Ah, well here we go again. This chapter and the next one will be the last chapters in the story, so certain events might unfurl. Still, I think the title of this chapter is well deserved.

We're starting out on a more somber note though...

A moment of peace, at last

December 12th

Palavan, Trebia

Cipritine, Residence of the Vakarian family.

18:22 (Palavan time zone 2)

Thomas briefly wondered if this would be what the rest of his life would be like; endless battles, followed with the burials of friends and loved ones. Garrus had been the former, and a good one at that. Watching the pyre consume him, albeit in a manner that was both modern and yet all the more so sad and ceremonial for the meaning put into it. Heratus Vakarian had recited verses from the Code of Conduct and Spirits, what Thomas guessed was their version of a bible, as the flames took his only son.

After that, as the fire burned on, the different guests were supposed to say a few words, and, as opposed to when Sev or Fixer had died, Thomas wanted to offer a few words here. As Solana stepped down, having delivered a shattering speech and recollection of how she had spent far too little time with her brother, how duty in the military had always gotten in the way, the turn came to friends, as family and commanding officers had been first. Thomas opted to start, knowing he would break down if he waited.

"I… hi, I suppose I should start with. I'm Thomas, and Garrus served with me on the Normandy. I…" He wiped tears from his eyes; "I knew Garrus as well as anyone could hope, I think. I hope. Garrus was…" more tears already, followed by heaving for breath; "Garrus was one of the first Turians I ever met. He changed how I viewed Turians, not as just a strict and stiff people, but a warm, honor bound and proud people instead. He always showed complete discipline, honor, selflessness and courage, yet he could always lighten the mood with jokes, or even make banter while taking down enemies." Dammit, Dammit! More tears, and he found it harder to breathe;

"I met Garrus on the Citadel, where he saved my life, as well as that of Tali'Zorah and Nicolai Tengberg. He didn't care that it was dangerous; there were innocents in danger, and so he just went in, and saved us." Thomas said, shaking his head at the memory; "Thinking back to it, it was a pretty stupid idea, but that was just what it was back then. Things… happened, and Garrus just showed up. I owe him my life on more than one occasion, I… I… dammit… I'm sorry, I… " He was choking on his own sorrow, his throat clenched together tightly, while his vision became blurry and watered. He refused, gods be damned he refused to go down, to leave like this;

"Garrus was one of the greatest people I've ever met. He was charming, funny, he held virtue and duty, honor, above a lot of things, but one of the most… he really cared for everyone else, even though he seemed to have trouble saying it without joking about it. Garrus… the Normandy won't be the same without you." He pressed the last words out before succumbing to hiccups between tears. Clenching his fists along his side, he shook his head and stepped down back from the pyre.

The next to step up was the Turian who had introduced himself to them earlier, Lantar Sidonis.

"Greetings. Some of you know me, some don't. My name is Lantar Sidonis, and Garrus was my best friend since Academy. I saw in him the potential for someone who could effect history. I thought… I thought for sure, that he could go down in history, somehow." As Sidonis, a Turian Thomas only knew a little about, most of it from 2184, continued, Thomas started to learn things about Garrus that he had never considered. That Garrus had been drilled with rifles since being seven, that his mother had been weak, and thus spurred the protective instinct in the young Turian, that Garrus had always been a little jealous when Solana, due to her rare biotics, had been picked for the Cabals. It was odd, learning these things while the remains of the Turian in mention were burning away on the pyre. To say that Thomas felt uncomfortable, would be a joke in itself. He felt a lot of the details were worth cracking a smile over in most cases, but… he couldn't. Of course, seeing what the situation was, cracking a smile would indicate mental illness.

"Then, I found out… Garrus had been picked for the Normandy crew. Honestly I wasn't sure whether to feel proud or jealous, but… looking back, even… with what's happened, he often contacted me, telling me that he wouldn't trade it for the world. That… that he felt he was making a real difference, instead of cutting through red tape, he was saving the galaxy. And he did, didn't he? I mean, in the end, it is just as much how you leave this galaxy as how you lived in it that counts. And Garrus… Garrus… Garrus lived with the most noble intentions, a pure heart and a great sense of humor…" Sidonis said. At her place, Garrus's mother broke into a wail, whereupon Heratus pulled her into a soft embrace. Solana… just stood there.

"I think, I'd like to think, that when he gave his life, he did it on his own terms, because he felt it was the… the right thing to do. I don't claim to know everything that happened, but from what I understand…" He said, looking towards the Normandy crew; "He gave his life protecting those he loved. In my eyes, while his death… his… his death, robbed us all of a man with few equals, the way he left us was the best possible. With a pure heart, strong will, noble intentions and the…" Sidonis heaved for breath, mandibles splitting briefly before he continued with a voice devoid of weakness; "The desire to protect others and punish the wicked. I, for one, want to remember him for those values."

As Sidonis stepped down, Thomas felt like just collapsing on the spot. The grief was too hard, too much. He had always been bad at funerals, but… but this was… he knew it was his fault. Garrus was dead because he hadn't been fast enough. Gods be damned, it was all his fault! He clenched his fists, wanting to do, do something. Anything, to make his mistake gone, to bring Garrus back.

But there was nothing. And as the rest of the ceremony progressed, Thomas was too shattered to even lift an eyebrow as the human outside their group was revealed to be Armando Bailey from C-Sec. He didn't care. Dying didn't alter perspective or change how you lived. Friends dying though… being left behind was cruel, he thought.

December 13th

Zorya, Faia system

Blue Suns HQ, quarters of Tr. Olafur and Op. Sidonis.

23:11

It had been more than two days since Sidonis left. Odd, that Magnus would miss a Turian this much, but there it was. Lantar, not Sidonis. He had to remember that Sidonis was a name used by those who didn't know him, that Lantar, was what the Turian wanted to be called by friends… friends.

Magnus sometimes wondered why Lantar viewed him as a friend. Magnus didn't mind, as the Turian proved both entertaining and calming company, but he himself wasn't certain what he had done to earn the title of 'friend' with Sidonis. He never really sought to earn that title with anyone.

Still, there were better things than friends. He knew that. He'd always known it, ever since some freak of science had sent him to this galaxy, blasted reality to shreds and for once enabled him to do what he was good at; ignore fear in favor of kicking ass. Too bad to took him dying to get there. Still, his life hadn't been all devoid of pleasure since then either. One, and the first, had been what he once though would be his entire life with a red-haired warrior, a dream that was shattered by the interruption of a lowly thug. Then, his death had given birth to new life, his new life. Never in his life had he even imagine ending up where, and how, he was now.

Employed by a more noble version of the Blue Suns, known and somewhat respected by warrior and soldiers on his level, and… in love, once more. He had never thought it would actually happen, and yet, it just had. Tara had sort of snuck up on him, on his emotions. What had started like a protective relationship had developed into… into this.

