"Damn, if this place wasn't overrun with Blue Suns, it could be a fucking tropical paradise," Vali stated as she hopped out of the Kodiak, Zaeed and Jack following close behind.

"Just keep an eye out and stay close. Let me tap into their communications and see what the bloody bastards are up to," Zaeed muttered as he fooled around on his omni tool.

"Squad Bravo, a shuttle just landed near your location - go check it out," someone ordered through the static-filled transmission.

"Stay tight and watch for ambushes," Massani stated.

"Eh, with the three of us, they don't stand a fucking chance," Jack grinned, her body thrumming with biotic energy, her mood one of excitement. Vali chuckled softly at the other woman's reaction, then with hand signals, motioned for them to move out. As the three of them crept through the overgrown path leading toward the refinery, Vali's nose began to twitch at the rancid smell that wafted toward her. Swallowing her gag reflex, she approached the pile of bodies at the bend of the dirt track, covering her nose and mouth with her free hand as she stared at the tangled mess.

"Shot in the back and left to rot. That's definitely Vido's style," Zaeed snarled. "Fucking jackass."

"Goddamn," Vali muttered, her voice muffled beneath her hand as she quickly sped away from the stench, her other hand still clenched around her pistol and her gaze vigilant. They took deep breaths the moment the air cleared.

"Command to Bravo. Secure the position. Likely these people are not runaways."

"Runaways? Shit. Guessin' that's who those people were back there," Vali sighed.

Between the three of them, they made short work of the mercs. Waving to the others to stay in cover, Vali shimmered out of sight and scouted out ahead, returning long enough to give the all-clear.

"All squads, fall back!" one of the Batarian mercs shouted over the comm.

"I was expecting a bit more resistance," she chuckled as they made their way toward the bridge. "Looks like his mercs have gone a bit soft."

"This is Commander Santiago. If any of you retreat while the intruders are still alive, I'll kill you myself!" they heard Vido shout over their shared comm. system. "Now get the hell back out there!"

"Vido. Sounds like he hasn't changed," Zaeed's voice was harsh.

"Sounds like he needs to get shot," Vali responded as she stopped the bridge mechanics, halting its progress as it hit the halfway mark.

"Glad to see you and I agree," Zaeed stated. "I knew he was a sadistic bastard back when we started the Blue Suns. He just got meaner when he staged his little coup twenty years ago. So yeah, we have a past, in case you were wonderin'."

"Let me guess - this isn't an actual job you took on but a mission of revenge?" she asked, then stopped at the realization of the merc's ties to the company across the way. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, her fingers flexing on the trigger of her pistol. "Wait a fucking minute, you started the Blue Suns? How the fuck did I not recognize that damned tattoo on your neck sooner?"

"Yeah, it's revenge, and yeah, I fucking co-founded them with that jackass. Goddamned bastard wiped me from the records the moment he took me out of the equation twenty years ago."

"Twenty years ago? Shit, I fucking hold grudges but damn, that's a long assed time to carry one around," Jack muttered from where she leaned up against the rail.

"Vido paid six of my men to hold me down while he put a gun to my head and pulled the fucking trigger. All because, even though I led the men and he ran the books, I had a fucking problem with him hiring on Batarians. Cheaper labor he said. Goddamned terrorists I said. For twenty years I've seen that bastard every time I closed my eyes, every time I sighted down a target, every time I heard a gunshot. Don't you call that a goddamned grudge," he snarled.

"Fuck, and here I thought what I'd dealt with was bad enough," Vali murmured to herself, earning curious glances from the other two. Shaking her head, she looked back up at Zaeed, her eyes a molten quicksilver from rage.

"So, you survived a gunshot to the head?" she asked, her hand reaching out to touch the scar on his cheek, but dropping before she actually touched it.

"Yeah, and you survived your ship getting disintegrated. A stubborn enough person can survive almost anything," he replied, his voice almost gentle. "Rage is a hell of an anesthetic."

"You can say that again," Vali sighed, turning back to reactivate the bridge control.

"They're at the southern access. All squads mass at the gatehouse, now!" they heard Santiago order.

"Bastard knows we're coming," Zaeed muttered.

"Yeah, but he doesn't know what's really coming for him," she stated, earning a nod from Jack.

