Chapter one updated: 2013-11-19!
Mars
Location: Milky way/local cluster/Sol system
Lowell City, population 3.4 million humans. A human shit hole if there ever was one. Nothing like she had expected, from a city so close to Earth. Though she had heard Earth was even worse. Well it wasn't Omega at least. She shuddered at the thought of that place, while her icy blue eyes scans the entrance to one of many bars in the area. One of many such places she had frequented this last month. Too many, but she had an elusive pilot to track down and recruit, Intel suggested he often visited such establishments. Bobs drink, catchy name, one corner of her mouth bent upwards a little bit at that, eyes shining brighter.
Security contacted her thirty minutes ago, telling her Flight Lieutenant Moreau had been spotted at Bobs. So here she was, looking at the guard, SMG visible under the vest.
Well hopefully this is it, she had better things to do, more pressing matters, but it was the Illusive man's order, that she'd be the one to recruit Moreau. So she would. She made her way towards the entrance, turned her head and nodded towards the guard and then entered.
Inside the music assaulted her ears, the light was dim, dancers on tables and overhanging platforms, in the middle of the room was the bar counter in an oval shape, not that many guest yet, should make this easier.
She made her way over to the counter, waved at the bartender and ordered a shot. Opened up her omni-tool and transferred the credits, then downed the drink in one go, while the bartender watched her. She ordered on more, paid for it, downed it too while scanning the bar, trying to locate the pilot. Bartender still watching her, it was a slow day for him. Noticed her eyes scan his establishment, like she was looking for something or someone.
"Miss, you looking for someone?, maybe I can help you!". The bartender offered her.
Her head turned towards him slowly, regarding him with crystal clear blue eyes, that he felt like they were drilling into him, into his soul. Her eyes held a hint of steel in them. A minute passed before he got his answer.
"Yeah I'm looking for someone, where told I could find him here?". She answered, while opening her omni-tool and accessing, the Lieutenants recruitment photo, from the alliance archives, showing it to the bartender, while watching him at the same time, her eyes scanning his, for a hint of recognition. She spotted it. The bartender looked up to her eyes and nodded toward the booth in the corner.
"Word of warning Miss, he is drunk and well older than the picture you had, but still, he visits us from time to time, so that's why I recognized him!". He told her. She nodded her thanks, ordered two more beers, grabbed them and made her way over.
When she was about ten steps away, an older lady with gray hair excited the booth. She made her way past the lady and stopped before she announced herself. Turned her head to look back, watching her leave the bar.
Standing in front of the table in the booth where the elusive pilot sat. He hadn't noticed her presence yet, or so she thought. She turned her head down towards him, to have a look. He looked worn out, broken, like he had aged twenty years since the SSV Normandy SR-1 was destroyed, in reality it was 6 months ago. Before she could announce herself he talked.
"Who the hell are you? Alliance?, if so, then fuck of, I resigned if you people don't remember… just leave me alone already!". She heard him say, the last part barley a whisper. When he didn't get a replay, he finally turned his head a little to the right, so he could see her in the corner of his eye.
She heard him mumble "beautiful!". After his eye scanned her, from bottom to top stopping at her breasts a little longer than what was appropriate. She felt her left eyebrow rise and the right side of her mouth quirk upward a little at that. Well he couldn't know she had better hearing than average humans.
Turning his head to her fully now, his eyes on hers. "Not alliance I take it?". A smirk showed its self on her lips, while she answered. "No, not alliance no!".
"Then who are you and what do you want, as you can see I'm busy, and don't have time to entertain you all day, I have a mission to get drunk, and you are standing between me and my liquor, I don't like that... even though you are a beautiful woman". The last part was a mumble, barely audible, his right hand grabbed his hat and he moved it down over his green eyes, shading them.
To her own surprise she actually laughed at that, her eyes smiling down at him.
"May I sit down?". She asks and gestures to the seat opposite of him, her voice clear, with a tint of humor in it.
"Sure go ahead, it's not like I told you I wanted to be alone or anything". His voice snarky as he replayed.
She looked at him in good humor and said "You'll like what I have to offer!". She took a seat opposite of Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau.
"Yeah I can see that". Came the replay, his lips twisted up in a small smile.
She quirked a smile to him and handed over one of the beers she had ordered. Before taking a sip from her own. She noticed him looking at her taking the sip from under his hat.
