"Commander," Traynor began uncertainly, "Grissom Academy has sent out a distress call and is trying to evacuate its students. I think Cerberus has gone after them."
The images of Jess and David Archer flitted across Shepard's mind. If there was somebody out there who she could actually help she wouldn't abandon them. There was also another motivation for her urgency to get to the academy: any mission that featured Cerberus even remotely gave Shepard hope, no matter how remote or false, of finding Miranda.
"Good work, Traynor." Shepard said encouragingly, "Tell Joker to set a course for the academy right away."
Grissom Academy was filled with Cerberus fighters. Shepard was surprised by how much force they'd brought to take on teenagers, but they seemed intent on stopping at nothing to capture as many as possible and any who resisted were slaughtered. Shepard shot two who were dragging a screaming boy off, nauseated by what they were doing. How far had the Illusive Man sunk?
They quickly located Sanders, so at least Anderson had the peace of mind of knowing an old love was safe. That was more than most got these days. As she looked at Sanders she wondered vaguely where they all would be now had they chosen different paths or had the reapers never happened.
As Shepard hurried onto locate the students she was met with a grim discovery: her old friend Dr Townsend was dead, lying face down on the floor with several gunshot entry wounds to the back.
A wave of fury crashed over Shepard. Townsend had done nothing of harm to anyone. She dedicated her entire life to helping the vulnerable and this was how Cerberus responded to such a person? To shoot an unarmed woman in the back who was trying to protect the students?
She carried on with Garrus and James in tow, rage coursing through her. She didn't know how many of these terrible sights she could keep witnessing. It reminded her of returning to her home in Mindoir to see people lying in streets, empty of life and blood spilling out onto the roads as if it had been raining red.
They finally made it to where the students had mostly come for sanctuary, a large hall with a balcony over head. Shepard took out the Cerberus fighters that were advancing on them and James and Garrus monitored the exits.
"Shepard!" A familiar voice barked, and Shepard looked up to see Jack covered in blew as she used her biotics to float towards her former boss.
"Nice to see you, Jack." Shepard said, smiling.
Jack looked good. Her head was saved at the sides but she let the rest of her hair into a thick brown pony tail. Her outfit was new too- a bit more sparkly and with far more material but her taut stomach was still on show. Shepard figured she must have been forced to cover up when working with these kids.
Jack however did not smile at seeing her and marched forwards and gave her a firm slap across the face. Shepard didn't even object even though it bloody hurt.
"How many times did I tell you not to trust Cerberus?" Jack demanded.
"I know..."
"Oh, is the self pitying routine supposed to make me feel sad for you?" Jack mocked.
"Leave it out, Jack. It's not like any of us had a crystal ball." Garrus said.
"Hey, scars. Glad you're okay. Where's the Cerberus cheerleader though?" Jack asked, looking around.
Shepard shrugged.
"No idea."
"That I did see coming." Jack muttered but Shepard ignored her. "Who is muscles anyway?"
"This is James, he's with the Alliance." Garrus explained.
"Back to them then, are you Shepard? Is that why the Cerberus bitch isn't here?" Jack asked, but in a more curious than harsh voice.
Shepard ignored her again.
"We can move out now. We'll take to the ground but you guys stay in cover in the balconies ahead when we get to the open plan garden section." Shepard commanded automatically.
"We can fight!" One of the kids shouted.
Jack shot Shepard a worried look. Shepard didn't want to see anyone else throw their lives away, especially kids.
"I know but we need support. It'll be the quickest way to break through their ranks." Shepard replied.
"And you'll give them hell because Cerberus aren't going to lie down out of pity like that girl you took to prom!" Jack retorted, and earned a few laughs from her students.
Before Shepard could signal to move out a Cerberus commander came over the intercom promising (and lying) that no harm would come to the students if they went with them. One of Jack's students faltered and wondered whether they could be trusted.
"Put your balls back in your purse," Jack snapped, "they're doing it because you've all got them scared. They don't want to fight you because you're tougher than they expected, right Shepard?"
"Stay here and hide in cover if you want but we're going to take out every last Cerberus soldier anyway." Shepard shrugged, indifferent and Jack threw her a shocked look at her dismissive attitude but Shepard didn't care; they just needed to get this done.
"Hell yes!" Vega shouted and Garrus give a concerned hum at Shepard's attitude but the young people seemed in awe of Shepard's bloody-mindedness and it spurred them on.
They headed out. The different levels of the garden making combat difficult to manoeuvre but the biggest problems were the engineers who Shepard argued Garrus to target before they could set up turrets.
It was steady work but even the Cerberus soldiers couldn't be stopped despite all of their different attacks and weapons at their disposal. Shepard even climbed into a heavy mech to take out the last heavy group of fighters they faced which contained a heavy mech of their own. Shepard fired five rockets at the thing before it was even facing the right way and the explosion wiped out all surrounding Cerberus soldiers. She clambered out to applause from the students and then they ran ahead to the exits on the floor above while Shepard and her team stuck to the ground level.
As they turned the corner into a new corridor they saw David Archer huddle in a blue biotic orb, desperately pleading for help. Cerberus fighters were bouncing bullets off it.
