Salvation: Episode I - The Taking of the Carmenta Illustria

Disclaimer: This fan-fiction is part of an episodic series taking place after Salvation: A Half-Life/Mass Effect Universe Fan Fiction, which will lead directly to its sequel, Salvation II: Project Prometheus. These episodes and sequel take place OUTSIDE of the Mass Effect 3 continuity. Characters property of their respective companies, Half-Life created by Valve and Mass Effect created by Bioware.

Chapter 1: R & R 

The room itself wasn't small, if you could call it a room. It was more of a small warehouse or large workshop.  But large only in the sense that the opposing walls were a fair distance from each other. However inside, virtually every cubic bit of space was occupied.

Like a thick, metallic cornfield; rows and rows of mechs thronged the workshop floor. A few dozen scrawny metal men standing front to back, shoulder to shoulder with absolutely no room in between them – completely inert.

A large lamp hung from the ceiling, suspended by a thin cable, over a long, cluttered work bench. Most of the room was choked in darkness, shrouding the furthest corners of the small workshop in shadows – a favorable habitat for those things that liked to skitter in the night.

The buzz of an arc welder, the only other light source in the muddled room, crackled at the work bench, as its flashing light painted the dreary walls with dancing silhouettes.

Sparks gushed out from the spine of one of the mechs, hunched over lifelessly at the front of the room, near the work bench. A rear panel door on its chassis hung wide open, as a lone quarian diligently worked away on its innards.

His enviro-suit was covered in grease. And the decorative patterns on his burgundy veil could scarcely be seen under the oil stains, and other blotches of unknown origin.

"There we go." He said softly to himself, pulling his hands out from inside the mech, and bringing a small, pistol shaped welder out with them. His faceplate mask then faded from solid black to a dull burgundy, as the blinding flurry of sparks ceased.

From the stool he sat on, he swiveled around towards his work table, and began sifting through the mound of tools, and parts littered across the top. He dug through wiring and circuit boards, and scattered surplus mech parts around, accidentally knocking a helmet shaped mech head to the floor with a loud slam, as he foraged through his clutter.

Finally finding what he sought, he selectively took a small, square device from the table. It seemed to resemble a silvery card, or circuit board, with a series of connector pins running along its edge, and three small wires attached to its base.

With the device in hand, the veiled machinist then turned back towards his cybernetic project - using careful finesse, he slid it into the mech's spine, and began making the proper connections.

"Leahr'Haan!" An abrasive, yet somewhat diminutive male voice unexpectedly demanded, as the quarian's arm suddenly lit up with his omni-tool, causing him a slightly startled jump.

Breathing a quick sigh, he pulled his hands away from his interrupted task, leaving two of the three wires hanging freely.

"Yeah, I'm here..." The quarian acknowledged indifferently, as he brought his orange glowing forearm up to his flashing mouth piece. "What is it, Tarrik...?"

"Are my mechs finished?" The nasally voice on the other end inquired.

"Yeah, almost..." Leahr'Haan said, as he swiveled around on his stool, and reclined back on his work table, looking out at the rows of machines. "I was just about to finish installing the circuit bypass module on the last one before you called. Then all I need to do is debug their subroutines, and make sure the new configurations took. Shouldn't take more than three or four days, tops."

"You've got twelve hours. We're loading the ship at daybreak tomorrow morning."

"Twelve hours?!" Leahr'Haan shouted with an angry gasp, as he bolted up from his stool, knocking it over. "W-What do you mean twelve hours?! I can't work with that kind of time frame. I still need to test them! I haven't even programmed the YMIR yet, and it'll be at least another two days before I can..."

"Leahr! Leahr, my boy. Calm down..." The voice from his omni-tool urged with a deep, pronounced breath, interrupting Leahr'Haan, as he paced around in a severe state of nervous agitation. "I've got total faith in you. You can do this... And you will." Tarrik asserted.

Leahr'Haan let his arms drop to his side, and drew his head back - looking up towards the ceiling as he sighed and let his shoulders dangle freely for a moment, before bringing his hologram covered arm back to his face.

"But why...?" He questioned in a defeated tone. "I thought we weren't doing this until sometime next month..."

"Think about it, Leahr..." Tarrik's voice replied condescendingly.  "Every Citadel and Alliance patrol cruiser, and detachment has been called back to aid with either the relief effort on Earth, or with resettling the Citadel. The timing for this couldn't be more ideal if we'd planned it!"

"My plan was brilliant before... Now it's full proof." Tarrik continued, reveling in his own arrogance, as Leahr furrowed his brow in confusion, under his faceplate.

"Wait..." The addled quarian replied. "What happened on Earth? What happened on the Citadel...?"

"Hah!" Tarrik let forth a snide chuckle, accompanied by a pronounced breath. "Leahr, you've gotta learn to get out of the workshop more often... Hehe."

The quarian rolled his glinting eyes beneath his faceplate. "Well it's not like I can do that now, can I...?"

