A/N: Again thanks so much for reading and I am sorry for the slow update. I will try to write faster but cant promise anything. I'm at my last college year ( graduate in next summer if everything ends well) so there is a lot to do right now.
Garrus closed his eyes as he washed his face; the water was cold enough to leave a numb feeling on his skin. His mind was no longer as stormy as it had been when he had entered the room. He had stayed in the simulation room for some hours after Saren had left, trying to sort his thoughts out.
He had decided to take part in the human's interrogation from now on; it was after all what his superior had wished for. Garrus no longer wonderer how and why Shepard had betrayed them, this was war after all. What he now pondered over was why it annoyed him and why he even took time to think about her. He decided to look for Scion when he had finished washing his face; they needed to speak about tactics and what questions to focus on. It did not take long before he found the black-scaled turian, he was sitting in the mess hall fiddling with his omni-tool. He flinched in surprise when Garrus called out for him.
" Well, well….. to what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked as he hastily closed his omni-tool and stood up.
Garrus looked around and as he had expected was the mess hall almost empty. But he still leaned a bit closer to Scion and lowered his voice as he spoke.
" Did Arterius speak to you about the human and wanting our help interrogating her?"
" There is not need for discretions, I'm pretty sure everyone already knows that Saren appointed us to help with the interrogation. " Scion answered without lowering his voice.
Garrus cleared his throat and nodded, it was probably true.
" Well how should we do this? One at the time or should we both question her at the same time? "
" Well it would be dangerous to go in all alone in case our lovely weapon less commander tries to escape. What if she attacks you with her blunt teeth and talons? She could tickle you to death with them. " Scion answered mockingly.
" So I take it you wish to go in together so you have someone to protect your soft scales. " Garrus said and laughed when he received a glare from Scion.
They headed for the cargo bay when they were done talking; it took longer than expected.
It was decided that this time Scion would stand guard while Garrus questioned the human. Garrus had decided to not take any weapons with him but Scion carried a gun on his hip. Garrus gave him a nod as the reached the room, he opened the door when Scion signalled that he was room turned out to be bigger than he had thought, but perhaps it was because it was only furnished with one table and two chairs. It was also very bright, rows of lamps on the white metallic walls basked the room in a clean and cold white light.
The human was sitting with her back against the wall; it appeared like she was sleeping.
She had gathered her black fringe in a tail that fell down over a shoulder. Shepard was no longer clad in armour and instead dressed in black tight pants and a shirt that fitted her like a second skin.
There were dark spots of dried blood on her clothes and he noticed that her feet were bare.
She opened her eyes as he came closer. Garrus halted as her green eyes looked around; he cleared his throat and gave her a small nod.
" Commander Shepard, I presume that you know why I am here." He said and made a gesture towards the table and chairs.
Shepard nodded and stood up and walked over to it. Her movements were stiff and lacked grace. Shepard's facial expression was tired and it seemed like her energy had vanished. She looked pretty much defeated, but then there were her eyes. Clear green met his blue in a steady gaze and he saw something in them that he recognised as determination.
" So, Vakarian…. How are you doing?" She asked as she sat down at the table.
The question was so sudden that he blinked in surprise.
" Just fine… " He answered shortly as he sat down on the other side of the table.
" Aaaah, so I got it right this time. " She laughed and traced his blue markings with her gaze.
His mandibles flickered against his chin, was she implying that they all looked the same? Did she also see them a just "spikey bird monsters" as he had heard other humans call them.
" I am just joking with you big guy, I recognise those blue eyes, stripes and that voice.
Ah before you ask the standard questions, I'm Haniel Shepard, commander and Normandy's captain. My mission was to defend and then escort." Shepard said as she leaned on her elbows and rested the head on her hands.
She was remarkably calm and did not even seem worried about the situation she was in. Garrus's head felt surprisingly empty as he tried to start the interrogation. He and Scion had worked out some questions and tactics but now it felt like he was the one about to be interrogated.
" Who told you about Omega, who staged the ambush there and why?" He asked with a stern voice and tried to look a bit more threatening.
Shepard let out a small sigh and leaned back on her chair as she waited for the translator to do its work.
" As I said before, we got the location from the turians and I don't know who or why. I went black pretty much as fast as I walked through the door and then I woke up here…. How did I even get here, and what happened to Kaidan? " Her voice assumed a higher pitch and speeded up at the end of her sentence.
Garrus narrowed his eyes as her words were translated.
" We both know that is not the truth, there never was a trade only a plan to dispose of us, right? Kaidan and the others most likely retreated back when the ambush failed, leaving you behind. " He answered and tapped at the table with his talons.
"There was a trade agreement and if someone broke it then it was your people. If you are keeping Kaidan in a separate room to try to get another story out from him then give up. What I am saying is the truth and Kaidan would never lie, not even to save himself. " Shepard said nonchalantly and shrugged her shoulders.
" My people unlike yours have honour and it was humans that attacked us on Omega. Only your kind would break an agreement or make one up to gun down your enemies coldblooded." His voice toned out in a growl and his mandibles twitched, a talon scratched the blank table surface as he spoke.
The human commander gave him a glare and it looked like she was about to growl at him. She closed her eyes and mouthed words he was unable to hear before she leaned in closer.
" And what is the honour in starting war, huh? Remember it was your people that suddenly attacked us. We did not even receive as much as a ping before you fired." She said and almost hissed at the end as she leaned back again.
Garrus almost flinched at her words. They had taken direct action but it had been merely a police action against a rule breaker, not a declaration of war.
" Besides, how do I not know you are just trying to make up a story about betrayal to fuel the war and make the humans look bad?"
Just as Garrus was about to say something the door opened up and Scion walked in.
"What? I got bored and you two seem to have it so cosy in here." The darker turian said with a sly smile and ignored the irritated glare Garrus gave him.
He positioned himself on Shepard's right side and leaned on the table and gave her a wink. Garrus clutched his left hand under the table without realising it but relaxed when he noticed a dull feeling in it.
" But the lady has a point, why not show her the lovely vid? I don't think they have done it yet and I am sure it will jog her memory. "
Scion opened up the video file on his omni-tool and started the video when Garrus nodded at him. Garrus closely observed the commander as she watched the video. She raised her eyebrows as the humans on the video rushed in.
" Wait. Can you freeze the video and zoom in on the chest, on that yellow and white spot?" She asked and pointed on one of the armoured humans in the video.
Scion did as she had asked and enhanced the picture; a yellow and white emblem emerged.
"Tha… that's Cerberus …..but why " She stuttered and pointed at the emblem.
" So you do admit that you know these humans?" Scion asked and observed the emblem.
" Know? Not….. really. Have only heard about them….. They are said to have vast connections and be interested in advancing the human race. There are myths about them and an area labelled 5…." Shepard stopped herself from finishing.
Garrus noticed how she bit her lower lip and how her body tensed. It seemed like she was not telling them everything she knew.
" And that is why we need more information human. " Saren said with a bitter tone as he entered the room together with two guards.