A quick A/N:
This chapter contains a references to what I feel is one of the best twists in the plot of Finding a Way, one that I couldn't completely spoil in good conscience without giving a heads-up.
If you haven't read through it already, consider this your point of no return.
s/5705653/1/Finding_a_Way
Now on with the show!
8: Fact and Fiction
"That's the last of 'em Shep."
Miranda lowered her SMG at Kasumi's words, surveying the carnage around her. The floor was practically tiled with Eclipse bodies after their surprise attack.
At least everything's going to plan so far.
It had been a simple mission: Get in. Find Cerberus agent Tyrone Rawlings. Extract him. Fight their way out. Bring back his data cache for the Illusive Man.
Judging by the clumsily-enacted defenses and the amount of corpses, they wouldn't even have to fight their way back to the shuttle.
It pays to be prepared.
Between her and Shepard, they had covered all their bases in selecting the team: Kasumi to mask their entrance and take out any alarms, Mordin to help slow down any resistance and help the operative if he was injured, and Jack for the raw power they'd need if things got hairy.
"Fucking pussies never saw us coming," the convict sneered as she kicked a merc to make sure he was dead.
Miranda nodded and checked her omni-tool. An arrow was emblazoned on its display, with "6 m" visible right below it. "The tracker says he's right behind that door, Shepard," she said, pointing in in the same direction as the arrow.
"Alright," the commander replied. "Miranda, Jack: Form up on the door. Kasumi, stay cloaked and be ready to rush in if he's being held hostage. Mordin, cover us from behind."
The officer obeyed, glad that she had been selected to breach the room. The Illusive Man needed to regain control of those files.
And if Miranda knew anything about John Shepard, it was that he wouldn't be the one to hand them over to Cerberus.
"Go!"
The three of them charged in, weapons raised.
Nothing hostile responded.
The operative grimaced as her eyes swept the room. It had been a medical bay at one point. There were cabinets lining the walls, full of shelves and counter space for supplies and tools. Multiple surgical trays were placed around a cot and an examination chair.
Clearly, someone within this particular merc group had had a sick sense of humor.
Shepard called for Mordin as he ran toward the chair, occupied by a restrained human. The man appeared to have been broken and reassembled many times over, evidence of stitching and poorly-reattached appendages clearly visible. What parts of the person that hadn't been detached at some point were horribly marred. His face, in particular, looked bad enough that it would take weeks for Miranda to even consider eating a hamburger.
She didn't wait for the doctor to confirm what she already knew.
The officer began to rummage through a nearby cabinet, searching for anything that looked like it could hold the data Cerberus so desperately needed to recover.
He can't be allowed to find it first.
She moved on to the next one, hoping that Kasumi hadn't started some searching of her own. Mordin rushed past her as she moved on to a third one. Luckily, the woman didn't have to worry about competing against the kleptomaniac in a scavenger hunt for long; the third cabinet Miranda opened had a single OSD, tossed in carelessly with several blood-stained surgical tools.
They wanted to torture him, even though they already had it...
She brushed aside the thought and covertly scanned the device with her omni-tool, copying the data to a second OSD hidden in her glove. The woman shuffled some of the tools around inside as she waited for the download.
"Dead. Tortured. Wounds severe, treated with just enough medigel to prevent death by blood loss. Signs of infection, gangrene. Broken ribs, cheekbone, wrist. Skin removed in patches in several areas. Eight fingers severed, reattached. Two upside-down. Right foot severed, missing. Blood unit quarian, caused immediate allergic reactions throughout entire body. Painful. More than enough injuries to talk. Revenge, personal vendetta."
Come on...
"Shepard to Normandy: Rawlings is dead. We're doing a sweep for the data and then we're bugging out."
"Understood, Commander. I'm bringing the shuttle back your way now."
Come on!
"Kasumi, Jack: help Miranda look for the data. I doubt they'll have moved his cache far. They might have left it on his armor somewhere, Mordin. Long shot, I know, but can you please check."
Please hurry!
Her omni-tool flashed and shut down.
"I found it, Shepard." Miranda masked her relief as she extracted herself from the cupboard, disk in hand.
The Spectre nodded and walked over to her, a hand extended.
Though she was covered as far as the Illusive Man was concerned, it wouldn't do to let Shepard forward it to anyone else. "Commander," she pleaded. "Cerberus can't afford to lose this data. If it gets into the wrong hands-"
"Then they'd just have to get it secondhand through the Shadow Broker like everyone else. I'm giving it to the Alliance, Miranda. You're not going to stop me."
The air around her flashed blue as a part of her longed to knock the man's attitude down a notch. However, she quickly stopped herself from Throwing him right then and there.
Not because his own biotics flared in response.
Not because Kasumi and Mordin raised their own weapons, clearly ready to fire if the man gave the word.
"C'mon, Cheerleader. Let's see if you've got some pretty claws to go with that catsuit."
She was proud.
She was powerful.
She was capable.
But she wasn't stupid.
Miranda relented, holding out the original OSD. "Alright, Shepard. You can give them the data."
Jack moved into her view, snatching the disk away to hand to the commander. "That's a good pussy."
The officer quietly fumed as the squad returned to the shuttle. She stared straight ahead as she boarded, then went directly to a seat in the passenger area. The woman didn't say a word as she retreated into her own thoughts.
How did things turn out like this?
Back when the commander had been incapacitated by a hallucinating quarian, the Illusive Man had given Miranda command of the vessel. As the XO, it was her duty to take over while he healed. Many of the crew supported the transfer, even if they disagreed with the decision to dump Tali and her friends at the earliest opportunity.
However, Garrus had surprisingly gained enough support to oppose her. Backed by some of the ground team (and EDI, apparently), his mutiny culminated in a one-on-one sparring match over control of the Normandy, with the non-biotic Glass fighting in Miranda's stead. The two had fought each other to a standstill, and were poised to kill each other if it wasn't for Tali's intervention.
Back then, she wasn't surprised when Kasumi and Subject Zero had sided with the turian; the thief had become fast friends with Tali and Jack had never been amicable with her in the first place.
Mordin, however, hadn't backed the turian in the conflict, declaring the whole dispute "utter foolishness". The salarian had tried to stop the fighting for the sake of team cohesion. For the sake of the status quo.
He sure didn't look conflicted just now.
She sighed, looking out the window. The Normandy was growing larger in the portal as they prepared to dock. How many of the others would still follow the me, or the Illusive Man if it came to it?
Someone flopped onto the seat next to her, but Miranda kept her gaze focused on the view. Her attempts to ignore the intruder were battered as the person whispered a few words.
"Nice acting, Cheerleader. Too bad we're fresh out of Cerberus kiss-ass awards."
Her head snapped around of its own volition, but Miranda made sure to look the speaker in the eye. "What do you want, Jack?" she asked, her voice hushed.
The tattooed savant sneered back at her, but didn't raise her voice. "Deny all you want, I know you made a copy before you handed it over. Almost would've fallen for it too. Fucked that up by staying in one cabinet for too damn long."
Miranda's eyes narrowed. "And if I did? It's not like you'd have any proof for the commander."
Jack laughed. "Oh, I'm not telling him." Against Miranda's better judgment, she raised an eyebrow. The movement wasn't lost on the convict, who smiled evilly. "I just want to see you squirm now you've got some temptation."
