Disclaimer: I do not own either Star Wars or Mass Effect. They're just two of my favorite franchises and I wanted to play in the sandbox.
Chapter Twenty-Three: Tipping Points
The Normandy was both familiar and foreign, though he wasn't sure which aspect of it he liked more. Ever since seeing her on a fly by and meeting the crew some six months prior, Fives had been harboring a secret desire to see her up close. He never really thought it would happen, but as Vega gave him the tour, he began to understand why Shepard held such a fondness for the both the ship and the crew. He quickly appreciated the diversity and committed himself to learn as many names and ranks as he could in the time he had.
After being given the opportunity to shower, he reported to the medbay for a brief assessment at Shepard's insistence. Doctor Chakwas was seasoned in dealing with his protests, commenting with a patient smile that he sounded just like Captain Shepard. Although uninjured, he instructed to aggressively hydrate after experiencing the extreme conditions of Mustafar. It was a request they both knew would be only partially completed. He wandered out of the medbay and toward the mess, unsure of where Shepard was or what he was supposed to do. As he rounded the corner, he saw Jack sitting with her feet on the table. A smile grew on his face as she stood and crossed to him.
"When I heard we had to pull your asses out of a fire, I didn't think it was literal." She chided.
"Well, you know Shepard." He purred into her ear as his hands slid across her shapely hips and tasted her exposed neck.
She returned a dusky chuckle and her fingertips crept under the edge of his groin plate. "I hope you didn't get singed where it counts."
"I missed you, Jack." He rumbled in his chest."Don't get all sentimental on me, Fives." She scoffed half-heartedly. "You been shown around yet?"
"Vega gave me the tour."
"Oh yeah? Well, did Commander Meat-Sack show you the engineering sub-deck?"
His brows pulled a little confused, "No, what's down there?"
Her teeth grazed his earlobe. "All my favorite dark corners."
His eyes widened. She took his hand and pulled him to the elevator. With the deck otherwise unoccupied, they unabashedly kissed as they waited for the lift. The door opened. A cleared throat separated them. Fives looked up at Shepard's smirking face.
"Captain! Uh, Jack was just going to show me her sub-deck." He quickly said then blushed slightly as he registered his word choice.
"I'll bet she was." She replied to the accidental double entendre. "I need you back in an hour."
Grinning boyishly, the pair hurried past her onto the lift. Shepard stepped out and her head as the door closed. Out of habit, she reported to Doctor Chakwas as well. Like Fives, she was instructed to hydrate and given a tube of topical medi-gel for the superficial burns she received when her hardsuit shorted.
"How's our guest?" She glanced over at the Quarian resting on a far table.
"He's lucky had compatible medical supplies on board. There seems to be no sign of infection from the suit breeches. His oxygen saturation is low from breathing the volcanic glasses, but he's responding well." Chakwas gave her a datapad with his test results.
"I want to debrief to him before we rendezvous with the Resolute."
"By my estimate, he should be strong enough to talk shortly. I'll let you know as soon as he's ready."
"Is our other guest in the AI core?"
"Actually, they're in the starboard observation deck and wish to speak to you." She informed.
"Thanks, Doc."
Shepard departed the medbay for the starboard observation deck. As expected, Edi was standing with the Geth at the large windows. They talked quietly but turned as she approached.
"Is this an okay time? I don't want interrupt." She asked.
"No, Shepard. Please come in." Edi welcomed.
"Shepard Captain, we are grateful for your assistance in escaping capture." The Geth said.
"Wait, we?" She clarified. "I thought all the other Geth perished when the building collapsed."
"Not entirely." Edi answered. "When the Normandy came within transmissions range, I was able to access your status and HUD to evaluate the field. It was clear physical recovery of the Geth was not an option, so I began transferring the consciousness of those housed on a Separatists server, or from from the platforms that had been reactivated and were holding in low power. They are presently being stored within my hard drive."
