Title: Virmire Part Nine
Author: DinkyMew
Game: Mass Effect (One)
Disclaimer:
Characters Featured:

"So it's true then?" Joker asked, tapping the front of his cap absently as he folded his arms over his chest. The clink of his leg braces sounded loud in the cockpit and Ashley shifted uncomfortable in the doorway "Shepard's really signing us all up for this?"

The cockpit was small, warm and full of things that reminded her of Joker. His Alliance jacket hanging over the back of his pilot seat, the scent of his aftershave – something slightly spicy and sweet – swam around her as she watched the back of his head carefully.

"Looks like." Ashley smiled "I guess we're out of alternatives here Jeff, I just wanted to stop by and… well… you know. Say adios."

His back was to her but she could see his jaw clench as he watched the monitors in front of him, he moved his shoulders in his chair "Yeah; wish I could come with you guys." He said bitterly, his hand unconsciously reaching to his knee as the words sprang from voice. She swallowed, she knew how difficult it was for him to be left behind all the time; he wanted so badly to fight beside them.

"We need you here." Ashley countered "We're gonna need a pretty swift pick-up once I arm this nuke… no one better to do it than you." She added, the compliment was not lost – he acknowledged it with a brief flutter of a smile.

"I'm just glad you're not going with the Salarians." Joker said quietly, "Does that make me an asshole? That I would hope for you to be with Shepard, but it's ok for my best friend to go to certain death?" He shook his head and pressed on before she could answer "How is Kaidan?"

Ashley gave a small, humourless laugh as she inclined her head "Scared as hell. I think we all are at this point. There's a lot to lose."

"A lot to gain too though." Joker added quickly "And that is what we have to be thinking about. When you're out there – that is what you have to keep thinking about."

"Yeah." She said, watching the back of his head carefully "You're right." She glanced behind her to the empty gangway – most of the crew were out enjoying the weather – almost oblivious to the upcoming battle. She kind of wished she was with them; and kind of not. Ignorance was bliss – but it was still ignorance.

"Right. Well." She smiled "I better go and see what the Commander has planned – I'll see you on the other side Joker." She was about to leave when he lurched round in his chair, a hand half extended to give her pause.

"Ash…" He mumbled, she waited, looking back at him expectantly "I know we said what happened at the apartment was just a bit of fun…" He glanced away, back to her eyes "I just want you to know it was the best fun I've had, in a long time." He held her gaze and she felt her cheeks blossom with colour as she looked to the floor "Make sure you are at that rendezvous point. I won't miss." He promised.

"Now now, Joker." She grinned "Careful, you might just worry about me while I'm gone."

He chuckled warmly, turning back to the monitor "Yeah." He breathed "if you see Kaidan… tell him I said good luck."

"I will." Ashley said, hesitating in the doorway a moment longer. At last she drew her eyes from him and slipped back out into the gangway and out the airlock once more.

Abigail glanced to Garrus at her side, giving him a hopeful smile as she touched the earpiece in her ear gently "Joker, wave Captain Anderson and update him of our progress so far, we're heading out now."

"Aye aye Commander." Joker replied, his voice crackling with static "Be careful."

Garrus made a noise low in his throat, almost a growl as he glanced skyward "Those storm clouds are going to be a problem." He mumbled, shouldering his sniper rifle.

Shepard sighed, motioning for them to move forward "Nothing is ever simple." She breathed, catching Ashley's smile as she pulled her own pistol free.

"Comm check Commander." Captain Kirrahe's voice asked urgently in her ear, she cleared her throat, signalling Garrus to push forward and scout ahead.

"I read you." She whispered "Loud and clear."

She swivelled her head round, her body following, examining her surroundings as they pressed through the maze of rocks, kicking up water and sand as they moved painfully slowly toward the first fortified compound.

"Engaging the Geth." She heard Kaidan's voice, short and commanding and it filled her with resolve as she gripped her pistol tighter, pulling against the rock-face as the compound loomed into vision ahead.

"Geth up ahead Shepard." Garrus whispered and she glanced him ahead, propped against a shard of rock, his back pressed flat against it. "Maybe a dozen on the first floor of the compound."

"Alright." She said, taking a breath "When you're ready Garrus." She glanced at the first floor of the compound, it looked easy enough to get into, an access ramp was lowered and would allow her and Ashley to charge up once the engaging shot was fired.

