A few hours ago, Virmire had been looming. There are few things I hate more than walking my team into the unknown, and with the little information I got from the Council, that's exactly what Virmire is. My plan to seduce Garrus had been something of a distraction, but I had a knot in my stomach all day before then, too many questions with no answers.

Instead of needing to seduce Garrus, instead of having to push Virmire out of my mind, the Turian showed up in my quarters and made everything else disappear. I'll never know how he works magic on my mind through my body, but that man can make even the biggest of stressors seem like nothing. He makes me feel as capable as he does sexy, maybe because of the way he looks at me or maybe because I can handle everything he manages to gives me - which surprises both of us.

Garrus Vakarian is, once again, the cure for what ails me.

When my alarm goes off after barely a couple hours of sleep, I'm desperate for coffee but feeling far more prepared for Virmire that I did just yesterday even though nothing for the mission has changed.

It's what did change that makes the difference. I won't fail on Virmire, and I won't fail in my mission to put a stop to Saren. I'm even certain the Reapers are in trouble. I have Garrus Vakarian waiting for me, and I'm not letting anything keep me from him.

Breakfast is an all hands on deck affair, everyone present and accounted for by the time I arrive after taking another shower and getting dressed in everything but my armor. "Well, well, well. Late morning there, Shepard? Or maybe a late night?" Joker gives me a wink from his seat beside Garrus that can only be called lewd.

It would probably bother me if I didn't feel like I was walking on air. I mean, sore as hell deep inside me but in the best possible way. Right now, Joker could say whatever the hell he wants, and I don't think I could keep the smile off my face.

One glance at the handsome Turian sniper responsible for my mood tells me that he feels the same, already watching me with a smirk that is at least a little cocky.

"You really are spying on all of us, aren't you?" Ashley teases the mouthy pilot. "Vakarian, can't you rig something up to keep him out of the cameras?"

"Oh, or maybe we can make something to shock him every time he touches himself in the cockpit," Tali chimes in brightly, unable to keep herself from giggling. Her laughter and Joker's undignified snort into his coffee sends the rest of the table into laughter as I reach the coffee pot.

My smile only grows when I can feel Garrus approaching from behind me, the air around me sparking to life and pulling toward him. I don't try to resist it anymore, leaning back into him just a little when he stands behind me - ostensibly to grab something from the cabinet above the coffee pot. "Good morning, Commander," he practically purrs at me.

"Good morning," I manage to respond even as the butterflies leap to life in my stomach. Goddamn Commander Shepard with butterflies. "Something has you in a good mood, lover."

I can't help but preen a little when that makes him growl, calling forward memories of our night. At least if I have to have butterflies, I know that he's suffering too.

We have no choice but to part after a moment, but he strategically moves around with a hand at my lower back that lingers for a beat. I let the heat from his touch soak into me, taking some extra strength from him to prep for the day ahead.

When I turn back to face the table, I'm ready for work. "We're pretty much all hands on deck for Virmire, so everyone suit up after breakfast. Joker, ETA?"

"Just shy of an hour," he answers around a mouthful of food. Liara and Ashley make the same exact disgusted face at him, which Kaidan laughs at.

Everyone seems so comfortable together now. I'm not sure quite when that started to change except for Ashley making more of an effort with the aliens after Garrus saved my life with Dr. Saleon. I never would have thought that it would be the crew's biggest xenophobe to make everyone feel closer, but it certainly makes me grateful I kept her around.

"You should eat something before we go down there."

I make a show of rolling my eyes at Garrus over the top of my coffee mug. "Worried about me?"

He chuckles and takes a sip from his own mug, giving me a sideways glance that has no business being as sexy as it is. "I have a personal stake in your safety and stamina, Shepard." I choke on a laugh into my mug, nearly spitting coffee all over myself and doing a good job of drawing everyone's attention. Garrus doesn't try to hide his amusement; he dodges a swat and walks away.

I have to make a conscious effort not to watch him go. When did I start finding his butt so cute? It's harder knowing that he's going downstairs to the Cargo Bay alone...where we could be alone. When Wrex joins him in the elevator for the ride down, I abandon any plans of jumping him in the Mako again - for now - and head to the table for a few moments of peace before the mission.

Ashley and Kaidan want to talk about the mission, bashing us all over the head with how much they know about Virmire. I know it's because they want me to consider them for my primary team. With Kaidan, I can't help but think it's also because he feels a need to prove himself. Tali and Liara are trying their best to talk about other things, but it all just dissolves into chatter pretty quickly. When Joker escapes back to the cockpit, I follow him.

"Needed a break from your downtime, Commander?"

