Vancouver- 2192
Felina stared into the bedroom mirror with unblinking eyes. One might think that in the decades that had followed her cutting her face she would have gotten used to her appearance. Yet she still saw a monster. The asari stood in her underwear, a beautiful purple dress with a low cut held in her hands. It was the kind of dress that Felina imagined a vidstar wearing, not her.
Suddenly there was a knock on the bedroom door. "Felina, is everything alright?" it was Liara's voice. Marion had been dragged away by Val to do what the blonde had called "Pre-Game" in the kitchen while Felina got dressed.
"I j-just need a minute."
"Alright. But we really need to leave. The event starts soon."
The past three days had gone by fast. With only themselves to rely on Shepard's team had spent the week in rapid preparation. Kaidan and Rahna had taken everyone's measurements and the two had purchased a small collection of clothes and gear for the team. Miranda had reached out to a former Cerberus contact and purchased some military grade weapons with her sizable wealth. Liara utilized her Shadow Broker network to obtain a sizable shipment of food and other necessities. Shepard had made calls to some old friends who still resided on Earth to extend invitations to their mission. All of the new cargo was loaded on to Felina's transport ship. The plan being to dock Felina's loaded ship within the Normandy's cargo bay after the ship was once again under Shepard's command. Felina should have been concerned about the odds they faced but instead her mind was elsewhere.
She sighed and reluctantly slipped into the gorgeous dress but when she looked at herself in the mirror, at how the fabric clung to her curves and displayed her cleavage, it all looked like a cruel joke once her eyes found her face in the mirror. She knew Marion said she didn't care about her face, but that didn't mean Felina didn't herself. She hated looking like this, she used to be pretty like all young asari. She used to have little freckles like her half-sister and a cute nose. She wanted to be the kind of woman she felt Marion deserved. Yet she could hardly let her touch her most of the time. It didn't seem fair to the human.
A few minutes later another knock sounded on the door.
"Just a moment, Liara!"
"It's Miranda. May I come in?"
Felina froze for a second before she answered. "Okay..."
The bedroom door swooshed open and Miranda Lawson strolled in. The woman was dressed in a red dress that clung to her every curve and stopped just above the knee. She wore black strappy heels that clicked on the hard floors, her shoulder length hair was slightly curled and her lips were painted crimson by a glossy lipstick. She looked absolutely gorgeous despite the black eyepatch on her face. She came to a stop beside Felina after closing the door and rested one hand on her hip.
"Is there a problem, Felina?" Miranda asked, but her usual strong, measured voice was replaced with a softer tone.
Felina kept her head hung down to spare Miranda a full look at her. "N-No."
"The dress seems to fit. It looks good."
"Yes. Thank you."
Lawson crossed her arms. "Felina, why don't you tell me what the issue is so I can fix it."
Felina didn't answer, instead her eyes darted towards the mirror and her reflection.
"I see." Miranda said.
"I'm not like the others. I c-can't dress like this...people will laugh."
"I can assure you that won't happen."
Felina dipped her head. "I'm sorry. But you're so beautiful, Miranda, I doubt people have ever laughed at you."
Miranda crossed her arms and stood in silent thought for a moment. Lawson didn't make a habit of speaking on a personal level to many. But she liked Felina, she sympathized and actually related with her which was a very rare achievement for the woman.
Lawson looked down to her feet and prepared to admit something about herself she buried in her past long ago. "Actually when I was younger the other girls at my school mocked me quite often."
"Really? Why?"
"They used to make fun of my...of my ass." Miranda admitted somewhat hesitantly. "They liked to say that if my brain was as big as my butt I might be as smart I thought I was. I suppose they didn't appreciate that I was top of my class in every course I was enrolled in. I ignored them of course. I cared little what a bunch of snide children thought of my body, at least I told myself that. People are cruel and jealous, Felina, I learned that lesson long ago and I think you did too. Eventually I learned how to deal with cruelty and jealousy."
"How?"
"By seeing it for what it is...weakness. I stopped allowing other people's pathetic judgments of me to have any effect. I even learned how to turn them to my advantage."
"I wish it was that easy. But I'm not like you." Felina said.
Miranda studied Felina's face before she reached her hand up and removed the patch over her disfigurement. "Yes you are."
