Hello everyone! So, before we get into anything else, I realized that I kind of skipped over the part about the Illusive Man contacting Shepard about Horizon. My bad. I usually try to do a play through but with the limited time I haven't been able to, so I have skipped around to different play throughs that people have posted on youtube. Aaaand I kind of haven't been following it except for the big missions. So, sorry about that. I have tried to correct that inaccuracy in this chapter and will correct the previous one to reflect what this one says.
Side note: Stress is a killer. Try to keep away from it.
I am sorry it is taking me so long to update. I know you probably don't believe me, but I am trying to get back to the post times that I used to have :( . So, with the anniversary coming up and me not having enough time to do much writing, I know I can't open this up for submissions. However, I still want to do something for you guys/gals. I was thinking of letting you name some characters either extras or names of ones that will inevitably show up that are not named in canon. Now, I am rushing to get this out so I am just listing some off the top of my head so if I name a character that is actually named, just let me know. Some characters off the top of my head would include Garrus's father and mother, John's middle name, and Jane's middle name. Please PM me if you have any suggestions for them or other characters. I cannot guarantee your suggestion will get picked if I get multiple entries. If I get an overwhelming response for some I may end up having a poll… we'll see… probably wishful thinking.
Anyway, thank you again to all of you reading/following/favoriting and reviewing! I'm sorry I am getting bad with these updates!
Chapter 36
The target moved across the courtyard, bobbing in and out of the crowds, making a clear shot impossible. Still, Thane waited patiently, keeping his target in the crosshairs of his rifle. He had been taught to kill cleanly, painlessly; the days where he had ignored that training were behind him now.
The crowd began to disperse. His target moved towards the rapid transit. Now was the time.
The salarian reached the terminal. A transport was already pulling up. He reached for the door. A bullet went through his head. There were a few screams, some gasped, and others just glanced to see what the commotion was before going about their day.
He lowered his weapon and bowed his head, saying a prayer to Kalahira, goddess of oceans and the afterlife. After the prayer, Thane collapsed his weapon and holstered it in the same motion that he turned to leave. Once he had placed enough distance between himself and the crime scene, he pulled up his omni-tool to send a confirmation of the kill to his employer. The response was quick.
"Good work. Credits have already been issued. A new target is available if you wish to take another job."
He accepted without question. What else was he supposed to do anyway? When the details came through, he went to the docking station and got a ticket for the first shuttle to Illium. He read over the information he had been given again; his target: Nassana Dantius, an asari diplomatic emissary. Judging that she had connections, Thane reasoned that this mission may be more difficult than most, with more resistance. Perhaps this will be my last. It could kill me before the disease can. Still, he would pray to Amonkira when he arrived at Illium to assist him in finding her.
He boarded the shuttle and sat down, staring at the wall beside him. He wanted to redeem himself; make up for his past murders, each and every one he knew the exact details. Lowering his head, he prayed one more time, this time to the goddess of motherhood and protection, Arashu.
Arashu, protect the innocent souls. Help guide Kolyat. Keep him safe while I am not with him. And, if I am to continue in this life, protect me until I can redeem my soul. Send a warrior to help me to the next stage of life, for I know not where to go after I damn my soul once more.
Jane adjusted her uniform as she stood in front of her dresser. Looking over at her bed, she stared longingly at the sleeping turian. He was in about the same position as when she woke up in the middle of the night; on his back, his head to the side, the covers at his waist with a hand on his stomach and his other arm stretched out where she had been. When would be the best time to tell him the truth? She kept putting it off because what would she do if he rejected her? The pain could be too much. But right now, she was too embarrassed to even speak to him.
Slowly closing the drawer, she tiptoed to the door and then to the elevator. She crossed her arms over her stomach; trying to hold herself together, the pain still fresh in her mind from the nightmare. Why did it affect her so much? Placing her hands on her side, she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. The feeling would pass… eventually.
The elevator doors opened and Jane made her way to her terminal.
"Oh, Commander Shepard!" Kelly turned towards Jane. "The Illusive Man is insisting on speaking with you in the comm room."
