Kaidan smiled as he heard Mia's music through her visor. He knew she liked to listen to old Earth music and read old stories in her downtime. She was fascinated with everything old Earth. She'd told him it was how she kept sane. She'd said she needed music, before and after combat. Sometimes she'd flick on a song during a firefight on her visor to help her focus, like now. Kaidan always found it fascinating when she did that, because she moved like she was dancing, flowing from one dingy wall to another dodging bullets. She pulled up her gun and Kaidan heard her whispering lyrics under her breath while she aimed, then in rhythm with the song, she pulled the trigger three times—all headshots. Kaidan couldn't help but smile. That was why John never told her she couldn't listen to her music, as long as it improved her performance. Kaidan had to admit, though, that he hadn't seen much that could deter her performance.
Kaidan was stuck. Regulations had an anti-fraternization policy, but Shepard had already had a talk with him about that. He obviously didn't mind as long as Mia didn't. But Kaidan couldn't even bring himself to feel familiar enough to use her nickname. That was reserved for John, she'd barked that at several younger crewmen when they'd gotten a bit too comfortable. So he used her first name. No one else did that. He liked that, and he had success with that route so far.
Hadn't he? He was second-guessing himself, the whole situation. Did he really think he stood a chance at a relationship with this woman? He considered her a friend, and they'd gotten close quickly, but he found himself wanting more. He caught himself daydreaming about shore leave on the Citadel, sitting on the observation decks and listening to old Earth music like they had just before they left for Therum. He wanted to walk her home from the bar, and take her on nice dates on the Presidium. She'd promised to take him to her favorite bar on the Citadel, Flux, next time they had shore leave. He intended to see that through, but he didn't know how much more she wanted. Mia didn't strike him as the type of girl to want a relationship. She hardly spoke to anyone besides the ground team and Joker on board, and even then, it was usually a snide remark. The team was full of those these days.
Kaidan jerked his hand suddenly, yanking one of those monsters into the air with his biotics. Garrus took it out and he nodded at the man.
"Scratch one!" the turian called triumphantly.
He liked Garrus. It was hard not to, with his humor. He really fit in on the team, and John had taken to him at once. But so had Mia. Kaidan didn't want to be jealous of the other man, especially not of a friendship that seemed to be so good for Mia. He wasn't even really sure he was a threat, after all. Mia didn't seem like the type to date outside her species. It just got him thinking. If this turian could come along and make her laugh like that, some other human man could do the same. The thought of a human man making her giggle like that? Yeah, that strangely bothered him.
He lowered his pistol, an old Carnifex he picked up on the Citadel after Mia's suggestion, as they moved forward, seeing the tram accessway they'd been informed about. Tali quickly activated the purge system on the tracks, killing the overgrown bugs they could see through the glass before they proceeded through to the tramway. The team filed in but remained standing and ready. A new song was playing faintly on Mia's visor, and Kaidan cracked a smile when he saw John bobbing his head slightly to the music.
Soon, the tram pulled up to the station and to Kaidan's surprise, all was quiet. No people, but more importantly, no monsters. John led them through a few sets of doors, then into an elevator. Kaidan was getting sick of elevators.
The doors opened and they were met by armed ERCS guards pointing guns at them. It felt strangely familiar, though, after their welcoming party back at Port Hanshaw. At least here, there was a clear and present reason that they were so on edge. He lowered his gun when the man at the front did, then crossed the barricades they'd set up as John talked to the man.
"Sorry. We couldn't be sure what was on the tram." the man said. Kaidan noticed his armor read "Ventralis" on his chest.
"Do you think those things can work the tram controls?" John asked skeptically.
"Hell if I know," Ventralis replied, "I'm not assuming any-goddamn-thing. Look, you're human and that's enough that I won't shoot. But I'd like to know who you are."
"Commander John Shepard, Council Spectre," John informed him.
"Well, I'm not one to look a heavily-armed horse in the mouth. I'm Captain Ventralis, ERCS. The aliens got out last week. Only Han Olar got out of the hot labs, and he ain't all there anymore. The first we knew, the bastards were clawing into my command post. We had a lot more staff then."
"We've never seen anything like them. What do you know?" John asked, glancing over his shoulder nervously. Kaidan swore he could still hear the chittering of the aliens even though he couldn't see them. It sent shivers up his spine.
