Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect or Warhammer 40,000

"Well, that's a fitting name there Lieutenant Stone." Shepard had a smile as "Ripper" now formally introduced himself. Personally, she still figured Rambo was more appropriate, but knew better than to try and change a soldier's nickname. It was a personal thing to them. Stone smirked as he gestured for them to leave the cave. As they departed, he sat down the large flamethrower and began to move the boulder back.

"Thanks Red." Shepard sighed as she was now going to punch him after they got back to the Normandy. It wasn't that she was offended by the nickname, it was that it was undermining her authority in front of her squad. At least, that's what she told herself. She also had already promised to hurt him if he kept calling her that, though he could probably take it.

Miranda and Jacob began to make their way back towards where they had first met Stone, taking care to mind the traps. Shepard began to move to catch up when she noticed the large man wasn't following. Instead he was standing in front of the graves, puffing the cigar and muttering to them. She knew it wasn't her business, but Stone was still largely an unknown so she crept towards him to listen.

"Alright listen up you degenerates. The Emperor seems to have our fucked up sense of humor since I'm the one still alive. Worse still is that you maggots are leaving me to probably deal with these 'Reapers' on my own. I get it, 'the LT is one 'em Devils; they piss Promethium and eat Adamantine for breakfast'. Well up yours." Shepard tilted her head as the man began to curse his dead squad. She watched as he went to the right most grave and gave a more personal talk. She expected more cursing, but was surprised.

"Guess what "Fire Mama"? Met another red head, she's cuter than you, but also like a foot and a half shorter. Apparently she's won a Star of Terra. 99 more of those and she'll have half the amount Marbo does. I'm taking 'Baby Vulkan' with me since even here the xeno filth needs a good burning." He moved to the next grave.

"Nid Bait" you let me down. The Colonel and I had a bet goin on what would get you first. I figured you'd end up as some Carnfex's last meal as you Plasma Charged the two of you. Straken figured "Fire Mama" would get sick of you being swarmed every swarmed on every Emperor blessed deployment and fry ya with lil V. Looks like we were both wrong." Shepard's face had fallen as she recognized all to well the wall soldiers had with the fallen. Stone took out another cigar as he torched the tip. Setting down on the third grave he addressed it's occupant.

"Spiker" Apparently our Lascarbines are something of a hot interest here, not that you ever used yours. Guess it's got the interest of some xeno filth who wouldn't know the difference between a spring mine and a shredder mine, so they might be stopping by from time to time. I've left some toe-poppers for them around the area. They're your rounds so even if the unlucky bastards don't die from blood loss, the Blackback venom in them will make them wish they did."

Shepard watched Lieutenant "Ripper" Stone stand in front of the last grave, the one that had the knife almost identical to his. She waited for some tough sounding, yet still emotional address like had done with the others. But he just stood and stared at the grave. After a few seconds he took the cigar from his mouth like he was going to speak. A few more seconds passed as he just shook his head as he looked down. Turning around he picked up the flamethrower, apparently named "Baby Vulkan", and began to march towards where she was standing.

The commander opened her mouth to try and offer some form of condolences, but the Jungle Fighter just walked right past her. Shepard nodded her head in understanding as she took up pace next to him. The two did not share any words as they made their way back through the jungle. Shepard wanted to ask him about the fourth grave and why it had that effect on him. But she knew his type, they would deflect with some joke or crude comment. Or brush it off as a casualty of war. She knew this very well.

When the squad finally broke out of the jungle and into the colony, the Normandy crew was caught off guard by the applause and cheers. Looking at where they were directed, an indifferent "Ripper" stood. Turning to them he pointed at their shuttle with his eyebrow raised. Realizing that he still didn't have an Omni-tool and thus couldn't understand them if they spoke, Shepard nodded. Activating her own, she messaged the Normandy.