"You catch on quick, Joker. How are we looking?"

Joker shrugs before easing himself into his seat. "Not really sure, to be honest. The Salarian team is totally out of contact, and the Council had no other information for us."

"Great." I try not to sound too discouraged or annoyed in front of the crew in general, but with Joker, I know that it's OK to let down the ever-confident facade. It's partially because the pilot is already such a pessimist that I'm pretty sure I couldn't bring him down further. It also just helps because Joker has proven himself a friend.

He laughs at my tone now. "Ah, come on Shepard. You and Vakarian put in some serious time on stress relief last night. You can't let that go to waste now."

"I'm going to let Tali come up with her little masturbation trick if you don't quit spying."

"I would love to spy on you, trust me, but Garrus did something on his Omni-Tool. I can't track him around the ship anymore, and I can't break through the firewall."

"That Turian gets more and more useful all the time." Joker rolls his eyes at me, and I don't try to hide laughing at him.

"You both suck," he mutters as something starts to beep from the control panels. "Hey, wait Commander. I'm getting a signal - crap. This whole planet is covered in defense towers. No way can we land the Normandy with those up."

I take a breath. "Well, if things went well, it wouldn't be us. We'll have to go in hot and take them out."

"I can get you in under their radar."

"I'd never doubt you." I pat Joker on the shoulder before leaning past him to press the button for the comms. "Change of plans," I tell the crew. "We need to go down in the Mako first. Garrus and Wrex, you're with me. I'm on my way down now."

I consider it a blessing that I don't have to hear the response from the rest of the crew through this system since I'm sure Ashley and Kaidan are complaining.

"The rest of you need to stay in gear and ready. Once we can land the Normandy, I'll want everyone on the ground."

"I'll keep her ready, Commander," Joker calls as I head out of the cockpit. "You go rev up the Turian." I just roll my eyes and throw my middle finger up over my shoulder, the pilot's laugh ringing out from behind me.

I must be moving fast enough to keep everyone away from me, but Tali joins me in the elevator. She likely knows that she's an exception to any of my 'I don't want to talk' moods.

"Everyone OK?"

"It will be," I assure her. "AA towers need to come down before we can land the Normandy."

"I'm glad you have a plan for Virmire, Shepard, but that's not what I was asking about. You've been stressed lately. How are you?"

I take a breath and lean into the wall. Maybe it should bother me that someone or anyone on the crew has picked up on my stress, especially stress about another crew member. But Tali has never just been a member of my crew. And maybe I've done enough damage to myself and people I care about by creating distance and the Quarian deserves more from me.

"We talked a lot. And did a lot of things that were not talking." Tali gives me that soft little giggle, the one that always makes me smile. "I feel better. If nothing else, we're back on the same page."

"Good. You're definitely at the top of your game when you're together."

It's a compliment that likely means more to me than Tali could ever know. I've worked with a lot of people, and I've had brief affairs with other people...combining the two has always felt like an impossible feat for me. Hell, all I have to do is look at how distracted Kaidan gets on missions and imagine if we were sleeping together.

With Garrus, we bring out the best in one another and strengthen each other - on and off the battlefield. It's something I never imagined being able to have. And now it's so close I can taste it.

Thinking about tasting him again is not a distraction I need. Neither is thinking about how he looks when he watches his cock slide into my mouth.

A shudder runs down my spine, and I have a suspicion that Tali is giving me a side-eye, but I'm not going to address it if she's not.

The elevator releases us into the Cargo Bay, and Tali parts from me to head for Engineering. Garrus and Wrex are already armored up and waiting by the Mako when I head for my locker to do the same. I should probably expect that my things will be neatly organized, cleaned, and prepared by now, but the gesture makes me feel warm every time.

"Thank you, Garrus," I call over my shoulder while slapping on my gear.

"No problem, Commander."

"Does she thank you after every one?" I might hit Wrex myself for that, but I hear a dull thud and a grunt telling me that Garrus handled the dirty work. It makes the Krogan laugh, of course, and I can hear them shoving one another playfully. It reminds me of the way my brother and I used to play wrestle when we were kids.

"You two have my favorite bromance, do you know that?" I tease them, clipping the final pieces of my armor on before selecting my guns.

"Bromance?" Garrus repeats, saying the world like he's testing it out in his mouth. "What is that?"

I shrug my shoulders on the way over to them. "It's a human term, I guess, for two guys who are close. Play on romance, but you're bros."

They exchange a glance and then look back at me. "You mean friends, Shepard?" Garrus deadpans.

"You know how human males are, Vakarian," Wrex notes, shaking his head. "Their masculinity is more fragile than glass. Small cocks."