"The tower, Shepard." Ashley whispered beside her and Shepard followed her gaze. On the roof of the compound was a large satellite, twisting and humming monotonously in the sunlight. She smiled; taking that out would certainly cause a distraction among the Geth, buy Kaidan and the Salarians some valuable time.

She glanced to Garrus who was lining up his shot, pressing her back to rock she looked back to Ashley "Give me some cover fire when we get up there." She said quietly "I'm gonna try and take that tower out."

"You got it Skipper." She whispered, shouldering her rifle.

Abigail paused, the familiarity of that word hitting home like a punch to her gut. Her brow furrowed as she measured the woman, briefly wondering if she had somehow seen her journal logs, or heard something… but she couldn't think about that now. Shaking off the chill it brought her she turned her eyes back to Garrus just as he squeezed the trigger of his rifle, the first shot like thunder in the enclosed canyons of rock.

He ducked back, reloading swiftly as the commotion of the Geth above drifted down toward them. Their electronic twitching irritated Abigail's ears as she led Ashley up the ramp-way. Aiming she took a shot – shattering the face panel of the first Geth to approach. It sparked, the light shattering and spraying glass and superheated fragments toward her as she pressed forward, shoving the corpse roughly to the side as the other Geth rushed to meet them.

The successive rain of Ashley's assault rifle sounded behind her, rounds showering into the Geth as they advanced. She ducked the attack of the nearest, slamming her elbow against the body panels, knocking the Geth off balance as it teetered back and fell headlong over the balcony of the compound. Instead of attacking she rushed to the console blinking in the far corner, flipping open her omnitool and running the sequence for tower access. There was an explosion behind her and she flinched, dipping her head as she worked over the console rapidly, her fingers moving faster than her mind could process what was happening.

Her omnitool sounded the activation alarm, and she scrambled the communication lines for the facility; leaving them in the dark and unable to speak to one and other. Turning she drew her pistol swiftly once more firing once, twice and on the third time the satellite dish on the roof shattered, collapsing off the edge of the compound and clattering to the ground below.

"Well." Ashley smiled, wiping her forehead with the back of her gloved hand "That got the job done."

Shepard moved back, keeping pace with Garrus this time as they hurried back down the ramp-way, the Turian grinned wickedly at her "Not even breaking a sweat." He chuckled.

"The Geth seem to be having some trouble here." Captain Kirrahe's voice came over the radio "Looks like something has disrupted communications… seems shadow team are progressing nicely!"

Shepard took a moment to smile, every little bit of help she gave them filled her with hope she would see Kaidan again.

"Cover the flank!" She heard Kaidan shout, his tone commanding – urgent "We're going to get swamped; press forward before those Geth fliers come back around."

She paused, hesitating as she looked ahead at the Facility. It loomed several floors into the sky – a giant hidden among the cliffs and rocks of Virmire.

"Geth fliers." She said, turning to face Ashley and Garrus "Garrus, take them out. We'll head to the facility. Meet us inside when you are done."

"On it." Garrus nodded, locking his rifle on his back as he turned to run down the skyway. Shepard turned to stare back down their chosen path, a long walkway leading directly to the back of the Facility.

"Keep it smart Chief." She said, readying her pistol once more "No heroics."

I pace the small white room like a caged tigress.

It's been a few hours since Spooner dropped me off here, and I hate it. The glass from my shattered globe still lies glistening on the floor and I know I should probably clean it up – but I'm too livid to even try.

I grab at my hair, I wrap my arms around myself, I scream – scream like I'm back on Mindoir. Scream like there are raiders at my door. I want him to come back! I want him to know I'm sorry! I don't blame him; he can have Engineer Smith, I just want to go home!

I can feel myself spiralling out of control, the electricity moving over my skin like gooseflesh, I open my eyes and can see the blue hue growing brighter and I cannot stop it – I don't even know how I am doing it! I feel bloated, like I am filling with air, the pressure pushing on my eardrums as I glow brighter, that feeling sails higher-

"WHOA!" The voice distracts me, as does the rough hands that grip my own, pulling me to the side. There is a reaction, like a static shock that makes me jump, the momentary deflection enough that the blue hum winks out and I am stood staring into dark eyes.

"Get off me." I snarl, yanking my hands back, pushing myself against the boy as he stumbles back, splaying hands in surrender. He is taller than me by at least a foot, his dark hair brushed back he looks to be dressed in some kind of uniform, but I don't care.

