***Author's Note***

Hey :)

Thanks for reading and reviewing!

-Sophus xx

Chapter 7 - Loyalty

Thane set off for engineering, Marie supported in his arms. They spoke quietly of things she wanted clarification on and in the excruciatingly long elevator ride she began learning how to use her Omni-tool. He was pleasantly surprised on how quick she seemed to learn. Genius indeed.

When he next looked down at her, she had pulled up a page on Krogan and was avidly reading about them.

"What's the Genophage?" She looked up at him with big eyes.

"Does it not explain it?" He skimmed the page himself. "Ah, it seems the council has tried to avoid speaking about it." She lifted an eyebrow at him and he couldn't help but smirk at her. "It was a biological weapon, developed by the Salarians and deployed by the Turians during the Krogan rebellions. It affects any viable births and most Krogan are born still." He thought that was enough information. He had never really instructed anyone in something that was common knowledge.

"What are the Krogan doing about it?" He paused and thought about it for a moment.

"Some are attempting to rebuild their species by trying to discover a cure." She nodded, seemingly happy with his answer. "However, some are struck with a certain feeling of fatalism and sell themselves as mercenaries."

"Mercenaries like you?"

"Ah. No, although I have accepted my death, I choose to do good before I die. Krogan mercenaries are typically brutes, not caring who they hurt or why. So long as they get paid." The elevator opened onto engineering.

"Are you not being paid?"

"Not for this cause, no."

"And what are we doing exactly?"Their conversation was cut short by a booming laugh echoing of the walls.

"Eheheh, Shepard! I don't see why you humans don't just claim your mates! All this 'dating' and 'getting to know one another'! It just takes up time." Grunt could be heard trough the doors.

As they entered Shepard looked up and smiled, quickly waving them over. His body language screamed mischief and his crew around him were nearly doubled over laughing.

"Hey guys, this isn't what I called you for, but jeez you have to look at this." Marie squirmed in his arms, eager to join the group. Eager to be accepted?

He walked over and they both looked over the screen. A picture of operative Lawson was surrounded by a profile on herself. He read the title, iPartner? Marie was giggling a bit but obviously not getting the whole joke as she had no idea how Miranda was in person.
T

he group was laughing again and Thane couldn't help but quirk a smile at their mirth.

Gradually the laughter died down and Shepard gestured to Tali. Her hands flew across the screen as she pulled up a different profile. Marie's profile.

Shepard looked at the profile and then back to Marie. Her eyes were skimming over it. At first she looked confused and then, slowly, understanding and even a sliver of anger erupted in her eyes.

She lifted a hand to her head, massaging her temples as though whatever she was thinking gave her a headache. It gave me a headache, that's for sure.

Jack was tapping the floor impatiently, obviously not pleased with the situation as she glared over at the drell and the small human in his arms.

Thane's face was passive as usual but Shepard could see his eyes reading and re-reading the profile they had uncovered.

Zaeed lit up a cigar as he merely observed the situation with Grunt. Mild amusement pasted both of their features. Whereas, Tali and Samara were the opposite. Tali was wringing her hands, part of her clearly wanted answers whilst she wanted to ask questions too. Samara actually looked worried for the girl, as though she actually thought Shepard would throw her out the airlock like he had threatened when they first found this information.

Garrus was monitoring everyone and Shepard unconsciously moved nearer to him.

"Well?" Shepard crossed his arms and put his weight onto his back foot.

Thane turned so Marie could face the commander. Her voice was small and scared, frightened by the sudden tension in the room. "I'm not sure what to say. I can't remember what happened."

"A likely fucking story! I say we have a little interrogation for the mini-cheerleader here!" Jack stepped forward, her arms swirling in the blue of her biotics.

Thane narrowed his eyes at the psychotic-biotic and held Marie closer to him. Tali stepped a bit closer, ready to stop Jack if she need to.

"Can you tell us about it?" Garrus held is arms wide to gesture to the group in a non-aggressive manner.

Marie bit her lip a bit and nodded. "I don't see why not." Her eyes were still on Jack who backed down.

"Maybe we should talk about this somewhere more private? And more comfortable...Thane can put you down then." He said it with a smile trying to put everyone at ease. No one's getting thrown out the airlock. Not yet anyway.

His quarters, commonly known as 'The Loft', was suddenly crowded. His ground crew found seats everywhere.