"Did you know EDI was doing this?" She asked the Geth.
"Yes. I provided her with the required access codes to expedite the transfer. There was no time to explain in the field."
"How many did we recover?"
"Of the two hundred Geth recorded at the facility, one hundred forty-three were recovered from the server. Thirty-seven were lost in the facility collapse." She explained.
"What about the other twenty-one?"
"Sixteen were listed as 'destroyed during program extraction'. The remaining five were listed as 'integration successful'. I found no trace of their consciousness on the server. A probable conclusion is they were integrated into Separatists ships, such as the one we encountered a week ago."
"That's the purpose of the project?" She asked out loud. "With as advanced as droid AI already is here, what's the benefit?"
"Separating the program from the platform was the initial objective," The Geth replied. "However the project evolved. The Creator sought to remove the code remnants from the Old Machines that gave us independence."
"They're after the Reaper code." She signed. "Hopefully we'll know more once I can talk to him."
"Shepard Captain, we would like to remain and assist your efforts."
"You don't want to return to Rannoch?"
"There may be other Geth held captive. We will not leave them behind."
"I can't promise we can investigate every lead, but I'll do what I can and I'd be grateful for the help." She paused. "What should we call you?"
"I have often heard the clone troopers refer to one another as 'brother'. In Mando'a, the native language of the clone donor, it also means 'comrade'." Edi proposed.
"Vod." Shepard said. "What do you think?"
"Yes, this we find this name appropriate." Vod agreed. "Thank you, Shepard Captain."
With the pressing discussion finished, Shepard circled back to a prior comment. "Edi, how could you access my HUD and status when I told you to desynch my tool when the Normandy departed Coruscant?"
"When the order was given you were no longer my commanding officer, so I was not obligated to follow it. Instead I deferred your request to Major Alenko and Commander Vega. Both shared my concerns about leaving you without a safety net and ultimately your request was denied."
"And why didn't anyone tell me that?" She crossed her arms across her chest.
"Notifying you must have slipped my mind." A demure smile pulled at Edi's face.
"I'm sure it did." She replied with a touch of sarcasm. "Well, thank you for ignoring orders."
"My pleasure." Edi jested back.
Shepard smiled and left them to their conversation. She departed the lounge, she cruised past the memorial wall and galley and entered Liara's office, which was still crammed full of her Shadow Broker equipment. As expected, the Asari was glued to her terminal, managing several tasks at once.
"One moment, Shepard. I'll be right with you." Liara greeted, stepping back from the station a moment later. "I see you ability to find trouble hasn't changed."
"I would argue the trouble finds me."
"A distinction only you would make." She mused. "I have something for you."
"Were your researchers able to build a counter measure to the inhibitor chip?" Shepard asked hopeful.
"Yes...theoretically." She activated her Omni-Tool a day transferred the program. "Without a trooper and an active chip, there hasn't been a way to field test the program. They tried to replicate the implant, but it's design is beyond anything they've seen, even within Cerberus or the Reapers. These are elegant in a way."
Shepard opened her OT and examined the program specs. "I'm assuming range and duration are unknown."
"In the simulations, the effective range was two meters on a small group with the chip permanently disabled, but we won't know with certainty until you're able to use it and have the results analyzed. And there's no way to know if it will cause long term neural damage. The emission signature is very unique. They were ablet o create an activation alert. Your Omni-Tool will tell you if you are within range of an active chip. Once linked to your HUD it will lock onto them."
"Here's hoping I can figure this out before I have to rely on it."
"I take it that means you aren't any closer to defining Order 66?"
She signed and leaned against a console with arms crossed over her chest. "No. I have studied every GAR training and field manual I can get my hands on and can't find any record of Order 66. I even asked General Skywalker's former student and Fives. They didn't know anything either. I suspect whatever it is, it's buried so deep in their genetic conditioning, we won't know what it is until the chips activate."