"Thank you, Kelly. How are you doing?"
"Well, thank you! I saw when Jack came through here yesterday. Her tattoos are beautiful. As colorful as her past, I'm sure. Do you have any tattoos, Shepard?" Before Jane could answer, Kelly waved her hand, "Oh! I'm so sorry, I shouldn't pry like that. I do have concerns with Jack's temper though."
"You have worries about Jack?"
"I know she'll be solid under fire. But her attitude suggests deep personal issues. She pushes people away, yet approaches sex casually. I don't think she understands her own motivations. Just be careful when talking about personal matters."
"I'll do my best not to piss her off," Jane smiled.
"Please warn me if you fail," Kelly smiled back. "I want a chance to hide." She judged Shepard's behavior and decided to try to talk to her commanding officer. "Commander, if I may, I would like to talk to you about some of the crew."
"Of course, is there something specific you are concerned about?"
"Not exactly. As you know, my main responsibility is keeping you notified of any messages or appointments but unofficially I observe the crew. I just thought I would offer some of my insight into what I have noticed about the crew."
"Absolutely, I would like to hear your perspective."
"I just tried speaking to Mordin after he boarded. His psych profile warned of hyper behavior but he is like a hamster on coffee! He's going to be a very productive member of the team. It's fascinating how he works," she had started to speak faster and before she could stop herself or slow down she moved on to the next member on her mind. "And the baby krogan down in the cargo hold?! I was wondering if I could go down and see him!"
Jane shook her head, "Not a baby. He's a full-grown super soldier ready for combat."
"Oh! Please be careful if you decide to… birth him." Oh my God… that came out sooo wrong. Maybe I can play it off like it wasn't that weird. "His personality is completely unknown. All of our information was on Dr. Okeer, only time will tell what this new krogan has in store." She paused, debating how best to bring up the next individual. "How is Archangel settling in? Though his injuries do look like they are healing, they look so painful."
"He's a soldier. It'll take a lot more than that to keep him down."
"There's something about him. I just want to hold him close and whisper 'it will be alright'."
Jane fought the jealousy that was rising within her. She had no claim over Garrus but even this small comment threatened to set her off. "Are you attracted to other species?"
"Well, part of my job is predicting the motives and feelings of humans and aliens. Intimacy brings understanding. And passion is nice wherever you find it. Character matters, not race or gender." An awkward silence fell between them and Kelly was pretty sure she had hit a nerve with the Commander. "Is there anything else, Commander?"
"That will be all. Thank you for your input."
"I'll be here if you need anything." She watched Shepard walk towards the comm room as thoughts began to filter through her head. When she brought up the turian, Shepard was visibly shaken. Kelly knew the recorded information between the human and turian but always wondered if there was more. She would be lying if she said she didn't have an interest in the turian, something about that quiet intensity he carried, but it seemed to Kelly that he was off limits.
Jane stood in the conference room, watching as the table lowered into the floor. It was a little flashy for her taste, but it suited Cerberus. Once it had become a flat surface, she stepped forward and the system started to hum in operation. The hologram gradually filled the room, projecting the Illusive Man before her.
He sat in his chair unmoving to complete the impression he preferred to lead with. In his first movement, he brought the cigarette up to his lips, the red glow signaling his intake. "Shepard. It's about time you answered me."
"What can I say? I got busy. You slipped my mind."
His lip curled slightly, signaling his distaste at her disrespect. "Thankfully you remembered because I think we have them. As I mentioned in the message, Horizon, one of our colonies in the terminus systems just went silent. If it isn't under attack, it soon will be. Has Mordin delivered the counter measure for the seeker swarms?"
"Not yet. But we are already in route."
"Let's hope he works well under pressure." He paused, "There's something else you should know," he took a slow puff on his cigarette, reveling in the tension he was building. "One of your former crew, Kaidan Alenko is stationed on Horizon."
Jane furrowed her brow, "Last I knew, Kaidan was Alliance. Why is he out in the terminus systems?"
