A/N: I wanted to do something different with this chapter. It is inspired by the interludes in Chuck Wendig's Star Wars: Aftermath trilogy, which expand and show different perspectives across the galaxy. I hope you enjoy it! And if you're a Star Wars fan, I highly recommend checking out the Aftermath trilogy!
This chapter is also quite short because I'll be uploading the next one today as well.
Disclaimer: Bioware owns Mass Effect
Chapter 14: Interlude – Across the Galaxy
Crucible construction site, location [REDACTED]
Doctor Ardaka sighed, leaning back dangerously in his chair. It was a habit of his since childhood, to lean back and stare at the ceiling whenever he needed to think. Back home on Earth he'd broken too many old wooden chairs by doing this, even gave himself a concussion once by falling back hard onto a metal desk during his doctorate studies, but as silly as it seemed it helped him think. Instead of his attention wandering to distractions around the room, if he concentrated on balancing his chair it helped him clear his mind. He supposed it was kind of like his meditation.
All the support pouring in from Commander Shepard's efforts helped the project a lot, but it still did not help them with actually completing the damn Crucible. The costs were astronomical, as was the danger – they were scheduled to move construction site in the morning, again. Finding Reaper-free systems to conduct construction in secret was getting more and more difficult.
Not to mention resources were starting to become scarce.
With trade routes blocked and mining facilities being overrun or shut down, the actual materials to build the Crucible were being stretched thin. They had lots of help from different species (Ardaka still felt uncomfortable working with geth engineers) and some non-government patrons, but he worried if it would be enough.
It had to, he reminded himself. Otherwise they were toast.
As Ardaka stared at the ceiling, his chair still dangling precariously, his mind drifted to the latest resource handed to him. It was a dissertation on dark energy by someone named Conrad Verner, another piece of intel sent in at the behest of Commander Shepard, forwarded by Ardaka's old colleague Gavin Hossle. He was surprised to hear from Hossle, since last he'd heard was that he was freelancing with ExoGeni on Feros years ago, but was grateful for the research nonetheless. He even managed to convince Hossle to come work on the Crucible.
"Hey, doc."
The voice startled him and with a grunt he lost his balance, ending up on the floor.
A face appeared over him, eyes shadowed by a hood and a single purple strip decorating her lower lip. "You know you shouldn't really sit like that. It's bad for your back when this happens."
He huffed and sat up, rubbing the pain out of his neck. "Goto. How many times do I have to tell you to knock before entering?"
She nimbly lifted herself onto his desk, crossing her legs under her as she spoke. "Not my style. Anyway, I brought you a present." The woman placed a small metal piece on his desk and neatly folded her hands into her lap.
"This… this is the Cerberus prototype I mentioned. How did you get it? What did you do?"
"My job," Kasumi shrugged. "If you didn't have anything else I thought I'd take a short holiday."
Ardaka lifted himself off the floor and stretched out his back before picking up the object. "Holiday? At this time?" He snorted. "Good luck."
"My idea of a holiday is a very different idea from yours, doc," Kasumi unfolded herself and silently dropped her feet back on the floor. "I'll be in touch, and if you need anything you know how to contact me."
"Where is it you're going on this 'holiday?'" He asked while using his fingers as inverted commas.
"Not that it's any of your business," she prodded at a few of the books on his shelf as she spoke, "but I'm going to the Citadel. I've got my eye on a nice… casino vacation."
He snorted again, turning his attention back to the prototype she'd stolen for him. "Well, don't get into any trouble, Goto."
Silence greeted him.
"Kasumi?"
He turned and looked around the room, only to find it empty.
Ardaka shook his head and rolled his eyes as he went back to studying the object.
Huerta Memorial Hospital, the Citadel
"Ah, Mr Taylor! Lovely to see you again. But I thought you had finished your physical therapy?"
Jacob smiled at the kind asari doctor. "I am, doc. Shipping out in the morning. I'm just here to accompany someone to their appointment."
"I see!" Doctor T'Mael smiled brightly back. "Well, good luck wherever you're going. I should get back to it."
Jacob waved at the doctor as she retreated back into the hospital's main ward. She had played a big part in Jacob's recovery and he had no doubt her bright attitude helped countless other patients get back on their feet quickly. Huerta Memorial needed more doctors like her – heck, the galaxy needed more doctors like that.
He started making his way to the Maternity Ward when a deep voice stopped him in his tracks.
"You! Human! Taylor!"
Jacob turned and was greeted by three krogan, but it was the smallest, familiar one that made him smile.
"Hey! Grunt! What are you doing here?"
