Sector: Unknown
Location: Civilian Ship
Kel'Varas awoke feeling fine. He was lying on the floor of his quarters, and despite the vague memories, he was glad of the unexpected improvement in his health. He stood up and went to the mirror. Noticing the absence of a glove, Kel'Varas carefully looked at his three-fingered hand - the green rot that oozed from it was completely gone.
"Kel'Varas..." someone's ominous voice said, causing him to turn around sharply.
The room was empty, which made Kel'Varas even more wary.
"I'm in your head," the disgusting voice sounded again, and panic began to grip the quarian.
"Oh, Ancestors, I'm going crazy..." Kel'Varas whispered, clutching his head with his hands in the hopes of drowning out the voice.
— Your Ancestors will not hear your prayers, Kel'Varas, because they do not exist. But I am here, — the voice answered calmly.
— Leave me alone! My Ancestors are watching over me, and if you...
— And then what? — the voice interrupted. — Your Ancestors will punish me? Destroy me? No, they do not exist, and I am here.
— Who are you? — Kel'Varas asked, feeling fear squeeze his heart.
— I am God. Your God. And I am here to help you, — the voice said with a warm, but threatening tone.
— And how do you intend to help me? — Kel'Varas asked warily.
— I have already helped, and I will continue to help. I have healed you and your people on this ship.
Kel'Varas remembered how their ship was quarantined by the admirals.
— I need to contact Admiral Koris. He should know.
- No, we are too far from your Fleet.
- What do you mean?
- I took control of the ship and took you far from home.
- You had no right! Why did you do this?!" Kel'Varas asked, surprised and indignant, not understanding how the voice in his head could do such a thing.
- They would not have helped you. I did you a favor. Look at the sensors in your cabin.
Kel'Varas looked at the indicator by the door with disbelief, and fear gripped him. The contamination level was critical.
He immediately looked at his hand and realized that the bacteria had long since penetrated his suit.
- Ancestors, I do not want to die like this! - Kel'Varas cried, desperately falling to his knees. - I did not even have time to do anything!
- You will not die, - the voice answered calmly, puzzling him.
- What?
— I have granted you and all the quarians on this ship immunity. You will never get sick again. You will no longer need suits to live.
Kel'Varas couldn't believe his ears. No medicine in the galaxy could do that. He looked at the indicator again and saw that the infection had occurred six hours ago. He should have been sick or dead a long time ago, but he was alive and feeling fine.
—How did you do that? — Kel'Varas asked, still not believing what was happening.
—I am a God, a real God who helps and hears prayers, unlike your Ancestors, who do not exist.
Kel'Varas, without realizing it, began to doubt his beliefs. He walked up to the mirror and looked at his reflection. He studied himself for a few seconds before he decided to remove his mask.
Without the mask, he could see his face — for the first time in his life, he felt relief, looking at his reflection.
—Satisfied? — the voice asked.
- Yes... What do you want?
"I want you to be my chosen one, to lead your people to a brighter future," the voice replied, confusing Kel'Varas.
"Chosen? Me?"
"Yes. You will lead my army, lead your people, and take back what was taken from you three generations ago, Rannoch."
A thrill of excitement rose in Kel'Varas as the voice mentioned his homeworld.
"Home... I can take back home," Kel'Varas said confidently.
"Yes. All you need to do is swear fealty to me and renounce your false gods. Do you agree?"
"Yes! I agree!" Kel'Varas exclaimed without hesitation.
He was filled with determination, more confident than he had ever felt.
"Well done," the voice approved. "In the name of Nurgle.
The voice faded, leaving Kel'Varas alone.
He looked at his reflection once more and smiled.
But the joy and reality Kel'Varas felt was an illusion created by the voice. The real reality was different. In his room, the walls were covered in green mold, and his belongings were scattered.
The same Kel'Varas stood before the mirror, but his body was disgusting. Bright green pus flowed from his eyes, mouth, and nose, and his skin, once gray, had become slightly green. Large yellow blisters covered his face, but Kel'Varas continued to stand and smile at his reflection.
"By Nurgle," Kel'Varas whispered with a smile.
