A/N

Hi you wonderful people. I have the next chapter for PFTG right here for your reading pleasure. If you want to read ahead, the next eight chapters are available on pat-re-on. Look me up on Bored Peasant's Written Works. I also have other stories and some original works on there that will be updated soon.

I had some mixed responses from the last chapter. I think generally people enjoyed it though. At least enough to stick around. I had a few pointed concerns, but I can understand. I just hope that the rest of the story is enough to override the parts you don't like or agree with.

Oh and before anyone else asks, no chapter of mine, from here on out, is less than 4000 words. But if they get beyond 10,000 words I will generally split them in two to make more regular updates. Some people like massive chapter updates, but I tried that and all it does is slow me right down. This way I can keep writing regularly for you all without getting burnout. It's just the way that suits me. Anyway, enjoy!

Special thanks to Andr, Antonio Villarubia, Austin, Ben wanless, Bloodraven, Brian, BuzzGrave, Chris, Christopher Herring, Eligah Moreno, Endervslender, Ezoz, FallenMetalGod, felipe Saavedra, Freeman, Hyaaa B1tch, Jason Moreno, Jermaine Key, JotunAltHist, Kraxis93, Lasted, liam darrell, liquidpotato, Luke, MathTheOriginal, Michael Scott, My Name is Klondike, Nakahok, Nathan Duncan, Oda The Toaster, Orangerazor120, Paul Fischer, Proxy, r4p16, Ranger, Robert Tipton, Sith_Paladin, sonic, tasso mevissen, The Senn Master, Tristan d'conceicao, United Federation, UtopiaKnight39, Voidwolf 1994, Whateverlol, Will Turner and ZeroTheSoldier for their patronage and support. You are all awesome!

…

CHAPTER 46 – AWAKE

(Brock POV)

The first thing that came back was a general realisation that I was alive, followed by the conscious realisation that I was breathing. Then it was sound, with the delicate hum that all electronics seemed to give off, even with futuristic technology. Smell came afterwards, the distinct aroma of anti-bacterial compounds that were part of any surgical ward I have ever attended pervasive.

Touch was the next thing, as I became aware of the mask that I could feel fitted over my nose and mouth, and the bandages wrapped around my torso. Taste came along with that, as I could taste the medical grade air combining with the dry mouth taste that a person gets from breathing purified air that prevents saliva build up, giving someone the taste of stale breath. The warmth of the surgery bed's protected zone and the course blanket on my chest were instantly recognisable.

Finally, sight started to come back. Not that I opened my eyes yet, but the bright lights of the room that I was in were pushing against my eyelids, letting me know that wherever I was, the lights were indeed on.

I kept my eyes closed, feeling completely hazy, like my head was full of cotton and spinning a little. It was a feeling that I'd had before, post-surgery. The effects of anaesthetics and pain meds on the body. I wondered if it was better to just get back to sleep. At the edge of my mind, a large dark cloud started closing in, ready to take me back to the land of nod until I felt better.

Said cloud was abruptly thrown back to the edges of my mind as I could hear a loud group of people walking into the medical area, banging around like teenagers at a concert.

I slowly opened my eyes, blinking out the sudden brightness of the lighting as a blurry mob of people moved towards me. I blinked a little more and they started coming back into proper focus. Doctor Chakwas was at the front of them, but it looked like the entire ground team was coming in behind her. It was hard keeping them all in focus though, so the meds must have been more powerful than I thought.

Karin walked right up to the bed and started scanning me. "Welcome back, Mr Nielson," she said, her voice the same stern tone as always. "We almost lost you there. How do you feel? Any pain?"

I blinked blearily at her, feeling my head nodding a little, like I was dizzy. I opened my mouth to respond, but stopped with a croak, feeling how dry my mouth was. "Water," I rasped eventually.

A cup with a straw was brought forward by a five-fingered hand that took a second to register. I blinked at it. It was a blue hand. I looked up slowly to see Liara was looking down at me, her expression worried and relieved. I sucked some of the beautiful fluid down, feeling it soothe my throat instantly. I gave a small sigh of relief and leaned back in my chair. "Thank you," I exhaled.

I took a few seconds and looked up at the good doctor. "You saved my life," I said softly. I blinked at her for a few minutes. "I'm not sure if I really want to thank you for that just yet. Also, your bedside manner makes me feel like you don't want anyone to be here."

