Chapter 5
And the Calvary Arrives
My Comments :
Huh. Kinda felt like the ending wrote itself. Which either means it will be great or terrible. Eh. Guess I'll find out.
And jeez. I stink at writing Kasumi. I need to get her voice down but I can't seem to do it.
The Story :
Shepard didn't move as footsteps sounded from just outside her cell. The mass effect barrier dimmed a little to enable the owner of the footsteps to see inside. Fourteen hours, if her inner clock was to be believed. The Commander hadn't bothered eating or drinking that entire time, opting to lay on the stiff metal bed and face the wall instead. The same set of footsteps had visited twice before, with now being the third time. No one, even her guards, bothered to talk with her. As far as they were concerned, she was the Commander Shepard, locked up in Admiral Hackett's brig. It wasn't exactly the highlight of her career.
"Shepard," a quiet, male voice asked as two pairs of footsteps receded. The owner of that voice was Hackett, and Shepard was almost positive the other steps belonged to her guards. Wasn't there supposed to be someone watching when a prisoner was questioned?
"Can't you at least look at me? I want to have a talk face to face."
Shepard grumbled something unintelligible under her breath before rolling over, sitting up, and mustering up the worst glare she could manage to direct at her adoptive father. "Why should I?" she growled out, standing.
"You really should hear my side of the story, honey. And I want to know what you've been up to." The unspoken question about her pregnancy lingered. She knew it was there.
"Fine," she muttered, walking up to the barrier and pulling up a chair from the nearby desk to sit in. "Go ahead. Tell me your side. And then I'll tell you mine."
Hackett left for a moment, returning with a chair of his own. He probably took it from the guard's room a few doors down.
"Shepard, sweetie. You know I care about you. I've always wanted the best for you, even if it meant providing a little guidance-"
"Like sending me to Akuze?"
Hackett ignored her, tensing a little before continuing, "-and you are a hero. You deserve to see just what the galaxy thinks of you. I've heard the Quarians and Geth want to hold a ceremony in your honor now that you've returned. I just want you to be able to be there for all the galaxy wants to give you."
"Give me? If I wanted their crap, I'd have gone around and done it already. Kaidan offered to bring me around on the Normandy now that it's a Spectre ship and he left the Alliance." She leaned back, crossing her arms to seem as defiant as possible. "What you want is for me to go to all these events as Commander Shepard of the Alliance. You want the Alliance to be seen as the driving force for everything I did. Which isn't true."
The Admiral sighed. "I can see you won't change your mind, Shepard."
"I won't. I saved the galaxy for all of the species out there. I saved it for all of the friends that I made during my travels. All of them. Garrus, Legion, Mordin, Thane, Ash. All of them made me want to save the galaxy. And then the people who became my family." Shepard leaned forward, eyes flashing with a mixture of pride and defiance. "Joker became my brother. Tali was like my little sister. Chakwas became my mom. And then," her voice became quiet as she leaned back, eyes full of sadness, "Wrex became the one thing keeping me grounded. And sane."
Hackett eyed her with caution, noting the far off look in her eyes. "And why didn't you tell me?"
And now they were in dangerous territory. Shepard could see it already. They were on their way to talking about what she'd been doing the past few months.
"I didn't tell a lot of people," she admitted. "The only people who knew by the time I was being released to fight the Reapers were Joker, Garrus, Tali, EDI, Liara, and Vega."
"Your guard knew?"
"We had a lot of time to talk," Shepard replied with a shrug. "All we really did was talk and play Skillian Five." Her eyes finally found her father's again. "Anyway, that's the truth. I didn't tell a lot of people. I mean, most of the Krogan know now. As does my entire crew." Shrugging again, she adds, "I guess I just never got around to telling you."
Hackett leaned forward, clasping his hands together. He looked unsure, as if this territory was so unfamiliar he just wanted to be able to walk away from it. "And when you came back?"
"After I got released from the hospital, I moved in with Wrex." She ignored his incredulous stare. "He had a house built just after the war for the both of us. Designed it after a generic house from Human colonies. He made sure I followed Chakwas' orders. Made sure I didn't push myself too hard. If I'm being honest? I might have strained my voice too much without Wrex there to remind me of the consequences." A wistful smile appeared on her face. "And Mordin's gift made us happy."