"Good point." Tarrik's voice agreed. "But don't worry about it. Just think, within forty-eight hours you'll have more credits than you'll know what to do with. Then again... You could always go back to that life of indentured servitude, where I found you."

Leahr leaned against his work table with his head hung low, as the heavy breathing voice berated him through his omni-tool.

"Eating paste in a shelter somewhere. Digging through refuse to find little knick knacks to take back to that floating scrap heap you call a fleet."

"Enough." Leahr'Haan affirmed angrily, as he brought his arm up to his mask. "You'll have your mechs... But don't insult my people..."

"Excellent." Tarrik replied eagerly. "The ship's name is the Carmenta Illustria. It left port this morning. Kargas and his men are ready. And Kim and his sleepers were notified before its departure."

"Fine... Great..." Learh replied, less than enthusiastic, and clearly annoyed, as he bent down to pick up his stool, and set it up right. "But if you'll excuse me... I've got a lot of work to do."

"That's what I love about you, Learh!" Tarrik declared with a heavy hint of sarcasm, causing the quarian to sneer a bit under his mask, as he sat back down and dug his hands back into the nearby mech's spine. "Always so diligent with your work. And relax... There's nothin' to worry about. I got this all figured out..."

---

Carmenta Illustria... The grand, auspicious words seemed to almost jump right off of the gleaming, silver hull they were painted on, as it drifted through space. The name itself rang with elegance, luxury, and grandeur. Like some ancient, exotic goddess born unto the stars... Her name whispered by the cosmos themselves, and resounding for all eternity... Carmenta Illustria...

The gem of Citadel Space they call her. Flagship of Lycuna's Cruise Liners. A modern marvel of Asari engineering, and galaxy wide refinement, rivaling any dreadnought with its magnificent size.

The ship itself looked almost sea fairing – like the vessels that would take to the seas on Earth, perhaps merely for aesthetic purposes. The top half of the ship was speckled with lights and dark spots, marking the various windows, port holes, corridors, and observation decks. Two massive thrusters on either side of the vessel's hull accounted for its primary mode of propulsion. Accompanied by a pair of smaller twin engines at the stern of the ship, and one small one on the underbelly of its hull.

A decorative dorsal fin adorned the roof of the ship. And the bow was painted with diagonal stripes, in vibrant shades of blue and orange – Lycuna's trademark signature for the ships in their luxury fleet. And on the starboard side of the vessel, near the bow, the black silhouette of a seductive figured Asari, sitting in a provocative pose, graced the hull directly beneath the ship's printed, majestic name... Carmenta Illustria...

***

Blinding beams of light blazed across the smoke filled room... Or fog filled room, rather. Beams of every color of the perceivable spectrum shone, and danced around in perfect synchronous harmony with the thriving rhythm of the blaring music.

A blanket of fog covered the floor, as patrons of every race and walk of life moved their bodies to the rushing beat - kicking up smoke as they glided around the dark, strobing room. The easiest to pick out were the luminescent bodied Hanar, shining as they wiggled around the dance floor.  

It was a room without walls, at least none that were readily discernible. Instead, theater like screens exhibiting a plethora of upbeat, electrifying scenery, encompassed most of the club. Everything from rich, abstract imagery, to the intense visage of fast dancing, flexible Asari.

A heavy beat... A fast rhythm... Adrenaline surges... Endorphins flare... A kaleidoscope of bright lights, colorful lasers, and vivid holograms sway and cavort through the air. And at the center of the room, a lone synthetic amidst a sea of organics dominates the dance floor!

"Wooo! You go, mean machine!" Yeoman Kelly Chambers shouted over the music, as she danced near Legion, donned in a tight, thigh cut, black leather outfit.

Too busy to actually placate her with a response, Legion simply kept motoring around the dance floor. His feet glided, his arms waved, and he flowed across the club in a very mechanical, yet smooth fashion. Liquid metal in its purest form.

"Wow...! I never knew Geth were such great dancers!" A human woman in a backless, red top, and high cut skirt shouted to Kelly, as they all continued to dance.  

"This one is!" Kelly answered, as she swung herself around, throwing her hands up over her head, to the beat of the music. "You should see 'em tear up the clubs on the Citadel!"

The woman smiled, and casually began dancing her way over towards Legion, as the high tempo beat crescendoed.

"Hi!" The scarlet bloused woman eagerly yelled out over the music, as Legion twirled around – his bright, optic sensor coming to shine upon her.

"What's your name?" She asked with a sly smile, causing a few mechanical components within the geth's head to motor back in forth in befuddlement.

---

As Legion found himself in an unprecedented flirtatious confrontation, elsewhere the sun's gentle rays beamed down from above, bathing the Lido deck of the ship in its warming glow. Puffy white clouds drifted ever so slowly, against a clear blue sky. And palm trees, and other exotic, alien flora swayed back and forth against the gentle breeze of the wind.

