Colors seemed to flash and flare like passing lights in the darkness, each touch causing her head to ache and her mind to recoil back as if wounded. Pain was there in the colors and lights. Quite a lot of pain. There was no thought involved, simply instinct- and it was simply instinct that cringed back from it, coiling her around herself in the distant dark.

But the pain would not be thwarted. It dug her out with sharp teeth and claws, pricking and poking at her. Struggling, she got her eyes open.

She was lying in a soft and familiar bed. She could smell the sheets, feel the threads beneath her fingers. The room around her was dark save for a soft glow to her left. She tried to look toward it, instead seeing a window. Rain streaked its surface, and as she looked she saw a flash of light, heard the sharp bark of thunder. The sound made her jolt.

"Hey, shh…it's ok."

She sought out the soft voice, feeling someone draw near. A cool hand touched her cheek, her forehead. Her voice felt rough and thick.

"Bába…"

Del's face was highlighted by the soft glow of Mel's bedside lamp, the concern in her eyes clear. Confusion swam thickly through her head but she could not focus on it as she tried to remember. This was her room. This was her home, on Earth. She had been sick…Thessian flu. Her father was not supposed to be here, she was supposed to be on duty.

"I'm here, Pain," Del smiled slightly, settling the blankets. "Don't worry, it's just a storm."

"What are you doing here?"

"My little pain in the ass was sick," she said. "Where else would I be?"

"It's just the flu," she said matter-of-fact, giving her father a longsuffering and withering look only a teenager could ever manage. "I'm fine."

"Mmhmm. I'm sure you are," Del replied wryly. "C'mon. I have some water."

Melara tried to sit but couldn't. Each attempt only brought with it a swimming dizziness, a bone-splitting pain. For all her concern, Del didn't seem to notice, only helping her to sip at some of the water.

It tasted like nothing, not even cool registering on her tongue.

This isn't supposed to be this way. What is happening?

Confusion and fever seemed to thicken her mind. Sick. She'd had the Thessian flu when she was fourteen. Two days bedridden and that had been the extent of it- a typical childhood illness easily treated and tossed aside. The storm had happened, and Del had been there, but-

But that was centuries ago. I'm a matron. I'm a Spectre and an Alliance captain, and my father is-

The lightning flashed again as Del set the glass aside, seeming to melt back into the shadows. Desperately, realizing this was some kind of a dream, Melara reached out but it was like trying to catch smoke. "Bába, wait!"

Kick her ass, Mel…

The voice, like the dream, broke apart in smoke and flashes of light. The pain returned with a vengeance. She felt muggy and heavy, a sign her suit had overloaded her with painkillers, but still the agony was undaunted. As she struggled her eyes open the dream faded away, achingly replaced with reality and the taste of blood, and faintly flashing lights.

Her HUD came into focus first. Its display was flashing red, signifying suit damage, medication administration, communications malfunction, airflow malfunction. Beyond she could see a length of polished floor and her own hand. She was lying on her stomach.

She tried to shift her hand, immediately feeling the throbbing wrench light up in her shoulder. Gritting her teeth against it, she could not help the holler that escaped her as she was suddenly turned and flung onto her back.

The pain was so great she nearly lost consciousness again. She could taste blood and bile on her tongue, her throat burning with the want to vomit. Each breath was an agony of knives, and it felt as if she were wearing a belt of razors clenched too tightly around her waist and her chest. Most alarming was the fact that she couldn't seem to feel her legs at all.

Struggling against unconsciousness, the pain, and the desire to vomit, she panted sharply between her clenched teeth. Something took hold of her helmet and pulled it off. She could smell grease, concrete, metal. Shifting a hand she managed to touch her waist…and the butt of the small pistol there.

She could see now she was in a hanger deck- probably the Oasis cargo bay. Her eyes fixed to the few creatures watching her. Some appeared to be wounded but others were hale. Of all manner of colors- most hideously bright- she knew who they were. The very Jabberwockies they'd been fighting.

Why haven't they killed me? she thought, then cried out again as something strong grabbed her shoulders, forcing her into a sit. This time, the darkness wouldn't be denied, and it consumed the world for a few moments. When reality reluctantly returned, she was propped against a wall in a sit.

The Jabberwocks, perhaps a dozen of them, were still watching her. One, a brilliant shade of yellow and orange that almost made it look as if it were afire, was closer, its gaze more intent. Tall and looming, it had no defining sexual characteristics but she got the distinct feeling it was male. She remembered her parents telling her, years after the fact, about the Red Queen and how something similar to that had happened with her. There was nothing to define the creature as female or even to differentiate it from its compatriots, but both had the overwhelming feeling that they were looking at a female creature.

