Running Silent:

Rendezvous

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An alternate ME3. Commander Shepard and her team are on the run from Cerberus and trying to make alliances before it's too late. In a galaxy with no reaper kill switch, how can they hope to defeat something so ancient and powerful? Their last hope is a desperate plan that may cost them everything. Shepard/Garrus, other side pairings.

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Disclaimer: This author in no way profits from the writing of this story. All characters, dialogue, or other referenced material from the Mass Effect trilogy belong to Bioware.

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A/N: Where I am, it's still N7 day. So please enjoy this bonus chapter!

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When sound from the comm cut out, the crew, all gathered in the cockpit, shared looks of worry. "Hail them," Miranda ordered, and Joker pressed the button for the comm.

"Normandy crew, please check in," the pilot requested.

"Taylor here," came Jacob's response.

"Kasumi here," the thief called. "The building is on lockdown. Comms are jammed inside. I can't raise Garrus anymore."

"Can you find the source of the signal?" Miranda asked, leaning over Joker's shoulder.

"I'll look around," Kasumi agreed.

"Let us know what you find," Miranda ordered. "Jacob, remain at your post and stay alert." She straightened, looking at the crew gathered in the cockpit. Solana fiddled with a small piece of machinery in her hands, mandibles tight to her face with worry over her brother. Zaeed leaned against the wall as if he didn't have a care in the world. Tali was typing on her omni-tool furiously, no doubt trying to break through the lockdown. Alenko was pacing across the cockpit, a frown on his face.

"We shouldn't have let her go in there without backup," he said, hands fisting at his sides.

Solana's head shot up. "She has backup," the turian said flatly. She, at least, would not forget her brother was in there with Shepard.

"The rest of us, I meant," Kaidan backtracked. "One person isn't much backup."

Tali looked up this time. "She has the best backup possible," the young quarian said firmly. "Garrus would do anything to ensure she makes it out of this unharmed."

Kaidan looked at her strangely but said nothing.

"Enough," Miranda said. "EDI, are you having any luck with the jamming signal?"

"I believe the signal may originate from inside the building. Operative Kasumi's efforts might be better served by finding a way inside."

"Kasumi, are you hearing this?" Miranda said, into the comm.

"I heard," she said. "I found a small shuttle. Completely empty, and there's no one stationed outside the building. Believe it or not, I think this guy came alone."

Miranda glanced at Zaeed momentarily, hoping to see his reaction. He'd seen more action than anyone on the squad. He caught her eye and shifted.

"Well, well," he said, in his gravelly voice. "Sounds like our host might be genuine after all."

…

Shepard winced at the static in her ear before manually shutting off her comm in a deliberate motion. No sense in pretending. "Well?" she said, with more bravado than she felt. "You've got my undivided attention."

The batarian laughed with what seemed to be genuine amusement. "Very well, Shepard." He turned, pacing in a line in front of her. "My people were hit first and hardest by these reapers, the very creatures whom you blew up a system to stall." He held up a hand as she opened her mouth to speak. "Whatever the Hegemony might say, my group understands your reasons. Sometimes a distasteful thing is still necessary."

He paused a moment to allow that to sink in. "My government would rather see our people die out than work with the species who pushed us out and took our place. The group I represent refuses to let that happen."

"Does this group have a name?" Shepard cut in sharply.

"It does," he said, and gave her an unsettling smile. "It also has ships, tech, and money."

"What do you want?" she asked. "You must want something."

"We want to survive this conflict," he said simply. "We want Citadel rescue efforts on Khar'shan, we want our own refugee camps, and we want a say in whatever it is that you and the council are planning."

"You realize I'm not personally in charge of any of those things, right?" Shepard replied, a touch of sarcasm lacing her voice.

"A word from you would silence most opposition," he countered. "After all, if Commander Shepard can forgive the society that killed her family, who would go against her?"

