It was day three, and they continued to hold the military base against the waves of attackers. The krogan had managed to send a small army, led by Grunt, to assist in liberating Palaven. According to Joker the salarians had also responded to their call, however, they seemed to be taking their time.
Aiming through her scope at a stray husk beyond the wall, Shepard pulled the trigger. The husk's head exploded into several chunks and ooze, littering the battlefield with the additional gore.
"Siha, we have about twenty minutes before the next assault. Might I suggest that you rest for a bit?" Thane urged. His dark eyes held a deepening concern for her every moment she refused rest. She'd been running on stims for the entire three days, her fear for her team's safety disallowing her any sleep.
She took aim again, this time at a marauder that chanced a peek from its rocky cover. Two shots later, it slumped lifelessly to the ground. Satisfied enough for now, she turned, resting her back against the barricade and removing her helmet. She appreciatively took the canteen Thane had been holding out to her and allowed herself a generous swig of the luke-warm water. Her mouth tasted like dirt and shit, and the means to cleanse it were more than welcoming. "Thanks," she said, handing it back tiredly.
He smiled at her in response, his eyes examining her disheveled appearance. Blood and dirt streaked across her cheeks which were flushed bright pink from the extreme heat and solar rays. Long red hair, soaked with sweat, matted against her face and fell down her shoulders in little ringlets. Tired silvery eyes still glistened in the midday sun like jewels. So much the warrior angel, he thought serenely. His attention was diverted, however by a shadow that suddenly loomed overhead. He watched as Saren plopped down on Shepard's other side, closer than he would have liked.
The turian grinned at her and held out a small box, ignoring the drell's glare. "Want to try a turian chocolate?"
Shepard raised a fiery eyebrow at him. "Where'd you get those? The general's tent?"
Saren looked taken aback by her teasing accusation. "No! Sergeant Iro gave them to me. I don't typically eat chocolate, but it would have been rude to decline."
"Oh really?" she scoffed. "Don't you think Sergeant Iro would think it rude you're giving away her chocolates?"
"Well if you don't want one…"
"I didn't say that," she interjected, eyeing up the box filled with glossy brown squares. After quiet contemplation, she picked one up and sniffed it curiously. It certainly resembled human chocolate.
"Siha. Are you sure consuming dextro foods is a good idea?" Thane asked with concern, ignoring the dirty look he was getting from the turian.
"That whole thing about levo-dextro allergic reactions is a bunch of hooey," she assured him, stealing a glance at Mordin who sat only a few yards away. He pretended not to notice. She shrugged. "Just means it's more likely to come out looking the same as it did going in." How's that for painting a mental picture.
Grinning to herself she slipped the chocolate into her mouth. It definitely tasted like chocolate, though much sweeter than she was use to. She savored the flavor - a welcoming change from the dirt and sweat that caked her face - as it melted on her tongue with a velvety smoothness. Though she'd always been a fan of sweet things, chocolate was rarely her favorite. It may have been just due to the bland pastes and warm water she'd been consuming for three days, but the flavor erupting in her mouth right now was heavenly; so much so that she hadn't noticed the intense stares she was receiving from the two males on either side of her.
"That's the first time I've seen food cause her to make a face like that like that," Saren purred suggestively, shooting a challenging glance at the drell.
Shepard ignored his comment, taking that moment to enjoy the sweet silkiness that coated her tongue.
Thane stared unblinking at the turian, his expression unreadable. "I have had the pleasure of seeing some of her better ones," he said, the corners of his mouth turning upward in a slight knowing smile.
Saren glared back at him, his mouth opening and closing with speechlessness. When he finally found his voice, he sputtered, "W-what's that suppose to mean?"
"Hey! Don't talk about me like I'm not sitting right here!" she spat, finally growing flustered by the conversation taking place. Her face was beginning to turn bright red, and it was obviously not simply due to the heat.
"Here they come again!" someone shouted from the barricade.
Snapping her awareness to the offensive attack, she grabbed for her sniper and leaned over the barricade to peer out through the scope. Several husks came scampering over the battlefield and she caught sight of at least two marauders taking cover behind rocky structures. She sniped one, while Thane readily took care of the other. The husks were easily taken down by the spray of ammo that erupted from the wall. Surprisingly no others came. It would seem their pattern had changed.
"That's odd…" Shepard muttered peering through her scope, scanning the battlefield to-and-fro. Several minutes passed before she was able to make out anything. Many figures far in the distance were approaching the base at varying speeds, with the husks, as usual, leading the way.
"More incoming!" Another shout from the wall.
"Wait…" Shepard murmured to herself uncertainly as she peered through the scope. There weren't just husks down there. Marauders? No, not marauders… Turians! Four adults and one child, running from the mass of enemies trailing behind. The husks, quickest of the Reaper pawns, were catching up. Shepard's heart pounded in her chest frantically. Jumping to her feet, she shouted the order. "Hold your fire!"
