Author's Note:I'll start by thanking those who added The Reason to their favorite or follow lists. An extra thank you to those who commented: Mirxu, Vorcha Girl, ela11, Kirsah, Aeowyn99, Anubis85, Jules Hawk, Kirabaros, Zacharti, and the guest. I simply adore hearing your thoughts, and love that you take the time to let me know what you think. So, thank you!
Shameless plug time... There are a few one-shots that I have posted from Sloan's POV that coincide with some of the events within The Reason. So, if you're looking for a glimpse into Shepard's mind that would be the best way to get it. I mention these, because I will be adding another one shot shortly. This one is a conversation between Garrus and Sloan that I think you'll enjoy, and that some of you may have been waiting for.
I also have a Shega short story in the works called Enjoy the Silence, and there's a short Shenko story titled Snowed In. It features Jess Shepard, and was written when I was, literally, snowed in. Oddly enough, both of these stories came to life because of Vorcha Girl, whose work you should be reading if, by some chance, you're not.
Okay, enough from me... here's what you came for... Enjoy! - TLC
Chapter Sixty-Three
They had barely moved further into the tunnels when Kaidan heard it. Instantly, the hair on the back of his neck stood and he felt the chill trace his spine as he flared, his barrier sheathing him. On top of the Rachni screeching, he heard the dull, agonized moan of husks and he clenched his jaw to hold back the disgust. Shepard gave the silent order to get to cover and they did. Garrus moved to higher ground and set up with his rifle. They knew there was nothing behind them, and from the sounds coming their way they had certainly upset someone, or something, with their presence.
The area had widened, and branched off again but there was more Reaper tech blocking the tunnels. Kaidan and Shepard had dropped into a trench in the center of the room, and crouched low. They were up to their knees in murky, thick, stagnant water and the smell somehow found its way through their breather masks. Kaidan bit back the threatening gag. He turned towards Shepard and met her eyes. They were alight with adrenaline and flashed with her biotics.
They were alerted to the arrival of their adversaries when Garrus's rifle rang out. His voice rumbled over the comm, "Husks pouring in from the left." His rifle shot out again. "Half a dozen Cannibals in the mix, Rachni troops from the center tunnel." Shepard gave the signal, and Kaidan and she stood. Their assault started quickly. The husks moving to Shepard, swarming her but Kaidan had no chance to help as the Rachni started their attack on him. He felt Shepard's biotics flare seconds before she let loose a scream and the power erupted from her, sending the husks flying.
Kaidan dropped into cover to reload and Shepard joined him a moment later. She locked eyes on his for a briefly before nodding. He watched as she stood, a corona of blue energy racing over her body as she charged, stealing Kaidan's breath as she went. Garrus's rifle rang out overhead. Kaidan stood, firing off a few tech attacks before letting loose with this assault rifle and following after Shepard, cleaning up what was left still alive in her wake.
"Area's clear, Commander," He announced as he met her at the opposite side of the space. The path forward was blocked by another Reaper built and powered wall. She nodded at him and climbed out of the trench. He followed as she searched the area for another node. Garrus met up with them moments later.
"We must be getting close, Shepard," Wrex's voice grumbled low over the comm, "Some real heavy fighting. These are tough bastards," She stopped to listen while Kaidan and Garrus kept their search going for the node, as well as anything left behind by the Krogan scouts.
Shepard asked about casualties, and cursed under her breath when Grunt answered, "It's fine. Krogan fight better angry." She sighed and Kaidan found the node in the corner and called her over.
Shepard looked his way and signaled for him to take out the node. A quick few raps from his rifle and the Reaper wall lowered allowing them forward. As they started to follow the tunnel, there was an increased number of pods. These pods weren't empty, however. When they ruptured, Rachni swarmers broke out and raced towards them. Small, crab-like beings that would team up and take down shields while the others ate through armor. One or two were easy to take out, but the higher the number the higher the risk. It was harder than they expected to get rid of them.
Every time a pod broke open and the swarmers creeped out, Kaidan's skin would crawl. The sound of its feet clicking on the hard ground, and the pod opening with a wet, squishing noise sent shivers racing down Kaidan's spine and he wanted nothing more than to be out of these tunnels. Shepard groaned as they came across another grouping of pods, "These things are so fuckin nasty," She muttered as she lit them up with a flamethrower they found among the dead Krogan.