"I don't believe this," the officer said as she looked pointedly away, trying to end the conversation.
"Not yet, you don't." There was a shudder as the shuttle completed its docking sequence. "I'd bet my imaginary left nut that you don't know about half the shit that's on that disk."
Out of the corner of Miranda's eye, she could see Kasumi getting up and rushing out of the shuttle. She paid the thief no mind as she responded to Jack. "I'm not looking at those files."
"Of course you won't... Until you start believing they've got something on you in there, that is."
The convict guffawed as she walked away, leaving a stunned Miranda alone on the bench.
Don't see them talking to each other that often...
Kasumi sat across from Miranda and Jack in the shuttle, her posture nonchalant as they docked with the Normandy.
Maybe I can get a listen after we board. Definitely seems more interesting than most of the scuttlebutt that goes around.
She grinned as a plan began to form in her mind. However, the thief was interrupted when her personal comm rang. She checked her omni-tool.
EDI? She usually just uses the ship intercom. She took the call on her earbud. "What's up, EDI?"
"Kasumi, the timing of your arrival is fortunate. Tali'Zorah needs your assistance in the port observation deck."
Her plans were immediately cast aside as she stood up. There was a slight shudder as the vehicle came to rest. "I'll be right there. Did she say what she wanted to talk about?"
"She is upset about a conversation she had with the commander on Tuchanka. She has been at your bar for the entire duration of your mission. I recommend you prepare accordingly."
Shit! I told her not to think about that!
Kasumi jumped out the shuttle door before it had fully opened. She sprinted into the elevator, not bothering to hold it open for the rest of the squad.
"What do I need?"
"Why did I let myself believe it?"
The glass slipped from her hand, landing on the countertop with a solid thunk as the beverage spilled everywhere. The cup rolled off the far edge, and a tinkling sound announced that it had shattered on the floor.
Not that she cared.
"Daaamn empty bottles. Never had any ansswersss anyway," she slurred as she pushed them aside as well. One of the three fell to the deck as well with a crash. She leaned over the bar, her head resting in her hands. Something poked her palm, preventing the shift from being comfortable. "What the-"
The woman mustered enough will and coordination to remove the straw from the port under her chin. "You bosh'tet... Why didn't you just go like you were supposed to?" She looked daggers at the plastic object, which remained silent in her hand. "All you had to do was go with him! Instead you stabbed at the first thing you saw. You went... and hurt him so... so bad... Why... WHY?!"
It didn't answer.
"Stupid hyel'tet!" She flung it away with a sob as she heard a whooshing sound from behind her.
Tali spun around, but immediately regretted it as the world rocked from the sudden motion. She felt the seat swaying under her- or herself swaying on the seat. The quarian raised a hand to her head, trying to slow the spinning as she willed her eyes to focus.
"Tali..."
Even in her state, she could still recognize the voice. She smiled, despite the tears that covered her face.
"Kasssumi... Would you like to... like to..."
The floor jumped up to meet her.
"Tali!" Something warm lifted her up, so she was sitting. "EDI, how much has she had?"
"She has consumed a considerable amount, but not enough for her suit's medical systems to alert Doctor Chakwas. She will likely become nauseous soon. I advise haste."
"Donshou talk to that thing!" she snapped. "Damned machine. Doeshn't know what it's talking about... With its perfect words... And pretty voice... Thinks it'ss better than me. That iss smarter than me. That it can casch me when I'm not expectin- OW!"
"Sorry, Tali. Had to give you an immunobooster. Is it empty, EDI?"
"Yes. I can keep it locked until you're ready to enter. The decontamination system is set to run after you're inside."
"Alright. Let's get you up, Tali"
The quarian didn't protest as she was pulled to her feet. The world began to list again until she felt the warm thing pull her close, guiding her forward. It felt familiar, comforting, but not quite right. "You should make yourself taller. Like as tall as John... John said I have a pretty voice."
Without warning, she burst into tears. The ground rocked as the world came to a stop, something cold keeping her up.
"Tali, it's going to be okay. Just calm down. Miranda! Can't you help me with her?"
"Dohnshoochrrussht her... Can't trust Cerberus. Never will. I know what they did... What they'd do... Only way anyone would... is if they didn't kno-" Her barely-coherent rant was cut off by a retch. She instinctively bent over, though she managed to keep the vomit down for the time being.
Then the cold was gone. The warm person hurriedly pulled her further along the path. Tali heard a door close.
"Decontamination in progress."
"Ohhh..." she moaned. "Why... airlock?"
"We're in the ladies' room, Tali. Nobody else is here."
"But... what ifff...shmmbody came in..."
"EDI's got the doors locked. She won't let anyone in unless one of us says so."
"Decontamination cycle complete."
"How much do you trust me, Tali?"
She felt herself being sat down on the floor. Her mind swam at the sudden altitude change. The quarian's stomach churned forebodingly, but she managed to reply.
"Trust... like Quala... like Shala... like John..." She huffed, the name begging to be repeated. "John..."
She could feel the tears coming again as another sob escaped her. Before Tali could completely give in, however, something lifted her head.
"Tali! I need to take off your mask. Do you trust me?"
Kasumi's imperious tone snapped her out of her weeping long enough to look at the thief's face. The quarian held back another heave as she nodded.
"Okay," her friend responded, her tone much gentler. "It's a bit bright in here, so you'll want to close your eyes."
Tali couldn't have kept them open if she'd wanted to. The act of nodding had sent the world spinning around her once again, and seeing double wasn't helping.
She heard a hiss.
An icy touch passed over her cheeks as the air on her face suddenly chilled. She heard a single word, soft enough to nearly be swatted away by the breath that birthed it.
"Wow..."
That was the last straw. The quarian began to throw up, barely keeping the wave of vomit from spilling out onto her friend. She felt herself being guided to one side, a splashing sound commencing as a warm hand began to rub her back.
"It's okay, Tali. Just let it out."
Miranda lingered after exiting the elevator on the crew deck, deep in thought.
Why am I even considering it? This just isn't... NO! She reapplied her mask of conviction.
I trust the Illusive Man's judgment. Jack isn't going to change my mind with her paranoia.
She nodded to herself, and began walking toward her quarters. Before the woman had made it halfway there, however, the door to Kasumi's room opened.
"You should make yourself taller. Like as tall as John..."
Kasumi walked out of her room, Tali draped over her shoulder. The thief was surprisingly stable, despite the much taller quarian leaning on her. Even so, Miranda could tell she was having issues carrying the woman.
Never thought I'd see a drunk quarian.
As Kasumi soldiered on, Tali's eyes lingered somewhere between open and closed, the silver spots in her visor little more than slits. "John said I have a pretty voice."
The quarian began to wail, her screams rooting even Miranda to the spot. The thief leaned her against a wall and tried to soothe her friend.
"Tali, it's going to be okay. Just calm down." She caught the officer's eye. "Miranda! Can't you help me with her?"
Might as well try and win back some of their goodwill. Miranda stepped toward them, but the quarian waved an arm wildly before she had closed the distance.
"Dohnshoochrrussht her... Can't trust Cerberus. Never will. I know what they did... What they'd do... Only way anyone would... is if they didn't kno-"
Tali's words were cut off as she suddenly doubled over. The thief didn't wait for either of the other women as she suddenly drew on some new source of energy. Within five seconds, she had helped the quarian back to her feet and sped her off to the women's restroom without a backward glance.