"Mordin's gift? He was the Salarian doctor who cured the Genophage, yes?"
"Yeah. His medicine made it so I could have a child." Her father's expression darkened as she lowered a hand to her stomach. "And it worked. You saw that data pad." Her own expression hardened as she turned a glare towards her father. "I'm pregnant with a Hybrid child." She stood, doing it so fast the chair toppled over. "And you took me away from its father!"
"Shepard," Hackett said in response, eyes narrowed. "Did you really expect that having a Krogan child would work out well for you?"
"I don't know what to expect," she snarled in response. "But I know that Wrex would help! And we would figure it out together!" Taking a deep breath, Shepard managed to calm herself down. "And you've screwed the Alliance over, father."
"What do you mean?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"You heard them! If you don't bring me back they'll declare war! And the Council accepted me staying on Tuchanka. You'll be going against them too! What are you going to do when the Alliance is left to fend for itself against a shit ton of pissed off Krogan?"
Hackett stood. "We will stand our ground, Commander. And until you realize just what the Alliance is trying to do for you, you can stay in here." He turned on his heel, stalking down the hallway.
Shepard stumbled over to a wall, slumping against it. Tears threatened to spill down her face, but she did everything necessary to hold them back. To her right, just outside the cell, a shimmer caught her eyes. Wait. Was that-?
"Hullo, Shep."
"Kasumi?!"
"Shh," the woman hummed in response, winking and holding a finger to her lips as her cloak disappeared. "Don't want anyone to know I'm here."
"What are you doing here?" Shepard hissed under her breath, eyes widened.
"Keeping an eye on you. I'd been helping your doctor friend with some things on Tuchanka when I heard what was going to happen. I got my way on board the ship in case something happened to you. Good thing too, huh?" the thief chuckled, smirking under the hood. "Anyway, from what my contact on Tuchanka said, things are about to get interesting. And don't worry. I plan on keeping your fiance informed." When Kasumi lifted her head enough to look Shepard in the eyes, her own eyes were full of honesty. "You and that kid are getting off of here." With that, Kasumi reactivated her cloak and disappeared down the hall.
~ Break ~
Kaidan stretched his back, for once glad that they had decided on surprising their old friend, Shepard. According to the transmission he just received, Admiral Hackett had just left the planet, the Commander forcibly in tow.
"Kaidan."
"Yes, EDI?" the Spectre managed, taking a deep breath.
"We are preparing to dock."
"Okay. I want all of the crew heading out. Even you, if you're up for it." He paused. "Did you hear that message from Bakara?"
"Yes." She didn't even sound upset or guilty.
"Don't tell anyone. They're in the meeting hall waiting for us." Kaidan stood.
A week or two prior, the group had decided to go visit the Commander as a surprise. Kaidan had brought the Normandy around and picked up a large portion of the old crew, as well as some of their family members, to eventually bring to Tuchanka. While it was pure coincidence, the Spectre was glad it turned out this way. Even if he was still in love with her, being able to help her and be there for her had been enough. If she was happy and he could still stand beside her, he was happy for the most part. Now that someone was ruining that happiness the crew had worked so hard to give her, Kaidan wanted nothing more that to tear them apart with his Biotics.
The retired Major stood, stretching his back and hearing a satisfying crack. Sighing in a mixture of annoyance at the current situation and contentment at still being able to take care of Shepard's ship, he headed towards the elevator. Once inside, EDI activated the button bring him to the Shuttle Bay. Guess that was where everyone was waiting.
This whole situation was sort of unnerving now that he thought about it. Still, somewhere deep within him, Kaidan felt that seed of annoyance for the Alliance start to grow. Shepard had always talked about how the Alliance didn't really seem to care for the people as much as the Council did. After thinking about it for a while, the Spectre couldn't help but agree. The Alliance was more concerned about their image in the galactic community than about the people they were sworn to protect. It was why Kaidan had left the Alliance to focus on being a Spectre. He was getting a lot more good done this way.
The door opened and Kaidan stepped out. The majority of the crew was there already, with Joker still in the cockpit sliding the ship into port with EDI's platform. The people before him reminded the Spectre just how hard the woman he looked up to had worked throughout the years. Garrus stood near the shuttle, talking about gun mods with Vega, Zaeed, and Cortez. Ashley, Tali, Liara, and Samara were discussing their lives post-war. Thane, Kolyat, and Javik were apparently talking about religions among the species. Jack and Miranda were standing near the exit, smiling yet ready to tear the others' throat out. The entire group before him was saved through shear willpower and intelligence. Shepard's willpower and intelligence.