"And what happens if the counter measure doesn't work?" Her voice wavered slightly with concern.
"I'm trying not to think about that." Shepard admitted but shifted the subject. "So, what's my running tab with the Broker, anyway? Between the ship, full arsenal, mods, provisions, and intel will my descendents and I be working for you in perpetuity?"
Liara gave an almost devilish smile, "Your progeny won't be beholden to me. The Citadel Council approved a portion of the fee and since being here I've cultivated some revenue opportunities. If you'll give a few favors in return, we can call your debt paid."
"Hmm, I suspect those will be pretty big favors."
"I won't ask you to do anything beyond your moral code." She reassured and returned to the terminal when it started chiming. "Back to work, I suppose. Thanks for stopping by."
Kaidan was waiting for her just outside the door. The Quarian had been cleared for debriefing and was awaiting them in the conference room. They hurried to the command deck. Both Vega and Garrus put on their best intimidation faces as they stood guard inside. Once the Spectres were seated, the panel door was slid and glass frosted for privacy. Shepard activated her Omni-Tool and began recording. After reciting the file number, date, and time, she began.
"The attendees of this interview are Captain L. Jean Shepard, Citadel Council Spectre, retired Alliance Navy, Major Kaidan Alenko, Citadel Council Spectre, Alliance Marines, and please state your name for the record." She prompted.
With a reluctant sigh, the Quarian complied. "My name is Tol'Breko vas Moreh and I have nothing else to say."
"Very well, that's your choice. I'll start." She used the projector to show an inventory. "You see, we actually recovered approximately 75% of the 200 Geth logged at that facility and all the research you had there, so there really isn't much for you to add. All the evidence we need is there."
"I've committed no crime." He argued. "The Geth have not yet been recognized as a sentient species by the Quarian Admiralty. They have no legal rights as people."
"While that is unfortunately true, the Geth are still under a legal moratorium until such a time a final consensus could be reached. That means, despite Admiral Xen's attempts to push a vote while Admiral Zorah was away, taking those platforms off Rannoch and experimenting on them was a crime." She left an uncomfortably long pause and watched him shift in his seat before continuing. "What's more, all the races of our sector unanimously passed a law making it a high crime to possess, research, experiment on, or transact with Reaper tech without proper authorization."
For emphasis, she found the legislation on her datapad, highlighted the summary, and slid it across the table to him. As he reviewed the section, his shoulders slumped slightly. After a moment, Kaidan collected the pad and returned it to Shepard. He took a seat next to her.
"The minimum penalty for unauthorized possession of Reaper tech is 20 years in prison." Alenko interjected. "With the information we collected and the experiments you were doing, you'll be lucky to spend the rest of your life locked up."
"On top of that, you were also conspiring with the Separatists Alliance against the Republic." Shepard added.
"No, I wasn't-" Tol sputtered.
Shepard continued over his protests. "The Republic courts have circumvented the judiciary process for suspected war conspirators. What's more, none of the races from our sector are for formally recognized by the Republic. Legally you don't exist here. Do you really think they'll just ask you a few questions and let you go?"
"I wasn't conspiring!" Tol exclaimed.
"Ya' know, it really doesn't matter whether you cooperate or not. We already know you were trying to strip Reaper code from the Geth. Your testimony won't make a difference." Shepard stood and strode to the door.
"WAIT!" He shouted.
She stopped with a hand gripping the door handle. "Are you in the mood to talk now?"
Reluctantly, he sighed. "Admiral Xen."
"What about her?" She asked with a sense of satisfaction.
"I was sent out here by Admiral Xen. No one was supposed to know."
She pivoted on her heel and returned to the table, but didn't sit. "Got any proof?"
"I have recorded communications from her." He confessed.
"Okay, that's a start, but there's a lot missing. How did we get from Admiral Xen wanting to get rid of the Geth to extracting Reaper code for Count Dooku?" She sat and patiently waited.
Tol took a deep breath and began.
