Chapter 2: The Pyjak
"Daaad, I don't want this Earth-food." complained the Asari child in a whiny voice.
"You'll eat what's put in front of you, or you'll be fighting Varren for your next meal." Snapped the father of the Krogan child.
The Asari mother giggled and continued to eat her salad, while her husband dug into his roast beef, an acquired taste for a Krogan. The child picked at her food; a rib-eye steak with a side of veggies (her mother insisted that she get nutrients from other sources, not just meat.)
"But daaad-"
"No buts, Morlac! Now eat!"
"Morlac, your father's right. You need to eat. Don't you want to be a big strong warrior like your father? Only the best become commandos."
"I want to smash Darrek's head. The Turian bastard kept calling me names."
The Asari mother looked shocked, "Where did you learn that word?" she demanded, but the father chuckled in a deep hearty voice.
"Leave him be, Sellipa. Nothing wrong with a little childhood competition."
Sellipa glared at her husband, but relented.
Shepard watched all this from behind a bush at the edge of the outdoor café. The mall was densely populated with shoppers and tourists, as this was one of the largest shopping districts on Earth. The family Shepard watched were one of the latter group; the Asari mother was a director for a tech division on Noveria and the father was a decorated Krogan warrior. Their child was waving her arms around like a bird, throwing a temper tantrum until the food flew off the table and landed on the ground. This was the moment Shepard was waiting for; he darted forward and slid under a nearby empty table. He reached forward to take some of it when suddenly, a three-fingered hand grabbed his wrist and yanked him up.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" asked the Krogan. Shepard squirmed to break free but the Krogan's grip was like iron.
"Looks like a little Pyjak, scrounging for food."
"Smash it dad, smash it!" cried the child
The Krogan looked at Shepard, debating what to do with him. Shepard looed the Krogan dead in the eye, trying to loo a fierce as possible.
"Dear, don't be mean. He's clearly an orphan, we should help him." Said Sellipa carefully
"Where I come from, Pyjaks are vermin to be exterminated, but they're also pretty hard to catch. Heh, I'll let this one go, see if he can escape on his own next time." He dropped Shepard, who landed heavily on his rear. He got up and nabbed some of the spoiled food and ran off. The Krogan laughed behind him.
"You hear me Pyjak? Next time I won't be letting you go!"
Shepard slowed his pace, thinking.
"He called me a Pyjak. I like that. I'll be Pyjak Shepard, and I'll be impossible to catch!" Shepard smiled at the thought and ran to find somewhere safe to eat the still-hot food in peace.
Months later, Shepard had become one of the slipperiest kids in the city. He could climb and wall, squeeze through any doorway and stay so quiet he could circle you and you wouldn't notice (this he did on occasion). He had joined a street gang of other kids, and he was to be their 'scout'. Shepard wasn't quite sure what a 'scout' was, but he knew what he was supposed to do: he would sneak into areas the other kids couldn't get to and see who or what was in there. He was very good at it too, often allowing the small group to sneak past security guards and mechs to steal food from restaurants and stores. It didn't seem right to him, so he took it up with the leader, a big girl named Erin. She told him that unless he wanted to be on his own tonight, he'd better shut up and get in there.
Shepard reluctantly entered the warehouse and spotted two mechs inside patrolling the premises. He watched their movements, mechs were easy to follow; they always followed the same path unless provoked. He snuck back outside and told the gang what to expect and when to go. The gang infiltrated the warehouse and managed to get an entire box of fresh seafood.
"What are we supposed to do with all this fish?" asked Fingers, a pickpocket
"We eat it, stupid." Said Silver, a lying beggar kid
"I think Fingers means how do we eat it if it's raw? I heard raw fish 'aint good for you." replied Jawbones, the biggest and toughest kid
"We'll find a way to cook it then. The ice will keep it until we do." Said Erin in a way that allowed no argument. They carried the crate through the night to a secret place that was cold enough to keep the fish and crab from defrosting. Shepard had been with this group for only a week, but he knew he shouldn't be with them. That night, he stole two fish large from the crate and retreated back to his secret base.
Shepard lay there, thinking that he was better off on his own, or at the very least doing things the right way.