"Officially, it is an outreach program to improve Alliance relations with the colonies. But they're up to something. And if they sent Commander Alenko, it must be big. I suggest you take it up with him."
"So the Collectors just happen to pick a colony with one of my former crew," Jane glared, taking a step forward and shifting her weight. "I don't buy it."
"It shouldn't be a surprise the Collectors are interested in you. Especially if they're working for the Reapers." He narrowed his eyes at the Commander, "They might be going after him to get to you."
"We should send a message to the Citadel. The Alliance can give us reinforcements."
He shook his head. "Not until you investigate. I don't want the Alliance gettin' in our way. Once you have the situation under control, I'll send the message personally," he emphasized the last word to make a point. "Is this going to be a problem for you, Shepard?"
"Is what going to be a problem?" Jane snapped.
"Your former 'crew' member, Alenko. Is he going to be a distraction from the mission?"
She glared at him. "No. He won't be a distraction and there is really no reason for you to be suggesting that."
The Illusive Man took a drag on his cigarette as he watched her. Of course he knew the rumors that circled around her, Kaidan and the turian, Garrus; frankly, the last one disgusted him. But none of his information could confirm or deny those rumors, not even having EDI spy on everyone in the Normandy. Without encouraging the discussion, he decided to finish the conversation, but before he could, Jane had spoken up.
"I would like to have John join my crew."
"I'm afraid that's not possible at this time." He saw her judging look and couldn't resist smiling slightly, "He still has his tasks to finish and so do you."
"You can change his assignments. I want him on the Normandy."
"Deal with Horizon. I'll send you more dossiers that your brother has helped decide on. Once you have your team settled, we'll talk about it."
"I don't want to keep talking about it. John is part of my team and the team will not be complete until he is on it."
He didn't like Shepard giving him orders but he knew he could only argue with her so much. But he wasn't going to give in easily; he was stubborn too, "This is the most warning we've ever had, Shepard. Good luck."
Garrus opened his eyes after what may have been one of his best night's sleeps. As his eyes adjusted, he lifted his head to find the space next to him empty. Placing his hand on the sheets, he felt that there was only a tiny bit of warmth, meaning Jane had gotten up some time ago. Getting up, he began making the bed. "EDI?"
"Yes, Mr. Vakarian?"
"Where is Jane?"
"She is currently in a meeting with the Illusive Man. Once the meeting is over, she will be continuing her rounds. Would you like me to contact her when she is available to meet you here?"
He thought about staying up in her cabin but it still felt a little odd. "No, that's alright. I'll just be at my post and wait for her on her rounds." After he smoothed out the comforter, he headed for the door, took one long look around the room and hoped he could enter it again but in better circumstances.
"Preparing to dock now, Mr. Shepard."
John pushed the button to respond to the pilot, "Thank you, Lopez. And you can just call me John." There was no response, not that he was expecting one. Some of the pilots for Cerberus were very cut and dry.
He had just come from Omega and was exhausted. After tracking down and evaluating the mercenary, John had gotten a call from "home base" (as he liked to call it, despite it not being home base) and had to go back to the Cerberus station he had been in for an "urgent message." He was pretty sure it was some bullshit meeting used to distract him from finishing his list. He just wanted to get back to Jane and help her, but it definitely seemed like they were trying to keep him from achieving that.
As soon as he de-boarded, a message came through on his omni-tool. Pfft, won't even have a person to greet me, he thought to himself as he read the message telling him to go to the first vid-conference room. He remembered his way through the station and entered the dark chamber, waiting for the connection to be made.
"John Shepard. Thank you for agreeing to meet me," a voice greeted as the scene was projected around him.
John turned to look at the holographic room he was in and find the source of the voice. "I didn't think this 'meeting' would be with you."
"You doubt the sincerity of me calling you here?"
"That's one way of putting it," John crossed his arms and when the Illusive Man didn't continue, John assumed the man was looking for an explanation. "You have me on a wild goose chase; jumping to different locations, back and forth, across the galaxy. You are trying to keep me busy."
