An Unexpected Arrangement
Author's note: This is my first story ever, and I have no idea how long it will be between updates. This is definitely AU, and there's a LOT of exposition in this chapter. Hopefully I'll be improving as I go, and future installments will be better. This is a romance between two female characters. I will accept constructive criticism of my writing, but if you dislike the plot, don't read the story. I have played the first two Mass Effect games, but not the third. As long as there is internal consistency, let's chalk up any errors I make to the AU setting.
Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect or any of the characters that appear therein.
Chapter 1
Jane Shepard had been granted an indefinite amount of R&R after her injury in the last action of the Turian War. Her ship had been so damaged that it had been consigned to scrap, and not many of the crew had survived. Of those, only four crew, including Joker, Ash Williams, and Dr. Chakwas were expected to be fit to return to service and want to do so. Shepard was still undergoing treatment, and had barely started physical therapy. She had received a severe leg injury, and a critical abdominal injury. She'd already had several surgeries, and had several cloned organ transplants.
Jane knew that if weren't for her reputation as a war hero and her mother's assistance, she would have been invalided out already. As it was, a desk job might be the best she could hope for if the doctors were right. The emotional repercussions the loss of her crew, her injuries, and the news that she was now infertile had been the subject of most of the mandatory counseling sessions she'd been attending. Even so, Shepard knew she'd been lucky. Yeoman Chambers and the nearly the entire Engineering crew hadn't been. She still felt so thankful that the bridge of the SSV Calais hadn't been hit directly. Joker couldn't have survived any of the damage in other sections of the frigate with his brittle bones, and aside from minor smoke inhalation and some second degree burns he'd been protected by the stasis field. Ash had been in the medical bay with a head injury, and the extra plating in that part of the frigate had meant that most of the crew there had survived.
Shepard had been transferred to the Mars Naval Medical Center as soon as she was fit enough to be moved, and had done a few interviews since. Each of them had been like torture, since the doctors couldn't pump her full of drugs without affecting her ability to be comprehensible. Apparently the cheery colors of the dressed up hospital room and some artfully placed blankets had been sufficient to convince most viewers that Shepard hadn't come within a hair's breadth of being blown in half.
Today she had another doctor visit scheduled, to hear the results of her latest tests. She was expecting a nurse to help her limp her way to the east wing, so the door opening wasn't a surprise. Seeing her mother walk through it was. "Mom! I didn't expect you to be back for another week or two. Isn't overseeing the construction of the Olympus keeping you busy?"
Recently promoted Rear Admiral Hannah Shepard didn't return her daughter's grin. She looked quite somber, and Jane had a feeling she didn't want to hear what her mother had to say. "I'm here to apprise you of your new assignment from the Admiralty. If you choose to accept it, you will be promoted to Staff Commander and posted to Thessia to develop integrated training programs and protocols for human and Asari crews, with an eventual inclusion of Turians as well. The assignment is expected to last a minimum of five years." Shepard's mother paused, and hesitated.
"Since when do officers under flag rank have a say in their assignments?" Jane asked.
"They do when the assignment is contingent on the officer meeting unusual requirements. Parliament has been negotiating with the Asari to create stronger ties with humanity. Incentives have been created for marriages that take place between humans and Asari. Most of the officers who will be assigned to Thessia and Asari colonies will be single, and student exchange programs are already being set up between our Universities and theirs."
"So I would be expected to push this…agenda in my command? I'm not sure how comfortable I am with that."
"You wouldn't be expected to push it; you would be expected to lead it. Matriarch Benezia has opened formal negotiations to arrange a marriage between you and her daughter. Parliament informed the Admiralty that you should be given strong encouragement to accept the proposal."
"You've informed me of the carrot. What's the stick?"
"Medical discharge for you and Joker, and honorable discharge for Chief Williams and Dr. Chakwas. After the commissioning of the Olympus, I would be expected to retire or be shuffled to a desk in the bowels of the Admiralty until I resign. Nothing has been communicated yet to the others, but I want you to know that I do not approve of this. If Benezia had sent the proposal directly to me, things would have gone very differently, I can assure you. As it is, all the influence I have isn't enough to stop this. Apparently other Matriarchs, including Lidanya, have also opened marriage negotiations. I don't know who their targets are, but so far this seems to be contained among a few admirals and a handful of Members of Parliament." Admiral Shepard tried to keep the anger burning her insides up under control. To have the exemplary service of so many repaid by the government this way was indefensible.
