indeed." Thane freed his hand from hers so that he could trace the curve of her lip with his thumb.

"I know that I don't want you to have to think twice about showing me affection when we're around Garrus. And you're not some dirty secret I'm trying to hide from everyone else." Shepard smiled and sat back up so she could look him in the eye without straining her stiff neck. "But it's important that you let me know what you're comfortable with. What you want. I'm kinda relying on you to set the pace with this."

He sat forward and cradled her head in his palm, pulling her closer he pressed his lips to hers. Shepard leaned into the kiss, tasting his lips with her tongue. Shepard whimpered when Thane pulled back, making him chuckle in response.

"You are tense, allow me." Thane stood, taking her hand in his own he coaxed her to her feet and turned her around so her back was to him.

"It's not that bad, really. I'll have it stretched out in an hour or so." Shepard stopped protesting when Thane's fingers started to dig into the knotted muscles along her neck and shoulders.

She bit back a hiss at the initial shock of pain, fighting the urge to tense further in response. Thane dug a little deeper and Shepard groaned. He guided her to the edge of the bed; Shepard sat down and pulled her boots off, tossing them to the corner of the room. Thane pulled her back to her feet and slid his hands under the edge of her shirt. Shepard's breath hitched at the feel of his skin brushing across hers as he slid her shirt up. She lifted her arms and let him pull the shirt over her head.

Thane dropped her shirt on the nightstand as his eyes roamed over her exposed flesh and lace rimmed black bra. He made a rumbling sound of approval deep in his throat and a slow smile spread across Shepard's face. He slid his fingertips down her arm, from shoulder to wrist before taking her hand in his and using it to turn her toward the bed.

"Lay down, Siha," Thane said.

Shepard crawled on the bed and lay on her stomach, turning her head to the side to watch him as he slid his jacket off, folded it and set it on the night stand to join her shirt. Thane put one knee on the mattress, next to her using it to help support his weight as he leaned over her body. He brushed her hair aside and traced his fingers over the phoenix on her back before using his strong, nimble hands to dig into her knotted muscles once more.

Shepard moaned in bliss once her muscles began to relax. She closed her eyes and lost herself to the feel of Thane's hands moving over her body, washing the tension away. He moved from her neck and shoulders, following the line of her spine he worked from the inside out. His fingers wrapped around her hips as his thumbs worked in small circles at the curve of her back.

Shepard opened her eyes when his movements began to slow, became less massage and more caress. Shepard turned, pushing herself up on an elbow to look at him. She saw the heat in his gaze when his eyes met hers. She rolled over, his hands brushing across her side and stomach as she turned. Shepard kept herself propped on one elbow as she ran her hand over his and up the side of his arm, reveling in the feel the dense muscle beneath her fingertips. She tugged gently at him, and he leaned forward capturing her lips with his own.

Desire coursed through Shepard's veins. She could feel it in him, too. In the hungry way his teeth scraped over her lip and his tongue danced with her own. After a moment, Thane pulled away and rested his head against hers. His fingers still kneaded at her neck as if unconvinced by his attempts to show restraint. He cleared his throat.

"Forgive me, I must spend time in meditation and prayer before it is time to go to Aeia," Thane said.

Shepard didn't speak, afraid that if she opened her mouth it would only be to beg him to stay. Instead she squeezed her eyes closed, took a deep breath and nodded. Thane slipped away from her and she sat up, putting her feet on the floor. She watched him as he slid his jacket back on and handed her shirt to her. She kept her eyes resolutely focused above his waist, knowing that she'd cave if she saw further sign of his arousal and beg him to stay. Shepard stood and pulled the shirt on over her head, running her hands through her hair to pull it free. He smiled at her and caressed her cheek before giving her one last chaste kiss and leaving her alone.

Shepard looked around her empty cabin and sighed. She put her boots back on and pulled her hair up in a low ponytail before leaving the cabin herself. Shepard made her way down to the port cargo to check in on Ronald. He was sitting on the floor leaning against Grunt's empty tank, a tray with empty dishes sat on the floor in front of him. He held a coffee mug in his hands as he watched Jack warily. Jack sat across the room from him, also on the floor with her back pressed against the door frame. She had her pocket knife out, using it to pick at her fingernails. She looked up at Shepard when the door opened.

