.
A Dream Within a Dream
Part 1
Chapter 12
The Citadel
The Nos Astra shopping district was huge and busy, full of expensive looking shops and equally expensive looking people. At first, Shepard felt so horribly out of place that she worried she'd stand out like a sore thumb. But then she looked down at her well-tailored outfit made of good quality fabric and realized she and Garrus probably fit in perfectly.
She'd pulled up their grainy photo of Jack enough times that the woman's face was fairly well imprinted on her mind as her eyes swept the shop fronts, street corners, and seating areas. But Jack seemed like she would be an odd, out-of-place addition to the shimmer and sparkle of the district with her punk gangster appearance, shaved head, and overwhelmingly bold tattoos. The beautiful and high-class neighborhood was predominantly asari, and not exactly what Shepard would call the crime capital of the Citadel. Not that she had much experience with the asari districts, having lived most of her life within the various human districts, so she supposed she could be wrong. If she'd learned anything about the asari, it was that appearances didn't always match reality.
Shepard opened her mouth to whisper something to Garrus, then froze as she watched a figure disappear down a distant alleyway.
"Garrus, there." She pointed, and his head snapped around like a hawk's.
"Where?"
"Over here." Shepard ran down the road before hurrying across the street. They both checked for watching eyes before turning to examine the alleyway. A shadow far in the back rounded a corner, and Garrus hurried after on silent feet.
"We might have found her. We're moving in for a positive ID," he whispered as he lifted a finger to his ear, and Miranda murmured a response as they approached the corner. Quietly, they navigated the shadowy maze of narrow alleyways and passages, following the sound of heavy combat boots echoing off the grimy walls and trash strewn floors.
Finally, they watched as Jack stepped out into an open courtyard, and they both paused in the shadows of the darkened alley as the young woman looked around the space. Hologram trees dotted the pseudo-green space along with benches and a small, malfunctioning fountain in the middle, giving the space the unsettling sensation of being almost, but not quite, relaxing.
"We've found her. Sending coordinates now," Garrus whispered again, his voice so quiet that the hum of his subvocals almost completely drowned out the words. "She appears to be meeting with someone."
In the middle of the courtyard beside the fountain was an asari, her back almost entirely to them, one fist on her hips, her shoulders squared. There was a confidence and ease in her posture that made Shepard narrow her eyes as she examined her, interest and curiosity sparked, particularly when she noted that this woman lacked the sense of sleep that everyone else on the Citadel had. They watched as Jack cautiously approached, keeping her distance.
"Hey," Jack called out, the single word reverberating through the space, bouncing off the walls of the tall buildings that encircled the courtyard. "I'm here."
"I see that." The asari turned to look back at Jack, a single brow cocked and the corner of her lips quirked up in something that seemed caught between a smirk and a sneer as she crossed her arms over her armored chest. Her skin was a mid-tone blue with darker purple striations around her eyes and stretched back over her head.
Shepard heard Garrus suck in a breath in a harsh hiss beside her.
"It's Vasir." His finger was still lifted to his ear as he whispered, and Miranda cursed.
"Fuck. How did Vasir find her?"
"I don't know. We'll gather what information we can before we retreat and formulate a new plan."
"Be careful."
"Who is she?" Shepard whispered as Jack took a few tentative steps closer to the fountain.
"A Spectre," Garrus growled under his breath, and she felt a shiver run down her spine as her entire body chilled. "It might not be the worst case scenario, but it's damn close."
Shepard forced herself to stillness, even as every fiber of her being screamed for her to run. If Garrus thought it was safe to stay, then perhaps it was. But it was hard to not inch back into the shadows of the alleyway. Somewhere in the back of her brain, a cold voice chuckled as memories prickled across her skin like needles, pressing into all her most sensitive spots.
I win again, Jane.
"I wasn't sure if you'd show up," Vasir announced flippantly, and Shepard looked up as Jack appeared to stiffen.
"I gave you my fucking word, didn't I?" she snapped angrily, and the asari's amused brow crept further upward.
"Whatever. You're here now, and that's what matters."
"Now what the fuck do you want from me? Who are you, and how did you get my contact info?" Jack took a step closer, and both began to speak with low voices that didn't carry well across the space. Shepard and Garrus listened for a minute or two without picking up anything useful. Garrus cursed.
