Location: Presidium Shopping District, Squad 2: Garrus and Tali
With a sigh Garrus lowered his arm as the omni-tool's light dimmed and turned off, they had found nothing on their patrol so far –a good thing most would say- and it was bugging Garrus something so fiercely. This constant feeling of something moving in the edge of his vision was starting to grate on his nerves and only the occasional word from Tali kept him from lashing out against the object.
Glancing over towards Tali all Garrus really saw was the back of her body as she was currently talking to a rugged looking Quarian who seemed to be down on his luck and looking for credits, odds were that he had some good information as most Quarian's always did. While looking over her Garrus couldn't help but notice that her waist looked quite sturdy…
'Mind out of the gutter Vakarian! She isn't even considered an adult by her own species yet… you've put away enough creeps like that, no need to become one'
Shaking his head to banish the thoughts Garrus only managed to make Wrex's words echo in his mind and he had to restrain a growl of annoyance on the subject.
"Something wrong Garrus?" Tali's voice breached the borders of his mind and Garrus turned his gaze back onto her
"Nothing really, I just have a bad feeling about this entire thing…" replied Garrus in a half mumble
"Well according to Son'Vidor the word down in the wards is that everyone is to stay clear of the ceremony, no one wants to potentially get on Saren's bad side by messing up a revenge operation"
"That's good news… in a way. Did he say anything else?"
"Not in regards to ceremony no…"
"I take it this other he mentioned is somehow related to him looking slightly in pain?"
"Bosh'tet…" With a chuckle from Garrus the two resumed their patrol.
Nothing of note happened the following hour, the most fascinating thing that happened was when a human broke up with an Asari and the ensuing loud debate.
"Garrus can I ask you a question?"
"Sure"
"What do you think of Echo?"
Garrus stopped momentarily in surprise before resuming his stride and catching up with Tali
"You might have to be a little more specific…"
"I mean what do you think of him? The way he acts the way he talks"
"Well I've talked with him a few times here and there, most about random things mind you, and so far he seems like a fairly decent guy. Not one for much social interaction with large crowds but seems comfortable enough around with the occasional individual. Why are you asking?"
"I'm just curious about him. He comes down to engineering all the time, mostly to speak with the head engineer but he stops and talks with me most of the time"
"Really? I didn't think you two did much talking after… his introduction…"
"You mean when he threatened to kill me?"
"Yeah… that"
"I admit I was a little scared of him at first… at least until he spent an entire night sitting down in engineering talking to me when I began missing my home. After that he just showed up from time to time and talked to me about the engine of the Normandy… did you know he thinks it's insufficient in design?"
"Really? Wasn't it co-developed by Turians?"
"*Nod* Yeah it was, he asked for the blueprints and looked them over once before he began mumbling about useless parts and things that could be solved so much easier with a material he refers to as "Rubedo" he claims that it would increase the energy output by 20%..."
"Rubedo?"
"He won't tell me, whenever I inquire about it he just mumbles something about it being secret and that he couldn't get his hands on more anyway"
"He likes his secrets, not much we can do about that"
"*Sigh* I suppose not, I just wish he would share more of his ideas with me… though I question his sanity on some points as well"
"*Chuckle* We all do"
"He actually suggested that we could make peace with the Geth, peace with the Geth! Hah!"
"I will admit that seems… extreme… but who knows"
"I do and it won't happen"
A Shrug later and the two were resuming their patrol… or they would have had an armored human not dropped in front of them wearing complex black and red battle armor that looked vaguely like Echo's own.
"One of Echo's friends?" asked Tali a little worried
"One way to check. Is the Stalker Seen?" asked Garrus using the –he thought- ridiculous code phrase
"The stalker remains unseen" replied the woman
"Friendly it seems" mumbled Garrus
"My Master asked me to contact you and pool our data, have you found anything of use?" inquired the woman
"Not anything alarming, at most we heard a rumor that the less lawful citizens of the Citadel were told to stay away from the ceremony" replied Tali
"*Sigh* so nothing on your end either? I talked to a few contacts and I heard just about the same" said the woman in a tired tone
"It's about time to join up with the others, care to join us?" asked Garrus
"I'll be reporting back to my team in a few minutes myself so no thanks. Though do you mind filling in a piece of information for me?" inquired the woman in return
"Shoot" said Garrus
"Do you trust Echo?" she asked
"I do, why?" stated Garrus
"Because despite my Masters assurance, I don't" replied the woman before she turned and disappeared into the crowd
"Cheerful girl isn't she?" mumbled Garrus
"*Shrug* let's get going, we don't want to miss the ceremony" said Tali
Garrus nodded and the two began walking in the opposite direction.
Location: Bar "The Pit" in the lower Wards, Squad 3: Wrex
Loud music was roaring around in the rather spacy bar as a few guests –mostly prostitutes and their customers- danced wildly in an attempt to add some sort of normality to their evening. The bartender –a human surprisingly- was cleaning some glasses with a cigar in his mouth, he was watching over the various patrons in his bar and never strayed far from the shotgun beneath the counter.
The various women walking the floor was sparsely dressed to put it mildly, most of them carried a tray with drinks heading towards waiting thugs and other assorted lowlife. Though among the rubble there were those that used the stench to hide their own. Mercs and assassins were aplenty to find in this forgotten pit of foulness.
And who else is one to find sitting in the corner with a bottle of Ryncol and passive mein on his face, none other than Urdnot Wrex of course. He had chosen this particular bar for the above mentioned reasons, if you wanted information on anything going down then it was certainly here you could get it.
Looking around he quickly saw a few familiar faces, be they mercs or simple low life that he had –extracted- information from in the past. Most of them was so far out in their drunken haze so they wouldn't be able to provide him with anything useful, not beyond the usual responds of "gurgle brblll garrbllee" that accompanied a drunk interrogation.
"Urdnot Wrex?" came a hard voice
Wrex turned his head and glared at the human standing there. He was a rather frail looking one –at least according to Wrex- with black hair and blue eyes… he wore a fancy suit that made him stand out like a beacon in this shithole of a bar.
"What do you want?" grumbled Wrex
"My employer has expressed interest in having you return to his employment. I was sent here to make that happen" replied the man
Wrex looked over the human again, he gave no immediate indication for whom he worked but it didn't take Wrex long to figure out, only one guy would send someone to rehire him
"Tell the Shadow Broker that I don't give a shit" growled Wrex
The man's mien –that until then had been peaceful- turned into one of mild annoyance at the news
"That is… most displeasing to hear. Are you certain there is nothing I can do to change your mind?" inquired the man
Wrex rose from his seat and put his face a centimeter from the mans and grunted sending a wave of air out that ruffled the front of the man's perfect hairdo
"If I ever need something that only a pipsqueak like you can provide then you can be sure I don't really need it" grumbled Wrex
"I see… then I must apologies Mr. Urdnot" said the man
The man had reached for something near his leg as he spoke but he never managed to reach it since Wrex had already grabbed him by the front of his suit and thrown him clean across the bar and right into a group of noisy turians.
