Mass Effect: Each Story Has A Million Tales.
Summary: "There is always more than just one side to a story- and more than one lesson to learn. Follow Garrus Vakarian as he stands by a promise that he means to keep, contemplates the true meaning of life, death, and the ultimate sacrifice, and as he confronts someone who should have been behind him all along. Follow Adelais Vakarian as he mends a broken bond, and as he comes to terms with a terrible loss of his own. Follow Kolyat Krios as he navigates through a very dangerous place, only to find another- under the guidance of someone who may or may not be there at all. And follow Commander Joleen Shepard as she goes through her past and present, only to find herself in the middle of a battle for her future." (Garrus' Story: 'The Promise-Keeper.' Adelais' Story: 'The Old Soldier.' Kolyat's Story: 'The Wanderer.' Shepard's Story: 'The Missing.')
Warning: "This is a heavy one- some swearing, angst, implied adult situations, adult situations, a few character deaths, violence, and blood. All the big ones this time. Remember, this is my Shepard, my feelings on the game and what should have happened and will happen, with my own opinions and storyline, so no nasty comments. Got it? Good." (Commander Joleen Shepard: War Hero, Earthborn. Soldier. Paragon. Romanced Kaidan Alenko in the 1st game, Garrus Vakarian in the 2nd and 3rd. Shot and killed Udina during the Citadel Coup.)
Disclaimer: "I do not own Mass Effect. At all. So don't make me say it again."
Author's Note: "Just so you all know, the name 'Adelais,' is Latin for 'Noble,' and the name 'Carissa' means 'the most beloved one.' Personally, I just thought the two names fit the story and what the characters were meant for."
N._.S._.S
Chapter Sixty-Two: The Old Soldier XVI.
When Adelais Vakarian lost his footing on the ledge high above the Council Chambers, and fell as the assassin's sword rebounded against the wall behind him, then somehow bounced right back at him and just barely missing, as if hurled by some half-blind, irate Spirit that wanted nothing more than to witness the old cop's doom, Adelais seriously, truly thought, for the first time in over twenty years, that he was about to die.
N._.S._.S
There had been many moments when Adelais thought he'd like to die, but knew by the end of it all, he wouldn't, and only but a few moments when he thought he was actually going to die.
When Carissa died, it had been a "would like to die" moment.
When the Reapers came, it was a "going to die" moment.
N._.S._.S
When Adelais hit the ground, the sudden, agonizing, excruciating pain, combined with, of course, the impact, knocked the wind out of him and probably even stopped his heart for a good few seconds. He could hear, some feet away from where he lay, paralyzed, the all-too familiar screeching of metal on metal, followed by an almighty ripping-and-crashing sound, an ear-piercing scream, and finally, a high, chilling laugh.
But after that, he saw, heard, and felt nothing.
Everything went black.
N._.S._.S
Adelais could swear that house never changed.
Everything about the ancient estate, from the large, dusty windows, to the immaculate blossoming hedges and the clean white cement walls surrounding the property down to the ever-present light pink, tiny blossoms from the gargantuan tree in the back covering the front yard, and the translucent, almost icy, mist from the clear-watered, pristine lake that the same tree towered over, was hauntingly familiar, forever frozen in place, and had remained so ever since Adelais' childhood.
And even though the holy terrors that had once haunted this beautiful place were long since dead, Adelais still truly hated it here, despite all its beauty and tranquility.
He hated all that it had once stood gladly for.
Hesitating for a long moment at the gate, Adelais allowed himself to take a couple of deep, calming breaths, kindly reminding himself that this place was no longer the heart of his greatest nightmares.
Now, it was supposed to be the opposite.
Carissa was sitting quietly at the kitchen table, humming cheerfully as she looked through something on a datapad that rested in her lap. As he entered the kitchen, Adelais could hear Solana, who had just turned ten last month, babbling on cheerfully, only to jump up and scream when she saw her father, causing Carissa to look up, startled.
Her bright, electrifying blue eyes softened and seemed light up further when she saw him.
"Dad!" Solana cried as Adelais scooper her up onto his shoulder, carefully avoiding the rifle that was still strapped tightly to his back as he did so, so Solana wouldn't accidentally touch it-
He always forgot to put it away.