Felina stared into the empty socket before Miranda walked over to the bed and retrieved one of the shorter strips of white bandage resting on the bed. She moved to Felina side with the strip in her hand. "May I?"
The asari nodded. Miranda wrapped the single strip around her head and covered the hideous mark where Felina's nose used to be. Yet Lawson left the rest of Felina's face uncovered as she tied the bandage into a bow just below Felina's crests. The scars on her cheeks had faded some in the years and with her 'nose' covered Felina was shocked to see she looked almost normal. Miranda reached into her purse and retrieved her lipstick before offering it to her.
"Believe me when I say I understand how you feel." Miranda said.
Felina stared at the tube resting on the human's palm before she reached out and accepted the gift. "Miranda..."
Lawson interrupted her before she had a chance to thank her. "We have a job to do, let's go do it."
The asari closed her hand around the lipstick and nodded.
On the first floor the rest of the crew had gathered by the front door. Shepard made a point to inspect each member of her team. The event they were going to may have been a memorial but as Liara had been quick to point out it would be attended by celebrities, war heroes and civilians alike. There would be no room for uniforms at the party and so her people dressed accordingly.
Kaidan wore a navy blue suit with the buttons undone, a black bow tie around his neck as he wrapped an arm around his girlfriend. His hair looked weirdly incredible as always. Rahna wore purple, it was a pretty but plain dress that ran down to her knees. Miranda looked gorgeous as always in her red dress while Jack, the standout of the group wore simply a grey T-Shirt sporting a faded Alliance logo with the sleeves cut off and a pair of black jeans, her hair pulled into a bun. Victor wore black dress pants and a tan button up, the man had even trimmed his long beard and cut his hair to a short few inches. Shepard was surprised at how handsome the older man looked. Beside him his parter for the evening, Samantha Traynor wore a yellow cocktail dress and shining earrings.
The remaining group of women stood away from the rest of the gang. Val Feris wore a baby blue lace blouse and black pants, her blonde hair looked nothing short of perfect. Standing in stark contrast to the pirate's unexpectedly feminine wear Marion Corvus wore a black suit, complete with a white dress shirt and red tie. Her brown hair had been let out of it's pony tail and it cascaded down just past her shoulders and covered her missing ear. The detective looked decidedly butch next to her shy lover. Felina stood awkwardly in her dress but her less covered face made her blend in at least a little better. And with Miranda's lipstick painting her lips Shepard was pleased to see Felina stand just a little straighter then usual.
Liara stepped forward, she wore a purple dress that complimented her skin well and painfully reminded Shepard that it had been months since they last had sex every time she looked at her. Finally Shepard herself wore a black cocktail dress with a singular N7 stripe.
"Maintaining our cover is imperative." Liara said. "We can assume Shaw knows we're coming but there will be hundreds of people in attendance tonight. It is in our best interest to be discreet."
"Does anyone have any questions about the plan before we do this?" Shepard asked.
Val stepped forward. "Yeah anyone know if there's gonna be an open bar?"
Downtown Vancouver
Shepard had expected a crowd yet nothing could have prepared her for this. A sea of people had gathered around the massive building, all shouting at once as they snapped photos with their omni-tools and recorded vids as the guests of honor arrived. A red carpet had been rolled out in front of the Museum's grand entrance. Shepard didn't follow the news very much and she didn't watch too many vids but even she recognized some of their faces from afar. She saw every race from Turian to Elcor in the crowd, she saw reporters and camera crews lining the red carpet, all of it was making her heart beat so hard she feared it intended to burst through her chest.
Her doctors had diagnosed it as post traumatic stress disorder following the war. They said she could overcome it with time and she had made great progress but no matter what she did Jane never did like being in a crowd. One of the many perks of being the most famous woman in the galaxy. The rest of her team had disembarked from their small fleet of rented Skycars and were out on the red carpet themselves. The recognized heroes of the Normandy were beginning to draw a crowd but Shepard had yet to leave the backseat of her vehicle.
Beside her Liara sat with a look of worry on her face. The asari reached over and took her bondmate's hand. "It will be alright, love. Just keep your eyes on me."
Jane nodded and squeezed her hand. "I'm ready."