"Look, just trying to help!" He says urgently, taking another step back and pressing a hand to my shoulder this time to stop me following him.

"Fuck off." I grind out, glaring through him as he shuffles from one foot to the other, rubbing the back of his neck unsure.

"You want me to get a section leader or something?" He asks, and I blink at him. No, I don't want him to get a section leader. I want him to piss off.

"Get out." I say, low and cold and dangerous, but he takes a step toward me as though to give me a friendly pat on the shoulder. I rebuff the gesture, instead slamming into him, bumping chests as I screw my face up at him "GET OUT!" I scream, tears of anger and frustration gathering at the corners of my eyes.

At last he gets the message, slipping back to the doorway, his feet crunching over the broken glass; he glances down curiously but doesn't say anything. Instead he presses a hand to the doorframe and sighs.

"Alright." He says slowly "I just… it gets better." He says gently and I look at him, really look at him this time. His eyes are genuine and soft and I sneer at him, turning my back on his generosity. Fuck them all. I'm not bowing and scraping to anyone in here – I don't care what they tell me I have, they can cure these biotics and I can get the hell out of here and enlist when I turn eighteen. That is all I want to do.

From now on, that is all I care about.

Kaidan checked his rifle, dropping the nose as the last attacking Geth splintered and burst to pieces under the fire of his team.

"Alright." He panted, dropping to crouch behind his cover once more "Bunker up before those fliers come back around." He glanced to his right where a Salarian sat, stooped over, green blood running from a wound in his abdomen. He glanced up at the Leiutenant, the same green blood pooling at the corners of his large flat mouth.

"We're not going to make it." He breathed, blood and saliva dribbling from his lips as he shook his head "This was a mistake."

Kaidan grimaced, turning to the Salarian, setting his rifle down as he pulled his last medigel free from the pack at his thigh. The small, pliable vessel was no bigger than 10 inches and he uncapped it swiftly, pressing the clear, lifesaving gel over the salarian's wound. After a few seconds it began to take effect, simultaneously numbing the pain receivers at the wound site and sealing it tight from infection and to encourage healing.

Even though he had left with a full stock of medigel it was now depleted, treating the many wounds his men had received so far. If anyone took another shot he would be unable to help except with field first aid and stims, of which he still had a few left, but adrenaline shots were risky with Salarian's whose metabolism far exceeded a human's.

"Take it easy," Kaidan said firmly, gripping the salarian's shoulder to steady him as the sudden surge of relief made him jittery with blood loss. "You'll feel better in a moment."

The Salarian, coughed, wiping at his mouth "Thank you friend." He said genuinely "When we meet again in the afterlife, I owe you one."

Kaidan grinned, glancing over the small parapet they were crouched behind, still no sign of any more Geth yet – but they had to get to that AA tower and fast.

"Not yet." He said, getting slowly to his feet "Shepard will see us out of here alive. I know that."

The Salarian chuckled, pressing a three fingered hand to his abdomen as he winced "You have tremendous faith in her. I hope it is true."

Kaidan smiled, thinking of their moment together just before the assault, the thought of holding her again in his arms warmed him "She doesn't know how to fail." He stated flatly, with that he turned motioning for the other squads to push forward – they were getting to that AA tower now.

Shepard jogged to the console, her boots rattling along the grate walkway as she locked her pistol back in its holder. Behind her she could hear the rumble of Ashley and Garrus as they hit the walkway, the sound of Geth firing on them not far behind.

She activated the screen, the login protocol flashing before she had even managed to access any files. Rigging the hack sequence on her omnitool she only had to wait a few seconds as it ripped through the defences and allowed her access to the Facility security. Most of it was networked to another console – but she could activate alarms from this one as well as unlock the doors immediately in front of them.

"Can we get in?" Ashley asked beside her and Shepard nodded quickly, wiping a gloved hand over her forehead to catch the perspiration building there.

"We can." She said confidently "I can also set off alarms at the far side of the building, it would clear our way but would be more trouble for Kaidan and the Salarians." She thought aloud "I'm just going to disable the alarms, we'll have to deal with whatever is inside, but Kaidan's team need all the help they can get." She moved quickly, flinching as a bullet pinged off the console frame barely missing her head before Garrus turned firing once at the shooter, stilling its form forever.

