Chapter 11:
I opened the link between us, setting his side to a perma-mute. We didn't want me distracted, in case the mission turned dangerous, for whatever reason. Which, for some reason, I had a sinking suspicion that it was going to. Hence the precaution of having him know what was happening.
Garrus and I nodded to each other, before I got into the shuttle and set out.
Rescuing Kenson had been a piece of cake- only a few guards were stationed around her, and they were dealt with easily enough.
Once she and I were in the shuttle to head toward her station, she dropped the bomb, so to speak. The research team wanted to blow up the Mass Relay in the system, because the Reapers were coming, and they were going to use this particular one to spread throughout the rest of the galaxy. I asked how many people were on the planet, and she said she didn't know, but it was a lot. I asked if they could be evacuated, and she shook her head. There wasn't time for that.
When we reached the station, I felt my stomach drop. There was a countdown above the door. Two days, three hours, and twenty-two minutes. I read it out loud, softly, before asking if that was when the Reapers were coming. She said it was.
"Now, let me show you the artifact." She smiled at me, before leading me through the building.
To a room with a piece of tech in the center of it. It resembled the images I'd seen of Sovereign, made with the same tech. And it was unprotected.
"Commander Shepard, I give you Object Rho." She made a grand gesture toward it. "When we found it, it showed me a vision of the Reapers' arrival." A pause. "Give it a moment, Shepard. It'll give you the proof you need."
At her urging, I stepped closer, honestly more than a little curious. My vision changed, the room replaced with that of space. Hundreds of thousands of Reapers, heading into the system and spreading like a virus throughout the galaxy. I came back to myself, struggling to stay on my feet, and came face to face with a gun pointed at me.
"I can't let you start the Project, Shepard. I can't let you stop the arrival."
I swallowed thickly, shaking my head. "Why would I want to?" That caught her off-guard. "The Reapers... They're the most wonderous, beautiful things I've ever seen. It hurt me that Sovereign was killed." I shook my head again, adopting a sad expression. "There was so much we could have learned from him, but everyone wanted him dead. I was only after Saren."
Slowly, she lowered her pistol, a smile stretching across her face. "I didn't think you felt that way, Commander."
"Please, call me Alessia."
Her guard lowered further. "Alessia."
"Can I... Do you have anything I could read about Rho? I'd love to learn more, before they come. They've fascinated me since I first met Sovereign, after all."
"Of course!" She clapped her hands happily, walking me to a desk- still in the same room- and logging me into the computer there. "All of our files should be there."
"Thank you, Amanda."
With that, I dove into my reading. I had to hope that Garrus or someone had warned the batarian government that they needed to evacuate. And I had to hope that I wouldn't be indoctrinated by the end of this.
...
The entire time, I didn't sleep. I was secretly stressing about the loss of lives that would occur, should Garrus not find a way to get them out safely. I spent the time distracting myself from those thoughts by pouring over the files, absorbing as much as I could.
They had found Object Rho nearby, brought it to the facility, and had been studying it for months- almost a year. The entire time, it had been unprotected. It was no wonder they were indoctrinated. I was more surprised that Kenson had been able to send out the message to Hackett about finding something. If she'd been indoctrinated this whole time, she wouldn't have done that. Right? That gave me some hope that I would be okay.
The countdown reached forty-five minutes, and I let out a long breath. It was now or never, and I would live with the consequences.
Creating a barrier around myself, I shot every single person I came across, their bodies crumpling to the floor. Kenson was last- she was running from me- but before she could disable the propelling engines, I killed her, too. Then, I went back and set everything up. Before long, this rock would be smashing against the Mass Relay. We had to get out of here.
Rushing out to the landing pad, I called to Garrus for an immediate pickup. Only moments later, the Normandy swooped in, and I leaped into the airlock, shouting for Joker to get us out of here before I'd even started the sanitizing process.
The moment the door opened, I walked up behind Joker's chair, watching as space bent around us- we were in the middle of getting through the relay.
"Where to?"
"Literally anywhere but there." I ground out.
He nodded, wisely choosing to stay quiet until we exited, setting a smooth course for just gliding along mindlessly.
A message came through on my omni-tool a moment later. From Tali. She wanted to talk to me. Taking a deep breath, I pushed aside everything else and went to speak with her.
