Alright. This chapter wil be a little different, in the sense that it will be not so much about Thom, as about some... other people. Think of it as a sort of bonus-chapter, as the things in this will have some, but not much meaning..nah, you know what? It's a normal chapter, because f**k the reapers, that's why.

But, I was kind of in a... what's the word? I was arguing with myself over this chapter, as I kind of wasn't used to writing 3'person when I started this, but I actually think it should be a major part of this story. Because, consider that only so musch can happen while Thom is in the hospital, so instead we focus on his friends and such... anyway, just enjoy :)

The Drunk, the bedridden and the Heroes

Citade, Serpent Nebula

Flux bar

Time unknown

"Hit me another!" Jane said, as she lifted her now empty glass into the air. A few patrons around her gave her a sideways glance, as if to see if it was some lowlife drunkard who was bellowing at the moment. The woman definitely didn't look like a drunkard, with her navy blues and military grade sidearm.

"You sure about that ma'am? You've already had seven drinks of shard wine, and that's just today… I'm not ending up explaining to the docs why your liver suddenly failed." The young woman said, giving the red-head an annoyed glance, as if to figure out if she should get her boss, or simply serve another drink. She eventually decided on the latter, pouring a new glass of the strongest drink Flux was allowed to serve.

"Shut it… I didn't work shit out with C-Sec to get you out of Cora's Den, just for you to question my orders Jenna. Now serve me zat drink." The girl looked visibly shaken for a moment, before she leaned in closer;

"Wha… how did you know about… did Rita tell you? Was it your friends who shot up the place?" The drink was still firmly held in her hand, as Jane, even drunk as she was, forced it from her grip, nodding a thank you.

"If you really wanna know, then I was the one working out the paperwork-bullshit, John was apparently the one who decided to shoot up the place… now unless you wanna… wanna thank me, I sug… sag… suggest you leave me to my drinking… I have some stuff to go over." The girl seemed to recoil for a moment, taken aback by the rudeness, before she simply turned and left with a small "thank you". Jane simply nodded, before inhaling the sweat scent of the foreign liquor, wondering what exactly it was made of. The oddly green liquid danced in the glass, playing with the light from the large window in the ceiling. Funny… don't remember there being a window here… she thought to herself as she slowly gulped down the drink, savoring the taste with what taste buds having not already been killed off by the amounts of alcohol she had subjugated them to.

Letting the glass hit the counter again, she slowly got up, and carefully managed to waltz over to one of the tables in the corner, wanting to be left alone. Here she sat, looking at the people occupying the room, wishing that she could change places with them, just for one day. I bet they don't have as much shit on their board as me… fuck, why is my brain still working when my legs are shit? This always did cause her to wonder, but she was not in the mood for any mental exercises at the moment. Tearing two pieces of paper from the paper napkins on the table, she crumbled them, making two small balls which she then proceeded to stuff in her ears, drowning out the music playing in the bar. Always the same fucking music… why the hell can't they change it once in a while? She then folded her arms on the table, and let her head fall down, resting on the soft cushions of clothes and flesh.

"You okay Jane?" a voice asked. It was a friendly voice, familiar and yet so distant, as if belonging to someone long dead and gone.

"nghhh… go away…" she said, not bothering to see if it was Kaidan who had disturbed her rest.

"You know that's not going to help Skipper…" a female voice joined in. Somewhere in her mind, a set of alarm-bells went off, hearing the voice.

"hhhhh…. Who is it? Cnan't you snee I'm tnying to sfeep here?" her mouth was covered by an arm, making most words impossible to understand.

"Never thought I would see the day where you actually got downed by a drink. Seemed like even Wrex couldn't keep up with you." The female voice continued, in a slightly mocking tone, Jane could hear. That was the funny thing about it though. That she could hear them. The improvised earplugs were effectively blocking all sound but the people's voices, carrying as clear as if they had been inside her head, not next to her. Finally, deciding not to give the woman, Ash most likely, the satisfaction of seeing her second commander in the shit, she looked up.

"So, decided to rejoin us have you?" in front of Jane, two people, a man and a woman, were sitting on the couch. One of them, she easily recognized as Ashley, leaning back on one of the chairs with a snide smile on her lips. For some reason, Jane thought the Chief smelled… burnt, as if she had been standing too close to a campfire. Studying the woman closer, Jane could also see several burn marks, and even the right eyebrow was missing, as if burned off. She wasn't like that when we arrived here… was she?

"What do you want Ash? I did my best to save Thomas, and as far as I know, he is alive… You want an apology? Fine, I'm sorry your boyfriend lost his eye… and probably his arm as well… I really did the best I could." Jane noticed a slight frown on Ash's face.

"Well, I could use an apology, but it wouldn't be for what happened to that kid."

"Hmm? What for then? I'll apologize for the size of the moons of Saturn if that means you'll leave, and take Thomas here with you." She was, of course, referring to the man next to Ash, as logic dictated Ash wouldn't go on a bar without her boy toy. Still… he is up remarkably fast…

"For leaving me to die." Ash said, as calm as if she had commented on the music, or the colors of the light in the room. Still, the words made the blood freeze in Jane's veins.

"What… why… I already said I'm sorry back on the Normandy when you slapped me, isn't that enough? Do you want to press me into yelling to the entire room how sorry I am that I got you…well, your dimensional twin, killed? Did you burn yourself to make me feel guilty?" Jane was getting pissed now, and the booze wasn't making her calm down a bit. Rather the opposite was happening actually.

"Burn myself? Jane, do you know what it feels like to be ready to fight, kill and even take a bullet for someone, then suddenly hear them sentence you to your death? Not very funny… not funny at all."

"What do you mean "take a bullet for me"? You hardly know me, and you seemed like you wanted to give me a bullet the last time I spoke to you, not the other way around."

"Jane… don't you recognize me? I mean really recognize me?" Ash said, a bit of sadness in her voice as she asked.

"What do you mean "recognize you"? You are Ashley Williams, serving on the Normandy and-"

"And left to die on Virmire, despite Kaidan's pleas to save me instead of him."

"How could you know that? You both told me to save the other, that's how it was." Jane said, almost slamming the table.

"Because I was there Jane… I begged you to save me, to at least try and wait for me and the Salarians to get back… but you just took Kaidan and left. You left us to die… how do you feel about that?" The last question was asked in a very calm tone, almost as if it was Chakwas asking how she had felt after Eden Prime.

"What do you want?"

