4
"Well," said Garrus, his back steady as a rock and limiting Shepard's view to chunks of blue armor and some crates. Crates. Crates were so useful at times, Shepard thought, staring at scratches on Garrus' left leg. "That was fucking stupid."
Why leg? Was she sitting? Why was she sitting?
Oh, right. Right!
"I'm good, Garrus, get out of my way! They'll escape!"
He moved, but not much, not jumping into the sprint Shepard felt they needed right now. She was not dizzy nor confused, as she would have expected, but... just shocked. And excited.
She got shot!
From a sniper rifle!
Yay!
"OK, I see the spot," said Garrus. "Tali?"
Tali. Tali wasn't around. OK, maybe Shepard was still a bit dumbfounded.
"Chaktika's on them. I'm staying behind, but not too far. I shushed down city's alarms as well, their security system is crap."
Tracking, hacking and staying hidden, all at the same time. Good girl, that Tali. Shepard was suddenly so glad she'd recruited her. So, so glad.
"Wait," she said when tears of emotion blurred her vision. "Was I out?"
"For about fifteen seconds, thank the spirits, or we'd be chasing ghosts in a crowded city."
"Hey!"
"I see where they shoot from. Tali's on their tail. We won't lose them."
Shepard shook her head, not in anger, but to clear her head, to move her thoughts into position. MediGel was kicking in and though it helped with actually moving around, it left warm pink fuzzy cloud in place of her brain. What the hell was that? She'd been hit before and even worse, why was she feeling that incapacitated all of a sudden?
Ooh, that was a constructive thought! Good start.
"I'm not wounded."
"No, and that's why it's so fucking stupid. They got your shields down, very well, but that was it. Anyone with even minimal experience would have two snipers at least. Two simultaneous shots and perhaps something extra for that little kick for the undead commander Shepard, just to be sure. You get me? This attack didn't make sense."
Yeah, she got it, the events arranging themselves in neat chronological order inside her aching head. There were questions, of course, big gaping logical holes that needed filling, some more than others, but she could ignore them for now.
Garrus couldn't, though.
"And yet they got your shields down with just one bullet. That's some weapon, Shepard. And shooting on Illium, no less."
She followed his gaze to the top of one of the buildings and tried to imagine what the hell was the sniper thinking. She tried to see herself in Viper's or Widow's scope, unsuspecting among so many bystanders, with her back protected by two talented soldiers. The sniper must have been good, no doubt, but still...
And then—maybe because she was still confused, maybe because of the MediGel high—other memories rushed in, and in her imaginary scope she saw something else entirely.
"They wanted us to follow them!" she said, jolting back to her feet and somehow not falling back down. "Tali, stop where you are!"
"Yes, Commander! I haven't been detected yet, sending NavPoint to you now-"
Shepard's omnitool beeped and the way unfolded before her eyes, twisting and glowing in her HUD, leading her through the unknown labirynth into the slowly dissipating crowd.
"Shepard!" Liara's voice ringed in her ears. "I know you just landed and all of a sudden there's police on my turf. I assume it's related. Are you alright?"
Her turf?
"I'm alright, someone's playing hide-and-seek with us," Shepard said, trying to keep her step steady, to not rush into a frantic run, and to not hit shoulders with any passerby's. They had time. The sniper wanted to see them. They could make him wait. It wasn't a chase. "Can you please get the police and whatever else you got here off our backs for at least some time?"
"Already done. They'll come in if you'll need them, though."
From all the things that came to Shepard's mind, the one she spoke out loud was the one she didn't really agree with.
"Good."
Bystanders quickly backed away as soon as Shepard came close, as if expecting her to explode. Garrus was right next to her, watching her six, guarding her back. They didn't speak as they moved forward, fast and angry, following the trail Tali left for them. Nos Astra wasn't like most cities; she was all gleaming and shiny, pretty and luxurious. In most cities Shepard needed five minute walk, tops, before she'd find mold, beggars and graffiti. Not here. Nos Astra was all facade. If she had rot, it was well hidden on the inside.
And she bet Liara knew all about it.
"Shepard, here!"