The simulation was perfect. A warm summer day, on an exotic beach somewhere. Of course the sunlight was generated by a massive, glowing lamp that hung suspended over the Lido deck's main pool. And the clouds, and the trees were nothing more than a convincing projection encompassing the deck, as soothing sounds of the wind, and the tide washing ashore played from cleverly hidden speakers.

Still, it was as close as one could possibly get to the real thing, while drifting through space on the most luxurious barge in the galaxy, without actually being there.

"Yep... Yep, yep..." Joker remarked arrogantly, sitting at a small bar, sipping a cocktail, as three voluptuous figured women sat around him, enthralled. "So anyway, that's how I was able to stop the Reapers... Wasn't easy... Broke my collar bone in the process." He said, as he pointed at the thick, metallic brace around his neck, attached to two metallic supports draped across his shoulders. "But that's the price you pay for bein' a hero..."

Joker sat, leaning with his back against the bar, wearing a light gray tank-top, a dark blue pair of trunks, a pair of black rubber sandals, and all the while still donned in his black and white SR-2 uniform cap. The three curvacious women sat on either side of him, completely captivated. A dark skin brunette, with short, curly hair, in a tight fitting, black, one-piece bathing suit. A light blue skinned Asari, with pink markings over her fringes, in a pink bikini. And a fair skinned, human blonde, in a red bikini, twirling her long hair into curls, with her fingers, as they continued to listen to the helmsman spin his tall tale.

"Commander Shepard gets most of the credit, I know..." He brashly continued. "He tends to be the Alliance's poster boy. And I let 'em. I don't mind... But if you're gonna defeat a fleet of Reapers... It takes a REAL ship in the hands of a REAL pilot. Hmph... That's where this guy comes in..." He asserted, as he pointed a confident pair of thumbs at himself.

As Joker continued to proudly regale his newfound lady friends with exaggerated stories, a shirtless, muscular, Jacob strutted through the lounging area around the pool, watchfully.

He wore a pair of black swim trunks, with an orange and white stripe running down each leg. And his arms swung freely at his sides, despite a layered bandage wrapped around the rounded corner of his left shoulder.

The pool itself was quite considerable. A round pool, about half a football field's length in diameter. On one end, three diving boards, each taller than the last, allowed jumpers to showcase their moves... skillful or otherwise. And on the other end, a towering silly straw of a water slide, looped, swooped, and spiraled – allowing children, and the more playful adults to crash into the water with a splash.

A collage of lifeforms relaxed by the pool, and took to the water, as Jacob spotted an empty lounge chair beside an enticing opportunity.

With a slick grin, and a confident look, he casually strolled over to her. A curvacious redhead - her tanned skin glistening in the artificial sun, after a refreshing swim.

"Well......" Jacob began in a very smooth tone of voice, sliding himself on his side, onto the empty lounge chair. "Look at this..."

The woman turned her head ever so slightly to look at Jacob; a less than impressed expression on her face.

"You know, I don't normally approach women like this... Heavy risk..." Jacob rolled the words off his tongue, as his eyes floated over her body, from top to bottom. "But the prize...."

"Ugh..." The woman scoffed, as she sneered her lips, and looked away, shunning the not so smooth operator. "In your dreams buddy..."

"In my dreams?!" Jacob demanded, somewhat stunned at his rejection, as he sat up.

"You know what. Scratch that... Not EVEN in your dreams..."

"Not eve... Bu... Wha... " Jacob stuttered in wide eyed shock, as he attempted to comprehend the inconceivable turn of events that just transpired.

"No, not even in YOUR dreams, lady!" Jacob exclaimed, as he shot to his feet, causing the woman to simply roll her eyes indifferently. "You ain't exactly no super model, you know..."

"Yeah, whatever..." The young woman remarked sarcastically, shooing Jacob away with a delicate hand. "Just keep walkin' Mr. Risky Prize..."

"Shit... Didn't fight the damn Reapers... Ain't tell me to keep walkin'... This is Jacob Taylor you're talkin' too...!" He grumbled angrily to himself, as he walked away in a huff, towards the pool, where a hefty krogan knelt at the edge, dunking his head into the water.

"I been out in space too long, I'm losin' my touch..." He continued to mutter to himself, as he came up to Grunt, who was wearing some sort of casual, dark blue, and white, krogan fitted, padded nylon outfit – contrasting greatly to the bulky, silvery armor he normally wore.

"And what the hell are you doin'?!" He demanded, angrily shaking his arms, as he watched the krogan clutch the edge of the pool with his hands, submerging his head, and waving it around rapidly.  

As Grunt heard Jacob's muffled exclamation, he yanked his dripping wet head out, and  turned to look up at his irate fellow crew member.

"Argh..." Grunt growled, with a mixture of anger, and frustration. "I'm uh... I'm fishing..."

"Fishing...!?" Jacob beckoned, with a surprised laugh. "Okay, two things..." He said, holding a pair of fingers up to Grunt. "First... There's gotta be like fifty restaurants on this thing... And this is an all inclusive cruise, so you can eat all you want. Which... For you, I can imagine... Yeah..."

