Earth. 2186. Years of constant struggle were getting the best of the men of the Systems Alliance. More specifically, the entire crew of the SSV Retribution. They had been pelted by wave after wave of enemies, each one different than the last. First, it was the Geth, and other monstrosities during the Eden Prime war. A war which led to the destruction of Sovereign within the Citadel's fold. After that, it's all been hit and miss. Pirates. Organized criminals, unorganized criminals, overly-zealous Citadel races, strange reports of colonies disappearing. Then the war with the Collectors had begun, which still hadn't been resolved to their knowledge. They all heard about what Shepard did, but they didn't believe that the entire Collector species was gone. No way. No how. Luckily enough for them, that wasn't their concern any more. They all had acquired some shore-leave. Something they never thought they'd see for the rest of their careers.
They were currently located in one of the rooms within the EDCs headquarters. Their own little waiting cell. Some of the squad got brief moments of anxiety. Anxious to just do something other than wait for their Sergeant to return. Luckily, they didn't have to wait much longer as the man was on his way.
Sergeant Jonathan Nicholson, Sigma Squad's leader, was the first to announce to his men that they were not going to be deployed for quite some time. As he entered the room, he had a smile on his face. Something that was most definitely a bittersweet thing for them all to hear. They loved their jobs. Loved working. That being said...even the best soldiers got exhausted.
He was a stoic yet compassionate man, and leader. His men were well trained, as they functioned as the special forces of the Retribution, though unfortunately they never got such a designation in the rest of the Alliance. They didn't care about that though. They didn't need recognition for their work.
He stood a towering 6'5''. A height that intimidated most, especially since he was a rather muscular gentleman, and his armour being made for comfortable manoeuvrability whilst also protecting him much more than other armours out there. Such armour only told people of his status amongst the Alliance, or more importantly, the CO of the Retribution. This time, however, he wore his dress blues. Something all military personnel did when they were required to attend something official, as he was. A damned meeting with the Committee wasn't exactly what he had in mind when returning to Earth, but he couldn't complain any.
"Well, guys. I guess we finally get to use that apartment we bought here back in 2183." He said with a huff, looking at the four others who raised curious eyebrows.
He placed his hand upon Rachael Aberdine's shoulder, the squad's medic, and nodded slowly. "Yeah. Commander Johnson has decided to let us have some time to ourselves without having to worry about deployment. He's got some important meetings to attend to anyway. I suppose we may as well relax. We won... I don't think there's much else to do but deal with whatever threat we get told to neutralize next."
The woman sighed, brushing her bright red hair back behind her ears, her green eyes looking up at the man. "Are you sure about that this time? I mean, you told us we were having shore-leave about two years ago...and look at how that ended up."
Jonathan nodded slowly, "I know what you're all thinking...but I think this time is legitimate. I don't think they intend to deploy us for awhile. We've done more than a few tours' worth of work. Any other soldier would have retired right now on the spot after the shit we've seen."
"You got that fucking right." Daryl stated with a huff, the squad's sharpshooter, "We've fought robots and overgrown bugs. I'd say that's enough to fill all of our resumes up pretty damn neatly."
"I'm just glad we're going to finally be able to sleep without the fear of gunfire going off." Tomas, the youngest of the group and their techy stated, "It's been hell ever since we first left the port here. That was what? Back in 2184?"
Daryl chimed in, "2183, kid. Eden Prime. We were the first dispatched after the Normandy team did some Spectre level shit. How do you not remember that? Running into the Geth scared the shit out of us because our intelligence only said unknown alien species."
"Yeah, did we ever figure out why that was our intelligence for that op? That seems unlegit." Tomas asked as he looked over at Jonathan again.
The man shrugged, "As far as I know? No. It was probably just an error in translation. You know that order had to pass down from brass, right? Ever play telephone back in grade school?"
Rachael chuckled, "He's basically saying someone fucked up somewhere, so we all got surprised. Regardless...we showed those walking lightbulbs who belongs on Eden Prime."