The turians reacted as one would expect and threw the guy at who they suspected threw him in the first place and soon the entire bar descended into chaos as accusation flew around closely followed by fists. Of course Wrex wouldn't miss out on the entertainment and happily joined the fight, breaking a few noses and bones where appropriate.
As the brawling died down everyone began moving back to their seats or out the bar to find some treatment for their wounds and the bartender began counting the dead bodies 'Only three this time, lucky me…' though the bartender as he looked them over again… a certain suited individual was lying among the passed out and dead bodies and seemed to have stopped breathing… unfortunate.
Wrex himself was making his way out of the bar with a few new scratches on his armor and nothing else, a disappointing bar brawl if you ever asked him. Though he had overheard some chumps earlier mumbling about not messing with the ceremony later today, wasn't worth the trouble they said.
"Are you the one called Wrex?" came a strong gruff voice as Wrex left the bar
Wrex turned and stared at the speaker, it was a large fellow in black and red armor with muscle to spare. One of those people working with Echo he suspected.
"What do you want?" grumbled Wrex
"I was sent by my master to pool information" replied the large man
"Then keep up, I've got other places to be" grumbled Wrex as he began walking and the large man follow.
Location: Presidium Hall A-2, Squad 1: Ashley & Liara
"Remind me to give my uncle more credit in the future… keeping up this fake smile is killing my face" mumbled Ashley as she stared out over the assembled people attending Benezia's memorial service.
"Even I will admit that it is taxing on the jaw… to think my mother did this for nearly 600 years…" said Liara with a bit of pride
"She's one though lady that's for sure" replied Ashley
Liara stifled her reply as they noticed another Asari heading their way with a sad expression on her face, it was just about as fake as the corpse in the closed coffin at center of the hall.
"Oh Liara dear you have my deepest sympathies" said the woman
"Thank you madam, I appreciate it" replied Liara with a small smile
The woman nodded and continued walking making Ashley and Liara release a sigh of relief as they had feared she might wanted to stay and chat.
"Are you also getting the feeling that we are closing in on the end?" asked Ashley with a troubled expression
"*Nod* I will admit I have had similar feelings of anticipation… it is like we have just entered the calm before the storm as you human's say" replied Liara
"And while we are busy pretending the storm isn't coming Saren is getting a bigger step ahead…" grumbled Ashley
"We will stop him" stated Liara in a tone brokering no argument
"I'm not doubting that… I'm just worried who we are going to lose along the way" muttered Ashley as her eyes focused on Liara
"You need not worry about me, I can protect myself just fine" said Liara
"I'll worry about you until I die Li, nothing to do about that now" quipped Ashley with a large smile
Liara shook her head with a smile.
The longer the event kept going the more people came to give their condolences to the grieving daughter and more and more was both women wishing that they could leave.
In the other of the hall Ashley noticed Shepard and Echo walking through the door with Councilor Tevos right behind them, she gave a quick confirming nod to Shepard and then turned her head once the gesture had been returned.
"They are here" said Ashley
"I see them. Tevos will most likely be coming over here now" replied Liara
"Personal or business?" inquired Ashley
"Both I suspect" replied Liara
Ashley nodded and both women watched as Tevos greeted a few asari along the way and shook a few hands and gave a few hugs before she stood before them with a smile
"Miss T'Soni you have my deepest condolences for the loss of your mother" said Tevos in what sounded like genuine sadness
"Thank you Councilor, I appreciate it" replied Liara
"Could I perhaps speak to both of you in private?" inquired Tevos
"Of course" replied Liara with a nod
Tevos led the two women through the crowed and into a small side office that wasn't completely isolated from the rest of the hell but still private enough to have a conversation
"Liara I will not lie, the Keeper and I have had our doubts that your mother will be able to rejoin Asari society, we fear that her mental state might have been too damaged after being brainwashed by Saren" said Tevos
"I can assure you that after extensive conversation with my mother I have found no proof that her mind is failing in any way and she should be fully capable of rejoining society but I suggest waiting until after we have dealt with Saren" replied Liara
Tevos smiled at the news, she had in fact expected something far worse since the effects of the brainwashing wasn't exactly known to either her or the keeper so they had had their reservation about the entire situation.
"That is excellent news Liara. But I must admit I am curious about a few particulates of information but we can always cover that at a later date if need be" said Tevos
"Of course Councilor, has there been any news on my grandfather yet?" inquired Liara
"Sadly not, Aikar seems quite determined to say hidden this time and as you very well know that means he won't be found until he wishes" stated Tevos
"*Sigh* Indeed, gramps always was like that…" mumbled Liara with a sigh
"I must ask that you show caution should you meet him, I don't know what his intention are at present moment" stated Tevos
"Of course Councilor, we'll look out for him" replied Ashley
"Thank you. Now Miss Williams what can you tell me about the hunt for Saren?" inquired Tevos
"Everything you should need to know will be in Commander Shepard's reports Councilor" stated Ashley
Tevos caught the look in Ashley's eyes and quickly put together the pieces. This might be a private room but there could still be ears listening and while a rumor of Benezia's survival could be allowed and even quenched should it need be, should any information about the hunt for Saren slip and reach him it could potentially endanger countless lives.
"Very true Miss Williams, I shall defer to the Commander's reports for answers then" stated Tevos
The three moved back out to the gathering and greeted a few people along the way until they arrived at the center of the gathering where they split up so Tevos could mingle a little and Liara could continue her charade.
"Thanks for staying with me for this" said Liara
"Don't mind it Li, I hate politicians with a passion so I would never let anyone go through something like this alone" replied Ashley
"Should we go join the Commander and Echo then?" offered Liara
Ashley shook her head "Let's stay here for a while longer, if either of them needed us they would have come to us"
"Then perhaps I should prepare you for the inevitable encounter with my grandfather" stated Liara with a teasing grin
"… why do I feel like he will hate me?" asked Ashley with concern
"Gramps was always very vocal about his distrust of humans and wish for me to never date one… but I think he will come around, you are very likable" said Liara with an assuring smile
"God help me" muttered Ashley
Location: Presidium Hall A-2, Squad 4: Shepard & Echo
"They certainly make a big thing out of this don't they?" mused Shepard
"They believe one of their Matriarchs are dead, I think they are entitled to be a bit extravagant but I have no doubt that half of this also simply a staging ground for political warfare" replied Echo
"Have to agree with you there, even a few humans among here" said Shepard
"Not anyone I recognize" muttered Echo
"Well, well, well if it isn't Commander Shepard herself, first human specter and our favorite customer!" yelled a loud voice
Shepard and Echo turned their heads towards the voice but only Echo had a visibly surprised face, there were actually two people and they both looked extremely similar… twins it would seem.
