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A Dream Within a Dream

Part 1

Chapter 9

A cool, damp wind blew over the barren moors. The early evening light filtered through the hazy clouds that covered portions of the sky, and rain clouds were visible off in the distance. A number of ancient looking stone walls stretched out over the rolling hills in fits and starts, and the occasional small clump of short, scruffy trees or shrubs dotted the landscape.

It was one of those shrubs that Shepard lay under as she adjusted her scope. She looked up, scanning the readout on her visor before looking back through the scope. On a distant hilltop, a man worked quickly to load a truck with crates, his eyes darting back and forth as he searched for danger. Shepard smiled and lined up the crosshairs.

She pulled the trigger and watched the spray of red blood. The body dropped to the ground, painting the surrounding grass with bright droplets. Quickly, she shimmied out from under the shrub and readjusted herself amongst a nearby bush as her visor pinged. The targeting system picked up her final mark. She began readjusting settings to account for the wind and other factors as the woman down below continued digging a ditch at breakneck speed.

Shepard checked her visor readout one last time before taking aim, her finger tightening on the trigger, and then-

A timer went off in her ear and the woman's head exploded a split second later. Shepard cursed and let her finger off her yet unfired trigger as she shut her eyes.

"Damn it," she hissed, and with a sigh, she pushed herself up onto her elbows.

"Very good, Shepard." Garrus' words filtered through her visor from wherever he was hiding, and she rolled her eyes with frustration.

"Not good enough," she grunted as she stood and folded up her sniper rifle before re-affixing it to the mag lock on the back of her belt. She attempted to wipe the mud off the damp knees of her camouflage print pants, a pointless endeavor at this point.

"Don't be ridiculous," Garrus scoffed, and she turned to see him emerge from a copse of trees on a nearby hilltop. He began the long trek toward her location as he folded up his own rifle, and so she began tramping through the mud in his direction.

"I didn't get all the targets within the time limit," she pointed out in a manner-of-fact tone as she brushed dirt and stray leaves off her shoulders. A beam of light broke through the clouds above, stretching out over the landscape and illuminating the golden waves of undulating grass in a far-off field. She took a moment to appreciate where she was standing and the breath-taking wild beauty of the world around her. Even if it wasn't real.

"You weren't expected to. The goal was to get as many as you could, not necessarily to get them all. The fact that you got all but the last one was fantastic. That last kill was particularly impressive." The compliment caused the corner of her lips to perk upwards in a half smile as warmth suffused her body.

"Thanks."

The last few weeks had wrought an amazing change in Shepard, and even she could feel it. Between continuing her hand to hand training and beginning her weapons training, she was quickly working her way toward mastery in a number of fields. Some things came easier than others, but overall, it seemed like she was making incredible progress. She felt truly proud of herself for nearly the first time in her life. Her hard work was actually paying off in a measurable way, and it felt amazing.

Finally, she came to a stop face to face with Garrus, his own camouflage patterned uniform just as damp and muddy as hers. He looked down at her with a satisfied smile.

"I was going to suggest we hop over to the beach like usual to go over how it went, but I have another idea. Let's have dinner and then hop into the shooting range program. We can discuss it there while we have a little fun." His suggestion was a good one, so she nodded.

"Sure, that sounds great."

On the occasions when she thought back to her life within the Citadel, that anxious, skittish loner seemed like an entirely different person. It was as though she were remembering the life of someone else, someone completely disconnected from who she was now becoming. Here on the Normandy she had friends, she had a purpose, she had goals and dreams and something to strive for. She had a home.

If someone had told that poor, suffering woman in that dark Citadel apartment that in a few short months, she would be surrounded by people she considered family, living in space and spending her days learning how to kill people, well… She probably wouldn't have laughed, since prior to joining the Normandy laughing hadn't been something she'd done much of after the death of her mother.

But here she was now with the turian who had become her best friend, standing in this breath-taking environment. Who would have thought it was possible? She certainly wouldn't have.

"Then come on, let's get going," Garrus said as he pulled up his omni-tool, and a moment later, the world around them vanished.

The first time Garrus had turned to her and placed a gun in her outstretched hand, Shepard had looked down at it in undisguised horror. She'd never held a gun in her life, nor had any experiences with them outside of her escape from Saren just before her unplugging. She'd held it gingerly at arm's length, like a venomous snake ready to strike as Garrus laughed.

