Shepard took a deep breath and looked around. Wrex was looking at her, but every so often his small reptilian eyes would flitter between her and the Dalatrass. Victus didn't look surprised and took the request easily, his stature one of relaxed composure.

"Cure the Genophage?" Shepard asked, one eyebrow raised "I'm guessing you have something Wrex?" The big Krogan's lips pulled back in what might have been a smile.

"Oh I have something Shepard" He walked to the head of the table, the floor rattling with every footstep "There was a Salarian scientist Malin, who grew a conscious, started working on a cure"

"I remember him, his methods were barbaric" Shepard commented.

"But what you don't know was that some of his tests were successful" small, stumpy fingers played across the console and a hazy video of a science station flicked to life. Capsules filled with Krogran lined the walls as Salarians walked past, omni tools and data pads in hands "But then an STG team abducted them" Wrex snarled, his voice barely above a growl.

"Is this true?" Victus was shocked.

"That's a lie! It could be a fabrication!" The Dalatrass squealed but her body language betrayed her.

"Those are my people!" Wrex bellowed "They are immune to the Genophage and you will give them back!"

"Well how will curing the Genophage help my people?" The Dalatrass stuttered.

Shepard shook her head and waved a hand to angrily silence the Salarian "How long do you think the Salarians will last when the Reapers get to you? You need us Dalatrass, you need to release the females"

"Or I'll be the last friendly Turian you ever see" Victus muttered.

There was silence in the room as the Dalatrass rubbed her head, her posture one of agitation as she shifted from foot to foot. Wrex started to growl.

"The females are being held at an STG base on Sur'Kesh" The Dalatrass spoke slowly, but the volume increased as the room began to empty "I warn you Commander, a bully has no friends when they need them most!"

"Who gives a shit" Shepard mumbled just out of ear shot. Beside her Wrex laughed, his anger already subsiding as he bought a massive palm down on her shoulder.

"I knew you'd come through!" His deep timbre tickled her ears.

"We've got a lot to do yet Wrex, don't get ahead of yourself" Shepard walked into the CIC, smiling a little as Traynor's eyes widened at the big Krogan "Get ready to go, me and my team will meet you in the shuttle bay" Wrex nodded and stomped away "And Wrex?" small red eyes tracked to her "keep a cool head on for this yeah?"

A massive bellowing laugh reverberated around the CIC "I always do!"


Liara pressed a button on the wrist of her hard suit and a green light flashed, reassuring her of its stability. She could hear some rattling projectile fire from further down the balcony, and then the distant thud of a heavy exploding round. She peered from behind the wall and then ran, keeping low, to the narrow entrance of a stairwell half covered by toppled plant containers and mossy growth. She was kneeling now, squinting through a thin film of smoke as she navigated the stairs, pistol held low. She'd been separated from Garrus and Shepard when a window had blown out and sent her flying backwards over the balcony. She had broken the impact of her fall by a biotic field but all she could get on her comm. system was static, leaving her following a trail of destruction and bodies in the hope of tracking them down.

At the top of the stairs she rounded the corner, navigating over splinters of wood and fragments of rock from a destroyed wall. Suddenly a thick bellow of smoke erupted all around her and she coughed violently, checking her pistol was ready to fire at the same time. Moving forward she staggered over some debris, stumbling as she put her hand out and jarred her arm on the low balcony next to her. Recovering her balance and shaking her jarred arm she continued forward, wondering at the origin of the smoke, cursing as she didn't see the Centurion until his pale, yellow helmet turned towards her, along with his gun.

Liara threw herself to one side, against the wall to her left and fired her gun from the hip at the same time. The Centurions rifle jerked upwards and let loose a stream of rapid fire at the ceiling as he staggered back. Liara let the biotic field build up in her hand, concentrating on the feel of it around her fingers before ducking from behind cover and releasing it on the soldier watching as he slumped to the floor.

She shuffled forward, squatting down next to the crumpled body, keeping her gun tracked on it. When she was satisfied she stood up and moved forward, trying all the time not to cough as the smoke grazed her throat and made her eyes water. She wasn't sure but in the distance, through the smog, she could see shadowy figures moving and the sound of rapid gun fire. In the chaos she heard a voice shout. She strained to hear it again but then plasma and projector fire erupted from down the balcony. She ducked her head and in the lull heard an ominous click behind her.