Miranda, however, hadn't moved.
Jack, she had been prepared for. A biotic who had been kidnapped and tested on at a young age not trusting her was understandable. A drunk and nauseous quarian refusing help in getting to the bathroom because of her affiliation, however...
The woman shook her head, rushing into her quarters before she could run into anyone else.
They have their motives, Miranda. But you have no reason to lose faith now.
Right?
She sat down behind her desk, her mind barely paying attention as she began composing a message to the Illusive Man. Her fingers worked on autopilot, a product of the many years of doing so for Cerberus.
Right?
A prompt on-screen stunned her out of her half-stupor.
Failsafe 26-B activated.
Attaching data from drive will wipe disk.
Confirm? Y/N
It's for the greater good...
Confirm? Y/N
The Illusive Man wouldn't go back on me... On Ori.
Confirm? Y/N
He wouldn't dare use Oriana against me... right?
Gavin Archer's face shifts into a look of surprise and agony as Kai Leng appears, impaling him. The assassin retracts his sword, then decapitates the scientist with a vicious coup de grace. His killer sheathes the blade, and the last words of their conversation echo through her mind as her eyes follow the rolling head.
"He gave us everything he thought we'd need. There was no way we could fail."
"That's exactly my- Gah!"
Miranda's fingers flew over the interface, then she buried her head in her hands. Only when the computer toned did she look up.
Disk backup complete.
"She'll be most comfortable with you. I'd normally suggest having Shepard there too, but until she can face some of those issues, it wouldn't be wise. See if you can get her to open up on it, but don't press her too hard. It helps if you have a backup topic as well. Just keep her around, and keep her talking if you can. Oh, and I think it goes without saying that we shouldn't send her on a mission with a hangover."
"Thanks for the pointers, Kelly. Can you update Shep?"
"Of course, Kasumi. Happy to help."
She closed the voice call and looked over at Tali. The quarian was asleep on the shower floor, her face once more hidden behind the visor. As soon as Kasumi was sure that there was nothing left for the quarian to regurgitate, she had replaced the mask for her inebriated friend.
Don't want her to get even more sick than she's already going to be.
Tali began to stir as she finished the thought, a soft moan announcing her return to consciousness as she slowly sat up. "How much did I drink?"
Kasumi knelt down. "More than enough. Are you still nauseous?"
"No..." The quarian shook her head, but raised her hand to it and shut her eyes. "But I'm... everything else."
"I have more immunoboosters if you need them, Tali." She held out the individually-sealed syringes for the quarian.
The engineer pushed her hand back. "It's not that... It'll just take a couple of days for my system to get over the exposure now."
Her head turned toward the human, the glowing eyes within the helmet growing wide for a moment as she tensed up.
"You... You saw me... My face."
Silence settled crashed down between them as the thief's mind raced.
Damn, what do I do? EDI warned me she might take it poorly. Oh God, she isn't going to think I was trying to-
The quarian took a deep breath, her pose shifting as she spoke again. "I know you would have asked me first. And I know what I would have said." Tali relaxed, a smile in her posture. "I trust you because you're my hesh'nealan."
Confusion settled on Kasumi's features.
"You're not hitting on me are you?"
To her surprise, the quarian burst out laughing.
"Thanks, I needed that." When the human continued to give her a weird look, she chuckled again. "It means 'captain of my body'. We use it when we're talking about our closest and most trusted friends. It's kind of like how Garrus and John..."
Kasumi finished the thought for her as luminous eyes began to glaze over from behind the mask. "...Were separated at birth. I knew you and Quala were that close, but I didn't know you thought of me like that."
Tali nodded, coming back to earth. "Yes... You're not uncomfortable about it, are you?"
"Of course not," she replied with a smile. Well Kelly was right about that. "I'm honored, Tali'Zorah."
They settled into silence, the human sitting with her back to the wall next to her quarian friend. How the hell am I supposed to bring it up?
"I thought I was the only one who did that."
"What?" The human looked down, noticing she had been twiddling her thumbs. She gave a soft chuckle as she laid her hands in her lap. "I must have caught whatever you had when I took off that mask of yours."
"Bosh'tet," the quarian playfully replied, elbowing her arm. Their eyes met.
Now or never, Kasumi...
The thief blinked, then raised a hand to her friend's shoulder. "Tali... Why did you end up at the bar?"
To Kasumi's surprise, the quarian didn't stiffen. Instead, her shoulder sagged as she broke the gaze. "I... had a lot on my mind."
"About Shep?"
"About... me."
Well that's not what I was expecting. "Why's that?"
"I just..." The quarian sighed, giving a shake of her head. "Do you really think I deserve this?"
Kasumi was nonplussed. "To sit in a bathroom with one of your best friends talking things out?"
"No... I mean this. Being here on the ship with him. Knowing that he'd go out of his way to help me, even if I nearly killed him. Knowing that he still trusts me after all of that. Knowing that he..." the engineer took a deep breath and paused. When she spoke again, she sounded on the verge of tears.
"Knowing that he cares for me..."
"Tali, nobody blames you for what happened."
"...I do."
"Come on, you should be happy that he feels that way for you."
"I should be dead."
Words failed the human as the quarian choked out a sob. Before Tali could descend further into her grief, the woman embraced her in a tight hug. They stayed like that for several minutes, until she calmed down.
"Thanks Kasumi, I needed that." They broke apart, and the engineer looked around the room as if seeing it for the first time. "Keelah, how long has the door been locked?"
"Relax, Tali," Kasumi chuckled, glad to see her friend loosened up a little. "EDI would've told me if there was a line."
The quarian tilted her head. "Is there a line?"
The thief screwed up her face, making herself appear to be deep in thought.
"Kasumi..."
"Fine. Even though EDI promised to lock the door between people, there's one person outside who didn't want to risk the men's room."
"I should go down to engineering anyway."
Kasumi grabbed her shoulder. "I can't let you leave."
"Why not?"
"Three reasons: One, I'm making you take a sick day. Chakwas, Kelly, and EDI can all back me up on that one. And before you ask, yes. I DO think you've been working too hard lately."
The quarian shook her head and grumbled. Her words were too soft for the human's translator to detangle the string of Khelish, so she continued as if she hadn't heard.
"Second, you still need to tell me that story from your mother's knife. You keep finding excuses not to."
Tali turned to look at the thief, her shoulder relaxing a little. "I can definitely think of worse ways to spend a day of forced medical leave. But we can do that in your room."
"Which brings me to my third reason."
"Which is?"
Kasumi pointed to the door and muttered, "It's Miranda."
The quarian stopped resisting altogether, settling back down next to her.
"You're right. She can wait."
They shared a laugh at the officer's expense, then Kasumi cleared her throat.
"So at the risk of being interrupted by another dangerous mission that could very well be a trap, can we start?"
"Yes. The Legend of Tas'Nerah..."
Long ago,
Before we left the Homeworld,
Before we made our first steps into the stars,
Before we had advanced weapons,
Before we even began to tinker with electricity,
There was the Famine.
It lasted for years, longer than any drought even the oldest of elders could remember. Crops began to fail, and even the tafaya grasses wer-
Sorry, but I have to put on the brakes. "Tafaya"? What's that?