"I'm no xenobiologist. They're fast, vicious, and there's a hell of a lot of them. The Board sent an asari to clean up the mess. She went to the hot labs yesterday. We haven't heard from her since. All I can do is hold out here and protect the civilians. There's an emergency elevator out by the trams that can take you down to the hot labs." he informed John, handing him a keycard. "This card will let you access it. Oh, and if you need first aid, Dr. Cohen's downstairs in the medbay."
"I'm not going to let your people die." John said confidently. "Half my team will stay with you, Lt. Shepard's unit, so your men can get some rest," He motioned to Mia, who nodded at the man. Kaidan was thankful that she'd finally paused her music. John turned a half step to include Mia in the conversation with the captain. "I'm going to take my unit in to talk to Han Olar, see what intel we can scrounge up about these bugs. I'm not in the business of sending men to their deaths. We need to get to the bottom of this. I'll stay in radio contact," John said, meeting Mia's eye right as Captain Ventralis's eyes widened, pointing over John's shoulder.
"Hell! Man the defenses!" he shouted as the chittering in Kaidan's ear grew louder and another huge insect sprang from vents behind him, followed quickly by two more. Kaidan swore as he lifted his fist in the air, biotically Throwing one of the monsters back against the wall. He saw Liara swathed in blue and sighed as she threw out a Singularity, a miniature black hole powered by biotics. He wished, not for the first time, that his implants weren't quite so…defective. He could already feel a migraine coming on from the strain of just the Lifts and Throws. Garrus and Mia took out the one he'd Lifted, both getting quite skilled at shooting things out of the air. John threw out a biotic Shockwave at the unoccupied bug while Tali followed with a shotgun blast, quickly dispatching it. Liara expedited her work by shooting the one that she'd targeted with her Singularity. The room fell quiet once more, but Kaidan couldn't help but feel like things were crawling all over him. And, faintly, he could still hear chittering.
"I'll take you up on that offer, Commander," Captain Ventralis said with a low whistle. "My men could use the rest, but I'll bring some med kits up in case yours need it."
"I could do with some aspirin," Kaidan said, rubbing his temples.
"L2s giving you a hard time again?" John asked sympathetically. John and Chakwas were the only ones he thought actually gave a shit about him, sometimes. If he'd asked for aspirin from any other commanding officer in the Alliance… he rubbed his neck and smiled sheepishly.
"Yeah, trying not to let it bother me, but…I'd rather be safe than sorry out here." He said.
"Change of plans, Lieutenant," John said, turning to Mia. "I'm taking Alenko with me, gonna get him checked out. I'll leave you with Garrus instead," Kaidan paled, looking between the two Shepards.
"I- that's really not necessary, sir," Kaidan sputtered. "I'll be fine with some aspirin."
"I think not," John said, crossing his arms over his chest. Shit. He wasn't getting out of this. "Chakwas specifically told me not to let you overwork yourself. I don't know about you, but I'm doing anything and everything to avoid incurring the wrath of the ship's doctor." John said, then lowered his voice in a mock whisper. "She knows our weaknesses better than we do." Kaidan cracked a smile at that and nodded. Chakwas could be scary at times, that much was true.
"Aye, sir." Kaidan said, holstering his gun as he looked over to Mia who was frowning at him gently.
"You sure you're okay?" She asked him, placing a hand on his arm.
"Yeah, I'm alright. An overabundance of caution on the Commander's part." Kaidan assured her, brushing it off, though he couldn't help but feel touched that she was concerned for him. That was… sweet. He made up his mind then, when they got back to the Normandy, he'd talk to her. About personal things. He scanned her face for another moment.
But not now. He patted her hand on his shoulder and looked over to John.
"Let's get in here before another wave of those things come out of the woodwork." John said.
Mia Shepard Rift Station Barricades, Noveria 1700 hours
Mia sat back against the makeshift barricade wall, resting her head for a moment. She'd normally use this downtime to throw on a song to calm her nerves, especially with the constant sounds of chittering filling the vents. It was unnerving. But with John gone, she was the commanding officer, and that always filled her with anxiety. It shouldn't. Garrus was a seasoned soldier and Tali could handle herself with a shotgun. But these monsters… the noises they made went through you like a cold wind. She couldn't bear the thought of being distracted right now. It wasn't worth it, and music would likely make her more nervous right now.
Mia looked up as Garrus came to sit beside her, though he didn't look at her. Mia had come to enjoy Garrus's calm presence on the team. It was true, he could have a bit of a temper, and he'd been known to be a little hot-headed, but his sense of humor and just general compassion for the crew made up for it ten-fold.