Grunt and Zaeed took his desk and desk chair. Thane placed Marie down on the sofa and stood beside her near the fish tank. Tali sat beside her, being friendly and nudging her shoulder in a show of camaraderie. Jack sat in between Tali and Samara, her lower lip stuck out in an impressive pout. Garrus perched on the bed and Shepard took the opportunity to sit beside him. Kasumi is listening in somewhere I'm sure.

"So, Marie. Do go on."

She took a deep breath and delved into the story of her life before the pod.

"I never knew my father..." Jack snorted but thankfully the commander ignored her. Marie kept her eyes trained on him. "...apparently, after he left us, my mother kind of lost it." She hadn't told this story to anyone, but with these new and strange people and aliens she felt she could. A fresh start, a new life. And because she probably had too. "She'd bounce from man to man. Couldn't hold a job, whatever money she did earn she spent on beer or drugs." The alien beside her, Tali, Sniffed a bit. "She had my sister and then me and my older brother did what we could to keep her away from my mothers growing anger. She would lash out at us for no clear reason. Ryan took the worst of it. Then Billy was born and one day she was simply gone."

Shepard looked surprised and a little angry, the red lines on his face glowed slightly. "She left you and your three siblings to fend for yourselves? How old were you?"

"By this time Ryan was eighteen, I was fifteen and Libby was twelve."

The group had a mixture of pity and anger on their faces. The only ones who didn't were Thane who seemed to merely accept her past, and Jack, who simply looked like she didn't care. It was oddly comforting to not get pity from them. And yet she was happy that the majority of the group seemed to care, at least a little bit.

"Ryan wanted us to be able to go to school and, luckily, secondary school and college were free. Billy had to miss nursery because we simply couldn't afford it. And when I got an offer at a really prestigious university for a top-level engineering course, Ryan said I should have the chance to go."

Garrus leaned forward in interest and Marie felt a small hand on her leg as Tali urged her to go on.

"So Ryan started to work overtime and double time at a seedy little bar he worked in and I worked anything I could find. Cleaning, child-minding, shop work, deliveries, that kind of stuff. Nothing illegal."

Shepard grinned a bit at her quick defense on what she used to do.

"With my tuition and trying to keep us all fed and clothed, we were barely making ends meet. Libby got odd jobs, but she was too young to get anything solid. Then, when it got really bad one month, I got approached by a woman. Caroline, I believe she was called. She was immaculate, obviously doing well for herself. She asked me if I wanted a job in the engineering sector for a company that worked closely with the army. They called themselves, Cerberus."

"Fucking Cerberus, man." Jack seethed.

"Army indeed." Shepard half laughed.

"After I told Ryan I went for it. The pay was amazing and if it kept my family afloat then I was going to do it. They trained me up, physically and mentally, and put me too work in design and testing."

"They trained you?"
"Yeah, because we worked closely with the army every employee had military grade hand to hand and weapons training. They also trained us in whatever sector we worked in. They called me gifted and talented. A genius with technology and one of the top ranking recruits with weapons and combat. Looking at me now though, I doubt I'd last very long." She gestured to her wasted form, a sad smile on her face.

"We'll get you back up to scratch, don't worry about that." Tali's voice was static and white noise with a softness hidden beneath it.

"I can stay?" She looked back at the commander.

He thought about it for a second, all eyes were trained on him. Where else can she go? "If you can pull your own weight and earn your keep." Some of the crew nodded whilst others smiled at her. She let out a breath of relief before she even realised that she actually wanted to stay aboard this amazing ship. "Carry on."

"Right. Things were looking up. Billy could go to school fed and with a dinner. Libby could get new clothes for college. Ryan could work a normal job and then pick Billy up, and we could pay the bills, with cash to spare. I started saving so we wouldn't have to struggle again. I began designing a life pod that could be used on ships in the navy. Water ships or Space ships, because space travel was really beginning to develop. When it was finished I pushed it for testing, but there were so many products so lots of stuff was being pushed back or given up on. I had worked too hard on this and it had so much potential, so I pushed and pushed and-" She stopped suddenly. Her head bloomed in pain as images filled her mind. Her memory returned with such force she had to grip the soft couch below her. Tali held her shoulder and Thane knelt beside the couch, his brow furrowed with worry. Shepard went to his bedside table and took a painkiller from it, handing to the girl and pouring her some water. She took it gratefully.