Liara opened the skycar door and led Shepard out on to the red carpet. The roaring crowd instantly fell silent at the sight of their hero. All eyes fell on Shepard and murmurs of disbelief spread through the crowd. Suddenly Shepard wished she had a gun at her side, weapons always had a strange habit of calming her. She was reminded of why she never made public appearance a second later. From out of the crowd someone screamed.
"COMMANDER SHEPARD!"
Immediately the crowd went wild. Shepard's name was chanted like some kind of god and Jane froze. She felt Liara's arm wrap around her waist as her wife led her towards the entrance. The rest of their team formed a barrier around Shepard and Liara as they moved. The entrance to the museum was flanked by a series of marble columns, a banner hung overhead that read "Reaper War Memorial Museum Grand Opening" in big bold letters. Pictures were taken, marriage proposals were shouted and various articles of clothing were thrown. It had been the first time since the Reapers fell that the public had seen their savior.
The team climbed the stairs up to the main entrance. A young boy holding a guest list cleared them all for entry with shaking hands, his eyes never leaving Shepard as she passed.
After what felt like a lifetime Shepard and her team passed through the large main doors and the museum's entry way chamber opened up to them. Jane let go of the breath she suddenly realized she was holding and allowed herself to look at something that wasn't her feet. Before them rested the base of a large stone statue. Shepard followed the massive legs as her eyes traveled up the statues form until finally she came upon it's face. Jane's eyes widened as she recognized her own face staring back at her. The giant Shepard statue towered over the room, dressed in her N7 armor with an Avenger Rifle in one hand and the other hand stretched out towards the entrance doors in greeting.
"By the Goddess..." Liara said in both disbelief and amusement.
Marion Corvus turned to Felina. "I'm starting to get the feeling that Shepard is a bigger deal then I realized."
"Y-You have no idea." Felina responded with a smile.
Shepard shook herself and turned to her team. "Everyone stay focused. Marion, Felina and Val you're up first. Find the security room, take care of the cameras, guards and start working on uploading Victor's evidence to that." Jane pointed to the massive Vidscreen that was housed above a stage with a center podium.
Val clapped her hands together and wrapped her arms around Felina and Marion's shoulders. "Ready to have some fun, girls?" she asked.
"We'll get it done, Shepard." Marion promised before the trio slipped off into the crowd.
Liara turned to Traynor. "Samantha, you'll need to get into the access tunnels under the building to override the Normandy's specialized security measures. We can't take off without you."
"We'll figure it out." Sam said as she shot an uneasy glance at her partner.
Liara turned to him next. "Victor, there will mostly likely be guards in your way. You are to deal with them as gently as possible."
"Yeah yeah I'm not gonna kill anyone, boss."Victor said as he offered his hand to his 'date' "Shall we?"
Sam took the man's hand and they to moved into the crowd.
Shepard looked to the remaining group. "The rest of us should head for the VIP area. Prepare for Shaw's arrival."
"You think they're just gonna let us in?" Rahna asked.
Kaidan shared her concern. "Not like we rsvp'd."
Liara took her lover's hand. "Something tells me Shepard will have no trouble getting us inside."
"We better hurry." Miranda advised.
Jack snaked her hand around her lover. "You sound nervous, babe. This'll be easy. Shit, I once stole a hanar transport and crashed it into a sun just for the hell of it."
Miranda's head was moving back and forth as she scanned the crowd with her eye. "This will be slightly more complicated then stealing from a hanar."
"What makes you say that?" Rahna asked.
"Him." Miranda said as she pointed to a corner of the large open room.
All eyes followed Miranda gesture until they saw him. Standing up against a far wall with a rifle in hand stood an armored man with an emblem on his chest Shepard immediately recognized.
"Crap..."Rahna muttered.
"N7." Shepard said. "Why the hell are N7 running security for a museum?"
"Why do you think? Shaw." Miranda crossed her arms and continued to scan the room. She saw N7 soldiers all around the party and that was only in the entrance hall. "Ereyla tipped him off. This complicates things."
"So Shaw brought in some extra muscle? That doesn't change shit." Jack commented. "No way anyone in the Alliance would go up against Shepard."
"They will. An N7 isn't just a soldier, Jack. They don't question orders no matter what they are." Shepard said.