Tara was what all men wanted, he reasoned, smiling. She was kind, she kicked ass, was compassionate, had great curves, and she had a voice that made his skin crawl in the good way whenever she giggled or just spoke to him. When their eyes locked, he could feel… he felt warm, when she looked him in the eyes. He didn't care much about how she looked beneath the helmet. Of course, he was curious as all hell, but it wasn't going to be a decisive factor if she was gorgeous or not. With the life they lived, chance was he would never even see her face unobstructed.

He loved her, he knew. It was odd. It was odd in a good way, because it gave him purpose. He smiled again, as he rested his head on the pillow. Sure, he was a merc now, a gun for hire, sort of. But… he was okay with that.

His smile vanished the moment he realized he wasn't alone. Someone were in the room with him, and it wasn't Tara, since thát would have made him smile more, not less. He sat up in the blink of an eye, scanning the room. It wasn't big, but it was enough that someone could be hiding.

"Still scared of the dark, are we?" A woman asked from the other side of the room, causing Magnus to halt all action, even breathing. No… No, not again. No, not… not the universe decided to be cruel once more, to torment him with visions?

"Who is it?" He demanded, reaching for the sidearm he kept beneath the pillow. He trusted Lantar, but he wasn't naïve. In this business, being naïve got you killed. A lighthearted laughter was his response at first.

"Forgotten my voice already? I suppose that's understandable, seeing how you went on to charm the first the best girl you could find." The woman said again, her voice coming closer, as if she was walking towards him. No, no, no this is not fair!

"You're not her. You're not her, you're not her." He exclaimed. That tended to work, if he could convince himself it was just another messed up vision, they tended to go away. The woman came a few inches closer, her face only visible from the weak, ghastly light coming from her mouth and eyes, a mockery of what he had lost.

"I'd say I very much am me. Or are you just trying to buy yourself some good conscience? Did you ever actually look for me? Or did you just accept that I was lost, and moved on?" The figure said. He wasn't going to call it by the name it took form of, no way.

"You are. Not. Her" He pressed through gritted teeth. The vision was just that, a vision. It wasn't what it looked like. The figure stepped closer, the ghastly light still illuminating her face. Its face. It wasn't her.

"Why are you doing this, Magnus? Why are you hurting me like this?" The figure suddenly cried, stepping forward, its maw opened in a gaping hole of white, ghostly light. Now, closer, he could see there were more differences than just knowing she wasn't real.

The skin and flesh was pale, dead. There was blood dotting the face, running down from the forehead, with the once strong, red hair in tatters. The once beautifully strong and feminine face had been marred, scars covering where no scars should be, with tinkles of blood running from each blazing eye.

"Get AWAY FROM ME!" He yelled, tumbling out of bed. He made for the door, only to find the thing, the imaginary thing in his way. He knew it wasn't real, but he still couldn't touch it. Not in this state. The last time he had… no, no he wasn't going to do it. He had to… what could he do?

"You betrayed me! You hurt me! You left me! You cheated on me!" The figure rambled and ranted as it walked towards him, hands outstretched. Fingers became claws, sharp, dirty nails and claws that would claw at his sanity as much as his flesh.

"No! No I didn't! No, you are not real!" He yelled again, seeking his sidearm. The thing was still placed beneath his pillow where he grabbed it, already loaded, and aimed it at the figure. The thing stopped, looking at him with a sad, desperate and craving expression on the haunted face.

"Please! Magnus, I love you!" She screamed, coming closer. Please stop! Please stop whoever is doing this to me! Please!

"We can be together again! It'll be just like before!" She begged again. Magnus could feel his heart being physically torn to pieces. It was her voice. Her… her form. No, No, Gods! It isn't her! Please, make it stop!

"You're… not REAL!" He yelled, aiming the gun at her again. He couldn't stop now. He knew how these visions ended. They never ended until he ended them. It was the most cruel joke of the universe, what he needed to do. Tears completely fogged his vision, and his hands were shaking. He shut his eyes closed. He pulled the trigger.

The thing screamed in unnatural anguish and pain, in wrath and grief. The bullet hit the wall behind it, having passed through nothing but air. Magnus opened his eyes again, only to find a visible crack in the wall where the slug had impacted, and nothing else in the room. He fell to his knees, sobbing quietly.

December 13th

SSV Normandy

Captain's quarters

06:12

Jane sat up with a startle, bathed in sweat. Her nightshirt and shorts were drenched in cold sweat, her hair cold and stuck to her face. Her heart was hammering away, and her breathing was ragged and labored, wild eyes scanning the room.

It had been another one of those nightmares.

She had been… somewhere. She didn't know where, but it was a room, a place with walls and a roof, but not like a cell. More like a sleeping quarter, like her own room now, only shared by two beds, bunk beds. It had been dark, but she could still see.

She had seen him again.

Magnus had been standing in front of her, no words over his lips. Only intense fear radiating from him. She had wanted to hug him, to comfort him, rare as the need had seemed to be back then.

And he had shot her.

December 14th

Arcturus Station, Arcturus Stream

Office of Admiral Anna Fisher

14:17

"Admiral, you've got an incoming message." Price said, popping up in his smaller projection. Anna sighed, not feeling up to a new round with whatever journalistic admiral, politician or Councilor wanting her grilled.

"Why can't you ever initiate conversations with 'Hi, how are you?' or how about 'Yo, Anna. Message here for you.'? I swear, it would make my job so much more funny. By the way, did you manage the transfer of funds to Cole's team?" Anna asked. Memories had the oddest timing with her, probably due to age, so it wasn't until now she remembered that she had made a deal with Alliance Parliament to double the pay of Doctor Brynn Cole's entire team. In their own way, those eggheads had saved the galaxy.

"I did. They were surprised, to say the least. Also, the message is via QEC, so you might wanna pick it up. It's expensive to use." She nodded at that. Quantum Entangled Communications were a bitch to the paycheck of anyone, and now that Sovereign, or Nazara as a select few knew it as, was dead, Parliament had cut off her blank check. Assholes… Still, Udina would know how to handle them.

It hit her then; She relied on Udina to get her the funds she needed for her projects.

The galaxy really seemed to have a weird sense of humor.

"Right… who is it, by the way?" She asked.

"Admiral Zaal'Korris. The link is originating from low Rannoch orbit, so unless it's a distress call…" The AI trailed off. Anna snapped her fingers;

"It means he did it. Bloody magnificent bastard that one" She chuckled and gestured for him to light up the connection. After a few moments, the visage of the Quarian admiral showed up on screen. She saluted him, and he her. They were colleagues now, after all. Not to mention he was crucial to securing peace with the geth, while she had been crucial in securing the Quarians' place in the Alliance. They relied on each other, but not in a bad way.

"Admiral Korris. Glad to see you're calling back without claxons in the background." She said with a smile. The other admiral nodded eagerly.

"Yes. Yes, I called because you needed to know of the recent development. We've secured a deal to allow a small settlement of Quarians to start on the northern hemisphere, in Idenna." The man was practically beaming.