"I told you, an apology… but while we are at it, why don't you apologize to him as well?" Ash said, gesturing at the man next to her. It was only now that Jane paid him any attention, thinking it had been Thomas all the time. Now, however, she looked at the guy, dressed in the navy blues, but with a hole in the clothes near the chest. Looking at his face, she almost fainted, feeling the blood go to her head, leaving it again, and her heart almost leaving her chest through the hole it was sure to smash in it;

"M…Ma…" She stuttered. Nothing more could come over her lips, as she looked at the man she herself had seen die, killed by gunshot.

"Hey Jane…" The young man say, his dark-blond hair hanging down his cheeks, showing the perfect face she had come to love. Jane couldn't move, couldn't think, could only look, look and feel her body tremble with shock.

"You..." She began, her voice hoarse with emotion, trying hard to refrain from snapping and crying.

"Me" He simply said, putting a hand on her shoulder, but still giving off a presence of something sinister, something… wrong;

"But… you… you can't be here…"

"Because I'm dead? Jane, you'll find that the line between life and death can be walked, and crossed, quite easily at times. Didn't you die yourself? On Virmire?"

"Why have you… are you really here? Am I just so drunk that I'm seeing things?" Jane managed to get out, her lips trembling.

"Ask yourself things you know, and still you won't get an answer. I'm not really here no… and neither is Ash… Despite what Ash may want, the apology, the feeling of triumph over you, having destroyed you with guilt, I'm not here to blame you, or demand an apology."

"But I am." Ash said, her voice harsh; "I could have had a life with Kaidan, you know… I could have been a mother, had his children, we had plans… instead; you left me to die in nuclear fire." The hostility in her voice almost brought Jane to her knees, forcing a small stream of tears from her eyes.

"I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry, okay?! I had to choose! I'm not trying to make it sound like I didn't have a choice, but… Kaidan just had a greater chance of making it. I never wanted to make that kind of decision, to have to sacrifice one of my crew, but I had to! It was either that, or we would have all died!" Several guests had started starring at the woman in the corner, shouting at herself.

Ash had replaced the scowl on her face with that of indifference. She looked upon the broken form of her commander, the woman who had caused her death, but not with hatred. This time, it was as if she had what she had come for, making the staunch commander break.

"Don't think this means you are in the clear. I know that there is… another version of me here, so I'll stay and make sure that you'll do better this time." She said, leaning back. Jane looked like someone who had just lost the most important person in her life, looking to the world as if she had just been told that her mother or child had died.

"Ash…" The man said, looking at the female soldier; "I think you've done what you came for…"

"Yeah, well I'll keep an eye on her… for some time…" She said, getting up from her seat and left the pair to themselves. Jane let her head sink back to her arms, releasing a loud sigh, and letting the waves of exhaustion rush over her. She had come here to… why had she come here anyway? Would drinking help relieve her of the guilt she felt over almost having Thomas Fisher killed? It had certainly not helped her in the way that she had hoped for, and not helped in the way that two deceased members of her crew had come back to haunt her. Now, only one remained: the man she had loved, the man she had been forced to watch die in her arms.

"Jane…"

"So why are you here? Have you come to torment me as well…Magnus?"

"No… I'm here to…talk. I would like to just sit down and talk, if you don't mind." His smile was sad, as if he had trouble saying what he meant. Jane's mood still increased, hearing that he wasn't here to blame her for his death.

"I would like that…" She said, tears in her eyes as the man she would have given it all up for, was sitting next to her, holding her hand. To the people still looking, it looked to them as if she was sitting by herself, crying and talking to imaginary people.

"Jane… how are you feeling? You never had a chance to answer me before…" He said, putting a smile on, and stroking her hand. She shivered from the touch, having missed it since the day he died. Died… you died from me Magnus… yet, here you are… am I finally going insane? She asked herself, as she for some reason averted his eyes, fearing that he would vanish the second she looked into them.

"I… I don't know. My life went to hell the day you… you left me, and then Wrex tried killing me on Virmire, and… Ashley shot him… She saved my life… and then… and then, I decided to leave her on that planet as we prepared to move out… only, the bomb went off before we had escaped, and then…"

"Let me guess; a white light?"

"Y-Yes… it was brighter than anything I had ever seen… and then, I woke up…"

"Where?" He asked, a tender smile on his face. It may have seemed out of place, given the question, but Jane was nevertheless glad to see it.

"Do you remember Therum, where we found Liara?" She said, still looking at their hands, never daring to let her gaze go above the lips of the man, fearing what she might see in his eyes. Or what she might not see.

"How could I forget? I was almost crushed by the fucking earthquake that followed your little drilling with that big-ass laser drill."

"Yeah… well, when the light had faded, I found myself standing in front of the force field that held Liara captured. She was still there, and I used the drill again to get her out of there. Then, I heard gunfire and humans shouting deeper inside the caves, and I thought they were perhaps the survivors fighting the geth…"

"Were there?"

"N-No… well, there were humans, and they were fighting… but they weren't the survivors, and they weren't fighting the geth… something much, much worse. There was a single woman down there… one woman! A soldier, but she was wearing some odd kind of armor, like I've never seen before… she kept shooting and shouting about bugs… that's when I saw them, for the first time… like… like a nightmare that fucked a scorpion and a snake, then giving birth to something even worse. Like… I can't even describe it… but they showed no fear, no fear at all. Even when I smashed them with my biotics, they just kept coming, like some kind of… swarm. The ground was simply black with them, and even with Liara's biotics, we couldn't do much to hold them back, but to form a biotic shield. I thought it odd, back then that the female soldier almost screamed when we started performing our biotic stunt. She actually stopped firing and just stared at us… that's when I lost consciousness. They said I was hit by a falling rock, and later on Liara lost consciousness as well… it was just pure hell. I mean, how… who would have thought that this lone woman could defend not just herself, but two fallen soldiers against these snake-bugs? I- we were just lucky that the Normandy crew showed up… and then, when I woke up, I discovered just how deep the shitstorm- the weirdness extended. I mean… I woke up, to see not only a person who I knew by certainty didn't belong on the Normandy, standing in front of me… and not only that, but Ashley was standing in front of me as well… I was… shocked, but I tried hiding it. Perhaps the whole explosion and then Therum… had just been a dream, and we had all gotten of Virmire. That still left the guy next to Ashley. I asked him who the hell he was… I think. I don't remember that part of the conversation that well, but what I do remember… was what he said." Jane said, taking a pause in her speech, not noticing the now dozens of eyes observing her, wondering why she was chatting with herself.

"Did he offer an explanation?"

"Thomas? The guy was called Thomas Fisher, by the way. Dane, as far as I know. But yeah, he did offer an explanation."