"Got that fucking right. We're gonna blow that little asshole into bloody chunks," the biotic grinned.

"Bring it on, you son of a bitch!" Zaeed shouted as the three of them continued on toward the gatehouse. Vali looked back at him and grinned.

"This is gonna be fun, I shit you not," she said as they approached the door. Motioning the two of them forward, she tapped in a command in her omni-tool, cloaking herself so that Zaeed was the first one Vido would notice.

"Zaeed Massani," Vido smirked as they walked into the building. "You finally tracked me down."

"Vido," Zaeed growled, grabbing his rifle.

"Don't be stupid, Massani. I have a group of bloodthirsty bastards behind me ready to kill, or be killed, at my command."

"Yeah, but he has me," Vali replied, her body shimmering into view, arms crossed over her chest.

"S-Selene?" Vido stared at her in shock, his eyes seeming to drink her in.

"In the flesh, but it's Commander Vali Selene Shepard now, you filthy bastard."

"Shit, you're not still pissed about that, are you? It was just business! You understand, don't you, sweetheart?"

Vali quirked an eyebrow as she looked at the merc, her eyes frosting over as she watched him.

"Damn, you're just as bad at holding grudges as Massani over here. You know what, Zaeed? Go ahead and take that shot. Let my men put you down like the mad dog you are... again."

As the attention turned back to him, Zaeed pulled the trigger, puncturing holes into the steam vents and releasing the gas fumes trapped within.

"What was that? Gone nearsighted, old friend?" Vido laughed.

"Burn, you sonuvabitch," Zaeed muttered, spraying the area with bullets again, widening the hole and causing the upper level to explode in flames.

"You just signed your death warrant, Massani," the merc growled, limping off to let his men finish the job. Vali watched as Zaeed dodged the bullets raining down on them, running over to a nearby valve and trying to loosen it with the butt of his rifle.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"Opening the gate," Zaeed replied, the moment the valve loosened and the entire building shook with the explosions that rocked the area.

"For fuck's sake, warn me next time! Getting blown to itsy bitsies a second time around is not on my goddamned agenda!" Vali snapped.

"Vido was confident, had a lot of men. Now he's lost the home-field advantage. If we keep up the pressure, no way he's getting out of here alive."

"Shit, I understand but damn, I don't want you finishing what the Collectors almost succeeded in doing two years ago! Am I clear?"

"Crystal, but I'm here to make sure Vido swallows a goddamned bullet."

"You and me both," she muttered as she made her way through the thick oily smoke, quickly taking out the two Blue Suns who were trying to sneak up on the group.

"Yeah, what was that about, anyway?" Zaeed asked.

"Not now, Massani. If you really want the fucker dead, standing here and waxing poetic about my past sure as hell ain't the way to do it."

"Shepard's right. We'd better get moving," Jack interrupted.

"Yeah, yeah," Zaeed grumbled, following behind the two women. As one of the doors slid open and the group was about to pass through, they stopped at the sound of shouting from above.

"Please help us! We can't get to the gas valves to turn them off and we're trapped! Save us!" a frantic man yelled from the catwalk.

"Sorry, got bigger fish to fry. Good luck," Vali waved, disappearing on the other side of the door as it shut behind him, blocking out the man's cries of distress.

The run through the facility was quick and easy - until they got to the last room. It was also there that Santiago tried to sway her one last time as they picked off his men, one by one.

"C'mon, sweetheart. What can an old man like Zaeed do for such a wild thing as you? There's only one man who can handle you and that's me. You know that."

Vali snarled at the voice that echoed through the room, her anger evident as she rolled around a corner, sighted down a target with her sniper rifle, and tore a hole right through his head.

"You know I'm the only man who can make you cry and moan, cause that little hitch in your breath when I touch you just right. Just leave the bastard and let me take care of him. I'll make it all up to you, I promise, baby!"

"Fuck. You." she spat, tossing an Incinerate at the YMIR mech that was now barreling down on them.

"Bastard sure has a hard-on for you," Zaeed grumbled.

"Yeah, sounds like he's ready to just whip it out right now and take you no matter who's watching," Jack snickered.

"Shut the fuck up," Vali muttered, breathing a sigh of relief when the heavy mech finally went down.