A few hours of data upload and weeks of training drills, and she was feeling much more comfortable. She'd never be as good a shot as Garrus, but she was getting pretty good, if she did say so herself. Both Garrus and Anderson seemed pleased, and that was all that really mattered to her at this point.

Shepard raised the pistol before her and braced it. Her visor was off, and she took aim without its readout. Once she had her target lined up, she exhaled, paused, then pulled the trigger.

A hole appeared right between the eyes on her paper target, and she smiled as she lowered her weapon. Turning, she saw Garrus' pleased nod before he raised his own weapon in the stall next to her. He braced himself, took aim, and fired off three rounds in quick succession. Shepard peered down the range to see three small holes clustered between his target's eyes.

"Nice one," she murmured, turning to see his mandibles flutter quickly before flaring outwards in a smile.

"Thanks." He looked down at his pistol and checked the heat sink. "You'll be just as good with a little more time." Shepard snorted, and his smile widened.

"Yeah, probably not. But thanks for the pep talk."

"Well, I mean, there aren't many who can make a gun dance like I can," Garrus joked as he snapped the pistol back together and shot her an amused look. "But if you keep at it, maybe you'll amount to something."

"Maybe," she replied as she hit the reset button and took aim again.

They'd been at it for what felt like an hour, though she knew to be quite a bit less back in the real world. The conversation had dropped off a bit after they'd finished dissecting her earlier sniping test, and Shepard wasn't entirely sure why. Garrus seemed distracted, preoccupied with something, as though he were in his own little world. She could get little bursts of conversation out of him, but it never lasted long.

She searched her mind for another conversation topic, and finally a question she'd been wondering about earlier in the week popped into her head.

"So, how does dating and sex work here? Like on the upload frigates such as the Normandy? Is that even allowed or is it against the rules?" She asked as she changed out her heat sink. Garrus' head snapped up, his eyes wide and his neck tinged with blue as he looked at her sharply.

"What? Why do you ask?" His words were clipped, his voice breathy, as though he'd just had the air knocked out of him. Shepard raised a concerned brow at him in confusion.

"Just wondering. I haven't really seen any overt couples on the ship, but I'm pretty sure I caught Vega and Miranda being a little touchy feely a few weeks ago, and I've been wondering ever since."

"Ah." Garrus shook his head as he took a breath and seemed to calm. "Them," he chuckled as he raised his pistol again and took aim. "I wouldn't look to them for an example of happiness by any means." He fired off another three shots, once again taking the fresh target right between the eyes.

He lowered the weapon as he observed his work, "Generally, fraternization rules vary from ship to ship, depending on the captain. Some have strict rules that only allow it during shore leave while docked at the Fleet. Others don't really give a shit what you do. Anderson falls somewhere in between. He doesn't really mind if you fool around with someone so long as you keep it to yourselves and don't let it affect your work."

"I see."

He looked back at Shepard with an amused smile, "Vega and Miranda… Well, I wouldn't say they 'hate fuck' exactly, but I don't think either of them think very highly of the other. But everyone's got needs, and I think they have something of an on-and-off-again arrangement."

"Ah." Shepard chuckled as she nodded in understanding. Garrus fiddled with his pistol for a moment, his eyes studiously avoiding hers.

"Is that the only reason you're asking? Has anyone approached you about anything like that?" He cleared his voice before adding in a quietly neutral voice, his eyes low, "Or were you thinking of approaching someone?"

"No, nothing like that." Shepard waved his question off and shrugged. "Just asking." As if she had the time or brain space for romance or sex at the moment. Her entire life right now was learning and training, and she couldn't imagine throwing anything that messy in on top of it all. She'd never had much time or care for romance even when she lived within the Citadel—it had seemed like an unnecessary risk—and sex thus far had been a lackluster and disappointing endeavor.

Garrus looked up at her, his shoulders seeming to lose something of their tenseness. Shepard paused for a moment to take aim and fire a few more rounds off before questioning him again.

"Do most of you guys 'fool around' with someone? If so, you're all doing a good job keeping it under wraps. I've only caught those two so far."

"I can't speak for the others. I don't think there are any other active couples on the ship at the moment, causal or otherwise. But I could be wrong."

