A Stepping onto the docking bay felt all too familiar to a time when she worked for Cerberus, in search of Archangel and Mordin Solus. Smiling in recollection she sighed sombrely thinking of Mordin, it had to be him, someone else might have gotten it wrong. With her today she had opted for Grunt and Javik, allowing EDI leave to explore and satisfy her never ending curiosity of organic culture. Garrus stayed back on the ship with Lanaya and helped Wrex organise a way to drop him back off on Tuchanka.
"This place smells like a cesspool." Javik drawled in distaste, his flanging voice carrying multiple levels of disgust. Jane chuckled and clapped his arm reassuringly,
"That it does, but I'd take this over Reapers any day!" She exclaimed and Grunt barked out a chortle,
"Don't know Battlemaster, kind of miss the real fights. I only ever fight pyjaks now, unworthy." The Krogan complained rolling his shoulders. Jane shrugged and sent him a mischievous smile,
"Who knows maybe we'll have a legendary battle against Ettlemen?" She offered and he snorted his disbelief. Waving off her companions pessimistic behaviour she walked in the direction of Afterlife, feeling rather giddy. Her happiness radiating from her time spent with Garrus in her quarters only 13 hours earlier. With a twinge in her neck she was reminded of his mark and smiled coyly to herself, her skin could heal faster than before but if she didn't put any medi gel on the mark it should scar well. She would just have to be a little uncomfortable until it healed.
"You stink off the Turian." Javik mumbled under his breath and Jane flushed heatedly with embarrassment. She whirled on him with a glare but was shocked to see the prothean smirking, "it is nice to see you have found one another again." He said with a truthfulness that made Jane feel uncomfortable with the caring emotions it brought forth. Grunt snickered by him and grinned from cheek to cheek, his mouth spreading wide over his teeth,
"Glad to see Vakarian had it in him. Was worried that jumpy bastard Leng was going to steal his mate from him." He mumbled darkly and Jane made a 'urgh' sound and made a retching motion, earning a laugh from both her crew mates,
"Leng is a memory of my past self, nothing more. He was a different man back then, what he is now…I don't know, but if I had it my way he'd have a pretty bullet between his eyes." She gritted out with clear dislike of the man. Javik rumbled in approval,
"I do not doubt you Commander, I will admit I was concerned about your well-being around such a man. When you weren't… fully yourself." Javik struggled to get out, and Jane understood where he was coming from. Surprised at how patient and understanding her crew had been regarding her situation, all of them probably had wanted to kill the assassin but for her sake they'd all held back and obeyed her orders even when she wasn't fully herself. She still debated on Kai Lengs usefulness and wondered if it wasn't just worth sending him to the Alliance and being done with him. There was however a chance he could somehow be relevant to this mission and thus her decision remained that he would stay.
"Well, I handed his ass to him and made my standing on his being here very clear." Jane said firmly motioning for them to continue following her as she strode towards the club.
"Hehehe! That was a good fight!" Grunt recalled though honestly Jane hadn't even remembered seeing him in the gym, granted her mind was elsewhere. Falling into a companionable silence they entered Afterlife and went straight up to Aria's private level. Sure enough with an overly prideful smile peeling across her plump lips she sat with her legs crossed and a drink in one hand, the other planted on the sofa by her hip.
"Shepard, glad to see you're alright." She stated with a calm air and Jane opted to stand in front of her with her arms folded and cocked back on one leg. Sending an unimpressed look her way,
"Yeah, no thanks to you. Where the hell did you go?" She snapped accusingly and Aria shrugged with indifference.
"I already lost Vortough, That bitch knocked me out cold and when I came back too your guys were there to have your back. Me and Grizz made it out while we could." She admitted and took a sip of her drink. When Jane raised her eyebrows in blatant irritation Aria rolled her eyes exasperation. "What!? You were covered, the guards had already been taken down it was your clone against you and yours. I didn't exactly leave you to die, just left early." She said dismissively. "Now you're done. What's brought you to Omega?" She went straight to business and offered Jane a seat, which she took and relaxed into the sofa, arm thrown over the back.
"Ettlemen. We found evidence that suggests he's here." Jane stated simply and Aria hummed in thought,
"Well I haven't had any suspicious ships dock otherwise it would have been flagged." Aria answered, "I'll give you access to the docking logs, every one that wants to come into Omega has to go through there." She offered and Jane pursed her lips.
