"Incoming message from Admiral Hackett. Patching it through."
"Joker, put it through to the Comm room."
I entered the comm room and a projection of Admiral Hackett appeared on the screen.
"I've received some information I thought you'd like to see, Commander. Someone is killing former Alliance scientists. There have been four deaths in the past month
"Sounds like a hush job to me. Tie up any loose ends to prevent what they were working on from getting out," I dismissed.
"Well we found a connection between the scientists… and you."
I cocked an eyebrow at the suggestion I had any real connection with Alliance scientists. "Go on."
"They all worked on a classified project several years ago, on Akuze."
"Akuze… I lost my whole unit there. You're saying that our scientists were involved?" I seethed. "Could it be a coincidence?"
"Those thresher maws killed dozens of soldiers."
"50 soldiers were killed by three Thresher Maws!" I corrected heatedly.
"In any case, if this was more than just an accident, we need to know," Hackett stated.
"I can't get any information on what they were working on. The project records were sealed and someone in the Alliance is preventing Shepard, Anderson and I from accessing them."
I folded my arms and leaned back "What's the angle Hackett? After last time you honestly can't just expect me to trust you. What do you really want?" I questioned.
His eyes softened and he let out a nearly inaudible sigh. "Commander… Nate. What you do is up to you. I just thought you wanted to know. There was one other scientist on the project, Dr Wayne. I'm transmitting his last known coordinates. Good luck, Fifth Fleet out!"
My first instinct was to tell Joker to head straight toward the coordinates Hackett had just forwarded. I had the feeling that Hackett wasn't bullshitting me with this one, since there was no way he was going to cross me twice. I don't think he'd risk losing my support over this and I definitely don't think he'd use what happened on Akuze to manipulate me. If he did… let's not get ahead of ourselves.
I rode the elevator down to Engineering for my daily workout after completing my check up on everyone in the CIC and the crew deck. Garrus was currently asleep so it just left Rylee and Wrex in the cargo bay.
Whilst I was on the pull up bar I noticed that Rylee was approaching the krogan warlord. To be honest I don't ever recall the two of them having a conversation outside of being groundside.
"What do you want, Shepard?"
"Why did you become a mercenary?"
"Lots of reasons," Wrex answered dismissively.
"Such as?"
"Such as… I needed to get out of our system. I needed to eat. I needed to survive"
"Why not stay and help your people?"
"I tried to help. That's why I had to leave."
"I was betrayed. I was head of a small tribe. We were trying to restore order after the war, but the other tribes were against us. They followed Jarrod, one of the few warlords who survived the war with the Turians. But he was old, and so were his ideas. He wanted to continue the war. He wanted us to fight: Turians, salarians, each other. It didn't matter who as long as we were fighting," he stated.
This time I decided to stop working out and listen to what Wrex was saying. "What did you want?" Rylee asked.
"I just wanted Jarrod to shut up. To stop his ranting, I wanted him to stop leading the tribes astray. But he couldn't understand how much things had changed. We didn't have the numbers to go to war. Even if we did, the genophage made sure we couldn't replenish our numbers fast enough. I told them all to forget about war. We needed to focus on breeding. At least for one generation. And for a while, we were getting through. Some of the tribes started coming around."
"I'm willing to guess that Jarrod was unhappy about that"
"No. He didn't. He arranged a crush with the tribes. A meeting on neutral ground. He wanted to talk. We met at the Hollows, near the graves of our ancestors. The skulls of our dead laid bare to remind us where we come from, and where we all go. It's as sacred as any Krogan place can be. Violence is forbidden."
"Sounds like a trap to me. You must have suspected as much," Rylee commented.
"I did. But when your father invites you to a Crush… well, there are some laws even we hold sacred."
"Jarrod was your father?"
"He was. Until that day. We talked. But we didn't get anywhere. When it was clear I wouldn't join him, he gave the signal. His men leapt from the graves of our ancestors like Krogan undead! The few that were loyal to me died quickly. I escaped with my life. but not before I sank my dagger deep into my father's chest. That… is why I left. And that's why I'll never go back."
"You must have family other than your father. Don't you miss them?"
"You trying to make me cry, Shepard?" He growled. I gave him a stern look, one which he gladly returned. If I'm not careful things could end up getting with me and Wrex. And I'm certain between the two of us we could create a hole in the hull.
