~Author's note - for this prompt : FemShep, Mordin and Legion get stuck on some godforsaken planet. Maybe the Shadow Broker laid a trap for them, luring them there with some distress signal or message, and they are attacked by batarian slavers who want to deliver Shep to him. Of course, our intrepid heroes kick their collective butt, but the shuttle and their comm systems get damaged, Shepard is hurt, and Mordin has to nurse her while Legion is trying to fix the shuttle and the comm system. We get to see Mordin's tender side, and a bond develop between the two. ~

Jane Shepard stood on the holo pad waiting for her image to finish uploading. The machine whirred and hummed until it eventually revealed the
image of the Illusive Man lounging in his chair. A cigarette hung carelessly from one hand while the other held a glass of unknown liquid.

"Shepard, we had some new intel come in. We intercepted a transmission that the Collectors just finished making another one of their
transactions. If we move fast perhaps we can get hold of what they were trading and shed some light on why they are taking human colonists."

"Right, forward the coordinates and I'll take a team to see what we can find out."

"Already sent, good luck Shepard."

Jane didn't bother to answer as the holo of him had already disappeared.

"Joker," Jane asked looking at the icon of EDI glowing in the corner, "what's our ETA?"

"Five hours. You don't seem that excited about this mission Commander? Think it's another trap?"

Jane snorted, "What's not to be excited about it, after all it's not everyday we get invited to an ambush. Oh wait, we did that already, you know that supposed Collector ship disabled by a patrol."

Joker's laughter rang through the room, "Have to keep your dance card full Commander."

From the conference room it was just a short walk over to Mordin's lab. If there was data, he would be the one who would be able to interpret it quickly. She would rather trust his take on anything they found rather than trust whatever the Illusive Man spat back at her. Jane's feet slowed as she neared his door, she dreaded talking to him after the previous days embarrassment. She had always liked smart guys and well he was the smartest she had ever run into and then when he sang well she had just about melted. How was she to know that her charm would fall flat on it's face with him. You have no idea what I would do for another song, she had told him in what she had thought was her best sex voice. Real smooth there Shepard and it had worked so well - NOT. Banging her head on the wall afterwards seemed an appropriate response, after all death from embarrassment hadn't happened yet so maybe she could manage to bang some sense into herself.
She took a deep breath before entering the lab. At least he didn't wear a visor that would reveal her elevated heart rate and body temperature she thought mockingly to herself. Mordin looked up from whatever experiment he was currently running at her entrance.

"Shepard?"

"Mordin," Jane began.

"I'm flattered by your attention but,"

Jane interrupted, "It's ok Mordin, I learned my lesson." Waving a hand at him to stop whatever he was about to say, "We got intel we may be able to intercept a Collector trade. I want you ready to go, I figure if anyone can work out what they are up to, it is you."

Mordin released the breath he had been holding, "Of course Commander, I'll be ready to go."

"ETA is five hours, be in the shuttle bay before that."

"Four hours and forty-five minutes now, Commander," EDI's voice broke in.

"Right, thanks EDI."

Legion stood motionless between the seats of the shuttle. Shepard stared at the display of the scene outside the shuttle, anything to avoid looking directly at Mordin as they waited for the shuttle to deposit them at the coordinates the Illusive Man had given them. The salarian however, seemed to be amused at her obvious avoidance of him.

"Shepard-Commander, we have detected your heart rate is above average for a human at rest. Are there any problems we are unaware of ?"

Crap, Shepard thought to herself. She turned to find Legion's head facing her.

"No Legion, well besides suspecting this is another trap," Jane answered.

Mordin studied both the Commander and the geth a slight smirk crossing his face.

"Understood Shepard-Commander. We have another query."

"Go for it Legion."

"We have calculated that there is a 95.9% probability that there will be no useful data obtained. Why do you risk yourself for such a low probability of success?"

"It's a chance I have to take, but that is why I'm going in with my best hacker and scientist. If Mordin sees there is nothing of value we will hightail it out of there. We know so little about the Collector's that any chance has to be taken."

"Acknowledged Shepard-Commander. We are prepared."

A soft sigh of relief escaped Jane, the geth was just as clueless about organic relationships as she had hoped.

The shuttle momentarily shuddered as it dropped into the planet's atmosphere. As it descended closer to the planet, the vehicle rocked violently from side to side causing it's occupants to grab onto the nearest handhold.

"Sitrep," Shepard barked out to the pilot when she staggered up to him.

"Ma'am, we were hit with an electrical discharge of some sort. Communication and navigation are down, I'm bringing her down manually."

Lights and alarms flashed urgently all around the cockpit. Outside the cockpit window she could see several projectiles heading directly for them.

"Son of a," Shepard swore, "brace for impact!"

The pilot forced the shuttle into a steep dive, causing one missile to whiz harmlessly by the ship but the other connected with the thrusters of the vessel. The ship careened wildly for a moment before the pilot compensated for the damage. Trailing smoke the shuttle dove rapidly towards the ground.

Shepard dropped into the nearest chair and strapped herself in. She turned around and made sure that her squad mates were similarly situated. Mordin's safety harness was on and he tightened the straps one more time to be sure. Legion held the same position as he did before except both hands now held onto the bars.

"Legion, sit your ass down!" Shepard yelled at him over the whine of the damaged vehicle.

"Shepard-Commander. Sitting down will not ensure this platforms continued function. From this position we can compensate for multiple problems."

Rolling her eyes at his response, she turned forward even as the shuttle plowed into the ground.

Shepard's head ached from where it had connected with the shuttle. The lights and alarms only made the pain throb in time with the ship. A groan escaped her as she lifted her head from it's current resting place against a console. She tentatively put her hand to her head and found a large bump already forming.

"Shepard-Commander are you functional?"

