Author's Note:
This story is very much like my work Rain, in that it is really built around a collection of 'scrap' or 'frame-work' material from The Sea and the Rose. As stated in my summary, this story takes place immediately after Arrival in Mass Effect 2. When I started The Sea and the Rose, Arrival hadn't even been announced yet, but I wanted to integrate the events of Arrival in to that story. I also wanted to tell the story of what had happened to Shepard's crew after Arrival.
As always Mass effect and it's original Characters and Events belong to Bioware. This work is provided to the public as free expression and entertainment. I appreciate being able to use the characters and the universe to tell my 'head-cannon' story of El'Jaid Shepard.
I recommend reading my other works Rain, and To Hold on or Let Go before reading this work.
If you want to use any part of my story, please ask. But always be creative and enjoy what you write and read! And as always; I enjoy reviews.
It had been six months since they had returned through the Omega 4 relay. It had taken four months to get the Normandy back online. Yet after repairing the Normandy it all felt so surreal to her. So much had happened to fast. Like the sudden dissipation of a thunderstorm, it was all gone. They were gone.
"Commander, we are expecting the SSV Everest to arrive in two hours time." Joker said. His voice was uncharacteristically calm. Quiet.
El'Jaid didn't reply. She didn't need to. She looked around the Loft. The blue fish tank bathing the room in a cold, cruel light. The fish doing nothing to take her parted feeling away. It was far too quiet on the ship. She was still in her red amour. The gloves torn away and tossed to the ground. Her hands hurt, but not a scratch was on them. Yet they seethed with pain. With the memory of atrocity...
Her mind tried to slip her away to a 'better' time.
"Shepard!" Tali sounded as if she was going to jump right in to El'Jaid arms.
El'Jaid in turned nearly jumped out of her own skin from the surprise.
"Hi Tali, can I help you with something?
"I need to talk with you right away, in private!" Tali exclaimed nervously as she wrung her hands together.
El'Jaid's eyes narrowed. The last time Tali had been this, excited, was when she had been drawn up on treason charges by the Migrant Fleet. "Your not in trouble with the Fleet again are you?"
Tali looked around then ran her left hand up and down her arm. "Not exactly..." She admitted.
El'Jaid winched with agitation and started marching back to the communications room. Tali followed without question.
The hallway had been cleared of debris and everything was seamless as if nothing had happened, though after the Omega 4 mission, it had been a complete disaster. The Doors hissed shut behind them.
"Ok Tali. What is going on this time." El'Jaid asked.
"I need to return to the Fleet Shepard. I talked with Legion...and the Geth want to stop the war." Tali said carefully.
El'Jaid's eye widened with shock, then she closed them and a small smile formed on her lips. Thank Durga... She thought. She had hoped this would happen. It was a fools hope, but she knew she need more. More men, ships, resources, more people to believe, to fight the storm that she knew was coming.
She opened them again. "EDI, please send a message to the Admirals of the Migrant fleet. Inform them that I have given Ms. Tali vas Normandy Leave to return to the Fleet for duties to her people."
"Done Shepard." EDI responded over the comms with a sterile voice.
El'Jaid gave Tali a smile, but then her mind clicked with a question. "So how are you going to do this Tali? I didn't think the Geth and the Fleet were on speaking terms."
Tali looked down at the ground, and immediately El'Jaid knew what she had done, what was going to happen.
"EDI, I want Legion up here now!" El'Jaid barked.
"He is gone Shepard. He left two hours ago." Tali admitted weakly.
El'Jaid looked at her with her mouth open.
"Tali is correct Shepard. I confirm that Legion is no longer aboard the Normandy." EDI responded.
" 'Geth do not infiltrate', my ass!" Shepard cursed and slammed her hands down on the conference table and stared at the cold metal. Her mind raced trying to think of what she could do.
Nothing... Her mind echoed.
"Shepard this was the only way. A Ship from the Fleet will be here in an hour..." Tali said consolingly.
El'Jaid let out a sigh, and looked up at the young Quarian engineer. Her eyes were one of a dim red ember, and a sad blue. "Tali, I hope you know what your doing, because I won't be there to pull you out of this one..."
"So do I Shepard. But if there is one thing, out of many I have learned from you, is that there are things worth risking it all for." Tali said confidently.
