The sun was rising in the sky of Illium, emiting blinding beams of light into the room of a certain bounty hunter trying to catch some "beauty sleep," as he would call it.
While lying on his back with his eyes still closed, Zaeed heard a knock on the window of his room across from his bed. He reacted by turning on his side opposite the direction of the window and ignored the racket. Again, the knocking continued and he began to toss and turn furiously while burying his face in the pillows. A third time, that infernal knocking again. The gruff Zaeed Massani, like a mad man, reached under his pillow for his Predator heavy pistol and fired a single slug at the window, shattering it.
Zaeed glared at the sight with rage in his eyes when the hotel's VI spoke up. "Weapons are not permitted on the premises."
"So sue me!" he said in his rough British accent, laying the pistol on the desk next to his bed. Before he could roll over back to sleep, a hooded figure appeared at his window.
"And I thought I was cranky in the morning..."He shot up out of bed to see Kasumi sitting in the window.
"Sister, you ever heard of this nifty little thing called a door?" he said groaning and rubbing his still sleepy eyes.
"Doors are for rich people. Besides, enough heists have taught me that windows are much safer." she replied."
"Damn youngsters now days. Well what do you want?" he said still agitated and wanting and go back to sleep. Kasumi reached behind her back and threw him a small metal box.
"I picked those off some guy that could obviously afford a thousand more of them while I was out working last night."
He proceeded to open the container and was pleasantly surprised at the sight of a dozen cigars. "I'll be damned." he said with a glimmer in his eye. "Krogan made cigars imported straight from Tuchanka. You can't even find these on the black market."
"I thought you'd like them." she replied smiling. The enigmatic thief seemed to love giving as much as she did stealing. Zaeed picked up his still smoking pistol and held the tip of the barrel up to the end of the cigar. He slowly inhaled the fumes while tilting his head back to savor the flavor then exhaled releasing a cloud of smoke.
"Damn that's good stuff" he commented as he lowered the cigar.
Kasumi chuckled. "Don't over do it. That stuff will kill you."
Zaeed turned back to Kasumi. "I don't normally smoke, but this stuff is worth dying for." he said as he took another drag.
...
Samara had awoken early to meditate out on the balcony of the hotel while watching the sunrise. Thane had been leaning against the wall in the corner of the room. Deciding to make conversation, he stealthily strode over to the balcony. It wasn't stealthy enough though, because Samara sensed his presence before he was even in arms reach.
"Thane... I trust your slumber was productive?" Thane sensed the sincerity in her voice. It was almost shocking being that she always seemed as emotionless as Legion.
"Yes... Very peaceful." he replied with a smirk as he gazed at the rising sun on the horizon. Moments of silence passed as she examined his body language.
"I sense you are troubled..." she said.
Thane dropped his head."Yes..."
"About Shepard and Grunt I assume?"
"Do you not share my doubt?"
"I do." she said as she rose to her feet.
Thane turned to face her. "You do not seem bothered as I am."
"I have seen the Krogan's eyes. He is not without remorse as he would seem. He is merely confused, he would rather allow his blood rage to make decisions for him than use the freewill we are all gifted with." she explained.
"And you believe Shepard can make him see?" Thane said, shifting his gaze back on the horizon.
Samara nodded. "He has overcome challenges much more difficult."
"I pray you are correct, I do not wish my life to extend beyond Shepard's..." Thane turned to Samara and gave a bow before taking his leave. "Amonkira, lord of hunters, grant him protection..."
...
Shepard and Tali had fallen asleep in each others arms. Her head restws on his shoulder with her hand gently placed on his chest and her left leg folded over his right. It was truly a match made in heaven. The two had dosed off after their intimate night together only hours earlier. Tali lay under the sheets with all but her helmet on and her hooded pulled back.
The Specter was awoken by yet another lurch as the ship's engines decelerated. He slowly lifted his eye lids but shut them quickly as a blinding light burned into his retinas. Using his arm to shield his face, he let his eyes adjust to the light before realizing what was emanating the flash of light. His blurred vision came into focus to see a tall metallic figure standing perfectly straight at the foot of the bed.
"L...Legion?" He groaned in his depleted state.
"Shepard-Commander." it responded. Tali's rest was disturbed by the voice of the lone Geth that didn't even seem conscious of the volume of its voice. She rolled on her back and stretched while giving a brief yawn.
"...Legion?"