"That's a dam sight more organised than last time." Jane uttered impressed by the new turn Omega had taken,
"Yes well, when I had Omega taken from me I knew I needed to make changes. Nyreen Kandros who you have had the privilege to meet," she snorted before continuing, "she's now head of my security force and has this place running like clock work. Still a place to get lost if you don't want to be found, but you have to be allowed entry first." Aria explained and Jane nodded in approval of the new practice and pushed herself to stand,
"Well, thank you for the help Aria." Jane said appreciatively and Aria merely nodded her recognition and dismissal allowing them to leave.
Heading back to the Normandy was uneventful, and once back she quickly went to her quarters and changed into her military fatigues. Heading to the mess she smiled when she saw Wrex with his shotgun dismantled on the mess table,
"Wrex." She said in way of greeting and plonked herself down in front of him.
"Shepard." He replied in kind and they both fell silent for a moment as he cleaned his shotgun. "I'm needed back on Tuchanka, some of the clans have breeched the breeding limits set by the council for our yearly allotted amount." He said firmly and Jane frowned at him,
"That seems a little severe doesn't it? A breeding limit?" She queried and Wrex simply shrugged,
"May seem it. But truth be told if we didn't have these parameters set then we could end up with another Genophage. My people breed quickly, and that seems to put the other races on edge. Not that I blame them…my people also like war after all." He explained. Jane found herself in agreement with his explanation and offered to help him clean the shotgun, he tossed her a rag and she got to work with the barrel.
"I think I recall you wanting to change that? How's that going?" She asked and Wrex chuckled slightly amused as he dwelled on the answer.
Not looking up from the piece he was cleaning he spoke with pride, "Well one of the first things I requisitioned to be built after the Reaper war was schools, of course after hospitals and housing." His deep voice rumbled. "For the first time in hundreds of years our young will be taught academic stuff, off course alongside learning how to kill things."." He said in an obvious way with a gesture of his hand. Jane raised her eyebrows in surprise,
"Sounds terrifying." Jane said softly, but truly she felt extremely pleased with where Wrex was leading the Krogan people.
"Ha! I suppose it does doesn't it?" He murmured bringing his red eyes to hers, there was a time when they use to unnerve her. Those days had long since passed as their friendship bloomed. "Anyway Shepard, I'm glad we managed to get you back. And I'm happy I got to be apart of your crew again. When your little ones ready to pass the rite, you send her to me." He breathed and held his arm out across the table. They clasped each other's forearms tightly and then broke apart. Jane didn't have the heart to tell him Lanaya would hopefully never do the rite.
"Thank you Wrex, I've missed having you around. As soon as we're able we'll get you back to Tuchanka." She promised and then left him with his shotgun and headed to the main battery.
When the doors hissed open she immediately heard a trill of a giggle along with happy chirps. She followed them to find Garrus and Lanaya by his cot sitting on the floor. Lanaya would try to crawl away and every time she got so far Garrus would pull her back to him with a tickle. She watched for a while in silence admiring the simple joy found there, but before long they both looked up and smiled. Lanaya squealed in delight before crawling rapidly over to Jane's feet where Jane bent down and scooped her up onto her hip, Garrus walked over and nuzzled Jane's head in an affectionate greeting,
"Find anything on Omega?" He asked as Jane fluttered kissed on Lanaya's face earning a chuckle from the little girl. "Jane?" He repeated and she pulled back with wide eyes and a sheepish smile, distracted by her little one.
"Sorry. Yes and no. Aria says she's seen no suspicious activity, but she did say every ship that docks on Omega is recorded. So we have the docking logs to look through." Jane answered as Lanaya tugged on her hair curiously, twirling it around her talons. Jane winced when a sharp talon scratched her cheek and Garrus noticed the action,
"I'll cut them for her. Her teeth and talons have sharpened a little early but she should be able to go on solids now. Preferably meat, should we give it a go?" He said rhetorically and Jane cocked a curious eyebrow his way,
"And how do you know so much about babies Garrus?" She queried. They left the battery and headed to kitchen as Garrus began to prep some Turian meat, he started shredding it with his talons into smaller pieces for Lanaya and Jane watched with interest.
"Sol was a fair bit younger than me and I remember a bit about when she was growing up. Not going to lie, as soon as I found out I was a father I may have done a quick crash course as well." He admitted and spread his mandibles out into a shy smile. Jane's own mouth quirked in response at his obvious paternal side to their daughter and her heart swelled for a moment.