"Wrex!" I scold him, even while trying not to join Garrus in laughing at that. The Turian at least has the grace to clear his throat and try to control himself when I shoot him a glare. "You're also two of the most incorrigible men I have ever met."

Wrex scoffs and glances at Garrus when asks, "You ever feel like she sounds like your mother?"

"No, but sometimes she sounds like your mother. Especially when she - OW!" Garrus has to protect himself from punches by both of us, but he laughs anyway.

"Such a dick." I can't help smiling though, and Garrus notices, throwing me a damn sexy wink. Far too hot for his own good. "Let's just get down there and kill some things."

If breakfast doesn't make a reappearance, it'll be a damn miracle.

Shepard drives like a lunatic under the best of circumstances. She's the only person I've ever known who believes driving up and down the sheer face of mountains on alien worlds is the right way to drive. Virmire is a tropical planet that forces us to drive on sandy beaches and travel upstream around rock projections. Plus, we have Geth shooting at us from around every corner.

Virmire is far from the best of circumstances.

"Shit, Shepard, you almost threw me through the window," I grumble at her, pulling myself back into the cabin of the tank after taking out a Geth Rocket Trooper.

"Quit your whining. I haven't even hit anything!" she protests. Almost immediately, she jerks the Mako on a hard right, and the passenger side of the tank lifts so that I have to grab the bar to keep from slamming into her. Shepard laughs. "You two look like you might shit yourselves."

"I'm more likely to choke on the overwhelming stench of Alpha Turian in here," Wrex growls from the back seat. "We take something with more windows after the next time you two were rubbing all over each other."

"What?" Shepard demands indignantly, her voice going into a squeaky octave I've never heard before. "I took a shower!" Laughter explodes almost from my toes, and it earns me a sideways smirk from the fearless Spectre with a bright blush on her cheeks. "Shut up and kill more Geth, Vakarian."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Hey, Wrex, wanna make this more interesting?"

I balk at the ballsy Turian beside me. "You're going to, what, bet on this?" It doesn't seem like the time. Especially if they're going to keep crying every time I make a sharp turn.

"What do you have in mind, Vakarian?" Wrex asks, firing his shotgun through the window.

"Kill count. Highest by the time we reach the Salarian camp wins. The usual stakes."

"What are the usual stakes?" I ask, unable to help myself. Wrex laughs at me, and I try not to notice the smug smirk from Garrus. He knew, of course, that I would be interested. "Just tell me the stakes so I can decide if it's worth kicking your asses."

"Bottle of ryncol, Shepard, and that shit is pure poison for humans. Even if you win, you'd lose."

"Whatever. You're both lucky I'm driving."

They laugh at me before leaning back through their respective windows to take out the Geth Rocket Troopers, Assault Drones, and Juggernauts facing us. I manage to take a couple turns much tighter than I actually need to as punishment, though I'll never admit to that if they ask.

"We're gonna need to come back to this planet for shore leave sometime," I muse, mostly just thinking out loud. "The beaches are kind of beautiful."

"You like beaches?" Garrus asks, coming back in to reload and fiddle with his scope while we have a moment between enemies.

"I love them," I answer with a nod, feeling nostalgia grow in my chest. "Mindoir only had a lake, but I loved the beaches on it. And with oceans, it's even better."

Garrus makes a soft humming noise, and I assume he's a little too busy to actually be listening, so I'm surprised when he asks, "What do you like most about them? The water or...it's sand, right?"

"Sand usually, yes. And I guess the water is. Although…" I fade off and smile, really wishing I could pull over and take some time here. "I think my favorite thing is the sound waves make when they break. Especially on rocks." Another soft humming noise and I glance over to find him gazing out over the water. "What about you? Do you like beaches?"

Garrus gives a laugh. "Shepard, Turians avoid large bodies of water at all costs. We can't swim."

"Really?"

"Does that surprise you?" he chuckles. "I weigh almost three hundred pounds in heavy plates and muscle, and our carapaces are metal. Plus, our mouths don't actually close completely like yours, so...drowning and all that."

"I can see how that would be an issue with water," I allow. "You don't actually have to swim to enjoy a beach, though. We'll go together some time, you'll see." I can feel Garrus' eyes on me immediately, and I try not to blush or smile. I know why he's surprised by that, and I know Wrex heard, but I don't care. I'd love to get back to a beach, and there's no one else I'd rather be with than my best friend.

"As much as I'd love to spend the time with you, maybe we can go somewhere else," he mutters, anxiously looking out at the waves below us. It's almost amusing to see Garrus nervous about something; he's always so damn brave.

