DISCLAIMER: I do not own any characters depicted in any of the Mass Effect game.
AN: Alrighty folks! Welcome to my imagination. I hope you approve. So, here's the lowdown, FemShep + Liara = ovary explosions (at least for me) so I wanted more behind door scenes mixed in with my action scenes. Let me know what you think. I started by posting the first 3 chapters that I have written and edited. I'm going to try to work to get all 10 up before I start my overnights. Saving lives as a vampire veterinary technician is hard work, so if you do decide to stay the course, I'll work on getting updates out ASAP, but I can't make promises for Thursday-Saturdays (12-hour overnight shifts...aaaahhh)
Before I lose you lovely folks with my rambling, Here's Chapter 1
SHEPARD:
My team and I head back to the Normandy after another Cerberus "suggested" mission. After the debriefing, team members eat dinner and settle into their quarters. I head up to my cabin, peel off my armor, and hang it on the rack in the corner of my room. After shrugging off my combat clothing, I throw on my favorite Alliance t-shirt and get comfortable. Relief waves over my body, but it's too quiet in here.
I turn on the radio and crank up the volume.
MUCH BETTER.
A smile breaks across my face and I can't help but start dancing around the room. Singing at the top of my lungs, I grab my faithful Widow, sit down with a cleaning kit and make her look as good as new. After tending to my sidearm, I slide both into my gun chest and lock it tight. A spot on my armor catches my eye and I decide that it should be cleaned and polished too. I dance my way over to the fish tank and push the auto-feed button. My pets jet after the food, diving high and low to skillfully catch the fish flakes. Peace rolls through my system and I let out a sigh. I sit down at my terminal and turn the music down to a normal level. Kelly was nice enough to tell me that I had messages on my terminal when I returned, so I figure it's time to check out my inbox.
One in particular stood out:
Shepard...I've forwarded information about another operative I'd like you to try to recruit for your team. The Assassin. Please see the attached Dossier. Head to Nos Astra, Illium.
Illusive Man
I pull up the attachment and find the following:
Thane Krios.
-Quick-kill biotic specialist
-Expert Sniper
Thane Krios is a drell trained from childhood as an elite assassin, proficient in both long- range and sniping kills and close infiltration.
He has slowed his activities in recent years but it is rumored to have a target on Illium
***************IN THE COCKPIT*********************
"Joker! Set a course to the Horsehead Nebula, we are going to Illium." A female voice is heard resonating from the cockpit. A fair-skinned woman with short, fiery-red hair appears on a small screen on the cockpit console. Joker nods and quickly begins calculating distance, time, and current fuel levels. After minutes of typing, he looks up and confidently and says:
"We should be there by tomorrow morning, Commander!" Looking to his left, he trails off, but quickly begins again. "EDI is insisting I tell you we should arrive at approximately 1100 hours." Joker begins grumbling under his breath. I'm not able to decipher exactly what he is saying but can assume it is string of complaints about the ship's AI.
"Spend trillions of credits to bring back Shepard and rebuild the Normandy and they can't even install a damn MUTE button on the ship AI" Joker huffs and resumes watching his monitors.
"Be nice, Joker! EDI has saved our asses more than once already. Mine especially!" A chuckle escapes from my lips.
"Yes Commander." Joker returns in his best mocking voice. I reach forward to end the session but I am interrupted. Joker cracks a smile "But I feel obligated to tell you that sucking up to the ship's AI will get you nowhere"
A smile takes over my face as I end the video call with the pilot. I guess I should get back to work. Scrolling through a mess of unread messages from many different places, Michael's message catches my eye:
How goes it in deep space? It's been pretty lame here on Feros since we started rebuilding the colony. I can't believe you killed the giant talking plant! I envy you for seeing a green Asari! There are rumors that Shiala is actually still green. She has been on Illium arguing about a contract since before I was stationed here, so I STILL haven't seen her! What a bummer!
