A fistful of thermal clips.
STARS Office, Human Embassy, Upper Ring, Presidium, Citadel, Widow System, Serpent Nebula, July 2, 2183
Captain Jane Catherine Shepard entered into the newly-minted Special Tactics And Reconnaissance Section (STARS) Office of the Human Embassy, seeing the fresh placard with the name of the office, as well as its lead liaison. Seeing the name 'Rear Admiral (lower half) David Anderson' engraved in brass had Jannie's heart flutter a little, finally seeing Poppa Bear where he truly deserved to be. He had spent years denying promotions so he could continue being an N7, working with the Teams, the last active Night Stalker in Special Operations. Not that she wanted Poppa Bear behind a desk, but years ago he had been a SPECTRE Candidate, had been given a chance to become something even more. Having him be the Commanding Officer of Human SPECTREs was only right, a man who had been the very pinnacle of Human courage and tactics. There was no one else she'd rather have. She walked through the door to find a small office with six desks, every one of them occupied with uniformed Naval personnel. There were two female Yeomen for clerical duties, and four obvious Office of Naval Intelligence Agents who worked the other desks. When Jannie entered, every single one of them looked up and saw her, and the redhead noted their eyes going wider at the sight of Humanity's First SPECTRE entering into the office.
"The Admiral is expecting you, Captain Shepard." One of the Yeoman spoke up, a Petty Officer (Second Class) Tricia Keller standing up from her desk. "Is there anything I can get you?"
"No thank you, Chief." The redhead replied as she walked passed the desks, finding there to be several small offices flanking the main room. The one set dead center along the back wall was marked with Poppa Bear's name. Jannie snorted to see that hers was right next to his own. Well, Shepard guess she would get an office, wouldn't she? Once the hunt for Saren was complete, she would have to work out of somewhere. She couldn't expect to have the Normandy forever, and that thought brought a pang to her heart. Well, no need to get ahead of herself just yet. She had a war to fight, a synthetic race to obliterate, and a Turian's ass to kick. Jannie walked to the main office door and knocked on it three times, hearing a brass voice responding to enter as her smile grew wide as she opened the old-fashioned door, swinging it open to walk into the office of Admiral David Anderson.
"Good morning, sweetheart." The dark-skinned man stood from his desk, moving around it to give her a fatherly embrace that Shepard was all too glad to receive. They pulled away and Jannie took the available seat in front of the desk, seeing a rather drab-looking office compared to the Ready Room that Poppa Bear had on the SSV Normandy, decorated with Naval artifacts and traditions spanning throughout Earth's history. The only real decorations in the office were photos and still along the wall, framed and placed chronologically. The redhead smiled at the sight of pics of her and Poppa Bear, starting when she was a little girl and going through dozens until the last one, being after her SPECTRE induction ceremony, where she was arm-and-arm with Poppa Bear. Jannie saw pictures of her life on displayed, and she knew that she was lucky to have David as her father.
"Had a real nice visit to the Office of Special Tactics. Met Marshal Collins." Shepard informed Admiral Anderson, who merely nodded. "Is it just me or do you feel like we were kept in the dark a great deal?"
"Honey, I still think we are." David sighed as she sat behind his desk, folding his hands in front of him. "I had just learned of Marshal Samantha Collins myself from her message the day before. I have a feeling she was likely ordered not to identify herself to me or you, considering what you informed me of during your meeting with Agent Avitus Rix. I've gotten reams of information pertaining to SPECTRE duties, responsibilities, logistics, and communications protocols… but I feel like I haven't received one thing that actually has to deal with being a SPECTRE."
"Setting us up for failure?" Jannie asked, her voice subdued. It wouldn't be the first time the writing on the wall indicated that concerning the Cit or the Council.
"I don't know, but it certainly looks that way, doesn't it?" Anderson sighed again. "I was a little more privy to information than you were due to my Candidacy Trial, but not much more. I knew of undercover operatives, what are known as Level Two SPECTREs, but I wasn't aware that we had any. Which was the point, obviously. But why not inform us of the fact after you were inducted into the SPECTREs? Me? I get. I'm going to be an administrator and likely the others are only in the know to a certain extent. But I wonder about the level of information and intelligence that are brought in to the other SPECTRE Offices."
"Do the others have personal offices? Like a Turian SPECTRE Office and whatnot?" The redhead asked.
"I know for a fact that the Asari do, and actually I have been in contact with their majordomo, one Matriarch Lysella D'tala. She's only mildly condescending and stuck-up for an Asari Matriarch, so that means she's a saint." That had Jannie snort out loud. Yeah, most Matriarchs were stuffy prudes. "She did cue me in to a few ideas and practices, but there hasn't been a new species inducted into the Office of Special Tactics in over two centuries. Everyone already has the process up and running, and we're kickstarting an organization at the foot of a war. No small task, there."
"Sara went and got smart and we got to look up what Saren is armed and armored with." She shook her head slowly. "The fucker came to the Cit before he went to Eden Prime, using full access and all the resources available to make himself as undefeatable as possible. Even for SPECTREs." That had the dark-skinned man frown, obviously recollecting his own Candidacy Trial with the Turian. "I went and got SPECTRE-issued armor and weapons, but the augmentations, modifications, and materials aren't nearly as sophisticated as his. He was an elite Agent, so he got the elite goods before attacking Eden Prime. He banked on the possibility of him being hunted by a SPECTRE, likely one who could possibly meet him on equal terms before and got authorization to craft some of the most advanced armor and weapons ever crafted by the SPECTRE Home Office. The differences between him and me… are alarming."
"That bad?"
"Like a common Marine Private against a Hierarchy Centurion during the First Contact War bad." Jannie knew the stories and tales from both Uncle Alec and Poppa Bear, just how bad Humanity was out-tech'ed during the FCW. "I doubt that Saren would expect a new SPECTRE to be the one to go after him, but I will give the fucker credit and say that he didn't underestimate the possible opposition. He was probably expecting an Asari veteran SPECTRE, someone that could meet him on equal terms. Both Sara and Sam have their own gear and equipment from the Office of Special Tactics, and I noted that theirs is a little… less than mine. Fewer available allocation spots, a little less power available, not as many programs. Sam is a Clandestine SPECTRE with a couple years under her belt, and Sara is my Second, and neither were allowed to get armor as advanced as mine. And mine is nowhere near as augmented as Arterius. The three of us together?" The redhead held out a hand and did a see-saw motion. "I don't know, Poppa Bear. I'm really glad that Ryder got her SciTech Department together to fleece as many exotic materials and goods for crafting against the Geth. We're going to need every gram of brains and tech on our side against the Geth alone, much less Saren. Her getting that intel at least gives us a notion of what to expect and how to deal with it."