"No, but family is important to me and if I can help you out with yours I'll be happy."
"I've got some unfinished business with my family. But that's all."
"What kind of business?" Rylee inquired. She's clearly not going to give this up.
Wrex sighed "Before I left, I made an oath to my father's father. I swore to recover my family's battle armour. It was taken from him after the uprising," he explained.
"That was almost 1300 years ago Wrex, that anything that old is useless nowadays," I interjected.
"It's a relic; useless, really. But it was worn by five generations of my family before the war. It's rightfully mine. Originally it was taken by Turian military. We weren't allowed armour or weapons after the war. Now, it's in the hands of Tonn Actus. A Turian scum who collects relics from the war. He's made millions selling Krogan artefacts that were stolen from my people. He's got several bases where he stores his goods. All fortified and guarded. I just don't know which base has my family's armour."
"Just tell me where to start looking," Rylee offered.
Wrex looked at her as if she'd grown another head. He was probably wondering why any human would be interested in helping a Krogan in a personal matter. "I'll upload the data to your nav system. But, Shepard, I want to be there when you find him."
"See you later," she waved goodbye and headed upstairs with me in tow.
"Is there any particular reason we're helping with this," I asked.
"You saw how Wrex acted in that cave on the last mission. He's disconnected from the squad and he doesn't care about us the same way we do about the rest. We need to show him that he's just as big a part of the team as the rest of us."
"Come one Rylee. Look at Wrex, do you really think he cares whether or not he feels connected to the team?" I stated.
"No, but it's your job to make him feel connected. That's what a good leader does. You've improved a lot and people are starting to believe in you but you're not there yet," she explained.
Location: Kepler Verge, Newton System, Ontarum
We had just finished clearing the biggest room in this complex. This was a reminder to me of just how badly things could go if I didn't have someone like Kaidan on my time. His combination of biotics and tech attacks were proving to be invaluable to the team and he was really kicking ass today.
There was still no sign of the Doctor which was indicating to me that he was being held up somewhere. If this is a clean-up job, then they wouldn't leave this many people behind. There was only one room in this entire complex we hadn't searched yet and we were preparing to enter.
Upon hearing a shrill scream, we charged in to the room and immediately took aim at the gunman.
"Stay back! I've got no grief with you! All I want is this bastard!"
"Please! He's a madman!"
"Mr Toombs, you're insane! You need help!"
"Shut up! You don't get to lie. You don't…" he looked at me as though we had met somewhere before. "Anderson… Nate. My god, Nate is that you?"
Toombs… that's… there's just no way that this is… but he was on Akuze.
He removed his helmet to show me his face. He had aged significantly over the past number of years. He was bald now, and his head was covered in scars, most of which look old. He didn't have those when I last saw him.
"Toombs? But you were on Akuze! I saw the Thresher Maw pull you under! I – I didn't see anybody after Rivera pushed me. If I knew you were alive I would have come back for you I swear."
A million things were running through my mind. This is a lot to take in, particularly when I'm in a high octane situation. Come on Nate… stay calm.
"They took me, Nate. The scientists."
"You can't prove any of this. This man is delusional!"
"See, they were running tests on the Thresher Maws. They let those things hit us just to watch and study. I woke up in a holding cell. The scientists were delighted I'd survived. Now they had someone to run tests on."
I looked at him regretfully, knowing what he must feel like now. "What did they do to you, Toombs?" I asked grimly.
"You can't believe Toombs! He doesn't have any proof! I demand a fair trial!"
"He was there, you bastard! He knows the truth! They're part of some organisation, I don't know what they're called but they report to someone called TIM, that runs tests like this. They treated me like a lab animal."
"Please Mr Toombs…"
This time I fired a shot just over the scientist's head. "Speak out again and the next one goes in your skull," I threatened. It's obvious to me that Toombs is telling the truth and that the scientist is crooked. Innocent men don't react to a gun being pointed at them by demanding a fair trial.
"This man deserves to die, Nate. For you, for me, for Rivera, for everyone else in the unit. Are you with me?"
"What are you talking about Rivera is still alive!" Dr Wayne shouted.
"I know that! He only woke up a few days ago. But you bastards took away 8 years of his life!" Toombs snarled.