Chakwas raised an eyebrow. "I generally make it my mission to get people out of here as fast as possible," she replied stiffly. "If you have complaints, you get better and get out of here."

"I can see why you became a military surgeon," I grumbled. "I would get more compassion from slavers."

That made everyone in the room flinch slightly, even Shepard. Liara almost looked like she wanted to cry. Even Doctor Hacksaw… I mean Chakwas, looked like the joke didn't go down well.

I looked around the room at the quiet group of people that wouldn't meet my eyes. Chakwas even sported a slightly guilty frown.

"What?" I asked. "My joke wasn't that bad. I'm sure I've said worse."

"It's the scars," Wrex piped up from the back helpfully. "They're all squeamish about 'em. Cause you were clearly tortured and all."

"Wrex!" Tali exclaimed, sounding horrified. "Don't talk about it like that! Be more sensitive!"

"Not the time, Wrex," Shepard bit out roughly.

"What?" Wrex asked, sounding confused. "What did I say?"

"It's all good, Wrex," I rasped. "Water?" I asked, looking at Liara, who jumped up and held the cup out to me instantly. I took a long sip. "Thanks Liara."

I leaned back comfortably in the bed, my hazy mind clearing slightly as I tried to think the issue over. "Oh, the scars," I said, lowering the blanket off my chest a little and showing more of the scars hidden there. "I got them years ago. Don't even care if anyone sees them. I just don't walk around showing them all off because people don't like looking at them. Makes them feel sick, or they think I need pity. But its fine. I honestly don't care."

They all looked at each other uncertainly, except Wrex who appeared vindicated.

"If you don't mind me asking," Shepard said hesitantly, "how'd it happen? And how long ago?"

I grunted as I tried to adjusted myself on the cot. "A couple years ago I was captured and tortured for nine months by some criminals that had been in my prison once," I said, uncaringly. Really, that part had stopped bothering me a long time ago. "I enjoyed their hospitality for a while before I decided I didn't like it and then killed them all."

"Ha!" Wrex said. "See, he's fine! How'd you do it?"

I couldn't help giving a small huff of amusement at the cheerful krogan. "With planning, surprise, and my bare hands."

"HA!" Wrex thumped his fists together happily.

"So, what was the damage?" I asked. "I know my liver got hit. What happened after?"

"We finished taking out the batarians on the asteroid with Garrus taking over for you," Shepard jumped in, happy to talk about something else. "You were right, it was Balak, and he did hold the civilians hostage as insurance to let him get away. He kept his word though and didn't try to kill them once he left, so that's something, I suppose."

"Thanks Garrus, knew I could count on you mate," I said, my throat feeling less sore as my own saliva was generating now. "With Balak, rumours were that he always stuck to his word that way. Proud patriot with his own sense of honour. Stuck to his word once he gave it."

Shepard nodded. "I'm sorry we couldn't properly avenge your friend though," she said softly.

I shook my head. "Not your fault," I said, closing my eyes. "Can't control others that way. Otherwise, the galaxy would be at peace."

"All right," Doctor Chakwas spoke up and started shepherding people towards the door. "That will have to do for the moment. He just got out of surgery and needs rest. I allowed it this once but no more crowding him. If you want to see him again, it will be one at a time until he has improved more."

The room slowly cleared as the ground team left the room, all of them expressing their well wishes on my recovery. Soon, the only people left were me, Chakwas and Shepard.

"You can have no more than a few minutes, Shepard," Doctor Chakwas said to Shepard. "Then he really does need to get some more rest."

Shepard nodded. She looked at me for a moment, staring like she wasn't sure what to say. "About the scars," she finally spoke up, "are you really ok?"

I nodded, looking up at the redhead. Maybe it was the drugs, but she certainly did look more pretty than usual. "I healed physically years ago," I said, my tongue starting to feel heavy from talking so much. "Saw a therapist for a bit too. But it was my Head of Security that helped too. Said I could let it be used as a weapon against me or not. I chose to not let it ruin my life."

Shepard nodded at that. "You said…" she faltered for a moment. "You said that you weren't sure if you should thank Doctor Chakwas for saving you. Do you really want to die?"