Rex could barely contain his fury. He never thought she'd be so defiant. So reckless! It wasn't uncommon for Shepard and Fives to be late checking in. The length of their missions were always subjective, but three rotations past their scheduled check-in was longer than they had ever gone without making contact. Then, when she finally did make contact it was only to file their mission reports and set up a rendezvous point with the Normandy as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. The boiling combination of relief and anger he felt as he read their reports from Mustafar was a mix he wasn't prepared for. Nor did he know what to do with it.
And to top it all off the Normandy's kriffing decontamination cycle was taking a kriffing eternity.
"Breathe, Rex." Anakin reminded from his left.
From under his bucket, he took a deep breath and let it out as calmly as he could but it did little to still the tempest of his emotions. Finally, the door opened and they were met by Commander Vega.
"General, Captain, welcome aboard the Normandy." He greeted proudly.
"Where's Shepard?" Rex stiffly asked.
"She's in the QEC. If you'll follow me."
He led them to yet another scanner. Rex grumbled and doffed his bucket as the blue lights passed over them. Before leaving the scanner, Vega pressed his hand to a touch screen. Once the pad flashed green, they proceeded.
"You keep tight security." Anakin commented.
"The Normandy is a state of the art ship and especially after Shepard's clone tried to kill us almost make off with her, protocols were nailed down."
Anakin nodded absently as the departed the scanner then registered the events. "Shepard's clone?"
"Yeah. If I hadn't been there, I'm not sure I'd have believed it. Makes for a damn good story at the pub." Vega chuckled.
They passed a room with frosted glass walls. Rex could make out the rough shapes of several figures. He guessed one was the Quarian they recovered and assumed Major Alenko was likely in the process of an interrogation. The third silhouette, by the shape of the shoulders and posture, was without a doubt Fives who seemed to be standing in the background as either a guard or witness.
Rounding the corner, they walked along the upper level of the war room. A holotable in the sunken middle of the room displayed a map of a sector Rex didn't recognize. Garrus and Doctor T'Soni were talking intently. When the Turian noticed them passing through, he casually changed the display to a hologram of the Normandy as they spoke. His intense blue eyes met the clone's and his mandibles pulled tightly against his mouth. As he understood the species behavior from Shepard, it meant he was on edge.
The trio turned right into the communication room. To his relief, he saw Shepard, her back at least, standing before holograms of General Windu, an Asari, and a Quarian. As expected, she was dressed in her fatigues and, based on her movements and posture, was uninjured.
"I appreciate the Council's understanding the delicacy of the situation." She said, turning to look over her shoulder as they neared.
It was then that Rex spied some new burns on her cheek, neck, arms. They appeared minor, but he wondered how many he couldn't see. Their eyes met briefly and, in the span of a single expression, she communicated an apology for making him worry and reassurance she was okay. His shoulders relaxed slightly. He was still plenty angry, but he at least got a handle on it and could set it aside until he wasn't surrounded by his superiors.
Shepard made the proper introductions. Anakin stood at her side and addressed the politician and officer.
"Councilor Tevos, Admiral Raan, it's an honor to meet you. Shepard has recently spoken of you both in the highest regard." He praised formally.
"Likewise Captain Shepard speaks highly of you, General Skywalker." Tevos replied.
"The Quarian Admiralty is affording the Republic and opportunity to question Tol'Breko vas Moreh before he is returned to Rannoch." Windu explained.
"Master, this man was aiding the Separatists. He was recovered by Republic and must stand trial here." Anger flared and Anakin immediately looked at Shepard.
Councilor Tevos offered an explanation. "Respectfully General, the recovery of Tol'Breko was a Spectre mission. As the Normandy was not able to investigate their lead on the Geth, the Citadel Council contacted Captain Shepard regarding the matter. She informed us the Republic chose to follow a different lead."