Tali's crouched silhouette broke from the deep shadow of the side alley and waved them over. There wasn't much space and they must have looked like idiots, all squatting and squinting, should anyone be there to actually see them. Shepard's elbow scratched on a wall and a sharp wave of pain suggested that she'd hit it falling down after the shooting.
"He's on the roof, one person, small posture. I think it's salarian. Only visual, no other readings."
"Good tech. Adds to the weapons," Garrus commented. He looked strangely comfortable even though he was all long limbs and strange shapes. Maybe turians did have something to do with birds after all. "Salarian... You all thinking what I'm thinking?"
Tali nodded. Shepard stood up.
"One way to find out, right?"
There was some kind of fire escape, or maybe just maintenance scaffolding, Shepard couldn't tell because even makeshift asari constructions were elegant, but she doubted its presence was merely a convenient incident. The salarian chose this place. The roof, so the everseeing matriarchal eyes wouldn't spot too much. Far away from the place of shooting to divert attention. It was all calculated and they had no other choice but to fall into the trap. They climbed up.
Tali was right. It was a salarian.
"Captain Kirrahe. Long time no see."
There was a sniper rifle at his side. Not in his hands, which Shepard appreciated, but still near enough to grab it quickly should the need arise. She didn't draw her weapon either.
"Is it?" Kirrahe said dryly. Shepard wasn't an expert on salarians, but he looked older. Visibly older, even though it was, after all, only two years. "When we met on Virmire you had to split your team and leave one of your men with me. Who was it?"
Shepard swallowed. She did expect some kind of attack, but not this.
"Ashley Williams. Gunnery chief Williams."
"Yes." Kirrahe, the new Kirrahe with the cold gaze and cold voice, Kirrahe who apparently didn't believe in miracles as easily as everyone else, didn't relax nor let his guard down. "And after your decision we talked about it. Only the two of us. I asked you why you chose her. What was your answer?"
She could have not remembered. She could have forgotten and it shouldn't be any confirmation of Kirrahe's suspicion. It was one short conversation that took place years ago in a chaotic, hurried world of trauma and near death experience. Almost everything that happened after that talk was much more important.
And yet Shepard remembered.
"I told you Ashley was brute force. I told you that you needed someone like her. Someone intent simply on shooting things and not overthinking simple tasks. I said that salarians were good at overthinking. You agreed. And told me you were going to remind your men what fighting a war really was about."
At first, Kirrahe didn't answer and for a split second, Shepard thought that somehow she'd answered wrong. Even though she could recall everything about Virmire, every painful little detail—Wrex—Sovereign—Kaidan—maybe, just maybe her memories weren't...
And then the salarian extended his hand.
"Commander Shepard," he said with a voice that sounded much more like him. Shepard shook his hand with a relief she hadn't expected. "You really are alive and well. And you, mister Vakarian, miss vas Neema. My superiors will be shocked."
"Sorry for the inconvenience. Although I'd say you shooting me with a freaking sniper rifle makes us even."
The roof was surprisingly empty. Shepard wasn't really used to open spaces and definitely not to pretty rich cities. She didn't know what to expect and when the adrenaline wore off her head felt so light and filled with bright lights. As if her body suddenly rememberd it's been hit.
The view was all blue and pink. Even sky in Nost Astra looked like it was designed in some clean corporate office. Skycars flew high above their heads, each of them graceful and shiny.
"Ah, I apologize for that."
"No you don't. It was clever. And very precise. But in case my doctor finds later any concussion... I suppose I should bill the STG?"
He didn't flinch, of course he didn't, he was far too professional for that. But he did seem a little uneasy, as if Shepard started stripping right in front of him. Neither Tali nor Garrus spoke, but they didn't really need to.
"In some sense. My order was simple and very generic. Methods were mine. I knew that your shields-"
"Why is STG after me?"
Skycars were passing them in an endless string of pretty perfect beads.
"Commander, every major galactic player has noticed your return. STG just possesses the means to check if it is, in fact, you, or just some well-made imposter-"
She burst out laughing even though the last thing she felt was mirth. Her throat was dry. Each breath felt like sandpaper on her lungs. Just as if she was on Horizon, breathing its dry autumn air.
Standing in front of Ashley.