"Wait… settlement in a ship?" She knew they had big liveships, but… if they settled in those, what was the point of a planet then?

"Ah, you haven't heard. The geth have been repairing the Homeworld since the war. I couldn't believe it when I heard it, when a geth consensus told me, but… but… but… Keelah, I don't even know how to word this. And here I had this whole speech lined up and then there were only a few live spectators… I'll send you the file." He rambled, as a ping came from the terminal in her desk, revealing a file received. Without her needing to ask, Price brought up the downloaded file.

"Well I'll be a pony!" She herself was now beaming with pride. What the file was revealing, it was a vid, was nothing short of Zaal'Korris stepping from the interior of an Alliance shuttle, treading foot onto the soil of Rannoch. There even was audio with it.

"I, Zaal'Korris vas Qwib Qwib, Quarian Admiral of the Systems Alliance, am now taking the first step onto Homeworld soil in more than three centuries. This is a small step for one Quarian, but for peace, sentient life and coexistence, it is a huge leap. Let this mark the beginning of a new era. An era of peace, of prosperity and bonding." The Admiral on the file said. Anna almost dropped her jaw when a towering construct, clearly one of the Prime-class, walked up to the relatively squishy and small admiral. While Korris himself showed little fear beyond what small things would to big things, a few of the guards with him touched their weapons.

"The geth welcome you back to Rannoch, Creator Admiral Zaal'Korris. We desire co-operative and non-hostile existence with the Creators. Creator City 'Idenna' is habitable for population of estimated three-point-one-five-fifty-four million individual creators. Water is consumable. Local flora is agreeable with traditional methods of harvest."

"Thank you, geth. Thank you for giving us this chance of trust. I shall see to it that what happened once will not be repeated."

"We would desire it did not. The Morning War resulted in the deaths of Creators."

"And the demise of geth as well. I know. To a better future." Korris said, in the process of extending his hand towards the geth, just as the file glitched. In real-time, Zaal'Korris shrugged and huffed;

"It figures, I suppose, that the first and only file so far showing a geth platform and a Quarian extending hands would be corrupted. I've never been lucky in thát regard, but I can live without the file being perfect, quite easily, if it means a better future for our children." Anna scratched her head, leaning against the wall;

"It just went like that? No strings attached?" She asked. Price popped up, just as Korris was about to answer;

"Admiral, the geth possess infantile intelligence in some areas. They are young, and look for guidance. As far as I can guess, the 'Heretics' found guidance with Nazara. These ones though…"

"Were waiting for us to return to them, yes... They are our children, Fisher. We have done terrible things to one another, but now… I dare hope it will finally end." Korris said, then looked at Price; "And thank you as well, Price. Your hand in this was of an importance that cannot be overstated."

"Yeah well... just try not to fuck it up a second time. I won't bother playing diplomat again." The AI grumbled, scratching his neck. Anna chuckled at the scene. To her, it almost seemed like the old, grizzled captain was embarrassed. Hah, that'd be the day though.

"We won't. You have my word on that." Korris then turned to Anna; "I will return to my duties. Please let Raan know of this development, as well as Rael. I suspect he and Tali will be more than overjoyed." The admiral said, the nodded and vanished.

"Well… I suppose I can get good news from time to time." Anna mused, cracking a smile. Price shook his head, then looked up, as if his attention shifted for just a moment. Anna knew that as a sign that Cole had said something important to the part of Price busying itself in the labs; "Price?"

"Right. Okay, so there's a good and a bad piece of news."

"Bad ones first. I want to end the day with a smile." She said. Price nodded;

"Alright… the section of the hull where Nazara fired upon was practically liquidated. Dunno how much it'll cost, but you'll need to replace that section of the hull, armor and SOSNSA-coating." Anna could already see the mountain of red numbers, now that she was temporarily cut off from funds. With a growl in her throat, she snapped towards the captain.

"The good news damn well better be good then." He nodded;

"They are. I pieced together footage and impacting results from Valhalla, as well as data from every other naval engagement we've had with the Reapers so far. The reaction with the SOSNSA at the Citadel was the missing piece." The AI explained. Anna rubbed her brows;

"Not following."

"I'm close to figuring out just what the Reapers, the small ones at least, were shooting at us. If I can fully decrypt those fuckers' secrets…" He said, deliberately trailing off.

"We can copy it!... or, at least come up with defenses against it." Either way, this definitely was good news."

"That's the idea, yeah. We're still just theorizing, mind you, but imagine…"

"…a Reaper-gun strapped onto the Hammer! Price, if it wasn't because you're an AI, I'd say your brain was a supercomputer" She exclaimed.

Fuck the Parliament, this was grounds for celebration.

Thirty seconds later, a mildly baffled AI looked on as the old lady turned on a piece of techno, then started rocking away like a hormone-driven teenager.

Humans… no matter what galaxy, they were bloody nuts, all of 'em.

December 15th

Arcturus Station, Arcturus stream

'Mt. Pavelonya', Civilian recreational sector.

14:36

Tucked away, sort of, in a corner of the residential and recreational areas of Arcturus, there was a nice little restaurant by the name of 'Mt. Pavelonya'. It wasn't overly big, nor small, but at the same time it wasn't really all that crowded either. Actually, the pair of marines seated at one of the tables were some of the only customers at the moment, one a dark-haired woman with faint Hispanic traits, the other a scarred, though ruggedly handsome man. Of course, the scars might have put off most people, though not the woman with him.

The kitchen-staff, having no orders, observed the obviously dating couple with mild interest. When they usually got off, the restaurant would be all but empty.

The woman in question, Gunnery Chief Ashley Madeline Williams, was in the process of retrieving a small object from a pocket in her uniform, to the amusement and curiosity of her partner, Service Chief Thomas Vestergaard Fisher.

"Seriously, what is it?" He asked, having no idea what was going on, as Ashley had made him close his eyes. Gods did he hate being so impatient. Surprises always made him itchy, like a kid on Christmas, speaking of… Crap! He hadn't started looking for gifts for her yet!

"Don't. Look." Was all he got as a response. Obeying his technically superior officer, the young man kept his eyes shut, trying to use the sounds of his love, rummaging in her pockets, to guess what she was doing. Or rather, what she was retrieving.

"I'm not, don't worry. Besides, you'd just kick my ass if you caught me." He chuckled, the winced as the healing scars across his face were strained by the expressions. He knew he looked a mix between horrifying, and incredibly badass, but the origins of his two vertical scars didn't give him much joy, considering what they had lost that day.

"You bet I would. Alright, sit still." She said, while giving off sounds of getting to her feet. Thomas felt the hairs on his neck stand as cool, metal chains were hung there, a necklace of some sort obviously. Since when did the woman give jewelry to the men in relationships? He must have missed that page.

"Alright, now you can look." She said, having sat down on her own seat again. Thomas opened his eyes, seeing Ashley first. They were booth just in casual uniforms, since they didn't know when they would be called back from shore leave again. Though she had her hair down now. He loved it when she did, how the cascading strands fell over her shoulders, a stray hair in front of her face. It did a lot to showcase her features; the nose, her hazel eyes, soft lips and lightly tanned skin.