"Huh." Shepard put her weapon down and turned away from the range to lean against the table as she crossed her arms. She frowned as she thought through the faces of her crewmates. "Shame. Sidonis seems like he needs a good lay."

Garrus choked as he nearly dropped his pistol. He turned to her, aghast and nonplussed.

"W-what?"

"He's got a fucking bug up his ass," Shepard grumbled as she kicked absently at a pebble on the packed dirt ground. "From the moment I enter the room to the moment I exit, it seems like wants to either rip my head off or storm out in a huff. I just don't get it, and I'm not sure how I offended him in the first place. He doesn't seem quite as awful to the rest of the crew, but he's even rude to them on occasion. I think he needs to blow off some steam in bed or something before his head explodes." Garrus relaxed a little as he snorted a laugh.

"What, you volunteering?"

"Hell no." A grin spread across Garrus' face at her answer, but it slowly melted as he holstered his pistol and turned to lean against the table in a mirror of her stance.

"I'm sorry about Sidonis. I'll try talking to him. Not that he'll necessarily listen, but I'll try."

"Seems like he listens better to you than anyone else on the ship. Anderson included."

"He and I go back. We served together before we were transferred to the Normandy." Garrus looked down at his feet, his expression somber, and Shepard hesitated. She hadn't realized he'd served on other ships prior to the Normandy, but it made sense that not everyone stayed on the ship they were rescued by.

"Which ship did you guys serve on before this?" She asked in a bid to continue the conversation, and Garrus remained silent for a moment before replying.

"The Gabriel." Shepard's head tilted in confusion as she searched her memory.

"I don't remember that one being mentioned."

"That's because it was destroyed about five years ago." Garrus' words were subdued and distant as he looked away, his arms still crossed as his fingers clenched. Shepard felt like an idiot for asking, and yet she couldn't stop the follow up question from escaping.

"What happened?" The words were quiet, but they carried in the silence.

"Cerberus happened."

Shepard's mouth clicked shut as it went suddenly dry. Just the mention of that cult could send a shiver down her spine. Deciding not to ask further, she readied to change the topic, but after a moment, Garrus continued on his own.

"We're not entirely sure how, but they got the coordinates of our ship while we were uploaded into the Citadel. Some of us made it out alive, but of the four that made it into life pods, only Sidonis and I survived."

They stood there in cold, stony silence for what felt like an eternity as Shepard processed the horror of his words. "Garrus, I'm so sorry." The words felt trite. Far too little, far too late.

"Yeah. Me, too. They were good men and women." His eyes remained on his feet, and Shepard knew she ought to say or do something else, anything else to provide some modicum of support or consolation in that moment, but she didn't know what could possibly be enough. She scootched closer and lifted a hand, placing it on his arm gently. He looked up at her, his expression blank, but his eyes sharp and alert.

"I wish I could have met them," she said quietly, and after a moment, he opened his mouth to respond. Nothing came out, but then he gave himself a small shake before trying again.

"Shepard, I-"

"Hey, guys!" They both looked up, and Shepard's hand drew back as she jumped in surprise at the sudden voice. "Oh, was I interrupting something?"

The voice told her the person standing before them was Tali, but that was one of the only clues she had regarding the woman's identity. She wore no helmet, no suit whatsoever. Her clothes looked similar in design, the fabric just as intricate and beautiful as it had been when she had just met Tali within the Citadel. But instead of draping over her helmet, it was wrapped over her head like a hood or shawl.

Tali's skin was a pale violet, almost blue, with darker striations across her cheeks and forehead, not dissimilar to those of some asari Shepard had seen. Her facial structure was somewhat similar to a human's or asari's, but much rounder, with a very low bridge to her nose and wide, friendly eyes.

Her eyes were probably her most striking feature. Her irises were a shimmering bright white, shining almost like opals in the dim light of the training program. But what truly surprised Shepard was how they contrasted heavily with the surrounding darkness of her nearly black sclera. It was the inverse to what she was used to in most organic eyes, but they were oddly beautiful in Tali's open and smiling countenance.

"Geez, Shepard, you're making me blush," Tali giggled as she waved, then gestured to her outfit. "You can't really think I'd wear an envirosuit when I don't have to?"

"I…" Shepard cleared her throat in embarrassment and shrugged. It made perfect sense. Tali could wear anything, and there was no risk of her getting sick while in one of their simulations. "I hadn't thought about it. That must be a relief for you."

