A Brothers Duty - Mass Effect

by JustStartingOut

Shepard has always kept his personal life to himself. With good reason. A life working with the alliance was led by many guidelines. The responsibilities, and freedoms, of being a spectre started to blur those lines. This will follow a similar structure to the game but has undergone serious deviations. MShepXTali. I will be attempting to upload once every two weeks or monthly.

19. A Cipher of Misunderstanding

Once everything was cleared by Kaidan and Wrex, Shepard would get on comms to the Normandy. "Get Chakwas down here, Wrex has been hit a few times."

"I don't need a doctor, I need a drink."

"Wrex, you've been stabbed a dozen times by those things."

"And I feel fine, thanks for asking." The rhetorical remark smacked Shepard across the face. Not even certain how to respond to the Krogan at this point. Pointing the Krogan to the stairs.

"Just… go. Get up top."

With the area below cleared, and his team returning to topside. Shepard remained, sitting on the stairs, just a few steps up to avoid the mold at the bottom. His head felt like a spinning top and it showed no sign of stopping. Iromak gave Shiala the go ahead to leave, Shepard, against his better judgment, allowed her to go. On the promise she would undergo the same treatment as the colonists.

Shepard remained downstairs, dealing with a head that felt foggy. His thoughts themselves felt sluggish, like each one had to be pulled up from deep, murky waters.

Sovereign.

Indoctrination.

The words wriggled their way into his mind, rooting themselves deep down into his thoughts. Ever since Shiala had said those words, it was all he could think.

Saren uses Sovereign.

He supposed it was some sort of info, but it was all he had. The melding had given him nothing thus far, except for a slight twinge at the nape of his neck and the spinning feeling.

I better get something other than a damn headache from this.

Shepard wondered if the feeling was simply from the Cipher. Having the distinct feeling that the melding wasn't the cause for feeling like he was on a boat in a storm. Just as John was about to stand to start his climb back up the steps, Tali's voice was heard from behind him.

"Are you alright John?"

He turned around to see Tali stepping down the stairs, giving her a short nod and a thumbs up. John's tired smile still hidden behind the rag wrapped around his face. The appearance of Shepard with the mask humored Tali slightly, stepping down to sit on the steps next to him.

"Returning to your days as an outlaw?"

"Outlaw?" The mild confusion in John's voice made Tali giggle lightly, only confusing the Commander further.

"Pirate, outlaw, same difference."

"And go back to the Terminus?" John shook his head, tugging the mask off his face. "No, I've certainly had enough of that place for a few lifetimes."

"Is it really that bad?"

"Worse than that, you only hear the bad stories because people survived them and got out of the Terminus. The worst stories don't get off the planet it happened on."

Tali paused for a moment, turning to look at the room in front of them. "Well… I'll be sure to steer clear of it."

"Please be sure that you do."

The pair sat in silence for a few minutes, Shepard using the rag to try and clean the green stains on his armor. Tali aiding him as she posed a few questions as to what happened down there, John gave her the short version for now. Confirming the Thorian was dead, and summing up his brief interaction with Shiala to get the cipher.

"How did the Commando do up there? Anything happen?"

"Nope." Tali's control over her own voice gave way for but a second, hitting a higher pitch than she usually would. There was a moment of pause, Shepard getting the distinct feeling that she was not being totally honest.

"Nothing at all?"

"Nope, nothing… important."

Tali had difficulty bringing herself to look up at the Commander, who watched her with curious eyes. Both of them knew one thing for certain.

She was a terrible liar.

Shepard decided not to push it, wondering quietly to himself as to what she'd keep from him. Standing up slowly, his head still felt like it'd spin off his shoulders at any moment, so they kept a slow pace up the stairs. Both of them remained quiet for the rest of the walk up.

The view of light shining down into the hole was accompanied by a lot of arguing, several Turians and a human voice echoing lightly down the stairs. Shepard sighed quietly as he realized that his day was not yet over. The pair got to the top, finding the Council's squad arguing with Kaidan, the Alliance soldier holding his ground between the three Turians and the stairs Shepard had emerged from. Garrus and Wrex both sat on either side of the steps, watching the altercation.

Shiala was sitting on a set of boxes a good distance away from the stairs. Sitting as still as a statue for Iromak as he started to go through the same process he went through with the others. The Batarian was quite relieved that she was willing to work with him on this, unlike the colonists he had to deal with.

"Spectre." Vitesia could be heard calling to the Commander as he came into view.

Shepard already didn't like where this was going, the Commander stepping up next to Kaidan and crossing his arms as she spoke up.

"This-" The biotic Turian started, only to get cut off by the Commander.

"This, is the second time I've found one of you arguing with a member of my crew. You better have a good reason." His sharp and scornful tone showed his patience was thin for their constant testing of the Alliance's command structure.

Vitus was about to speak up, Vitesia holding up a hand to stop him. "We are attempting to complete our mission, scouting and information gathering. He has been stopping us from following you, so-"

"Did I request your help?"

Vitesia paused at the question, shaking her head. "We aren't here for that, we're-"

"You're out of line. If Alenko tells you to stay out, that's as good as my own orders, which you will follow."

"With all due respect." Vitesias' tone made it clear that she'd rather spit on his boots than give him respect. "We aren't here for your orders, we're here from the Council."

"That's awfully tragic." Shepards sharp turn from a serious tone to being thick with sarcasm amused Tali. Glad that her helmet kept her smirk hidden. "In any case, you aren't going down there. It's restricted to Alliance personnel only."

"That's bullshit, the Quarian just came up with you, and I saw the Krogan coming up as well." Cavius spoke up, and seemingly out of line from the glares he caught from the other two Turians, he was oblivious to the glares though. Tali's eyes flicked back and forth between John and the Turians, beginning to wonder if he was purposely annoying them.