She was being tried for treason and wanted me to drop her off somewhere where she could get a ride to the flotilla. I frowned at her, shaking my head. Assuring her I would take her there right away. She thanked me, saying she'd send a message ahead of us, so they would know we were coming. I radioed Joker, giving him the coordinates, before excusing myself and retreating to my quarters.
I had just reached my desk, when Garrus rushed into the room. I glanced over at him.
"We got them all evacuated." Were his first words.
My shoulders sagged, my whole body felt so much heavier suddenly. I fell to my knees, tears filling my eyes.
"I'm so glad." I managed to whisper, before bursting into tears.
He knelt in front of me, pulling me in for a tight hug. "I've got you."
Relaxing against him, I just let the tears flow. Between the lack of sleep, and the fear of killing so many innocent people, I was exhausted. Emotionally, mentally, physically. I was just so tired.
When I finally calmed down, he spoke again, hesitant. "So... EDI was monitoring our connection the entire time. She said... you didn't sleep at all."
"I didn't." I confirmed. "And I'm ready to."
"It will take a full day to reach the flotilla, Alessia." EDI supplied helpfully.
"No time like the present." He said.
Strong arms lifted me, holding me in a bride carry. Bringing me to the bed. He turned while I changed into a tank top and a pair of shorts. Even though we'd been sleeping in the same bed off and on, he was very respectful about seeing me indecently. I laid down, feeling him settle in next to me.
"Good-" Before I could finish, I was out like a light.
...
Whispers filled my head, reaching out from the darkness around me. I was standing in a dark space, nothing around me for miles. No light. No other people. Nothing. The voices were indistinguishable- I couldn't figure out what they were saying or how many there were, either.
I just knew that I was truly, utterly alone, regardless of who- or what- was speaking to me.
An eternity passed.
...
I slowly came into awareness, disoriented by the soft light that shone beyond my eyelids. Opening my eyes, I glanced about, half surprised to find myself in my bed. As if I'd really been trapped in that place and not just asleep. A shiver ran through me at the thought.
"Garrus?" I called out quietly, as my eyes roamed the room.
He glanced up from his spot on the couch, setting his datapad aside. "You're awake."
He looked worried.
"What's wrong?"
Shaking his head, he got up and approached, perching on the edge of the bed. A hand reaching out and touching my cheek. "It looked like you were having a nightmare. I tried to wake you up, but nothing I did worked. So I was just sitting over there, trying to distract myself from worrying."
"Did it work?" I raised an eyebrow, bemused.
"Hell no." A caress, a light kiss. "I'm glad you're awake now."
"Me, too." I shuddered.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
I hesitated. "Do we know how long it takes to be indoctrinated?" I finally asked.
"Rana Thanoptis, the asari scientist I told you about earlier- she said that it could be quick or gradual, to where you don't even notice. So, I'm not sure." Eyes searched mine. "Are you worried about that because of Rho?"
"Honestly, I am. It... showed me the Reapers coming through the relay. And I was around it, without protections, for two days. Where I was fully conscious the entire time. That, with the nightmare I just had... I'm worried."
A long pause. "What was the nightmare?"
I explained it, giving as much detail as I could, even though it was just a dark space and voices. He was quiet for a while after I was finished.
"How do you feel about the Reapers?"
"I think they need to be killed, deconstructed, and incinerated." I scowled, sitting up and hitting the mattress with the side of my fist. "They shouldn't have been created to begin with."
A hand settled on my head, and I looked at him, startled out of my anger. "Good. As long as you keep that view, I'd say you're just fine. If it makes you feel better, EDI and I- maybe Chakwas, too, if you want- can keep an eye on you."
I nodded. "I would like that, yeah. It would make me feel much better."
"Then that's what we'll do. Is that okay with you, EDI?"
"It is. I will help monitor you."
"Thanks, you two." I relaxed, leaning forward to rest my forehead against his shoulder.
With a sigh, I pulled away, shooing him off the bed so I could dress and get started on the mission report for Hackett. Garrus kept me company throughout the day, insisting he could do his work here. That the cannons would be just fine without him for a few hours. I rolled my eyes, but didn't put up much of a fight. It was nice, having him around.
...
I pulled Tali to me, wrapping her up in a tight hug. We'd just come upon her father's body, and she was... "distraught" was not strong enough to cover how she clearly felt at seeing it.