Wrex has to start shooting through the window again, giving us a moment of privacy. "Garrus...do you know what a bikini is?"

"Yeah, sure, Asari strippers wear them."

I shudder a little. "Let's not talk about how you know that. Anyway...you may want to reconsider the whole beach thing. Human women often wear bikinis on beaches."

"You would...you, in a bikini?" I glance over at him, finding bright blue eyes scanning me with interest and heat. "Shepard, pull over, and let's go to the beach. Screw Saren, it'll be fine."

My head falls back as laughter erupts from deep within me. He seems rather pleased with himself when I'm wiping tears away by the time we reach a gate. We have to get out to clear it, fighting through a small unit of Geth, and I swear there's a smile on the sniper's face the whole damn time.

It's much the same when we get back into the Mako and drive through to the other side of the area, fighting through just as many Geth to reach a second gate. Again, I give the order to clear all the rooms after the Geth are down, just in case there's something here worth knowing.

"Hey, I got something Commander," Garrus calls from a back room. I head that way, Wrex's footsteps pounding heavily behind me on the concrete. "The AA towers are controlled from here. I think I can disable them remotely."

"Looks pretty complicated," I admit.

"These systems are really all the same once you know the basics," Garrus tells me confidently, typing on one of the consoles. I can see the others all start to light up with the same screen, so I assume he's on the right track. "Someday, I can show you how, if you want."

"Teach me how to hack?"

He laughs. "It's illegal when you say it like that, Shepard."

"Ah, I forget that you're the perfect example of a cop," I tease him, making a mental note to take him up on the offer. If Garrus wasn't here right now, Wrex and I would have no way to disarm the AA towers unless we waited for someone with hacking skills or went in guns blazing and did it the hard way. It makes me feel less capable, helpless; a feeling I really hate.

"Hey, was that the work of Super Nerd?" Joker asks, coming over our Comms.

"Does that mean it worked?"

"Sure does, I'm reading that the grid is down, Commander. I'm on approach to the Salarian base now. Out." He's gone, and we're on the final stretch to reunite with the Normandy, to figure out what happened to the Council's infiltration team and whether or not they can help us with Saren.

It's not much longer before we get to the camp, but the good news doesn't last long. Joker comes back to tell us that the Normandy is grounded, but he's unclear about why. All we know is that a Salarian Captain is waiting for us.

"Salarians," Wrex grumbles. "My clan battlemasters are rolling in their graves with me going to rescue a bunch of damned Salarians. It's bad enough I'm working with a Turian."

"You love me, and you know it," Garrus teases.

"Either way, just cool it on the xenophobia, Wrex," I advise. "I have enough to deal with from Williams. I need you to behave."

Wrex barks out a laugh. "Shepard, I never behave, and that's why you wanted me for the squad in the first place."

I can't help laughing and don't dare deny that, rolling my eyes instead. Whether or not he complains about the mission, Wrex gets out of the Mako with us when we finally reach the beach. He chooses to hang back instead of following me to the Salarian talking to Ashley and Kaidan, but I don't mind.

"You've been gone for two minutes, and the Alliance wonder twins took over," Garrus quips as we approach them. I punch his arm playfully, but we both try not to laugh as we reach the trio.

"So, what are we supposed to do now?" Ashley's annoyed demand takes me out of my thoughts.

"Stay put until we can come up with a plan," the Salarian responds. His dismissive tone doesn't thrill me either, so I step ahead of Kaidan and Ashley, coming in front of the Salarian.

"Are you in charge here?" I ask him. "What's the situation?"

The Salarian takes a brief glance at the insignia on my arms and then straights a bit, his shoulders pulling back even though he outranks me. "I'm Captain Kirrahe, Third Infiltration Regiment, STG." I try not to react to that but can feel my brow arch; he's a spy. "You and your crew have landed in the middle of a hot zone. Every AA gun within 10 miles has been alerted to your presence."

"What would you have us do then?"

Kirrahe gives a nod and responds, "We will all wait here until the Council sends the reinforcements that we requested."

Oh, boy. I blink and turn to glance at Garrus, who has his plates raised in a look that mirrors how I feel. It's Kaidan who finds his voice first, though he sounds unsure. "We are the reinforcements," he informs the STG leader.

Kirrahe blinks large liquid eyes at us. "What? You're all they sent? I told the Council to send a fleet."

It strikes me that something significant must be going on here if he thought they needed that much help. "When the Council couldn't understand your message, they sent me to investigate." I extend my hand toward him, letting Kirrahe grip my forearm and doing the same to him. "I'm Commander Shepard, Council Spectre."