Jacob shrugged his shoulders, as he rolled his eyes, and continued. "And two... It's a pool! Not a lake... There's no fish in that water... Not unless you count the jellies..." He said, as he looked out into the pool, at the flowing tentacled Hanar.

"Bah...!" Grunt bellowed, as he stood up, shaking his head. "I saw the... clouds, and the sun... and the trees... I thought there might be fish... I'm tired of being fed! I want to fish... To hunt!" He exclaimed with a passion, as he shook two clenched fists out in front of him.

"I've had many great battles... But I was tank-bred... I've never known what it's like to stalk my own prey..."

"Yeah, well... We're gonna be on this ship a while, so get used to it..." Jacob replied, crossing his arms, and shrugging his shoulders.

"Grrrr.... My kind was not meant to wallow in this pit of soft, overfed, weaklings!" Grunt shouted, as he turned and began pacing around restlessly, with his fists in the air. "I am a warrior! I am Kro-Whoa!!"

The slippery edge of the pool suddenly took Grunt's feet right out from under him, as he paced around in a huff, sending him slamming hump first onto the floor, before rolling into the water with a massive splash.

"Puhhh! Ugh!!!" The krogan griped angrily, spewing water out of his mouth, as his thick, scaly head emerged.

"Victor!" A small human boy yelled out, blindly wading through the water nearby, as a small salarian child swam away, and took refuge behind Grunt.

"Manswell!" The adolescent salarian replied, sticking his head out from behind Grunt, then quickly popping back in.

"Vict... Huh...?" The brown haired little boy quickly opened his eyes, as he swam into something big, and firm – finding the hefty krogan in his path, looking down at him with mild annoyance.

"Uh... H-Hi, Mister..."

Grunt snorted and sneered a bit, as he lowered his head down to the child's level. "Do you hunt the other whelping?" He questioned, as he turned and looked at the small salarian, who looked on with a nervous smile - gliding his hands back and forth below the surface of the water, and kicking his feet to stay afloat.

"Uhm... Sorta..." The little boy responded timidly.

"Don't you know that a hunter is supposed to keep his senses keen? That means eyes open!" Grunt declared, a tad bit irate, as the small salarian swam over to his human friend -  the two now floating alongside each other.

"Well, it's supposed to be a game..." The brown haired little boy answered. "Kinda like tag..."

"A game?"

"Yeah, you wanna play with us, Mister?" The tiny salarian replied eagerly. "It's a really fun human game, and it's real easy!"

"Grrr... I am a krogan..." Grunt grumbled a bit as he turned away, before turning back, put off by the idea, yet mysteriously intrigued. "Krogan's don't play games... We train... We hunt...!"

"Well, why not just try it?" The little human boy innocently beckoned. "You might like it. It's... kinda like hunting...?" He said questioningly, with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Yeah! And it's waaay funner with more people!" The salarian child eagerly added. "Here, we'll teach ya. See like, one person is 'it'. And they gotta find you. So every time they yell out 'Victor', you gotta yell out 'Manswell'. And you try to swim away without getting caught! If they catch you, then you become 'it'. And if you think they're trying to climb outta the water, you can yell 'Fish outta water!' and they'll become it too."

"Fish?!" Grunt exclaimed excitedly. "So there ARE fish in this water?!" He shouted, as he peered through the surface, and sifted through the water with his hands.

"Uh, no... It's just part of the game, see?" The young salarian informed. "Look, it's easy. Danny'll be 'it'. And we'll try to get away from him. Every time he yells 'Victor', we yell 'Manswell'. And he'll try to catch us. Easy, right?"

Without answering, Grunt simply groaned a little under his breath, as his eyes rolled upward, although he didn't actually turn down the invitation to the boys' game.

"Kay, here we go. Ready?" Danny asked, closing his eyes, as his little salarian friend swam a few feet away.

"Ready!" The salarian child shouted.

The disgruntled krogan didn't bother to offer up any sort of response, acknowledging or otherwise. He simply stood there, shoulder deep in the shallow end of the pool, with a sour expression on his face.

"Victor!"

"Manswell!" The young salarian replied, as he zig zagged around the shallow water.

"MANSWELL!!!!!" Grunt let forth a mighty, bellowing roar in response, rippling the water in tiny waves around him, and causing little Danny to open his eyes wide, with a horrified look on his face.

When it was over, Danny began to let out a faint series of muffled, whelping sounds as his chin began to quiver. Just then, he clenched his little eyes shut, beginning to whimper and cry, as he quickly turned and swam away towards his friend.

"What?!" Grunt demanded, as he watched the weepy little boy swim away. "What's the matter with you? Isn't that the way you said this childish game is played?!"

"Mom!" Danny's salarian friend yelled out, as they quickly paddled away towards the side of the pool more populated with adults. "That mean krogan man made Danny cry!"