"Yes, Urdnot Wrex is contracted by the Alliance, for mercenary work." The comment got Wrex to turn and look at Shepard, the Krogans expression hidden by his helmet. "Miss Zorah here is my advisor on the Geth. Since none of you can be labeled as either, stay out of here, or face the bureaucratic process of the Alliance."

"What the hell does that mean?" Once again, Cavius spoke up before Vitesia or Vitus could silence him. He did however, receive a smack on the back of his head from the biotic Turian.

Tali saw a small twitch of a smile at the corner of John's mouth at the sight, it was quickly flattened back down into a thin line before he spoke. "You, or any of your lackeys step foot on these stairs, and I'll have you arrested. Then I'll just let the Alliance figure you out, whenever they make time for a few Turians."

Shepard and Vitesia stood in a silent stand off for an uncomfortably long amount of time. Vitesia buckled on her stance first, having the other two follow her back to the Normandy. The Commander gave Kaidan access to the comms network through his omni tool before sending him and Wrex back to the Normandy. Making sure Kaidan would give Pressly the all clear and have him relay the situation back to the Alliance.

Once the two groups were out of sight, Shepard turned his attention to the colony around them, wondering as to where the Commando was.

"Tali?"

"Yes?"

"Where…" John did another quick look around them before he started to look through the colony more thoroughly. "...is Helyt?"

Tali followed him, starting to feel her pulse pick up slightly. "She's around here in the colony somewhere…"

I hope…

Much to Tali's relief, she found Helyt slumped in the same corner of crates that she had slipped behind, the gap to the hallway pushed shut now. Tali woke the half asleep Asari before helping pull Vaay to her feet before she told John that she was found.

"Good, Tali, get her back to the Normandy while we take care of the colony."

"Got it."

Shepard, Garrus and Iromak would do their best to secure the opening, using many of the crates that had been blocking the doorway to the hall to create a boundary around the steps. Shiala offered her help part way through, speeding up the process significantly. John would've covered it up, but knew better than to leave a job half done. The Commander would make sure the Alliance sent a crew to sterilize every inch of the place.

"Well, Shepard, you have everything neat and tidy here."

The voice Williams piping up from the entrance of the colony made Shepard turn around, finding both Tali and Liara walking with her.

"And what are you doing out of medical, Gunnery?"

"Escorting these two to the colony, Sir. Doctor Chakwas cleared me as long as I don't use my right arm." Tali went to sit on a few crates near Garrus and Iromak, watching them play a game of cards that she wasn't yet familiar with. Shiala sat quietly as she watched them play. Liara began to wander about, attempting to find some part of the building that hadn't been renovated for the colony. Hoping to find some trace of the previous inhabitants. John couldn't see Williams face from her helmet, but had a feeling that there was a slight smugness to it underneath.

She really wants to be on the field.

Or just off the ship.

Shepard wasn't happy to have a wounded soldier back up and about, but had a feeling reigning her in would be more hassle than it was worth. Instead, he ordered Williams to stay with Liara and make sure she didn't get lost or attacked. With a short nod, the Gunnery turned on her heel and followed after the Asari Doctor. John turned to join the other four, watching the game play out for a few minutes before interrupting.

"Alright, you can finish this later. Iromak and I need to go check on the others across the bridge. Tali, Garrus, you two will stay here, keep an eye-"

Shepard stopped himself as he saw Tali watching him, her head tilted downwards slightly as if she wanted to look to the ground, but Tali's eyes were turned upwards, focused on John. It was a small thing, but he had learned over time that she was hoping to interject, but was too polite to interrupt.

"Yes, Tali?"

There was a moment of hesitation from Tali. Her attention turning from John to the two playing cards, then back again.

"Could I go with you?"

Shepard paused, his left eyebrow lifting slightly at the question. "It's not going to be anything exciting, I'm just going to check that the weasel back there hasn't done anything."

"Well…" Tali's hands were quietly fumbling with each other as she spoke, John watching with a small smile. "It was just… I was wondering if we could go down to the Geth ship's crash site?"

Shepard considered the idea, uncertain of just what condition the ship would be in. After a few questions to Tali on the chances of active Geth, he agreed. Iromak and Garrus returned to their game of cards as John and Tali went back to the garage to retrieve the Mako.

The trip to check on the Exogeni employees was quick and easy. After a quick headcount to check that the scientists were all truly accounted for, Shepard and Tali would bring the Mako up to the bridge closest to where the ship had dropped from. Bringing the vehicle to a stop at the side of the bridge.

John double checked the seals on the hatches, all of which were in working order. Tali took the seat next to him so that she could tend to the controls of the eezo core. John took control of the thrusters as Tali fed a small amount of electricity into the core. The vehicle would gradually lift from the ground, the Commander guiding it gently over the edge before cutting the feed to the jets keeping them lifted up. The vehicle plunged downwards, disappearing into the thick dust that seemed to encapsulate the lower atmosphere of the planet.

Liara and Williams had found themselves traveling up the same stairs that John and Tali had used to get down. The Doctor searched the floors that the other two had bypassed in favor of reaching the garage. The Gunnery followed Shepards instruction, staying close enough to the Asari so that their shields covered each other.

In time, they had searched several floors. Liara spent almost every second rummaging through old, forgotten items, most of which seemed too degraded to glean anything from. It wouldn't stop the Asari though, her hope to find something that could be connected to the Protheans holding strong throughout the search.

"Thank you. For joining me on this search Miss Williams."

"Oh, don't worry about it. Someone has to play the hero when Shepards gone."

"You like being a hero?"