"What are you two tricksters doing here? I refuse to believe you have gone political" said Shepard with a large grin as the pair approached
"Brother mine I think she is disrespecting us!" gushed one of them
"Noooo of course not Brother dearest, Shepard would never!" gushed the other
"But anyhow Shepard we were wondering…"
"If we could perchance convince you to give us…"
"A short endorsement for our Citadel Branch…"
"Somewhere in the near future when you come by the store…"
"We would really appreciate the support…"
"Would also help since we are trying to get…"
"A foothold on Thessia which is why we are here"
Echo had watched the tennis match between the two and was doing his utmost from saying something incredibly stupid but there is one thing he just had to ask.
"Apologies for interrupting gentlemen, you wouldn't happen to be called Gred and Forge now would you?" inquired Echo
The twins gasped audibly as they both stared at Echo
"We are famous brother mine!" yelled Gred
"So it would seem brother dearest… but who are you?" inquired Forge
Shepard attached herself to Echo's arm in a slightly possessive manner before getting a teasing grin on her face that, in truth, made Echo slightly scared… it reminded him of a few bad moments in his past
"Fred and George allow me to introduce you to my boyfriend, Marc" stated Shepard with a smile
Shepard had barely finished her sentence before she released Marc's arm and stepped to the side as the twins suddenly began swarming around Marc taking in every inch of him with contemplative stares. Marc suddenly felt slightly betrayed…
"Hmm… assessment brother mine?" inquired George
"Well built, looks capable in a fight…" began Fred
"Are we suspecting a good head on his shoulders?"
"Certainly brother mine, else Sheppy wouldn't have chosen him"
"Good point, does he seem a capable husband and father?"
"He has been one and was to be the other before she died, any other old wounds you two wish to reopen?" offered Marc with an irritated stare
Both twins stopped abruptly before stepping in front of Marc and bowing their heads slightly with visibly red ears
"We humbly apologies for our rudeness we were not aware…" they said together
"Apology accepted. Always be mindful of what you chose to say, what can be considered good fun might strike hard with certain individuals" replied Marc
Shepard stood to the side with her head in her hands muttering curses at the twins, the one bloody thing they had to avoid and they dive head first into the pavement.
"In other matters… Sheppy?" asked Marc with a visible grin
Both twins lifted their heads with evil glints in their eyes as they turned and stared at Shepard with growing grins.
"I think we are going to make fast friends!" said Fred as he slung his arm around Marc's shoulder
"Could you fill us in on some of the juicy details since Sheppy took control of the Normandy?" asked George
"I can think of a few moments worth noting…" mumbled Marc from between the two
"You two! GONE!" roared Shepard with a reddening face
The twins separated from Marc and bolted but not before shouting to Marc to find them for a beer later.
"I like your friends" said Marc with a smile
"Speak one word to them about anything and you will regret being born" hissed Shepard
"So no talking about the panda panties?" quipped Marc and then quickly ducked under the fist aiming for his face.
"I swear I am going to kill you…" said Shepard darkly
"Not before introducing him to your mother, applecheeks" came a new voice
"Oh come on!" yelled Shepard to no one as she turned and faced the impressive visage of Captain Hannah Shepard
Marc was in his own little state of panic as he took a few unconscious steps backwards in a vague attempt to escape his fate… he never liked meeting the parents of his girlfriends, it never went well.
"Is that a way to speak to your mother?" asked Hannah in a stern tone
"No… hello mom…" muttered Shepard in reply
"Better girl, now how about you introduce me to this young gentleman?" asked (ordered) Hannah
"Well mom… this is Marc, my boyfriend… and I don't think you can call him "young" to be completely honest" replied Shepard with a bit of a flinch
"Oh? How old are you my boy?" inquired Hannah
"354 ma'am and counting" replied Marc in a robotic tone
Hannah blinked before throwing her head back and releasing a hearty laugh, at least until she noticed that neither Marc nor Sarah was laughing along with her.
"You're serious?" asked Hannah
"I'm afraid so ma'am" replied Marc with a shrug
"How is that even possible?" mumbled Hannah
"Genetic manipulation and nerve rending experiments" lied Marc
"Oh… didn't know they had the tech back in those years" said Hannah with a bit of an accusing tone
"Whatever you believe me or not ma'am is entirely up to you. Not to be rude but you seemed to have sought out your daughter for some business, I shall leave you to it" replied Marc before turning around and preparing to leave
"You don't need to leave, this isn't something terribly important" Hannah then turned towards Shepard and pulled out a file "Here you go applecheeks, I saw you tried to access the files. If you wanted to know more about the family all you had to do was ask" stated Hannah
Marc looked over Shepard's shoulder and down to the front of the folder, it was clearly labeled
Tenno, Hayden
File #12520
Personal Files and connections
"Is this everything we have on him?" asked Shepard after she saw how thin the file was
"All that you can get without visiting the old family mansion back on earth" replied Hannah
"What did you mean when you said "Know more about the family"?" asked Marc with a hint of worry in his voice
"Well both myself and applecheeks here are direct decedents of Hayden Tenno, why are you asking? Wasn't that the entire reason for trying to access his files in the first place, to learn more about our family?" Hannah had directed the question to Shepard
"I was doing a bit of digging and his name came up so I tried to check it out, didn't know we were related" replied Shepard in slight shock
"Well our family tree is included in the file all the way back to Hayden so you can check yourself how we are related. If you need anything else on him however, then you need to go back to earth and look in the old archives" said Hannah
"Oh sure… thanks for bringing me this mom but couldn't it have waited until after the ceremony?" inquired Shepard
"I was coming here anyway so I figured might as well get two birds with one stone" replied Hannah
"Paying your respects to an Asari Matriarch, didn't think I would see it from you of all people" said Shepard with a raised eyebrow
"Believe it or not but I actually knew Benezia" stated Hannah making both Sarah and Marc stare with slightly open mouths
"How… when… I mean… what?" rambled Sarah
"Met her some 25 years ago while on leave here on the Citadel, we got along and kept in contact every so often. It hurt when I found out that she had joined up with Saren, but I suppose death by combat would be her way of going out after all" mumbled Hannah with a lowered gaze and hazy eyes
"Small universe…" muttered Marc
"I'm sorry mom, there wasn't a way around it" said Sarah
"It's okay sweety, I knew there wasn't any other way out. I better go mingle a little" said Hannah as she straightened her back
"Sure, make some time for dinner in the future?" offered Sarah
"Of course but only if you bring your boyfriend there" said Hannah with a wink
"It'll be my pleasure ma'am" responded Marc with a slight bow
Hannah nodded in response and turned and walked off into the crowd and soon enough disappeared leaving the two to release a breath relief.
