Chapter Text
Shepard leaned back in her seat. She was prepared for a long conversation - like Liara said, they had a lot to catch up on. Like the fact that there was a living, breathing Prothean standing next to her. Shepard was still mentally processing that revelation.
“So… I suppose I should start just after you died. We were all separated. I offered to take care of Izuku, but he decided to go with Wrex, as I’m sure you know by now. After that, I… wasn’t quite sure what to do with myself. But I got sent to help with certain… projects.” Liara pursed her lips, likely not sure how much she could or should say. “I probably shouldn’t discuss them with you, at least while you are working for Cerberus. Not to mention that this is Illium - anything we say is likely being recorded. There’s no way around it.”
Ah, so it was that kind of mission, Shepard thought. If it was Liara, one of the people who knew about the Reapers, the council likely had her working on something related to that. Maybe even Anderson, if her ‘sources’ told her Shepard was alive again. That would make the most sense.
“I understand,” Shepard nodded. “You don’t have to explain.”
Liara looked a little relieved. “Thank you. That being said, while I was working on said projects, I was contacted by Cerberus. They asked me for help finding your body. The only problem was, the Shadow Broker was interested in you as well, so they asked for my help in retrieving you before he could.”
“The Shadow Broker? I was told you were working for him.” Shepard frowned, recalling how the Illusive Man had told her he suspected Liara of working for the shadowy figure, thus she couldn’t be trusted. Figures he would’ve lied if he didn’t like her choice of companions, the bastard. Shepard trusted Liara’s word over his any day of the week. “And why would he want my body anyway? What use would he have for it?”
“I would never work for the Shadow Broker. I was working against some of his agents at the time, actually. He was planning on selling your corpse to the Collectors,” Liara explained, matter-of-factly. “We stopped him. Once things had resolved, I honored my end of the bargain and let Cerberus have you. They said they could bring you back to life… it seems they didn’t lie. I’m so grateful it paid off. I honestly didn’t think they’d be able to, but… I had to let them try. The galaxy needs you in it, Shepard.”
Shepard processed this. So it seemed Liara had been the one to help her get to Cerberus to be revived… but then something clicked in Shepard’s head. She scowled intensely. If Liara knew, then… “If you knew Cerberus was trying to bring me back, why didn’t you tell Izuku? You just let him believe I was dead and grieve me for two years when he could’ve been spared that suffering?”
“It wasn’t like that,” Liara quickly shook her head. “How do you think he would’ve reacted to hearing I’d handed over his mother’s body to a group like Cerberus to perform untested procedures on? I didn’t want to give him false hope. Like I said, I didn’t ever truly think they’d be successful. If they were unable to bring you back in the end, it would’ve made everything so much worse for him. I believed it better to let him resolve his grief until such a time as Cerberus proved what they claimed was true.”
Shepard’s scowl didn’t lessen any. She detested the thought, but… she couldn’t say Liara was entirely wrong, either. If their medical team hadn’t been able to revive her, then… it would’ve just caused Izuku even more pain. “… Fine,” Shepard conceded. “I understand. That doesn’t mean I’m happy about it, though. Somebody should’ve said something when they started getting results.”
Liara held up her hands placatingly. “You won’t get any arguments from me there. Even I wasn’t told - I had to find out through secondhand sources. If they had the ability to tell Izuku, I absolutely agree that they should have.”
Shepard sighed. “Then… I guess I have to say thank you. For getting me to them, I mean. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be here right now. I wouldn’t have been able to see my son again, see him grow up. I owe you a debt I’ll never be able to repay.”
“You don’t owe me a single thing, Shepard,” Liara smiled fondly. “I would move planets to bring you back, were it in my power. But… I’m getting off topic. You didn’t come to listen to me ramble. Where was I… right. After I got you to Cerberus, I settled down here on Illium. Became an information broker along with Javik. Since then, I like to think I’ve settled into the job fairly well, as you saw. I think that just about covers everything.”
“And Javik? Can you tell me about him, or…?” Shepard trailed off.
“Not here, I’m afraid.” Liara shook her head. “But some other place and time, perhaps. Once I’ve finished what I’m working on. If you’re willing, I’d appreciate some help, once you’ve handled whatever business you’re here for. I assume it’s not just to catch up with me, yes?”
Shepard nodded. “Caught red-handed. I’m here looking for two people in particular - a drell assassin and an asari Justicar. I plan on recruiting the two of them for my mission, so when I heard you dealt in information, I was hoping you’d be able to tell me about them.”
“Of course. I’ll forward you the intel I have on them.” Liara pushed a few buttons on her omni-tool, and a message popped up on Shepard’s in turn. “There. It’s not much, but it’ll give you a starting point.”
“You just knew who I was talking about off the top of your head?” Shepard asked, surprised.
Liara smirked. “I did say I settled into my job fairly well, did I not? I’m good at what I do. Besides, there’s only two people who fit the description of ‘drell assassin and asari Justicar’ on Illium right now.”
Shepard brought up the information she’d been given on her two hopeful recruits. The drell, Thane Krios, was rumored to be going after a target here on Illium. There was a woman at the shipping offices nearby who could tell her more. As for Justicar Samara, she was somebody that Liara had less information on, but the intel she did have said that she’d checked in with a tracking officer that Shepard could ask about her location. Good starting points indeed.
“It seems like Mr. Krios here might be the one I should look for first,” Shepard hummed thoughtfully. “If he gets to his target before we can get to him, he’ll leave the planet and we might not get another lead on his location. Oh, and Liara, about what you were saying earlier - I’d be happy to help with whatever you need once I handle these recruitments, if you can wait that long.”
“Of course, Shepard,” Liara nodded. “I just need somebody with a bit of… well, hacking expertise. Perhaps one of your crewmates could assist while you’re busy, if there’s somebody you trust to handle it?”
Shepard had a thought come to her immediately. “Well, assuming he convinced her to join us, Izuku will be coming here with Tali soon. Tali can definitely help, and you know you can trust her. Plus Izuku can give her some cover if it’s, well… not exactly something you want her seen doing. Just let Izuku know to bring her to meet with you when he gets here - I’m sure he’s going to want to see you as soon as he can, anyway.”
“Perfect. I’ll leave a message for him on the Normandy when he gets back, then,” Liara looked relieved to know somebody capable would be assisting her soon. “Is Izuku assisting you more actively these days? I recall when you wouldn’t so much as let him off the ship.”
