Captain Jane Shepard, Corsair Ship Perugia

"No, you moron!" Jane snarled as she slammed her hand down on her comm button. "I said 'Come about to bearing 3317.3'!"

"Yes, but…" The quarian heavy cruiser Die'awa started.

"Shut up, you con'alds!" Jane snapped, cutting the quarian Captain off. "When I said to come about, I meant to fucking come about! Your grandstanding almost let that pirate out of the control net! Now you sit back and let me work."

"I…" Jane could hear the anger in Captain Sena'Sonna's voice, but to the man's credit, he choked down what he clearly wanted to say. "Yes, sir."

"Now...Sellfast, move to 663 mark...12…" Jane said scowling at her display. "I know the frigate will be coming straight at you, but give him a full barrage, straight up his nose and he'll break right."

"On it," the captain of the Sellfast, a Turian by the name of Dross, came back as his picket ship burned hard to get ahead of the pirate frigate.

The small picket ship didn't have terribly much when it came to shields, but the size of her engines was no joke. And the heavy weapons she carried still had the punch to make it a threat to larger ships.

Nodding in satisfaction, Jane looked over her tactical display. "Good...good," she muttered. "Dance my little puppet…" For all the tactical data Jane saw, she failed to notice the shudder that ran through her entire bridge crew, human and quarian alike, as she began to grin.

"Alright!" Jane clapped her hands together as she sat up fully in her seat. "Mister Jol'Son, signal the Dunkirk."

Seconds later, the Sellfast unleashed a full barrage from it's heavy mass accelerators, the twenty kilogram slugs shattered the pirate's already weakened shields, and ripped furrows through its bow.

Her shields up, the frigate might have had the strength to ram the Sellfast and survive to make its faster than light jump. But with them crushed and her armor already heavily damaged, it was all she could do to pull away from the picket ship's line of fire.

And turn itself exactly where Jane wanted it.

The moment the pirate cleared the Sellfast, a frigate, the Dunkirk, dropped out of lightspeed, a barrage of disruptor torpedoes launching almost the exact moment of its arrival.

"Well, then", Jane nodded, leaning sloppily back in her seat. "Soon as the dust settles have the shuttles head out and see what we can salvage."

"Yes, sir," Jane's quarian XO sighed. Kalla'Koris had been working with Jane since the secret Corsair project had begun, two years ago, but she was still not used to the human. "Torpedoes have hit. Enemy ship is hulled...but you knew that."

"Yup!" Jane laughed, tilting her helmeted head to the side, indicating she was smiling. To the quarian crew members it was a little frightening at how well she adopted their body language. If one didn't see the five fingers on her suit, one would almost believe her to be quarian. "Now…" Jane continued. "I have some mail from Tali."

"Very well, sir," Kalla nodded. "I'll take the bridge."

To: Captain Jane'Shepard vas Perugia

From: Tali'Zorah vas Neema

Subject: He's Alive

I'm breaking protocol by contacting you, and don't worry, I am masking the sending.

But I am sure the Admiralty Board will try to use the information to manipulate you, and you deserve to know the truth.

John's alive. I met him on Freedom's Progress. It's really him. I know it. He was with Cerberus agents, but they aren't controlling him. I have a full scan of him and the records of what they did to put him back together.

Please, trust me. It really is him. I can feel it in my soul.

I'll get you more information as I get it. I know how you are, so don't do...what you do.

Tali'Zorah

PS You know what I mean.

With a beastial snarl, Jane whirled in her small quarters, and threw the datapad against the wall as hard as she could, watching the electronics spark as the casing blew apart.

Then, turning, Jane began to stalk back and forth, kicking loose clothing and empty food and drink tubes from her path.

John would laugh at her. He'd say how sloppy she was. He'd joke about the mess, and how she was single. He'd call her a muscle head.

But her twin brother had died. She wouldn't hear that again. She wouldn't hear his laugh.

But now...Now he was alive? And with Cerberus? He was gone for more than two years, and now he just shows up?

Spinning in place, Jane's right fist shot out, hitting the wall. Followed by her left. Another right, another. A left.

She just hit. Jane pounded as she screamed her rage out, cursing her brother. Cursing Cerberus. Cursing herself for hoping.

After a time, how long, Jane didn't know, she dropped to her knees, her chest heaving with a combination of the exertion and the wracking sobs that overtook her.

Tali. She had to trust Tali. There is no way that girl would be fooled by some clone or doppelganger.

Besides, right now, Jane had a mission to complete. But first, she had to go to medical. Because she had broken her hand.

"Back for less than an hour and you're already making me break things…." Jane muttered to herself as she stood. "Typical."

To: Captain Hannah Shepard, Hesti_Shepard, BluBioticGoddess_2170

From: Quarian_Jane

Subject: You aren't going to be terribly surprised

Got a message from a reliable source. He's alive. There is some Cerberus involvement, but he isn't being controlled. No direct contact yet.

