Location: SSV Normandy SR-1
After his fight with Liara, Nate stayed in his Quarters for the rest of the journey. I knew he needed space to think and try and get his head right for the mission. But the more time passed, it made less and less sense for me to even let Nate go groundside.
Liara's kept her mouth shut about whatever it is that she saw in Nates mind and I don't want to ask him because it's clearly very raw for him.
We were still a few hours out from the moon and Nate hadn't eaten a thing in 22 hours. He's a biotic so that's almost as if he hasn't eaten in two days.
I ordered the rest of the supplies from the Mess Sergeant and walked into Nates room. We are going to have to go to Earth to resupply. Giving up our supplies to help Zhu's Hope was incredibly noble, but also risky in case we ran into something that would have delayed us.
Upon entry you would think I'd walked into a bombsite. The room was an absolute mess. There were books and datapads all over the floor, the shelves were destroyed and mangled beyond the point of recognition and the walls were lined fist dents; most likely due to a combination of powerful biotics and an unstable mind. The one part that seemed to have even a semblance of order was his bed
"Nate," I said. There was no answer forthcoming as I expected. He was lying on his bed, looking up at the ceiling. He was oddly at peace with the chaotic environment that surrounded him. He was the eye of the storm, and I'm going in.
"Joker told me we'll reach the moon in 9 hours. Tell Wrex, Garrus and Tali to suit up," he said dismissively.
"We should have all hands on deck for this one. We don't know how much of the moon the VI controls."
"You don't think I can work with the Asari, do you?"
"What do you think?" I challenged.
He remained silent for a moment. "Fine, she can come," he responded evenly. "I'm a professional, I can work with the Asari for now. She'd better pray to her goddesses that I never find her once this mission is over."
I felt a chill run down my spine because of the way he said it. His voice was so cold, robotic and lifeless that I started questioning if it was even Nate on the bed. I've never heard him speak like that, he's talked about hunting people down before, but he was either angry or he was joking. This sounded like a genuine threat, one he planned on carrying out, and with his SPECTRE clearance, he could do it without batting an eye.
"What could she have possibly seen that could make you this way?"
"That's none of your concern Rylee. It's in the past and right now she's the only other person in the galaxy who knows the details."
"Details of what?"
He stood up from his bed and staggered towards me. The idiot is a biotic and he hasn't eaten a thing in all day. The closer he got, the unrulier he appeared. His eyes were bloodshot, the bags underneath them imply he hasn't slept in days and the smell could have killed a rat.
"The worst thing that's ever happened to me. And before you ask… no I'm not going to tell you. If I did then I'd have to kill you."
Oh Nate, whatever happened to you must have been horrific if it has left you this deeply damaged and disturbed. Right now I can't help you. And the only person that can actually help right now is the last person you want to talk to. He can't speak about it to me, but Liara already knows, I have to convince her talk to you about it but right now that's looking impossible.
"Get some sleep. If you're still in this state when we arrive at Luna, then I'll get Wrex to knock you out. No sense in getting you killed," I threatened
I dropped the rations at his feet and exited the CO's quarters. I'll ask Liara after the mission on Luna. The two of them still need their space.
Location: Local Cluster, Sol System, Luna
Working with Liara again was proving to be easier than I initially thought it would be. She made it easier by keeping her distance. She knew what she had to do when dealing with the drones that the VI was throwing at us and she managed to work well with the rest of us.
Me on the other hand, I was surprised that I was still alive. Normally I wouldn't struggle much against mindless drones but for some reason I was taking a lot of shots. My instincts, Garrus' marksmanship and Tali's tech expertise were the only reason I wasn't dead right now.
We'd taken two of the three strongholds that the VI was controlling. The VI was getting stronger and more defensively secure, as we destroyed its defences. It's almost as if it's an AI. What the fuck is the Alliance doing? Experimenting with shit like this tends to lead to a lot of dead bodies.
"Expect heavy resistance. This is the VI's last defence so it'll probably throw everything it's got at us," I instructed.
"We're ready, Commander," Ashley assured.
"The server is the main priority. We need to get Tali into the server room so she can shut this whole thing down." I commanded.
"Yes sir!" Kaidan, Ashley and Rylee each saluted.
