Series Title: After the Reapers
Pairing: Garrus/Shepard

Author: Knights-Honour
Disclaimer: Mass Effect universe © BioWare
Any character you haven't heard of © me

Author's Notes:

Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

First Impressions takes place in Shepard's first trip to the Citadel in ME.

But you guys already guessed that, didn't you?

First Impressions

"Saren's hiding something!" C-Sec Officer Garrus Vakarian insisted to his boss and fellow Turian, Executor Venari Pallin. "Give me more time; stall them."

"Stall the Council?" Pallin scoffed. "Don't be ridicules. Your investigation is over, Garrus."

Without saying anything more, the C-Sec Executor turned and walked away, leaving the younger male fuming in his wake. Frustrated Garrus let out a breath to try and calm himself down. Pallin couldn't see it, but Garrus felt in his gizzard that something big was about happen, and Saren was smack-bang in the middle of whatever it was. If only he could get someone to believe him!

In his peripheral vision, the Turian saw three humans arrive and he turned to look at them, immediately recognising the lead figure; Lieutenant Commander Kathryn Shepard.

For a human, she cut an impressive figure. Clad in Onyx armour and armed to the teeth, her very aura seemed to scream 'Don't mess with me! You do, you die.' Her physical looks weren't that bad either; her skin was the colour of milk... what was the name of that human confectionary... chocolate. Her eyes, that seemed to be able to penetrate the soul of the person she was looking at, were mossy shade of green. And her hair, cut in a short bob that ended at her ears, was the colour of ebony.

And then of course there was her military service record. Born and raised on Alliance ships and bases by her spacer parents, she'd grown up with the military way. Once she'd turned eighteen, she'd followed in her parents' footsteps and enlisted in the System's Alliance, and had trained in the elite N7 special forces program, graduating at the top of her class. From there she had quickly worked her way up the ranks. And then had come her defining moment; the Skyllian Blitz. The then twenty-two year-old soldier had been on shore leave on Elysium when the Blitz had occurred. Shepard had quickly rallied a resistance force against the attacking forces, made up of mercenaries, slavers, pirates and Batarian warlords, had managed to single-handedly repulse the enemy ground force long enough for Alliance reinforcements to arrive.

And word was that she had been on Eden Prime when the traitorous Saren had attacked the human colony. Perhaps the Spirits had just answered his prayers.

"Commander Shepard?" the Turian questioned and the human woman nodded her head. "Name's Garrus Vakarian. I was the officer in charge of the C-Sec investigation into Saren."

"Sounds like you really want to bring him down," the second member, a woman with brown hair and brown eyes, commented.

"I don't trust him," the C-Sec officer replied. "Something about him rubs me the wrong way. But he's a Spectre; everything he touches is classified. I can't find any hard evidence."

"I think the Council's ready for us, Commander," the third member of Shepard's squad, a male with black hair and brown eyes, advised his CO.

"Good luck, Shepard," The Turian offered. "Maybe they'll listen to you."

With a nod of her head, Shepard and her companions departed for the Council Chambers while Garrus left to do little more investigating on his own.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

"I didn't tell anyone! I swear!" The human medic, Dr. Chloe Michel, cried in anguish as Shepard, Kaiden and Ashley entered the clinic. Shepard didn't fail to notice Garrus as he stealthily moved in on the thugs threatening the good doctor.

"That was smart, Doc. Now if Garrus comes around, you stay smart. Keep your mouth shut or-" the thug broke off when he spotted Shepard's team. "Who're you?" he demanded, grabbing Dr. Michel to make her a hostage.

"Let her go!" Shepard responded as she drew her pistol. She preferred not to spill blood in a negotiation if it could be avoided, but experience had taught her to be ready, just in case.

With the thugs' attention on Shepard, Garrus crept around the pillar he was hiding behind and took out the lead thug with a single shot between the eyes. All hell broke loose then as the leader crumpled, hitting the ground with a thud and his team began to fire on the intruders in response. Garrus pulled Dr. Michel to safety as Shepard's squad took cover behind a barrier.

"Take these bastards out!" the soldier ordered to her team.

"Finally, some action!" Ashley crowed.

The three humans were an effective team and it wasn't long before all the thugs were on the ground. Once the dust had settled, Garrus approached them. "Perfect timing, Shepard. Gave me a clear shot at that bastard."

Shepard turned on the young Turian, her bobbed haircut whipping around her face at the movement, a cold fury in her eyes. "What the hell were you thinking! You could have hit the hostage!"

"There wasn't time to think!" he refuted. "I just reacted." Shepard crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. From the little he knew about human expressions, Garrus realised he'd just pissed the human woman off with his rash actions. 'Smart move, Vakarian! Turn a potential ally against you!' "I didn't mean to-" he turned to look at the human medic behind him. "Dr. Michel, are you hurt?"

"No, I'm okay." The medic assured her saviours. "Thanks to you. All of you."

Shepard relaxed and started to question the woman about what the thugs had been after.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

After learning that Fist was in contact with a young female Quarian that had information on the Geth that would hopefully incriminate Saren, Shepard's squad left the clinic, and Garrus raced after them. "Shepard, wait!" The human commander turned to look at him. "This is your show, but I want to bring Saren down as much as you do. Let me come with you."

"You're a Turian as well. Why do you want to bring him down?"

"I couldn't find the proof I needed in my investigation, but I knew what was really going on. Saren is traitor to the Council and a disgrace to my people!"

Shepard studied the young Turian for a moment. Sure, he was a little too hot-headed for her liking, but the human soldier could see that he had potential in him. All he needed was a little level-headed guidance from her.

Her decision made, Shepard stuck out her hand. "Welcome aboard, Garrus."

The Turian took her hand and shook it before falling into step behind Shepard as the foursome headed towards Chora's Den.

"Fist is going to be waiting for us," the Turian advised his commanding officer. "When we hit him, we better hit him hard!"

"That won't be a problem."

Fin.