"Anyway. Everyone's dismissed. Whilst we are on shore-leave, I ask that everyone stays at the apartment we have. We need to be easy to contact. If you have family on Earth, by all means, meet up with them. Do whatever you want. Just make sure that you're always within reach. I don't want us split up just in case the brass wants us back out there kicking some teeth in. Alright?" Jonathan asked softly, to which his men nodded their heads. "Alright. Oh, and Rick? No blowing shit up. You know what happened back in 2180. Command all docked out pay. We beat your ass up then, we'll do it again."
Rick, the demolitions expert, merely rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. It's not my fault I got into a firefight with the locals of Noveria. It's to be expected."
"Dismissed, Sigma." The man ordered, and soon three of his four squad-mates left. That left just he and Rachael, of which he helped up and pulled into a rather heated kiss.
This caught the woman off guard, but it was well known amongst the squad that the two of them had relations together. That was one thing about Sigma that appeased everyone. They all knew each other, and even knew some of each other's deepest of secrets. But they'd never tell anyone else. Nope. They kept each other safe and secure. Command would never find out. Rookies would never find out. Only the five would ever know the secrets of the five.
She pulled away with a smile, looking into his eyes as she huffed silently, burying her face into his chest. "I thought I'd never see the day..." She whispered, "The day where we can just relax and be ourselves."
Jonathan nodded as he permitted his chin to rest upon the top of her head, "Yeah. It's been pretty damned wild these last few years. Plenty of close calls making it seem like we wouldn't make it back to civilized peace." He reminisced before closing his eyes. "I've been wondering... After all these years together, I was thinking maybe we could... Seal the deal? Make it official? Marry?" He inquired.
The woman remained silent, looking up at him with a shocked expression on her face. Most people would have called it a shitty excuse for a proposal, but not Rachael. She knew how Jonathan operated. He was one of the best soldiers the Alliance had. Of course he'd be blunt about a great many things. It wasn't like she was much better, after all. They all had been forced to fight continuously for so long that very little of their old selves remained. You can't be as lively and outgoing in a social world after nearly dying every single day for three consecutive years. The things they've been through would have given any other standard soldier immense PTSD. Abominations, Collectors, Husks, a fucking Reaper...
She smiled and nodded quickly, happily. "Of course! I-I too have been thinking about it for awhile now, Jon, and honestly...I don't want to wait any longer! It'll have to be a secret wedding, though... You know the Navy won't permit us being together. Especially since you're my superior."
The man nodded slowly before leaning down and placing the sweetest of kisses on her lips again, "I know that. Trust me, I do. I've planned every single aspect of it. I figured we could have my brother wed us in secret. It doesn't have to be on document, you know?"
The woman giggled as she nodded her approval, removing herself from him. "We'd better continue this talk somewhere other than the EDC Headquarters, Jon... We don't know who could be listening in."
"I'd think at this point they'd have all the information they'd need." He retorted with a chuckle before nodding, "Let's go. I'm thinking we head to the apartment, get changed, go out to a restaurant or something after speaking with my bro. Hell, he runs a restaurant in the expensive side of the city. Free meal in a five star restaurant? Fucking brilliant."
"Hell yeah~ let's go!" She said in a singsong tone.
And so the two were off. It felt good to be free. Real good. Jonathan had almost forgotten what it was like to have freewill. Sure, on the field he was in charge and could come up with any plan of action he wanted to...but it wasn't freewill. He couldn't just set it all aside and relax. But now? Now they all had their own freewill. And damn, did it feel good.
It'd taken them a total of three hours to get to the apartment, shower, get dressed and ready, and then head out to the restaurant Jonathan's brother owned. It was called the Club Michigan's Bar and Grill. It sounded just like it was. A club that only people on a certain list could get into. At least most of the time. They had select days where common folk could come in, usually Wednesdays and Thursdays. Otherwise you had to be on the reservation list, or you'd get denied access. Being Derrick's brother, however, had its perks. One of them being that he could enter the club anytime he wanted, and had the bouncer stopped him for more than one minute, the man risked getting fired from his very handsomely paying job.