Ashley and Thane had been moments from death. Back on Virmire, Shepard went and saved Ash through the sheer power of her own Biotics while the other two on her team, Garrus and Wrex, went to help Kaidan with the bomb. Everyone on their team made it out alive. During the Citadel coup and all of the terrible things Udina did, Shepard managed to toss a small statue at Kai Leng so his sword missed. Thane had still been knocked down by a good hit with the butt of the sword, but he lived. Weeks later, research from a Cerberus station proved to be an aid for his illness.
It wasn't just those two either. Her words alone had saved Samara. A few quick fixes and some residual effects from going into the Geth Consensus all those years ago let her save Legion. She gathered enough support to make sure all of the ground teams on Earth made it out alive.
Everything she had done for this galaxy killed her. Twice. And yet she came back. Twice. Kaidan had once heard EDI compare her to a cat. Nine lives and all that. Now that she's on her third life, the entire crew thought she should get a break. Retire. Live the life she should have been able to before Mindoir was attacked. After living her life for others, even the Council had thought she deserved a break. It was the reason why she passed control of the Normandy over to Kaidan and made sure it wouldn't be under Alliance control anymore. Shepard had finally passed along the fate of the galaxy to someone else. A lot of someones, technically.
"We have finished the docking procedure. Please wait while hangar pressure is equalized with the outside pressure."
"Alright. You and Joker can head down now, EDI," Kaidan said, alerting the crew to his presence.
"Heading down, Kaidan," Joker replied, his voice quiet. He was the one who had received Wrex's message. Shepard's brother and the pilot of her old ship. Who else could be completely trusted. Joker was one of three on board who knew why this trip wasn't going to be the reunion they were expecting.
Kaidan made his way to the exit, listening to the occasional percentage of equalization. The crew followed, chatting in low yet excited voices. He however, was quiet, managing a small smile or wave when someone tried talking to him. By the time equalization reached ninety percent, EDI and Joker were making their way to Kaidan.
"Wrex, Grunt, and Bakara are outside," EDI said upon reaching the captain of the ship.
"Wrex wasn't talking. He looked pretty upset," Joker added, shifting from foot to foot.
Garrus stepped forward, mandibles flaring in confusion as the others around him quieted, "why would Wrex be upset? He knew we were coming."
Kaidan frowned. "There have been some new developments," he responded, dodging the question.
Liara narrowed her eyes. "I know you well enough to know when you are evading us," she stated.
"They promised to explain everything," Kaidan said with a quiet sigh. "I don't even know all the details."
Everyone stopped talking once the voice above their heads gave a one-hundred percent notification. The hangar door lowered at a painstakingly slow pace, causing the group to shift with anxiety as they waited to see what was wrong. It wasn't often Kaidan avoided a subject. He had continued with Shepard's open door policy as well as almost always keeping the crew informed.
The door finished opening, much to the relief of the crew. It wasn't long until Wrex, Grunt, and Bakara made their way up.
"There you are," Bakara said, a hint of relief in her voice.
"You're late," Grunt growled.
Wrex said nothing. His eyes were spelling pure death to any who crossed him. No one even looked in his direction.
"Mind filling us in?"
Bakara turned to Kaidan, sighing. "We do not know a lot about the situation. However, if you would follow us to the meeting hall, I will do the best I can."
The crew followed in silence. Not many things could silence the crew. Not seeing Shepard there was one of those things.
~ Break ~
It wasn't long until the crew found themselves in the meeting hall. Chakwas, Severus, and Kilrava were already there, chatting in hushed voices. When the crew arrived, the father and daughter quieted. Chakwas stood taller and studied the group with sad eyes.
"Please, gather around the table," Bakara said, moving around to stand near a section of four chairs. One was smaller than the other.
Wrex, Bakara, and Kilrava slipped into their own seats. Grunt moved to stand next to Wrex while Severus and Chakwas stood next to the smaller chair.
"Are you not going to sit down as well?" Liara questioned, eyes sparkling with curiosity over Krogan customs.