I blinked at her, then shook my head. "No," I said. "But if I did, I was ok with it. I made my peace that it could happen a long time ago. It's part of the life."

Both women looked a little more relieved at that. "Good," Shepard said. "Because I don't think that anyone on this ship wants you to die either. I know I don't."

I looked at her sceptically, Alenko coming to mind at that. "Whatever you say, Shepard," I slurred, feeling my tiredness start coming back.

"It's Jane," she said right back with a small smile. "You jumped in front of a rocket for me. That gives you more right than most to say my name."

I huffed in amusement and gave a lopsided smile. "Sure thing, Jane," I said slowly. "Same goes for you though."

"Ok," Shep… Jane replied. "You get some rest Brock. See you when you wake up."

"Sure," I mumbled, leaning back into my pillow as that cloud of darkness at the edges of my mind came rushing back with a vengeance. Sleep sounded like a great idea now. The best idea actually. Why didn't I think of it before? "Don't go blowing yourself up without me. Might not be able to save you the next time."

If she replied, I missed it completely. I was already asleep.

…

(Persei POV)

Persei tapped her desk with her fingertips rapidly, full of nervous energy, waiting for the long-awaited call to come in.

She had been shocked and terrified, hearing that Brock had been injured during combat and required emergency surgery. He had taken part in dozens of combat operations and had never received so much as a scratch. She had almost begun to feel like he was never going to get hurt during a mission. That nothing could hurt him on a mission.

It was illogical to think that, she knew. Anyone could be hurt in combat. All it took was a lucky, or unlucky, moment and that would be enough to end someone. But even when they had been ambushed and half the ground team had been killed, Brock had always come back.

It was a rude awakening, hearing of him being injured. It had ripped apart the aura of invincibility that he had around him. It was a reminder that despite everything he had done, the people he had saved, the successes he had and the plans he was making, Brock Nielson was still just a frail mortal. Just like everyone else.

To be honest, Persei was terrified of losing Brock. He played such a major part in her life. He was a rock she felt would support her forever. She didn't know yet in what form that would take, but she was more determined than ever to make sure that it would be that way for many years in the future.

She didn't know if what she felt for him was real romantic love yet. The separation over the last several weeks while he was working with the human Spectre was giving her time to think. She was attracted to him, certainly. However, the distance was giving her a different perspective. At this point, she wasn't entirely sure that her dependence on him was merely a knockback to him having rescued her from slavery.

During her ongoing therapy sessions with Aleria's aunt, Selaen, it had come up that it was possible for people who had been freed would feel overly connected to their rescuers. It was possible for that connection to be confused with romantic love. Now she was trying to look into herself to see what exactly it was that she was feeling, and if it was genuine or merely an ongoing aftereffect of her time as a slave.

Not that it would change all that much if it was the latter. She was still determined to stay the course with Brock. She trusted him, respected him and believed in his path. She could certainly say that she loved him as a dear friend, if nothing else. And who was to say that even if it was currently an aftereffect of her freedom that it couldn't develop into genuine romantic love anyway? She just wanted to be sure. It wouldn't be fair to either of them if she tried to initiate anything for the wrong reasons.

Her terminal chirped at her, bringing her out of her thoughts and signalling an incoming call. Caller ID: Brock Nielson.

She almost dove at the terminal and answered the call. Brock's face appeared, looking slightly pale and a little thinner than she was happy with, but she had to crush the impulse to mother him and tell him to make sure he was eating properly.

"Brock," she raised her hand to her mouth, unable to prevent the tears at her relief at seeing him. "I'm so glad you're ok!"

He gave her that lopsided grin of his that she always found so attractive. "Hey Persei," he said gently. "It's good to see you too. Sorry for making you worry."

She shook her head and took a moment to get composed again. She wiped the tears away with a tissue and took a moment to make herself fully presentable.

"Sorry," she said wetly. "I was just so relieved to see you awake and doing ok."

His grin softened to a small smile. "Hey," his voice was tender. "It's ok. I'm a little beat up but I am not going anywhere just yet. We always knew that there were risks, and this time I got a little sloppy. I will be better and not make you or anyone else worry. Ok?"

Not trusting herself to speak immediately, she just nodded until her throat stopped feeling so tight. She took another few moments to get herself under control before she dropped her hand.

