Chapter 10: Hangin' with Zaeed
"Hurry up and pick one, damn it! The sooner you have a proper firearm, the sooner we can get to work." Zaeed barked as Mal examined the old man's collection of rifles. "And make sure it's one that's got some range to it. We'll be working on your precision so you're not using the goddamn shotgun version of an assault rifle." he added gruffly as Mal's eyes lingered on an M-76 Revenant and an M-55 Argus. "Contrary to what the ladies may have told you, bigger isn't always better kid."
Mal chose to ignore Zaeed's innuendo as the old man chuckled at his own joke. He had experience using assault rifles, but had never really gotten into the habit of utilizing them in battle. He simply felt that shotguns suited him better and synergized well with his pistols. "What about this one?" Mal asked. He was holding an M-96 Mattock that he felt fairly confident about using.
"You've got a good eye when you aren't being mesmerized by machine guns, kid. The Mattock is just what you need. It's accurate, packs a punch and versatile enough to handle any situation. Zaeed explained. "It's got nothing on Jessie though." he added fondly while eyeing a battered and ancient looking M-8 Avenger that was resting on a nearby pedestal.
"Jessie?" Mal asked in a confused manner.
"Best goddamn rifle a man could ever ask for." Zaeed replied proudly. Not long afterwards, the old man began to regale Mal with tales of the rifle's prowess and also about his own adventures. If Zaeed's stories were to be believed, he may very well have been immortal. He'd survived ridiculous odds based on the accounts he recalled. Despite being an ordinary human, Zaeed had succeeded in: co-founding the Blue Suns, surviving a gunshot wound to the face, taking down a turian frigate with a four man squad, defeating a former krogan blood pack leader in a one on one duel and then wiping out his own men in front of him, and of course helping Captain Shepard take down the collectors in what everyone considered to be a suicide mission. He'd also been romantically involved with two different asari, both of whom ended up betraying him and making attempts on his life. Mal didn't really understand the relevance of the last two recollections, but decided to give the old man an opportunity to brag.
"So it turns out Tristana was working for that bastard, Vido. I wish I could have seen the bitch burn to ash while she was falling to Impera." Zaeed said vindictively as he finished his latest story.
"You've been double-crossed, A LOT." Mal commented in an almost awed tone. The fact that anyone could survive that many betrayals was astounding.
"Yeah, well they all lived to regret it." Zaeed replied with a great deal of satisfaction in his voice. "And I choose my friends a lot better these days." he added with a slight note of sentiment as he quickly glanced at a holo-image that he summoned on his omni-tool. Mal was curious about the contents, but the old man banished the picture just as quickly as he'd brought it up. "Anyway, that's enough story time kid. I've already got our first job lined up. You ever been to Bekenstein?"
"No." Mal replied honestly. The truth was, he'd never traveled beyond the Terminus Systems.
"You haven't missed much, just a colony full of rich assholes who made their fortunes selling overpriced garbage to aliens who're too stupid to know any better." Zaeed explained. "We'll be heading there to deal with some red sand dealers who pissed off the wrong person. Our client has set us up with a suite in one of the luxury hotels that the local millionaires frequent so you should take the opportunity to enjoy yourself. I can guarantee the jobs after this won't be as glamorous. The dealers are regulars and I've been forwarded the particulars, so all we have to do is wait for them to show."
"Sounds simple enough." Mal replied casually.
"And that should be your first clue that something's up." Zaeed remarked cautiously.
"You think there's more to it?" Mal asked.
"When you've survived the shit I have kid, you learn to look for the gun before it starts firing at you." Zaeed replied wisely. "It'll take a day or so for us to get there, so use that time to get acquainted with your new weapon. You're gonna be putting it to use real soon." he added.
Sometime later, Mal found himself in the lobby of the most extravagant place he'd ever set foot in. The hotel was definitely designed to cater to the obscenely wealthy as immense fountains greeted visitors as they entered the palace-like building. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceilings that seemed to extend to the heavens and gold lined the exquisite furnishings of the lounge. As Mal struggled to take it all in, Zaeed simply scoffed. "Flashy pricks."
He quickly dragged Mal off to the reception desk to confirm their reservations under the assumed names that their client had provided. "Jenkins, suite for two."
The receptionist took a moment to survey both Zaeed and Mal, she was certain that there'd been some kind of mistake. After observing them for nearly a minute and confirming the reservation, she was forced to concede and have someone show them to their room. "I do hope that you and your-"
"nephew," Zaeed finished for her.