"Hahahahaha!" Grunt turned to find Jacob cackling tumultuously, with one arm across his ribs, as he pointed down at the krogan.

"Way to go, Grunt! Ahahaha!" Jacob continued, still laughing uncontrollably. "You really got a way with kids! Hey, did the water get any warmer? Hahahahaha!!!"

"Argh..." Grunt griped to himself, as he slowly let himself sink beneath the water.

As Jacob continued to shake his head, hunched over in stitches, a familiar Salarian Scientist made his way across the Lido Deck, towards the pool.

Jacob's laughter slowly began to dwindle, as he looked up, with a big grin on his face, trying to catch his breath. That's when he unexpectedly caught sight of the Normandy's Science Officer, bringing a sudden, somewhat stunned countenance to his expression.

A pasty, pale skinned stick figure, with darker brown patches running down his back - Mordin strolled along casually, not showing the slightest sign of bashfulness, as he wore nothing but a tight fitting pair of black swim briefs, comparable to the size of a dinner napkin...

"Wow..." Jacob said to himself, in wide eyed shock at the speedo sporting Mordin, before clenching his eyes shut, and pressing his palm against his forehead. "I did not need to see that..."

---

Thick, curved windows, making up half of the outside wall, and most of the ceiling, housed the lavish, wide open corridor – showcasing a breathtaking panoramic view of the stars streaking by outside.

On the inside wall, hung beautiful works of art, illuminated by small lamps suspended overhead. Paintings of the abstract, or sunsets, and exotic landscapes. A majestic, blue spotted, four eyed creature, not unlike the horses from Earth, grazed serenely in a field of violet, wheat-like stalks.

Large, odd-shaped sculptures of metal and stone graced the black carpeted floor of the silvery corridor, intermittently. Along with small tables topped with colorful flora from across the galaxy.

"Or we could go dancing! Or swimming! Or maybe take in a show!" Tali exclaimed excitedly, as she walked briskly through the hallway, with her hands clasped in front of her, dragging a grinning Shepard in tow, as he struggled to keep up.

The enthusiastic quarian was dressed in her usual apparel. The same lavender colored veil, and enviro-suit that she usually wore. The only difference now being her lack of tools and armaments. No knife strapped to her ankle, no shotgun across her back, and no belt of utilities and implements around her waist.

Although the Commander shared her lack of ordnance, he on the other hand, was dressed uncharacteristically casual. In contrast to the dark gray and red N7 armor he normally wore, or the gray, black, and white Cerberus uniform he'd don between missions; he was dressed in a black felt jacket, worn over a dark gray shirt, and black pants leading down to his black, leather shoes.

"Or we could go down to the casinos! I used to love to play Quasar on the Citadel!"

"Tali, slow down!" Shepard said with a cheerful, yet exasperated laugh, as he grabbed her by the waist, and held on. "We've got nine days... We can do anything we want. We don't have to do it all on the first day."

She giggled a bit, placing her hands over his, around her stomach, as they rocked back and forth to a slow stop. When they did stop, still wrapped in his arms, she slowly turned herself around to face him, draping her hands on his shoulders.

"Can you blame me?" She questioned, her moon beam eyes glistening from behind her mask, as the tip of their foreheads met. "The Reapers are finally dead, and we're on a luxury cruise together. I'm a little... excited..." She said, as the two laughed, and held each other, while people walked past them back and forth, too engrossed in art appreciation to notice the couple.

"You know... I did bring my immuno-boosters. We could always just go back to the room..." She suggested in a hushed tone, as she softly stroked his shoulders.

"Mmm..." Shepard sighed a bit, finding the enticing notion hard to resist. "Let's wait a bit..." He answered, looking down at her with a warm smile. "I've got something very special planned, that we'll wanna celebrate..."

"Ooh, something special?" She beckoned, as a burly, uniformed man approached them, from the direction they were headed.

"Mmm-hmm..." Shepard replied, with a nod and a smile.

"What is it?"

"No, no... I'm not telling." He said, playfully turning his head, and looking away, with an exaggerated smug look on his face. "It's a surprise."

"Come on... Tell me!" Tali continued to plead playfully, as the uniformed figure reached them.

"Nope..."

"Tell me! Please...!"

"Ahem, Commander Shepard?" A deep ringing voice called out, interrupting the two engaged in playful banter.

Tali quickly turned, and stepped aside, revealing the decorated officer before them, as she came to stand beside Shepard.

He was a heavy set man, in his early to mid sixties. He had bushy eyebrows, and a short, brown, salt and pepper beard covering most of his chin line. He wore a black brimmed white naval cap, and a pristine white uniform, with nary the slightest blemish. It was lined with sterling golden bands, and four gleaming golden buttons running down his chest. And draped across his shoulders were twin, black epaulettes, each marked with a gleaming star, and four golden bands.

"Excuse me, I didn't mean to interrupt anything..." The man began with a hospitable grin, and a cheerful demeanor. "I'm Arthur Ryback, Captain of the Illustria." He informed, as he extended a hand towards the Commander.