"You have no idea." Tali grinned, revealing teeth sharper than any human's. "We wear our suits within the Citadel, but I never wear one in any other sim programs." She moved over toward a weapons rack and picked up a shotgun. "Mind if I join you guys?"

"Of course not." Garrus said as he turned around and pulled up his pistol again, taking aim at his target. Shepard followed Tali as she moved to a different range nearby, one set up for shotgun use. With a familiarity born of much training and experience, Tali checked and prepped her chosen weapon quickly and efficiently before taking aim.

The speed with which she took out each and every target was brutal, and Shepard watched in fascination as Tali hit the button to reset the targets, took aim, and immediately took them all out again.

"Want a turn?" Tali turned to her with a sparkle in her eye, and Shepard stepped forward with a quick nod and took the proffered shotgun. She hefted it, recognizing it as the same model she'd gone through most of her training with. There was something about it that felt comfortable in her hands, more so than the sniper rifle ever would. Not that she'd admit that in Garrus' hearing, of course.

Stepping forward, she hit the button to reset the targets, and they reappeared like magic, whole and ready a moment later. Taking aim, she fired one shot, then took aim again, and fired another. She continued till each was laying shattered on the ground, and Tali applauded. It hadn't been as fast or fluid as Tali's, but Shepard wasn't embarrassed by the display.

"Wow, Garrus is right. You really are a natural. I can't believe it's only been a few weeks since you began weapons training," Tali chirped cheerfully, and Shepard felt a different embarrassment suffuse her cheeks as she considered Garrus' praise. It wasn't the first time she'd heard the compliment, but it still made her uncomfortable. Tali's grin widened, her teeth giving it an almost feral glint.

Shepard went to hand the shotgun back to Tali, but the quarian turned and called out to Garrus. "Hey! I have an idea!"

"Oh?" Garrus lowered his weapon, the target's head riddled with holes. He turned toward them with an inquisitive tilt to his head.

"Yeah. I just downloaded a new environment sim from the network. It's a new one from Kasumi. Let's all go check it out together!" Tali turned to look at Shepard with a half smile. "What do you think?"

"Sounds good to me." She didn't even have to think before replying. She absolutely loved exploring environment sims and didn't want to pass up the opportunity to see a brand new one.

"Wonderful, it's decided, then!" Tali clapped her hands in delight, and Garrus crossed his arms as he snorted.

"I guess my input isn't needed," he grumbled good-naturedly as he came to stand beside them. Tali pulled up her omni-tool, and the world around them melted away.

When Garrus opened his eyes, he was in the blank void of the Codex. But then a mirror appeared before him along with a holodisplay. He recognized it from a number of other environment sims that required specific outfits, and he approached the user interface. It displayed pictures of various outfits that seemed utterly foreign to him, and with a weary sigh, he realized they must be human styles tailored for turians.

He flicked through the options before settling on what appeared to be a simple robe tied at the waist with a strip of cloth. The fabric came in various colors and intricate prints, and after a moment, he picked a blue-colored fabric with a simple white geometric pattern. He hit 'submit', and suddenly he was wearing the outfit. It was surprisingly comfortable, somehow managing to be light and airy while also remaining comfortably warm. Though it was hard to tell while within the loading program.

Content with how it looked, he hit the 'complete' option on the user interface, and suddenly he was standing in a small room that reminded him of the sparring dojo program he'd first brought Shepard to all those weeks before. It was built of dark, warm wood with woven straw mats on the floor beneath his bare feet. In the center of the room was a low table, upon which sat a small ceramic tea set on a tray, along with a series of small bowls and plates with a variety of interesting foods.

On one wall was a closed paper screen door that most likely lead further into the building, but Garrus gasped as he turned to face the far wall. These paper screen doors were already opened to reveal the most breath-taking garden Garrus had ever seen. It was as though it were created by an artist as an attempt to grow something out of a picturesque painting. It somehow looked perfectly manicured while also maintaining the majesty of untamed wilderness.

As Garrus stepped closer to the door, he noticed the narrow deck that ran past the doorway, and continued on to wrap around the building. Sticking his head out the door, he noticed similar sliding doors leading into similar rooms along the side of the building. The roof stretched out just far enough to cover the deck, and rain streamed down to land on the pebbled ground just outside. The calming sound of trickling rain and the smell of wet moss permeated the air, and he took a deep inhale before sighing.