"Escaping," the young krogan chuckled. Though he didn't look so young anymore; he had fresh scars, complete with a rather large bandage on his torso, and his eyes shone with the excitement for battle that was inherent in each krogan warrior. "Been here recovering from a fight."
"Well, I'm surprised I didn't see you before. I've been doing some treatment here too."
"They, uh, keep my room locked since I tried to leave last time. Now I've got these two," he gestured at the other two krogan standing a few paces away from them, "under orders to keep me in here until the doctors clear me. The order came from Wrex but I'm pretty sure the order actually came from Shepard. Wrex would want me back in action as soon as possible."
Jacob crossed his arms as he tried to stifle a laugh. "Sounds like Shepard. So how are you escaping then?"
"My company, Arlakh, are gonna break me out of here. Soon enough."
"Alright, well," Jacob allowed himself to chuckle a little. "I gotta go but it was good to see you, Grunt. Fight well."
"Hah! You say that like it's an option."
Jacob shook his head as he resumed his path into the Maternity Ward.
Brynn was already waiting for him in the room, seated in a hospital gown on the examining table as she waited for the gynaecologist.
"Hey Jake," she smiled as Jacob walked in. "Ready to see our baby?"
He went to stand by her side and kissed her forehead. "Of course."
"I was thinking… I know we have a while but I was thinking about names. I think we should name the baby after Shepard, for saving us."
Jacob raised an eyebrow playfully. "You do realise she has a first name, right?"
Brynn rolled her eyes. "Of course I do, Jake. And I think Aurelia is a beautiful name."
"But what if we have a boy?"
"Let me finish!" Brynn laughed. "I think Aurelia is a beautiful name, but it's a bit long. I think we could shorten it – Lia for a girl, and Liam for a boy. What do you think?"
Jacob beamed as he kissed Brynn on the lips. "It's perfect."
Refugee camp, Citadel Docks
The young turian had finally stopped crying and fallen asleep, talons clutched around her hanar plush. Maelon pulled a blanket over her and noted down in his chart what treatments he had given her.
The latest refugee ship from Palaven had upset him more than he cared to admit, and most likely because there had been more lone turian children than there had been parents to come off of it.
Maelon sighed as he moved to check on his other patients. The impromptu clinic he'd set up was small, but at least he felt useful – most of the hospitals on the Citadel were flooded with soldiers and refugees with serious injuries, so he treated minor illness down here right in the docks. It was easier for the refugees to access his clinic than the hospitals, and he supposed they preferred coming to him since he was, on some level, relatable as a refugee himself.
After escaping Tuchanka he heeded his former mentor's advice; Maelon headed to Omega and joined the small clinic Mordin had established in the slums. For a while, things worked out well. He felt good about the work he was doing, and after some time he finally felt like he was atoning for his mistakes. Working in the clinic on Omega was oddly satisfying, because even though Omega was home to the galaxy's worst, the clinic helped bring out the best in people.
Then Cerberus came, and somehow Maelon found himself as a refugee on the Citadel – ironically, the same situation as Aria T'Loak, Omega's 'queen.' He hadn't done anything for a few weeks, saddened by the loss of good lives, his friends and colleagues who hadn't been able to escape. When news of the genophage cure reached the Citadel, Maelon instinctively knew Mordin was involved. Anyone else would have gotten it wrong.
When news of Mordin's sacrifice reached Maelon, he stopped wallowing and headed down to the docks to set up his clinic.
Maelon bent over a young salarian, maybe a year or two shy of maturity, and checked his vitals. The poor youngling was shivering despite being under three blankets. Maelon made a note that the antibiotics were not taking effect and the child may need to be transferred to a hospital.
"Excuse me, are you in charge here?"
He looked up at the turian woman who had approached him. "Yes, yes I am. How can I help you?" She was so much taller than him that he had to take a step back to be able to address her properly.
"The latest refugee ship from Palaven, I was expecting my sister and her daughter to be on it. My sister… didn't come off it, but I'm hoping her daughter was on it."
"I'm sorry ma'am, but I'm just a small clinic," Maelon said. "I don't do refugee processing. I just treat minor injuries and illnesses. The camps are small and sickness spreads like wildfire."
"Well, that's why I'm here." The woman started glancing around at the patients, her eyes lingering on a batarian whose leg had been amputated that morning. "I know she was injured before they left but my sister couldn't get her treated on Palaven. So I was hoping someone sent her here to be looked at?"
"Actually," he gestured at her to follow, "I do have a young turian here. I treated her for an infected scrape on her arm, and she was brought here alone."
The turian pushed past Maelon as the girl came into view. "That's her! That's my niece! Oh goodness, she's here and safe!" She kneeled by her niece's cot and whispered to him. "Will she be okay?"