"Dane hmm? Like me…"

"You're Icelandic…"

"Well, to be honest I descend from Iceland, but the majority of my life was spent in Denmark. I told you this, though I do not remember when…"

"I get it…" she said, sighing and fighting to keep the tears from building up further; "You aren't really here, so everything you know… I must also know…" Now, she finally dared looking into his eyes, and saw the sadness in them;

"Yes… though, I can leave if you want me to… you know I would never cause you harm or discomfort." Now, both his hands were placed on hers, spreading some kind of warmth from him to her. Even if it was all in her head, Jane relished it, recognizing the feeling of his touch. She slowly shook her head;

"No…No, I don't want you to leave… not yet. I need… I need someone to talk to… someone to listen to… who knows me for all my flaws and… and evil deeds, and who will still stand by me… like you did." She said, halfway fighting to utter every word. Somewhere deep inside, Jane knew that this person in front of her wasn't real, that it was only a figment of her imagination, combined with the loss of sanity her fighting had caused her.

"Don't worry. I won't leave until you don't need me anymore… and frankly, I can see you needing me a lot more than this… But Jane… there are some things you must understand, cope with, before some semblance of healing can take place in you." He said, a small smile on his lips, but the same sad expression on his face.

"I know…" She said, her voice hoarse.

"So… you know that one of the first things would be to accept the deaths of those you cared about… me included?" She nodded, biting her lips so hard that she thought they would start bleeding.

"But… if I… even if I accept… does that mean I can never see you again?" Jane said, now on the verge of breaking down. She faced the table, not daring to look at him. A hand cupped her chin, lifting her face back up again;

"I don't know. I know nothing more than you do at this point. In some way, that is a good thing, as it allows me to not simply say 'no', and let that be the end… but you saw my death yourself. I suppose it wouldn't help much to apologize for the mess I made on the floor?" He asked, a small wry smile on his lips. Jane couldn't help but release a small giggle. Faint, but it was there.

"You always had such a morbid sense of humor, you know that?" She said, feeling the tears starting to run down her cheeks. Magnus moved one of his hands to wipe the tears away, but they continued through his hand. Withdrawing them, he looked at her again;

"Yeah, though I seem to remember a certain gorgeous red-head who rather approved of it. You may know her. Her name was Jane Valentine Shepard, though most people, including herself, skipped the Valentine part, as it didn't really fit the tough woman she was."

"Yeah…" Jane said, slowly gathering herself again, managing to smile; "I think she won some admirers after she beat up Colonel Bryson, and then there was this cynical yet charming young sergeant from Iceland, who thought she was… what did he tell her? Frea herself?" This caused the man in front of her to chuckle, and she felt her own mood lift a bit as well;

"It was Freja, or Freya, as the English speakers spell it. She was the goddess of love and spring in the Pagan beliefs, and rumored to be the most beautiful woman in existence. That, and she could kick your ass."

"Funny…" Jane said, looking back to their hands.

"Hmm?"

"That you described a devoted protestant as a pagan goddess… actually, it's funny we even liked each other… considering you being a "heathen", so to speak." This caused Magnus, or the figment of her imagination portraying itself as him, to laugh;

"Ha! Yeah, in the old days, you would have shot, burned or crucified me! Or was that the Catholics doing that?"

"I think both have probably done it, over the course of the centuries… but the Catholics were probably the best at it." She said, the curve on her lips growing in size.

"Hey, hey, hey you are saying that like it's a good thing!" He said in mock-anger.

"Sorry, but it did seem like something impossible… for us to become… well, to make out like we did, no?"

"Yeah… can you remember that time in the jungle, near "the Villa", where we had just downed an "enemy" patrol, and then…?" He said, a grin on his face while gesturing with his hand. She tried punching him on the shoulder… only for the fist to go straight through him. Right… not here… you're not really here…

"Why the sudden change of mood Jane?" The man said, smile decreasing. Jane looked him in the eyes, noticing that the color was constantly changing, from brown at one moment, to blue the next. She sighed, feeling the lump pressing in the throat again;

"It's… you are not really here… you are dead… dead. For fucks sake Magnus, why did you have to pull this shit on me? Dying in front of my very eyes, then just turning up again, giving me hope that you in some insane, miraculous way survived anyway, and just now found your way back to me? What did I ever do to deserve this?" Magnus grew more serious now, the smile turning into a more pursed line;

"Jane… we have both done some shit that neither of us is proud of… I hope. I once executed a prisoner, wetting his pants and puking in fear… and you know why? Because I could. It was… before I met you… while I was still a corporal, on duty on a planet which name I don't know because you never knew more than this, and you… remember Torfan?" She nodded, memories of screaming civilians coming back to her, the sound of limps being separated from bodies, Batarians being vaporized… children screaming for the daddy that was just flung against a building. The cries, the insane cries of mothers watching in horror as she threw their sons around like rag-dolls.

"I… I wasn't myself at that time…" Magnus simply slowly shook his head, causing the despair in her to reappear;

"Jane, I say this as the part of your conscience that was affected by me… You were yourself at that time. You discovered some primal bloodlust that made everything else obsolete. I can only guess that you didn't see them as women and children, but as bags of meat, or evil grinning faces… like when your parents died…" Jane's lips became thin, her breath heavy;

"Don't… don't go there… please."

"The raid on Mindoir… the total slaughtering of more than seven thousand colonists… by Batarians. Perhaps, knowing that you could repay some of the evil on Batarian colonists… made you succumb to your own inner demon? I do not know, but I'm guessing that your parents death had some part to play in the… in what you did on Torfan."

"Stop… I… I don't want to talk about it…"

"But Jane, my point is, that we helped each other overcome our… mistakes, and forged a pretty good bond doing so. In the same way as you tried to atone for what you did that day, in the same way must you try to atone for the mistakes you made later on. Yes, you may have died… in a bit more spectacular manner than me granted, but you were granted a second chance, a chance to correct your mistakes, to save those you failed to save in your last life. And before you get your hopes up, then no. I don't think I'll be there as well, seeing as you haven't met me yet… I think. Just, too many people die every day for them to be resurrected like you did. But you can save Ash, and… Thomas, you said it was. Look at saving him, as sort of a… way to make it up to me. Not that I require it, but it may set your mind more at ease… I don't know."

"But… I don't know if I can do that. Can't you stay and help me? Like that voice-thing Thomas has?"

"I'm afraid not… me being here is already putting enough strain on your psyche as it is… I… I'm afraid I have to go now…"

"What? N-No! You can't just… you said you couldn't go until I said so!" Jane was almost openly crying now, tears streaming down her face, messing up the last remnants of her mascara.

"Jane… no matter how bad things may seem, know that I'll always be with you. Can you do that?" He said, form starting to fade, as if he was a ghost that had materialized itself. The lump in Jane's throat felt like it was as far as the back of her mouth, forcing her to hold her mouth as to stop it from emerging in a scream.

