El Mano: so hey there, I've been reading a lot of Mass Effect fanfics and I decided to try one, it turned out better than I expected. I hope you enjoy! Peace out homie. P.s I do not own anything at all.
It was a shock when the Normandy rolled to its side, a massive tear on the side of the ship had already spaced half the crew, the others life supports came on line just in time to prevent the same fate. All I could do was keep her moving and dodging the particle beams by a hairs breath. I could save her, I could save what was left, and all I had to do was keep going and dodging. All coms were on and all I could say was "SSV Normandy, hit by unknown Frigate, request immediate back up!" I don't know how long I was screaming it into the microphones but my voice had gone hoarse from all the yelling. I could feel her before I could see her.
"Joker we GOTTA GO NOW!" she pulls my arm and I felt my shoulder dislocate.
"NO! I can still save her!" I pull my arm back and shrugged off the pain as I dodged another beam. I had no choice when she lifted me out and started to drag me to the escape pod. I looked back and saw the controls tilting to the left and I looked out through the hull at the unknown ship, its particle beam slowly powering up. "No, I can still save her." I looked up at Tera, while pulling out a data pad from my vest and with all my strength I pushed her and the pad into the escape pod and hit the launch button. The bulkhead door slid softly into place. She immediately tried to open the door which ended up with her pounding away at the unmoving obstacle and all I could do was look into her memorizing green eyes.
"Joker, you open this pod right now!" she screams through my ear piece and I smile.
Suddenly the ships automated message activated. "Launch failure, manual launch required." Her eyes widened and I take one look at her before turning back for the cockpit.
"Joker! Don't you go back, you open this pod and you get your crippled ass in here that's an order!" I can hear her pounding against the steel door but I can't obey that order.
"Listen commander, I appreciate the gesture but you know as well as I do that the universe can do without a crippled pilot." By now the gravity was offline. So I floated right into my chair.
"It's my job to protect this crew Joker, it's my job to sacrifice myself, and it's my job to die for the bigger picture! You don't have the right to stop me from doing my job!" I can hear the tears in my ears and her scared sobbing voice tore into me a gash as big as the Normandy but I can't stop now the other ship is going to fire soon.
"Not for me Tera, you don't get to do that for me." She launches just as the beam rips through the rest of the shields and the hull of the ship.
"JEFF!" I hear her voice, the last voice I'll ever hear as I got spaced. I don't know how long I drifted all I could feel was the cold. The small shielding I had wouldn't protect me from the cold for long as I drifted through space. However my oxygen would run out long before I froze to death. I looked at the stars in wonder, this was freedom and this would be my last sight, and what a sight it was. Tears crept up and I could barely hold them back as I felt my oxygen slowly start to become Carbon Dioxide. My breathing came faster and faster, and I started to struggle, I probably broke my back as I seized for anything to grip onto that could prolong my life but I lost my strength and my lungs started freezing up and then I remember nothing.
/with Shepard/
My helmet flew across the cabin at the glass window; it didn't even make a crack. I couldn't even stop the tears from running down my face. "Jeff…" I couldn't believe it, he was gone. That cocky son of a bitch gave his life for me. I slid down the back of the pod and cried, I cried for a long time even though I didn't know how long it would be until I was recovered and it'd be wise to conserve my water I couldn't stop myself, something deep inside me was lost with Joker. He was always there with a quick joke or a "cheer up at least you can dance." No one would admit it but he had held them together with his antics when everything threatened to fall apart and even though he was an asshole at times he meant more to her than she realized. Their late night coffee breaks, their inside jokes, the way he looked at her after each mission, even if she came back covered in synthetic blood and dirt and grime he would smile at her and say something witty or give her a compliment. "God damn it!" I punched the steel wall as hard as I could and broke my hand, or that's what it felt like.