"Oh, Captain!" Shepard replied, mildly surprised, as he quickly reciprocated the gesture, and the two shared a hearty handshake. "This is quite an unexpected surprise. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, no..." Ryback replied, chuckling under his breath, as he shook his head. "No, believe me Commander, the pleasure, the privilege, and the honor is all mine. When my cruise director told me that THEE Commander Shepard was on board my ship, I just had to come and meet you personally."

"Well I'm flattered, Captain." Shepard said cordially, as the two released hands.

"This is my girlfriend, Tali'Zorah." He announced, as he placed an arm around her back, and introduced her. "My better half. She's been an indispensable member of my crew, and more, since before the Battle  of the Citadel."

"An honor to meet you, Captain." Tali said, as she extended her own hand, and bowed slightly.

"As I said before, ma'am..." Ryback answered, reaching out for Tali's three fingered hand, grasping it, and gently turning it palm side down. "The honor... is mine..." With one hand tucked behind his back in a refined fashion, he slowly hunched over, and lightly kissed the back of Tali's hand.

"Oh..." Tali said in a mildly shy tone of voice, as the Captain released her hand, and stood back up. "Why... Thank you."

"This is a fine ship, Captain. A real marvel..." Shepard began, with his arm still around Tali, as passengers continued to walk past them, to and fro. "Although, I must say, if you'll excuse me, but it's somewhat surprising to see a human Captain on an asari owned cruise ship."

"Ah, yes..." The Captain said with a light sigh, as he nodded with his eyes closed. "I'm actually one of only two human Captains working for the Lycuna Cruise Line. A fact that I'm very proud of. I'm a former Alliance Navy man myself. Retired from active duty. And I suppose my service record went a long way in getting me this job..."

"I've been the Captain of the Illustria since it's maiden voyage..." Ryback continued, with a bit of lament in his voice. "She's been the finest ship in Lycuna's luxury fleet for nearly thirteen years now... The gem of Citadel Space... She'll be retiring in a couple of years, and I along with her..."

"Well, it's a fine vessel you command, Captain." Shepard assured, as he noticed a blue and black uniformed security officer walk by, with a heavy looking gun belt around his waist. "I'm sure she'll be true to the end."

"And I've noticed there's an awful lot of security on-board..." He continued, as the officer proceeded on, out of earshot. "More than I'd expect to see on a recreational cruise... Although this IS my first one..."

"Heh... Yeah, we get that sometimes..." Ryback responded, shrugging his shoulders with a laugh. "What you have to realize Commander, is we cater to some of the richest, most powerful people in the galaxy. The crème de la crème of galactic society. We've even had members of the Council book passage with us. The thing is many of our passengers bring their indentured servants along..."

Shepard nodded his head, with his teeth clenched, as he began to understand, though never having liked the concept of indentured servitude.

"Some courts across the galaxy actually enforce indentured servitude as a sentence for minor crimes such as theft, and vandalism, in lieu of jail time. That's where there can be a problem... But incidents are rare." The Captain continued to explain.

"Also, as with any vessel, there's always the possibility of attack by pirates or raiders. But that's unlikely in these parts. We don't travel beyond the confines of Citadel Space. And if anything like that WERE to ever happen, we've got the best private security force in the known galaxy. Commander Andrew Kim, my head of security, has been with me since the maiden voyage, and he runs a tight outfit."

"So yes, the heavy security may seem like a bit much, but necessary so that you and your lovely lady can enjoy the most relaxing, worry free vacation of your lives." The Captain declared with a wink and a confident grin.

"Well, thank you Captain." Tali replied cheerfully. "That's very reassuring."

"It sure is..." Shepard added.

"Which reminds me of why I came to find you in the first place..." Ryback continued, as he waved a finger at Shepard. "Are there other members of your team on board?"

"...Yeah." Shepard answered after a very brief silence. "Most of my crew is on-board."

"Whew..." Ryback let forth a sharp whistle, with a wide eyed expression. "Well that must've cost a small fortune."

"A large one actually... Luckily I'm not the one paying for it." Shepard affirmed with a snicker.

"Well Commander Shepard..." Captain Ryback continued, standing up straight, and placing one hand firmly behind his back. "I'd like to humbly invite you and your team to dine at the Captain's Table, in the main dinning hall this evening, on the Mezzanine Deck."

John and Tali stopped and looked at each other for a moment, as a small grin simultaneously crept in on each of their faces, before they turned back to face the Captain.

"We'd be delighted, Captain..." Shepard assured, gratefully.

"Splendid!" Ryback exclaimed, with a firm nod.  "Then I'll see you this evening." He said as he extended a friendly hand towards Shepard, who gladly returned the gesture."I look forward to meeting your team, and hearing the incredible tale of how you were able to stop that fleet of monsters."

