Fox Shadow chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, this belongs to Bioware. Please enjoy.

Chapter 10:

Drip.

Drip.

Squish.

"Gross…Why am I even down here?" Vixen spoke to herself as she shook her foot to get rid of the glowing green slime that now clung to her boot. The Keeper tunnels weren't her favourite place but they got you through the Citadel without bumping into people every five seconds. The smell was churned her stomach with each breath she took, the tunnel stank of rotting eggs and what she suspected was Krogan vomit but she continued on. Vixen bit her lip as she thought back to what she said to Anderson, she hated speaking to him like he didn't matter but when she received a message saying she needed to be somewhere in a short amount of time, she made her mission not to be late. Kaidan had sent her a message saying to meet them at the Presidium tower for the council meeting in a few hours, Vixen slightly wondered how Kaidan got her address but she knew he might have got it from Anderson.

Seeing Udina hadn't been much fun either, well maybe seeing him change colour was fun but it was being around the man that made her skin crawl. But then her mind flashed of that Turian C-sec officer, his blue eyes seeming to stare right through her being and Vixen found herself wanting to see him again. She had only ever felt like that once before and the more she tried to think about why she felt like that the more than Turian appeared in her mind. Her heart sank slightly as the feeling soon blossomed into a new feeling, a face appeared across her mind but all too soon the face morphed into the blue marked Turian with his swallowing gaze. Growling at her sudden infatuation she ploughed through the fowl smelling Keeper tunnel, passing a Keeper or two along the way.

"Creepy little things…" Vixen spoke silently as she pasted a Keeper, its insect eyes only focusing on the panel in front of it. But then again how could you tell in those black depths, they rivalled a Drell for eye colour. Vixen shook her head and brushed her red and white hair out of the way of her eyes as she found the panel she was looking for. Pushing the button, the door opened to reveal a clean white hallway. Vixen looked round to see if anyone was around. It might be hard to explain why a weird Alliance solider is suddenly popping out of the Keeper tunnels sticking of drying Krogan vomit. The coast was clear and Vixen hopped out of the tunnel before she started to hack a nearby Keeper panel. If she was honest with herself she had done this more times than she'd like to admit but she hacked into the Keeper systems and clicked on the sonic shower. A small cubical appeared out of the wall, only big enough for the Keepers themselves but Vixen had figured out long ago that just crouching and holding very still did the job.

After the leg-numbing sonic shower, Vixen finally didn't smell as bad as the Keeper tunnels. Taking a look round as she straightened her hair, the hallway was still clear. She did find it odd that no one had come through, she at least expected the C-sec officer that was looking into Saren that Tevos had mentioned to be walking through the halls but maybe they had caught a transit. Vixen stretched her arms as she walked through one of the doors that lead towards the lower parts of the tower, she tried to look like she hadn't used the tunnels. But then a feeling crept up her spine like a snake slivering along a branch. She felt like she was being watched and whoever it was, was good at hiding. Vixen stopped in her tracks as she kept her breathing calm, although her heart was doing the conga in her chest. She hated being followed by someone she couldn't see, that meant danger to her. If you couldn't see the person following you it meant your throat was about to be slashed…she found that out the hard way. She felt the tingle of her nanites in her nose as she started to pick up the faint traces of…frog spawn?

"Valern…found you" Vixen looked over to the far corner of the room. The corner shimmered for a moment before a hooded dark Salarian appeared before her like he had walked through the wall. Vixen smiled and shook her head; Valern was always trying to outwit her, it became like a game for them. Valern held a calculating but kind smile as he approached her, Vixen folded her arms and arched her eye brow.

"Impressive…enhanced eyes?" Valern pointed to her multi-coloured eyes. They had always been a source of fascination for him, how human eyes were all different in minuet ways. But her eyes, being one a deep green and the other being a blue so deep it would have made sapphires jealous, he always found them fascinating. Vixen cocked her hip as she rested her hands on her waist.

"Nope…enhanced nose, if I was Turian or Krogan I could still smell you. Nice tactical cloak by the way" Vixen smirked as Valern's eyes seemed to widen slightly before turning into his calculating yet stern gaze.