Rachael marvelled at the scene she saw. The outside of the place was gorgeous with neon lights and a line a mile-wide at the very least. But no. That wasn't the best part. That was only the beginning. Inside had the rather cosy setting. A polished, dark wooden floor. Beautiful wooden walls, and ceiling. It was a tower too! It didn't just have the one floor, it had a total of six floors! That was how popular this place was, and due to that fact alone, one could only imagine the prices. As they made their way to the VIP section of the restaurant, Jonathan saw someone he hadn't seen in ages. It was his brother, Derrick!
The man looked a lot like his older brother. He was tall just like Jonathan was, but skinny. Not deathly so, but he definitely didn't look like his brother in terms of muscle mass. He was wearing a suit too, and it looked rather fitting for him. He truly looked like the well-respected Restaurant owner he was. His black hair was well groomed, his moustache trimmed... A classy gentleman in all respects.
It wasn't long until Derrick located his brother as well, and he held out his arms. "Ah! Jonathan! What're you doing all the way back here on this beautiful rock of ours?" He asked with a loud laugh, walking up to the man and tightly hugging him for a few moments.
When he pulled away he looked at Rachael and grabbed her hand, bowing down and kissing the back of it. "And who is this beautiful woman you have at your side? Wait...don't tell me!" He said as he held up his index finger to the roof. "Rachael!"
The woman smiled as she nodded, "Yup! You've heard of me?"
"Of course! Jonathan can't stop talking about you! Well, at least each time he has wrote to me, or called me he can't. I can't speak for all the time. He likes to make sure I know that you're the one responsible for keeping his risk-taking rear alive and in one piece!" He informed her with a chuckle, "So...I take it you two finally got the shore-leave he's been dying for? Coming here for a romantic getaway? One of the biggest turn-offs for the military in my book has always been the restrictions imparted upon their soldiers."
Jonathan nodded with a smile, "Yeah. We decided we'd stop by and have a meal, chat with you a little bit...and if you have time maybe you could marry us in secret?"
Derrick smiled and motioned for the two to follow him, "Of course! I told you anytime you were ready I'd do it, lucky brother of mine. Right this way, please. I have just the place to do it as well. The VIP section has gotten a few upgrades since you were last here, Jon. Including a spectacular fountain display right in the centre of it."
As the two followed the man, Jonathan couldn't help but laugh. "So that's why I could smell some doctored up water."
"I think the phrase you're looking for is 'fresh Earth water from the mountain streams.' Man, being deployed for as long as you have been has really made you a barbarian, hasn't it? How'd you propose to her? Show her a rock and say 'me like you?'" The man teased, to which Jonathan quickly smacked him upside the head.
"I'll have you know, I didn't show her a rock, and I said 'me really like you.' Get it right..." He scoffed with a chuckle, watching as Derrick rubbed the back of his head.
Rachael chuckled as well, slowly resting her head on her man's shoulder as they walked. It was nice to show public signs of affection. Especially since it had been marked as more or less a taboo in the military. Maybe one day they'd retire from active service and raise a family together. But that day wasn't today. Hell, she knew that if she brought it up it'd only be shot down quickly by Jonathan, as well as herself. They loved their jobs too much to quit right now. Especially if what Commander John Shepard was saying was true. If more Reapers were coming... then God help the galaxy...
But she didn't have time to think of such dark thoughts. No. Right now was time to enjoy her man publicly whilst they still had the chance. All of the bigwigs could still be working right now, so they didn't run a risk of being discovered that way, and anyone short of Captain couldn't get into this place even if they really tried to. Nothing short of a galaxy-wide recognition of heroism would get grunts into this place, and by then, hey wouldn't even be grunts!