"What's that your making for her there?" Jane questioned as he motioned for them to sit at the table by Wrex. Garrus sat by the Krogan as Jane and Lanaya resumed where Jane had sat only moments prior.
"It's a native animal on Palaven, not too different from your 'cows' I think?" He uttered and put the plate down in front of Lanaya who Jane sat on the table in front of it, her hands around the infants hips to stop her from wanting to crawl off the table.
Lanaya picked up a strand of the greyish meat clumsily with her three digits and sniffed at it unsure, all three adults at the table now enraptured to see what she thought of solid food. Her long tongue licked the meat and after a moment she put it in her mouth and chewed on it aptly, letting out a happy rumble.
"Little Pyjak likes that doesn't she!" Wrex laughed with amusement as Lanaya dived her hand into the food again. Garrus and Jane both chuckled at her enthusiasm,
"You can't hear Jane but her sub harmonics are screaming with approval." Garrus explained to Jane who smiled wider at that. She often wondered what Garrus was saying without her knowing,
"I wonder if I could get an implant that would let me hear sub harmonics?" Jane thought out loud and Garrus looked from Lanaya with interest,
"I thought you hated the implants Cerberus gave you?" He asked with genuine curiosity. Jane shrugged and rubbed Lanaya's back adoringly, admiring the light blue flowy dress she wore,
"I do. But this would be my choice and it would help me better communicate with my family. It would be something I definitely would like to look into." She said truthfully.
Wrex leant forward to grab a piece of meat of Lanaya's plate and she snatched it back off him with a warning growl. Jane's eyes widened in mortified horror but Wrex and Garrus let out a loud laugh,
"You're a feisty little one, like your mother!" Wrex roared and slammed his hand on the table in mirth. Lanaya ignored him though kept looking to him with distrust and hovering over her plate a bit more protectively,
"Jane also likes her food!" Garrus barked out another chuckle and that set Wrex off again. Jane frowned at the little display of aggression from her daughter slightly concerned and usual Garrus picked up on her worries. "She's a predator Shepard. That's perfectly normal behaviour one she'll grow out of." He reassured and Jane sighed a little feeling a bit calmer.
"I hope so." She breathed and then slid Lanaya across the mess table to Garrus with the plate. "I'm going to see how EDI is getting along with the docking logs." Jane excused but as she stood EDI chimed in over the comm,
"I already finished looking through them twenty minutes after you arrived Shepard." She responded and Jane huffed with slight annoyance,
"What's with the lack of urgency in letting me know?" Jane argued as she crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at the ceiling,
"I believe some downtime with your family is equally important to your mental health Jane, you have been through a lot and I wished to give you a few moments reprieve. I assure you had it been pressing I would have alerted you straight away." EDI said in way of excuse and Jane shook her head in irritation. Garrus looked up at her in concern and clear agreement with EDI and Jane waved him off,
"Next time let me know as soon as anything arises, my mental health is fine EDI. I appreciate the concern." She mumbled in a disgruntled way. "Let Alenko, Miranda, Liara know I want to meet them in the conference room. We'll go through what you've found together." Jane ordered. She nodded to Garrus, "Can you get Jack to watch Lanaya again, need you in the meeting." She asked and Garrus nodded but before he could stand Wrex placed a large hand on his arm,
"Let me take her, I won't break her." Wrex argued and before either of the parents could protest he'd picked the little one up and perched her on his shoulder with a mischievous chuckle, "Lets go ruins someone's day welp." He said quietly and Jane looked off at their retreating form in dismay.
Garrus turned her away with a heavy breath of exasperation, "Just let it happen Jane. He wont let any harm come to her." He said calmingly and Jane huffed with indecision,
"I'm not worried about that, I'm worried he'll teach her how to harm someone!" She explained and Garrus stayed silent which only told her he may have agreed with her worry.
When they entered the conference room She found Alenko, Miranda, Liara and EDI already there. Her and Garrus stood slightly behind her,
"Right EDI did you find anything?" Jane began and turned her attention fully on EDI.
She looked a little nervous of something which Jane found odd till she followed her gaze and sneered at the assassin who just entered. "I threatened to kill you last we spoke. Is it wise showing your face?!" She snarled as Kai Leng sauntered in and stood at the opposite end of the table, he began pulling up the docking list ignoring her hostility with a shrug,
"You also tried to kill me once, failed. Figured I'd take my chances." He murmured as casually as if they were chatting over a drink. Jane felt her body go rigid as she leaned over the table, pinning him with her most deathly glare,
"I don't make the same mistake twice, this time I'll put a bullet through your head." She said with utmost seriousness as the tension doubled in the room.