More importantly, do we let him talk, or just kill him on the spot?

Jane

PS Kelly, you're a marine now. Get a grown up email

To: Re: Captain Hannah Shepard, Hesti_Shepard, BluBioticGoddess_2170, Quarian_Jane

From: Hesti_Shepard

I heard rumors. There is talk coming out of Omega that he blew through, destroyed half the station, slept with the other half and escaped in the confusion.

I'll talk to Aria. Ugh...Even typing that made me feel greasy.

Hesti

PS As angry as I am, Jane has a point

To: Re: Captain Hannah Shepard, Hesti_Shepard, BluBioticGoddess_2170, Quarian_Jane

From: Captain Hannah Shepard

Well. I'm up for just shooting the little son of a bitch. The Cerberus connection worries me some.

I'll look into my contacts as well. I can't imagine him being back and not contacting Anderson.

Not us, of course, but Anderson.

Hannah

PS Listen to your father and sister dear

To: Re: Captain Hannah Shepard, Hesti_Shepard, BluBioticGoddess_2170, Quarian_Jane

From: BluBioticGoddess_2170

I like my address. Everybody knows it. It would be a serious pain to change it now.

But that is beside the point! Why hasn't he messaged me?! I mean, I know why he wouldn't contact you old ladies, but I'm important!

I'll keep this quiet until you tell me otherwise. I am currently assigned to work with Ashley Williams, from his old crew. It would probably go over poorly with her.

BluBioticGoddess_Forever

PS Isn't it a little ironic, calling your son a 'son-of-a-bitch'?

To: Re: Captain Hannah Shepard, Hesti_Shepard, BluBioticGoddess_2170, Quarian_Jane

From: Captain Hannah Shepard

PS Shut up. Nobody likes a smart ass.

Hannah

Councilman David Anderson, Citadel, Marr's Cafe

"Excuse me, Councillor?" a human aide smiled professionally as he approached the cafe table. It always struck David as odd, the fact that somebody could smile in a professional manner.

"Yes, son," David sighed as he set down his napkin. A shame too. The omelette was amazing.

"I have a message from Admiral Hackett for you, sir," the aide said, as he passed over the datapad he carried. "It was marked as urgent, so I thought I would get it to you as soon as I could."

"Ah, yes, thank you," nodding David took a pair of reading glasses from the inside of his coat and put them on. Only too look up at the still smiling aide. "Something else?"

"Oh, umm…" the man's smile faltered for the first time since he arrived, but it quickly snapped back into place. "No, sir, I just wanted to be sure I didn't need to take another message anyplace else for you. I mean, that's what I'm here for! To make sure things get done!"

"Right…" David blinked then looked at the datapad. "Sonofa…."

Leaping to his feet, David slammed the datapad against the aide's chest, pulling a grunt form the man and knocking him back a step. "Take care of the bill here. I need to get back to the embassy. Then get me Shepard."

Coughing, the aide nodded. "Yes, sir...which one?"

"Any of them! All of them! I don't give a shit! Just do it, Bob!" David cursed again as he jumped the railing and nearly ran for the elevator.

"Umm...my name is Jim…." Jim sighed as he watched the Councilor escape. "Not that you care…'pay my bills, Bob' 'get my laundry, Bob'"

With another overly dramatic sigh, Jim took the check from the, clearly irritated, turian waiter and reached for his wallet.

Then he froze. A cold sweat erupting from his body and he laughed weakly. "I...uh...I seem to have forgotten my credit chit…"

Urdnot Wrex, Tuchanka

"Wrex!" an old, grizzled krogan yelled as he entered Wrex's 'throne room'. He was larger, even, than Wrex, his plates heavy, and pitted from a life of battle. The parts of his body not covered in armor was as scarred as his plates. Every now and then, the glint of cybernetics could be seen. "Wrex! Good news! Somebody killed Garm!"

"Well, I'll be a varren's uncle…" Wrex chuckled as he leaned back on the broken concrete he had fashioned into a throne. "It's about damn time. I was afraid I was going to have to go do it myself."

Nakmor Drak paused and blinked. "A varren's uncle? What does that even mean?"

"Some random human expression. Not really sure myself. Just kinda like how it sounds," Wrex grinned as he stood and took his friend's arm in a firm grip. Not too tight, just enough to make sure Drak knew he was still strong enough to kick his tail.

"Lovely," Drak sighed. "More human crap. I'm going to have to deal with enough of that sooner than I would like."

"You don't have to go," Wrex eyed the other krogan. "I could always use Kesh. Actually…just leave her and you can go."

"Right," Drak scowled. "You don't lay a finger on my granddaughter and I rip off your hand."

"Shouldn't that be 'or I'll rip off your hand'," Wrex smirked as he shook his head and leaned against the stones of his throne. "That seems to be an important distinction."

