You've Got Mail!
To Garrus and Kaidan's surprise, the Shadow Broker's agents didn't pursue them very far. They probably didn't expect us to make it out of that building alive. And as far as he could tell, Miranda, Samara, Liara, and Daryn had made it safely back to the Normandy. At least, he and Kaidan hadn't come across their corpses in the street. That was always a good sign. There were still few enough people out and about for Kaidan and Garrus to keep their pace to a sprint without attracting attention. As they raced back to the ship, riding on wave after wave of adrenaline, Kaidan couldn't help but wonder if this was the kind of thing Garrus dealt with on a regular basis as a part of Shepard's team. One thing was for sure: it was a hell of a lot more exciting than the jobs he'd had back with the Alliance. He didn't know if he loved it or hated it.
Panting, the two of them dashed through the Normandy's airlock, allowing the decontamination sequence to do its thing. After all, they had bounced out of a dumpster. Miranda would have a hissy fit if she knew they skipped it.
But before the sequence was halfway finished, the Normandy's doors slid open, revealing the Cerberus agent herself. "What happened? Did you lose them?"
Still trying to catch his breath, Garrus wheezed out, "We lost 'em."
Miranda was about to demand if he was sure, when Jacob intercepted her. "Give the dudes some air."
She complied, casting him a sidelong glance out of the corner of her eye. But Garrus didn't wait around to be interrogated by her. As soon as he had enough oxygen in his lungs to speak, he began asking questions of his own. "Where's Daryn?" Despite the fact that his hideout had been destroyed, Garrus still needed the kid to do his job.
"Tali's getting him something to eat," Jacob revealed. "Poor kid's been through a lot..." Garrus took that to mean that the rest of the crew was up to date on the details of the mission. Good. That'll spare me from having to answer any more questions.
Garrus strode out of the airlock and towards the CIC. He saw that Liara and Samara were standing by the galaxy map, anxiously awaiting Garrus and Kaidan's return. Liara's face lit up when she saw them. She would have never forgiven herself if she left the two of them to die in the apartment.
However, Garrus didn't exactly have time for heartfelt reunions. "Get him up here. We need to get the schedule of that prison transport, ASAP."
Miranda agreed with him. There would be time for snacks and therapy sessions about the death of his stupid pet pyjak later. The longer they waited, the longer Oriana was in that dreadful place, and the agents of the Shadow Broker were no doubt on their way to the factory after their failed assault on Daryn's hideout. And, of course, there was Shepard to consider.
Jacob gave him a curt nod, heading into the elevator to retrieve the young turian.
"What's the plan?" Liara asked worriedly, her deep blue eyes shimmering as she looked up at Garrus.
"Those prison transports are still our best shot at getting to Shepard. As soon as we work out their departure schedule, we'll time our attack to put our team on the shuttle, and force the pilot to fly the usual course."
"And then what? We just charge headlong into what could very well be another ambush?" Miranda pressed. She crossed her arms over her chest, shifting her weight to one foot. "You had no idea what we were walking into last time, Garrus. For all you know, we could be playing right into the Broker's hands, and you'd be none the wiser."
As much as Garrus didn't want to hear what she was saying, it was true. He hadn't been careful at the last place, and although they'd managed to escape, it wouldn't be as simple as jumping out a window if they got caught in the Broker's territory.
Miranda took a step forward, breaching the personal bubble Garrus liked to keep around himself at all times. "We need to deal with the prisoners at the factory. We still don't even know why they have a dozen of Shepard look-alikes locked up. There's something important going on there, and you're ignoring it. We have to go back and -"
Two could play at Miranda's game. Garrus went on the offensive, stepping into her personal space, invading her territory. "If this is about your concern for your sister, my earlier decision is final. But," he continued, "you do have a legitimate point. We still don't know the prisoners' purpose. However, we're not going to wait around for the Shadow Broker to make his move. It could be too late by the time he does. We need to put our plan to action, now, before anything happens to Shepard or the prisoners."
He was trying to appeal to Miranda's worry for her sister, but she wasn't buying it. "You're a fool if you believe that they'll be fine just sitting around there, at the mercy of the Broker's agents. If we rescue them, we'll foil whatever he was planning and be able to take a prisoner shuttle after they're saved."
Garrus went toe to toe with the human. He was a great deal taller, and wider, than she was, but she wasn't intimidated by his size. Or if she was, she didn't let it show. He could feel her breath coming in angry huffs on his face. The flare of his mandibles revealed a small portion of bright, sharp teeth, but Miranda didn't back down.