I cradled my hand and continued crying, not for the pain but for Jeff, he was probably killed instantly but that thought didn't cheer me up like it did for Kaidan. It made me wish it was me who had tossed him in sooner and I died in the explosion. The pod rumbled as the engines cut off and a data pad slid out from under the bench a small envelope held to it by a rubber band. I wiped my eyes and grabbed it curiously. My vision was a bit blurry but I could make out the chicken scratch on the envelope, it said "Shepard". I slowly opened it and poured out the content which was surprisingly a small gold chain with a white dove charm. Suddenly the data pad came to life as my finger brushed up against its on button to reveal my helmsman Jeff "Joker" Moreau in his chair, his face in deep concentration.
"Is this thing on... okay the red button is on… so it's on. Damn I gotta start all over, you know what fuck it." Joker made a face and she almost laughed. "So Shepard if you are viewing this… *sigh* you know I'm dead. She almost started sobbing again but his sudden smile stopped her. "But if I'm dead that means that the great Commander Shepard must've been saved by yours truly. He pointed to himself and if it could be possible he seemed even cockier. "Even if I still managed to save your life, you're probably wondering why I did it in the first place."
She straightened up and listened very closely to what he said next. "After Virmire and the death of Kaidan, you were more shook up and rattled than I ever thought you could be, and then the next few weeks you wandered around like a ghost questioning every move you made." His face showed a pained expression as he continued. "I couldn't help you like Kaiden could or Garrus could or anyone else on this ship could. I felt worse when I pushed you away with sharp comments or a smartass one liner."
He smiled bitterly "You know, I envied Kaiden, he was strong and abled even if he was slightly handicapped, and at least he meant something to you and earned your affection even though he was as good as flirting as he was a co-pilot which is to say he couldn't fly worth shit." She let out a chuckle at the comment but she was more interested in what he said before about being envious of Kaiden. Then he smiled which caught her off guard. "but I couldn't help but be happy when you came to me in the middle of the night and just talked, i became reliant on your visits, it made me feel like I was more than just a pilot." he smiled at her brightly. "But to be honest it wasn't that I was able to talk to you that made me happy, it's because I felt that there was a chance that you might actually depend on me. And maybe return my feeling for you." Her breath caught in her throat as he laughed lightly.
"Yeah I bet you weren't expecting that, I can't even believe I'm saying this but I guess I sort of kind of maybe like you in a way that a person of lower rank should not like their superior officer." he winked and she couldn't help but blush. "But time is running short, you'll be up here soon and I need to get this all edited before you show up." he reached into his collar and pulled out the very necklace that was in her hands, his face softened "my mother gave this necklace to me when I graduated from flight school at the top of my class. She died two months later from cancer. His face saddened but he smiled "she told me that wherever I go she would fly with me. And this is what I want to give to you in case I die and you live." His face turned slightly serious but it didn't take away from his ever present smile "the Normandy and I will fly with you wherever you desire, from hell to fighting the reapers… and we'll make you look good as we dance on their asses." he put the chain in the envelope and wrote her name on it. "
"Joker, what are you doing with Tali's Video camera?" she appeared into view and Joker knocked the camera to the ground.
She could only see his feet "sorry, commander I'm making a video for my mom." The camera shook as someone picked it up and she saw her smiling face.
"Hmm. Hi Mrs. Moreau! I'm taking care of your boy alright here, say hi joker." She pointed the camera at him and Joker frowned.
"Hi mom, now give me the camera."
He reached out for it but the camera got turned around and she faked frowned "Sorry Mrs. Moreau but your son wants to say he loves you and misses you and he wouldn't trade the world for you." She smiled brightly as the camera was taken from her grasp and a blushing Joker turned the camera on himself.
"So that's all true and I do want to say that to you, take care and remember I love you." He winked and turned off the camera.
The pad powered down after the message but she couldn't help but hold it tighter to her ample chest and smiled lightly. He wouldn't have wanted me to cry anymore. She looked down at the necklace and her smile got bigger, he was with her. She tied the chain around her neck and held it in close with one had. A tear escaped her eyes "you Bastard, you shouldn't have hid how you felt about Me." she didn't know how or why but she fell asleep and the next thing she knew she was being shaken awake by Garrus on another Alliance ship.
El Mano: so I'm deciding on whether to continue or not, you the viewers will have to review and judging by the reviews I will continue. take care everybody and just to remind you I do not own anything.