Kasumi, do you want to hear the story or not?
Just a human asking for context.
Sorry... John's usually more subtle about that sort of thing. It's a protein-rich plant that's easy to grow. It's the main ingredient in most kinds of nutrient paste.
That wasn't so hard now was it?
Anyway...
Even the hardy tafaya crops were dying out. This worried the great King Kal'Vonni of Neema.
Wait, Neema?
Yes, Neema. We named some of our ships after cities on the homeworld.
And King Kal?
How many humans are named after that one human hero... the one with the sword and the boulder... Arfer or something?
"Arthur." And good point.
The city of Neema had been at peace for over a generation, thanks to a treaty between them and the nation of Idenna. The two had been bitter enemies once, going to war the last time a great drought had strained their resources. They had eventually negotiated, and the powerful Idennan armies agreed not to attack the Neemans and their farmland so long as they paid tribute to their capital city, Moreh.
Kal didn't like the treaty, but it kept the Idennans at bay for many quarian years. But as the Famine drew on, he found the situation more and more dire. Between it and the tribute, there was less and less food to be found.
He knew his people would soon starve if things kept going like they were.
He turned to his most trusted advisor, the famed navigator and explorer Tas'Nerah, for help. He knew the constellations better than anyone else.
And they say he had dashingly good looks, too.
Hold the phone. I love a good "handsome hero" as much as the next girl, but he isn't going to be a Gary Stu is he?
A what?
"Gary Stu"? Larger-than-life infallible hero without flaws? Nothing can stop him? Channels the spirit of Chuck Norris? Big muscles and probably good in bed to boot?
...
...
...Should he be one?
...
Forget I asked.
Right, but he wasn't the best at everything, Kasumi...
He insisted on training with the captain of the king's guard in the arts of combat, even though he rarely showed signs of improvement. Captain Alarei'Yunna never lost to him. Tas always left with some new injury whenever he fought with her: bruises, cuts, sometimes a broken bone or two. Even so, he persisted with his physical training. She never referred to him by name after their fights though; he was always "the broken one" to her.
Every time he challenged her, she would always ask him the same thing:
"Are you ready to lose again, Bosh'tet?"
Sounds a bit harsh, don't ya think?
Oh, but that wasn't even half of it: he was secretly in love with her, but she knew it all along.
What?
He only asked to train with her because he adored seeing her grace and beauty unhindered. And it was the only time she would ever look at him without making faces.
That particular day, she had been gone when he called on her for their sparring match. And so, he happened to come to King Kal's castle right as he was being requested.
"Tas, my hesh'nealan," the king said. "We face a crisis unlike any other. I fear that this Famine will be the end of Neema. We will not be able to uphold the treaty with Idenna for much longer."
"But Sire, how will we survive? We cannot hope to last for long in open war with them."
"That is true. And it is why you must go to the south. You must find us a place to start anew, and hopefully the Idennans won't follow us there."
"Sire," he argued, "there is nothing south of here. Only Idenna and the great ocean lie beyond our borders that way."
"You forget. There is one thing that could protect us. Even the Idennans wouldn't be able to reach us there."
...
"You don't mean-"
"But I do."
...
...
...
What is it, already?
...
...
...
Tali...
What are you looking at me like that for? Mother always told it this way.
I want to know!
Okay... If you insist.
The king was talking about a mythical place. A land far to the south, where none had gone in centuries.
Tales were told in hushed voices about how it would rain there for hours.
Sometimes even DAYS on end.
It was a place protected by cliffs, nearly impassible by sea unless you knew the way.
They say it was perfect, sheltered from Tikkun's hottest summers, and that you could grow anything there.
And they called it...
...
...
TALI!
The Walled Garden.
"It appears you could have benefitted from Tali'Zorah's help."
"Don't need the goddamn reminder!"
Shepard squinted through the dust cloud and ignored the conversation going on between Thane and Zaeed. Here and there, he could barely see the telltale "flashlights" of the geth squad they were engaging. Apart from that, the only visible sign of his enemies was the occasional tracer round fired from their assault rifles. He fired at the nearest one, taking it down with his SMG before going back into cover.
The truth was, Thane was right.
Even from the drell's spotting post in the shuttle, far above and out of the combat zone, the mysterious weather device the squad was pressing toward was bound to create hell for visibility. (Figures. EDI said they're using reaper tech.) Even if it wasn't for the occasional geth hunter appearing suddenly in their midst, the enemy squads were still a serious threat. Thermal, sonar and IR weren't doing squat to cut through the swirling sand that obscured their vision. A combat drone or a hacked enemy, however...
"Rocket!"
He ducked away from the projectile, quietly thanking Thane. "Where from?"
"Twenty-one meters northwest of your position, behind a cliff face on the left."
"He's mine," the krogan behind him bellowed with a charge forward. The Spectre lost track of Grunt's huge form, but he could easily hear the crunch of metal in the distance. "Weak!"
"Two troopers coming down the canyon, thirty meters west. They're out in the open."
"Form up and follow me!"
Grunt and Zaeed followed John's order, covering his back as he rushed to meet the two synthetics. He took them out with a Shockwave as soon as their optics were visible, allowing a brief respite as they continued upward and out of the canyon.
"The objective is just under a hundred twenty meters southwest. There are several geth waiting in ambush, including what appears to be a prime."
Damn, Shepard thought as he signaled for the others to hold position. "How many others?"
"I count four standard platforms and a destroyer."
He wished for what felt like the tenth time that Tali was there with him.
However, the voice of his "personal correspondence assistant" and resident psychologist rattled through his head, chastising him for his thoughts. "Don't force her out until she's comfortable with it. Poor girl's got enough on her plate recovering from her hangover."
He shook his head, fully aware that the quarian was likely recovering from more than the turian drinks she'd consumed the previous night. At least I know what's bothering her now. Maybe when things quiet down a bit-
He ducked as a geth hunter flashed into being right in front of him. The human reflexively Charged, stunning it as the synthetic's weapon discharged overhead.
But for now, I have to keep fighting.
As soon as the sun had set, Tas set off with a small group of guards on his quest. Among them was his brother, a skilled archer named Firn'Nerah who could see the spots on a dhelka from nearly a full wevat awa-
You lost me there.
Um... He had really good eyesight.
Ah. So "eyes like a hawk"?
What's a hawk?
I'm so glad we could come to a mutual misunderstanding.
*Laughs* Where was I?
Firn had good eyesight.
Ah, yes...
While Tas kept his eyes on the skies, it was Firn who kept a look out on the land around them. The group trusted him as a spotter to keep them safe just as they trusted Tas to keep them from getting lost.
And it was a good thing they were both there.
There was many an occasion where Firn had to convince Tas to change course. As they marched deeper into Idennan territory, they came across an alarming amount of patrols. Though even more startling was that the Idennans were already gearing up for war.
Firn urged Tas to turn back. "If we don't warn Kal, Neema will be decimated!"
But Tas was adamant; he believed in the words the king had told him. "We must keep going, Firn. Finding the garden is the only chance we have of Neema surviving."
And so, they pressed on. With Tas's guidance, they managed to skirt around the fortresses of Idenna. However, they could hear a shrill disturbance in the wind whenever they came close to the towns. It was as if despair had given itself a voice, to be swept over the land nearby. Though Tas was curious about what was making the sound, he didn't dare to lead the group into any of Idenna's satellite villages.