"Shepard...yes, Spectre and much more," he breathes, blinking rapidly. Clearly, he's heard of me; this reaction always makes me feel weird. He recovers and then shakes his head. "Unfortunately, an investigation is a repetition of our task. I lost half my men investigating this place."

"So, what have you found?" I only become aware of how close to me Kaidan is standing when he speaks, the armor on his shoulder brushing mine. It doesn't bother me much that Kaidan is asking questions, but I hate how possessive it feels to have him so close.

All that flies right out of my head when Kirrahe answers the question. "This is Saren's base of operations. He's set up a research facility here. It's crawling with Geth and very well fortified."

That gets all of us perked up, and I notice Garrus shift closer, still holding his sniper rifle. It's as much pacifier as it is weapon or protection, I know. "Is Saren here? Have you seen him?"

"No," Kirrahe answers. "But his Geth are everywhere, and we've intercepted some comms referring to Saren directly. This is his facility, there's no doubt about that."

It's enough information for me to become very interested in finding out what's going on here. Saren sends his Geth to protect important assets, like with Benezia and Therum, and he often follows them; he was on Feron himself. If there's any chance that Saren is here, we need to be ready.

"Do you know what Saren is researching?" Liara asks, probably already excited about getting back into her Prothean research element.

Kirrahe gives a harsh exhale. "He's using the facility to breed an army of Krogan."

"How is that possible?" Wrex growls from behind me, giving voice to what I imagine all of us are thinking. What kind of idiot would raise an army of almost unstoppable and certainly uncontrollable Krogan warriors?

Kirrahe looks entirely uncomfortable like he'd rather be anywhere else, when he answers, "Apparently...Saren has discovered a cure for the genophage."

"Skipper, this is bad," Ashley pipes up before I can even process what he just said to me. I'm pretty certain my mouth is still hanging open when I look to her. "The Geth are bad enough, but a Krogan army? Saren would be almost unstoppable."

"Exactly my thoughts," Kirrahe agrees. "We must ensure that this facility and whatever research or results may be in there are destroyed."

I wince and can hear Garrus scoff from beside me, both of us certain of what comes next before it happens. "Destroyed?" Wrex snaps, stepping forward so that now he's standing beside me. Garrus comes closer, taking his place beside his friend. Or maybe at my side. I'm not sure who he's there to protect at the moment. "I don't think so. Our people are dying, and this cure can save them."

"If that cure leaves this planet, the Krogan will become unstoppable," Kirrahe argues. "We can't make the same mistake again."

Garrus doesn't make any effort to stop Wrex when he marches forward, standing so close to the Salarian that he could bite him. Kirrahe looks terrified, but, to his credit, he doesn't move away. "We are not a mistake," Wrex snarls, deep and dangerous, before turning to march away.

I watch him go, passing the Salarian tents and moving to the other side of the beach. No one dares to get in his way, but I can feel my heart aching for him. For his people.

"Is he going to be a problem?" Kirrahe asks. "We have enough angry Krogan to deal with already."

I don't like a stranger talking about a member of my team like that, but I don't address it right now. "He'll be fine. I'll talk to him."

"I appreciate that, Commander. My men and I need to rethink our plan of attack, now that we know the fleet isn't coming. Can you give us some time?"

I nod to Kirrahe. "Go ahead. I'll come back and see what you all have decided." I take a breath as the Salarian heads over to the rest of his team, feeling my stress levels rise again. Why is nothing ever simple when I'm around?

"Looks like things are a bit of a mess," Kaidan notes, almost whining. Just barely not whining. Or maybe that's how he always talks, but I only notice when I'm stressed and annoyed.

"Yeah," Ashley agrees. "I wouldn't be so worried if it wasn't for Wrex. He looks like he's gonna blow a gasket." She's watching her teammate pace along the beach, and I'm impressed that she doesn't look annoyed or judgmental.

I don't particularly want their council, though, so I start on my way toward Wrex. The Krogan has made himself the first part of my mission and, all things considered, he deserves my attention. I catch Garrus' eye and can tell that he wants to join me but feels unsure. I appreciate the concern, but it's unfounded; I motion with my head for him to follow me.

"You want me to try and talk to the tank?" he offers. "I know you can handle it, and Wrex trusts you, but he and I go pretty far back."

From anyone else, I might wonder if he's undermining me. I know that if Kaidan made this offer, it would be because he thinks he needs to protect me. With Garrus, I know that he wants what's best for me, but that he's also thinking of Wrex and the mission.

"You know, it's really nice not to have to doubt myself with you, big guy." Garrus looks down at me and seems confused by that since it's out of context for him. I don't explain. "I appreciate the offer, and I know your heart is in the right place. But I need to handle this."