Oddly enough, looking at the other Jabberwocks gave no similar sensation of gender or identity at all. They were blankly neutral.

She felt something brush at her mind, cold and unexpected, and almost reflexively she mentally slapped it aside, closing defenses around her thoughts. The yellow 'Emperor' Jabberwock seemed slightly surprised at this, canting his head before glancing to the left, outside of her field of vision. Another creature moved forward into view, followed by yet another.

The first was one of the winged things that had been tormenting them on the battle field. Tall, it was not so tall as the Jabberwocks, and clearly of a much different species. It appeared somewhat mammalian, with long but simple features, and two pairs of disproportionally small eyes for its skull. It seemed to be wearing some kind of white and bronze armor suit but it was hard to tell where suit ended and creature began.

It was winged, but they seemed to be artificial- a membrane that may have been organic or may have been hard-light holographic, edged with arching bronze metallic plates. The wings seemed to shimmer slightly.

Some kind of barrier or energy source?

The moment she saw the creature behind it, however, and she had no doubt who was conducting this little invasion.

It was insectile, there was no arguing that, but it had been modified- or evolved- in a way she had never thought possible. In mass it was probably no larger than a krogan, with two pairs of thick, jointed legs. It had a long and coiling neck that seemed relatively reptilian, almost serpentine, with a rounded head. Insect returned in heavy pincer like jaws, huge faceted eyes. A ridge of dark bristles trailed from its head and down its back, over the shoulders of two arms bearing three fingered hands with opposable thumbs. Two more appendages, long and shaped rather like an arachnid's pedipalps, sprouted from the sides of where a mammal's ribcage would be. Something sharp and apparently retractable glimmered from the ends of these palps.

A segmented, armored tail rounded the beast off, terminating in a thick almost clublike knot edged with very sharp and very nasty looking hard, almost bladelike chitinous growths. Lifting her chin, trying to tune out her pain, Melara regarded the creature.

"I am Captain Melara Tali'Zorah Shepard," she said. "Are you Brasa?"

The thing moved closer, regarding her silently. She made another attempt. She knew it was unlikely any of these things spoke Galactic, but the Jabberwock species appeared to be at least somewhat telepathic in nature- at least the leaders were. The Red Queen had pulled information from the minds of those who had discovered it and had even taken them over, like puppets. If that cold touch on her mind was any indication, the yellow Emperor here may very well be capable of the same.

It was a thought that gave her no comfort.

"Brasa," she tried again. There were only so many words she knew that they might understand. When no reaction came about, she said, "Pio? Gavoom?"

The face moved closer, eyes tracking over her face in a way that made her incredibly uncomfortable. She resisted the urge to grab her pistol or light up with biotics- they had kept her alive for a reason, and any hostile move might change that very quickly, or put the others in even more danger.

Then, something strange happened.

The creature backed up abruptly, drawing in its limbs. What Mel had taken for natural chitinous armor on its body started to fall off and clatter to the ground. Its head lowered between its shoulders as its neck seemed to actually melt into and merge with its torso. A mouth gaped open, the armored jaws shrinking and vanishing inside. The eyes also shrank and changed, lids growing over them as the entire skull seemed to alter its shape.

Melara watched with fascination. Whether this was a product of the thing's own natural evolution or a result of infusion with cyberorganic technology, it was astonishing to witness it actually change and manipulate its own body on what appeared to be a molecular level. It seemed, in fact, to be changing itself to look bipedal humanoid.

No…it's changing itself to look asari!

It took less than a minute before the change halted, and Mel stared at the results. The original insectile creature form was gone. In its place was now a fully bipedal representation of an asari- or as close an approximation as the thing seemed to be able to manage.

It had two lidded eyes now (even if those eyes were still malevolently dark and segmented), a nose, a humanoid mouth. It had the head ridge, ears, and vestigial neck folds down almost flawlessly. The pedipalps had not vanished, but they were smaller now, tucked almost invisibly close to the sides of the torso.

Two arms with clawed fingers, two legs. An athletic figure complete with modest but completely featureless breasts. Despite its size it gave the impression of solid density and weight-probably because its overall mass had not changed, just compacted into a smaller form.

The only thing that had not changed was the still armored and segmented tail. The curl of it just brushed the ground behind her ankles, the bladed knot at the end still as sharp and deadly as before. Her skin remained black and gray.