"Interesting but yes…this is a prototype I was testing out for our STG scientists, still needs work" Valern looked down at his Omni-tool as he typed out a message. As he did Vixen still felt the presence at her back, meaning it wasn't Valern who was watching her. Her hackles rose slightly but she played her focus on the Councillor who was straightening out his robes.

"I might be able to help with that…maybe it could be useful against the Geth" Vixen proposed. Valern's eyes narrowed seeming to contemplate.

"I'm sorry Shepard, I know you are not the one for being subtle" Valern spoke but Vixen saw the slight smirk that held his lips. Vixen pouted and her best to look offended only to draw out a short soft chuckle from the Salarian.

"Alright, want do you want?" Vixen asked. Valern nodded and held his form straighter than usual.

"I understand that you were on the Normandy with Spectre Nihlus, while I have looked over his reports...I want your opinion on Kaidan Alenko" Valern spoke straight and to the point. Vixen was slightly taken aback, she wasn't aware the Council valued her opinion so much. Vixen folded her arms under her breasts as she bit her lip, slightly drawing blood.

"Alright…What do you want to know?" Vixen asked, her eyes searching for anything Valern wanted to give away. But as usual his eyes remained calculating and blank.

"In his reports, Nihlus spoke of Alenko avoiding him…there for unable to determine whether he would be good as a Spectre or not. But he did speak of Alenko trying to get close to you…" Valern smiled and Vixen rolled her eyes. She may have read Nihlus' reports but she never really took in what he may have been saying.

"Right…well, I spent more time avoiding him at all costs to really see anything…" Vixen began but that feeling ran up her spine again. Her hackles rose higher letting her biotics slightly flare, whoever was watching was getting closer.

"Commander?" Valern asked as he took a step back from the blue fire of biotic power. Vixen snapped back and calmed her biotics but still remained alert.

"Forgive me Valern…thinking of Alenko kinda makes my skin crawl. In my opinion, he's not ready. Maybe in a few years he will be but he has been raised and been around humans all his life…being around other races might put him on edge." Vixen determined. Valern held his slim finger to his chin and thought over her words carefully.

"What about in combat?" Valern asked with his unblinking eyes staring at Vixen like endless black holes. Vixen had to shake the feeling of the chocking darkness that started to overcome her mind.

"Reluctant to use his Biotics because of his L2 implant but will use them if the situation calls for it. He follows orders very well…umm…" Vixen cocked her head as she tried to think of how Kaidan handled Eden Prime but Valern held up his slim three fingered hand.

"That will be all, Thank you Commander…Now about these visions Sparatus mentioned, what are you really seeing" Valern asked, or more rather stated. Vixen felt the colour drain from her face as the images and screams pounded at her head again but she held her ground determined not to fall under Valern's stern gaze.

"There's nothing to tell Councillor, I have jumbled images that make no sense what so ever…and they hurt my head, a lot." Vixen grumbled. Valern seemed to back off when Vixen growled his title instead of his name, knowing she wasn't in the mood to talk about it he backed off but Vixen wondered why he brought it up. Sparatus would have lied to the other Councillors saying that she only saw ruins of Prothean cities they knew about, unless Anderson had said something in his report…that was the likely option. Biting her lip, Vixen wondered why Anderson would have even mentioned her visions that she received from the Beacon even though she couldn't understand what the hell they were trying to tell her. All she could gain was the sense of choking and screaming…not something you'd like to revisit every five minutes.

"Very well…I will see you in the meeting Shepard, don't be late" Valern turned and left the small corridor. Vixen sighed as she placed her face on the palm of her hand. The meeting ahead was going to be rough, she envisioned Udina as a snapping turtle demanding things from the Council while Kaidan and Ashley stood behind him like obedient meerkats. She tried to envision Anderson as a bulldog ready to bite the head off Udina for not shutting up but somehow he kept on popping up as a panda bear munching on a bamboo twig…it was official, Vixen had gone crazy.

"Alright I know the message wasn't from Valern, you can come out now" Vixen called to the presence. Then she felt talons running along her forearms as an armoured chest pressed into her back. Vixen let her head fall back as the familiar rumble of a certain sliver Turian sent vibrations through her body. Vixen let the faintest of smiles flow across her lips as Saren looked round, checking to see if all doors and secret Keeper tunnels were locked.