Without a second thought she did the one thing she could think of. Tossing down her sniper, she took her assault rifle in hand and hopped the wall, the objections from the drell and turian falling on deaf ears as she hit the ground below. Her legs carried her hurriedly over the dirt, leaping over bodies and rock that littered the field. Her eyes never left the frightened figures that continued to run toward her. She was almost to them, but then, so were the husks. She dashed passed the refugees, slamming into a husk with bone crunching force as it made to grab for one of them. She rammed the other body so hard that both she and the husk hit the ground with a fray of tangled limbs.
"Go, go!" she heard a gruff male voice rise up close by.
She was surprised to feel a force drag her from the struggling husk, followed by a shot from a heavy pistol. A quick assessment told her that one of the refugees stayed behind to help her clumsy ass and had put one right in the husk's head. But more were incoming. When she tried to rise, extreme pain shot through her leg causing her to collapse to her knees.
"Dad! Shepard!" came another shout. Garrus. Charging forward he unloaded a clip into four approaching husks.
"Garrus." Shepard could hear the relief and pride that filled the turian's voice when he said his son's name.
"Dad, get to the base!" Garrus ordered, glancing at his father before unloading another thermal clip. A few seconds of silence told her that his father was about to object. "Now!"
Doing as his son asked, he took off toward the barricade as fast as his legs could take him. Garrus blocked the path of the oncoming husks, shielding Shepard and taking down any enemies that attempted to surpass him.
"Can you stand?" a soothing male voice whispered into her ear, nearly blocking out the roar of gun shots and husk groans. A pair of strong, well-armored arms enveloped her, urging her upwards.
"Yeah, help me up," she hissed through her teeth as she attempted to stand again. The man guided her to her feet and slung her arm around his armored cowl. A turian. She glanced up to see the familiar face of Saren. And before she could object, the strong turian lifted her, cradling her in his arms.
"Vakarian, let's go!" he snapped.
"Coming!" Garrus replied, taking a few final shots.
"Saren, put me down! I can walk," she demanded.
"You'll be slow as hell with that limp. So rather than letting your pride kill us, I'm going to say… shut up and let me carry you." He had to resist the urge to grin when she did just that.
Garrus in toe, they dashed for the base – it was a good thing turians hauled ass faster than husks. When they finally reached the barricade, the order came to open fire on the approaching wave. About ten minutes later, the last enemy fell. The coast was clear… for now.
The pain in Shepard's leg was a result of a fracture – nothing that wouldn't heal up in a few hours thanks to her fast healing ability. Slipping her leg armor back on she glanced up to see a young female turian staring at her, a big toothy grin on her face.
"So you're Commander Shepard, huh?" she asked. Before Shepard could respond she continued, "I'm, Sol Vakarian… Garrus's sister. Garrus talks a lot about you!" Her eyes twinkled mischievously.
"Okay, that's enough bothering the Commander, Sol," Garrus growled, taking his sister by the arm and dragging her away to where their father stood. Shepard couldn't help but smirk at the sight. She watched contently as Garrus and his family exchanged events and recent news. It was a shame Garrus's mother didn't make it to see the reunion.
After a few moments she went about finishing up the clasps of her leg armor and picked up her assault rifle. The day wasn't over yet.
"What do you think you're doing?" Saren growled from behind her.
"I can't sit around," she told him, preparing to hoist herself to her feet.
He snarled and pushed her back down on her rear. "You're going to rest a while. We have enough people to handle the wall."
"Like hell," she bit out, batting his hand away as she made a second attempt to rise.
Deciding that he'd have to do this the hard way, he scooped her up in his arms. "Will you stop that!" she hissed. "You want everyone to see you carrying around a human?"
"Yes," he replied flatly. He proceeded to carry her to the females' tents, pretending not to notice some of the questioning looks from others of his kind. He kneeled next to a bedroll and plopped her onto it, being careful to lower her injured leg gently. Glancing up at her face he could see it was a good idea to get her out of the sun, her flushed skin already beginning to peel. Rubbing the pads of his fingers over her reddened cheekbones, he couldn't help but think of how attractive she was, even through all the blood and dirt that smeared her features. She gazed back at him, sharp grey eyes gleaming in the shade of the tent. Guiding her down onto her back, he hovered over her, his face only inches from hers. Her breath grew slightly heavier, fanning against his face like a warm breeze. Just that small sensation caused his plates to shift instantaneously. At that moment he knew he'd overstayed his welcome, even though her eyes were essentially begging him to stay. Gently touching his forehead to hers, he whispered with just enough volume for her ears only, "Get some rest." And with that, he was gone.
A commotion outside the tent woke her from a deep, dreamless sleep. She didn't know how long she was out, but judging from the lack of light that seeped into the tent, she'd guess that the sun had already set. Even despite the lack of sun, it was still hot as fuck. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she focused in on the voices outside.
