There was an idea; to bring together a group of remarkable people, so when we needed them, they could fight the battles we never could…
Captain's Quarters, SSV Normandy, EAS Common Docks, Kithoi Enders, Citadel, Widow System, Serpent Nebula, July 17, 2183
Author's Note: I normally don't delve into the description of the physical act of sex; it's actually pretty difficult to write it without it sounding lewd, lame, or some perverted trash. But some of this will be covered in a way that I hope will be seen as a point of a person and a relationship, and not just fluff/fanservice/written porn.
Plus, I'm a guy. Trying to write about this stuff from a woman's view point is… interesting, to say the least.
And with this chapter, I have hit a milestone. You, dear reader, have plowed through a 500,000 word story. It is now the 28th-longest story in the Mass Effect category. If you're in school and you have a teacher that harps on you about reading more, tell them you've read a half-a-million word book. Then show this as evidence. I swear I won't mind.
And… geez… we haven't even kicked in the door to Noveria, yet!
For all those that have read, faved, followed, commented, and especially those who were there from the first weeks in March of 2018 when this story launched and I crossed my fingers at this (still) unique story of bringing Andromeda characters into the first Mass Effect game, you all have my thanks and gratitude.
As a present? This new chapter!
Captain Jane Catherine Shepard (SAN, N7, OST) woke up during the 'morning' of the Cit, what was known as Light Cycle, in her own bed in her quarters with her Executive Officer sleeping next to her.
Goddamn it, I did it again. Two nights in a row, the redhead thought to herself as she found herself buried in the arms of Commander Mark Vanderloo, snuggled appropriately with both of his arms surrounding her, one under her head and its hand holding her own, while the other spooned her, holding onto her right breast gently. Her back was pressed into his chest, and the warmth that she got from cuddling him was more than physical; she ached to feel herself being held by the man who had been her husband, to wrap her limbs around him and pull him closer. She had left Lollipops last night fairly drunk and heading back to the ship to find Mark working on some intel that Lady Eloa'Varis had given them pertaining to the Geth, updating the information with what they had learned during their battles on Feros and in LaGrange Point Two. The ship was generally deserted during the day, though several crew members used the vessel as an impromptu hotel instead of spending Credits on a rented room. Jannie had gone back to the Normandy after a night at a strip club (sorry, fashion entertainment review) feeling rather randy. She hadn't even bothered asking Marks' opinion on the manner; she had plucked him from his work and practically dragged him to her quarters (again) where she had her way with him. And then he had his way with her. The first couple of times had been hormones and the urge of having something thrusted deep inside of her until she came. Then the sensuality came where Jannie and Mark took turns doing the things that pleased the other, from different positions to different angles. She had missed the way he felt inside of her, his waist in between her thighs as she held him close when he made love to her, clinging onto him hard as she gripped hard to bring him even closer, to truly unionize the act of turning two-to-one. When they were married, a good deal of it was the hormones and urges of people in their young-to-mid-twenties mixed with long absences.
It seemed different, now. And not necessarily in a bad way.
I know I still love him; a part of me always will, Jannie thought to herself as she found herself gazing into the well-chiseled face of her ex-husband as he slept, turning slightly so she could look at him. Deep inside, she knew that one didn't fall in love with someone and fall out of love as easily; there would always be a part that cared for the person in question, even if only because it wasn't some random person. Despite the way their marriage ended and the divorce, she hadn't truly wished Mark ill though there had been a great many tears and screaming matches at the end. She could have ruined his career by labeling him an adulterer (which adultery was illegal under the Uniform Code of Military Justice in the Systems Alliance Military) or blasted his sins all over social media, but she had elected not to. It was because, deep in her heart, Shepard still loved him, remembering the man who had swept her off her feet and supported her emotionally though so many tough times. A part of her felt that she had failed to return the favor, that being gone so often with the Teams meant she practically abandoned him for her career; the same sin Jannie blamed her mother for. A part of her wanted to forgive him all that had happened, to be with the man she had fallen in love with, who had won her heart.
Now she was lying in a bed in his arms after a long night of passionate sex and sensual gratification. And she really wasn't regretting it at all.
"Hey." Mark woke up slowly, his eyes opening up to look at her, and Jannie found her breath catching in her throat as Mark pulled her in a little closer, holding her in an embrace that she found both comforting and endearing.
"Hey." She replied, cursing her lack of eloquence. She hadn't once asked how Mark felt about their recent 'fallen-off-the-wagon-and-into-a-bed' status when it came to things between them. Sleeping with a subordinate (or in Marks' case, a superior) smacked of stupid in at least thirty-seven different ways. Sleeping with someone you worked right alongside with added about another twenty-nine stupidity points to that grand total. Just assume he was okay with it wasn't the right way to go despite everything. "Can… can we talk about this?" Jannie gestured to the fact that their naked bodies were pressed against one another's under the blankets of her bed. "I… I kinda pulled you into this without asking how you felt or… shit, if you were actually seeing someone or not." That hadn't even occurred to her until just now. God, please don't let me find out he has a girlfriend or fiancee and that I became the 'other' woman!