“Oh yeah. Kid’s real strong these days - even if he has me checking for gray hair every other morning. He’s a force to be reckoned with to be sure,” Shepard chuckled, shaking her head. “Got a bit of a headbutting problem since he lived on Tuchanka, though. I think the first time I saw him do it, he shattered a batarian’s visor with his head and then knocked the guy out cold. Sometimes, I think he acts more krogan than human. He’s a little crazy, but I still love him to death.”
Liara laughed a little. “He sounds like a handful in the best way.”
“That he is,” Shepard laughed with her. “I’m sure you’ll see for yourself when he gets here.”
Izuku sat on board the shuttle to Illium alongside Tali and Legion. He and Legion had helped gather Tali’s things and brought them aboard, and shortly after saying goodbye to her father, they’d left. Things went… rather smoothly, all things considered. Izuku had honestly figured there’d be a lot more friction. Though the cold shoulder Tali was giving Legion the entire trip thus far was friction enough…
They were out of Geth space, but the trip would take a while longer yet. It was a lot slower to travel by shuttle compared to a top-of-the-line warship piloted by the best of the best.
“So…” Izuku broke the silence awkwardly. They’d just finished their first rations of the day, with Legion just sort of sitting there, since they didn’t need to eat. “What were you up to on Haestrom? Can you talk about it, or is it top secret? I was wondering, since there was an admiral there, even if it was because of, you know, geth relations and all…”
“I can’t say much. All I can tell you that we were there to study the sun,” Tali said, pointedly avoiding looking at Legion. “Some of the distant scans we did came up as strange, so… we wanted to research up close. And… what about you? What have you been doing in the two years since… well, since you moved to Tuchanka? Besides living with a geth platform, that is.”
“Me? Oh, I’ve done all kinds of things. I can’t wait to introduce you to Drakar,” Izuku grinned. “We’re krantt. We’ve done all sorts of stuff on Tuchanka… I can tell you some stories on the way to Illium, if you want?”
Tali seemed curious. Even though Legion clearly still made her uncomfortable, she was trying her best to be friendly. She still wanted to talk to Izuku, after all, and she promised her father that she’d try to work with Legion at least a little so she could provide an informed report after the mission was over. “Alright,” she nodded, listening intently to him. “Stories, then. I’m sure living with Wrex gave you plenty.”
“Are you Seryna?”
An asari woman at the Nos Astra shipping offices lifted her head from her work to see Commander Shepard staring at her. She straightened up - though she didn’t recognize Shepard, it was clear she knew an authority figure when she saw one, and that seeing one made her just a little nervous. “That’s me,” the woman confirmed. “Who are you?”
“The name’s Shepard,” Shepard said, placing her palms on the woman’s desk. “I was told you might have information on Thane Krios. I need to find him.”
“Tana, cover my station for a moment, please,” the asari asked a coworker nearby and stepped away from her desk, waving Shepard over to a secluded corner to speak. When she was sure they weren’t being overheard, she spoke again. “I know who Thane Krios is. I might’ve passed him some information when he asked for it, but I didn’t hire him. What is it you want to know, exactly?”
“Like I said, I need to find him,” Shepard repeated herself. “Any information you could give me as to his location would be appreciated.”
Seryna laughed, dry and humorless. “I can tell you, but you aren’t going to stop him. When he first contacted me, I did some digging. The man never gives up on a job. Never. I used to run security for Nassana Dantius - that’s who his target is. When I found out she was having people killed to cover up her dirty laundry, I confronted her about it. She fired me on the spot. Her loss, honestly. I might’ve been good enough to stop him.”
“I’m sure,” Miranda muttered to herself in the background, rolling her eyes.
Shepard gave her a side-eye and focused back on her conversation. “What’s his opposition like? If you worked for Nassana, you must know her security.”
The name Nassana was, unfortunately for Shepard, a familiar one. She’d helped the woman once, before she found Izuku. Nassana was a piece of work who’d gotten her own sister killed to protect her career - and tricked Shepard into doing the killing. It was not one of Shepard’s proudest moments. Nassana’s sister had been a slaver, to be fair, but Shepard still didn’t like being used to do somebody else’s dirty work.
“She hired Eclipse mercs as soon as my termination paperwork was signed. High-tech killers. Undisciplined, but well equipped,” the asari murmured, looking slightly disgusted. “They don’t care who they kill so long as they’re well paid. Thane didn’t seem bothered when I told him about the reception Nassana arranged for him.”
“So where will I find Nassana, and by extension, Thane?” Shepard asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “I still need to find him, no matter what the situation is.”
“Dantius Towers, penthouse level of Tower One,” Seryna pointed out the window of the shipping offices towards two tall towers off in the distance. “If Thane’s smart, he’ll go in from the second tower. It’s still under construction, so there’s less security.”
“And how will I get in? I don’t think I’ll get the red carpet welcome from Nassana,” Shepard said, to which she got a snort in reply.
“Yeah. She’s as smart as she is paranoid. Look… I might be able to get you in, my skycar still has its security clearance. But I want to know who you are and why you’re looking for Thane, first,” Seryna murmured, looking pensive about this whole interaction. “I for one don’t mind if he completes his mission, and I’d also not like him coming after me if he thinks I sent people after him.”
Shepard shook her head. “Don’t worry. It’s not like that. I’m a Spectre, and I need his help with something. I’m not going to stop him from doing his job either - I’m actually here to make sure he survives.”
As much as she didn’t like the thought of letting him kill a person under her watch, stopping him would likely mean getting into a fight that would end in one of them being killed, and neither of those outcomes was good for Shepard. (Though to be fair, Shepard wouldn’t shed tears over somebody like Nassana. This was karma coming back to bite her.) Shepard just hoped this woman was serious about the help, because she wasn’t exactly eager to waltz in the front door of Nassana’s personal skyscraper.
“A Spectre? And you said your name was… Shepard… oh. I see,” the asari looked significantly more nervous now. “You’re the first human Spectre. I thought you were dead, but… Right, then. I’ll get you in. I can’t exactly tell a Spectre no, can I? Meet me here tonight, after dark. We’ll go as soon as the shift workers clear out of Tower Two.”
Shepard nodded - that much she could do.
“Wait, wait - you’re telling me you rode on the back of a harvester?! I’ve seen you take risks before, but I guess Tuchanka really brought out that side of you!” Tali was laughing, a mix of disbelief and shock in her voice.