"Shepard to Normandy, we found Rambo. Due to some….strange developments we need an Omni-tool ready. Joker, also let Dr. Chakwas know she'll need to do a basic check-up. I doubt our jungle man has had one." Shepard was going off the assumption everything Stone had told her/shown her was true. It was insane to believe, but it was currently the one olive branch they had.

"He seems popular." Jacob noted as they continued their way to the shuttle.

"He did save them from the Batarians. It's only right that people are showing their gratitude." Miranda responded. As they made their way to the shuttle, Stone stopped when he was next to Dehan. He looked down at the man he had saved while reaching into his back pocket. Shepard and Miranda held back the chuckle that Jacob did not as they saw Dehan get handed an empty cigar package.

"You're out." The smaller man looked confused at the new language as the Catachan boarded the craft with a slight duck. As the Kodiak Drop Shuttle was making its way back to the Normandy, Stone tapped Shepards shoulder and pointed to her Omni-tool.

"Ashton Symmetry; Shanxi Liberation." As Shepard raised her eyebrow Jacob let out a whistle.

"Those are going to be hard to get commander." Stone punched the roof of the shuttle as he was told. He now had two objectives.

xxxXXXXxxx

Getting outfitted with one of the 'Omni-tools' as they were called was easy enough. From there it was just the installation of a translator program that let him freely talk with the humans of this time...or reality. Apparently he could even talk to the xenos, something that made him say a silent prayer of forgiveness to the God-Emperor over. So far, despite the differences of the place he found himself in, one thing seemed to be a universal truth.

Xeno filth still remained xeno filth.

He had met three new species, and they were all on his shit list. The four eyed slaver fucks, known as Batarians, were the first he met. And the first he killed. Whatever their armor and shielding was, it wasn't sufficient to stop the trusty Lascarbine. Apparently his fragging was recorded by some sort of Pict device the Omni-tool had as people took interest in him. First the frogmen, Salarains, showed up. They thought their cloaking made them hidden. They thought wrong. They got the Emperor's gift to xenos through the trip wires and mines he had. After they were finished off, he scrapped their shuttle with a demo charge and figured that was that.

Then the blue xenos arrived, all women. Apparently the entire race, the Asari, are women. They didn't cloak, but they also were worse at navigating the jungle then the frogs. It would have been a waste to let any trigger his traps, so he had ghosted them with his Fang. Turns out 20 inches of Catchan steel still functioned as intended. By the Emperor he even got to tear one's throat out with his bare hands when it got distracted by her friend's corpse. Then one of them started glowing blue with some foul Warp energy. It got the Devil's Claw. He fragged their shuttle like he did the frogs.

Seeing as this was looking to be a repeat issue, he began to prepare. Body parts left in certain areas to lure jungle predators. Armor left in spots to be bait to trigger traps. Toe-poppers, spring mines, spike pits, the works. Then new humans showed up. Figuring he didn't have to send them to the next life like he did the others, he struck up a conversation. One thing led to another and now here he sat.

Waiting in a small medicae room on the tiniest void vessel he had ever been on. Looking around, Stone could see Red talking to the older, grey haired, Chiurgeon woman, as the other crew members gave him a passing glance. They had offered to place his weaponry in the ship's armory so it didn't clutter his living space. He told them he would rather be swarmed by Heretic-Ants than do that. They didn't know what that meant but took it as a no. Admittedly he didn't know what room was his yet, so he had them all with him. The door opened as the old Chiurgeon entered the room. She stared at the Flamer on one of her tables and shot him an annoyed look.

"Why?" Stone smirked and gave a shrug.

"They didn't say where I was bunking. Blame Red."

"Right...well I'm Dr. Chakwas. Commander Shepard has informed me that you haven't had any medical check ups or diagnostics ever. I find that hard to believe, but it's what I've been told." She stared at him, clearly wanting him to elaborate.

"I have. It's just a long story Doc, so Red figured that saying I haven't saved time." Speaking of, he could see Red talking to what had to be the ship's chef from the window. Doc, as he now called her, pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

"Long story huh? Fine, whatever, if the Commander says it's easier to say you haven't then I'm not going to argue." Stone watched as she activated her own Omni-tool as she ran it over him a few times. Looking at whatever it gave her seemed to cause her frustration.