Ashley paused for a moment, pondering the question. Her eyes watching the Asari dig through a small pile of rusted trinkets. "I dont… I mean…" The Gunnery found herself stumbling on the question, stopping herself from answering as she thought about it. Stepping over to help Liara look for something of use before answering.

"This isn't my full-time job, I'm just filling in for Shepard."

"So… you think that the Commander is a hero?" Liara paused her searching to look at Williams. The Gunnery couldn't see it, but she could imagine the Asari's curious expression.

"I don't think I know him well enough to answer that properly."

"I thought that you had served with the Commander for some time now?"

"Well… not really. I joined the Normandy just after the Eden Prime incident. Captain Anderson was in control of the ship then."

"So it is a Captain that is usually in control of Alliance ships?"

"Yeah. That's part of the Alliance's basic command structure."

"So… why hasn't Shepard been promoted?"

It was another pause, much longer this time as Williams tried to figure out the reason. Only shrugging slightly while she rummaged through the items with her good arm.

"That's a good question."

Liara and Williams went from room to room, thoroughly checking for anything the doctor may find of use. The Gunnery kept her pistol close at hand just to be safe. Liara as well was armed, but much less aware of her surroundings.

The pair took the stairs up another floor. Just as the Gunnery was about to follow Liara into one of the old rooms, a shadow cutting across the far part of the hall pulled her attention. The pistol in her hand whipped up to aim down the hall as her eyes scanned for movement. Taking a step into the room that Liara had been scrounging around in, checking that it seemed clear before speaking up.

"I'm going to go check on something, shout if you need me."

Liara turned just enough to give Williams a short nod, returning to scouring the room shortly after. The Gunnery hadn't been gone for more than a minute before she started digging through a pile of rubble mixed with broken bits of metal. Liara noted a red liquid that had rubbed off onto her gloves from the stone and metal she'd been digging through. Rubbing the liquid between her fingers for a second to check its consistency.

Liara turned her gaze back down to the pile before her, Liara's eyes widening under her helmet as she let out an alarmed yelp. The Doctor quickly stumbled back from the pile, nearly losing her footing in the sudden movement. Calling out loudly in a frantic voice.

"A-Ashley!"

The Gunnery charged into the room only seconds later, aiming her pistol around the room as she scanned for someone besides the Doctor. When Williams saw nothing but Liara with her back against the wall, she'd step over to stand next to the Asari. Liara said nothing, pointing towards the pile of rubble she had been digging through.

The Gunnery raised her pistol as she started to approach the pile. Each cautious step placed with care to not make much noise. Reaching the pile, the Gunnery would kneel down to look closer, a cold chill running up her spine as she spotted a human hand barely visible amidst the rubble, limp and stained in blood.

"Oh…"

Vaay heard the sound of the elevator door sliding open, groaning quietly to herself as the sound of several Turians speaking amongst themselves became apparent. The Asari was laying in her cot, the small blanket she had covering her face in an attempt to block out the light. The chattering of the Turians dissipated, leading Vaay to hope for some silence so she could sleep; her gut told her something else was up though.

Without warning, the left side of her cot collapsed, causing her to roll down and onto the ground with a light thud. Vaay didn't react at first, only letting a quiet sigh escape from her lips. After a minute, she reached up to pull the blanket off her head. Looking up at Cavius, the one responsible for her cot collapsing.

"What?"

Her voice was cold, but her eyes were too tired to match her tone. The Asari pushed herself up to a sitting position before looking at her cot.

"The Doctor needs your help. Get upstairs, Commando."

The Turian sneered the last word out like it was an insult. Helyt stared at her cot in silence for a minute, finally pushing herself to her feet. Snagging her helmet from next to her collapsed cot before walking over to the elevator to see what she was needed for. Not bothering to ask why she was given the rude awakening.

Just as Helyt reached the door to the medbay, it slid open, a hulking Krogan standing in her path. His armor covered in green blood spatters that had long since dried, several holes spotted along the armor from the Thorians thralls stabbing into it. Vaay stepped to the side, her head lowering slightly to keep her eyes on the ground. Wrex passed with a short grunt of acknowledgement, Vaay turning her head slightly to watch him go.

"Miss Helyt?"

The Asari quickly turned to face the door, standing at attention before the Doctor. Chakwas watching her reaction with a slight curiosity.

"Are you ready to go?"

Vaay paused at the question, feeling a bit awkward as she didn't know what she had signed up for.

"I- uh… Sorry, I wasn't told, where will we be going?"

"Into the colony, Gunnery Williams has found a body. Called me for help identifying the cause of death."

"I don't have any experience with that Miss-" Vaay quickly cut herself off to correct her mistake. "Doctor Chakwas."

Chakwas found herself somewhat amused at Helyt's slight stumble over the simple, and inconsequential mistake. Picking up a case that had several warning labels etched into the metal, it was about the same size as a briefcase.

"I am aware, but I don't dare leave the ship without someone to keep me safe. I'm not certain the Commander's blood pressure could handle it."

"I'll go grab my rifle, then I'll be ready."

"Good, I'll be waiting at the airlock."

After retrieving her weapon, Helyt stopped in the bathroom to splash cold water on her face. It helped her sluggish feeling, but wasn't a cure for it. Upwards she trudged to meet the Doctor at the airlock. When Vaay arrived, the Doctor was talking with the pilot. Instead of interrupting, she waited quietly at the door till they finished.

The Doctor quickly finished up her discussion once she realized that Vaay had arrived. Helyt remained alert and attentive to their surroundings on their walk to the colony, everything was quiet though, reaching the colony without incident. Williams and Liara were waiting for them already. Williams and Shiala watching the game of War that Garrus and Iromak were playing. Liara was sitting on a crate nearby, her attention on the ground just below her dangling legs.