Liara held tightly to Jane's hand. "Perhaps we underestimated how desperate Shaw truly is."
Jack shrugged. "What make these assholes so tough?"
"I was one of them." Jane reminded her.
"Suddenly this doesn't seem like such a great idea." Kaidan loosened his collar.
"We need to be prepared for all hell to break loose once Shaw's exposed. There's no telling how he'll respond." Miranda advised.
Rahna interjected. "Hold on! I worked with Shaw for years. There's no way he'd start a fight with all these civilians around. He's...he's not such a bad guy."
"You'd be surprised what desperation does to good men." A memory of the Illusive Man crossed Miranda's mind.
Shepard looked up to her statue. "We don't have any other options. If we can't take down Shaw and get our ship back then Aquilla's already won."
"Then what are we standing around for?" Jack took Miranda by the hand and lead her into the crowd followed by Kaidan and Rahna.
Liara looked to her lover. "We can do this, Shepard."
Jane kissed her on the cheek. "Let's just hope he's here."
"He was on the guest list."
"I know. But if this is all gonna actually work...we're gonna need Joker."
Above circular the entrance hall on the museum's second floor a separate crowd admired war torn relics of the war behind panes of glass. The majority of the patrons carried wine glasses and little plates filled with appetizers. Amongst the crowd an asari stood alone. Her arms rested on the guard rail as she looked down to the first floor and studied the faces of the new arrivals. She was dressed to kill and more than capable of doing so.
Ereyla D'Nalia kept her eyes trained on Liara as she watched her oldest friend move through the crowd. The past few days had been a confusing time for the commando but she knew what she needed to do here. She forced her gaze away from the Broker and continued to scan the crowd until she came upon another figure that gave her pause. She was the only blonde in a sea of humans and for a moment Ereyla's focus lingered on Val.
Suddenly a cheerful voice called out to her and Ereyla's attention was mercifully diverted from the pirate. "Hope you like red, sweetheart." Korria said with a smile as she offered a glass of wine to her partner.
Ereyla rolled her eyes and snatched the glass from her. "We're not here to enjoy the party."
Korria shrugged and took a sip from her glass. "Guests of honor arrive yet?"
"They're all here."
"Any idea what they're planning?"
"No. But they're not our main concern."
"They aren't?"
Ereyla shook her head. "If Shaw can't handle this on his own then he's finally outlived his worth."
"You really think Aquilla would want him dead?"
"No. But if he becomes a liability we don't have a choice. He's drawing too much attention."
"We'll see what happens." Korria said as she leaned up against the railing next to Ereyla. "Ooh look who's here!" she cried as she elbowed the commando. "Your human with the blonde hair!"
Ereyla stared straight ahead. "Hadn't noticed."
Korria chuckled. "Goddess, Ereyla, you really need to learn how to let your guard down."
"Letting your guard down is how you get yourself killed. I shouldn't have to remind you of when we were last on Tuchanka."
Korria threw up a hand. "Not our proudest moment. But we got out alright."
"It was your fuck up that I had to fix like always. Honestly, Korria, some days I wish I never laid eyes on you."
Korria's ever present smile suddenly vanished and her head dipped down. "Oh..." she mumbled.
After an awkward silence Ereyla finally looked over and saw the look on Korria's face. The commando groaned and looked back to the crowd. "I didn't mean that."
"Whatever, Ereyla."
"I...apologize." The word had to be forced out of the woman. "It's been a trying month."
"For all of us. But the Goddess will see us through it like always." Korria said.
Behind the museum in an otherwise empty alleyway a lone stretch-limo skycar was parked. In the backseat of the car a human man dressed in an admiral uniform bounced his leg up and down as he held a glass of scotch in his trembling hand. Councilor Shaw had requested his assistant Claire who had driven the man to the event to wait for him inside so he may have a moment alone. The woman was confused but she followed orders as always. She was a good officer, Shaw liked to think of her as a friend. He had so few of those left.
For a moment he tried to distract his nerves by thinking of fond memories. Memories of the good people he had met in service to humanity, of Kahlee Sanders, David Anderson...Steven Hackett. As soon as the name passed his mind he abandoned the effort. All his life Shaw only ever wanted to be a good man. A father to his children, a husband to his wife and hero to his people. Now so little of the man he fought so hard to be remained he scarcely recognized himself. Beneath all the lies, all pain and misery Shaw still thought himself a righteous man. A man who had sinned in service of the greater good.