The room filled with tense silence. Shepard could see the anger burning in his eyes, but refused to look away or backdown. She knew this mission was going to cross a line. Even with the support of the Jedi Council, or at least General Windu, and Tevos protecting her with alternate version of who contacted whom, Anakin would seen it as a betrayal and validation that she couldn't be trusted.
"Master Windu, I disagree with this decision." He looked back at the hologram. "Has the Chancellor been made aware of the situation?"
"As of this moment, the Supreme Chancellor is in a Senate session and is unavailable."
"Then we should wait until he is available."
"Respectfully General Skywalker," Tevos stepped in, "granting you an interview as a representative of the Republic is a measure of respect and courtesy. The planet on which the recovery took place has seceded from the Republic and is classified as a disputed territory. As such, the Republic has no extradition authority over the Quarian Admiralty. We wish to maintain good will with the Republic, however we cannot allow a delay in the Normandy's return beyond what has already been granted. We understand this does not meets with your approval, but it is the final decision."
"The Jedi Council agrees with this course of action. We have already received recordings and transcripts of Tol'Breko's initial interrogation. You are to review these notes and make additional queries as needed. The Quarian Admiralty has allotted two hours before the Normandy will depart."
"Of course, Master." He spoke tensely and bowed respectfully.
Vega led him from the room. The turbulence of Skywalker's anger trailed behind. Rex gave her a concerned look, donned his bucket, and followed. Shepard turned back to the QEC terminal.
"Captain Shepard," Admiral Raan said, "On behalf of the Quarian Admiralty, we want to thank you and the Normandy's team for uncovering this plot. Tali'Zorah is especially grateful."
"The Citadel Council likewise appreciates your continued efforts in protecting our interests beyond our borders. We look forward to your return once your time with the Republic concludes." Councilor Tevos cryptically, yet purposefully added.
Shepard expressed her appreciation and ended the transmissions until only Master Windu remained. She fell silent as a dozen thoughts ran through her head at once.
"You are concerned, Captain." He stated after watching her for a moment.
"General Skywalker was more taken aback than I anticipated. I'm concerned this has damaged the trust he and I have built."
"The Council will speak with him upon your return to Coruscant." He reassured.
"He seems to have a close relationship with the Chancellor Palpatine. Is that typical among the Jedi? " She bluntly asked.
"We will see you back on Coruscant, Captain. Job well done."
The transmission ended, leaving Shepard alone in the QEC. General Windu's lack of comment on her observation seemed to indicate he was already aware of it. She had harbored concerns regarding the relationship between the Jedi and the politician for some time. Especially after her experiences with Donal Udina and the Illusive Man, she knew a liar when she saw one.
Even from the news holos she watched after first waking up on Coruscant, she had a bad feeling about Palpatine. The more time she's around him, the more sure she felt he was behind it all. Hearing Anakin speak with such reverence and so passionately defend the man struck her as odd at first. It was through passive conversation that she realized how long the two had known one another and that the Chancellor had taken a special interest in the young Jedi. What began as a quizzical look in response to an occasional comment from Anakin had grown into an internal alarm she struggled to ignore.
A throat cleared behind her. Fives was standing in the doorway.
"Sorry to interrupt, Captain. General Skywalker wanted me to make sure you were ready to leave as soon as he was finished."
"Thanks, Fives."
Together they walked through the war room and past the conference room. As they waited in the scanner, she probed for information.
"How'd Skywalker seem to you?"
Fives took a deep breath, "Well, I've probably seen him angrier at some point...can't say I can remember when exactly that was, but I'm sure it's happened."
She nodded, having expected as much. "And Rex?"
"Give him some space to cool off." He advised. "Maybe keep a low profile in the ship once we dock."
As they emerged from the scanner, Traynor stopped her. "Captain, Joker would like to speak to you when you have a moment."
She instructed Fives to collect Vod and make sure they were prepped to take off. Crossing the CIC, she found Joker at his post, carefully monitoring the state of the Normandy while they were attached via docking tube to the Resolute.