Anyway... I got a fish to keep me company while I'm here. I haven't named him yet so I'll take any suggestions you've got. Have you heard from Steven? He hasn't answered my recent message, but boot camp doesn't always allow terminal time. I bet he's scrubbing toilets! Anywho, I should quit rambling and get some sleep...I have a whole lot of sitting and monitor-watching to do tomorrow! You envy my difficult job, and you know it!
Mikey
There is an image attached to the message. A picture of a single goldfish in a small fishbowl flies open and covered half of the screen. The pebbles are a light blue with the spectre emblem painted on a large rock. Oh that boy. I lower my head to stifle the laughter which causes a few hairs to fall in my face. I push them back out of my face and begin typing:
Deep space is dark and can be lonely, but I have a great crew at my side. I'm glad to hear you are adjusting well to Feros. We are actually in route to Nos Astra, Illium as I type this message; we have a classified mission that was just assigned. I will look for Shiala and see if I can help at all. I can be quite persuasive, being a big bad Spectre and all. I haven't heard from Steven either, I'm sure he is just being kept busy. Maybe he mouthed off and lost terminal privileges. I mean that sounds more like Steven anyway! Keep yourself awake while you watch those monitors Mikey! I'll kick your ass if that colony gets hit again because you are staring at the back of your eyelids!
Kira
PS just don't name that fish Saren! Maybe Mako, or Hammerhead? Also, nice tank! Poor guy may get lost or something
After answering a few more boring messages and speaking to a few people via video chat on the terminal, a yawn escapes my mouth and my muscles ache. I stretch my arms back far in my chair and feel my shoulders loosen.
Oh damn, it's getting late.
When I turn to head to bed, the frame on my desk catches my eye. A smile creeps across my face. I spent a long time re-acquainting myself with the features of her beautiful face. Her expression sends warmth throughout my body but also tugs at my heart.
Hopefully someday…
For now, it's time for bed. As I climb into bed, I grab the room remote and turn off the lights and crank down the thermostat. My comforter envelops me and provides some comfort for the aching in my chest. Exhaustion clouds my thoughts, threatening to take over. I happily oblige, all the while hoping to have a dreamless sleep.
But when does that ever happen?
"Commander, we have a large ship heading right at us! It is acting as though it can see right through our stealth drive." Joker says frantically through my earpiece. I turn to the nearest terminal and pull up the camera feed to see a gigantic, primitive-looking ship. I wonder what the VI thinks. I tap the button on the console and am greeted by a blue sphere.
"What can you tell me about this vessel?" I ask the ship's VI. The globe briefly changes shape in recognition and begins analyzing and collecting information. A high-pitched beep is emitted from the sphere and it begins to speak…
"Vessel Unknown…" The VI responds
Well that's helpful...
A siren wails overhead and the Normandy SR1 shakes, groaning in objection.
"Joker! Status report!" I yell over the siren
"Commander, we've been hit, hard! Normandy VI is still calculating exact damage and a repair report but it doesn't look promising!"
In accordance with evacuation protocols, my crew begins flooding to the escape shuttles.
Oh God. Where is she?!
I frantically search through the crowd but fail to find who am looking for. I scramble past the medical bay and through the mag-doors to where her cabin is. Her empty desk is somewhat of a relief, but does not settle my stomach. On one of her terminal screens is an unfinished message sits unattended, as is left in a hurry. My throat constricts and my chest burns. Angrily I slam a fist on the desk and run back towards the shuttles.
Oh! There she is.
A sigh of relief involuntarily escapes my lips as my eyes meet with hers. She is escorting crew members into the evacuation bays. My heart quickens it's as my feet lead me to her. The kinetic barrier that is protecting the crew engulfs me and quickly seals behind. Her blue eyes lock on mine. She closes the distance quickly and desperately grabs my hand. A conflicted look crosses her face as she stares into my eyes. She groans loudly and frustration takes over her face:
"Joker is still on board and refuses to evacuate. We can't leave him here." Liara says calmly. Her brow creases and she holds my hand and arm tighter, bracing herself from the aftershock of the most recent attack.