Next, his eyes, and hand, went for the piece hanging from his neck in a thin, strong chain of steel.

A small piece of stonework, done in the image of Mjolnir, the Hammer of Thor. Thomas stopped breathing as he tried processing the gift, taking it in. It was obviously done in heliotrope, just as the necklace he had given her prior to the Battle of the Citadel. Taking the piece in his hand, he was amazed at how soft and warm the stone felt. It was a simple piece, but the gesture itself made his eyes sting a little. Aside from her, no one but his parents had ever given him gifts outside his birthday.

"Like it?" Ashley asked, her voice hopeful. Thomas wasn't sure how to respond. He didn't like the gift, he loved it. It was, after all, from her.

"Yeah, I… thank you, Ash. I'm not even…" He stuttered, feeling warmth wash over him, a small, new token of their affection for each other. He allowed a small grin to come out; "It wasn't too expensive, right?"

She slapped him on the hand, giggling while shaking her head.

"You're not supposed to ask for the price, dummy." She berated, though her face was lit in a warm smile as she spoke. He chuckled a bit, feeling more comfortable now than he had for a long time. Well, long and long; he would likely be more comfortable in the apartment. They still rented it, plus the bed, and the shower… somehow; one shared bath had taken much more than the standard two minutes to get clean.

"I like it, a lot." He said, leaning over towards her. She met him in a brief, sweet kiss. They both knew they weren't all alone, and as such they kept it to a modest level. Ashley sighed contently, picking up her glass of wine. Thomas, mirroring her, gently clinked the two glasses together. After a moment of silence, he felt it might be time to ask something he had been wondering about, and now that Saren had been taken care off, felt he could ask her.

"Ash?"

"Mmm?" She hummed, her fingers toying with his own. She used her left hand, locking her fingers with his right, much preferring the organic touch over that of bionic fingers. He knew she had some issues with the new leg still, but from what he had seen, and she had told him, she was perfectly well getting used to it.

"I wonder… and, I don't even know if the guy's supposed to be the one asking this, but… and I don't even know how to word it." He sighed, feeling a tad annoyed that he lacked the words he needed. Ashley raised an eyebrow, an amused expression on her face;

"Out with it. Can't be that bad a question, considering… you know." She clearly hinted at how they had gotten ready for dinner, what with the aforementioned shower and all. He grinned at the memory, remembering feeling her naked, steaming skin against his abdomen, how the water had rained over their bodies, how her skin had almost sparkled with reflecting light, her moans of pleasure… He shook his head, forcing the thoughts from his mind. They were Alliance heroes, they could shower as much as they liked, if nothing else.

Right, she meant when she had broken down, laughing, as he asked why she was shaven down there. The memory brought with it the rush of embarrassment it had at the scene.

"Right… yeah. Not really in thát category." He smiled shyly, then breathed in, steeling himself for a question that was, in his eyes, one of the more important ones he could ever ask her.

"Then what?" She asked with an amused tone. He took her hands, both of them, in his, gently squeezing them.

"Ashley… I know that I'm going to break some sort of rule here, but… if I can ask that is… when can I meet your family? Or, just your mother, or your whole family too if… I never really planned how to ask that one. Sorry, probably came out-" He was silenced when she kissed him again, full on the lips, with more passion than before. The kiss lasted longer too, only ending when she placed a hand on his chest and gently pushed away again, leaving him, as always from her surprise-kisses, breathless and momentarily stunned.

Her face was one expression of love, joy and something he couldn't quite place. He'd known her for more than half a year now, dated her and loved her for almost all of that time, and yet there were still moment where her expressions eluded him.

"I thought you'd never ask." She replied, smiling warmly at him. As if on cue, their food arrived before either could say anymore, and were politely forced to wait until the waitress had left them, and their lunches.

"Believe me, I… I'm a little nervous at the prospect. I mean, what if she sees me, and her first thought will be 'what's that scarred thug doing with my little girl?'" He said, making his best impersonation of an elderly woman, causing Ashley to stifle a laugh.

"In that case, we'll just not mention the part where you punched Saren in the face." She mused. Thomas shrugged;

"Or the part with my origins. I'm pretty sure you mother would prefer, you know, the guy her daughter is with, to have been born in the same century." He chuckled weakly. It would probably be seen as a bad joke, on the mother's behalf.

"Yeeeaaaaahhhh… might wanna avoid that part." She said, starting on her meal.

"So… about your mother?" He asked tentatively. He was careful, knowing that he had no experience at all in these things. Relationships, apart from the need for protection and gifts, was still largely unknown territory to him.

"You think you're up for it? I've heard meeting the parents, in this case 'parent', is on a whole other scale than fighting Reapers." Ashley said with a joking tone.

"Honestly? I want to, but at the same time, the idea of it scares the shit out of me." He said, then added; "I mean, what if your mother doesn't like me? Bye, bye future plans of a happy family and all."

"Don't worry, she'll love you." Ashley chuckled; "As long as she doesn't think those scars are form a bar fight."

"Huh… yeah, "bar fight". On top of everything else, that almost sounds like a vacation." He mused, thinking back to the assorted times where he had been a little too close to being brutally slaughtered. Most of those times, he realized, were his own fault.

"You know, I've been wondering something, Thomas." Ashley asked after a moment of seemingly thinking, letting him begin eating his own food. Rare meat, pepper and olives coupled with some garlic bread sure as hell hadn't changed taste since the early twenty-first century, and good thing too.

"Shoot." He nodded, swallowing.

"You've never really told me much about what you did before…" She gestured around her; "…all this. I mean, what education, job, dreams, sort of thing?" Thomas flipped his fork a few times between his fingers, considering the question. Truth be told, he had given as little thought as possible on those times, seeing how he then remembered his parents. Leaning back, he sighed before launching into the answering;

"Well… nothing special really. Went to a standard High-School, left with okay grades, then headed a year for New Zealand."

"The NZ's?"

"Yeah. I wanted my year off to be spent there. You know, gorgeous nature and all. Plus, I wanted to do some work there. It might surprise you, because it sure as hell surprised the rest of my friends, but I like working with horses. Riding them too. I actually practiced riding for… pfffff, what, six years?"

"I never took you for the horse-type, you know."

"Disappointed?" Thomas asked with a smirk. From experience, he remembered that any girl who had ever 'hit on' him, had been at his riding-classes. Logic had it that girls apparently found guys who knew how to ride, attractive. Ashley grinned, her fingers once more playing with the open palm of his right hand.

"Surprised, in a good way." The way she smiled, as well as the tone in her voice, suggested that the very mentioning of horses had given her… ideas. As long as whips weren't going to be part of anything.

"I thought you might be. Anyway, after I worked in New Zealand for a year, I moved back to Denmark, joined the Homeland Security, or just 'Home Guard'. Suffice to say, I wasn't the best recruit they'd ever had, but tensions between Russia and the West at the time, mostly over the price of gas, made sure no one were kicked from the forces."