"See something you like?". She asked in a low voice and at the same time looks at him intently.
"Uhhh yeah sure... sure". He mumbles awkwardly. While a pink tint starts to show its self on his neck. He tries to cover it by scratching his neck, turning his head to the left, looking straight at one of the new dancers.
They drink their beers in silence. Before she decides it's time to get to the point of this meeting.
"So Mister Moreau, I have a job proposition for you. Which I think you will want to hear!". She puts her empty bottle on the table, watching him intently.
"Job, what kind of job, I'm a pilot!". Moreau answers, with new heat entering his voice, before he lowers it again to a bare whisper. "Well I was a pilot, they took my wings... the alliance did, ground me like it was nothing… It's not like I took out Sovereign or anything like that… Idiots!. ". He took another swig from the bottle. "Best pilot in the fleet, didn't matter. GOT my Commander killed, that was the end of that". Downing the rest of the beer, he called the bartender and ordered a bottle of strong liquor and two glasses.
Two minutes passed in silence, while she watched him, noting pain flash in his green eyes, the brightness in them diminishing. The bottle and glasses arrived and Jeff poured it in both glasses and handed one over to her. Raising his to his lips and downing it in one go. She watches him grimace as the liquor makes it way down his throat, burning.
She does the same, he refills there glasses, before picking up the conversation again and asking. "So what job is it that you think I can do?, OH and how do you know my name?".
She watches him intently, and then downs her glass again before answering. "Well, how I know your name is not that weird, I'm here to offer you a job after all, so extensive background checks were made!". She takes the bottle and refills her glass again and downs it in one go, then refills it again. "As pertaining to the job we are offering, well its piloting of course... for Cerberus!".
Grabbing her glass to down it again, before it reaches her lips, Jeff grabs her arm in a quick motion, looks her in her eyes, green eyes steeling up "Leave!". He hiss out between cleansed teethes.
She looks down on his hand on her arm in confusion, not from the hand itself, but from the touch. It´s making her skin crawl, Goosebumps traveling up her arm and down her neck. Her heart skips a beat or two. She looks him in the eyes, clears her throat. "So what if it is Cerberus that gets you the opportunity to fly again. For a good cause?".
He takes his hand back. She lets out a breath she had been holding, but didn't know she had been.
"I know about Cerberus, what good have they ever done?". He tugs his hat over his eyes again, before he continues. "Commander told me about Akuze, she told me she was the only survivor... Well until we found Corporal Toombs that is... Cerberus used him, experimented on him!". His voice low and bitter as the memories flooded his mind; he'd been watching Shepard's helmet feed on that mission, not a pretty sight.
He looks at her again before voicing his thoughts. "So tell me Miss, why should I even consider it, after all I've seen?". She watched him intently for a while then replayed. "Because those were rough elements and does not reflect Cerberus as a hole...". She let him ponder that for a minute, and then continued. "Besides, the Reapers are out there. In the last six months, human colonist has disappeared on several human worlds, alliance response to that has been... lacking or none existent".
She grabbed her glass again and downed the liquor, then continued again. "We have a few things to offer for your services of course... For example we will make sure you get your flight status back again... Your wings as you said it yourself". That got his attention. Before this meeting she could honestly say that she didn't really care, if he accepted Cerberus offer or not. Now though she found herself wanting him to join. Though she couldn't say why or what made her change her stance on that. Just that she really wanted him to. It had nothing to do with the warmth; she could still fell on her skin, where his hand had griped her, or the fact that her heart skipped a beat. No she thought, it has to do with him being the best damn pilot in the alliance... of course.
As she watched him, she saw his eye brighten a little bit, when she told her about him getting his wings back. Still he answered. "Well as much as I like flying... and I do, it's not worth joining Cerberus only for that. Sorry Miss!". He shook his head to emphasize his point.
She schooled her expression into something neutral. "Well Mister Moreau, how would you like to be able to walk, without crutches then?". Jeff's head snapped up at that, his green eyes intent on her ice blue once. "You are shitting me right?". He said, with disbelief in his voice.
Her lips almost against her own will formed a small smile. She shook her head and answered. "No joke, it's true, we have a way, for you to walk again without help... You won't be in the Olympics but still!". His face formed in to something that could only be, disbelief. "How did you find a way for me, to be able to walk again?". He asked staring at her, daring her to lie.
