"It'll help if you talk about it,"
Shepard snorted and looked at her hands. They were laced together, resting on the table between them. The engine hummed softly through the window behind her.
"I killed my best friend." The admission settled heavily in her gut. It was the first time she had said the words out loud. "Vael was her name. It happened before I enlisted." Her gaze slid to the side. "I ran with a gang, back on Earth, and she sold us out to another group. Gave them the location of our base, and the best way to get around our defenses. When our leader found out who it was, he sent me to finish her off." The Commander bit her lip. "He knew we had been...close. He sent two of his goons with me and I was supposed to execute her in front of him. I managed to lose them, to try to talk some sense into her when I finally found her, but--" She sighed. "She fought me. Told me she did what was necessary, and that I would have to do the same."
Shepard's hands dropped to her lap. "I lost control. I was so angry, so hurt, that--" A pause. "I stabbed her. I held her while she bled out, and by the time I came back to myself, she was gone." Kai's shoulders slumped forward. "It all came back when Garrus asked for my help with Sidonis. I couldn't let him walk that same path." She looked up, then, at the drell. Suddenly unsure, Shepard dropped her gaze.
"I'm sorry. I spoke more than I intended to. Thank you for listening."