Chimera: A Garrus/Shepard Romance

Sera walked through the airlock and glanced at Joker who had his head resting heavily in his hand, looking as miserable as ever. EDI was sitting calmly in the co-pilot’s seat, methodically analyzing the ship’s systems. It was apparent he hadn’t noticed her arrival and an irresistibly mischievous thought curled her lips into a sly grin. Treading carefully toward the cockpit, taking care not to make any obvious noise, Sera came up behind Joker and stifled a laugh when she heard him snore lightly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw EDI turn and open her mouth to speak. She put a finger to her lips, signaling the AI to hold off on what was undoubtedly a report of one kind or another. EDI blinked in reply, confused by her commanding officer’s sudden gesture.

Leaning up against the console, Sera folded her arms across her chest and stared at the pilot. Joker snorted slightly as the small trail of drool caused his chin to slip slightly from its perch on his open palm.

 “How’s that nap coming?” she said a little louder than necessary, smirking with a devilish grin.

He snorted loudly and blinked awake, clearing his throat and trying desperately to focus on the source of the voice.

“Huh?”  he grunted, palming his face in an effort to push away the remnants of the hangover that didn’t seem to want to let go.

“I said,” Sera began again, still louder than necessary, “how –”

“Hey! Hey!” he said, raising a hand in protest, as if it could somehow protect him from the assault her voice had on his head. “Do you have to be so damn loud?”

“Now, now,” she scolded mockingly, shaking a finger at him, “that’s no way to talk to your Commander, is it? Have a little too much fun last night? Tell me you at least got laid.”

“Yeah, right,” he grunted, still palming the side of head. “I wish, but then I’d be stuck in med bay with 2 broken hips and a shattered pelvis to show for it.”

“Well,” she huffed, “then maybe it’s a good thing you didn’t or I’d have to fly this thing myself.”

Joker barked out a laugh at the thought of her flying his ship, his baby. He instantly regretted it as his head throbbed in retaliation with a vengeance.

“If your flying is anything like your driving or your dancing, then we’re fucked,” he retorted.

Sera gaped, “My dancing is not that bad!”

“Commander,” EDI began “what Joker says is –”

“It’s really important you don’t finish that sentence EDI,” Joker grumbled, cutting off the AI.

“But, Joker,” EDI started again.

His mouth was a thin line as he shook his head, glaring at her to shut up. The last thing he needed was his girlfriend repeating the things he told her in private, and he made a mental note to explain what privacy meant. EDI said nothing more and turned back to the ship’s diagnostics.

Taking on a more serious tone this time, Sera turned her attention back to her pilot.

“Has everyone reported in?” she asked.

“Yeah, everyone’s accounted for, except for Garrus of course.  We just took on the medical supplies you traded for. Where do you want to go?”

She nodded. “Garrus should be here soon. He wasn’t that far behind me. Set a course for the Pranas System. How long will it take to get us there?”

“Not long, a couple hours maybe.”

“Okay, good. As soon as Garrus is aboard, head out,” she ordered, walking out of the cockpit and toward the CIC.

“Aye, Commander,” said Joker with a lazy salute.

Sera walked through the CIC, listening to the hum of her ship as it came to life. It brought a smile to her lips and, grateful for the warm feeling, she pushed aside her own melancholy that lingered from the memorial. The shore leave had obviously been the right call as she heard the various conversations amongst the helmsmen, engineers, and other crew members. Most were regaling one another about their night in Purgatory and the other things they did afterwards. Even though they all knew the Reapers were beginning to ravage the outer edges of the galaxy, in this moment they shoved such knowledge aside in favor of happier memories.

She rounded the corner and approached her terminal. She scrolled through the messages and blinked at what she saw. Resisting the urge to begin reading immediately, she clicked off the terminal when Traynor called to her.

“Commander?”

“Yes, Traynor? What is it?”

“Commander, I was scanning the Alliance comm channels earlier before we left for shore leave. I picked up a distress call from Grissom Academy asking for evacuation. I was going to tell you but then I heard a Turian cruiser was already dispatched to help,” she explained quickly, wringing her hands. “Something about that kept nagging at me so I came back early and scanned the distress call again. It’s fake.”

“Fake?!” Sera repeated, walking over to the Comm Specialist’s station.

“Yes, see?” Traynor said pointing at the screen filled with various algorithms and sound patterns. She identified two particular ones that matched. “This is the one from the supposed Turian cruiser responding to the distress call and this one,” she pointed to another algorithm just below the first, “is the one from the supposed Turian patrol that disabled the Collector ship a year ago.”

Sera’s eyes grew wide as she mentally put the pieces together - Cerberus, “Shit!” She hit the comm at Traynor’s station. “Joker!”

“Commander?” he answered.

“Change of plan! We need to get to the Petra Nebula. Cerberus is attacking Grissom Academy!”

“Son of a …sorry Commander. I mean, I’m on it!”