Maelon smiled a bittersweet smile. The young turian may have lost her parents but at least she wasn't alone.
"She'll be just fine."
Military Headquarters, Tuchanka
"Wrex, you seem distracted. I just need you to confirm the latest troop movements and I'll let you go."
Wrex blinked, looking back up at the hologram in front of him.
"Yes, Victus," he huffed. "Reinforcements are being sent to Garvug Company on Palaven, but we can't afford much more. As more Reaper troops arrive here we need to build up our own defences."
The hologram nodded. "I understand completely, Wrex. Thank you for the reinforcements. I'll send a squadron of fighters to Tuchanka, perhaps some air support will help relieve your troops."
"You scratch my back, I scratch yours. I like it."
"As do I. I know there was some doubt but I'm glad this alliance is working out. This war is shaping up to be longer and crueller than anybody could have imagined."
Wrex laughed bitterly. "That because you nuts never travelled with or believed Shepard. This war's not over yet, and we'll see much worse things before it's over."
"Then I'm glad the krogan are by our side. Thanks again, Wrex. Victus out."
The comm went dark and suddenly Wrex was alone.
It was late on Tuchanka, but it was just as active as ever; after dark was when the beasts naturally came out of hiding to hunt, and not always quietly either. Pyjaks in particular liked coming out at night, since their size made them hard to spot without light. But recently a different type of beast came out to hunt under cover of the night, and so the darkness was filled with echoes of gunfire and battle cries.
Yet something had changed on Tuchanka. A new feeling had risen and settled into even the most ferocious of krogan hearts – hope. Hope for the future, and hope for the krogan species.
Wrex checked reports on his console, always slightly annoyed whenever he did because waging war involved more writing than fighting for leaders. He read up on Grunt's condition before exiting the room and getting into a tomkah to head home.
He needed Arlakh Company back in action desperately, but like a doting mother Shepard had put her foot down and insisted Grunt needed to be cleared for the field by his doctor before shipping out again. Wrex supposed in some ways Shepard could count as Grunt's mother, but he respected her too much to question the 'order' – he knew she just wanted all of her friends to make it through this war in one piece. Mordin's sacrifice had affected Shepard (and Wrex) more than either of them cared to admit, so he supposed her concern for Grunt's condition was more than justified.
Besides, motherly (or in his case fatherly) instinct was something he could relate to now, because despite everything that had happened in his past, Wrex was going to be a father soon.
As much as Wrex hated to admit it, as much as he disliked being behind the scenes more often than on the frontlines, he knew he was where he needed to be. Especially now that the new hope of the krogan could be used to finally unite them all and bring them to a new golden era, but more so that Wrex had a brood of eggs back home to look after.
Bakara had fallen into a leadership role naturally. She was singlehandedly bringing together clans that had barely spoken in centuries and Wrex was proud to have her by his side, making the reunification of the krogan clans look as easy as pyjak hunting. She was out more than he was, travelling to different valleys and garnering more troops, more support, for the grander unified krogan army that Wrex was putting together. He had to admit; he didn't know what he would do without Bakara and her inspiring, enigmatic spirit.
Tonight she was returning home from the former Republic of Ghurst, which was why Wrex had been distracted. He was anxious for whatever news Bakara would bring, but also anxious to see her. He wondered if this was what it was like for Kaidan, who Wrex used to tease about Shepard a lot. Wrex wondered how he would feel if someone was teasing him.
He didn't have much time to wonder, though, because the tomkah came to a stop and the door opened.
Bakara's scent reached his nose before her figure reached his eyes.
"Wrex."
"Bakara," he smiled, despite himself.
Purgatory, the Citadel
"Piss off."
Jack flipped off yet another person trying to hit on her that night. Just because her fashion sense was what some considered revealing didn't mean she was always looking for that.
Quite on the contrary: she was actually here to work. A nightclub might be the opposite of an ideal office, but Jack liked coming down here to write reports. The thumping music kept her awake, the low lighting made her feel cosy, and now that she had a pay check in her own name she could have her own bar tab instead of mooching off someone else's. But mostly she enjoyed sitting here in a corner of Purgatory because, strangely, she liked being around people, even if she wasn't interacting with them. It was a strange feeling to Jack because she'd been alone for most of her life, but being on the Normandy had made her used to having people around her. She felt less lonely that way.
Not that she was alone. Jack had her students with her usually, and she couldn't be more proud of them. Sure, she was harsh on them and sometimes they could be pretty useless, but they were young and full of potential. They fit right into their support role for now, and Jack was pleased with the work they were doing.