And glared at him.

"Four days," she growled, letting the rest of her emotions come to bare. Namely, her frustration.

He blinked as his smile left and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What?"

"Four. Days!" she bit out through clenched teeth. "I had to wait two days before I was told that you had even been injured! Then another two days before you could call me. Me! Your assistant! The one who is running your company while you are off gallivanting around the galaxy after some two-bit Spectre traitor. The one who is working with you for the benefit… no the survival of the entire galaxy. And it took you four days before I could even speak with you!"

He sat there and took her righteous fury silently, letting her get it all out. At least he wasn't a complete idiot.

"Don't you understand?" she demanded. "Don't you understand how important you are to so many people? To me and Aleria and Torrin and Beau and every single one of our crew? To Klara? I'm pretty sure that Hectar and Ely would follow you to ends of the universe if you asked them to because of what you've done for them!"

He winced slightly at her tirade but didn't interrupt.

"Then there are the businesses," she continued, aware that she had moved into ranting territory but not caring in the slightest. "I might be able to do the basics at running the company but you are the one that has had all the ideas! I can't come up with half the things that you wanted. Maybe the others could but it would be years before most people realised that they were needed and years more before we could go ahead with any of it.

"Not to mention that there is the Pokemon game stuff! I wouldn't have a clue how to keep adding stuff in there. The gaming company might have some ideas, but I know that you are still contributing most of the ideas for their new expansion. How in the galaxy am I expected to be able to manage all of that? I can't! Only you can, Brock Nielson. So you had better damn well take care of yourself or so help me I will drag you off that ship myself, kicking and screaming if I must. Understand?!"

He blinked but gave a slow nod.

"Good." She fixed him with a hard stare, feeling her eye twitch as he seemed to be a little amused, judging by the tiny uplift in the corner of his mouth. "Now, what exactly happened to you? Don't downplay it at all. I want the truth."

He gave a rueful smile. "I got hit by a rocket from a rocket drone that was aimed at the Spectre," he reported dutifully. "It overloaded my shields and punctured my armour. That sent pieces of my armour into my liver, which was damaged beyond repair. The damage was too severe for medigel to be able to stop the blood flow. It meant that I was in danger of bleeding out. Doctor Chakwas was already waiting on standby with a rapid response bag which meant she was able to get to me before I completely bled out. She was able to stabilise me enough to get me to the operating table.

"Doctor Chakwas and Doctor T'soni helped flash clone a new liver for me and replaced the damaged one while filling me up with blood bags. Now I am just on the mend. I have another week of antibiotic medication to help prevent my body rejecting the new organ, as well as another two weeks of observation after that to make sure that my body doesn't reject the new liver. After that I will be as fit as I was before and able to return to full duties."

She couldn't help clenching her fists at how blasé he was speaking of his injuries. Still, he was being forced to take it easy, which she could appreciate. Sure, he could still work from his terminal, and she had no doubts he would be doing just that, but at least he won't be in the firing line for a little while.

She knew it would be too much to ask that he stop fighting all together, but she would take what she could get. The man was just too adamant that he be involved to get the best advantage that he could for the future. And while she was aware of his future plans after this Spectre hunting mission, it didn't make the 'now' part much easier.

"Very well," she said stiffly. "Will you be returning to the Balrog? Or perhaps the Citadel?"

"The Normandy is heading to the Citadel right now," he replied. "I will need to show my face a little to make sure that there are no rumours about my demise or anything. No point in doing anything that makes clients feel like trying to take advantage of us."

She nodded her head. She knew just how ruthless the business community could be if they smelled blood in the water. They were like the sharks on Earth, or the jutshell eels from Thessia.

"Don't worry though," he continued before she could say anything. "I will be taking it very easy. I am going to be allowed to walk, but not for long periods of time. My organs are still swimming in medigel, which is helping the repairs happen much faster than if left naturally. I would normally be considered back to full health in two weeks, but I figured that it would be best to give myself a little extra time to make sure things fully heal."

She looked at him suspiciously. "The doctor on the ship is not clearing you for ground missions before a month is passed?" she said, seeing through his ruse.

He huffed. "Yeah," he grumbled. "Says that it wouldn't do to unduly risk someone of my status and that I have other ways of contributing to the mission than 'whacking robots with sticks'."