"You handled that rather well" said Sarah
"Thanks… I hate meeting the parents…" mumbled Marc in response
"I know the feeling… sorry" said Sarah with a sad smile
"Don't mind it… I've come to terms with their deaths long ago, but I will admit having you meet them would be nice" replied Marc
"Well now we are back to this file I guess…" began Sarah
"It should provide some good Intel, hopefully something useful" mumbled Marc
"Just one thing… you knew of Hayden Tenno but you come from a different Dimension… how can that be possible?"
"Multi-Dimensional Theory, the belief that for each action a dimension is created where that outcome is primer for the following events. A slightly outdated notion but I have found that there a certain similarities between this Dimension and my old one, Hayden being one of them… Perhaps we should wait with reading it until my friend joins us, he has more knowledge on Hayden than me so he could potentially fill some gaps for us if we find them"
"Sounds like a plan, any idea when he will be here?"
"Give him ten minutes and he should be showing up, I suggest we find somewhere private for that conversation"
"There's a dozen meeting rooms in the building, we'll just grab one"
"Works for me"
The two paced the hall and ate some food as they watched who was around them, they passed by Ashley and Liara and got updated on their end of the situation. They watched slowly as the other teams began slowly moving in to the hall, the information from Garrus and Tali was a welcome relief as that at least meant that small-fry wouldn't attempt anything.
Wrex hadn't learnt anything of note and the constant updates she got from Kaidan didn't show any signs of trouble around the hall itself, a few minor disturbances that didn't have anything to do with the ceremony itself.
Finally Marc saw the familiar red and black clothed man walk through the door and the two made eye contact for barely a second before information was exchanged and Marc began leading Sarah out of the hall and towards one of the side offices, once inside they both sat down and waited. Three knocks came from the door and then two more in a distinct way, a code Karick and Echo developed together years ago.
"Come in" called Shepard
Karick walked in and gave a nod to Shepard and Marc before sitting down
"It's good to finally meet you Commander Shepard, Echo has spoken highly of you. You can call me Karick" said Karick
"Thank you Karick, Marc has spoken remarkably little about you other than you are dangerous and in the same situation as him" replied Shepard
Karick caught the hidden meaning that she knew he was from a different dimension but he also caught on to the fact that she mentioned it like that was everything, meaning that Echo hadn't told her everything that he had told him… not smart.
"I thank you for giving me this chance to further progress with my mission" stated Karick with a slight nod
"Think nothing of it. But before we go and meet up with this Eric person we have something to show you" stated Marc
"Something interesting I take it?" asked Karick
"See for yourself" stated Shepard as she opened the file and removed a small metal disk from above the papers before closing the file and sliding it across the table to Karick
When Karick's eyes brushed over the title the widened in surprise and he quickly opened it and began scanning through the papers with remarkable speed before in the end slumping back into his chair and sighing in relief
"Thank god… it isn't there" breathed Karick
"I take it Hayden's so called "biggest secret" isn't in there?" inquired Marc
"No and thank god for that… I wouldn't be able to handle that" answered Karick
"Anyone care to enlighten me?" asked Shepard
"The Hayden Tenno of our dimension held a great many secrets. His biggest one, if present in this dimension, could send your dimension hurling into chaos" replied Karick
"Which reminds me… Karick, what of the virus? What could have happened to it here?" offered Marc
"Excellent question… one would assume that this time around it was contained?" responded Karick
"Virus? Out of the loop here people" interrupted Shepard
"The Technocyte Virus was a bioweapon created by the American government at the time. When it was released it wiped out most of earth's population, those of us that were left followed Hayden into our golden age and eventually beyond the stars" replied Karick
"What about a cure?" offered Shepard
"Couldn't be made, at least we couldn't. I can't say if the disease ever existed in your world or if perhaps a cure was made but fact of the matter is that it didn't happen" replied Karick
"One can only be thankful for that. But before we go on let's see what's on this" Shepard waved the small disk "before going any further"
With that Shepard placed the small disk and watched as a small hologram appeared with Hayden's name in it
"This is a data-disk, virtually reconstructed files that react to voice commands. It has everything related to Hayden Tenno that my mother could have gathered, so if we have something specific we simply ask" stated Shepard
"Hayden Tenno, family tree" stated Karick without hesitation
The hologram shimmered for a few seconds before a list appeared with names and dates running downwards.
Hayden Tenno, age 35 –Fathers Michael Tenno in 2014 (First Generation)
Michael Tenno, age 30 – Fathers Mary Ann Tenno in 2044 (Second Generation)
Mary Ann Tenno, age 29 – Mothers Maria Jefferson nee Tenno in 2073 (Third Generation)
Maria Jefferson nee Tenno, age 31 – Mothers Martin Jefferson in 2104 (Fourth Generation)
Martin Jefferson, age 25 – Fathers Hannah Montez Shepard nee Jefferson in 2129 (Fifth Generation)
Hannah Montez Shepard nee Jefferson, age 23 – Mothers Sarah Shepard in 2152 (Sixth Generation)
"Direct line from top to bottom. No mention of any spouses though" mumbled Marc
"Michael… Hayden had a wife called Angelina but she died while he was dealing with the first outbreak. Didn't happen here it would seem" said Karick as he kept looking at the list
"So that's mom's side of the family… I've never met any of them" stated Shepard
"I think I might have something… List cause of death for every diseased member of the Tenno family line" ordered Marc
The images shimmered and changed until a new list formed.
Cause of death, Hayden Tenno:
Hayden Tenno died due to unlisted circumstances, reports suggest he was assassinated for unknown reasons. Later it was determined that it most likely the now defunct "Agency" branch of the American government that ordered the assassination.
Cause of death, Michael Tenno:
Michael Tenno died of a heart attack in 2084 at age 70. The autopsy revealed it to be completely natural and was in no way connected to the Virus.
Cause of death, Mary Ann Tenno:
Mary Ann Tenno died in 2077 when she was killed in a military raid that was conducted on her family's vacation home in Mexico; the group that attacked was a known terrorist cell that was opposing the study into further space flight.
Cause of death, Maria Jefferson:
Maria Jefferson died in 2150 at the age of 77 from old age, autopsy showed that her body had advanced in age due to an –at the time- unknown disease.
