Chapter 11: Debrief & Sparring
Horse Head Nebula, Pax System, Noveria aboard the Normandy
Shepard
"Welcome back, Commander. What's our next move, head for the Mu Relay?" Ashley asked as the crew started sitting about the room. Shepard's eyes wandered to the half she left on the Normandy, the ones that had successfully hunted down and eliminated the Geth given Kaidan's report. Only hiccup was at the end where their newest member withheld data from her commanding officer.
"The Mu relay could link to dozens of systems. We need to know exactly where Saren's going, otherwise we'd just be wasting our time." Shepard answered, thinking about how to go about things.
"The commander is right. We cannot rush of blind. We still need to learn more about Saren." Liara added, backing up Shepard's answer.
She's doing well considering it was her mother back there. I'll talk with her later. Matriarch Benezia, Liara's mother. They had to kill her because of some kind of brainwashing that Saren had put her through.
"Who put you in charge? Did the commander resign when I wasn't looking?" Ashley snapped at Liara.
"Having a go at another person who isn't a human. I'm starting to see who you really are, kiyet." Yang answered from her seat beside Tali, who Shepard could swear heard a little chuckle.
Ashley rose to her feet and stepped forward raising her finger. "We're all on the same team, Williams. She's just trying to help, now sit down." Shepard ordered before anything more could come of this interaction. With Ashley's quick apology, Shepard continued. "This is a tough mission. We're all on edge. Everyone go get some rest. Crew dismissed." As they all started to file out, Shepard whistled and motioned for Yang to approach her.
Once everyone but them were gone, Yang spoke. "What's up Shepard?"
"Kaidan's report shows that you disobeyed an order from him. I take it you've still got the data?" Shepard just watched as Yang pulled up the data on her omni-tool. Once it had been transferred to her, Shepard just shook her head. "And why couldn't you just do that for Kaidan? He was in command."
"I'm sure he's already told you Shep, but Tali wanted the data too. Sensitive Geth data to help her people and her pilgrimage. Kaidan wanted it because it could contain sensitive human information in that… system?" Shepard just smirked as she could tell Yang was still trying to find the right words to use in her much larger galaxy now.
"So you held onto it to… stop a dispute?"
"Not really, and I think it's better you hear this from me rather than anyone else. I let Tali copy the data. She's probably a bit sleep deprived from trying to decrypt it on the way to pick you up." The blonde seemed rather happy with her choice, but Shepard wasn't.
"You're lucky to be on this ship, Yang. You'll obey my officers orders like they are my own, understood?" Yang's smile faded and no hint of a nod followed. "I would have done the same though. We're after Saren and a copy of the data is unlikely to harm the Alliance. The Quarians wouldn't want any more heat on them from what I know about them and the Geth."
"Tali has told me a lot about them, even though I kind of said that the Quarians deserved what they got initially." Yang chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck. "Hey Shep, are we going to be landing at any civilised place? I want to shop around."
"With what money?" Shepard asked immediately.
"Well, someone told me that you're a spectre, and that you'd cover it." There was a taunting to the blonde, but also a nervousness.
"I'll let you know next time we land at a suitable location. You're dismissed." Yang turned and left, leaving Shepard to speak with the council over the holo terminals, but not before telling Joker to set a course for Kepler Verge and specifically the Herschel system.
It was fair to say the council didn't approve of her letting the Rachni Queen go, free to wander space and repopulate its species. But then again, the humans weren't even part of the galactic community at that point in history, nor were the Turians. Returning to her quarters and pouring herself a glass of Thessian Temple, a standard Asari drink that Liara had pointed out to her. She was halfway done finishing the glass she poured herself when there was a knock on the door.
"Hey cousin, mind if we catch up?" Ingersoll called from the doorway.
"Is it just you, or-"
"You'd like that wouldn't you." Maulden's gruff tone sounded, prompting Shepard to finish the rest of the glass and pour herself another.
"Grab a seat. Can I interest you in a glass?" Both of her cousins nodded and soon three glasses of Thessian Temple were sitting on the table between them.
"So fill me in. What happened on Noveria? Wrex looked tense down below and Garrus seemed deep in thought. Something bad happen?" Ingersoll asked.
"Something bad." Maulden scoffed. "Our dear cousin here let loose an old enemy of the Council. You've heard about the Rachni, right Em?"
"The ones that had the Asari and Salarians on the backfoot before they uplifted the krogan, yeah I've read a bit about them before." Ingersoll answered.