"Yes, nephew, enjoy everything that the Ceres Landing has to offer." she said in a completely unconvincing attempt at courtesy.
After being shown to their room which was located on one of the higher floors, Zaeed immediately began searching the room for traps and surveillance devices.
"So I'm guessing my first lesson is to trust no one." Mal commented wryly.
"Six months on Omega should have already taught you that one, kid." Zaeed replied as he continued his search.
While Zaeed indulged his paranoia, Mal took a moment to take in the sight of their magnificent accommodations. There were two huge beds, a fully stocked bar, a high class lounge, a bathroom that appeared to be the size of the entire Afterlife Club, an enormous holo-vid screen and a walkout balcony that led to the most spectacular view Mal had ever seen. The hotel overlooked a sprawling beach that seemed to extend into eternity. The ocean that met the sands appeared to extend even further while the sun's rays shimmered along the surface of the water as it gradually sank from view and prepared to give way to the night.
"Are all human colonies like this?" Mal asked.
"You mean pretentious, gaudy playgrounds full of assholes with too much time and credits on their hands? Thankfully, no. Can't believe I considered retiring here at one point." Zaeed scoffed.
"No, I mean...is this what humans strive for? Paradise? It's kind of nice." Mal remarked appreciatively. He'd never actually been to a human colony before, in fact he hadn't really had much contact with humans in general, aside from the ones he killed.
"I keep forgetting you were raised by a krogan and a quarian. And you probably spent most of your time on Omega surrounded by everyone but humans. Well kid, I'm damn sure not qualified to fill you in on humanity's aspirations. Far as I can tell, we look for planets that won't likely kill us and settle down hoping that nothing from space kills us either." Zaeed explained plainly. "Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. When it doesn't, a few assholes like the ones who live here lose some credits, the Alliance gets a black eye and a bunch of people end up dead." he added.
After taking a moment to consider what Zaeed had said, Mal offered his own perspective. "It doesn't sound like such a bad ambition to me. Trying to make a home for yourself, that is."
"That was almost poetic, kid. I may have to try that line on the Justicar the next time I see her." Zaeed commented with a note of admiration.
"The who?" Mal asked.
"Never mind, we should probably turn in early. Our targets are due to arrive tomorrow morning. I hope you don't snore, I'd hate it if you ended up dead while I was trying to get some shuteye." Zaeed warned.
As Mal struggled to get to sleep himself that night while the old merc across the room snored loud enough to shake the ceiling, he couldn't help but note the irony and loathe it. He wasn't sure exactly when or how he'd finally managed to doze off, but no sooner had he drifted into sleep when he was abruptly awoken by Zaeed.
"Rise and shine, kid! We've got company!" the old man announced as he tossed Mal his Mattock. Zaeed himself was already donning his combat armor and had his M-15 Vindicator aimed and ready.
"Wha-"
Before Mal could finish his rather dazed inquiry, an explosion erupted from the other side of the room. The entire wall of their suite that held the entrance had been obliterated as dozens of armed intruders began to pour in.
"You can't be serious!" Mal sputtered as he quickly erected a barrier around himself and modified his and Zaeed's ammo to fire warp rounds. The youth was almost completely unprepared for such a sudden battle, especially given the fact that he had nothing on but his boxers. Nonetheless, he reacted quickly and took cover behind the bar while Zaeed did the same behind a corner of the wall that separated the room from the lounge area.
Their attackers had obviously been counting on the element of surprise, which turned out to be an unfortunate gamble on their part. Zaeed had already begun thinning their numbers with a series of headshots that completely stunned the intruders. Mal followed his lead and took down several more of the unidentified soldiers with a few well aimed shots from his Mattock. He had to admit, Zaeed had been right, the gun handled perfectly and Mal found himself taking out almost as many enemies as Zaeed.
As the enemy numbers began to dwindle, Mal quickly took notice of several cables that had begun appearing outside of the windows of the suite. "That can't be good!" he muttered after gunning down another approaching soldier. As if confirming his statement, several more soldiers began descending the lines that had appeared outside. "Big mistake!" he shouted before sending a massive shockwave at the would be infiltrators. Every window in the room was shattered as nearly a dozen bodies went plummeting to their deaths outside.
"Nice one kid!" Zaeed remarked, slightly surprised by the power of the attack.