"They're almost as bad as spiders," Garrus drawled out quietly. "I thought Rachni needed toxic environments. This air is not toxic," He stated, as they worked together to take out this patch of swarmers before moving on.
"These aren't regular Rachni," Kaidan answered simply, Shepard met his eyes fleetingly as they thought back to Noveria.
"Damn Reapers," Garrus muttered as they continued. The gauges on Kaidan's armor alerted him to the drop in the temperature drop in the tunnels. As they moved further from the surface, the air grew cooler, damper, and the darkness grew thicker. They heard shotguns ringing out in the distance and moved double time. They spotted the Krogan across an open space and on a lower level. They were blocked by another Reaper door and were outnumbered by Rachni.
"Shepard! We're blocked and being overrun!" Wrex shouted when they were in view.
"Hang on! I'm on it!" She barked back and ran to the nearest node. Kaidan and Garrus trailed after watching her back as their presence caused nearby pods to break open.
They heard Grunt loud and clear, even without the comms, as he shouted, "I am Krogan!" Shepard destroyed the node and they watched as the nearby door lowered.
The Krogan team entered, and Kaidan saw Shepard's relief as her shoulders dropped just slightly. The last of the Rachni in the area retreated, and Kaidan holstered his rifle and stretched his neck from side to side. The tension was starting at the base of his head, just near his implant. He ignored it, and the glance Shepard sent his way, as Grunt and Wrex shuffled closer to her. "They're backing off for now, but they can smell our wounds," Wrex grumbled.
"Any worthy enemy would regroup and finish us off, and they wouldn't wait around to do it," Grunt added, his eyes moving over the area. Kaidan moved to the destroyed pod and did another scan. The technology was incredible; it was no wonder the Reapers wiped out everything they came across. They were millennia ahead of them. It caused a leaden worry to form in his gut. What hope did they have?
"We've got to be close," Shepard started, directing them towards the tunnel opened when the last node was destroyed. "Those barriers were protecting whatever is down this passage."
Kaidan stood and his eyes moved followed her direction. It seemed darker than the last, and slightly smaller. He took his assault rifle in hand pulled a few thermal clips from his thigh pocket, reloading easily. Garrus copied as Wrex responded, "We'll dig in here, kill anything that moves, and buy you some time," He offered and Shepard nodded placing a hand on his shoulder before turning and lifting her rifle. Kaidan handed her a thermal clip which she accepted with a quick thanks before leading them in to the tunnel.
More pods meant more swarmers, but thankfully the larger Rachni beasts stayed hidden. The tunnel they were in was slowly narrowing, until it was too small for them to walk through. Shepard dropped down and crawled on her belly; Kaidan and Garrus followed, though, it was a tight fit for Garrus's hulking form. Kaidan stood and turned to help Garrus back to his feet. The Turian accepted the help without comment, and nodded at him once he was steady. Kaidan turned and stopped in his tracks. They had reached the center chamber, but there wasn't a nest.
There was a Queen. She nearly filled the room, the largest open space they had come to since entering the tunnels. She seemed larger than Kaidan remembered.
Reaper tech barriers shot up around them, boxing them in and Shepard let out a string of curses as she shouted for them to find the nodes to take it down. "Wrex! Grunt! We found the central chamber," Shepard announced over the comm. The Krogan promised to have their backs, and Kaidan felt his heart leap to his throat when he spotted the node near the ceiling of the chamber. With a few well-placed shots from assault rifle, the energy dissipated and the barrier lowered and they were suddenly overrun by husks.
Kaidan nearly growled, as his energy pooled in his core. He took few deep breaths before unleashing it. He hadn't actually used the new ability, not at full power against a true enemy. He'd been working on it, practicing since he was in the hospital. He was fairly certain with the new amp it would be quite powerful. He wasn't sure exactly how powerful, however. Without reservation, he let the power lash out, the tendrils reaching for his victim. The nearby husks shrieked as the Reave tore at their feeble nervous systems, weakening them as Shepard fired her rifle through them. He flung out his other hand and another tendril snapped towards the Rachni. The power came easily, as his victims lost he felt restored, as if he was taking their energy and replenishing his own.