Liara spun around, tightening her finger on the trigger, but a firm grasp caught her by the arm and her body relaxed, knowing instantly who it was before her eyes could confirm it. Shepard wrenched her around and spun her against the wall, pressing into her, one hand firmly splayed against her waist, the other on her pistol. Liara was momentarily stunned as the Commander filled her vision, crushing into her and gesturing her to stay quite as she scanned the smoke with her gaze.

Shepard's breath was hot on her neck, thigh tight into her crotch as she held her in place. Liara swallowed and closed her eyes as a stab of desired pierced her, realising she hadn't been in such an intimate position with Shepard since before the Alpha relay. Shepard's face was flushed, covered with a film of perspiration and her eyes were wild, pupils dilated. She chewed her lip as she peered through the smoke, the fingers spread out on Liara's waist twitched and clenched.

"Centurions" Shepard breathed into her ear, pushing harder against her, fusing their bodies as one of the soldiers walked past.

It occurred to Liara that Shepard was completely ignorant of the effect she was having on her and as another solider wandered past, Shepard finally relaxed, pushing back and leaving Liara rigid against the wall.

"You hurt?" Shepard asked, nothing but the professional solider "You went over the balcony hard, had me worried" She ran her fingers through sweat matted hair, green eyes examining every trace of Liara's face, leaving pulses of electricity in their wake.

"No I'm fine" Liara checked her pistol as a distraction, avoiding making eye contact. Her hands were trembling.

"You are a terrible liar" Shepard said.

"No I'm fine, a little shaken but I'm not hurt Shepard" Liara shook her head "Honest" she took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. She was far from injured.

"Follow me, Garrus is just ahead" Shepard indicated a path through the balcony with a tilt of her head.

Liara nodded and followed Shepard, focusing her mind on the task at hand and ignoring the ache in her stomach. They passed through more areas of destruction, eventually emerging in a clearing. The lift containing Mordin and the female Krogan sat waiting, Garrus was perched on a plant container, sniper rifle raised, scanning the rooftops.

"Awaiting final release Shepard" Mordin sounded over the intercom.

Shepard nodded and made her way over to the console, keying in the release and tracking the movement of the containment cell as it lifted the female above them.

"Head's up Shepard!" Wrex's dull tone ground over the radio, the urgency in it terrifying "You got incoming!"

Shepard looked up, confused for a minute until she saw the massive silhouette of some type of mech falling from the sky. It impacted behind her, the force sending her and Liara to the floor.

"Protect the Female Shepard!" Mordin shouted, kicking the door "The door is stuck!"

The mech seemed to unfold, large mechanical limbs unfurling as it whirred to its full height, guns rotating. Its left arm rose, releasing a lazy bout of missile fire that sent Shepard skidding for cover. The thing twisted female acquired came the tinny, mechanised voice as it took rattling, clunking steps towards the Krogan.

"Shepard I can't land until you deal with that thing!" Wrex yelled.

"I hear you" Shepard peered out from her cover, catching sight of Liara off to her left and Garrus just next to her.

"Then deal with it!" His voice was a roar.

Shepard crouched down on her haunches behind cover, hands clasped around the pistol, eyes staring out at the distant mech. She popped out, fired two shots and ducked back.

"Liara!" She shouted "Take his shield down" Liara nodded "Garrus you line up for the pilot, when I get the glass down, take that bastard out"

"You got it!" It looked like Garrus was smiling.

Liara closed her mind to everything but the effort of her biotics. Shepard new that overloading shields was not her speciality, and it took all her concentration to make her biotic field form and grow. Chaos seemed to reign around her as the mech fired projectile rounds at them. Shepard was laying down heavy fire on it, her gun muzzle flashing as she crouched. Garrus lined up shot after shot, eating away at the shields before until Liara could take them down.
She looked at her hand, the unfamiliar blue crackle of electricity flying over her fingers and burning up through her skull and behind her eyes. She waited, held onto the power for as long as she could, making sure the release would be explosive.

"You're getting old Shepard! Take that thing down!" Wrex sounded out again, voice laced with impatience.

Liara took that as her cue and stood up; releasing a massive blast of biotic energy that sent ripples of blue fire over the mech's surface.

"Goddess.." she breathed, looking down at her hand and swaying, her biotic's completely drained.

She heard Shepard's triumphant yell as her first pistol shot hit its mark, causing a thick crack in the casing of the mech.

Liara was about to smile but the mech was reacting, lowering to the ground and pulling its arm back, its aim focused on Shepard. The missile release came as a surprise and Shepard had nowhere to run. A look of pure shock graced Shepard's face as the missile exploded half a meter in front of her face, stopped dead by a massive wave of glorious purple shielding that could only have come from one place.