"How are you holding up, Shepard?" Garrus asked, peeking over at her. "It's been a long day."
"I'm feeling it," She sighed, leaning her head back against the barricade, but smiled up at him. "You? One of those things got a little too close for comfort in that last wave." She said, nodding to a large gash across his arm. It was shallow, but it'd gotten him between his plates, and Mia knew it had to be sore.
"I've lived through worse," the turian grunted and she smiled at that. She'd heard the pain in his subvocals. He was putting on a front, and that was adorable. "Look, not that it's my place or anything, Shepard, but you've seemed…distracted, on this mission. Zoning out more, lost in thought. I'm sure you're sick of people checking on you," he smiled knowingly. "I just…wanted to tell you you're doing a great job." Mia rolled her eyes and barked a humorless laugh.
"Do I need to remind you that you got snagged because I was distracted?" Mia deadpanned, looking up at him. "All I do is get people hurt. I don't know why I try."
"Because you're damn good at your job," Garrus asserted, meeting her eye. "John's not crazy for believing in you, Mia. You've proven yourself time and again. You can keep up with me, and that's saying something." He grinned at her. "You didn't get me hurt, I wasn't fast enough. You didn't hurt Kaidan," He said, making sure she heard him. She drew her knees up to her chest as close as she could in the armor. She suddenly felt very exposed, and as a sniper, she hated that feeling.
"Hey, usually I'm the one psychoanalyzing everyone." She quipped, laying her head on her knees, turning away from him.
"I'm far too nosey to mind my own business. It's the cop in me," Garrus said dryly, and Mia couldn't help but smile. She heard a low hum from his subvocals telling her he'd noticed.
"Funniest cop I've ever met," She admitted, looking back at him with a smile. She found his eyes trained on her, genuine concern etched on his features, and she fought the urge to run. It was nice, having a friend again. But having a friend, in their business, meant the very imminent and present danger of losing one, as well.
"Have you met many cops?" Garrus asked lightly, arching a brow plate at her. Mia's smile faded as she thought back to the last former cop she'd gotten close to- at least, she had considered them close.
"A few," she answered, though she didn't elaborate.
"C-Sec, or…?" Garrus prodded. She could tell that he loved stories. He wanted to get her talking. And damn him, she wanted to tell him about Kinzey.
"Older guy, around John's age. Went straight for C-Sec, right out of high school. When he eventually left the Citadel and enlisted, he ended up on my crew." Mia smiled wryly. "He hated me," She shook her head. "Followed me right into hell, though. Kinzey was a good man." she told him, then met his eye to keep from crying. "But you're way funnier. That man's sense of humor was nonexistent."
"You know, I ran into that problem a lot at C-Sec," Garrus said, smiling at her. "No sense of humor. Not sure if it's the Council always breathing down their necks or just the stress of the job. Takes a certain kind of person to stay at C-Sec for years at a time. That's what my father always says, at least."
"A legacy cop? Somehow that slipped past my background check. I guess I didn't do enough snooping on you," Mia teased, examining him now. "Does that come with as many daddy issues as I think it does?"
"Probably about as many as having a mother in the Alliance." He countered. Shit. She bit her lip.
"Touche." She conceded, and she heard his chuckle more in his subvocals than his voice.
"We all have our issues, Mia," Garrus said, and a warmth spread across her as she realized her nickname came out so naturally. She'd thought about correcting him the first time it slipped out, but her words caught in her throat. She could be Mia to him. It would be nice to have a friend like that again. She sighed, hearing the tell-tale signs of approaching chitters.
"Right now, these space bugs are my issue," she smiled wryly at him, getting to her knees and watching the room for where the monsters would come from next.
"Well, I've got your six," Garrus told her, taking a shot at an approaching insect. "Whether it's geth, bugs, or the Council. You and John and that vision from the beacon are the best shot we have at this thing." He told her. Mia took down the second monster before turning to look at Garrus.
"Thanks for watching out for me," she said with a smile-the first genuine smile she'd been able to muster outside of John lately. "It means more than you know."
"Anything for a friend," Garrus told her with a nod. She beamed up at him, but frowned as John's voice came over their local comms channel.
"Guys, you aren't gonna believe this. ETA 5 minutes for a debrief." John said.
"Oh, great, more things we won't believe. Sounds like he talked to Han Olar." Mia said with forced positivity. "I just want to be back home- I mean, on the Normandy already." She groaned.