"My recommendation?" Anderson began, looking at her with all seriousness. "Something extreme. A launchable anti-matter warhead, a kinetic strike, or perhaps engage him from a stealth strike in space and blast his vessel, though I expect he might be in a SPECTRE vessel with better-than-great capabilities for its Class." Jannie frowned at that, having thought of something along those lines, but thinking more of a Hierarchy vessel than a SPECTRE vessel. Did he even have a personal craft? Or was he like herself, flying a vessel populated by a Turian crew? "When we fought the Turians to a standstill on Shanxi, forcing them to fight in block-by-block warfare in New Beijing and Neo Inchon, Turian tactics were lacking in seven-hundred and twenty degree battle. They were use to threats up-front with flanking coverage, and logistical support from the rear. We grinded that down, forced them to bunker down instead of having fluidity of movement, and boobytraped everything while launching mortars and improvised munitions at them. Turians aren't very adaptable to unusual scenarios or extreme situations. But getting Saren into a trap like that will be difficult; he is extremely intelligent and resourceful." Poppa Bear explained, using his previous knowledge and experience for advice. "It is more likely that he will lure you into his own trap, one you will likely not be able to spring in advance to your advantage. If the battle seems too easy…"
"…then watch your step." The N7 replied to the older N7, nodding her head knowingly. "Won't lie. This scares me, and you know I don't scare easily."
"Then let it make you smarter." The Admiral advised as he pulled out a small bottle and two glasses from his desk. Jannie smirked at the sight of Scotch in the morning. He poured two small fingers' worth into the glasses and gave one to her. "You've gone and improved everyone's arms and armor for the upcoming battle. You went and trained your men in a hellacious set of modules that the Villa has established as training to prepare upcoming N candidates. You went and used your available resources to improve your chances and abilities. You went and got better intel for better planning. Now do what you do best, sweetheart, and find a way to exploit any conceivable weakness that Arterius has to your advantage and take that son of a bitch down. His most obvious weakness? Arrogance."
"He does think Humanity crude and barbaric." Shepard nodded, knowing that much. "I've already pulled up as much as I could on Saren, his profile, his exploits, and anything else to get a sense of the warrior that he is, as well as personality. Perhaps I'll have Detective Vakarian look it over, get a cops' eye view. It'd be silly not to use a Special Crimes Detective to my full advantage."
"Good. You're learning." David smiled at her. "Before, you would have shied away from such things. I know I have in the past, and I've wondered if things would have been different on the few occasions such opportunities came up. You've collected quite an impressive team with a variety of specialties and skills. Use them, let them prove themselves. They can only make you stronger, and perhaps a different view of things will help reduce our own racial misconceptions and underestimations. Speaking of which…" the Admiral took a small sip of Scotch while he rummaged through a small stack of datapads on his desk. "I got an interesting bit of intel from the Lady of the Chamber, Lady Eloa'Varis of the Quarian Nation. I remember that she and Sara were friends from their Academy days together, and the Pathfinders' Daughter went to the AntiQuarian for help. Seems she got Lady Varis on board with the Geth issue." A datapad came out of the stack as David handed it to her. "This is intel from the Migrant Fleets' Intrinsic Data Services, their version of the Office of Naval Intelligence. This is everything that the Quarians have ever discovered in the past decade; movements, attacks, locations, upgrades, sightings… everything. I've got my ONI Agents working through it now, but you might as well have your own specialists start combing through as well. I suspect the Geth have forward operating bases and posts, probably even small stations for refueling, resupply, and intelligence-gathering. If we want to curtail Saren's plans, we need to start with his forces. Disrupting the Geth will limit his capabilities, forcing him either out into the open, or having to compromise his plans."
"That will certainly be a boon." Jannie took the datapad, seeing the many substrata files that had been delivered. "Remind me to get the Lady of the Chamber something nice. Like a Geth head mounted for her mantle." That had the Black Fox chuckling. "I'm just still so appalled that… this is all on us."
"Humanity, or the very few under your and my command?" Anderson asked, his voice hard. Shepard watched as Poppa Bear stood from his desk, turning to look out the offices' lone window that overlooked the Upper Ring of the Presidium, where Relay Park was. "For years, hard-liners and racists have been yammering on how we don't need their help, how we can do it alone. Now that the Council has taken us up on that offer, those same voices are crying for intervention, bitching on how we've been abandoned." Jannie went and stood by David's side, placing a gentle hand on his broad shoulder. "Lives are on the line, our very existence is threatened, and we're being killed with backroom politics," there was no mistaking the scorn in his voice there, "on both sides. You… are our torch for the time being, sweetheart. And it's a heavy torch."
"Thankfully, I've got more than a few hands to help me hold it." Jannie had gotten lucky and gotten herself a dedicated crew and an impressive set of volunteers. If she had an average group, she'd would be even more worried of their chances. "You should see little Sara. She's really coming into her own, Poppa Bear."
"She's not the only one." He turned to look at her, pride showing in his smile. "I'm glad the two of you are being able to work together, to be there for one another. In times like these, it's good to have friends and family at your side. Believe me, I know that all too well. Your father would have been proud to see where you are now." There was a bittersweet tone as there always was, the man who had taken his best friends' daughter and raised her as his own. His opened his arms and took her in, as he had all those years ago, before she could even remember. He had always been there for her, her Poppa Bear. From little girl to SPECTRE, he had always been there for her.
"I know I am."
Commander Mark Vanderloo looked over the information that Captain Jane Shepard had given him, its source surprising him. He only distantly knew of the Lady of the Chambers, but the amount of intel she had given was certainly substantial. Geth movements for the past ten years was certainly not inconsiderable, considering that the source was the Migrant Fleet. Well, the source was as impeccable as one could expect, considering how much the Quarians hated the Geth. It wasn't a stretch of the imagination why the Quarians would help Humanity now, considering the old adage of an enemy of my enemy, so he expected the intel to be solid without further verification. Whatever the Systems Alliance and the SSV Normandy did to the Geth would benefit the Quarians. Perhaps a favor could be returned later on. Mark new how the political game was played, after all.
"We'll start with most recent and most visited, of course." The Commander told the Captain as he sat in her Ready Room, Shepard sitting behind her desk, reviewing something else on a datapad. "We'll be limited on movement with a vast majority of the Fleets on defensive posture. The normal pickets and patrols won't be able to help us when they're sitting on colonies. Trying to track down every lead throughout ten systems will take time we may not necessarily have. If we get a system with more recent activity and spikes of it, I think that will be the first order of business, but a lead isn't concrete evidence." Jane was still looking at her datapad, and Mark saw that whatever she was looking at had her engrossed. "You okay, Jane?"
"I… yes." Vanderloo saw her looking up from whatever she was studying, her concentration broken. "Sorry, reviewing some of this SPECTRE info. I just realized… that's what Saren has been able to do all this time, the things he's been able to get away with for twenty years. Before? I thought… perhaps I'd be a match for him. Now I'm looking at what he has, what he's been capable of." He watched the redhead shake her head. "He's at a level beyond what I've ever been capable of. Even as an N, I had rules and protocol to follow, no matter how relaxed or authorized from what normal Systems Alliance Military is capable of. With him? It's the same difference with twenty-five years worth of experience hunting some of the worst the galaxy has to offer. We're not even in the same league, and I was blind and naive to think so in the first place."