"Self destruct!" Garrus shouted, jumping down from his perch and sprinting to a low wall - the only slither of meagre cover. Shepard and Liara followed him as the Mech began to shudder and creak. A loud boom washed over them followed by a crash as shrubbery and rock impacted the walls. Bits of plant matter floated past them as a few flames licked the floor where the Mech had been.

Liara stood up on shaky legs. Her head hurt and she inelegantly snorted back a nose bleed, wiping the blood on the back of her hand as she fought to keep a wave of nausea at bay.

Shepard jogged over to the lift, releasing Mordin as Cortez flew in overhead. Wrex didn't wait for the shuttle to land, he jumped from the door and walked over to the female Krogan.

Liara watched the exchange but wasn't paying attention, her nose was still bleeding and her hand was sore. She looked down at her fingers, wiggling them each individually.

"Thank you" Liara looked up to see Shepard staring at her.

"You don't have to thank me Shepard" Liara snapped feeling annoyed at the gratitude.

"Well, I have" A shrug was the only accompaniment to the Commander turning away.

Shepard didn't really understand the hostility from Liara and she didn't have time to think about it as two heavy shotgun blasts broke her reverie.

The female Krogan handed the shotgun back to Wrex and walked off towards the shuttle. Shepard would have laughed but the gurgling cough of one of the dying Cerberus soldiers caught her attention. Walking over to the crumpled and bloody heap she pulled her gun, looking down dispassionately at the blood bubbling from beneath the helmet.

"What were Cerberus doing here" She kicked the soldier "What were you looking for?"

The groan of a dying man was her only answer "What a mess" Shepard fired one round into the skull of the man, the rear of his helmet erupting in a red cloud. She thought it might have looked cruel but he was dying, chocking on his own blood and suffocating, a bullet was kinder "What a fucking, obscene, stupid mess" She looked up at her crew, waiting by the shuttle and shook her head, thinking the same thing again.


Shepard kept her head down, booted feet on the seat opposite. Her jacket hung on the back of her chair.

"Me" She said, and took another drink from her small glass.

"You?" Wrex's throaty bellow echoed out as he slapped the table, sending Garrus scurrying to catch his drink.

She nodded slowly, looking down at her hands where they were clasped around her drink and nested between her thighs. She burped "Yup"

"I'd give it fifty fifty" Garrus said, tapping her booted feet with the toes of his own as he laughed.

"What? No chance!" Wrex poked a stubby finger at her "You humans are squishy" he mimed a crushing motion with both hands.

Shepard shrugged, then laughed, waving one hand from side to side "Only a little"

"I've seen less squishy Salarians than you Shepard!" Wrex laughed, a great bellowing howl as he slapped the table again.

Shepard grinned at that. While Eve, the female Krogan was being examined by Mordin, the three of them had decided to get some post battle relaxation in the mess. Although reluctant at first, Shepard had squared her kit away, spoken to Admiral Hackett and found herself with a few absent moments to pass. How they had ended up drinking Krogan brandy was another question.

"I don't know" Garrus mused, folding his hands behind his head and leaning back on the chair next to Shepard "Shepard would definitely have speed and agility on her side" his mandibles flexed in what Shepard had always judged to be the human equivalent of a smirk "And brains" he snickered.

"Are you calling me stupid Vakarian?" Wrex looked massively round the table, lips pulling back in a terrifying visage of a smile "I'll have you know I..." he paused and stood up suddenly "Liara! Join us?" he shouted at Liara as she walked past, indicating the free chair between himself and Shepard.

Shepard gave the Asari a small smile and jerked her head towards them. Truth is she was puzzled as to where Liara had vanished to once they'd gotten back on the Normandy.

"Wrex" Liara walked over, nodding at Wrex as he manhandled her into the free chair "Isn't it a little early in the day for.." She leant over and picked up the bottle of bright red spirit "Krogan brandy?" Her voice was incredulous as she looked at Shepard.

"Never too early Liara, you should know that!" Garrus replied.

"Ah" Wrex grabbed a free glass and poured a healthy measure in, pushing it along the table to where Liara sat "It's a crime not to share a drink with such a beautiful Asari"

"Did he just say beautiful?" Garrus whispered to Shepard.

"You are too kind Wrex" Liara accepted the drink, sniffing it once before downing the entire glass.