"Anything I can do?" he asks as we get close. Wrex is growling so loudly that we can hear it even from several yards away.

I trust Wrex, but I'm pretty sure he could snap me in half. "Why don't you stay nearby? Just in case."

"Aye, Commander. But you don't need it." Garrus pauses to wait, giving me a little distance with Wrex. I stop only long enough to give two quick raps of my fist on Garrus' chest before heading down the beach to fight the Krogan.

"This isn't right, Shepard," he shouts as I approach, hearing me coming. "If there's a cure for the genophage, we can't destroy it."

I hold up my hands with my palms facing him, trying to convey the message that I'm here in pace. I like to think he knows that, but I'm not taking chances with someone this angry. "Easy, Wrex. I'm not the enemy here. Saren is the one you should be mad at."

That gets Wrex to stop pacing, but now he storms into my face. "Really? Saren created a cure for my people, and you want to destroy it." He throws his arms up. "Help me out here, Shepard. The lines between friend and foe are getting a little blurry from where I stand."

"What?" I demand, unable to keep from scoffing at him. "You can't be serious, Wrex. This isn't a cure, it's a weapon. If Saren is allowed to use it, you won't be around to reap the benefits. None of us will."

"That's a chance we should be willing to take!" he shouts, leaning even closer. I shake my head, and my arms cross over my chest naturally, my brain spinning for a way to make him understand. "This is the fate of my entire people we're talking about. If you can't give me a better reason to destroy the hopes of my people, I'm done."

I see Wrex go for his weapon and feel my fingers twitch, an instinct to reach for my pistol ingrained in me. I take a breath and fight the urge, leaving my hands at my sides when very suddenly I'm staring down the business end of a shotgun with my friend behind it. From the corner of my eye, I can see Garrus with his sniper rifle leveled at his friend. I know he'll take the shot the moment he thinks he needs to. My archangel. It makes me feel safe and swamped with guilt at the same time.

"Wrex. Listen to me," I plead with him, keeping my voice calm. "I hate what was done to the Krogan. The genophage is disgusting, a true fuck-up by both the Salarians and the Turians. There is no excuse for what happened to you, it was a war crime plain and simple. But this - "

"Shepard, how can you not see what this means to the Krogan? This base can't be destroyed!"

"Those Krogan are slaves, Wrex, puppets for a power-hungry Turian. Tools to be used and discarded. Is that really what you want for your people? Is that the freedom, the future you want?"

I'm shouting by the end of it, though I never meant to raise my voice. Wrex seems just as surprised by it as I feel, and we hold strong, neither of us moving for a long moment. My heart pounds the whole time, and I can only breathe again when the Krogan starts to lower his gun.

"No," he answers, voice lower though I can still see he's breathing hard. "We were tools for the Council once, and to thank us for wiping out the Rachni, they neutered us all. I doubt Saren will be any more generous." Finally, he holsters his gun and straightens. "Alright, Shepard. I don't like this, but...you've done a lot for me. More than my own family. I trust you enough to follow your lead."

"Good enough for me." I extend my hand, and Wrex grasps my forearm immediately.

"Just one thing." He yanks me a little closer. "When we find Saren, I want his head."

I laugh, relieved that at least one thing has gone right today. "Wrex, I'll have it stuffed for ya."

The Krogan laughs at that and nods before releasing me. "Oh, and thanks for not letting your Turian shoot me."

"Maybe next time," Garrus teases as we walk toward him, the sniper rifle back on his shoulder where it belongs. I'm glad it didn't come to shots or blows, but I won't discount the gravity of what just happened. Garrus put a good friend of his in the crosshairs for me.

Once again, he's proved his totally unfaltering loyalty. Things may not go right on missions often, but I'm damn lucky to have him.

I can't say all of that right now, so I just flash Garrus a smile that I hope he can understand. The sexy little wink I get in return says enough. I head back toward the Salarian tents, Garrus and Wrex making heavy footsteps in the sand behind me.

"I agree with her, you know," Garrus tells Wrex. I'm not far enough ahead that they should assume it's a private conversation, so I don't keep myself from listening. "About the genophage being a mistake. I know that I'm Turian but...it never should have happened, and I hate it. Just need you to know that."

"I knew it," Wrex grumbles back. "You're a good man. A terrible Turian and too damn pretty for your own good, but one hell of a friend."

I have to fight the smile off my face, shaking my head as I leave them and approach Kirrahe again. He's back with Kaidan and Ashley; I hope these two didn't say anything stupid - or offensive in Ashley's case - while I was gone.