"I meant what I said," Drak said dryly. "More importantly, From what I hear, the guy that took out Garm also flattened all three of the major merc groups on Omega. Blood Pack, Eclipse, and the Suns. And it was a human."

"Huh…" Wrex stood for a moment with his eyes closed before looking back at his friend. "Shepard?"

Drak stood for a moment, blinking. "You already heard?"

"Pff," Wrex waved a hand at the bigger krogan. "No, I just know his MO. That kind of grandstanding is his trademark. Come on, let's get a drink and I'll tell you about Virmire."

"I've heard it a dozen times already, old man," Drak groaned as he allowed himself to be pulled along in Wrex's wake.

"Old man?" Wrex laughed. "You're almost as old as I am, kid!"

Captain Hannah Shepard, SSV Orizaba, Citadel

The bridge of the human dreadnaught was absolutely quiet. The kind of quiet one might describe as 'being able to hear a pin drop', if one was so inclined. And in the quiet, the crew would occasionally steal a glance at each other, hoping the terror at the center wouldn't notice them.

The terror, herself, sat in her command chair, slumped backwards, her chin on her left fist. Her right was extended over the arm of the chair, her fingers drumming absently. However, it was the dark frown on her face that nearly screamed 'death'.

"Alive…" Hannah muttered. Somehow her tone managed to make the concept of life an evil curse. "He's alive…."

It was that moment that would forever be etched into her crews memory.

The doors to the bridge lift opened and a fresh faced ensign stepped onto the bridge. Seemingly oblivious to the atmosphere, he nearly bounced lightly on his feet as he grinned widely. After all, this was his first posting, and it was on a dreadnaught! The ship commanded by the Red Wolf herself!

"Hey, Jenkins!," the hapless ensign said brightly. "I'm ready to take my shift! How are...things…do… What?"

As the young man spoke a dark, foreboding shadow, a deep well of living death, turned it's attentions to the poor boy. As the liquid hate crept across the bridge deck, the boy felt more than saw the lights dim slightly as a cold shiver ran through his entire body, an equally cold sweat erupted from his skin.

Slowly, Hannah Shepard stood from her command chair and turned to the ensign. With a smooth walk, a walk that the crew would later describe as more of a flow, like a tide, she moved close the the boy, her six foot frame towering over his much smaller stature.

"Ensign Doggy…" Hannah spoke quietly, her voice emotionless and flat. "You are new to my bridge crew, are you not?"

Ensign Doggy turned slowly to face his Captain, blood draining from his face. And as he looked at his Captain, he saw eyes as flat and loveless as a doll's eyes. "Y-y-yes...ma'am…" he managed to push out. Even in the silent bridge it was difficult to hear the boy speak.

"I'm sorry…." Hannah said, her voice promising death. "You will have to speak up."

"Sorry..sorry….ma'am...I…" desperately Esign Doggy glanced about, hoping, praying for a lifeline. But every time his gaze met another's the person would suddenly find something extremely interesting on their console, or the floor. One even looked at the ceiling and made the sign of the cross.

"Enough," Hannah frowned down at the boy, nearly making the poor fool pass out from sheer fright. "You will have just come from the Citadel itself. You had a three day pass. Tell me the name of a good bar."

"I...I heard the Seedy Tavern was a good place...I didn't get the chance to go there, though. I was with my mother for the weekend," Doggy said, signing his death.

"I...see...yes," Hannah nodded, her brow shifting to a straight line. "Spending time with one's mother is a good thing. You would tell her if you were not dead, yes?"

"Yes?" Doggy whimpered with a nod, saving his own life.

"Good. Next week, take another three day pass. Talk to your mother. Tell her I think you are a good boy," Hannah nodded as she pulled something from her pocket and pressed it into Doggy's hand. "You'll go far, Doggy." And with that, Hannah turned on her heel and walked directly into the lift. "Miss Bellweather, you have the bridge."

"Yes sir," Commander Bellweather sighed as she stepped onto the raised command platform. Then turning to Doggy, she smirked slightly. "Good work Ensign Doggy. You survived your first trial by fire."

Smiling weakly Doggy looked at the small milk candy the captain had given him. "My name..my name is Dodgeson, ma'am."

"Welp," Jenkins said as he stood from his tactical station. "Seat's all yours Doggy."

"But...my name…" Doggy whimpered slightly.

"Don't you worry, Doggy," the Comm Officer said brightly. "I'll make sure everybody knows your name."

Sniffling slightly, Doggy nodded and dropped into the vacant tactical seat. Absently, he unwrapped the candy and popped it into his mouth before grimacing slightly. Cherry. He hated cherry….

Quarian Lexicon

Con'alds: Curse word used in the same manner as humans use 'Bastard', but worse. Direct translation is 'product of a mating between siblings'