Izuku just smiled proudly, showing off the mandible he had braided into his hair. “Yep. Got this beauty right here as a trophy when we were done taking that thing down. The one mandible’s taller than my entire head - I have to tie it down like crazy to make sure it doesn’t fall out. But it’ll make a great improvised weapon if I ever need one!”
“No kidding! I’m sure Shepard just about fell over when she heard. You’ve got to tell me about that,” Tali said. Izuku was sure that if he could see her face, she’d be grinning. He felt so much better like this, when things were friendly and less tense.
“Oh, she did. You know when we were having breakfast that one time in the mess hall, and I asked about vehicles used on different planets because I wanted to learn more about them?” Izuku asked, grinning as the memory came back to him. He’d been with Joker, Tali, Kaidan and Wrex - they were having their morning meal, and Shepard had passed them on the way to her quarters after running a night shift.
Tali popped up excitedly in her seat. “Oh, yes! I remember that! Oh, Shepard was so tired - she just walked right up and said if you wanted to learn about vehicles, she’d teach you to drive the Mako when you were older, and oh, keelah, the expression everyone had!”
“That’s it!” Izuku laughed. “That’s the exact face she made when I told her about the harvester!”
Tali full-on cackled. “Oh, don’t tell Shepard, but I would’ve paid to see that look. She’s so serious all the time.”
“I mean, to be fair, I think her reaction was a little reasonable. Anybody would have a hard time accepting that their kid ran off to Tuchanka and fought things like that,” Izuku’s laughter died down to a chuckle. “Still, yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her make a face like that.”
Tali shook her head, sounding like she was smiling in that helmet of hers. “Listen - I think the day you jumped off the Normandy while it was moving, into an active battlezone, with nothing but a pistol and civilian-grade armor, and then punched Saren Arterius in the face on top of that, we all learned what type of person you are, Izuku. I don’t think even fighting a harvester compares to the heart attack you gave us then. Nothing you say you did on Tuchanka could surprise me at this point.”
“Oh yeah?” Izuku’s grin turned sly. “What if I told you I got to spar with Uncle Wrex?”
Tali crossed her arms over her chest. “That doesn’t surprise me. What would surprise me is if you told me you won. …You didn’t win, did you?”
“Ha! No, you got me there, he kicked my butt. I’ve never won a spar against Uncle Wrex,” Izuku shook his head fondly. Still, each of their spars had been great learning experiences he wouldn’t trade for the world. There were always times he wanted Izuku to know something important that would help him survive, and the only way to learn the lesson was by experiencing it for himself.
“See? Told you, that doesn’t surprise me.”
“Shepard-Midoriya,” Legion spoke up suddenly, startling Tali who’d pretty much tuned them out so far. “We are within communication range of the Normandy. We will make the jump to the Crescent Nebula within 5 hours. This puts time of arrival to Illium in under 7 hours, assuming no delays. EDI has also left a message for you regarding safety procedures on Illium and a request from Dr. Liara T’Soni.”
Izuku nodded. “Thanks, Legion. Go ahead and play the message.”
Shepard was heading to Dantius Towers not a moment too soon, if what she saw was any indication.
After she’d returned past dark like Seryna had suggested, she encountered a group of salarians, fresh from a shuttle and looking quite worse for wear. They were speaking of Nassana Dantius in hushed whispers, of how she’d put a band of mercenaries she’d hired on high alert and was sending everyone out of the buildings she owned. Those who didn’t get out fast enough for her liking, well… they were the ones who’d fared the best.
If Nassana was going to start shooting people left and right in her own fear, then Shepard had a lot less sympathy than she’d begun with, which wasn’t much. The ones who hadn’t made it out in time needed help, if they were still alive. Shepard was determined to help them while she worked her way up the tower and, consequently, to Thane.
She’d kitted up too - Kasumi had stayed with her, while Miranda had diverted to handle some sort of call. That was fine, Shepard thought. She would take Grunt and Drakar instead. The two krogans could use some fresh air, she thought, and on top of that, Grunt needed some positive influence. Drakar was as positive as a krogan could get aside from Izuku (who was practically part krogan at this point, Shepard thought). It would be good for them to work together.
Now, they sat in a skycar, being driven by Seryna straight onto tower property.
“The towers are heavily guarded, and you’ll find more resistance the further up you go,” Seryna explained, pointing to a holographic display of Dantius Towers on the skycar’s console. “You’ll have to climb the second tower and cross the bridge at the top to get to Tower One. Nassana will be in the penthouse level. You’ll be fought at every step, but it’s the only chance you’ll get. We’d get shot down with rockets if I tried to fly you up.”
“Heh. Sounds like my kind of place,” Drakar grinned from the back seats. With both him and Grunt back there, it looked like they barely fit. Still, neither complained. Shepard and Kasumi sat in the middle row, studying the layout of the towers while they could.
It wasn’t long before they arrived - the towers were beacons in the dark Nos Astra night, lit up in neon like the colors of a toxic creature. A warning to stay far, far away from where they shone.
“This is as far as I go,” Seryna grimaced. “Good luck.”
Shepard thanked her for the ride and got out alongside the others. They looked up at the tall, imposing Dantius Towers, and they knew they were in for one hell of a climb. By the time they’d approached the front, Seryna had already left, and inside, there was a salarian booking it towards the doorway.
But a group of mechs had followed him. Just as his hand crossed the threshold, he’d been gunned down.
“Mechs! Watch out for the dogs!” Shepard called out to the others, taking cover behind a display just on the other side of the doorway.
Kasumi vanished when she activated her stealth system, and a few seconds later, she’d reappeared behind one of the mechs, jamming her omni-blade into its back. It went down with a burst of sparks, twitching on the floor. She promptly vanished again, leaving the others to her companions.
Grunt was already charging at the other two LOKI mechs, tackling them to the ground and crushing them in the process. That left the dogs for Shepard and Drakar.
Drakar racked his shotgun, blasting one of the FENRIR mechs at point-blank range when it came after him. He followed it up with a kick, sending the mech skittering across the floor and slamming into a wall. The other FENRIR made a beeline towards Shepard, who pulled out her pistol and unloaded a clip into it. It came to a stop, falling apart in its defeat.
“She’s having her mechs gun down her own workers,” Shepard scowled, stepping over to the salarian who’d been shot. He was wearing a Dantius Towers uniform. When Shepard checked him, he was already dead. There was nothing she could do for him, beyond close his eyes to give him some respect.
“She definitely sounds like the kind of woman who’d get an assassin sent after her,” Kasumi remarked, reappearing at Shepard’s side.