"I don't understand." Shepard frowned as she looked at him in confusion. "Why isn't Vasir attacking her? Don't Spectres try to kill people before we can unplug them?" Even as the words left her mouth, Shepard remembered an instant before Saren had thrown her from the rooftop. "Or is Vasir trying to use her to get to us?" Garrus seemed to consider his words before responding quietly as he looked back at her.
"Spectres don't always want to kill those that can be unplugged. Sometimes they recruit them instead." Shepard's eyes widened in shocked surprise.
"Recruit them? How? For what?"
"We're not sure why they try with some people and just kill others outright. But Spectres are people, just like you and me. They aren't programs, but people whom the Reapers have elevated to a position of power in exchange for their allegiance. Sometimes, like in the case of Saren, they're people who were previously unplugged but then joined Cerberus. When they're recruited, they leave the Fleet and return to the Reapers to be re-plugged." He paused before looking back at Jack. "Sometimes, they find people within the Citadel and recruit them there instead."
"So, you think Vasir wants to make Jack a Spectre?"
"It's possible. Either that, or she wants to recruit her to join Cerberus. It's impossible to tell at this point." They both watched as Vasir gestured to Jack, her expression turning serious as the human woman shrugged and rolled her eyes at something the asari had said. Vasir took a step closer, her smile returning as she placed a hand on Jack's shoulder, causing her to look back at her.
"Come on, we need to get out of here," Garrus murmured as he gestured for Shepard to back up. Carefully, she scootched backwards before slowly getting to her feet, her heart suddenly hammering in her chest again. She'd been training for months, and yet this was the first time she'd truly been within danger's reach since she'd first been unplugged. It made her knees weak, and she worked hard to reign in her fear.
Taking one more step backwards, she froze as something clattered to the ground behind her. She turned to see a metal garbage bin on its side, the lid rolling to a stop noisily. Turning back, she looked up in horror as Vasir's and Jack's eyes landed on their hiding spot. Vasir's smiled widened like a snake's as she brought her omni-tool up and said something under her breath.
"Run," Garrus hissed as he turned and took off down the alleyway, Shepard hot on his heels. "Liara, we've been spotted. We need an exit. Now!"
"On it!" Their footsteps were now the ones echoing off the walls as they sprinted back the way they'd come, and though they couldn't hear anyone pursuing, they could hear the far-off sound of sirens as they exited the alley into the busy shopping district.
"She's called C-Sec on us," Garrus stated as he started off down the sidewalk, and Shepard noted with relief the difference in her stamina from the last time she'd followed him at a full sprint through the Citadel.
"Do Spectres hold official ranks? Is that why they can command C-Sec officers?" Shepard asked as she caught up to him, the sirens growing ever louder.
"C-Sec," Garrus spat with a sneering flick of his mandibles, "are nothing more than pawns. The Spectres and the GETH move them around the board like game pieces for whatever purpose they need." The words were said with such vehemence and spite that Shepard blinked in surprise.
"Okay, I have an exit for you, but you're not going to like it." Liara's voice interrupted her thoughts, and Garrus groaned.
"How far?"
"You're going to need to get all the way to the Silversun Strip."
"The Silversun Strip? Seriously? There's no skycars on the ground around here. You can't find any closer connections than that?" Garrus growled as he spun on his heel and darted down another side alley. Shepard skidded to a stop as she turned to follow.
"The GETH are actively cutting lines in your vicinity. I'm sorry, it's the best I can do right now. All things considered, I don't think it will be a problem to get there from where you are on foot. I'm sending you the coordinates now." A moment later, Shepard's visor pinged and a flashing dot appeared on her map.
"Understood. We'll do our best."
"We're en route. We'll meet you at the Silversun Strip," Miranda's voice said through their comm, and Garrus replied in the affirmative. He lept onto a nearby maintenance ladder, his hands and feet positioned so that he slid all the way down. Shepard followed suit as smoothly as she could manage.
Crashing hard on the lower landing, Shepard scrambled to her feet and took off after Garrus as he hurtled down a nearby set of stairs. The sirens were even louder and soon Shepard could hear the sound of boots storming after them.
"Shit!" She hissed as she threw herself down the next set of stairs, following him as he raced around a corner and out onto an open catwalk that stretched out alongside a nearby building. Her stomach lurched as she looked down at the seemingly endless drop visible through the metal mesh under her boots.
"Move it, Shepard!" Garrus hollered back at her, and she forced her feet to move. "Now isn't the time for nerves!"