"I'm seriously expected to marry an alien I've never met? I've barely even had contact with Asari in the past – why me? And how long would the marriage last? Jane asked.
"My understanding is that Benezia's daughter chose you, and both of our reputations and service records convinced the Matriarch that you were a worthy choice to become part of her House. Parliament wants to make sure the Asari are tied closely to us. They're worried about the Krogan and the Batarians. Since the Turians managed to wipe out half our fleet and a third of the Asari fleet, the mutual defense pact is paramount. I will support whatever decision you make, especially since this marriage would be expected to last until your death. There's another provision as well. The Matriarch and her daughter want conception right after the marriage takes place. You would be expected to father multiple daughters with the T'Soni girl."
"Hey, at least I'd be able to have children this way! Never mind that they'd all be blue chicks. At the moment shuffling around three hundred yards seems to be the limit of my physical capacities, but I'm sure I can knock up the Matriarch's daughter easily!" Shepard could feel her body begin to shake. So much of her life had been circumscribed by her injuries and she was unprepared to deal with more loss of control.
"Commander, I realize you are upset, but I expect officers in the Alliance Navy to conduct themselves in a much different manner. I don't tolerate xenophobic remarks, especially from my own daughter. Is that understood?"
"Yes, ma'am," Jane responded. She collected herself and prepared to listen. There must be more, and she needed as much information as possible.
"It's my understanding that sex is not necessary to Asari reproduction. From what I have learned since this debacle began, the Asari reputation for being indiscriminately over sexed is a myth. However, like any group there are individuals that conform to the stereotype. From the information the Matriarch sent about her daughter, Liara is quite a bit younger than most Asari are when they marry, and is reputed to be nearly the opposite of the stereotype. She holds a doctorate in Xenoarcheology from the University of Serrice. " The Admiral held up a storage device. "The rest of her dossier is in here. There are no references to the proposed marriage, but the information is still considered very sensitive."
"You've told me the negative repercussions for my crew. Are there any positive ones?" Jane asked.
"They would all be assigned to Thessia as well. Dr. Chakwas has expressed interest in continuing to serve with you, and the Admiralty is planning to assign her as your personal physician. However, she would be required to enroll in the University of Serrice Medical School. The Alliance Military is developing an exchange program with USMS and Johns Hopkins to cross train medical personal expected to serve on integrated vessels. She would also be expected to complete additional training in Asari obstetrics.
"Gunnery Chief Williams would receive a promotion to Operations Chief and work with you on the development committee. Second Lieutenant Moreau would be promoted to First Lieutenant, and assigned as your personal pilot. He could expect occasional secondment as a test pilot for the new frigate prototype being developed in the Thessian shipyards. Apparently your crew is considered family in some way in Asari culture. Any of your discharged crew members will also be encouraged to join your household in Thessia. At the moment, the plan is to encourage as many as are able and qualify to apply to the student exchange programs. It might be possible to designate some of them as civilian consultants, depending on their skill set. Should you accept the proposal, you should inform me if there are any crew members you object to rejoining you."
Jane thought of her crew, some of whom were still in the same hospital she had been transferred from at the Czarnobóg Fleet Depot. Of the 57 crewmembers who had been on board when the ship had been destroyed, only a dozen had survived besides Shepard. All of those who had been medically discharged had lost a limb or sustained bad burns. Dr. Chakwas and Rosamund Draven were the only two with just scrapes and bruises. This could be a tremendous opportunity for all of them. Parliament did have a safety net for veterans, but it was expected to be a stopgap. Retraining and education would be essential to ensure her crew lived productive and comfortable lives. She couldn't help wondering where the catch was. "Travel to Thessia is strictly controlled. All these new programs and my household sound completely impractical."