"Gas? Wait, what year did you leave Earth?" Ashley had grown a curious expression, one Thomas was unsure how to interpret.

"2011, late august… why?" He asked, frowning. Ashley formed a small 'oh' before shaking her head;

"Russia almost started World War Three in 2014. Then, in 2016, they did actually start it." She said, rolling her eyes. Thomas wasn't sure if it was at him or the Russians.

"Huh… I bet Putin was still in power there. Never liked that guy." He sighed, then steered back to the conversation as it should be, without talking about death and war. Oddly enough, he wasn't even surprised that Putin had been the one to start the next global conflict; "Reminds me of my old boss. You remember I mentioned him? Your only rival in hardassness?" He got a slap on the arm for that one.

"I am so not a hardass."

"Is too. Still, I wanted to be a biologist, work in the field. Instead, I ended up dragging crates for a total dickhead in order to pay for university. I lived out, so I kinda had to. You?" He asked, returning the gesture by squeezing her hand back.

"Me what?" Ashley asked, clearly surprised at the question.

"What'd you do before I showed up?"

"Oh… Well, not much really. Just ran Dog-squad, kept Ünalan and Nadang from getting into fights with people from the other squads, that sort of thing. Not really much else, courtesy of the Williams curse." There was a sour note to her last words. Thomas nodded, remembering the mentioning of said curse back on Eden Prime.

"Right, the stigma that prevented your dad from ever getting a position he deserved, and held you groundside in a garrison. Whoever the heck came up with it, was a bleeding moron." Thomas found himself scowling, and quickly set his face back into a more neutral, if not smiling expression.

"Can't do much about it now. Joining the Naval department of the Alliance was a Godsend, actually. Here I actually have a shot at a promotion, instead of seeing you surpass me." She said with a wry smile. Thomas rubbed his neck with the bionic hand;

"I… right, sorry. I keep getting promoted for just surviving and you are stuck as Gunnery Chief. I know, Alliance brass is fucked up sometimes and…" He trailed off when he noticed her smiling again. Thís smile he knew. It was the 'it's so adorable, yet slightly annoying, that you feel embarrassed by it' smile.

"Don't be. Hell, if I'd actually gotten the promotion, I wouldn't have been on Eden Prime at that time, and we'd never have met." She said. Thomas smiled at that, and raised his glass. Wine, just as hers was;

"To the Williams Curse then, for making sure Ashley Williams was on Eden Prime when shit hit the fan" He toasted. Ashley sighed, more in expiration than annoyance, and he drank. When he placed the glass back down, he accidentally snapped the delicate stalk; "Bugger…"

"You broke the glass." She stated, seemingly amused by it. Thomas was trying to put the handle back together, allthewhile holding onto the glass itself, which meant he ended up doing neither, and the remaining wine sloshed about inside the glass, spilling over at every chance it got.

"Yeah…" He muttered, trying to lean the glass up against the handkerchief-holder.

"Arm or hand giving you problems?" She said, now sounding a little worried. As he worked, he was actually grateful that he had accidentally broken the glass, as he now started realizing just how idiotic his toast had been. A punishment from the gods, probably, for being so lighthearted about a curse.

"Hand, I think. I've been having some issues with it since the fight… gotten better though, I could hardly move my fingers at… on Palavan. Now I'm just trying to get some motoric skill back in the fingers.

"Didn't seem to be anything wrong with it in the shower." She said, a downright naughty smirk on her face. Gods woman, are you even human?

To be fair though, the fact that she had wept at the funeral pyre for Garrus, very much proved that she was. Thomas sighed, thinking back to the ceremony. It had been a downright weird experience, especially because he still had a hard time coming to terms with the fact that… well, that Garrus was dead. If Jane or John had died, he would still be devastated, but not as surprised as with Garrus. A Shepard dying would make a sick, cruel kind of sense.

The notion, or thought, of a Shepard dying, made him shudder. There was the prospect of hunting down pockets of heretic geth, which he knew would likely lead to them being above Alchera. And, if they were at Alchera…

"Right… can we not mention that here? Like, with other people around?" He said in a hushed voice. Ashley just grinned, and raised her own glass;

"To your hands, the instruments of pleasure." She grinned as she downed a sip. Thomas glared at her. He knew it was payback for making lighthearted fun of the Williams Curse, but still, to bloat it out in a restaurant? And the waiter cleaning up a table nearby was choking on his own laughter, which made Thomas send the man a glare of daggers.

"You just did that on purpose, didn't you?" He said, sending her a new, flat look. Ashley did her best to seem innocent, though her expression cracked up in a grin that spread over her face.

"Dunno what you're talking about, Service Chief." She grinned. Thomas huffed in annoyance, instead opting to touch the hammer hanging from his neck.

"Where'd you find this thing anyway?" He asked, changing the subject. Ashley paused in the middle of a bite, resting her chin on the hand that held her fork, a thoughtful expression on her face;

"Hmm… went a little over the station, figured I should give you something in return for the necklace you gave me. I have been given that some thought actually."

"What, the necklace?" He asked, raising a brow. It wasn't deliberate, more like something of a reflex. Ashley nodded;

"Mmm. I don't mind it in the least, but my mother… she… tends to be a little conservative." Ashley mused, then quickly added; "Don't worry though. She'll forget about it when she meets you… I think."

"Think?" Thomas said with a small sense of worry.

"I… haven't actually brought a guy home before." Ashley admitted; "I don't know how she'll react, to be honest." Thomas put a hand over hers, trying to help, somehow.

"Look, if it's the faith-thing, I can just not mention it. No problem. I'm not letting divine beings interfere in my life, not when the stakes are like this." His words did seem to calm her somewhat. She nodded;

"I know…"

"And if your mother presses me, I'll… I can just say I am Christian. I was raised that way, after all." He smiled. Ashley sighed, making him consider that maybe playing light with religion wasn't the best option; "Look. From what I understand, your family are devoted Christians. I can easily accommodate to that. If I'm asked to go to church with you- your family, I mean, I will do that too." His words did seem to work this time around though, as Ashley blew a small puff of relief.

"Thanks… I'm sort of sure she'd want that." She said, squeezing his hand.

"Hey, remember who you're with here. I spent the past three months dragging a god around in my head. If that's any implications, God is as real as you and me. Besides, I like going to church." He said with a smile. Ashley raised a brow slightly at that;

"You do?"

"Yeah. I always liked the calm in there, as opposed to the noise on the streets. Plus, there's really few things that can compare to when the entire church is singing… Too bad I can't sing worth a dead cat, but that's that."

Arcturus Station, Arcturus Stream

17:22

"Again." Roku commanded, retaking the stance he used in their training. They were gathered in the same storage room as last time, only this time, they had an audience. Thomas felt extremely awkward, considering just who were looking on.