Cause of death, Martin Jefferson:
Martin Jefferson died in 2159 during the First Contact war, he was killed by Decter Vakarian in combat.
Notation: Following the First Contact War, Decter Vakarian asked permission to visit Martin Jefferson's grave to pay his respects to what he considered "One of the few Honorable Alliance soldiers" that he had fought against.
All three were sitting in silence as Shepard digested some of the reasons for their deaths while Marc and Karick had both zeroed in on the exact same piece of information.
"Karick, Michael Tenno…" muttered Marc
"I know, I saw it too… could it be?" replied Karick
"Decter Vakarian… my grandfather was killed by Garrus ancestor?" whispered Shepard to herself
"Decter Vakarian… I would say either it is his Father or Grand-father, unless Garrus has an uncle" supplied Marc
"The universe is a lot smaller then we think" muttered Karick
"That it is… that it is…." Said Marc
"Do you think Garrus knows?" asked Shepard with a sad expression
"I suspect not, it might be an idea to tell him though" replied Marc
"Yeah… I think I will" said Shepard
"There was something else that caught my eye Shepard… Disk, expand on the "Virus" that Michael Tenno suffered from" ordered Karick
Everyone watched in fascination as the text swirled and changed. The words that appeared sent chills down the two Tenno's spines.
Technocyte Virus
"So it was real?" wondered Shepard
"It would seem so" replied Marc
Karick didn't answer as he was reading the text on the virus. It summed up the virus in whole and from what he could see… nothing was different from the original which begs the question on how they managed to developed a cure when his own people could not.
"This merits further investigation… wait a second…" Karick muttered, something down at the end of the report had caught his attention
As the original carrier of Technocyte Virus, Hayden Tenno passed down the virus to his son Michael Tenno who in turned passed it on. Past Mary Ann Tenno there was no other experiments done on the bodies post mortem so it is unknown if the virus passed further, but in the case of Mary Ann Tenno the virus had assimilated into her body at the cellular level and posed no further danger.
"According to this there is a chance that you, Shepard, and your mother might carry the virus inside you to this day… however watered down a version it might be" stated Karick
"That's not very good is it?" inquired Shepard
"According to this it shouldn't actually hurt you in any way, though I would love a blood sample to test it out myself" said Marc
"Since when did you start studying blood?" inquired Karick with a curious smile
"Since I was changed all those years ago, if I could get a sample from a regular person and then one from Shepard I can compare them and we can see what Eva can tell us" replied Marc
"So I won't suddenly fall over and die or anything?" asked Shepard in a half joking tone
"Not unless there is some other disease you suffer from" replied Marc
"Oh goody…" deadpanned Shepard
"Okay I think we have spent enough time rummaging around in the past, time to deal with the present. The ceremony should be over by now so we need to gather everyone and head back to the ship" stated Marc
"With a little luck we might meet Eric along the way" said Karick
"Let's move" ordered Shepard
With a nod the two followed. They quickly took the round and found the rest of the team and soon the entire ground team (minus Kaidan) was walking towards the Normandy with Karick and his team behind them. Shepard gestured for Garrus to walk alongside her.
"What is it Shepard?" inquired Garrus
"We were doing some digging in my family history and came across something interesting, ever head the name Martin Jefferson?" countered Shepard
"Martin Jefferson… that is the human that dad used to talk about back after the war, my father and his squads were apparently engaged in a firefight and eventually it was only the two of them left; it resulted in a close quarters fight. Dad won the fight but not before Michael managed to slice open the upper left of my dad's torso with a hidden knife" replied Garrus
"Do you know how Martin died?" asked Shepard with a downcast look
"Dad used to tell me the story all the time, he used Martin as an example of how one should take defeat when it meant death. My dad broke both of Martin's arms and when Martin knew he couldn't fight any longer he asked for a clean death and stood tall as my father killed him with a quick shot to the head, painless and honorable" replied Garrus with a somewhat nostalgic smile
Shepard was quiet for a few seconds before smiling
"Thank you Garrus"
"For what?"
"Martin Jefferson was my grandfather"
"Shit really? I'm sorry Shepard I didn't…"
"It's okay Garrus, I never knew him but I like to think that he died like he wanted to"
"If it helps any dad takes an annual trip to his grave, never stopped"
"You know what? It does in a funny way"
-Citadel Dock, Normandy-
There was an unnatural amount of activity surrounding the Normandy when the team returned, most of the crew was buzzing around outside while a few was standing by the door with their omni-tools open.
"What the hell is going on!?" yelled Shepard
The crew split to create a path for Shepard to approach, she was quickly met by one of the senior members of the crew.
"Commander we have a situation, while everyone was away someone snuck aboard and is currently down in the brig. He has taken a soldier hostage and hasn't made any demands other than wishing to see you" the crew member informed them
"Why wasn't I contacted immediately?" asked Shepard with a growl
"We didn't find out until 5 minutes ago ma'am, he had knocked the two guards outside the brig unconscious and there was not enough crew aboard to notice his infiltration" replied the crew member
"Everyone let's move!" ordered Shepard
The ground team quickly stormed inside with weapons drawn, though arguably the two Tenno making up the rear didn't really have their heart in it mostly because they were quite sure who was down there.
The silence of the elevator was alarming but everyone was holding their breath in preparation and anticipation of the fight to come and for a few of them they felt chills run down their spines at the very notion of fighting someone like themselves.
Down in the brig Eric was making conversation with his daughter and never sparing the knocked out guard a second glance, from the noise above it would seem Shepard had finally arrived.
"So what are you going to do?" questioned Benezia
"Convince Commander Shepard to let me come along to Thessia, simple" replied Eric
"This convincing wouldn't involve violence or extortion now would it?" asked Benezia with an accusing stare
"Of course not angel, I would never use tactics like that against someone I consider an ally" replied Eric with a shrug
"I see… How's the last few years on Thessia been?"
"Quite well actually, very little work has come in but I'm not really surprised by that. Isassu is getting married sometime this year if you can believe it"
"Someone actually find that harpy attractive?"
"Krogan"
"Of course… who else would find someone like Isassu attractive. Anyone else going through major life changes?"
"Not really, a few people having kids here and there but nothing above and beyond. It's going to be nice having you home again"
"I look forward to coming back papa, I trust nothing has been changed?"
"Your room is as you left it last time and the sauna is working just fine"
"Fantastic, you don't know how hard it has been to live without that little piece of human ingenuity"
"Hahahaha, how you got so addicted to that I will never know"
"Blame mama if anyone, she was the one to constantly drag us in there"
"That pool was my worst decision, you mother spend more time there than in the house!"
