When Fates Collide

Chapter 19

Citadel

~ ~ You Can't Stop Fate ~ ~

"Commander Shepard!" blared frantically over the Normandy's loud speaker.

"Damn it Joker! I'm not your commander!"

Exasperated the pilot retorted, "No really Shepard, we got trouble!"

Suddenly, hearing the shrill tone in the pilot's voice the soldier questioned, "What is it Joker?"

Nearly stuttering the man replied, "There are 20 armed C-Sec officers heading your way and they don't look happy."

On bended elbows leaning on the mess table, Shepard had been laying out her attack plans with her squad. Circling the makeshift war room, Tali, Garrus, Wrex, and Ash, all looked up in confusion at the speaker, through which Joker's voice vibrated.

Lifting herself to her hands, a greatly concerned redhead asked in a deep authoritative tone, "Joker, what the hell is going on?"

"Commander!" Joker yelped a speedy warning, "Ambassador Udina just came aboard. They are all heading your way."

Realizing the severity of what was happening, the acting executive officer asked, "Joker, can you seal the doors? Seal the doors!"

Joker swallowed hard and answered a moment later, "Not with this assault rifle in my face right now. I am being instructed not to move."

"How are you still talking to us then?" asked a perplexed the gunny chief.

The defiant pilot, attempting to be humorous, smiled at his small victory, "I don't think anything in this galaxy could actually keep me from talking." The pilot released a stiff chuckle before the line went dead.

An expression of dead seriousness, which the team had never seen before, masked Shepard's face as she barked, "Don't do anything! No matter what they do!"

Purposely focusing on Ash, Shepard demanded, "I mean it! Don't take any actions! I don't want you messed up in this."

Addressing the entire squad again, Shepard finally declared, "This is my fight. Let me take care of it. Ok?"

Several confused and frustrated glances exchanged between the squad members before a few 'oks' and 'all rights' answered the woman.

From across the room came a great thundering rumble of footsteps down both sides of the stairwells that altered the attention of everyone in the room except for Tali's. The young quarian's faithful eyes never left Shepard's face as she frantically tried to process what was going on. Scrutinizing the large group of armed soldiers that quickly flanked both sides of the table, Shepard sighed deeply preparing for the worst, which she knew was only moments away. Glaringly assessing her perimeters, the woman used her peripheral vision to count the intruders onboard her ship. The various officers were all humans, mostly men, Shepard quickly reasoned, undoubtedly hand picked by the human ambassador. He was always a sneaky bastard in that regard.

Dangerously close to losing her patience at the atrocity unfolding before her, the mock commander slammed her fist down on the table, "I demand to know what is going on here?"

Also feeling a plethora of anger growing inside her, Tali instinctively reached for her sidearm which wasn't there. The seriously modified weapon wasn't something she normally carried when onboard the ship.

With their weapons drawn and pointed directly at Shepard's head, two of the largest men broke ranks and cautiously approached the mock officer. The pissed off marine glanced over to Ash clinching her jaw and gently shook her head, ensuring the gunny knew not to do anything. Unbelievably, by even her own team, Shepard slowly lifted herself off the table, barely raising her hands waist high; signaling she wasn't going to put up a fight. Taking advantage of the surrendering soldier, the officers stowed their weapons and aggressively took hold of the woman. Faster than anyone in the room could have anticipated, Shepard was slammed hard face first on the table, while the men wrestled to restrain her hands behind her.

The solider, who had been faithfully serving the Alliance for the last couple of weeks, put up little resistance as one of the men maintained control over her by digging an elbow in her back. It was obviously painful and he knew it. The redhead's squad mates watched in horror as their leader was forcibly pinned to the table and the two insensitive C-Sec officers forcefully bound the defenseless woman's hands high and tight behind her back.

As the duo enjoyed subduing the most wanted human in the galaxy, one of them boasted, "Not such a tough bitch now; are you, huh?"

Securing the rogue soldier, one of the officers nabbed the opportunity to take a cheap shot at the famous soldier and cracked Shepard hard in the ribs with his knee.

Infuriated by the low blow, a growling krogan pushed forward to flatten the spineless men, but Wrex was forced back by the numerous weapons now pointing in his face.

Knowing implicitly how C-Sec worked, Garrus hollered out in his enraged emotional state, "Fucking Cowards!"

Demonstrating to the aliens exactly who was in charge, the officers slammed Shepard back down on the table bruising her cheek and creating a small cut above her right eye. With their leader being used as leverage against them, the angry squad members backed down and the C-Sec officers claimed their superiority over Shepard's team, aiming their weapons threateningly. Once the room was under the control of C-Sec, Ambassador Udina sauntered lazily into the room, soaking in the very sight of it all with immense enjoyment.