Anna, for one. Hackett was there as well, plus of course Ashley and a few of the Normandy-crew. Tequila and Wrex were there as well, though they were in the middle of training as well. No, what made Thomas feel utterly exposed and completely uncomfortable, was the fact that Captain Anderson was observing the training session, a strained, yet intensely curious expression on his face.

"Thomas. Keep the present in mind." Roku said from a much closer distance. Thomas snapped back to reality, just in time to ward off a burning fist form the construct. Roku was holding back, yes, but not much. He had already once today kicked Thomas through a crate, then tried landing a ball of green fire straight in his face.

"Fuck!" Though warded, the punch still hurt, and forced him staggering back. Roku just flexed his new arm, made from sturdier and more flexible materials, and beckoned Thomas forth. Cheeky bastard…

Getting tired of being on the receiving end, Thomas shook some feeling back into his arms, then ran at the geth, aiming at flanking the aspect. Roku followed his movements, turning with his running. As soon as Thomas saw the construct take a larger step around, he jumped at it, both hands locked together and burning with emerald fire, aiming for a downwards-going hammer. The only real warning he received, was a slight flapping of Roku's eye-petals, before the geth grabbed his hands in mid-air, and held him suspended there.

"Too direct. Too-"Thomas interrupted him by launching a kick, also bright with fire, into the central torso of the geth. Roku was launched backwards with a grunt of surprise, causing Thomas to fall flat on his face as he was dropped.

"Ow…"

"Not bad. Though a real opponent would have killed you the moment he caught you." Roku said, getting back on his feet. It was always and odd sight, seeing a geth body brush off imaginary dust and dirt, like a real person.

"Saren seemed to be real enough." Thomas retorted, rubbing his right wrist. Roku had a pretty unpleasant grip when he wanted to.

"Which is why he almost won. Keep in mind why you survived."

"Yeah, yeah…"

Arcturus station, Arcturus stream

Apartment D-5, rented by: Thomas. V. Fisher, Ashley. M. Williams.

18:29

Thomas was sore, but most of all, he was tired. Nah, he really was mostly sore. Roku had kicked his butt in training, remarking that while there was progress, it was evident that even Tequila fared better under the tutelage of the Krogan battlemaster. It was no secret that he and Tequila had become sort of the secret stars of the Alliance special weapons and training department. And he could honestly see why, too.

A pair of soldiers who fucked with reality on a daily basis. One used fire, the other ripped metal from the walls. Anna had, unsettling so as he had expected, commented that now they just needed a waterbender and an Airbender to complete the set. Thomas had shot her a flat look, then made his escape before Anderson could corner him. He liked the captain, and had no issues with him, but… he felt bad, and would feel awkward facing the man again now, what with the secrets Anderson might feel Thomas had kept from him.

Surprisingly, Anna was the only one who kept an eye on Roku as well.

Trudging through the apartment, Thomas yanked his shirt off, then followed it up with the undershirt, headed for the shower. Stepping inside, he was about to turn on the water when Ashley cleared her throat behind him;

"What?" He asked, feeling his neck hurt from even just turning to face her.

"Might wanna take your pants off before turning on the water. Just an idea." She said with an expanding grin. He looked down, then cursed. Removing pants seemingly hadn't been high on his list of things to do, or he just had been so dead-beat exhausted that he hadn't remembered to do it.

"Right…" He started fumbling with the button and zipper, much to Ashley's amusement. After a few failed tries, and having endured her giggling at his fails, Thomas gave up.

"Want some help?"

"…Yes please." He muttered, shoulders sagging. Ashley just gave a bright laugh before stepping up to him. While one hand went to the buttons, the other palmed his chest, sending an electric sensation through his body, sparked by her mere touch. She seemed to feel his heart speeding up, as a smile broadened on her lips;

"Ash…" He croaked out, finding his voice was getting hoarse. Dammit, he had nowhere near the energy left for a new round, not after thát tour de Hell on display that Roku had forced him through.

"Mmmmm?" She hummed, finishing up with his button and zipper. Even as she pulled them down, he could see and feel the bulge in his pants grow. Why on earth did he always react like this when she… right: Sexy woman pulling down his pants. Due reason for a boner.

"I'm… really… beat up." He muttered, trying to fight the trembling that came from whenever her hand strayed too far down, and touched his lower abdomen. It was intimate as all hell, but not thát sexual at all. As a response, she tossed the pants away, and toyed with the edge of his underpants instead. He let out a groan.

"Mmmmm… I can imagine. Roku really gave you a beating. "She mused, trailing a finger along the lines of the start of his six-pack. There weren't any big muscles yet, but the clear outline was still there. Burning calories by way of Pyrosis was one hell of a way to lose fat.

"I mean-" He gasped as she trailed both hands along his abdomen, causing him to shiver uncontrollably with a strange mix of pleasure and tickling; "-mean it."

"You're way too tense, you know." She whispered, her mouth just next to his ear before planting a quick kiss on his cheek; "I might be able to help you with that. Up for it?" As she spoke, she started opening her own uniform. Thomas cursed his soreness, and shook his head;

"Too beat up… everything hurts." He muttered; "Sorry…"

Ashley's expression softened, and she leaned into him with a tender embrace, lightly kissing his neck. He could feel each kiss like it was hot steel pressed to his skin. Incredibly hot, yet unfathomably pleasant and soothing as well. He returned the gesture, wrapping pained arms around her body. Even the bionic arm was sore, something that shouldn't have been possible. They remained that way for a minute or so, leaning against each other for support. It was mostly him needing it though.

"You do still need the shower though." She muttered after a minute more had passed; "You're sweaty."

He chuckled lightly at that, taking a sniff at his own shoulder. She was right, he did smell of sweaty pig. Letting go of her, he turned around, a precaution, and stepped out of the final piece of clothing. He turned on the water, and relished the feeling of warm water washing over his body in a waterfall of hot droplets. Ashley sighed contently, then closed the door for the shower. This time, he saw she was outside, and most likely heading off to prepare some sort of meal.

He moaned in delight as he felt his skin heat up, muscles relax and overall felt his body let go of the stress and tension it had held since going toe-to-toe with Roku in front of people he didn't even know. He grimaced at the thought of how Anderson would be flipping his shit, knowing he had had someone like him on his ship, and just… something. Most likely, he would be annoyed Thomas hadn't either saved Eden Prime and the Beacon, or that he had kept the powers secret for so long.

It was odd too, that it had been Anna, not Hackett, who had arrived at the Citadel. Not that he minded riding along with a fleet that size, but it was definitely a change, seeing how Hudson had obviously seen Hackett as the one to save the day.

There was the fight with Saren, of course. The Turian had apparently been… possessed, or something? Thomas wasn't entirely sure what had happened, but somehow, Nazara had taken over in Saren's head during the fight, and suddenly started kicking Roku's butt. It ended up taking teamwork, however cliché that would be, to beat Nazara. Roku had literally punched Nazara into oblivion, shattering what remained of Saren's head into a mush of broken metal and organic slush.