The thing stretched its- her- jaws as if testing the flexibility of its new face, before it stopped and picked up the armor it had shed. As she placed each piece against her body it seemed to mold to it, form-fitting itself to her new shape.

Ignoring Melara, she looked at the Emperor as she finished, then turned and walked away. The winged creature joined her as they crossed the bay toward the inner door. As they went, the Emperor started toward Melara.

His intentions were clear. Melara knew murder when she saw it. He didn't have to put on a display- show his teeth, brandish his claws, or shriek. His prey was badly wounded and not going anywhere. There was no need to incapacitate her, frighten her, or intimidate her. Snuffing out her life was business to him, a simple duty that needed to be done- no more important or barbaric than closing a door after leaving the room.

Melara lifted her chin and met his eyes.

"Not today," she said. Drawing on what biotic energy she had, she flared with blue light. The sight of it seemed to both startle and alarm him- exactly what she'd been hoping. Gathering it up she sent a shockwave toward him and the others and they darted back, scattering wildly. Drawing her pistol, she sent another biotic wave toward them- this one far weaker than the last, and bearing in its wake that dizzy, darkening feeling. She fought it back, aiming her pistol toward the Jabberwocks and firing.

She managed six shots, none of which appeared to hit anything. They were moving much too fast, and as upset as they were, they also seemed keenly aware that her biotics were all but spent and that she was on the near edge of loss of consciousness. The Emperor growled, ignoring a near shot that whizzed by him and lunged in toward her. The kill now was not just business…now he was eager for it.

Melara tried to gather her biotics again but the energy was feeble at best. She sent a bolt at him, which caused him to dart to one side to avoid it, but not halt his course. Ten feet away from her he leapt, all teeth and claws. As if in slow motion she saw her gun fire twice more, one bullet slicing past the side of his head, opening a gash. The other missed completely.

Then she saw a rope of blue fire whip around his neck. His eyes widened in shock as he was snapped short, his legs flying forward even as his neck was yanked back. He crashed to the ground, tried to scramble up, and then was whipped with biotic energy forcefully into the side of one of the shuttles, his skull caving in on the edge of its hull.

Someone rushed over. Melara realized it was her wife just as the other Jabberwocks recovered and swept in. Dae whirled around to face them, putting herself between her wounded bondmate and the oncoming tide of death, her hands lighting up with damnation.

Almost the moment that Liara and Sam had turned to run back to the other door on Irie's announcement she had it open, Dae had opted for another approach, and went right up the wall itself. She was determined that Mel was not going to stay in the hands of the enemy a heartbeat longer than necessary.

A trained House assassin, she was well-versed in getting in and out of impossible places unseen, and she had an excellent memory. She had viewed the complex plans back on the Normandy. There were other ways in besides the main airlocks or cargo bay doors. Thermal vents and radiation off-bleed ports were dangerous- too dangerous to risk in normal circumstances…but these were not normal circumstances. Even as she moved up the wall, using the fabricated cleats she'd had installed in her gloves and boots years ago, she was plotting her course.

The nearest port with the shortest route to the cargo bay was a thermal vent that descended through the facility and into the enormous power chambers below. It joined with a radiation port just below the cargo bay- she would have to hack through the shielding locks and would get a significant dose of radiation in the process. Her suit would protect her from some but she had no doubts that she would get an unpleasant dose- enough to make her feel ill and require treatment, but not enough for any long-term damage, and the Normandy had the equipment and the skilled doctor needed to treat her.

Less than sixty seconds after starting up the wall, Daenys was on the second story and already hacking into the port. The vent was just large enough for her to slide into, and she quickly started to work her way down toward the cargo bay. Just then, her com lit up.

{Daenys, where are you?}

"I am in the vent system, heading down to the cargo bay," she replied. "I expect to lose coms quickly-"

{Daenys, you would have to transverse a radiation off-bleed-} Irie's voice replaced her mother's, sounding alarmed.

"I know, I did the calculations. I will be fine."

{We have the doors open, you do not need to-}

"Every second counts, Irie! I have got to get to her now. Stop chatting and get through those doors!"

{Daenys-}

"I have to get to her, Liara."

{I know. We are on our way. Sss….her….}

As she neared the off-bleed junction the coms went dead. Switching it off, she didn't let herself hesitate, hacking into the juncture and then slipping into the off-bleed.

By the time she reached the cargo bay, she was feeling a bit woozy and nauseous, but the sensations were easily compartmentalized as she slipped into the bay through one of the shuttle maintenance pits. A quick scan of the situation showed she had no time to be cautious- one of the Jabberwocks was moving in toward a figure in N7 armor slumped against the wall. Its intentions were clear- and Dae knew an assassin when she saw one.

