Author's Note:
I haven't written a fanfic in a long time, and haven't finished one in even longer. But I've been reading stuff by ServantofClio and I decided to write this one.
It was longer originally, but I cut a big piece from the middle after deciding it didn't fit with the emergency nature of the assault. I'm out of practice, so I hope it's not terrible. Though I'm proud to have spelled Shepard's name right for once in my life without having to be corrected.
Also, if you don't know Redlight Kings, they're pretty good, and "Born to Rise" is their song.
Insert the usual disclaimers about copyright and ownership here.
Suicide missions.
Jane Shepard's gone on more than a few.
Which is a pretty good record, really, given that the definition of a "suicide mission" is that you aren't coming back from it.
This, though…
This.
In a little while, they'll assault the Collector base. And while Alliance Comman… former Alliance Commander Jane Shepard- because after all, she is dead, isn't she, though who knows if Ashley reported their encounter on Horizon?
Well, the point is, former Alliance Commander Jane Shepard has come back from more than one suicide mission, laughed in the face of death, actually died, been brought back, and now. Now, she's not sure she can beat this one.
Sure, she put on a good show in the briefing. Gave everyone their assignments: Kasumi to make her way through the thermal vents, because "stealth" is what Kasumi does; and to lead the second squad, Jacob Taylor, a man she's only known for a little while, but who's impressed her with his skills, his loyalty.
She even gave the rousing, heroic speech, though it took every particle of her being to not break down during it.
And less than ten minutes later, it's go-time, and they're all geared up and checking guns, and Shepard has time to start to worry again, and Jacob says, "Damn, people were right."
"About what?" Shepard asks, puzzled.
"You never see Shepard without Vakarian, Vakarian without Shepard."
There's laughter all around, and Liara grins, and Jack says, "You'll destroy them!" and there's more laughter and suddenly, everyone still cares they're going on a suicide mission and the fate of the galaxy might hang in the balance again but in a strange way, it's… okay?
What kind of weird idea is that? Shepard wonders to herself.
"What can I say?" Garrus drawls, "Shepard and Vakarian: we were born to rise."
There's more laughter, because of the double-entendre, and the fact he doesn't understand what he said, and because Jack manages to make it worse, somehow, with, "I've heard that about you," but it's such a weird phrasing that Shepard has to ask.
"What? What's that mean?" she asks Garrus, curious.
He blinks. "It's from this old Earth song I found," he says. "I don't know, I liked it."
"Let's hear it," Kasumi says, and she motions with her hand in a "go on, then," gesture, so Garrus shrugs and links his visor to the nearest speakers and queues up a song and…
"We were born to rise… we were born to rise…"
The beat kicks in and Shepard realizes that EDI is broadcasting to everyone left on the ship.
"So what you know about sacrifice, when the lights go out? The price to pay when you're digging down? The skin of your teeth and the pain in your back, what you know about hope? What you know about that?"
Shepard takes a deep breath. "Everything," she whispers to herself in reply to the lyrics, then she shouts, "Move out!"