Sector: Sigma
Planet: Kaya
The security robots patrolled the main center of the colony, maintaining control over the main building. All was quiet until a powerful explosion thundered near the center. Most of the robots immediately headed to the scene, reacting to the threat.
When there were only a few security robots left, Shepard, Jacob and Miranda came out of the alley and destroyed the remaining robots with precision.
The plan was simple, but it required precision in action. There were few of them, and many more robots. Shepard suggested dividing into three groups. The first group - Tali with two subordinates - was to distract the robots by blowing up the building to attract their attention. The second group, under the command of Prazza, was to go around the robots stealthily, then attack them from behind and destroy them with heavy weapons. The third group — Shepard himself, Jacob, and Miranda — were to stealthily approach the main center, eliminate the remaining robots, and enter the building.
"Tali, what's the situation?" Shepard asked through the communicator.
"They spotted us," Tali replied, her voice thick with gunfire. "We're holding, but we're waiting for Prazza."
"Contact me as soon as you're done," Shepard replied shortly, then turned to Miranda: "Break the door."
Miranda activated her omnitool, beginning to hack the security system. Suddenly, a signal came from Tali.
"Shepard!" Her voice was tense.
"I'm here, what happened?" he asked, sensing the alarm in her tone.
"Prazza's not coming! He's decided to act on his own, ignoring my orders. We need help, we're surrounded!"
"Damn it!" Hold on, we're on our way, Shepard replied.
"Thank you," Tali said, calming down a bit, and hung up.
Shepard immediately gave the order:
"Miranda, stop hacking. We're going to Tali's group."
Miranda seemed to disagree:
"I heard everything, Shepard. We shouldn't do that - there's going to be some tough resistance there."
"Are you out of your mind!?" Shepard was indignant.
"If we go there, we might lose our chance to complete the mission!" she added coldly.
Shepard didn't listen to her any further:
"Stay here if you want. I'm coming." He turned to Jacob. "Are you with me?"
"Yes, Captain," Jacob answered without thinking.
Shepard and Jacob ran to Tali's group, leaving Miranda behind.
"I swear he'll kill us all," Miranda muttered, but ran after him.
Location: Citadel
David Edward Anderson sat in his cozy office, surrounded by soft lamplight, quietly reading reports on his terminal. His hand was already automatically signing documents that he considered useful to the Alliance.
"I'm so tired," Anderson sighed, turning off the screen and raising a cup of slightly cold tea to his lips.
It had been almost two years since he became the representative of humanity on the Citadel. Despite his dedication to the cause, sometimes his soul was filled with nostalgia for military life. The political games and intrigues on the Citadel seemed alien to him. He had always believed that his place was at the front, next to the soldiers, and not behind a desk overloaded with documents. But he continued his service for Shepard's sake.
Shepard's image immediately popped into his memory, and Anderson turned his gaze to the photograph on his desk. In it, he was in full dress uniform, presenting the Medal of Honor, the Alliance's highest honor, to Commander Shepard. Shepard's face was beaming with happiness, a rare display of emotion from a man who was always focused on duty.
The photo was taken three days after the battle with Saren on the Citadel. On the Normandy, they had organized a small victory party, where Anderson, Shepard, and his loyal team, without whom the victory would not have been possible, gathered.
Anderson's heart sank with pain when he remembered the news of Shepard's death. But even harder was the realization that the Council had decided to disband the captain's team, sending its members to different corners of the galaxy. He was against it, but his voice was lost among the three other voices of the Council.
"Councilor Anderson, you are being summoned to an emergency Council meeting," the assistant's voice came through the terminal.
Anderson closed his eyes for a moment, collecting his thoughts. He stood up from his chair and headed towards the conference room. The office was not far away, so the walk was short.
As soon as Anderson entered the council chamber, he was struck by an unusual sight. The three Councilors, who always tried to keep their cool, were now shouting at each other, as if they were ready to tear each other apart on the spot.
"I don't care if this violates your so-called 'galactic borders' or not, Tevos!" the turian Sparatus barked in a rough voice. "My fleet will pass through your colonies and set up roadblocks, whether you like it or not."
Anderson was shocked. Although Sparatus had always been the toughest and most belligerent of the Councilors, he had never seen him so furious.