"We've really only gone against Batarian State Militia, slavers, pirates, and their ilk in the past." Mark pondered, thinking over what Shepard was implying. "At the worst, we might have faced off a team of Special Intervention Unit Members in the guise of some of those villains, carrying deniable weaponry and armor that didn't break CitLaw because no one wants a SPECTRE coming down on their heads. Now that you are a SPECTRE, you're seeing the filth we've never had to tackle before because we had them cleaning up the trash and leaving us the dregs."
"Yeah, it isn't a cheery thought." Jane set down the datapad on the desk and sighed. "I think back to Elysium, when I was facing over a hundred assailants funneled into a hallway, armed with a Mattock and seven teachers with Kesslers for defense. That was my toughest battle because I was so minimally prepared. Those men who joined at my side, who gave their lives for kids had nothing more than pistols and courage. If I had been armed then as I am now? Had the armor? Those men would still be alive, teaching the next generation of men and women." Vanderloo understood what the Captain was getting at. "I've been with the Teams for years, working with some of the best against what I thought was the worst the galaxy had to offer. I… was wrong. Hell, I think Sara faced worse with Detective Vakarian in that 'Red Harvest' thing she never talks about. As I understand it, that was sent to the Office of Special Tactics to deal with. Elanos Haliat didn't make that chart despite what he did on Elysium, at least not that I'm aware of. Despite the thugs and his defenses on that base, he was really just a jumped-up terrorist thug working with the Separatists and the Hegemony to make money, nothing more. He wasn't hunted down by a SPECTRE because he wasn't worthy of them."
"That's… something to consider." Haliat had been deemed the worst criminal in Human history, responsible for a colonial invasion that involved hundreds of civilian deaths and dozens of captures. Yet Shepard had been remembered due to her heroic stand protecting Illyeria High School, saving thousands of teenagers as well as the faculty and staff. In some ways, she had merely been in the right place at the right time, and nearly paid for it with her life. "Is there any insight you've been able to glean considering what's… worthy of a SPECTRE?"
"Yes, and it will disgust you." Jane replied, her green eyes hard. "Despite supposedly answering to the Council and the Council alone, it seems that missions are… selectable by Agents and the species involved. If a SPECTRE had wanted to go after Haliat, he would have had his fringe on a platter long before I ever tracked him down. Because we didn't have the authorization or the personnel, we didn't have an option. If a Turian SPECTRE or an Asari SPECTRE thought it enough or wished to lend us a hand, then it happened. If they didn't…" The N7 left that hanging.
"I'll fully admit that I don't like the thought of SPECTREs running around Alliance Space doing God knows what, but they already are, aren't they?" Mark asked, seeing Humanity's First SPECTRE slowly nodding her head. "I know Sara is your Second, and you brought to light that Marshal Collins is in fact an authorized Level Two SPECTRE, but one official SPECTRE, an undercover SPECTRE, and a back-up aren't going to be enough. If there are SPECTREs who can help us, then perhaps we should put a foot forward and see who we can help first to garner that kind of cooperation. We're already doing so with the Lady of the Chamber and the Quarian Nation, working in each others' self-interests. Perhaps with a SPECTRE, we can work on getting more allies, finding people who can't get help due to politics or some other reason, and see where that can get us."
"That's not a bad idea." Shepard replied, mulling it over. "I'll forward the idea to Poppa Bear, have him keep an ear to the ground and see what we can flex out. It doesn't necessarily need to be me; we've got N's and Marshals who can specialize in high-profile captures and strikes. Get some credit and good publicity, maybe cash in some good will and intel in return."
"What we really need is the others to take the Geth threat seriously enough in the Chambers to get more involved." The Commander pointed out. "If we're handling it, then no one else is going to offer. If we look like we're losing, you know that it will come back to bite us in the ass. But if we can show that it's more than just Humanity who is threatened, but we're incapable of protecting others, or perhaps we can show that we can but need some reinforcements?"
"Yeah, make a problem everyone's problem. Mutual cooperation." The redhead snorted. "The sad part is that our best bet is the Hierarchy. But everyone's so use to their twenty-seven main fleets and thirty-plus action squadrons doing the fighting and bleeding for everyone. Asari won't lift a finger, and Salarians like to pretend they got eyes on everything to solve a problem before its a problem. Volus just pay off the bad guys or bribe the Turians to take care of any issue. Hanar have that fuck-all defensive net of theirs where all they have to do is pull in and button down the hatches. Elcor have the Asari to snuggle to. Quarians are too mobile despite being a fifty-thousand ship fleet that can take days to translate through Relays, and no one wants to piss off the Krogan. Who does that leave us with? The fucking squints? A few of the minor species that barely own their own system?"
"You know… that might be something to address." Mark thought it over. "There's… thirty-nine species on the Cit, right? Only eight major Embassies with representation in the Chambers, plus one half Chamberlain with the AntiQuarian. The rest… too weak and small to own more than a system or two, only possessing just enough Mass Effect technology to access a Relay."
"Client-states?" Jane asked, her brow furrowing.
"Maybe not that far, but certainly giving them a boon such as better spacecraft could leverage some numbers in our favor." Vanderloo replied. "If we could release just ten percent of our total fleets from protective duties over our colonies… that's ten percent of our fleets as an action force. And some of those minor species would probably jump at the chance of something considered a partnership."
"Jeez, the United Federation of Planets?" That had the man snort at the Star Trek reference. "Maybe that's not such a bad idea, though. It would take time to work that through Parliament, but it would certainly bolster our numbers and resources if we started gaining allies. The perfect time to push an idea like that would be right now; everyone's afraid of the Geth, and there's no better time to make allies than during a war. Human history is chock full of lessons of once-bitter enemies joining sides to face a common foe and becoming all the better for it. Hell, the old United Nations was built by former enemies brought together in the days after World War Two, England, France, and the United States once hating one another but bringing about an era of cooperation in the western world." Vanderloo nodded, knowing that period of history well. While there had been wars and incidences during the UN's existence, its one-hundred and fifty-year existence had ensured that there hadn't been a World War Three or a nuclear war. In that, it had succeeded as its originators intended. "I'll push the idea to Poppa Bear and Uncle Steven. Some of the hard-liners and alien-haters will blather, of course, but fostering some cooperations, perhaps a joint-species training program, inviting them onto some of our colonies to help catch them up while building relationships might make a difference of the next couple of years. Won't solve our problems now, sadly."
"Yeah, but who's to say how long things will last?" Mark interjected. "There's been more than a few wars where someone thought we'll be home by Christmas only to find a war or its consequences dragging on for years. We do something like this now, whose to say we won't actually need it in the next five years or so? I don't see the Geth disappearing anytime soon."
"A fair point." Jane allowed, sighing as she picked up the datapad she had been reading before. "Mark, I need you to promise me something." Her green eyes went to him, her face blank but her eyes were anything but. "We still don't know what the deal is with this cocksucker save for his Conduit and his Reapers. We've got an entire galaxy to scour looking for someone whose use to fighting in the shadows and striking out unexpectedly. I don't know where he's at, where he's heading, or if the Geth are the only allies he has. All I know is that Saren Arterius is who this whole debacle is hinged upon; it was he that wanted the Beacon on Eden Prime. We stop him, and we stop whatever the plan really is."
