Okay, another OC insert, this time, it's sort of like Paragon Shepard meets what could have been a Renegade Shepard if she only had the same last name. Basically, this Shepard is a Paragon, and the OC has the background of a Renegade Shepard, Earthborn and Ruthless. Feedback and reviews are always wanted and welcome, even if it's just to give me some encouragement!
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"I have one more dossier for you Shepard," the holographic image of the Illusive Man informed him.
"Another one? I already added Zaeed and Kasumi, I don't think I need another crew member," Aeron frowned.
"Perhaps not... and it isn't even a sure bet, they haven't answered our offer, but you need the best crew possible to go up against the Collectors, it can't hurt to have one more along," He sipped at the glass of what Shepard had started assuming to be scotch that he always had with him. He seemed like a scotch kind of guy.
Aeron sighed, "Alright, send it over." He rolled his neck, and flexed his shoulders, just wanting to go take a hot shower after their last mission, he'd gotten tossed around a bit and his muscles were sore.
"This new one is a but of an... unconventional choice, but trust me, if you can get them on, it'll be worth it," And with that the blue hologram flickered and then disappeared.
Aeron sighed and walked out of the con room towards the elevator, he'd read the dossier later, that shower was a higher priority.
The next day, Aeron stood in the cock pit next to an excited Joker. "Oh man, I can't believe that you're going to try and get Atroxa on the crew," He laughed, "She is so hot."
"You know of her then I take it?" Shepard asked, glancing at Joker as they approached Berkenstein.
"Hell yeah! I have a poster of her over my bed, she's amazing. Actress, singer, DJ, artist, she's a uh... what's the term, a Renaissance Man, well, woman," he shrugged.
"I couldn't care less about all that, we don't need entertainment on the Normandy, if it weren't for her Alliance history I wouldn't even be trying to recruit her," Aeron told his pilot, frowning slightly.
"Atroxa can entertain me any time..." Joker muttered with a laugh.
"And when she's on here, you'll address her by her real name, not her stage name," Aeron corrected him.
"Oh... what's her real name?" He sounded a little... embarrassed, Aeron wondered if he had really thought 'Atroxa' was her real name.
"Roxanne Lachance," He answered.
"That doesn't sound like a real name either..." Joker muttered.
"Well it's the one on her file so that's her name."
Aeron walked off the Normandy wearing his civilian casuals, along with Garrus and, for once, Joker, who were both also wearing civilian casuals. Joker had begged to come along this time, there were no anticipated fights after all, they were going to a concert, and had a private booth for themselves so Joker wouldn't have to worry about getting jostled by the crowd. He'd begged and confessed that he'd always wanted to go to one of Atroxa's concerts, but had never been able to because he was always gallivanting across the universe. Aeron and Garrus walked with Joker limping between them, forming a barrier around the fragile pilot. They made their way from the port through the city towards the amphitheater. They handed over their tickets and made their way up a couple floors and then to the private booth, the three of them sitting down.
"So what kind of music does this woman make?" Garrus asked, eyeing a program that he'd been handed at the entrance.
"Techno mostly, though she can play the violin too," Joker told them. He'd become the unofficial expert on their newest potential recruit. After about ten more minutes the lights finally died down, and the lights on the stage brightened, showing a sleek, silver DJ booth in the center of the stage. The crowd fell silent, and then some one walked onto the stage and everyone exploded into cheers and whistles. Roxanne Lachance was tall for a woman, nearing 5'9", and even from this distance Aeron recognized the powerful movements of a fighter, confident and smooth.
She didn't acknowledge the crowd, merely walked to the DJ booth, her pale skin standing out starkly against her black clothing and the black back drop of the stage. Her face was painted, a dark blue stripe running horizontally across her eyes and a thinner red stripe running vertically from the center of her forehead down to her chin. Her black hair was shaved into a mohawk about a foot tall, the front falling forward like bangs, while the back fell half way down her back at it's longest point, streaks of electric blue and purple were worked in and she had two long pieces of hair growing from just in front of her ears, hanging down just past her shoulders. Her clothes were revealing, but not overly so, torn up black pants cling to her legs and she was wearing a pair of black boots, her top looked to be a piece of black fabric wrapped around her torso over and over, gaps between the wraps showing off her skin but not going above her bust, leaving her shoulders and arms bare. Her arms were covered in intricate tattoos, and she looked to have her back covered with them as well.