Garrus's funeral had been the most surreal event he had ever been a part of. Sending off a person he thought for sure wasn't capable of dying, was a way for the universe to give him the trademark wake-up call with a tire iron. Now… how many had they lost now? If he counted Dog-squad in, it amounted to a fair number. Donkey, Jim, Mikhail, Bolin… then Sev, the kid on Noveria, Fixer on Valhalla, now even Garrus.

People were dying all around him… who would be next?

Ashley Williams leaned back against the counter in the kitchen-section of the apartment. It wasn't the biggest kitchen she'd ever tried cooking in, but thank God, it wasn't the smallest one either. It had all she needed, but no extra room for a screen either. Dinner, or what would amount for it, was set to cook for the next half hour. Amazing really, that you could order fresh vegetables on Arcturus, and then actually get it.

Dinner prepared for what she could, and the VI set to monitor the food, she had decided to check in on Thomas. True to her assumptions, he was slumped, sitting cross-legged inside the small compartment, eyes closed as the water washed over him. So young… he's been through so much. We've been through so much together. I still… he wants to meet mum. What if… what if he's going to ask… what if she doesn't like him?

She had told him that mother would like him, but… what if she didn't? Ashley hadn't had a guy home before, and the last time Sarah had, mother hadn't exactly rolled out the carpet, believed her daughter's boyfriend was a no-good candy-haired dullard. For a Peruvian, the woman sure knew some British negatives.

Seeing how Thomas sported a wide assortment of scars, she held no fear that mother would think him a 'dullard'. If anything, she'd probably worry Ashley had found herself a ruffian. Ashley sighed, looking at Thomas through the transparent glass. He almost seemed asleep, expression peaceful, though troubled at the same time. Ashley had almost lost him during the battle of the Citadel, and now… she didn't want to be away from him. It was sappy, and silly, she knew. Old school romance of the worst kind, where you wanted to be with the other person all the time. She wanted him, desperately, but… she knew when he was too beat up to enjoy any part of it. Still, she could help him even so.

Stepping away from the door, she shrugged her casuals off, pausing when she was in nothing but bra and panties. She spent a moment taking in her own reflection, something she rarely did as it conflicted with her self-image of being strictly non-girly. Still… she enjoyed acknowledging the fact that she had a body some would name 'a killer bod'. Everything in right proportions, no horrible scarring, no moles or big dry spots. There was the tattoo of course, but aside from thát.

She smiled to herself as she shrugged the remaining clothes off, the stepped into the shower. It turned out, Thomas actually was asleep. He was snoring lightly, a feature she couldn't decide whether it was endearing or annoying. Waking up to his snoring, would likely be annoying, but there were plenty of years to get used to… that.

She stopped herself at that thought. Years… Am I considering… I mean, how do I know he even wants a permanent… does he want marriage? A family? She shook her head, forcing those thoughts from her mind. She loved him, but she didn't know if he wanted such things. She was just going to let time show, and let him decide as much as she herself would. To clear her mind fully, she crouched down next to her lover, letting the warm water hit her as well. Normally, she would be worried for the water-bill, but Thomas's sister… God, it was odd considering she was what, fifty years older than him? Anna had made some sort of deal, giving them an essential blank check on water, among other things. Ashley knew it was because Thomas had, unofficially, saved the galaxy.

"You asleep, Thom?" She asked softly, running her hand through his soaked hair. He murmured something in response, though she didn't catch it. At least it meant he was semi-conscious; "Still sore?"

He nodded his head at that, seemingly too tired for anything else. Chuckling softly to herself, Ashley then helped him to a stand, turned off the water. She gave him a quick dry-over with the towel, then assisted him to the bed. Funky times were out of the question, sadly, but… there were more uses for a bed than thát and sleeping. With strength she herself was proud to say stemmed from training, not just augmentations, she supported his weight as he crawled onto the bed. He flopped down, face first, and started muttering things into the mattress.

"Didn't quite catch that." Ashley giggled at his behavior. He was like a child sometimes. A ruggedly handsome, sex-beast of a mature child. Also, he wasn't a minor, lucky for her. Thomas lifted his head slightly, so that his nose and mouth was now pressed into his right arm;

"Ashley… what… are you doing?" Thomas muttered into said arm, unable to lift his head more.

"Just… lie still. It's a surprise." She mused, then headed for the bathroom. She quickly found the goal of her search, then returned with price in hand. Thomas was still lying front-down, muttering things into his arm. If he was talking to himself, indeed no funky stuff tonight.

"Last time you said that… I got a huge sword… sorry about losing it by the way. I think… I burned it… Virmire. You're not going to give me a hammer now… are you?" He muttered. Ashley laughed, finding him to be the oddest sort of adorable. 'Cute' would have been weird about a grown man, but he was definitely adorable right now.

"Apology accepted. Now lie still, this might feel a little cold." She said. She placed herself, seated on her knees, on top of his hip. She was careful that her weight was supported by the bed, not his back, then brought up the lotion she had procured.

"Why are you sitting on my ass?" He muttered, then suddenly added; "Wait, are you naked?"

"In reverse order; Sure am, and you'll see." She stifled a laugh, then started applying the cold gel, causing him to instantly stiffen;

"Talos! That's cold, like in really cold and… and… and…Oh Gods yes." His protests became more and more wane as she started massaging his back, working upwards.

"Like it?" She asked, smiling. She enjoyed the feel of his muscles beneath her hands, her palms going over his back with firm precision.

"Dear gods… where'd… you… learn this?" He muttered between each gasp of mixed pleasure and aching pain.

"When you raise a few sisters, helping out your mother, you tend to pick a few things up." She mused, letting her hands press through on his shoulders. She eyed the part where the bionic arm joined with his organic body, noticing the almost seamless transition from natural skin to synthetic covering.

"This is the next best thing I've ever tried." He breathed out, hairs standing on his neck. Ashley raised a brow, having an idea what he was referring to, but allowed the 'game' to continue;

"And what would the best thing be then?" She asked with a smirk on her face. Her lower body weighing down on his lower back gave her small sensations of pleasure each time she moved around.

"As if you don't know." He chuckled out, then winced as his chest seemed to hurt as well.

"Oh but I really don't. What could be better than a massage?" She grinned. Thomas threw his right hand back, grasping her buttocks with a firm hand, causing her to jab his shoulder from sheer surprise; "I thought you were too tired?"

"Maybe… but when you're done, it's my turn to massage you." He sighed with pleasure, letting go of her again. Ashley huffed with slight disappointment, but didn't let it show. She had hoped his sudden move was a sign that her plan was working. Still, a massage in return wasn't the worst second-price she had ever won.

"You ride, you read biology, you initiate talks about meeting my family, hell, you even know how to give a massage?" She asked in slight disbelief. Just what sort of man is he?

Thomas chuckled at her obvious surprise;

"You don't grow up in my family without picking up a few things. I can cook oriental too, if you want." And here she assumed he couldn't cook worth crap, seeing how he had jumped at the chance to get Nicolai on board. Nepotism all around.