Sera turned to Traynor and gave the young woman’s shoulder a gentle squeeze.

“Good catch, Traynor.”

“Thanks, Commander, but I couldn’t have done it without EDI’s help,” Traynor replied, looking up toward the ceiling waiting for the AI to chime in.

[The similarities between the two signals seemed to be too much of a coincidence, Commander. It is logical that Cerberus would try to capture these Biotics for their own use.]

“Agreed, EDI. Who knows what the Illusive Man has planned for them,” Shepard said bitterly. “The sooner we get there, the better. Let me know when we arrive. I need to check in with Chakwas and then I’ll be in my cabin.”

“Aye, Commander,” saluted Traynor.

Sera called for the elevator and stepped inside. As the doors closed, she saw Garrus approaching the CIC and she felt her anxiety pitch slightly with anticipation.

~~~

Mordin

It was the only thing that floated through Garrus’ mind ever since he left the Citadel. He pushed the worry he had for Solana from his mind, convincing himself that the Citadel was the safest place for her to be. Instead, he focused filling in the mystery that Sera refused to talk about. He had to commend Chakwas for her subtlety. He almost missed the direction she was gently pushing.  Mordin wasn’t under any stupid Alliance policy bullshit. The problem of course was figuring out how to get the salarian to talk without giving up the reason he was asking.

He breezed through the airlock onto the Normandy, snapping around when the doors slid shut so quickly they nearly clipped his armor. He glared at Joker.

“Really, Joker?” he asked, clearly annoyed.

“Sorry, Garrus, kinda in a hurry,” the pilot answered absently, concentrating on the ship’s controls.

Garrus felt the ship suddenly pitch backward and he grabbed the edge of the console to steady himself.

“What the hell?!”

The ship swiftly but gently rolled out of its pitch, first to the left and then smoothly to the right as it backed out of the docking bay. Garrus expected to feel a lurch when the ship began to move forward, finding its trajectory, but he felt nothing as the Normandy quickly picked up speed.  Joker’s hands flew over the controls, effortlessly navigating them out of the busy Citadel. Garrus watched as the station’s arms and smaller ships became a blur in the windows of the cockpit, one blending into the other.

“What’s going on, Joker?”

“Grissom Academy,” Joker quickly explained, “Cerberus is attacking.”

 “Shit!” he swore.

“Yeah, time to kick some Cerberus ass!” Joker ground out, quickly punching more keys.

Watching the last remnants of the Citadel fly past the windows as they ejected out into the blackness of space, he snarled in agreement and turned toward the CIC. As he approached, he saw the elevator doors shut with Shepard inside. His mind went back to Mordin and he walked toward the elevator with renewed purpose.

~~~

Sera stepped out of the elevator and keyed the code to her cabin. Chakwas was satisfied with the medical supplies she got from Tactus. It seemed like there was something else on the Doctor’s mind, but she didn’t say. Sera didn’t push. She knew that if it was important enough, Karin would tell her. Pulling her hair free from its loose bun, she sighed and ran her fingers through the loose strands. Feeling a little better, she began to unbutton the uniform, opting for something a little more comfortable than the high collared formal jacket.  Taking it off, she huffed lightly as she threw it on the bed and went to the drawers rooting around for her N7 hoodie. Slipping it on, she walked to her desk, absently digging out an elastic band from one of the pockets. She dropped into the chair and clicked on her terminal. Staring at the screen, she put her hair up into a loose ponytail and sighed.

Letters, 1 of 3 – Vakarian, Garrus

She willed her hand to move, swallowed hard, and opened the first one.

~~~

Garrus approached the elevator and heard it hum as it arrived. The doors slid open and without thinking, he automatically moved toward the opening.

“Garrus!”

He stopped short and blinked, suddenly realizing that he was about to walk right into the asari in front of him. Focusing, Liara stood less than a foot in front of him with her arms raised, ready to shield herself.

“Liara,” he hummed, “I’m sorry. I was….thinking.”

“Clearly,” she replied, her eyebrows arching with curiosity. “I was actually looking for you. EDI alerted me when you came aboard.”

“Oh?”

“Yes,” she replied, backing up and allowing him entry to the elevator. “I found some other documents that I thought you’d like to take a look at. I decrypted some of it but there are full redactions that seem to be completely corrupted.”

“Did you want me to come by and take a look at them or were you going to send them to me?” he asked as he stood next Liara selecting the Crew deck.

“I think it’s best if you come by my quarters. I’d rather not have that floating about EDI’s systems.”

“Mmmmmm,” he hummed, “that’s a good idea. I was on my way to talk to Mordin but it can wait.”

“Mordin?” she echoed.

“Yeah, I think he knows more than he’s letting on.”

“Why do you say that?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.

He was about to answer when the elevator doors opened and they both stepped out. Deciding it was better to answer that once they were in her cabin, he said nothing and followed her around the bend. Once her doors shut, he settled himself into one of the chairs while she sat at her main terminal, fingers rapidly moving over the virtual keys and pulling up the documents she found.

“I talked to Chakwas this morning,” he began.

Liara looked at him sharply, clearly alarmed that he had told Chakwas what he had seen.

“No, no,” he said, holding up a hand to calm her, “I didn’t say anything about the vid. I just told her that Sera told me about the trial and that she blacked out. I was hoping that she would tell me what happened or something about what she knew based on that.”

“And?” she asked, quirking a brow.

“Nothing,” he huffed, frustrated, “and nothing. She wouldn’t tell me a damn thing! Some bullshit policy about how she can’t divulge personal, confidential information about Alliance personnel because she’s Alliance. She seemed to stress that a little too much and I couldn’t figure out why at first.”

“Mmmmm, that is true,” she hummed, “but what does that have to do with Mordin?”

“Mordin isn’t Alliance.”

Liara stopped what she was doing, fingers in mid-keystroke. The realization of what Garrus was telling her dawning, she turned to look at him again, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly agape.

“Now it makes sense…” she trailed off.

“What?”

“This,” she said, keying one final stroke as a document lit up the screen.

He leaned in and began to read. Most of what was on the page had been corrupted beyond repair but not the three names that knocked the wind out of him like rapid-fire concussive rounds.

Mordin. Shepard. Chimera.

