"So," Tali grasped Shepard's shoulders, "What do we do from here?"
He reached for one of her hands and glowered. "Not sure. Was actually hoping you could help me out."
"Anything." She said, face only an inch from his nose.
He took a deep breath. "You need to keep your head on your shoulders for this. Don't freak out."
"What is it?"
"It was Cerberus that brought me back."
John could feel her tense tightly.
"I know. You don't have to say anything. I need to get away from them." He looked around the room as if the Illusive man himself were sniffing his shoulder, "Those two people out there? They're Cerberus operatives. They're good people. Trust me. But I can't do this. Not with them. I need to find a way back to the Alliance without terrorists breathing down my back as a beneficiary. It's not an option."
"You're absolutely sure they're not going to try anything."
"Yes."
"Alright," She relented, "I believe you."
John sensed something else was going on here. They all had reasons to hate Cerberus. But Tali's reservations looked a little more personal now. "I'm having a feeling that something bad happened while I was gone."
"Something bad did happen." Tali sighed, them both sitting down, "They boarded one of our ships months ago and killed civilians. It's a long story and one I'll tell you later."
John's transfixed stare broke and he scoffed starkly. "That's low. Even by their standards. Honestly can't believe they did that."
"Well they did." She disputed quite harshly, "So the point stands: You need to run away and never look back."
She crossed her arms while she devised a way to get John away from those low rot-eating varren. "...Come with me. The fleet can grant you asylum. Maybe more."
"You really think so?"
"Of course. The admiralty took your warnings of the reapers seriously. So... maybe by some miracle, you could be outfitted with a whole quarian crew, ship, and supplies. I doubt it. But who knows."
"And what if that doesn't fall through?"
"Go back to the Alliance. Go to the council. Try to get your spectre thing back. I'll come with you."
He liked the ideas Tali was giving. "Then it's settled. I'm coming with you. But for now, this secret we've got needs to stay between us until it's safe to tell the others."
"Okay."
"I'll have to find a way to contact my mom and dad." He scratched his forehead, worry apparent on his face, "Had most of my cash go to them. I'm gonna need a lot of that back."
"How are you going to shuffle that much money without tipping someone off?"
"Don't know. I'll figure it out. Think we can run an errand and pick up some essentials while we're at it? Food and whatnot?"
"Of course. Prazza's looking for an excuse to take some leave. Overheard him talking about Illium a lot lately."
"Fantastic."
"So, what do we tell them when someone asks?"
"That I'm still a Spectre and that I'd like to tag along with you. Keep details to a minimum so as to not get anyone killed."
"Alright."
There was silence after, so Tali leaned in a little closer and felt a tear sit at the corner of her eye. "Keelah, John. I'm still getting used to this."
"Tell me about it. I'm really at a loss of words about all this, Tali."
She traced his jawline with a single finger, words barely forming. "You're alive. I just... can't believe it."
"Yeah." He hummed quietly, brows furrowing as he thought about it, "...I am."
She gave the man another heartfelt embrace. When they separated, he finally reached for the pendant around her neck.
"Wish I could've given this to you in person." John started with a subtle frown. "Had a whole plan too. Dinner and everything. It was such a tacky idea."
"That's sweet, John. I like tacky."
"So it was, wasn't it?" He asked, setting the pendant down.
"Maybe a little." She said, all smiles.
"Was going to ask you out too. Thought about it a lot. Kept getting nervous."
"Nervous." She repeated with a small and mirthful laugh.
"What? I told you that happens to me too."
"Even after everything we've been through together, I don't believe it."
He chuckled
"You had so many opportunities too," She said, her smile turning soft, "I'm so upset you didn't have the balls to actually do it until the very last minute."
"Sorry."
"It's okay." She stared at the necklace herself, voice a whisper. "I don't have an excuse either."
"Well. I'm here to stay no matter what. So what better time than now to ask you out. Again."
Her eyes crinkled with joy. "Please."
Juel pounded on the door. "Don't want to be rude, but I'm hoping to the souls above that I don't regret letting you in there to see her."