"It is sort of home for now," Garrus said gently.
"You grew up in space, like me, right Shepard?" Tali chimed in, having joined them after the firefight and John's transmission. Mia looked over at the younger girl with a smile.
"Yeah, Mom was a marine. Bounced around from base to base with her. John and I were born on Mindoir. That's a long story. But Mom took me when I was six when she had the Alliance reassign her after the divorce. We lived on Jump Zero for a while. Then it was Arcturus Station. And then it was all ships. From eighteen on. I've had my apartment for about five years, but it's never really been home. It's…"
"Just a place you sleep?"Garrus finished.
"Yeah, and barely that anymore." Mia snorted.
"Sounds like life in the flotilla." Tali admitted. "I was born on a ship, even. But it's…far more ingrained in our culture. Living on ships is second nature to us."
"I think it feels so much like home because that's where John is." Mia said softly, glancing at the door he'd come through, as though her words would will him to appear there faster. "It's where I want to be."
The door opened and John came jogging over towards them, Kaidan and Liara in tow. Kaidan looked like the rest had done him good, though he was seeming lost in thought as the crew came back together.
"Hey, guys. How are you holding up?" John asked, looking around the group.
"Maybe you can get Garrus to let me patch up his arm with medigel? I swear, it's like he wants it to scar." Mia huffed, though Garrus chuckled.
"Maybe I do," Garrus said, raising a brow plate at her. "I happen to think scars are quite attractive. They tell a story. Why waste resources when I'd get a hell of a story out of it?" he countered, and laughed when Mia rolled her eyes.
"Garrus, heal up." John said, and the seriousness in his tone caused Mia to stand up straight. "I have a feeling we're going to need our strength."
A sigh fell through Mia's team, who hadn't had a break from fighting off these…things. Every fifteen minutes, a few more of them popped out of the vents. Mia made a mental note to leave a few of her personal medical supplies as a care package for Ventralis and his men. She had a distaste for private security companies, but a week of this hell? These men had her respect.
"Did you find out what these space bugs are?" Tali asked, playing with her hands nervously.
"Rachni." John deadpanned, and Mia thought for a solid two seconds that he was cracking a joke. The thousand-yard stare he gave her when he said the word, though. It was enough to send shivers down her spine, just like the sound of the chittering.
"Well, Wrex is going to love this," Garrus grunted, pulling out his omnitool and healing up his arm.
"You're sure they're rachni? I thought the whole race was killed off almost two thousand years ago by the krogan. It's what caused the genophage, right?" Mia asked, hoping she got her history right and glad that Wrex wasn't here to yell at her if she didn't understand something.
"Yes, they reverse-engineered salarian FTL drives and waged a centuries-long war against Council space. The Council, specifically the salarians, 'culturally uplifted' the krogan, giving them more advanced technology and a planet that wasn't cursed with lethal levels of radiation from their civil war."John explained, and Mia was glad for the refresher briefing.
"Then they used them to end the war, and the same people who had uplifted the krogan at the start of the war deemed them a threat at the end of it. The krogan wanted more say, a seat on the Citadel, but the Council wouldn't allow it. They weren't advanced enough," John rolled his eyes. "Enter: the Krogan Rebellions. Just after the galaxy finished fighting space bugs with FTL, they launched a war against their allies. Salarians developed a hail Mary bioweapon that they knew would be devastating: the genophage. The salarian opinion around the genophage was that it should be used as a deterrent, not to be deployed. But the turians had other ideas. As soon as it was finished, the turians unleashed the genophage, causing an entire race to dwindle in size." John crossed his arms over his chest and looked to the floor. "Krogan fertility cycles are rapid, that's what made them so dangerous. The genophage doesn't reduce fertility, but the probability of viable pregnancies. Women don't get pregnant less often, they lose hundreds of children in stillbirth. It's a war crime in the truest sense." he said darkly.
"So how are the rachni here, now? Nearly two thousand years after the end of the Rachni Wars?" Garrus asked, his expression a mask.
"They found an egg," John said, rubbing his hand over his face. "On a derelict rachni dreadnaught. They brought it back here, and it hatched."
"All of these monsters are from one egg? Gods, they must have found a queen," Mia swore under her breath, her eyebrows shooting up.