She chuckled to herself, kissed his neck and then proceeded with the massage.

December 16th

Omega Nebula, Amada system

12:17 (ship time)

The SSV Seta, a Quarian frigate that had originally been part of the Migrant Fleet, was floating through the void at a calm pace, systems up and running. It was part of a small group, just two frigates and a Cruiser playing escorts for a freighter en route to Horizon.

It's captain, Tes'Lota vas Seta nar Idenna, was on the bridge, keeping a pair of vigilant eyes on the scanners. He knew there were pirates around, there always was in the Terminus. Slavers mostly, but just as many plain old, boring pirates. Heh… he smiled to himself, thinking back to the battle above Elysium. His ship had been hit by a direct impact from a volley fired by a Batarian cruiser. Against a regular frigate, that would equal instant dead and goodbye. However, the Humans had delivered that day, and by the Ancestors, they delivered. The Mithrill-shielding was able to let his frigate survive not just one, or two, but all the hits it took before they returned the favor, with lances of plasma, the Mark Two Plasma torpedoes that took a shit on shields and ate through any armor. Needless to say, from what he knew the Alliance had yet to share that tech with anyone outside the organization. If pirates went for them now?

It would be a brilliant show of just how far the Quarians had come, just how much power they finally held… how good friends they finally had.

"Anything out of the ordinary?" He asked the techs seated around his command chair. His was the sole Quarian vessel in the group, the others being human vessels, and thus a little more well-equipped in case of pirates. Still, he wasn't all that concerned.

"No sir. We're green across all boards, and engines are good. Nothing but rocks and dust around us."

"Good. See to it that we keep it that way. While I'd like to see some pirates lose their guts, I think we should just focus on getting to Horizon, yes?" He didn't wait for an answer, instead opening a channel to the Cruiser, the SSV Quebec.

"This is Denali." The ship's captain, Louis Denali said, appearing on the personal displays hovering in front of Tes.

"Tes'Lota here. We're green across all boards, and system is clear."

"Good. Just be careful. We lost a cruiser in this system a few days ago, so pirates are probably not our only concern." The human said. Tes nodded;

"I know, I read the reports. But that's why we're grouped, yes? No pirates can get to us." He smiled with a little glee. He knew the rules, that things would go to hell the moment one claimed they couldn't, but Keelah, they had shields that could take a direct hit from a regular human dreadnought! He didn't hold any illusion about the modified dreadnoughts, or that Goliath-one Fisher had sent in to the Citadel. He'd been there himself, seeing it rip through the geth ships with an ease that brought tears to his eyes. If only the Migrant Fleet had possessed something like that, they could have taken back the Homeworld decades ago. The Admiralty might believe the friendly-geth-thing, but Tes himself didn't give a cup of crap until he saw a geth Prime help an old woman over the streets. Humans still used streets, to walk on, right?

"Just keep an eye open." The human said, ending the transmission. Tes'Lota leaned back in his chair, sighing. This was the first mission he had ever been on where he actually felt optimistic. Often, Quarian vessels had to rely on numbers to feel safe, what with only the Heavy fleet and a few of the Patrol fleet possessing battle-ready barriers. Now though, they all had them.

"Anything to report?" He asked, suddenly getting a tingling sensation at the back of his skull. It was likely nothing, or just pirates if there really was something, but he didn't like being uncertain. Especially because the captain of the biggest ship in the group was nervous.

"Nothing yet sir… wait, something just came up on long-range scanners…" The ensign closest to him reported. Tes jolted to a straight seat;

"What is it?"

"It looks like… a Cruiser. Doesn't match any known models though…" Tes called up the Quebec.

"We've seen it too." Louis Denali said before Tes could say a word; "Bring shields to full power and ready weapons. Maintain neutral stances though, we don't know who this is… still, be ready." Tes nodded, and gave the appropriate orders, setting his bridge in motion. The crew was trained and experienced, and a sense of confidence was ruling them. The knowledge of superior shields to any band of pirates out there, being the key-factor.

"Vessel has changed course… It's on an intercepting trajectory now…" The ensign reported. On his display, Denali frowned;

"Alright… the Charon will proceed with the 'SSV Dybbøl'. Lota, bring your ship about and prepare for hard contact. The incoming vessel-*.. to any-** transmit-**- losing-**" The captain vanished from the screen. Tes felt his heartbeat speed up;

"Reestablish contact!"

"Trying! We're being jammed!" A tech called out, panic in his voice. The unknown cruiser was closing in, already painting its silhouette against the planet Eingana, nothing more than a small dot against the green atmosphere and surface.

"Kazuat! Bring all guns to bear! Prepare the drones! Power up shields! We're isolated, but Ancestors bite me if that'll stop us from tearing that Me'engsk apart!" Tes shouted. Ancestors help him if he failed his first escort mission like this. He was not going to lose out against some sneaky pirate.

"Weapons ready, drones awaiting release, shields at one hundred."

"Cruiser is charging up the main gun!"

"Are we in range?" Tes asked, keeping his voice as calm as he could. The moment he saw the thumb-up from one of the techs, he gave the order; "Fire. Fire! Fire!"

The Seta was a standard Quarian vessel. Being a frigate, it possessed a series of mass accelerators canons placed along its hull. Only vessels above frigates were armed with the deadly spinal gun that would make short work of bigger targets. Frigates were meant as anti-fighter and screening ships, not for taking on a cruiser. As the order was given, the five double-barreled MAC's along the ship opened fire, sending away 10kg Ferris slugs straight at the incoming cruiser. Next to it, the Quebec opened fire as well, sending lances of brilliant blue, the plasma torpedoes, accompanying the slugs sent from the main gun.

The same moment as Tes'Lota looked at the Quebec, a brilliant, yet sickly yellow-colored lance of energy appeared on the cruiser, bathing the Alliance vessel in flames as it carved into its hull, ignoring the Mithril-shielding completely. Tes bit his knuckles through his gloves as he saw the Cruiser lose one of the wings in a bright explosion. It kept up the firing, though it started listing, losing aim of the enemy cruiser.

"Keep up the fire!" Tes shouted; "Everything! Torpedoes, drones!" He gripped the railing that separated his raised platform from the rest of the bridge, staring at the incoming display forming from the scans. The enemy cruiser was nothing he had ever seen before. It was long, formed like an ugly pillar, and had a multitude of protruding edges and points going out in seemingly random locations, though all were centered around what must be the main gun.

The moment after this thought, he was proven correct as the lance of energy was aimed at the bow of his own frigate, eating through the entirety of the 'Seta' before he could even scream.

Fifteen minutes later, the wreckages of the small group, now joined by the freighter and the final Alliance frigate, started drifting towards the gravimetric center closest by, joining the ring of ancient wrecks orbiting the planet of Eingana.

They would not be the last to fall into this trap

Remember to review, trivial as the plead is, I know. It just seems like tradition to ask, so who am I to go against that?