With outstretched hands, he inhaled deeply as he looked about the room, "What a glorious day this is!"

Sharply turning towards the apprehended woman, Udina announced, "It seems I will be the one to finally bring you in."

Eyeing the red headed woman up and down, the arrogant Ambassador chimed, "Hmph, I thought you'd be taller for some reason."

Attempting to get what jabs she could in, Shepard bit back, "That's probably because your dogs have me pinned down. If I were standing up; I'd be looking a lot taller as I kicked your ass!"

"See what I mean people, utterly no respect for the governing forces that be!" Knowing the soldier wasn't putting up the fight he knew she was capable of, the conniving man spat, "This piece of garbage is so absolutely worthless, even her own mother wanted nothing to do with her." Seeing the rage swelling in woman's green eyes the man continued to boast, "So ashamed of her only daughter, she didn't even go looking for her." Systematically Udina watched every muscle in Shepard's body tense up like she was about to break free. The callous man was very pleased with himself seeing the reaction to his cutting words.

The Human Ambassador snaked his way next to the rogue soldier where only she and the two men holding her could hear, "When I'm done with you..."

The vindictive man leaned in even closer to where only Shepard could hear him and ridiculed her, "You're gonna wish our four eyed friends were still ripping apart your brain."

The redhead grunted in protest as she tried to resist against her captives before she was pressed harder to the marble top table. The malicious man hissed in her ear, "Please resist. It will only give me more of a reason to deliver a bloody pulp instead of your body."

Struggling with the decision to fight back or give in, Shepard welcomed the temporary distraction of

LCDR Pressly as he was being forcibly led into the room a moment later.

Pulling away from the C-Sec officers, who had been manhandling him, his gaze quickly shot to the center of the room where his acting executive officer was being subdued, "Shepard!" yelled the befuddled man.

The normally placid man, turned and spewed at the Ambassador, "I demand to know what's going on here!"

When Udina rolled his eyes at the naval officer's request, Pressly added, "Damn it! I'm the commanding officer of this ship and I demand an answer!"

Udina sharply spun on his heels, faced the lieutenant commander and mockingly announced, "Well, we both know, that won't be lasting much longer. As I am sure you have already heard, as of today, you will be relieved of that burden, LCDR Pressly."

As the egotistical man spoke, every word felt condescending and belittling. "You should have never allowed this traitor on board. Do you know the number of crimes she has committed against the human systems? The millions, no billions of credits she has cost human corporations over the years?"

A smirk formed over the busted face of the rogue soldier, as she heard Udina openly admit what a pain in the ass she had been to him and his overly "organized" bureaucracy.

"You'll be lucky if you don't find yourself facing criminal charges lieutenant commander."

Reveling in the subdued rogue soldier, Udina continued his soap box speech, "Besides, I thought the trash went out the airlock ... Not piled in the captains quarters or mucking about the mess decks."

The man arrogantly sniveled at the aliens before him. Basically ignoring the 'acting' commanding officer's reaction, the despicable older man sneered directly at the female gunny chief with disgust, "I would have thought some of you would have resisted her presence a little more."

Despite the indignant urge mounting inside her, Chief Williams fought the impulse to lash out; as her hands balled into fists, she peered over to 'in her mind' her superior, tightly bound and slumped over the table.

The Ambassador went on with his overdramatic speech addressing the entire room, "See, Ladies and Gentlemen of the superior human race. This is why aliens should never be allowed on elite human vessels.

On the other side of Ash, Tali whispered, "I bet his mom ran off with a turian." Amused by the comment, the gunny chimed back, "Or an asari."

Trying to hold back a compelling snort, the quarian replied, "Nice!"

Impressed by the alien's understanding of sarcasm, the gunny stated, "Wow Tali. I didn't know you had it in you."

The quarian's synthesized voice quipped, "He's an ass. Give me five minutes alone with him in the engine room and he'll be shitting eezo bullets." Snickering at her own twisted thoughts Tali mused, "It would not be pretty, for him anyway."

Protesting Udina's claim, Garrus bellowed, "But the turians helped design the Normandy! It was a joint intergalactic project."

Udina belligerently bit back, "That doesn't mean they were privy to all of the ship's secrets."

Turning to face the turian, Udina bragged, "Besides, just because you bed a whore for the night, doesn't mean you're married."

Regardless of the intruder's warning, Pressly tossed caution to the wind as he blasted, "I answer to the Alliance, not you Ambassador Udina."