El'Jaid smiled. She was proud of the 'woman' Tali was maturing in to. Over the past months of working with the energetic Quarian, El'Jaid had not only seen her continued desire to help her people, because also her blossoming role as a leader.
El'Jaid extended her hand, but rather than take it, Tali charged forward and caught El'Jaid in a hug. At first she was startled, but then El'Jaid just wrapped her arms around the young woman.
Tali broke away and stood back. "Well I guess I'd better collect my things."
"Yeah...Take care of yourself Tali." El'Jaid said with a lopsided grin, crossing her arms in front of her.
"You know this is not goodbye, 'Captain'." Tali said, and she started towards the door.
El'Jaid was still wearing the grin when she called out to Tali once more. "So you already contacted a Fleet ship. You weren't really asking for my permission to leave at all were you."
Tali turned and put a hand her hip. "Well its always easier to ask for forgiveness than permission right? Another 'lesson' I learned from you."
El'Jaid let out another chuckle, but again the feeling of happiness was stolen away.
They are coming...I saw them coming... Her mind spoke with terror. She unconsciously took up a set of blue Japa Mala. She began to rub each bead between her fingers as her mind continued to piece through the past few months.
She had sent Jack and Zaeed to Aria. Leaving them on Omega. I need men... her mind echoed. She knew that Zaeed wanted blood. She knew she could use that.
She remembered Zaeed's face, red with rage. She had seen it twisted like that only once before when Vido had gotten away...
"Shepard! I've got a bone to pick with you!" Zaeed roared as she stormed in to the CIC.
El'Jaid turned to face him, and her eyes lit up like red coals. His tone needed to change. "Funny Massani. I have a bone for you too..." She stood back and crossed her arms in front of her. The act was like a pair bar of steal bars shutting him out.
He stopped just centimeters from her and jabbed his finger forward. "You knew didn't you! You knew the whole goddamn time, and didn't tell me!"
"Knew what?" Shepard fired back acidly.
"Vido! You know where he is, and only now I get the information. And not from you, but from your Shadow Broker wench!"
The action was barely slow enough to register by the eye, and far to fast for any normal reflex to catch. Barely a nanosecond had passed after Zaeed's let his last words slip, that Shepard had grabbed his throat and dragged him down to face her eye to eye. He had his hand wrapped around hers.
Zaeed's eyes were wide with shock, and even a little terror. Her emeralds eyes bored in to his own like lava, her face twisted with contempt for his words. She didn't need a gun to his head, she already had him by the throat. I really fucked up... was the look that was painted to his face.
She snarled and threw him back, and he caught his neck rubbing it as if her very touch had scorched his skin. "Your right. I knew about Vido. I found out just last night, but I didn't want to be the one to pass you the information." She said coldly.
Zaeed looked at her wildly. "Why? Your in comm..." The last word stuck in his mouth and Shepard just gave him a wicked smile. Checkmate.
"I wanted to see what you would do Zaeed." She said. "And you didn't fail to disappoint." Her tone caustic. "Your going to have to choose now, Zaeed. Are you going to let this old abhorrent vendetta of yours continue to control you or not? Because if you are, I don't need it, and I don't need you. I won't have old feuds of any kind ruin our chances at survival. But most importantly you don't need it." She commanded.
"You don't know what its like Shepard..." He said weakly.
Shepard's eyes flash crimson blood and she rushed forward. "Don't I?" Her face screwed up with anger. "You want to go shot for shot at who has the worst life story? I could go all damn day, but I don't have the time. You want to go blow yourself up on some shit piece of rock? There is plenty around Omega, go pick. But Only after I let you do so."
The memory echoed hallow now in her mind. The feeling of power seemed so fleeting. But so intoxicating...
How many were down there? How many who couldn't defend themselves? How many had been taken, tortured, and worked to death. How many did I take?
El'Jaid's fingers rubbed the polished beads. Their texture was smooth and cool to the touch, no matter how long they were held. Their weight was perfect. Heavy enough to feel, but light enough as to not be a burden.
Potential wasted was a burden. While Zaeed wanted blood, Jack needed direction.