It was hard to think of the Geth as anything more than machines when they came as though they were assembled on a line somewhere. They loosely resembled Quarians, which made sense giving that it was the Quarians who created them originally before the war. Lithe in frame and build, their 'heads' curved forward under smooth panels, the main focus drawn to a circular orb of light at the center of the 'head', to the side two smaller lights blinked and flickered like eyes – but Shepard knew it was nothing more than a ruse.

"We're in." She breathed, elated that they had managed to progress so far with so few injuries.

Hold on Kaidan, She thought desperately, they owed this progress to him and his team.

Pressing forward she punched the holo-lock for the door, waiting as it turned from red to green and the doors slid open with a metallic clang. It looked to be a warehouse of some sort, heavy machinery sat unused in one corner with an abundance of crates and boxes, some opened, others still in clear packaged seal.

"Eyes open." She whispered, drawing her pistol once more as the doors slid closed behind them plunging them into near darkness.

She took a moment to let her eyes adjust, knowing that the lack of light would come in handy to spot the approaching Geth she was hesitant to turn on her flashlight. To the left a small set of stairs led to a small sub level where a console unit lined one wall and beyond she could see a turn to the right leading on to more stairs.

Taking the steps swiftly she passed her eyes over the console unit, but it was simply for work done in the warehouse, nothing useful they could glean from its workstation and so she motioned Garrus to move forward while she took point, readying her pistol as they moved just as quickly up the next flight of stairs.

They were barred by a door at the top – unlocked – and Garrus ducked to the side pulling his assault rifle free as he waited for the signal from Shepard. Behind her she could hear Ashley breathing hard, and with a cautious foot on the step above her she gave Garrus a nod.

He slammed a fist on the lock the doors springing open allowing Shepard the time – as the inhabitants of the next room whipped around in surprise, caught off guard – to assess the threat. It looked medical in nature, the room, and two Salarians jumped at the sound of the door opening, immediately drawing pistols from holders. She didn't give them a breath, firing once, twice each shot hitting home directly in their heads – they had no shields, no protection. She lamented the fact they were as defenceless as civilians, but she had no time to play hero with evil doctors. They chose their path.

The room was full of medical equipment and scanners, shelves and tables full of bottles and jars and boxes lined the walls. As they drew closer she could see one shelf was full of jars of tiny krogan embryos, their little curved shapes only just discernible in the yellow liquid they were immersed.

"Gross." Ashley remarked, peering at the jars closer "Is that what baby Krogan look like?"

Shepard, blinked, lowering her pistol as she took in the scene with disgust "I don't know." She said in a tiny voice.

"We can't leave these here Shepard." Garrus protested beside her, and Shepard glanced in his direction nodding.

"We're not, this whole place is going up once we set off that nuke." She promised him.

"Good." Garrus said firmly and she thought she could see a look of relief pass his eyes, but it was hard to tell with Turians, they always looked pissed off.

"Alright." She said, glancing another doorway "Let's push forward."

I've been told to eat lunch in the canteen to encourage my integration to the facility. I hate the people here, they come in with their smiles and pretend like they know everything about me because I have biotics. It's like saying I have some kind of disease, and they smile pityingly at me as though I am terminally ill too. I hate it.

Once a week we are taken from the asteroid facility to the main base Arcturus, which is a breath of fresh air as it is full to the brim with Alliance marines, not sick biotic kids like Blue Horizon. It's the only time I have any hope of maybe seeing someone from the Humbee, or some news on how the crew are doing – so far I haven't heard anything, except the email I got from Spooner; but I'm not replying. Not until he comes and gets me out of here.

Today we are eating lunch at Arcturus in their giant mess hall, which is only slightly better than the one at the Blue Horizon facility. I want to go and sit with the marines but the matron has us all sitting together like it's a school excursion, and I am forced to look at the pale, sickly faces of my peers – worrying that I look as pale and sickly as them. I hope not.

The matron paces at our backs, her eyes trained to spot the slightest indiscretion in our behaviour. They rule us with a rod of iron – it's all part of the control training, if you can't control your behaviour then apparently you're not ready to control your biotics, so they've created weighty punishments for bad behaviour and a routine that is followed as rigidly as a convent for sinners. I don't know why we have sinned.

I push food around my tray, something akin to chicken and mince floats in gravy in one section, in the other a blob of mashed potato shines with butter peppered with green peas. I'm not hungry, but the matron has her eye on me. At the last weigh-in I had lost more than they liked and I was placed on some kind of special register which meant I got fed more often and received bigger portions than the others.