The Illusive Man tapped his cigarette and smirked at John. Taking a small pull, he exhaled and spoke, "What you are doing is helping your sister a great deal. I can't very well have her scouting out her own team members. It would waste valuable time that we don't have."
"That's bullshit and you know it, Richard."
He stopped and looked at the other Shepard, "Richard? What makes you call me that?"
"Well, I'm not calling you 'The Illusive Man' in conversation and I don't plan on calling you 'sir' either."
"Very well." He tapped his cigarette again. "I know that you want to be on her crew. Help her. Look after her, even. But Shepard will be fine. You will join her when the time is right." He saw John roll his eyes but smiled instead of calling attention to it. "Shepard is on her way to Horizon right now. I need you to be on the Citadel for a few days then you will be sent out for the last two recruits. Our intel hasn't found one of them, which is why you will be on the Citadel."
"Uh huh. So is there a reason why you wanted to speak with me?"
"I wanted to gauge how you are feeling with your current assignment. Speak with you myself."
"Couldn't one of you employees do that for you? I'm sure you have someone under payroll who is an expert on psychology."
"True, but I prefer to speak to someone as important as you face to face. So to speak."
"Consider me flattered then. Unless there is anything else, I would like to leave now."
The Illusive Man only nodded.
"See you later, Richard."
As John's hologram winked out, the Illusive Man turned in his chair to face the dying sun behind him. It was essential that he keep John from rejoining Shepard until the time was right. If they were to reunite too soon then it may throw off his end plans. It was inevitable that they would find each other again, but it had to be the right time.
He stared for a few moments more, getting lost in his thoughts, until one hit him; the reason for John calling him Richard. "Dick," he laughed, "The nickname for Richard is Dick."
Jane made her way into the med-bay. She saw Joker lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. There was an incredible amount of guilt already choking her but she approached him anyway. "Hey, Joker."
"SHHHH! Shhhhssshhhshhhaaassshaa!"
"Um… Joker?"
"Sh!"
She raised an eyebrow in response.
"I can tell... when it's listening!" he whispered.
EDI's interface popped up in the med-bay. "I am always listening, Mr. Moreau."
He rolled his head to the side to look at the only view of EDI he knew. "I KNOW!" He looked back at Jane. "So, what's up?"
"I came to see how you are."
"Pretty good. I've decided to live life to the fullest. Skydiving, spelunking, maybe even get in a bar fight, have sex with a krogan. I'm keeping my options open." Jane sat down on the edge of his bed, near his feet. The look on her face told him that no matter how many jokes he told, she would still feel awful. "Hey, I'm going to be okay."
"Joker, how can you say that? I very nearly ki-"
"No, stop right there. I don't know what is going on in that head of yours but I know what is happening is not your fault. I am fine. You don't have to worry about me. Worry about yourself."
Jane gave a weak smile, unable to agree to his request; at least for the moment, she hoped.
"Can I ask what happened?"
She lowered her head and touched her fingertips to her forehead, "It was a bad dream."
"Must have been one hell of a nightmare."
They both turned as the door opened to see Jack approaching with two cups of what Jane assumed was coffee. "What?" she shrugged.
"Aww, for me?!" Joker clasped his hands over his chest.
"Well, now it's for Shepard. I'm not going to baby you, Gimpy."
"Ah, you bitch. Shepard doesn't even like coffee."
Jack held it out to Jane anyway. "He's right. I don't drink coffee."
"Fine!" she held the cup out to Joker who took it with a wink. Taking a big gulp, she kicked a chair into place and plopped down. "So, Shepard," she glanced up over her cup as she sipped, "did you and the turian finally bone?"
Jane's mouth dropped open and Joker spit out his coffee. He was just beginning to wipe his mouth when he saw his Commander's glare on him, "WHOA! Don't look at me! She figured it out on her own!"
"Yeah, Shepard," Jack rolled her eyes. She kicked her feet up to prop them on Joker's bedside, "the way you two interact? Any idiot watching can figure it out."
"Jack, I…"
"I'm not going to say anything," she said in exasperation.
"Thank you but I was going to say I would prefer to know how you are settling in."