---

Even though the room was dimly lit, it still radiated elegance. Just by a mere glance, one could tell that it was one of the finer luxury suites on-board. Elegant, hand-painted cream colored wallpaper canvased the rooms, accented by exquisite, hand-carved wood molding.

Thick, ivory colored pillars, in the winding, twisting shape of a rope, wrapped in golden bands, stretched from the floor to the ceiling of every corner of the room.

A beautiful chandelier, with thousands of fine cut, glass droplets chimed with a soft melody, as it lightly swayed in the air conditioner's gentle breeze, over the main sitting area.

The gold lined, arch shaped doorways were each adorned with dark brown, shimmering, silk curtains, wrapped in a golden tassel.

And on the king sized bed, beneath the oval shaped skylight exhibiting the streaking stars outside, a physicist, and an operative laying together began to stir...

"...Good morning..." Miranda said in a soft, tender tone, with her head resting on Gordon's shoulder, and her arm draped across his chest.

They laid nuzzled closely together in the center of the large bed, with a smooth, dark brown, silk sheet draped over them, up to their bare shoulders.

"Mmm... Is it morning?" Gordon asked in a bit of a groggy voice, as he stretched himself out a bit, and drew his arm around Miranda's back and shoulder.

"Well, it is somewhere..." She said with a titter.

The long strands of her silky, perfumed, black hair blanketed half her pillow, and most of his shoulder, as they cuddled together. Gordon held an uncharacteristically wide grin on his face, as he relaxed with his eyes closed, gently caressing her shoulders, with his black-rimmed glasses no where to be found.

"You know, it's incredible..." Gordon uttered in a tone slightly more than a whisper, as he opened his eyes, and starred at the ceiling.

"hmm, what is?"

"It's just..." Gordon paused for a moment, as he began. "Well, I can hardly believe it... For the first time, since I can remember... There's no danger, no war... No... No looming threat, or... impending battle... There's just..." Gordon shifted his head on the pillow, and gazed into Miranda's dusky hue swept eyes. "Just you and me... Here... now..."

"Hmhmhm..." Miranda giggled a bit under her breath, as she sat up a bit, and leaned over, across Gordon.

"Are you afraid you're going to wake up any minute?" She asked, before quickly pressing her lips against his.

"Hehehe..." Gordon laughed a bit, as she kept her forehead, and nose pressed against his. "Well I would..." He said, as his lips became occupied with another quick kiss. "But my dreams..." He continued, before receiving another. "Are never this good..." And another.

"Mmm... Better than a dream, huh?" Miranda said, as she laid herself back down beside him.

"You could say that..." Gordon uttered with a sly smile.

"Well, we've got nine days all to ourselves..." She declared, in a seductive tone, as she began doodling little circles on Gordon's chest, with her finger. "What do you wanna do now...?"

---

"Awww that's it... Oh, that fe... Oh! Ooh! L-Lower, lower... Yeah... Yeah, right there... Mmm... that feel's so good..."

"You're so tense!" An asari masseuse declared, as she ran her hands down Garrus' back in a firm, yet delicate manner. "I've never worked on such tight knots..."

Garrus relaxed on a long, padded table, resting his head sideways on his crossed arms, as he was gently rocked back and forth. He was covered from his waist, down to his ankles with a long, white towel, as the masseuse worked her hands over his thick skin, and around his gaunt build.

The Asari wore white pants, and a plain, blue uniform shirt with a name tag that read: Nelyna. She had dark blue skin, which was somewhat lighter over her face, and white stripes running along the fringes of her head.

The scent of lavender, vanilla, and other foreign, yet enchanting aroma's wafted through the air – likely from the assortment of candles on the shelves around the room. Gentle music played from a hidden speaker, somewhere – accompanied by the soothing sounds of running water from the small fountain in the corner.

"Mmm... That's what happens when you're part of the team that took down the Reapers..." Garrus replied in a voice mired by a series of delighted groans, as Nelyna rubbed the softer flesh around his neck, within the boney brim surrounding the turian's shoulders.

"That's such an amazing story..." She declared with great admiration, as she continued her work. "I never would've believed it if I hadn't seen you in the news vids myself..."

"Ye... oooh! Ahhh... Yeah, it was rough, but we pulled it off..." Garrus continued, still groaning pleasurably at the Asari's soothing touch. "But enough about me... Why don't you tell me a little about yourself..."

"Well, there's not much to tell, really..." Nelyna explained, as she continued to sensually dig her fingers into the Turian's thick tissue. "I used to work for the consort on the Citadel, before I started here."

"You used to work for Sha'ira?" Garrus asked, a bit surprised as he raised his head off the table slightly.

"Yes. I was one of her acolytes." Nelyna continued. "Each of us possessed unique abilities so as to fulfill the needs of her clients. Some soothed with song, and others with conversation. My specialty has always been touch..." Nelyna smiled – reminiscing, as she continued to rub down the turian.

"My fingertips can find every tension point in your body... And relieve it."

"Mmmmm.... And how...." Garrus uttered in a state of euphoric bliss.