"What are you doing here?" Vixen asked. She half expected him to be in hiding on one of his many ships but this little surprised wasn't unwelcome. Saren growled turning round to face him before grabbing her chin roughly to inspect the new scar that hide just behind her ear. Vixen barely remember getting shot so close to her head but Chakwas had informed her that any closer and she would have lost her ear. Saren hissed and growled as his cybernetic eyes took in the new scar. Vixen rolled her eyes and pushed him away slightly.

"I'm fine…I'm not allowed to get scars?" Vixen arched her eyebrow at the growling Turian.

"Who did that?" Saren growled. Vixen sent him a slight glare before reaching to the scar that was now the focus of his attention.

"Might have been one of the several Geth that were on Eden Prime while I was on a mission there…" Vixen stopped herself as she looked at Saren. His eyes were slightly wider than usual and his breathing was shallow in his chest. The rumbling from his chest suddenly became a soft clicking sound that she had only ever heard Nihlus do during times of panic. Saren was also too still, he looked like a statue until he slowly reached up and traced her jaw with his talon. Vixen looked up at him as his eyes seemed to search her face, something inside her was screaming at her that something was wrong…she was going to tell him about Nihlus getting shot but the words refused to come out.

"Saren, I know I sent you a message but I thought you'd be…" Vixen stopped when his talon ran softly over her lips. For a moment she felt the hidden blade that his talon concealed and it sent a shiver of danger through her spine. Placing her hands on his chest she almost let her eyes flutter close but his gaze held her in a way that made her head swim.

"I came for the meeting…This Kaidan Alenko is accusing me of being on Eden Prime" Saren rumbled. Vixen growled as she ground her teeth into her lips, Saren gently pulled her lips from her teeth and hissed softly when her crimson blood beaded out from the small wounds that her lip now held.

"Are you asking for a death sentence?" Vixen grumbled as she arched her eye brow.

"I will be appearing through a holo…" Saren began.

"Great…it's not like your tongue won't get you into trouble…"Vixen shuddered when Saren leant down and licked the shell of her ear.

"I thought you liked what my tongue can do" Saren growled into her ear making Vixen's insides literally turn to mush. Vixen went to get her own back but Saren trapped her hands between their chests making Vixen whimper in protest. She hated being trapped and Saren knew it.

"Not what I mean to stubborn Turian…Ah…Will you stop that and listen to me for a change!" Vixen almost yelled as she squirmed in his hold. Saren gave a light almost faint chuckle as she backed off slightly and gazed into her glaring eyes. Vixen sighed as she tried to find the right words. She didn't want Saren to be there for many reasons. One: she didn't know if she could bite her tongue long enough so that they didn't break out into one of their lover spats. Two: Saren knew she would be there and would have sent her secret messages…if he had the guts, which he did. Three: Kaidan, Ashley and Anderson were out to get his plated hide and with the snapping Turtle Udina at point it would only make Saren's temper flare that much quicker. Saren brushed part of her hair behind her ear, making Vixen look up at him.

"You know I'm not good at things like this Saren, but I…" Vixen couldn't get the words out. Saren looked at her like he was waiting for her to grow a second head. Vixen hated using words but she used something didn't needs words but would help her convey what she was feeling. Freeing her hands from the cage of chests, she reached up and cupped his face. The biting cold of his metal implants that graced his mandibles shot through her fingers as she stood on her tip-toes and pressed her forehead against his. Saren seemed to be shocked but Vixen held her ground as she closed her eyes and tried to do her best impression of an affection purr. Saren wrapped his arms round her small frame and leant into her touch as his chest rumbled with his own purr. Vixen smiled as she opened her eyes slightly to see Saren's face so relaxed it looked weird.

"I don't want you to bear the brunt of this political bullshit or get into any form of trouble from Tevos" Vixen smirked as Saren leant back and gave her a looked of 'what are you talking about woman'.

"I don't need your concern" Saren growled back but Vixen heard the 'thank you' in his tone. Saren leant in and pressed his lip plates to her forehead. The touch was brief but Vixen couldn't help but chuckle.

"What?" Saren growled as Vixen pulled away.