"Hey, good you can watch him while I pee." Jack stood and closed the knife against her thigh, slipping it into her pocket.

Shepard nodded and Jack ducked out of the room. Ronald looked up at Shepard as she leaned against the door frame, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It would be so easy to kill him and tell the others that he attacked you," Jane said.

"Jane," Shepard thought in warning.

"Don't suppose I can get out of here for a little bit? Walk around the ship, stretch my legs?" Ronald asked.

"You're welcome to stand up and do all the stretching you want in here, but you're not leaving this room unless it's to be escorted to the bathroom and back," Shepard said.

"Or you could even just say that he tried to run," Jane said.

"No, Jane. We're giving him to the Alliance unharmed," Shepard thought. "We're having a good day, don't push this."

"I guess you can't blame a man for asking." Ronald took a sip from his coffee. "They call you Commander, and you've got pull with the Alliance … but this isn't an Alliance ship."

"Astute observation, Mr. Taylor," Shepard said.

"So … who are you, then?" Ronald asked.

"But if he does try to run or attacks us?" Jane asked.

"Then I'll make sure he lives just long enough to regret it," Shepard thought.

"Good," Jane said.

Shepard smirked. "Oh, I reckon you'll hear all about me soon enough. You've missed a lot Ron, holed up on your little pleasure island."

"What do you mean? What have I missed?" Ronald asked.

Jack walked back into the port cargo and leaned on the wall next to Shepard. "Damn, I was kinda hoping to come back and find you'd decided to cut his balls off."

"There's a thought," Jane said.

Shepard chuckled. "You know I wouldn't do something like that without you, Jack."

Ron shifted around uncomfortably and decided to try a different tactic. "How's Jacob? I haven't seen him since you brought me here."

"No," Shepard said.

"No?" Ron asked.

"She means no, asshole. You don't get to ask about Jacob, you don't get to see Jacob. Jacob doesn't want fuck all to do with you, so be glad he didn't kill you, you peace of shit," Jack said.

Shepard could feel Jane's amusement as it mingled with her own.

"Gods I love her," Shepard thought.

"Yeah." It was the masculine voice that spoke that time, as a wave of his love for Jack washed over Shepard.

Shepard smiled.

"I use to think she was too abrasive," Jane said. "But she's definitely grown on me over the years."

"Sounds about right. You'll be going back down tonight, Jack. I'll have someone relieve you an hour before you start the next shift," Shepard said.

"Yep," Jack said.

Shepard left the port cargo and went up to the main battery. Garrus and Grundan Krul were both focused on the screens in front of them when Shepard walked in. Garrus looked over at her and smiled, waving her to his side. Shepard moved to him and looked down at the screen in front of him. A picture of Councilor Sparatus stared back at her.

"What do you got?" Shepard asked.

"Hmmm. Not much. It's the C-Sec file for Sparatus. There's one for each of the councilors in case something happens to one of them, they get kidnapped or held hostage or something." Garrus tapped a talon on his keyboard, changing the screen. "Mostly just vital statistics, it lists his date of birth, physical description. You get the idea."

"Anything new on The Dissension?" Shepard asked.

Garrus looked past Shepard at Grundan Krul. Shepard turned her head to look at the batarian who looked at her with the same stoic expression she was used to seeing on his face. She looked back to Garrus who had turned his attention back to the screen in front of him, his mandibles pulled in tight against his jaw.

"I don't like that look. They've found something we're not going to like," Jane said.

"What? What did you find?" Shepard asked.

It was Grundan Krul who answered, though, bringing his laptop to her and hitting a button on the keyboard.

"They've contacted the media," Grundan Krul said as the vid began to play.

An older male turian in civilian dress sat behind a news desk. His piercing gaze and clipped mandible movements belied the calm tone with which he spoke.

"An anti-human organization has made itself publicly known today. The turian group identifying themselves as 'The Dissension' released a statement declaring war against humanity. It is unclear what actions, if any this group plans to take," the news reporter said.