The asari Councilor Tevos looked at him as if he were crazy, her eyes blazing with rage.
"You have no right to do this!" she replied, defending the interests of her people. — If your troops cross our borders, we will be forced to attack!
— Then prepare for us to destroy your military bases and seize them, — Sparatus replied coldly, throwing her a threatening look.
— What is going on here? — Anderson intervened, approaching them, attracting the attention of everyone present.
— Anderson, talk to this madman! — exclaimed the salarian Valern. — Sparatus is about to make the biggest mistake in the galaxy!
— A mistake? — Sparatus replied sharply, clenching his fists. — My people are defending themselves! We cannot wait!
— What happened? — Anderson asked more calmly, trying to understand the situation.
— One of the turian planets was attacked, — Tevos explained, still glaring at Sparatus.
— An attack? An entire planet was captured? — Anderson asked incredulously.
— Yes, — Tevos nodded. — And now Sparatus wants to bring his fleet through our borders and blockade them, since the planet is close to our territory.
— It's illegal! — she continued, raising her voice. — Deploying turian troops on our colonies without consent is insane!
— How many times do I have to tell you?! As soon as we take our planet back, we'll leave! — Sparatus explained angrily, his eyes blazing with anger.
— I'm not that naive, Sparatus, — Tevos replied coldly. — Today you build your bases, and tomorrow you start controlling the entire planet. I won't let you take our territory!
— Why can't you send a fleet through your borders? It would be faster, — Anderson asked, looking closely at Sparatus.
Sparatus paused for a moment, as if choosing his words.
— We did just that… — he began hesitantly. — We sent two of our best fleets, but they were destroyed as soon as they reached the planet's orbit.
Anderson was shocked. The turian navy was considered one of the most powerful in the galaxy, and the idea that two elite fleets could be destroyed so quickly seemed impossible.
"Because they knew your tactics!" Tevos interjected. "I was informed that one of your own vice admirals had taken over the planet! That's your problem, Sparatus, not ours!"
"Tevos, please listen to me…" Sparatus began, but was abruptly interrupted.
"No, period!" Tevos said coldly, cutting him off. "This conversation is over. I'm leaving."
Tevos turned and walked out of the room, not giving Sparatus a chance to object.
"And I'm leaving," said Valern, rising from his seat. "We have our own business besides your problems, Sparatus."
When Valern left the room, Sparatus and Anderson were left alone.
"Damn it!" Sparatus cried out in rage, slamming his fist down on the table so hard that the sound echoed throughout the room.
Anderson stood by, watching his outburst, knowing how dire the situation was.
"What's the point of the Council if no one is going to help?" Sparatus asked himself, disappointed.
"Seriously? You just realized that now?" Anderson answered ironically, crossing his arms over his chest.
Anderson had always known that the Council members had their own interests at heart. In times of peace, they could work together, but when serious conflicts arose, their alliance quickly faded into the background. When Shepard repeatedly warned about the Reapers, the Council ignored him, and Anderson, having become a member of the Council, tried to convince them to act together. But as time had shown, this was a difficult task.
"Weren't you planning to leave?" Sparatus asked coldly, glancing at Anderson.
"What are you going to do now? Your threats about the asari bases were, I hope, just a bluff?" Anderson asked, narrowing his eyes.
"It was an accident. I don't know what came over me," Sparatus admitted, rolling his tense shoulders.
"You're an experienced advisor, I didn't expect it to come to threats," Anderson noted, watching Sparatus's reaction closely.
"I know. But I was furious. Tevos doesn't understand that my people are being held captive by this vile deserter!" Sparatus blurted out, clenching his fists.
"Who is this deserter?" Anderson looked at him seriously.
"Vice General Larik Solten. He commanded the Bloody Dawn fleet. Two weeks ago, he abandoned his sector with the fleet without explanation. Then I received a report that he had captured our elementhus mining colony on the planet Zetar in the Arcteion sector. I knew Larik personally, Anderson. He was loyal to the Turian Hierarchy, I was proud to have such a loyal friend... and now he has betrayed us. I can't believe it, - Sparatus said bitterly, lowering his head.