"Enough." Shepard nearly growled. "If I help your group, you'll pledge your resources towards the war effort?"

"You'll also have to prevent word of our involvement from leaking back to the Hegemony. No matter how little is left of our government, I do not expect them to be… forgiving."

"You want your secrecy and a say? Not an easy request."

He grinned at her again. "You're Commander Shepard. You always find a way."

She was silent for a moment, sizing up the man in front of her. She was wary of dealing with batarians, but this was the future of his people as well as hers. "Alright," she said finally. "We have a deal."

He gave her a deep nod. "You may call me Mardek."

"And your group?"

"We are the Eyes of Providence. If you keep up your end of the bargain, we will keep ours."

"Fair enough," she said briskly. "Can you remove the lockdown now? You'll want to avoid any misunderstandings with my crew, I'm sure."

"Of course, Shepard," he said, "But I have other ways of avoiding such things."

With a few buttons on his omni-tool, he shimmered out of sight, his cloaked figure slipping out the door he entered through.

Shepard turned on her comm again, to a cacophony of calls from her crew. "I'm here, I'm fine," she said immediately. "We'll debrief on the ship." She looked up at where she knew Garrus was hiding, and his sharp eyes followed her as she exited the building.

…

"I'm sorry, Shepard," Liara said, once Shepard had given her the rundown. "I always have trouble getting eyes within the Hegemony."

Shepard shrugged. "No harm done. I'm not sure that would have helped in this case anyway. Any organization that goes to this much trouble to hide their existence would be hard to track, even with your spies."

"Perhaps," Liara conceded. "But now that we know of them, and of their name, there are things we can learn. I'll pass on what I discover. We do not want any surprises."

"Not that kind of surprise, anyhow," Shepard said, a small smile growing on her face.

"Shepard?" her friend asked, curious.

The smile grew. "Garrus said he has a surprise for me when we dock on the Citadel before the summit."

Liara smiled back at her friend. "Well, that kind of surprise is a different matter altogether. I am happy for you, Shepard."

Shepard's smile turned wistful. "Well, we've all got to have something to fight for, don't we?"

…

Shepard stepped into the comm room once more, concerned that the council had called her so close to the summit date. "Councilors," she greeted. "Is something wrong?"

The Councilor Sparatus let out a long-suffering sigh. "Not in the sense that you mean," he said. "I'm sure you have not forgotten your… insistence that the krogan take part in our summit."

The salarian councilor made an annoyed sound, and Shepard shot him a glare. "I haven't forgotten. What's the issue?"

"Aside from the feathers you have ruffled with your request," Valern said snidely, "the krogan representative has personally requested you. He doesn't trust anyone else to escort him to the summit in safety, no matter how brief the trip may be." The councilor's face made it clear what he thought of such an accusation.

Shepard looked at each councilor in turn. "I know that none of your worlds are faring well. I've seen Earth firsthand. If the krogan can turn the tide, we can't afford not to bring them in."

"No one is arguing otherwise," the asari councilor said in her soft, modulated voice. "We are simply requesting that you pick up the krogan representative and his guest from Tuchanka and bring them to the Citadel personally. That way, we can avoid conflict before the summit begins."

Councilor Udina cleared his throat, speaking up for the first time. "It should be no hardship, Shepard. As I recall, you are already familiar with Urdnot Wrex."

Shepard smiled.

…

"Shepard!" the krogan roared.

She grinned in response. "Wrex. How's Tuchanka holding up?"

"It's got a few new enemies to fight, that's for sure," he said, as they walked through the clan's home base. It was now heavily defended against roaming bands of reaper troops. The krogan saw it as little hardship, it seemed. They were enjoying the exercise.

"And Grunt?" she asked.

Wrex looked proud. "The little pyjack's doing well. He's got a squad now, going on reaper raids." He stopped in front of another krogan. "Shepard, I want you to meet my brother, Wreav. He's in charge until I return." He paused, turning a gimlet eye on the other krogan. "And only until I return."