"Damn it," Jane said.

"Fuck," Shepard said.

He paused, his mandibles flaring as he adjusted a datapad on the desk in front of him. "Officials are hesitant to label the group as terrorists until the group has made specific statements of actions they plan to take, or crimes that they commit against humanity have been made known."

"What about trying to buy a human Spectre at an illegal auction, or attacking a human Spectre on the Citadel?" Jane asked.

"Shh, we need to hear this," Shepard thought.

He clasped his hands in front of him and stared into the camera. "Primarch Fedorian has asked that it be made known that the Turian Hierarchy does not support the views of The Dissension, and no official war has been declared against our human allies. The Primarch has made it clear that any and all actions taken against any human or group of humans in response to this declaration will be considered acts of terrorism and treason." His mandibles flared once before snapping tight against his jaw again. "Anyone found to be taking part in such actions will be tried as such. An investigation into the group is underway. Anyone with any information about this group is asked to contact local law enforcement."

Grundan Krul tapped a button and the vid paused. Shepard looked up at the batarian and she could swear he cringed ever so slightly. Garrus put a hand on her shoulder and Shepard tensed. He didn't remove it though, instead only giving her a squeeze.

"This isn't good. We don't need this. We can't deal with this, we've got to take down the collectors and focus on the reapers. We've got to find a way to break this cycle. We don't have time for this shit," Jane said.

"I know, but it's happening nonetheless," Shepard thought.

"It's not as bad as it sounds, Shepard. The Primarch's siding with humans, that will carry a lot of weight with turian civilians," Garrus said.

"But it's a call to action for those who agree with The Dissension's views on humanity," Jane said. "We need to talk to Anderson."

"When was this broadcast?" Shepard asked.

"About four hours ago," Grundan Krul said.

"I've got to call Anderson, excuse me," Shepard said pulling away from Garrus. "Send me a copy of that!"

Shepard barreled out of the main battery and made a beeline for the elevator. She pushed the elevator call button and grumbled under her breath until it arrived. She took the elevator up to her cabin and went straight to the display case, jamming her finger against the button to turn the glass into a screen.

"EDI, get me Councilor Anderson immediately," Shepard said.

Shepard paced in front of her desk until EDI spoke again. "I am unable to complete the call, Shepard."

"What, why?" Shepard asked.

"The councilor's calls are being forwarded to his messaging system. Would you like to leave a message for the councilor?" EDI asked.

"Of course. The Council must be in session over this. They've got to figure out how they're going to deal with this. How they can cover it up and lie to the public about it," Jane said.

"Damn it, yes," Shepard said.

"Recording your message now, Shepard," EDI said.

"Anderson, it's Shepard. I just saw the turian news report. Please get back to me as soon as you can," Shepard said. "End recording."

"Delivering your message, Shepard," EDI said.

"EDI, when he calls back, I don't care where I am or what I'm doing, you forward the call to me right away. Got it?" Shepard asked.

"Of course, Shepard," EDI said. "Is everything alright?"

"Not at all," Jane said.

Shepard pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "Not really. The Dissension just declared war on humans. The Hierarchy has made it clear that they are not in support of this but there's no way this isn't going to cause problems."

"I see. Is there anything that I can do to help, Shepard?" EDI asked.

Shepard rubbed her forehead. "Yeah, talk to Garrus. Help him and Grundan Krul look for information."

"Right away, Shepard," EDI said.

"Thanks, EDI," Shepard said.

"You are welcome," EDI said.

Shepard smiled at the hologram before it disappeared. She resumed her pacing, unsure of what else to do with herself as her thoughts rushed through her head.

"You know what's going to happen next, now that they've declared themselves, don't you?" Jane asked.

"Yeah. They're going to start attacking. They won't have the numbers for a full assault, so it'll be smaller things. Bombings maybe? Sabotage?" Shepard thought.

"They'll go for high profile targets as much as possible," Jane said.

"The highest profile target humanity has is Anderson. Though they could target Alliance officials as well, but Anderson's got to be at the top of that list," Shepard thought.

"I don't think it gets any higher profile than the resurrected hero slash first human Spectre, Dawn. They've already made a play for us before. What makes you think they won't do it again?" Jane said.