"That is were Shepard should be sitting," Kilrava cut in, his voice calm, yet strained. "If she were here."
Tali tilted her head in confusion, eyes flashing behind the new, clear mask she had gotten. "And where is she?"
Bakara sighed, a loud noise that resonated throughout the room. Everyone who heard it felt dread began to settle in their bones. "Not here, as of right now." She looked up, pain clear in her eyes. "It seems something has happened to her adoptive father."
"He wasn't acting like himself," Chakwas stated, everyone turning to her. "I reviewed the tapes. There is no way he would ever treat his adoptive daughter like that. Especially after what he learned."
"Allow us to explain before you ask any questions," Kilrava interrupted. "It is confusing, so please listen well."
"Several days ago, miss Shepard was cleared for duty. Not field work, but leading a crew from on board a ship would have been fine based on her injuries," Serverus began explaining.
Bakara leaned forward, placing her elbows on the elongated table. "Hackett wished to take her back to the Alliance immediately. That struck as an odd in itself, but we thought maybe discussing with him the severity of that choice would have changed his mind. We were not so lucky."
Kilrava sighed, rubbing his head plate in thought. "Taking a leader of the Krogan is an act of war," he stated, earning a few gasps. "We made that pretty clear to the Admiral. He didn't even bother trying to change to his mind."
"Taking a pregnant leader of the Krogan is even worse."
If the crew wasn't already surprised to the point of shock, that were passed that point now.
"Are you telling us Skipper was pregnant?!" Ashley gasped in confusion, taking a step back.
"Yes," Karin continued. "She was. Mordin created a medicine that allowed her to have children. Admiral Hackett was also aware of this fact."
Now they knew why Wrex looked like he was ready to kill the nearest thing.
"When the Admiral realized he wasn't going to get his way, he shot us all with tranquilizer darts and had his men carry her back to the ship. Wrex was the first to break free, but he was too late," Severus explained, her voice quiet from the sadness.
The entire group stared at the ground or table as they processed this new information. The beeping of Bakara's Omni-Tool interrupted their thoughts, earning a few glares of annoyance. She answered without a second thought, pressing a few buttons. Within moments, an image of Kasumi appeared on screen.
"Oh," she said, smirking from beneath the hood, "the whole gang's here. That makes things easier." While her posture and expression seemed calm, her voice held tinges of worry and confusion.
"Makes what easier?" Grunt growled, clearly not happy with the distraction from discussing his Battlemaster and mother.
"I am currently on the Calvary. You know, the Alliance ship that was just docked on Tuchanka." The group froze, earning a small chuckle. "Just be glad I was already planning to visit Shep, otherwise I might not have made it on here."
"Is she okay?" growled Wrex, earning a glance from everyone. It was the first thing he'd said in awhile.
"She's fine. Just had a little chat with her. Listen, I don't have much time. Finding someplace to broadcast this was hard enough. So pay attention. I don't like having to repeat myself." Kasumi sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "Shep's fine. She had an argument with her dad who isn't really her dad."
"What do you mean?" Liara questioned, eyes shimmering with curiosity.
"I was working with Chakwas to do some research on those implants you mentioned. You remember?"
"Mind control implants developed with Reaper technology. Made by Cerberus," the Asari muttered. "Are you saying-?"
"Yes. I managed to do a scan on him, though I nearly got caught doing so. Whatever is going on, it isn't Admiral Hackett doing it." Her words were coming so fast no one could interrupt. "Someone is trying to instigate a war between the Krogan and Humans. The crew isn't real happy on keeping Shepard locked up, either. From what I can tell, a few have the same chip and are following his every order. The others are wary. If something were to happen, I wouldn't be surprised to see them defect once they have a chance at safety." She looked off to the side for a moment, sighing. "I have to go; crew is heading this way. I can try to keep you all updated, but it might get difficult. From what I can tell, it seems we're heading for the Omega Nebula. No idea what they plan to do once we get there, but that's all I have for you. My best suggestion is to head over there. Kasumi out."
The image disappeared, leaving the group in stunned silence.
"Perhaps you should leave now. The Normandy may be fast, but the Calvary has a large head start." Bakara stood. "I shall stay here. Severus as well. Feel free to take Kilrava, Grunt, and Wrex with you." She paused. "Not like Wrex wouldn't go with you, but take them all if you please." Her voice quieted before she said, "please bring her back."
