Chapter 1 - All that Remains
The resolve of Admiral Hackett did not falter when the radio call ended abruptly. Unsure if that final breath was John Shepard's last. Only for a split second did he let himself wonder. The Alliance veteran did not make decisions based on half chances.
"Boost our signal and patch me into Echo team. Then link me to them comms of all remaining ground forces, I want every soldier ready for a last stand if we have to be." He was all he said to the officers on the bridge his voice like steel. The officers beneath him worked on the consoles and he heard the familiar static of his radio jump back to life. "Dr. T'Soni." He said gravely.
"Admiral." The Asari was breathless and gasping, he could hear the shots being fired around her.
"Shepard made it to the Citadel; he's heavily injured possibly bleeding out. We lost contact and the rest of hammer has been decimated, no other survivors accounted for. I need you and your team to get in there, find who you can and see this mission through. Your path has been cleared but reaper forces will be forming a counter defence as we speak." Admiral Hackett paused for a moment. "Make it count, make your commander proud."
"We'll get it done Admiral." Liara said, her voice slightly pained but with the same iron determination Shepard would reign. She looked to Garrus covering her. Alongside them the fusion squad of her commandos and the Turian Blackwatch Primarch Victus had given Garrus command of. "We have new orders. We need to find a way to the conduit. Tali can you get us out of here?" The two crewmembers looked at Liara in shock.
"We are barricaded to this side - the only way is up-"
"Tali." Liara said forcefully interrupting her even though she hated to do so. "Shepard might be dying up there and we have a mission to see through." The Quarians words became stuck in her throat painfully. Garrus' head tilted and his shocking blue eyes narrowed.
"Give me a moment." Tali replied and began tapping at her omni-tool
"So it's up to us to pull him out the fire." Garrus retained his calm.
"Right. But there is no way down from here. The elevators are down and stairs are gone." Tali started. They were sat in an old office block opposite Victoria street station. from the conduit.
"I say we take the building down, blow the charges we set. Even though I don't particularly feel like crashing through any windows today." Garrus said.
"I'll see what I can do." Tali chuckled.
While Tali was distracted the turians and the asari worked together taking down the ravagers climbing up the scaffolding, and throwing the remains through their seconds lines, causing them to crash into the rubble. When there seemed to be the first lull in the onslaught Liara stood and holstered her pistol and began typing a code into her omni-tool before pressing her comms link into her ear, trying local frequencies. "This is Liara T'soni. Does anyone read me?"
There was nothing still. She was holding onto the hope that James and Javik would pick themselves up out of the corspes that was now hammer. If Shepard got out of there so could they.
"Liara we have to move." Garrus said. Time was slipping slowly through hour glass and everyone knew it. "We don't have a whole lot of other options." Garrus said.
"You're right, for now it looks like it's just us. Tali"
"We'll need to get to the roof and make across to the train station. We blow the buildings infrastructure down; we get out of this place and collapse it on top of the majority of the husks." Tali said looking up from the schematics she had on her Omni tool and sent them quickly over to Liara and Garrus.
"Make a clean break and press forward. I like it."
"This could work, we need to move fast and we need to move now, let's make it happen." Liara said shooting the first husk that appeared up the side the building, its skull exploding into fragments of bone and tech out of the cavity that exposed them to the night air.
"Blackwatch move out." Garrus signalled, taking point, the turian soldiers to take formation behind him, Liara with the wet squad and Tali on their six.
The squads fighting was intense as they fought their way up husks and marauders crawling through windows and the crevices of the floors. They were now hot on their tail sensing a retreat. They had the firepower and ability on their side but the sheer forces of the reaper's infantry was relentless.
Garrus kicked the door down as they reached the roof. The air was heavy with ash and smoke. Four black watch members dropped additional charges over the edge over the corners whilst Garrus set up the carbon line. The Asari covered the stair doors and the perimeter of the buildings walls. They could all hear the screeching and the screams across London. See the flashes of light as various units of the allied forced engaged with the reapers. The fight between sword and the reapers was like nothing they had ever seen. There were no words to describe the destruction reigning above them.
Shepard stood in the entrance to the cargo hold. Normally the commander never hesitated for anything. The unkown currently sat in there was still an unstable variable. But that wasn't what made him hesitate.
"You just ganna fucking watch from the corner or you gonna say what you got to say?" Her voice was harsh and to the point.
"You're needed in the medical bay. Before we set off for Korlus needs to make sure you're in fighting shape."
"No."
"It's not up for negotiation."
"I don't do doctors. Seen enough to know I don't need someone telling me it won't hurt before sticking a fucking needle in me." Shepard's eyes trailed across her tattoos, while his ears did not miss the lack of veneration when she said the word needle. If she had an aversion to needles she must have done most of her ink herself. A tricky thing to do in the mirror and her tattoos were immaculate, clear lines done with skilful and deft hands. Maybe some weren't her own; perhaps she had trusted someone she knew with a needle. He wasn't going to ask, not yet anyway.