"I'm not in a relationship with anyone. Haven't been in a while, honestly." Mark replied, and Jannie actually believed that. While Mark wasn't the type to kiss and tell, she knew that he regretted what happened in the wake of their marriage and divorce. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice. "After what happened with us, I was… convinced I should have been punished with a lot worse than just a divorce. I made some epically bad decisions, and I broke your heart. So I didn't date for a while so I could learn my lesson and not become the kind of man I was back in Secondary Gymnasium and the Military Academy, having flings left and right." Jannie hadn't known that Mark had taken a break from dating or seeing someone. "When I did, it just… wasn't the same.
"They weren't you."
"Mark…," the N7 flipped over so she could face him, reaching up to touch his face, "I hope you didn't do that because you thought that's what I would have wanted. I could have done a lot worse with our divorce but didn't because I wanted you to do well and be happy. I didn't want to destroy you in any fashion out of pettiness, jealousy, or spite."
"I know, and I'm grateful. I really am." Vanderloo replied as his arms slipped around her muscled waist, pulling her close. "I think it was mostly that there was a lesson to be learned, and just stumbling over a bunch of girls for sex would mean I wouldn't have learned a thing. I hurt you, I knew that I hurt you, and you were the last person I would have ever wanted to do that to. Seeing that look of betrayal in your eyes when you walked in was the worst thing I'd ever seen, how hard you cried when it was all my fault."
"It wasn't just you, Mark." Jannie replied bitterly, closing her eyes. "I put other things as more important than you for years. Even when I was at home, my head and my heart were kind of somewhere else, taking what little time we had together and just… miring it with other things. I… was never home." She opened her green eyes lot look into Marks'. "I was on missions, I was with the Teams, I was fretting about a thousand little things. I took you and our marriage for granted and that was what really hurt me when I walked in and realized I never took the time or the chance to make you important, to show what we meant to me. I was gone so much physically and then the rest of the time mentally that we were simply going through the motions, being married out of an ideal instead of acts and thoughts. It was me that killed it, Mark, not you."
"I should have said something first."
"I should have, too." Shepard replied as she took him close to her, slipping his head towards her chest, holding him there as he leaned against her as Jannie held her ex-husband and comforted him, stroking his shorned hair as she closed her eyes and held him, missing that feeling that she only got to enjoy too briefly, to be a part of something beautiful and magical. They had both made mistakes, and they both had suffered for it. I said I wanted him in my life, but I did anything but.
I still do, the redhead realized what everything inside was telling her. She slowly pulled Mark on top of her as she laid on her back, holding him in a comforting manner as she looked downward at him, seeing his head laying upon her as she stroked his head.
"Mark… I'd like to try again."
That had him look up at her with expressive brown eyes, and she knew his answer before he even said it.
STARS Office, Human Embassy, Embassy District, Upper Ring, Presidium, Citadel, Widow System, Serpent Nebula, July 19, 2183
Petty Officer (Second Class) Sara Elaine Ryder spun in a lazy circle in a borrowed contragravity office chair as she read through the rules and regulations on the datapad that she was holding in her left hand while filling out a form on another datapad with her right in the office reserved for Captain Jane Shepard in the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance Section Office of the Human Embassy. Rear Admiral (Lower Half) David Edward Anderson was in his own office with Auntie at the moment as Sara filled out some of the paperwork that she and Jannie had been working on for the past couple of days, slogging through Alliance bureaucracy and silly rules to accomplish what they both had hoped would be an accomplishment before heading off in the next three days to continue their mission for the hunt for Saren Arterius and any news of his location or any of his allies. There were at least ten agents of various departments in the STARS Office working on just that, looking through datafeeds, getting reports, searching archived information from anything from old news reports to even old social media scrubs on any hint of previous locations and deals for a Council Agent who had obviously done a very good job cleaning his tracks pertaining to his history. The Office of Special Tactics had given the STARS Office a mostly prosaic version of previous missions pertaining to Saren, but had been caught blind when they discovered that most of the information had been corrupted or deleted days before the Assault on Eden Prime. Matriarch Lysanda T'mora, the Commandant of the Office of Special Tactics, had been rather vexed at the discovery when a Salarian Level One Council Agent had compiled all of Saren's missions and reports to deliver to the hands of the Black Fox only to discover that Saren had beaten them to it first and had made a hash of his own records. It was obvious, really; most anyone planning to betray their government would likely try to disguise as much as possible to prevent the very thing the STARS Office was doing right now; looking for clues and connections from the past to limit Saren's movements.
No one had any news or sighting of the rogue Turian since his holographic image terminated itself during a Council meeting on June Eighth. Forty-one days and not a single word.
"Hey, kiddo."