"Traynor said you wanted to talk."
He looked over his shoulder and stood. "Yeah. There's something I've needed to tell you but an email didn't seem the right way to do it. I blamed you for what happened to Edi even though you really didn't have much choice. I'm sorry, Shepard."
She gently hugged him. "You had every reason to be angry with me."
"Yeah, well...buy me a drink thre with two umbrellas you owe me and we'll be good." He humorously deflected his emotions. "Just no bullets, or mercs, or using me as bait this time either. Clones are okay though, just no clones of you."
"Deal." She chuckled.
After quickly making the rounds to take a few minutes with the rest of the crew, she joined Fives and Vod in the cargo bay. The former was trying to charm Cortez out of a Black Widow while the latter resisted the trooper's attempts.
"Told you, Fives. Gotta play for the team if you want the fun toys." She interjected. "So Cortez, what's the damage to my armor?"
"I replaced the shorted circuits and wiring and used extra insulation in case this manages to happen again. Your boots were in really bad shape from the extreme heat exposure. We have a replacement set on board. These are the latest N7 issue." He opened the crate and Shepard's eyes lit up.
"Are those?" She asked excitedly.
"Yep. Rocket boosters come standard issue for N7s now." He gave her a datapad. "Please promise me you'll read the manual first."
"I always read the manual." She defended.
"Eventually. You eventually read the manual and usually only after a something is accidentally discharged in the cargo bay."
"Don't worry, Lieutenant. I'll keep her to her word." Fives assured with a wink, also making a mental note to give her a hard time later.
She shot him a playfully annoyed look and turned back to the bench. Fives watched while she and Cortez finished repairing her armor. He began asking asking about the materials, wiring, and maintenance. Cortez happily engaged the trooper and answered every question he came up with. Smiling to herself she, retrieved water and rations from the stash Vega kept in what she affectionately called his pillow fort.
Fives didn't miss a beat in the conversation as he broke the seal, added two tabs, resealed the bottle, and set it aside after a few vigorous shakes. Cortez observed the behavior with curiosity but said nothing. Instead, he asked about the composition of the trooper armor, prompting Fives to remove a gauntlet so he could examine it.
Shepard finished working on her armor as they argued about ceramic plating over plastoid and how robust shield generator could bridge any deficit. The conversation then shifted to thermal versus projectile weapons for an extended period. Just as they began the discuss the process of adapting the heat sinks of her weapons to a cooling system powered by charge packs, Rex rang her comm. General Skywalker was finished with his interrogation and was ready to return to the Resolute. Reluctantly, the new friends had to pause their great debate, agreed to disagree, and promised to resume as soon as they met up again.
After biding farewell to the Normandy team, Shepard, Fives, and Vod boarded her ship. Once the flight deck was cleared, the cargo bay doors opened. She engaged the engines. They glided through the kinetic barrier and into the black. The Resolute loomed above them, dwarfing the Normandy.
"So, what'd you think of the Normandy?" She asked as she carefully maneuvered to the lower hangar. "Aside from the fact that Jack was there and you got laid."
He smiled roguishly and transmitted their clearance codes, "I get why you talk about your team the way you do. They were all open to someone new. We clones aren't used to that."
"My prior offer still stands, ya' know. Say the word and we can be on Terra in two rotations." She spoke quietly, as though Skywalker was listening.
He stiffened at the suggestion of deserting his brothers and his duty, but knew she was talking as a friend. "Ask me again once the war is over. Once my duty to the Republic is done."
"Deal." She nodded.
A moment later, they were docked in the lower hangar of the Resolute and the ramp lowered. In their typical routine, Fives gathered his gear and the requesition list while Shepard cycled down the engines and ran the ship's performance reports to review later. Vod was in the cargo area, storing and securing the supplies they received from the Normandy. When she emerged from the cockpit, she was surprised to see Rex standing at the top of the ladder, staring at her ominously. It was an intense expression she had never seen on him before.