Wreav grumbled. "Still don't see why you're going to this thing. What's anyone going to do for us?"

"That's right—you don't see. It's why I'm not sending you," Wrex said gruffly. He moved on. "Shepard, there is one other person you'll need to meet. We'll need to take your shuttle."

Shepard could hardly contain her curiosity as Wrex directed her shuttle pilot. The shuttle set down a little ways outside some kind of settlement, one that appeared quite different from the rubble that Wrex had called home. The surrounding landscape seemed barren and empty—not a reaper creature in sight.

Shepard and Wrex exited the shuttle and walked down a dusty lane to the entrance of some kind of structure. Two krogan stood guarding the entrance, shotguns in their hands. They wore armor, but something about them looked… different to Shepard, though she couldn't pinpoint what exactly.

"Urdnot Wrex," one greeted in a low, smooth voice. "Your companion will have to relinquish her weapons if she wishes to come inside."

"This is Commander Shepard," Wrex said firmly. "I vouch for her."

The krogan huffed. "You are only welcome because Bakara has vouched for you!"

Shepard held her hands up in front of her. "I can leave my weapons outside, Wrex. It's not a problem." She took her pistol and SMG out of their holsters and handed them to the guard. As a biotic, she was never truly unarmed.

"Thank you," said the guard. "You may enter. Bakara is waiting for you, Wrex."

As they slipped inside, Shepard was amazed to see how clean and well-repaired the building seemed to be. It was nothing like the other buildings she'd seen on Tuchanka. "Wrex… what is this place?" she whispered.

He gave her a wide krogan grin. "Welcome to the female compound."

Shepard's eyes widened, and she took in her surroundings with renewed interest. She was honored to be welcome here—she knew how secluded and protected the females were in krogan culture.

"I thought the females had a camp. Like… tents and things," Shepard said quietly, leaning towards Wrex.

"There is a camp," Wrex rumbled quietly. "Where the mating requests meet. It moves every couple of months. This is the compound, which is permanent. It's very rare for a male or an alien to be welcome here," Wrex continued. "Even the guards are female, as you saw."

Shepard glanced back towards the entrance. She hadn't realized that the guards were females too. But how could she know? This was the first she'd ever seen of krogan women.

The hallway opened into a large room, walls draped in a variety of patterned and dyed fabrics. Female krogan milled about, talking and working. Unlike the guards at the door, most wore a robe-like outfit with most of their faces covered. Shepard was spellbound. She had never seen so much color on Tuchanka before, nor had she any idea of the crafts and creativity that their culture had spawned. The male Urdnot settlement was a testament to the warlike nature of the krogan. This place showed another side that Shepard had never dreamed of.

"Welcome, Urdnot Wrex," a female said, as they approached a curtained doorway. "Bakara is expecting you and your guest."

Shepard gave the krogan a respectful nod as she passed through the doorway behind Wrex's large form. When she stepped out from behind Wrex, her eyes traveled the room. On the floor lay a large cushion that appeared to be a bed, partially obscured by the draperies surrounding it. Next to it sat a low carved table with a stack of datapads sitting atop it. At a desk on one side of the room sat a female in the most elaborate robe yet, a deep blue trimmed in shimmering gold thread.

"Shepard," Wrex said, motioning to the female. "I would like you to meet Urdnot Bakara. She is a shaman and leader of the female clans."

Shepard dipped her head, unsure if she was supposed to shake this woman's hand. "It's my pleasure to meet you, Bakara. Thank you for welcoming me here."

Bakara stood from her desk, her eyes seeming to examine Shepard. She spoke with a warm, deep voice. "It is an unusual day when an alien is invited into our home. But these are unusual days we live in, Commander."

"Bakara will be joining us at the summit," Wrex jumped in. "To provide a female perspective," he added, which made Shepard raise a brow.

