Shit, here we go the fuck again. So much for retirement, I guess.
Shepard rested his elbows on his knees, staring at the hard floor of the Tilgrap's armory station between his knees. Its dull gray contrasted starkly with the red he was seeing. The passive sensor sweep of the system had been enlightening in just the way he'd expected, in just the way he'd dreaded.
The fucking admirals. He inwardly snarled in frustration. Well, specifically the idea of their "Admiralty Board".
In a vacuum, he understood the Board's necessity for Tali's people, certainly when they were bound to the Fleet. The unfortunate side effect of all the power given to a very select group over all that time? Well, perhaps they were now given far too much leeway. And it led to shit like the steaming hot mess that they were all now trying to prevent.
"Fuck."
Idly, he checked his now customary Hornet as he heard the relatively light footsteps announce Tali's presence approaching from behind.
"Hi, John." She sat next to him, shoulders pressing together with her head resting its weight on his. But it wasn't just her head that rested on him now. No, it was the weight of her whole people, balanced against not only themselves but also against the rest of the galaxy. She trembled and John snaked a comforting arm around her body, drawing her closer. Tali repositioned herself to cradle her head in the crook of his neck.
"Hi, love. How ya doing?" He tried to ask with a touch of lightheartedness, something to soften the gravity of the situation.
She saw right through it, of course.
"About as well as you are, John."
He presented a stressed smile. "That obvious, huh?"
Things are different now. I'm not what I used to be. Hell, I'm not even sure that I'm half the soldier I used to be. Is that enough, if needed? Can I protect her from this? And if I can't, how can I protect her people from this? From this madness? Three hundred years of aimless wandering and now that it's over…it could all end worse than it ever had been for them.
"Yes, you are."
"Only with you, because you see right through me."
"Of course I do, saera."
And she needs me. Tali needs me to be strong for her. But what if I cant?
He intertwined his fingers with hers, wishing for skin-on-skin, but settling for this. John swallowed hard before whispering to her. "Tali, what if I…manage to damn your people too? What if I'm not -"
Squeezing his hand hard enough for it to hurt, she sat up and faced him completely.
"You know, you're not that special," she spat with an annoyed huff.
Keelah, why is he always like this? Is it just what's left after all of the damage he's taken? All of the responsibility he's had to shoulder? He's so used to bearing the weight of…everything. It's not fair. It's not right.
He stiffened and bristled at the words.
What.
She continued. "You're not, at least you don't have to be. John," she cupped his cheek in her hand, "you are not alone. This is not a burden for you to bear by yourself. The days of you shouldering everything are over with. You have already done so much for everyone…and…and I am sorry that it has come to this. I wish that I could take it away. Keelah, I would give almost anything for this to be some stupid dream. But it isn't. And I am sorry. But I am here. Your friends are here, and we can fix this, okay? This isn't like the Reapers where we were all separated and no one knew what was going on. We are all here, together. Besides, have you learned nothing?" John's expression did not change, and she forged ahead. "You should know by now that I am with you to the end."
She pressed her visor to his forehead, conveying once more her love for him with her eyes.
"You lead, I'll follow. Like always, my Captain."
He smiled. Of course he wasn't alone. "Is that so?"
"Mmmhmm. It's never failed me before," Tali replied with an air of obviousness.
He smirked before planting a kiss on the top of her realk. "Well then, far be it for me stand in the way of that kind of track record."
There had been no denying it, Hulli reasoned. As soon as they entered the system, even passive sensors could pick out the absolutely enormous power readings coming from the Kholas Array. Against the background of cold space, the other ships stood out as well and it was apparent that there was no intention on leaving. The Neema stood as sentinel near the Array, with Gerrel's other ships patrolling the area and encompassing Xen's science vessels as protection. It had taken Tali about ten seconds to order Piara to hold station on the outskirts of the Kholas System while they formulated a plan.
He had gone down to the medbay, interrupting Aril's preparations.
"I don't like it, Hulli. I don't like this at all. They're admirals, damn it! Why…defy the Conclave now? Why put so much at risk after we…after we…keelah, after we just got all of this back?"
He'd shook his head in defeat. He didn't have a good answer to that question.
"I don't know. All I know is that we need to get inside - see what's going on. Tali wants to talk to them, but won't risk us."
She rubbed the top of her visor. "She wants to talk?"
He nodded. "Yes, Aril. She and Shepard both. Keelah, she doesn't want bloodshed. Neither does he."