"There was a queen on Noveria," Shepard said, "I let her go rather than be the one responsible for making her species go extinct for a presumably second time." She drank a little more of her alcohol. "The Council weren't exactly thrilled about the report I sent them either."
Maulden huffed with a smile while Ingersoll choked up some of her drink. "No shit, I bet they're worried about a future threat since they neutered the Krogan. Doesn't affect us much, doubt we'll be around to witness another Rachni war." Ingersoll said while dabbing the wet spots from her shirt.
"Not really the point there Em. I might have just released a galaxy wide threat into space and I won't even know about it in my lifetime." She held her drink and looked into the liquid as she swirled it slowly within her glass. I made the right decision, consequences be damned. The Council went too far with them and the Krogan.
"Can't change that decision now Cee. People will either love you or hate you in the distant future." Ingersoll said as she moved her hand slowly through the air.
"There's more." Maulden said as he finished his glass, pouring himself another.
"You know, I'm going to have to start charging you two for drinks." Shepard said with a smile.
"Yeah yeah, eventually. Anyway, had to put down that Asari's mother while we were down there. A Matriarch of all people." Maulden didn't sound like he cared at all though.
"Liara's mother?" Ingersoll received a nod from her cousins. "Fuck." Looking down into her drink this time, Ingersoll then looked to Shepard. "Have you spoken to her about it?"
The Commander shook her head. "No, I thought I'd give her some time to process what happened. She did give us the location of the Mu Relay though. Brainwashing, she still managed to save a small fragment of herself to aid our cause."
"Fuck off Cecile, old hag sided with Saren and got what she deserved. I'm worried about her daughter now. We could have one of Saren's pawns feeding him information on us." He said leaning forwards and putting his elbows on the table. "We should drop her off at the next station we land at and restrict her access on the ship until we do."
"I'm not dropping Liara off. She's hurting right now, she needs something to direct her emotions towards." Shepard answered.
"I'd be careful, Kaleb, you're more against aliens than our new addition in Sergeant Williams." Ingersoll warned.
"So, you heard what I went through. Got those fucking Batarian bastards too."
"At the cost of most of your soldier's lives." Shepard remarked with a look of disgust. "But what about Gunnery Chief Williams, something happen on your mission?"
Finishing her drink and leaving it empty as she sat back, Ingersoll nodded. "Gave Tali some shit for being useless despite being a Geth expert. Blondie stood up for Tali, then at the end when Kaidan and Tali were talking over who got the data, blondie said some things."
"What things?" Ingersoll's two cousins echoed.
"I don't think you two will like it, especially Kaleb. Blondie said this "I'm not human like you two. My loyalty to the Alliance is questionable, I'm sure you know that." Or something along those lines. She's hanging onto the data for you by the way Cee." She looked to Maulden who was thinking things over, his brow furrowed and thick.
"She gave me the data before, let me know she already let Tali take a copy." Shepard let her cousins know. "Should have waited for my call, but I would have done the same. Guess that's why there was a little tension with one another during that meeting."
"I'm guessing you let her off without any disciplinary actions then." Maulden accused.
"I don't think disciplining an unknown human who claims to be from somewhere no one has ever heard of and isn't in any searches I've done will give a shit what we do. Besides, she saved Liara's life on Feros, I'm cutting her some slack, for now." Turning her gaze to Ingersoll, she inquired about their mission and in particular how Yang had performed.
"A hindrance? Maybe at the start, but in the final Geth outpost Kaidan let her lead the way in. Girl's freakishly strong, took out three Destroyers basically by herself. A-and then… fucking punches the Juggernaut, biggest two legged Geth I've ever seen in my life up into the air." Ingersoll explained, getting excited.
"Bullshit, stop talking her up. You're going to give Shepard a false impression." Maulden interrupted.
"Shut up." Ingersoll insisted. "Then she jumps out into the air and grabs it by the back, rotates a couple of times before slamming it into the ground. Dead, destroyed, cracked and broken. She's a freak Cee, wait till you see her in action like that."
Shepard's eyes had widened slightly, not sure whether to believe her cousin's story. Three Destroyers and a Juggernaut all by herself? Not only that but the movements sound impossible. She began wondering if she had used her biotics, but even then she figured the blonde didn't have the control needed for something like that. That and it was impossible to do from her experience.
"I'll be sure to bring her along then, see if she'll show me what you said."
"If you don't believe me, then ask the others. Kaidan and Tali will say the same, though Williams might be a little sour at singing Yang's praise." Ingersoll said.