"What the hell Shepard!" Jack stormed into the cabin. She threw her duffle bag filled with everything she owned on the floor and stalked closer to Shepard. "What the hell did I do to be thrown off the ship on Omega?" She screeched as Shepard was looking at her armor locker and just finishing fastening her forearm piece.
Shepard turned her head, and looked at the young biotic with a scrutinizing eye. "You really think that is what I'm doing Jack?"
"Sure as Hell feels like it!" Jack raged as she turned to look at the fish tank, and for a moment her anger left her. "What did I do wrong Shepard? I thought I'd finally found a home..." She said with the hint of sadness on her voice. Jack briefly watched the fish lazily float back and forth, oblivious to life out side of their glass cage.
Shepard walked up beside her and looked in to the same world just beyond theirs. "I wouldn't have you go Jack, if I didn't trust you with my life."
Jack looked at the Commander's reflection. Shepard stood dressed in her trade mark red armor. She was imposing in her shipboard uniform, but down right commanding in her armor. "Then why won't you let me stay here?" Jack said turning her head away and frowning.
"Because I need to you watch Zaeed. He wants Vido Santiago's ass. That's fine. But he better want it for the right reasons." Jack saw Shepard 's eyes flair red to accentuate her words as Jack continued to look at Shepard through the reflection.
The sight made her shiver slightly, but she kept up the strong thug act. "Why do you care so much about Zaeed's vendetta with that piece of Vorcha shit?"
"Because we need men. We need an army. I don't have to tell you what's coming for us Jack. We need to be ready when they come." El'Jaid said serenely as she walked back over to her weapons locker and began making her selections for the outing.
"So you just expect me to play wet nurse for him?" Jack spat. Shepard could tell that Jack still felt she was getting the short end of the stick.
"No. I expect you to keep him inline. Keep him alive, and make sure he survives his little bid for revenge." She walked back over to Jack and rested a hand on the convict's shoulder. "I also will need you to be ready when the time comes."
Need you... Shepard saw the effect those two words had on Jack. They pierced through her shield, crushed her barriers, and sapped any reason to argue. She had never been needed by anyone. The crew of the Normandy had at first grudgingly accepted her, but had grown to respect her. But she had never felt needed by any of them. Her shocked expression was exactly what El'Jaid wanted to see.
Shepard turned and began to walk towards the door. "C'mon Jack. We wouldn't want to keep her 'highness' waiting."
"Who?" Jack turned and gave Shepard El'Jaid a lost look, and Shepard returned with a cracked rouge's grin.
"Oh fuck me!" Jack spat.
El'Jaid came back to the moment.
They were coming. More than I could count. They got so close... How long had she been going through the beads? She didn't know. Didn't care. She needed to focus on this. Too much had happened. If she didn't. if she couldn't piece back together everything that had happened. She would come undone...
For a moment El'Jaid wished she could be like the fish in her tank. Free from any thought of fear, unaware of any sad memory. Oblivious to terror. To fear. Free from emotion. Out of all emotions a sentient being could experience the one she could never understand was greed. Aria was filled with greed and make matters more...interesting...paranoia.
If there ever had been an antithesis to the Loft, it was Afterlife. One tried to provide a measure of order, the other was chaos. Where one held the promise of peace, the other extolled the out outlandish.
"Why is it when ever you come to Afterlife. there is always a mess I have to clean up." Aria said matter-a-factly.
"If you want to continue to cast your blue eyes blind to slavery that is your problem. But then don't get angry if I crack someone's skull open." Shepard remarked.
"What my patron's do here is their business..." Aria started.
"...and it becomes mine if they try to proposition me." Shepard finished.
Shepard mounted up the steps and took up her usual seat in the long black sofa to the right of Aria and relaxed comfortably in to the seat. Jack and Zaeed waited patiently below. None of Aria's guards bothered Shepard. Whether it was out of respect or fear she didn't know, nor did she really care. Aria too had 'mellowed' herself. Shepard knew that below the surface where Aria had been cautious and curious, she was now terrified, but impressed. She never was completely certain whether Shepard was friend or foe. But to the rest of Omega, they never saw that. They never could. It anyone had, they would have simply disappeared, or suffered an 'accident'.
The Asari cast a suspicious eye towards EShepard. "You know...I have had more and more people screaming at me to throw you and your ship off of Omega. It's making people uncomfortable..."