"So anyway..." Nelyna started again, as her adept fingers began working Garrus' lower back. "When scandals started surfacing about Sha'ira, it became harder and harder for her to keep her client list.. People used to have to book months in advance just to see her... But it got to the point that she wouldn't have any appointments for days at a time..."

"So..." She said with a hefty sigh under her breath. "When she closed up shop, I found myself looking for a new career... Luckily, I had managed to gather a wealth of references, and well... Here I am..."

"Ahhh..." Garrus sighed contently, as his tensions melted away. "Uh-ell, do you like it here?"

"Oh, I love it here!" Nelyna answered cheerfully. "Sure, there are things I miss about working with the Consort, but here I get to travel the galaxy, and see a lot of fascinating places. Plus, many of the clients I meet here are people I tended to on the Citadel..."

"Well you sure are good with your hands, Nelyna..." Garrus slurred a bit, nearly drifting off into peaceful sleep. "I tell you, I could stay here all day..."

"Aw, well unfortunately my shift is just about up..." She replied, as a light series of muffled thuds could be heard, steadily growing louder.

"But Xernac can take over for me, he should be here any minute." Nelyna continued - the thud's steadily growing louder as Garrus suddenly opened wide, his eyes. "In fact, I think I hear him coming now..."

"Uh... Who's Xernac?"

No sooner had he asked, than the metallic door to the massage parlor breezed open, and in he walked with a thundering set of footsteps.

"Delighted Greeting. Nelyna. How good it is to see you..." A massive Elcor declared in a monotonous voice, as he walked in, wearing an Elcor variant of the blue and white uniform the Asari was wearing, draped across his back.  

"Uhh...." The wide eyed Garrus simply laid there with his mouth agape.

"Hi, Xernac!" Nelyna exclaimed gleefully, as she continued to rub his back. "This is Garrus. I'm just about finished with him, but he wants to continue his massage treatment."

"Uhh...."

"Jovial Greeting. It is a pleasure to meet you, Garrus." The hefty Elcor declared, as he walked past the massage table. "Sincere eagerness. I will be with you in just a moment." He said, as he stomped into a back room.  

"Well, I think that about does it." Nelyna assured, as she pulled her hands away.

"Uh, w-wai-wait a minute, you're leaving?!" Garrus beckoned nervously, as he lifted his head, and pushed himself away from the table.

"Yeah, my shift is up. But don't worry, Xernac is fantastic!" The Asari declared, as she opened a nearby closet door to grab a thin coat on a hook. "You're in very good hands... Or feet... Or whatever, hehehe!" She giggled, with a shrug of her shoulders, as turned back towards Garrus.

"...Yeah, but..."

Just then, the omni-tool on Garrus' forearm lit up, with an abrupt pair of beeps, indicating an incoming call. Garrus sat himself up on the table, draping the towel around his waist, as he raised his arm up.

"Garrus?" Shepard's voice resonated from the bright orange hologram, as Xernac clomped back into the room. And as he stepped out, he and Nelyna stopped and shared a brief word in passing, as she headed towards the door.

"Yeah, Shepard. I'm here."

"Hey, I just wanted to let you know that we've been invited to dinner at the Captain's table this evening." Shepard's voice informed. "Eight p.m. sharp, standard Lycuna time, in the ship's main dinning hall."

"Oh!" Garrus exclaimed, as a relieved grin crept in on his face. "Yeah, sure! Thanks for telling me. I'll be there!"

"Alright, see you then." Shepard replied, as the hologram faded from Garrus' arm.

"Well..." Garrus began, with a forced, fraudulent disappointment in his voice, as he turned towards Xernac. "Wouldn't you know it, dash it all, I'm gonna have to take a rain check... You know, duty calls,  important people to meet, and whatnot..."

"With disappointment. That is a shame..." The humdrum Xernac replied, as Garrus popped off the table, firmly wrapping the towel around his waist, and tucking the ends into each other. "But feel free to come back any time... We are always happy to serve you..."

"Uh... Yeah, you bet!" Garrus remarked awkwardly, as he quickly grabbed his folded garments out of the bin at the end of the table, and quickly made for the door without a second thought.

---

"Alright. We'll be there, Commander. Thank you" Miranda spoke into her illuminated omni-tool, as she sat up on the bed beside Gordon.

"Well..." Gordon began with a slightly dwindled smile, as her omni-tool disappeared. "So much for a nice evening alone together..."

"Yeah..." Miranda concurred with a defeated sigh, as she clenched her lips a bit. "Although..." She turned to Gordon, with a 'come on' look in her eyes. "We do have a little time before dinner..."

"Yeah...?" The intrigued physicist asked, as the slick grin on his face grew.

"Mmhmm..." Miranda assured, alluringly.

There was a brief silence between the two, as they simply stared at one another for a moment. Just then, all of a sudden, they tossed themselves back down on the bed, got close, and flung the brown silk sheets over their heads, as Miranda giggled lightly from underneath.