A Second Chance

Chapter 13

the Citadel

The mysterious assassin had escaped. No sooner had Shepard and her team finished off the rest of the Cerberus forces deployed throughout the Presidium and the Citadel's C-Sec, than Commander Bailey ordered his troops to restore order and count casualties. In the adrenaline of the moment, lashing out at every damned indoctrinated Cerberus soldier that crossed her path like someone doing a thorough house cleaning, Shepard still failed to register what had just occurred. This had been a full-fledged coup attempt, and Udina had been the number one instigator. Cerberus had managed to bury its dirty claws in the Citadel council.

The encounter with the corrupt councilor himself had almost ended in tragedy. For a second, with Ashley's gun barrel pointed at her, Shepard had seriously considered taking down her former comrade if it meant stopping Udina at any cost. The Cerberus conspiracy had worked so well, to the point of making her and her team look like the supposed executioners of the council. It took all her diplomatic power, and a titanic dose of calm in the midst of the chaos, to convince Ashley to put the gun down and in turn, to target the real culprit: Udina.

All this had happened in front of the disbelieving eyes of the turian and the asari councilors. Cerberus had tried to kill them all and take over the Citadel, the largest and oldest interspecies seat of political power in the galaxy. The Illusive Man was so power-hungry that he had become as dangerous as, if not more so than, the Reapers themselves.

Only when they were certain that Cerberus had been successfully removed from the Citadel did Commander Bailey and Shepard meet in his office at the Embassies and discuss the situation. He too had been shot in the abdomen. Shepard reprimanded him by ordering him to get medical attention, but the Commander was as stubborn as she was, if not more so. He tersely explained that the dose of medi-gel he had applied was enough to ease the pain and allow him to work, as there was much to be done.

And it was then that Shepard remembered. Thane. Bailey seemed to notice how the color left her face.

"The drell is in intensive care at Huerta Memorial, if you'd like to stop by and see him," the C-Sec Commander mentioned casually.

Shepard excused herself and ran to the elevator.

Arriving at the hospital, she entered the main corridor and peered into each room through the windows. In one of them she spotted Kolyat, who seemed to be praying with his hands clasped against his chest and looking somber. A wave of terror ran through her like an electric shock. She was approaching the door when a human doctor interrupted her path and asked if he could assist her.

"I'm looking for a drell, he's a stable patient here," Shepard managed to say with as much control as she could muster, fighting not to show the visceral fear through her voice.

The doctor looked up from his tablet.

"A drell named Tannor Nuara has just been admitted for a stab wound to the abdomen."

"I need to see him," Shepard said, and approached the door.

"If you're not a direct family member, I'm afraid I can't let you do that. The patient has just come out of surgery and needs to rest."

"I'm a Spectre. Commander Shepard of the Alliance. Now, if you'll excuse me."

The doctor had no choice but to step aside as Shepard headed straight for the chamber door.

As she entered, Kolyat turned to face her and seemed surprised by her visit. The doctor was right, Thane was unconscious on the stretcher. He had a pair of saline catheters inserted in his arms and neck, and another one in his nose. The vigorous green of his scaly skin had lost its intensity. His chest barely moved with his inaudible breathing.