Grunt studied the mechs, nudging one of the metal bodies with his foot. “This passes as security for humans? They were no better than a can. No wonder you all get killed so easily. You should invest in something better, or we’ll just come along and crush it.”
“Most other species can’t crush a mech with their bodies,” Drakar explained with a roll of his eyes. “They’re too squishy. So they work fine as security for them. Those things are usually pretty fatal… unless their enemies have guns. Or their enemy is Shepard. Or Izuku.”
“Heh. Fair enough,” Grunt grinned cheekily. “Where to next, Shepard?”
Shepard walked out into the middle of the atrium, which gave a near-clear view to the top of the building as the tower was still unfinished. She pointed to the highest floor she could see. “Now, we go up. It’s going to be a long climb, so be ready - and watch out for security.”
Legion suddenly looked away from the shuttle’s console. “Shepard-Midoriya, we are entering Illium’s orbit and beginning docking procedures. We will return to the Normandy - the crew has already been cleared for landing, which includes the occupants of this shuttle. Chakwas-Doctor has instructed you to return to the med bay for a checkup on your shoulder before we meet with T’soni-Doctor.”
Izuku forgot just how strange it was to hear Legion put titles after people’s names, since he’d pretty much gotten used to ‘Shepard-Commander’ at this point. And Shepard-Midoriya was just his surname, so it wasn’t strange at all to him. Izuku wondered why Legion didn’t call him by a title of some kind… he called Drakar ‘Drakar-Krantt’ and all, so he wondered why he was different. He’d never thought about it before, so he never asked. Maybe it was just another misunderstanding… it certainly wouldn’t be the first time.
“Thanks, Legion.” Izuku set the autopilot to dock with the Normandy, and shortly after, the shuttle had entered the atmosphere of Illium and dove down.
Izuku could see the city of Nos Astra on the virtual window display, watching the neon-lit buildings and skycars pass them by with wide eyes. He’d never been to a planet like this - so alive, so busy. Omega was busy, but it was… different. This felt like he was looking at a futuristic Tokyo. It was beautiful. There was so much life out beyond the stars, life that he never would’ve known existed back in Musutafu, staring at the night sky from the roof of an old apartment building. It was so vast, so new, and it reminded him how happier he was here.
He loved this universe; he loved every new sight, smell and sound he got to experience. He loved every second he got to spend here. And that was why he was joining the fight against the Collectors and, by extension, the Reapers… because this universe was so special, so important to him.
“Izuku? You okay?” Tali asked. “You’re… you look like you’re about to cry.”
Izuku quickly collected himself. “Sorry! I’m fine. Just… everything is still so new to me. It’s really pretty. It just made me a little emotional.”
“Right, I can forget sometimes,” Tali nodded understandingly. “This is scenic to you, huh?”
“Yeah. That’s it,” Izuku agreed.
The shuttle pulled up alongside the Normandy before they could discuss anything else, and the shuttle bay doors opened to let them inside. Once the shuttle was safely tucked away in its bay docking, the three of them got out. There were people waiting on them and everything - Dr. Chakwas and Garrus, to be specific. They brought Tali in for a hug when she got off the shuttle, and she laughed, happy and at ease.
“I missed you guys!” She said, hugging each of them back. “I can hardly believe it’s been two years since we saw each other. I’m sorry I couldn’t come visit, I’ve just been so busy!”
“It’s not your fault, dear,” Dr. Chakwas tutted. “Now, you and Izuku come to the medbay. I have updated vaccines for you, Tali, and I need to check Izuku’s shoulder.”
“Not a moment’s rest with Dr. Chakwas on the job,” Garrus chuckled. “I’ll catch up with you later, Tali. Oh, and Joker wanted to see you too, but he was a little busy annoying Nos Astra’s docking agents while you were coming in. I’m sure you’ll see him soon enough.”
Tali just laughed again. “I’m sure I will.”
Shepard spotted injured or dead night crew all over the lower floors of the building. She helped who she could, but many of the poor souls simply hadn’t made it out of the building fast enough to suit Nassana.
Why, Shepard wondered, why was she doing this? Why resort to outright killing the night crew?
They’d climbed over a dozen floors at this point, taking elevators when they found functional ones, and it was the question on Shepard’s mind the entire time. Was she aware that an assassin was after her? Was she so paranoid that she’d evicted every worker so that the potential assassin had nobody to blend in with? Or was she under the belief that they’d discovered her secrets, like Seryna had before she’d been fired? Whatever the case, nothing justified this merciless slaughter.
Shepard was half-tempted to carry out Thane’s mission for him, or at least let him do his work; plausible deniability and all that.
When they’d reached the halfway point of the building, they finally started running into Eclipse mercs rather than just security mechs. The warning she’d been given stood true - they weren’t very well trained, but they certainly had weapons to spare - and not cheap ones, either. Hand cannons, rocket launchers, all manner of weaponry was deployed and utilized.
Most didn’t get through Grunt and Drakar, though - the two had a disturbing amount of fun running into the fray, tackling and headbutting their enemies.
She supposed Izuku would’ve been doing the same, if he were here. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
A few levels past the halfway point, Shepard overheard a conversation between some of the mercs. Judging by what they said, she wasn’t alone in here. They spoke of a ‘he’ that had disappeared several times before they could catch him. Shepard could only assume that was Thane. He was certainly a slippery one, though given his profession, it would be stranger if he wasn’t.
“How many more levels do we have to climb?” Kasumi asked, wiping a spat of blood off of her face. Fighting off the last wave of mercs had gotten a little… messy. “I’m not complaining or anything, I’ve climbed worse on jobs before, I’m just wondering.”
“We’re a little over halfway up the building, so not too much longer,” Shepard explained.
“Shepard,” EDI’s voice suddenly came over her headset. “You asked me to inform you when your son returned. He and Legion are both aboard the Normandy, with Ms. Tali’Zorah accompanying them. Dr. Chakwas also wished me to inform you that his shoulder has healed completely without complication.”
That was certainly good news if she ever heard it. “Thanks for the heads up, EDI. It’s appreciated.”
“Of course, Commander. Your son also wishes to know how you are doing. What should I tell him?”
Shepard leaned against the wall of an elevator the group had found on their way up, inputting the highest floor the button panel had on its display. “Tell him I’m doing fine. I’m just busy; I’ll be back later. Oh, and tell him not to get into trouble while I’m away. Be discreet with whatever Liara wants Tali’s help with.”
“I see. I will let him know.”