"That's what the volus said," John confirmed. "Look, there's more problems here than just the rachni, as crazy as that sounds. They were experimenting with bioweaponry, a chemical to kill the rachni if they got out of hand. Well, that chemical got out of hand and now we have sick scientists. There's a quarantine lab down below. I'm going to talk to Ventralis about helping Dr. Cohen, but I want to send your team, Lieutenant. You're more equipped for making a cure than we are, and you could use a break from the frontlines."
"I can do that," Mia nodded, meeting John's eye. "Any intel about what we're walking into?"
"Main room is just a bunch of scientists, a few ERCS guys. An asari, an elcor, a salarian doctor in the back, a few humans. There's a restricted section in the back that can be locked down by one man. Don't go out that way. You'll be going through the first door on the left, then right past the volus. Talk to the guard, I'll have the Captain clear your way." John said.
"The asari didn't have anything to say about Benezia?" Mia asked, arching a brow at John's team.
"She was offended we even asked," Kaidan said, rolling his eyes.
"Yes, she was a little rude," Liara admitted, and that threw up red flags to Mia immediately.
"What did she say, specifically?" Mia asked, arching a brow at John.
"She asked why I didn't ask Liara instead, and claimed to know nothing," John said with a frown. "I didn't want to offend her."
"An asari scientist who's unaware that one of the most prominent figures in her culture is in her lab? She was told to deny knowing Benezia and she's doing a bad job as a sleeper agent." Mia deadpanned. "Great, gotta watch our backs." She smiled, nodding at John to talk to Ventralis. "Go get this ball rolling, we'll get patched up and head in as soon as it's cleared for us."
Mia Shepard Scientist Barracks, outside the Quarantine Lab 1800 hours
Mia was tired and hungry, but she was going to make this damn cure so she could get back home. They'd been on this planet for seven hours at this point, fighting through the cold of Noveria's hostile environment. It was the cold that was draining her. Even in the relative warmth of the barracks, despite her suit heater, the cold chilled her through her hard suit, down to the bone. She shivered before moving over to the turian ERCS guard.
"You're not part of the crew." He barked at Mia.
"I have Ventralis's permission at Dr. Cohen's request," Mia said calmly. She was tired of these men thinking they didn't have access. They'd cleared the proper channels this time. John was really good at expediting, something these private companies didn't care about.
"Yeah, he radioed. He also said you have to prove you're not contaminated to get out." the guard said. "You got a death wish? You should stand watches on the barricade."
"That's where we've been for the past hour while you guarded an empty room," Mia said. She entered the locked door, glancing over her shoulder for a moment. She swore she heard the door to the barracks open.
"Garrus," She said, her eyes darting to the man, who was watching the door as well.
"I heard it," he nodded, and Tali pulled out her shotgun as Mia stepped into the room, locating the equipment in the back. It was premeasured already, a monkey could make the cure. It took her a few minutes, but as soon as she heard the machine whir to a stop, they heard gunfire outside the door. Garrus pulled out his sniper as soon as the shot was fired, and Mia hurried to secure the vial containing the cure in her shoulder holster before readying her own gun as the door opened.
"Your mission ends here, Shep-"An asari dressed in the lab uniform of a Binary Helix scientist entered, leading a small unit of geth. "You're not the man I saw earlier. Commander Shepard. Who are you?" Mia smiled at that.
"Oh, I'm Shepard, alright. Lieutenant Shepard. And I told my brother you were a terrible sleeper agent. Denying you'd seen our target when everyone else had? Hostility is the worst quality a spy can possess." Mia spat, then pulled the trigger.
Mia concentrated fire on the asari while Tali and Garrus focused on the geth. The battle didn't last long, and Mia touched her visor to activate her comm channel.
"Commander, we just got jumped by the asari leading a unit of geth," Mia said, looking around the barracks. "I'm gonna ask around, see if anyone saw anything. You should get to the scientist barracks ASAP."
" Roger that, Lieutenant. ETA, ten minutes." John's voice came through her earpiece in her visor.
Garrus looked down at the dead turian, shaking his head. "Guess he was the one with a death wish. I hate that he died for this, though."
The volus in the middle of the room stared at them creepily, his goggles glinting in the low light.
"They came out of there." He told them, pointing to the maintenance access area. "The synthetics. Matriarch Benezia brought them with her. They came from there." Mia looked the small man over for a moment then nodded.
"Thank you. How can I get access to that door?" she asked, sounding very much like John. She tried not to roll her eyes at herself.
"A team lead would have access. Like Dr. Cohen." the volus informed her.