"Garrus did it again!" Solana announced gaily as she jumped back onto the ground, her eyes- the ones that would so mirror her mother's in the future- glistening mischievously as she bounded out the back door.
"You'd better follow her, Adelais," Carissa said as the door slammed, "Your son has a surprise for you."
Adelais chuckled and shook his head, watching his daughter disappear. "I have a bad feeling…"
Carissa slowly undid the straps to his old rifle and laughed at the look on his face as she slowly placed it onto the now vacated kitchen table, "Go on," she said, heading into the kitchen as she spoke, "Supper will be ready soon." She added, turning her head to look at him.
Adelais caught her and brought her into his embrace. "Did you miss me, Carissa?" he asked, semi-playfully, in a murmur into the back of her neck, as she clasped the hand that held her to him.
"I did," she answered, turning around to embrace him, her grip even tighter than his own. "Of course I did."
Adelais kissed her before letting her go. "Good."
She kissed him again in response. "You'll have to get Quentius to take more of your shifts."
Adelais shook his head. "The poor man has kids of his own."
"Yes, but his children and wife are not half a galaxy away, you know," Carissa retorted, good-naturedly, "But give him my best when you return to the Citadel, all right?"
Adelais gave her his best teasing grin. "Sure. He said-"
"Dad! Come on!"
Carissa disappeared into the kitchen again, laughing, as Adelais went out the back door, answering his impatient daughter's call. He turned his head back as the door slammed shut, to see Carissa watching him.
Adelais winked and waved at her.
She waved back, clearly still laughing at him.
Adelais followed Solana toward the gargantuan blossom tree that overlooked the pristine lake. He knew that Garrus, who was just seven years old, was probably hiding somewhere near.
It was a game that they'd been playing practically since Garrus had been born.
Garrus would sneak up and tackle him, and Adelais would pretend to be startled, all the while having already known where his not-so-subtle son had been hiding.
Of course, it helped that the little Turian was always wearing a too-big, clunky piece of his father's armor.
The highlight of this game had been when a then-five year old Garrus had tackled Adelais by jumping off the second-story balcony just as Adelais had returned from the Citadel, nearly breaking his (and Adelais') neck in the process, and sending them both crashing headlong into the door while Solana (who had been hiding nearby) laughed hysterically at them and Carissa chastised Adelais for rough-housing with his baby son.
Of course, Adelais didn't tell Carissa what their son had done for them to end up like that.
She'd known anyway, of course, but Garrus was just a kid and he was only playing.
A very dangerous game, yes, but still, it was only a game.
…and judging how Solana just stopped a little ways from the tree while Adelais continued forward, and how she was giggling knowingly, Garrus was probably-
"Bombs away!"
"What the- oof!"
Right above him, ready to pounce.
Something small and roughly only half Adelais' size and less than a quarter of his weight, crashed down literally on top of Adelais' head, sending the old cop crashing to the ground, getting a face-full of dirt, grass, and blossoms- all as Garrus and Solana both cheered in victory.
And from the way his son's voice was muffled, Garrus had somehow gotten hold of Adelais' helmet again.
He always had that damn thing with him, no matter where Adelais hid it.
Or how many times Adelais ordered him not to touch it.
"Ha ha!"Garrus crowed, triumphantly, "I've got you now- whoa!"
Thanking his lucky Spirits that Carissa had had the common sense to take the sniper rifle away from him before he'd come out here, Adelais reached up behind himself, effectively pinning his hyperactive son to his back, and stood up, heading toward the shallowest edge of the lake.
Knowing what his dad was planning, Garrus kicked and struggled.
"No, not the- ack!"
Adelais was laughing by the time he dumped Garrus into the pool of (ice-cold) water, and just as he was beginning to turn back around to go back inside, two little hands shoved him, face first, into the water.
Garrus was still laughing as Solana, the one who, as it would, had pushed Adelais into the water, joined them, splashing at Garrus as Adelais sat up, coughing and spluttering- but also laughing, too.
When Carissa came out to call them in for supper, she met three soaking-wet, giggly Turians.
She had towels in her arms and her bright blue eyes were glistening in delight.
N._.S._.S
It was as if someone smacked him back into reality.
Sort of, anyway.
"Ow! Garrus!" Adelais snapped, "What have I told you about playing with my armor?"