"And talkative" Shepard muttered.

"What was that?" Wrex growled.

"Nothing"

"Now Liara is here, she gets a vote" Garrus said brightly.

"I'm not entirely sure I like the sound of that" Liara replied cautiously "What exactly am I voting on?" She looked at Wrex as he refilled her glass again, this time with a little more brandy than before.

"I asked them to suggest one person in the galaxy who could beat me in a fight!" Wrex spread his arms wide and gave her a massive grin "Commander Shepard over there suggested herself and I disagreed. Garrus being the typical Turian, said fifty fifty!"

"I prefer the term diplomatic Wrex"

"Whatever Vakarian"

Liara laughed "Your being serious?" she looked at Wrex who was beaming happily in his presumed victory.

"It would have to be the Commander" Liara replied, covering her mouth with her hand as Wrex spat his brandy over the table.

"What?" Wrex grumbled "Well you would say that wouldn't you? You're.."

"Wrex" Shepard gave him a steely toned warning but the big Krogan just grinned.

"Anyway" Wrex coughed, wiping his face on the back of his arm as he stood up "I think it's time for a victory song" He stood shakily, teetering and almost falling backwards. He put one hand on his chest and held the other out towards Liara "Oh Tuchanka you bore us weeeeeeeell"

" Christ" Shepard threw her forearm over her eyes "Garrus shut him up, throw something at him"

"Like what?" Garrus looked around "My ears!"

"Oh Tuchankaaaaaaa oh thank you!" The tone deaf warbling roar went on "You make us strooooong"

Liara tried hard not to laugh as she reached over and filled Wrex's empty glass to the top. The big Krogan noticed the gesture and almost immediately stopped singing, throwing himself down into the chair and supping happily on the brandy.

"Krogan custom" Liara shrugged at the faces Garrus and Shepard were pulling "Singing if their glass is empty"

"I'd say that was odd, but with that voice it guarantees you never have an empty glass Wrex!" Garrus necked his own drink and slammed it down on the table, shaking his head.

Shepard smiled, content and a little more light headed than she ought to be. Maybe it was because she had an empty stomach. Had she had breakfast? In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she had eaten.

The four of them were sitting in companionable silence and Shepard took a moment to look round, to really look at her ramshackle crew for the first time in a long time. If you would have told her ten years ago she'd be sat sharing victory drinks with a Krogan, Turian and an Asari she would have laughed, but here she was, attempting to lead these people. She sighed, tilted her head back, letting a trickle of thick brandy slide down her throat and tried not to think too much about the future and the members of the crew she would no doubt loose in the fights still to come. Maybe she thought they would be better off that way instead of becoming husks or having to witness the end of days, the destruction of home and death of family. Then she caught herself. She couldn't think like that, had to stop thinking like that, it wasn't right. No one should look at death like that, like it was an escape. She cursed the alcohol, she always got morose when she drank.

"Are you alright Shepard?" Liara asked, catching the thoughtful frown on the Commanders face.

Liara was another thing adding to her melancholy mood. She looked at the Asari and nodded, noting how tired she looked. Shepard had no idea what was between them or where they were, she thought she knew, but then Liara had turned her away, hurt her pride and left her confused and out of control. Shepard hated being out of control.

A timid looking crew man approached from behind Wrex, holding a data pad nervously to his chest as though it was a shield. He came up to the Commander and coughed nervously.

"Um, Commander Shepard?" he said.

"Yes" she replied, staring rather blearily at the young man.

"Specialist Traynor asked me if she could see you in the CIC"

"Why didn't Specialist Traynor just call me over the comm?" Shepard frowned.

"I don't think she wanted to interrupt Ma'am" The young man spluttered.

"And this isn't interrupting?" Liara added.

"Alright" Shepard waved her hand and stood up, stretching her hands out above her head and groaning "Tell her I'll be up in a minute"

"Yes ma'am" The crew man scurried backwards, retreating towards the lift.

"Don't drink too much guys" Shepard added as she grabbed her jacked and moved away from the table.

"Not a problem Shepard, I think Wrex is dead" Garrus added, nodding at the Krogan who was sat, head tilted back, mouth wide open, eyes closed.

Shepard smiled, and strode away from them, giving Liara's shoulder a gentle squeeze as she went past.

"Another drink Doctor?" Garrus leant over and retrieved the nearly empty bottle from Wrex's loose grip.

"Why not?" Liara sighed as she watched Shepard walk away.

"Why not indeed"