Legal Disclaimer: As always, Mass Effect, as well as all characters, locations, and dialogue borrowed from the game, are property of BioWare.
2/24/10 – Chapter Revision: Just a few alterations and added a little more detail.
A little over two years ago:
The ship was quiet as the Normandy sped away from the Citadel, en route to Therum.
"Commander, I was hoping to get a minute of your time," the words are spoken softly, "Off the record."
"I keep an open-door policy," came the response, the strong voice encouraging, "If you have any concerns, lay them on me."
A sigh, a hesitation, then, "All right… I know things are different aboard the Normandy, but – I'm concerned about the aliens. Vakarian and Wrex. With all due respect, Commander, should they have full access to the ship?"
The conversation continues, Shepard listening to Ashley's concerns, however her responses indicate disagreement. When Ashley mentions that humanity must rely on themselves, her response is immediate. "Standing up for ourselves doesn't mean standing alone. I can see where your concerns are coming from, Williams. But this is a multilateral mission. You're going to have to work with aliens, like it or not."
"It won't be a problem, Commander. You say 'jump,' I say 'how high." You tell me to kiss a turian, I'll ask which cheek."
A chuckle, before the commander responds, "I don't think kissing turians will be necessary. Although getting to know him better wouldn't be a bad idea."
Boot heels click on the deck toward him. "Hey Garrus, have a few minutes to talk?"
On the Kodiak:
"Look Garrus, I already told you that I'm doing this one alone."
"Commander, you don't know what you'll find down there!" the turian insists, mandibles tight to his face in frustration. "You could be attacked, or trapped. Just look at it, it's not stable!" He gestures wildly toward the small viewport, through which they could see the planet quickly approaching. He looks to Tali for support, but she regretfully shakes her head at him.
"Which is exactly why only one of us is going." Shepard says calmly, firmly refusing to be persuaded. "The position is precarious, and I won't take the chance that too much extra weight or movement won't make that thing go crashing down. And before you say it; no, I won't let you do this instead. This was an Alliance vessel; I know how these ships are laid out. I'm the one that has the best chance of getting the information that we need."
Garrus reluctantly concedes defeat, knowing that further protest will only serve to distract and annoy her. As she and Tali look out the viewport, his eyes never stray from her face.
* * *
Planet Zanethu in the Hourglass Nebula:
Commander Shepard is struck by the stark beauty of the mountains surrounding the wreck of the Alliance merchant ship. Weapon at the ready, she carefully moves away from the drop zone, testing the stability of the path before trusting her weight to each step; a precaution that proves itself almost immediately as a huge section of the floor suddenly crashes down into the body of the ship right in front of her.
'So much for the easy path' she mutters to herself, now looking for an alternate way to get to the mainframe. She finally spies a series of support beams that look as if they will get her to the next section. As she clambers up on the first one, she can only think of how glad she is that Garrus isn't there to see her do this. 'He'd have a fit, just before tying me up and getting Chakwas to check my sanity… not that I wouldn't do the same in his shoes.'
She comes across a large gap, to wide to jump. After looking unsuccessfully for an alternate route, she happens to glance up. Seeing the swinging section of hull above her, she shakes her head, before backing up and pulling out her pistol. She lines up her shot, trying to judge by the swinging motion the best time to fire. She takes the shot, hoping that she's not about to bring the entire ship crashing down with her on it. Luck is apparently with her, as the section comes crashing down, landing solidly right over the gap. She carefully crosses it and continues to the next set of support beams.
Finally, after getting back up to the top of the ship on the opposite side from where she started, she carefully moves forward. Occasional crashes, closely followed by the motion of the ship's weight shifting, cause her heart to leap into her throat. The journey to the front of the ship is a series of balancing acts as she climbs onto various beams and pathways. There are several heart-stopping moments, particularly when the top of the flight of stairs she is forced to use suddenly drops with her on them, barely coming to rest on the landing below. The creaking and shifting of the ship gets worse by the second. Time is definitely of the essence.
She sees the red flashing near the computer, the only obstacle left is a short bridge. As she approaches, a large crossbar comes crashing down, utterly destroying the bridge, and precariously perched. With no other choice, Shepard has to take the chance that it will hold her weight long enough to get across.
She makes it; she hurriedly accesses the mainframe, downloading the data to her hardsuit computer. Almost immediately, there is a gut-wrenching lurch as the crossbar falls further into the wreck. She signals the Kodiak, waiting close by, and scrambles onto the shuttle, assisted by strong hands, just before the wreck of the MSV Estevanico dislodges from its position and goes crashing down the mountainside, the sound echoing through the surrounding mountains.
As the shuttle turns to head back to the awaiting Normandy, Elissa becomes aware of the fact that the strong arms are still wrapped around her, that hers are clutching him as well. Garrus' eyes are closed, his face burrowing in her hair as he holds her tightly against his chest, her face buried in his neck. They stand that way for several minutes, neither one aware of Tali standing nearby, nor the movement of the shuttle. After a few moments, awareness returns and he releases her slowly, almost reluctantly. Nothing is said, but both look thoughtful as they take their seats across from each other.
* * *
On the Normandy: Captain's Quarters
There is a knock at the door, followed by a voice, "Commander Shepard?"
The query draws the woman out of her contemplation. She signals admittance and stands up from her desk. "What can I do for you, Kelly?" As she eyes her assistant, she notices that she is uncharacteristically nervous.
"Commander, I think you'll want to talk to Garrus," Kelly says urgently, "He received some new that put a fire in his eyes. You should probably speak to him as soon as possible."