It was a heady sensation, and he had never felt more invigorated on a battle field. He noticed, only briefly, Shepard and Garrus pause to look at him as the Rachni screamed and dropped, writhing on the ground making them easy targets for Garrus and Shepard. In the next second, Kaidan registered the surge in power as Shepard shot forward in a biotic charge. He felt her energy dancing on his skin and his heart raced as his body tingled. In the meantime, Garrus's sniper rifle rang out, a slow staccato bass line.
As they fought, they searched out the remaining nodes to remove the final barriers. They needed to get to the Queen to see what exactly she was doing here. Shepard ordered Garrus to search out the nodes while she and Kaidan handled the husks and Rachni. It was comfortable working with her again. The hum of her biotics at his side, the sound of her ragged breathing over the comm, the soft grunts that slipped from her as her fist or the butt of her gun made contact with a husk's soft skull; when coupled with the adrenaline pumping through his veins and the hum of his own biotics, it was a goddamn aphrodisiac.
It was over quicker than he had expected, and as Kaidan brought the power back into himself, he felt the buzz of the energy under his skin. Like his limbs had fallen asleep and were slowly waking but instead of being annoying, it was pleasant. He shivered, and when he met up with Shepard and their eyes locked, he noticed the gleam of pride, and astonishment, there. "Something spooked them," Grunt's voice over the comm broke into Kaidan's mind and brought him back to the moment.
"Whatever it was won't last," Wrex added, "Finish the job!"
Shepard took out the last node and the final barrier fell. Once it was down, they were face to face with the Rachni Queen. Kaidan couldn't be completely sure, but he was fairly certain this was the Queen they had released on Noveria. To their right, a Krogan corpse spoke in broken words, "Si… lence…" Garrus jumped, cursed and turned his sidearm on the dead Krogan. Shepard placed her hand on the top of the gun, and gently eased it down as she stared into the Rachni Queen's face. She was speaking through the nearby dead.
It was still creepy.
The Queen continued, "The maddening … sour note has ceased. I am … the last Queen. We listen for the children… they are silent, hollow. The machines come and take them to war. They die alone, silent, far away." Shepard ignored the dead Krogan bodies speaking and kept her focus on the Queen. Kaidan and Garrus were finding it more difficult to ignore the rising dead.
"The Reapers did this to you?" Shepard asked, a note of concern in her voice. Kaidan glanced at her, before turning to face one of the open tunnels nearby. He wanted to be sure no one would get the drop on them.
"Yes! The sour note of the machines is everywhere!" Kaidan thought she sounded upset, frightened even. He was surprised by the concern he felt for the Rachni.
"I let you go back on Noveria because you promised not to interfere anymore. You were supposed to disappear," She reminded the Queen, stepping forward and planting her feet. Kaidan couldn't believe it. She was quite literally staring down a Rachni Queen. Sometimes, he forgets she's Commander Shepard. In this moment, he was reminded, and he stood a little taller.
"We remember. We kept our promise, retreated back through the relay. We started a new home. Beautiful children. Harmony, but the machines came. They heard our song! Their shriek of sour notes drowned us out," The Queen sounded panicked, and Kaidan turned to watch the scene unfolding behind him.
"They can't hurt you anymore," Shepard promised. The Queen stated she understood. "Can you still feel the Reapers; can they influence you?" It was the defining question. Whether or not Shepard believed their answer would decide their fate.
"We hear the machines, but they cannot control us. Remove this last shackle and we are free!" The Queen turned its head towards the final node before looking back at Shepard. Suddenly, her attention was pulled towards the back of the room, "What? The children return! They will destroy us all! Release us!"
Grunt's voice entered the equation, reverberating over the comm "We're getting movement here, a lot of movement…"
"Got it, Grunt," Shepard acknowledged before turning back to the Queen, "Are you capable of fighting the Reapers?"
"We hate the machines! We will fight for our unborn children! Release us!" The Queen was pleading not only for her life but, once again, for the lives of her children, for the future of her species. Isn't that what everyone was doing? Garrus spoke up, pointing out that the Queen would need more time than they had to escape the tunnels. Shepard turned and looked at Kaidan.
