Part 3 - Thomson

Warning: May contain foul language and moderate violence.


A fraction of a moment later, the Falcon appeared in the Citadel space next to their Mass Relay.
"Captain, they want to speak with you," Max said via the intercom, "I'm patching you through now."
Thomson took the communicator from his belt.
"SF-2 Falcon, this is C-Sec. Please state your intention. Your ship has been flagged as a possible hostile," said the voice on the other end of the communicator.
"This is Lt. Thomson of the Alliance military. We're here to see the council because of an emergency back on Earth. We are not hostile. Our weapons systems have been deactivated as soon as we entered the Mass Relay. Your monitor should show this."
"Correct. What is your payload? Over."
"We have crew and standard weaponry. We also have a survivor from Earth but that is it. There is no need to panic."
"Sorry SF-2, your docking has been declined."
"Fuck! We have just escaped a bloody Reaper invasion and we need to speak to the Council. Let us dock or we'll blow a hole in the side of the docking bay and enter that way. We need to speak to them!"
There was a silence on the other end apart from the usual static. Thomson started to worry that he had scared the person on the other end so much they cut the connection. He waited.
After several minutes, after probably numerous security scans, thermal scans and weapon scans, the person who had addressed them from the Citadel answered, "You have docking clearance. Bay 24."
"Thank you."
Then Thomson cut the connection, whilst Max steered the Falcon into the available docking bay of the Citadel.

Thomson, Renswick and Emi'Derik left the Falcon. The inside of the Citadel was full of activity, different species of alien walking around and everyone seemed to be doing something important. The inside of the docking bay had white and grey walls.
"This is your first time on the Citadel, right?" Thomson asked Emi.
She nodded, "I've never been here before. I don't know anything about it but it seems interesting... oh keelah, what do they want?"
A squad of four soldiers ran towards them, all armed with rifles. They surrounded the three of them, but most of them were concentrated around Emi.
"The Quarian will come with us," said one of the soldiers, "To be interviewed."
"We need her," Thomson told them, "We need to see the council and she's proof. We rescued her from Earth. Let her come with us."
"Negative. She will come with us," the same soldier responded, "She is a Quarian. She needs to be interviewed now by C-Sec."
"... Thomson," Emi said, clearly shaking, "Where will they take me? I don't want to go with them... please."
"I'm sorry Emi... I'll make sure you're ok," Thomson told her, reaching out for her three-fingered hand and squeezing it in reassurance, "They'll just take you to a room and ask you some questions. Don't worry."
Two soldiers put one of their hands on Emi's shoulders and made her turn around. One moved in front and the other behind to make sure she couldn't escape. They marched her off away from the docking bay until they were lost from sight.
"Bloody C-Sec," Thomson swore, "Why can't they just leave the Quarians alone?"
"Because they don't have exactly the best reputation," Renswick answered, "You shouldn't blame them. They're only doing their job."
"But she's our only witness. We might not have a case without her."
"We need to go to the embassy and see the council and see what they can do about Earth, first. I'm sure they'll believe us. They are fully aware of the Reaper threat."
"Ok, fine. Arrange transport to the Embassies. But I swear, if C-Sec decide to interrogate her, I won't take it so well. She has done nothing wrong to them and is the first survivor we saw in several miles of walking. She doesn't deserve this and is a witness for our case to put to the council."

