If It Meant Living: Mass Effect 2

20: Garrus

 PERSONAL JOURNAL OF COMMANDER GRACEYN SHEPARD

______________________________________________________

CATEGORY:  SR-2 Team Members

SUBJECT:  Garrus Vakarian

LAST UPDATE:  15 days before Activation of Omega 4 Relay

___________________________________________________

FIRST ENTRY:  2 months, 29 days until activation of Omega 4 Relay

In retrospect, the mission would probably have been much easier if I had known ahead of time that I was retrieving Garrus.  On the other hand, it might not have been as much fun.  Plus, I would have missed out on one of the great surprises of my life.  I don’t mean that finding Garrus is the greatest thing to happen in my life (and what is the greatest thing to happen in my life is a topic for another day in another journal).  Make no mistake, it is a joy to see him again and a tremendous comfort to have yet another of the old crew back with me; another layer of insulation against the insidiousness that is Cerberus permeating the ship.

But the greatness of it is that it was a surprise.  As a kid, I had almost always seen “surprises” coming a mile away.  As an adult, I had always seen them coming a mile away.  It wasn’t that I wanted spoilers – in truth, I’m pretty sure I would rather enjoy being genuinely surprised; it looked like fun when it happened to others.  But it didn’t happen to me.  Well, except for that time – those two times – on Noveria with Benezia and the Rachni Queen, but those were much too super-serious-galaxy-in-the-balance-important-decision-required to be any real fun.

Regardless, as a general rule, I just don’t get surprised.  It’s kind of a bummer, but there it is.  But Garrus – well, he surprised me.  And it was awesome.  At least until he got shot.

***

“Miranda, I know we need to get Dr. Solus as soon as possible.  I get it, I really do.  And I agree.  But it sounds like the good doctor is safe for the moment – at least as safe as one can be in a quarantined plague zone overrun by Blue Suns and Vorcha.  On the other hand, it sounds like this Archangel guy has got a couple of hours left, at most.  If we want Archangel, we’re going to have to go get him.  Now.”

She glanced down for the briefest moment, then back up at me, head held proud as ever.  “You’re right, Commander.  Your analysis of the situation is spot-on.  Let’s go get Archangel.”

I smiled at her genuinely.  “Thank you Miranda.”  I was all about rewarding reasonableness and non-Bitchitude.

Once we arrived at the merc command center, we set about causing as much trouble as we could.  As I stood staring at the mech controls, I suddenly wished I had brought that lovely shadow of a girl Kasumi I had picked up at the Citadel.  But Miss “genetically-modified-to-be-perfect” turned out, not surprisingly, to be quite proficient in yet another skill.  She’d never give Kaidan a run for his money or anything, but she smoothly hacked through the mech’s friend-or-foe system then smiled triumphantly.  “Perfect.  It will be hostile if they activate it.”  

I smiled appreciatively.  “That’ll be fun to watch.”

Sergeant Cathka turned out to be fairly likeable and reasonable, for a Batarian mercenary.  I had been making a concerted effort to be more…open-minded…about Batarians since Terra Nova.  It wasn’t easy, since everywhere I turned they were still scum terrorists and mercenaries.  But I was trying.  And in this instance, I was totally and completely justified in zapping the guy with his electrified repair tool.  Furthering the mission and all.  He’d be fine.  Probably.  And I got to walk away with the moral high ground – I had tried…