"The promise?" Vanderloo asked, having a feeling what it was about.
"I don't doubt this will end up as a one-on-one battle." Shepard looked to him, her face still blank. "I think that Arterius will let me catch up to him only so he can goad me and wipe me off the map. With what he's armed with and what he's protective with… I don't doubt he'll succeed." Vanderloo felt his heart lurch at that, seeing Jane acceptance of her possible, even likely, demise. "If I find him? I want you to plot a telemetry of a kinetic strike upon his fucking fringe and erase him. He's a threat to our species and our way of life, and win or lose, I want you to make sure he ends up paste."
"Jane… I…" His mouth went dry at the thought, of that murderous order. It wasn't totally unexpected for a Naval Officer to put their life on the line for crew and mission, to sacrifice themselves for the good of all. But to deliver a kinetic strike in which there was no chance of escape or survival, to defeat a foe Shepard knew she couldn't beat? He had done a great many rotten things in their marriage, things he wasn't proud of at all. But never once had he ever wanted to hurt Jane, intentionally or not. To comply with her order was to kill her, to take away the woman that had once captured his heart, to take away his chance to make good on all the mistakes he had made.
A part of him would always love Jane Shepard, the woman who was always determined to improve herself, whose love for old 21st Century pop culture was amusing, and her preference for making tech toys with her bare hands. He remembered her as she was back in the Military Academy, a geeky tomboy who was fascinated with sci-fi culture and pulling things apart, delving into the latest tech to pull it apart and see what made it tick. She had been a bit of a wallflower back then, a young woman that had was more likely to hang out at the back of a crowd. Mark had been a good-looking young man even back then, having more than a few female Cadets batting eyelashes and flirting with him.
But it had been a shy and stammering Jane Shepard that had showed him something more than just simple infatuation and biological-driven hormones.
Mark remembered that first date, an awkward and timid redhead asking him to come to a function in which 'her family' was involved. Jane had described the outline in the briefest of details; family pressure inquiring about anyone 'special' in her life despite being in the Systems Alliance Military Academy, and Cadet Shepard wanting something resembling a 'normal' relationship to quieten the questions. Vanderloo had found it rather amusing at the time; being a sort of patsy date to impress parents and extended family so that the redhead would stop being pestered on having a man in her life, so he had said yes. He had thought that it would be an interesting weekend where he would be expected to act like a boyfriend should, say the right things, and then walk away without having to feel like he had to lie to a girl about his affections for her. Yeah, he had been a bit of a douchbag back then, a good-looking man who practically tripped over women throwing themselves at him. Jane had been a first of sorts; she hadn't asked him out on a real date to impress friends on a catch, dressed to please by accentuating her body, or acted as if Earth were in the palm in her hand. Shy, meek, stammering Jane Shepard had needed a date because she didn't know how, so she had picked a guy who could fake it for her.
It had to be the most incredibly awkwardly interesting weekend of his life.
The 'parents' in question were Captain Hannah Singer and Captain Kyle Singer, her mother and step-father, respectively. Then there was her adopted father, Captain David Anderson. And then her Aunt and Uncle, Alec and Ellen Ryder. And then another Uncle, Captain Steven Hackett. Cadet Mark Vanderloo soon found himself surrounded by the members of the Night Stalkers, the 'function' being the anniversary of the unit's creation and deployment to Shanxi. It was the twentieth anniversary of the unit, and the surviving members were all high-ranking members of the Alliance Military, several of them N7's, and celebrated for their actions both on Shanxi and afterwards. For three days, Mark found himself meeting Captains and Commanders, N's and retirees, several of them heavily decorated, and all of them well-known throughout Earth Alliance Space. These were some of the same men and women he had edified when he was a child, and discovering that Jane was the daughter of none other than Lieutenant John Shepard, the Hero of Shanxi? That had come as a shock. What was worse was that Jane had come with a boy, and practically every member of the Night Stalkers had praised her while giving him blatant stares, as if… well, they knew what he was; a player. No less than six men (three of them being N7's) had given him 'the talk' concerning Jane, in which Mark was completely and utterly truthful concerning their relationship; he had absolutely no intention of taking advantage of Jane, considering he never even looked at her twice before she had stuttered her way into asking him to rescue her from family preconceptions.
And yet…
Mark found himself in a situation that he had never really encountered before. He never really met the parents of any the women he dated, not that he was interested in having such a relationship with them with that level of commitment. He was a boy toy; he knew it, and the women who dated him knew it. But finding himself at a family reunion of sorts, he found that he rather enjoyed the situation, learning from some of the best, while finding himself actually being listened to be some of the older generation without them just assuming that he was young, and thus an idiot. When they had arrived at the hotel in Vancouver, British Columbia, someone (and Mark never heard who had done it) had gotten both him and Jane their own room… with a single bed. Shepard had blushed so hard her face matched the color of her copper hair at the sight of the lone bed and no couch for Mark to conquer. That had been an utterly awkward night where the both of them had slept with a berm of blankets and pillows between them, the both of them dressed in full pajamas (in which Vanderloo had to buy some). Yet… Jane had opened up to him that night, actually talking about herself in small rushes in between shy pauses and nervous glances.
Mark had always talked about himself with his other dates, but those had been… superficial, really, nothing actually about himself, just his deeds and goals. Shepard had somehow found a way through those walls, smarter than his ego, and Mark found himself talking about his childhood; a poor-and-tough neighborhood in west Amsterdam. He was the child of a single mother who had worked herself to the bone raising him and his older bad seed sister, determining to leave his hometown and never return thanks to an athletic scholarship to the Systems Alliance Military Academy due to his involvement playing European Football. With Jane, he didn't feel the need to embellish or improve upon, or perhaps he knew he would be flattering only himself. He found himself staying up late at night talking with her, discovering her love for old music and movies, her affinity for gadgets, and the love she had for her zany extended family. Mark actually found himself telling her that he wanted to explore the stars not out of any sense of duty, but because he wanted to live an adventurous life, to command his own ship like the Captains of old, to make a difference in his own life and in the lives of others. That night marked the first time he spent time with a woman he didn't try to get into her pants, and yet… somehow… he found something different to covet.
Oh, the next morning was worse. Captain Anderson seemed amused to the fact that Mark and Jane 'shared' a single bed, and everyone assumed that they were that kind of couple. Absolutely no one believed him when he said that he was being the perfect gentleman (for once), and was shocked to discover Jane had it worse with the women! He had soldier through feminine questions and suggestions that he had no idea that women ask one themselves about their male counterparts, such as does he return the favor? coming from Master Chief Petty Officer Stacy Michelle Valentino in concerns towards third base, or inquiries of stamina and length of time from Command Master Sergeant Jill 'the Amazon' Dah, or a blatant question concerning if the equipment was as impressive as the rest of him from Senior Chief Petty Officer Katherine Hale. Mark wasn't sure who stammered worse through those questions; Jane or himself. There were more gatherings, this time politicians and the like showing up to honor some of Earth's mightiest heroes, and Mark found himself rescuing Jane more than a few times from reporters who wanted to interview the daughter of a legend, and fielding inquiries from politicians doing the same thing to inflate their self-importance. The day had wound on, and Vanderloo had found himself having dinner with not only Jane, but the Ryders as well; Alec, Ellen, and the twins Sara and Scott. He remembered Sara being an eleven-year old little ball of energy whose main descriptor of him was 'hunky', while Scott thought him the neatest thing since sliced bread. The Pathfinder had talked to him so easily… as if already family, and Mark had been touched by it. Sometime during the conversation, he found Jane's hand slipping into his own under the table, shy smiles sent his way. That hadn't been a ruse on her end.