"Asari love water, you know that papa"
"That you do"
The sound of doors opening diverted their attention back around just in time to see a full team of armored and weapon wielding individuals storm into the room and surround him.
"Arms where I can see them" growled one black haired woman with a pony tail
Eric lifted his hands slightly "Visible enough I take it. I suppose you would be Commander Shepard?" Eric inquired as he turned and stared at the green eyed woman
"That I am, what did you want me for?" inquired Shepard
"Well first off I suppose I can thank you for not killing my daughter, then I would like to ask for your permission to join you as you transport her to Thessia" replied Eric
"You have broken into my ship, assaulted my crew and held one of them hostage… why would I let you do that?" questioned Shepard with an angry tone
"Because it will make everything go so much easier and you won't have to wait for me to arrive on Thessia by myself" Eric replied with a small smile
"I don't think I am going to risk having you aboard, whatever we have to wait a day extra makes no difference to me" stated Shepard
"He is coming along" stated Echo from his now leaning position against the wall
"You don't have the authority to make that call Echo" said Shepard
"I know I don't but you have to admit we need this done as quickly as possible, if it helps he can be confined to the Shadow while we travel" replied Echo
"And what if he decides to break out? You saw how easily he got into the Normandy, why wouldn't he be able to just leave your ship?" inquired Shepard
"The Normandy doesn't have a failsafe that ensures that should anyone leave without my express permission they will suddenly find themselves locked in stasis…organs included" stated Echo in a steely tone
"You have a lethal trap on your ship?" deadpanned Shepard
"You thought I didn't?" countered Echo
"Point. Take him to the Shadow and keep him confined, afterwards I want to see you in my office" said Shepard
"Karick do you mind? Passcode is the same as always, Eva has been looking forward to talking with you again" asked Echo
"No problem. Come along" ordered Karick
Everyone watched as Karick led out Eric and soon enough the only people still awake in the brig was the ground team and Benezia. Echo walked over and checked on the passed out guard and found him to be completely fine and a chuckle escaped Echo.
"Something funny about this?" asked Garrus
"What is it with people like me and hostages?" quipped Echo while chuckling
Garrus did the Turian equivalent of a snort before laughing as he remembered the events on the Citadel back when he had first met Echo, hostages indeed.
"You two do realize not everyone is in on this little joke of yours" supplied Tali
"Where would fun be in that?" Garrus and Echo replied in unison
"Okay enough of the fun. Let's get Private Miles here up to Chakwas" ordered Shepard
Echo picked the private up and carried him out to the elevator with most of the team behind him, Liara and Ashley stayed behind to speak with Benezia about a few things. The private was quickly deposited with Chakwas and everyone split up with Echo following Shepard into her office.
"So what did you want to talk about?" began Echo
"Eric mostly, now we've met him so what do you think?" inquired Shepard
"In truth? He seems… off… like he didn't really care what was going on. It could be a side effect of living to be his tremendous age but we might never know, I will try to ask of course" replied Echo
"If he really is this "Ghost" that we were told about then do you think that security measure in your ship can hold him? And why didn't you tell me about that?"
"Mostly because the lethal part of the trap has been disabled since I landed on the Normandy, had anyone tried to sneak in they would have been put in stasis and then I would have been warned by Eva. No harm done what so ever"
"So you were bluffing?"
"*Nod* I was, he knew it too"
"You think?" Shepard raised a questioning eyebrow
"I don't think, I know he did"
"But how can you be sure?"
"Because he is like me… I might not have been able to see below the mask but I could feel his gaze, he and I are the same"
"You get gloomy way to easily" said Shepard as she jumped on Marc's back
"Well that's why you are here isn't it?" replied Marc with a grin as he walked over to the bed and dropped Sarah down
"Well that and other reasons like saving the universe from a mad spectre" said Sarah as she rolled to the side and onto her stomach
Marc flopped down next to her and stared into the ceiling "Well that's what I am here for, to ensure that it goes well"
"And to ensure I don't kill certain people…" mumbled Sarah as she rolled on top of him
"The council isn't that bad" said Marc as he began running his fingers through her hair
"Tevos is okay I guess, Valern is useless and Sparatus… well Sparatus I can't pick and insult for since there is too many to choose between" mumbled Sarah between purrs as she enjoyed the head massage
"There could be worse people in charge, think if Udina ever got to be a councilor" replied Marc with a chuckle
"He'd be dead within the day" said Sarah with her own chuckle
"The day? I'd give him until the first council meeting" countered Marc
"I know I am going to regret this… but don't you need to speak with Eric about the whole "We are from a different dimension" thing you have going?"
"*Groan* Yeah I do… oh well might as well go see if Karick has thrown him into stasis just for kicks"
"He would do that?" asked Shepard followed quickly by a groan of disappointment as she felt Marc lift her off and place her on the bed
"Karick used to find it funny to shoot me in the foot and then poke at it with an arrow" replied Marc in a tired tone as he stood up
"He is a bit different isn't he?"
"He is utterly insane and I wouldn't want it any other way"
"Let me hear how it goes"
"I'm sure the explosion will reach up here, no worries"
Location: The Shadow
"Did you really have to do this?" asked Eric from his current position of being restrained on the bed
"No, but I find it funny" replied Karick
"You are some unique kind of asshole aren't you?"
"According to Echo I am "something I could only refer to as the supreme asshole of everything" and I am quite fond of that title"
"Figures, so any particular reason I was dragged down here?"
"Me and Echo would like to talk to you"
"I suppose I am not getting let up from this position in the meantime?"