"No! I won't let you leave me again! Not a-" She said, speech hindered by the convulsions of fear and grief; "Again! I lost you once you asshole! Don't… don't do it to me again!" As she said the last words, his form faded completely, leaving her alone in the booth. Jane let her head fall on her arms, blocking all view of her face. Those seated close enough could still hear the sobs from underneath the cover of her arms.

"So, how does it feel now?" Emhart is standing at my side, adjusting the arm. It has only been about fifteen minutes since I woke up, but when I did, I felt… strangely whole again, as if my arm had never been gone. All the nerves and sense had returned and… well, let's just say that it feels good to be able to hold both a knife and a fork again. Ash was a bit… surprised at first, over how quickly I adjusted to the arm, and so was Emhart;

"I… I think it feels okay. There are no problems with moving it, and as you…" I say, moving my fingers; "…can see, it pretty much responds to all my thoughts… now I just need Ash to get the hair-beefs, and I'll be like Luke Skywalker."

"Hey Kid, remember that they turned out to be siblings." Tequila says, leaning against the wall next to a big plasma-screen.

"Yeah, Yeah… but I don't believe I can convince you to get them, so Nic can be Han Solo." I say, and almost instantly regret it. Dammit, they are not a thing you blasted idiot!

"Ha! That Nerf-herder? In his dreams." She says, shooting a wry smile in Nic's direction, while he is halfway drooling on his chair, only being brought back to life as Tequila kicks the chair, almost making him fall off. He flies to his feet, making some kind of ridiculous karate-stance;

"What? What's going on?!" He barks, until he sees the entirety of the room, even the doctor, smiling and halfway laughing at him. He shoots Tequila a glare, where after he sits back on the chair;

"Well, I haven't had much sleep for the past ten days, so pardon me for drifting off…" He mumbles, repositioning himself to be able to sit better.

"No harm down Nic, but before sleep claims you again, take a look at the new me." I say, lifting the arm, the new one that is, into the air. He looks at it, as if it is simply a normal arm made of flesh and bone, and lifts an eyebrow;

"Impressive… what can it do?"

"Why don't we arm-wrestle, and I'll show you." I say, but Emhart shoots me a glare;

"What?"

"If you start over-straining the arm too much, before the VI can get to work, you may end up tearing it clean off. Not really a desirable scenario, as the P.H would only cover this surgery, not the second one."

"Fine, fine… so, when can I use it? I mean, really use it?"

"You can use it with the same level of strength as the right arm for now, though the level should increase daily till you could, in theory, lift five-hundred kilos with that arm… in theory."

"Well, I can understand that… but I just have a few questions…" And I do. Some things have been on my mind since I woke up… well, before I was put to sleep again.

"Shoot. I'll try to answer as best as I can." He says, adopting a more casual attitude and putting down some kind of tool he used to refit the prosthesis. He leans against the window, looking like he is leaning against empty air. The sky-cars are zooming past, both above and beneath the building, and I suddenly discover that the hospital is not located in the walls of the Presidium… we are hovering above it! Who the hell had the bright idea to build a hospital in the middle of the "highway"?

"Perhaps the same guy who decided to go back to limited ammunition instead of heat sinks?"

"Ah, hey Roku. 'Was wondering when you would pipe up… you sound better."

"Yes, the sedation worked wonders, it seems."

"Good to know… So, are you ready for that meeting with the councilor?

"Nér shul, I had forgotten about that!"

"What the hell did you just call me?"

"Nothing… just a… I was simply reminded of the meeting… funny that you have gotten a better memory than me…"

"Nah, I just remember other stuff… you can be in charge of remembering the important stuff, and I'll remember the other things."

"Fair enough… but what will you tell him? The councilor, I mean."

"Huh… I don't really know… I mean, I pretty much told him everything during the holo-meeting, so I figure you will be doing most of the talking."

"Hmm… So I have to reveal myself to a member of the galactic council… wonderful."

"Hey, you didn't seem to mind it when you revealed yourself on the Normandy!"

"That was… I think that was different. I mean, then it could be kept secret on the ship, but now if the entire galaxy, worst case, finds out, you could be strung to a table and be dissected…"

"Ew… I am not really looking forward to that…"

"Me neither… but I think the doctor is saying something to you."

"…listening?" I hear Emhart say, and I quickly snap back to him. A bit shameful, I shake my head, and he sighs, repeating;

"I said: I am going to have you conduct some movements and different tests and such. You know, the usual."

"Oh… right. So, what do I have to do?" I ask, shifting my gaze between my hand, Emhart and Ash.

"Well, let's start out with checking how well you can move the fingers, shall we?" I nod.

"We'll start out with a small series of pinches. Start with moving your thumb and index finger towards each other, then move them apart again… yes, like that… and again… good."

"This is pretty easy… I thought this was supposed to retrain things that you would find hard to do…"

"Yeah well, there have been several things about you that have… confused the other doctors… to put it mildly… for one, the… oh, eh… never mind. I'm not sure you want to hear it…"

Why not? Can't be worse than what I've already been told…" I say, shrugging as I do my best to keep up the smile. What isn't he telling me?

"Well… then perhaps, if you want to hear it… perhaps your friends should… step outside… if they will allow it, of course. Now that you are out of immediate danger, see, it is not my place to determine your visitors… but I doubt they would like to hear this." He says, turning towards the trio in the doorway;

"I… guess, that if… Thomas, will you be alright without us?" Nic asks, giving me one of the rare actually worried looks. Hell, I think the last time he did that was when I found him at the clinic… if that even qualifies as such.

"Yeah, I… I think I will… besides mate, you smell like hell… when was the last time you saw a shower?" I say, adding a grin to the question;

"The day before we arrived at Feros." He states. Damn… he hasn't taken a bath in… what has he been doing all the time I have been here?

"So… why didn't you find a shower or something while waiting for me to wake up?"

"Didn't cross my mind actually… I've been sleeping on a couch in the hallway for about ten or eleven days now…"

"Damn… I… thanks…" I say, as the group begins to file out of the room, Tequila in front. Nic turns to look at me with a wry smile;

"Don't go all soft on me now, 'kay?" He says, leaving Ash the last of the visitors to leave;

"So… you have to go as well?" I ask, silently hoping that she will stay. She nods though;

"I think the doctor would like to speak to you in private. Just shout if he tries giving you an overdose or something, alright?"

