Night After Suicide Mission on Collectors Home Base

SR-2 Normady: The Loft

Jayden Shepard brought his hands up to his face, feeling the cold water spash against his skin. The shock helped his mind focus, bringing the day's events into better clarity. Taking the towel next to the sink in his personal bathroom, he finished washing off. After stepping out into his work area he sat down at his desk, determined to finish his report. They deserved that much.

With a few clicks onto his keyboard, the monitor buzzed back to life. He minimized several other activities he was exploring on the extranet, not wanting their distraction any longer and brought back up his digital memo pad. All he had managed to get written was the beginning of the report, and wished his will power didn't give out earlier so he wouldn't have as much to write now.

"After activating the IFF we got back from the dead Reaper the Normandy passed through the Omega-4 Relay towards the Galatic Core."

There was so much more to go over, so many details that his mind again began to wonder. Who knew so much could happen in such a short period of time. Jayden leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes. A blue aura began to seep out of his body as the meditation techniques that Samara had given him powered up. Almost like someone hit rewind on his life he was brought back to the beginning.

Fear. Anger. Anticipation. Thousands of broken ships drifted pass the Normandy as Joker headed towards the Collector base, which dwarfed the already gigantic collector ship that cost the Commander 2 years of his life. Scouts attacked the ship, red lasers firing at his home. The upgrades held. One burrowed into the Normandy's Cargo hold, forcing a team to combat it. His upgrades held. Then he was running back to the helm, facing the collector's main fighter ship. This time however, he was ready. Someone hits fast forward.

He's surveying the damage. The ship's a mess, Joker's ribs are broken, and the team is shaken. But he isn't. This is what he's been fighting for since he came back and no one would stand in the way of his revenge. Two teams went in. He took his most talented with him, Jack and Grunt. To lead his second team he sent the one he trusted the most, Garrus. Fast forward.

They've made it to their first break since they've entered the base. It was a hard battle but his team made it. The second wasn't so lucky. Garrus was a great leader, but his teams had a tendency of dying on him. Samara had taken too many shots; all he could do was comfort her. He can still remember her words.

"Do not weep for me, my Code has brought me to this. Before I leave this existence Shepard, I want to give you something." Blood seeps out of her mouth. I try to speak but words are useless. I can see into her eyes as she leaks out of her body but right at the end I see something else. Something beautiful. Terrifying. Bright lights, a warm feeling washing over me, a moment of chaos inside my mind followed by perfect clarity. Her gift was her. Her experiences and memories were now mine. I wouldn't waste it. I'd continue to prove myself of her legacy. Fast forward.

The crew was safe. He came after them right away. No one took his crew. He didn't care about much in this universe, but he'd die for his crew. He did die for his crew. He sent them back to the ship with Mordin and the good doctor delivered. The next step was getting pass the swarm of drones while a 2nd team provided a distraction. It wasn't hard to figure out which biotic would help him, Jack was the most powerful he'd ever known. Hell the most powerful he'd ever heard about. And she was crazy enough to do it with a smile on her face. Garrus would lead the 2nd team again, he really couldn't be blamed for the Samara's death. They didn't call it a suicide mission for nothing. Fast forward.

They made it. Jack was able to keep the drones at bay long enough for the teams to regroup. Garrus took a few good hits as he joined Shepard but nothing worse than his face already took. He could see fresh blood above the cybernetic mesh that held the turian's left mandible in place. The merc Zaeed Massani wasn't so lucky. Jayden should have known better than to bring him. Zaeed was used to leading, not taking orders. He was tackled by two collectors when he tried to argue with Garrus. They ripped him apart. Talk about money flushed down the toilet. All that was left was to gain access to the base's reactor and blow it sky high. He brought Garrus and Jack with him for the final assault, leaving the rest to hold the line. With a final speech he made off with his team, hoping to see the others again. Fast forward.

Nothing could prepare him for what he saw. To look upon something infinitely your greater and know that your people were a part of it is the stuff of nightmares. That didn't stop him from killing the infant Reaper. Its body was the second of many to come. It didn't come easy. After telling the Illusive Man in no uncertain terms that no one told him what to do, the Reaper returned. It was too late to stop the explosive attached to the base's core. So he did what he always did. He won. Fast forward.

He was back on the ship. An explosion from behind shook it violently. He could hear Joker shouting commands to no one in particular and EDI doing her best to comply. With the damage the Normandy took, it was hard to keep up, even for an AI. With a final shout to hold on to their seats, Joker punched the controls sending the ship into hyperdrive leaving what was left of the Collectors base behind them. A sigh escaped from Shepard's mouth, and patted Joker on the shoulder. The more he thought about what they just accomplished the more his pride began to swell. It wasn't long until he burst into uncharacteristic laughter. It was contagious and soon everyone on the ship was celebrating. There were hugs, high fives, cheers, fist pounds and every other form of sentient congratulations. He did it. They did it.

With that Jayden's eyes opened. He was back at his desk, sweat beads on his brow. He looked down and realized as he meditated he was typing furiously at his keyboard. The report was done. Now that it was out of the way he didn't even know why he wrote it. He no longer answered to anyone. The Alliance and him were over, they turned their back on him and he didn't look back. The council, the one he sacrificed thousands of lives for would never listen to him so he abandoned them as well. And Cerberus. Well when you defy the Illusive Man and tell him where he can shove it, don't expect to remain on the payroll. None of that mattered. Those were all new problems he'd face later. And now that his mission was over there would be changes coming to his ship, both to the crew and the design. But none of that mattered. Not now. He closed out his report. In the end he decided that it was the closest thing to a biography he'd ever have and for all the lives lost, a record needed to exist. Stretching slightly as he stood up he heard a noise over in his bed. Turning he saw a bald head and two hands covered in tattoos propped out of the top of the sheets.

"So when the fuck are you coming to bed Shep."