"Nope"
"Figures…"
A low hiss spread through the Shadow as the door opened and Echo walked in with a rather passive expression on his face. He quickly noted Eric on the bed and Karick sitting in his chair twirling an arrow between his fingers
"Just couldn't help yourself could you?" muttered Echo
"I didn't put him in stasis" replied Karick
"No you just strapped him into the harness that is supposed to keep one of us down" countered Echo
"*Cough* He would like to be let out of this" interrupted Eric
"Before we do that I think it might be better to introduce ourselves" said Echo
"I would be Karick also nicknamed "The Stalker" by certain individuals, I don't think my age concerns you that much" said Karick
"And I would be Echo but my real name is Marc *********" continued Marc
"*Sigh* Aikar T'Soni how are you doing" replied Eric
"We know your name Ghost, your real name which is the reason you are here" said Marc
"What does this have to do with me being named Eric?" asked Eric
"Because I was told to find your sorry ass by a common friend" replied Karick
"I only got a vague message telling me to find you, never met one of these people" replied Marc
"Wait… you two are what they sent to help me?!" yelled Eric
"Karick is the only one who was actually sent here, I just kind of tagged along I guess" replied Marc
"To hell with tagging along, you are a free walker!" yelled Eric while trying to break the restraints
"You might want to calm down and then start from the beginning, Karick knows a bit but I know absolutely nothing" supplied Marc
Eric looked to calm down slightly as he breathed a few deep breaths before nodding his head which prompted Marc to order Eva to release the restraints, once he was free Eric sat up and stared at the two
"How about we start with how much you actually know" requested Eric
"I've been here for ten years and short of gathering information about this dimension I haven't really been told anything… the one who moved me did mention something about me being unique as I had apparently already "awoken" or something to that effect" replied Karick
"So nothing is what you are saying. In regards to the whole "awakening" business it is a referral to our inheritance" said Eric
"This wouldn't happen to be connected to me being called "Light-Bringer" and "Ascended" from the Prothean VI and Leviathan's separately?" interrupted Marc
"*Nod* that it would. I have been at this for the past 1800 years and have had regular visits from the Dimensional Lord that moved me" at the question glances of the two men at the words "Dimensional Lord" Eric gave a small chuckle
"*Chuckle* Dimensional Lord is a term I have been using to refer to them, it helps keep me sane to actually be able to give them a name. Regardless I have been in regular contact with one of them and I have acquired some information here and there. From what I have understood we three are something they themselves refer to as their "Champions" it would seem we are each somehow descended from one of them" said Eric
"Makes sense since that is what I have been told repeatedly now, but why is that important?" inquired Marc
"That much I don't know, all I know is that they only move their own descendants and not for too terribly long periods at a time, myself being an exception. In my case I was moved and give my mission and them more or less left to my own devices. But before I get too far ahead of myself here let me answer your question Karick, by "awakening" as you were told it simply means that you have awoken some special ability that you have inherited from your Dimensional Lord ancestor" continued Eric
"And what would this ability be? I haven't noticed anything new about myself" said Karick
"It doesn't have to be something spectacular, I have heard of something as little as being able to see in the dark to something as large as controlling the passage of time itself" replied Eric
"It's true Karick, I can sense other peoples presence around me and they appear in my mind as pillars of light" said Marc
"Handy" mumbled Eric
"Sometimes, what about you?" replied Marc
"Mine is a bit weird, for all intents and purposes my body is impossible to destroy except for one particular thing" began Eric
"So what, you are superman?" joked Marc
"In a way only my kryptonite is blunt force" replied Eric
"That seems… odd" said Marc
"It's a bit difficult to explain but in essence I cannot be killed by anything but excessive blunt force. My skin will bruise from bullets and knives but hit me with a hammer and you might very well pulverize bones, the only odd thing is that the amount of blunt force needed seems oddly unspecific" replied Eric
"Must have been come in handy in the past 1800 years huh?" quipped Marc
"It's been okay for the past 1000 years but it wasn't very fun in the start" replied Eric
"Why not?" inquired Karick
"*Sigh* Humans are unique due to our extreme ability to adapt, try to think for a second what would happen when every part of my body is incapable of being destroyed" replied Eric
"… your cells wouldn't be able to split and reform properly…" mumbled Karick
"Exactly. The first 200 years of my existence here was spent in pain as my body forced itself to evolve and change, as I am sitting in front of you now that is the exact same body I have had for the past 1600 years. Not one hair is different not one skin cell is changed and not one single cell discarded" stated Eric
"Fuck… how do you stay alive?" asked Marc
"My cells have natural regeneration now. I can't regrow limps or equal should I lose them but if I break a bone or something then my cells will maneuver the bone fragments back into place and then the bone itself regenerates together" replied Eric
"I must say that is truly incredible. But what about your life span?" inquired Karick
"For that singular purpose I am immortal. Which is why I am getting quite keen on finishing my mission so that I can finally be rid of this cursed ability" replied Eric
"How would be rid of it? What is your mission for that matter?" asked Marc
"The mission I was given –the mission Karick was sent to help with- is to locate the Dimensional Lord that watches over this particular dimension, she has been missing for almost 4000 years and they don't know where she is but they suspect she is here somewhere" replied Eric
"Okay… why don't they just find her themselves?" tried Marc
"Apparently because they can't, though I haven't been given specifics" said Eric
"Okay so your mission seem straightforward but what does this have to do with being rid of your ability?" inquired Marc
"The thing is that in some cases –like Karick- we develop our abilities naturally and as such I suppose have access to them all our lives, but with most of us we are granted the ability by whichever dimensional lord is moving us. From what I have been told only the current watcher of the dimension is capable of removing the ability again and then send you home" replied Eric
"So you want to find her so she can remove your ability and let you die?" guessed Marc
"Exactly, with this body I would most likely live another 100 years or so once my ability is gone but that is more than fine with me since I am sick and tired of this life and would love to move on" replied Eric
"Not every day you meet someone actively trying to die" said Karick with a smile
"Oh and the gathering of three dimensional travelers is a common occurrence?" said Marc with a small grin
"Getting back on track here and focusing in a bit more on you Marc. You are what is called a "Free Walker" or at least that is what we are calling you. Rarely one of us develops the ability to walk between dimensions on their own and as such is free to go wherever they want unchecked by the dimensional lords. Most of you don't have any control over it what so ever and just go from one dimension to another when feeling great depression or sadness or some other powerful emotion. Your ability is also slightly unique because like Karick yours isn't given to you it is something you developed naturally" explained Eric
"That would fit the pattern, my first shift was right after I broke up with my girlfriend and I had no other wish than to disappear from earth for a time. The second time I decided to travel the universe after the death of my wife and was of the same state of mind so I shifted here… though what do you mean "we call you free walkers"?" said Marc
"I mean "We" as in multiple people. I didn't come up with Free Walker as a term, someone else did and I was merely told it by the dimensional lord I have visiting on occasion. There is an untold number of us out there so fair to say that certain terms get spread around" replied Eric
"Ever met anyone else aside from us?" asked Karick
"About 35 or so, let's just say you aren't the first one they sent to help me" replied Eric with a bit of a scowl
"That many of us died here?" mumbled Karick with a slightly angry expression now filling his features
"Sadly the number is even higher. I have met only 35 myself but according to my contact I am nr. 672 to be sent here to try and find the missing one" said Eric with a downcast expression
"And they all died? None of them were returned?" asked Marc
"I don't know. I was never told" replied Eric
"It seems to be a common thing doesn't it? You not being told" stated Karick
"*Nod* My contact has only told me these things because he feels bad for having kept me here for almost 2000 years. But that doesn't mean that he divulges large secrets, he just tells me things in passing that he thinks I might find useful" replied Eric
"So in the grand scheme of things, nothing" stated Marc
"More or less. Everything else aside, have you two come up with anything in regards to Karick's and I's mission?" asked Eric
"I have gathered information but nothing has come up in greater importance, at least nothing which could suggest a connection" stated Karick
"I think I'll just make your day then. I know where she is" stated Marc
Karick and Eric felt their proverbial jaws hit the floor as their brains ventilated for a few moments while juggling that little tidbit of information
"H-How?" asked Eric as he recovered first
"On Feros I found a prothean beacon, it contained a VI named Honor whom had a message left behind for one of us I now suspect. It showed me a vision of a race of the past and a woman told me to come find her where the darkness hadn't reached. Later I went to Desponia and spoke with the Leviathans, they watched the vision in my mind and told me of an item that your missing dimensional lord apparently left behind on the citadel in its early days. This item is supposed to bring me to her I guess, or rather it is meant to bring me to the home planet of the dimensional lords in this dimension" replied Marc
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA" Karick had thrown his head back and was roaring with laughter as his body slowly sunk to the ground and tears stung at his eyes as his lungs fought for air, this was apparently quite amusing
"T-t-ten years I spent in this hell hole and find nothing! Along comes you and you spend what here? A Year? Maybe less? And you have found the means to our success! How it is very like you…" mused Karick as he laughed
"How do you think I feel? I've spent almost 1800 years looking for her" supplied Eric with a small smile
"Well what can I say, stick close to Shepard and you are bound to become part of a bigger thing" said Marc
"Aint that the truth" said Eric
Karick took a large breath before standing while a few more chuckles escaped him
"I think I have had enough information for now… I think I am going to drop off the Normandy for now, no need to stay here since we've already met Eric here. If you need me for anything just call and of course I will be spending my time from now on to find this thing that was left behind" stated Karick as he began moving towards the door
"I'll be seeing you Karick" said Marc with a wave
"It was… something… to meet you" stated Eric with a grin
Karick waved his hand over his head as he went out the door and it closed behind him leaving the two other men alone.