"Will do ma'am." I say, snapping an odd salute with my right arm, a grin on my face. As soon as she leaves, it disappears. I look at the door as it closes, trying to listen to her footsteps as they echo down the hallway. Her scent is still in the room though, and I try to inhale as much of it as I can. That's when I discover that the smelling bastardo polluted it with his… smell. Damn you Nic, take a bath next time. I chuckle to myself, as I look back at the doc. He wears a strange smile, and it almost… well, it feels both creepy and warm. Like the smile of the third wheel on a date, happy for the couple, yet not getting the hint to leave them alone.

"Gotta say kid, I've seen some serious cases of amor pro aliis, but you rank in the top five."

"I'm sorry what? Is that some new disease that only I have, and now you have to keep me here for studies?" What did that word mean?

"Well, some would call it a disease, causing blindness, rapid heart beating and flimmering eyes, as well as incoherent speaking and sweating…" Fuck! Did I get the plague or something?

"Eh… in normal people language?"

"Ah… love."

"Oh…"

"Anyway, we came from that terrible secret, right?" He says, sitting on the chair recently lived in by Nic. Folding his hands on his chest, he sighs, the bright smile being replaced by a more tired gaze.

"What?" I ask, not being the most patient patient… Eh? Did I just make a joke? Gah, never mind… I'll just have to remember it for later…

"Well, one of the reasons we look at you as a special case, is that… well, to be honest, you were clinically dead…"

"What? But… my organs were all working?" I do not like the way he looks at me…

"The organs yes, but the brain had shut down, closed shop, pulled the plug… we were actually ready to call for a body bag" Crap! Fuck! "-when… well, someone had the bright idea to give you a try with the defibrillator. Don't ask me why, it shouldn't work that way with the brain-dead, but we guessed we might as well try, and bingo, as they say it, you lit up like a Christmas tree. I almost resigned on the spot, you know. Such a thing was supposed to be medicinally impossible, to electrocute the brain back into shape. But, it worked. I deemed it a fucking medicinal miracle, and called for tests to be taken, samples and the whole shit. That was how we discovered another thing that you have to be aware of. Your body… it looked like it had been exposed to insane amounts of Eezo, yet there were neither signs of biotic abilities, nor any kind of cancer. That was when one of the other doctors actually resigned, stating that this wasn't proper science, this was space magic and witchcraft. Hell I won't blame him… I am still having a hard time believing it."

"So… I was dead, real dead, then you just "cleared" me, like someone with a heart attack, and now I hear that I have cancer… or that I should have cancer? Well… I've tried worse, that's for sure, but this takes the cake in the weirdness category…"I say, trying to keep up the appearance of not being startled and pissed at the same time. I'm not sure how much I succeed.

Sighing, I look to my left, out the large window overlooking the rest of the Presidium. I wonder where the rest of the crew is now… probably with Jane, drinking their brains out…

"Hey Boss… you do notice that pretty much every single person in the street is starring at us right?" Scorch said, walking down the street with the rest of Delta-squad, helmet under arm and a happy, yet wondering smile on his lips. The lead-clone, Delta-38, or Boss, as everyone called him, slowed down, looking at the surrounding humans and aliens alike, noticing the looks they were sending their way;

"Well, perhaps they are just stricken by our good looks?" He said, a smile on his lips. This was the closest thing there was to them actually being on shore leave since the mission aboard the Prosecutor, where the CIS had almost taken the ship. Damn lizards, he thought, as he remembered seeing the scalebacks slaughtering his ordinary brothers.

"Yeah, I bet they are all looking at me." Sev said, carrying himself with an air one wouldn't expect from someone just recently returned from the dead.

"Sure Sev, I bet the bloodstained armor is a real lady magnet." Scorch replied, a smug smile on his lips. Everything had happened so fast, after they had been forced to abandon Delta-07 on Kashyyk, and it wasn't until now he could actually get the chance to realize that they were all alive, despite everything.

"As long as it isn't his blood, I think we should be grateful to whatever spirit that actually managed to get him back, seeing how the Jedi wasn't inclined to help us there." Fixer said, shooting his hardened brother a sideways glance. Sure enough, if any one of them had some scars, both physically and mentally, it was Sev, having experienced the panic and dread of being left behind, then being killed, and suddenly finding himself on some foreign planet, along with his brothers. Thinking back, the slicer realized that they had all been very much cooler about the sudden resurrection than he would have thought… well, he thought to himself, except for Scorch, that is…

"About that… Sir…" Sev said, sounding more serious now, as he carefully eyed a group of aliens that strangely resembled some kind of humanoid frog. The stare was returned, as the creature wondered over the four seemingly identical men, distinguished only by the fact that one was bald, one had a Mohawk, the leader a short and military-style haircut, and himself the rare trimmed and beaded hair, in red lines across the head.

"About what oh-seven?" Boss replied, stopping to look at a sign he couldn't read. Strange symbols were flashing in neon, and he had considered asking a passerby for the location of a diner, when the team's sniper spoke up again, this time with a more… worryingly tone to the question;

"I have been thinking sir… if I may speak freely…"

"Thinking? Did it hurt?" Scorch asked, sarcasm mixed with a good-hearted chuckle.

"No, but it soon will if you don't shut it Scorch." Sev replied, raising his fist in a mock-threat.

"What is it Sev?" Boss asked, turning his attention back to the group.

"Well sir… remember the commander on the ship? Shepard, I think his name was?"

"Don't tell me you're still pissed at him for knocking you out?"

"Well no sir, but… remember what the young troo- marine said? That it were those two, their race, that built the clankers? How do we know we can really trust them? Sure as Hell we can't trust the Banking Clan."

"They seem nice enough to me Sev." Scorch said, interrupting. Boss thanked him in his mind, as he was unsure of how to answer that question. Sure, it had been confirmed that those clankers, those geth had been built by the race known as Quarians, but at the same time the two aliens had been shooting at the very same machines, unlike if you put a Geo in front of a battle-droid. Then the shots would be coming the other way.

"Yeah Scorch, I saw how you looked after that blue girl. I thought you were into Twi'leks?" Fixer said, completely derailing the conversation, but he had eyes, even though his brother had probably hoped for the opposite. In theory, clones were not created with the human ability to blush, but then that would mean the "boom-boom" guy had contracted some sort of illness that made his ears go red, along with most of his face;

"Why- I was not looking at her… I mean after her… I mean, I wasn't meaning to… I mean, why do you even care?"

"Easy one brother" Fixer replied; "Because it's rare we are without helmet, and even rarer we get to see you become embarrassed without the helmet on. Besides, she is a real cutie, don't you agree boys?" Fixer continued, giving a smirk that even Scorch would have deemed immature.

"'Course. I'd hit that." Sev said, having apparently forgotten his earlier concern, or at least pushed it from mind for the moment.

"Now, now Sev, is that a proper way to speak?" Boss said, and Scorched silently hoped there could be restored some sense of dignity to the conversation, before he would blow a gasket; "Though I do agree. For an alien, she is pretty hot."