That night, there hadn't been a berm of blankets and pillows. Oh, they were still clothed, but Mark found himself sharing warmth with a woman in bed, not her body. It had been… unusual, but pleasing. Jane was cute in a 'girl next door' sort of way, a lithe body that was athletically-toned instead of sculpted towards femininity; his usual preference. They had actually watched old flicks like the old Avengers movies and the third Star Wars trilogy, watching Jane practically glued to the Holovision screen as she cuddled him. Before? Mark would have done something like this to get a girl sweet enough for him to lose her inhibitions. But there was something about Jane Shepard that was different. He… actually enjoyed himself, waking up to a cloud of red hair and a warm body lying next to his own in the morning. He remembered how breathless she was when he pulled her in for a chaste kiss, and how shocked he was to discover that he was her first.
That Sunday proved to be the most awkward of all, Jane never letting go off his hand.
He wouldn't say he was 'paraded' around, but there was certainly a shift towards Jane's attitude, and those of the old Night Stalker crew. It almost felt like everyone had somehow been informed that they were engaged or something by the way they treated him, as a part of the family. It… had been interesting, but not unwelcomed. Breakfast had been as loud and as boisterous as a troop with family could expect to have, with jokes and stories to share, and Mark found himself the center of attention for a spell when none other than Fleet Admiral Jon Grissom asked him what he was looking forward to doing in the Navy. It had been Jane that had come to his rescue with Humanity's greatest hero had spoken to him, Vanderloo at a loss of words. Shepard had praised his intellect, knowing his grades and accomplishments in the Academy, pointing out his high scores in anything relating to Naval tactics and departmental evaluations, and even his tendency to being a stickler for details and proficiency with both himself and his subordinates. All of that was true, but hearing it from her? Mark had been touched. He had thought that Jane had selected him because she didn't want to go stag to a family function with so many important people, not wanting to be noticed as a twenty-one year old woman without a date, a boy toy to show around. Yet that moment had showed him that she hadn't merely picked him because of his looks or his charm, but for his intellect as well. That marked the first time a woman had ever sought him out for such a thing, who had bothered to notice what mattered to him. He wanted to make a difference… and he was doing so for this shy redhead who had bothered to learn about him as a person, not merely just as a man with good looks and charm.
To say that it was awkward was really more like that the fact that they were both playing a part. Jane had wanted to look like she was happy, to show the people that loved her that she was doing well by their standards. Mark knew what he was, and a part of him was a little concerned that those actions would reflect. He wasn't exactly pleased with the act of deception, and later than evening, he talked to Jane about it. Despite his ways, Mark was not very comfortable with lying; the women who sought him out or he sought out knew what he was about, and accepted it or not. But they knew the truth. Shepard had heroically went to her Poppa Bear with him to explain the situation, still shy but spelling it out to a man that she wanted to make proud of her. David Anderson was surprised, but grateful to know what was going on, and had been a little humored by the fact that Shepard went to one of the smartest, best-looking guys in the Academy to fill the role. Mark had done his half as well, telling him that he hadn't done to Jane what he was so use to doing with other woman, seeing her as just some pleasurable company that could part ways without complaints or regrets later. When he took her hand then and looked into her green eyes, he admitted to her that it had been one of the most awkward weekends of his entire life.
And he wouldn't mind working out of that awkward stage.
Jane's blush pretty much went neon when he asked David's permission to date his daughter.
"…Jane," Mark cleared his throat, finished reminiscing, "I don't know if I could give that order." Vanderloo admitted truthfully. In his minds' eye, he could still see that stammering Cadet with shy eyes and a blush on her cheeks as she forced herself to ask the hunky Captain of the Military Academy Football team out on a date, the geeky wallflower and the star jock. A part of him still loved her. A part of him always would.
"Even if it meant thousands of lives, Mark? Tens of thousands?"
"Without a twinge in my conscious." The Commander replied to his Captain, never breaking eye contact. "You're worth it. Always were, always will be." He leaned forward as Jane frowned. "We've got some of the best fucking minds in the Alliance right here in this very ship, willing to push the boundaries for victory. We will find a way or we will invent it. But I will not bury you. I'll find Saren's ship and wipe it from existence, I will gun down his shuttle, I'll throw the micro-meteor out the airlock myself if I have to. But I will not kill you no matter how much of a good idea it seems to be at the time. Your father sacrificed himself to save his friends and family… and missed out on his daughters' life. I will not do so so blithely just so I can watch David's heart break and see Sara cry her eyes out. Is that understood?"
Jane looked at him for what seemed to be eternity, never moving, never saying a word.
"Even after all this time?" Shepard finally asked, her voice soft. He knew what she meant.
"Even after all this time." Vanderloo confirmed, nodding once. "I… was a Goddamn idiot, Jane. I was a boy who tried being a man, but fell back to being a boy when it mattered." He admitted, indicating their disastrous marriage. "I wish I could say that picking a player for a husband was a poor choice, but I think I wasn't ready to be that mature. You were ready, and I… wasn't. And you were the one who suffered because of it."
"Well, we both made mistakes. I wasn't there nearly as much as I'd like to have been after Elysium." Shepard replied, folding her hands and setting them on her desk. "I remember someone telling me that most N's ended up divorced due to long-term deployments, rapid deployments, and a whole host of other issues. I thought I'd be the exception and kept getting myself tied up in more missions and training during the Blitz. That… was more important to me at the time than our marriage. How long were we actually together in our four years of marriage? Five months? Six? You weren't the only one who could have tried harder, Mark."
"You weren't the one that was unfaithful." He replied, that old pain there. He still remembered when Jane had found out, coming to their Arc apartment to find another women in their bed. The woman (Veronica? Yeah, that was it) had been lucky that when rage and grief warred within the N7, it had been the tears that won out. Otherwise Veronica wouldn't have had remains left to fill a thimble. And that woman hadn't been the first. Or the dozenth, either. In the end, he had ended up just like his father, a man he had loathed for doing the same thing to his mother. "Know what I honestly miss?"
"Uh oh." That had the redhead smile.
"You bringing your gadgets and toys to the breakfast table, trying to juggle eating and soldering, or programming with your mouth full." Mark replied, a hint of a smile growing on his own lips. "I remember you working on that drone of yours, Ghost? You wouldn't stop yammering on what you wanted it to do, cramming it full of multi-core processors, high-gain tri-gate capacitors, M-Space memory chips, neural link interface lines… you would glow whenever you talked about crafting something new, inventing and scheming over breakfast and dinner. I missed that, seeing the real you."