Kaidan nodded before walking over to the Krogan on the other side of the room. Kasumi appearing so suddenly had left him a little shaken, but he still had to do his job. Wrex and Grunt walked by without so much as a glance – no surprise since they already knew him – but Kilrava stopped in front of him.
"I presume you are Spectre Alenko? I did not know Shepard for long, but she left a good impression. As a leader of the Krogan, I promise to give you my strength unless you prove unworthy." Kilrava bowed his head, lifting it a moment later.
Kaidan just stared at him with a blank expression.
"He's choosing you as his leader for now. Krogan will often choose someone to fight under when fighting for a common goal. Since he will be on your ship, you are his Battlemaster," Severus explained in a calm voice. Once that sunk in, she added, "you should probably get going. They have a head start." She paused, a corner of her mouth tilting up a little. "And if you don't, Wrex may steal your ship."
The Spectre glanced behind him, curiosity flashing across his eyes. It seemed most of the crew had followed Wrex and Grunt back to the ship. Only Tali, Garrus, and Liara remained, along with his newest crew member, Kilrava. He nodded at them before tapping his ear piece.
"EDI? Tell Joker to set a course for the Omega Nebula. When we get back on the ship, I want you to head to Liara's room and work with her and Tali on finding that ship and tracking it." Lowering his hand, he nodded at the crew before him. "Let's get to work."
~ Break ~
Shepard was leaning back against the wall next to her bed. She was well aware that they had passed through a Mass Relay, though the guards outside her door wouldn't tell her anything. It wasn't until now that Shepard appreciated what the hum of a ship meant to Tali. That sound was both calming and relaxing, probably the only thing keeping her sane. And the extra time to think was pretty helpful, too. She was thinking about baby names and imagining what the little hybrid would look like. The thoughts made her smile a little as she held onto her stomach in a rush of maternal hormones.
Before Shepard could drift off into a half-sleep reserved for when she found herself in dangerous situations, one of her guards fell to the ground, blood pouring from a hole in his temple. A moment later, the second fell. The Commander's grip on her stomach tightened, eyes narrowing. The worried eyes changed to surprised ones within moments.
"Kas? What's going on?"
Kasumi started playing with the locking terminal outside her cell. "We're leaving. I have a shuttle ready for us."
"What? Why?"
"Because they wouldn't risk shooting you down and I don't feel like staying to see how the relay jump goes."
"Next relay jump?" Shepard questioned, standing and walking towards the barrier blocking her from the outside.
"Yes," Kasumi said, focusing on the Terminal. "Got it!"
The barrier disappeared and the master thief didn't waste a second in grabbing Shepard's hand and pulling her down the hall. She fed commands into her Omni-Tool verbally, still keeping an eye out for any armed guards. Seemingly finished with her commands, Kasumi handed a heavy pistol to her Commander with her now freed hand. Once Shepard seemed comfortable with the new weapon, the thief handed her an ear piece.
"Connect," Kasumi added to her Omni-Tool. Within moments, a voice crackled to life in both of their ear pieces.
"Who is this?"
"Kaidan?" Shepard managed.
"Commander?! Is that you? EDI, I need you to track this frequency!"
"Sorry, Spectre. We don't have time for small talk. Shep and I are heading towards a shuttle right now."
"What?" It was Liara's voice that time. "I can't imagine that's a very good idea given the situation."
"We don't have a choice," Kasumi said, cloaking to check around the corner before dragging Shepard again.
"We're in the Omega Nebula." Oh. That's where they were. "We've got your signal. What's going on that you can't wait for us?" Kaidan asked.
The master thief frowned, moving onto a flight of stairs. "It's where we're heading."
"Okay. Even I'm getting annoyed. Not telling us can't make the situation any better," Shepard said with a quiet groan.
"Shepard has a point." Tali's voice. "If I learned anything from her, it's to prepare for the worst case scenario."
Kasumi sighed, exiting the stairs and heading into the Shuttle Bay of the huge ship. "Our location is the-"
The thief gasped as Shepard pushed her out of the way of an incoming bullet. The Commander hissed as she put a bullet in the head of the shooter, trying to ignore the searing pain coming from her arm. The bullet was lodged in her arm, causing her to groan.