"Well that can't be right." She did it again. And then a third time. After the fifth he figured it would be more beneficial to help her.

"What seems to be the problem Doc? I don't have any flesh eating lungworms do I?"

"No, at least none that showed up. It's your muscle structure." She peered through her tools data as Stone now raised an eyebrow.

"So I don't know if the old age is getting to you, but look at me again and then say the muscle structure isn't right."

"My eyes are just fine. And despite your size, there is still a normal limit to human muscle mass. Yours is much higher."

"That's a Catachan for you Doc. Toughest in the Imperium. You don't make it to adulthood unless you have muscles that can rip a Tyranids throat out." Doc narrowed her eyes as he flexed his biceps. While she wanted to pry for more info, she figured all she would get would be more 'macho' attitude.

"I see. Well, next we have a sensory examination. We'll start off with an eye exam." Doc then proceeded to test his eyes, hearing, and reaction time through a series of basic medical exams. Honestly he was a little offended, these tests were a waste of time.

"Look Doc, I'm not blind, I can hear just fine, and I guarantee you that I react a lot faster than anyone else on this ship. Now unless you have a test that actually requires some effort, I'm going to leave." The older woman didn't respond as she entered his results into the Omni-tool. Taking that as acceptance, Stone stood and grabbed his gear. On his way out the door, the sound of glass sliding against metal hit his ear. Turning with reflexes hardened from 28 years of existence, "Ripper" caught the flask that was lobbed at the back of his head.

"Hmmm. That require more effort?" Her tone was both snide and genuine. Smirking he tossed her the flask.

"Would have been more of a challenge if the glass hadn't scraped across the table top first. Sloppily telegraphing what you are doing is how you get killed." Doc simply nodded and waved him off, focusing on her Omni-tool once more. Stepping out of the room, he was greeted by the raven haired woman that was with Red. She had this arrogant and haughty air about her. Combined with her perfect looks, it reminded him a lot of newby Commissars or a Mordian Guardswoman.

"Ah, Lieutenant Stone. Just the man I was looking for. I've come to show you to your quarters while aboard the Normandy. If you would follow me." She had this smug smirk on her face the entire time. It was starting to piss him off. She led him to the crew quarters of the ship, getting looks as they went by. It would take a lot of time to get used to the more cramped and clean look of this ship. The flying cathedrals of home could probably easily fit 10 of the Normandy in them. As they arrived at the door, she opened it with the tool that seemed to be used for everything.

The room opened into the large, and much nicer than anything he had before, room. The far wall had a bed pressed to it with several empty shelves scattered about. The rightmost wall had a bench with some kind of device sitting on it, to the side of that was a set of chairs with some wood table between them. Taking his silence as a sense of awe, the raven hair spoke.

"Cerberus has paid no expense to make sure the Normandy and it's crew are best outfitted for their duty, as well as comfort." The pride in her voice was very apparent.

"Pfff. Since when does comfort get involved with killing the enemy?" As Stone walked in, the openness of the room disturbed him. He would have to fortify this room the Catachan way. Hidden traps, plants some weapons, make a burrow where he would actually sleep.

"Saving the galaxy can be stressful, people need to unwind when they get the chance. After all, this is dangerous work." Stone dropped the wrapping of lascarbines as he stared at the woman. Upon seeing that she was being serious, he started to laugh.

He laughed a lot.

xxxXXXXxxx

Shepard had watched Lt. "Ripper" Stone leave the medbay only to immediately be hounded by Miranda. No doubt the Cerberus operative wanted the laser weaponry he was carrying on him for her organization. Shepard wanted to send it to Alliance Military, where it wouldn't end up in the hands of someone who may be your enemy tomorrow.