"I don't. But I'm more concerned about Anderson," Shepard thought.

"Of course you are," Jane said. "I'm concerned about him too … but Dawn, we have to focus on keeping us safe. We have to, it's up to us to stop the reapers," Jane said.

"No, it isn't that simple. We've never done this alone, we always had help. Our team, the other races, the Council in their own fucked up way. Damn it, Anderson leads the resistance on Earth. You can't tell me he isn't important," Shepard thought. "He's fucking Anderson!"

"No, of course. That's not what I'm saying. Anderson is important, and he's important to all of us. But Dawn, I can hear what you're thinking. You can't charge into this. You can't make us a bigger target for them," Jane said.

"What the hell am I supposed to do?!" Shepard yelled into the empty room.

"Shepard?" EDI said.

"Yeah, sorry. Talking to Jane," Shepard said.

"You're supposed to do your job, Dawn. Let Anderson do his," Jane said. "We can't save them all. Gods know how hard we've tried."

"Is there a problem, do you need assistance?" EDI asked.

"No, EDI. We're just talking. I'm alright," Shepard said.

"Very well, Shepard," EDI said.

"You know I can't do that, Jane. I just can't. Not Anderson," Shepard thought. "Could you really stand aside knowing he could be in danger?"

"No … What are you going to do?" Jane asked.

"I don't know. There's nothing I can do right now. I just need to talk to him. I need to know that he has something in place. An escort, guards. Something," Shepard thought.

Shepard left her cabin and pushed the elevator call button. She wasn't sure where she was going, or why until she found herself slipping into the copilot's chair while Joker closed the shutters.

"You look like hell, Commander. What's up?" Joker asked.

Shepard heaved a heavy sigh and turned to Joker. "We've got a problem. A big fucking problem."

"Why don't you ever bring me good news?" Joker asked.

"What's good news?" Jane said.

Shepard scoffed. "If I ever had good news to bring, I would."

"So what's this big problem?" Joker asked.

Shepard opened her omni-tool and pulled up the copy of the news report Grundan Krul forwarded her. She adjusted the volume so it wouldn't carry outside of the cockpit and then went to stand behind Joker's chair. He glanced up at her, his hands still gliding over the controls in front of him.

"I've got something for you to watch," Shepard said.

"It's not human-turian porn is it? Because that's your thing, not mine," Joker said.

"Joker!" Jane said.

"Joker," Shepard said bumping his shoulder. "This is serious."

Joker raised an eyebrow. "Alright. She's all yours, EDI."

"I am assuming direct control," EDI said.

"Oh gods," Jane said.

"EDI," Shepard groaned.

"That was a joke," EDI said.

"Don't think she's laughing, EDI," Joker said trying to hide his smirk from Shepard.

"Oh yeah, it was hilarious. Alright, watch this." Shepard hit play and then leaned over Joker's seat, holding the omni-tool in front of him.

Joker watched the news report in silence. Shepard couldn't see his expression from the angle she was at, but she could see him sit a little straighter and tense up. When it was finished, she closed her omni-tool and sat back down in the copilot's chair.

"Damn," Joker said barely loud enough for Shepard to hear.

"Yeah. I'm thinking their next step is going to be to hit high profile humans," Shepard said.

"They've already tried for you, Commander." Joker glanced over at her, his face radiating anger and concern. "Have you talked to Anderson about this yet?"

"He's thinking the same thing. They'll try for us again," Jane said.

"I know," Shepard thought.

"I tried, couldn't get through. EDI left a message for me. He's probably swamped in Council meetings because of this." Shepard turned sideways in the chair and leaned closer to Joker to whisper. "Sparatus was accused by a member of The Dissension that was arrested. Now, that turian is dead and the list of people he accused is missing, too. They think a Spectre is involved and gone rogue. Sparatus is recusing himself from the Council while he's under investigation. He swears he had nothing to do with any of it, and to be fair, I believe him."

"You're shitting me?" Joker asked.

She rubbed her hands over her face. "Joker, I think Anderson is going to be a target. I've got to do something."