Soon enough they found themselves at the fountain, and the lights inside of the VIP section were spectacular. Bright red, pink, and blue made for a beautiful combination when the lights clashed together. The bright blue lights inside of the fountain made the water look otherworldly. Almost like someone had poured a glass of coolant inside. Luckily, that wasn't the case and if they drank from the fountain it'd be as fresh as it was the day it was harvested from the mountaintop.
"So, since I know you two are wanting it to be on the down-low... Shall we begin?" Derrick inquired as he turned towards them, readying a camera drone so the two could have beautiful pictures of the moment to last them their lives.
Derrick made sure that they were facing each other, and on one of their sides was the fountain whilst he and the drone were on the other. No one was bugging them. Hell, no one was even in the VIP room at this time. It was the best opportunity they'd have to achieve their quiet little wedding, consisting of themselves.
"Are you two ready?" He asked.
Jonathan and Rachael both nodded, smiling as they looked into each other's eyes. The only better place for such a thing would have been in the valley between two mountains, but alas, that was too much to ask. Especially since it would require leaving the general area of the city. Something they didn't want to do just in the event they did get called back to the EDC HQ.
"Do you, Jonathan Nicholson, take Rachael Aberdine as your lawfully wedded wife?" Derrick inquired.
"I do." Jonathan said with a smile, making Rachael tear up ever so slightly.
"And do you, Rachael Aberdine, take Jonathan Nicholson as your lawfully wedded husband?" The man asked.
She nodded, and in a shaky voice she gave her response. "I-I do."
"Jonathan, you may give your vows." Derrick said as he crossed his arms.
The man nodded and squeezed both of his woman's hands with a smile on his face, looking into her wet-filled eyes, "Rachael, the very first time I ever laid eyes on you, I fell deeply in love with you. I knew you were the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. The moments since that day have been wrought with pain, hardships, and struggles, but also with joy, happiness, and love. My love for you has only grown deeper for you in these years, and you are the most amazing and perfect woman I have ever known.
So I make these vows to you, in the presence of my brother, and our Gods, so that they may witness the promises that I make. I solemnly vow to spend every day doing everything within my power to be the husband that someone like you truly deserves. To support, love, and cherish you through not only the happy times, but the darkest of times we have yet to face. I vow to be your best friend. Your soulmate... and most of all...your faithful husband.
We have been through some serious shit... so I can say with all the confidence within existence that no matter what the galaxy throws at us, be it Reaper, or thug, lie or argument, I will never stop loving you. I will never stop caring for you, and I will never stop trying to be the best husband I can be. I love you, Rachael. With everything that I am."
Rachael couldn't hold it in any more, and the tears started to flow down her pale, lightly freckled cheeks. "M-My promise to you is rather simple. I promise to endure everything this galaxy we live in throws at us. I'll be your one and only... Your lover, your friend. I'll listen, and I'll nurture... I'll fight, and be true. I'll do my share, and I'll never give up on you, no matter what happens. I'll do my best to fulfil your every need. I'll walk beside you, hand in hand and help you to succeed. I'll be your equal, yet also give you room to grow. I'll be there to help you recover when you are sick, build you back up when you collapse. I stand before our witnesses, our brother and our Gods... to say unto you, that no matter what we come to face... Our love will make it through."
Derrick smiled, "And with your vows having been witnessed by each other, myself, and the Gods... I pronounce you Husband and Wife. May your love be ever eternal."
"Oh!" Jonathan said with a chuckle, pulling out a ring, "This was my mother's...I want you to have it." He said, and as Rachael offered her hand to him the man slipped it on her ring finger.
She smiled, and as Derrick presented her the ring she had actually requested to give to Jon, she took her new Husband's hand and placed it around his finger in return. "It... It's official... I can't believe it..."
The Sergeant laughed as he shook his head, "Neither can I, honestly... All these years and after the last op we did... we are finally truly together."
"You can take a seat wherever you'd like. The table have menus... would you like anything to drink?" Derrick inquired.
Jonathan nodded, "A nice fruity cocktail for the lady...and I'll have that drink you got me hooked on that is almost as potent as Ryncol."