"It's okay, Juel." Tali answered him as they both stood from the couch, "We'll be right out."
"He told me you guys go way back." John said, mentioning Juel.
"We do. One of the first friends I got coming back home. Helped me get back on my feet."
"Just one friend, huh?"
"Three, to be exact. You've already met Olasie. Enyah isn't in the same line of work, so she stays on the Neema."
"Think I can introduce myself to everyone right this time?"
"Of course." She said, picking off some kernels of corn from his chest rig, "Should probably get you cleaned up a bit."
"Yeah," He stared at the stains on his clothes, "Good idea."
"Maybe later I can wash your stuff. To make up for what I did."
"I came back from the dead. I think I've got room to empathize."
Tali stared at his clothes, "Sure, but words aren't going to get you cleaned up."
"I don't have anything else to wear."
"That's okay," She gave him a good pat on the shoulder, "You can do without clothes for a little while." She sniffed him, "Don't want you smelling like mashed potatoes and buttered corn."
"Think you can wash it before Illium so I can take you out somewhere special? Your pick."
"As long as you handle the tab. And take me home to your place."
John smirked like an idiot at her tease. "It's good to be back."
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"Nothing. Twelve dead mechs and nothing." Jacob watched the quarian squad leader step out of the building's foyer in frustration. He couldn't blame her. They've only searched a half of a square kilometer and spent nearly two hours chasing echo trails and bouncing transmissions. Whoever this 'Veetor' kid was, he was good at covering his tracks.
"Okay, people. Regroup. We start in the next house. Same procedure. Stack up."
"All call-signs, all call-signs, this is first-actual. Prioritize this message, over."
"This is first squad. Go for message, over."
"We're going to have to rethink this. We don't have time to search the whole city. We've got our techs setting up something to see if we can't actually triangulate a signal and see what's controlling these mechs. We'll update your mission parameter shortly. Take a break. Out."
Olasie sat down on a set of porch stairs and closed her eyes. "You heard him. Take a break. Just keep security."
Her team spread out and did their thing while Jacob decided to take a breather himself. He leaned up against a strut next to Olasie and adjusted his hat.
"Hi." He greeted.
"Hello." She replied as a courtesy, "How fares your end of the search?"
"Not well. You'd think after losing a million people, you could get an idea of what was going on. But we don't." He exhaled.
She watched his rising breath and held back a yawn.
"I'm tired, Jacob'Taylor. Those beds back there looked really hard to pass up." She said to try and keep the conversation light.
"Might as well take them. Doubt they'll ever get used again." Jacob mused, humor clearly absent in his tone.
"Now what's that idiom you guys use? One man's slut is another man's treasure?"
Jacob inhaled sharply. "You're close."
He was going to correct her, but their radios went off.
"All call-signs, this is first actual. Techs did it. Found a good place to start looking. Heading: one kilometer east of your current position: Grid: five, three, four, one, six, seven, nine, one. Of course, the recon drone's not working, so I want you all to bound up to designated checkpoints and report your arrival. How copy?"
Olasie got to her feet. "Copy, one. We're on our way to the designated markers."
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"Yes, Juel. It's him." She looked up to John's eyes while placing a hefty piece of her weight along his arm, "I'd like to formally introduce you. Which is better than pointing guns as a way of greeting, mm?"
"I'm aware of how pleasantries work." Juel said apathetically while shaking Shepard's hand, "Sorry again for pointing my gun at your head. You looked crazy."
"Fortunately, I'm not."
"Good to hear."
Cut and dry. The man was about as sober as they got.
"Then we can put the last thirty minutes behind us. The guns and screaming."
"Definitely." Juel nodded before ushering them both to start following him. "Right now Prazza has the search party heading toward a grid marker. The techs think it's where Veetor is."
She frowned. "Why wasn't that the first thing we tried?"
"They didn't realize we had the equipment on hand to do it. Apparently we do."
"We should go out there and help." John offered, "And see if we can't find out what the hell happened to this place while we're at it."