"Hey Shepard," A voice down the table calls me out and I raise my eyes in his direction, narrowing them venomously at him. "Is it true that's how you escaped Mindoir?" He presses, an ugly grin splitting his features as he chuckles for good measure "You just turned sideways and the Batarians couldn't see you?"

Marcus Pilgrim is an idiot. Has been since the moment I met him on the Blue Horizon facility, and his attempts to goad me out have been pathetic, even this attempt barely scratches my surface as I smile coldly at him, setting my fork carefully beside my tray.

"There's no need to feel jealous Marcus." I say cooly "I can always gain some weight, but you… you're stuck with that face the rest of your life."

He blinks at me, his round eyes squinting in indignation as the chuckles of the others float up from the table. I glance the matron over at the food court, so that was the reason for his sudden flash of courage.

"You wanna do something?" He calls me out, lifting his chin angrily as he gets to his feet, all bravado and flair in his feathers as he pounds his chest with a fist like the inebriated caveman he is. I smile, getting to my feet also, not about to back down to this joke.

"Careful, I don't want you straining something." I say, extending a hand in friendly warning "You look a little out of shape."

That does it; with a roar he comes charging over the top of the table, kicking plates and glasses flying as he lumbers toward me unbalanced and unready. I stand still, watching him as he drops to the floor in front of me – I hear the shouts and gasps of those around us, the whooping calls of the marines as they realise a fight has broken out. Marcus pulls back with a fist; just a fist, no biotics or anything, and prepares to hit me and I laugh, dodging the first blow easily. The second is a bit of luck – but it looks damn impressive.

I feel my biotics inside me, like a strength locked in a box I flip the clasp and unleash it. My skin begins to crackle as it lights up blue, gathering the feeling to a point I push forward in the blink of an eye, the bolt leaving my hand and connecting solidly with his chest, knocking him back. There is a roar of cries and whistles that surges the power in me, pushes my adrenaline to spike as I stride to where he lies prostrate on the floor. I grab his hair, pulling his head back, ready to ram his filthy mouth into the tiled floor beneath me-

Something catches me hand, pulling my fingers free and yanking me from him in a smooth movement, one that gives me pause as I whirl to face my new attacker. It's that boy; the same one that came by my room when I first arrived here.

I growl at him, but he is as blue as me, his dark eyes lit with a dancing blue fire as he lets me go, pulls up a barrier that will do nothing to help him. I launch an attack at him and he deflects it well, too well, so I collide against him forcing him into hand-to-hand combat. Spooner has trained me well, and this boy is unable to do anything except dodge and block my barrage of attacks, and even then he is tiring fast.

I see an opening, his arm coming to block a blow to his head, but I feign the attack, instead gripping his arm roughly and using his own momentum to jar his elbow, causing him to either flip or dislocate his shoulder. He chooses to go with the motion and flip, landing hard on the canteen floor on his back. I don't give him time to recover; I launch myself onto him, sitting astride him as I charge up another biotic punch ready to hit him full in the face-

"STAND DOWN!"

The voice trembles over the noise of the canteen and I pause, looking down at the boy beneath me. His nose is bloodied, his dark eyes hard and hinting at fear as he wriggles under me, pushing me away now he has the element of distraction.

"Just what the hell is going on here?" The same voice asks, anger and authority colouring it to a tone I don't like. One that sours my mood. I get to my feet sullenly, turning to face him.

He's tall, I come face to chest with a smart blue suit, a line of medals at the breast pocket catch my eyes, and I look up at the dark face, stern and unimpressed with me. His eyes are dark, narrow and invasive and I turn my own to the floor suddenly sheepish. Whoever this is, he must be big news to be boasting so many medals.

"You." He grunts, not at me, but to the boy beside me, the one that had intervened "You are a senior here, you should know better."

"Yes sir." He says, wiping at his nose with the back of his hand "I was just having lunch when I saw her attack sir; it was in defence of another."

"That's true!" Another boy called; this one in a wheelchair. I glare at him and he looks back at me, the beginnings of red facial hair sprouting at the corners of his mouth. "I saw it too Sir." He added, a little less confident under my gaze though.

"Get back to your station." The soldier commands, the comment directed at the boy standing beside me, he salutes and the dark man adds "You too Jeff." Before his eyes turn to me "Walk with me a while." He says firmly. I glare at him; it's not a question I realise.

