"Eve… Please stop switching between your Turian Form and your Human Form… it's really freaking me out." San said, not even looking over his shoulder as he continued his work. He didn't have to look, he could tell from the shadow being cast.
"What? You don't find me pretty like this?" She asked in mock hurt, her voice buzzing like a regular Turians; telling him that she was currently in her Turian form, as he'd suspected.
"I find you pretty regardless, and I like you more for your personality; but-" He started, then cut himself off as she drew him into a hug.
"Awww… that's so sweet; how about this?" She asked cheekily, as she suddenly shifted from her Turian Form into a Quarian teenager, that pretty much looked like a Quarian version of Shepard; Violet hair, lavender skin, glowing silver eyes, and very beautiful.
San felt his jaw drop, and suddenly found it very difficult to form words; "Ah… b-b-b-bahhh…"
She gave him a quick peck on the cheek; and then shifted into her Turian form as she did so. Scratch that, he was finding that it was impossible for him to form words at the moment. Eve gave a quick mandible chatter she'd heard her dad make from time to time when amused, then flickered back to her human form.
San suddenly felt a little nervous at the look she was giving him "What?"
She gave him a playful grin while tiny horns formed on her head. "Wanna have some fun?"
San knelt outside the cockpit. "I can't believe that worked!"
Pressley looked around at San's whisper, but the mobile emitter's impromptu cloak kept San shrouded.
"Just subvocalize from now on," Eve's voice faintly whispered in San's ear.
"Okay. So, now?"
"No! You gotta wait until I open the cockpit hatch, then just stand up and run for the access corridor; I'll do the rest." Her voice had a very playful lilt.
"Alright; I trust you."
He tensed for the hatch to open. As it did, his mobile emitter shifted as he stood and bolted for the corridor. Pressley looked back to the cockpit as the hatch opened and a stark nude Joker bolted for the exit.
"FREEEDOOOOM!"
Everyone looked in shock as their pilot streaked across the CIC. "Flight Lieutenant Moreau! What the hell are you-"
"Ell Tee, what are you guys doing back there?" Pressley jerked his head around to see Jeff Moreau peering at him from the pilot's station. He whipped his head back around just in time to see the CIC access hatch cycle shut.
Pressley absently keyed the ship comm. "This is the XO. Will the relief watch report to the CIC? I think everyone needs a break."
Jane kept her eyes closed as she leaned against the bulkhead of the stealth transport.
She hurt all over, the sting of the betrayal from the General was still fresh, she desperately wanted a nap and a change of clothes; and above all she really wanted a shower. But as if New Kurdistan was giving her one last middle finger, the Showers at Fort Ulysses had been hit by a random mortar shell.
No one had been hurt, but It meant that she would have to wait until she got to the Normandy to get a shower.
She hadn't opened her eyes since boarding, because she wanted the first thing she saw to be Eve and Garrus. She had even told August as much, and to her surprise; he hadn't laughed or scoffed. Instead, he had just nodded and asked, "Do you delegate your authority to me until then?"
What else was she going to say to an excuse to slack off and nap until she got her command back? No?
"So how many nights were we out there? Cause I've lost track of my underwear." She heard Phil ask.
Several months at least, I lost track thanks to that stupid day night cycle. She thought bitterly.
Garth's team had left aboard a GST Prowler, and Bowman had stayed at Fort Ulysses for an Official debrief; so it was just the 1-4-1 members left onboard, meaning that everyone was slowly slipping back to their normal selves. She could hear Ara and Nek snuggle closer to Kal and Ash, the two of them were almost certainly asleep by this point.
Colt's voice drew Jane from her inner rambling, and she couldn't help but smile; as annoying as his joking demeanor was at times, it did help pick up people's spirits. "You got right side out, frontways and backwards; then insideout front and back. I'm currently on pair eight; but inside-out front, I… haven't been changing them."
Nomad gave a loud snort, while Alenko huffed; "Yeah… I'm thinking the ship can smell us from five klicks out by now."
"How far out are we?" Jane asked, not even bothering to open her eyes.
"Just a few minutes skipper; then we're home." Ashley replied.
"Home… A new home for us…" Jane heard Nek say, and she heard Ara mumble something in agreement. She couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face; they would sure be in for a shock when they saw Garrus, Liara, Wrex, Kirrahe, and the rest of the ship. And they would almost certainly find new friends in Fyodor, and Eve, and San, and all the rest of the Quarian Pilgrims on the ship.
As the seconds counted down, Jane was practically buzzing with excitement as she thought about reuniting with Garrus and Eve; every second felt like an hour. Her heart felt like it was going to explode out of her chest as she heard the shuttle go through the docking procedures; and she jokingly wondered if she was going to have an aneurysm as she felt the gravity shift as the Shuttle docked onto the ship.