Not being able to revel in his statement long, Udina quickly roared, "And who the hell do you think the Alliance answers to?" Pounding his chest, the pathetic excuse of a man explained, "I am in charge! They answer to me!" The room fell silent as the politician finally won his dominance over the crew.

The diplomat sneered at the woman lying on the table and commanded, "Arrest this traitor!"

As the C-sec officers abruptly ripped her off the table, Udina suddenly realized Shepard was wearing an Alliance Commander's Uniform making the man's blood boil.

Turning around, he glared at the ship's navigator, "Really Pressly? An Alliance Commander's Uniform?" The ambassador's face withered up as he continued to belligerently insult the bound woman, "You should have let her go naked like the bitch dog she is."

Shepard released a deep throated growl at Udina's cutting remark, you're a dead man….wait until I get out of these cuffs.

Facing the captive woman, Udina ordered the two officers to immediately strip the Commander's uniform off the traitor. The tight blouse put up more of a struggle than Shepard. Frustrated with removing the shirt from a tied up prisoner, the officers slammed her hard to the table again, catching the veteran soldier off guard. The sudden forward motion bloodied the redhead's nose. Irritated with the garment, one of the officers grabbed a fist full of hair and jerked the woman back off the table, while the other man reached across her breasts and tore the fabric off her. The aggressive tugging bruised the soft pink arms as a steady trickle of blood flowed from her nose. Bright red fluid soiled the white tank top clinging to Shepard's torso. When Udina chastised the rogue human about the crimes for which she was guilty, several more cheap shots were taken, sending the bound woman to her knees. As each gruesome hit landed, Tali winced and covered her eyes the best she could before finally burying her face in Garrus' chest in revulsion.

Momentarily taking in the redhead's muscular arms, Williams suddenly thought, damn! …look at those arms…she could have so kicked my ass… When another nasty blow made contact with Shepard's abdomen, abruptly ripping the chief out of her thoughts. The striking knee caused Shepard to wince considerably; sending her blood flying. The younger marine knew for the most part, Shepard was handling the beating pretty well, but worried that last sucker punch may have cracked a few ribs.

Helplessly watching the unarmed woman being beaten before her very eyes, Ashley snapped at the guards, "She's unarmed you assholes! You can't beat an unarmed, bound woman!"

Slicing through the air Udina shouted, "Stop!"

The order was unexpectedly loud. Self-importantly, Udina waltzed towards the gunny chief and hissed, "She's a prisoner of the Alliance. I would have thought you, better than anyone, should have known that Chief Williams! Your father was patrolling the Caleston mining facility when Shepard's ship attacked."

Looking back at the beaten soldier, the man sniveled, "I would have thought you more then anyone would want to see her blood spilt."

As if almost on command, another fist struck Shepard's rapidly swelling face sending her blood splattering to the floor. The punishing blow finally sent the rogue soldier helplessly to the deck below.

Lying on her side, rocking back and forth, Shepard, in her last rebellious endeavor, shouted, "You hit like a little girl you fucking pussy!" behind her bloodied face, the veteran soldier laughed, "You'd never make it in the marines!"

Ash could have sworn she saw Shepard's malachite eyes glance in her direction before she was kicked in the gut, silencing the solider. After the ruthless blow, the C-Sec officer belted, "Not so talkative now are you?"

Shuddering to catch her breath, the former marine's only response was the spitting of her own blood as she struggled to breathe, you won't look so smug with a hole in your head asshole…

Towering over the defenseless woman, the human delegate obviously abusing his position said, "Pathetic."

Attempting to soil the ambassador's pristine outfit, Shepard snapped her head up at him, blood spewing from her wounds, "Just you wait Udina; Fate has a funny way about her. I might not be the one pulling the trigger, but I guarantee I will be there when you take your last breath."

Absolutely unaware of the events unfolding in the mess area, Dr. Chakwas was deep in thought mulling over the latest medical journal, as she strolled out of the medical facility to fetch a cup of hot tea. When the physician suddenly realized the room was filled with armed soldiers who didn't belong to the Normandy, she abruptly froze in mid step. The woman's piercing steel-blue eyes immediately scanned the room for her friend Shepard.

Spying the redhead bound and bleeding on the floor, Dr. Chakwas's left hand gingerly touched her lips in shock. Several weapons pointed at her, halting her forward progress. To her great dismay, a faint, "Dear God!" floated from her throat. Stunned by Shepard's abused body, the physician staggered backwards before she rapidly looked back at the med bay door. Not allowing another heartbeat to pass, the chief medical officer blindly dropped her favorite cup on the floor, shattering it into a million pieces, as she bolted over to the med lab door, scrambling for the control panel.