He brought his scotch to his lips and took a large sip. He was starting to sweat and his breath was getting caught in his throat. He knew Ereyla would be more than happy to kill him if he failed them. After all he had sacrificed for his greater good he couldn't let it all be for nothing. It wasn't simply a fear of death that pushed him to this point. Yet the man still felt that terror creep into him as the door to his skycar jolted open.
For a moment nothing happened. Shaw clenched his hand tightly around his glass of scotch and listened to the sound of labored and assisted breathing. It was a sort of electric hissing sound. Soon enough an armored mountain of a man climbed inside and sat across from Shaw in the back of the limo. Taurus' face was still hidden behind his reflective visor as it always was. The killer said nothing he simply stared at his employer, the sound of his breathing filling the tense silence.
Shaw found his nerve and spoke up, his voice cracking as he did. "Thank you for coming. I hope your journey to Earth was...pleasant."
Taurus stayed silent.
"Can I assume that...whatever plans you have made are in place?"
"Yes." Was all the man said. His voice sounded filtered and deep, it struck fear in the Admiral.
"Good. I don't want to know anymore. I trust you will be able to handle it."
Taurus returned to silence.
"There's one more thing. As you know Shepard and her team are inside. I fear they may have some plan to...damage my reputation. I could use you inside for added security. I'd pay you for that as well of course."
"No money."
"What?"
"No charge." Taurus said.
"Why are you doing this then?" Shaw asked.
"Shepard."
Shaw stared at the monster as he polished off his scotch. "I guess we better get inside then."
One of the many bars set up inside the massive museum was currently packed with a line stretching back towards the door. "This is mad. How the hell are we supposed to pull this off without alcohol?" Val asked.
Marion narrowed her eyes. "We have bigger concerns, Val."
"All my best stories start with me sculling a beer, mate."
"We need to get inside security. We can't do that if you're fucking around. Are you gonna help us or not?"
"Steady on, Corvus, this isn't exactly my first run around the block. You let me worry about getting us inside."
"You're asking me to trust you?"
"Guess I am." Val said with a smile.
"Get your drink and get us inside then. I'll work on finding our target."
Val saluted. "Aye, captain."
Marion turned to Felina who she now realized had not been listening to their conversation. Instead the asari had her back to the two humans, her eyes trained on the center of the entrance hall which had been turned into a makeshift dance floor. Couples moved to the beat of the music being played by the live band on stage with smiles on their faces and Felina was bouncing along with the beat.
"Kid..." Marion said as she set a hand on her shoulder.
"It's w-wonderful isn't it, Marion?" Felina cried as she turned around.
"What is?"
"The music!"
Corvus cracked a smile at the sight of how excited the timid asari was. "I guess. But we have to find that security room."
Felina bit her lower lip, her eyes still focused on the dancers. "Marion, could we..." she spun around and smiled at her love. "Will you dance with me first? Please! I seem to r-remember you're a very good dancer."
Corvus looked back over to the line where Val was waiting for her drink. "I guess we have some time to kill."
The asari grabbed Marion's hand and excitedly led her to the dance floor. Before Corvus could even find her footing Felina had her arms around her. The asari smiled as she looked into Marion's eyes.
"The last time we danced still feels like yesterday." Marion said before she frowned. "I'm sorry for all the years I missed."
"You're here now." Felina said.
Corvus looked her date up and down, the dress she wore really was beautiful. Marion often tried to avoid admiring her body since sex was off the table but she had to admit, Felina's figure was very attractive. And when her eyes found her face she was pleased to find it less hidden then usual, with only her nose covered.
"You look beautiful, kid."
Felina blushed and for once Marion was able to see the purple cover her cheeks. Corvus looked around at the museum before her gaze turned up to find a large battle damaged ship. The hull appeared to have been sliced in half by some kind of weapon and it's remains were now strung up by dozens of heavy load cables. Marion's gaze turned to the large vidscreen mounted over the band and saw footage of giant ships laying waste to an Earth city with fearsome beams of red.
"Felina, what is that?" She asked as she pointed to the screen.
The asari frowned. "The Reapers..."