She heard the hatch door open, and everyone stood and began to file out; but then they stopped dead in their tracks.
She frowned, and almost opened her eyes when she heard August say; "Huh… so that's what you would look like… uh… don't open your eyes yet Ell Cee, cause Garrus and Eve have got a surprise for you it seems."
What? She wondered, even as she obeyed his instructions; presumably given to him by Eve and Garrus. She heard the team file out; the shuffling footsteps eventually being replaced by just two sets.
"Major, if you would please?" She heard the squeak of Lee's boot soles on the grating of the shuttle hangar as he left her alone.
"Hey mom…" Jane's frown deepened, it sounded like Eve was right in front of her; but that was impossible, there were no Emitters on this shuttle. Plus, it sounded like she had a flange to her voice; like Garrus almost.
She opened her eyes and came face to face with a young turian girl with white face markings and red highlights. However unusual and seemingly unfamiliar the physical features seemed, the eyes of the individual in front of her could only belong to one person.
"Eve!" Jane surged to her feet and instinctively wrapped her daughter in a hug. The fact that she could do that in an area that she knew lacked holo-projectors only caused her to squeal and spin Eve around.
She laughed as she set her daughter down and stepped back. "You've been busy while I was away. The Haptics work fine, but the simulated mass seems a little off."
Garrus gave a mock long-suffering buzz. "Here we are, working miracles to surprise you with upon your return; and you complain about our daughter's weight."
Jane planted a fist on her hip. "Well what do you expect? When I left, she weighed 153,000 tonnes, but now she feels like she's less than ten kilos. A mother has a right to worry."
Garrus theatrically threw his talons up in defeat. "Fine, the next time you deploy I'll feed her nothing but Yellow Cake. She'll be the size of a Dreadnaught by the time you get back. Are you happy?"
"Almost." She reached out her hands to both Eve and Garrus. They both stepped towards her and she wrapped them in a bone creaking hug. "Now, I'm happy."
None of them moved from the spot for ten minutes.
"So…" Jane started slowly, easing onto her couch; trying not to get the filth on her pants onto the cushions and pillows. "To reiterate; according to the Turian Hierarchy, I am a Turian and so is Eve. And Councilor Sparatus wants us to meet with your family in order to further sell the deception of Eve and I being Colonists you've taken in until his legal team can build a case for Eve."
Garrus buzzed uneasily, while Eve bobbed her head; her frills perking upward, "Yeah."
Jane just rubbed her eyes, "And none of you saw the problem with the fact that I'm very distinctly not a Turian?" She asked sarcastically.
Eve shifted uneasily, and gave an uncertain buzz as she looked at Garrus. He just buzzed in kind and nodded; so Eve walked over to Janes desk and pulled something out of it, and turned toward her. It looked like one of the Ghosts Armor Plate carriers, but having been gutted and had all the fancy things removed from it.
"Well… we were hoping to surprise all of you with this when we got back; since it would help us… you, enormously with infiltration missions." Eve started, before handing the vest to Jane. "Just… put it on and stand up; then hit the button on the chest, but not before." She instructed uneasily, wringing her hands together and taking a step back. "And uh… Please close your eyes when you do it."
Jane did as asked. She felt something detach from the suit followed by a faint whirring sound.
Garrus and Eve watched as a small drone flew around Jane taking several laser tomography readings before reconnecting to the chest piece. That was when the suit went to work. The suit, which was one part holographic projector, one part tech armor and one part omnitool, began building the lattice that would support the illusion, including a complex ankle brace and foot extension rig to simulate a Turian's leg structure and a pair of digital gloves that encased her fingers into a Turia's three digit grip.
Once the powered appliance was finished and framed out, an orange honeycomb wrapped around and mimicked her features. As soon as the last hexagon appeared, a ripple passed over the entire structure, leaving a fully Turian Jane.
"Okay mom, you can look now."
As Jane teetered unsteadily while she tried to walk; she looked down and realised that her new 'body' was more like a second skin and a shell merged into one. She was now as tall as a regular Turian, but her legs were cloaked completely since human legs bent differently compared to Turians.
It was like she was walking on stilts, but the stilts necessitated her to walk backwards as opposed to forwards.
"Wow… August wasn't wrong when he said that this is what you would look like as a Turian. I must say, you're beautiful as a human; but you're truly the epitome of that phrase 'knock-out gorgeous' as a Turian." Garrus rasped.
"Ew dad!" Eve exclaimed, quickly hitting Garrus on the arm.