I opened the door, only to find that there was a kinetic barrier in the way. Upon the door opening, three of the drones had queued up behind the barrier, just waiting for us to destroy it.
"The one who breaks that barrier is committing suicide. They'll rip through our barriers before we can even move," Wrex stated.
He was right. The passage was fairly narrow and we could all barely fit in it. If we back up too far, the door closes, too close and we're screwed. My shockwave is useless against kinetic barriers so I can't move them from behind the door.
"Wrex, I have an idea,"
"Let's hear it, Anderson" he responded shortly. I guess he's pissed about something now.
"I need to stand on your shoulders. Someone destroys the barrier and the moment they do, I charge straight at the drones," I suggested.
"Why do you need to be on my shoulders?"
"I need to see the drones clearly, with no obstructions and we obviously can't be at the front when it happens."
"Couldn't one of us just lay on the ground and destroy the barrier, whilst you stand behind us?" Garrus stated.
"If my timing is off by a second then you're screwed since you won't be able to defend yourself. At least if your weapons are ready, you could have a fighting chance."
"This is real unorthodox, Anderson," Tali piped in.
"You really are a crazy one," Garrus said.
"This had better work Anderson," Wrex growled.
I did as instructed and Liara broke the barrier. I charged straight at the second her last shot fired so I managed to disperse the door drones.
Liara and Tali ran into the room, Tali had her shotgun cocked and ready for action. She went to work on the Drones on the left side of the room whilst Rylee, Garrus and Wrex took care of the left side.
Me on the other hand, I was sloppy with my charge and I lost concentration after impact. I landed awkwardly on the ground. That would be an understatement, I landed head first on the corner of a metal crate from over two meters in the air. I felt myself slowly slipping away, I shouldn't be this exhausted.
Liara ran to my side whereas everyone else proceeded with the mission. She started inspecting my armour before looking at my helmet.
"It looks like that landing damaged your breather. You are inhaling the poisonous gas," she informed.
"Get… away from me," I wheezed.
She ignored my request and took off my helmet and put her breather over my head. "This should prevent the effects from getting worse," she stated.
I struggled to my feet and glared at the Asari. "Keep your distance Asari. I haven't forgotten what you've done,"
She began coughing and then she put a hand over her mouth and nose. That won't help much. She needs to get out of here, if she dies now, my advantage over Saren disappears. But without a breather, she can't leave this base; she'll suffocate in the moons atmosphere.
"Joker, get your ass over here. Dr T'Soni is in need of immediate medical aid."
"Aye, aye Commander"
A few minutes later, Rylee and the rest of the squad emerged with a cluster of datapads. Rylee and Kaidan stayed behind to keep Liara company whilst they waited for the Normandy to arrive.
I left the Doctor in the care of people who actually cared about her so I went outside. Wrex, Tali and Ashley had gone to the other bases to see if there was anything else of value that the Alliance might need or what weapons were available. Garrus on the other hand, was standing outside, his attention was squarely on me and he was not happy.
"I see you're wearing Liara's helmet, Commander," Garrus accused.
"My helmet got damaged during the mission, she took hers off and put it on me. The gas made it impossible for me to stop her."
"I know it got damaged Commander, I saw it happen when you landed on the crate."
"So what the hell are you implying, Vakarian," I snapped.
"I'm not implying anything, Commander. I'm telling you that your performance today was horrible." He stated.
"I had a bad day," I defended.
"In our line of work Anderson, a bad day means you're dead. If you were with any other squad you'd be dead right now," Garrus countered. "You were making mistakes out there Anderson. The inexcusable kind. You were wasting shots, you were always overexposed in cover and your biotics were unstable."
"I've had a lot on my mind lately," I countered.
"Is the stress of the mission getting to you? Is that it?"
"Why won't everyone just stay out of my damn business!" I fumed. I could see the faint shimmer of my biotics, encapsulating my arm.
Garrus approached me when my back was turned "Listen, Commander," he said. He put his hand on my shoulder, that combined with the Turian subharmonic in his voice caused me to slap his hand away on instinct.
He raised his hands defensively. "The kind of pressure you're under would crush any normal person, regardless of their race. Facing up against anything capable of wiping out an entire species is a daunting task, so I wouldn't hold it against you if you-"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence Vakarian." I warned "I'll see this through… not out of some foolish pride or stubbornness, but because I am the best man for this job. My Prothean visions make it impossible for me to not be involved and I refuse to stand on the sidelines."
