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Despite how the crew liked to mock Shepard about how bad her dancing was; it wasn’t something that was public knowledge. Nor what was happening now common knowledge. No the things that were told about her that the public knew were closer to legends. Saved the Citadel from certain annihilation? True. Head-butted a krogan? True. Killed a thresher-maw on foot? Well, that was true too. Could kill a person with a certain look? Well, Garrus was pretty sure that one was false. But if he hadn’t been there with her when some of the more interesting stories had occurred, he might have believed them all to be false as he looked at the woman now.
The grin on her face was enormous as she jogged through the crew deck, weaving her way through the mess tables and around the alcove that housed the elevator.
“Zoom, Zoom!” She sang as she hovered a model of the Normandy, the very ship she was Commander of above her head.
“Commander, the Normandy does not go ‘Zoom, Zoom’ the drive core…” The ship’s AI was cut off as Shepard skidded to a stop. “It does for me EDI.” She called out to nowhere in particular, knowing the AI would hear her fine over the com system. “Now stop ruining my fun!” Shepard glanced toward the main battery to catch Garrus’ gaze as he leaned casually against the door.
“Gaaaaarrrrwwwwuuuuusssss” She shrilled “Come play with me!”
He took his time walking toward her as she stood near the mess tables; the tops of them currently covered with what he figured was her complete collection of model ships, including one that was still in progress of being put together. The Kodiak, he thought. She had just picked this particular model up the last time they had been docked at the Citadel.
She ran over to the table and started poking each ship thoughtfully. He stood on the opposite side, one talon under his chin as he pretended to be studying each one like they were some exquisite rare find.
“Hmmm, I think I’ll take this one.” He said after a few moments reaching for the turian cruiser.
“Hmph” She pouted “You always pick that one.”
“What can I say, us turians, we have style.”
“Is that why you’re never out of armour and you’re always wearing that stupid visor?” She shot back.
He gave her a pained look “You hurt me deep Shepard, and here I was being such a good friend to play space battles with you.” His mandibles flared slightly “Perhaps I should just go back to calibrating.”
“Noooo!” She all but squealed, hurling herself over the table to bounce up and down in front of him, the Normandy model clutched to her chest. “Space battles! Space battles!”
He knew he couldn’t refuse her now. “So what will be the plan of attack?” he whispered to her conspiratorially. He had caught sight of Liara who had emerged from her room to the left of them. The blue asari was watching them carefully.
Shepard moved her eyes but not her head to see what Garrus was referring. She reached up and tugged on his cowl to bring his auditory canal closer to her mouth as she whispered the orders.
They were off in seconds sprinting toward the intruder; arms raised high with the models careening through the air. “Zoom, Zoom!”
Liara for her part threw her arms up in front of her, curving her hands into claws “Roar!” She bellowed.
“Retreat! Retreat!” called Shepard as she and Garrus quickly changed direction, narrowly missing Liara’s swiping hands.
Chakwas watched from her desk in the med bay, the window overlooking the mess hall giving her a spectacular view of the events. She laughed as Shepard and Garrus sprinted out of view, Liara hot on their trail. Commander Shepard, the galaxy’s greatest hero she thought, chuckling softly. The woman who needs an VI to feed her fish, who named her space hamster ‘Mr. Cuddles’ and who right now was playing ‘Space battles’ with her model ships… If only the galaxy knew.