"Thank you for speaking with the Krogan," Kirrahe offers. "The assault on Saren's base will be difficult enough as it is."

"His name is Wrex, and I always take responsibility for my team." Let the Salarian do what that what he will. I want to like this guy, but I won't tolerate his prejudice, especially against a friend of mine. "Anyway. I assume you have a plan."

The Salarian sighs. "Of sorts. We can convert our ship's drive system into a 20 kiloton ordinance. Crude, but effective."

Damn. Pays to have some Salarian genius around, no doubt about that.

"Nice," Ashley chimes in, reading my mind. "Drop that nuke from orbit, and Saren can kiss his Turian ass goodbye." I turn to look at her, not bothering to hide my annoyance, and she instantly shrinks back. She knows damn well what the look is for. "Or...just his ass. Sorry."

"Unfortunately, the facility is too well fortified for that," Kirrahe notes, oblivious to the rest of our exchange. "We need to place the bomb on the far side of the facility, where it can do the most damage while we escape. Your ship can drop it off, but we'll need to infiltrate the base, disable the AA guns, and pacify any ground forces first."

"You want us to go in on foot?" Kaidan demands. "We don't have enough men."

"Not to take them head-on," Garrus agrees as he approaches, likely having heard the whole conversation with his super hearing. "We could find a way to work around that, though."

Kirrahe nods and seems pleased with the Turian. "Exactly. I'll divide my men into three teams and hit the front of the facility. While we have their attention, you can sneak a shadow team into the back."

"It's a good idea, but your people are going to get slaughtered," I note. It's a suicide mission if I ever heard one, and I'm really not a big fan of those. Especially when some people seem so damn eager.

"We're tougher than we look, Commander." He says it confidently but then adds, "It's true, though. I don't expect many of us will make it out alive. And that makes what I'm going to ask even more difficult. I need one of your men to accompany me and help coordinate the teams."

I balk at the suggestion even as the rational part of my brain knows that he's right. It's only logical. Hell, it's only fair. It's not like this mission belongs only to the Salarians; taking out Saren is primarily my task.

The words have barely been spoken before Kaidan and Ashley have their feet in their mouths. "I volunteer, Commander," Kaidan pipes up.

"Not so fast, LT," Ashley interrupts him. "Commander Shepard will need you to arm the nuke - someone who knows Alliance protocol will have to if we're going to detonate it from the Normandy. I'll go with the Salarians."

Kaidan sounds agitated when he responds, "With all due respect, Gunnery Chief, it's not your place to decide." I can hear that he's annoyed, and I have a sneaking suspicion that it has to do with being questioned in front of me. It makes me wonder if he only volunteered at all to prove something.

"Why is it that whenever someone says 'with all due respect,' they really mean 'kiss my ass'?" Ashley demands, throwing her hands up. Garrus chuckles softly at that while Kirrahe waits patiently. I take a breath to make the decision.

Ashley is right about the nuke. I need one of them to go with the Salarians and the other to help with the nuke. Kaidan has more technical skills, but Ashley isn't ill-equipped, and she won't have to do more than access a blast sequence on Alliance channels. She's better in combat, but...she's also Ashley.

I turn around to face them. "Williams, you've been trying on board - I can see that. But I'm not ready to trust you with an alien crew when I'm not around. You're helping with the nuke."

The brunette soldier opens her mouth like she wants to argue, but she quickly and wisely closes it. "Aye aye, Skipper."

"Kaidan, you'll go with the Salarian unit. You are not a martyr, Kaidan," I tell him, just as firmly. "If you volunteered for this to prove something personal...you're making a mistake." I don't want to call him out in public, but I watch hazel eyes closely to try and see the message get through. Instead, he just nods enthusiastically and salutes me.

"Good," Kirrahe says. "I'll have the ordinance loaded onto the Normandy and brief your crew on its detonation protocol."

He heads away, and Ashley follows him. I catch Garrus' eye, and he motions me closer, which I don't even think to ignore. "Shepard, if you're worried about Kaidan with the Salarians, I can go," he offers, clearly trying to avoid looking like he's questioning my decision. The moment I consider his offer, my chest constricts tightly.

"I appreciate that, Garrus, but I…" The words get stuck in my throat, and I consider swallowing them back down. I remember my promise to be honest with him, to force myself to grow up emotionally and stop hurting him. He deserves at least that. "I don't want to fight without you on my six. And...if I'm being honest? I can't send you up against odds like that, Garrus. I just...I couldn't handle it."