"What the fuck is going on here!? First off what do you mean Rivera is still alive?" I demanded. There was too much new information flooding my mind at once and I can't quite process it all at this moment.
"Unlike the rest of the unit, me and Rivera got pulled underground and we managed to survive for a few days. That was when what we thought was a rescue ship arrived bearing Alliance colours. But it turned out to be these bastards canvasing the area for survivors. When they found us they immediately took us to one of their research stations. After a few months of tests Rivera tried to fight his way out but ended up getting knocked into a coma by one of the guard's grenades. He was out for the next 8 years."
"Where is he now?"
"He's in my ship, under guard. He wanted me to stop hunting these bastards down… He doesn't understand Nate but you should. Help me make this right," he pleaded
"Toombs… if you kill him now then you're a criminal and we get nothing," I reasoned.
I noticed the look of relief on the scientist's face accompanied by a sly smirk.
"There's no way this bastard lives past today!" he declared.
"Toombs, I'm a SPECTRE now. I can interrogate him myself by whatever means I deem fit and no one has to know about it. We can find out more about TIM and put a stop to them. But none of that can happen if you kill him now."
"YOU DON'T GET IT SHEPARD! You got out with a few scratches and a scary reputation. I'm the one they tortured!"
"And if I can find out more about TIM then I can stop this from happening to anyone else again. If you shoot him now then we have nothing, and other scientists can do this again. You're better than them Toombs," I reassured. I was desperate for him to let this one go. I need to find out more about TIM so I can put a stop to this.
He raised his gun at the scientist, before aiming it at me. Rylee and Garrus took aim at Toombs. I knew what that meant and so did he, but I wasn't going to allow that to happen. Just because he wants to die it doesn't mean I'll do it for him.
"If you want to die Toombs, it won't be me or my people who do it. Show them that you're stronger than that!" I shouted.
He tensed his arm and his finger moved to the trigger, but I motioned for Rylee and Garrus not to fire. I looked him in the eyes and saw he had lost his resolve. That fire that was in his eyes had started to wane.
This is my chance. I advanced on my former crewmate, with every step I took his gun began to tremble; more and more uncontrollably until we were face to face.
I looked into his eyes and saw the vacant, lost look in them. He was clearly haunted by his ordeal and he was getting little sleep because of it. Revenge was consuming him and I'm almost certain he'll be suicidal after he's done.
Toombs put the gun down and broke down on the floor. His pain and suffering may be over, but the recovery from it is only just beginning. I don't know if I can help Toombs get his life back to what it was before Akuze, but I'll be damned if I don't try.
Location: SSV Normandy SR-1, Med-Bay
Admiral Hackett's Fifth Fleet arrived at the scene 10 minutes after my call. I'm guessing he knew how I would act. Luckily for me, I managed to smuggle the Doctor onto my ship before the Fifth Fleet could take him into Alliance custody. I cleared out one of the rooms and asked Garrus and Wrex to guard it.
Toombs refused to go with the fleet in case they were TIM's men so he was placed on the Normandy, where we'll take him back to the Citadel for PTSD treatment by the galaxy's best psychologists. He had to be sedated and is currently sleeping in the Med-Bay.
"So… that's what happened," I just finished explaining my Akuze story to Kaidan, Rylee and Liara. I told them everything, from the attack to surviving in the wilderness whilst the Alliance was coming to my rescue.
"Damn Commander… I had no idea just how horrible that whole situation was," Kaidan sympathised.
"You really are a testament to what doesn't kill you makes you stronger," Rylee praised.
"It's alright guys, I don't want any sympathy. I just figured I could tell you three since you're the ones I trust most on this ship."
The most stunned out of the group was Kaidan. I'm still not entirely over Liara's invasion of my mind, but it has started the healing process, so I'm not too angry at her. Rylee was probably my best friend and I could tell her anything now. Kaidan on the other hand was the crewman I liked the most. He's told me about his past and how he killed his instructor and how that changed him as a man. I respected his honesty and courage to tell me that, and he was easy to get along with.
Dr Chakwas walked into the room to clear Kaidan and Rylee out so that she could monitor Toombs and Liara. I made the order that either I or one of the aliens aboard the ship would be in the med-bay at all times until Toombs woke up. And if I wasn't there, I'd be called immediately. We need him to know straight away that he's not aboard a hostile ship when he wakes up.