"There is an ongoing project that has a need... For stronger bones for the subject, as such, as a bonus, it could be applied to you as well, without any problems or complications, still it will hurt... A lot at first, but after training, when your body and muscles get used to walking, it shouldn't be a problem!". She answered as truth fully as she could without giving away too much.
Jeff pounded this for a while, refilling both there glasses before answering. "I see... You drive a hard bargain... Miss?".
She gave him a full blown honest smile, her entire face lit up. Probably made his knees shake she thought with a laugh, then shook her head.
"Miranda Lawson!". Watching him intently... She was enjoying herself, not what she had expected. But hey she wasn't complaining about that. Miranda watched him like a hawk watched it's pray.
"We'll Miss Lawson, nice to meet you". He offered his hand for her to shake. She did. Then he said. "Jeff "Joker" Moreau, but you already knew that!". Eyes twinkling with glee. But soon dimed again.
"So tell me exactly what this offer is that you have?". Moreau downed his drink and poured a new one.
"Well we need a pilot for the Lazarus Cell. And you are the best and we need the best if we are going to stop the Collectors!". Jeff frowned at that. "The Collectors?". He asked.
"Yes the Collectors, it was one of their ships that downed the SSV Normandy SR-1. They killed your Commander, not you Flight Lieutenant!". He watched her. A sad expression crept its way onto his face. Silence settled between them for a while, both thinking, downing a couple of glasses, before Miranda ordered another bottle.
When it arrived she poured them both a drink. Moreau downed it, before refilling his glass again.
"Thanks... Though I've heard that for six months now… well not that it was Collectors but Geth… Still it does not help... One bit!". A bitter laugh escaped his lips. "Williams almost beat me to death after the Turian patrol picked us up!". He was drunk now, telling things to a stranger that he really shouldn't. But it felt good at the same time. So he couldn't stop, or even cared to stop at this point.
"She loved her you know...!". When he saw the blank expression on Mirandas face, he laughed a little. "Williams... Miss Lawson, Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams, loves Commander Jane Shepard... And she loves her back... Loved her back!". He took the bottle, downed a big one, slamming the bottle back onto the table.
"She almost killed me. When she learned Shepard got spaced, saving me. And Hell I can't blame or hate her for it either. Cracked four of my ribs, broke my left arm and right leg. Before the Turians jumped her and dragged her away!". A bitter laugh escaped him. "Shit she was like possessed!". The last part came out a bare whisper.
"The strange thing is, in a way I miss them all... Even Ash... ME the shut in, the snarky pilot. But no the Commander had to drag me out to interact and spend time with the crew and the ground team. I have no idea when it happened, but we are friends me and the Commander... Well were friends really, since she is dead and all!". A single tear started to fall. Before she even could think of what she was doing, Miranda stretched over the table and whipped the tear away.
Her breast in front of his face, her breathing hitched in her throat, her heart beating in her ears. She froze. Miranda Lawson... Froze. For the first time in her life, she acted. Before thinking, calculating and as such she froze, stuck in the spot as if rooted.
She could feel his breath on her hand. Quicken. Before he looked at her and smiled. Mumbling out a "Thank you!". Turning his head away, to the right, a blush creeping its way up his neck, he tilted his hat downwards concealing his eyes.
Miranda Lawson inhaled a deep breath. Before taking a seat again, flashing him a small smile before downing another glass of liquor.
Clearing her throat, she watched him, and then simply asked him. "Are you interested, we really need you for the project, the more you told me today, the more I see the benefits of you signing on!". Taking another deep breath, she finally made eye contact with him again, waiting for a response.
He watched her from the corner of his eye, for a minute. Then turned around to look at her.
He sarcastically answered. "Sure ill join, if you show me those!", Gesturing with his right hand at her breasts, in his drunken stupor.
There was silence, her brain processed what he said, she started to blush. She pushed it down and away. Instead she steeled her voice, her face a mask. Her blue icy eyes speared his.
Her voice, as she gave him her answer, was like ice. Making him physically and mentally flinch and his hands rubbed his arms to get the cold out. "If that's what it takes!". Was her only response, Jeff's brain, was not on his side right now; as such it took about 15 seconds to register what she said. While his mind processed what she had answered, her hand moved to her zipper on her back.