Vaay went to sit with Liara, the two hadn't talked much, but they had spent quite some time sitting in silence at the table in the mess. Chakwas went to speak with the Gunnery about the body, and after a few words, they were off to inspect the remains.

The windows provided nothing but a clouded view to the pair within the Mako. John occasionally had Tali raise the current that she fed through the core, intensifying the field it created around the vehicle. This made it easier for Shepard to slow the descent of the vehicle, his eyes darting from the controls to a readout on the ceiling of the Mako. It tracked the speed of the Mako, a warning popping up anytime they reached a dangerous velocity.

It was a longer drop than Shepard had anticipated. Once the sensors on the vehicle were able to give an estimate of the distance to the ground below them, Tali would relay the count to John so he could ease the landing. The touchdown was quite rocky on the uneven surface, but could have been worse considering the unmapped territory.

John turned his eyes up to the window, finding himself surprised that he could see out to a landscape covered in a thick mist. Visibility was certainly less than what he'd prefer, but unlike the sea of dust they had just been through, they could actually see further than the glass. All he could see was old concrete that had been smashed down into massive chunks that were comparable to the Normandy in size. Vast lengths of twisted and rusted metal were spotted around, jutting upwards out of the concrete and into every direction. It was near impossible to tell what the original construction was, or what could have caused so much damage.

The Commander spent a minute scanning for any movement out the window. After all that was visible seemed still, Shepard hoisted himself up and went towards the back of the Mako. Grabbing his rifle as he went towards the rear hatch.

"Any movement on the sensors?"

"None yet."

Shepard grabbed a few flares from one of the emergency kits in the ceiling. Giving a nod as he started to unseal the rear hatch. "Good, I'll go check it out and-"

"John?"

Shepard paused with his hand on the latch, turning around to look at Tali with his questioning look.

"Don't you need a helmet out there?"

John turned from Tali to look at a panel on the roof that gave a readout of the atmosphere outside the Mako. Tapping it a few times with his knuckle before turning back to Tali, shaking his head.

"Nope." Before she could put up another argument, he pushed the latch down before pushing opening the hatch and slipped out.

Stepping out into the mist, Shepard felt like he had stepped into a steam room. A sudden light headed feeling hitting the Commander, making his pace slow as his vision became spotty. Taking slow, relaxed breaths till the feeling subsided. The air was thick and soupy, an overly earthy smell wafting over his nostrils. John didn't mind, as it was a much preferred change compared to the putrid smell of the Thorian.

Shepard ignited one of the flares he had snagged, a bright red glow lighting up the area around him as it started to burn. With one hefty throw, he sent the flare spinning towards the direction he thought the Geth ship would be in. It landed with a few bounces before rolling down some concrete and coming to a rest.

"How is it out there?"

Tali's voice flicked in over his omni tool, Shepard turning around to see her peeking over the rear window, a small smirk forcing its way onto his lips as he saw her faintly glowing eyes flicking around to watch the area around him.

"Stuffy, and clear from what I can see. Come on, let's go find that ship."

Tali eagerly pushed open the hatch, closing it back over once she was outside. Shepard left a lit flare sitting on top of the Mako before they left. The pair took their time to scale the smashed structures. Shepard remained on point throughout their trek. Tali spoke up after a few minutes of clambering over the worn structures.

"Thank you for bringing me down here."

"Don't worry about it Tali, let's just hope there's still something intact for you to bring back."

In time, they'd start finding parts of the ship that had flown off from the impact. Tali poked over what they found, leaving most of it behind as it turned out to be too damaged to be useful, or just parts of the outer hull. Their progress slowed the more bits and pieces they found. While Shepard was looking for any movement around the area that Tali was searching, his omni tool let out three low tone beeps.

Doctor Chakwas.

The Commander double checked the area around them, once he was certain nothing but they were around, he checked it. The title of the message was simple.

'Fai Dan has been found'

Shepard already knew what it meant for Chakwas to message him rather than someone else. Shaking his head quietly to himself before opening the message. The Doctor had provided Shepard an account of the injuries the colony's leader had sustained; after that was a summary of the Doctor's observations on what most likely had killed Fai Dan.

During the uncovering of the body, a basic Geth foot soldier had been found as well. It seemed to be responsible for what had happened, Fai Dan had sustained several gunshot wounds from the machine. Fai Dan had attempted to overpower the machine. Several shots had been put into the ceiling before a slight cave in from the ceiling brought both the combatants to an unfortunate end. The Doctor would bring his remains aboard the Normandy for autopsy to confirm her observations.

"Did something happen?"

Tali's voice pulled Shepard back to the present, turning his head to look at the Quarian. Finding that she was already watching him with obvious curiosity.

"Uh… yeah. Chakwas just updated me on Fai Dan."

"Oh…? Where was he?"

Tali's light hearted tone told John that she hadn't realized what had happened. "He was somewhere near the colony… he didn't make it."

Tali's eye's rested on John for several seconds, turning her head to look towards the ground. "Oh…"

There was a strange silence between the two, neither had really known the man. It was still an uncomfortable subject to touch on though. Shepard would acknowledge the message before continuing.

Shepard lit another flare once the message had been sent, climbing up part of a concrete slab to throw it ahead. Giving it a hefty throw in hopes that it'd reveal the Geth ship. It only landed upon more concrete, rolling along before getting stuck on some metal.

John let out a quiet sigh, reaching up to wipe some of the sweat and precipitation off his face. Noticing a red smear along the middle of his hand, looking at his hand in confusion for a moment. Reaching up to feel under his nose with the back of his hand, looking down to see more blood.