Not being able to formulate a complete thought.
Well, Alliance had their means as well. And they'd sent them.
How many more old friends she was meant to meet like this? Cold, accusatory, distrustful? Tools to the larger scheme? Alliance used Ashley, STG used Kirrahe, and the Illusive Man used her, was using her all the time. She felt his leash on her neck.
Well, she felt some noose on her neck.
"I don't think this is all," Garrus said and that helped her to regain control of her own voice. Tali was still standing close to the edge of the roof, guarding the fire exit in case somebody followed them, but the turian came near, piercing Kirrahe with unblinking gaze. "Why now? It's several months now. Why so late?"
"We were watching," admitted Kirrahe bluntly. "Trying to draw some sensible conclusions and only recently-"
"Mordin. It's about Mordin." Shepard scolded. "You noticed us taking him on board, you got scared he was going to spill all your secrets, and we just got back from Tuchanka, so now-"
"Do you know who he is?"
"Of course I do. He's a former STG and now, a member of my crew."
"No, I mean... Do you know what he's done?"
"Oh yes."
"Do you?" Kirrahe stepped forward and something in his voice stopped Shepard from confirming once more. "You went to Tuchanka and... dealt... with Maelon. That's good, we're... thankful. But Firebreak was only a part of his career."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that one of our best people is on your ship. Do you remember my speech, commander?" Kirrahe asked suddenly. "I recounted salarian heroes, people who will always be remembered on all our worlds, whose deeds helped us achieve what we, as a species, are now." He was standing right next to Shepard now. The sniper rifle was left behind but Shepard barely stopped herself from reaching for her gun. She was a Spectre. She recognized other deadly creatures when they approached. "What I need you to understand is that professor Solus will be one of them. He's that important. That's what he's done. That's what he's capable of."
"Come on," Garrus interposed. "He ran a clinic on Omega..."
"And singlehandedly cured a disease designed by Reapers."
Silence answered him. There were no lies in what Kirrahe was saying, but also nothing new. They knew all that. Shepard saw it sewn together in the data Cerberus had forwarded to her. And yet she never thought about it like this, she never stopped and tried to actually see the bigger picture. Change the perspective.
"So he decided to stay in Terminus, away from you guys," said Tali after a while of unnerving quiet broken only by the constant hum of skycars. "And he chose to come with Shepard."
"If I doubted that, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
"I meant that-"
"Wait." Something in Shepard's head clicked and fell right into place, a word, a key, a password that almost slipped her attention. "You said Reapers. A disease designed by Reapers." Kirrahe's face stayed the face, showing no surprise nor nervousness. "You know. STG knows... About Collectors and Reapers."
She didn't need to look at Garrus or Tali to know the way they both straightened up. Kirrahe still didn't move. He looked guilty.
No. He looked bitter.
"Oh yes," he said. "STG knows."
It wasn't just skycars humming, not in her ears.
"And you do nothing?!"
"But Commander," Kirrahe's voice was both calm and angry, harsh and resigned. "You said it yourself. Salarians overthink everything and sometimes, quite often to be honest, we need some brute force on our side to remind us what fighting a war is really all about."
If there was a suitable answer, it didn't appear in Shepard's head.
"Now, I suppose, my mission's done," said the salarian, turning abruptly and starting to disassemble his rifle. "I confirmed you're really you."
"Will it help?"
With the war. With the salarians. With politics and overthinking.
"Not as much as willing presence of one of our most brilliant minds on your ship, commander." For the first time since they climbed onto that forsaken roof, Kirrahe actually smiled, in this bizarre salarian way that somehow made Shepard think of cats. "Ashley Williams did, in fact, teach us a valuable lesson on Virmire that day. I'll try to pass it to others."
She knew what he really meant by that.
And I will make myself believe in this promise.
"Goodbye, captain. Despite being shot at, it was nice to see you."
"Likewise, commander. I wish you luck."
Kirrahe's hand was cold. They watched him disappear under the cloak and only after he was gone Shepard almost absenmindedly called Liara.
"Hey," she said and it shocked her how tired her voice sounded. "We're good now. Coming to you now."
They went. They didn't talk much.
Nothing happened on their way.