"That's easy for you to say!" She yelled back at him as she worked to catch up, the sounds of running boots behind them urging her onward. "This isn't the 'routine surveillance mission' I was promised it'd be!"
"Good point!" She could hear a hint of laughter in his subvocals as she finally began to catch up. A moment later, she cried out in alarm as gunfire burst against her eardrums from the floor above, and she threw her arms over her head.
"Come on! This way!" Garrus called out, and Shepard's eyes popped as he turned and vaulted over the railing. But instead of plummeting down into the abyss, he landed on a catwalk far below that stretched out over the darkness toward a different building on the other side. He was already halfway across the chasm as she reached up to wrap her trembling fingers around the railing.
"Shit," Shepard breathed as her heart hammered in her chest. Her head jerked as she heard the sounds of yelling voices, the crashing of boots on metal getting louder as their pursuers clattered down the stairs behind her.
Shepard turned back to look down at the catwalk below her and swallowed her fear. Nodding to herself, she took a breath.
You've done this sort of maneuver numerous times in training sims. You can do this. This isn't any different.
But this was real, she reminded herself before pausing. Or was it? Was the Citadel anymore real than the training sims?
Ah, but when you die in sims, you reload. When you die here, you're gone.
Steeling herself, Shepard found the calm place within herself. She embraced the quiet of her mother's flame and void, the peaceful emptiness swallowing up every storming emotion struggling to burst forth from her chest. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could feel an old, familiar warmth, and she breathed. And lept.
Time seemed to slow as she hung in the air, the catwalk looming down below her. Gravity finally took her in its grip, and she fell. Landing hard, she rolled before scrambling to her feet. She chanced a look back up at the officers as they broke out onto the catwalk above, their shouts ringing out as they lifted their weapons.
Ducking, she sprinted after Garrus, the pings of bullets ricocheting off the catwalk behind her, urging her onward. He was already sliding down yet another ladder as she caught up with him. She followed suit, and together, they made their way across another suspended catwalk before leaping down onto a service lift.
"We're getting close. Once we reach the top, it should be an easy enough job to-" Garrus cut off as the sound of boots echoed against the buildings and they looked up. C-Sec officers were filing out of a door onto the top landing, their weapons raised. "Damn it!" Garrus smashed his fist against the emergency stop button, and the elevator ground to a halt. Without missing a beat, he took a step back before charging forward and leaping off onto a nearby rooftop. He slid as he landed before getting his footing and turning to look back at Shepard, his hand held out to her.
"Come on! Jump!" He called out, and Shepard stared at him as she gripped the elevator's hand hold.
"You've got to be kidding!"
"It's no different from your training! You can do it!"
"I don't die when I miss the landing in a sim!" She yelled back even as she took a step backwards in preparation. Surging forward, she lept after him, gripping his hand as she landed and slid. Together, they steadied her before turning to sprint across the slippery, sloped roof panels. They rounded a corner before jumping down onto a walkway.
"We're not far now!" Garrus crowed triumphantly as he took off toward the flashing dot on their visor maps. The walkway followed the side of the building before turning to stretch out over the chasm below, the bridge leading the way into the famed Silversun Strip. If they could make it across, it wouldn't be far to the nearest secure connection, and they would be safe.
Their footsteps echoed out against the walls of the buildings stretching upwards around them as they broke out onto the bridge. Shepard could see the bright, flashing neon lights reflecting off the buildings ahead, and she nearly let herself smile.
"Freeze! Hands in the air!" Shepard and Garrus skidded to a stop as C-Sec officers stepped out onto the bridge before them, blocking their path, weapons raised.
"Damn it!" Garrus hissed before grabbing her arm and spinning to retreat. Before they could do more than take a step, they noticed the officers at the other end, finally having caught up.
"Garrus!" A deep, hard voice called out from behind them, and Shepard could feel him stiffen beside her as a chill passed through the air. Slowly, Garrus turned, and she followed to see a tall, pale plated turian in C-Sec armor step between two officers and out onto the bridge before them. "Enough running."
Garrus seemed to stand taller, his shoulders squaring as his eyes narrowed. "Dad."
Shepard stared as her eyes darted between the two turians, confusion and curiosity warring with her building panic. "What the hell is going on?" She hissed, but Garrus ignored her as his eyes remained locked on the other man.