Jane laughed and spun around to face them, "I'm actually a Turian… a Turian! HA!" She laughed, wobbling over to her husband and daughter; hugging them again. It was weird being nearly eye level with Garrus; but she didn't care. Her arms were slightly longer, and she now had three fingers instead of five on her second skin; but it was manageable.
Then she realized something; and brought a hand up to her throat, "Eve… was that thing you attached to my throat meant to give me sub-vocals?" She asked.
Garrus grinned cheekily at Jane. "Well you're not going to fool anyone with your disguise if you don't sound the part." He touched a talon to her cheek and his grin faded slightly. "It just doesn't feel the same." He instinctively took Eve's talons in his own before she could get upset. "It's not you, honey. I know my mate; and as much as I appreciate the view, the Jane I know is the Jane I fell in love with."
Jane gave a warm smile. "Good, because however good the fidelity is on the projectors, there isn't much feedback from touch." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Or is that because I have 'scales, and there isn't as much tactile sensation?"
She shook her head and stepped back, then went through a short set of Turian martial flourishes. "Huh, so that's how that move is supposed to work; I could never get it right."
Garrus chuckled, happy to be back on familiar ground. "I told you that you needed to be Turian to use Certamine Valerium techniques."
Jane nodded with a thoughtful look. "Has anyone looked into getting a suit like this rigged up for Joker? It would be worlds better than the exoskeleton he uses now."
I Walked into the Operations Officers Quarters, my Quarters, and flopped down onto the bed.
I was dead on my feet, smelled like shit, felt like shit, and I just wanted to sleep; as having the Mass Effect Equivalent to Jet Lag was not fun in the least. Normally, I would just sleep in the hanger bay with the rest of my team; as I disliked having my own quarters when they couldn't have one. But just this once, I was going to use my officers privileges.
There wasn't much, a bed that was more of a cot; a small desk, dresser, and a small attached bathroom that had a toilet, sink, and shower.
I grumbled as I thought of that damned desk, but I didn't really have a choice; both for my health and sanity. I pushed myself up and rolled off the bed, walking over to my desk and easing myself into the chair with a loud groan. After a few seconds of staring at the screen of the monitor attached to it, I dialed the number and sat there blank faced as the call connected.
There was a long pause, and then the words "Audio Only" flashed across the screen.
I blinked in confusion, until I heard a splash of water and Ziva shout; "Just a minute!"
I couldn't stop the smile working its way across my face; the thought of a bath, some time with my girlfriend breaking through the haze of exhaustion clouding my mind. The thought of proposing to her flashed across my mind as well. Maybe Eve would be able to find a nice jewelry store on the Citadel; I mused. I had certainly held out long enough; and the thought of giving June a new Brother or Sister was certainly enough for me.
I just laughed, as the screen flashed for a moment; and then Ziva's face was staring back at me.
She was as beautiful as always, though at the moment she looked more like a drowned rat. This wasn't the movies where she was still smoking hot despite being in a frenzied rush; her hair was all wet and still had suds in it, she was still hastily wrapping her bathrobe around her, and she was still dripping water everywhere.
After a minute of laughing for no real reason, I said; "Hey honey… did I call at a bad time?"
She laughed in kind, but it sounded more like a choked sob, "August… are you finally done? Is your mission over?"
My heart clenched, "No… but I'm off of New Kurdistan, so I can finally call you all every night now." I replied, and I could feel myself getting a little misty eyed. "I just… I just wanted to hear you guys."
She smiled lightly, "Well… Junes asleep, and as you can tell I was getting ready for bed. But I can take the day off tomorrow."
I shook my head, "Honey, we're going to the Citadel; besides, I can't ask-"
Ziva's smile grew wider, "Then I can take a Vacation, the treaty finally went through, they intend to announce it at the start of Armistice Week; and then formalize it on the Citadel after the Parade of the Armies. They intend to announce the cure and begin distributing it at the same time." She said simply.
I blinked, my sleep deprived mind struggling to catch up; "Then you won't be on the Citadel on Armistice day… will you?" I asked, already figuring the answer.
Her smile dropped and she looked down, "No… I'll be on the Spirit of Fire with June, showing a delegation of Migrant Fleet Officers and their escorts that the cure really works." She snorted, "Admiral 'Xen is supposedly going to be there." She added.
I tensed at the thought of that bitch, and Ziva held up a hand to placate me; "Don't worry, I'm not letting that viper near our daughter. Hiram and Kala will be there as well; the first time I get to see the ship you know, same for her. We'll be fine, August."
I just rubbed my eyes and yawned; "Alright… alright, I trust you honey. Just please be careful around her."
"I will… Now get some sleep sweetheart, I love you." She said.
I smiled, "I love you too, I'll talk with you in the morning; or on the Citadel, whichever comes first."
San flinched as the Commander walked into engineering.