The krogan shrugged. "Our females tend to be a bit more… hm. Level headed, I suppose."

Bakara laughed behind her fabric mask. "That is one way of putting it."

Shepard smiled—she liked the other woman already. "When will you be ready to depart?"

"In only a moment," Bakara said, moving past them towards the door. "I just need to alert a few people that we are leaving."

Shepard's eyes were everywhere at once as they passed through the central room again, waiting for Bakara to speak with a few females that seemed to be taking charge. She was watching some women carving something when she heard a voice next to her. "I am ready to depart, Commander." Shepard blushed slightly at being caught, but Bakara only gave a low laugh. "Few outsiders have ever seen what you are seeing today. I understand that you wish to make the most of it."

"Your culture is fascinating," Shepard said as they walked towards the exit. "I feel very fortunate to be here."

"Yes," Bakara said, pausing at the door as Shepard reclaimed her weapons. "But perhaps it will not always be so rare to see. We hope for great change in the future."

Shepard looked at Bakara in interest, but the krogan didn't seem inclined to elaborate. They were silent as they walked to the shuttle and departed to the Normandy.

…

"Shepard, come speak with us before we reach the Citadel," Wrex had said. "I want to discuss the summit."

As Shepard rode the elevator down to the crew deck, she had a strong suspicion that she already knew what Wrex wanted to talk about. There was really only one thing the krogan would want in exchange for their help—a cure for the genophage. What worried her is that she wasn't sure she could get them one. She was pretty sure she could convince the summit of the necessity, but actually creating a cure was another thing entirely.

She stepped out of the elevator and into the observation room, smiling at her friend when she saw him, seated in a lounge chair across the room. "I know it's a short ride from Tuchanka, but I hope you are comfortable in here."

"We have everything we need, Commander," Bakara said.

"We just want to talk to you about something," added Wrex.

Shepard sat down across from him as Bakara came to join them. "You want a genophage cure in exchange for krogan aid," she said, getting straight to the point.

"Well… yeah," Wrex said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Do you think that's possible? Shepard asked seriously, looking from one to the other. "Logistically."

"I've heard rumors of a scientist on Omega who is studying the genophage. He's got Blood Pack support, from what I hear," Wrex told her.

"That doesn't mean he's close to a cure," Shepard countered. "But it's worth looking into. I also saved the data from that Clan Weyrlock attempt last year."

Bakara stirred. "Wrex tells me that you have a connection that might help. A salarian friend with some knowledge of the genophage."

Shepard nodded. "I don't know if he would help us."

Wrex leaned forward. "But I can count on you, can't I, Shepard?"

She smiled. "Always."

…

Garrus waited for Shepard in the airlock, shifting from foot to foot in anticipation. Their transport to the secret location for the summit wouldn't leave until the morning, which meant they had the evening to themselves. Garrus had been planning for this ever since he got the schedule for the summit. Shepard had no idea the kind of things they could get up to on the Citadel, and he intended to show her, bit by bit.

"There you are," he said, when she appeared. "Come on, I've got plans for us."

She grinned back at him in excitement, and followed him out of the airlock. He'd kept her in suspense for days.

They took a skycar down to a high-end area of Bachjret Ward, stopping in front of a shiny black building labeled Tarion Virtual Studios. "What is this place?" Shepard asked, looking all around her.

"Well, I wanted to show you something special," Garrus said, smiling at his mate. "We're booking one of Tarion's virtual reality rooms for a couple of hours."

She smiled up at him, slipping her hand into his. "And what can we do in there?"

"Just about anything you want," he told her, and they went inside.

"I have a room reserved under Vakarian," he told the asari receptionist, who seemed to be staring at Shepard with a bit of awe.

"Oh," she said, hurrying to check her console. "You've got Room E scheduled for two hours. Two headsets and wristbands? Human and turian?"