"Commander, I haven't had the opportunity to thank you. According to Rylee you saved me from the blast and you even carried me to the Normandy," she recalled. Her face was a deeper shade of blue than it usually was when she mentioned it, but I thought nothing of it.
"Yeah, I couldn't let you die Liara. You're a vital part of the squad," I stated factually. Without her we couldn't decipher the other half of the beacons message when we find it.
"Thank you for saving me, Commander," she said, placing her cool, blue hand on mine.
Before I could react she planted a quick kiss on my cheek. All I could do was look at her in disbelief
"Um…. Don't mention it."
"Is Major Rivera on board the ship?" she asked hurriedly.
"Yeah he is. He's in the crew quarters right now… I think he wants to see me."
"That doesn't surprise me. You are the only one he knows aboard this ship. And he probably wants to see how are doing at the moment… Do you want to see him?"
I couldn't help but chuckled at the question. "Had you asked me that very same question yesterday, I would have said yes in a heartbeat. But now… I'm not so sure. I wouldn't know how to talk to him."
"Maybe seeing him face to face will help. He's probably feeling the same way as you are now."
"I guess I'll just bite the bullet."
I was shaking with anticipation at the thought of seeing Rivera again. How much must he have changed since I last saw him? How much have I changed since I last saw he saw me? Does he hate me? Does he know about Elysium? Does he know about Torfan? Oh god there's also the issue of his family not seeing him in such a long time.
Liara gently put her hand on my shoulder. Her touch melted my nerves and gave me the fortitude necessary to open the door and face my former CO.
Inside was a jaded, 41-year-old soldier. He looked surprisingly healthy, in far better shapes than Toombs. He stood tall but far leaner than he was when I last saw him. His clothes bore the mark of the old Alliance symbol from before '79.
"Commander Anderson," he addressed, putting extra emphasis on my 'new' title.
"Major…. Rivera."
"Please don't call me Major," he snapped. That caught me off guard.
Neither of us knew what to say next. What else was there to say to each other? We were both different people when we last spoke.
With neither of us being able to break the ice, Liara took the initiative and approached Rivera with a light smile. "Hello Major Rivera, I'm Dr Liara T'Soni. It's a pleasure to meet me."
"Likewise Doctor," Manuel replied.
"Please excuse Nathan's shyness. It's not every day that this sort of thing happens,"
"I'm not surprised. I wish I could say more, but seeing how much he's changed is a reminder of how much time has passed," he stated. The solemn look on his face didn't really make me feel any more at ease.
"Nate has also saved an entire colony from a batarian invasion. It's made him an Alliance hero."
"The Alliance huh…" I could sense some bitterness in his tone when he said the Alliance. "TIM's men are in the Alliance."
"Oh… I had no idea,"
"It was them… they have people in the Alliance, they sent us to the thresher maw nest."
"I'm sorry that happened. I'm surprised that an entire organisation can infiltrate the Alliance."
"It's hard to know who to trust anymore."
Liara looked slightly uncomfortable at this latest development. "Did you know that Nathan is now a Council SPECTRE. The first ever human SPECTRE. It's made him a galactic celebrity," she said trying to shift the subject.
They both looked at me, expecting me to finally speak. But it was hard. It shouldn't be this hard dammit. Rivera is still Rivera. At the end of the day he's still a person.
A person who's lost a huge chunk of his life because someone decided to take control of his life. Him and Toombs must have gone through hell. 8 years of his life gone in what probably seems like a flash to him. In that time his family has probably… oh shit his family. He probably doesn't know that his wife remarried and has a kid. This is going to be way harder than I initially thought.
No I'm wrong. This isn't the same Rivera I knew. Nor is this the life galaxy he once knew or the life he once had. Everything's changed and there's no avoiding that. I need to break everything to him in private.
"Liara…. Can you give us some privacy? We've got a lot to catch up on."
He's going to need me. Someone who he can talk to about what he's been through. A bridge between the life he knows and the life he is now going to be forced to live. Damn this whole having someone to talk to about your problems with is becoming the theme of my life.
I sat down at my desk and sighed. This isn't going to be fun. "Where do I begin?"
Thank you all for the reviews, favs and follows. In particular reviewer7456 for the insightful reviews.
Next up- Nassana Dantius