She turned her head to find Legion standing between her and the pilot.

"Ugh not so loud Legion. I'm in one piece...I think."

Jane looked at the pilot, she could see a faint movement of his chest but that was the only indication he still breathed. By the time she had freed herself from her harness, Mordin had already moved up to tend the wounded man.

"Well, now we know it was a trap," Jane muttered angrily as she turned the ship's warnings off.

"Can stabilize him for now, but will need more medical attention than currently able to provide here. We need to get him back to the Normandy and soon or else it will be too late."

"Right do what you can and then we need to prepare for our welcoming committee. Legion, find some vantage point to watch from. Keep us posted."

"Acknowledged Shepard-Commander."

The geth dropped out of the shuttle prepping his rifle as he went. A glance out the shuttle door and it became clear that the vessel had landed in a rocky gully. The report she had received on the planet stated that it was classified as having a breathable atmosphere, but just barely. Any indigenous life was only in the micro stage thankfully. But that meant at least she wouldn't have to try and force her throbbing head into her helmet.
"Shepard, help me move him into the back," Mordin asked.

Jane nodded and moved beside him, together they lifted the man out of the seat and into the back of the shuttle as gently as they could. Mordin knelt beside the man even as his omni-tool was already busy scanning his body. Shepard watched as he abruptly stood and began rummaging around the shuttle.

"If you tell me what you are looking for, I can help."

"Medical supplies, blankets, anything of use."

Jane joined him in the search but the only useful items they found were some water bottles and a few military rations for both chiralities.

Mordin let out a frustrated huff, "He shouldn't have taken this much damage. Hypothesize that Cerberus didn't maintain the same standards on the pilot harness versus the troops. Your armor and implants are the only reason you are not in the same condition as him."

Jane shook her head in disgust, "I can see Cerberus being more interested in making sure their troops were alive after a crash versus the pilot. And it would be too much to ask for if medi-gel would help him, right?"

"Medi-gel useless, he suffers from internal injuries and swelling of the brain. He needs the med-bay."

Legion's voice came through their suits comm system, "Shepard-Commander, three vehicles are on an intercept course with the shuttle."

"Anyway we can funnel them towards us Legion?"

"Quickest avenue would be directly down the gully. Access is possible from the sides, however we are stationed to minimize that threat."

"Excellent. Keep the ridge line clear, force them into the gully where we can finish them off. This rock has no legitimate inhabitants so I won't bother talking to any of the bastards. But try and spare their vehicles, we will probably need them for at the very least parts."

"Acknowledged."

"Mordin, we need to get ready. I'll try and keep a singularity going where they will be coming at us so we can pick them off easier."

Mordin nodded even as he filled his pockets with heat sinks. Jane followed his example as she struggled to keep a grimace of pain off of her face. Final preparations made they exited the vehicle. The sun was already beginning to dip towards the horizon, in a few hours it would be dark and the temperature would begin to drop.

Jane and Mordin found outcroppings they could take shelter behind for at least some protection. The low whistle of the wind was drowned out by the rumble of the arriving vehicles. Jane pulled up her barrier and prepared to break cover to throw the first salvo when the crack of Legion's sniper rifle rang across the area.

"What the fuck?" one attacker screamed out.

"We got geth!" another shouted.

"Dammit, this was supposed to be Shepard's ship."

Jane grinned over at Mordin, her mind already racing on how to use this to their advantage.

Activating the comm unit she spoke low into it, "Legion, make that noise like you are talking to more geth. We want these assholes to think they got a ship full of geth to deal with."

The weird mechanical noise that geth used to communicate with each other echoed in the wash. Legion's voice had the desired reaction of causing further confusion in the merc's ranks. The hurried steps of someone heading towards the shuttle forced Shepard out of hiding. Her body lit up by her biotics she cast a singularity at the man. As he was lifted into the air he managed to give a single shout of alarm before her pistol put an end to him.

At least one of his squad had spotted her because the shouts now changed to pinpointing where she currently hid. Of course, they also speculated on how she had managed to forge an alliance with the geth. Jane would have laughed if they weren't being pressed so hard by them. Legion did his part keeping them from coming at Shepard and Mordin from the sides.

Stubbornness kept her going past when she should have stopped using her biotics. Not hearing any more footsteps she leaned against her rock. She was just grateful that none of these bastards had a tactical cloak. The blood trickling from her nose she idly wiped away while she caught her breath.

"Shepard-Commander, only one enemy is unaccounted for. He is currently out of our sight, you should prepare for him."

"Right, got that Mordin? One left."

Mordin nodded, he glanced over to where she was resting when he heard the weariness in her voice. Dread pooled inside of him when he noted the wavering of her barrier and the blood that still flowed from her.

"Shepard, drop your barrier and stop using your biotics," he hissed urgently into the comm.

"As soon as we finish this last one Mordin."

Whatever retort he would have made was drowned out by the bellow of the krogan crashing towards them. Mordin stepped out of cover and a push of a button on his omni-tool he sent an incinerate towards the merc. The krogan's barrier fell to the blast but did little damage to the krogan himself. Shepard flung a barrier in front of herself forcing the krogan to crash against it. Mordin could only fire his pistol at the merc even as he pushed closer and closer to Shepard's failing barrier. The krogan gave an ugly laugh when he smelled the blood that flowed even more freely from the woman he had been paid an exorbitant sum to bring in dead or alive. A few seconds more and her biotics would fail and she would be at his mercy.

A part of his brain registered the click of a fresh heat sink being applied to a weapon before a red hot muzzle of a gun was pressed against his head and then he knew nothing as bullet after bullet tore through his brain. Jane watched as Mordin took out the krogan, the salarian bravely shooting him at point blank range. Her barrier dropped and her eyes rolled back into her head as she collapsed.