"I'm sure he's already considered that, if it makes you feel any better, Commander. He's probably already got guards set up. I'm sure he'll call you back as soon as he can," Joker said.

"He's right. Of course Anderson has something in play, he'd cover his own ass," Jane said.

"Yeah." Shepard turned back around in the chair and leaned her head against the seat.

"But if I know you, you're not going to rest until you know that he's safe for sure. And you're not going to believe that he's safe until you're by his side with about fifty guns and a tank," Joker said.

Shepard smiled. "Make that twelve tanks."

"So, are we going to the Citadel after the Alliance picks these people up?" Joker asked.

"I don't know yet. I'd planned on Omega first, it's important to Samara and she at least thinks it's time sensitive. I'll let you know after I talk to Anderson," Shepard said.

Joker grunted in response as he took the controls back from EDI. They fell into a companionable silence above Aiea until EDI told Shepard that Garrus was on his way to her cabin. Shepard got up and gave Joker's shoulder a squeeze. He patted her hand before she walked away.

Garrus paced the cabin when Shepard entered. His eyes shot up to meet hers and he rushed to her to wrap his arms around her.

"What did Anderson say?" Garrus asked.

"I couldn't get through to him. I left a message and I'm waiting to hear back," Shepard said.

Garrus led her to the couch and pulled her down on his lap. Shepard leaned against his chest and let out a sigh.

"We'll get through this, right? Tell me we'll get through this," Shepard said.

"We'll get through this," Jane said.

"Thank you," Shepard thought.

"Of course we will. We always do. You're just worked up over it because it's something new. Jane doesn't have the answers for you this time. You've gotten too used to her being able to tell you how things go." Garrus pressed his lips to Shepard's head. "You've forgotten who you are. You don't need her Shepard. You've got this, and I'm right here with you."

"I – that's not fair. I'm trying," Jane said. "This isn't easy. Tell him, Dawn, tell him this isn't easy for me."

"Let's just give him time, OK? Time and no more problems, right?" Shepard thought.

"Yeah, yeah, OK. Time and no more problems. I'll try," Jane said.

"You seemed pretty upset over it yesterday," Shepard said.

"I've had a little more time to think about it and I know that there's nothing to worry about because we're on this. We aren't leaving this one up to the Council to make a mess of. We'll find a way to fix all of this," Garrus said.

"Gods I hope you're right," Shepard said.

"Of course I'm right," he said.

Shepard stayed curled up on Garrus' lap until EDI alerted her that a call was coming through for her from Anderson. Shepard stood Garrus right behind her as she made her way to the large vid screen in front of her desk. EDI put the call through. Anderson appeared on screen and Shepard saluted. He returned her salute and nodded to Garrus hovering behind Shepard.

"Shepard, I can't talk long. The Council is about to make its official statement in response to the situation. Don't worry, Shepard, we've got this under control," Anderson said.

"The Council never has anything under control," Jane said.

"What is the Council's official statement, sir?" Shepard asked.

"I can't divulge that right now, Shepard. I'll send you a report once the statement has been made. In the meantime, its best if you keep yourself focused on stopping this collector threat. I know you, Shepard, and I know that you're going to want to be smack in the middle of this thing with The Dissension but it isn't where you need to be," Anderson said.

"But we have to make sure he's OK to do that, right?" Jane asked.

"Right," Shepard thought.

"With all due respect, sir, The Dissension has already put me in the middle of this and with their declaration of war, I'm afraid that makes you a target," Shepard said.

"You and every other person who's seen that broadcast. The Council and the Alliance have both slapped around the clock guards on me. It's being covered. Besides, Shepard, I haven't gotten so use to the comforts of this life that I can't still take care of myself. I'll be fine," Anderson said.

"So he's going to be OK, we can focus on the collectors," Jane said.

Shepard raked her hands through her hair and started pacing in front of her desk. Garrus took a step back, giving her the room she needed. She stopped to look at Anderson again.

"What is the Alliance's response to this?" Shepard asked.

"The Alliance is awaiting the official response of the Council, but considering Primarch Fedorian's response to the situation, the Alliance is on alert but not taking any official actions as of yet," Anderson said glancing in Garrus' direction.