They'd shared a quiet embrace for a few moments of contemplation before Hulli moved on to his next destination.
He'd then met with the other human - Kasumi - to help her and Nat'Veral find a way to get a message to the Array - to Veetor'Nara. Which is why he, Nat'Veral and Kasumi were finalizing a way to send a message inside the Array that would be completely undetected.
Hulli replayed the conversation they'd had with Tali in his head.
"Tali," Kasumi had begun, "you're sure that Veetor will help us? Have you spoken with him since he came out here?"
The admiral had sighed. "Yes, off and on. He did not give details of the operations out here - as he shouldn't have - but he did inform me that he was well." She'd paused. "He misses Elan'Shiya."
Hulli had nodded then, understanding her meaning. "And if he does not, or cannot?"
"Then I imagine we will have two choices, and I do not like either one. We either try to talk them down, giving away the only advantage we have, or hope that Admiral Raan and the Heavy Fleet can dissuade the admirals with force."
Hulli had frowned. "It sounds like you do not like either option, Tali."
"No, I do not. Either option likely leads to destruction, likely ending in our own should the admirals manage to use the Array at all."
He took a deep breath. Of course. The rest of the galaxy would undoubtedly learn of this - and would react badly no matter how things ended here.
No, as Hulli thought about it currently, he would rather not have to rely on the Heavy Fleet. Knowing Gerrel and the respect he commanded, it was possible that the people under his command would follow his orders - even against Tali or Raan. And if those under his command agreed with his views on the Geth? Under the kind of situation that the arrival of the Heavy Fleet would create?
It was such a polarizing topic, even still. But he had to hope that the others would respect Tali's rank - enough to at least listen.
Keelah.
" - of this, Hulli?"
Involuntarily, he shook his head, erasing the scene from his mind. "What was that, Kasumi?"
The thief smiled back at him, maybe in understanding but possibly something else. Hulli couldn't be sure, this human's mannerisms and expressions were different from John'Shepard's - and he'd barely begun to get a grip on his.
"This." She indicated to the masking protocol that she'd been putting the finishing touches on. "What do you think of this? Will it be hidden from quarian detection systems? I've never tried to infiltrate the Fleet, so I wasn't sure."
Smirking at the little hint she'd given about her area of expertise, he analyzed the little program, marveling at how thorough she was. Whatever it was that she did for a living, it appeared that she was damn good at it. He could find no fault.
"No, it is impeccable work. Nat, what do you think?"
The lieutenant, who was still nominally under Gerrel's command, spent a solid minute studying it for himself. "I agree. It looks well-done." He gave Kasumi an approving nod. "You do fine work, Kasumi'Goto."
"Thanks, I do try. And please, it's just -"
"Kasumi. Yes, I am aware. Please forgive me. I am a man of habit."
She thought of Garrus and his calibrations, and maybe understood. She even mused that when they get out of this, Garrus and Nat'Veral might become friends.
"Good," Hulli began, "I'll let the admiral know that we are ready down here."
"Garrus, I thought I might find you here."
Sure enough, as Liara had expected, Garrus was in the relatively modest forward battery already in full armor, doing what he did best: calibrating. Her voice pulled him from the quiet conversation he was having with one of the quarian crewmembers that had been assigned to the area. Hearing her voice, the turian pulled out of the conversation and walked over to her.
"Liara. I'm still that obvious?"
She chuckled a little. "I would not worry too much about it. It is nice to know that some things do not change."
He actually laughed, because it was more true than he'd like to admit. Spirits, the banter was fun.
"It seems that way, doesn't it?" He glanced back over to the main gun before leaning against the wall. "So, what brings you around to my…what did he call it? Stomping grounds?"
"Hmm, that sounds right. But I wanted to ask you if you were okay."
He scoffed, paired together with an awkward chuckle. "Me? I told Shepard that this was just like old times, and really it does feel that way. In a way, it's actually refreshing." Frowning, he thought she might be hinting at something more, something he wasn't aware of. "Why do you ask?"
"I was wondering what you were planning on doing once we complete this mission."
A little huff left him, but it was…light, freeing. Liara always seemed to know more than she let on these days. "Actually, it's interesting that you should ask that."
Liara smirked in her quiet understated way. "Is it?"
"It is, and I'm sure you already knew why."
"Oh please, Garrus. I am not the Shadow Broker any longer. I don't know all of the galaxy's secrets." She grinned fully. "At least, not anymore."
He crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. "Okay then. Out with it."
Fair.
She nodded. "You and Kasumi? Are you…?"
He laughed - there was no malice. "Did Shepard tell you?"
"No, but I am not completely…ignorant. I do…notice things. And you two have clearly worked things out." It was Liara's turn to cross her arms in smugness. He laughed. "So what changed, Garrus?"
With a sidelong nod, they sat down at a nearby table in the mess hall
"I appreciate you taking my mind off of what we're up against, by the way." A small smile was Liara's reply. "Me. Her. Us. She, uh, well we both figured things out on our own. And now…"
Liara smiled. "You are not returning to Palaven. Or if you do, it is not for long."
He flared his mandibles. Spirits, how the hell did she just know?
"Well, uh, funny you should -"
Tali's voice put the brakes on him.
"Attention boarding team: please report to the bridge."
She smirked at the turian. "Saved by the bell."
Garrus actually guffawed. "Did you learn that from -"
"Shepard? Yes."
Admiral Shala'Raan hated this. She hated how it felt, hated how her mind raced and her blood pulsed relentlessly in her ears. Keelah, it was like she was a junior officer again. She remembered her first posting after her own return from pilgrimage. That was a long time ago - longer than she would like to admit. A simple systems technician aboard the Riaza, she had hated not knowing what was going on even then as a fresh-faced Shala'Polou vas Riaza. But now?
As the commanding officer of the Tonbay, and the acting commander of the Heavy Fleet?
Well, she hated that det kazuat even more. Put simply, it was because as someone in her position, she should know.
"Ma'am?" The uninvited question came from the Ops station.
Immediately, she snapped to attention. "Yes, lieutenant?"
"Respectfully, ma'am, the pacing is not helping."
He was right, of course. She'd not realized that she'd been doing so.
"I am well aware, thank you." She had snapped off the lie harder than she'd intended.
His observation didn't stop her, of course.
As interminable minutes passed, she couldn't help but worry about the future of her people. The conversation they'd had with Tali and Shepard had been forthright, open, and jarring. She wasn't certain how she had gone through most of this - really everything since the end of the war - with such naivete. Maybe it was the relief that the greatest threats they had ever faced - the Reapers and the Geth - had both been dealt with, for better or worse. Maybe they had all had a momentary lapse of reason. Who knows what it was, for it no longer mattered. All that mattered was finishing this…whatever this was, and learning from it. Keelah, that seemed to her the most obvious thing to do, whatever came next. They had to operate differently than the way they had as a Fleet, didn't they?
"Admiral Raan, we are receiving a secure message. It is from Admiral Shepard."
She sighed in relief.
Finally.
"I'll take it in my office," she declared as she stalked into the barren room tucked tightly against the bridge. Taking a seat at her desk, she answered the call.
A deep breath.
"Admiral Shepard. What is your status?" It felt so odd to be this formal with Tali, but it was only because they had not often been put in a situation in which they were both equally in command during the same mission.
"We are about to enter the Kholas System itself. Passive scans indicate that the Array is generating incredible power - more than Xen's reports indicated. And they have raised barriers around the Array. It is obvious that they are not shutting down the project as ordered. If anything, it appears that they are preparing for something larger."
"They what? Keelah, Tali! What more evidence do we need that they are up to something like Gerrel's damn bomb?"
Tali blinked once, unfazed. "Very little, I think."
"So what exactly is your plan?"
"We will board the Array and attempt to deescalate the situation personally."
"But Tali, why do that when I can -"
Tali chopped off her suggestion at the knees. "Because it will give us a chance to end this with minimal loss of life, and allow the Tilgrap to remain undetected and relay information back to you as needed. Hopefully, the only time you hear from Hulli will be when he tells you that the situation has been dealt with."
Keelah.
Hopefully.
"And if it has not?"
"Then he will tell you to bring in your squadron from the Heavy Fleet."
"And what if I hear nothing at all? I will need to bring the squadron in at some point…in case this goes worse than you expect."
Tali nodded softly. "Give me two hours, as soon as you receive word from Hulli that we've boarded the Array. If you haven't heard from us by then, bring in your ships to end this in any way you see fit."
Shala closed her eyes, inwardly grimacing at the thought. It gave her pause. Just how much loyalty did Han command amongst his captains and marines? Was it enough to defy another standing admiral?