There was a stream of curse words screamed at them and Jess ran forwards, bursting through a door on the right and hurled his thunderous warps at all of them, desperate to protect his friend. He took out three phantoms and an engineer but a soldier jumped down from the balcony below and as Shepard charged forward she knew what was going to happen as she gave a scream.
The soldier poured bullets into Jess's chest. Jess stretched his arms out wide in front of the biotic orb as though shielding David one last time before he sank to his knees and then fell to the floor. Shepard shrieked in agony and threw her own merciless warp at the last Cerberus soldier and his body was left disintegrating in a smouldering heap.
She ran forwards to Jess, and turned him over so his face pointed to the ceiling but his eyes, which had always been so full of defiance, were now empty and a trickle of blood made its way dripping from his mouth. The ground was soaked in blood and his chest lay shattered by the damage of the guns.
She couldn't believe that a boy so funny and bright and absolutely ferocious, who had just turned eighteen, could be gone and that his spirit had left this world forever. He'd been through so much in his tough life with little opportunity. This place had been his home, the place he was supposed to be safe and free and now it had all ended here. She'd entrusted David to him and Jess had sworn to protect David to Shepard, eager to help her in any request and guilt ebbed away at her. Kaidan and now Jess, who was just a kid, had died on her orders.
"Damn it, Jess." She whispered, tenderly kissing his forehead and closing his eyes.
She struggled to regain control but the sound of her name steadied her and brought her back to this life and she turned around to see David free from the biotic shield.
"Jess...is gone?" David asked in such a fragile voice that Shepard could only nod as a response.
"He was exceptionally brave." Garrus said. "I don't know if you remember Shepard and I, David?"
"Of course. You saved me. Made the voices stop. I still like to count but I have hope now...at least..." David broke off, turning away from Jess.
"There's still hope." Shepard said, wiping her eyes. "We're getting you out of here."
"Thank you for saving my life again, Commander." David thanked and Shepard nodded.
They finally made it to the shuttle but did not fill Jack in on the gruesome details- the young students did not need to hear any more tales of horror today. It felt strange, surrounded by all of these students she had helped save when Jess was lost. As Joker ribbed Jack for not swearing anymore and actually respecting military chains of command, Shepard was lost in thoughts of who she was going to be forced to say goodbye to next.
Shepard awoke from yet another fitful night's sleep and didn't feel like staring into space for another few hours wondering what the hell Miranda was doing so she headed downstairs.
She grabbed a glass of whiskey in the observation deck, remembering how Samara had spent so many hours in here mediating. The ship felt like it had lost its soul in recent times. This room had once been sparse, simply existing for the glorious view and now it was like a mini night club.
"The fuck are you doing up?" Jack greeted her, sitting on the couch next to her.
They would be dropping off Jack and the rest of the people from the academy at the Citadel tomorrow when they docked. Shepard was going to take that time to visit Ash too as they had a day or so before they needed to head off again. She also hoped that she might hear word from Miranda. It was a slim hope but they both had contacts there and whenever Shepard went to the Citadel there was a media fanfare at the moment so Miranda might resurface.
"I thought the fact that it was my ship meant I didn't have to answer to anybody." Shepard joked.
"This new loose cannon Shepard isn't an improvement." Jack remarked soberly.
"Wow, somebody has changed." Shepard teased.
"Yeah, you." Jack pointed out. "What is it? Sad over the cheerleader? The fuck is she, anyway?"
"Gone to find her sister." Shepard said, finishing her glass and setting it down.
"Good for her then." Jack said, impressed.
"Did you just say something nice about her?" Shepard asked, shocked and amused.
"Yeah, because this way I don't have to put up with her." Jack smirked.
"Should have seen that coming." Shepard muttered moodily.
"What's going on with you, Shepard? Really?" Jack asked in a soft voice that Shepard had never heard before.
"War is hell." Shepard said under breath with a small smile.
"Come on, Shepard. We've both seen enough shit and done enough shit not to wallow now when we have to destroy these things." Jack replied.
"Did you really steal that military space craft?" Shepard asked playfully.
"Yeah, and if you don't suck it up I'll be stealing this thing and playing Commander myself." Jack warned.
"Oh, I would absolutely love to see what you would do with this uniform." Shepard joked, gesturing to her blue Alliance outfit that she hadn't bothered to change out of since her debriefing with Hackett.
"Taking it off you would be a good start." Jack whispered lustfully.
Jack leaned into Shepard, and for a fleeting second Shepard wanted to get lost in the moment and to let Jack kiss her. To feel another human again, to not be so alone, to get lost in something other than death and suffering seemed like oblivion but ferocious love stirred in her for Miranda and she backed away.
"I'm sorry, Jack. I just can't." Shepard said sincerely as she had always suspected Jack had feelings for her.
"The fucking cheerleader again?" Jack asked, but not harshly.
"Yep. The fucking cheerleader." Shepard said, with slight annoyance.
"She must be fucking good in bed." Jack replied amazed and Shepard laughed. "Okay, Shepard. No problem but when we get to the Citadel you're buying the drinks."
"I think that's fair enough." Shepard said returning Jack's smile.