"I actually never would have guessed that." The redhead mused, looking thoughtful. "I think we were both a little on the young and immature side, both of us focusing too much on our careers. Yes, it got us where we're at now, but sacrificing our personal happiness in the process?"
"Now you know why I won't follow that order." Mark said with finality. Jane had nothing to respond to that.
1st Lieutenant Kaidan Raphael Alenko wasn't expecting his next destination to be an interview.
He got it, of course; Humanity's First SPECTRE was a big-ticket item all over the media. The news about the Assault of Therum had finally been released that day, and people were scared. Two attacks in less than a month, and Human Beings all over Earth Alliance Space were frightened, and rightfully so. A hundred thousand Geth had deployed upon Constant, Eden Prime, killing tens of thousands and converting thousands into Husks. Therum had a thousand deployed onto it, though thankfully Nova Yekaterinburg had been spared, the colonial capital of that planet spared. Therum was being spun up in a positive light; the few defenders defeating such a large number of assailants, civilians evacuated without a loss, the true objective of the enemy denied. Captain Jane Shepard was being celebrated for her daring rescue mission of a Human colony being attacked, praised for her swift response from the Cit to Therum. But the Systems Alliance had thought to include another hero into the mix; Petty Officer (Second Class) Sara Elaine Ryder. That wasn't at all surprising, considering her history with the Lion, and no small measure on her part on Therum. The Angel of Illyeria was back into the spotlight, and Admiral David Anderson had arranged for an official interview with some of the ground team members who were involved in what was now being called 'the Second Miracle of Therum'.
An office was made available in the Human Embassy, and Alenko found himself along with the interview with Captain Shepard, Chief Ryder, and Sergeant First Class Ashley Williams. None of this surprised him, considering he was being celebrated for his timely disposal of a fifty kiloton anti-matter bomb planted in Constant, enough to cause damage to the continent, and Williams being celebrated as the 'Lone Wolf of Eden Prime', the sole survivor of the Colonial Army Battalion and having fended off the Geth for an hour single-handedly before joining the ground team of the Normandy. As all four of them were there for Therum, it was their responsibility to assuage Human concerns and questions pertaining to the latest attack. People were scared, and they were there to allay those fears.
It was just the choice of reporter that he could have done without.
Khalisah Bint Sinan Al-Jilani was one of the more popular reporters in Earth Alliance Space, working for Westerlund News. She had a reputation of being biased and Earth-centric, asking leading questions, firing off accusatory remarks, and implying calumny-related opinions. Of all the people that the Black Fox could have gotten, Kaidan was trying to figure out why her? He knew that Khalisah had interviewed both Captain Shepard and Chief Ryder years ago, after Elysium, and the results of that interview had gone… rather disastrously. Al-Jilani had inferred that thirteen-year old Sara Ryder was an alien lover about halfway through the interview, and Lieutenant Jane Shepard had punched the reporter in the face at the accusation. Actually, that interview had gone off rather well in the public eye, and Kaidan had actually watched it when it happened, the interview a spotlight on the news media mogul. The reception of Shepard punching a reporter streaming live on the ExtraNet after said reporter verbally harassing a young girl who just so happened to be the Pathfinders' daughter had been quite warm, and sparked an in-flux of jokes that Sara had invented a week later on the 'Late Night Show' with Brandon Keenan now forever known as 'Jane Shepard Facts'. In fact, one of them had been 'The Lion doesn't do plastic surgery with medial equipment; she does facial reconstruction with her fist'.
The four of them were now sitting in front of the woman whose nose had been broken by Shepard because she had made Ryder cry. Alenko already had a bet with Williams that it would be the Angel to perform facial reconstruction next.
"Good evening, and welcome to Hard Line with Khalisah Al-Jilani," the Persian-descendant woman started, an OmniDrone camera already filming from a location that would capture her face in full, while four others were situated to where they could capture the interviewees. Alenko knew that their images were likely picture-in-pictures underneath Al-Jilani's own, switching over whenever one of the talked to highlight who was being interviewed. He doubted that there were pre-arranged questions or even an agreed set of questions, as most interviews were wont to do. Sara had actually informed them of such protocols, and some tidbits on what to do when in a jam. It was sometimes hard to believe that their Corpsman was that little effervescent girl, a cute bundle of energy seven years prior. "In front of me today are ground team members of the SSV Normandy. Its Commanding Officer, Captain Jane Shepard, the Lion of Elysium and Humanity's First SPECTRE. Petty Officer Sara Ryder, the Angel of Illyeria and team leader during the Second Miracle of Therum. Sergeant First Class Ashley Williams, the Lone Wolf of Eden Prime. And Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, the man who single-handedly saved Constant from anti-matter annihilation. Thank you all for being here today." Everyone gave their acceptance for the interview, though it was a little lackluster on the Captain's and the Chief's part.
"Now, Captain Shepard," Al-Jilani warming up, Alenko could tell, "having been made a Council Agent less than a month ago in a memorable induction ceremony in the Citadel Chambers itself, you have already been involved in an action in which you helped defeat the Geth and rescued members of the Systems Alliance Military facing overwhelming odds. Sources say that the objective was not a piece of Prothean Technology, such as it was during the Assault on Eden Prime, but a Protheantologist."
"That is correct, Ms. Al-Jilani." The redhead began, sitting calmly in her chair, flanked by Chief Ryder and Sergeant Williams. "We learned during on time on Therum that the objective was a member of the University of Serrice Expeditionary Team, notably for their expertise in the Prothean Fourth Era and post-Prothean Empire." Kaidan knew that the name Doctor Liara T'soni would never be mentioned by them for security purposes. They still weren't a hundred percent sure why Saren Arterius wanted with the Protheantologist, if it was for her expertise or the fact her mother might be in league with the rogue Agent. "Thankfully, Chief Ryder and her security forces were able to evacuate both the Serrice and Oxford Expeditionary Teams without any injuries, denying the enemy their objective. Her and her twelve-man team were able to hold off almost seven hundred Geth for nearly a Terran day."
"That is most certainly impressive." The reporter nodded, though Kaidan noted that she wasn't exactly… sincere in her words. "Now, Chief Ryder, it's been some time since Humanity has seen the Angel. You've certainly grown up since the aftermath of Elysium. What have you been up to since we've seen you last?"
"Where should I start?" Sara's voice was full of humor, looking over to Shepard while Williams snorted loud enough to be heard. "Got accepted to the most prestigious school in the galaxy by merit alone, graduated fifth in my Peerage. While I was doing that, became the only Human Being to enter into the Citadel Emergency Medical Services as a xeno-Paramedic on a Skybulance, which I did for three years. Turned eighteen, joined the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman. Trained with the Marines on a Corvette, went to the Field Medical Training Battalion, got my Fleet Marine Force Insignia, and deployed to Therum." The humor died off with the last few words. "Lost thirty-two of my Marines." There was anger and grief to those words. There always would be, Alenko believed. "Now I'm on the Normandy as a Corpsman, keeping us alive while making the enemy dead." Williams sealed it by bro-fisting Ryder in front of Shepard while the redhead merely chuckled.