He had spoken without thinking after he'd accidentally slammed into Garrus' chest-armor when he'd bolted up, more because of the memory that was currently fluttering away than anything else, and smacked back down at the force of the collision, sending sharp pains throughout his back and head.
"Dad?"
Adelais immediately sat back up, ignoring the shudder-worthy pain, ignoring the truly worried look he got from his son in response. "Don't tell me I fell from the beams," he said, unable to move because of the sudden pain.
"I thought you were dead," Garrus told his father as Adelais looked up at him. "Well," he amended, as Adelais gave him a questioning look, "Either that or lost whatever little sanity you have left."
Adelais just simply raised a brow and Garrus stopped talking, instead helping him stand.
"You shouldn't be moving," Commander Shepard said, not turning her head to look at him as she spoke, despite the relief that was clear in her voice. She was kneeling by the Drell, Adelais realized.
And his arm was missing.
"So he did lose his arm…" Adelais said, without thinking. "Damn that man!"
Hades would pay for hurting the kid, Adelais would make sure of it.
"How did this happen?" Garrus asked, looking at him with narrowed, ice-blue eyes.
"That assassin, Hades, threw his sword at me after I took a shot at him. Nailed him in the arm, and he threw his sword at me in retaliation- I managed to dodge it, but I lost my footing," Adelais told him, unable to control the fury in his voice, "the Drell tried to move past him to get to me, but the sword must have had some kind retraction device in it, because it came back… I wasn't conscious to see what happened next, though." Adelais admitted, slowly, as he finished, as Garrus helped him to his feet.
The Drell coughed just then, spraying crimson blood.
He caught the Commander's wrist, preventing her from touching him.
He looked like he wanted to say something, but the words died before he could get them out.
"Kolyat, don't," Shepard was saying as the kid gripped his bloody stump of a shoulder.
Adelais could clearly see the blood already beginning to drip through his fingers.
Knowing that the kid would go into shock if he didn't calm down, Adelais slowly knelt back onto the ground, beside Shepard.
"Easy now," Adelais heard himself say, as the Commander backed away, giving them some space.
The Drell just nodded, and after a few deep breaths, he could speak.
"Reaper. The Reaper."
Dread filled the deepest crevices of Adelais' heart. "It's coming closer," He affirmed, looking up at Shepard, "We need to get back to the Normandy before-"
"No!" Kolyat snapped, suddenly, making Adelais jump, "Commander Shepard needs to go up into the Control Panel before it's too late!"
Adelais could see Garrus stiffen as Shepard pulled out a small, metallic little Chip.
"Take that damn thing and go!" Kolyat said, beginning to force himself back to his feet, even when Adelais placed a hand on his shoulder to prevent the kid from moving any further,"You need to go before the Reaper makes it here or it's all over!"
And then, just then, Adelais heard it.
That all-too familiar, mechanical wail.
He turned his head just as everyone else did, to see the huge mechanical beast already just about to reach the outer rim of the Citadel. Adelais could see the blurry outlines of the Main Fleet's ships, as well as the decimated remains of a few of Cerberus'.
"Kolyat's right, Commander. Everything that's happened up until now will be in vain if that Control Chip doesn't make it to the Panel," he said, as calmly as he could despite the pain that ground through his already tired body as he attempted to help the injured Drell to his feet.
He couldn't carry the Drell alone.
He was too badly injured.
Too weak.
"Garrus and I will take the Drell to the Normandy-"
"Dad-" Garrus' voice was warning, but also terrified. Adelais looked over at him to see those bright blue eyes gazing at him desperately-
Pleadingly.
Adelais recognized those eyes.
They were his own, when Carissa lay dying, helplessly, before him.
"Garrus," Adelais said, as gently as he could, "I can't carry him myself."
He could see the amazement in Garrus' eyes, but that was darkened quickly.
"She can't go alone this time. I'm not going to let that happen again."
Adelais glanced at Kolyat, only to find that the kid's eyes were closed.
The kid was dying, and that damned Reaper was coming.
And they were out of time.
"We don't have time for this," he said, looking quickly between the Commander and his son, though he knew that at that moment, neither of them could hear what he was telling them.
The two were staring at each other with a look that tore him apart.
Desperate.
Pleading.
Terrified.
But, at the same time, with a sharp decisiveness that chilled him to the bone.
N._.S._.S
ALMOST THERE!
XD
Please Review and tell me what you thought!