Wrex's voice rang out this time, "Shepard, we're out of time! We stay here, Aralakh Company dies! Is that clear?" They could hear the Krogan battle in the distance, and over the comm, Grunt's yell as he charged. Shepard kept her eyes on Kaidan, and all he could think about was their conversation, on the SR1, years ago. How could she condemn a species to death? What right did she have? Wasn't that what the Reapers were doing? She must have seen something in his eyes. She nodded quickly and turned away from him.
"Listen! Aralakh Company holds off the Rachni while the Queen escapes!" Her order was firm, and clear, and left no room for argument. She looked to the Queen, "We'll buy you some time," She promised before turning her attention back to the comm, "Wrex, Grunt, fall back to our position and lead us out!"
"Damn you, Shepard!" Wrex shouted, and Shepard tensed for a few seconds, "I'm on my way!" Shepard took out the last node, and the Queen nodded at her as she stood and creeped her way towards the exit. Wrex entered the area, eyes blazing.
"Where's Grunt?" She asked and Wrex growled.
"He refused to leave his team!" The Krogan leader responded, and Kaidan noticed the way Shepard's face fell. It was slight, and quick, and he doubted even Garrus would have noticed it. She simply nodded and gave the silent signal to move out.
"Grunt!" Shepard shouted over the comm as they ran.
"Battlemaster!"
"You were given an order!" She reminded him, a slight tremble in her voice.
"I know, but my Battlemas – My Commander taught me better," He was speaking between growls and grunts as he fought the Rachni. "I can't leave my team, Shepard! You know that!" They reached the exit and the sun struck them hard in the face. Shepard turned away, back to the tunnels. She peered into the darkness as Cortez landed the shuttle behind them.
"I know," She whispered, and it was barely heard over the comm before she pulled off her helmet.
"It's my turn…" Grunt replied, almost as quiet and Kaidan watched Shepard's shoulders fall as the comm shut off. She stood at the mouth of the tunnel, and turned her face up to the blazing sun as she waited as long as she could. After a few long moments, she straightened and turned. Her eyes set, and tight and her mouth a firm, straight line. She took hard, purposeful steps towards the waiting shuttle.
She glared at Wrex, "How could you leave him?" She shouted as she stepped into the shuttle, pointing a finger to his chest, and Kaidan was surprised by the emotional display. Wrex stood, and towered over her, but Shepard did not back down.
He glared down at her, his red fire eyes shining, he growled, "He wouldn't let me stay with him. He said I needed to go to Tuchanka and make babies; that this was his battle and he was—"
They almost missed it as the engines roared to life. Garrus threw open the shuttle door and jumped out just as Cortez was lifting off. The pilot cursed and set the shuttle back down as the rest of the team looked out the open hatch.
It was Grunt. He was crawling out of the tunnel. Shepard's face lit up and she jumped off the shuttle and raced to the Krogan's side. Kaidan followed. He didn't know much about Krogan physiology but he knew enough that if Grunt wasn't dying this instant he should be able to stabilize him for the shuttle ride to the Normandy, and Chakwas. Kaidan reached Shepard and Garrus who were pulling the Krogan's dead weight further away from the mouth of the tunnel. He reached out, and with a flick of his wrist his biotics sheathed the Krogan and lifted him.
Shepard looked slightly embarrassed, possibly for not thinking of it, as they guided his hulking form towards the shuttle. He looked terrible. Most of his flesh was covered in blood. It was hard to tell how much was his and how much would be Rachni. He noticed the deep gashes in his face, and could smell the burning of the acid from the Rachni. He was a mess, to say the least.
Once they were back aboard the shuttle, Kaidan set him down on the floor and ran a scan over his form. He had some injuries internally, but Kaidan felt that with time his regenerative systems could repair the damage. He was disoriented, cut, bruised, and even broken in a few places, but Kaidan felt confident saying he would be alright. The relief that washed over Shepard's face spoke volumes.
Grunt mumbled something Kaidan couldn't make out just before closing his eyes. Shepard let out a gentle laugh and fell back against the seat, still on the floor. "What did he say?" Kaidan asked, and Shepard's eyes were glistening when they met his.
"He asked if I had anything to eat," She answered, and laughed. Kaidan grinned as Wrex joined in Shepard's glee, great guffaws rolled from his wide mouth. Garrus chuckled and shook his head as Cortez carried them confidently from the battlefield to the Normandy's cargo bay.