"That… sounds like quite a bit, Chief." Khalisah replied, and the Lieutenant had a feeling that Ryder was likely to be the focus. He was pretty certain that it wouldn't be a good thing considering Al-Jilani's more Human-centric opinions and Sara Ryder's rather abroad life, education, and involvement with non-Human considering she was Cit-Born and raised. "The most prestigious school in the galaxy?" Yes, this was working out just about how he'd expected. Kaidan thought he could see what Admiral Anderson was doing by getting Al-Jilani.
"The Presidium Academy of Education." Ryder confirmed, and there was no mistaking the pride in her tone. "First Human ever."
"You didn't go to a Human-oriented school?" Ah, there it was. Yes, now he could see what was going on. Anderson was going to use the reporters' bigotry against her, Khalisah never realizing how smart Sara was. Hell, Jane Shepard pegged as very intelligent, but Sara supposedly was even smarter. A more accepting Human would never get such details because they wouldn't be on the attack. Al-Jilani would fish for something to hold up to an ugly light… and highlight all of Sara's accomplishments in her feeble attempts.
"I took night classes at a few Human-oriented Universities for medical licenses so I could be a Paramedic, but the Human Sector on the Cit didn't have the advanced educational requirements I desired to excel and achieve. Too many people thought us Human CitCitz… what was the term again, Auntie? The one Khalisah called me last time we talked to her?" Ryder was all fake smiles as the Angel turned to the redhead beside her, her tone a little too sincere.
"Traitors." The Lion returned, her tone pure iron. "I think it was the Terra Now! Party that refused to put money into Human education abroad past Earth Alliance Space. I think their exact line on that was 'they can go find an education with the aliens'."
"Oh damn." Sergeant Williams muttered, trying to cover her mouth with a hand. Kaidan just whistled in admonishment. So that was why Sara had gone to the Academy? Because there were no private schools on the Citadel for Humans? Well… good for her.
"That was it." Ryder replied with a knowing nod. "Let me tell you, the acceptance exam is murder. Only three percent who take it pass, and only the top five hundred scores are accepted, regardless of how well one actually does. Something like a hundred thousand apply for the Academy every annual session, and the classes are limited to five hundred per Peerage. Only Human ever accepted into the School of Impossible Questions." The tone was smug enough to spread like butter. From what he had seen of Sara? Yeah, Kaidan agreed she earned a little of it. "Scott had to make do with a distance learning course over the ExtraNet because we got voted out."
"Scott?"
"Scott 'the Viper' Ryder, two-time MVP in the BiotiBall Amateurs League." The Colonial Soldier filled the reporter in. "Sara's twin brother? You know she has one, right?" That was a zing.
"Ouch." Alenko offered that one up. Khalisah Al-Jilani might have a pretty face, but he could tell that it hid an ugly soul. "Didn't you tell me you got Paramedic of the Year twice in a row in the CitEMS? While outsmarting Asari and Salarians at school?"
"Junior Health Care Provider, but yes. While at the Academy." It was really amazing to think that the Corpsman was technically in High School while being an EMT at the same time. How the hell did she find the time? He understood from Detective Garrus Vakarian that the Academy Entrance Examination was something like a two-hundred question proctored test taken in a classroom and not over the ExtraNet, and the exam had a strict time limit. Garrus had mentioned that most didn't even finish the test due to the time limit, and the Turian sniper wondered if it had been engineered that way to eliminate some of the 'slower' species such as the Elcor, the Hanar, and the Volus. If it were true, it wouldn't have surprised the Biotic.
"That sounds… rather accomplished." Khalisah allowed, obviously getting the sense that this particular avenue of approach was likely a dead-end concerning Sara's education and activities on the Cit. Most prestigious school and underaged Paramedic effectively closed that door on picking apart her life. "So how was it that you were made aware of the threat on Therum, Captain?"
"When the Geth attacked the Dig Site," Shepard began, "they had hacked the Marine's communications array, denying them the ability to call for help. Chief Ryder found a flaw in the electronic attack and was able to send a message via another means." The N7 wasn't about to admit to the galaxy that she had been contacted personally by a Chirp; the Geth might close off that avenue of communications. "Upon learning of the attack, I readied the Normandy and we set off to respond to the attack, knowing that a Fleet or a Squadron would take time to re-route. We were able to arrive first in less than twenty hours thanks to my crew. Unfortunately, we were too late for most of Red Platoon, having valiantly held off the Geth, taking down over a hundred at the cost of their lives. An evacuation team had been established for the possibility of an attack before Eden Prime, and the Assault had reaffirmed the possibility. It was Chief Ryder who led the evacuation team during the initial Colonial Emergency Broadcast Alarm during Eden Prime, and again when Therum was under attack. Six Marines and five members of the Serrice Expeditionary Team under the leadership of Chief Ryder evacuated the Expedition and held off the Geth for nearly a day without any fatalities before we arrived."
"Floor was carpeted with Geth hardware." Williams coined, her tone pleased. "Geth got their asses handed to them by a dozen people." Nicely put, Alenko thought to himself. They weren't going to explain how so the Geth wouldn't figure it out. The Captain had been explicit on being vague about such details so the Geth wouldn't adapt.
"But doesn't it bother you that there has been no response from any of the other species concerning the Geth attacks?" Ah… there's the biased journalism that Alenko had been expecting.
"Not true." The Lion replied quickly and decisively. This was slippery ground. "We have on the Normandy a team of volunteers who see the act of war for what it is. There are others throughout Council Space who are lending their assistance as well; intelligence, resources, weaponry, and assistance."
"But the Council has deemed this a Human affair." Khalisah pointed out, the hostility in full gear.
"After we've been saying for years that we didn't want the Council in our affairs." Shepard retaliated with an even tone. "There have been many outspoken critics about our level of cooperation and involvement with the other species of this galaxy, wishing to bury our heads in the sand and pretend that we don't need any help or intervention. You yourself have question our need for an Embassy on the Citadel and Embassies for the other species in Earth Alliance Space, questioning their motives and intentions. We were critical of them in a time of peace, and now we are all but begging for them in a time of war. What shall it be, Ms. Al-Jilani? Should we throw off the shackles of the Citadel and face the Geth on our own? How many lives will that cost? How many colonies?" The reporter had nothing to say, for once. "We can't expect to have allies at arms' distance, only to call on them during our time of need. Cooperation means mutual advantage, a benefit to both. How much have we helped the Hierarchy during their Separatist Insurgency?"
"Why should we get involved?" Al-Jilani scoffed, scorn filling her tone.
"So why would they during our problems? They're in the middle of a war themselves." The Lion pointed out. "Yes, we ended up helping them with the death of Elanos Haliat, but that was for our benefit, not for their benefit. If we had gotten involved earlier… would we have prevented Elysium? The Blitz?" The questions were answered with silence. "The Parliament voted for no assistance needed during the Blitz, and we got what we asked for. How many lives were lost during the Blitz? How many people captured? How many vessels destroyed? Was that necessary, to assuage our pride?" Again, the reporter had no rebuke to offer.