EDI cleared her throat, a mimic of a very human gesture to gain attention. Jane refused to move her eyes away from Leng,
"I asked Kai Leng for his help Shepard, I thought his experience with Ettlemen might help us pinpoint the ship the Doctor may have travelled on." EDI reasoned and Jane begrudgingly saw sense in that. She gritted her teeth and draw back from the table, clasping her hands behind her back. Inhaling deeply to calm her wrath she nodded curtly to the man.
"Very well, I believe the ship they will have arrived on is this one." Kai pressed on a name and it zoomed in for the rest of them,
"The Williams?" Alenko asked quizzically with a frown, as Kai Jerked his head towards EDI who took over.
"I managed to get CCTV footage of the docks for when The Williams docked." She brought up the footage on the screen and a small frigate appeared,
"It's not a Cerberus ship?" Liara muttered with a raised eyebrow and Kai chuffed a laugh rudely,
"We're not stupid enough to brand our ships with Cerberus logos, not since the Reaper war." He pointed out and Jane scowled at him,
"We're? Still feel as if you're one of them?" She glowered arms immediately folding over her chest in a defensive manner. He levelled her gaze unflinchingly and twitched his lip into a crooked smile,
"No, I suppose I don't. Not anymore. Not after I've been made to feel so welcome here." He drawled with sarcasm dripping from his tone. Jane sent a spiteful smirk his way and had to fight the childish urge to flip him off.
"Wait, rewind the footage?" Miranda asked, seeming to be the only one watching the cctv and ignoring the squabbling duo.
EDI did as she asked and stopped it on an image of two people, one clearly of Simon Ettlemen but the other was of a women's frame. Armour clad in light blue coloured suit with a helmet in place obscuring her face from view. Jane cursed and pinched the bridge of her nose tiredly,
"If that's another fucking clone I say we can start officially declaring them as pests…tell the council and get an intergalactic effort together for vermin control." Jane joked but was finding herself actually meaning the words despite the humour.
"No, I doubt it. The only evidence I could find of a lab was the one on Bekenstein. This must be another Cerberus agent?" Miranda uttered in thought as she rubbed her chin supporting her arm around her chest.
"Leng?" Garrus asked though Jane could hear how it pained him to.
"No, I only knew of Miranda, myself and Shepard as the Illusive Mans go to operatives." He motioned to Miranda and Shepard as he spoke. Jane glared again and shook her head in denial.
"I was never a Cerberus operative." Jane snapped and Leng chuckled without humour.
"You flew a Cerberus vessel, with a Cerberus crew, on an assignment from Cerberus and wait, oh yeah. Were put back together by Cerberus. So yeah I'd constitute it as being a Cerberus operative. You might not be now, none of us are anymore! But you were once." He declared and Jane took a step forward in anger, the motion causing Leng's eyes to darken with adrenaline as Janes arm flared with her biotics.
"I didn't have a choice!" She growled and Leng barked out a loud laugh shaking his head bitterly and he looked at her in a relaxed fashion despite her clear anger and threatening stance.
"I think its time you got of that high horse darling and stopped being such a hypocrite-"
"Fuck you!" She shouted as she flung a biotic push his way. Garrus surprised her by lowering her arm and levelling her with a stern gaze and to her shock Leng didn't retaliate once he'd recuperated from the attack. "Get, off, my, arm." She hissed through clenched teeth and jerked her arm in emphasis. His iron grip not budging as he stared intently at her,
"Calm down, I would love nothing more than to watch you wipe the floor with him. But so far, as much as I hate to say it. He's been useful. Maybe save killing him for another week." He reasoned and finally dropped Janes elbow. She let her green eyes carry on getting lost in his strikingly blue ones before groaning and turning to Kai Leng,
"You're a cunt." She said simply jabbing a finger in his directions and then storming off.
As soon as she'd left ear shot, Kai brushed himself off smoothly and snorted,
"She's never been very imaginative with her insults." He spoke plainly as the others began to drain out the room. Kaidan paused as he exited and looked at the man with irritation,
"Just, shut up." He said simply, his raspy voice conveying his dislike of the man on every level.
Hey! Thanks for reading! Hope you're enjoying the story, if so please leave a review! :D xx