Izuku looked out at the night sky above his head. Illium was such a pretty planet, especially up close. The descent was beautiful in its own way, but looking out over everything like this was its own kind of scenic view. He’d never been to a planet quite like this before… he wondered if it was anything like how this universe’s Earth was. (He still wanted to go and see Earth for himself, one day. Maybe Shepard would be able to take him, or they’d go there for a mission some time.)
While he was busy being enamored by Illium’s beauty, Tali was behind him surreptitiously hacking a server. She and Izuku had decided to handle Liara’s request first - to help her gain information. Getting their information this way was probably a little less than legal, but Izuku trusted that Liara wasn’t going to abuse their trust to have them do something bad with it. Shepard often had to bend the law a little, but it was always for a good reason. Liara must’ve been similar in that regard, Izuku thought.
Garrus, who decided to join the two of them last-minute, leaned against the railing next to him. Together, the two of them were casually blocking the view of Tali while she got the job done. They’d decided to get Liara’s request done before visiting her, that way they could just sit and catch up with no interruptions while they waited for Shepard to return. They were on the last one now, as a matter of fact.
“You seem to be enjoying yourself over here.”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m still just taking it in,” Izuku chuckled, turning to look at Garrus. “I was telling Tali on the way into the atmosphere that this is all still new to me.”
Garrus nodded. “I get that. I remember my first trip offworld. You just don’t grasp the sheer size of everything until you see it yourself, no matter how many pictures they show you in school. It’s a whole other universe out there, just waiting for you.”
“Exactly! You understand,” Izuku grinned. “And I get to see it with Shepard again. That’s the best part.”
“Heh, I’m sure she’ll be happy to hear that. You’d better tell her when she’s done with her mission,” Garrus grinned right back at him.
Tali suddenly turned, finishing an input on her omni-tool. “Alright! That was the last one. I’ve uploaded all the backdoors into the systems Liara asked for. You two ready to go say hi to an old friend? I know I’ve certainly missed Liara. I can’t believe she’s info brokering now!”
“Yeah, I certainly wouldn’t have expected it,” Garrus agreed. “If we’ve got everything though, we should get going. I’m not eager to hang around after running this type of errand.”
“Looks like this elevator will take us to the bridge that connects to the penthouse… but it looks like somebody else is coming down to meet us already.”
Shepard grimaced as Kasumi finished checking the elevator. “Alright, get behind cover. As soon as the door opens, open fire. No heavy weapons. I’d fire a grenade or two myself, but I don’t want the elevator becoming a casualty.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice.” Kasumi vanished with a shimmer, while Grunt and Drakar flanked either side of the elevator, shotguns at the ready. Shepard was ducked behind a pile of construction supplies, the barrel of her AR leaned against the top edge. It was a tense minute or two of waiting. Above the doors, they could see the floor counter ticking down steadily.
Then, the elevator opened with far too chipper an automated message. “Mezzanine. Have a pleasant stay.”
Shepard opened fire, and so did the krogans. Only there was one problem: they had one of their own. “Shepard!” Drakar called out. “Watch out!”
A krogan accompanying the Eclipse mercs came barreling out of the elevator with a war cry, gunning straight for Shepard as the most immediate target.
“Shit-!” The krogan burst through the pile of supplies she’d been hiding behind. She was promptly tackled by several hundred pounds of pissed off krogan. She was thrown back several feet, crashing through an unfinished plate glass wall and nearly over the edge of the floor, down the unfinished middle of the building. It was only her reflexes - and likely her synthetic enhancements - that allowed her to grab hold of the edge and hold on for dear life.
“RAHH!” “Bastard!” There were two furious yells, followed by a heavy thud, and the sight of the krogan who’d tackled her being promptly rocketed over the edge, plummeting to his soon-to-be messy death on the ground floor below. Drakar and Grunt then looked over the edge, relieved to see her alive.
“You’re alive! Squishy would’ve killed me if something happened to you,” Drakar muttered, holding out an arm to help her up. Shepard could see the remains of the krogan’s accompaniment. A smear left by a point-blank shotgun blast and a crumpling body as Kasumi pulled out her omni-blade from his back. “You alright?”
Shepard grimaced when she peered down to see what was left of the krogan who hit the ground and shook herself clean of broken glass. “Yeah, more or less. Can’t believe I managed to catch myself going that fast. I’ll have to be more careful in the future… Oh, and maybe don’t tell Izuku that happened. He worries enough about me as it is.”
“Heh. Even I’m not that stupid,” Drakar grinned. “That’s the quickest way to get my ass kicked.”
Grunt eyed him suspiciously. “You really think that human could defeat you?”
“If he had enough reason to? Sure. You haven’t really seen him throw down yet. I have. And that was before he got as big as he is now!” Drakar laughed heartily. “You want a good fight, Grunt? Ask him for a serious spar. You’ll have a hell of a lot of fun, I can tell you that much.”
“Come on, enough chat, let’s get moving.” Shepard sighed. The idea of somebody Grunt’s size - especially since he wasn’t even completely grown - sparring Izuku for fun was not a pleasant thought. One of them was going to break something, and she wasn’t sure who. But… she supposed the culture was different. She’d only step in if things got out of hand. “We’re almost to the top now.”
“Thank goodness for that,” Kasumi muttered, stretching her legs. “Climbing’s a pain. Now I remember why Keiji and I never took missions at the top of high buildings like this unless we had to…”
An asari Izuku didn’t recognize sat in the secretary’s desk outside of a very nice office. When she saw Izuku, Tali and Garrus, she smiled - she must’ve recognized them, because she waved them into the office before Izuku could even say they were here for Liara. Izuku still bowed his head politely, turning into the office alongside his friends.
It was a nice place with an even better view of Illium. Liara must’ve been one heck of a broker to afford this place.
“Izuku! Tali, Garrus!” Liara, behind a modern polished desk, smiled brightly. “It’s so good to see you all again! Please, come in, have a seat. And thank you so much for helping out with that problem of mine. You’ve helped me with finding an old friend of mine who I swore I’d rescue. With this, maybe I can take the first real steps to doing just that. If there’s anything I can do to share my appreciation…”
Izuku smiled softly. He knew Liara wouldn’t have asked for the information like this without reason - saving a friend was a perfectly good one. “You don’t have to do anything, Dr. T’Soni. I’m always happy to help.”
“Oh, you’re just as kind as I remember you being, Izuku,” Liara chuckled and patted the top of Izuku’s head. “I think you’ve earned the right to call me Liara if you’d like. Javik should be back soon, too - he’s my business partner. He’s running an errand for me as well.”