Persei felt that she might like this human doctor.

"So, yeah, I will be staying on the ship and continuing my mentor role for the next month," he explained. "I will give advice on training and also provide information if any comes up about missions that we are sent on. If we find Saren before then, I will be kept grounded and try to prevent things from going too far, while also hacking into anything that I can find. But I won't be cleared for the battlefield until the month is up."

"Good," she said shortly. "That will give Torrin a chance to rejoin you on the Normandy. I want him to be there before you get it into your head again that the battlefield is where a CEO should be spending his time."

"But I…" he began to object.

"Yes, I know why you are doing it," she cut him off. "That doesn't mean I have to like it or that you should be doing something without as much protection as possible. Which is why I am also sending a backup team that will trail you on all of your missions once you have returned to active duty."

She expected him to object. To her surprise, all he did was blink before his face turned thoughtful.

"Sounds good," he said. "I have some ideas about that but I will talk with you more about it when I get to the Citadel."

She nodded, taking a note. She was glad that he wasn't arguing about having some extra help on hand. She also could tell that whatever he wanted to say, he didn't want to say it on an Alliance ship. He had no idea what monitoring they had on him and was being cautious. Clever boy.

Silence filled the room as they looked at each other for a long moment.

Finally, he sighed. "I'm sorry that I made you worry," he said softly. "I didn't mean to. I would have called earlier if I could."

She gave her own sigh, releasing the tension that had built up inside of her. "I know," she mumbled. "It wasn't really fair to you to blame you that way. I was just so worried. All of us were." She gave a small sly smile. "You might want to check your voice messages in private. I understand that Aleria in particular was quite vocal in her displeasure."

He shook his head in defeat. "Yeah, I get that. I'll call our core team individually and let them all know I am fine. I'm sure that a few of them want to shout at me too."

"Probably," she agreed easily. She frowned slightly. "Are you sure it was the wisest course to accept Aria's daughter on the Balrog? You know that we have quite a lot of extremely confidential equipment here." She wasn't going to risk talking about the prothean VI, even on an encrypted channel, while he was on a foreign vessel.

"I know," he said. "But it is actually the best course of action right now. We have her as a guest in good faith and I would give us quite a lot of goodwill from the girl's parents. Both of them."

Ah. That was it. He was not just watching the daughter of Aria T'loak, Queen of Omega. He was also watching the daughter of Tevos, Citadel Councillor. Yes. There was plenty of goodwill that could be gained from keeping her safe.

"Fine," she replied. "I will trust you on this." Like she did for everything went unsaid. "What are you doing next?"

"Heading back to the Citadel for resupply," he replied. "Then me and Doctor Chakwas are going to try and wake up Benezia. We need to do an assessment of her mental status. While it could be done on the Citadel, we are still not entirely clear on how many agents Saren could have there. We had to get clearance, but we are going to be doing it on the Normandy with Doctor Chakwas, Doctor Selaen, and another specialist in asari brain physiology with high-level clearance. The Council want to know more about the specifics of the indoctrination that Saren was using."

She shivered slightly. Knowing about the reapers like she did and having access to Vigil, she knew more about the dangers of indoctrination than most. She could only see it as beneficial for them to know about how to prevent it.

"Good luck," she said. "In fact, I will send Hectar to meet you on the Citadel. He might have something made up that could help you. Something you asked him to procure from our other guest."

That was all she was willing to say, but she could tell he understood from the way that his face lit up.

"Sounds great," he said. "I will postpone any assessment on Benezia until I have spoken to him. Also, I need Chop to start working on a way to boost my shields. I don't want to get hit like that again. And before you ask, no I don't think I will ask him to give me thicker armour. That would just increase the weight and make me slower, making it easier for me to be hit."

She pursed her lips at that but chose to accept that he probably knew what he was doing when it came to his own armour.

He looked over at something off screen. "It appears that Doctor Chakwas needs to do more tests on me so I need to go. I'll talk to you all again very soon."

She didn't want him to go but knew that she had to get back to work too. "Very well," she replied. "It… I'm really glad to see you safe, Brock."

He smiled. "Thanks, Persei. I couldn't do any of this without you. I hope you know that."