He still wasn't used to how seamless the 'Mobile Emitter' was; and how many kinks they still needed to work out in it. The biggest limitation of course, was that the disguise couldn't be smaller than you were; meaning that San couldn't disguise himself as little Fyodor.
The white plates, and crimson red underskin and facial markings were really unnerving to a Quarian like San; red had a stigma of being related to death in Quarian society.
"Wooow… all this technology! It's so cool!" A voice exclaimed from next to him, jarring San from his thoughts.
He chuckled and looked over to see Nek, Ara, and Fyodor clustered together.
The kid was showing them his self made toy drone; floating it around slowly, as it wobbled unsteadily in the air. "Hm… It looks like one of my stabilizers is mal-adjusted." Fyodor mused, quickly recalling it.
"A… Stabilizer?" Ara asked, staring in confusion.
San winced as he returned his attention to his work bench; puttering around with his equipment as he struggled to build another Mobile Emitter. Major Lee had stated that if the Quarians wanted to go suitless on the Citadel, then they all needed to build their own Mobile Emitters so they could disguise themselves as humans. Until the humans Armistice week rolled up, the cure was to remain a secret to the general public.
He felt for the two children that had been all but adopted by the crew.
Their education in comparison to a Quarians was so… limited; he had overheard the Major telling Gunny Williams that the particular branch of Islam that EA practiced forbade females from being educated after the age of ten.
He sighed again, even as he absently soldered some wires together; noting out of the corner of his eye the Commander turning and leaving the room. It was unsettling how real the disguise looked, he honestly wondered how it felt to wear it; as he had tried out the human disguise, but it had glitched out before anything came of it.
He had yet to finish that "Cold War: What We Saw" Audio book, but he still wondered if he should finish it; he had finished the sixth episode, and wondered if it was at all possible for Humanity to accept the Quarian people.
The Migrant Fleet and its people were Communists; by the ancestors, the power struggle between Lavrentiy Beria and Nikita Khrushchev alone would be enough to make any race leery about the system.
"What's got you purple San?" He didn't even look up as the flanging voice of Eve in her Turian form spoke up next to him.
"Just thinking." About how your mother's people will likely reject mine because we operate in a Socialist economic system only a few steps separated from pure communism.
Eve just buzzed happily, "Now don't be sad, we got so much to be happy about; besides, we got some more 'Fleet and Flotilla' Tonight!"
San just shook his head, and looked back down at his work, sighing again.
Eve buzzed again, this time sounding more uncertain; "Umm… we can try some more pranks with the Mobile Emitters?"
San gave a tight smile, "Maybe we shouldn't do that any more; the crew might get suspicious."
Eve shifted into her Quarian form, and gave a warning feline-like growl, and San froze; "Alright, enough of this; what's eating you San, and I'm not leaving until you tell me." She said angrily, while San tried to process the very familiar sound that she had just made.
"Er…" He struggled for a moment with his thoughts, before saying; "I think your mother and her people won't like mine."
Eve blinked, even as she shifted into her human form; the expression on her face was one of utter bafflement. "What?" She asked, sounding very confused.
"It's," San sighed and opened the audio book file. "Humans don't like Communists. It's a part of their history; and my people have had to be communistic to survive." He slumped in the chair.
Eve's form flickered into her more original translucent mode; a sign San had learned meant she was devoting more processor power to a system other than her holographics. Just as suddenly as it began, she snapped back to her full form, taking on her Quarian persona.
"Alright San; I've listened to it." She gently grabbed his hands like her mother did when she wanted to explain something difficult or painful. "That book was written about Soviet Communism. That system was imposed on the Russian people, and others as the Soviet's grew in power, because terrible people wanted to take that power. Your people had to adopt Communism to stay alive in a Galaxy that refused to help you." She smiled slightly, "I'm certain that once you're given the chance, your people can use other systems if it suits you. That is something to consider; is that if it's what your people want, and not something imposed upon them by force and terror, then no one will bother you over it."
She giggled slightly, "If I recall correctly, according to the history files; the Quarian Federation was something more akin to the United States of America, or the British Commonwealth in terms of culture, economy, and government." She swayed his hands back and forth, "I think that you'll be fine."
Garrus stared at Jane as she quickly pulled on the 'Personal Holographic Disguise'; as everyone had taken to calling it. All of 1-4-1 had gotten a turn with it, Ash and August disguising themselves as Quarians, Kal and Tali as humans; and Eve had decided to turn Wrex into a Giant 'Teddy Bear' at Garrus's suggestion.
But Jane had worn it all week to get used to acting like a Turian; and to make sure all the kinks for that specific setting was worked out. Among others was the Sub-Vocals, as Eve almost constantly had to rewrite the damned program; because once the disguise was off, the sub-vocals program seemed to crash the whole thing.