"We're sticking with the best plan: mine. And unless the footage we find proves it to be otherwise, that's the only plan we're using." Her nose was practically touching his chin. "Is that clear?"
But before Garrus could get a response out of her, Yeoman Chambers quietly approached, putting her hand up to Miranda's ear and whispering something. After the message was delivered and Kelly retreated, eyes wide, Miranda's head whipped forward sharply.
"The Illusive Man wishes to speak to you in the debriefing room."
The request startled everyone, but Garrus above all. His mandibles flickered in irritation and impatience. "Tell him to leave a message. We've got work to do."
He turned to leave, but Miranda's hand shot out to grip his shoulder, preventing him from making an exit. Samara tensed for a fight. The two of them were growing closer and closer to physical violence, and as a justicar, Samara felt that it was her duty to intervene. She just prayed it wouldn't come to that. The whole team was counting on both of them to pull through, for Shepard's sake. Losing either one of them to a disagreement would have dire ramifications on their mission.
"You will speak to the Illusive Man," Miranda said, her blue eyes fixated on Garrus's.
It became clear to Garrus that Miranda would hit him with a warp and drag his ass into the comm room if it came to that. To save time, he jerked out of her grip and marched there himself.
"Garrus Vakarian, the Archangel of Omega. It's an honor to meet you in person," the Illusive Man said, settling back in his chair, appraising the holographic image of the turian before him.
"Let's skip the pleasantries. Forgive me if I'm a bit blunt, but I've got a team to pull together and a commander to save."
"Understandable." Garrus was a man of action. The Illusive Man liked it, finding the turian shared that particular trait with Shepard herself. And by the looks of it, there would be no shortage of action on their mission. He took a deep drag on his cigarette.
"What was it that you wanted from me?"
The Illusive Man let the smoke out of his lungs slowly. From the way Garrus was bouncing on the balls of his feet, the Illusive Man could tell he was infuriating him. "Just an open mind." But he didn't continue.
So Garrus took the initiative, leading the conversation. "Fine. You have a minute before it's closed again."
The Illusive Man smiled briefly before he got down to business. "You're the one who's heading Shepard's rescue mission."
"That's correct."
"I assume it's fair to say that you're the one calling the shots, despite Miss Lawson's insistence otherwise."
"That's also true." The Illusive Man knew his own people well. He guessed that Miranda would try to take control of things, and while he admired her will to do right by Cerberus, he had to admit that Garrus was a better choice to lead Shepard's rescue mission.
He tapped his cigarette, flicking a few ashes into the tray that was molded into the arm of his chair. "I'd like to make a few suggestions, if I may."
"Sure. But with all due respect, that doesn't mean I'll follow them."
"Very well. As you know, Shepard represents a significant investment not only to Cerberus and humanity, but the galaxy as a whole." The Illusive Man got to his feet, sticking one hand in a pocket and using the other to wave his cigarette at Garrus. "When I say getting the commander back is of utmost importance, that's hardly an exaggeration. An understatement, in fact."
"I know the stakes. We're doing everything we can."
The Illusive Man didn't show any sign of hearing him. He pressed on, determined to get his point across. "As you may already be aware, several crew members may have... conflicts of interests."
Garrus knew who he meant, of course. "I'll deal with Lawson and T'Soni. They won't interfere with the mission. They both know better than that."
"You'd be surprised. Both of them have very strong personal involvement with this mission." No doubt he was referring to Miranda's sister, and Liara's two year long hunt for revenge for the friend she lost to the Shadow Broker. "I'm sure you know how affairs of the heart can complicate things." The Illusive Man took a long puff on the cigarette, its tip glowing red and casting the man's face in an eerie light. There were very few things in the galaxy that slipped passed his information net, and there was no one he liked to keep a closer eye on than the commander herself. Much as she tried to hide it from him, the Illusive Man even knew the intimate details of her personal relationships.
Garrus managed to keep his cool mask of composure in place. "Like I said, that won't be a problem." He had no idea how the Illusive Man knew of his relationship with the commander, but he wasn't about to show that he'd been caught off guard.
"Perhaps you should also remind the justicar of the priority. Her desire to hunt the Ardat-Yakshi could potentially jeopardize the mission."
"I'll mention it to her." Garrus took a step back, ready to drop the communication signal, but the Illusive Man held his hand up, insisting that he stay.
"One more thing: there's going to be collateral damage. Unfortunate, but necessary. Just keep your goal in mind."
Cerberus is the leading expert in "unfortunate but necessary." Even though Shepard was working with Cerberus, and they were the only ones doing anything about the Reaper threat, that didn't change the fact that they were terrorists. Garrus couldn't let himself become one of them. But, with Shepard's life on the line, there were certain things he was willing to do, rules he would have to break. I'm doing this for Shepard. It's all for her.