Shepard followed his gaze. Garrus had his arms crossed over his chest and his mandibles pulled in tight. He met Shepard's gaze and she could almost see the gears turning in his head.

"Shepard." Anderson pulled Shepard's attention back to him. "Stay focused on the collectors. I'll keep you updated. Anderson out."

The screen went black and Shepard pressed her palms to the surface of the desk, leaning her weight on her arms. Her head sagged as Garrus but a reassuring hand on her back.

"But what if The Dissension is working with the collectors?" Jane asked.

Shepard could feel Jane's mood starting to shift again. The paranoia and chaos were setting into her thoughts, creeping into her voice. She was teetering on that edge and Shepard was desperate to keep her from going over.

"If they are, we will find out and we will stop them. I promise," Shepard thought.

"We're not staying out of this, are we?" Garrus asked.

"Of course not," Shepard said with a sigh, "and he knows it. He's giving me an out, telling me it isn't my responsibility. The collectors are important, but so is this and he knows it. He's hoping I won't listen to him; it's why he didn't insist that it was an order."

"We'll stop them? We'll stop The Dissension and the collectors. We'll stop them both," Jane said.

"That's right. We'll stop them. We'll do it together, OK?" Shepard thought.

"Yeah, OK. We'll stop them together," Jane said.

"So we find a way to keep this from escalating to war, while taking on the collectors," Garrus said. "Just your average day for us."

"Yep," Shepard said adding extra emphasis to the 'p'.

"Just your average day for us," Jane repeated.

They spent the rest of the evening in each other's arms, curled up together on the couch discussing The Dissension, Cerberus, the Shadow Broker, the collectors, the reapers, and everything in between. Hashing out plans and discussing possibilities seemed to help keep Jane from falling over the edge, but only just. Shepard realized Jane needed this, the strategizing, to keep it together.

Garrus left briefly, going down to the mess hall to bring dinner back up to Shepard's cabin. As the evening wore on, they made their way to Shepard's bed. She fell asleep basking in the afterglow, amazed that sex with the turian never got old and saddened knowing that as soon as she was asleep he would slip away for his shift on Aeia.

The next morning Shepard gathered her group in the hangar, finding herself disappointed that she'd be missing her training session with Thane. Samara, Grunt, Lia, Legion, and Dr. Chakwas climbed into the shuttle with Shepard and they made their way to Aeia. Shuttle Two landed next to Shuttle One and they filed out, carrying with them the supplies they would need for that day.

Shepard led them to the camp, noticing that no one watched her from the ledges above this time. The ground was soggy beneath her feet, and the foliage was still wet from a recent rain. She cringed thinking about what little cover the camp had and hoped that she wasn't going to find them all soaked through and through. The morning heat made the air feel thick and heavy, even more humid than before. She hoped it wasn't like this for long; this was exactly the type of thing she'd been trying to avoid sending Thane into.

The camp had been rearranged in her absence. The crates and tarps marking boundaries that Shepard had established had been shifted around to allow for other tarps to be strung from tree branches and connected to boundary walls creating several low hanging canopies. The survivors were most out moving around the camp now, but Shepard could see where they had bunkered down under the tarps for shelter from the rain before. Things still seemed relatively tense between the two groups of hunters as they vied for position around the crates of food and even the women.

Garrus and the others spotted her team and made their way to her. Shepard was relieved to see that Jacob was preparing to leave with them and she wasn't going to have to order him back to the ship again. Dr. Chakwas broke away to speak to Mordin. Shepard told her team to spread out and stand guard.

"Any problems?" Shepard asked as the group neared.

"The usual. A few fights broke out between the hunters but they were easily quashed." Garrus said as he glanced around the camp. "There haven't been any new arrivals and things have seemed pretty quiet out there."

"What about the ones that left yesterday, did they come back?" Jane asked.

"I had two leave camp yesterday. Any sign of them since then?" Shepard asked.

"I spotted them twice, they've been watching from a distance but they haven't attacked or approached," Thane said.

Shepard nodded her head. "Alright. You guys are free to go. The Alliance should be here today."