A nose bleed?

Tali stepped up next to Shepard, wondering what was keeping his attention. Gasping softly as she saw the blood. "What happened?"

John took a moment to answer, not fully knowing the answer. "Yeah… uh… I don't know…" As he spoke, a shiver ran through his body, quickly followed by a cold sweat. "Why…"

"John, you're going pale. Let's go back, we can come down here tomorrow."

John was going to try and push forward, but after another bout of a light headed feeling. The Commander concurred, knowing that it was an unwise decision to continue. The pair turned around to follow the flares back. Tali kept an eye on Shepard throughout the walk, making sure he didn't lose balance. The entire walk to the Mako, Shepard felt a headache making its gradual push to take over his head.

Tali left Shepard's side to climb into the right side of the Mako. Pulling herself in to see the Commander standing at his open hatch, slumped against the entrance. His gaze sitting on the middle distance, Tali raising a hand to wave it near his line of sight.

"John?"

The Commander's gaze slowly pulled up to meet hers. His eyes were worn and tired, which quickly flicked to a vacant look before Shepard fell back. Hitting the ground with a light thud, hearing one thing before falling unconscious.

"John!"

Iromak and Garrus had gone to aid the Doctor in bringing the body back to the colony as William's shoulder was in no condition to pick anything up. The remains were put into a body bag that the Doctor had brought for transport. Williams returned to the colony to keep guard over the colonists and the Thorians' lair.

Williams, upon arrival at the colony, noticed two fewer people than before. Shiala, the last present Asari, was still on top of the same crate as before, sitting with her legs crossed. The Asari gave a quiet nod to the Gunnery, who would return the small gesture.

Williams wasn't certain as to who she was, but shrugged it off, as she had been there for quite some time. Turning her attention to the two that weren't around, wondering if they had gone back to the ship or not. The thought was cut short as she felt a faint shaking in the ground below her, before she could make a guess as to what it was, Wrex came charging from the ship's direction. The Krogan charged through the colony and towards the bridge, ignoring Williams' questions as to just where he was going.

Wrex was on a mission, and knew that he didn't need help. Nor would Williams be able to help even if he needed it. The Krogan was gone just as quickly as he had arrived. Leaving Williams and Shiala in silence, watching the hall he had disappeared down. After the pause, Williams would turn to Shiala, who was quietly scrapping a grayish substance off her boots.

"Do you know where Liara and the Commando went?"

Shiala pulled her head up to look at Williams, her mouth slipping open slowly. "Liara… T'soni?"

Williams gave a short nod, Shiala sitting quietly with the realization of Liara's relation to Benezia before answering.

"The Commando… wanted to show Liara something… Then they walked off that way."

Shiala raised her hand to gesture towards some of the buildings that the colonists were sleeping in. Williams would thank the Asari before starting to poke around the area, wondering as to where the two had gone. Her search yielded nothing, partially because Garrus and Iromak had arrived with Chakwas. The Batarian and Turian carrying the bodybag between them. Williams went to see if she could be of any aid, Chakwas shooing her away at the thought of having the wounded soldier carrying something.

Fai Dan's body was taken to the Normandy for an autopsy. Garrus remained aboard the ship while Iromak returned to the colony to keep an eye on things. Iromak questioned Shiala once he arrived, making sure that she was still fine. Once he was finished, and out of earshot from Shiala, Ashley would ask Iromak who the new Asari was.

The Batarian gave her a rundown on what had happened in the Thorians lair, and how Shiala had been found. While the two were talking, Liara and Vaay walked up to join Shiala. Williams looked around to try and spot where they had come from, with no success. Finally, walking up to the three Asari to pose a question to Liara and Vaay.

"I lost you for a bit, where have you two been?"

Williams did her best to pose the question in a casual manner, not certain if she succeeded as both of the Asari seemed to be unable to give her a straight answer. Liara and Vaay both attempted to answer near simultaneously, stumbling over each other's statements in a vain attempt to make a coherent story. Shiala appeared quite amused as she looked between the two. Williams watched the pair, waiting for either to fully answer. Chakwas' reappearance pulled the Gunnery's attention from the Liara and Vaay. The two Asari traded silent, blank expressions while Williams was turned away. Shiala watched the pair curiously, turning her attention to the area around them afterwards. Chakwas passed the group with a short nod, Williams following after her now.

"Doctor, did you forget something?"

The question was more rhetorical than anything. Chakwas was walking at a quick pace, her face showing that she was in deep thought.

"No, Tali and Wrex need help with the Commander."

"What happened?"

Chakwas shrugged, keeping her brisk pace up. "No idea, I just know he isn't awake."

Tali sat in Chakwas' chair in the med bay, the Quarian had originally been pacing around different parts of the room. When she found herself in the Doctor's way one too many times, Tali was assigned to the seat. Her legs quietly bounced up and down as she watched the Doctor work. Patience wasn't Tali's strongest trait, but she was certainly trying her best.

Williams waited near the door for the Doctor to finish. Leaned against the wall as her eyes followed Chakwas around the room. After several tests and a few checks on her computer, Chakwas seemed to be finished. Stepping back from the unconscious Commander before turning to the two others.

"Is he going to be alright?"

"He'll be fine Tali, you don't have to worry."

The Quarian only shook her head at the statement, not feeling entirely comfortable at the feeling of brushing it off.

"I told him he needed a helmet. We shouldn't have gone down there."

"It's not from going down there. My best guess is that it's from whatever the Asari gave him."

"I'll go get her." Williams finally spoke up, pushing off the wall to leave.

"I don't believe that's necessary. Nothing is wrong with him, unless you count dreaming as a problem, Miss Williams."