"BOSS! I thought you were supposed to be the mature one here? You know: "superior to your brothers"? That sort of thing?" Scorch growled, feeling the temperature rise inside his armor.

"Relax commando, I'm only kidding. I just mean that I respect your choice in courtship."

"I don't even know what that last… Boss, some guys in armor are coming this way… straight for us…" Scorch said, ending his line as a group of armored humans and the bird-like aliens called Turians moved towards them, all dressed in similar armor. Even though the body shapes demanded different designs, they were as identical as clone trooper's armor. Besides the fact that the armor was all blue and black, not gleaming white. Boss looked at them, instantly sensing two things. One, these people were obviously from some kind of military organization, given the armor and assault rifles they were sporting, and two: they were headed right for the clones, fingers loosely on the triggers of their guns. Remembering the ear-plugs they had received, Boss adjusted it in his ear, turning it on;

"You there. Carrying assault-grade firearms on the Citadel is illegal for all but military high officers and law enforcers. I must ask you to submit to a search, hand them over and follow me back to the station, since you are obviously neither." The Turian leading the group said, pointing at the DC-15 blasters the commandoes were carrying. Sev started saying something rude, but Boss held up a hand, silencing him;

"I beg your pardon sir, but we were not aware of this rule. We are… new, to the station, and as such we have not yet had the chance to learn the rules and regulations of the place. I can assure you, we have no intentions of causing any sort of incident. We will abide by any sort of rules you have, but we will not relinquish our weapons. Please understand this." Boss said in his most diplomatic tone. A commando never, never gave up his weapon while he still had a use for it, and even then he was not to simply discard of it, but find another use for it. Now, these people -law-enforcers, granted- wanted to take their weapons. Something every fiber of 38's being resisted, screamed against. He wondered if this was the same kind of "programming" that made them follow orders without a single question, throwing themselves into the line of fire, often in suicidal attacks.

"I don't think you heard me properly human, so I'll ask again: Relinquish your weapons, or submit to arrest for carrying live firearms of military grade on a civilian station."

"The answer is still no sir." Boss said firmly. The Turian was looking more than mildly pissed now.

"Hey, Setarius, sir… don't you recognize these guys?" One of the humans in the group suddenly said, apparently having examined the clones for quite some time.

"No, should I?" The Turian said, half-turning to face the man who had spoken.

"I guess not… you're no human after all…" The man said, perhaps not realizing that he could be entering a heated argument with his superior.

"What's that supposed to mean Vladevski?" He said, a low growl in his voice. The man seemed to get the hint, as he quickly explained himself, shifting his gaze between his boss, and the four soldiers in question;

"Well, if you had been a human, then you would follow up on human colonization, right? And then you would have followed up on Feros, Zhu's Hope, more precisely."

"I'm listening…" The Turian said.

"You see, the colony was attacked by the geth a few weeks back, and the colonists would have been slaughtered for sure if it weren't for these guys. I have a cousin there, name's Alexi, Boudruvirr Alexi. Anyway, he sent me a message a week ago, said he had been saved by four guys in very unusual armor, with strange rifles. They had even held of a dropship for more than three days, just the four of them." Vladevski spoke like someone would of their favorite gravi-ball team, with admiration and respect. It was a welcome change to 38, having been slightly annoyed over the leader's wish to relieve them of their weapons; "Well, and then, when the Normandy arrived, the big new stealth-frigate you know, the human-turian ship run by the Quarian commander? When they arrived, these four guys simply helped them kick some more ass. They saved the colony, and they are bloody heroes… sir."

"A fan? Well, there's a first time for everything…" Scorch whispered to Sev, holding a hand to his mouth to complete the gossip-like talk. Sev just chuckled, the raw sound that could still cause Fixer to become a bit nervous. It had never been a secret that Sev was a bit… unusual, in his sense of humor. Mainly because it usually involved painting the room in someone's entrails…

"How can you be so certain that it is these people? They could just as well have been Blue Suns, have you thought of that?" The Turian asked, a cold stare directed at the private. Apparently, the guy didn't notice it, as he turned on his weird glowing arm-contraption, something Scorch had been informed was called an Omni-tool, some sort of wrist-mounted computer, and produced a picture. At first, no one could really see what was on it, as it started out as poor quality, but when it became sharper, there was a deadly silence. On the picture, hovering above the man's wrist, four armed and armored clone commandoes could be seen, riddling a geth Prime with blaster bolts. More pictures followed, as it became clear to the Deltas that someone had been sneaking after them, photographing them without their knowing. That such a thing was even possible, could only mean two things, Boss thought. One was that they were becoming rusty, not watching their backs as well as they used to, the other option was that this Boudruvirr was a Sith, being able to evade them as he apparently had. Frankly, Boss was unsure which of the options he preferred.

"See sir, they are heroes. Surely we can allow them to keep their weapons?" The young man, possibly no older than twenty asked, an almost pleading tone to his question. This is getting ridiculous, Boss thought, as he considered the entire situation.

"So… I should simply let them… wait… you said something about the Normandy?" The Turian asked, eyes halfway closed… at least, more than they were before.

"Yes sir. I even think they ended up joining the Normandy's crew… or am I wrong in that one?" The last question had actually been aimed at them, Boss realized. Now the Turian, the young man and most of the intelligent life-forms nearby were starring at them, waiting for the apparently all-meaning answer to life and existence itself.

"It is correct that we have transferred ourselves aboard the Normandy, as we saw it to be a possibility to do some good… well, and get paid. Vigilante-service doesn't exactly pay for gear and food. The ship has its own cook, and food is free, along with lodging. It was a natural choice. But why are you asking these questions?"

"Then I believe there is a young man by the name of Fisher on that ship, no?" The Turian said, locking eyes with Boss as he asked. Something about the way he was asked rubbed Boss the wrong way.

"I may… what's it to you?"

"My… superiors, namely one of them, would love for him to come down for a chat… nothing serious, just a little talk about his views on different races."

"Ahh yes… I have gathered as much as that there seems to be some kind of… disagreement between the races Quarian and Turian… though Thomas hasn't really struck me as that type of person. Indeed, he actually seemed an adamant defender of the Quarians… so I will assume this is not because he did something stupid because someone acted as a racist? And of course, that would never be the reason for him to actually be arrested, defending civil rights, now would it?"

"Of course not. We would simply like to… interview him, due to his performance at the headquarters." The Turian said, a sudden calmness to his voice. It was clear that Boss had caught him unprepared for the questions, not being able to come up with a more believable story.