Fives strode from the galley and visibly stiffened. He knew that look. "Sir, I can explain-"
"Out." Rex bit the single word.
The visible muscles of Rex's clenched jaw and narrowing of his smoldering eyes made it abundantly clear talking was only going to make it worse. Fives reflexively complied with regulatory protocol and jumped to action. Grabbing his bucket and gear bag, he hustled down the ladder like shiny running drills. Grabbing Vod by the arm on the way out, they were only halfway down the ramp when it began to rise, forcing them quickly to jump to the deck. Glancing back at sealed ship, he wished Shepard luck.
Inside the ship, Shepard and Rex stood in thick silence. She wasn't sure want to say. He was understandably furious with her, but she didn't regret her decision and wasn't about to apologize for it. His mouth opened and closed several times. He seemed to struggle finding the right words. Instead, he closed the space between them, took her by the upper arm, and assertively kissed her without pause or greeting. She responded by subtly pushing her pelvis into his and returned his passion.
Just as abruptly, he parted from her mouth and quietly growled, "Don't do that ever again."
Her eyes burned with wanton defiance as her skin flushed. "Once we get back Coruscant, you'd better give me a good spanking as a punishment."
Rex hardened at the suggestion. She winked playfully and turned toward the cockpit. Her finger tips brush across the narrow strip of black between his thigh and groin plates as she moved. He dropped his bucket, grabbed her arm firmly and pushed her into the wall. Before she could respond, his mouth was on hers again. His tongue probed her lips apart, tasting her deeply as his right knee pushed her thighs apart. Doffing his gloves with an aggressive yank, he unfastened her pants and thrust his hand into her ready heat. As he worked her into a moaning frenzy, he aggressively sucked and bit the sensitive skin of her neck.
His name hitched in her throat several times before she finally sputtered, "Someone could see us."
"You really want me to stop?" He asked darkly into the shell of her ear.
"No, w-we just agreed-" She started but the train of thought scattered as she climaxed on his hand.
Throwing aside his groin plate and hoisting her legs around his waist, he let her feel the intensity of his hardness, knowing it drove her wild. As he kissed her, she cast off his gauntlets, ammunition pouch, pauldron and chest armor. The pieces clattered in a pile at his feet. He ripped open her shirt and burying his face in the valley between her breasts, tongue lapping at her glistening flesh. Her strong hands gripped the back of his neck as she tilted her hips into him, her body aching for more.
"Rex, what's gotten into you?" She gasped.
He didn't answer but gave her a predatory grunt and carried her into the cabin. In a well practiced flurry, he dropped her into the bunk, shucking her boots and all her clothes. Stripping to the waist, he pushed her into the thin mattress with his weight and consumed her body with his mouth, steadily moving down her chest and stomach. She panted in anticipation as he raised her legs to his shoulders and raked his teeth across her inner thighs until she shuddered in torment.
His lips ghosting against her. Part of him wanted to hold out and tease her until she utterly unraveled, but he knew he was too pent up for that amount of restraint. It had been three weeks since they had any time together off ship and off duty. He was already waking up painfully aroused every morning when she and Fives were suddenly called away for their emergency extraction. The added time apart, emotional upheaval of her prolonged comm silence and learning she nearly died on Mustafar left him hanging by a thread.
Shepard moaned loudly as his head dipped low and he indulged in his favorite method of foreplay. Her hips shifted and rose as he savored her and fingers raked across his buzzed head, unable to find purchase. His calloused hands gripped his favorite parts of her body as she writhed beneath his tongue. Doffing what remained of his gear, he held back his own desire for the right moment. As always, he let her responses guide his pace, pressure, and location. He recognized the subtle changes in the tone and pitch of her voice as she neared the precipice, which made him harder and harder with every moan.