It was a cause for genuine concern, until Tali did some poking around and found the problem; and Garrus still had no clue what it was, because when the excited Quarian had explained it, it seemed like everyone's eyes just glazed over.
Except the other Quarians and Eve of course.
"Garrus…" He flinched, and looked over at Jane; to find the white face markings, and red undertones of her skin, and the unusual Emerald Green Eyes of her Turian disguise staring back at him. "It'll be fine." Her voice buzzed with Sub-vocals as it should with a Turian.
He took a breath, and sighed; "I know… My Mother and sister will love you and Eve; my father… well I don't honestly know what he would think."
Jane buzzed softly and took Garrus's hands; "I think he'll be more angry with you over your new position. 'Deputy Spectre Garrus Vakarian' certainly does have a nice ring to it. And plus, I have Dr. Lorah's cure regarding Dextro-Amino Acids; I can eat whatever you eat."
He couldn't help but laugh, "Planning on wooing my father through his stomach?" He asked jokingly, remembering her disastrous attempts at cooking when they had first started he had learned that Jane couldn't cook, Lee had tried teaching her how to make his 'Spaghetti and Meatballs' with his special 'Meat press'; whatever that meant.
It had gone just as poorly, if Lee's dumbfounded exclamations of "You burned Spaghetti… how is that even possible?" was anything to go by.
"You know the old human saying, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach." She replied in amusement.
Garrus snorted, "My father has a stomach of steel; I don't think that he would leave such a vulnerable flank unprotected." He replied sarcastically.
Jane just rolled her eyes; "Oh come on you, Eve's waiting for us."
Jane was uneasy as she walked off the ramp of the Normandy.
The past week being essentially Turian was something she was still getting used to; but now at least she could put up a convincing act. Eve was shifting back and forth on her feet, trailing slightly behind Jane and Garrus; until she caught sight of the massive arms of the Citadel.
Her mouth dropped open, and her mandibles went slack; as she stared at the endless skyscrapers dotting the "Horizon" of the Station.
"Oh… My… God…" Eve whispered.
Jane smiled, but nonetheless walked forward and flicked Eve's forehead with her finger. She flinched, even as Jane buzzed in slight warning and amusement; that action alone was still enough to make Jane want to look at her disguise in amazement, but she pushed it down as she said, "Spirit's Eve, we don't worship God as Turians. Well… maybe we could, but we're trying not to draw too much attention."
Garrus snorted, "If you're from the colonies perhaps; as the Church of Athame and your Christianity have made inroads there. Alright, brace yourselves; the security checkpoint is coming up." He warned.
Eve tensed, while Jane took a breath and sighed to calm herself; while they would detect the eezo in the Mobile Emitters, it wouldn't be anymore than what was standard for any person who had grown up around eezo.
Garrus grimaced, and Jane had to fight down her growing alarm; knowing that the Sub-Harmonic Enhancer would pick up on it. The Security Checkpoint was manned almost entirely by Turians.
Garrus looked at his family and gave their hands a squeeze. "Alright ladies; moment of truth!" With that, all three strode forward.
The security officer looked up from his terminal. He seemed to immediately puff up and sit with machine precision as he set eyes on Jane. "Identification please."
Over the years of her relationship with Garrus, she had come to recognize some Turian mannerisms. Turian society being driven by civic mindedness meant that if you wanted to impress someone, you showed how dutiful you were. This particular Turian was trying to show off for Jane, and she didn't know whether to laugh at the attempt, or indulge in a good old fashioned Krogan headbutt.
The decision was taken out of her ha… talons when Garrus stiffly extended his omnitool for scanning. "Garrus Vakarian, Deputy Specter, traveling with Jane and Eve Vakarian. Bonded and Daughter, respectively."
The security officer wavered in his assessment for a moment, looking back and forth between Jane and Garrus until Jane gave a subconscious growl. The vocal modification and mobile emitter translated it into a buzz and the chattering of her mandibles, sending the clear message that the only 'reach-and-flexibility' they would engage in was seeing how far up his own ass she could stuff his head.
The guard very quickly focused on the documents to be scanned. This was actually the least concerning part of the process since her's and Eve's identification were, in fact, issued by the Hierarchy. "Purpose for your visit?" he refocused on Garrus, whom he apparently felt was the less threatening figure.
"Introducing my family," he nodded to Jane and Eve, "to my family."
"Very well, stand by for scanning."
Jane and Eve remained perfectly still as a drone lifted from a nearby cradle and swept a scanning beam around the two. Jane needed to resist the urge to hold her breath. It occurred to her that she had been less nervous in the lead up to the assault on the bio-weapons factory on New Kurdistan.