And so John and Tali, who were followed by Juel and Miranda, disembarked and began making their way toward the search party's location. Small talk ensued between the four and John learned more about Juel and some of the things that had happened over the two years of his absence. Tali had noticed John was frowning for the walk's duration. Likely because he was coping with the idea (And being reminded again) that he was gone for two years. Or maybe he was worried because she kept glaring at the Miranda woman walking next to her.
When they met back up with Olasie's search party, they exchanged pleasantries and began moving again. The trot lasted for another fifteen minutes until they came across another wall with a massive door blocking their path.
"Search party to one-actual, we've reached marker seven. But marker eight is blocked by a large wall. Please advise, over."
"Copy party, we're working on a solution. Is vaulting over the wall an option?"
"Negative, one." Olasie took a moment to look at the large overhang suspended above them, "There's a large part that overhangs the top here."
"Okay. We'll find you an alternative route on our map. Stand-by." When Prazza finished his sentence, the doors before them started to open.
"Belay that, doors are opening." Olasie ushered for her men to take cover.
The doors opened until it could berth one man.
Weapon safeties, many of them clicking like a ramble of staccatos, flick off. The group, as a whole, deliberately rose their weapons toward the opening.
As soon as they did, their weapons fell back into a state of rest when a shaky quarian, armed with an old human pump-action shotgun, cried out: "Who's— who's there! I'm armed!"
"Veetor?" Olasie breathed, "Veetor, it's us. It's me. Olasie."
Veetor's gun lowered carefully until the barrel pointed toward the ground. "Olasie? Is it—? Ancestors, why are you all here?"
"To get you out of here. We got your distress call before it went out. I've got a whole detachment here to bring you back home."
Veetor put his shotgun down against the concrete wall and let out a long sigh of relief.
"Oh my. It's so good to see you guys again. I—I didn't think I was—Oh my. Thank you."
Olasie called Prazza. "Actual, this is Search party one; we have the objective, break. Condition 1. He's ready and mobile." Olasie looked to her team and motioned for them to form a line to start moving back, "We're going to try and get his stuff before coming back to you."
"We'll start packing. Meet you back at base, out."
"Copy one. Out." Olasie shouldered her rifle and came closer, "What happened here, Veetor? What happened to everyone?"
"Taken." He answered between his shallow sucks of breath. It seemed the pilgrim hadn't slept in days. "Taken by these aliens."
"Aliens?" Olasie rose a brow and pressed him for a better explanation, "What kind, Veetor?"
"I… I don't know. They looked like— collectors I think."
And there it was. Confirmation of what had been eroding Tali's sanity since they got here. The snow started to fall a little heavier.
"What did they look like, Veetor?" Olasie motioned for Veetor to take a rest, but he denied the offer. He'd rest when he got off this planet.
"Thick brown skin." He mumbled as if he were only saying it to himself. He imitated their stature nervously with his hands. "Four glowing yellow eyes. Big heads." He stopped and stared at the humans. "How come they didn't find you? Where did you hide?"
"We're not survivors. We just got here." Miranda answered, "Do you have evidence to corroborate your claims?"
"I do, but we need to leave."
"We need that evidence first."
"Oh. Okay." He nodded erratically and pointed at a building before walking toward it, "I have surveillance footage. Studied what I could."
John and Tali followed him with Olasie and Miranda just behind.
He opened the door and they all went inside. The room was small, difficult to navigate, and bathed in a heinous red glow. Judging by the state it was in, Veetor must've been here the entire duration of the abduction.
They watched the screens and the images they displayed. It wasn't pretty.
"Veetor, grab your stuff and give the humans what they want." Olasie said, looking away from the footage, "We need to get moving."
"O-okay." Veetor retrieved a single disc and handed it to Miranda, "This is all I have."
Miranda gave him her thanks and faced John. "We have what we need. We're done here."
John didn't hear her. Deafness overtook him as he watched the screens and what they showed. It was like watching a cornfield besieged by the onslaught of a sea of locusts. Timestamped footage showed the collectors working to carry prostrated people into pods only an hour after their arrival. The same kind of pods they'd been put in back on Ullipses.
"So that's how they did it." John murmured. Tali herself had been enthralled by what she was seeing.