"You're letting me use the files. So, I'm doing pretty well." She looked between Joker and Shepard. "Your friends at Cerberus are into some nasty things. I'm going to find something I can use. I just know it," she said in a cold voice.
Jane looked at Joker who quirked an eyebrow up and shrugged; the mood swing was leaving them both in a bit of shock. "What if the answers aren't what you expect?"
"I'm not looking for answers. I'm looking for names, dates, places."
"What happens when you find what you're looking for?"
"I go hunting. Anyone who has screwed with me pays. Their associates pay. Their friends pay. The galaxy is going to be a lot emptier when I'm done."
"I'm won't let you go on a killing spree."
"I'm here for your mission. After that, what I do is my business."
"Well, and on that happy note," Joker stretched, "think we might be able to change the subject?"
"Yeah, let's…" Jack smirked. "You know, this ship is a powerhouse. You could go pirate," she leaned forward, "live like a queen," she looked Joker in the eyes, "you even have your own jester. I could help."
"We have to stop the Collectors. I don't have time for piracy."
"When this is done, we'll either be dead or out here, in space, with this ship. Think about it. Lots of credits. Freedom to go wherever you want. And all the mayhem and fighting I would want."
Although she knew there was an undertone of seriousness, Jane brushed it off as a joke. "I'll give it some thought," she smirked. "I'll be finishing my rounds. Jack, you'll be on the ground team for Horizon."
"Looking forward to it!"
They both watched Jane leave before Joker turned to Jack, "What is it about killing that fascinates you so much?"
"I figure every time someone dies and it's not me, my chances of survival go up."
"Well, I guess I am just one lucky son of a bitch."
"You just have good friends."
"You can too," he said with a straight face, rewarding him with a glare before Jack hung her head.
Kasumi crept through the hallways, lightly placing one foot in front of the other. She had heard a commotion overnight but couldn't figure out what it was, only that the pilot had been taken to the med-bay. She slowed in front of the window, watching the conversation between Shepard, Joker and the newest recruit, Jack. The woman had quite the extensive collection of tattoos; Kasumi couldn't tell if Jack wore less clothing for sex appeal in the prison or just to show off the skin art.
There's no way I can get in there now, I'll have to wait until someone goes in and they have been keeping it pretty locked down since the incident. Hearing an unusual gait behind her, she turned to see Garrus heading back to his station. Taking a quick glance between Shepard and the turian, Kasumi followed him. She slipped into the room behind him and positioned herself in a corner, away from any activity so she wouldn't be bumped into. God, I hope I didn't pick the wrong place to hang out again. I'm usually pretty good at picking where to spy but this ship is throwing me off. But Shepard should be in here next for her rounds. Besides, why else would he have to cups of whatever the hell that liquid is?
Garrus stood at the terminal typing in lines and lines of code. Kasumi could already feel herself getting bored but just as she started to rest her head against the wall, he moved. He typed on his omni-tool and then a song began to play.
She noted that it sounded like something that Shepard would have on her playlist. But speculation soon turned to shock as she heard the voice singing the lyrics. Goto was happy that no one could see her because she was sure that her mouth had just dropped into a very unattractive gaping jaw. That is Shepard! What is he doing with a recording of the commander's voice? And it's actually quite good. Crossing her arms over her chest, she narrowed her eyes at the turian, There is definitely something more between those two.
The song had barely reached the end when EDI interrupted, "Mr. Vakarian, if you would like to keep this secret, I must alert you that Commander Shepard is approaching."
Garrus quickly shut off the music and resumed his work as if nothing had happened. Once he heard the door shut he turned, "Shepard," he turned around and held out a cup to her, "how are you doing?"
"Garrus," she said with a smile and accepted the drink. She focused on holding the mug, careful not to let her hands shake from nerves. "I'm doing alright but… can we just not talk about what happened?"
His head turned away from her for just a second. Kasumi still occasionally had a hard time reading turian expressions but this one seemed a little disappointed.
"Sure. Not a problem. Need me for something?"