As he and Mal continued to mow down the soldiers who seemed hell-bent on advancing, several flash bang grenades were tossed inside of the suite. Both men ducked behind their cover positions and averted their eyes to avoid the detonations. As the grenades when off, a blinding flash illuminated the room as a high pitched frequency filled the area. "Damn it, I hate those things!" Zaeed complained after the effects of the flash bang grenades had finally worn off. Unfortunately, while he and Mal had been distracted, the soldiers had made considerable headway in their advance and were now aggressively closing in on both of them.
However, Mal was more than prepared. As his attackers struggled to destroy his barrier, he systematically sniped half of his opposition while the others attempted to engage him in close quarters combat. He proved to be more than a match for them, despite their advantage in numbers and Mal's imposed handicap of not using biotically reinforced strikes. His natural strength and prodigious skill were able to make short work of them. After felling his final adversary by breaking his neck with a rather powerful uppercut, Mal resumed his efforts against the enemy reinforcements that were continuing to pour in from the hallway outside.
Zaeed took note of the youth's strength as he witnessed the skirmish after clearing away his own assailants with an inferno grenade. "He really is one tough SOB, I'll give him that." the old man muttered in a mildly impressed tone. Before he could take another minute to marvel at Mal's abilities, several enemy engineers began setting up turrets inside of the room. "Sneaky bastards!" Zaeed growled before tossing another inferno grenade at one of the potential nuisances. The man was quickly caught in the resulting explosion and set ablaze while his turret went up in flames. The other engineers proved to be more successful and managed to set up several deadly obstacles that would insure that Zaeed and Mal remained pinned down in their cover positions.
As the two men continued to exchange fire with the persistent intruders, a very loud, confident and feminine voice began addressing Zaeed over the sounds of gunfire. "Zaeed, as stubborn as ever I see." the voice remarked snidely. Shortly afterwards, an older woman with short brown hair and an expensive set of armor began to stroll into view from the hallway.
"Figures. This shit again, Ramona?!" Zaeed remarked irritably as he killed another enemy soldier with a headshot. "Gotta give you credit though, fake job, falsified credentials, it was all done well enough to actually get me here. Had to have set you back by a lot though and that's not mentioning the cost of this suite and these assholes you've got shooting at us. You must've spent a hell of a lot to try and do me in." he added appreciatively.
"Standing over your lifeless, beaten down corpse will make it worth every credit, Zaeed. It didn't have to end like this you know. We had a good thing once, until you went and made things personal." the woman called Ramona replied coldly.
"Me?! You're the one who sold me out to those Eclipse bastards! On top of that, you put a bullet in both my legs and left me stranded in a shuttle that was on a collision course with a damn asteroid! It doesn't get much more personal than that you crazy bitch!" Zaeed angrily retorted.
"That was just business and you killed my brother!" Ramona shot back with an equal amount of rage.
"Little Ricky shot first, he should've known better." Zaeed taunted as he killed yet another soldier.
Several questions were running through Mal's mind at that moment. Why did it seem like every ex-girlfriend that Zaeed ever had wanted him dead? Why had they always taken the opportunity to sell him out to an enemy? Was the old man's choice in women really that bad? Why the hell was he caught in the middle of this mess? And why couldn't Zaeed have told him that shuttle story, preferably how he'd managed to escape? That could actually prove useful in the future. Before he could ponder any more questions, he noticed several more mercs mobilizing from the hallway. He quickly unleashed a biotic pull that sent them soaring and followed up with a warp, creating a rather potent biotic explosion that drew the attention of the madwoman.
"Zaeed, no fair using biotics." the woman commented in an almost curious tone as she surveyed Mal. "Dear me, did our separation cause you to give up on women altogether and pursue OTHER avenues of interest. Of course, looking at him, I could certainly see the appeal." she added as her eyes lingered on Mal who found himself cringing under the deranged woman's gaze.
"What?! He's my goddamn protégé you psychotic whore! By the way, the kid's not into crazy, so you're out of luck!" Zaeed shouted indignantly as he took out another pair of soldiers.
"We'll see. If he's still alive after I'm through with you, we can have a bit of fun." she replied coyly.
Mal once again found himself cringing as he took out one of the enemy engineers. Why? Why did he seem to only attract dangerous and possibly insane women? His thoughts were once again cut short when Zaeed killed an enemy merc who was only a few feet away from Ramona, who hadn't even flinched as the man's blood splattered her face. "Sorry, but this time I'm finishing you off sweetheart. You're a pain in the ass that I can't afford to have lingering around anymore." Zaeed announced coolly.