"Did what?" Veetor spoke up with a mumble as he stuffed some of his possessions into a duffel bag.
"Nothing." John answered, not bothering to explain.
Veetor didn't seem to care. He zipped up his bag and shouldered it.
"I'm ready to get out of here." He said.
Olasie guided him out and the rest followed.
When they reached the foot of the stairs, Veetor took one last look behind him and let out a trembling sigh. Any good memory of this place was gone. He used to love it here. The people, smells, and sights.
Freedom's Progress was no more. He was its last inhabitant. That taunting fact was probably going to follow him for the rest of his life.
"Where'd you guys land?" John asked Tali.
"The outskirts. Just past the farmlands. It'll be about an hour walk from where we're at."
John stopped walking and peered inside the window of a flatbed truck that'd been parked outside the courtyard.
"What is it?" Tali wondered.
"Keys are still in the ignition." He said, surprised. He opened the door and and turned the key. When the engine cranked and roared to life, he climbed in, took a seat, and put his hands on the steering wheel.
"Wanna ride?"
She grinned meekly. "Please."
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The truck slowed to a halt and the quarians climbed out of the bed. With the last of them off and already heading inside to pack up their gear with Prazza, Miranda and Jacob went in as well to see if they couldn't get anything out of the disc Veetor had given them.
John cycled the ignition to turn off the engine before pocketing the keys and staring at Tali.
"Come on."
They stepped out of the truck's cramped cabin and entered the house. Squeezing by several marines carrying gear toward the truck, they went to the kitchen so John could rummage through the fridge for water.
When he sat at the dinner table after filling a cup with iced water, he frowned. He was in some random person's house and violating their property. Reality reminded him that whoever owned this place wouldn't ever be coming back. But he also supposed that wasn't really the point either.
He pushed the thoughts away and drank deeply.
"Ah, Tali," Prazza greeted as he passed by, "It's so good to see we're all getting along. We're loading things onto the truck and will be done in just a few short minutes."
"Thanks for the news, Prazza."
He nodded and faced John. "And Commander, it was nice to have you along for the ride. Altercation or not."
"It was nice to meet you, Prazza. Thanks for giving us a chance. If it's alright with you, I'd like to drive and drop you guys off at your ship."
Prazza was surprised by the offer. "That's very generous. Please, if you could."
"Really. It's the least I can do for you."
Prazza gave his thanks and went outside to load up the stuff he'd been holding in his hands.
John cleared his throat and stood up so he could place the cup he'd used into the sink. A worthless gesture he figured, but something he did anyways. "Tals, go ahead and help them. I'll be right back."
"Okay."
He went down the hall and searched for Jacob and Miranda. He found them in the den reviewing Veetor's data.
"Status?"
"Piecing things together." Miranda answered without looking up.
"Good. I want to make sure we have everything we need before we leave. If we have to, we'll double back to where Veetor's safe house was. I'll be back. Stay here. I'm going to talk to Tali one last time."
"Got it, Shepard."
Satisfied with how things were going, John left them alone and headed out.
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"Everyone aboard?" Several quarians nod happily when they feel the truck's engine growling with primitive life under their feet.
"Good. Let's get out of here." John slowly accelerated out onto the street.
"How did you get them to stay in the house?" Tali asked him.
John gave her a half guilty smile. "Just told them to stay put and look at the data. Feel kinda of bad leaving them hanging like that."
"You shouldn't."
"I know." He said, turning on his blinker to go left by force of habit.
Tali tried to peek out the cabin's back window. "The gate down yet, Prazza?"
"Yeah," Prazza nodded as he bent down to face her, "We're good."
The fact that they didn't have to walk anymore was music to her ears. She reclined the chair back as far as it could go and sighed. It was hard to get completely comfortable given how stiff the truck's suspension was, but she could hardly complain. She admired the view she got and felt like a cloud. It was all surreal.
He was back.
And he was sitting right next to her.
A few minutes rolled by and they passed through the city's walled gate. Soon, they'd be back at the ship and be gone from this place.
She reached for his hand resting on the center console and squeezed. He only glanced at her, but his lips tugged into a grin.