But the navigator couldn't keep his curiosity at bay forever. Both he and Firn could see a trail of smoke drifting over a hill on their path, far from the nearest town.
Firn wanted to avoid it at all costs. "It's bound to be the Idennans. Who knows what they're doing over there?"
But Tas would hear none of it. "There could be innocents in danger. I must know what's happening."
Stubborn, but cares about everyone else more than himself... Remind you of someone?
...
...
Garrus is worse.
Ha! To you maybe... He's not who I meant though.
I don't know who you're talking about...
...Mm-hmm...
Anyway...
Firn grudgingly followed his brother as they snuck up the side of the hill. They drew their weapons with caution as they neared the top.
"Be prepared for anything," Tas said.
When they finally reached the crest of the hill, however, he found the last thing he'd expected to see waiting for him.
It took them long enough.
Miranda walked out of the men's room after her much-belated shower to find that the women's restroom's interface was finally green. The woman shook her head in annoyance as she walked back to her quarters.
How much did Tali drink, anyway?
She tried to focus on that question, but found the thought driven out by the the thing that had been eating into her for the past thirteen hours. It didn't help that the message she'd received before emerging from her quarters was still on the computer screen when she entered.
From: Cerberus Command
We received the data you found on the Eclipse base. While the death of operative Tyrone Rawlings was regrettable, he died to keep this information out of the hands of those who would do Cerberus harm.
By retrieving this data, you have ensured that his death was not in vain.
While the subject of the data is known, the contents of the intel are not. We are decrypting the data to find out the nature of the erroneous information being spread about Cerberus. Thanks to you, we can safeguard our already fragile reputation.
Well done!
The message, sent by some nameless correspondent, had been driving her stir-craving-mad.
It wasn't just the question of "erroneous information" or how they knew the data was destined for someone outside the organization. It wasn't the nagging thoughts that surfaced when she read two of the last four words in the message.
It was the bullshit claim about decrypting the data.
Using the ciphers at her disposal with her Lazarus clearance, Miranda had easily found the correct one to decrypt her copy. Within ten minutes, the data was decrypted on her computer, locked behind an authorization dialogue similar to the one she had cleared in the communications HQ on Aite.
The notion that someone at the Illusive Man's side would be responsible for decrypting the data, but not have the correct cipher, was beyond ridiculous.
More ridiculous, however, was that she had typed in her own authorization passcode.
All it needed was for her to press the "Enter" key.
And it had been waiting all day.
Miranda frowned as she sat at the desk, the questions eating at her again as if she had never left the room to eat and bathe.
What did Archer mean, exactly? Her features scrunched up as the possible answer reared its head once more.
You're allowed to function only because you're useful.
"He wouldn't betray me and Ori," she whispered. "I won't go against him when I'll just be proven right."
The words rang hollow in her own ears. She laid her head down on the desk, trying to sort her thoughts out.
What if you're wrong? What if the Illusive Man doesn't really care for you and Oriana?
The question lingered.
Miranda's head rose once more, the operative shaking her head in disgust as she tried to brush the question aside.
He probably didn't even give you clearance anyway. For all you know, it'll just lock down and delete itself.
She minimized the Cerberus message, the password prompt now claiming all of the screen's real estate.
She sees the child and makes a promise. Unheard, unasked, but unbreakable.
For the first time in years, Miranda Lawson felt something she'd trained herself never to feel. For her sake, and for Oriana's.
She was afraid.
"Damn it."
She hit the "Enter" key.
A series of folders took over the real estate on her computer's screen: projects, contacts, funders, suppliers, operatives... All of it was alphabetized. However, one folder near the front of the queue immediately drew her attention.
Archer, Gavin
Now that the original sin had been committed, curiosity began to overwhelm her. Her mind demanded answers for what the doctor had said, and her clicking finger was all too happy to oblige. She soon found herself looking at a dossier for the late scientist, not dissimilar to the ones she had on Shepard's team.
Operative: Gavin Archer
Location: Aite
MO: Brilliant and well-versed technician. Unconventional thinking useful for research, but makes him naturally paranoid of retribution. Curiosity and freedom in work currently outweigh possible issues that come from paranoia. Presence of brother David a stabilizing element. Devotion to cause makes him willing to ignore ethical issues faced in projects.
Status: Deceased. Contingency carried out. [Link: Project Overlord]
Contingency: Unstable in long-term, certain to overstep bounds or scope of project. Assassinate once this occurs, retrieve relevant data for replacement.
"They... expected him to fail?"
That's exactly my point.
The thought, delivered in the scientist's voice, left her silent for several minutes.
She was afraid.
Do they expect me to fail?
No, she was always successful. The Illusive Man always gave her what she needed to finish the job, always trusted her to make the decisions that needed to be made.
But what if I fail?
She was afraid.
Miranda searched through the folders, finding a file on herself.
Operative: Miranda Lawson
Location: Normandy SR-2
MO: Proven and reliable asset. Dedicates self solely to any task given; known for analytical approach to problem-solving and rarely gives in to emotional pressure. Jack-of-all trades, with considerable biotic and tech skills. Skilled with all standard weapons, but prefers to use pistol and submachine gun loadouts. Possesses respectable hand-to-hand skills for close quarters, but specifically requested exclusion from wet work operations. Will continue to do so in order to preserve allegiance. Genius-level IQ and logistic skills also prove useful in non-combat roles. Can be trusted to follow orders without question as long as Asset Echo is secure. Behavioral modeling suggests long-term loyalty may be in question. Status to be reevaluated following completion of Project Lazarus duties (Refer to contingency).
Status: Active. [Link: Project Lazarus]
Contingency: [Redacted, authorization only given to the Illusive Man]
"No... He wouldn't..."
She exited the file, frantically searching for a particular one.
Asset Echo
Name: Oriana Lawson [Cover surname not listed]
Location: Illium
MO: [Redacted, authorization only given to the Illusive Man]
Status: Secure. To be reevaluated following completion of other projects (Refer to contingency).
Contingency: [Redacted, authorization only given to the Illusive Man]
"'To be reevaluated...' Why?"
In case you fail.
"Why can't you tell me?!"
A hand crashed down in frustration, passing straight through the holographic interface. Miranda was acutely aware that it glowed a soft blue, her breathing pattern deviating significantly from its normal, quiet pace.
She was very afraid.
So what did they see?
Not what, but who.
Hmm?
At the top of the hill, there was a battle going on. A supply wagon for the Idennan army was burning, and its guards had slain all but one of their assailants. The last attacker danced through the group's blades, deflecting and countering all of the escort's moves with ease. However, the squad was pressing down on the area, flanking and trapping the intruder in a circle of unfriendly spears.
It was only a matter of time before the person would be killed.
So who was it?
The only one among Kal's forces who could have hoped to hold out on her own against such an overwhelming force: Captain Alarei'Yunna, herself. When he recognized her, Tas immediately began to rise.
His brother, however, held him back.
"What are you thinking?" Firn demanded. "We don't have enough people to take them all on, Tas. You'll be killed."
The brother smiled back. "She needs our help now, Firn. There's no time to think about it."