"It's just a check-up, nothing shady and no needles. Dr. Chakwas is friend of mine, alliance not even Cerberus." "I don't care." Her eyes were darting to the corners of the hold. Large and brown, heavy lids with heavy make-up, trying to look anything but delicate. Shepard sighed to hide his frustration at her refusal. Regretting the fact he admitted to himself it would be refreshing not having someone following orders because his status. "I don't know how long they put you cryo jack. I need you at your best so you either get up there or ill have you running laps in the shuttle bay."
He could just make out her small form in the dark, she was sat in the corner, she had fire in her eyes and her teeth bared ready to snarl obscenities at him. He couldn't help but notice her small slender frame; she was probably the only person he'd met who could make such a figure seem remotely dangerous. But there she sat, poised, lithe and alert, he liked that. "Is that an order?"
"If you're going to be on my ship you have to do things my way, got it? Now I can let you stay down here and leave you relatively alone for the most part, which I know you'd prefer or I could make this a lot harder than it needs to be." Shepard said shortly. "Fine." She got up and walked up to him. "What's with the junk?" She said on the off-hand just noticing the bulky crate in his arms.
"You said you wanted to stay down here I got you some bedding, pillows and files on the crew and cerberus if you wanted any bedtime reading." She reached for the box but Shepard took a step back. "Med bay first, then eat in the mess, then you can play with your toys." She glared at him as put the box down and kicked it into the hold away from her, she was getting more annoyed by the minute it, she knew full well he was probably testing her patience, getting under her skin, seeing how stable she was when she was pushed. "You could of just sent one of Cerberus your lackeys." She bit.
"Yeah well, we're still waiting for the life insurance to go through." Shepard said. Jack laughed. It wasn't a real honest to god laugh, it was short and hostile, but it was the first time that someone else had made her laugh in a long time. Shepard watched her closely as they made their way up to the crew deck. She kept her head up. "So I can't convince you to let me eat in peace down here."
"Good behaviour first. You've got to prove you can be a part of the team. That's not going to happen if you can't sit through breakfast without hitting Miranda in the jaw." She wanted to laugh again but she bit her tongue not wanting to give in. She wasn't even sure if he was even being serious, there was something there in his voice but it wasn't amusement. "You're a part of the crew, you might not like it but you eat us. What you do with the rest of your time that's up to you, unless it's on my orders. Just don't eat anyone." There he went making jokes again, god did she want to put her boot in his face. The elevator door opened before she could there were a few funny looks from the Cerberus henchmen that ranged from what-the-fuck to shit-their-pants. She grinned on the inside at thought of causing Cerberus such anxiety; she wondered if any of them knew how badly they were in bed with the devil. Shepard didn't say another word as he walked her to the med bay, people saluted him as he went but he paid no mind, he just nodded to the door, gesturing for her to enter. She gave him a scowl before going through. Everyone still silent and watching. Shepard remained stood when the doors closed.
"Stray cats like that are going to end up scratching and biting you commander." Joker said looking up from the table. "Then again maybe you're into that kind of thing."
"Shut it joker, she's looking mean and she'll snap you in half if you give her half a chance." Shepard said with a stern gaze. "Then why is she on board again, other than just for being the most powerful but crazy biotic in the galaxy?" "Observation. Also because I never know when I might need a helmsman in two parts." The commander shrugged. Joker had a point, every rational and logical thought in his head said she was a liability, that despite lack of volunteers he should drop her.
The mess hall was mostly empty, Garrus was probably still checking on his weapons and Miranda and Jacob had made themselves unseen as he requested, other than them he didn't half a half decent team to put together.
"I'm just saying, I know a really pretty krogan girl I could hook you up with if it doesn't work out." "Krogan female interest in Shepard not likely. Famous still for his involvement on Virmire. Mating requests not likely Mr Monroe." "It was a joke Mordin."
"Ah similarities between Jack and female krogan noted, also suggestive of the commander's possible soft spot for the convict and misfits in general. Understood." "Way to kill the punch line doctor."
Shepard took another look a Jack through the window. She was sat angry faced answering the boring questions he knew he always hated answering. "C'mon joker, if we crash into anything because you were flicking bread crumbs and soup at crew members again, I'll see to it you don't have fingers." The Commander said walking away next to him letting the pilot grab his shoulder for support. "Yeah yeah then you'll just blame me when we get space crap on the bridge observation window because I couldn't change our trajectory by like 0.0001% seeing as I was missing my favourite pinkie finger." "You have a favourite?" "Yeah. It's the left." "Noted." The two continued as they entered the elevator. "So how am I looking doc?" Jack said her trying to mask her anxiety with boredom. She was at unease even if Dr. Chakawas was not like any other doctor she had known, even after her escape with Cerbereus. Her hands were well practiced and careful, but she remained at a distance just like everyone else. But she didn't let the appearance of Jack or her attitude get in the way of her professionalism. She asked before she touched, and took no notice when Jack nodded sourly and flinched at the skin contact anyway.