"Shepard, if you're going to take her on a mission again, let me go a round with her. I'm a better hand to hand fighter than you or Emelyne, if she proves herself capable then I'll shut my mouth."
"Please Shepard, I'd love to see our dear, strong cousin get served." Ingersoll's confidence in the result almost had Shepard decide not to let Maulden fight her then and there. Though the fiery look in his eyes showed he was raring to go.
"Fine, now or later Maulden?" Shepard asked.
"Now, just let me…" He finished off the rest of his glass and stood up. "Right, let's go find that girl."
"Hold." Shepard said before moving past him. "This is to be a sparring match only, and I'll go inform her and ask her permission. I seem to recall you two having a few heated words on Feros." Kaleb sat back down in a huff and waved Shepard off as he refrained from drinking more.
When Shepard arrived down in the cargo area, she could see Wrex in his usual stop. He cast a judging look in her direction, obviously still irritated about the choice to let the Rachni Queen go free. Then there was Garrus who seemed to be looking over the mako. Williams was also there but seemed to be messing around with her rifle. Locating Yang didn't take much more though as she was chatting with Tali again, the latter seeing Shepard and alerting Yang to her presence.
"Commander, do you need us for something?" Tali asked.
"I need Yang, Maulden is a bit steamed that I didn't discipline you for allowing Tali to copy the data on the Geth." The Quarian's head dropped a little. "He has requested a sparring match, both to teach you a lesson and to see if Ingersoll was speaking the truth about your hand to hand prowess. I already told him that I'm giving you a pass on this incident because of what you did for Liara. However, if you want to have a match against Maulden then it can happen now." It concerned her when Yang smiled at the offer.
"Finally. I get to knock some sense into that bastard, no offence." She began to take her prosthetic off before Shepard reached out.
"Leave that on, it'll be too unfair if you were to remove it." The laugh that came from Yang added more curiosity.
"Alright, I'll hold back so you don't have to put him in a box." She couldn't tell if Yang was boasting or not, but if Ingersoll's tale was true then her cousin was in for a beating. "Where to?"
"Cargo hold area. Enough room for you two to move around in there without fighting against something." As Yang walked away, Shepard tapped Tali's shoulder. She let the Quarian know that Ingersoll had told her about how Yang had single handedly deposed of large Geth opponents and expected Tali to reveal that it was a lie. Only the confirmation made her feel worried for Maulden for the first time in years.
She found Yang stretching while in the Alliance uniform she'd been given and was drawing attention from the usual lot that made their homes in this section of the ship. When Maulden and Ingersoll came down, Mauldren cracked his fingers while Ingersoll went to Yang. Straining to hear what the two women were saying, she could make out Ingersoll's request. "Just don't put him in the med bay, he's an ass but he's a good soldier, and family."
Well at least Yang might hold back. She looked to Tali who was standing somewhat nearby Wrex who had also taken an interest in what seemed to be happening.
"Shepard!" He called, "didn't know you Alliance types were ones for this sort of entertainment."
"Requested sparring match, Wrex." She corrected him with a smile, glad she had him back on Noveria. If Ingersoll called Yang a freak, then she really hasn't seen what an experienced Krogan can do.
As the two began to circle, Shepard made sure to call out that it was simply a sparring match again which seemed to get Yang's attention. Not as dumb as she looks. She noted. "Begin!"
There wasn't any immediate clash as the two circled, but as Maulden grew bored as Shepard knew he would, he tested Yang's defences. Punches to the face and sides, kicks trying to take out her balance or simply to see if she flinched. The blonde would block and redirect with ease, surprising Shepard who was watching intently. From there Yang tested Maulden in return, probing his defences while trying to figure out how he moved. It was Maulden who struck hard first, a kick slamming into Yang's left thigh. There was a loud thump and a slight movement of Yang's leg, but she remained there unfazed. Nothing? Shepard narrowed her eyes as her cousin went on the offensive.
Shepard had trained with both of her cousins on many different occasions, and in close combat it was usually Maulden who came out on top. She and Ingersoll were physically weaker, while Maulden relied a bit too much on his more obvious power. However in this contest, his blows seemed to be having little or no effect on Yang who was able to block, dodge, redirect them, or just straight take some of his hits.