"Hey, Auntie." Sara briefly looked up from her work to see Jannie coming into her 'personal' office in the STARS Office, a basic no-frills office that the redhead really hadn't decorated or made her own. She went there to visit the agents of the STARS Office, to visit her Poppa Bear, and to get datawork done, but that was about it. Perhaps when the mission to capture-or-kill Saren Arterius was over, she'd actually get a chance to personalize it a little bit, to make it look like she belonged. Perhaps Sara could get her a gag gift and get a few early-21st Century memorabilia pieces like a movie poster or perhaps and old flat-screen that played old vids of video game demos. Auntie would probably get a kick out of that. She really did love the HALO and Call of Duty: Black Ops series. "I got a response from the Arc, and it looks like the datawork is in order and is being finalized as we speak. Purchased a few transtickets here and the Jacobson's will be arriving on the Twenty-Second. Sam's in on it and she's already agreed to play chauffeur since she's got a CitPL and do we really want them walking or taking an ArmTram for their first time on the Cit? I don't even know if they like others or not."
"Yeah, good call." Auntie replied as she went to her desk and waved her hand over the monitor display device, activating the holographic image and its Haptic input device. "We couldn't get an earlier flight?"
"No. Alliance dragged their feet on the approval, and last-minute tickets are hard to get to the Cit. Not to mention expensive." Sara replied, having worked for the past day or so to cram an AllPass for the Jacobson's and then get it approved through Citadel Security Services (Immigration and Visitation Division). It had been a bureaucratic nightmare that Sara had busted her ass getting people to actually approve in a timely manner… as if clicking an 'acceptance' button took a standard solar day or some s'kak. She had threatened, begged, cajoled, and had no regrets dropping either her name or Auntie's name to get the ball rolling on the approval on several different documents, court orders, and acceptances. Four days of bureaucratic semi-headaches.
The final approval was being actualized as they spoke. It was worth it.
"Pity we couldn't drop this on the Embassy's desk and expect them to, y'know, actually do their job." The redhead lamented as she began typing something up on the holographic representation of her keyboard, the device logging her finger movements and typing with her fingerstrokes. "Then again, I wanted it done in a week, not a year."
"Did you just apply logic and our Embassy in the same sentence?" Sara asked, putting on a faux-tone of awe and wonder in her voice as Auntie snorted in response. "Embassy took a real nosedive when Anita Goyle lost the election to that oaf we call an Ambassador. At least our Chamberlain isn't completely worthless. I rather like Chamberlain Ming Moon. She knows when to deal, when to push, and when to allow the other guy to think they won something. She plays the political game well." At this level of politics, that was an absolute must. For the Chambers, prestige and perception were almost as important as politics and policy. Getting caught in a scandal or blurbing out something retarded on ARTARVA or Chirper would no doubt get the other Chamberlains to harass and extort for concessions that would help out their view of things. It sucked, but that was generally how politics worked; extortion and blackmail that involved billions upon billions of lives. "Next thing you're going to say is that we should have that movie for our next movie night."
"Hey now, let's not be too hasty here." Jannie waved off the thought, making Sara laugh. "I'll be dead and in my grave before I ever sit through that monstrosity again. The last thing I need is my crew to ask awkward questions and start comparing me to that slut." Auntie was referring to April Flannigan, the lead actress that played the main character, Ensign Jane Shepard, pertaining to the events of the Assault of Elysium in the blockbuster The Fires Of Heaven. It was still the most-grossing movie of all time after six years; no small feat. April Flannigan had decided that her career would go well as a porn star after her success in The Fires Of Heaven, the actress having been picked for her looks and her… personal assets. One of Auntie's main grumbles about the movie was that she had be represented by 'a tit-heavy bimbo with no acting skill dressed in a too-tight costume running around like a retard'. April Flannigan had died the previous year on Earth flying her aircar into the ground while intoxicated, and Sara remembered Jannie's perplexed Chirps about the people's reaction to April's death; there had been a bit of a media and social frenzy, people somehow forgetting that she was a porn star and remembering her for portraying a hero (badly, at that). Auntie hadn't at all been sorry to have heard that Flannigan had died, though she never said it out loud. "I mean, would you want people to look up how Hannah Buchard is doing and asking your opinion on that junkie?"
"She's actually tried hitting me up for money a few times." Sara shook her head, snorting all the while. Hannah had been a sixteen-year old child actress set to play a thirteen-year old Sara Ryder in the same movie, portraying the Angel as April did the Lion. Sara had initially been charmed that she was being represented by an actress she knew of (she didn't get to watch too many Human shows being on the Cit), but she of course knew Hannah Buchard from her leading role in She's Got Game on the kids-oriented ENtertainment channel Disney. So she had been older and certainly didn't have the body of a mostly pre-pubescent a thirteen year old; Sara had understood that the child actress was trying to break into real movies while the producers were trying to pull an audience. Unfortunately, in real life, Hannah Buchard was a Sander; she used Red Sand that gave her the characteristic 'bleeding' eyes from the eyedropper-induced narcotic barbiturate. Hannah's career plummeted shortly after the movie due to her addiction, multiple failed rehabs, and the fact that she was now broke and prostituting herself for Credits and Sand in Vegas, Earth. Sara was even less enthused with her 'representative' than Auntie was. "Said I magically owed her somehow." That had the redhead snort.