"Ah... the Gutsmasher. My favourite. I'll definitely get right to it. Shall I check you two into the guest quarters as well?" Derrick asked with a smile, "I assure you, it's the perfect place to sleep for newly-weds."
"Sure. I've been wondering what else you've done to the place." Jonathan said with a smile, and his brother bowed before walking to the employee-only area.
Rachael then raised an eyebrow as they walked to the booth in the corner they both had laid eyes on and fell in love with. "Gutsmasher? Are you sure you can handle something with that name? It sounds... bad."
"It's not that potent, really. I just don't want Derrick to feel like a lightweight." Jonathan said with a chuckle, "I promise, it's not enough to get me smashed. Or sick, like the name would imply."
The woman smiled as they took their seats, looking the man in the eyes with her smile never fading. "Better not, fucker..."
Whilst the two were enjoying themselves inside of the restaurant, the rest of their crew stood upon the balcony of the apartment they all shared. Tomas looked up at the blue skies and gave the softest of sighs. "I don't like this at all," He stated, "I'm already bored out of my damned mind. We're supposed to be up there kicking teeth in for Earth... Not sitting here stroking ourselves while we wait to be called upon again."
Daryl only chuckled as his comrade voiced his discontent, checking his rifle as he sat on the balcony's chair, cigar in mouth as he spoke. "Kid, take it from me. Soldiering is just as much about these moments as those. Right 'bout now, Boss and Patchy are probably enjoying a romantic get away, if you catch my drift. You love fighting so much, maybe you should head back inside and make out with your kit."
Tomas groaned, "I already tried..."
Rick almost gagged, "That's fucking disgusting, mate. I love explosives and I don't even kiss 'em."
Daryl started laughing, taking his cigar out of his mouth and looking over at the two. "You're right, you fondle them!"
"Walked into that one..." The man sighed before looking at Tomas, "Seriously though, what don't you like about the break, man? There's nothing better than not having to worry about getting shot at and returning fire."
Tomas remained silent, looking down at the city below. He was trying to think of the right way to explain this to his comrade. It wasn't easy. Especially since the apartment was almost like one of those resort hotels. Marble flooring and walls, beautifully lit, a balcony with a damned hot tub and pool... When he felt like he had the answer, he turned his attention to Rick and sighed.
"I'm young..." He stated honestly, "Two years ago I was a rookie for Sigma, hell, the entire Alliance military. You all have been fighting for years together. I've barely had a piece of the pie."
Rick nodded and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder, pointing over to the mountain range ahead of them. "See those, son? As long as those are present, there's plenty of fighting to go around. As long as Earth retains its beauty, there will always be a place for soldiers like us...like you. When we retire, however many hundreds of years that may be, you'll be the lead of Sigma, or maybe even your own ship. When that happens you'll see the galaxy as we do. You'll enjoy sitting on a balcony like some sort of superstar, puffing on a cigar and drinking some scotch while you watch the sunset over that very same mountain range you see right now." The Australian said, "I've been fightin' ever since I was a little kid. Australia isn't like it used to be back in history. Bunch'a thugs are running the show, and for some reason there's an ass-load of Krogan wanting to visit the place. Signed up for service at sixteen, am thirty-eight now. You're what? Twenty? Signed on at seventeen? Shit. You're young blood."
Tomas nodded as he listened to his comrade, taking everything the older man had said into mind. It was true. He was young blood compared to everyone in the squad. The Retribution had more veterans than it did rookies. When he joined he was one of three that got stationed aboard the reconnaissance vessel. Commander Johnson was a very picky, precise man. Standing at fifty years of age he was no less bad-ass than when he was only twenty-five. The man was a war hero. A sole survivor of his original platoon. The only soldier who dropped first into a battlefield alone against his superiors command and allowed to still be in the Corps. A feat he contributes as much to his luck as he does his achievements during that fight.
"I guess I'll just have to learn the long way, huh? Through time and battle." Tomas asked with a smile, shaking his head. "So, Sergeant's having a nice romantic getaway with Patchy, huh? How'd you guess?"