He then charged toward the mob, his sword raised. Luckily, the enemy warriors were too focused on Alarei to see him before he made his first kills. Before long, however, he found himself being overwhelmed as the soldiers started to engage him. A few of them fell before he could hit them, victims of Firn's marksmanship with the bow or falling to Alarei's expert swordsmanship. But he collected a significant amount of wounds in the process. Though the enemy's numbers were quickly thinning, he was being overwhelmed by the sheer number of opponents throwing themselves at him.
And then he did the worst thing possible during a swordfight.
What?
He tripped.
No...
Yes, he did. Slipped and fell right on his back in the middle of the fight.
A pair of soldiers stood over him, laughing as they raised their swords to deliver the killing blow. Tas closed his eyes and waited.
...
...
...and waited...
...
...
...and waited...
Did they stab him or not?!
The attack never came.
He heard a pair of thumps and looked around. The two had been slain from behind, massive slash marks on their backs. In their place stood a single person, who was busy cleaning off a sword.
"That's not how you're supposed to rescue someone, Bosh'tet."
Tas took care as he climbed back to his feet, trying to ignore the many bruises on his body under his dented armor. "It made sense at the time."
"No, you were just a diversion," she said back.
"But you would have died."
She just rolled her eyes at him and laughed. "Fine, you were a welcome diversion. You're lucky they were even worse fighters than yourself though. I didn't know that many even existed."
Ouch. I could feel the heat from that one.
What heat?
Don't mind me. Human talking too much, remember?
You're incorrigible, Kasumi.
Hey! I actually DO know the meaning of that one, so don't even try the grandiloquence game with me.
What?
Exactly. Back to the story?
Right.
Tas ignored her words and tried (poorly) to keep his eyes on hers. "We could use your help, Alarei. Kal needs us to find something that could keep Neema alive through this Famine, far beyond Idenna's borders. I know you had a mission, but this could end our people's troubles once and for all."
She pondered his question for a few moments, but quickly gave an answer. "Sure. Sabotaging their supply lines without backup isn't going to work. That and someone needs to protect you from yourself."
They stopped talking as Firn came up the hill with the other soldiers, bearing bad news. Tas and him hadn't been the only ones to see the smoke from the burning wagons. A large group of Idennan soldiers had rushed toward the hill from the opposite side. During the fight, they had completely surrounded the hill, and were slowly closing in on them. An emissary from the battallion marched ahead, walking straight toward the trio and their own soldiers. Alarei whispered into Tas's ear, "Worst. Rescue. Ever."
The messenger began to speak. "By the order of Lord Murin'Fal of Idenna, you are to surrender yourselves or perish. You have one minute to comply."
"Of all time," Alarei added.
"We have to obey them, Alarei," Firn said. "There's no chance we could get out of this."
"Surely you can't be-"
Tas interrupted her with a sad look. "He's right. But there is something I can do." He stepped forward, addressing the emissary. "Do I have your word that we will not be harmed?"
"Yes," the man replied.
"Then we surrender."
The messenger nodded and placed them all in irons. He then turned to one of the Idennan soldiers, a sickening grin on his face. "Take these three. Kill the rest."
That dirty bastard...
That's what Alarei said. But the man just laughed at the insult.
"He didn't specify who 'we' referred to."
Two years...
He trudged through the snow, seeing jagged shards of metal jutting out at irregular intervals. Some of it, he could recognize.
The rest, he had to force himself not to think about. Dwelling on what had happened only made him want to retch, visions of what must have happened to twist them beyond recognition playing through his mind.
It really has been two years...
Another blast of icy wind caused him to duck his head. He held his hand in front of him as the air around him turned white.
Still, he marched on.
Something shimmered on the ground in front of him, a spot of blue in the middle of the white-out.
He bent over, retrieving a small plate of metal on a chain.
Lieutenant Charles Donald Pressly
Executive Officer, Navigator, SSV Normandy
Earth Systems Alliance Navy
Service Number 052943-2167-1469-002634
The wind began to die down, allowing him to take a better look at his surroundings. He was eerily aware of how the last time he had seen that part of the CIC, he had been floating out through its ceiling. He passed the chain of the dogtag to his opposite hand, allowing it to hang from his fist with several of its brethren.
He pushed onward.
A spot of dark gray and red caught his attention. He made his way over to the object, scooping it up with his free hand. He pocketed the dogtags, then wiped the excess frost and snow off of the thing.
There it was.
The surface was just like he'd remembered it.
A scorch mark here from fighting geth outside on Noveria.
The dent from the hit he'd taken from a batarian terrorist on an asteroid over Terra Nova.
The scratch from his first husk encounter on Eden Prime.
He turned it over in his hands, searching along the neckline. There, right on the back, were a series of letters written in blood-red.
J. Shepard
There had been simply been no time before.
Freedom's Progress? He was too busy being relieved for those who had escaped.
After Omega? He had devoted himself fully to his new task, gathering people to his cause.
Horizon? Haestrom? He was too busy just surviving to give a passing thought.
Since Pragia? He had been worrying about Cerberus stabbing him in the back.
Only there did he stop.
He fell to his knees, his head bowing in respect over the battered helmet as he finally began to cope with what had happened two years before.
I really died here.
Only there, amidst the wreckage on Alchera, did John Shepard stop to mourn.
For the Normandy SR-1.
For his old crew.
For Pressly.
For his life before Cerberus.
For himself.
And so, it was with a grim heart that Tas marched down the hill with the messenger, Firn, and Alarei. The woman fought her captors every step of the way, earning only a series of blows which the leader pointedly ignored. However, when Tas tried to intervene, the emissary made a point to strike him himself. The Idennan soldiers allowed them no rest, taking the trio all the way to the Idennan capital, Moreh.
The outskirts of Moreh were in shambles. Buildings were in disrepair. The sun-baked earth was unyielding to their footsteps, harder than the most skillfully-forged of blades. Even in the middle of the night, the intense heat made them feel as if they were being cooked alive.
Sounds like Tuchanka.
Kasumi...
Listening.
The people there looked even worse. While Tas had seen the pressures that the Famine had put on the people of Neema, the quarians of idenna were in a sad state. Most of them were absolutely skeletal. A few attempted to nurse their long-since dead crops. The rest sat in their squalor, hopeless.
The only ones that werent were the soldiers.
The messenger and his escorts brought them to the gates of a castle. A single person, his powerful features appearing chiseled out of stone, rushed out to meet him. "Where are the rest of their group?" the man demanded.
"Executed for their crimes against the Lord," the emissary answered. "They were not worth the water in their filthy Neeman blood."
As soon as he had finished speaking, the newcomer took the messenger's sword and stabbed him with it. "Your wastefulness is not tolerated. Take him to the fields."
Two of the escorts dragged the dying quarian away as the man approached Tas. "I apologize for his behavior," he said. "He should have brought all of your people here, if only so we could know the names of those whose blood would keep our crops alive for another day. I am Draam'Gurta, heir to the lord's throne." He looked over the three with a careful eye. "At least he kept you three alive. It would be a shame if he had executed the captain of Vonni's guard and the brother of his most trusted advisor. Speaking of whom, Lord Murin'Fal wishes to... discuss... the matters of your quest, Tas'Nerah."
Tas felt that Draam knew more than what he was letting on. "And what do you know of our quest, pray tell?"