I'm trained how to assault facilities. I spent 20 years dodging my family's attempts to 'marry me off well'. She mused; remembering that the family in England had actually considered marrying her off to the Washingtons or the Jeffersons, but her joining the military had thrown a wrench in that.
She refocused when a chime sounded on the guards post. "Everything seems to be in order, Deputy Specter. Enjoy your stay on the Citadel." The three all headed through the checkpoint.
The easy part was over; now to meet Garrus' family.
Chellick wandered out of his officers booth, fighting down a yawn.
He had been working double shifts as of late, trying to earn some overtime pay; but it was absolutely murder on his sleeping scheadual. As he went down the line of checkpoints, he noted with some displeasure that Corporal Caltius seemed to be holding up a bunch of Quarians; and jamming up the rest of the line on his checkpoint as a result.
Growling in annoyance, he walked up; and blinked as he noticed that they were Quarian Marines, mixed with a few pilgrims. His suspicions were confirmed when he caught the tail end of the conversation; "-have authorization to be on this station with permission from Spectre Jahenne Shepard, and Deputy Spectre Garrus Vakarian." The leader of the group was saying, a Violet suited Female Quarian.
"Bah! I just cleared Deputy Spectre Vakarian! You expect me to-"
"Corporal, is there a reason you're holding up the line?" Chellick interjected, glaring unimpressed at the younger officer; but also a little surprised. Caltius was a notable Femalizer, attempting to constantly get females to mate with him; and Quarians were no exception to this.
This female in particular was quite attractive by Quarian standards, so he must have been slammed with a pretty hard rejection if he was acting like this.
And Chellick hadn't missed the fact that the Corporal had cleared Deputy Spectre Vakarian; Seems like you got a promotion old friend. He mused, before refocusing on the Turian in front of him.
The man seemed to deflate slightly, "These… Quarians were attempting to enter using a Spectres authorization! Clearly it's-"
"Have you actually run it yet?" Chellick asked, already figuring the answer. "No? Then you have no reason to be suspicious of them unless it turns out to be false. Run, the number; and then meet me in my office." He ordered.
It took a few minutes, even as Chellick began drinking some Dextro-Coffee; having become addicted to the human drink for quite awhile, before Corporal Caltius walked in, looking quite resigned.
"Alright… how bad was it?" He asked.
"Horrible! She was drop dead gorgeous, the perfect length of fringe; white markings, a pinkish-red undertone to her plates, crimson-red underskin, and bright green eyes! And you know what? She's bonded already. She's from the colonies for sure, no way someone that exotic is from Palavan!" He ranted.
Chellick absently nodded, "mmhmm, and what is her name?" He asked, taking another sip of coffee.
"Jane Vakarian, and she's got a kid too; almost old enough for mandatory service. Just as pretty as her mother, I swear the Spectres get all the good females." Caltius ranted, not noticing his superior freeze in place; nearly spitting out his coffee in surprise.
Chellick quickly swallowed his coffee and said, "Enough! As it turns out, I know the female you speak off; and quite frankly, you're lucky that she did not tear your head off for trying to flirt with her. Get back to your shift, and I don't want any more problems for the rest of the day; understood?!"
"Yes sir!" Caltius exclaimed, surprised by the sudden change of tone in Chellicks voice.
"Dismissed!" He snapped, quickly pulling up his data-slate as the Corporal scrambled out; Chellick frantically looking up the name 'Jane Vakarian'.
He found the file in the Hierarchy database; and the first thing that appeared was a picture of the female in question. Chellick felt his mandibles go slack as he stared at the photo; That's Shepard alright, only now she's a Turian.
She appeared exactly how Caltius described her; very pretty, perfect length for her fringe, pinkish-red tones for her plates, white markings, emerald green eyes, crimson-red underskin. Essentially, she was Jahenne Shepard as a Turian.
Her profile read her as a colonist who had served in the defense forces, and went through a nightmare of a mission; her first mate dying while she was pregnant with her daughter, and Garrus meeting her and the two bonding shortly afterwards.
Chellick looked out towards the seemingly endless lines leading out of the checkpoints, and slumped slightly; remembering the conversation he and the squad had had with Garrus about Jane shortly before the EA attacks.
Guess you finally got around to popping the question Garrus, but by the Spirits; you two really went all in… He thought, before shaking his head.
Either some new medical technology, like that old human show 'Star Trek', where the characters could outwardly make themselves look like different species; or some kind of clever disguise.
Either way? Way, above his pay grade.