Horribly displeased to find someone wasn't utterly under his control, the human Ambassador headed towards the doctor, who was quickly working on the console to the ward's entrance, "What are you doing doctor?" asked the greatly annoyed human ambassador.

As Dr. Chakwas's fingers frantically shimmied over the keypad, the normally tranquil professional gave no answer.

Beyond the infirmary windows, a young asari unexpectedly emerged from the back office. The blue skinned beauty, deeply engrossed in her datapad, was unaware of the ongoing fiasco outside the lab. The Normandy crew instantaneously sucked in a collective sharp breath, confusing the intruders; but the soldier bleeding on the floor knew instantly, on what everyone was focusing a few meters above her.

Tasting blood, the woman closed her eyes and prayed, "Oh Goddess, not Liara."

Unexpectedly, a blaring alarm sounded from inside the medical lab, as a computer generated female voice echoed off the interior walls of the ship, "Warning! Warning! The medical bay has been sealed for a Class 4 contamination."

Wide eyed, Dr. Chakwas again frantically pressed down on the keypad to the door. The simulated voice paused for a moment and then continued, "Correction! Class 5 contamination…. Warning! Warning! The medical bay has been sealed for Class 5 contamination."

Udina moved closer to the doctor and angrily squawked at her backside, "What the hell are you doing woman?"

Filled with dread, the doctor slowly backed away from the panel and peered in the side windows. The normally calm and reassuring face was filled with sadness and remorse as she watched the confused asari still inside. With great remorse Dr. Chakwas regretfully answered, "Saving your miserable lives."

Hearing the alarm and knowing Liara was still safely inside the lab, the badly beaten soldier chuckled under her staggering breath, "Way to go doc … I owe you one."

Covering his ears from the 100dB warning reverberating throughout the ship, Udina shouted, "What is a class five contamination?"

Shocked that the Ambassador didn't know basic shipboard protocols, Chief Williams antagonistically reported, "It's just short of a nuclear bomb going off. Is what that is!"

Getting angrier by the moment, feeling his seizure wasn't going as smooth as he had hoped, Udina sneered, "A nuclear what?"

Impulsively everyone's attention focused back on the young asari still inside the dispensary. The startling synthesized voice had caused her to drop her datapad. Also cupping her ear canals, Liara scanned the outside room for Shepard. The asari's deep blue eyes froze when she saw a limp body between two C-Sec officers.

Still unsure of what exactly the chief medical officer had done, Udina glanced between the rogue soldier and the young asari. Liara's eyes filled with fear as she moved to the glass straining to see what had happened to her guardian.

Frantically, the prothean expert started yelling, filling the adjacent room with multiple muffled cries, "Shepard! Shepard!"

The grieving pleas defiantly stirred the colossal being on the ship. The mighty krogan shoved past the guns in his face, stepping closer to the wailing asari, "Out of my way, dishonorable humans."

Watching Wrex take such a risk, sent a shiver run up Garrus' spine as he muttered, "Oh, this doesn't look good."

Finally, feeling more laser beams on him than not; the battle master stopped and stared powerlessly between the asari and his favorite human.

The young T'Soni pounded open handed on the indestructible windows. Tali was the first to turn away feeling absolutely demoralized, watching helplessly as her friend struck the glass over and over. Understanding her friends were as impotent as her locked inside the med bay, tears flowed from Liara's eyes as she smacked the glass for the last time. Pressing her forehead to the glass in near defeat, Liara dragged her swollen hands down the window as a muffled wail emitted from the other side, "Shepard! Look at me! Shepard!"

Shepard's eye that wasn't swollen shut slowly looked up at the asari behind the window. So badly the human wanted to reach out and comfort the young asari but her hands, painfully fastened behind her back, denied her. Trying to blow a piece of blood soaked hair out of her face, the marine sluggishly shook her head, "Liara don't." Despite the pain she felt from breathing, Shepard added, "Stay inside. You're safer in there." Straining to push the last of her words to their intended target, the weakened soldier collapsed back onto the metal flooring.

The distraught asari painfully watched a trail of blood stream down Shepard's face from the nasty cut above her eye. The prothean expert's battered hands pushed away from the glass; the swollen face and blood soaked shirt nearly breaking the asari's will. Even the normally tough gunny chief looked uneasy at the heartbreaking sight as seemingly endless rivers of tears flowed from Liara's eyes.

When acceptance finally overcame fear, Liara cocked her head to the side as she singled out the human ambassador as being in charge of this fiasco. Fixed with a defiant glare, the blue woman suddenly remembered who or rather what she was. The prothean expert recalled she came from a long line of legendary asari. She was after all, the daughter of the most powerful biotic in the galaxy.