"Yeah, a beating." Jannie had like Hannah even less than she liked April, and that was saying something. "So we looking good with our plan?" Sara had come up with the idea, but Jannie had turned it into her brainchild, pushing hours into what they were doing. They both felt the same way about the endeavor, and in a couple days time, they would be able to see the fruits of their labor. Sara, for one, couldn't wait. She felt like she owed it both to herself and others to make it work.
"We've got a tentative approval from the Systems Alliance Judicial Circuit, so all that's needed is a signature and seal. Could be done in five minutes, but likely in five hours." The Corpsman stuck her tongue out at the thought, making her Auntie laugh.
"Hey… this was a good idea, Sara." The N7 said, looking up from her work at her terminal and to her best friend. "Feels good to do something right besides war and fighting. This is the kind of thing that we'll look back on for years and remember."
"I know, and you're right." The Firstborn agreed, knowing exactly what Auntie meant. They were fighting to save lives, to fight for their species, but sometimes the battles that were smaller didn't make them any less significant. She only had to look at her own past to see what she had done jumping Cit to locate Jannie during the events of Elysium to know that some decisions could change a life, or even several.
Sometimes, making a difference in just one life meant everything.
Opold's Emporium, Regency District, Upper Ring, Presidium, Citadel, Widow System, Serpent Nebula, July 21, 2183
Sergeant First Class Ashley Madeline Williams was doing the tourist thing in what was undoubtedly the most expensive place she had ever been to in her entire life. The Regency District on the Cit was no-bullshit the most expensive real estate in the galaxy. This was where one went to go to the nearby Embassies, the Council Tower, and the most expensive housing units and stores in the entirety of the Milky Way. Ash had her eyes damn near pop out when she walked by an OmniTool store where the bands of the devices were displayed in high-grade diamondglas cases… and there were only ten of them in the entire store. Seeing an OmniTool worth a megaCredit had the Colonial Soldier's jaw drop in shock. God, that thing better do everything amazingly at that price! Liara had suggested going to a place she called 'Opold's' with Rebecca 'Newt' Jorden, and Ash knew what the Asarikin was doing; distracting the Humans.
Tomorrow the Normandy would be leaving… and Newt couldn't go with them.
"Ohmygosh, look at this critter!" Newt piped up as Ash and Liara walked hand-in-hand along the Emporium, a large bazaar-like store that encompassed a great deal of businesses under a tower, like having a mini-mall for a lobby. Williams kind of got what was going on with the Regency District; the super-rich and super-influential lived here, so thus the best shops were here, too. The shops at the base of the building, sometimes taking up half of the 'floor', were to cater to those persons living in the floors above, everything from groceries to clothing so they wouldn't have to shop elsewhere. There was evidently some sort of super expensive shopping gallery deeper in the Regency District that was a multi-level center filled with practically just about anything one could get in CitSpace, and as Ash understood it, half of the appeal of the location was being seen with whatever fad or hot commodity existed at the moment (obviously, the thing was ran by Thessians).
"That is a pyjak, a native species to Tuchanka." Liara described helpfully as Ash looked at the animal in the CeramiGel'ed partition it was staying in. The creature was a green-skinned marsupial-looking animal about the size of a small dog, with spindly limps, large eyes and ears, and an aardvark-like proboscis nose. It looked at her with moist-looking eyes that blinked slowly.
"Pretty adorable, actually." Ash said, seeing Newt practically pressing her face against the translucent cage. "So that's what a Tuchankan looks like when it isn't trying to eat you, crush you, or mash you. I wonder how they survived the Krogan? Do they keep them as pets?"
"They… are a part of the Krogan diet." The Maiden admitted sheepishly, making Ash snort as the little girl looked horrified at the thought of someone eating a 'cute pet'. Well, there were some cultures that ate rats and dogs back on Earth. Heck, there was an entire religion that thought cows were sacred! She never did get why the Hindus thought that, no one having ever explained that to her. All she knew was that she'd get more beef on Taco Nights and perhaps an extra portion on Surf'n'Turf Night. "When the Krogan began colonizing other worlds, pyjaks were one of the 'imports' they brought as a food source. They breed fast, in large quantities, and they will eat practically anything. They are generally considered pests and vermin."
"Awww, you're no pest." Williams cooed to the cute little guy, who proceeded to defecate in its own paw and throw it at her. It splattered against the transparent CeramiGlass as Ash jerked back in surprise. "Did… that thing just fling poo at me?" Newt was giggling as Ash looked back at Liara, who was trying to hide a smile behind a dainty hand… and failing horribly.