Anderson understood him. The Alliance had recently lost an entire fleet - the Third Fleet, and until now no one knew where they had gone. This worried him more and more with each passing day.
- The best fleets in the galaxy are deserting almost simultaneously... it can't be just a coincidence, - Anderson thought, feeling growing uneasy.
- I can't promise that the Alliance will intervene and help you get your planet back, but I will try to convince the leadership to help you, - Anderson said, looking at Sparatus.
- Are you serious? — Sparatus looked at Anderson with disbelief, his eyes full of surprise.
— Of course. We're supposed to help each other, right? — Anderson smiled slightly, noticing the spark of hope in the turian's eyes.
Sparatus was silent, considering what he had heard.
— Thank you, — he said quietly, and Anderson could swear there was pure sincerity in his voice.
Sector: Sigma
Planet: Kaya
Tali sat in a small shelter, desperately trying to contact Prazza. She and her subordinates were trapped, the security robots were getting closer and closer, constantly firing at their positions.
"Captain! We're running low on ammo!" one of the quarians yelled, firing at the robots from behind cover.
"Kyla! Prazza, can you hear me?! We need your backup! That's an order!" Tali screamed into her communicator, her voice shaking with rage.
"Fuck your orders! You betrayed us when you contacted Cerberus! I'll find Vitor and get him home myself, without you!" Prazza replied before disconnecting.
"Boshtet!" Tali screamed, her anger growing stronger. She carefully raised her head, seeing the robots continue to attack.
"I'm out of ammo!" one of her subordinates shouted, throwing away the empty magazine.
Suddenly, a powerful explosion illuminated the street. The robots that had just been firing at them flew apart, turning into debris. The explosion was so strong that even Tali and her squad were thrown back by the shock wave.
"I told you it would work!" Jacob's voice rang out from the rooftop next to Miranda.
"How was I supposed to know you had heavy plasma grenades?" Miranda replied, trying to contain her surprise.
"Well, if you'd read my weapons reports, you'd know," he said cheerfully.
Miranda only snorted in displeasure in response.
Tali, getting to her feet, saw how the wreckage of burning robots was scattered all over the street. Smoke slowly rose into the sky, filling the area around them.
"Tali, are you okay?" Shepard's voice came through her communicator.
"Yeah..." she began, slightly stunned, "just a little deafened by the explosion."
"It'll pass. Where are you now?"
"By the big blue building," Tali replied, looking around.
"Wait there, we're on our way," Shepard said before cutting the comm.
Shepard and his team quickly approached Tali and her group. Tali looked worried, but relaxed a little when she saw them.
"So, where's Prazza?" Shepard asked seriously, looking around.
"I don't know," Tali replied, her voice tense, worried. "He's probably looking for Vitor. We have to find him before it's too late.
"Don't worry," Shepard said calmly, but there was a firmness in his tone. "We will find him. And when we do, Prazza will answer for my betrayal."
After a short time, the team headed toward the center of the colony. But as they approached, gunshots and screams rang out. Shepard and his men immediately rushed forward, their weapons at the ready, but what they saw made them freeze.
The bodies of Prazza's quarians lay dead in the street. Their charred suits emitted thin wisps of smoke, and an atmosphere of fear and death hung around them. But the most terrible thing was what was happening in the center of this scene. A huge, ugly creature covered in blood-red skin towered over the bodies. Its massive, curved horns reached into the sky, and from its mouth with long, sharp teeth came a heavy breath, like the roar of a beast. The creature was clad in black armor, adorned with spikes and jagged plates that seemed to emanate pain and hatred. Even more terrifying were its eyes - bright red, glowing with malice, like two bloody fires in the void.
The creature's enormous claws held Prazza, who desperately tried to break free, but was completely immobilized in its deadly grip. The creature turned its vicious head towards Shepard and his team, and its roar echoed across the ruined street. Its hand, in which it held the quarian, suddenly burst into hellish fire. Prazza screamed in unbearable pain, his body instantly engulfed in flames. The quarian's screams were piercing, but short-lived - his body soon charred and froze in death.
With devilish strength, the demon threw Prazza's burning body straight towards Shepard. Shepard managed to react quickly and dodge, but the horror of what he saw remained with him. The creature stood, preparing for another attack, its gaze fixed on those who dared to challenge it.