"Get back to the shuttles. I'll haul Joker's crippled ass out of here." I reply sternly. Liara hesitates and tries to resist. "Liara, get out of here! Now! I need you to be safe. I need you to stay here! You have to promise me you will get in the last shuttle and go" I pause and plead
"… even if I am not here with you. I'll find a way…"
I NEED you to stay safe, I'd never be able to forgive myself if you waited for me and didn't make it…
Liara nods. Her lip is quivering as a tear threatens to fall down her face. She hesitantly releases my hand, but quickly grabs my hips and pulls me close. She slides one hand through short red hair and her soft frantic lips meet mine briefly.
"You better come back to me, or... or..." Her voice drags me back to reality. Tears stream from her pained eyes. Before she can finish her thought, I pull her tighter and steal another kiss. A tear rolls down my own cheek. She releases her hand from my wrist and I take the chance to back off.
"I'll be back, I promise." I break away from the embrace, and run out of the kinetic barrier. I put on my helmet and lock it to the rest of my suit.
Mag boots activated.
Time to save my pilot.
I hesitate as I approach CIC. A huge hole is blown through the deck of the ship. Gravity is greatly reduced; artificial gravity is useless when the hull of the ship is missing pieces. Dark space looms above; threatening to separate me from my once-safe ship. Mag-boots are the only thing keeping me from the endless void. I cautiously continue towards the cockpit. A kinetic barrier protects Joker from floating debris.
"Come on Joker, we have to go." I tap him on the shoulder. He looks up from the console with an air-mask on.
"I'm not abandoning the Normandy! I can still save her!" He replies.
"The Normandy is gone; going down with her won't change that. Recovery is the Alliance's job, our job is getting off safely. We can replace her. We can't replace you." After a few long seconds of hesitation, Joker punches a few buttons, nods, and turns from his controls.
"Help me up?" He offers out a hand. But mid-rise he turns back to the monitors and gasps. "They are turning for another attack!" I grab him by the forearm and force him out of his chair. "Ow! Watch the arm!" He shouts as I support him. I fix my arm under his and help him walk.
"Ready to run?"
"Thanks. Although I feel that it is important for you to know that I don't run. I don't enjoy breaking bones." He cracks a smile to hide the groan that he just let out. We work our way towards the shuttles.
I hate the idea of losing my ship as much as he does, but it's not worth dying over. The massive hole in the ship proves we gotta go. Not to mention the collectors are still attacking us. We are sitting ducks.
We hobble through the kinetic barrier again and I spot a very anxious-looking Liara in the madness.
Relief overtakes over her face as her eyes meet mine. Joker easily breaks my hold and hobbles towards the remaining shuttle. He is met by Garrus who helps him through the doorway and into a seat. The Normandy begins to shake and pitch away from the shuttles as a laser cuts through the center of the ship. Liara gasps and covers her face and eyes.
"SHEPARD! NO!" She wails. Garrus yanks the Liara into the escape shuttle and hits the eject button.
The Normandy immediately dissolves into pieces; a piece of ship hull is thrown towards me. Unable to move quickly enough, the debris impacts my helmet and air starts escaping out of my suit. Panic takes over and I quickly try to reseal my helmet.
The lock is broken…. Hope escapes my mind as quickly as the air rushes out of my suit. I flail and try to figure out a solution, but come up short-handed.
Air whizzes out of the suit and my ears begin ringing. Another piece of shrapnel flies towards me and a sharp pain radiates from my abdomen. Everything begins fading dark. My entire body feels like is it being torn to shreds. I watch the Normandy disappear further and further from grasp. Tears rolls down my cheeks and I don't attempt to stop them. My lungs ache for oxygen and my heart threatens to quit.
This is how I die… At least my crew is safe. Liara is safe…
Finally, all the feeling is gone…
Darkness takes over…
The ringing stops …
Silence…
AN: Sorry not sorry. Keep going though, hopefully you'll like it!
Let me know what you folks are thinking, I want to know! Be gentle, this is my first time ;). Constructive criticism is always welcome!