Liara stood taller and positioned herself in front of the med bay entrance. The hands and arms of the normally docile asari started to glow a brilliant shade of incandescent blue. For the humans seeing the asari light up for the first time, it was a wise decision for them to back up a few steps. Taking a deep breath, Liara lifted her now glowing hands and urgently plunged a biotic pulse at the door. The enormously powerful blast slammed furiously against the steel as she sent another and yet another, spiraling towards the opening. The very walls of the ship began to shake and rattle and everyone was quickly reminded they were inside a metal ship, as the very foundation creaked under them. With each surge, the radiant light surrounding the asari increased in its strength and intensity.

Outside the med lab, the C-Sec invaders flinched, as they not only saw but felt every pulse the asari was throwing. The clustered strikes smashing against the heavy steel door made it groan from the greater force than its intended purpose. It was after all built to withstand a near nuclear detonation, not countless atom bomb explosions. In between biotic assaults, Liara stopped briefly taking several long deep breaths while staring at Shepard's helpless body. Focusing on the near motionless body only infuriated the biotic more, fueling the asari's resolve to escape from her confinement.

Having felt the ship quiver underneath her from young asari's tremendous assault, a small grin tugged at Shepard's lips and she breathlessly uttered, "You guys are so dead."

The redhead's feeble attempt to smile infuriated one of the C-Sec officers as he booted the bound woman in the stomach hoping to wipe the smirk off her face, "No one said you could smile."

The cruel strike against the human immediately provoked the powerful matriarch's daughter. Taking a few staggering steps away from the door; Liara quietly lowered her head and closed her eyes. Udina and his entourage, thinking the asari had given up her escape attempt, sighed in relief. But just as quickly as she stopped, Liara's head arose once more and she slowly opened her stunning ocean blue eyes, displaying their boundless determination. Her façade was completely centered and those who knew her best, knew what was about to be unleashed.

Facing the door, she slowly lifted both hands as her entire body now became engulfed in the blinding blue light. With great concentration, Liara elevated her luminescent hands bringing her wrists together and with much more focus, sent a humongous biotic pulse slamming against the door with all her might. The hull of the ship groaned loudly from the massively powerful attack. Unwavering, Liara's blasts were getting substantially stronger and stronger, as various items vibrated in the mess hall from the intense shuddering, sending several glasses crashing to the deck.

Furious with the current state of events, Dr. Chakwas angrily spoke, "If you know half of what you pretend to, then you know whose daughter that is in there and she is really trying to get out! I suggest you take your leave now!" Staring the odious man down, the good doctor glared, "I'm not sure how much more that door can take."

The over confident Ambassador speculated, well… surely a Class 5? But as Liara's immensely intense attacks became more violent, the entire ship moaned as the steel of the ship verbally announced its displeasure and shook.

Williams never really liked the prothean expert very much but added in her defense, "And trust me mister, that asari is just getting started!"

Udina turned to Pressly and spewed another belittling xenophobic comment, "An asari too? How many other cockroaches have infested this vessel? This is the flagship of the Alliance Fleet, not a taxi service for the galaxy's outcasts."

Irked by the ignorant comment, the experienced fleet doctor questioned, "Are you willing to risk that your precious ship will outlast Liara's rage?"

With a flick of his wrist, Udina ordered the C-Sec officers to collect Shepard's battered body. Pissed the doctor was correct, the man scowled at the chief medical officer as he acrimoniously snapped, "We got what we came for!" Glaring at the asari, who diligently glared back, the pompous delegate watched as one of the officers dragging Shepard's body flipped the asari 'the bird', then spun on his heel to leave, taking his prize with him.

Watching her protector being disgracefully dragged between two humans across the metal decking, Liara' eyes widened in absolute horror as realized that Shepard's body was being taken off the ship. Fury raged within the young woman as the asari urgently returned her focus within the clinic and tried even harder to bring down the door.

Confused by the human's finger movement, Tali turned to Chief Williams, "What was that human gesture?"

Shaking her head at the Ambassador's audacity, Ash replied, "His death warrant when she finds out."

Udina escorted the officers as they dragged Shepard's bloodied and beaten body through the ship. When the human diplomat reached the bridge, Joker called out, "Hey Udina!" the man barely stopped as the gallant pilot quipped, "You're an asshole!"

Believing he still had the upper hand, Udina scoffed, "You crippled freak. You'll never fly again when I am done with you."

The steadfast pilot use to taking on bullies retorted, "See you are an asshole! I'm already grounded. What are you gonna do? Double-dog ground me?"

Despite the blood dribbling down her face and the pain surging throughout her body, Shepard cracked a smile and spat, "You tell 'em Joker!"