Leaping out of the pit she roped it with biotics, quickly dispatching it against the side of a shuttle and sending the rest scattering. As they recovered, she put herself between her love and the snarling things, her hands aflame as she cast a biotic barrier around her and the wounded Mel.

The beasts hesitated, growling and glaring but making no real move forward. Slowly Dae began to walk, pushing the barrier before her, driving the things further away. Several retreated through a door on the far end, but three stubbornly remained, edging back only when the biotics forced them too. Feeling her energy waning, she changed the barrier into a slam, sweeping them up and driving them with force into the wall, drawing her pistol and her knife almost the moment the biotics died.

One lunged for her. She caught the impact on her shoulder, twisted, and drove the blade of the knife into the underside of its jaw, even as it tried to bite her face. Its teeth caught on helmet, the blade struck something vital, and it tore away, shrieking and spitting blood. She shot it in the head as running footsteps and more gunfire echoed in from deeper in the complex.

One more made a half-hearted feint at her, but they seemed more drawn to the sound of battle from elsewhere. Likely, they deemed a single enemy of less import than those storming the halls. Turning away, the final pair headed after their compatriots.

The moment they were gone, Dae rushed back across the cargo bay to her wife's side. Melara- helmetless for some reason- sat slumped forward, pale and apparently unconscious. As Dae got to her side and took hold of her, however, she stirred.

"Daenys-"

"Melara, shh…I am here. How badly are you hurt?"

"The others…" Melara said, ignoring the question as she tried to look past her wife.

"The cargo bay is clear. The others are coming- how badly are you hurt?"

Melara gave her a weak smile. "Just a few bruises," she said. "Just need to…catch my breath."

Dae gripped her face between her hands, her eyes angry and tear-filled. "Do not lie to me, Melara Shepard! There…there is blood."

She caught sight of the holes in Melara's hard-suit shoulder pads. She quickly began to peel them off, exposing the wounds where the flying creature's talons had dug into her shoulders. As she pulled one of them off, Melara grimaced and let out an involuntary grunt of pain.

"Your shoulder is broken. I have to stop this bleeding."

"Think a few ribs are as well," Melara said weakly. "Hard to breathe."

"What else?" Dae asked, snapping open some packs of medi-gel she dug out of her belt. Seeing her bondmate's eyes unfocus, she gave her cheek a tap. "Mel, stay with me. Focus! What else?"

"My…back I think. The others…Dae, I think there was a Brasa. Dark asari-"

Her wife was slurring her words now, speaking barely above a mumble. Quickly slathering the shoulder wounds with medigel, she quickly caught hold of her face again. "Mel, sweetie, focus on me. You must focus. Stay awake, do you hear me? Keep your eyes open."

"Dark asari…" she said again.

"You are not making any sense! Just stay awake and-"

She heard running footsteps, and turned as the others rushed in, Liara and Vina at their head. "Over here!"

As she looked back she saw Mel had gone limp, her eyes closed. "No, no…baby, stay awake! Mel, wake up!"

"Melara!" Liara reached their side.

"She has lost consciousness. We need to get her to the Normandy immediately," Dae said as the older asari dropped down at her daughter's side.

"Vina has already called for an evac shuttle," Irie said, reaching them. "They are sweeping the rest of the complex but it looks like the Jabberwocks are retreating…disappearing somehow. I will get these doors open for the shuttle."

"She said something about brasa and a dark asari," Dae said, looking over at her sister-in-law. "She was not making much sense, but it may be important."

"I will let Vina and the others know," Irie said, then hurried on her way.

Liara had turned on her omni-tool, switching it to a medical scan. Dae held the limp asari upright and still as her mother passed the beam over her. She did not need to ask to know it was bad, the expression on Liara's face said it all, before she tightly schooled it. Still, there was one question that she could not help but ask, as she tried not to tremble.

"Is she going to make it?"

"Of course she is," Liara said intently. "She is strong, and Lily is a good doctor-"

"Liara. Liara, please. Just…tell me."

Reaching out, Liara grasped her daughter-in-law's shoulder and met her eyes. "Daenys, she is going to make it. She is not dying here. Not like this. Do you hear me?"

Dae nodded, though she could see the tears in Liara's eyes- tears the older asari was desperately fighting against. Liara looked back at her daughter, leaning forward and kissing her forehead before she whispered in her ear.

"Do you hear me, Mel? Not like this. Goddess…not like this."