"Great, I need to talk to him anyway. Thank you," She said and turned to leave the barracks as she radioed in to update John.
"Why can't we ever manage to avoid running in circles on these missions?" Garrus asked as they made their way to the medical bay.
"It'd make the job too easy," Mia chuckled. "I'm just glad we're not fighting rachni right now. They… rub me the wrong way."
They delivered the cure to Cohen and retrieved his card to access the maintenance area. Soon enough, they were rendezvousing with the Commander's team in the science team barracks and exchanging intel.
"So Benezia's behind that door?" John asked Mia, though he was looking at Liara.
"Almost certainly," Mia confirmed. "She had geth and commandos with her, if intel serves correctly."
"I want to try and talk to her," John said, a determined look on his face. "We need to get to the bottom of this, figure out what she gains from helping Saren." He looked around at his team, then met Mia's eyes directly. "Everyone ready to go?" Everyone grunted their approval and John headed to the maintenance access tunnel.
The tunnel cut through the side of the mountain, the walls being mostly rock until the hall opened to another lab. On a platform up ahead, Benezia stood by a tank. Inside, a massive rachni, the queen, Mia presumed, was encased. Above her, vats of acid, poised to dissolve her at the press of a button should she get out of hand. And Benezia, a woman just as dangerous, stood before the captive queen.
"You do not know the power of being a mother." She spoke as the group approached her. "There is a power in creation. To shape a life. Turn it toward happiness or despair. Her children were to be ours. Raised to hunt and slay Saren's enemies." Benezia turned to face them, her eyes scanning the faces before her, and landing on her daughter's. "I won't be moved by sympathy, no matter who you bring into this confrontation."
"I assure you, we did not bring Liara as an insurance policy," John said, crossing his arms over his chest. "She's here because she wanted to be, not because I asked her to."
"Indeed? What have you told him about me, Liara?" Benezia asked.
"What could I say, Mother? That you're insane? Evil? Should I explain how to kill you? What could I say?" Liara said, desperation building in her voice. Benezia turned back to John.
"Have you faced an asari commando unit before? Few humans have." She asked. It was as though her daughter hadn't spoken. A chill went up Mia's spine.
"Well, I took down your little sleeper unit just fine. You should really invest in better training. She was quite rude, from what I hear." Mia said, done with Benezia's scare tactics.
"You'd really kill your own daughter for Saren?" John asked, incredulously.
"I now realize I should have been stricter with her," Benezia said stoically.
"You're crazy, lady. You think killing your daughter is acceptable when she's barely more than a child? What has Saren done to you?" Mia sneered. From the little bit Liara had told them about her mother after the debrief, they hadn't had a terrible relationship. Mia could see this from her own mother, but from Benezia? This whole thing felt off and out of place.
A blue aura sprung up around Benezia as she readied herself for the fight, and two asari commandos entered from the other side of the room. Benezia growled and launched her fist into the air, yanking Mia off her feet as a shockwave of static electricity and the smell of ozone surrounded her. She let out a scream as a jolt of pain surged through her body, the biotics nearly frying her instruments.
And then she passed out.
Garrus Vakarian Hot Labs, Noveria 1830 hours "Give me a position, show me where the ammunition is." - "My Shot", Hamilton
Garrus had lined up the shot on the asari commando, using his Overload program to shatter her shields for an easy headshot. He checked around him and saw Liara's Singularity taking down the other, just as two more arrived with a couple geth. Shit. He was never going to be able to get into a good position at this rate.
" Garrus, back corner, behind the tank. Wait for your Overload to cool down and unload. We've gotta buy Mia some time." John said, and Garrus could see him biotically dash forward, using his Charge, ramming into the commandos in front of him.
"Got it, Commander." Garrus said, moving around the corner and trying to keep Benezia in his sights.
" Tali, Sabotage and proximity mine ," John called as he leapt up into the air, his fist glowing blue as he charged up one of his Nova attacks. He rammed into one of the geth, sending a Shockwave through the ground to the other. Two more geth scrambled from the doorway to Garrus's right, another two from the left. Tali's Sabotage hit the pair on the right, and just as Garrus's Overload cooled down, Kaidan Lifted one of the geth while Liara threw up a barrier, giving Garrus a clear shot.
" That's it, unload! " John roared as Garrus pulled up his omnitool to run the program to break the asari's shields. Seconds later, his sights were back to his eye, targeting Benezia's shields. Overload made contact, his first round shattered her damaged barrier, his second round ripped through her shields, and his third round hit her in the shoulder, causing her to scream in pain. She threw Mia, still encased in the electrified biotic field, against the far wall, where she crumpled, sliding down the wall limply.