"Thank you. I'm sorry...I wasn't expecting that." She pushed her fringe from her slightly damp forehead. "I was on my way home from work one day. It was late so I put my iPod in, hoping no one would talk to me. I wasn't defenseless but I'd rather avoid a fight if I have too." Jack snorted again. What is your problem? "A person walked into me so I tried to go around them but he was quick and had me pinned. He injected something into my neck and said something like 'Time for your testing.' Then I passed out. I was two streets from home and fucking Cerberus took me from it! Left my family behind to fend for themselves!" The anger that suddenly filled her surprised everyone, even herself. "Next thing I know, I'm here being injected again by that Mordin guy."

Shepard nodded. "Sorry about that."

She waved it off. "I'm a little tired now. Is there a place for me to stay?"

"You can stay in Life Support if you don't mind sharing with Thane? We'll get you kitted out and comfortable." She nodded and Thane lifted her into his arms once more. "If you like you can work in engineering with Tali, I know she could use the help."

Tali nodded. "I'll show you how everything works. No doubts you'll pick it up in no time."

Marie nodded. "Sure." They made their way once more to the elevator.

As the crew filed out, Samara stayed behind.

"Shepard. I was wondering if I might have a word."

Garrus looked back at Shepard, who nodded telling him it's okay. "Of course Samara." She waited until Garrus had left the room.

"I must ask for your help. That is not easy for me."

"It's all right. Just tell me what you need." Samara wandered over to the fish tank and observed the marine life within.

"When we met on Illium, I told you about a very dangerous person I was pursuing. Using the information you obtained, I have located her." She took a breath and Shepard stepped closer to his squad mate. "She's been going by the name 'Morinth.' I would like to apprehend her before she disappears again."

"How important is this?"

"Killing her has been my focus for four hundred years. It is the most important thing in my life and the reason I became a justicar." Wow, no kidding.

"Where is she?"

"Omega." Perfect. "A night club called Afterlife, which seems a perfect place for her to hunt."

He had a feeling he was going to regret this next question, but he had to know. "Didn't you say you'd pick up her trail after our mission?"

"I know where she is...right now. In a month, she may be gone. This is the best opportunity I've ever had." Her voice had taken on a certain steely tone.

"Tell me about her."

"She is an Ardat-Yakshi. It is a term from a dead asari dialect. It means 'demon of the night winds'. But that is mythology. She is simply a very dangerous woman who kills without mercy."

He stood next to her. "You're dangerous too."

"As are you. But she is different. Morinth suffers a rare genetic disorder. When she mates with you, there is no gentle melding of the nervous systems. She overpowers yours, burns it out, hemorrhages your brain. You end up a mindless shell, and soon after you are dead."

"This is definitely worthy of your full attention."

Samara looked at him, as though grateful that he was giving her this chance. He smiled at her.

"She confuses her victims, twists their feelings. They will do anything for her favour."

"We need to stop her."

She sighed with relief. "Thank you, Commander. There are no words to express what this means to me." He nodded and walked over to his desk, ready to send to co-ordinates to Joker.

"There is one thing more: this creature, this...monster. She is my daughter." What the fuck?

He walked back to her and faced her. "You said this is genetic. How many children do you have?"

"Three. And three Ardat-Yakshi are in existence today. It is as it sounds. Morinth was always the wild one, she was happy and free. But selfish"

"I cannot imagine what this is like for you." He honestly couldn't think of anything else to say to her. This old, noble and proud warrior was condemned to kill her own child. The sadness in her eyes seemed to make sense now.

"I do not want pity, Shepard. I do not accept it. My daughter's condition is my fault. And my redemption lies in killing her. Do not pity me. Simply understand my situation."

"We'll go find Morinth."

"Thank you, Shepard." She nodded and walked to the door.

Shepard sat at his desk and rubbed his eyes with his sleeve. Fuck, that's harsh. He sent to order to Joker and got a confirmation back. Four days approximately.

He had a thought about his own mother. When he had been resurrected he had video called her but she was too hysterical to get anything understandable out of her. He brought up her address and sent her a simple message.

Hey mum,

Just checking in on you. Seeing how you are and all that.

I'll let you know when I'm next on the Citadel and maybe we can meet up?

Talk to you soon.

xx

Let me know if you think this is all a bit quick :/

Thanks again for reading :)