"You're still a horrible kisser" Vixen teased but Saren growled and pulled her back before nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck and jaw giving it light but forceful nips and licks. Vixen gasped as she arched into him…Saren might have been a horrible kisser but he was good at this.

"Saren, we have a meeting to get to…and this isn't my apartment!" Vixen pushed away and straightened her hair as Saren chuckled softly. But all too soon Saren's slight smile faded from his face and he pressed his head into his palm as a look a pain flashed across his face. Vixen carefully approached him but Saren stood straight once again and waved her worry away like he didn't want it. Vixen nodded before caressing his mandible again and gazing into his eyes.

"See you at the meeting" Vixen spoke softly before reaching up and kissed his mandible. With that she started to walk away, feeling his hardened glare on her back. Only as the doors to the corridor closed behind he did the feeling of his eyes leave her, Vixen released a breath she didn't know she was holding. Something didn't feel right, her instincts were telling her that something was wrong and for some reason the gaze his eyes held looked like it was glazed over with something else that she couldn't understand. Shaking the feeling she continued her way towards the Citadel tower. For those who were able to see the beauty of this place they would describe it as a rare gem on the Citadel, the small gardens were in full blood of different flowers from Palaven, Thessia and some Salarian planets like Sur' Kesh. A dark purple light bathed the area in a mystic glow and the sound of water running through the guided water runs covered the hushed conversations that nearby people tried to have.

As Vixen walked through the area, looking at some of the blood red flowers of Palaven that she liked, she saw two Turians having a very heated argument. One she recognised almost instantly, his white markings surrounding his eyes struck out against his darkened skin. Pallin, the Executor of C-sec and possibly the only Turian on the Citadel with a harder job than Sparatus…was as usual shouting at one of his officers. It wasn't usual to see Pallin shouting it was like a ritual for him to shout about something and Vixen found it somewhat cute. But as Vixen's eyes landed on the C-sec officer Pallin was shouting at, her heart stopped and colour flood her cheeks again. There he was. The Turian with blue markings and the visor covering his left eye, Vixen felt her chest start to constrict as she took in his form. His c-sec uniform held nothing for the imagination (except for the plates) but his shoulders were so broad they looked like they could hold a Krogan with ease. His plates on his face were scuffed but not enough to hide the youthful glow he had about him. Vixen bite the inside of her cheek to make herself snap out of this ogling fest and breath before she lost all air to her lungs. But that didn't stop her eyes from drifting downward to grab an eyeful of his perfectly angled ass…

Damn it Vixen, Get a hold of yourself girl! You're not a horny teenaged girl…but that ass…STOP IT! Vixen scolded herself as she started to walk up to the two arguing Turians.

"Saren's hiding something, give me more time. Stall them" The blue marked-perfect ass Turian growled. Vixen bit her tongue, so this was the C-sec officer that was investigating Saren. Now she knew that Turian spirits were laughing at her, the cutest Turian Vixen had seen in a long time was the one investigating her lover…fucking great.

"Stall the council? Don't be ridiculous, your investigation is over Garrus" Pallin's deep voice broke through Vixen's internal battle. Vixen caught him starting to walk away only to smile when the look of surprise crossed Pallin's face.

"Well if it isn't my least favourite trouble maker" Pallin spoke out with a smile spreading his mandibles wide while his brow plates shot up in surprise.

"And if it isn't my favourite boom box" Vixen teased, making Pallin huff. Vixen caught sight of the blue marked Turian hovering behind them watching their exchange. Vixen swallowed hard as she fought the feeling of heat start to toast her cheeks. Pallin looked at her with curiosity before looking behind him.

"Ah…Another woman falling for Garrus' good looks I see" Pallin rumbled with a smirk on his face. Vixen growled and punched his arm. Pallin laughed and shook off the light blow but Vixen took in the blue marked Turian's name. Garrus. That sounded really nice.

"He's cute I'll give him that" Vixen pretended to brush off the look Pallin was giving her.

"Yes he is, and so much like you it's hard to believe" Pallin urged her forward and nodded towards Garrus. "Get to know him and see" Pallin whispered and walked off back towards C-sec. Vixen watched him go as she glared at his back…Sometimes Pallin knew her too well.

Vixen looked over to Garrus as he shuffled about on his feet. She took a deep breath before walking up to him. Garrus straighten his back and nodded towards her, a simple Turian greeting which Vixen returned.