“You know he’s too polite to call you anything but your title. Don’t you remember how long he called Ashley Ms. Williams?” Garrus asked with a chuckle. “I got lucky and escaped being called ‘Mr. Vakarian’ somehow. I would’ve felt downright ancient. Mr. Vakarian is something I’ve only ever heard used on my father.”
“I-It was just the right thing!” Izuku cried, a little embarrassed. “You told me I could call you Garrus, but Ashley said she preferred me to call her something respectful, so I thought Ms. Williams was the right call!”
“Ah, yes, I remember now. As respectful and polite as ever. But seriously, call me whichever you feel comfortable with, Izuku. I don’t mind either way.” Liara laughed a little, light and airy. “So, I suppose now is when we catch up, yes? Please, do tell me what you’ve all been up to in the last two years. I want to hear all about it. I know a little from keeping tabs on you and checking to see if you were alright, but seeing you in person and hearing it from you directly is different. I can only hope you’ve all been well.”
“Well, the stories this one told me about Tuchanka are certainly a lot more interesting than anything I can tell you,” Tali laughed, pointing to Izuku. “Why don’t you tell her the story about that varren fighting pit you told me? I couldn’t stop laughing the entire time.”
Izuku grinned, knowing exactly which story she meant. “So, I have this friend named Drakar. I don’t know if you met him - big orange krogan, weirdly calm compared to a lot of krogans - but he was making something for dinner one night, since we all have to pitch in sometimes…”
Shepard took a breath, leaned out from cover, and fired her grenade launcher into the attachment of mercs blocking the bridge she needed to cross to get to the penthouse - and to Thane. A lone merc had very helpfully let her know where the assassin was when she made him very aware of his position. Two krogans glaring at him from over her shoulder certainly helped the matter along.
Now, they just had to fight their way over this damn bridge, and things would finally be over.
The grenade blasted many security mechs apart, but those with shields and armor were still kicking. Shepard vaulted over the cover she’d hidden behind, switching to her AR and firing on what looked like the leader of the group. Kasumi opened fire with her own gun, leaping down onto another enemy from a hidden position. The team blocking the entrance thankfully wasn’t plentiful, but judging by the sea of Eclipse mercs she could see crawling over the bridge itself, this was only the beginning.
“Everybody ready for a fight?” Shepard asked, reloading her weapon in preparation.
Kasumi raised a hand. “I’m still good to go.”
“You got it, boss,” Drakar nodded.
Grunt nodded as well. “Yes. I’m ready. It’s about time I got to have a little fun.”
Shepard surveyed the bridge for a moment. They seemed too preoccupied fortifying their defenses and looking for Thane to realize their vanguard was dead. “Alright, here’s the plan. Most of the cover is on the right side, and so are the mercs. I know this is dangerous, especially since there’s no railing, but Grunt or Drakar - do either one of you think you can charge through their barricades and clear a path?”
Drakar put his shotgun back in its holster with a grin. “Another chance to charge somebody? Gee, you sure know how to make a krogan feel welcome, boss. I’ll handle it.”
“Just don’t get careless, big guy,” Shepard patted his arm. “We need you alive. Don’t end up like me and almost fall off the side of the bridge, okay?”
“No thanks. I don’t want Squishy crying so much he floods the ship,” Drakar let out a low laugh. “I think he’d figure out a way to raise me from the dead and then kill me himself for making him that upset. Any other orders, boss?”
“No.” Shepard shook her head. “We’ll come up behind you and provide some covering fire so you can focus on destroying those barricades.”
Drakar nodded. “Let’s do this, then.”
The four of them approached the bridge, the mercs on it still not realizing they were there until it was too late. Once Shepard, Grunt and Kasumi were ready, Drakar charged. With a yell, he ran straight into the first barricade, smashing it to bits. That certainly got their attention. Grunt charged in behind him, weapons ready, firing into the swarm of mercs that converged on them. Shepard picked several off with her pistol - her AR was ideal for a narrow bridge like this, but not with her boys in the crossfire.
Kasumi, on the other hand, was at home in this sort of environment. She could run up, fire shots point-blank at an enemy’s head, then sprint back to cover while her cloaking recharged. She was certainly an expert in her field - Shepard was glad she’d recruited her as soon as she had.
Drakar charged the second barricade as soon as he shook off the debris from the first. It shattered just as easily, thankfully.
When one of the mercs got too close in, Grunt had him covered. He came in from her blindside and grabbed the gun, got in close and headbutted her hard. The asari dropped to the ground, limp… yeah, Shepard didn’t think she’d be getting up any time soon.
“Two more! Keep going!” Grunt called out, shoulder-checking one of the vanguards who’d tried charging him in return. The merc’s biotics had only managed to push Grunt back a few feet - not much, in the grand scheme of things. He seemed to have a moment to realize ‘I might’ve fucked up’ when Grunt pointed his shotgun to the guy’s chest and dropped him with a single blast.
Grunt discarded his limp body and followed up by pushing forwards, stomping on one of the mercs Kasumi had shot down but not finished off. Speaking of, Kasumi had disappeared again, but the people dropping for seemingly no reason in the middle of the fight gave Shepard enough of an idea of where she was.
Shepard was pushing forward along the bridge as well, firing her pistol into the cameras of mechs who were getting too close. She kicked one that slipped through, her foot going straight through its torso. She stared at her foot for half a second before shaking it off - she still wasn’t used to how strong she was. She’d have to talk to Dr. Chakwas some more later, figure out what other changes she could expect…
“The krogan’s going for another barricade! Stop him!” one of the mercs called, but not fast enough. Drakar charged a third time, straight through the bridge’s third barricade. Shortly after, Drakar was thrown back by an explosion.
“Rockets! Both sides on the floor above!” Kasumi cried. Across the bridge, the next floor up, two sets of rocket-firing turrets had been set up in the windows on either side.
Shepard swapped from her pistol to her sniper. “Give me some cover! I’ll take them out!”
Shepard ducked down behind the last barricade while the others kept the mercs off of her. She set up her sniper, doing her best to keep it steady with fighting and explosions all around her. She looked through the scope, and with a steadying breath, she fired.
Kaboom!
It seemed they were pretty flimsy, all things considered - one shot was all it took to bring them down. In spectacular pyrotechnics at that.
“One down, one to go…” She steadied herself and fired on the last set. Boom! Shepard quickly swapped guns again. “Got them! Keep going!”