"Garrus, enough is enough. How many times are we going to play this game over the years? It's time to stop running. It's time to come home." His father held out a hand, and though his voice was a long way from pleading, there was something mournful in his subvocals that Shepard couldn't put words to.
"Just let us through. We don't want to hurt anyone, we just want to leave," Garrus called out firmly as his hands clenched at his sides. Shepard glanced back at the officers behind them, her heart thudding painfully in her ribcage as she noticed them readying their weapons. Garrus' father must have seen it, too, for he held a hand up and gestured to them to stand down.
"I can't let you do that, Garrus." He sighed before bringing a hand up to brush over his pale crest. He looked back up at his son with sad eyes. "Just come home. You've been running ever since your mother died. Your sister misses you." He paused before adding in a quieter voice that still carried the distance. "I miss you." The words seemed to have been ripped from his chest, but if they made any impression on Garrus, he didn't show it.
"I don't care about your sob story, Dad!" Shepard could feel his arm reaching back toward his weapon as he spoke, a movement his father couldn't fail to notice, either.
"Don't try anything you might regret, son." His voice was level and calm as though he were speaking to a cornered, injured beast in the wild. "I don't know how you got mixed up with these people, or what pincers this gang has gotten under your plates. But if you come with me, I can help you. These people are dangerous." The man's eyes flicked to Shepard for the barest instant, a sneer on his face. "I picked through this one's file just recently. You've been mixed up with this sort long enough. Come home."
Shepard's nostrils flared as anger flashed through her, bright and hot, indignant at the implied falsehoods.
"He doesn't want your help! Back off, and let us go!" She called out, and the man's attention slid back to her with cold contempt as he sneered.
"Garrus, surely you don't prefer the company of these criminals, these low life gangsters? I know you better than that. You always had a strong sense of right and wrong. Of justice."
There was a far off roaring sound in Shepard ears as she grit her teeth, and beside her, she heard Garrus draw his pistol.
"Get out of my way, or I will shoot you this time, Dad." His words rang out as he leveled the weapon on his father. The other man didn't so much as flinch as he sighed.
"Fine. Have it your way." He turned to glance back at the officers behind him. "Bring them in. Non-lethal force only. Agent Vasir has requested that they be brought to her alive."
The roaring sound was growing louder by the second as Shepard took an involuntary step backwards, fear rushing through her veins at the mention of the Spectre. The officers advanced, Garrus' father disappearing back behind them. She could hear Garrus curse beside her, but coherent thought was quickly abandoning her as the officers began approaching, their weapons trained on their chests.
"Garrus, Shepard! Get down!" Miranda's voice broke through their comms, and immediately Garrus dropped to the ground, grabbing Shepard's arm and pulling her down, too. The roaring sound became unbearably loud as a gunship slowly rose up from the gloom below.
"What the…" Shepard breathed as she stared at the hulking form hovering in the air before the bridge. C-Sec officers yelled in fear a moment before it opened fire.
The screech of its autocannons burst through the air, ripping through their ears as they threw their arms over their heads. The sounds of screams and armored boots retreating were barely discernible over the crashing of shattered glass and twisting metal.
"Both of you, hop on!" Shepard looked up to see Jacob gesturing to them from the gunship's open side door, and Garrus stood without a moment's hesitation.
"Come on, Shepard!" He yelled over the deafening noise before taking a running leap off the bridge. He landed aboard the gunship, Jacob's hand gripping his arm firmly as he pulled him to safety. Garrus quickly spun as he held his hand out toward her. "You can do this! Jump!"
Shepard stood, her knees shaking as the bridge lurched beneath her, the supports damaged beyond hope. Chaos reigned around her as glittering glass tumbled down and people screamed as they ran for cover. The ground beneath her feet began to give way, and Garrus called out for her to hurry as his eyes went wide with panic.
"This is insane," she whispered under her breath as her vision began to tunnel, her breath coming in ragged puffs, her head feeling light. Steadying herself, she breathed in. There was nothing but a flame in the void. She could almost feel warmth of it on her face as she seized the calmness and breathed out.
And jumped.
The chasm below loomed as she threw herself toward the gunship, and all sound seemed to vanish in an instant as she focused in on the bright blue eyes staring at her intently. His mouth moved as he called out to her, but she heard nothing as she reached for his outstretched hands, time elongating around her.