"Krogan are not the only ones who think pyjaks pests." The Protheantologist said from behind her hand, making Ash growl a little as Newt giggled some more. The little girl had a wonderful laugh that brightened her up, and Ash loved the sound of it. No, keep strong, Williams thought to herself, looking at little Rebecca as she inspected the pyjak and the soiled cage. You will make this girl happy, you will smile no matter how your heart breaks.
Break down and cry tomorrow, but today? Today you will make a difference in this girl's life.
The three of them eventually moved on from the expensive OmniTool story that was buttressed by a pet store that sold exotics and a Sha'ira's Secret that specialized in lingerie for just about every species that had Liara blush when Newt asked what one particular piece was meant to do. Ash had to bite her own tongue to keep from laughing out loud as the Maiden tried to (tastefully) describe the purpose of the Asari-oriented thong and what it was for; evidently, it was not only to make the Asari-in-question wearing it to be more appealing, but it also… exasperate certain locations on said Asari's anatomy. The Colonial Soldier was fighting too hard to choke back on her laughter as a century-old Asari tried to describe to a Human child less than a decade old why sexy underwear was needed without being too descriptive. Obviously, telling an eight year old that silky lingerie that induced vaginal stimulation while making the wearer more appealing was not such a good idea. Liara tried… and failed. Horribly.
"So… Asari wear that to do… what?" Newt asked, confused when the Protheantologist (who immediately claimed to have never worn such a thing, Goddess forbid!) told her that it was meant to make someone more appealing, and then fumbled on how to best describe it when the little girl asked how.
"It's sexy undies." The brunette supplied, figuring the girl knew enough to get the gist of it; adult stuff. Ash forwent the rest of the details, and the little girl's eyes got wide and she went ohhhh! in understanding. Liara just shot Ash a withering look for not rescuing her earlier. "What? I didn't know what they were for either until you began to tell us that it came with a power cell meant to activate a vibration node. Never heard of a thong that could do that." If some Human lingerie company saw the garment in question and figured out what they did, they'd make a killing. Of course, it was probably patented for the next millennium or so. With the Asari, that was actually a thing. "I'm just surprised they found a way to stick a battery and a vibrator in it somewhere. There's not exactly a lot of space available." The thing was practically a hoop of dental floss with an attaching string that looped from front to back underneath.
"It also… contracts." The Doctor informed, and Ash felt her jaw drop just a little at that. The crotch portion tightened? Dear God, and Ash thought high heels and waxing eyebrows were some of the more painful things about being a lady. Constricting underwear was certainly a new one. Not hip-hugging, butt-toning, or supporting; constricting. Ash just tried to imagine black lace tightening in between…
…nope, don't go there.
"Let's go look at something else." Ash suggested hopefully so that Liara didn't die of horrified embarrassment.
"Yeah, why would anyone need sexy undies, anyhow?" Newt asked, completely and utterly mystified. "People are beautiful the way they are. Right?"
"Right." Ash smiled at the little girl, giving the Asari the same smile. "People are beautiful the way they are." Williams gave Liara's hand an affectionate squeeze, knowing that even a few months ago, she would have meant Humans. Her time in the SSV Normandy had changed her, had opened her eyes. It was the little things that had done so, like seeing a Cit-born Corpsman who could talk just as easily to a Human as she could to a Turian or a Salarian, not pausing to build up courage or watching her words so as not to appear racist. Sara had been easily the most different person Ash had ever met, with her accent that was quite unlike anything she ever heard; more refined in some ways, but flavored with different dialects and words from a multitude of species. Talking to Sara had made Ash realize that the young woman had always lived amongst aliens… and had found a way to make it work. She had even mentioned her frustrations with Humans, some of them looking down on the Firstborn who was supposedly doing the very thing Humanity wanted to achieve in spirit if not in action or words. Hearing a little of Turian History, Ash had come to the conclusion on just how young Humanity was, and not just in the stars. Fifteen thousand year old Empire? And the Asari had a thirty thousand year old system of government that unified their people and brought them to the stars? The oldest nation on Earth was… only a few hundred years old at best, and a great deal more than half weren't even a century. EarthGov didn't have a unifying planetary government, more like political blocs that convened to keep everyone from destroying one another, more-or-less uniting once Earth discovered aliens did in fact exist and had a war waged on one of its colonies. Meeting the Angel had really awoken Ash to the fact of how precarious a position Humanity was, and pretty much the galaxy's bratty stepchild that whined every chance it got when the older children got to go do the cool kid stuff while Humanity was being told to eat its vegetables and behave.
That had certainly been a bit of an eyeopener.
