-1.2-Kar'Shan-

After being pushed and shoved for minutes in darkness, Shepard was forced down into a seat. The black hood was pulled off his head. Looking around, Shepard saw he was in a smaller room. The furnishings in it were two chairs and a desk in between. One sole light hanging from the ceiling illuminated the room. This was probably an interrogation room, he surmised. The dried blood stains and claws marks on the desk further proved that.

A single Batarian behind the desk paced back and forth. The Batarian behind Shepard shuffled his feet, and coughed nervously.

"You are dismissed." The Batarian in front of Shepard said. The other Batarian quickly left.

The Batarian continued to pace – Shepard could feel his eyes watching him. Neither spoke a word. Shepard could hear the hum of activity behind him, in the other room. Pairs of voice were talking, some loudly. They sounded confused – like something unexpected had happened. Shepard assumed they were probably dealing with the effects of what happened in the Bahak System.

When there still was a Bahak System, Shepard ruefully thought. He tried to shake the thoughts out of his head.

Finally, after minutes of silence, the Batarian spoke up. He turned his omni-tool on, and read a from a data file on it.

"Commander Adrian Jonathan Shepard." The Batarian hissed out. "Known as 'John' or 'AJ' Shepard. The First Human Spectre. No, wait - now make that the first disgraced Human Spectre. Hah. Quite an accomplishment."

"What do you want?" Shepard said bluntly.

"Born on Earth, orphaned at an early age." The Batarian ignored Shepard, and continued to read from the data file. "You grew up with a gang of fellow hoodlums, the Tenth Street Reds. At 18, you enlisted with the Alliance." The Batarian looked up at Shepard. "Trading one groups of savages and murderers for another?"

Shepard said nothing in reply.

"It's a shame about Akuze." The Batarian smugly added. "If those Thresher Maws had only killed you too, everyone in the Bahak system would still be alive today."

"You son of a bitch!" Shepard hoarsely yelled back, and got to his feet - slower than he thought he could move. His treatment by the Batarians had left him weak and dehydrated. As Shepard stood up, the Batarian pulled out a pistol, aiming it dead center in Shepard's chest.

Stupid, Shepard thought. He was goading you all along.

The Batarian moved closer to Shepard, and kept the gun aim at Shepard's chest. In the light, Shepard could better see the Batarian's face.

Balak's furrowed brow and curled lips showed signs of the rage he was holding back. Everything etched in his face showed that he wanted to shoot Shepard right there. But something we keeping him from firing.

"No." Balak hissed out. "You don't get to act angry. Not after you, and those other humans working on your supposed project, committed that atrocity. Against my people."

"I've already explained, Balak." Shepard said, his voice dry. "I was trying to stop the Reapers. They were going to use the Alpha Relay to invade."

"So you claim, without a shred of hard evidence." Balak replied. "Meanwhile, I have 300,000 lives, ended in seconds, that prove you otherwise."

"Don't you dare act high and mighty to me." Shepard said. "Your attack on Terra Nova-"

"Was merely a response to Humanity's collective greed." Balak cut in. "A few humans died for the sake of my entire people. I regret none of it."

"Then I guess that makes us both monsters." Shepard said, and then clenched his teeth.

"Perhaps." Balak replied "But I'm the one with a gun."

Before anything else could be said, the room shook with a heavy rumble. Seconds passed, and a new series of new rumbles burst forth. The violent quakes sent both Shepard and Balak stumbling to the floor, as dust and small cement particles fell from the ceiling.

Balak's pistol fell between both men. Shepard and Balak looked at each other for a split second, and then jumped towards the pistol. Balak grabbed the pistol first, his attention set on the gun. As Balak lifted the gun, Shepard tackled him back to the floor. With Balak on the ground stomach first, Shepard leaped on to Balak's back. From there, Shepard dropped one knee on Balak's neck, putting all of his body weight there. Balak still had his hand on the gun.

"A gun won't do you much good," Shepard said between gasps for breath "with a broken neck. Now drop it."

Balak nodded in response, and let go of the gun.

While the two had been fighting, Balak's omni-tool had been beeping steadily. The beeping had now gotten louder and more frequent. An emergency.

"Answer it." Shepard ordered. Balak did so.

It was a recording. A frightened Batarian was on the line.

"They came out of nowhere!" He yelled "We're being flanked by ground forces, and-"

The Batarian was cut off by a deep, ear-shattering buzz. The recording went dead after that.

"The Reapers." Shepard said quietly. "They're arrived."