She didn't like it, not one bit. It was risky, but what else could they do with so many unknowns? Tali, Shepard and their people were the best the galaxy had to offer at this sort of thing.
"I know what you are thinking, Auntie," Tali began with some tenderness. "You are thinking that it would be easier for you to just bring in the Heavy Fleet now and use force. You are thinking that this plan is foolish." Tali sighed. "And it probably is - no, it definitely is. But I…I have to hope that we're better than our worst fears. That maybe we can talk some sense into them face-to-face. If all else fails, then we know how to defy impossible odds."
Ancestors. "Impossible odds".
Resignation is what Shala felt.
What an appropriate word, the longtime admiral thought. It was one that described her current feelings. She was resigned to agree with Tali - that she had to try to get the admirals to stand down. Han was probably her best bet - after all, she served under his command and he'd been friends with her father. That she was bringing Nat'Veral along only enhanced her odds for success. Xen could be dealt with separately - if she could convince Han, any possible dissent from any of his people would fall by the wayside.
And Tali had wanted to resign from the Board in the first damn place.
Damn it.
She still wanted to bring in her squadron; blunt force to meet force. But Tali was right on that account as well. If the admirals were indeed as far gone as they feared, then that show of force could make things worse and possibly create a standoff that could cost them hundreds of lives. Shepard and Tali had to be the first to try, the tip of the spear. Failing that, she would be the blunt force.
A long, heavy breath escaped her.
"Very well. Keelah se'lai, Tali'Shepard."
Tali paused for a moment. "Keelah se'lai, Shala'Raan."
The transmission ended, and she slumped in her chair. With a sigh, she prepared to make one more call to an old acquaintance, just in case the absolute worst came to pass.
Admiral Hackett would need to know. Shala had weighed this decision, and realized that if they somehow failed to secure the Array, then Daro and Han would have free access to do as they pleased with a device that would make nearly the entire galaxy a potential target.
By then, "containment" would no longer matter.
Her finger hovered over the button to initiate the call. One more icy second of indecision gripped her before she nodded and made the call.
And if that was the last time she would speak to her Tali?
Daro and Han would pay.
There was something amiss, Veetor thought. The admirals had come back a few hours ago, and immediately ordered what was essentially a "lockdown". No communication out of the system was permitted, and now the command center had been cleared of everyone except the admirals. That was strange, but not frighteningly so.
Even so, this caused him some tangible unease. It was the nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach that told him that things were not quite right. He understood the need for secrecy, but keelah, he was not a spy. He was pretty sure that no one else was, either. Maybe they knew something that he didn't.
Well, probably knew something that he didn't.
And then they had raised barriers around the Array itself. He hadn't known that it was capable of such things. He'd suspected, but…
Maybe that had been another team's project?
Or maybe they had managed to interface their own tech with the system. He thought now that that was the most likely scenario.
He shrugged with a sigh. Veetor wasn't sure what he'd been expecting. Maybe a conversation with Admiral Xen? It seemed silly to him now, but somewhere within him he'd thought that she would have at least greeted him. He shook his head. It was a stupid notion. They had had a few pleasant conversations, but that didn't make them -
She was still an admiral first.
In any case, with nothing to do, he needed something to take his ever-presently worrying mind off of things. Maybe he'd write up another letter to Elan. He'd been missing her terribly ever since he'd come out here, and it only seemed to be getting worse. Or maybe he'd go work on another puzz-
His omnitool's incoming message light pinged.
Keelah, what?
He stepped into his makeshift quarters after taking a few furtive looks around him. There was nobody there.
Shakily, he tapped the icon to open the message. It was live, like a vid call, but text only:
Veetor, this is Tali. I apologize for the secrecy, but you are in danger.
Tali? What danger?
Yes. The admirals are going to use the Array against the Conclave's direct orders. Shepard and I are here to try to stop them.
He paused, not realizing that he'd been holding his breath. His brow furrowed. Daro'Xen had told them that there was the possibility of interference from the groups located in the Terminus Systems. It's why Admiral Gerrel had arrived in the first place. It would only make sense that -
How do I know it's Admiral Tali? Why would they do this?
There was no pause in the response.
Their reasoning is complicated, Veetor. I can explain it to you when we get you safe. And as for knowing that it's me: when we first came to the Array, you accessed the main terminal while we were discussing the Andromeda Initiative. You got my attention when you thought the image of the station called the Nexus was actually the Citadel.