Ash had been studying Citadel History and Galactic History during her free time, as well as looking up Prothean Studies so she could talk to Liara. At first, Ash had began speaking to the Asari Doctor because she was actually nice, pretty shy, educated, and willing to learn. So Williams had given her the benefit of the doubt and tried talking to her as… well, a person. An interesting person, at the very least, but not necessarily as someone so different as to keep at arms-length. There were different heritages, religions, and views throughout Humanity, and some of them wildly so. How would Ash have dealt with them? Would she had necessarily sided with a Human with a drastically different look at life as oppose to an alien with similar views to her own just because they were Human? It made her think of her comments to the Skipper, that stupid ass allegory on how an alien would look out for their own first, and the bit about the dog. God, I must have sounded like some xenophobic shithead, Ash thought to herself, a little less than amused at the memory. But she had seen the way Skipper had looked at her when she and Liara were cuddling each other at the strip club (fashion entertainment blah blah blah… it was a strip club), seeing how amazed Jane Shepard was. She even mentioned it! Who are you and what did you do with our Ash?, the Captain had asked, but what Williams had heard was what happened to the racist bitch?
I sent her ass packing, Ash thought to herself, remembering not only just the times she spent with Liara. There was the talks she had with Detective Garrus Vakarian, shooting the shit with the Turian Sniper that was waaaaaaay better than her (though she'd never let him hear of it) while comparing and contrasting tactics and missions. There was Agent Zevin Raeka who seemed always to have time to answer questions about her people, and not badgering about how great Salarians were, but being honest about their strengths and flaws. The Quarian Pilgrims never did shut up about the Migrant Fleet, and Ash knew it was because they were homesick, a pair of teenagers out to prove themselves worthy members of their race. Ash was completely okay with that, because that was pretty much what she did when she was sixteen, joining the Systems Alliance Colonial Army to provide to her family, never shutting up about her sisters, her Mom, or her Dad to anyone who stood within a meter of her and didn't run away quickly enough. Even grumpy old Urdnot Wrex had gotten a bit of a shine out of her, the old big game hunter always looking out for the other 'mortals' by giving them hints and advice on how to be better at whatever it was they did, and Lord that Krogan had seen and done it all! What really nailed it for her was watching the Krogan observing Sara Ryder working with Niki'Raan, working on some gizmo that the Pilgrim had concocted and Doc giving her a hand, and the Krogan had just walked up unannounced and helped. With tech that Williams had little to no idea about. Not that she thought Wrex stupid (stupid Krogan probably didn't last long) but she never would have guessed he knew how to solder, connect wires, set chips, and even give targeting perimeters if not actually doing the coding work himself. Niki now had a little physical drone that would poop an ad-hoc anti-personnel grenade much like 1st Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko's' save this one hovered and it could deliver to anyone who needed a handy explosive. Plus she would get the chance to tease the shit out of him from here until eternity about seeing him performing at a strip club. That would never get old.
Now here she was, on the Cit, with a beautiful Asari who was probably smarter than everyone else on the Normandy (Raeka and Sara were right up there, and Garrus, Tali, and Skipper weren't exactly slouches themselves, either), holding her hand like they belonged. When she had woken up that morning right next to Liara, seeing her in the light of the morning (as it were for the Cit), Ash was under the very real impression that she was falling in love with the Maiden. They had shared each others' bodies the night after going to Lollipops', Newt having been babysat by Lieutenant Commander Charles Pressly who himself was a father of a daughter and knew how to keep the little girl occupied while Ash and Liara had a date, the Navigator pretty happy at playing a temporary uncle. Rebecca thankfully knew that they were 'beginning dating' and understood the concept of such without getting into a bunch of questions or feeling like she was being pushed off when the Solider and the Doctor had their 'Ladies Night Out' courtesy of Skipper and Doc, and Liara had pulled Ash away early wanting to… progress things. Ashley had spent several hours learning a great deal about what the Asari viewed sex to be, involving a good deal more than just physical pleasure, and did her best to take her time and make Liara's first experience with a sapient as pleasurable as possible while learning what melds were like (and why everyone who had ever been with an Asari went ga-ga over them).
The sex was mind-blowing (no pun intended), but it was more than that. A lot more.
When Ash had woken up from the control of the Thorian back on Feros, she had done so in the arms of Liara T'soni, so confused as to what was going on, waking up from what felt like the most horrifying nightmare in the arms of someone who was utterly grateful that she was well. Liara had nearly been in tears as she held Ash as the memories came, memories of things she hadn't been responsible for but done just the same as horror and dread crawled into her soul. Ash had nearly fell to pieces at the knowledge, and it was Liara that had kept her together. When little Newt had come as well, hugging her tightly and near tears at the thought of losing Ashley, the little girl proved to be a balm to the horrors, the one soul Williams had been able to save not only alive and well, but happy to see Ash alive and well as well. On her worst day, in her worst moments, the both of them had been right there for her, and for that, Ashley Williams was utterly lucky and completely grateful for them.