"From the way Tali described it, just dreaming isn't exactly how I'd put it. It sounded like she messed with his head."

"I highly doubt it. Meldings aren't manipulative or damaging things. But if it makes you feel any better, then proceed, Miss Williams."

Ashley paused at the comment, considering it for several moments. When Ashley noticed Tali's gaze was silently resting on her. Uncertain of what the Quarians expression was, Williams quickly excused herself before heading to the colony.

Tali turned back around once the Gunnery was gone. Finding the Doctor watching her, Chakwas' eyes hid whatever she was thinking quite well. Speaking up after turning to her computer.

"You should go rest up Tali. Whenever the Commander wakes up, I'm sure you'll be the first person he checks on."

Tali didn't respond to her comment, soon getting up to leave. Going to grab food and water before retiring to the Captain's cabin. Deciding to follow the Doctor's advice on getting rest.

The Quarian hadn't been sitting on the bed for more than a minute before heavy footsteps were heard approaching the door. Tali could tell it was Wrex from the light shaking. Turning to look at the door as she waited. There was a small pause between the last step and the first knock on the door. Tali spent a moment wondering as to why the Krogan would knock on the door. Opening the barrier from across the room with the wave of her omni tool.

"John is still in the med-"

"Are you alright?"

The question caught Tali off guard, staring at the Krogan with a slight confusion in her eyes. Answering his question, hesitant at first.

"I'm fine. Nothing happened to-"

"Don't give me that, I've been around the galaxy a couple times. I know when a Quarian is lying."

Tali turned her head to look at the wall, rather than Wrex. Her hands fumbling quietly with the tubes in her hands.

"You didn't seem to know when we played poker."

Tali could hear a deep rumbling from the Krogan, realizing that he was chuckling to himself. Wrex grabbed Shepards chair to pull it over and sit with Tali, the metal chair letting out a groan under the weight of a Krogan and his armor.

"I was letting you win, people tend to avoid playing cards with a person that never loses."

Tali turned her head to watch the Krogan, peering at him through squinted eyes. "Right, that's why I have a hundred of your credits now. You were just letting me win."

"Well, I've taken more than that from the Turian. So it's really his credits you got."

The Krogans' attempt at humor met no response from Tali. The Quarian turned her gaze down to the food and water in her hands, rolling the tubes around each other quietly. Wrex eventually let out a quiet sigh out as he leaned forward, supporting himself with a hand on his knee.

"Shepard is fine, you know that?"

"How would I know that? I'm not a Doctor, and I'm guessing you aren't either."

"No, I'm not. I do know that the Alliance is rather particular over who gets called a Doctor, and who gets called a medic. Chakwas even knew how to patch me up."

"Have you worked with the Alliance before this?"

Tali's tone finally pulled off its dull and bored act, a slight bit of curiosity could be heard slipping through. Wrex smirked slightly at the sound, starting to tell Tali about his previous jobs as a mercenary to try and cheer her up.

Shiala and Liara were talking in the colony. Iromak slowly patrolled the area, keeping his distance from the two Asari to let them have privacy. The Batarian occasionally checked to see if the colonists had awoken, wondering how long they'd be out. Williams, upon arrival, tried to locate the Commando. Finding that Vaay was gone again, the Gunnery started to wonder if her disappearances were just a habit of hers.

Rather than interrupt the two Asari who were having a quiet chat, Williams went to ask Iromak about Vaay's location. Finding that he hadn't been keeping track of the Commando. Williams was again, going to look for the missing Asari. Stopped by Iromak offering to play a game of cards with her. Initially, she was going to decline, but considered that Vaay would likely be traveling through the colony to get back to the ship, so she accepted.

For over an hour, Williams and Iromak shifted between various card games. Both sat on crates in front of the stairs to make sure no one got down them. Liara had spent much time posing question after question to Shiala about her mother. Trying her best to figure out why her mother would side with Saren.

Shiala had been a loyal follower of Benezia for almost double Liara's lifetime. To this time, she vowed that the Matriarch aiding Saren, and the Matriarch Shiala had followed, were not the same person. Perhaps they inhabited the same body, looked the same, sounded the same, but Shiala knew that something was turning Benezia's mind.

Shiala knew this to be certain, as the same had happened to her. Something had slowly forced its way into her mind while aboard the ship Sovereign. Twisting her loyalty to the Matriarch, into loyalty for Saren.

"Something in my own mind made me believe, all I did, was to the Matriarch's will. Your mother's will, but I know…" Shiala paused for several, long seconds before rephrasing her statement. "I knew Benezia, and I know she would never do those things… Never."

In the end, Liara could only come to one conclusion. Her Mother hadn't joined Saren, Shiala spoke for a long time, and touched on several subjects that Liara was uncertain of, slowly painting a fuzzy picture for the Asari to understand the last portion of her mothers life.

As time wore on, the sky started to find its deeper reds as the sun began to set. Liara, finding herself worn from their long talk, would thank Shiala before getting up to head for the Normandy. Williams would cut her and Iromaks game of blackjack short when she noticed the Asari starting to head back. Making sure that she wasn't left alone for the trip.

Iromak would go around, turning the lights on to brighten up the colony. Shiala found herself a quiet spot inside one of the colony's buildings to sleep for the night. Iromak remained at the colony, continuing his patrol around the top of the stairs. In time, his boredom would get the better of him. Stopping his patrol to sit at the stairs, finally removing his helmet to set it next to him. Starting to shuffle his cards before laying them out.

At least half an hour passed of Iromak quietly laying cards down. Occasionally glancing around the area to check he was still alone. It wasn't by spotting her did he know the Commando was present, but it was the quiet scraping of a box being pushed. Turning his attention up to look around, he'd find nothing but the empty colony around him. Deciding to get up and poke around to find the source.