But that wasn't a concern at the moment. She had been talking to Mess Sergeant Gardner about picking up a wider variety of food when they had the chance. But while she was talking, she was also keeping an eye on the medical evaluation going on, making sure Dr. Chakwas was ok. Things seemed to have gone well until she whipped a glass flask at the back of his head. Amazingly, he caught it, something that didn't seem to surprise Karin. Making her way to the medlab, she greeted her old friend.

"Dr. Chakwas. Everything go ok?" The older women gave her a smile and nodded.

"You would be surprised how many times you have to deal with rowdy soldiers in my position commander. I'll admit though, he is on the larger scale of that. Although he did call me Doc a lot." Shepard grimaced and nodded.

"He likes nicknames." Chakwas gave a knowing smile at the response.

"Oh yes, Red, I noticed." Shepards hands went to her face as she spoke of the ways she was going to hurt the Catachan.

"I'm going to start with his jaw, then he can never call me Red again." Chakwas raised an eyebrow as she noted the height difference between the 5'6 Shepard and 6'11 Stone. She had no doubt the commander could achieve her goal, but she would have to work for it.

"Well, before you go attacking our new crew, perhaps you should know that in addition to being the size of a Krogan, he can probably also throw one." As the Doctor pulled up the physiological data she just took. Shepard squinted as she noticed the denser muscle mass.

"Genetic modding?" The redhead asked as Karin shook her head.

"No signs of it. I wanted to ask about it, but he was busy showing off."

"Is that what the flexing was?" Dr. Chakwas knew that she should be professional and not take advantage of the commanders wording. She also knew about what Jane had been through in her life and how it must have been wearing her down. Which was exactly why she was unprofessional.

"Watching my patients flex now Jane? I know you like those corny old action vids and he might as well be ripped straight from one." It was too easy, and Shepard played right into it.

"N-no! I was just worried that you might get hurt. He was a crazy guy in the jungle for all I knew!" Watching the commander rush to explain herself caused Karin to begin to laugh as Shepard was nearly as red as her hair.

"I'm joking Shepard. And he might still be a crazy guy from the jungle. Given his sensory examination, I don't think he knows he's not."

"What do you mean?"

"Sight, hearing, reaction time all recorded much higher than most N7 do. He's all macho talk and big muscles, but the man is constantly on edge. I've seen this from soldiers who spend too long on the battlefield, they can't leave." As Dr. Chakwas explained Shepard's expression grew more serious. There was the extensive and borderline excessive amount of traps, the last grave, and now what Karin was telling her.

"Should I ask Kelly to keep an eye on him?" She asked, referring to the Normandy's Yeoman Kelly Chambers. While she was officially there to take and deliver messages, she had told Shepard her unofficial role of ship psychologist. Chakwas seemed to mull the idea over for a second before replying.

"Couldn't hurt. Kelly seems to be a nice girl, and Mr. Stone may just need that. I'll let her know, you should check on him yourself though." Shepard nodded as she left the medbay. Making her way through the crew quarters she began to hear boisterous laughter. The inner vid nerd in her wanted to say it sounded like Billy's laughter from Predator, but she wasn't going to let it. Making her way to the source she saw a confused and seemingly upset Miranda staring at "Ripper" as he laughed. The Cerberus woman was tapping her foot in anger when the commander approached.

"Red! Red! I don't care what happens the rest of this day, it's already great hahahah." Stone seemed very entertained by something as she leaned in close to the raven haired woman.

"What happened?" That seemed to have been the wrong question as Miranda huffed and turned to her.

"I was merely pointing out how Cerberus took the extra step to accommodate the crew while they are risking their lives for the galaxy. For whatever reason, he seems to have found that the most hilarious thing in the world and won't stop laughing." The laughter in the background seemed to only annoy her more. Shepard turned her gaze to the Jungle Fighter and addressed him.

"Care to explain what's so funny?" Stone wiped a tear from his face as he nodded.

"Half don't live to the age of three." Both women blinked and shot a glance at the other at that.