When Ash told Liara that she was interested in caring for Newt, the little girl who had lost everything, one sole survivor looking out for another, Liara had been not only completely okay with it, but had offered to help as well. They had a budding relationship, slowly going through all those awkward steps that beginning dating brought when Ash dropped that bombshell, knowing that Newt represented something almost spiritual; there had never been a clearer sign for Ash that something so profound could be achieved, almost like God had placed that child right in front of her and said get a clue, this is your soul on the line. Ash knew what she had to do for an eight-year old who had lost her entire family and her entire colony; the woman who had done so much for her own family was given the chance and opportunity to be more than just being a big sister. It was as clear as a bell to her, and she was going to take it. When she told Liara that, Ash had no idea how Liara would respond.
So when Liara said that not only did she agree to it, but that she would help, Ash knew right then and there she was forever a changed woman. For the better.
Would I have so readily agreed to foster an Asari child plucked from the jaws of death itself it it had been Liara to have done so? Ash had wondered about that for a couple of days now, thinking it over. Liara had been very true to her word, being not only by Ash's side, but Rebecca's too. The Doctor knew next to nothing about Human children, and yet was more than willing to try to learn, to be there for a 'Youngling' that had lost so much. It showed the kind of person that Doctor Liara Delphoria E'shora of House T'soni was; the kind of person Ash wanted to be with. Newt certainly had no issues with the Asari despite never having met one before Liara, and enjoyed spending time with the Asari Maiden. Liara, too, reciprocated the affection she got from Newt, not at all afraid to hold the hand of a little Human girl or being seen publicly with her. Oh, Ash, hadn't missed the looks they were getting as a couple from the other Thessians, stuck-up blue hussies seeing a Human woman, a young Asari Maiden, and a Human Youngling between them, their faces scornful and dismissive. Fuck them, Ash thought as she watched as Newt pointed something out in a store window, a robotic 'dog' known as a KEI-9 created by Hahne-Keder to be something in between a guard dog and a pet for someone who probably wasn't allowed to have an organic pet in their Cit apartment or whatnot. Right next to Newt was Liara, bending down slightly to look at the mechanical creature as the little girl was practically breathless asking questions and being giddy like all kids were, and the Protheantologist showing genuine interest in what Rebecca was saying, not feigning interest but actually listening. Ash watched the scene with an ache in her heart, seeing Asari and Human child standing right next to one another without a thought or a care in the world, as if it was the most natural thing to do.
You were right, Doc, Williams thought to herself as she slipped right next to Liara, slipping her hand back into the Maidens' as she gave the Doctor a smile and a kiss on the cheek as she joined in, blanching at the price of the KEI-9.
Humanity could stand to grow up a little more.
"At least it doesn't fling poo." Jorden declared as the flat face of the Hahne-Keder FENRIS Mechanical Canine looked over to the child, its blue-light sensor suites inspecting Newt. "Bolto is a good name! Or Sophie!"
"Sophie the Robot Dog. Now I've heard it all." Ash told Liara, making the Maiden giggle a little as the Asarikin pulled herself closer to Ash, resting her head on Williams' shoulder while her hands went around Ash's waist, holding onto her while they watched Newt play with the mech, moving her head and watching the KEI-9 emulate the little girl.
Just one more day, one more fucking Goddamn day, Ash slipped her arms around Liara as well, trying to hold back the sting of tears as it pounced her, the thing she had been holding back ever since the Normandy had arrived on the Cit. Just about the first thing Ash had done was request adoption through the Systems Alliance Child Adoption Services for Newt, to care and raise the little girl as her own. Williams knew it was a snowballs' chance in hell she would be approved, considering she was unmarried and currently deployed on a Naval vessel where children weren't allowed. It had taken all of two hours for her request to be denied, and Williams was under the impression by the verbiage in the denial that there had been some other request in the works by someone else. They would only have a week with Newt, that precious little girl that had survived Hadley's Hope, even on her own for a period of several hours after Ash had kicked in an air vent cover and delivered the child a way out at the potential cost of her own life, not regretting a second of it. Being able to care for her, to look out for her? Williams knew that this was what she had survived for, that this was just as important as the Normandy's mission. It was practically written in the Bible itself in a few cases, but Ash knew that giving up on the child would be the worst thing she would ever do in her life. A week! It's not enough, Ash felt the tears come, burying her head in the hollow of Liara's shoulder, trying so hard not to sob out loud so Newt didn't know. The best thing she could do was make that week extraordinary for a little girl who had been pulled out of the very jaws of hell and death itself, to earn back that disaster with just that one precious life. Liara saw it too, the Maiden throwing her lot with Ashley's, seeing it in the same light thankfully; a Youngling without a family was evidently a very serious taboo amongst the Asari. Even if Ash and Liara walked off the Normandy that minute, neither one of them would be able to adopt Newt.
Tomorrow, the little girl that had found a way into their hearts would be forever gone.
Ash cried into Liara's shoulder, unable to hold it back anymore.
"Ashley?" Dammit, Newt heard her cry, the little girl looking at her with concern. "What's wrong?"