The man shook his head and whispered back. "Not in front of the others."
But Tas wouldn't accept his answer. "Firn and Alarei deserve to know what your... intentions are."
"I didn't mean them," Draam whispered. "I meant the soldiers."
Draam signaled to the soldiers to stay put and waved the three of them through the doorway.
The inside of the castle was as different as could be from the scene outside.
The long entrance hall was fully adorned with rich tapestries. Artworks of the sort not done since the Geth Uprising lined the walls like rivets in a liveship's hull. Open trays of fresh fruit stood next to the door, within easy access of those privileged enough to pass through it.
Everything spoke of excess.
Tas was quick to voice his disgust. "How can you treat yourselves so well when your people are dying out there, heir? At least in Neema we are all suffering equally. This... is just-"
Draam cut him off with a glare that burned with the ferocity of Tikkun.
"It's a necessary evil."
Contingency: If suspicions regarding espionage by Shadow Broker are confirmed, reveal involvement in Binthu experiments and death of Loam Geero [Link: Project Discovery] to Morl Geero of Eclipse. Geero likely to capture and execute Rawlings. Send in cleanup squad to kill Geero and recover data being sold to Shadow Broker.
Miranda rubbed her eyes as she closed Rawlings' dossier. She had spent most of the day since accessing the data searching through the files on the disk. She had been hoping against hope to find exceptions to the Illusive Man's contingencies. Something that would prove to herself, once and for all, that he would never harm Oriana. Instead, she had seen the same themes repeating ad infinitum.
Coercion.
Assassination.
Defamation.
Blackmail.
Every contact, every project, every operative had their own contingency plan. All of them revolved around one thing: a ruthless drive to leave no loose ends. Try as she might, Miranda had been having difficulty finding that proof she desperately wanted. Out of the hundreds of files she had gone through so far, she had succeeded in finding two exceptions.
Just two.
One of them, Kai Leng, she understood implicitly. The man was fanatical and antagonistic toward nonhuman interests long before he had been booted from the Alliance and recruited by Cerberus. If anything, he relished his immersion in the organization's dark side; no payment was worth more to him than to keep killing those who stood in humanity's way.
He would never go against the Illusive Man.
The other was an enigma, only named by their species.
She took a sip of coffee from her long-since-cooled mug as she reopened the relevant profile.
Contact: "The Quarian" [Name not listed]
Location: Migrant Fleet, ship not known
MO: Scientist well-versed in AI research and experimental weapons technologies. Possessed considerable political pull within quarian leadership. Obsessed with continued security of the quarian species. Willing to provide research and data in exchange for tech and supplies benefitting Migrant Fleet. Calculating, patient. Never operates without a long-term agenda. True identity given only to Illusive Man.
Status: Unknown. Ceased direct contact following failed attack on Idenna. [Link: Project Rapture]
Contingency: No current plans. Insufficient influence within fleet to enact proper fallback without first isolating from quarian protection. Blackmail unlikely to succeed, as Admiralty Board could be convinced of forgery. Can cut off contact if necessary, but agreeable as long as quarian society as a whole can benefit from cooperation.
Miranda could glean nothing new from the profile. She closed it, then laid her head down on the desk.
"Would he really use her against me?" she mumbled.
Yes.
The woman couldn't deny it; the Illusive Man could turn on her the second she showed any sort of doubts. And if he did...
"Ori might never be safe."
I need an out, my own plan in case they ever decide to move against her.
Miranda nodded as she sat up, her fear dissipating somewhat. She still wasn't sure what exactly what the Illusive Man would do, but she could plan for the worst. The operative nodded as she contemplated her options. She had a goal now, an objective. It would take time, yes, but she still had an opportunity to do something about it.
For now though...
She navigated to another profile. The screen filled with text once more, along with a photo of a familiar face in one corner.
Operative: Jacob Taylor
Location: Normandy SR-2
MO: Ex-corsair disillusioned with Alliance politics following the Battle of the Citadel. Assisted in rescue of Citadel Council following assassination attempt by batarian ambassador Jath'Amon. Battle-proven soldier, cool under fire and competent at defensive biotic techniques. Candidate for future fire team leadership, if motives can be manipulated into better alignment with Cerberus intentions.
Status: Active. [Link: Project Lazarus]
Contingency: Expected to defect following completion of Lazarus Project objectives. If so, eliminate at earliest convenience. Can reveal links to Cerberus if necessary for posthumous defamation. Personal connections with operatives in other cells and former Alliance squadmates tenuous at best, with possible exceptions of Doctor Brynn Cole and Miranda Lawson.
Note - Recent discovery of MSV Hugo Gernsback distress beacon may be used as leverage; father Ronald Taylor was listed among crew. [Link: Distress call, 2175 Aeia coordinates]
Miranda opened the link, forwarding the data using her own anonymous line that bypassed Cerberus' surveillance. Her sister was her main concern, of that there was no doubt.
But in the meantime, she could still help an old friend.
Draam took the three of them deep into the castle, to a darkened room. The cavernous area was lit only by a series of small lanterns, set on a table that stretched across the whole room. By their light, a large assortment of foods was visible, worthy of a feast. At the opposite end of the table was a massive chair.
And on that chair sat the largest quarian Tas had ever seen.
He had been shapely once, what muscle was left made that much clear. Far more evident, however, were the grotesque signs of his...
...Excess...
They walked down the length of the table, stopping when the figure held up a hand. The quarian then addressed the group with a raspy voice that somehow managed to fill the room.
*Ahem*
"I am Murin'Fal, Lord of Castle Moreh and ruler of all Idenna."
Wouldn't have expected you to pull off a "creepy, sinister dude" voice.
My mother was better at it, but thanks Kasumi.
Anyway...
"So how do you feel about my great city, Tas? Surely, Kal'Vonni's advisor must have an opinion by now."
"I feel it has been rotted to the core if this is how a leader lives among his people," he answered.
"HA! Typical of an idealist such as yourself. But sometimes sacrifices must be made... for the good of the people. Firn, you can understand when I say that the leadership must remain strong in hard times such as these, brought by this horrible Famine."
But before Tas's brother could do so much as a grunt, Alarei cut in. "Your people will not be happy when they find out how you're hoarding all of this from them. I bet they'd be furious enough to risk fighting your guards if word got out."
"I suggest you drop your charade, Alarei. I was aware from the moment you walked in that you'd already broken your restraints. Even if you could triumph against Draam here, which you might be able to accomplish if you were armed, the guards outside of this castle will attack anyone who leaves that isn't in chains or in Idennan royal garb...
"...Which I could provide for you."
Tas was surprised by the offer, but decided to ask the question anyway. "Why would you do so?"
"Because of a legend. One that tells of a place beyond the sea, shielded by walls of stone. They say the ancestors discovered it long ago, but its location was lost when a nearby island erupted into a flash of fire and sound and darkness, so great that the sun didn't rise for weeks afterward. Without the island as a landmark, none have been able to find it since. But it is said that the place survived the flash, persevering as a site of perfection, untouched for centuries and full of natural riches just waiting to be discovered. 'Rannoch f'Traeln' it was called in an ancient tongue.
"I want the same thing you want, Tas'Nerah: to find this 'Walled Garden of the Ancients'."
What? How did he know?!
You should stop stealing Alarei's lines.