"I fucking hope so, this place sucks," Jack said.

"I like it here, not the camp but the planet. It's a shame everything's toxic. It's really beautiful," Jane said.

"Agreed," Shepard thought.

Shepard smiled. "Someone needs a nap."

"Fuck you," Jack said.

"Maybe later, Jack, I've got work to do." Shepard smirked.

"Ha, ha, ha. I'm done with this place, Shepard. I want to go," Jack said.

"We all do, Jack. Like I said, the Alliance should be here today and then we'll get going. Really, go get some sleep, you'll feel better," Shepard said.

"Yeah, whatever," Jack said brushing past Shepard, making her way toward the shuttle.

"Go with her you two, the others will wait for Mordin." Shepard nodded her head to Zaeed and Jacob who looked like he was dead on his feet.

She turned her attention to Thane when they walked away. "So much for keeping you out of the humidity."

"I'm fine, Siha. It was cool and dry most of the night," Thane said. "You needn't worry."

"He's not feeling well. He can't be, but he doesn't want you to think him weak," Jane said.

Garrus chuffed and Shepard frowned.

"It's Shepard, it's one of the many things she excels at," Garrus said.

Shepard rolled her eyes at Garrus and pushed him playfully.

Thane chuckled. "I will return to life support right away. The drier air will soothe the ache, I assure you."

"Can administer medications to help with symptoms," Mordin said as he neared.

"Thank you, Dr. Solus, but I do not believe that will be necessary," Thane said.

"He never accepts any help. Not until Kolyat convinces him after he starts passing out. He won't even allow himself to be put on the organ donor list to help combat the spreading disease. Do you think he's changed enough to be convinced to try to live longer?" Jane asked.

Shepard winced and thought, "I won't pressure him to do that. There is no cure; it would only prolong the inevitable. He has the right to choose how long he wants to let himself suffer. Even if it means watching him die again."

"Commander, we're just been hailed by the Alliance support you requested. A Captain Toni is requesting permission to dock with the Normandy and come aboard," Joker's voice broke through her comms.

"Permission granted. Miranda can oversee the prisoner transport. Did you say Captain Toni? As in the captain on Fehl Prime?" Shepard asked.

"You mean Fehl Prime where I stayed right here in the pilots chair the entire time?" Joker asked, the sarcasm dripping thickly in his voice.

"Alright, smartass," Shepard said.

"If it's the same Captain Toni, it could mean James is here. It'd be nice to see him again," Jane thought.

Shepard thought she heard a soothing quality to Jane's tone, as if Jane were trying to change the subject away from Thane and protect Shepard from the painful thought of losing him. Shepard smiled; perhaps there was hope for Jane to pull it together and for them to coexist peacefully.

"Yeah, it would be nice," Shepard thought.

She turned back to the others. "The Alliance has already arrived. Head back to the Normandy, they're docking with the ship to take Ronald Taylor. The medical transport teams are probably already headed down in shuttles."

"Will stay then. Help oversee patient transfers," Mordin said.

Shepard nodded. "Sure."

Garrus stepped forward and pushed his forehead into Shepards. "See you back on the Normandy."

She rubbed his mandible and pressed a quick kiss to his lips before he stepped away again. Garrus moved a few feet away and turned to wait for Thane.

"We will attend to your missed training this evening, if that suits you?" Thane asked.

"If you're sure you're feeling up for it," Shepard said.

"Exercise good for Keperal's Syndrome. Keeps oxygen flowing to tissues. Perhaps training more important if not feeling up for it," Mordin said.

Thane smiled. "I look forward to it, Siha."

He turned at took two steps toward Garrus before pausing. He looked at her over his shoulder before glancing at Garrus. Shepard couldn't see the look on Thane's face, but judging by Garrus' expression something had passed between the two of them. Garrus looked at Thane with a raised brow, his mandibles fluttering lightly. Thane dipped his head and turned back to Shepard. He wrapped a hand around her armored waist while cupping her cheek with the other. She smiled and rested her gauntleted hand on his shoulder. He leaned in and kissed her, briefly brushing his lips across hers.

"Ah. Multiple partnered cross-species intimate relationship. Interesting to study. Could –," Mordin said.