I manage the words, but I can't look at him when I say the last part. Even the idea of Garrus heading off on what sounds barely this side of reckless as far as plans go makes me feel choked up. I don't plan to lose anyone on my team today, but I won't risk losing Garrus.

"Hey." I look up at the sound of his voice, impossibly blue eyes piercing me. He doesn't say anything, just smiles and tucks a hair behind my ear, catching the lobe gently between armored fingers as his hand falls away. It says more than either of us could at this moment.

I follow his gaze when he pulls away, Liara and Tali approaching us now. "The Salarian Captain is talking as though he doesn't anticipate surviving this mission," Liara notes, her hands fidgeting. It makes me nervous when someone with a gun fidgets but the Asari doesn't much use her guns anyway. "I admit I don't like that."

"Ah, come on, we've been up against worse," Garrus, notes, keeping his voice light and teasing. "You escaped that floating Prothean jail thing after all."

"Yeah, and you survived that traumatic little bump on your head," Tali teases him right back. Garrus accepts the whole thing good-naturedly and laughs.

"Hey, that reminds me." I elbow my sniper and give him as serious a look as I can imagine. "No playing hero today. Every damn one of us is going home when this is done, understand?"

"Aye, Commander," he responds quickly even though I can tell he's still teasing me.

"Shepard?" I turn toward Kaidan, finding him wide-eyed and sad-faced. Although I think he just about always looks like this, at least around me. I'm not sure the guy has ever really smiled at me now that I think about it. "Can we talk for a moment? Alone?"

Instantly, I'm aware that Garrus goes stiff beside me, and I itch to touch him, to comfort him, and assure that he's got nothing to worry about. That's definitely new for me; not wanting to deal with jealousy or drama is a big reason I've refused to be involved with any crew members or fellow soldiers in the past. With Garrus...it's kind of sexy that he's so territorial.

Of course, it's far less hot knowing that I've given him a reason to doubt whether I'll be loyal to him. Telling him now has to wait, though, and I have to hope that everything we've done counts for something. Ignoring Kaidan right now isn't going to be an option.

"Sure, Kaidan." We head off together, and I notice almost immediately how close to me the lieutenant is walking beside me, but I really don't know how to step away without making it look weird. I stop as soon as I think we're far enough to suggest we have some privacy...though I'm fairly certain Garrus and Wrex could hear us anywhere on the beach.

"It's weird going under someone else's command," Kaidan tells me, rubbing the back of his neck. "I've gotten so used to working with you."

"It's temporary, Kaidan, and we're all still on the same mission," I assure him. I get that. I remember the first time I was assigned to a unit with someone other than Captain Anderson. It almost felt like I was betraying my mentor; I'm certainly not that for Kaidan, but I see why it still feels weird for him.

"Yeah, well. Listen...I Just wanted to say that he's been an honor serving with you, Commander."

Ah, crap. One glance at Kaidan now, and I know he's hoping that this will be a special sort of moment between us. Facing down death, he's hoping it's enough for me to magically form feelings for him. The guy is on a risky part of our mission today, and part of me doesn't want to hurt him right now. Breaking his heart will probably be bad for morale.

The other part of me knows that his feelings aren't my responsibility. I don't have to lie or pretend just because he's got a crush. And creating hope for him is going to blow up in our faces.

"It doesn't matter if we're not in the same unit, we're still a team," I assure him. It's my instinct to touch him for comfort, but I hold back; he'll take it the wrong way. "Keep your eyes open, fight like I know you can, and we'll all watch each other's back. We'll come out of this in one piece."

"Commander." I turn at the sound of Ashley's voice, and she waves us over to where the Salarian troops seem to be gathering with Kirrahe. By the time I reach them, Kirrahe is emphatically repeating something about holding the line. Whatever he's said, it works to get his unit revved up.

"That was a lot more impressive than I was expecting," Garrus admits when he's done; the others agree with him, and I'm actually kind of sad I missed the speech. Too late now, we have to get to work.

"Alright, let's keep things tight today," I tell my group, definitely not about to make a speech. "If Saren is really here, this might be our best chance. Tali and Garrus, you're on me for the shadow squad."

"No, problem," Shepard," Tali chirps.

"Aye, Commander," comes the response from Garrus. The others confirm as well, prepared to get back to the Normandy and wait for their next orders. I imagine everyone knew I'd choose them since Tali is my go-to for Geth, and Garrus is just my go-to, but I appreciate everyone taking it as an order anyway.

The Salarians leave with Kaidan for the frontal assault, and I take my crew around to the rear of the building. All the waiting around, talking, and planning this morning has me on edge. It's time to get to work. With my hands on my weapons, with some control and a direction, I can make things happen.