"Always with the bravado, Zaeed. But then again, it wouldn't be as satisfying if you didn't put up a fight." Ramona replied dully before summoning her omni-tool and tapping it a few times. It quickly became apparent that she'd called reinforcements as a small army of mercs flooded in from the hallway. Zaeed and Mal killed as many as they could, but their numbers were beyond staggering and the turrets that had been set up earlier prevented them from maneuvering to better vantage points.
Mal's father had been right, surviving the hazards of being Zaeed's partner would definitely qualify him as being able to face anything the galaxy could throw at him. As the youth observed the mounting number of assailants who were advancing towards them, he suddenly felt grateful to Aria of all people. One of her lessons was about to pay off. "Zaeed, get down and hold on to something!" the youth warned. Despite his confusion, the old man immediately complied. Afterwards, Mal quickly rose from behind his cover position and blasted an engineer in the center of the room with a warp. He then unleashed the most powerful attack he'd learned to date, a biotic flare. The massive blast of biotic energy didn't just hit the engineer, it struck every hostile in the room and several who were occupying the hallway. It not only tossed the mercs in every possible direction, it also triggered a phenomenal biotic explosion that decimated their ranks. As the dust settled, the visible damage to the room and the adjoining hall was extensive but the destruction to the enemy opposition was even more obvious. The mercs laid in ruin as dozens of bodies littered the former battlefield. Zaeed himself was slightly stunned as he got to his feet.
"What the hell was that?" he asked while surveying the carnage.
"A little trick I picked up from Aria." Mal replied in a slightly exhausted tone. It would be awhile before he could use his biotics again, but he'd definitely succeeded in annihilating their adversaries.
"Aria T'Loak? The Pirate Queen? You're just full of surprises, kid." Zaeed replied finding himself even more astounded with Mal.
"Not over...not yet...Zaeed!" Ramona suddenly screamed as she dug her way from beneath the bodies of several dead mercs. Before either man could react, the madwoman had tossed several proximity mines in random directions around the already devastated suite. "Boom!" she whispered before laughing maniacally. The resulting explosions completely obliterated the battered room and destroyed the floor sending all three of them crashing to the room below. As Mal lifted himself from the rubble, he was immediately greeted by the scene of Zaeed and Ramona exchanging fire with one another. "Just die, damn it!" the crazy woman shrieked.
"You first!" Zaeed snarled as he fired a concussive shot that knocked her off her feet. He quickly took advantage of her vulnerability by tossing an inferno grenade that instantly set her aflame. As she screamed in pain, Zaeed fired a single round into her skull, permanently ending her misery. "At the end of the day, I guess I still had a soft spot for her." he casually remarked while Mal observed the scene, completely dumbstruck. "Well, let's get going kid. I'm damn sure not paying for this mess." he added gruffly.
Mal was at a complete loss for words and simply nodded and followed the old man's lead as he began the trek back to the hotel lobby. He completely ignored the shocked and scandalized faces of the guests and staff of the hotel who were clearly outraged but also terrified of the pair. As they made their way to the hotel's entrance, Mal couldn't help but notice that most of the stares from the onlookers were directed at him. Before he could contemplate why, Zaeed abruptly stopped and turned to face him. "You might want to put your gun away kid, you're making the locals feel self conscious." he said humorously. "Your other gun." he elaborated as Mal looked at him with a confused look on his face. That's when the youth noticed that his fly was open and a great deal was exposed. Zaeed simply laughed before tossing him a robe that he snatched from a nearby hospitality cart. For Mal, the whole experience had definitely been one for the record books. He suspected however, that for Zaeed it had simply been a Wednesday.
Sometime later, back aboard Zaeed's ship Mal found himself wondering about the old mercenary. He had told his young protégé a great deal about his past exploits, but never about his family or friends. Mal of course wouldn't have been surprised if he had neither, but he couldn't help but recall the old man's mention of having chosen better friends in his later years. There was also the fact that at that very moment he appeared to be checking his messages and Mal got the feeling that they weren't job related. Every once and awhile he'd hear him mumble something. "...Turian's in the doghouse again, serves him right. Brats are joining the Alliance? Break my heart why don't you? The krogan and the prothean ran him ragged, huh? Good. Hm, party's in a few months, gotta remember that. Already said I'd be there."
None of the mutterings made much sense to Mal, but then again nothing about Zaeed made much sense. One thing was certain, in six months Mal would either be dead or a new part of Zaeed's future stories. Either way, he'd be glad once this particular challenge was over.