"Um, not really. I was just doing a set of rounds before we reached Horizon; I have you on the ground team."
"You sure? I was just on the last team."
"I want you on the team. I need you there… watching my back, you know."
"Of course. Jane, I know you don't really want to talk about it… but I'm here, if you need me."
"Thank you, Garrus. And thanks for the tea."
Hannah Shepard exhaled a heavy, shaking breath. She held the framed picture in her hands; lost in her thoughts. It was an old picture but it had been taken at a time when her kids were still young and everything was simpler. They had taken leave on Earth and her children had actually cooperated with pictures. This particular one had been taken their second day of leave, three days before they found out about Jane's biotics.
She set the picture down and picked up another; one she had taken during her visit on the Citadel after the attack. Jane was standing at the Normandy, still under repairs, her hand resting on the hull with a small smile on her on her face. It was a picture that Hannah loved; despite the fact that she knew that Jane was never a fan of military life. Yes, it made her proud as a mother and officer that her daughter followed her path but it also hurt that Jane couldn't live the way she wanted. But how could she deny that the military wasn't the life meant for her daughter? Even in the picture you could see how much the life meant to Jane.
But this wasn't how it was supposed to end. Parents shouldn't outlive their children. A tear trickled down Hannah's cheek and fell on the glass. She touched her daughter's face in the picture as the tear drop ran down the glass and stopped on her finger.
The alarm for her door caused her to jump. She wiped the tears from her eyes and placed the picture back on her desk. Checking her makeup in the screen of her computer, she unlocked her door. It opened to her executive office, "Yes, Cooper? What can I do for you?"
"Ma'am, I have a…" he looked up and paused, "Captain, is everything okay?"
"Yes, of course. Why wouldn't everything be alright?"
Without another word he went back to his datapad. "No reason, Ma'am."
Kaidan entered the dining hall, tray in one hand, datapad in the other. Being in charge of the colony defense was stressful enough but the resistance everyone was putting up made it even worse and the recent problems with communications just added to his stress. He saw a table with other alliance soldiers and decided to join them but still sat two seats away from the closest person. He still sometimes struggled connecting with his group. Sometimes he didn't know how Jane had managed to make it look so easy and with such a diverse group too; in both personalities and appearances.
Consumed by his work, he didn't even realize when their conversation had switched. It was a name that had caught his attention.
"Nah, I don't believe it. Shepard couldn't have survived that. And why would there have been that big memorial for her if there was a possibility she was alive?"
Kaidan stopped his work. Whenever he heard her name he would always eavesdrop, worried that someone would start to spread an ill word about her.
"I swear, one of my buddies said that he saw Shepard walking around the Citadel! I just spoke to him this morning on vid-com. Right before comm towers crapped out."
"No way. Had to be an impersonator."
"Hey, Alenko," one of the other men called out, "what have you heard about all of this?"
Kaidan looked up, "What are we talking about? I wasn't listening."
"Patt here says that a buddy of his saw Commander Shepard walking around the Citadel. What was it? A little over a week ago? Oh, and here's the real kicker, she was scene with someone who worked for Cerberus! You believe this shit?"
Alenko furrowed his brow at the allegation that Jane would be working with Cerberus. She would never stoop that low. "It does all sound a little hard to believe."
"No! I'm telling you, he saw her! People are saying that she's gone to the dark side. Some are freaking out that she is going to be the next rogue Spectre."
"What is this? Star Wars?" one of the soldiers laughed.
"Everything I know about her tells me that she isn't and will never be the type to go rogue and start working for a terrorist organization," Kaidan said. "I was on the Normandy when it got attacked. She gave her life trying to get everyone off that ship. The pilot saw her blown away in the opposite direction of the escape pod." Damn, it's still hard to talk about after two years… "I was at her memorial. Her family was destroyed. We all were."
"Look, Alenko, sir, we aren't trying to make light of the situation. We're sorry."
He waved his hand, "No, it's okay. I wasn't trying to make any of you feel guilty. It's just… I don't have any room for hope at this point." No longer hungry, he slid the tray towards the group, "I've got to go. Have a good lunch everyone."