Returning a few blows in kind, Yang could feel her opponent giving way, though she only ever struck with her left arm so as to not injure Maulden with her prosthetic. Shepard unfolded her arms when Yang caught one of Maulden's more powerful punches with her left hand, something she had experienced striking her on more than a few occasions. Stopping it in such a manner caused her to wonder just how strong Yang was, though what came next surprised her even more.
"Come on, you can hit harder than that can't you?" Yang taunted.
"Little bitch." Maulden swore, staring down at the blonde whose eyes flicked to the side as she noticed his other fist coming.
There was a dull thump as Yang's head was snapped to one side and Shepard almost stepped in to stop it, but paused to see how serious it was. There was laughter however as Yang let go of his fist and stepped back into a stance as she regained her balance and moved her jaw around a little. She took that on purpose, she's demoralising him. No, humiliating him at this point.
"Lieutenant, that's enough." She declared, but as she expected her cousin wasn't listening.
He started to push forwards, his fists sailing through the air while his legs struck out from time to time and all the while Shepard and the others watched as Yang dodged and blocked on her left while letting some hit on her right. The prosthetic, she doesn't want him to injure himself on contact. Shepard realised, looking over to Ingersoll who winked back at her.
"I told you Commander, she's a freak."
There was a sudden grunt of pain that called Shepard's attention. Yang had moved forwards and Maulden was no longer moving, though she could see him trembling. Stepping away and backing off, Yang let Maulden hunch over as he struggled to catch his breath.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wind you." Most people would have been able to hear the sarcasm in her voice.
"Enough, Ingersoll, get our cousin back upstairs. He met his match today." She then approached Yang and looked her over before whispering. "Thanks for not using that metal arm of yours."
"Had to give him a handicap somehow, right." Grinning as she answered. "Look, I'm sorry I went behind your back with the data. I don't have a good track record with military types."
"I thought you had served under a general?"
"I have, we didn't part on good terms though." This information was something Shepard would remember.
"Let me know if you think we're going to be on bad terms. Ingersoll sang about how you took down a few Destroyers and a Juggernaut, I can use someone like that on my squad. So long as they follow my orders." Shepard repeated again.
"So long as they aren't stupid orders, I'll follow." With a sigh, Shepard dismissed the young woman again and made her way to the command deck.
Sending away the report from Kaidan that she had slightly altered to leave out parts containing Yang's disobedience and Tali getting a copy of the data she sent along with the report. Then she made the rounds. Many of the crew were glad to have her back on board and in command. She knew Kaidan wasn't ready to command yet, not full time anyway.
"Message from Admiral Hackett, Commander. Patching it through." Came Joker's voice over the comms.
Agh, and I was just about to head back to relax too. Returning to the galaxy map, she waited to be patched through to the Admiral.
"We just received your report. Looks like the Geth incursion was bigger than we thought. They were probably preparing for a major offensive in the system. We're increasing patrols in the Armstrong cluster to make sure they can't establish another foothold in the region. Nice job, Shepard. Your crew saved a lot of human lives on this mission. Hackett ou-"
"Admiral." Shepard cut in, knowing that he was about to sign off. "Have you received the report about the human on Feros, going by the name of Yang Xiao Long."
There was a brief pause. "Affirmative, I've read the report you made on her along with the profile Doctor Chakwas created for her. I can't say I trust her, Shepard. Seems to be a lot of missing information and a lack of proof. Do you think you can trust her?"
"There are times I ask myself the same question, but Sergeant Ingersoll seems to be firmly supporting her as a part of our crew for now. Liara and Tali seem to be on good terms with her too. There were some… interesting details regarding the last mission she was on." Shepard told him.
"Hmm, and you're sure Lieutenant Alenko and Sergeant Ingersoll are sure about what they saw?" The Admiral questioned.
"Neither of them are liars, Admiral. I believe them, I just wish I could have seen it with my own eyes. I plan on taking her with me as part of my squad on the next mission so I'll be able to build on the information we have on her."
"Good, keep an eye on her Shepard, and keep up the good work. Hackett out." This time Shepard let the Admiral go, knowing he was likely very busy in his own rights.
"Joker, if anyone needs me I'll be in my quarters." Shepard sounded tired by that point.
"Roger that, Commander."
Falling back on her bed, Shepard recalling the mission, the apparent skill of Yang, and how Wrex pulled her ass from getting seriously injured during the fight with the Asari commandos. Maybe I should call mother before the next mission. Yang not having anything, and more so Liara having to fight against and help kill her own mother were the driving reasons for her current thought. But that would have to wait as the stress and fatigue, aided by the alcohol caught up with her.