"Commander Shepard, I'm Garrus Vakarian. I was the C-sec officer investigating Saren" Garrus introduced himself. Vixen felt her knees start to weaken. His voice...His voice! It was the same one she heard arguing with Chellick before she boarded the Normandy all those months ago. Vixen nodded and motioned them to sit down on a nearby bench that over looked one of the small flower beds that was covered by the blood red Palaven flower. As they sat down, Vixen felt some of the tension ease in the pit of her stomach and gave Garrus a smile.

"I know that's a tough case and Saren isn't easy to pin down" Vixen spoke. Garrus sighed and nodded as he took a place next to her.

"Yeah you can say that but I know he's done something…as you humans say 'I feel it in my gut'" Garrus chuckled. Vixen smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I know that feeling" Vixen answered. Garrus huffed with a smile as he looked over to the flower bed.

"Bellum spiritus, that's what the flower it called" Garrus pointed out. Vixen looked over to the red flowers that added colour to the muted grey metal. She hadn't heard the name of the flower before but hearing it now she would defiantly remember.

"It means 'war spirit' in human tongue, we call them that because they always seem to bloom in the harshest conditions" Garrus informed her. Not even Nihlus took his time to explain the meaning of her favourite flower, she had told him that she liked it but he just nodded. Vixen smiled as she remembered a similar flower on earth that was meant to do the same.

"Kind of like the Poppy on Earth…during times of war, where no other flower bloomed the Poppy did" Vixen spoke. It was weird she was talking to a Turian about flowers. Usually she would be talking about the latest weaponry with any random Turian or how the Military treated them but Flowers was new. Garrus smiled and nodded, Vixen catching his visor streaming information…maybe about the Poppy she had just mentioned. They started talking about the different Palaven flowers that stood in bloom across the beds of the Citadel; sometimes they would comment on their favourite weapons to use in combat allowing Vixen to find out that he was a sniper back in the Turian military. But most of the time they talking about the different flowers on Palaven and Earth…defiantly the weirdest conversation she had ever had with a Turian.

Then as Garrus was telling her about a slivery-blue flower that looked more like a weird combination of a rose and dandelion, Kaidan and Ashley appeared at the far end of the room. Vixen frowned as she caught sight of them walking towards her.

"It seems my baby-sitters are here to drag me away" Vixen grumbled to Garrus. Garrus nodded as he watched Kaidan stand rather close to Vixen while Ashley hung back. Vixen rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Good luck in there Commander, maybe they'll listen to you" Garrus put on a rouse making Vixen smile in thanks.

"I doubt it…they'll be listen to this ugly mug behind me" Vixen pointed towards Kaidan who to scowled at her. Garrus' mandibles fluttered with a smile as he tried to hold in his laughter. Vixen smiled before walking towards him.

"I had a nice chat Garrus Vakarian, I hope we can continue this another time" Vixen winked at him while Garrus took in a breath making his eyes nearly pop out of his skull.

"I'd like that too" Garrus rumbled. Vixen smiled as they swapped e-mail addresses via Omni-tool. She pointed for Kaidan and Ashley to head up to the meeting before her. Kaidan started to protest but Vixen glared at him which made him slink back. As Ashley tended to Kaidan's broken pride while the claimed the stairs towards the meeting, Vixen turned back towards Garrus and smiled.

"My friends call me Vix or Vixen…not Shepard or Commander" Vixen told him and lightly punched his shoulder. Garrus rolled his shoulder while chuckling.

"Well then…Vixen, I hope to see you soon" Garrus spoke back. Vixen's smile brightened before she turned back and ran to catch up with Kaidan and Ashley. Unknowing that a growling shadow that was hidden on the upper levels of the tower halls had watched everything with murderous intent.

As Vixen stepped into the Council's room she hardly took in the tall walls of steel or the vast hole with a garden below. All she could see was the orange glow of the holo of Saren that stood tall above them all while the room echoed with the loud demands of Udina.

"I demand that Saren's rant be stripped!" Udina snapped. Vixen sighed; the snapping turtle had taken the lead. Now all she had to do was sit back and watch as everything was about to blow up in Udina's and Kaidan's faces.

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