"Umm, what?" That was Shepard's only response to the statement she just heard.

"Half of the people born on my homeworld won't live to the age of three. They'll either be eaten by the fauna, eaten by the flora, killed by some disease, or one of the many other ways you can die. Half of those people won't live to see the age of ten. We learn to shoot before we can walk or write. You'd think it's the big things, but it's not. Sucker Trees, Brainleafs, Spikers, all plants that can pretty much kill you in an instant, all not that big. Barking Toads explode when startled and everything in a kilometer radius dies as it's turned to slim from the toxin. Blood wasps will eat you alive and then down to the bone in under an hour. Hell even the wild Grox will tear you apart given the chance. That is a small taste of Catachan." Stone began to list off the many wonderful things about his homeworld. Both women were taking mental notes, both on the details he was describing and also to avoid the place.

"My sister was eaten alive by a Devil, big fucking predators that will chew through a tank in an instant. Uncle was devoured by Blood wasps. Mom got killed and eaten by a Face-Eater. Dad was out on some Emperor forsaken world when he got done in by some knife eared xeno." Shepard took a step forward as Stone spoke. Miranda watched on as she took particular note of his hatred in the last sentence. Shepard was close when Stone turned and gave a large smile.

"But hey, wouldn't have it any other way. So uh, when you said it was dangerous it made me laugh. Don't ever tell me anything here is dangerous." The Catachan stared down the Cerberus operator with a cocky grin as she turned to leave. As the door closed behind her, Stone looked at Shepard.

"You know Red, I don't think I like her very much." Shepard looked up to the taller man as she gave a shrug.

"I don't think she cares what you think."

"Hahaha, good for her. Now, is there a reason you came to visit?"

"I was gonna ask how you're holding up, what with the change of scenery and all." "Ripper" looked around the room and shook his head.

"This is going to need some work, otherwise I'm fine." Shepard didn't buy it.

"You don't seem fine."

"Well I am." She sighed as she figured this would be the case. While she didn't have a degree in psychology, she did know how soldiers thought. Figured she could start there.

"It sucks, losing a squad under your command. I know what you're feeling. I-" She was cut off when he placed his hand on her shoulder. She saw a fierce and angry look staring back at her.

"No, you don't know what I'm feeling. Soldiers die, Red. We kill and we die."

"You don't think there's more to it than that? And maybe I have a better idea than you think! And don't call me Red! I am the commander on this mission." Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko's face slashed her mind for a moment.

"I don't give two shits if you're the Grand Admiral of the entire human fleet. That medal you won isn't worth spit! If you expect me to be a lap dog cause you got some fancy titles you're looking at the wrong Devil Red." They were yelling now. Shepard pushed herself closer, blue eyes met brown in a heated stare down.

"So you got a problem with authority? I don't know how things are done on Cata-whaever, but in the Systems Alliance we have discipline! Without it, you're just some wack job guerilla with a superiority complex!"

"What did your authority and discipline get you in your Alliance? Oh right, it got you nothing because when the actual threat showed up, they didn't listen. That's why you have me, the 'wack job'. And I am better, I've survived for nearly 30 years in situations that make the wars you fought in look like pansy children playing war!" They were face to face yelling now.

Shepard lost it first, she headbutted him. Hard.

Stone had to admit, for a tiny girl, Red could throw a mean headbutt. Too bad for her, so could he. Slamming his forehead into hers, he knocked the commander to the floor. She paid him back by sending a strong kick to his shin, sending his leg back. She shot up to punch him, but he caught her fist and trapped it. Grabbing her uniform, he hoisted her up and slammed her through the table.

She was very good though, and had trapped his arm on the way down. Shepard judo tossed the larger man into the chair as she fell. Both now lay on the ground as they shot their arms around the others neck and began to choke. Stone began to stand as Shepard held on, sending knees into his ribs as she did so. Slamming her into the wall, she landed atop the desk. As he threw a right she dodged to the side, grabbing his shirt as she did so. The punch dented the metal frame behind her as she threw an elbow to his head. The size difference meant she was only hitting his shoulder though.