She felt her chest warm at that as she nodded. He always made her feel better, especially as she could tell he genuinely meant it. And yes, she also knew that it was true. The small amount of personal pride in her wouldn't let her think otherwise

Once the call ended, she took another moment to settle herself. Her relief at seeing him alive and well, or well enough, was almost tangible. She still wasn't completely sure that her feelings for the human were romantic, but that could sort itself out later. Right now, she would just let herself feel relieved, then go back to work.

A beep at her terminal of an incoming message interrupted her moment to reflection. She sighed, before she turned back to it. Still so much to do. She couldn't wait until Brock came back onto the Balrog, where she could keep an eye on him.

Now all she had to do was deal with the daughter of the Pirate Queen, Aria T'loak, and the Asari Councillor, Tevos, coming on the same vessel that they were hiding a working prothean VI. She shook her head in exasperation. Nothing could possibly go wrong with that arrangement! Note the sarcasm…

She was going to have to get Misol to upgrade the internal security protocols before then. Persei was already starting to regret needing to send Hectar off to the Citadel to meet Brock. Misol was excellent, but Hectar was exceptional.

She glanced at the clock on her terminal. Come to think of it, Beau's mission was going to be starting soon, then he got to play taxi for the Pirate Princess. Her mouth twisted into a small smirk of amusement.

She wouldn't want to be him right now.

…

1 film, 4 reviews

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Thessian Suns Publication

By Helia Mis'audis

It is rare to find a sequel to a vid that can measure up to the first. However, I am glad to say that The Empire Strikes Back outclasses A New Hope significantly, but without defiling the original. The storyline was magnificent in its darker themes and the stunning visuals of the scenes that they employ was breathtaking to view. I wished I could just jump in one of those strong aircars and fly through the skies of Bespin.

The expansion of Vader as a villain, along with the dramatic reveal were exceptionally well done; as was the Solo storyline. The ending creates a lot of hype for the next vid, which I shall be watching with great anticipation.

I only wish that all vids from even modern-day cinema had the heart that this vid has, and makes you feel engaged in the same way that this vid does.

Sur'kesh Leaf Script

By Silarn Moduk

A fascinating follow-up to the first vid. The Empire Strikes Back stands above the original in my opinion. The storyline is engaging, leaving enough seemingly important events that are only referred to as a set up for the storyline in this, while at the same time, not being too interesting that we feel like there was a story that was missed in the time jump.

The director still managed to have beautiful visual environments, the effects were convincing, the acting superb and the new characters engaging. I even understand there was a whole mythology that started from the introduction of the Boba Fett character; the Mandalorians. Truly an inspirational vid.

Palaven Daily Call

By Marticus Lossus

This is a truly enjoyable sequel to the first movie. It doesn't have the same optimism as the first, but that is done in a masterful way. The action scenes are a step up, the effects are enjoyable and the scenery unique and beautiful. I understand that sequels rarely live up to the original, however this does so spectacularly.

Not really sure about the tactical sense of those 'walkers' though. The AT-ATs. They have very clear weaknesses in their legs that don't make sense to me. Why not just have heavy tanks that have anti-grav technology? They are spacefaring and have speeders that use anti-grav tech. As a former corporal in the Palavan 12th Heavy Tank Battalion, the Sand Scribs, seeing a tank that doesn't have anti-grav tech makes no sense to me. I don't mean to rant and I realise that the directors were working with the technology they had at the time, but if they could make speeders, I am just saying that they could have had anti-grav tanks, not those walkers.

The Krogan Word

By Ognut Grax

Huh. A space worm big enough to swallow a spaceship. I wonder if I can punch it in the face? Thing was bigger than a thresher maw.

Oh, and the movie was good too. If I can get one of those laser swords, I can have a knife that cooks as it cuts. It will save heaps of effort in the kitchen.

Not enough big explosions though, other than that first fight in the snow. And the hell with fighting in the snow. We krogans prefer heat. It's about the only thing we agree with the salarians on.

…

A/N Please Review and Follow/Favourite as you please.

Brock's awake, people were worried and the story will continue. Like I said at the end of the last chapter, I had considered ending with a premature death after seven years but I am not going to do that. I like this story, you like this story, there is plenty more of it to tell so why would I stop? Anyway, thanks for reading. See you next time!