"Commander!" Liara again. "Are you alright?"
"Just a little firefight," she replied without a moment. "Nothing I can't handle." Despite her words, the lack of food was starting to make her feel a little weak.
Kasumi shot two more of the approaching soldiers. "We need to get to that shuttle."
"How many are left?" Shepard asked, shooting another soldier and counting. "Three."
"Two," Kasumi chimed from somewhere on the other side of the room. Damn that woman could move.
"One," Shepard replied, feeling the adrenaline in her body trying to combat the lack of nutrients.
"Zero." Kasumi appeared beside her once more, grabbing the uninjured arm and hauling her up. "Come on. The longer we stay, the more of a chance we have of getting caught in the Omega Four."
Shepard's muscles suddenly tensed, her eyes widening. The voices on the other side of her earpiece, which had been talking amongst themselves, were now dead silent.
"They're going for the Omega Four Relay?!"
Kasumi nodded, opening the shuttle door and tossing Shepard inside. "Get it started. I need to override the controls for the Shuttle Bay doors."
The woman managed a nod, listening to the now frantic sounds of her old team back on the Normandy. Her fingers danced over the controls, the engine humming to life. Within moments, Kasumi joined her, shooing her out of the pilot's seat, only stating 'I've heard plenty of horror stories about your driving' before commanding the shuttle to lift up and making the door to the room open.
"What was that, Joker?" Kaidan asked, his voice clear from the other side. "Dammit! You'll need to hit them!"
"Wait, what?!" Shepard gasped, her left arm finally moving to cover the bleeding bullet hole.
"They're getting ready to jump!"
"Out we go," Kasumi muttered under her breath, punching the gas on the shuttle. It shot out of the bay just as Hackett's ship hit the relay. The resulting shock wave knocked out the duo's communications, sending the shuttle flying. Shepard flew out of her chair and called out in pain at the feeling of her arm and head smacking against the controls ahead of her. Kasumi managed to stay in her seat, trying to get the shuttle back under control. Alarms were blaring. This wasn't going well.
Once the alarms went silent and Kasumi took a breath of relief, Shepard opened her eyes. Her left eye was blurry, as if it was covered with some sort of red tint. She found that she couldn't move her arm, the entire appendage numb.
"Kas," she managed, feeling woozy.
"Shep?" the woman questioned, looking to the side. Her eyes widened at the sight. "Damn!" The master thief rushed forward, practically dragging Shepard into the back of the shuttle to lay her on a bench. "C'mon, Commander. Stay with me."
The injured woman felt more blood flowing onto her eye. Seemed like it was going to scar judging by the blood loss. She still couldn't feel her arm either. As her eyelids started to drift close, the sound of her friend's voice grew more and more distant.
~ Break ~
Shepard groaned before sitting upwards, looking around her surroundings before taking a sigh of relief. Looking back, she was vaguely aware of getting on the shuttle and suddenly being flung forward, but that was it. A bandage seemed to be covering her left eye and the majority of her head. Every ounce of her being was hoping she didn't get a concussion. Those were a pain in the ass. Her right arm was in a sling that wrapped around her neck. A closer examination revealed a bandage covering the majority of her shoulder, not to mention the fact her jacket was gone, leaving her in the tight-fitting tank top she always wore underneath.
Kasumi's voice filtered in from the front, "don't strain yourself, Shep."
The Commander stood, ignoring what her friend had said as she reached for a bar to help keep herself standing. "What's going on?"
"The shock wave that came from the Calvary knocked us pretty far. I managed to get communications back online while you were out. We should be safe in the Normandy's Shuttle Bay in just a few moments. I'm waiting for the clamps to do their job."
Shepard appreciated the quick response. Her head was sore and the lack of depth perception was starting to give her a migraine. "Thanks, Kas. For getting me out of there."
"I wouldn't thank me," she grumbled. "What kind of thief can't get her prize out in one piece?"
The other woman laughed at her friend's sulking. "While, Kas, given the circumstances, I'd say managing to get your prize out alive is pretty damn exceptional."
Kasumi rolled her eyes. "No thief should let her goal get damaged. It ruins value."
"Oh, jeez, Kas. Way to make me feel loved."
The master thief laughed, pressing a few buttons to finish locking the shuttle into place. "Alright. We're in."