They watched him leave, an intense silence in his wake.
"It's crazy what grief can do to someone."
"Yeah… do you think he and Commander Shepard had a thing going on?"
"Whoa! Collins! What the hell? Way to be insensitive."
"I'm just saying… Come on. Don't act like you never heard any of the rumors."
"Well, sure, we all heard the rumors. But that's just what they were, rumors."
Everyone shared a look.
"I heard more about Shepard shacking up with that turian."
"Would that even work?"
"Sure," one of the women replied. When everyone began to look at her with suspicion she responded. "Wait, no, it's not like I have experience!" she said which earned her a few laughs. She turned a deep red and hid her face. "Ugh, that's not the reputation I was looking for," she said with a chuckle.
"Hey, guys!" Robinson shouted as he strolled up with his food and sat down. "Have you heard? Shepard's alive!"
"See? I fucking told all of you that my friend wasn't lying!" Patt pointed an accusing finger at everyone at the table."
Collins spoke up, "Whatever, you probably told Robinson to say that!"
"No, no, I swear, I was talking with a friend in basic just before communications went down. They had just gotten to the Citadel and they flew by the Normandy! Everyone assumed they had just been seeing things but they looked for it after docking and found it. It looks a little different but it is definitely based off the original Normandy."
"I didn't think the Alliance was rebuilding it? Wasn't worth the cost."
"Either way, they sure as hell wouldn't name it the Normandy again."
"Oh, it wasn't Alliance. There was a Cerberus logo on it. He said no one knew what to make of it, and as they were leaving the docking station, they saw Shepard coming through. People stopped and stared. If he hadn't been so close he would have sworn it had been a hologram because no one can look that similar."
"I don't know. It still sounds so farfetched that Shepard would be with an anti-alien organization. I mean most of her crew on the Normandy – the FIRST Normandy – had been alien."
"That's the thing! Yeah, there was the Cerberus dude but there was a turian walking with them too."
"Was it Vakarian? Is he back on Shepard's crew?"
"Wow, Queen, stop fangirling."
She punched Collins in the shoulder but it soon grew quiet.
"Do you guys really think it could be Shepard? I mean… that would change everything."
"Can you fucking believe this bullshit? Alliance shoving their nose into everything we do here!"
"Jer! Shut up! Here he comes!"
Kaidan walked by the group of civilians trying to act like he hadn't heard their comments. He had to figure out what was going on with their communications and the fact that the defense towers still weren't operational didn't help. His gut was telling him that something was about to go horribly wrong. Looking up, he saw Lilith, a colonist who was a team leader on the towers. "Lilith, we've got a problem."
"Still can't calibrate the targeting matrix?" she said in a mocking tone.
It was always frustrating having to work through the confrontation, "Those defense towers are useless. If we don't figure it out…" he let his voice drift off, watching the colonists pass them as they continued to move through the buildings; he didn't want to say anything that might be overheard and misconstrued.
"Sorry, Commander, getting our comm systems back online takes priority."
"Yeah, okay…" Kaidan huffed out a fake laugh. He stopped and Lilith turned at the sound of his tone. "I'm surprised people haven't tried to blame that one on me too."
"People out here don't trust the Alliance. It's nothing personal."
He shook his head getting ready to argue but decided that backing down might be a better decision. Looking at Lilith, he saw her brow furrow in confusion as she looked up into the sky. Kaidan began to follow her gaze.
"What is that?" someone said behind them.
Pulling his assault rifle off his back, Kaidan never looked away from his target. He could feel a small crowd growing behind him. The edges of a ship began to come into focus, static from the unknown vessel crackled into the clouds. "Get everyone to the safe house!" Kaidan ordered to Lilith.
A bright flash of lightning filled the sky before it was replaced by shadows, spiraling towards the colony. A loud boom of thunder and lightning echoed around them, swallowing the sounds of the colonists screams.
"I'll cover you!" Kaidan shouted, "RUN!" he began to fire at the small figures.
