Characters: Jacob and Zaeed (mostly) with Shepard and some other squaddies thrown in.
Word Count: ~850
Rating: T
Author's Note: ME_Challenge over on LJ kept me busy today. One of the prompts was: "Jacob & Zaeed War Stories" this quick fic is the result :-)

War Story

It was 2100 Zulu on board the Normandy, and somehow, someway, members of the crew and squad had found their way into Kasumi's lounge. To everyone's surprise, it turned out that Mordin made a damn fine bartender. Well, everyone except perhaps Mordin. ("Determining preferable ratio of liquors for organic ingestion? Much less difficult then developing cross-species plague cure. Or altering genophage.")

The other surprise had been that more than one member of the squad could weave an enjoyable war tale. Which was cause enough for a collective sigh of relief, as everyone had heard Zaeed's turian ship take down story at least three times too many.

So far, it was a damn fine evening for all.

"The Alliance had given us the go ahead to invade the base, and take down the usurping merc band occupying it. The brass wouldn't admit it, but they were tired of looking like fools, and if that meant we lost an eezo mining operation, then so be it. Just so long as the mercs didn't get to keep it, and we had someone we could pin the whole thing on when we were done. They didn't really care how we accomplished that."

Garrus snorted. "No red tape? Must have been nice."

Jacob shrugged. "Not really. There were still procedures to be followed; which made getting the job done swift and easy like they wanted practically impossible. In this case, there was just enough red tape to nearly hang our asses. The mercs that had taken down the Alliance researchers, and over run the base, had caught wind of our impending arrival, and they had a small army of mechs on the ground just waiting for us."

Kasumi leaned close. "How bad was your squad hit?"

Jacob eyed the thief situated only a cushion away from him on the couch. "Lost three good men that day. The guards were already dead. As for the researchers – there'd been nearly thirty of them, but there weren't even bodies left behind for most of them. Just their tags."

Jacob threw back the rest of his drink, pausing for several heartbeats. "Better than nothing, I guess. Officially, they were declared killed in action, but there was never any real evidence. But the worst part of the whole thing was that the mercs had already cleared the base out. Not a merc or an ounce of eezo in sight. Never did find out who was responsible. But the Alliance…" Jacob shook his head, annoyance clear in his posture. "The Alliance was just thrilled to get their mining operation back."

Rough laughter started in from the other side of the room, catching the group's attention. There Zaeed sat, drink in hand ("Just a straight up whiskey, none of that pansy-ass purple shit, thanks.") and eyes closed in mirth. "This base you and your boys lost, Taylor. Didn't happen to be located on Caleston, did it?"

Jacob narrowed his eyes. "How'd you know that?"

A smirk graced Zaeed's face, over-emphasizing his scars in the dim light. "Call it a hunch."

"Look old man, if you know something-"

"What? I don't answer to you, boy."

"Zaeed." Shepard's interjection into the verbal volley drew everyone's attention. "You wouldn't have brought it up if you didn't know something. So talk. We all know you love that."

Scattered snickers and snorts echoed throughout the room, before Zaeed shrugged, and placed his glass on the bar. "Fine. I was planning to anyway. That merc band you were so desperate to locate? I was on it. Mostly a bunch of idiots if you ask me. Didn't have two brain cells between the lot of 'em. But our employer left very clear instructions. Which included infiltrating the base, grabbing the eezo, and dropping the mechs."

"You son of a-" Several drinks into the night as he was, Jacob launched from his seat at the other man, only to be caught and held back by Garrus and Thane.

Zaeed laughed again, "Easy now. You should really keep your buttons better hid, you make 'em too easy to push.

"The instructions also included offering the researchers an option. A very highly funded option. Most of 'em took it. They could have walked, if they wanted. And as long as they didn't pull a gun on us, we had to let 'em go. Part of the contract, you see. One or two fought us, but none walked. And those tags you found? Those were for the ones that found nice, shiny and new employment. They needed to go off the grid. Employer's instruction."

Jacob had shrugged off Garrus and Thane by this point, and spoke through clenched teeth. "Who was your employer?"

"Haven't figured that out yet?"

"Zaeed!" Shepard's annoyed voice echoed off the walls.

Zaeed picked up his glass and held it out in a toast. Silence filled the room as he drained the liquid, and dropped it with a clink back on the bar. "Cerberus."

"Oh."

The tension filling the room was teetering on the edge of cloying when Shepard's hands loudly clapped together once. "So! Who's up for shots?"

~End