Oh no. He remembered the events like they had just happened. They had all gathered around the asari - Liara was her name, he knew now - when she had brought up the Andromeda Initiative. Bored and curious, he'd returned to the main console, and flipped through the log entries and -
"Keelah…" was all he could muster. He stumbled until he fell onto the edge of his bed. What was he supposed to do? He wasn't ready for this - he'd not even considered such a thing. Going against the Conclave? Turning traitors?
Veetor? Are you there?
His fingers were held shakily over the holokeys. He slammed his eyes shut, trying to wrap his mind around all of this while the thoughts within it absolutely raced. He tried to determine why Daro would do this. Why would she have put them all in danger like this? Why would she have worked with Admiral Gerrel to do such a thing? He'd thought that he was starting to understand Daro'Xen. He thought that perhaps she was a bit like him. He thought that, rank aside, they might even be friends. But Tali was also his friend. Shepard was also his friend.
And they had never put him in danger. Not like this.
Ever.
What should I do?
"You want me to just…leave?"
Piara was dumbfounded. She had never considered such a request - such an order. It went against everything that was wired in her mind. She was not supposed to leave Tali - not supposed to leave any of them.
And that's just what her commanding officer had told her to do.
John quirked an eyebrow, coughing as he tried not to laugh at the way that Piara had asked the question.
"Yes, Piara. Garrus will pilot the shuttle; it won't take him long. By the time anyone on the Array notices the shuttle, we'll already be aboard, so it won't matter anyway."
"Uh huh." Her pilot was clearly not convinced, and was reminding her a bit too much of Joker.
Tali rolled her eyes. "Then I want you to head back to the edge of the system and send word to Admiral Raan that we've boarded."
"Well, what about the heat sinks?"
Hulli chimed in next. "They will mask the ship for at least six more hours. That is not yet a concern."
"Nor will it be, because Admiral Raan will give us two hours. If no one has received word from us by then, she will enter the system with her contingent of the Heavy Fleet. Then we will hope for the best." There were a few somewhat furtive glances. "Hulli will be staying aboard as the CO while we're gone." Tali turned to him with a wry smile. "Try not to damage my ship. After all, I just got the damn thing."
John actually laughed - He thought that Tali sounded a bit more like him every day.
"Of course, ma'am. We will try."
A few minutes later and they were in the shuttle bay, waiting for word from Veetor.
"Okay, you all know your jobs. Garrus, you Liara and Nat will secure Veetor." She closed her eyes, exhaling long and low. "Keelah, please, keep him safe."
Garrus glanced at his two squadmates. "We'll do what we can, Tali."
She nodded, knowing that it was true. Of course they would. They were some of the best people in the galaxy, and hopefully Nat would be able to talk some sense into their own people. As for herself…
"Meanwhile, me, Kasumi and Shepard will push to the command center and end this madness. When you've got Veetor make sure -"
Piara's voice cut in over the intercom. "Tali, ma'am? It's the Array. The barriers are down."
Veetor had come through for them. Exactly like she'd expected him too.
One sharp nod. This was it. "Okay, Piara. Take us in."
"Yes, ma'am," was the single, confident reply before the channel closed.
Two quick glances to either side of her. "Okay people, let's end this now."
Convincing his captains had been a straightforward affair. Once the Neema had returned to the Array, Han'Gerrel had informed them that their mission was to destroy the Geth ark in order to protect the quarian lives on their ark Keelah Si'yah. He'd had to preface it by officially confirming what they really already knew, and he thought there was some trepidation, but they would follow his orders.
It certainly didn't hurt that his people were veterans of their cold war with the Geth – he had little sympathy to contend with. And the actual marines were easily swayed if not already wildly enthusiastic about the idea, since many of them had lost friends or family. In private, most of them had conveyed their concerns about working with the Geth before Shepard had destroyed them in the first place.
No, they wouldn't be a problem – at least not for a little bit. But should this take too long, it was likely that the Conclave would send someone out here to ask questions. They had a limited window of opportunity – perhaps no more than a standard Rannoch day – before their gambit was up. As soon as the first official communique was received, well…that would only complicate matters. It was unlikely that any of his people would choose him over the actual quarian government.
With all that in mind, Daro'Xen had insisted that her people be kept in the dark as much as possible, for their own protection. Privately, she'd really hoped to keep Veetor away from any fallout. She might not have cared about the consequences, but she did care about those for Veetor'Nara.