She watched him blink once, twice, trice. While she moved the zipper downwards and then moved one of her hands up to her right shoulder, slowly pealing the fabric down, exposing some skin on her shoulder. The next breath had his hand on hers. Stopping her. She watched his eyes. He moved fast when he wanted to, she noted. Then he spoke a short word under his breath.
"No...!". He removed her hand and pulled the fabric back up on her shoulder. Then stood up and went over her side. Told her to turn around, so he'd get access to the zipper. She did. She could feel his warm breath on her back, while he zipped it back up. Pausing for a second before it was completely zipped, taking a deep breath and then finished zipping.
Then he quickly made it to the other side of the table and sat down. All the while she watched him. Watched him down another drink, then another. Before finally looking back up at her.
"Sorry!". He whispered. Turning his head down. His eyes looking right. A blush had made his delicate skin, red, pinkish. His hat covering his eyes completely in shadows now. His posture, one of regret.
Ten minutes passed before he looked up at her again. "I can't fly your ship... Sorry!". He looked down again.
Miranda's features softened when she looked at him. "Why is that Moreau?". Though she knew what was coming. And as a last resort, she had authorization to tell him about Commander Shepard.
Lawson watched him swallow, before making eye contact again. "I'll only fly for Ja... Shepard... Since she is dead well... I haven't really felt like flying since then... No other superior would be worth flying for... So I'm sorry, I can't help you!". It came out as a horse whisper, barely audible.
Silence stretched on... For five minutes... Ten minutes... Fifteen minutes...
"Then... You should join. Flight Lieutenant Jeff "Joker" Moreau...!". Watching his reaction, his whole body went tense, like a taut wire.
"That's not even remotely funny Miss Lawson, not one bit, Commander Shepard is dead. I saw her die. Saw her oxygen leak from her suit. Saw her flap around when she couldn't breathe anymore!". Tears streamed freely now. "Never told this bit... To anyone!". Jeff's voice shocked on tears. Came out as a rasp.
Miranda regarded him; put an awkward hand on top of his. "Listen Moreau, in one year and six months, estimated, Shepard will be back. What you need to do, is think about, if you want to be there when she does. Not if Moreau, but when!". She patted his hand one more time before getting up from her seat, to leave.
Stopping at the table corner Miranda glanced down at him and whispers. "I promise, in one year and six months, you'll see her again!". Then she continued to walk towards the exit. When she reached the exit, she hears him scramble from his booth to follow. The bartender yells for him to pay his drinks. The last thing she hears is. "Fuck, fucking, fuck... Fuck!". Then she exist trough the door.
Miranda takes twenty long strides when she gets outside, then stops. Arms under her chest, her right foot tapping the ground. Slowly counting down from twenty.
At fifteen, the door behind her opens up and closes. At ten, she hears the shuffling and cursing. At five, she feels a delicate hand grab her right arm and spin her around. She lets him. Staring up at her, where two bright green eyes.
"Promise me what you told me, was not a lie?" He demanded from her.
Her features soften and a small smile spreads on her lips. "It's not a lie Moreau, join and you will meet her again... And walk without help!". Jeff locks her, in her eyes, regarding her, trying to see if there is even a hint of deception, not that he would be able to see or detect any of that, if the she decided she wanted to hide anything... not that Jeff knew that of course.
Finally nodding to himself. "I'll believe you Lawson, but I have two questions!". Miranda nodes for him to continue.
"If I agree to this, then I'll work for Shepard and answer to her and nobody else?". Miranda regards Jeff, before nodding and voicing her agreement. "Yes that's acceptable, you'll work for Shepard and answer to her and nobody else!".
Moreau regards her and then nods and then goes silent. Lawson watches him with interest. When the silence continues, she opens her mouth to speak, but before the words leaves her tong, Jeff speaks again.
"Will you be there?". It was short, barely a whisper, if even that, but she heard it like he had screamed. Miranda had to blink a few times and draw a few breaths. Then locking eyes with him, she answered. "Yes I'll be there, as second in Command!". There was a brief smile on Jeff's lips, before it disappeared or so she thought, Lawson isn't sure she saw what she thought she saw.
Jeff sticks his hand out for her to shake. Miranda takes it, instantly feeling her heart beat accelerate. "What's wrong with me!" she thinks... She hears him agree to join Cerberus.
AU: So chapter one done.
Tell me what you think! :)
Thanks for reading.