Shepard walked over to the shuttle door, waiting for the little green light that told her it was safe to leave. Once it blinked, she pressed the button and watched the only barrier between her and the safety of a ship she could trust slide away. She didn't waste any time in hopping out, hearing Kasumi do the same behind her. A familiar barrier was lowering near the elevator. It came down to keep the residents of the Shuttle Bay safe whenever a shuttle came or went. The people behind it seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief at seeing Shepard alive.
"Hey, guys," she managed, her one eye going out of focus for a second. Blinking, she managed to get it back to normal. "Nice to see you all."
One figure wasted no time in breaking from the crowd. His reddish eyes studied her entire body, making her shift from side to side a little, before lifting her up bridal style.
"H-hey!"
"We're going to see the doctor," came Wrex's gruff reply.
"I'm okay! Really!"
"Lies," Kasumi said, her voice full of amusement at the scene before her. "I only did what I could with the med-kit in the shuttle. She smacked her head pretty hard when we got tossed."
"Kas! That is not helping!" Shepard struggled the entire way to the elevator, only stopping once the doors had closed. "That was embarrassing," she grumbled, wishing she could cross her arms to look more annoyed.
Wrex didn't reply verbally, which surprised Shepard since that was his usual response of choice due to his lack of physical contact on a normal basis. Instead, he set her back down on the ground and wrapped his arms around her, trying to be mindful on her bullet wound. He put his face in the crook of her neck, taking a deep breath.
"Stop going where I can't protect you," he growled.
Shepard sighed in contentment, putting her own arms around him. "I'm sorry, Wrex." Both sides of her mouth tugged up. He still smelled like Tuchanka.
The Krogan didn't respond with anything intelligible. Instead, he just tightened his arms.
And Shepard could not have been more comfortable.
Or so she thought.
~ Break ~
Shepard's eyes opened in a flash. Her head and arm were hurting beyond belief, giving her the biggest headache she could ever recall having. The ceiling above her was a bright blue with veins of some darker brown running through it.
"Ah. I was starting to wonder if you were going to wake up."
"Kas?" Shepard managed, breathing through a breathing mask on her face. "I was dreaming about the Normandy, and Wrex. Why can't I see out of my left eye?" Her brain was starting to accept that seeing Wrex and the Normandy crew was a dream.
Kasumi stepped into view. "Don't try to move too much. You've been out for nearly a day now."
"Where are we?"
"If my Omni-Tool was right, we're on Alchera." Kasumi sat next to her, sighing. "It took me awhile, but I've managed to close the entrance to this damned inlet with the shuttle. Never realized I'd ever have to make a fire."
Shepard struggled to sit up, ignoring Kasumi's attempts at keeping her laying down. "Alchera was where the first Normandy crashed," she mumbled, trying to move her right arm. Nothing. Apparently the dream had managed to convey her injuries.
"Be careful. When we crashed, your, ah, leg got banged up. I had to carry you in here like we'd just gotten married."
The woman chuckled. Leave it to Kasumi to try and lighten up the situation with strained humor. Of course, that explains why Wrex was carrying her like that in her dream. Now she had the head injury, couldn't move her right arm, and her left leg was injured somehow. Taking a deep breath, Shepard looked down to her leg. She nearly fainted at the sight. A large section of what she assumed to be shuttle was sticking out of her shin, with the bottom being covered in Medi-gel and bandages to keep the blood in.
"A warning next time?" she hissed, narrowing her eyes at the other woman.
"How was I supposed to tell you?" Kasumi shot back, shrugging. "Anyway, I set up a distress beacon and we have a fire going. It's turning into a blizzard outside, but we just need to wait for the Normandy."
Shepard laid down again, taking a deep breath to try and calm her nerves. "What about our oxygen reserves?"
"Enough to last us a few days if you don't get an infection and start needing more. Otherwise we have a day, maybe two, tops."
"But the Normandy is looking for us?" Shepard asked, closing her eyes to try and calm the headache.
"Of course. Anyone in this nebula should be able to read our beacon."
"That's not necessarily a good thing, Kas."
"It's not necessarily a bad one either, Shep. Now get some sleep. As much as I hate to do so since you banged your head pretty hard, you'll need it to fight off any possible infections."
"Mm," Shepard hummed, shifting to get more comfortable. It was going to be a long couple days.