But now Han was pacing.
Normally, Daro would have had no problem blocking out distractions. She could focus like a laser on practically anything she set her mind to - without fail. The ability was as constant and consistent as a metronome. Blocking out distractions was part of the reason why she had rerouted the control terminals, making control of the Array though the main console possible. It was why they'd cleared the command center entirely. Despite all of this, Daro was still distracted by Han's incessant pacing and mutterings. Keelah, did the man never stop?
As for Han, he couldn't get the last images of Jana's dead form out of his mind. The Geth needed to die, and he needed to do it. And it needed to happen soon. Rubbing his hands together, he once again asked if she was sure that this would work.
Of course it would. What was the purpose of all those tests that they'd run if she wasn't sure?
"It would go far faster if you would stop your damn pacing, Han." Daro shook her head. "Keelah!"
He simply stared at the woman, as if he hadn't understood a damn thing she'd said.
In truth, it was taking her longer than she thought it would, and Han was clearly growing impatient. It was only a matter of time before their respective crews began to wonder just what exactly was going on - there was "secrecy", and then there was "too much secrecy". It was a fine line, and the longer this took, the closer they got to crossing that line. That line, she knew, existed no matter how loyal they would be to Han and the cause of destroying the Geth.
Han thought that they'd get only one shot at this, and if they failed?
Just what would he say to Jana?
"Daro, what is taking so long? Are you sure this will work?"
"Yes, you bosh'tet, I am sure. But we have never transported an object at this distance, and the target is moving, and -"
He waved her off with an angry hand. "Yes, yes. I understand. Keep working."
She scoffed at the idiot. Of course she would keep working. What a stupid thing to say to her.
Shaking her head in annoyance, Daro resumed her work. She still had to extrapolate the coordinates of the Geth Ark, accounting for its speed and course. Then she'd have to coordinate the three separate relays to match the needed requirements…Keelah, they still would have to realign the entire Array to open the required corridor through dark space. Her fingers continued to blur, and she didn't hear the call come in to Han'Gerrel from a security detail.
She didn't hear that the protective barriers around the Array had dropped. Nor had she heard that it would be at least a minute before they could be reset.
She didn't hear that their system had detected a breach in their security; and that the breach had been initiated from Veetor'Nara's omnitool.
Daro'Xen did not hear his order for them to find him and see what he knows.
And she certainly didn't hear his order to kill him when they did.
She did look up at the sound of the proximity alarm indicating an unauthorized docking of a shuttle that was only detected mere seconds before it landed.
Glaring at the man, she was more than annoyed. "I assume I'll have to take care of this for you?"
She had fired off her venomous inquiry believing that Han would behave like most others when she asserted her disdain.
This was not one of those times.
Han took three stalking steps in her direction, pointing at her in a way that gave Daro…pause. "No, Daro. There will be no need." He turned as if that was the end of it before he sent off a parting shot. "And I suggest you keep doing what you're good at, while I take care of this."
He stalked off away from her, issuing orders to intercept any boarders ASAP.
As for Daro'Xen, for some reason she had no retort; no witty comeback that would shut him down for his thinly-veiled…whatever that was.
Instead, she merely glanced back at the pacing man, who was still barking orders. Security was Han's department; he would take care of it. There was no need to worry yet. Besides, she had some calculations to finalize.
"Det kazuat," she breathed. Returning to those calculations, she felt secure in the knowledge that their little partnership would be over soon.
Just not soon enough for her liking.
Nat'Veral liked taking point. Sometimes his friends - or even Admiral Gerrel - had asked him if he'd had a death wish of sorts. After all, most of his fellow marines liked to rotate the point man role. "It's safer that way, Nat. You'll have a better chance of seeing your home again," they'd explain to his everlasting grin. He hadn't cared then, he certainly didn't care about such chances now.
There was far too much at stake, and he was more familiar with what other quarian marines would do.
He was confident, but not overly so. It was a trait that his father had instilled in him, and it was one that he was fond of himself. Having served with Kal'Reegar for a number of missions during the war (may he find Peace with the Ancestors), he'd picked up some of that marine's style - which only reinforced the lessons that his father had given him. As the ranking quarian on this team, the legendary Garrus Vakarian and Liara T'Soni had both acquiesced to his leadership in this particular arena.