"Creator-Tali'Zorah." it responded again. An awkward silence filled the room as the synthetic stood motionless and Tali repeated to shift her gaze back and forth from Shepard to Legion. Shepard said the first thing that came to mind.
"How long have you been standing there?"
"One hour twenty-eight minutes and three seconds." Shepard proceeded to softly scratch his eyes.
"And why exactly where you watching us sleep?"
Legion tilted its head and after a moment responded. "Geth do not understand the motives of organic pairing. You are human, creator-Tali'Zorah is quarian. Your hormones compel you to be attracted to your own species, yet you engage in partnership with each other. This concept is difficult for us to comprehend. We wish to learn." The human and quarian lay speechless trying to decide what to say.
"That's incredibly creepy..." Shepard said looking away from the Geth platform.
"You mean you...don't understand love?" Tali said with a hint of innocence and an open hand.
"Love, making love, the process in which two or more individuals engage in sexual intercourse by-" its speech was quickly cut short.
"Just forget that I asked..." Tali interrupted with both palms over her visor.
"Anyway, what's our ETA?" Shepard said.
"We have arrived in the Aralakh system of the Krogan DMZ. Moreau-Lieutenant is awaiting orders." Shepard threw his feet over the edge of the bed and stood up.
"Good. We got a ship to check out."
"Ship? What ship?" Tali responded in confusion as she placed her helmet over her head and attached the visor.
"I'll explain on the way. Come on" The Spectre replied.
"Can't we just rest for 10 more minutes?" Tali said as she threw herself over Shepard's side of the bed.
"You really wanna sleep longer with Legion watching?" he asked knowing what her answer would be. Legion's face plates pulsed a couple of times at the comment.
"Good point..." she said slowly placing her feet on the cold floor. Shepard and Legion made their way to the door and Tali fallowed suite.
"Garrus, Mordin, meet us in the cockpit." he said over the intercom.
...
"We'll be at Bermuda's last known coordinates in 10 minutes, commander. Might wanna saddle up." said Joker.
Shepard turned to his companions. "All right, I know this is on short notice, but the Illusive man wants us to check out a Cerberus research vessel that went radio silent a few days ago. They sent scout ships to discover what happened, but they've gone silent as well.
Garrus cut in. "Sounds like this is going to be more than just another bug hunt."
Tali too joined in. "It could be another trap Shepard. We aren't exactly on good terms with Cerberus after destroying the Collector base." Shepard continued, lacing his hands together behind his back.
"I've considered that too. But there's supposed to be a new form of energy being tested on that ship. Supposedly it could give the Reapers a run for their money. It's a chance I'm willing to take."
"New resource, mission critical, yes. Still advise extreme caution. Cerberus not to be trusted." Mordin babbled. Joker looked over his shoulder at Shepard while still taping away at the flight controls.
"Ruam in sight commander." He turned to the holographic projection of EDI. "EDI, put us in high orbit and scan surrounding space for heat emmitions and radiation signitures."
"Initiating scan..." The AI's hologram flickered as it spoke.
"Alright team I want this to go smooth and by the book. Gear up." On the Spectre's orders, Tali, Legion, Mordin, and Garrus all made for the armory. Shepard watched them disappear from sight and then shifted to Joker.
"Heat signature detected. Reading a single vessel in low orbit around the planet." EDI alerted. The Normandy flew deeper into the clouds emanating from the gas giant and a large hulk of metal came in to view.
"That's it. Joker, take us in closer." Shepard commanded. The Normandy began to slowly circle the ship to examine the hull. It was massive for a research ship. Being six kilometers long with large wings filled with windows extending on both sides of the vessel and sporting a large Cerberus logo on the side of bow. It could have qualified as a space station.
"Their mass effect fields are still up, that's a good sign." Joker remarked.
"No lights... Sub light engines are offline... Joker, hail them." Shepard said as he spectated the scene.
"This is Lieutenant Jeff Moreau of the SSV Normandy, come in Bermuda." No response.
"Bermuda do you copy..." Still no response.
"Look there..." Shepard noticed several small ships locked in to the ships docking cradles.
"Those must be the scout ships." he concluded.
"Not reading any life signs on em'." Joker said still staring down at the controls.
"What about the Bermuda? Anything?" asked Shepard.
EDI spoke up. "I am having difficulty scanning the interior of the ship, however I do read an energy signature near the ships core. It could be the source of the interference."
Shepard leaned over Joker's chair. "It could be the power source we're looking for. Joker, dock with the ship. Lets find out what's going on in there."