In the garden, a pink blossomed tree stood nearby, its delicate petals slowly drifting to the ground with the rain. Moss encrusted rocks created a path that lead further out into the massive garden and back into a wooded area, the trees crooked and bent over in a way that made every branch into a work of art. Not far off, stones ringed a small pond with a tiny stream that flowed down a rocky path before trickling into a small wooden tube. Now and then, the tube became completely filled, causing it to tip forward, spilling its contents out into the pond before returning to its former position with a clunk to be filled again.

The overall effect was so soothing that Garrus stood transfixed for so long that he didn't even notice as Tali and Shepard loaded into the program behind him.

"Oh, Keelah!" He jumped at Tali's exclamation and spun to see the two women looking around in amazement. "Kasumi said it was based on her cultural research, but I had no idea it would be this beautiful! This is amazing." Tali walked over to stand beside Garrus at the door, and he noticed her outfit as she gazed out over the garden.

Tali was dressed in something similar to what Garrus had on, yet it seemed to be made of a different material, something silken and shimmering with a beautiful floral pattern. The fabric was wrapped around her like a robe and held together with a wide belt, accentuating her narrow waist, which was folded into something resembling a bow at the back. The sleeves hung down low and seemed to be some sort of pocket, though he couldn't tell for sure. She still wore her shawl draped over her head as all quarians did while out of their suits in sim programs, but it was now made of a pattern and color that complimented the fabric of her robe.

Garrus closed his mouth when he realized he'd been staring and turned as his eyes immediately sought out Shepard. For half an instant, he expected to see her wearing something as intricate and feminine as Tali's outfit. But when he saw her, he blinked in surprise.

Shepard wore a simple outfit that wasn't a robe like his or Tali's. It was more similar to the training outfit she wore while sparring within the dojo, though made of a lighter, dark blue fabric and lacking a belt. Instead, it was held shut with a small tie on one side. The sleeves were short but loose, coming about halfway down her arms, and below she wore a loose pair of shorts that came down to her knees, made of the same fabric.

Garrus moved aside to allow her to step up beside Tali to gaze out at the rain soaked garden in awe, but as he stepped back, he caught sight of the image printed on the back of Shepard's shirt. It was some sort of strange, snake-like creature that curled across her back with four flashing sets of claws tipped with sharp talons. Its head had two wicked looking horns and a snarling mouth full of viciously sharp teeth. It seemed to writhe and twist as she moved as though it had a life of its own, and something about it made him shiver.

Somehow, the ferocious creature seemed fitting. In retrospect, he couldn't imagine Shepard in something as formal and fancy as the outfit Tali wore. What she wore now suited her much better, and the thought sent a strange warmth blossoming in his chest as he watched her.

"So, should we sit down and enjoy the tea? Kasumi said that was the whole point of the program," Tali mused as she turned back around to the low table. They all knelt down before the small feast laid out for them, and Garrus shifted as he struggled to find a way to sit comfortably. Finally settling, he looked around at the offerings before them. Carefully, he picked up the teapot and began pouring it into the three cups on the tray.

"So, I'm guessing dextro and levo don't really matter here?" Shepard asked as she picked up her small cup and cradled it before her, seeming to savor the warmth.

"Nope, not at all," Garrus confirmed as he put the teapot down and picked up his own cup. Taking a sniff, Garrus brightened at the clean, earthy scent of the pale liquid. The cup wasn't designed with turian mouths in mind, but he managed a careful sip and hummed in pleasure at the taste, as did the others.

"So, what am I supposed to do with these?" Tali wondered as she picked up a set of thin sticks and held one in each hand awkwardly.

"Oh, those are called chopsticks," Shepard said as she picked hers up with one hand. Garrus watched her expertly maneuver them, the dexterity of her five thin fingers making him stare in awe as she used the sticks to pick up a small dumpling and place it carefully in her mouth.

"I don't think we'll be able to manage with less fingers," he muttered as he ripped his eyes away from the sight of her soft pink tongue darting out to lick a drop of sweet sauce left behind on her bottom lip.

"That's a good point." Shepard looked around before brightening. "Ah, that must be why they included these." She grinned as she picked up two other sets of chopsticks, each attached with a rubber band and a rolled-up piece of paper. The effect allowed him to pinch the food like he would with a pair of tongs, which was good enough for him.