"Why else aren't they here?" Daryl chuckled, putting his cigar back into his mouth, "Being on a stuffy ship full of people looking to get a promotion isn't exactly the easiest way to have a relationship. If he wasn't treating Patchy to a nice meal and maybe a few drinks right now, she'd probably dump his ass."
Rick grinned, looking back at his fellow. "Think he's gonna get her preg, and get a nice red slip?" He inquired.
"Fuck no. I mean, they may be doing that shit, but it isn't going to result in anything. Nuh uh. Day Patchy does that I'm gonna eat my own bullet." Daryl said before setting his sniper down beside him and kicking back, raising his glass of scotch on the rocks and taking a gulp as he looked forward at the sunrise. "You know, the fucked up thing about being gone from home for so long is your time schedule gets fucked up. Can't sleep if it's going to be daytime. Not unless you want a low vita-count. Hey, Guts, what'd'ya reckon Sarge's brother thought about him and Patchy kicking in his door and asking for a meal?"
Rick laughed before patting Tomas on the back, "I assume we'll find out. Either they won't say anything, and it went without a hitch, or Jon has a black eye. That'd be kinda sad since it obviously would have come from a scrawny little shit." He stated as he made his way back into the apartment.
Tomas shook his head, "What is regulation for relationships anyway? I glossed over it in training. I was too interested in shooting and cracking technology."
"Fucking nerd." Daryl stated with a grin, "Regulation basically states if they wear the blues don't do it." He informed the younger man, "If they're civvies, go ahead. If they're an alien, go ahead. If they're a robot...you need some serious fucking help."
"Oh, ha-ha, asshole." Tomas grumbled before hearing the Aussie call out 'Oi, kid!' He quickly turned around and saw a projectile bottle flying his way, which he caught just as it was about to go overboard.
"Nice catch." Rick said as he found his way back out to the balcony, cracking open the bottle with his bare hands. "Ah... my favourite lager. Hey... I wonder what's going on down there... Lotta people rushing..."
Tomas shrugged as he took a drink of his own beer, looking down at the crowds below. "Riot maybe? I hear those happen a lot around here."
Daryl shrugged, "Glad I'm here and not down there. Stop worrying and getting all itchy, and enjoy your cold ones. There ain't many sunrises like this one. It's a little cloudy, sure, but you can still see the hue through the cover."
Back at Club Michigan, the two newly-weds were getting rather steamy in their room. Jonathan had Rachael pinned up against the window of the room, overlooking large river near the city itself. He continued to make out with her like there'd be no tomorrow. An action he regretted not having much time for in the past. But alas, their jobs never allowed them to have times like this. At least, not in abundance. He pressed himself tighter between her legs, smiling as he stopped kissing her momentarily, their lips still touching. He opened his eyes, his pupils dilated.
But not for the moment, or the woman's beauty.
Rachael looked into his eyes and saw something in the reflection other than herself. Something she couldn't quite make out. Immediately she felt herself get removed from the glass and tossed over towards the bed, whilst Jonathan quickly knelt down and covered his head. At that very moment a loud, rumbling, synthetic roar was heard and it shattered the bullet-proofed glass of the room. As it shattered, the layers cut at the Sergeant's suit, and the man groaned as shards of glass met with his flesh. One the shattering was done, he saw fighters swarming all around, both Alliance and foreign in design. He knew what he had seen. He had seen it once before. A Reaper.
A massive pod slammed into the side of the tower and they felt it shake as if it were about to collapse. But it would not. Not anytime soon. That pod was carrying nightmares. Immediately the man rushed to pick up the two pistols he had sat on the table, tossing one towards Rachael who had since recovered from being tossed.
"How the fuck... Shepard was right!" She said as she checked her weapon, "We need to link up with the rest of Sigma!"
Jonathan nodded, "We also need to get my brother the fuck out of here and to safety, get our kits, and report to Johnson! Let's go!" The man said as he rushed out of the door to their room.