It wasn't hard to find the Asari, finding her pushing behind one of the metal buildings that had been brought for the colony. Watching Helyt pushing a few boxes up to reinforce the blocked door. Waiting till she finished her job before clearing his throat to get her attention.

Helyt spun around to face Iromak, finding her tired eyes to be on full alert. Vaay's posture dropped from full attention to slumping against the crates when the Asari saw Iromak, clearly relieved it was him.

"I thought you were the Spectre."

Iromak only shook his head in response. The Batarians attention turned from the Asari to scan over the crates, trying to see if any were open. Helyt wasn't oblivious to his suspicions, pushing herself up to sit on one of the crates as he approached them.

"There's a door back there, leads to some old rooms and there's a path to the bridge. I was making sure that none of those Geth were around."

"Is that right?"

Iromaks rough voice made it difficult to read any emotion from him. Something told the Commando that he wasn't exactly buying it. The Asari gave a quick nod, pushing off the crates as she began to walk away.

"Yeah. There's not much else but dust and some old stuff."

"Did you leave your helmet back there?"

Vaay paused her stride, standing in silence for several moments. Keeping her back to Iromak as she spoke.

"N-No, it's on the ship."

Before Iromak could say anything, she quickly walked off. The Batarian watched her go with a slight suspicion, eventually returning to his cards for the night.

The first thing John felt was the stiff table underneath him. His back didn't appreciate the lack of padding on the surface, slowly starting to twist and contort his upper body to stretch his muscles.

How did I get here…?

It was a simple question, one that his mind answered with a glimpse of Tali inside the Mako. The last thing he saw before going unconscious. Shepard sat up suddenly, his eyes pulling open to find himself in the med bay. His armor was gone, but he still wore the black shorts and gray t-shirt he kept on underneath his armor. The Commander looked about, finding himself alone, the lights clued him in to the fact it was late in the night.

Feeling his mouth was bone dry, he'd gradually swing his legs over the edge of the table he was laying on. Easing himself down so he could stand. As both his feet touched the ground, a sudden, sharp ringing would hit his ears. He waited for the ringing to slowly subside, the Commander pushing off the table to stand on his own now.

Feeling slightly off balance as his head once again felt like it was spinning, to a lesser degree than before though. He tried to keep himself standing up straight, his partly numb legs tingling as he put them to use. Each step felt like it was fighting against his placement. Glad that no one was in the room as he stumbled in an almost drunken manner towards the door. After waiting for his legs to awaken, Shepard would reach up to press the button on the door in front of him. Stopping as he saw a note taped to the button.

"Tali is fine."

The neat signature at the bottom told Shepard that it was Chakwas who had left him the note. A small smile slipped onto the corner of his lips, taking the note before pressing the button. It slid open smoothly, showing the quiet hall in front of him. After taking a slow, steadying breath, the Commander would step out. Still feeling the pins of numbness working its way out of his legs. It was just a few steps before he was standing in the mess hall. Once again glad to find it empty, Shepard stumbled to the far side of the room to grab himself a bottle of water from the counter.

Leaning on the counter, Shepard drank his water. Glad to have the it so readily available, stopping his drinking with less than a third of the bottle left. The Commander reached up to wipe a few beads of sweat from his brow.

John's eyes opened to find himself sitting at the table, a half eaten tray of oatmeal sitting in front of him. John stared at the plate for a minute, wondering how he had gotten there, or how the food had gotten there. Realizing there was a spoon in his right hand as he went to open his omni tool. Warily, he'd check the tool that was wrapped around his forearm for the time.

2:16…

Shepard kept his eyes glued to the time, waiting patiently for it to flick to the next minute.

2:17…

His eyes remained on the time for a few seconds longer. Finally lowering his arm down before beginning to eat. Silence held in the mess hall as Shepard ate. The Commander occasionally checked his omni tool for the time, keeping it closed otherwise.

One of the doors to the CIC slid open quietly, the lack of other noises made it easy for Shepard to pick up on. His attention turned upwards, expecting to see Iromak or Kaidan. The Asari Commando stepped around the corner, freezing in place as she saw the Commander. Shepard gave a short nod to Vaay before turning his attention back to the tray in front of him.

"Miss Helyt. Just the person I was hoping to speak with, come here."

Helyt stepped forward cautiously once the Spectre's attention dropped back down. Peeking around as if she expected someone to jump out and surprise her. Steadily, her footsteps would bring her to standing at the edge of the table. Now standing on the opposite side of the table, her hands held behind her back.

"Spectre."

John pulled his attention up to the Asari, now realizing that she was still in her armor. Lacking only her helmet, which let him see just how tired she was. Her dark green eyes looked like they were struggling to stay open, making John wonder as to why she didn't go to bed.

"Unable to sleep?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Good, that gives me a chance to ask you a few questions."

The seat Vaay was standing next to suddenly slid out. It surprised the Asari, not enough to make her jump though. Quickly realizing that Shepard had kicked the chair out for her. John gave a nod towards the chair, silently telling her to sit. Vaay took the seat, scooting herself in to sit closer to the table. Her hands folded together to sit on the table in front of her, leaning slightly on her elbows. The Asari waited patiently for him to speak.

"Vaay Helyt."

Shepard opened up his omni tool, starting to tap through it casually. His eyes occasionally flicked up to the Asari across from him.

"The Citadel keeps many records, there are a few about you."

"I… am aware of that, Sir?"

The confusion in her voice was evident. The Asari blinked several times to keep her eyes from pushing themselves closed.

"Yes, yes. I suspected as much."