Everyone immediately opened fire on the monster, but the shots had no visible effect on it. The creature only growled, ignoring the bullets that ricocheted off its armor as if they were nothing more than raindrops. Suddenly, the demon rushed forward with incredible speed, heading straight for Miranda. Jacob managed to react and, pushing her aside, took the blow.
The blow was so powerful that Jacob was thrown several meters away, and with a roar he crashed into the wall of the building. The wall gave way from the force of the blow, and Jacob fell lifelessly to the ground.
"Jacob!" Shepard screamed, continuing to shoot at the monster. "Miranda! Get him out of here!" I'll cover you!
The monster, hearing Shepard's voice, turned its demonic head in his direction. Its huge, flaming eyes blazed brighter, as if the demon sensed a challenge. Shepard aimed at the monster's head and fired a whole volley of shots, but even direct hits brought no result - the creature walked forward, as if the bullets were nothing.
"What is it made of!?" one of the quarians screamed in panic, changing the magazine.
"Shoot and don't think!" Tali shouted back, continuing to fire at the monster, her voice trembling with tension.
Meanwhile, Miranda, retreating with Jacob, tried to lift him.
"Come on, get up," she said, helping him to his feet.
"What about Shepard?" Jacob exhaled heavily, leaning on her, his face distorted with pain.
"He'll manage," Miranda said shortly, her gaze focused and cold. "Right now, our job is to get out of here."
She quickly pulled Jacob away from the battlefield, leaving Shepard and the quarians to fight the monster.
The monster headed for a small cargo truck and effortlessly lifted it over its head. Then, with terrifying force, the monster threw the car straight at the quarians. Tali managed to react, and, throwing herself to the side, avoided the blow at the last moment.
"Are you all right?" Tali whispered, rising to her feet. Her gaze darted to the side, and her heart sank. Where her people had stood just a moment ago, there were now piles of metal and twisted bodies buried under the truck. No one had managed to escape. Tali froze, her breath caught in her throat. All she saw before her was the death of her team, and she had failed to protect them.
"Tali, watch out!" — Shepard shouted as he saw a fireball form in the monster's right hand.
Without wasting any time, he ran straight towards the monster, shooting at it. The shots angered the monster, and it turned on Shepard, throwing a fireball at him. Shepard managed to jump to the side in time, and the fireball crashed into the building behind him, causing a powerful explosion.
Meanwhile, Tali was hiding in cover, feverishly thinking about the situation. Fear was paralyzing her, and the stress was growing - she did not know how to deal with this terrible creature.
"Think, Tali, think," she muttered under her breath, watching as Shepard continued to shoot at the monster and dodge its blows.
Her gaze accidentally caught on a building nearby. It had a sign that said "Caution! Explosive material." Suddenly, an idea came to her.
Sector: Sigma
Planet: Kaya
The situation was truly terrifying for Miranda. She had never experienced anything like this in her life. Her perfect memory contained knowledge of every known species in the galaxy, but now they were faced with something unknown, something she had never seen or known. This fact scared her.
Miranda supported the wounded Jacob, and together they slowly walked through the empty streets of the colony, trying to get to their ship. Jacob had a broken rib, and every breath he took was difficult. The blow from the monster was so powerful that Miranda understood that if it were not for Jacob, she would have died already.
"The main thing is to stay awake. Walk straight and listen to my voice," she said soothingly, trying to keep him conscious.
"I'll try," Jacob answered heavily.
They did not suspect that they were being watched from the roof. One of the minions of chaos watched them quietly, his eyes blazing with madness.
"Kill! Blood for the Blood God!" he screamed shrilly, his voice full of hysterical fanaticism.
He tensed his body and, like a predator, began to jump from roof to roof, approaching his target. Miranda suddenly stopped, sensing something was wrong.
"What happened?" Jacob asked, wondering why they had stopped.
Miranda silently looked up and saw an enemy flying at them from above. She quickly pushed Jacob aside, saving him from the blow, but was herself attacked. The blow was not as strong as the previous monster, but it still knocked her off her feet.