"None of the education programs are expected to start until the End term of 2189. That gives the Asari over a year to figure out how to deal with the largest influx of humans. Temporary orbital facilities have been provided for military personnel, with permanent facilities under construction. Your household would be on an enclosed estate the Matriarch intends to deed to her daughter after the marriage. Apparently it abuts the Matriarch's own estate. Believe me, Jane – I have asked all these questions and more. You should also know that the information pertaining to your household was in the initial communication from Benezia, which is very thorough and deadly serious. I guess we would call some of the arrangements a dowry. The income from some of the T'Soni mines is expected to cover most of your household expenses, and stipends would be paid by the Alliance for all military personnel or exchange students living in the household. In addition, Parliament has agreed to purchase similar facilities on Earth for Asari exchange students, to be known officially as your household. Living quarters for you and Dr. T'Soni would be set aside in case you make a visit.
"There is a limited amount of time before the Matriarch expects to receive the initial response. If you would like to read the proposal, which I suggest you do, you can do so tomorrow. You are ordered to the Admiralty House for briefing at 0800. You have my word that I will support your decision, whatever it may be. I am prepared to retire should you refuse the marriage. I've received quite a few lucrative offers from the private sector since the end of the war."
Hannah stopped talking. She didn't want this situation for her daughter or herself, but she knew no matter what her daughter's decision the situation felt like a betrayal by her government. She took off her hat and loosened her collar, but it didn't do much to relieve the tension that had been accumulating for the last week.
"I notice you didn't mention any incentives for yourself. Surely there are some, Mom."
Hannah sighed. Of course Jane would have noticed that. "The Olympus would be the first dreadnought with an integrated crew. Her maiden voyage would be to Thessia with your wedding party on board, where the Asari crew would report for duty. Contingent on a successful two year tour, I would receive early promotion to Admiral."
"Wow, those MPs didn't miss a stitch. I get to choose between helping most of the people I care about, and harming them. True, most of them wouldn't know why, but I think that would make it an even more bitter pill to swallow. Ash would think that even Lynn dying in combat isn't enough to wipe out the fact that their grandfather surrendered the garrison at Shanxi in the First Contact War. Joker would think it was due to his disease, even though he's proven himself over and over. As for me, either I get the medical discharge I was probably going to get anyway, or a promotion, a prestigious assignment, and a wife and children. How do they know how much I want a family? Tell me that, Mom." Jane knew that she hadn't talked about her hopes for a family much in public. Only her trusted friends among the crew, her mother, and the military counselor knew about it.
"A deep background check was performed on you, Williams, Moreau, and Dr. Chakwas. I think they must have heard it from Megan." Hannah couldn't help the expression of distaste that crossed her face at the thought of Jane's former fiancé.
"Shit. I know you never liked her, but she wouldn't have any reason to think she should withhold that information. After all, disagreeing about having children is why we broke up." Jane had just about come around to her mother's way of thinking when she'd opened the Christmas card Megan had sent to the hospital. It was a picture of Megan, her wife, and their two kids. Both were born during the war. Maybe if she hadn't received it the same week she found out biological children were impossible for her, Shepard wouldn't have been so devastated. As it was, she hadn't responded to the only correspondence Megan had sent since the war started.
"You have options if you decline, Jane. There would be job offers, and I'm sure you would find a wife and a donor or adopt. Don't think it's your only option for a family, because it isn't."
"If I marry an Asari, the children would be mine, too, right? They'd be Asari, but mine somehow?" Jane knew she would love an adopted child, but a large part of her wanted her children to be hers. She supposed she didn't have a reason to believe Asari children would inherit her mom's smile or her father's nose, but she wanted a chance for her children to carry on things that would remind her of her parents.
Hannah had anticipated this question from her daughter. "Yes, Asari reproduce by taking a pattern or map of their mate's genes. The offspring are biologically Asari, but the expression of the genes is impacted greatly by their other parent.
"I'm due back on duty in two hours, so I need to catch a shuttle back to my office. Think about all your options, Jane. Look over Liara's dossier and get the full briefing tomorrow before you make a decision. And make that decision for yourself, not for everyone else. You're the person that will have to live in that marriage, and misery is not the future I want for you." Hannah leaned down and hugged her daughter. "I love you, sweetheart," she said.
SLSLSLSLSLSL
The next morning, Shepard found out she had a week to make her decision. She made it the same day.