Six minutes passed and they arrived. Parking the flatbed, they got out and helped bring their things aboard.
Just as they were finished, John waved to Prazza to get his attention.
"Prazza. I got something to ask you."
"What is it?"
"I'm formally requesting that I come aboard."
Prazza gave him a confused look. "What about your team back in the city?"
"They're not my team. They're Cerberus and I'm trying to run away from them."
Prazza glanced at Tali, mouth agape. "You're telling me you had Cerberus operatives milling about amongst my men."
"Yes." John said, swallowing.
Prazza crossed an arm over his chest and covered his face with a hand. "Keelah."
"I didn't want anyone to get anyone killed."
"Please, Prazza." Tali pleaded, "We can't leave him here with them."
The man took in a large lungful of air and stared off into the horizon for a long and heavy moment. "Tali. You've always done good by us. Do you trust this man that much?"
"With my life."
"I hope you realize that I can't keep this a secret. My men have to know."
John didn't argue. He wasn't in a position to. All he could do was nod his head and understand Prazza's motivation for doing so. "I understand."
"But, as a favor to Tali, the secret doesn't leave this ship. Don't make me regret this." He turned around and paced up the ship's walkway before speaking one last time without facing them, "Welcome aboard, Commander."
The ship's catwalk began to rise. She offered her hand to him.
"You ready, John?"
"For the adventure of a second lifetime? Hell yeah I am." He reached for her outstretched arm and jumped on and stole himself a moment to take one last look at the distant cityscape.
He wondered when Miranda and Jacob would realize they'd been duped. It'd been nearly twenty minutes since he left. He also knew that somehow, this wouldn't be the last time he'd be seeing either of them.
"Let's get out of here, hun." He pat her back gently while walking up the ship's catwalk into the cargo hold where many of the others started strapping themselves in.
"The adventure of a lifetime, huh?" Tali intoned sarcastically, "We had one with all those geth and krogan? Saren? and reapers?"
"Well. You ready to start another?" The eezo core drowned the cabin with a whining noise.
"As long as I'm with you. Let's try not to get such a shit ending this time, hmm?"
"Duly noted, hun."
They picked an empty row of seats and buckled in.
Out of the corner of Tali's eyes, she could see Juel and Olasie giving her a nod. She returned the gesture.
John wondered how the next few weeks were going to play out for him. Ditching Cerberus almost felt like he was shirking himself of responsibility. Maybe he was. But he was wary of them and had every reason to be. They were terrorists. What else did you need to be convinced to not work for them?
He put some distance between those thoughts and himself. There wasn't much he could do about those problems right now anyways. He made his bed. He was going to have to sleep in it.
Far enough away from anyone to notice, John reached for her hand and held it. For now, he had his life back and Tali sitting right next to him. That was enough to keep him going.
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Jacob and Miranda watched the quarian ship ascend up toward the stratosphere and beyond.
"Ouch." Jacob muttered finally after they gawked at the upsetting sight, "Talk about some serious rejection."
"Rejection, Jacob? Rejection!? We just watched a multi-billion dollar project leave in front of us." She paced in an erratic manner while conjuring up a rant, "I gave him a smile. And everything! Helped him try to get back with that god-be-damned bloody quarian!" She growled angrily.
Jacob continued to search across the dark sky as if he could still see the long-gone ship.
"A smile? A smile, Miranda, wasn't going to win him over." He put a pause between his words, "It's more than what you usually give me." He joked delicately.
Her daggered eyes tried to cut the back of his head but failed miserably. "We fell for it. We fell for the oldest bloody joke in the book."
"Yeah. We did. What are we going to tell The Illusive man?"
"The truth." She traced the trails of smoke the ship left in the sky.
"Be happy he didn't leave with the evidence too." He placed his hands on his hips and messed with the rocks under his boots.
"As fortunate as that is," She coddled her ego and groaned inside, "we still have a job to do."
"TIM's going to be pissed."
"An understatement of the century, Jacob." She paused and started walking back to their shuttle, "A god-damned understatement of the century. Bloody Hell. Bloody. Hell."
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