"Death to all who do not honor my patron!" the enemy screamed, grabbing Miranda and lifting her off the ground.
She tried to break free, but his grip was too tight. Now, however, she could get a good look at her attacker. His face was scarlet, and his eyes were burning with hellish fire. Horns similar to those of the previous monster adorned his forehead, although they were smaller.
"When I kill you, my master will notice me! I will be exalted and become his faithful!" he screamed, raging in his speech.
Miranda did not understand the meaning of his mad words, but she knew that she had to somehow break free from his iron grip. She pulled a small plasma pistol from her back and began shooting straight into the attacker's face.
The monster winced in pain, releasing Miranda from his clutches and throwing her to the ground.
"Filthy bitch! I will eat your insides!" he roared, licking his lips in anticipation.
Miranda realized that, unlike the huge monster, this enemy felt pain. So, it can be killed.
The monster rushed towards Miranda at breakneck speed, but she did not flinch. Taking cold aim, she began shooting at its legs. An ordinary person would not be able to hit a moving target so accurately, but Miranda was not an ordinary person.
"Fuck!" the monster roared, feeling his legs being torn apart by Miranda's precise shots.
He fell to the ground, writhing in pain.
"No! Why!" he screamed, trying to get up, but his body no longer obeyed.
The monster wanted to say something else, but before he could - Miranda kicked him hard in the head, silencing him.
"You'll learn how to treat a lady, trash," she said coldly, looking at the defeated enemy with disdain.
Wasting no time, Miranda shot him several times until her magazine ran out of bullets.
After making sure the monster was truly dead, Miranda rushed to Jacob and carefully began to lift him up.
"Are you okay?" she asked, helping him up.
"Fine... Remind me never to piss you off again," Jacob replied with a smirk as Miranda mercilessly killed the monster.
"Why? I'm always in such a fighting mood," Miranda smiled back, trying to lighten the mood a little.
They moved on, supporting each other, but Miranda didn't notice how her boot got dirty with the blood of a dead monster. Without realizing it, she had unwittingly doomed the Normandy to future troubles.
Sector: Sigma
Planet: Kaya
Shepard didn't know what to do. He was running out of ammo, no grenades, and fatigue was slowly taking its toll. He ran around the giant monster in vain, trying to dodge its powerful blows, but the monster only grew angrier and stronger with each passing moment.
Suddenly, the monster felt a blow to the back of its head - someone had shot it in the head. He turned around sharply and saw Tali.
"Hey! Boshtet, I'm here!" Tali screamed, waving her arms.
Shepard didn't understand what she was planning, but the monster immediately roared and rushed at her.
Tali stood motionless, her legs shaking with fear, but she clenched her teeth tightly and didn't move from the spot.
"Tali, go away!" Shepard screamed, continuing to shoot the monster in the back in panic.
When the monster came a few meters closer, Tali jumped to the side.
The monster tried to slow down, but couldn't - its speed was too great. It crashed into the building, and a moment later there was a powerful explosion. The shock wave threw Tali and Shepard several meters away.
When they came to, they saw the giant's body burning in the rubble of the building.
Shepard immediately ran to Tali.
"Are you okay?" he asked, breathing heavily.
"Yeah, I'm fine..." Tali answered, not taking her eyes off the burning body of the monster. "Who was that?"
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out. Are you with me?"
"Of course," Tali answered without thinking, and they headed to the center of the colony.
Tali broke down the door, and they went inside. The room was dark, only in the center the monitors were brightly lit, in front of which the quarian was sitting on a chair.
- Swarm... insects... demons... heresy... - he muttered nervously.
- Vitor? - Tali said quietly, trying not to scare him.
They came closer, but Vitor kept repeating the same words.
- Looks like he's in shock, - Shepard said, watching the blank screens that the quarian was staring at.
Shepard turned off the monitors with the omni-tool, and Vitor immediately came to his senses, looking at them with fear.
- Who are you? - he asked anxiously.
- Don't be afraid, Vitor, we've come to help, - Tali said softly, trying to calm him down.
- Help? It's too late... We're all doomed.
- Doomed? Why? - Shepard asked, not understanding his words.
Vitor turned on the monitors, and video recordings appeared on the screen: insect-like aliens abducting people.