As her arousal peaked, he unceremoniously sheathed himself deep inside her, drawing a long moan from her gaping mouth. Her legs were still on his shoulders, allowing him to push deeper and deeper with each commanding thrust. Plaintiff whimpers crescendoed into delighted howls. She dug her fingernails into his upper arms as she throbbed around him. The tightened coil in his belly snapped. Euphoria rippled through his body with a deep, satisfied groan in his chest.
Both panted, trying to catch their breath. He hovered over her as her trembling legs slid off his shoulders. Shepard sat up, but immediately laid back down and held her spinning head. After a minute, she slowly sat up and kissed him deeply. Then, she stood and crossed to the 'fresher with a sway on unsteady legs.
Rex smirked to himself as she left, feeling quite pleased with his handiwork. He really wanted to pull her close, cram themselves into the tiny bunk, make love to her again, and take a long nap. But that wasn't an option. Instead, he dutifully pulled his body glove up to his waist and slowly fastened his armor in place. As he finished the lower half, he paused. Resting his elbows on his knees, he suddenly felt nervous about what he was going to do next.
"Are you okay?" Shepard asked from the doorway.
He looked up and feigned a smile. "Yeah, why?"
She crossed to him and gently touched his face. "As amazing as that was, it's a bit out of character for you, at least while we're on ship. What's going on?"
His eyes were filled with uncertainty as he looked up at her. He slid his hands across her naked hips and he embraced her around the waist, resting his face against her stomach. She caressed the back of his head, wrapped an arm around his shoulder, and curled her body around his. Under her hand, she felt a single shuddering breath from him.
"I was afraid I lost you." He finally admitted.
"Rex," She sighed patiently, coaxing him to look at her, "This is what I do, you've always known that."
Pulling back, his hand drifted over the the rough scar that stretched across most of her lower abdomen. Although one of many, it was by far the largest. A reminder of the life she had already lived before they met, before he was even decanted. A testament to her resilience in the face of impossible odds. Not even Harbinger had been able to kill her. He kissed the scar and looked up at her lovingly.
"I can't bear the thought of losing you." He began, trying to find confidence.
"It takes a lot more than a sabotaged building collapsing over a volcanic planet to kill me." She reassured lightly and stepped away from his grasp to don her undergarments.
After assessing the state of her shirt, which was going to require some mending, she pulled a body glove from her cabinet. When she turned, she froze in place. Her heart suddenly pounded in her chest. Rex was in the middle of the room, on bended knee. Words caught in her throat, leaving her mouth agape and speechless.
He cleared his throat. "Jean, I have little to offer you beyond my love and loyalty. This betrothal token was crafted as a symbol of my devotion to you. It is a promise that I will love no other as I love you and a vow to spend what remains of my life by your side as a partner, lover, and comrade...if you will have me."
She smiled. "Rex, of course I will."
Taking her left hand, he slid a simple ring onto her ring finger. Shepard never thought of herself as the marrying type. Her mother hadn't a high opinion of the institution, or relationships in general for that matter. With the mistakes she made in her angry, rebellious youth, it wasn't until she met Thane that she even entertained the notion of trusting someone enough for marriage. Then she met Rex. The most she allowed herself to hope for was a life together without a title to it. But, as she looked at the ring on her hand, crafted from a piece of durasteel, painted 501st blue with a pair of Jaig eyes etched into the paint, she finally admitted to herself that deep down it was what she had wanted all along.
It was a perfect fit.
Just as she started to ask one of the several questions about running through her head, her Omni-Tool chimed and glowed. Skywalker needed to see her. Both dressed in haste. Shepard reluctantly moved to take the ring off to maintain their professional appearance on ship, but Rex stayed her hand. His thumb smoothed back and forth across the ring on her finger. He didn't care if it broke protocol. Feeling the token on her hand gave him a joy he couldn't describe. They shared one last kiss before lowering the ramp and breaking the seal on the intimacy they had just shared.
Back to the war.
Back to duty.