But... "I have my ways. You didn't think I wouldn't have had spies in high places now, did you?"
Now that just sounds like a lazy, but convenient plot device. There's no explanation there at all!
Tell you what, next time you're telling me a culturally-significant human legend, you can throw in as many 'convenient plot devices' as you want. Deal?
Alright, I get it. So what happened next?
*Hahum* "I would give you what you need to reach Rannoch f'Traeln: supplies, a ship, and a crew. Officially, they would be under the direct supervision of my heir, Draam. They will follow your orders so long as it leads the Idennan people to this place."
Tas was hesitant to accept the offer. "You mean for yourself and your soldiers."
"It matters not. If I had access to Rannoch, Idenna would have all it needed to survive the rest of this Famine, and Neema would have no need to uphold their end of the treaty ever again. As you can see, this benefits both our cities. I believe that this... arrangement... would be fair for all involved."
"We should do it, Tas," his brother whispered. "I see no other way to get out of this, and it does solve our food problems."
Alarei disagreed. "No, we shouldn't betray Neema. If we're lucky, we can get most of the city there without Murin."
Tas hushed them both with a few quick words. "I hate to say it, but we can't ignore this. We're dead if we leave this room without his help, and doing so will only guarantee an attack on Neema. This way, we still have time to find a way out."
"I hope you're right, Bosh'tet," Alarei whispered back.
So, a deal with the devil...
Kasumi stretched her legs over the couch and put a hand on Tali's shoulder. "I think that's enough for today. I don't want to end up falling asleep on you."
The quarian paused midsentence. "It's okay. I think Mother drew out the part between Moreh and reaching the ocean because she wanted me to fall asleep." She had a genuine smile in her eyes as she turned to the thief. "I'll admit, I was starting to wonder why you weren't interrupting me as much."
They chuckled at her words, then, "I'll make sure you skip to the beach for next time then. But in the meantime, I wanted to ask you about what you said earlier. About why you thought you should be..." Kasumi searched for a delicate way to put it into words.
"Why I should be dead."
Kasumi immediately regretted speaking as she watched the smile fade from Tali's eyes. To her credit, the engineer didn't break down completely like she had in the bathroom earlier.
"I'm sorry, it's... a quarian thing. I don't want to talk about it right now, but I appreciate you asking." Her eyes glowed as she finished, but not nearly as brightly as they had seconds before. As she rose, a hologram of EDI popped up by the door.
"Miss Zorah, a quarian distress signal labeled 'extremely urgent' has been detected on the planet Gei Hinnon. Shepard is composing a team to investigate. He would like to know if you wish to be on the ground team."
Tali looked back at Kasumi, as if looking for a sort of confirmation. Of course! I DID tell her she was on forced medical leave.
The human nodded. "Only if you really want to."
"Tell John..." She stopped, but regained her composure after a second. "Tell him I'll be right there. I just want to talk to Chakwas first."
"Of course. Logging you out."
The thief raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to talk to the doc, by the way?"
"I need to thank her for telling you what to do." She nodded to the human as she began to walk out. "You may be a professional thief, but I know you would've had trouble finding the safe injection sites on my sh'rayan without help."
"Um, Tali... It wasn't Chakwas who told me."
The quarian tilted her head. "Who was it, then?"
Here goes... "It was EDI."
"WHAT?!"
Okay, damage control mode: Go. "EDI told me that you had been at the bar and needed help, so-"
"SHOW YOURSELF YOU DAMNED AI PIECE OF HYELON!"
"Tali..."
EDI's avatar came online. "Would you like to send a message to Ch-"
"STAY THE HELL OUT OF MY SUIT YOU HORRIBLE EXCUSE FOR A COMPUTER VIRUS!" She stabbed her finger through the holographic orb as she continued to rant.
"Tali."
"-YOU PILE OF CIRCUITS! IF I SO MUCH AS THINK THAT YOU'RE-"
"TALI!"
The human buckled under the elephantine weight of the stare that the engineer threw her in response. "Keelah, you know how seriously quarians take this sort of thing, Kasumi. You know how much I had to trust you just to let you see my face when I was ill. The last time anyone saw my face, I was at my mother's side while she was on her deathbed. Now you're defending an AI that hacked its way into my suit's systems? I can't beli-"
"I did not interface with your suit in any way, Miss Zorah."
"And now it's lying."
"Cerberus installed blocks that prevent me from knowingly giving false information. I merely used Zaeed's personal surveillance network and the camera built into this holographic interface to monitor your alcohol consumption, since they were the only devices that survived your and Mordin's purge."
"Then why didn't Chakwas come? She should have been paged automatically if I was drinking too much." She turned back to the console, and Kasumi felt it was safe to breathe again.
"That is not entirely correct. Her alert is set to trigger in the event of dangerously high blood alcohol content. The amount you drank was not enough to cause alcohol toxicity. Visual data indicated an imminent onset of nausea and that you would need assistance to reach somewhere that was safe to remove your mask."
Tali's voice became softer; muted, but still accusatory. "Why didn't you tell me to stop then? It would've saved everyone a lot of trouble."
"I did. You attempted to overload this interface during my fourth message. The attack missed and hit the door controls."
So that's why it was locked when I got here!
"After your attempt to sabotage the interface, I contacted Miss Goto, believing you would prefer her presence over that of Doctor Chakwas. The shuttle happened to be docking when she received my message. I considered the circumstances fortunate, and briefed her on the proper procedures and precautions."
"Oh..."
Seeing Tali begin to relax, Kasumi decided to try moving closer. The quarian continued to stare at EDI's projection as the thief put a hand on her shoulder. The engineer's hand slipped out without warning, grasping the thief's other hand with a firm, but gentle grip before releasing her.
Kasumi let out a sigh of relief. At least I won't be getting a visit from her shotgun.
Tali continued to stare at the hologram for a few more tense seconds before looking away. "Tell John I'm on my way down to the hangar bay."
"Done. Logging you out."
Kasumi gave her a final hug. "Remember, Tali. I'm here if you need me."
Apart from returning it, the quarian barely acknowledged her. The visor was dark, as if a massive storm had shrouded what few details of her face could be seen from view. The human walked to the bed, and heard a faint whoosh as the door opened and closed behind her.
But she could've sworn she heard something else as well: a soft whisper that her translator didn't catch, quieter than the sound of the portal.
"Eedie... ralm w'telan."
As she felt herself succumbing to her fatigue from staying awake nearly two full days for Tali, the thief opened up her omni-tool. She typed in the phrase, and got an immediate hit over the extranet. Kasumi barely had time to read the first result before her eyes slid shut.
Khelish-English translation: "Thank you, Eedie."
Note from the author:
I wanted to give a quick shout-out to timbryanscott, to thank him for pointing something out about my story description that may have kept some people from giving this story a go earlier. (I wholeheartedly agree with you on the "oh God why?!" thought, despite Rule 34.)
Freaky factoid number 27-D:
"Burning In the Skies" by Linkin Park started playing on my radio right after I finished writing the Normandy crash site piece for this chapter.
Unsettling, but oddly appropriate.
Nicholas Glass & Quala'Oro are used by permission from Levi Matthews' Finding a Way
"Hesh'nealan" comes from Herr Wozzeck's Mass Vexations series. *Tips hat in respect*