This time, Shepard had nearly an hour to herself. She stretched her legs, pacing the perimeter of her small cell, sometimes exchanging words with Feron to occupy her mind. There was even a bottle of water in the corner of her room, which she downed in big, greedy gulps. However, the time she had to herself was all too short.
Varick entered, greeting her with a sympathetic smile. "You don't look too great, dear."
During her brief hiatus, Shepard had recovered some of her fighting spirit. "Fuck you."
Varick was encouraged by this. It meant that while her defenses were deteriorating, she wasn't completely broken. Slowly but surely, they were wearing her down. It would take all three of them to bring her defenses down completely, but already, they were well on their way to accomplishing that goal. The trick was to hurt her enough to submit, but not be entirely useless. Varick had a few ideas on how to achieve that.
"Well, the only reason I said anything is because we're going to shoot a movie today. And you have the lead role!" A knot festered inside Shepard's stomach, growing larger and more tangled than the one that was already there. "Oh, don't look so nervous. You're perfect for the part. It was practically written for you."
"What's this all about?" she demanded, her will to speak slowly returning.
Varick shrugged, deceivingly nonchalant. "Your friends have been sticking their noses where they don't belong. We need to send them a message." His eyes glittered. "You can do that for us, can't you?"
Shepard spat, a mixture of blood and saliva missing Varick by an inch. "I'll do no such thing."
A dangerous look came across Varick's face, and despite his cordial tone, it made him seem as if he intended to take Shepard by the throat and squeeze the life out of her. "Well, I hate to think about what will happen to your friend Garrus Vakarian if he continues his wild goose chase."
The blood drained from Shepard's face. "Leave him out of this," she whispered.
Varick chuckled, but the sound was tainted by something dark and malicious. "Well, he was the one who involved himself in the first place. Of course, if you were to dissuade him from continuing his pointless pursuit, we may be able to spare his life."
Shepard got to her feet, rising slowly. To her pleasure, Varick seemed to tense, preparing himself for an attack. If she saw him as a threat, maybe it meant that she was one. "They'll never stop looking for me. As long as I'm alive, and even a bit after that, they'll keep searching. And you know what that means?" Her voice had dropped to a low, dangerous tone. "They're coming. There's nothing you can do to stop them."
Suddenly his hands were on her face, grabbing her and scratching her. He thrust her against the wall, pinned her there. "Pity. He could've survived this ordeal. But it seems someone else must die because of your actions, Butcher of Torfan."
Shepard tried to swing at him, but with her hands bound together, doing any real damage was nearly impossible. Barely taking a moment to concentrate her strength, she unleashed a biotic warp, disregarding the fact that she probably hadn't had enough time to summon enough power for a significant attack. Varick dodged just in time but, to both of their shock, the warp made a krogan-sized dent in the metal wall. If it had found its mark, Varick would be no more than a blue and gray puddle on the ground.
Wasting no time, he whipped the Somnex Four tranquilizer gun off his belt and shot it at Shepard, squeezing the trigger repeatedly even after she'd fallen into an unconscious heap. Blood pounded in his ears. That was too close. He summoned the guards. "Get her back to room two-seventeen, and prep the cameras. Tell Tayir to be ready as soon as we've sent the message." The guards nodded obediently, soundlessly dragging the sedated commander down the hallway. Varick glared at her lifeless form as it disappeared around the corner. He'd underestimated the progress they were making. Shepard's biotics were already showing a staggering improvement, despite the fact that Kamala had only begun her work. Shepard didn't know it, but the longer she was at the mercy of the Ardat-Yakshi and the torturous methods of the Shadow Broker, the more powerful her biotic abilities came. Soon, she'd be an unstoppable weapon to be turned into an agent of the Broker.
Apparently, that time would come sooner than Varick had guessed.
Garrus left the briefing room, ready to check on Daryn's progress with the prison transport schedule. However, on his way out, he was shanghaied by Miranda Lawson.
"Garrus," she said. "My feelings for Oriana won't get in the way of the mission. I promise. I'm fit for duty." Evidently, she'd been eavesdropping. However, that was unsurprising, considering she didn't even respect Shepard's privacy.
He didn't say anything, just swept past her and straight toward the CIC. But before he could even begin his search for Daryn, Liara approached him, lines of worry etched deep into her face.
"We've been hailed from an unknown location. The call's waiting in the briefing room."
"Who is it?"
Liara turned pale blue. "The Shadow Broker."