We rushed through the rest of the station, before returning to the flotilla to continue her trial. She'd begged me not to turn in the information we'd found, wanting to preserve the man her father had been to the quarian people.
When asked if we'd found anything, I'd stepped forward and spoke of how much she'd done against the geth. Between what I'd read and how much Garrus had told me of her, I was confident that I knew enough to speak with authority about her work with me and how she would never endanger the flotilla by doing what they were accusing her of. I ended with, "If you can't see that, then there's nothing more to say. It would be a waste of my breath, because that would mean you wouldn't take any evidence brought forth. And that would be a shame, because she's an amazing person, and she would never do anything to jeopardize her people."
I was repeating myself, but I really wanted to drive it home.
After a few moments of silence, they made their decisions.
Not guilty.
I let out a breath of relief, smiling at Tali. She was safe. She thanked me profusely, before I urged her to speak with some of the others. The people she valued. I returned to the ship, letting out another sigh of relief.
She came back a few hours later, coming to my quarters- and finding me sitting on Garrus' lap, both of us doing work on our datapads- to thank me once again.
...
I stared at David, unable to comprehend what I was seeing. Archer came running up behind me, begging me not to do anything rash. I ignored him, typing away in the console to get the poor man down.
"Shepard, please-"
"If you say another word, I will not hesitate to show you just how little I care for you." My voice was low, my words calm.
The process of machinery shifting and releasing started as I slowly turned to Archer.
"I-"
In one smooth motion, I grabbed my pistol and aimed at his forehead. Just before I could pull the trigger, Thane moved to stand between us. Garrus grabbed my arm a moment later, wrenching it behind my back.
"Don't do it. He's not worth it, Shep." Jack said, reminding me of when I'd stopped her with Aresh. "Let him live with himself."
That reminded me of stopping Garrus from killing Sidonis.
I now understood how much strength these two had, to be able to listen beyond their rage and need to end someone's life. I honestly didn't know if I had it in me.
"Take me back to the ship." I said through clenched teeth. "Get someone to stay here until David is free, then bring him on the ship and accommodate him until we reach Grissom Academy."
I'd read up on it, after Jack's mission to Pragia, because it was essentially what that project should have been, in the first place. If they'd cared about the kids. I felt that it was a good enough place- a safe place- for David.
Thane grabbed the gun from me, before grasping my other arm, and the two men led me from the facility to the shuttle. To the Normandy. Where I retreated into my quarters and fumed.
I was, thankfully, left alone. But at the same time, the quiet and lack of someone present was eating at me. I had nothing to distract myself from my desire to return and end that man's life for wha he'd done to his brother.
Sometime later, the door opened, and I flew at him. I pulled him down to me and kissed him hard. Hands settled on my hips, holding me flush against his body as I devoured him.
Eventually, he pushed me away, both of us panting. "You... need to relax."
I frowned. That was not what I thought he was going to say. "I need-"
"To relax." He repeated with emphasis, his fingers flexing. "Let's sit down."
He pulled me with him, guiding me to straddle his lap so I could face him.
"How did you do it?" I asked.
"Do what?" He tilted his head, confused.
"Walk away from Sidonis." I explained. "You... are so much stronger than I am. You and Jack, both. She let Aresh go. If given the choice, I would go right back to him and put a bullet through his skull."
He fell deep into thought for a time. "Well," He started hesitantly. "for me, personally, it was the knowledge that Sidonis was a dead man walking. Literally. He was a shell of who he'd once been, because of his guilt over what he'd done. There was nothing left to kill, and to put him out of his misery, it would've been an easy way out for him. He deserves to suffer the rest of his life, knowing he killed good men for his own sake."
I mulled over his words, letting them sink in. It was true- Archer would have to live with the knowledge that he'd used and abused his brother for his own gain. For favor from Tim. He could try his whole life and, in my opinion, never make up for it. No matter how many good deeds he did.
Slowly, I nodded, the fire in my chest diminishing. "Okay. Okay. I can do that. I can view it like that."
His grip, on my waist, tightened comfortingly. "Good. I'm glad. I don't want it to eat away at you."
"Thank you." I breathed, resting my forehead against his.
A calmness washed over me, and I felt myself relaxing.