~~~

Mordin’s head popped up from the microscope he was constantly glued to.

“Garrus! What can I do for you?” he asked, acknowledging the turian before glancing at the screen and returning to the microscope.

“So, Solana tells me that you were part of the team for our mother’s treatment…” he began expectantly.

“Your mother?” Mordin repeated, pausing a second. “Ah, yes! Of course. Vakarian, Adrasteia.”

“Yes, that’s her,” Garrus hummed.

“Yes. Good patient. Prognosis stable.”

“Stable?” Garrus repeated, surprised. Solana said that their mother was doing better but he didn’t expect to hear that she was stable.

“Yes,” nodded the salarian, “treatment stabilizing her condition. Not cure, but not worse. Chimera is best chance for your mother’s disease.”

“Chimera,” echoed Garrus, silently pleased that Mordin was going exactly where he wanted him to. This was going to be easier than he anticipated.

“Yes. Name of facility is Chimera.”

“Tell me more about this place,” Garrus prodded as he leaned up against a nearby table and folded his arms.

“Not much to tell. Medical research facility. Salarian origin but given to Council for use when new facility was built. Old facility deemed inadequate,” Mordin explained simply, examining the specimen in his microscope and making notes on his console.

“Mmm-hmmm, and what kind of medical research do they do? Salarian only? Or is that where the genophage came from?”

Mordin inhaled sharply at the sound of the word but that didn’t stop him from answering the question.

“Yes and yes. But not Salarian-only any longer. Obviously. Medical research now done for benefit of entire galaxy. Council has first priority, of course.”

“First priority,” Garrus hummed again, “as in?” he prompted.

“Primary objective,” Mordin huffed, annoyed that he had to explain such a basic concept and that the turian was keeping him from his work. “Councilors’ directives are primary objective. Everything else, secondary.”

“So,” Garrus began evenly, studying the salarian for his forthcoming reaction, “which one would Shepard’s blackout have been considered, primary or secondary?”

~~~

The letter displayed on her screen. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, wondering if she really wanted to read it.

What the hell?! Read it! You asked him to send it, now read it.

She blinked, leaned forward in her chair, palmed her chin and began to read.

[Message received: 02-05-2186 CE. Correspondence intercepted by Alliance Command]

She sighed and sat back in her chair. She lightly touched her cheek and was surprised to find it wet. The memories of the day she left them there on the Citadel to find their way home started to come back. She had buried most of them for so long, even the ones she thought she had lost because of her blackout started to trickle in.

She remembered when she told the crew what had happened on Aratoht and why she had to leave them behind. She had to take responsibility for what she had done. She had said nothing before arriving at the Citadel, instead dropping the bomb in a private C-Sec room on the Docking Bay. That way everyone would be off the ship, except for EDI and Joker. She wanted them to know the truth before the media or anyone else twisted it for public consumption. They had all understood and none of them questioned her. More importantly, they understood why she told them. They knew that they had to do what they could to prepare for what was coming.

After her announcement, she began to make her way to the guard that was to escort her back to the Normandy. Several of the crew stopped her to express their support and promised to do what they could. A few, predominantly Jack, spewed their displeasure quite colorfully at the injustice of the situation but they supported their Commander nonetheless. The one memory that never left her was the look in Garrus’ eyes when she broke the news. It haunted her.

[Commander?] EDI called, cutting into her reverie.

She sniffed and wiped her cheek.

“Yes, EDI?”

[We are approaching Grissom Academy.  Joker requests that you come to the helm.]

Sera sniffed again, pushing everything else out of her head. She would read the other two letters later. Right now, she needed to focus.

“On my way, EDI,” she called out firmly, closing down her terminal and standing up.