Bringing their heads together both soldiers rocked the other. But neither gave up, a second headbutt caused blood to come from both of their foreheads. Shepard was furious, in part due to the fight starting at all, and in part due to Stone smiling the entire time. Thinking she needed to stop this soon, she activated her Omni-blade.

As she went to raise it to Stone's neck, she found the 20 inch long knife he kept on his back at hers. The orange glow of the blade gleamed off the steel of the Fang as the two stared each other down. Tasting blood on her lips, and seeing some run down Stone's face, Shepard looked at the destruction their short brawl had caused. She had lost her cool, something that shouldn't have happened over a small argument. Seeing his opponent losing her resolve to continue, Stone moved his Fang from her neck. She slowly did the same with her blade. As they both put away their weapons Shepard spoke.

"I'm sorry, that was uncalled for." Her voice was the most quiet she had ever heard herself. All her frustrations over being rebuilt, not being believed, revisiting Kaiden's death, all while being pushed caused her to snap for a moment. Stone placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and the other on the top of her head.

"Nah, I was being a cunt. Plus, this is how we Catachan settle our arguments for the most part anyways. You punch well above your weight class for someone your size." She couldn't help but look at him like he was crazy.

"You guys fist fight to solve your arguments?"

"Well, no. Normally the Fang, that's my knife, goes in the middle of the two and the first one to draw blood wins. People do die before you ask." Now he couldn't help but laugh as this was the closest to home he had felt.

"I think I'll stick to fist fighting. But are we going to have a problem on missions?"

"Don't know, I've never seen you in action. You make a dumb call Red and I will ignore it to do something better." She let out a small growl as she felt part of her rage return. As she opened her mouth Stone raised his hand to stop her.

"But I am still very much in the dark with how that action plays out here. I'm pretty much great at every kind of fighting, I just need to know what it is. So it goes like this Red, you take point on the missions since you know pretty much everything I don't. I'll keep my eye out though and give pointers when I see the need. Unless I need to sneak off to gut some poor fuck."

"...Was that an attempt at an olive branch?" The commander now was sure he was crazy.

"What's an olive branch?"

"Oh my god….it's a metaphor for making peace through a compromise."

"Oh! Yea we just knife fight and whoever wins is in the right."

"That's barbaric." Stone looked at the blood running down her face, then to his, then the destruction behind them. When he turned back he had an eyebrow raised but said nothing.

"This was…..stress relief?"

"...Sure. Ok, I'll compromise. Same as before, but I'll tell you when I need to sneak off."

"*Sigh*...that's the best I'm getting?"

"Until you beat me in a knife fight Red."

"Can I get you to not call me Red?"

"No."

"Then I get to call you Rambo." Stone tilted his head at that.

"Why….."

"I'll have to show you one day. For now, we should probably visit Chakwas." Shepard hopped off the desk as she dusted herself off.

"First, you should probably call off your men. I can hear them outside the room."

"Huh? Hmm, she did say you had good hearing."

"It was not a quiet fight. And I'd hate to have to break more furniture to prove a point." As Shepard and Stone made their way to the door, the redhead commander stepped in front of the Catachan to act as a symbolic shield. When the door opened they were greeted with an armed security force led by Jacob and Miranda. Seeing the bloody commander and the Catachan they went to fire before Shepard barked an order.

"Stand down!" Jacob and the security force lowered their weapons immediately as the order was given. Miranda stalled for a second before lowering hers.

"Commander Shepard is everything alright? EDI informed us that there was a fight." Jacob asked as he looked back and forth between the two.

"Yeah. We settled it." Both her and Stone had smiles.

"Who won?" The Australian accented woman asked.

"I did/Me." They both stared each other down as the security team looked on in concern. Neither broke the eye contact as they both nodded.

"We got a round two set up for later. EDI, don't call security this time."

"Will do commander."