If there was one thing Sev hated more than Geo's, it was people who lied, and thought to get away with it. This was also why he had never volunteered for more senate duty than absolutely necessary, back in the days of their service in the senate. They were sent back to the front when they failed to prevent the attack on the senate, led by the bounty hunter Cad Bane. In a sense, Sev was glad that he and his brothers had been out drin- eating… in a fine diner, not spending the night at that gloomy bar with that dancing Twi'lek. Nope, it was just a small cozy diner. Though I nailed her good… good times, Sev thought, as he remembered that night. It had been a tad awkward the next day, when they had been transferred to serve along with Commander Bly, under Jedi General Ayla Secura. The way Bly had looked at him when he heard about Sev's night; he could have sworn he had conjured up some joke about him and the General. That was also the day Sev got reprimanded for kicking a superior officer in the ass. It wasn't that it hurt that much, probably, but the fact that he had kicked a superior officer.

"Cut the Kriff Turian. Why are you looking for Fisher?" Sev said, having reemerged from his sea of nostalgia. The group of armed individuals, mainly the ones working for Citadel Security, looked at Sev, and even Boss turned around to look at his soldier.

"Are you implying that I am not telling the truth?" The Turian asked, mandibles flaring as if he had just been insulted more than it had seemed. And that was actually the case. For Turians, being accused of lying was an even worse insult than anything else, and even the worst of scum would admit to a crime, if asked directly. That he was being accused of lying, was saying that he was even below the worst of scum.

"That is one bright guy, right there. Yes, I'm saying that you are filling us with crap."

"Sev, Turians don't lie. I asked Nihlus about this, and even the worst of criminals don't lie… so, I'm assuming, that since I agree that he is filing us with crap, he himself is not fully aware of the reason. Am I right?" Boss said, changing his gaze from Sev to the Setarius.

"I was told to bring in Thomas Fisher for questioning. Reason: Difficulties with understanding the customs of races, and negative reactions to the matter. I should not actually be telling you this… but Fisher had an argument with my superior, and apparently it didn't end well." The Turian said, looking somewhat surprised he had just blurted that out. Boss crossed his arms, leaning slightly backwards in a relaxed stance;

"Well, when we see him, we'll make sure to tell him that he's wanted on the station. And eh, officer?"

"Yes, what is it mister…?"

"Boss. Do we still have to hand over our guns and all that nonsense that would eventually lead to some sort of violent incident?" He asked, gesturing towards Sev who was still wearing his grizzly sneer, not trusting the people in front of them till they would pick up and leave them the hell alone.

"Why don't we just say that…'heroes' are excused of that rule? This once anyway. Just because I'm no human, it doesn't mean I can't appreciate a good show of heroism. If you people really saved those colonists, I think we can press you into the 'Military officials' and just call it that. What do you say?"

"I think, mister Setarius, that we can come to an agreement here." Boss said, smiling. It wasn't the type of smile that meant they were best pals, but it wasn't the kind of smile that would be followed up with a right hook either. Therefore, it was a good smile.

"Then… if you will tell Fisher to come for a chat at the Academy, I think we can leave it at that." Setarius said, extending a three-digit hand. With a shrug, Boss took it, and shook it a bit awkwardly. He wasn't exactly sure what the Turian expected, that Thomas should waltz into the academy and be arrested? And what was it actually that had transpired between this "superior" of Setarius's and that guy? Certainly Thomas couldn't have done something illegal… could he? Truth be told, despite trusting the kid, Boss hardly knew him. He had only seen him in action, and hadn't had a chance to actually speak to the guy, let alone get to know the person who seemed to have the answers as to why they were there. Besides, Boss thought, the female corporal still seemed to be less than friendly towards them.

What the hell was 'Order 66' anyway?

As the patrol tuned and walked away, Boss found himself starring after them, wondering about the apparent randomness of the entire confrontation. Checking his helmets in-build systems, he could see that they had wasted almost fifteen minutes just avoiding being arrested for something that was apparently illegal.

"Well… should we try and find that diner?" Scorch said, bringing their minds back to the original task at hand: Finding something to eat.

September 21th

Illium, Nos Astra

"So... what do you think?" Tara said, as she opened the big door in the hangar area labeled 2905. The rust-colored door slowly opened with a long and creaky sound. They had agreed to wait till the next day, as none of them turned out to be willing to brave the storm that raged outside the apartment, if one could call it that. They had spent the remainder of the day playing cards, which was a human game Magnus had introduced Tara to.

He was still amazed at the speed she had learned it, and the fact that she had beaten the crap out of him after only two games. She had even beaten his record of winning in less than half an hour. The game, 'Ruffles' normally took up to an hour to complete, but Tara had either found a way to cheat, or was simply a natural. Somehow, he was glad she had worn the mask, as he doubted there wasn't a smug smile on her face when she slammed down the two kings and queens, winning the game for the third time. After seven games, Magnus simply stopped believing he had a chance, and switched to teaching her 'Poker'. Surprisingly, this game she already knew, and when he had asked, she had told him that her people had something very similar, where they used spare parts and services as bets.

Somewhere in his mind, Magnus made a mental note of challenging Tali to a game, that was, if he ever saw her again. That had somehow changed his mood, and Tara hadn't been blind to it. When asked what was wrong, he just replied 'old memories', and refused to speak more. It may, he thought, have been a little harsh, but if he had started explaining, he would eventually come to the part where he served with Shepard, and she would either ask him if he was actually lying to her, tell him that Shepard was a man, or catch on and go insane when she found out his 'secret'. Neither was something he wanted to see happen. So, therefore the silence.

Now, Tara had taken him to the industrial docks on Nos Astra, not wanting to tell him what the hell they were doing there. She had just activated some kind of electronic lock with her Omni-tool, and the large gate was slowly opening, making a loud creaking that surely every single being with the ability of hearing would notice. When the gate opened, and the lights flickered on, he was to put it mildly, pretty much taken aback at what he saw;

"By… by Thor…" Was all he could manage to stutter, as his eyes fell on the content of the large room. In front of him, positioned on six large and strong metal legs, a ship was waiting. While he could only see the silhouette, as the lamps had yet to fill the room with light, so he was even more amazed when the lights finally came to.

"Well…?

"Tara… what… exactly is this?"

"It's a class 2-7 'small' cargofreighter-CF24." She said calmly, walking towards the large ship in a slow pace; "It has the capability to haul up to 9 tons of cargo, or the equivalent in passengers.

"So… this was… you… just how much did this thing cost?"

"Five million credits." She said, almost sounding a bit embarrassed. The number almost made Magnus faint, though his body settled with a cough.

"Fi- five mi-million credits?" He spluttered, but quickly held his mouth, as he realized Tara had actually been watching him for a reaction. For that piece of shit?