It's an order.

Ashley watched as the Commander moved from room to room, efficient and deadly as she first took care of occupants and then scanned the area for useful intel almost subconsciously. They had progressed well, although communication from the other team assaulting the AA guns had been terse and short – interrupted with bullet hail and commanding shouts.

She was worried about Kaidan, he had stopped reporting in almost fifteen minutes ago and she could see the tense line of the Commander's jaw every time a voice came over their comms. She was trying so hard to keep up appearances, but Ashley knew her well enough to know she was hurting. Hurting big time.

"Is that a husk?" She asked, coming up behind Shepard and examining the remains on the floor in front of them. When they had first entered these creatures were inside some kind of scanners, but had broken free almost as if on command, only to be shot to pieces by them. They were human in appearance, or rather they looked like human skeletons, but fabricated from a mix of wires and metal – just like they had seen on Eden Prime. But there were no Dragon's Teeth here – the grand spikes that rose out of the ground to spear living victims and transform them into husks.

"I don't know." Shepard said, her brow furrowing as she kicked the side of the metal head with her boot "I didn't see any Dragon's Teeth here." She said as though reading Ashley's mind "What the hell is Saren doing here."

"You heard the Salarian's in the basement." Garrus offered, his attention focused on the window as he scanned the walkway outside for threats "Something about indoctrination."

Ashley shifted uncomfortable. They had heard the same speech from Liara's mother on Noveria, that Saren had possession of a ship that had remarkable mind-controlling capabilities. They called the process indoctrination, but indoctrinated by who? By Saren or his ship, Sovereign?

Garrus pressed forward, approaching the next door and opening it, his riffle at the ready. There was a scream from the next room and both Ashley and Shepard looked in his direction as he hesitated with the shot, finally lowering his gun. Shepard glanced to her, her eyes darkening as she jogged to join the Turian who was stood motionless in the doorway. As she caught up Ashley could see there was an Asari worker behind a desk, cowering behind her hands as she whimpered at them.

"Please," She said hesitantly "Don't shoot me."

Ashley glanced to Shepard, saw the look of hesitation pass over her eyes as she glanced the elevator at the back of the room. It was locked down, ad suddenly Ashley knew what her Commander was thinking. She liked it.

"I won't shoot you." Shepard said firmly "But tell me who you are."

The Asari stood shakily, her skin more a hue of purple than blue, accentuated by the dark green of her clothing. She looked to be some kind of doctor or official within the facility.

"I'm Rana." She breathed, her hands still extended in surrender as she eyed them all fearfully "Rana Thanoptis neurospecialist. Or… I was, but this job isn't worth dying for – or worse!" She wailed hysterically, shaking her head "You think the indoctrination only affects the prisoners?!" She cried "Soon Saren will want to dissect my brain too!"

"I thought this was a breeding facility." Shepard frowned, taking a step toward the Asari.

"Not this level." Rana sputtered "Up here we are studying the effects of Sovereign on organic minds… or that's what I thought… Saren keeps us all in the dark as much as he can." She looked around fearfully, as though Saren would come from nowhere.

Ashley scoffed, allowing her dislike of Asari to come to the fore as gave the woman a scathing look up and down "You were helping him and you don't even know why?"

The Asari met her glare with one of her own "I didn't have the option to ask questions once I signed up ok?" She barked, her fear turning to anger as she struggled to regain her composure "This position became a little more permanent than I had expected." She took a quick breath turning back to Shepard as she gave a nervous smile "But… but I can help you – that elevator behind me that leads right to Saren's private chambers… all his records… everything is there." Before anyone could answer she rushed to locked elevator pressing a code into the keypad and watching as the light flicked from red to green.

"See?" She said brightly "All yours… just… just let me go ok?"

"We're blowing this place to hell." Shepard growled "How you plan on escaping the blast?"

Rana blinked, the colour draining from her face as she shook her head "I'll find a way, just let me go – there are shuttle cars in the warehouse, I can outrun the blast, I ca-"

"I ever see you again in a situation like this I won't be so gracious." Shepard warned icily. The Asari did not need to be told twice. Without so much as a second glance she took off running, pushing past Garrus on her way. The Turian broke into a small smile, giving Shepard an appreciative glance.

"You enjoyed that." He said flatly.

Beside him Shepard smiled "A little."