I took the opportunity to square up to Garrus. "If you or anyone else thinks that I can't do this they are free to get off of the ship at Earth. But me, I am going to stop Saren, even if I have to die," I growled.
"Sorry for doubting you Commander. I'm sure you already know about the crew's state of mind. You've improved their morale that's for sure, but you're not done yet. You need to get them to believe in you with everything they have."
"I know, it's easier said than done."
"The ground team all believe in you have a shot at stopping Saren. Rylee, Tali, Kaidan and Ashley all believe you will do it."
I couldn't help but chuckle grimly "You left Wrex, Liara and yourself off of that list."
"I don't speak to Wrex often and I haven't spoken to Liara at all outside of combat. Wrex holds a grudge over the Genophage so our conversations have to be short for the sake of the crew."
"Genophage?"
"It's a long story. Wrex probably knows it better than me anyhow," he deflected. "But I'd say he'll do what he thinks is best."
"Then why does he follow my orders?"
"I'm guessing it's because you've thought along the same lines as him so he doesn't mind listening. But the moment you do something he's completely against, expect him to draw a weapon against you, Commander. Be prepared."
"Noted"
"What about you Garrus? Do you think I can beat Saren?"
"You want an honest answer, Anderson?"
I nodded.
"I don't know if you can do this. We're fighting blind right now and I can't even begin to comprehend what we're up against. The power of that ship on Eden Prime is enough to win any war single handed," he explained.
This leadership thing was so much simpler when I was leading a small squad of combatants. Being put in charge of a ship where I need more than just combat experience is proving to be a real challenge.
"But I believe that you're the best shot we've got. I think that if you can't do this, no one else in this galaxy can," Vakarian finished.
"I appreciate you're honesty Garrus. It helps keep me grounded."
Location: Local Cluster, Sol System, SSV Normandy SR-1
We got back aboard the ship with the Doctor in need of Dr Chakwas' services. Liara was going to pull through, the toxin in her system was fairly weak and it would sort itself out fairly quickly. To be on the safe side, she banned the Doctor from combat for the next week.
I entered the Cargo Bay in order to clean my weapons and clear my head. Thankfully, the only person there was Wrex. The crew had a tendency to give him a wide berth, which was good since it was probably what was keeping the majority of them alive.
"Wrex."
"Anderson."
He was leaning against the wall with a bored expression on his face. If I am going to get this whole crew together, I need to be well versed on their behaviour and personalities. Out of everyone the one I have the least info on is Wrex. "What's your story Wrex?"
He opened his eyes and shot me a cold glare. "There is no story," he breathed "Go ask the Quarian if you want stories" he growled
"You Krogan live for centuries. I was just curious to see if you'd had any interesting adventures."
"Well, there was this one time the Turians almost wiped out my race. That was fun," I had missed out on the Krogan version of sarcasm in his tone.
"They tried the same with us, but we fought them off."
"It's not the same," he retorted with an inflexion of hurt and anger.
"What's the difference?" I wondered innocently.
"So your people were infected with a genetic mutation? An infection that makes only a few in a thousand children survive birth? And I suppose it's destroying your entire species?" Wrex questioned with the intent to shock.
"They used biological warfare? I thought that it was banned by the Council."
"You're Councillors have about as much honour as Hanar shit! I don't expect you to understand, but don't compare humanity's fate with the Krogan."
"I was just making conversation. I wasn't trying to upset you."
"Your ignorance doesn't upset me, Anderson. As for the Krogan, I gave up on them a long time ago. The genophage infected us, but it's not what's killing us," he finished.
I got the feeling he didn't want to speak to me anymore so I just left and used the weapons rack.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"See you later, Kaidan," Rylee waved Lt. Alenko away as he headed towards the crew quarters. That left Rylee, Tali and I alone in the Med-bay. Everyone else was at their stations and Nate was in the cargo bay.
"I like Kaidan, he's a really nice guy," Tali lauded.
"I'd be careful Tali, I think that Rylee has designs on him," I joked.
"Oh- I'm not interested in him I assure you," the Quarian panicked.
"Liara's only messing with you Tali," Shepard reassured our Quarian friend.