"So there was one thing I didn't mention while he was here" stated Eric
"Something important I take it?" stated Marc
"Not in regards to the mission no. You see you and I are from the same origin dimension"
"Really? As in the dimension I was in before I went to Karick's dimension?"
"Yep"
"So you know the Mass Effect games?"
"Of all the things I have forced myself to remember over the past 1800 years that one is the second most important"
"What year did you get taken from?"
"Sometime early 2013 if I remember correctly"
"So you managed to see the release of the third game?"
"Managed to complete most of it, but never finished"
"Well how about I just spare you the details of what we are going to prevent"
"*Nod* I think that is a good idea"
"While on the subject of the games… Benezia's father, really?"
"I don't want to hear that from the man dating Shepard I mean of all stereotypes you could have managed to follow you chose the biggest one"
"Well excuse me! Tali just isn't in my taste and your grand-daughter is taken"
"Well why not Ashley then?"
"Because that is who took your grand-daughter"
"What!?"
"I take it you didn't know?"
"When the hell and how the hell did that happen?"
"I can't tell you exactly when it happened but how? That might have been mine and Wrex's doing when we convinced Ashley that being a xenophobic asshole was a very unwise move aboard a ship where the best killers among them is aliens"
"Just how many things have you messed with?"
"A lot… and I don't plan to stop if it means saving people"
"Neither am I asking you to. Saving people is a good thing but listen to 1800 years of experience here, you can't save everyone and you will only hurt yourself in trying"
"Trust me I know I can't save everyone. But Virmire is next on the list and I'll be damned if I let anyone die on that blasted planet, I might not like Kaidan but I don't want anyone to die there"
"On that much we agree but just remember that every change we make sends ripples throughout the world, you have saved my little angel and for that I am eternally grateful but who knows what sort of impact she will have on later events?"
"I know, I know… *sigh* let us hope that whatever changes come about is something we can deal with"
"Agreed. For now let us focus on what we can control and move from there"
"Well you never finished the third game… I guess that means you missed out on a lot of information as well so allow me to fill in the gaps"
"Sounds good, how about we start with the most obvious… what the hell is a Leviathan?"
Marc released a chuckle as he began explaining and watched as Eric's few contorted into one of mild distaste… this was going to be a long set of hours.
Down in the brig a different conversation was going on between three women, two of which were more than happy to have Eric back in their lives and the last one was immensely concerned about him, wondering if he was a threat or not.
"I can assure you, Commander that my father is of no danger to your crew unless they decide to make him their enemy" stated Benezia
"So just keep him away from Lieutenant Kaidan?" said Liara with a small chuckle
"You know about that huh?" said Shepard
"His injures were a good indication, Echo walking around looking terminally angry was another hint" replied Liara
"Well that is all hopefully done with now" stated Shepard
"I hope so for Kaidan's sake or he might find himself short a few limbs" said Liara with a slightly disgusted face
"On a less sour note how do you think your grand-father is going to take your relationship with Ashley?" asked Shepard
"Father always was very insistent that I didn't marry a human, he was even more insistent when Liara was born that she didn't either. He dislikes the shortness of the human lifespan and thinks it unfair that Liara would have to carry the pain of losing her love for her entire life" answered Benezia
"So he will most likely not take too kindly to Ashley dating Liara…" stated Shepard
"I will talk with him and I am sure I can make him see reason. Besides I know exactly what to promise him to make him accept it" said Liara with a small smile
"And what would that be?" asked Shepard
"I just have to mention great-grandchildren and he will be sold" replied Liara
"Ah yes… papa was quite excited when I informed him I was pregnant, when mama mentioned he might live to become a great-grandfather he nearly passed out from excitement… he values family very much" said Benezia with a sad smile
"Children huh… not exactly something I would be planning right now" said Shepard with a grin
"Though you might not be planning to have children one could certainly be excused for thinking so, it is not like you two aren't practicing enough for the event…" mumbled Liara with a blush and smile
"Is it that obvious?" asked Shepard while rubbing her neck
"The walls are thick, not soundproof" replied Liara
"Well what can I say" said Shepard with a large grin
A small chuckle passed through the brig as the three women continued their talks, happily ignorant of the two dimensional travelers talking about events that would soon see all three of them fear for such a sweet future as one with children would be.
A/N: Well… that took a while didn't it? Writer's block is a bitch that much I will say but the chapter is here now and I hope you all enjoyed it. I don't really know when the next one will be out but I hope to make it quite soon. I wish everyone a good day and hope to see you next time when we start on Virmire and moving ever closer to the endgame of this story.
Also just to be clear here; it was only an easter egg and a reference to HP i am not doing a crossover or anything else of the sort... i am not willingly subjegating myself to the horror that is the Harry Potter fandom.
-BundleJumper