Shepard's eyes flashed a somber red. "It is the people I am making uncomfortable? Or you, Aria?" A polite smile was on her face. The move was audacious. If it had come from anyone else, Aria would have personally crushed them.
Aria's guards moved nervously. All of them tightened the grip on their weapons, and all of them casting eye shots, expecting something to happen. The fires in Afterlife suddenly made their presence more pronounced, the music became louder. The pulse matching the elevated heart rate of everyone's in the meeting area, except Shepard's.
It was a game of chicken. The Queen versus the Specter. The Boss versus the Commander.
And Aria broke first.
"Enough pillow talk. How about we get right down to the fucking point. What is it that you need Shepard?" She asked. Her eyes narrowed like daggers, but her ears open intent on listening. Her guards released their grip, and relaxed. It was business as always.
"I know that you have been having...issues...with the Blue Suns lately. I thought I'd give you a hand." Shepard said softly.
Aria laughed lightly. "I don't care about the Suns."
Shepard smiled again. She knew Aria was lying. "Humm, well wouldn't it be to your advantage to...take care of them? To have them out of your way?"
Aria snorted. "I may be the top dog around here Shepard. But I haven't stayed that way by making continuous open war. Besides, killing off customers; even my infrequent customers, is bad for business."
"Who said anything about killing them off?"
Aria turned her eyes towards El'Jaid. Now she really was interested.
"The Bloodpack are done, and the Eclipse are in no position to try anything now. But the Blue Suns on the other had still have an impressive measure of man power and resources. Something that could be useful to you..." Shepard spoke carefully.
Aria slammed a fist down on her seat. A frown crossing her face. Checkmate. Shepard had Aria exactly where she wanted her. She was working her thirst for power and her paranoia at the same time.
"If you think for one moment I'm going to make nice with that Bastard Santiago you have another thing coming Shepard."
"I don't want you to make nice with him. In fact, I don't even want him around..." Shepard slithered.
"So that's why you brought your Mercenary with you..." Aria said as she looked down on Zaeed, sizing him up.
"He knows where Vido is. Right now. Let him have some of your men, and it could all be over quickly, and quietly." Shepard said serenely.
"What do I get out of this?" Aria asked.
"You get the Suns." Shepard quipped.
"What the bloody...!" Zaeed burst out, but Shepard shot him a rebuking look and he changed his tune. "...Right."
Aria couldn't suppress the smile that had grown her on lips. "Why is the runt with him?"
"Fuck you!" Jack said, her hands glowing blue with biotics.
Aria's guards tightened up and Zaeed clapped a hand on Jack's shoulder to reign her in. "She's with me. She doesn't stay. I walk. I walk, and you have to deal with the pain the ass that Vido is until I find him and take care of him myself. Now that might be a while." He tossed a seeking look towards El'Jaid. Her eyes flashed blue as if to commend his maneuver.
Jack shoved his arm away, but didn't budge.
"So, now is the acid question." Aria said cautiously leaning back. "What is in this arrangement for you Shepard? Why are you so willing to whore out your crew to me?"
Before her guards could react, before Aria could have brought up a barrier, Shepard had her Phalanx pulled on the Queen of Omega. The blue sighting laser aimed steadily at the Asari's temple, and Shepard's mouth was just a breaths away from the Asari's ear. Her eyes were burning with fury.
Aria raised her hand, and her guards slowly withdrew their weapons as Shepard held her aim true. She licked her lips as she spoke softly to Aria.
"I don't 'whore' out my crew. I'm offering their help to you. Don't you dare confuse the two." She growled as she slowly drew back and lowered the gun. "As far as what in this for me? I also shouldn't have to explain that to you." Shepard's tone was one of disgust and she got up and walked down the steps. Aria just looked on at the Specter, a wisp of shock gracing her features. She knew Aria wouldn't back out now. Not when the price was right. Shepard didn't need a handshake to know that the deal was sealed.
She pressed by Aria's guards, and caught Zaeed's hand. His look was serious. It was business. It was 'Thanks'. She then turned to walk down the steps and to get out of Afterlife. She had her fill of the place.
"You know Shepard..." The memory of Aria's voice called out like Karma. "One of these days, your shotgun Abolitionism is going to get you in to trouble..."
Shepard had just simply turn around and walked away.