While the Admirals Shepard had gone directly to the command center, he'd not yet heard anything from Tali's team. Perhaps it was just as well - after all, with the renowned thief Kasumi Goto at their disposal, it was likely that they were going to employ a more subtle approach. But he would worry about that later. Instead, he kept his focus on the angled hallway in front of him, trying not to think about how empty it was. Its silence was…jarring, he thought. He'd expected more activity, but maybe the admirals had kept the scientists back on their ships, or in secure quarters here?
It was possible.
"So Nat, how do you feel about the admirals' behavior?"
He recognized the soft-spoken voice as T'Soni's, and he could detect the hint of subtle accusation in her voice. Her question had jarred him from his thoughts, but not from his concentration. This was not a simple question - it was a deeper probe, and she wanted to know one thing:
Could they trust him?
Simple enough, really. He actually smiled a little. He couldn't really blame her for asking, and was actually a little surprised he'd gone this long without it being posed.
"I worked with Gerrel long enough to know that this…whatever it is that he's doing is not what I would have expected from him. I respect him. But to defy the Conclave like this?" He shook his head. "As for Xen? I do not know her well enough to speculate, but she's never given a hint of this kind of behavior before."
"What do you think Gerrel's reasoning is?"
"I am sure that whatever he has told himself is reason enough for him. I have no idea what it could actually be. In any case, they must be stopped. This must be stopped. Keelah, we cannot afford this."
They continued on in silence, Liara apparently satisfied with his response. A few more steps later in the dimness, Nat signaled for them to stop.
"All right, Veetor's omnitool response had come from right around he-"
Nat's little narrative came to an abrupt halt when he heard voices from around the curve ahead.
"Listen kid, we know you did something to the barriers. And now we've been boarded. So spill it."
There was a pause, and Nat signaled that he was moving up. His rifle was at the ready.
"I…I -"
"That's enough, Veetor."
There were three armed marines surrounding the young man, two of them had weapons drawn on him. All four of them turned at the sound of Nat's voice. They all recognized him - after all, he was well-known as one of Gerrel's more trusted officers. The one that had been speaking directly to Veetor glared at him.
Nat's team stared face-to face with the three quarian marines, guns drawn.
The one furthest from them kept his weapon trained on Veetor.
Something about all of this reminded Garrus of something Shepard had called a similar situation once.
A "Mexican standoff"?
The leader spoke.
"Nat'Veral. I take it you are the boarders that he allowed on?" He gestured to Veetor with his rifle.
Garrus's mandibles twitched. Liara's hands glowed blue. If the others were intimidated by the display, they didn't show it.
Veetor realized that these new people were all people he recognized. Nat'Veral, Garrus Vakarian, and Liara - they had come here with him before. They were Admiral Tali's people.
He could trust them.
"Yes," Nat began cautiously, "we're here under the Conclave's orders."
The lead man hesitated, lowering his rifle slightly. He was seemingly thrown off by the mention of the Conclave. "What do you mean: their orders? Their orders were to eliminate the Geth ark."
Nat'Veral could hear Garrus relaying to Tali that they'd found Veetor.
Exasperated, Nat doubled down. They had to hurry and secure Veetor. "Damn it, man. Is that what you were told? The admirals lied to you!What I mean is that the admirals came here against -"
The leader's eyes narrowed. "You are here with the sympathizer, aren't you?" It wasn't really a question.
Realization hit Nat'Veral: this man meant Tali, and he would never convince these men to stand down by himself.
"Marine, are you prepared to defy the Conclave, based solely on your feelings? I suggest you stand down, before -"
A single shot rang out, and Veetor immediately screamed, dropping to the floor. His hands clutched at a wound in his chest that poured blood. Initially, no one moved nor breathed as all heads turned to watch Veetor'Nara tumble to the ground. The quarian that had been behind Veetor stood shakily, weapon still in hand as he tried to defend himself.
"You…you heard him." He nodded in Nat's direction. "He's working with that arrogant bosh'tet, and we had our orders…"
"Ah, spirits…" Garrus muttered. He couldn't believe what was about to happen as he watched from behind Liara and Nat. This was about to get ugly, and it needed to hurry the hell up if it was going to. He watched Veetor slumped on the floor with his hands clutching at the hole in his body. The poor kid hadn't put any shields up - hell, why should he have? This was about to get ugly, and there was no real cover to speak of. Still, he remained calm, knowing that his shields would hold long enough to end at least one of them.
He had little doubt that the combination of Liara and Nat'Veral would be able to hold their own.