Garrus nodded, and she grabbed the equipment before leading them to the room. "Have you been here before?" she asked, and Garrus nodded again. "Great, so you're familiar with the function and limitations of the rooms. Hit the red button on your wristband if you need help or want to leave early. Have fun!"

Garrus helped Shepard put on her headset before putting on his own. For now the visor showed the blank room as it was. Shepard looked at him curiously as he began typing on his wristband, but she stayed silent, waiting for him. Within moments, the room was replaced with a lush forest. Shepard sucked in a breath.

"I was feeling a little homesick," Garrus said, by way of explanation. "Jane… welcome to Palaven."

She met Garrus's gaze with wide eyes, then looked around in wonder. "You can touch," he said, watching her take a few tentative steps.

"God," she said, reaching out to stroke a plant. "It feels almost real." Mist began to filter in, and Shepard laughed. "Is it this humid on Palaven?"

Garrus smiled. "Anywhere the sun doesn't touch. My dad used to take Sol and I out in the jungle to camp each summer. It was a world of difference from life in the city." He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in. Even the scent and sounds were correct. He could almost imagine he was home.

Shepard traveled further into the jungle, examining everything she could see. Garrus took pleasure in watching her explore, and felt his own troubles slip away as he enjoyed her childlike curiosity.

Her eyes were shining behind her visor as she walked back over to him. "What else can this place do? Can you show me more of your home?"

He smiled. "My family's home is just outside of the capital city, Cipritine." With a few button pushes, the room around them had transformed again, to a cityscape that was intimately familiar to him.

Shepard looked around again in awe. "This is incredible!"

"We can't go inside the buildings, unfortunately," Garrus told her. "This place does have some limitations. But there's some amazing parks and outdoor features we can explore." He led her around the city, showing her his favorite places until there was little she hadn't seen. "Why don't you pick somewhere?" he suggested, motioning to Shepard's wristband. "They claim to have over 30,000 maps available."

She smiled shyly at him. "Alright, give me a minute," she said, turning away as she attempted a search of her own. Soon, the room transformed into a rolling green valley with a tree lined stream nestled at the bottom. He looked at her questioningly, and glanced away. "This is a place on Mindoir," she said softly.

It was his turn to look around in wonder. He ate it up greedily, this place that had made Shepard who she was. "Have you been to this spot?" he asked.

Shepard nodded wistfully. "This was maybe twenty minutes' walk outside of town when I was a kid. This was our playground."

Garrus walked around, committing it to memory, as Shepard shared a few memories of her own. A few stilted comments turned into full stories of games and adventures. When her words had slowed to a stop, he reached for her hand, pressing it into his own. "Thank you for sharing this with me."

She gave him a sweet, sad smile, before looking back down at her wristband. "Let's see where else we can find before the time runs out. There's lots of places I haven't seen."

Garrus, understanding what she wouldn't say, released her hand and waited to see where they would go next. The remaining time was spent in a whirlwind tour of famous locations that the two of them explored to their hearts' content.

"So…" Shepard said as they left, "How exactly do you plan to top that experience? Because I don't think it's possible."

Garrus chuckled. "I don't think I can top it exactly, but I think it's safe to assume you're hungry?"

Shepard laughed. "Always!"

"So we're going to try some food I'm almost sure you've never had before."

"Where are we going?" she asked, her eyes sparkling brightly.

He couldn't help but smile. "It's one of the top turian restaurants on the Citadel—one of the only places a human can eat food from Cipritine. It's run by an asari and a turian who work together to figure out the equivalent levo and dextro recipes."

Shepard grinned up at him, giving him a quick kiss on the mandible. "Lead on! I can't wait to try it."

They returned to the ship late that evening, and made love in the dark of her cabin. Garrus could say truthfully that it was one of the best nights of his life. Being with Shepard made everything fresh and wonderful. He watched her sleeping as he lay awake, and thanked the spirits that they had led him to her. He couldn't imagine where he would be without her, and he didn't want to.

…