Liara clenched her fist as she tried her best to ignore the stares of many of her fellow Asari; their stares at her uniform in particular. She wasn't sure why she had decided to use the Ghosts clothing, but she had grown used to it long ago. It had the novelty of pockets; lots, and lots of pockets which was something a lot of Asari fashion lacked for no discernable reason. She hadn't thought much of how different it made her and her comrades look in comparison to how Asari normally dressed.
Plus, she could tell that they were silently judging her; since it was quite obvious to an Asari, she was a pureblood.
Her mother had called them; and while Liara was happy to finally see her mother after so long, she knew why this meeting was called. They were going to discuss these "Ghosts" and whether or not they were a threat to the Asari peoples.
Just once, I want a meeting about something other than 'work'. She thought to herself.
At the very least, it would be funny to see her Father and Mother somewhat make up; or perhaps it would be a huge fight. One would be a load off of her mind, and the other would at the very least be entertaining; if only to see her mother lose the iron mask that she had worn ever since the Relay 314 incident.
After several long minutes, they reached the official residence of "The Asari Ambassador to the Citadel Council"; a job still necessary in spite of the Asari's Council Seat.
They were quickly waved through security, as all three were instantly recognizable to the team of huntresses guarding her mother; all four Matrons having served with her since before Liara had been born.
Aethyta all but stalked to the office of the mother of her child and threw the doors wide for herself and Liara, though Shiala had to shoulder one door as it swung closed on her.
Benezia sat primly behind her desk, looking at a hologram of a hanar. "You'll have to excuse me, 'Illustrious Seeker of Ancient Truths', but something urgent has just come up. Good day."
"Matriarch, please these talks are-" the hologram cut out, stopping the Hanars protests.
Aethyta raised an eyebrow at Benezia. "That was almost brazen, Bene. Negotiations not going to your liking?"
Benezia stood from her desk. "The negotiations are moving at such a pace that our daughter would be a Matriarch herself before they were concluded.
She then refocused her gaze onto Liara, while Shiala faded into the background as she usually did, and Benezia smiled lightly; "hello little wing…" she said nostalgically.
If only Liara felt the same at the moment; at the moment, she was more than a little annoyed that only now, after going through hell and back, did her mother finally seem to make time for her. And not even time for just her and her father; Shiala, while a good family friend and servant, was still just that.
A family friend and servant.
Adding to that, she doubtlessly would only want to talk about Major Lee and the 'Skulls' in order to learn about them and the mystery surrounding them. Beyond barebones reports on the actions they took on the campaign so far, none of the three had said anything more out of fear the Ghosts would find out and confront them about it.
Liara had to fight down a shudder as she remembered her 'Rescue' by the skulls.
As unprofessional they acted when not on the job, when in battle they fought with a seriousness and a viciousness that rivaled the Krogan. Deciding on her course of action, Liara straightened her stance into something resembling attention; and said, "Matriarch T'Soni; Liara T'Soni reporting as requested."
The other three Asari blinked in surprise at the cold professionalism being given by the Maiden.
Then Benezia seemed to put the pieces together, and frowned heavily; before leaning back in her chair with a weary sigh, "At ease Maiden; I suppose now is the time for us to discuss that which we have been turning out tentacles white over for the past few years."
Liara seemed to deflate slightly, though Aethyta appeared to fill out slightly and glare at her former bondmate. "Yes, let's get this over with. The Ghosts."
Benezia snorted, "That name… what is a 'Ghost' in any case? I am not familiar with many human phrases; 'Skull' is something that translates across species."
Liara brought up her omnisleeve with her compiled notes. "In one of the major language groups, 'Ghost' or sometimes 'Geist' is a wrathful spirit of the deceased." She glanced up from her notes. "One of the other synonyms is 'Specter', though that seems more to refer to appearance, but I digress. The choice for naming the unit is also related to their official designation: GST, or Group for Specialized Tactics. It's likely the unit was founded in response to our own SPECTER program, and they followed this naming convention as a cultural response."
"And their purpose?" Benezia asked.
Aethyta took a breath, "Still largely unknown, but the attitudes of the four assigned to 1-4-1, point to a group who read more like vigilante's given funding and the freedom to go after those usually considered untouchable; even by Spectres, and end them." She replied. "Of course, I doubt that is all they do; but the methods they employ when dealing with their enemies..." She paused and looked at Liara.
Instantly, she knew what her father was implying and grimaced; she knew that it would be necessary. And if she didn't, someone else may try and take the memory; and they would not be as gentle as the people in this room.
"With your permission, Matriarch," Benezia actually flinched at the distance in her daughter's voice, "I will directly share my memories of these 'Ghosts' in action."
Benezia nodded, then rounded the desk and took her daughter in her hands.
"Then let us Embrace Eternity."
I kept my eyes closed as I sat on a bench in the Gardens of the Presidium, a light smile on my face.