There was a brief pause, Helyt watching him with slightly squinted eyes. Trying to guess where he was going with it. Her posture straightened as Shepards eyes turned up to watch hers. The Commander not bothering to hide the suspicion in his eyes

"However, the Asari Republic… does not."

She said nothing, her eyes moving down to avoid direct eye contact. Now watching her hands on the table. Just as she opened her mouth, Shepard spoke again. The Commander stirred his spoon through the oatmeal in front of him.

"What is your mission aboard my vessel, Miss Helyt."

"I report your activities and anything you discover about Saren, back to the Council."

"Nothing else? That's it?"

"Yes. That's it."

Shepard let her answer stick in the air. Turning his attention up from the tray now, holding a neutral expression.

"And who is the Matriarch?"

"Matriarch?"

"The Matriarch that approved your transfer, to be under the Councilors command. There's a Matriarch stamp on the transfer request."

Finally, the Asari pulled her attention up to look at Shepard. Too tired to try and cobble a story together to properly answer.

"Why do you-"

"Care? Have access to these documents? Remember, Miss Helyt, you reside upon my ship, with my crew. Whether I…"

"She is part of your crew, isn't she?"

Tali's voice rang through Shepards head as if she was sitting right next to him. The sudden stopping from the Commander caught Helyt's attention. The Asari watched him, waiting for him to continue.

He didn't though. John sat there for a long minute, his eyes slowly trailing along the table in front of him. It was easy for the Asari to tell he was lost in thought. Sitting back as she tried to stifle a yawn.

The barely audible yawn caught Shepards attention. Pulling his head up to look at Vaay. Rather than seeing the Commando that he distrusted, he saw a tired Asari that had followed his orders all day. Worn and tired from the day, but still bothering to answer his questions at two in the morning.

What the hell are you doing?

Interrogating.

Why? What had she done to warrant this?

…

Helyt began to feel nervous under the constant, silent gaze of the Spectre. Her thumbs beginning to twiddle around each other. A slow, calm exhale from the Commander pulled her attention back to him. John pushed himself up to stand straight, walking around the table and starting towards the elevator.

"Come on, Miss Helyt."

"Yes, Sir."

The Asari got up, stumbling over herself as she rushed to stand. Following after the Commander into the elevator, feeling confusion once again taking her mind over.

"What are we doing?"

"You, are going to sleep. I need to clean my armor."

"What? I'm fine. You- I don't really need-"

Vaay's statement was cut off by a single, unbelieving look from John. Shaking his head a bit before looking forward.

"You fell asleep at the colony earlier today, while on a mission. If that's not a sign of needing sleep, I don't know what is."

Vaay turned her attention down to the ground. Rubbing the palm of her left hand with her thumb.

"I… I'm sorry about that, it won't happen again."

The guilt in her voice was clear enough for Shepard to catch. Turning again to look down at her.

"Only if you can manage a good night's sleep. Don't worry about work tomorrow, just try and get rested."

The doors slid open, not to show a darkened cargo bay, but rather a well lit one. The three Turians all sitting around a crate, cards laid out on top of the crate. Shepard realized as to why the Asari wasn't sleeping. The loud, and rather obnoxious Turians likely kept it too loud for Vaay.

The three Turians would turn to look at the opening door. Seeing the Commander first, and Vaay second. The Asari standing to the side and behind Shepard. John stepped out, crossing his arms as he looked around the bay. Noting the two night shift guards that stood at either entrance to the core. Helyt scooted past Shepard before heading to her cot in silence.

"Ah, so she tattled on us?"

Cavius was the first to speak up, directing the comment at Shepard. Who gave no inclination of answering his question. Crossing the room to the table that Williams was often at, finding his armor sitting neat and fully cleaned on top of it. Once Cavius realized the Commander was ignoring him, the Turian would turn his attention to the Asari sitting quietly on her bed.

"You really ran to complain about us? You really are a child."

"Cavius."

Shepards voice caught his attention now, the Turian turning back to face the Human. The other two keeping to themselves at this point, neither considering the confrontation to be worth it.

"Just what would she have told me?"

"The same thing she always threatens to tell you. That we're assholes, we're loud in the night. Whatever it is we did this time."

The Turian tossed up a pair of air quotes up as he spoke, chuckling lightly as he turned back to the other Turians. Falling silent as he saw the looks he was getting from the other two. Shepard couldn't help his eye's flicking over to the Asari. Finding her to be looking away from the group now, keeping her face hidden from view.

"Interesting, she didn't tell me that. In fact, she hasn't even mentioned this happening, much less it being a regular occurrence."

Silence held throughout the hold. Cavius realizing know that he had ratted on himself. Keeping his back to the Commander. The other two keeping their attention down to their cards.

John's attention rested on Vaay for a few more moments. Soon turning his gaze to the glaring lights that had started to give him a headache. Shepard took slow and sure steps over to the group of Turians. The Commander's hands were folded neatly behind him, his face blank of expression.

"For what reason are the lights on?"

"What does it look like?"

Cavius' retort made the other two Turians shake their heads. John reached down, plucking one of the cards out of his hand. Receiving a cold glare from the Turian as he looked at the card.

"It looks like the three pains in my ass all gathered in the same place. Lights out. Now."

Shepard flicked the card down onto the crate. Turning away after and starting to head for the elevator. Turning the lights off with his omni tool, locking the controls for the lights to the CIC afterwards.

Shepard got up to the mess hall. Going to clean his tray off before going to lay in the med bay for the rest of the night.

This has taken a long time. There have been quite a few events in my life that I had not foreseen. That's done and gone though, I'm here and back at it.

Feros is also taking much longer than I thought it would as I severely underestimated what it'd take to get what I wanted done.