"Zonius!" a female voice shouted, filled with worry.
"Mam, we'll find him," another voice reassured. "Please go back to your tent."
"I need to find him! He's my son!" she sobbed frantically. "He's all I have left…" The woman's tone was distraught; heartbroken.
Suddenly something stirred within her heavy blanket, causing the voices outside to immediately fade from her awareness. Shooting upright, she peered down at the blanket to find that what had lain across her lap wasn't a blanket at all, but a small, sleeping turian child. As her eyes adjusted to the lack of light, she was able to identify him as one of the refugees accompanying Garrus's father to the base. The slight body rose and fell peacefully as the child slept. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she shook the turian gently, causing him to stir. As he turned to look at her, bright green eyes, vivid enough to stand out in the dimness of the tent, met hers, wide and full of mischief. When she smiled at the child, she received a grin in return.
"Are you Zonius?" she asked, remembering the name the woman had called into the night.
The boy nodded, sitting up on her lap sleepily.
"What are you doing in here?" she asked, uncertain of why he would be hiding away in a tent, alone with a human.
Shrugging wordlessly, the boy's eyes downcast in a moment of shyness. After a moment of silent contemplation he gazed back up. "Can I come with you?"
"With me?" She reeled back inwardly, shocked by his sudden request. "Why would you want to go with me?"
"You saved us," he said softly. As he slowly seemed to gain confidence, his shy expression faded to a smile, his sharp little teeth flashing in the dimness of the tent. "I want to learn to be brave just like you! I want to protect people."
She smiled, remembering the way Garrus's eyes once glistened with the same sense of innocent determination when she'd first met him. "I can't teach you to be what you already are."
"But I can't fight. I can't protect people like you can." His mandibles drew inward sadly.
"It's my job to fight, just like it's yours to be a kid." She peered at him searchingly before continuing. "Besides, you need to protect your mother. She's all alone right now, looking for you."
He peered down at his hands, pondering her words. "She's sad?" he asked, a solemn look in his eyes.
Shepard nodded in silent reply.
"Dad was killed by the bad machines," he explained softly.
"That's why she will need you to protect her." She paused as an idea came to her. Reaching around her neck, she removed the amulet that hung there. "Here," she said. "Take this."
"What is it?" he asked inquisitively, as she slipped the chain over his head.
"It's an old Prothean relic. It's already provided me with a bit of luck. Maybe it'll do the same for you someday," she said with a smile, recalling how fortunate she was to have the last living Prothean fighting by her side.
His eyes widened as he examined its dark, opalescent surface. "Wow thanks!"
Shepard beamed. "Now how about we go find your mother? I'm sure she's looking for you." After receiving an approving nod, she carefully rose to her feet, attempting to hold back a wince due to the still-sore leg that throbbed from her movement. Guiding him from the tent, it didn't take long for them to catch his mother's attention.
"Zonius!" the female turian cried out as she rushed to her son. She appeared shocked when she finally noticed who was with him.
"Commander Shepard! I hope my son wasn't bothering you," she apologized.
Shepard smiled. "Not at all. He's a brave kid."
"Thank you, Commander!" the woman exclaimed with a proud smile before herding him away.
"Commander, we have communication coming through from Major Kirrahe," Joker's voice entered through her communicator. "Want me to link him to you?"
Her heart pounded in her chest with anticipation. If Kirrahe was able to contact her through her communicator, that meant he wasn't far off. "Patch him through," she responded, reining in her excitement.
"Commander Shepard?" Kirrahe's voice came through nice and clear.
"I read you, Major," she responded.
"Sorry for the delay, Commander. On the way from Sur'Kesh we picked up an incapacitated asari survivor ship."
"Survivors? From Thessia?"
"Affirmative. They were being led by an asari Justicar named Samara. I believe you know her."
"I do. Where are they now?"
"They're taking refuge on Sur'Kesh until they can gain transport to the Citadel," themajor explained.
"Good. Are you nearby? We're in rough shape here."
"The salarian fleet is approaching Palaven as we speak, Commander. See you soon."
"I look forward to it, Major," she said before shutting off the comm link.
Making her way up to the main barricade, she stood tall, raising her chin so her voice could be heard. "Listen up, soldiers! The salarian fleet will be arriving at any minute."
An uproar of cheers erupted from the wall. Raising her voice a bit louder to be heard over the commotion she continued, "Everyone ready to show these Reapers what happens when they mess with us organics?"
Another throng of cheers erupted, this time from all sides, surrounding Shepard in a sea of voices and enthusiastic fist-pumps. From the dusty, grime-covered crowd, a pair of illuminated blue eyes stood out, gazing at her intently. She met him with a bright smile before taking up her rifle to join him at the wall.