That didn't mean she didn't worry every time Rodriguez or anyone else held up a barrier for a soldier on the field. If anything happened to her kids…
She shook away the thought as she gestured for the bartender to send a waitress with a fresh drink.
"The next round is on me."
A 'fuck off' already on her lips, Jack turned to the newcomer but couldn't manage more than a 'ffff.'
Who would have guessed that Miranda Lawson would be standing over her table?
"If it isn't the cheerleader!"
Miranda sat down without invitation and smirked at Jack. "Nice to see you too, Jack."
Jack eyed the ex-Cerberus operative curiously. She wore coloured contact lenses that gave her brown eyes instead of blue and her hair was pulled up into a low hat that cast a shadow over her face. She had ditched the cat suit – instead she wore loose-fitting clothes that looked more like something Shepard would wear than Miranda.
She raised an eyebrow at Miranda. "What's with the new look?"
"Laying low," Miranda shrugged, pulling off her cap and tossing her hair loose. "The Illusive Man has eyes and ears in a lot of places and I'm trying not to be on his radar."
Jack scoffed. "Hah! I'm pretty sure I'm high up on his wanted list too, and you don't see me trying to hide."
Miranda remained nonchalant. "I don't have an overcharged biotic amp." She said nothing and watched as a waitress put two drinks in front of them. "Besides, nothing about you is covert," she added after the waitress left.
"Ah," Jack took a sip of the pink drink. "And you are?"
"You're asking me, when you're the one who set off a nuclear bomb on a wild-life inhabited planet?"
"I'm not the space diva."
"And I'm not the drama queen." Miranda put down her drink and pulled her lips into an imitation of Jack's sneer. "I'm going to smear the walls with you!"
Jack blinked at Miranda for a moment before allowing herself an entertained grin. "Gotta work on your acting, cheerleader."
Miranda tossed back the rest of her drink before gesturing at the bartender again. "If you think that was me trying, you wouldn't know good acting if it hit you in the face."
"Oh please, if you're going to demonstrate I'd rather see an elcor stage production."
"That can be arranged," Miranda pointed out. The waitress brought another round of drinks and Miranda took a sip before speaking again. "So what are you doing in Purgatory? I thought you'd become a respectable member of society with a job now. Don't you have work tomorrow?"
Jack narrowed her eyes. "How would you know that?"
"Jack, I might not be with Cerberus anymore but intel is still my job. Except now it's also vitally important to my survival."
She sniffed, taking a sip of her drink before answering Miranda's question. "None of your business."
Miranda laughed. "That's alright. I can tell those are reports on that datapad so, interestingly, you came here to do work."
"Try and tell me my business one more time. I dare you." Jack's hand started glowing faintly blue.
"Relax," Miranda threw up her hands in a peaceful gesture. "I'm not here to pick a fight. I'm here for a drink so if you want me to leave you alone, I'll go."
Jack frowned at her, taken aback by her candidness. Miranda had always been frank, particularly with her opinion of Jack, but the way she spoke now left Jack regretting being so rude – especially when Miranda didn't even wait for a response and started to leave.
"Wait, Miranda," Jack called. Miranda raised an eyebrow at her. "You can stay."
Miranda half-smiled at her and sat back down. "Thanks."
She took another sip of her drink. "So why come down here for a drink? No fancier bars up in the Presidium, or would that 'risk your cover?'"
"Believe it or not," Miranda smirked, "I actually came out here to be around people. Lively people. And I don't really care about my cover at the moment, because I'm leaving tomorrow."
"Where are you going?"
Miranda sighed and took a long gulp from her glass. "I've got some unfinished business," she said finally.
Jack eyed her carefully. Miranda's usual stoic façade was cracking slightly.
"Something tells me this isn't the fun kind of business."
Another silence in which Miranda paused to drink. "Let's just say I'm not too sure I'll be back from this trip."
In that moment Miranda looked so concerned, Jack didn't know what came over her. She stowed away her datapad and stood up from the table. Christ, what am I doing? She muttered under her breath. Out loud, she had to raise her voice over the suddenly louder music track. "Come on, cheerleader."
"What?" Miranda looked completely taken aback.
Jack pulled Miranda up by her shoulder and started guiding her to the bar. "You're going to have some fun before your trip. And if you survive tonight, when you get back we'll go for round two."
Miranda's competitive smirk was suddenly back as Jack ordered them several shots from the bartender. "You're on."
A/N: I love the idea of stay-at-home dad Wrex, and Bakara is just so awesome. Also I hope my Jackanda isn't showing through too much…
Thank you for reading! You can contact me here, on my tumblr (bioticnerfherder) or my Mass Effect tumblr (shepeffect)!