Alenko felt troubled by what the Captain was saying. Not because she was saying it or what she was inferring, but… the fact that she might be correct. The Turians had been fighting an insurgency for nearly twenty years… and the Alliance had never once helped. Now the favor was being returned. One of the reasons that the Systems Alliance had so many Fleets involved with the Citadel Defense Fleets was so the Turians could fight that same Insurgency… something the Systems Alliance jumped on to get a bigger and better say in their role in intergalactic affairs. But it hadn't been to help the Turians, but to forward Human interests. Why would the Hierarchy get involved with another species' affairs when that same species had so clearly indicated it wanted no one's help? It was as the Lion said; the galaxy was taking Humanity at its word. Oh, he wasn't naive to think that there wasn't more to it than that, but the basic principle was true; Humanity wasn't ready for the kind of threats the galaxy presented, as Councilor Sparatus Quinlinus suggested, and it had no one but themselves to blame.
"Lieutenant Alenko," the reporter looked to him, "as I understand it, the Normandy has become a host of several foreign nationals in its mission. How would you describe them?" Ah, more fishing. That Al-Jilani asked him was odd… unless she somehow knew about his time in BAaT. And Commander Juliux Vyrnnus.
"Utterly competent and completely committed to this mission." Kaidan replied sincerely, looking at the Persian woman. He reminded himself that, despite this woman's underhanded dirty tactics, she could and would perceive deception and latch onto it. "We worked together well on Therum, finding different ways to integrate and work together after coming together so recently. Captain Shepard had the entirety of the ground team put through a wringer to work upon mutual tactics and responses to further our teamwork and make us even more proficient. I think it says much when we can get a Rapid Response Sniper to comment on our rigorous training regime and identify it as 'expertly exhausting'." Again, they weren't allowed to identify particulars to keep the Geth as much in the dark as possible. There were already news reports of some of the foreign nationals as Khalisah so ineloquently put it circulating the social media strata, and Detective Garrus Vakarian had been a big one, which was no surprise. Vakarian was a former Blackwatch Sniper who fought in the Relay 314 Incident, and now served on a Human vessel. The reactions to that were… interesting, to say the least. Urdnot Wrex, the big game hunter, was another. The Captain was rather glad that no one had noticed two Quarian Pilgrims or a Salarian STG Agent yet. Kaidan had to concur with that.
"That is surprisingly cooperative, considering your history." Aww fuck. "Were you not implicated in the murder of one Juliux Vyrnnus during your time in the Biotic Acclimatization and Temperance Training on Gagarin Station?"
"Are we calling self-defense 'murder' now?" Chief Sara Ryder spoke up, her tone dangerously hard. "Seems you implicate that a hired Turian mercenary who fought in the Relay 314 Incident wasn't responsible for vicious corporal punishment, torture, food and water depredation, thirteen training injuries involving physical abuse, and no less than five training deaths. Or do we only report a part of the facts, now?" Alenko did his best to keep his jaw from dropping. How the hell had Sara known about that? Wait… her mother was Doctor Ellen Ryder, the premiere Biotic researcher for Humanity. Had she been aware of what Conatix Industries had done? Had Doctor Ryder been complicit or was caught unaware? He would have to ask Sara. "The attack in question involved a student in BAaT going several hours of rather punishing training without rest or hydration. When Commander Vyrnnus, the mercenary hired through scrupulous means to improve the abilities of young Human Biotics, wasn't getting the results he wanted out of a seventeen-year old girl under physical and mental duress, he broke her arm. Lieutenant Alenko intervened and had a Talon pulled on him by the same instructor who liked to chide the students that he had killed their fathers on Shanxi. Kaidan defended himself from a known and armed assailant by kicking him in the head. Juliux Vyrnnus died due to a fractured cervical contusion that caused his spinal cord to become separated from his medula oblongata. That's a fancy way of saying he broke his neck with a kick. Any of that sound like murder, Ms. Al-Jilani? A Human defending himself from an armed Turian?" Sara had really turn the tables on the reporter, basically accusing the Human-centric racist of siding with a Turian without actually say the specific words.
The only thing that broke the silence was Williams' not-so-subtle damn emitted from behind her hand.
"Moving along…" The Persian woman insisted, obviously having lost that battle and knowing it, "Sergeant Williams, since being assigned on the Normandy thanks to Captain Shepard, how would you say your time serving as an active duty member on a Naval vessel have changed the perceptions of cowardice concerning your grandfather?"
Light was louder than the Sergeants' response, but there wasn't a star in the galaxy the showed more furious than what crossed her face.
"Ash." A gentle hand went onto the Sergeant's as Captain Jane Shepard held the Colonial Soldier's hand, and Alenko admitted that he was rather impressed that Williams was able to calm herself enough not to bolt out of the chair and slug the reporter in her smug-looking face. Kaidan would have. Hell, he wanted to out of obligation for his subordinate! The Sergeant was visibly shaking in anger, the reporter striking a nerve by bringing up Ash's vilified grandfather, General Theodore Williams. Khalisah had gotten the reaction she wanted.
And then Kaidan won the bet with Ash.
Ryder was viper-quick as her right fist snapped out, slugging the Persian woman in the face, hard. Everyone visibly winced at the crack Sara's knuckles made as she drove her fist straight into Al-Jilani's nose, knocking the woman backwards out of her chair and onto the floor. Khalisah Al-Jilani's feet were hanging up and out due to her chair, the rest of her sprawled out on the floor, the woman unconscious as Kaidan, Ash, and Jane all stood up slowly, seeing Chief Ryder standing over the woman, her fists balled and bared muscled arms flexed. In her face there was no mercy.
"You fuck with Doc's crew, and you fuck with Doc." The Corpsman said with utter venom in her voice, standing over the unconscious woman victoriously. "Theodore Bradley Williams fought tooth-and-nail for the colonists of Shanxi, standing tall for Mankind during its darkest days, crafting its finest hours through courage and sacrifice. Snakes like you aren't fit to lick his boots, attacking people for ratings." Sara kissed the knuckles of her right fist, almost like a prize fighter would after a bout. "Might want to check out that deviated septum. Seems it's misaligned. Again."
"Sara?" Captain Jane Shepard looked with a little more than mild amusement towards the Navy Corpsman as she gestured to the five OmniDrome cameras that hovered around them, all of them displaying a red indication light. "That… went out. Live."
"I think half of the prospect of this interview was to see Round Two." Ryder shrugged her muscular shoulders, making Kaidan snort. "What was the standard end line for these things when somebody goofs? We'll return to our program after a word from our sponsors?"
"Yep." The Lion said as Williams chortled, looking at the unconscious woman on the ground.
"Damn you've got yourself a mean right hook, Doc. I owe you a drink."
"Bajarita. At the Vortex. So celebrating."
The four of them left laughing as the cameras continued to record.
Author's Note: Surprisingly? Nothing. This was mostly a family fluff piece showing David and Jannie's father/daughter relationship, and then a little bit about Jannie/Mark's so-called disastrous marriage. Life doesn't stop just because there's a war. Believe me; myself and many Vets can vouch for that one.
Bajarita - A concoction of my own devising, it is a Margarita that uses Mountain Dew Baja Blast instead of grapefruit juice. For those who think alcohol and caffeine are a partnership.