"I'm sorry Lieutenant," said the Salarian councillor, who looked like a humanoid insect, "But we can't spare any troops to help your planet. I have just had this conversation with Commander Shepard who wanted exactly the same thing. We have to defend our own borders. And by the sound of it Earth is a lost cause. I'm sorry, I really am."
Thomson cursed underneath his breath, but Renswick was the first one to respond, "Bloody mother of fuck! Do you realise what it was like down there? We were there. We fought the Husks. We had to walk five miles just to escape! All the time we were there trying to survive, you were here safe and fine. Do you think that's fair?"
"I'm sorry," said the Turian councillor. Turians seemed to have some sort of shell as a face. They were made of the same type of protein as the Quarians, "But the Turians can't spare any soldiers either. We have barely enough to defend our own planet, which is also under attack. I know what it is like. Don't make any judgements. What happened on Earth was horrible, yes. But the fact is we're not strong enough to launch a counter-attack. None of us are."
"Well get help from the Quarians. They have the largest fleet in the galaxy," Thomson suggested.
"Our political relationship with the Quarians is delicate at best," pointed out the Turian councillor, "We cannot guarantee they will be willing to help."
"Well perhaps you would be better if you let them have a seat on the council! Or treat them like you do every other race instead of arresting them as soon as they get on the Citadel!"
"Thomson is right," Renswick added, "If we're going to fight the Reapers we need their help."
"And if you let Emi'Derik go, she could tell you more about the attack on Earth. She is an ambassador for the Migrant Fleet, for god's sake. We could build up an alliance with them and get their help with the Reapers."
"Who is Emi'Derik?" asked the Salarian councillor.
"You arrested her, and you don't even know her name!" Thomson shouted, "She is the Quarian who docked with us. The one who you had arrested and questioned."
"Oh. Her."
"Yes her. Since you refuse to help I'm going to get her from your custody since she has done nothing wrong. If you don't let me, fine. But the Quarians won't be able to help with the Reapers so you'll doom, potentially, the entire galaxy. Got that?"
"Do not threaten us Lieutenant," said Councillor Udina, "We are not the enemy. The Reapers are. We are your friends, and you know we are your friends. You don't know what the Quarians are. Keep that in mind before you go blundering into something you don't understand."

Thomson stormed off, following the signs set on black placards that hung down from the grey ceiling. There were guards stood outside each of the doors which led to different parts of the Citadel. He knew where Emi would be kept - in the interview room just outside the embassy. He also knew she wouldn't be happy. He wouldn't be either under the circumstances.
He reached the interview room and pressed the circle in the middle of the hologram locking mechanism. Disks spun around it for several seconds before it hissed open. He walked into the room, which had a metal table in the middle. Emi was sat on one side and two armed C-Sec officers were at the other. She was shaking and stammering as she tried to talk.
"... I honestly... d... didn't do anything."
"We know you did. Tell us what you stole!" shouted one of the C-Sec officers, pulling out his pistol and pointing at Emi's head.
"P... please!" Emi protested.
Thomson barged into the C-Sec officer with the gun, grabbing his wrist and forcing the pistol from his grip. He knocked him against the wall then dodged an incoming blow from the other C-Sec officer's fist. The gun was forced from his hand, so he drew his own, staggering them both with a weak blast of biotic energy.
Whilst they were confused, he grabbed a pistol from the second officer's holster, then as they moved towards him again he spun down on to one knee and pointed his arms at the side, aiming a pistol at the stomach of each of the officers.
"Don't move!" he told them, "You do not have authorisation to threaten a visitor to the Citadel like that."
"Fuck you," came the reply, "She's a bloody Quarian. We have the authorisation to do what the fuck we want."
"Not anymore," Thomson said, then fired a mass effect field at each of their feet. The energy changed form into a black and blue sphere and the officers slowly rose into the air and were suspended helplessly, drifting around the room and unable to do anything.
"Are you ok?" he asked Emi, ducking to avoid one of the floating officers that passed over his head.
"... no. M... maybe. I... I don't know. They... why?"
"We should leave the Citadel," Thomson told her, "Something is happening. People here seem to be taking their hate of the Quarians too far. I don't know why. They're not usually like this, honest."
"Ok... maybe they just don't like me..."
"I'm sure it's something else. Don't worry. I'll find out."
Emi hugged him, "... I... I don't want to come here again..."
Thomson wrapped his hands around her waist to comfort her, "We won't have to. I'll just see what I can find out about what is happening around here and then we can leave. Ok?"
She nodded, "But... they're Cerberus... they wanted me to betray you and tell them what you and Renswick were doing and they threatened to torture me and they hurt me and I had no choice to but..."
Thomson deactivated the mass effect fields, making the two officers hit the floor. The first one to stand up tried to punch him but he blocked it with his forearm, then smashed his fist into his face. Blood was splatted on his hand, but he didn't care. He smashed the officer's face until it was a bloody pulp.
Then he turned to the other one. He was fuelled by rage. He threw him against the wall using his biotics then did a very tiny warp power which he sent into the officer's blood stream. Even at such weak strength, it threw the officer across the room.
Both were unconscious.
"Fuck you, you Cerberus bastards."