"Gotcha!" Garrus exclaimed as her senses rushed back into her, his hands gripped firmly around her as he and Jacob pulled her into the quickly ascending gunship. They slid the door shut, and she lurched forward to grip the back of Miranda's chair, watching through the windshield as the surviving C-Sec officers looked up at them in fear from behind what cover they could find. Garrus appeared beside her, stiff with anxiety as he scanned the diminishing faces intently.
The pale plated face of his father appeared as they rounded a corner, his eyes keen as he watched the gunship begin to turn away, and Garrus released the breath he'd been holding. Shepard slumped in one of the seats as her breath began to even out, the fuzziness in her brain beginning to fade as her limbs seemed triple in weight.
"How on earth do you know how to fly one of these things?" Shepard murmured to herself as she glanced at Miranda's cool and calm visage in the pilot's seat, and the other woman tossed her shoulders with disinterest.
"It's amazing how easy it is to acquire diverse skills within the Codex," Miranda stated as she maneuvered the gunship between the buildings reaching skyward with skill that spoke of a lifetime of experience. "At one point or another, it seemed like a worthwhile skill." After a moment, she glanced back at Garrus. "I saw Castis down there. Hope he didn't give you too much trouble."
"Nothing more that the usual," he grunted before looking away.
"I'm sorry," she murmured, her eyes downcast for a moment before she looked forward again. "Don't let whatever he said get to you. He doesn't understand."
"What I want to know," Jacob's voice broke in, and both of them looked up into his troubled face as he gripped a handhold firmly, "is how they found out about Jack. And how they trailed you both so accurately."
They rode in silence, the only voice that of Miranda as she coordinated with Liara to find them a new exit. Shepard let the implications swell and fester in her belly as she swayed with the movements of the gunship, exhaustion warring with anxiety as her body screamed for rest. But over and over, a single word reverberated through her, making rest impossible.
And she wasn't alone in her thoughts. She could see it on the other's faces.
Cerberus.
Shepard shut off the water, drips cascading down her body as she sighed. She breathed in the hot air of the shower as the chill of the room sent a shiver down her spine. Turning, she stepped out of the stall and grabbed her towel, bringing it to her face as she inhaled the clean scent of it. She brought it up to run through her shaggy, auburn hair before wrapping it around herself and making for the mirror. Tired emerald eyes gazed back at her, and though she hadn't strictly needed a shower after the debacle that was her first true mission, she certainly felt better after having had one.
She dressed quickly before draping the towel around her shoulders and heading back out into the mess hall. Garrus looked up from where he sat, a steaming cup in his hands, and smiled.
"You're looking better."
"Yeah, I feel better. Thanks." She looked out over the empty room. "Where is everyone? What's the plan?"
"Well, Miranda plugged back in a few minutes ago. She's attempting to meet with Jack and get her away from Vasir before it's too late. We're currently en route to Earth just in case she's successful. I was just about to head up to talk to Anderson about the rest of the plan. Care to join me?"
Shepard nodded, and Garrus placed his cup back on the table before standing and turning to lead the way to the ladder.
They heard the raised voices before they even made it up into the CIC.
"You expect me to believe that it was pure coincidence that the Spectres discovered Jack mere hours after we first made contact? Bullshit.," Sidonis exclaimed, followed by a sigh from Anderson.
"No, I'm not asking you to believe that. But it's unwise to make baseless accusations at this point and-"
"Why am I the only person who is suspicious of her? You're all busy fawning over her 'quick learning' and 'amazing potential', and fail to see how those are things we should be wary of!"
"I mean, I wouldn't say you're the only person asking questions…" Vega spoke up, his voice thoughtful. "Someone had to have snitched. And Saren did have his hands on her for a while before we rescued her. Anything is possible, I suppose."
"Vega! Don't encourage him," Tali snapped, and Jenkins added his agreement while both Joker and Jacob shook their heads mutely.
Shepard's jaw clenched as understanding began to coalesce. Garrus gave her a hand up off the ladder, his expression stormy, and she pulled herself to standing, her shoulders square as she entered the CIC. Eyes turned to face them, and she held each pair of eyes steadily until they each looked away.
"I'm not with Cerberus. When would they have even recruited me? I've never been to the Migrant Fleet," she spat as her eyes narrowed, and Sidonis crossed his arms as he glared back at her.
"As if that's the only way to join Cerberus. You wouldn't be the first one they reached before we unplugged them." Turning, he looked at the rest of the team assembled around the CIC. "I vote we detain her until this situation is contained, and figure out what to do with her when we get back to the Fleet."