"Sorry, just… flashback." Williams wiped away the tears as she tried her best to smile at the little girl. "I could really use a hug, though." Rebecca had no issues with that as she practically tackled the Soldier with a hug, Ash scooping the little girl off her feet as Newt's arms went around her neck and held her as Williams hugged her for all she was worth. Let her enjoy this, just one more day, Ash said to herself, seeing Liara moving in to hold them both, the three of them sharing the moment. Lord, if you ever grant me anything, give it to her instead.
Let her be with a good family like the one I have.
Author's Notes: Poll's almost up! Pretty hard not working on the next ARC to honor that choice (despite that it seems it will go a particular route) so NaNoWriMo was on future content. Mostly Noveria and the end.
Um, what are Jane and Sara up to? I left this purposefully vague, and you will find out in the next chapter. Not all mysteries are bad, Agatha Christie!
So I steep a little into CitPolitics. I've mentioned that there is a Council of Law and a Chamber of Governance. The Council is like the Supreme Court, but at the head of CitGov. The Chamber is like the Senate/House of Lords, and they make laws, policy, and additions, but for the Citadel Space as a whole, not for their individual governments. Ambassadors are representatives for a species, while a Chamberlain is a voted official for the Chamber, but they are not one and the same person (think of a country's Ambassador, and then the UN Representative; two completely separate people and jobs). The Cit itself has a government, in which is run by a sort of Governor (I haven't figured out a title) but there are Block Governors and Aldermans who tend to the Blocks and districts of the Cit (remember the guy Kolyat was trying to off? He was running for a seat on the local CitGov). And yes, I likened it to the politics of today.
The histories of April Flannigan and Hannah Buchard was actually in the original story The Lion And The Angel that was a pre-version of what makes up Of Lions And Angels and is the basis of the movie 'The Fires Of Heaven'; the blockbuster smash hit that is the basis of the Assault of Elysium, the Lion of Elysium, and the Angel of Illyeria. In TLATA, April and Hannah meet Jane and Sara after the Assault, practically gushing over the roles while barely giving either Jane or Sara the time of day. One of the things I had made was that Jane was 'less than impressed' that April Flannigan had been picked because she was basically very attractive (ie, large boobs, hourglass waist, hips… you know how this works), and was equally unimpressed with Hannah as the child actor showed signs of a drug dependency (while commenting that Sara was a 'flat as a board pipsqueak').
Red Sand - I had changed/altered Red Sand in A Fox Amongst The Wolves due to many Canon discrepancies. According to canon, it was a Human-created drug based off of Eezo that was likened to an amphetamine, discovered/crafted on Mars. Humanity barely had Eezo pre-2157 (it was only located on Mars for quite some time) and used only militarily and for transportation purposes. I can't see how someone would take a mineral and try to make a drug out of a rock (well, okay, people did lick toads and eat funny mushrooms because they were too afraid to break the law or fork over the cash for drugs, so I guess it isn't that far of a stretch). In AFATW, Red Sand is a liquid barbiturate (downer/depressant) that is introduced into the system through the eyes via an eyedropper, giving the user 'red eyes' at first, and later on the vitreous humors (tears) come out red, giving them 'bloody eyes'. It is called Red Sand because it is manufactured into a granular-like powdered and heated into a liquid form, much like heroin (which I know of this thanks to television and movies; I've never done drugs despite that marijuana is legal in my state. I in fact voted against it).
The mention of the OmniTool store is actually a likening to a watch store that I went to in a Mall in Kuwait City that was physically a Rolex store. It was large… and had exactly ten watches in it, the cheapest being 100,000 Kuwaiti Dinar (which is about $300,000 American Dollars, depending). What struck me as oddly funny was that the sales woman was a Korean woman (in Kuwait) who spoke rather decent Arabic and English. I actually speak a little Korean, and ended up taking her out on a date… in Kuwait City, which is almost the Vegas of the Middle East. They REALLY LOVE Disco.
KEI-9 - In the N7's Collector's Edition Pack of Mass Effect 3, you can get a mechanical dog in the form of Hahne-Keder's FENRIS Mech that travels the cargo bay. If Gabrielle Daniels is on the SSV Normandy, she calls it Sophie. Very, very rarely (like, one in a thousand 'examines' with no known perimeters of story completion), Shepard will ask the dog if it wants to be named 'Bolto', but the mech seems to chirp in the negative. I bring this to the story because hey! We have mechanical dogs in our day and age now, like the Sony's AIBO, the Hasbro's iDog, and the (dear fucking god) Tiger Electronics' Furby.
Poor Ash. I've been building this up through the ARC with tidbits, but did you expect Shepard would let an eight year old kid join a Frigate on a mission to hunt a SPECTRE? This was a part of the concept of BEING HUMAN; both the good and the bad. This plot line will mature in the next chapter. Bring tissues. And learn just who the hell Abigail Rosalyn Jacobson is, mentioned in BEING HUMAN, I, as well as THE SIEGE OF HADLEY'S HOPE, II and III. Stay tuned.