"Sorry… but... What will you even use it for? I mean, even the smallest freighter requires a crew… and you're just… well, you… not that I doubt you can fly it, not at all… but… well, it still looks like it needs some repairs. You know, before it's space worthy." That was true. The hull was littered with scrapes and places where the plating had started to rust or fall off, and there were, as far as he could see, cracks in the windows on the bridge. Still, he would need to look on the inside for a full overview. There, he stopped himself. Why should she even let me aboard? For all she knows, I could be useless with tech… not that I am, but…

"Well, I bought it because I figured there would be work for someone with a freighter. You know, to haul goods and such. Then, when I had earned enough, I could buy a second one and take them both back to the fleet."

"Two new ships? Well, I'll give you that Tara: You sure as hell know how to impress. You've certainly got me on my ass here…" Had he know about, or seen the blush that crept up on Tara's cheeks, Magnus would probably have been more careful with what he said, but as it was, he didn't suspect a thing.

"Y-Yes… I thought they could secure me a spot on a ship… as a valued crewmember. I mean, all Quarians are valued, but for someone to bring a new pair of ships… that would, or should earn me a place on the best ship of them all."

"Which one?" Magnus asked, curious to learn more about the Quarians and their fleet. Sure, Tali had been bursting to tell and teach, but there was only so much one could learn from one person. Perspective always helped.

"It's funny. You ask as if you expect to know the ship, or even its captain. Of course, you would not, but it is still funny."

"Come on, try me. I've known a few Quarians, I might know the ship, and the captain." The last sentence was said while he leaned in, giving her a smug smile.

"Fine, if you insist on embarrassing yourself, then the ship is called the Rayya. Now, tell me the name of her captain, and I'll let you know the name of the freighter when it's done, and you might just get to help me repair it... if you don't suck with a hammer that is." Magnus had difficulty moving for some time, let alone speak. She… is letting me… only if I guess correctly of course, but… man… and we have to fix it first… but… Crap, that means I have to ask her now, before I get myself involved in something… he thought, as his fingers automatically started rubbing his growing facial hair. That also, in the deep of his mind, reminded him to get a shave. Blond was a wrong color for a beard.

"Okay, but before I answer the question, I have to conditions." He said, catching Tara off guard as she had started inspecting the hull, noting the places that needed repair. She obviously hadn't expected him to actually be going to answer her question. Because, how could he?

"Sure… what are they?"

"First, when I have answered your question, you must answer one I give you. No matter how silly or odd it might seem, okay?"

"I guess… what's the second condition?" Tara asked, a gnawing feeling of uneasiness creeping up on her. It was, to her, like Magnus was about to ask her something that could mean the difference between life and death for him. In truth, she wasn't that far off.

"That's another question. It will depend on the answer of the first one. 'Sounds okay?" He asked. She could really only nod.

"Alright… and I'm not cheating or anything, you can check me for bugs later. The name of the captain on the Rayya is… Captain Kar'Danna vas Rayya. Did I get it right?" It was good that he could not see Tara's face, given the fact that she looked like he had told her he had just made a truce with the geth on her behalf, or even shed his own skin to reveal a Salarian underneath. There was a minute or so of awkward silence where none of them spoke. Her, because she could not, and he because he dared not. Finally, he broke the silence;

"Eh… Tara?"

"How did… who exactly told you that?" Tara asked with a voice that had utterly changed character. It was low, menacing and cold, calculating and most of all, it radiated professionalism. For Quarians, giving out information like that was only for those the fleet could consider to be trusted, which sadly, wasn't a lot of people.

Backing up, Magnus instantly held up his hands in some sort of protection, should Tara try to… he didn't really know, but the first time he had met Tali, she had dropkicked him to the ground in one move. Not something he desired to repeat.

"The Quarian I worked with. She was from the Rayya herself."

"Still… that kind of information is… not something we usually give to our coworkers. How well did you know her?" For some reason, Tara was beginning to suspect that Magnus had been with more than just Jane, though she could not fit it in, unless he was a polygamist. In which case she would throw him off the ship, even before it had been repaired. She had been told several times to be more open-minded towards such cultural differences, as it happened that some races practiced different mating-traditions than the Quarians.

"How well I… What? Tara… I hope you aren't implying that I would ever cheat on Jane!? For your information, Tali was like a sister to me, not that other…" He stopped talking as he realized he had just slipped up, mentioning Tali by name. Fjandinn! He cursed to himself, as he looked at Tara. She looked, or the way she held herself, looked like she was in some kind of surprised condition, to put it mildly.

"Sorry… shouldn't have shouted like that…" He said, wringing his neck with the intact hand. The left one still hurt too much when he used it. He could feel the gnawing pit in his body shout at him, yelling that he just fucked up with the first person to help him.

"It's okay, but… Tali? As in, and I realize she is not, and that this is a stupid question, but… as in Tali'Zorah? The daughter of Admiral Rael'Zorah?" Now, this was exactly the scene he had wanted to avoid. He had no way of proving it, and even if he could find her, she probably wouldn't know him. Double Fjandinn!.

"Eh… probably not… she was just… I can't remember her last name, though it did start with 'Zo' or 'so', but I don't think she was the daughter of an admiral…" He said. Truthfully, he knew full well that Tali hhad been the only child of the Quarian Admiral in mention, and that she didn't have the most fluid relationship with her father.

"Oh… still, it would be a crazy coincidence if she had been, right?" Tara said, her voice returning to normal levels. Magnus thanked the Gods, as there was only one thing that sounded worse than a singing Quarian, and that was a screaming Quarian. At least, that's how it sounded when they were speaking through those voice-emitters. He had yet to hear what a Quarian sounded like without the mask on. And he was as likely to experience that, as to see Jane waltz around the corner with Saren's head in her hands.

"Now for my question…" Magnus said, considering each word he was about to utter, even though he would probably mess it up anyway.

"Sure… shoot." Tara said in her normal voice.

"What does the name 'Commander Shepard' mean to you?"

A/N

And that's it for tonight folks. I wanted to use the time Thomas was spending in the hospital, for something more constructive than having an hour-long conversation. So, I figured I would give you some insider on the other guys on the crew, even Magnus Olafur, though he isn't exactly "crew" in this dimension... you know what I mean.

So please refrain from tearing me apart with "Oh you suck!" or "This is inconsistant" or however the heck that word is actually spelled. Eng isn't my first language (Surprise, as I'm a Dane), so I may have some grammatical bloopers from time to time. Wouldn't it be funny if that very sentense held the most errors I have yet to make?

And don't worry, we'll get back to our own favorite confused and needle-scared Dane right away... well, in the next chapter, I mean.

till then, Adios!