"How many Reapers fit inside a ship that big?" Marion cried as she watched the giant vessel plow through a skyscraper.
"The ship is the Reaper."
"What?!"
Felina nodded. "They were e-everywhere. They killed so many people, Marion. It was...it was n-nightmare."
"Everywhere? A full-scale galactic invasion? By those things?!"
"Y-Yes."
Marion pulled Felina in close and wrapped her arms around her. "I had no idea. Kid, how the hell did you survive on your own?"
"I wasn't alone..." Felina muttered.
Corvus suddenly pulled back. "What?"
Felina dipped her head. "Never mind."
"You said Shepard defeated these things?"
"Her, Liara, Miranda, Jack, Kaidan and all the other crew members of the N-Normandy. It's like I said, they're heroes, Marion. T-That's why I asked her to save you."
Corvus smiled and leaned down, their lips came together for a short kiss before Felina rested her head on Marion's shoulder. "Maybe you were right to trust them after all."
After a few moments of silent slow dancing Felina spoke once more. "Marion?"
"Yeah?"
"What if...what if they find out about me?" The fear had been building up inside Felina for a while now. She'd grown attached to her new friends and the possibility of Miranda, Liara and all the others turning against her was not as impossible as she wished it was.
Marion shared her concern. "Don't worry about that. I told you I'd keep you safe, Felina. It's what you hired me for isn't it?"
The asari smirked. The memory of Felina offering the detective credits to be her body guard seemed so distant now. She recalled the image of a disgruntled half dressed human trying to close the door in her face for waking her up. The couple danced together to the band's slow beat. "When t-this is all over...what do we do next?" Felina asked.
Marion spun them around on the dance-floor. "One mission at a time, blue."
Outside of the event a crowd of civilians was still gathered around the red carpet. Many of whom were still reeling from the honor of seeing the great Commander Shepard for themselves. The red carpet was still flocked with reporters answering live questions to their networks anchors on subjects ranging from Shepard's unexpected appearance to the eye patch over Miranda Lawson's face. In the years since the war Shepard and everyone associated with her had become nothing short of living legends. Unlicensed toys were produced, vids about Shepard and Liara were made and released to record breaking success, people would even tattoo Shepard's face on their bodies and argue over trivial things such as who would win in a fight between Wrex and Garrus.
One of the reporters still flocked outside did not share in the otherwise universal love for the Normandy. No this one woman carried an opinion that had rocketed her to the infamous title of most controversial or perhaps most hated reporter on the extranet. Her fear mongering and hate fueled nonsense gained her viewers though. She straightened her dress and prepared to go live with her camera set to a medium shot. The light above her floating device switched on and she went to work.
"Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani here for Westerlund news. I am standing outside of the grand opening ceremony for the Reaper War Memorial Museum where moments ago Commander Shepard made her first public appearance since disappearing from the public eye nearly six years ago. Accompanied by some of her notable companions the Commander blatantly disregarded scores of loving fans as she went inside. Not unlike how the Commander abandoned her people and the Alliance shortly after she allegedly ended the war. Still no word on if the Commander intends on dispelling the rumors of her involvement in perpetrating the Reaper invasion. Or that she herself was indoctrinated."
Suddenly a high pitched tone cut through the air and Khalisah spun around to see a new skycar descend from the sky and land on the red carpet next to the vehicles of the other VIPs that had arrived.
The driver's side door swung open and a red high-heeled boot sprung forth from the car. The new arrival stepped out of the vehicle and closed the door to her car. Photos were snapped of the woman as she moved for the entrance with purpose. Her path was blocked when Khalisah jumped out in front of her.
"Do you have a comment on the rumors of Shepard's indoctrination? Are the Reapers really gone?"
The woman pushed the slanderous moron to the side and moved past her and up the stairs. The young man at the entrance opened the guest list and stopped her with a motion of his hand. "Name?" he asked.
"Samara." The Justicar answered. "I believe I was invited."
Notes- I hope you didn't think I had forgotten about Samara. Please feel free to tell me your thoughts about her return and the rest of the chapter in the reviews. And be sure to check out the second chapter of my Dragon Age Collaboration story with RevansMask "The Seeker and the Nightingale" on RevansMask's profile! Have a great day!