" Kaidan, get her out of there," John said, his voice barely containing panic, the same panic that Garrus felt rising in his chest the longer Mia remained motionless.
Kaidan made it to Mia first, John in hot pursuit, uncertain about the injured matriarch's next course of action.
"This is not over." She announced as John made it to the platform. Liara and Tali flanked John, Garrus still making his way back across the room. He eyed the matriarch uneasily before moving over to Mia, kneeling down beside Kaidan and checking her vitals. He let his mandibles relax a bit when he felt a pulse. "Saren is unstoppable," The asari continued. "My mind is filled with his light. Everything is clear."
"The Rachni didn't cooperate with you. Why should I?" John asked, his assault rifle held at his side.
"I will not betray him. You - you will- You must listen. Saren still whispers in my mind. I can fight his compulsions. Briefly. But the indoctrination is strong," Benezia said, her eyes shifting as she lifted a hand to her head.
"M-mother?" Liara asked, taking a half-step towards her and reaching out a hand.
"Why are you only able to break free now?" John asked, frowning.
"I sealed a part of my mind away from the indoctrination. Saving it for a moment when I could help destroy him. It will not last long." She informed him, sounding strained. Her voice had shifted, her demeanor was different. Garrus took a step towards them, coming to stand just behind John, between the women protectively.
"Are you saying he brainwashed you?" John asked, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.
"People are not the same around Saren. You come to idolize him. Worship him. You would do anything for him." The matriarch looked disgusted at herself for allowing herself to fall victim to what she was describing. "The key is Sovereign, his flagship. It is a dreadnought of incredible size and its power is extraordinary."
"We saw that on Eden Prime," Kaidan said, from beside Mia. He was applying all the first aid he could, but her pulse was strong and that was encouraging. She was just still unconscious. And that worried Garrus.
"Sovereign's not like other ships. Where did it come from?" John asked.
"I cannot say, the geth did not build it. It is far more advanced than that of any known species. The longer you stay aboard, the more Saren's will seems correct. You sit at his feet and smile as his words pour into you. It is subtle at first. I thought I was strong enough to resist. Instead, I became a willing tool, eager to serve. He sent me here to find the location of the Mu Relay. Its position was lost thousands of years ago." Benezia told them.
"How do you lose a relay?" Garrus asked dryly.
"Four thousand years ago, a star nearby went supernova. The shockwave propelled the relay out of its system, but did not damage it. Its precise vector and speed are impossible to determine. As millennia passed, the nebula created by the nova enveloped the relay." Benezia explained. "It is difficult to find any cold object in space. Particularly something swathed in hot dust and radiation."
"So someone on Noveria found it?" Tali asked.
"Two thousand years ago, the rachni inhabited that region of our galaxy. They discovered the rachni can share memories across generations. Queens inherit the knowledge of their mothers. I took the location of the relay from the queen's mind." She paused, closing her eyes and looking down. "I was not gentle."
Garrus winced at her admission, but saw the grief in her face and instead pitied the asari matriarch. She'd been a mere puppet for Saren.
"How did the rachni find the relay?" John asked.
"They searched, patiently. They are territorial creatures, driven to close any possible way into their systems," She explained.
"Why does Saren need the relay?" John asked.
"He believes it will lead him to the Conduit. I would tell you more if I could, but Saren did not share his counsel with me. I was merely a servant to his cause." Benezia's head drooped and she visibly sagged, purple blood seeping through her dress.
"You can still make it right, Benezia. Give us the information." John said, and it was his turn to take a half-step forward.
"I was not myself, but- I should have been stronger. I transcribed the data to an OSD. Take it. Please." Benezia said, reaching into a pocket and pulling out a small hard drive that she handed to John.
"Knowing the relay's coordinates is not enough. Do you know where he planned to go from there?" Liara mentioned, her face softening towards her mother.
"Saren wouldn't tell me his destination. But you must find out quickly. I transmitted the coordinates to him before you arrived. You have to stop-me. I can't-" Benezia's face contorted in pain, as though she were trying to keep in control of herself. Garrus watched Liara's hand as it shook around her pistol at her side, a tear slipping down her cheek. "-His teeth are at my ear,"
John took a step forward, his biotics powering up as Tali adjusted her stance as well.