Once at the booth, she picked up a pair of head phones and put them around her neck then lifted them onto her ears, she adjusted a microphone and then looked out over the crowd. "Hey," was the only word she spoke, and the crowd went insane again, saying nothing else, she looked down at the controls before her and started turning knobs and flipping switches. For the next hour or so they sat and listened to music made entirely by Atroxa's electronic devices, and though Aeron had never been a huge fan of techno, he had to admit this wasn't half bad. Joker was obviously enjoy himself, and even Garrus was tapping a foot in time with bass lines. The songs alternated from slow and mellow to fast and hard, almost violent, the bass throbbing and making Aeron feel like his entire body was vibrating. Finally she stepped down from the DJ booth and bowed, before taking a microphone from a stage hand. "I've got a treat for all of you tonight," she informed the crowd in a smooth, soft voice. The crowd cheered excitedly, and then went insane as people walked onto the stage, wheeling a drum set into place and carrying guitars and a key board.
"Oh man, she's going to sing!" Joker said, leaning forward, "She doesn't really sing very often to crowds." He told Aeron and Garrus. Sure enough the band struck up, the music was melancholy and haunting, but beautiful, then the woman began to sing. No one in the crowd moved or spoke as Atroxa lifted her face and opened black painted lips, trilling and crooning, her voice was beautiful, but the song she sang was even more melancholy than the music, and when she finished, it left Aeron feeling strange. He was glad it was over, the song seemed to have pulled up every sad memory and feeling from his entire life and replayed them, and yet he felt even more depressed that it was done. "Wow..." Joker whispered, and cleared his throat. Aeron thought he saw his eyes go glassy for a moment, like he was holding back tears.
"That was very unusual..." Garrus said, his intense blue eyes staring at the stage, where the instruments were being taken away. Aeron thought he heard some one in the crowd sobbing. "Turian music is nothing like that..." Garrus said, leaning back in his chair, a contemplative look on his face.
"Well," Aeron said as Atroxa walked off the stage after giving the crowd a farewell, "Let's go see if Ms. Lachance lives up to her reputation." Joker bounced to his feet and hobbled after Shepard, followed by Garrus. Shepard was trying to shake the lingering feeling of depression that the song had laid over him like a blanket. Roxanne certainly was good at conveying sadness with her voice, it made him wonder just what she'd been through to be able to express it so well.
Using the passes that the IM had procured for them, Aeron, Joker, and Garrus found themselves back stage in no time, and then they were at the VIP lounge where there was an after party being held. It wasn't an overly large room, but there were a lot of people. The lights were low, there was some deep throbbing techno pouring from the speakers, and everyone was drinking and talking and flirting. Except the star of the night. Well, she was drinking, but not talking or flirting. Roxanne sat in the back of the room on a couch that could easily hold five people, but she was alone. Three of her body guards stood in a semi circle around her, keeping the crowd from doing more than gawk at her or shout her name in an attempt to get her attention. Roxanne just sipped her drink and stared off into space, a hard to read expression on her face.
Aeron walked towards the body guards, and he heard Joker next to him, "Oh man oh man oh man."
"Calm down Joker, you'll make me look bad if you geek out on her," Aeron muttered and the pilot took a deep breath before releasing it. Garrus walked on his other side, the Turian and the Spectre both working to make sure Joker didn't get jostled. "Hey," Aeron said to one of the body guards.
"Atroxa isn't seeing fans right now," The body guard, a large Krogan, growled at him.
"Good thing I'm not here for an autograph, if you'll let her know that Aeron Shepard is here, I believe she's expecting me," he told the Krogan, who glared at him, and then turned, lumbering over to Roxanne and leaning down to tell her somehting.
Roxanne turned her gaze to study her three guests before looking at her body guard and nodding, standing up. One of her body guards walked ahead of her as they went to the door, cutting a path, the other walked behind her, making sure nobody tried to get too close. The last one came back to Aeron and nodded his head, "Follow me," he followed Roxanne and the other body guards with Aeron on his heels, and then went down the hall and then another hall, passing through several security check points before reaching a door with 'Atroxa' on it, her dressing room. The body guard went in, leaving the door open so that Aeron, Joker, and Garrus could follow. The other two body guards weren't there, and once they were in the room, the one that had escorted them left as well.
"So," Aeron looked over to see Roxanne lounging in a chair, nursing a drink, "Did you enjoy the concert?" She gestured to couches and chairs around her, arranged in a circle. Aeron and Joker sat down, Garrus did not.
"Yes, you put on quite a show," Aeron said neutrally.
Roxanne was indeed a beautiful woman, looking at her, Aeron couldn't deny that, her eyes were a clear, almost crystalline blue, her face was angular and elegant, her lips full, and her body was put together like a predator, muscles and long limbs, but those blue eyes were cold, her mouth was cruel, and her body was made for killing and little else. She made a thoughtful noise, "There, small talk done, don't worry Commander, I hate it too," She sighed and set aside her drink before grabbing a pack of cigarettes and pulling one out, placing it in her lips. She held the pack out, offering the to her guests, surprisingly Garrus took one. Roxanne smirked as he leaned down, letting her light it for him, then lit her own as he went to stand back where he had been.