"Kila, those are the Collectors," Tali said, her voice shaking with surprise.
"The Collectors? I've never heard of them," Shepard said, carefully studying the recording.
"Not many people know about them," Tali answered. "They say they use a closed Omega-4 relay, all the ships that passed through it never returned."
"That's not all," Vitor intervened.
An image appeared on the screen - a giant monster emerged from a red portal, the same one they had just killed. The monster brutally dealt with the Collectors, their weapons did not cause it any harm.
"Demon..." Vitor whispered, his voice shaking with fear.
The recording abruptly ended.
- That only complicates things, - Shepard said, trying to comprehend what he had seen. - Miranda, can you hear me? - he addressed through the communicator.
- I hear you fine, - Miranda replied.
- Did you and Jacob get to the ship?
- Yes, there was a small problem, but I dealt with it.
- Okay, I have the data. I'm heading back.
- Did you find the quarian that Tali'Zorah was looking for? - Miranda asked.
- Yes, he's with me, - Shepard confirmed, not understanding why such a question.
- Great, take him with you. We need to know what he was doing here, - Miranda said.
Tali, hearing this, immediately objected.
- What? No! Vitor is going with me, and this is not up for discussion! - she said sharply, straining her voice.
- Commander, the personal interests of the quarians are of no concern to us. Don't listen to her, I can assure you that Vitor will be fine. I give you my word," Miranda insisted.
"No, I will never believe you," Tali replied in an angry tone. "I know the methods you use to obtain information. Vitor needs psychological help, not interrogations. Shepard, you can't take him," she said, looking intently at the commander.
"I wasn't going to listen to her," Shepard replied calmly. "Vitor will go with you. I won't stop you."
"Shepard, you can't...," Miranda began, but Shepard cut the connection so as not to listen to further objections.
"Thank you, Shepard. I hope you continue to anger her. She's such a bitch," Tali said with relief.
- She's... let's say, a woman with a difficult character, - Shepard chuckled, while downloading data from the terminal to his omni-tool. - But she's smart and strong. Although I've only known her for a few hours.
- So you're going to continue working with them? - Tali asked worriedly, not hiding her anxiety.
- I have no other choice. Apart from Cerberus, no one has even tried to figure out the kidnappings in the colonies. It's strange that the Alliance ignores this. But, by the way, as soon as I saw you, I thought... do you want to join me? I could use an experienced quarian on my ship, someone I can trust.
Tali almost agreed automatically, without thinking, but quickly stopped herself. As much as she wanted to go back to Shepard like old times, she had a duty to the Fleet.
She sighed heavily.
"I'm sorry, Shepard," she began. "I wish I could join you. It's hard for me to know you're alone among the terrorists, but I can't. The Fleet needs me right now. Things aren't going well for us."
"What happened?" Shepard asked, his voice turning serious.
Tali was about to answer, but quickly stopped, gesturing to his helmet, indicating that Cerberus could be listening in on their conversation. Shepard took the hint immediately and completely shut off his suit's power supply to prevent recording.
Safe, Tali continued.
"One of our civilian ships is in quarantine. All the quarians there are sick, and our medical system can't handle it.
"You said you sometimes have epidemics, didn't you?" Shepard recalled talking to her during the hunt for Saren.
"Yes, but this is different. It's much larger and more deadly. The Fleet needs me, Shepard. I'm sorry," Tali replied, not noticing how she began to nervously rub her hands together.
Shepard didn't blame her. He knew very well how much Tali loved her people and that she would never abandon them in trouble. He also remembered that when she rubbed her hands like that, it meant she was in turmoil and guilty.
Shepard walked up to her quietly, gently took her hands in his and squeezed them softly, trying to calm her down.
Tali looked up at his face and saw his warm smile.
"It's okay, Tali. I'm not upset. Besides, it's not very nice of me. You have your own duties, and then a former commander you thought was dead shows up and asks you to join, forgetting about your own business. I'd go crazy if I were you, he said with a kind smile.
Tali, feeling a little calmer, smiled under her mask and gently squeezed his hands in response.
"Shepard," she began in a serious tone, "as soon as I sort things out at home, I'll definitely come back and help you.