"Well you're vitals are fine, no muscle damage, infact remarkably strong and intact for being in Cryo normally there is some deterioration. Your blood sugar is lower than it should be but that isn't a problem, there are some tablets I can prescribe you." "I don't do pills unless they are the happy ones doc." "Okay well I can just tell the commander and the mess sergent I'll be giving you a special dietary plan of foods high in sugar and glucose" the doctor quickly scribbled down on a sheet of paper. "How is this?" Jack grinned at the sheet of paper nodded and slid off the table. "Y'know you're all right doc."
"Thank you, Jack. I think that will be all, you can go." Karin said uneasily, not sure if there was any sarcasm to what her patient said or not. Without another a word Jack brushed passed the greying medical officer without a second look. The doctor watched the girl snatch a bowl of food up, instead of sitting with the rest of the crew she wolfed it down right then and there in just a few minutes. Not caring about the reticent looks, she slammed the bowl back down and stormed off. Almost immediately after the comms to her office buzzed to life and Shepard's voice came to life. "How is she." "Stable, for now." The doctor coined in her unvoiced concerns. "That's not what I meant." "Nearly perfect, just a few minor malnutrition problems. I have to say it rather suprising I've never seen an immune system like hers, artificially enhanced, muscle tissue is already healing rapidly. It's hard to tell but about ten percent of her skin is scar tissue. Almost as bad as yours were. It is rather concerning. Those scars run deeper than most ever do. I'll send you the full report tonight." "Thanks Doc, keep me updated on any developments." "Yes commander. If I may is it really wise to her have her on board. I've seen wild varren less feral than a girl with that much punch. At one point I thought she was ready to put me through the hull of the ship." The doctor commented her hand tapping her chin absent minded. "But she didn't. Give her a chance she'll be an asset to the team doc. Trust me, where we are going we're going to need all the punch we can get." "Very well commander." Karin had seen the empty shells of soldiers all he life. Those who had seen too much, those who had done too much, the strong and the weak, she has seen it all. She had treated the wounds spoken to their families and it broke her heart every time. Jack however had never been a soldier, she had only ever been used as a tool, Karin recognised it was going to take a lot of compassion, a lot of time she was ever going to make herself anything else. The doctor thought on Shepard. A man who had been through death and didn't blink an eye, she knew if there was ever a man who could take a ruin beyond repair but refusing to be torn down and turn it around, it would be him. ***
It didn't make it easier to face the fact they were just prolonging the inevitable. She noticed the call sent to her omnitool, directing her to the base computer. "Spring a barrier up and set a wall up on the other side like we did before. Wait for them to pile up then blow them to hell. No one goes in without my say so or you'll be reaper jelly before you know it and I don't that on my conscious got it you little fuckers."
"That 20 credits now Miss Nought you're losing your edge!"
"I'd say go to hell Matthews but it looks like we are already here!"
"Rodger that ma'am!"
As she turned around to get to the mobile base she saw the Admirals hologram to spring into life, it was an alliance wide broadcast.
She had seen his steel and scared face on the posters, the cold eyes, hard thin line of his lips. Never had she seen him look conquered, maybe some people wouldn't see it, it was just a fraction before he started talking and he got back that hardened face he always seemed to have.
She didn't need to hear his words, the tone of his voice, the gravel sound sinking in her ears. Her eyes welled before her brow furrowed in fury. There was denial in her snarl and she smashed the off button to turn the wretched machine off, she did not want she hear it and she didn't want to believe it. Shepard always came through. He was her impossible man, no matter what odds.
After a few seconds her omnitool popped up with a new message linked with co-ordinates. Her eyes narrowed at the name, she had to read it twice. It was enough to merit her attention; at this point she could not care less. She had anger and she didn't want waste it here, she wanted vengeance and she wanted her pupils out of harm's way if she was going anywhere..
Racing back up to the base ledge she shouted "Kids! Delay that, keep up those barriers and put another wall down. You got one minute and I'm taking you back to base camp."
"Miss Nought our order-" The alliance officer began.
"Fuck your orders and fuck you Captain; I'm getting my students out of here safely while I still can. We got bigger problems than defending this shit hole of an outpost." Her words were final; the captain did not want to argue. With that the Grissom students got to work at the military speed and efficiency she had drilled into them. Sure to be ready to depart at a moments notice.
She didn't smirk like she would have normally at that. There was too much gravity. Jack didn't even notice she had fired up her amps, her blue hell fire enveloped her, an echo of the wrath she was truly feeling.