It was peaceful, almost like home; but it was nothing compared to sitting on my porch in a rocking chair and drinking some iced tea. There were of course two particular improvements to the atmosphere.
"It's amazing! It's almost like we're on a planet as opposed to a space station. Adding to the fact that there's actual weather and the like, this place is actually livable in comparison to some colonies. Of course the crowds are all but unbearable; seriously, people are not meant to live like this-!" Ziva prattled on as she sat next to me, wearing her Navy Blue and Silver suit.
June was wandering about in the Gardens, knocking on the trees and examining the plants with a magnifying glass; taking notes in her little notepad like she was a professor or something.
It was bliss, and the best part was that we hadn't had any encounters with racist assholes; at least the people that came through that were racists kept to themselves and avoided us. I wore a Grey Wool Spring Long Coat, Pants, Waistcoat, and my Brown Stetson; my round rimless glasses having been polished to complete translucence.
I had dressed to impress, and my mutton chops gave me the appearance of an 18th century aristocrat. I'm pretty sure that if the photo was taken in black and white, I would very much look like I belonged.
Ziva was still talking, and I felt my thoughts get drawn away to the little box in my coat; and I remembered my father telling me how he had planned to propose to my mother. Go to their favorite restaurant to celebrate their sixth anniversary of dating, but it had turned out to have been closed just that day due to health concerns.
So he had driven around the city before finally just going 'screw it', and proposing in the middle of an old school parking lot.
I palmed the little box in my pocket, and made my decision.
"Ziva…" I said slowly, and somewhat stilted; but the softness in my voice was more than enough to stop Ziva and her scientific spiel dead in her tracks.
She looked at me, and I could see her eyes brighten in curiosity; "Yes dear?" She asked.
I fumbled for the right words as I repeated, "Ziva… you and June mean the world to me-"
"And you both mean the world to me, August." She interrupted, sounding a little worried.
I huffed in amusement, what she had just said had been the whole reason I had been contemplating this decision. "Considering that we've already gone through the 'Second Phase'..." I could feel a rush of heat to my cheeks as I said that; and her eye's dimmed as well.
I gave a quick check to see that June was still marvelling over a massive Asari Tree, and returned my attention to Ziva; "Honey…" I pulled her up so that she was standing, before taking a knee and pulling out the box and opening it, revealing a gold ring with a small sapphire blue diamond in the center of it.
Her eyes widened, and her eyes flashed with tears; and I laughed, "Honey I can't imagine spending the rest of my life without you; and I know that June can't either. So Ziva'Lorah Vas Maryland; Will you marry me?"
"YES! YES-YES-YES!" She squealed, quickly hugging me with such force that I was certain that she cracked my ribs.
I began to laugh and cry as I stood up and returned her hug, June and several passers-by looking over to see what the commotion was all about. I could hear all the humans knew what had happened when they caught sight of the box and ring still in my hands; since they all started clapping and cheering.
I just smiled and hugged my Fiance; right now, this spot was all that existed in the universe as far as I was concerned. If I could pick one moment in my life that I could return to; I knew that for the rest of my life, this would be the one.
A/N: August finally gets a small win after so long; as does Jane.
The idea of the Mobile Emitters was something that I recycled from the old version of my old shame "A House Divided Amongst Itself". The reworked version is… slow going, as I have said over and over again, it has a very low priority for me. So much so, that I have actually debated over whether or not to put it up for adoption.
In any case, I've always been fascinated with the Idea of Shepard being… changed at the start of ME2. As a game mechanic, it would have simply been the player choosing what species they wanted to be; along with the stats that came with it.
Story wise, if you didn't pick human, it would have been the Illusive man deciding that humanity was not able to stop the reapers; and the species you chose was the one he determined to be the one capable of stopping the reapers.
This is something that has a lot of story potential, as Shepard would have to work from scratch to reconnect with their lost crew; and the romancing options of course open up dramatically.
I should probably stop talking, because this is actually a really fascinating idea now; canon ME1, but non-Canon ME2 with Shepard as a different race. (presumably the race of the person they romanced in the last game, Male Quarian for Tali, Female Turian for Garrus, etc.)
Anyway, what are your thoughts on this one Ian?
Ian A/N: This chapter was all about family dynamics: primarily Turian social hierarchies and Asari social dynamics. While this is still a better outcome for Liara and Benezia than in canon, theirs is definitely a broken home in desperate need of repair.
The meet-and-greet between Jane and Garrus' family, while narratively interesting, is not particularly plot important. You'll all have to wait for Pilot's GST-Side on this matter to see how that goes down.
Stay tuned.
Pilot: Right then, link to the discord and my writing challenge is on my profile.
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