Drakar, who’d been helped up by Grunt, snarled and spotted the merc that had set up the drones. Shepard could’ve sworn she heard a surprised cry from the merc before the orange krogan took off running, smashing straight through the final barrier and gunning straight for the man. The merc only had long enough to get a few shots off before Drakar had unloaded his shotgun straight into him.
Kasumi picked off the last couple of mercs, and finally, there was only one left… their leader. An asari woman in Eclipse commando armor who looked fairly grizzled as far as asari went stared down at her from the top of a staircase to the penthouse. Then, the woman clenched her fist, and a biotic sheen appeared in front of them. It grabbed both Drakar and Grunt, flinging them like a ragdoll nearly to the other side of the bridge.
“Oh no you don’t,” Shepard grit her teeth, her scars flashing red. “Nobody flings my boys around like that. Kasumi, check on them and leave this one to me.”
Kasumi gave a curt nod, running back across the battle-torn bridge to make sure the two krogans were alright after a throw like that. Shepard took a deep breath, and in a move that would make Izuku proud, she charged the asari in a tackle - and she could run much faster than a krogan could. The woman had blinked then Shepard was in her face, her shoulder going into the merc’s stomach at incredible speed. Their momentum carried them, they slid a short distance but the asari was still standing, which was impressive. She pulled Shepard off of her biotically, but Shepard held on by gripping the woman’s arm with force enough to make her cry out in pain.
The commando, desperate to get Shepard off of her at this point, pulled her weapon, firing point-blank into Shepard’s armor. At close range like this, her shields weren’t stopping them. Shepard knew she wasn’t going to last long - she had to end it. With the same force that put her foot through a mech, Shepard kicked the asari in the chest, shattering her armor and letting the merc have her own medicine. The asari flew, crashing into the door to the penthouse level and bounced. She wheezed, winded by the force, and it gave Shepard the perfect opportunity.
She dashed over, brought up her arm and summoned her omni-blade. Then, Shepard brought her arm down like a gavel, pushing her omni-blade - followed by her fist - through the gap she’d made in the asari’s armor and into her ribcage. Shepard ripped it back out, and the asari went down.
“Damn, that was badass.” Shepard turned to see Drakar grinning, leaning on Grunt and giving Shepard a thumbs-up. “We’re fine, by the way. Just winded.”
Shepard was definitely relieved to hear that. “Good. Let’s get this assassin and go - I want nothing to do with these towers ever again if I can help it.”
Kasumi laughed. “You say that about a lot of places, Shepard.”
“… and then Uncle Wrex started laughing! Right in the guy’s face! He said ‘if this is how you are in clan meetings, I can’t imagine you’re any better with the females!’” Izuku laughed as he recalled the story. The others laughed with him, knowing just how Wrex could be. “I nearly fell from where I was sitting when I heard him say that! I can’t believe he would say that to the head of another clan!”
“That sure sounds like Wrex,” Garrus grinned. “Crass as ever. Glad to hear he hasn’t changed a bit.”
Liara smiled fondly. “Indeed. It’s nice to hear you enjoyed your time on Tuchanka as well. I have to admit, I was worried when I heard you were going there, but it seems like my fears were unfounded. You look healthy and happy. I’m so glad to see it.”
“Thanks, Dr. T’Soni,” Izuku’s grin was just as bright as ever. “It’s good to know you’ve been doing well, too. Business must be going great if you’re set up this nice.”
Before any of them could say anything, however, the door to Liara’s office opened behind them. Garrus, Tali and Izuku turned to see who it was, but Izuku couldn’t say he recognized the type of alien that walked in. He hadn’t seen anything like him in the books he’d studied from or the extranet classes he took on Tuchanka… but by the way Liara waved him in with a smile, Izuku could only assume this was the Javik he’d heard about.
“Welcome back! Izuku, Tali, Garrus, this is Javik. Javik, these are old friends of mine from the Normandy. We’ve been catching up. Did your errand go well?” She asked. Looks like Izuku was right on the money. Javik just held up what looked like an OSD, which Liara breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of. “Thank you.”
“So… this is Shepard’s child,” Javik hummed thoughtfully. “And the vigilante, and the quarian engineer. They are different than I imagined in person. Especially the child. I did not imagine he would be so… green.”
Izuku laughed. “I get that a lot. I’m adopted, so I don’t really look like Shepard.”
“Hm. Adopted… Not as interesting as I’d hoped, based on the stories I heard. I suppose that would make you more primitive than Shepard is,” Javik muttered. Izuku froze in his seat, not expecting the sudden comment to come out of the man’s mouth.
Izuku stood from his chair. “What the hell did you just call me?”
Izuku admittedly saw a little bit of red. It reminded him just a little too much of Musutafu, of all the snide comments about being backwards and underdeveloped and unevolved he got from others when his quirklessness got brought up. Javik, on the other hand, just stared at him impassively. Either he didn’t know or didn’t care that he’d insulted Izuku, and he didn’t seem bothered by the boy’s anger either.
“Primitive. What of it? If you are not her biological child, then you lack what makes Shepard interesting compared to all the other… humans running around. It is not such a terrible thing - it just makes you boring,” Javik responded with a shrug, turning away from him and the conversation.
Liara quickly interjected. “Javik! That’s - ugh, I’m sorry, Izuku, he’s… it’s hard to explain, but he’s not-”
“No, I want him to explain,” Izuku hissed. One fist clenched at his side, and the other went to poke him in the armor. “What the hell are you calling me primitive for? You think you have the right to call people that?”
Garrus and Tali, sensing this was a subject they didn’t want to step in on, said nothing. They knew how this sort of subject was sensitive for him, and they knew exactly why it was so sore for him, too. They’d been there for his nightmares, for his panic attacks, for some of his lowest points on the old Normandy. If anybody understood why he was upset about being called primitive, it would be them. And that was exactly why they were letting him handle the situation - this was his battle, so to speak.
Javik reached out to return the gesture and poke him back. “This is why I called you primitive. You are so quick to anger over a single word-”
“Javik, wait!” Liara cried, trying to stop him from touching Izuku.
But it was too late - Javik’s finger made contact. The man froze for a single moment, and then just as quickly, recoiled, hissing in a language the omni-tool couldn’t translate. He looked absolutely horrified, staring at Izuku as though he were some sort of monster. He even took a half step back, as though even being near Izuku was dangerous. “Is this… is this child truly human?”