The unnamed leader of this trio of marines raised his rifle at Nat, Liara and Garrus, his finger on the trigger.
Nat knew what was coming.
Nat'Veral vas Neema, loyal member of the Quarian Marines, cast his eyes from one marine to the next, then to the one that had fired. He squeezed his trigger and opened fire first, his rage not waiting for them to fire first.
Besides: he'd heard his excuse before. He'd heard it dozens of times, and his patience for it was nonexistent.
We were following orders.
Squeezing the trigger, he sent his first volley at the one that had fired on Veetor. He had a clear line of sight, and he, for this moment, allowed emotion to defeat his better judgment. The first few bullets in the train of them that he'd unloaded lit up his shields before pressing into the kid's armor, hobbling him. One blazingly loud shot rang out from behind Nat, and blasted through his faceplate and through the marine's head. It lodged itself in the wall behind him.
The overeager bastard dropped, every weight-bearing joint folding beneath him. Garrus had finished him off with a single, perfectly placed shot then trained his focus elsewhere.
The leader - the one that had first spoken - sent his own volley as soon as Nat's had begun - virtually simultaneously. His bullets ripped into Nat's shields in seconds, piercing his armor, then piercing through his shoulder. He cried out just as the torrent ended.
Looking up, Nat saw why the torrent had ended. His opposite number had crashed against the wall before tumbling to the floor as he still crackled with blue light. Beside him, Liara - biotic barrier still glowing as brightly as her whole body - stalked forward and yanked the final marine who had been pelting her with his own fire into the air. She held him there until Garrus's two shots ended him with a desperate yelp.
"Guess they didn't get Shepard's biotics training," Nat muttered as he rushed to Veetor, who was still clutching at the hole in his chest.
The young man whimpered, eyes searching furtively for someone - anyone. Keelah, he was dying. Where was Shepard? Where was Tali? They always saved the day. They had saved him.
They were nowhere to be found, he realized, and the bitter taste of recognition crawled up his throat. He coughed, and realized that the bitterness was his own blood. It wasn't possible. Daro'Xen wouldn't have allowed this; she was his friend.
Wasn't she?
"Veetor, it's me, it's Nat. Don't try to talk, okay?"
There was the sound of something crashing to the ground, and Nat stole a glance to see the squad leader crumpled completely to the floor once again as the blue glow around him faded into oblivion. His rifle had been ripped apart.
"And stay down, you fucker."
She had angrily spat the words, and they were the only words Nat had heard Liara utter since their little interview.
She knelt down beside him, omnitool scanning. "Let me try, Nat. I have some medical training."
He backed away slightly, allowing her more room.
"Liara, I have medigel if…"
The only response he received was a slow shake of her head, tears pooling in the asari's eyes. There was no amount of medigel to close this wound, certainly not where it was located. She gripped the stricken man's hand.
Ignoring his shoulder, Nat knew what he had to do. Somehow, he had to comfort him. With a hand on Veetor's shoulder, he spoke with as much conviction as he could muster. "Veetor'Nara, I am so sorry. You were brave, and may have just saved countless lives. We are all in your debt. May you rest easy in the embrace of your ancestors." He paused, swallowing hard as he tried to continue. Keelah, there was more he wanted to say to this brave young man. "I am sorry that we…that I couldn't…" He steeled himself once more. "Keelah se'lai, Veetor'Nara."
Veetor responded as best he could, eyes dimming but focused. "T-tell…Elan that I…love her…" He tried to suck in a desperate breath, gurgling on his own blood. The tears ran down his cheeks freely; there had been so much that he'd wanted to do with Elan, so much that he'd needed to tell her. It would no longer be possible. "And make sure that…Shepard…and Tali s-save us…like…they always…do." He closed his eyes. "I would have l-liked…to have seen that…water…fall…"
His helmeted head lolled forward, and the grip on Liara's hand grew slack.
Seeing Garrus approach from behind, he asked Liara the question without opening his mouth.
She shook her head. No, he hadn't made it. They'd not gotten to him in time. They'd failed.
Damn it, they'd failed.
And the brave kid was dead as a result. He was dead because of them.
"Ah, spirits. Damn it." He turned away from them, finger to his ear.
"Tali…they uh…Veetor's dead. They…they killed him."
The approach of more footsteps cut short whatever conversation they were going to have.
Garrus readied his weapon once more, hoping that Shepard, Tali, and Kasumi were having better luck than they were.