Shepard glanced at Mordin. "No."

Thane chuckled and kissed her again before letting her go. Shepard looked at Garrus as Thane turned away and was pleased to see a smile on his face. Thane joined Garrus and the two of them made their way down the path to the shuttles.

"Maybe it will work," Jane said.

"Have already begun taking notes. Suspected relationship with drell developing. Was unaware turian knew of involvement. Would conduct simple interviews, no experimentation. No invasive tests," Mordin said.

"Mordin, I'm not comfortable with that. Not yet anyway. Thane definitely wouldn't be comfortable with it. I'm sorry. You'll have to satisfy your curiosity with someone else," Shepard said.

"Perhaps can encourage other members of crew to engage in similar relationships," Mordin said.

"Maybe he'll get Samara, Grunt, and Miranda to have some fun together." Jane laughed at her own joke.

Shepard laughed and shook her head as she made her way to her team. She notified everyone that the Alliance had arrived and they began getting the camp ready for the medical team's arrival. They spread through the camp telling each of the survivors to gather their belongings and be ready to leave. She had to remind several of them that this was expected, while trying to reassure others that she was telling the truth and the medical team was really on their way.

Shepard had to physically pry a sobbing woman off of her when the first medical transport shuttles arrived. Mordin and Dr. Chakwas filled in the lead doctor on the condition of his new patients while nurses and armed Alliance soldiers began escorting the survivors to the shuttles. Shepard's team stayed at the camp, trying to keep the chaos under wraps as the reality of their rescue set in and the survivors pushed around the nurses and soldiers.

The first shuttles took off, taking with them ten of the survivors. Those left behind became enraged and panicked. Shepard and her team had to assure them that the shuttles would return, telling them that it was going to take several trips. Mordin and Dr. Chakwas had to sedate a few of them to keep them from harming themselves or others.

The tensions began to ease when the shuttles returned an hour later and loaded up more people, only to create the same reaction when they left again. The two men who fled the day before crept back into the camp, standing just at the edge with hopeful eyes. Shepard waved at them, welcoming them back into the camp. On the third trip down, the medical transport shuttles were accompanied by a third shuttle.

Shepard was in the middle of soothing a hysterical woman when she heard a familiar voice call out. "Hey Ídolo!"

A grin spread across Shepard's face as she turned, her eyes scanning the crowd until they landed on James. He was turned to Captain Toni beside him. Captain Toni shook his head in dismay as James lifted his shoulders in a shrug. James turned back to Shepard and flashed his teeth in a huge smile. She made her way over to the Alliance group, recognizing Essex and Kamille from Fehl Prime as well. Shepard stopped in front of Captain Toni and saluted, she was pleased to see that the captain returned her salute.

"Captain Toni, I wasn't expecting for you to be the one to show up. It's good to see you again," Shepard said.

Captain Toni nodded his head. "It's good to see you as well, Commander. I was happy to agree when Admiral Hackett asked for someone to oversee the medical transport." He glanced at James. "Besides, I never would have heard the end of it if I didn't agree. He's been pushing for this transfer since the last time he saw you and the Alliance finally gave him the approval."

"What?" Jane asked.

"Excuse me, sir?" Shepard raised an eyebrow.

"Hackett didn't tell you? The bullheaded Lieutenant Vega is all yours now, Commander, pending your approval of the transfer," Toni said.

"You're kidding? The Alliance went for that?!" Jane asked.

"You're serious?" Shepard turned to look at James, his smug smile starting to fade at her tone. "I would be honored to have Lieutenant Vega, but considering the nature of my current circumstances I did not expect the Alliance to approve such a request."

"Yes, well, the Alliance is adamant that they are not placing Vega under Cerberus command but under the command of you, specifically. You are still a Council Spectre, and although declared dead you were never officially stripped of your rank within the Alliance, Commander," Captain Toni said. "He will still be expected to report to the Alliance regularly, and should he be needed elsewhere he will be transferred just as any other marine would be. It's your call, Commander."

"This is wonderful," Jane said.

Shepard stuck out her hand. "Welcome to the team, Vega."