Shepard was relieved to see no one else speak up in agreement, but was also dismayed to see no one disagree. She'd grown to consider the crew as her new family, the kind of family she'd never had back in the Citadel. The fact that they could even consider the possibility that she would sell them out shot through her like a burning hot coal, leaving nothing but hollow emptiness behind in its wake.
"Cut the bullshit, Sidonis," Garrus finally barked from beside her, making her jump in surprise. "You know perfectly well that she's not to blame for what happened today. Her life was just as much at risk as the rest of ours." Gratitude washed through her chilled limbs, and warmth settled in her chest as she looked up at the turian beside her.
Sidonis snorted in disgust. "Why am I not surprised you're standing up for her?" He shook his head as he sneered. "After they captured you all, she probably would have 'escaped' by means of some fabricated opportunity. Nothing you say will be able to convince me of her innocence, Garrus. You're in it far too deep."
"What, are you suggesting I'm with Cerberus now?" The words were deathly calm as they left Garrus' mouth, and the room quickly went silent as Sidonis hesitated. After a moment, he looked away.
"No. I didn't mean to imply that. I meant that you-"
"Enough." The words were sharp and commanding, and everyone stood a little straighter as Anderson stepped forward, his expression grim. "Enough of the accusations and arguing. We're a team. A family. We're in this together. We will not be detaining anyone, not at this point." Shepard let go of the breath she'd been holding, and Anderson flashed her an understanding look. "Last message I received from Miranda had good news, so I need everyone to get ready to plug in and assist. Goddess willing, Jack will join us soon."
There were murmurs of agreement and acknowledgment from around the CIC as each of them ducked their head in respect. They quickly went about their duties with an increased urgency, all except Sidonis. He turned a hard, furious glare at Shepard before shouldering past her forcefully and sliding down the ladder to one of the lower decks.
"I don't know what's gotten into him. He had no right to accuse you of any of that," Garrus muttered, his subvocals a low growl as he stared after his friend. Then he turned to Shepard with downcast eyes. "I'm so sorry, he never should have said those things."
"It's fine," she replied with a small shake of her head. "I don't expect anything less from him." She trailed off as she glanced at the backs of Jacob, Jenkins, Vega, and Tali at the other side of the room. After a moment, she felt the gentle pressure of Garrus' hand on her shoulder.
"Try not to take it personally," he whispered. "The threat of Cerberus always inspires fear, and fear makes everyone do and say things they usually wouldn't." Shepard sighed as she looked away. "Come on, they've got this handled. Let's grab something to eat while we have a chance." Garrus motioned toward the ladder, and they both slid down to the crew deck before moving to grab a bowl of rations.
"Why do they suddenly think I'm a traitor? I don't get it," Shepard asked as she fell into one of the chairs. "What did I do wrong?"
"Nothing," Garrus stated emphatically, his insistence making her look up from her bowl. "But the fact that Vasir tracked down and contacted Jack is worrisome. Spectres and GETH are surprisingly bad at tracking people who can be unplugged. Occasionally, they stumble upon them, and they either recruit or kill them. But when they find them after we do, it usually means that they've either somehow managed to plant a bug," he paused before adding quietly, "or that there's a mole."
The word hung between them like a festering sore, uncomfortable and worrying. Shepard could feel the chill of uncertainty curling around her, its anxious fingers cutting into her skin, its feelers wrapping around her chest as it tightened its hold. These people had become her family. Could she accept that one amongst them wasn't who they said they were? She knew she wasn't the mole, but then who…?
Or perhaps they'd been bugged. But what did that entail? Were they watching them just within the Citadel? Or could they spy on them within the Normandy, too? Were they watching right now? Shepard felt herself curl in on herself, the old familiar feeling of being watched settling upon her shoulders like an old coat that no longer fit quite right.
"We'll figure it out, Shepard. Try not to worry too much," Garrus murmured before taking a bite, but she could hear the anxiety in his subvocals. Her thoughts went back to his story of his experiences aboard the Gabriel, and something painful thudded in her chest. Fighting the urge to reach out to squeeze his hand across the table, she looked away. "Eat up," he added after a moment. "We have work ahead of us."
Looking down at the unappealing bowl before her, Shepard glared. If she scrunched her eyes up just right, the soggy gloop almost looked like Sidonis' face. With an angry huff, she jabbed her spoon down into it.