"Ah, Kasumi thinks of everything," Tali laughed as she took her pair. Together, they happily ate through the small feast as they chatted and laughed, and Garrus savored the peace and calm just as much as he did the delicious food. In moments such as this, he could almost forget the real world and the life they were forced to live. He could forget the harsh conditions, he could forget the war, he could forget the danger, and he could forget the Reapers.

With the last piece of sushi eaten and the last drop of tea gone, they sat back and Garrus turned to admire the garden again. He watched as Shepard stood and moved toward the door overlooking the beauty beyond, and he couldn't help how his eyes followed her every movement. She came to a stop as she leaned against the door frame, her attention wholly focused on the world beyond their small, cozy room.

"Go ask if you can escort her through the garden," Tali murmured in his ear as she shifted closer to him. Garrus jumped as he remembered the quarian's existence.

"Spirits, Tali," he huffed as he looked back at Shepard before glaring at Tali. "What are you talking about?" She gave him a meaningful look, her eyes wide as they flicked to Shepard and back to him again.

"You guys should go for a walk around the gardens. It will be quiet and private and so romantic!" She whispered as she smiled, her eyes shimmering with excitement. Garrus felt a flush creeping up his neck as he stared at her in horror.

"Absolutely not. Are you out of your mind?" He hissed back at her, and she rolled her eyes as she sighed.

"Don't give me that crap, Garrus. I know you want to spend some quality time with Shepard, so why waste this opportunity? I'll unplug and leave you two alone. It'll be perfect!"

"Don't be ridiculous." He waved her off as he shoved down the building panic and embarrassment threatening to constrict his chest. Tali deadpanned as she stared at him.

"Seriously? It's as obvious as the markings on your face. Everyone on the ship probably knows how you feel about her at this point. Except you, apparently."

"Tali, I would appreciate it if you didn't suggest that I pursue a relationship with someone who is currently my student," he snapped in a low whisper as he glared back at her. She drew back in surprise, her eyes widening. "It can't happen. It would be wrong, and… and inappropriate." He trailed off as he looked back at where Shepard stood in her own little world, the truth of his own words ringing in his ears.

Tali remained silent for a moment before sighing again. "Okay. Point taken. But you won't be training her forever. So maybe just take a little time and get to know her a bit better. I know you guys spend a lot of time together, but maybe spend some time doing something not combat related for once."

Garrus remained silent as he thought of their numerous visits to the beach beneath the star speckled night sky. The way the soft moonlight played across Shepard's pale skin, the way the water splashed against her feet and ankles, the way the stars sparkled in her eyes, and the way she smiled as she looked out over the waves as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear against the light breeze.

Swallowing, he shut his eyes and looked away. Silently, Tali stood. When he opened them again, she was gone, vanished as though she'd never been there at all. He remained seated for a few minutes longer as he watched Shepard savoring the rain. Finally, he stood and looked around before his eyes fell on a red oiled paper umbrella leaning against the wall in the corner of the room.

Picking it up, he moved to stand beside Shepard. "Should we explore the garden a little before we head back?" He asked hesitantly as he held up the umbrella. She looked at it with pleased surprise before nodding.

"Yeah, I'd like that."

But with every step they took along the winding path through the picturesque garden, Garrus could feel the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach intensifying. With every glimpse of Shepard's content smile or the chime of her laughter, he felt more and more as though he were falling backwards endlessly into a deep, dark abyss he knew he would never claw his way out of.

And he savored every excruciating, torturous moment of it. He was a man dying of frostbite, and she the roaring flames. He was a prisoner, and she the moon glimpsed through his bars. He was a moth in the dark, and she a candle.

Later that night, he lay in his bunk, staring up at the low ceiling above him as his thoughts raced in a million directions. He listened to the sounds of his crew mates sleeping around him, and after being haunted by sleeplessness for an incalculable amount of time, he turned and peeked past his curtain. Shepard's lay still, and if he focused hard enough, he swore he could hear the soft sounds of her breathing evenly.

He rolled back onto his back and pressed his palms into his eyes.

"Fuck."

(A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to leave feedback in one way or another. Comments are super appreciated, particularly during this quiet time in the Mass Effect fandom. I hope you are all enjoying it so far!)