"Fingers…on my spine. I will never… be the same again. He's done too much- damage. You should- uh, you should-"
A single round was fired. Liara's pistol was still held aloft, tears streaming down her face.
"You've always made me proud, Liara." Benezia whispered. "Good night, Little Wing. I will see you again… with the dawn." She murmured as she fell to the floor.
"Mother…" Liara sobbed, dropping her gun and falling to her knees. John faltered, stuck halfway between Liara and Mia. He glanced over at Kaidan, but then he met Garrus's eye. It's like he was searching for someone to tell him what to do, to help him make the call. Garrus had been there, even earlier that fight. He'd gladly help his struggling commander. Garrus clapped his shoulder and nodded at Liara, silently telling John that Kaidan had his sister. Liara needed him more just then.
Garrus moved over to Kaidan, whose face was a stony mask as he watched Mia's vitals steadily rising on his omnitool.
"Come on, Amelia," he murmured, a hand moving to her face. His thumb stroked her cheek, and Garrus let out a disbelieving sigh of relief when her eyes fluttered open. She gasped, trying to get up at once, her eyes darting from corner to corner, scanning for threats.
"Hey, hey, easy," Garrus said, kneeling down and catching her before she could sit up all the way up. "You hit your head pretty hard, Mia. Let Kaidan check you out. You're safe." He said, helping her lay back down as Kaidan scanned her with his omnitool. Mia looked up into Garrus's face, recognition and relief spreading in her eyes. When she heard Kaidan's name, though, her eyes darted up to him,the ghost of a smile on her lips. Kaidan checked her pupil respsonse to light to check for a concussion and nodded to himself.
"You're lucky your shields kept most of the impact at bay." Kaidan said, brushing some of her hair that had escaped her pigtails out of her eyes. "You scared me," He admitted, and Garrus suddenly felt like he was intruding. He patted Mia's knee, a quick, friendly gesture, before standing to give Mia and Kaidan some space.
He looked around, spotting John and Liara still on the floor just a few paces away. She was hugging John desperately, as though her life depended on it, and he held her tightly as she sobbed into his shoulder. Garrus smiled sadly at the pair as he moved to join Tali where she stood next to the rachni queen. She looked up at him when he came to stand next to her.
"How's Shepard?" She asked quietly, glancing back at Mia to see Kaidan helping her to sit up, propping her back against the wall.
"She'll be okay. Kaidan's got her," He said, trying to contain his subvocals. Garrus didn't have many friends, and the thought of losing a new one… he didn't want to think about it. It wasn't an option. He'd do everything in his power to make sure this team brought down Saren, and got out alive. Otherwise what was the point?
"Then why do you look so scared?" Tali asked, cocking her head slightly to the side. Damn this observant quarian.
"It's nothing, just nerves," he brushed it off, though he avoided looking back at Mia.
"Sure," Tali allowed, but he noticed her eyes shifted, from Mia and Kaidan to John and Liara. He couldn't see her face well past her face shield, but her modulated voice held a note of sadness as her focus shifted. "I know all about nerves." She murmured. Garrus followed her gaze and his face softened as he saw John wiping Liara's tears away, helping her to her feet. Mia was getting to her feet shakily, as well, and Garrus looked down at the woman beside him. He smiled sadly at the woman, reaching over and pulling her into a side hug, rubbing her upper arm for a moment. They both needed the comfort, and Tali leaned her head on his shoulder for a moment as John and Liara made their way over to check on Mia.
John was talking to Kaidan in hushed tones, and Garrus couldn't help but feel like he was watching a private moment, not meant for him. He closed his eyes, willing the imposter syndrome to go away. He had the distinct feeling that he'd never be as close to Mia as the other two men, despite how much he cared for her. It was hard not to care for her; she spoke her mind and acted on what she believed in. He was trying very hard to be happy for her, watching Kaidan supporting her. Kaidan was a good man. They were good for each other, Garrus could see that. Yet the melancholy was still there.
John looked back over to Garrus and Tali briefly, then returned his attention to Mia, seemingly assessing her. Garrus frowned. John wasn't really considering not evacuating Mia, was he?
Movement from his left made Garrus jump as an asari commando jerkily got to her feet, eyes closed. She stood, body limping as though she were a marionette on strings.
"Commander!" Garrus called out, pulling out his gun as the asari made her way to him and Tali, turning in front of the tank just as the queen turned to screech at Garrus and Tali. "We have a problem."