"I didn't know you smoked," Aeron said, looking up at the Turian.
"Not very often," he shrugged.
Roxanne took a drag on hers and blew the smoke away from her guests, "Why don't you introduce me to your friends, Commander Shepard?"
Aeron glanced at his friends, "This is Jeff Moreau, my pilot."
Joker stuck out his hand immediately, "You can call me Joker, no one calls me Jeff," He gave a goofy grin and Roxanne raised a brow before taking his hand and shaking it. Aeron thought Joker might faint.
"And this is Garrus Vakarian, resident sniper," he motioned to the Turian, who nodded to her. Roxanne returned the nod. Aeron felt like he was back in high school, watching the cool kids communicate in simple, subtle gestures.
"And you all know me, but please, just call me Roxanne," she told them, taking another drag of her cigarette. "Now, on to business. I'm sorry Commander, but I won't be joining your crew on this oh so important mission," She told him simply.
Aeron blinked, a little surprised at her out right rejection. "Well then why didn't you just tell the Illusive Man that so I didn't waste my time coming out here?" His tone was irritated.
Roxanne smirked, and he hated it. "I was still making up my mind," She told him quietly. Well, Aeron was here, and he felt like this would be a total waste if he just left, so he decided to try and change her mind if he could.
"Maybe the Illusive Man didn't make it clear how important this is-"
"Oh, he did. Humans are disappearing, and it looks like the ever enigmatic Collectors are the cause, and it's a strong possibility that the Reapers are involved. Unlike many in the galaxy, I did not believe the Council's quick dismissal of Sovereign's attack on the Citadel being a single and isolated event. You and I both know, Commander, that politics plays too large a roll in military action," She sipped her drink, "They swept you under the rug. I'd almost say they were likely glad you died. I have to admit I admire your dedication. Even after being betrayed by all the people you saved, you're still out here, fighting the good fight. But I'm not you."
"This isn't about just saving those people all over again, it's about saving everyone, including myself, including you," Aeron frowned at her.
"Yes, I realize this, but you're the hero here, not me," She smoked a little more, "You don't want me along anyway."
Aeron let out a frustrated sigh, "Oh? And why is that?"
"I'm sure you saw my military record?" She asked, and he nodded, "Let's compare shall we? You're Alliance born and bred, you grew up in the military, you had those strong morals beaten into you every day of your life, it is your instinct to protect and serve. You almost single-handedly saved Elysium from the Batarians, you're a hero. You'd help all of these doomed fools no matter how many times they turned their back on you." She drained the last of her drink and set it aside before putting out her cigarette, "I, on the other hand..." She smiled sadly, "I don't give a shit. I don't follow orders, I don't play with others, and I don't care who I kill to get what I want. I got a lot of my men killed on Torfan, and I'd do it again. You stopped the Batarians, but I made them back off. I'm not the kind of person you want on a 'save the universe' mission. I'm the kind of person you want when you want some one dead, not when you want to save people."
Aeron frowned deeply at her, not able to wrap his head around her mentality. Surely she wasn't really this selfish? "I only joined the Alliance to get off the cess pool we call Earth, nothing more, nothing less, and I did my time, I served my term, I'm done," She gestured around her, "Look at me, I'm rich, famous, and adored, why in the hell should I go with you and probably get myself killed just to save a bunch of morons who won't even know it?"
Joker was staring at the woman that he'd been practically worshiping only moments before, a sort of shocked look on his face, "You can't really mean that..." He told her.
Roxanne looked at him, cold blue eyes regarding him, "I'm sorry to ruin your image of me, but I do mean it." She stood and walked over to the small refrigerator, glass in hand, pouring herself a bit more to drink. She stood there for a long moment, her back to them, drink in hand, Aeron could tell from her posture that she was lost in thought, then she seemed to snap out of it.
"I've had enough of death, Commander, I've been around it my entire life," She turned and looked at him, leaning against a near by table, "I have yet to find a cause other than my own survival that is worth killing for. I admire you, I really do, for your courage and willingness to sacrifice yourself for the protection of others. It is men like you that keep the universe from collapsing in on itself, but," she sipped her drink, "My days of digging into the trenches to shoot enemies into oblivion are done. Frankly, I don't think you'll be able to stop those baddies, not this time, and if I'm going to die, I would rather die comfortably, rather than in some pointless suicide mission."