Some of the colonists looked between the threat and the Alliance officer standing before them. A few began to run, others hesitated, unsure of what to make of the situation. Gunfire became background noise, mingling with screams, thunder, and buzzing.
Kaidan heard Lilith yelp in pain as the swarms of insects descended upon them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her fall, clutching her leg. He glanced back, fired a few more shots before stepping back to help the woman up. She didn't seem to have been stung, just stumbled out of fear. Just as she made it to her feet, Kaidan felt a sharp pain in his neck. He shouted and reached up to pull the assailant off. He clutched the creature in his hand and glared at it. He had never seen anything like it before. What the hell are these things? He thought before bringing his rifle back up to try to kill as many as he could. Before he could reach the trigger, he felt his body slow down. His head was fixed forward, his muscles locked, pain searing through his veins. He wanted to scream, shout, growl, anything, but no sound came out.
Lilith saw the insects landing on the frozen Alenko. She was terrified, stunned at what was happening around her. She felt someone grab her hand and turned to find Roger pulling at her to run. They sprinted, trying to ignore their fellow colonists falling around them. Roger screamed and Lilith felt his hand tighten around her wrist and his skin began to burn for a second before it started to feel like solid stone. Ripping her hand from his grasp she stumbled a few steps away, looking back at him with tears in her eyes. She ran another few steps before turning to see what was around her. Falling backwards, she felt the tiny pin-pricks of an insect's legs landing on her chest. She desperately tried to brush the monster off of her but just as she began to move, it stung her on her chest. Yelping in pain, she rolled over. Feeling her body go into rigor, she tried to close her eyes as to not witness whatever atrocities may come but her eyes were already frozen open. All she could do was watch the feet of the other colonists running away with the insects close behind them.
Jane entered the lab where Mordin had set up. She saw him studying the seeker they had contained. It charged the glass at him. At her entrance, Mordin stepped back to look at her. "Please tell me you have something."
First, Mordin narrowed his eyes, stared at the creature then looked back to Shepard with a smirk on his face. "Yes," it was said with pure confidence. He turned towards his terminal and brought up her armor. "Here are the schematics I have prepared. Enhancements have been made to the shield and armor itself. Chemical repellant will also keep swarms from stinging if shield fails."
"This is excellent work, Mordin. How long will it take to apply?"
"Couple of hours. At most."
"If you need any help let me know and I'll get some of the crew in here. Garrus, Jack and I will be on the ground team."
"Hmm… Jack will have to rely mostly on shield. Unless we find armor for her."
"Somehow I doubt she will accept the offer. We'll keep her covered and she has her biotics, too."
"Ah yes. And you have your biotics as well."
The way he said it made Jane think he knew something more but there wasn't time to debate what he did or did not know. "I'll let you get to work."
Kaidan could almost feel the bugs crawling over him, ready to sting again if he could possibly break free of his paralysis. He didn't know how much time had passed but after seeing how fast those creatures worked and how many there were, he was sure that the most, if not the entire colony, had fallen. He could only hope that some made it to safety.
He heard another loud rumbling coming from the sky above. With his eyes being the only thing he could move, he struggled to get a good view, but assumed it was another enemy ship. What? No. I must be hallucinating… he thought as he saw the ship come into sight. It slowed long enough to drop a shuttle that accelerated towards the heart of the colony. That wasn't Alliance… Cerberus? But that was the Normandy… Shepard?
Author's note: In response to the review I got from Arashi, yes, the Illusive Man's real name is Jack Harper. If people only played the game, we never know what his real name is because it is only revealed in the comics because he no longer goes by the name Jack Harper, just the "Illusive Man". The reason John refers to him as Richard is because, as John states, he is not going to call him sir or the Illusive Man to his face. John doesn't want to give the Illusive Man that ego boost. So, in John-like fashion, he thinks of a way to insult the Illusive Man without doing it outright. The typical nickname for Richard is "Dick" so basically John is actually calling the Illusive Man a dick.
Thank you so much for your review, Arashi, and I hope this has helped clear up any confusion for others who may have been wondering the same thing!