The others in the room looked at each other with confusion, while Liara’s expression pinched with defeat and frustration. The comment was enough to snap Izuku out of his immediate anger… he was just as confused.
“What are you talking about?” Izuku asked curtly, his anger subsiding only incrementally.
“Your biology. It’s not… it’s not normal,” Javik said, grim and quiet. “And I do not mean in the sense of gene therapy or genetic enhancements. Something is very wrong with you.”
Izuku knew instantly he must’ve been talking about the genetic virus that Dr. Chakwas found, and he stepped back. “First of all, there’s nothing wrong with me, and my ‘biology’ is none of your business anyway! You need to learn how to talk to people or somebody will end up putting you in the ground! Second of all, how the hell could you know?”
“Javik has a unique ability to read the biology of other species. If he touches you, he can read everything about your nervous system, genetic makeup, all sorts of things,” Liara explained, sinking back into her chair. “I’m sorry. I should’ve warned you before he returned.”
“I can’t possibly explain it,” Javik shook his head. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Parts of your biological functions are completely unnatural. And even stranger, they’re almost familiar. What are you? You cannot possibly be human, even though you share their face. Tell me now, where are you from? What has been done to you? Explain yourself this in-”
“I am human, and I told you, it’s none of your business!” Izuku snapped. Then, when he saw the looks he was getting, his expression became resigned. He didn’t know who was listening. Shepard warned him about it before he’d even touched down on Illium.
“Javik, please just forget whatever it was you saw in Izuku,” Liara insisted. “You shouldn’t go around reading people in the first place, we’ve been over this a dozen times. It’s an invasion of privacy, and you know it.”
Javik reluctantly nodded. “Yes… I will apologize this time. But I urge you, child, seek medical help. What I saw should not be ignored.”
Shepard marched into Nassana Dantius’ penthouse, her teammates at her side. She crossed her arms over her chest as she finally came face to face with the woman herself, still alive and well. Looks like Thane hadn’t made it here yet…
“Commander Shepard? But… you’re dead,” Nassana said, disbelieving.
Shepard shrugged. “I got better.”
Nassana’s personal bodyguards trained their weapons on Shepard and her crew, and Nassana wrung her hands obsessively. “And now you’re here to kill me. I’m sure you find this all very ironic. First you kill my sister, and then you come for me. Well, you’ve made it this far. Now what?”
“You tricked me into killing your sister,” Shepard corrected firmly. “Big difference. I’m still not here to kill you, though. It’s your lucky day.”
“And what other reason would you have for slaughtering your way through my security?” Nassana scoffed, brushing her off with a wave of her hand. “I’m not stupid. Don’t patronize me, Shepard. Just tell me your price, and we can make this problem go away faster than you think. Everyone has a price, and I assure you, I can pay.”
Shepard raised an eyebrow at her. “Yeah? Well, too bad. Unfortunately for you, all the credits in the world won’t make this problem go away, Nassana.”
“And who gave you the right to play god? You’re no different than I am. We both kill people for money - you’re just self-righteous about it,” Nassana spat.
Alright, that was enough of that. “I don’t even know where to begin if that’s what you think, Nassana. You kill people because you think they’re beneath you, I only do it when I’m left with no choice. You need to do some serious self examination. Although you might not get the chance…”
“What does that mean?! Just-” there was a noise, and Nassana froze.
And then, as suddenly as she’d stopped, a man dropped down from the ceiling behind her. In a series of moves quick enough to even make a graceful thief like Kasumi jealous, he’d snapped one guard’s neck, punched one in the throat hard enough to collapse his trachea, and hit the last guard between the eyes with the bottom of a swiftly-drawn pistol. Then, just as fast, he turned and put the muzzle of his gun against Nassana’s stomach.
“Who-?”
She didn’t have time to finish her sentence before the man pulled the trigger, and she was slumping over into his arms. Gently, almost reverently, he lowered Nassana to the floor. The man laid her down, closed her eyes and folded her arms over her chest, and… began to pray? His own eyes were closed now, his hands clasped in front of him.
“He sure makes an entrance,” Kasumi hummed, looking the man over. “Drell, an assassin… this must be Mr. Krios.”
The drell didn’t respond.
“Anybody home? We’re just standing here waiting on you,” Drakar muttered.
“Apologies, but prayers for the wicked must not be forsaken,” the drell murmured, not even looking up. “One moment, if you will.”
It was quiet as they let the man finish his prayers. Shepard had to admit, she was curious… “You pray for the people you kill?”
The drell shook his head, lowering his hands as he did. Prayers must’ve been over. “No,” he said, “the prayers are for me. The measure of an individual can be difficult to discern by actions alone. Take yourself, for example. All this destruction… this chaos. I was curious to know how far you’d go to find me. Well… here I am.”
“You expected me?” Shepard asked.
“When you opened fire on Nassana’s mercenaries and began questioning them for my location? Yes. I was patched into their communications,” the drell pulled off an earpiece that looked like it had been ripped from an Eclipse helmet. “I am Thane Krios. What is it you’ve sought me out for?”
Shepard got a good look at the man now that she knew for sure he was Thane. He seemed almost peaceful, calm, now that his job was done. “I’m looking to hire help. The best of the best,” Shepard explained. “You came highly recommended. Somebody’s been abducting entire human colonies, and I know the culprits - the Collectors. I was hoping you’d be willing to join the fight.”
Thane hummed thoughtfully. “I know of the Collectors. Attacking them would require passing through the Omega-4 relay. No ship has ever returned from doing so.”
“I’ve been told a lot of things are impossible. None of them ever were,” Shepard said. “We’ll find a way through that relay. All you need to worry about is whether or not you’re willing to join us.”
“Hm… I see. This was to be my last mission… I’m dying. Low survival odds do not concern me, but the abduction of your colonists does,” Thane said, his voice soft. He didn’t seem bothered… he seemed at peace with the knowledge of his own impending death. “The universe is a dark place. I’m trying to make it brighter before I die. Many innocents died today. I wasn’t fast enough to stop their suffering, and for that, I must atone. I will work for you, Shepard. Free of charge. Simply tell me where to bring my things.”
“The Normandy. It’s docked in the Nos Astra docking bay,” Shepard said. Then, after a pause, “I’m sorry to hear about your condition. Is it an illness?”
Thane nodded. “Yes. Incurable, but not something transmittable - you do not have to worry. I’m managing, and as you saw, I’m still capable enough to be an asset.”
Shepard stuck out her hand to shake, and he shook it firmly. “I look forward to working with you, Mr. Krios.”