"Oh… I actually thought that you and Kaidan were interested with one another too."
"Why?"
"I must not be as adept at understanding human interaction as I thought. You were showing the same signs of attraction as Asari do."
"Are you talking about the banter?" Rylee asked.
"I'd probably call it flirting," Dr Chakwas added whilst popping into the room.
"You too Doctor"
"I'm merely calling it as I see it. Though I doubt the two of you will ever act on it. Alliance Regulations and all."
"Kaidan is generally an easy going guy, but when it comes to relationships he takes it really seriously… The only way I could get involved with him would be if I was to go all in," Rylee responded with her brows slightly furrowed and her hand rubbing her forearm. She's nervous about the topic.
"Do I sense some hesitation there, Lieutenant."
"None Doctor Chakwas. I was just trying to find the best way to phrase myself."
Doctor Chakwas chose not to press the matter any further. She then proceeded to examine me to see if the gas I inhaled would have any lasting effects. Thankfully there weren't any so once all of it is out of my system I'll be cleared for combat.
"Liara let's go to your usual spot. We need to discuss the mission," Rylee ordered and took me into my space.
"Why did you give Nate your mask on Luna. I mean I'm grateful you did it and all but that was incredibly stupid. All of us could see that Nate was fighting horribly by his own high standards. You breathed in way more of that stuff than Nate did. We probably would have been better off had you not risked your own life."
"Call it a guilty conscience… I violated his privacy and I guess I must have viewed that as my atonement."
"Liara we need you for this mission, just as much as we need Nate. You said it yourself, there are parts of the Beacons message that are missing. You're going to need to meld with him again to piece everything together."
"I don't think that's going to be possible, the commander probably wants me gone as soon as possible."
"Let me handle Nate, he won't like it but he will do it for the sake of the mission. For now, you should keep a low profile and let this blow over."
I couldn't help but laugh at the notion of this blowing over. "He won't let this go, and to be honest I wouldn't blame him."
"What did you see?"
"Something he desperately wishes to forget."
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
We were now in Earth's atmosphere and we were headed to Vancouver. I was admittedly excited to be back home. I haven't been here in about a month but it feels like it's been years, given what I've gone through.
"Umm Commander we have a problem."
"What is it Joker?"
"The Docking Bay is unavailable at the moment. There's someone attempting to kill themselves and they're having trouble convincing her not to do it."
"Can't we just land somewhere else in the bay?"
"Every frigate has a specific spot, Commander."
"Okay, I'll be up there in a minute"
This is annoying. I was planning on resupplying and leaving ASAP. Now we have to wait for specialists to try and talk this woman down.
"Put me through to whoever's in charge, Joker."
A hologram appeared of an Alliance officer, judging from his medals I'd say he's a Lieutenant. "Hello, Commander Anderson. I am Lieutenant Girard. I'm afraid you can't dock here at the minute."
"Why Lieutenant?"
"There's a woman here… uh she was rescued from batarian slavers a few weeks ago. She's from Mindoir. I guess she was taken in the raid in 2165," Girard explained.
From the corner of my eye I could see that Rylee had tensed up at the mention of Mindoir.
"She's been a slave for the past 18 years?" I whispered. I don't know how long I was enslaved for but I know that it had to be less than 5 years, and even that made me suicidal for a few years after I was freed. No wonder this woman wants to end her own life.
"Is she alright, Lieutenant?" Rylee inquired.
"Not really, she's a little messed up. She got free somehow. Grabbed a gun from one of my guys. Now she's holed up here in the Docking Bay. She-uh… she says she wants to die," Girard said.
"We can't let that happen, Girard," Rylee asserted.
"I've tried everything I can but she seems adamant on dying."
"Show us a picture of her."
An image of a young girl appeared on the screen. She had an uneven buzz cut with numerous bald patches, scars and scratches marring her neck and shoulders, skinny arms that appeared surprisingly healthy and bruises on her cheeks. The clothes she wore were simple, definitely not Alliance but eerily familiar to me.
"Lieutenant, do you have a picture of the back of her neck?"
He didn't respond but instead just sent a picture of a back shot. I zoomed in on the neck and my fears were realised. The serial number on her neck was unmistakable, neither was the logo that was burned into her skin by hot metal. She's been branded.
I know this girl.