Chakwas met them in the bay with an extra-large gurney. Kaidan assisted in lifting the Krogan onto the gurney, biotically of course. There was no reason that Shepard or Wrex couldn't have done it, he just did it first. The second he flared he wished he hadn't. The fire shot out across the back of his head from his amp port, and he gasped as the migraine came to life in spectacular fashion. He reached out and braced himself on the wall. He could feel Shepard's eyes on him, and he shook his head slowly. The first waves of pain washed away as she whispered his name. Wrex, Garrus, and Chakwas had Grunt and his gurney at the elevator.
"I'm alright, just a bit overtaxed," He could see that she didn't believe him. He nudged her slightly, "Go, I'll get cleaned up and check in with Chakwas," He promised as his eyesight blurred. She chewed her lip, but nodded and turned on her heel, rushing to the elevator just as the doors opened. He watched her go before stepping off the shuttle himself and trudging to his armor locker. He stripped slowly, and carefully. Every move was like a fire poker to his amp port. He wondered if it was the Reave, or if he had simply pushed too hard today. He refused to believe it could be anything else. Eventually, he finished and was back dressed, sloppily, in his BDUs. He dropped his weapons off at Vega's station, even though the marine was not there, and went to the elevator.
He was grateful for the darkness and cool temperature of the elevator as it lifted him to the Crew Deck. Right now, all he wanted was the sweet bliss of Chakwas's drug cocktail. He didn't think anything else would help, except maybe a bullet to the brain, but that was not really an option. The doors opened, and he sniffled. Without thinking he reached up and ran the back of his hand across his nose. His heart dropped to his stomach, then to his feet when he saw the streak of blood across his hand.
He cursed and rushed off the elevator to the men's room. The door sighed closed behind him and he grabbed some tissues from the sink. He covered his nose and dove into stall quickly closing the door and falling onto the toilet. He pinched the bridge of his nose and tilted his head slightly. His leg bounced and his eyes filled with tears. The bitter taste of fear assaulted his tongue as his heart raced, which only made his head pound harder. He pinched his eyes closed and colors and lights flashed across his eyes to the rhythm of his throbbing heartbeat.
He swallowed, and tasted the copper of his nosebleed and he couldn't move fast enough as his body rejected it and he heaved. The contents of his stomach splashed into the toilet. He could barely breathe as his body revolted. Each heave, each muscle contraction, he was sure would be his last. The pain was too much. He wasn't sure how much time had gone by, but eventually he was empty. His nose had stopped bleeding. He wiped his nose, and his mouth, and flushed the toilet. He shifted and fell to sit next to the bowl. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall.
He felt oddly disconnected from his body. It was like he simply couldn't take the pain in his head; it made him feel like he was going crazy. Still, he registered the coolness of the wall he'd leaned back on. He turned his head; his heated skin coming into contact with the chilled surface. His breath hitched in his throat as he fought another bout of nausea. His breathing was shallow and light. He knew, somewhere in the back of his mind, he should get to the med bay, but he had nothing left. He couldn't open his eyes, let alone lift his arms or stand.
He wasn't sure how much time had passed.
"In here!" He heard a voice shout, and he didn't even have the energy to wince.
"Fuck, Alenko," Garrus's flanging voice muttered and Kaidan felt someone tugging at his arms. He was lifted, and laid down and he knew he was being moved through the ship.
There was a lot of activity around him. He heard Chakwas's softly accented voice speaking quickly to Garrus and Shepard, asking if he had been injured. He tried to speak but only a moan slipped from his lips. Warm, soft hands cupped his face and Shepard's voice was in his ear, "Kaidan, are you injured?" He shook his head. "This is just a migraine?" She asked, the surprise in her voice was not lost on him. He nodded, and it was barely a movement.
The next thing he knew, he felt the prick of a needle in his arm. The warm rush of narcotics raced through his veins and he felt the bliss of unconsciousness tugging at him.
A pair of soft lips pressed against his forehead.
A warm, caring hand held his.
Then, nothing.
Author's Note: In case you haven't read it yet, and you're wondering, now would be the time to read the oneshot A Symposium of Soulmates located on my profile page. In it Sloan Shepard and Garrus Vakarian have a conversation on human beliefs, love, destiny, and soulmates. - TLC