"You're wrong," Aeron stood and looked at her, "It's not pointless, and we're not going to lose. I've got the best team in the galaxy, we will succeed." Her glared at her, chin up, shoulders back, the picture of military bravery. "You say your own survival is the only cause you care about? Then join us, and fight with us, because this is the ultimate fight for survival."
Roxanne gave a small laugh and sipped her drink, "A moving speech, Commander, but I'm not changing my mind." She glanced at Garrus, eyes glittering, "You'd do better trying to convince me to come along using your handsome friend here as a bargaining tool, but even that would not persuade me." She looked away from Garrus, who looked a little surprised, and back to Aeron. "I'm sorry to have wasted your time, please inform the Illusive Man that I'm declining his generous off," She motioned towards the door and Joker stood immediately, heading for it.
Aeron looked at her for a long moment, frowning, before he made for the door, Garrus finally nodded to the woman, "Thanks for the smoke," and followed his companions out.
Out in the hall they were escorted back to the more public area of the amphitheater, and Joker finally let out a loud scoff. "Damn, what a bitch," He growled.
Aeron sighed, but said nothing.
"She's been through a lot," Garrus said from the other side of Joker.
The pilot and Shepard both looked at him, "How do you know?" Joker asked.
"I know a person who has had their soul forged into steel when I see them," Garrus shrugged, "Besides, do you really think some one could sing like that and not have felt some pain in their life?" Ever able to sympathize with people it seemed, even their enemies, so Aeron wasn't surprised he was able to sympathize with a selfish bitch. "I'm not saying I agree with her," Garrus clarified, "Or like her."
Joker didn't say anything, merely pursed his lips as he hobbled between his two friends.
"Guess you're gonna take that poster down huh, Joker?" Aeron teased.
Joker let out a sigh, "Nah, she's still hot."
The men laughed.
"Well, she's probably right about not wanting her on the crew anyway," Aeron sighed, "I've read her file, she's not a soldier, she's a killer."
Aeron had given the crew the night off for shore leave and had joined them in some bar hopping, which resulted in everyone sleeping in a bit the next morning, including the Commander. He knew that his mother would disapprove of him mingling with the crew like that, she was old school, she thought that CO's should remain separate from the crew, maintain an air of authority at all times. Usually, he would agree, but this mission was different. He couldn't ask these people to potentially sacrifice themselves just because he said so, it had to be personal. And he wanted them to be loyal to him, not Cerberus.
"Commander Shepard," Edi's modulated voice came over the speakers, interrupting his sleep.
"What is it Edi?" Aeron mumbled, his head under his pillow, a weird sleeping habit of his.
"There is a Roxanne Lachance asking to board the vessel."
Aeron lifted his head, "What?"
"There is a-"
"I heard you, that was rhetorical," He sighed, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed so that his feet were on the ground. He ran a hand over his short brown hair and yawned, "Tell her to give me ten minutes." He changed, wearing his Alliance casuals, and brushed his teeth before heading down to the main deck and then out of the dock doors.
There was Roxanne, standing on the dock, a bag over her shoulder and sun glasses over her blue eyes. "Commander, I didn't wake you did I?" The make up from the night before was gone, and she was wearing loose-fitting black pants tucked into combat boots and a dark blue tank top. Her hair was also now all on one side rather than done up in her mohawk.
"Uh, no," He lied, "Miss Lachance, what're you doing here?" Aeron asked, giving her a suspicious look.
"I changed my mind," she told him, her tone and expression hard to read.
"What?" Aeron blinked.
"I changed my mind," she repeated, a little more slowly this time.
"You... but, why? You seemed pretty sure last night," He frowned at her and the woman shrugged.
"I have my reasons."
"No, that's not good enough," Aeron told her and she frowned at him, and he was pretty sure she was glaring behind the sun glasses, "This mission is too important for you to be coming along on some sort of whim or because you're bored playing pop star." He saw the muscles in Roxanne's arms tighten, her hands curling into fists, in the back of his mind Aeron knew that if she came along, they would end up in a fight.
"It's like I said, survival is the only cause I will fight for," She told him, but didn't offer any further explanation.
Aeron sighed and crossed his arms, "If I accept you to the crew you're going to have to follow my orders, and you're going to have to try and be a team player."
"If I could do that for those Alliance bastards I figure I can do it for you," she shrugged.
Aeron rubbed his forehead, trying to decide what to do, and against his better judgment, he finally nodded. "Alright, welcome aboard then, but don't think I won't dump you on the nearest planet if you pull any shit," He warned her.
Roxanne gave him a coy smile, "I'd never think of such a thing."