"Should I be worried, Shepard? Gonna try to hand me over to that bastard?" Zaeed asked, his gaze laser sharp as he looked at the woman.

"Let's just get this shit over with," she snapped, her body taut with tension as she strode toward the door that led to the landing pad outside.

"You'd better not fuck with me, girl," Massani growled at her back.

Her responding snarl sent shivers down the spines of both her companions as the door slid open to reveal Vido limping toward the waiting helicopter. As they stepped outside, Zaeed took aim and sent a bullet ricocheting off of a nearby railing. Santiago turned around and looked at the group, his eyes fixated on Vali instead of Massani. While his attention was elsewhere, Zaeed took aim and fired, plugging a bullet into Vido's leg which caused the man to crumple to the ground.

"Baby, please. You know it was nothing personal. Just business, I swear! The men were just getting a bit nervous having someone around who wasn't one of us! I loved you, Selene!" he begged.

"Doesn't matter now, does it? You're on the wrong end of a gun barrel, sweetheart," her smile was frosty as she watched him bleed out in front of her.

"Zaeed, help me out here, will ya?" Vido asked, switching tactics. "It was twenty years ago! Look at you, I did you a favor! I'm gonna die here, man! Do something! "

Catching motion from the corner of her eye, Vali turned to Zaeed and held up her hand, stalling whatever it was he was planning to do. Taking a few steps forward, she crouched down in front of Vido, tilting his face toward hers as she looked down at him.

"You fucked up, Vido. I did too, in a way, letting my emotions rule me while on a job. Ever wonder how it was that your top six lieutenants disappeared on you? That was payback for trying to take over Eclipse territory," she whispered, low enough that only the man in front of her could hear.

"You… you were Eclipse?"

"Yeah, I was fucking Eclipse. Downside is, I fell for your sorry ass and didn't carry out the last job which was to take you out. I paid for it, though, when you turned me over to the fucking cops. Guess it came back to bite you in the ass as well, since they're the ones who helped turn me into what I am today, big assed hero Commander Shepard. You lost something good that day, sweetheart," she said softly, her fingers tightening on his jaw as she took his lips in one last heated kiss.

"Fuck, I missed the taste of your smart mouth," he groaned, his teeth scraping over her bottom lip.

"Figured I'd give you something good to think about during your last moments alive," she smirked, nodding to Zaeed as she straightened and walked over to her merry band of misfits.

"Fry you sonuvabitch," Zaeed snarled, ejecting, then tossing an overheated heat sink into a pool of fuel that had spread around the other merc's prone body.

"Selene! Seleeeeene!" Vido cried out as the flames overtook his body. None of them looked back as they approached the Kodiak, vaulting inside the vehicle as it took off before the last explosion shook the refinery, taking out a good portion of the land around it.

oOoOo

"What the fuck was that all about, Shepard?" Zaeed ordered, grabbing hold of her arm as she stormed into the loft.

"Get. Your. Hands. Off. Me." she growled in response.

"Not until you tell me what the fuck just happened down there, Selene."

"Fine, you wanna know what happened? Then sit your decrepit ass down on that fucking couch and let go of me."

"Looks like you got a thing for us old men, so I'd watch who you call decrepit, bitch."

"When I want a taste of your wrinkle dick, I'll let you know. Until then, either sit down and shut the fuck up or get the hell out of my room," she barked.

"At least you didn't sell me out down there. Appreciate it," he mumbled.

"You're a part of my team. I had no reason to sell you out and every reason to want to see that asshole dead, just as you."

"Tell me," he said, gentling his tone. Vali sighed and stood with her back toward him, watching the fish swim lazily around in the fish tank in front of her.

"You already know, I'm sure, that I was one of the few survivors from the Batarian attack on Mindoir. What you don't know is that it was Eclipse mercs who saved my ass, not the Alliance. They trained me, they honed my skills, they turned me into the cold-hearted killer you see in front of you."

"Wait, you're Eclipse?" he interrupted.

"Was Eclipse. Thanks to Vido, they think I betrayed them and became a Blue Sun so they're not exactly happy with me either. I'd never join that fucking group - damned Batarians around every corner."

"Go on."

"Vido started encroaching on Eclipse territory. I was the only human female they had in their ranks who was young enough to catch his notice. I was sent in to infiltrate the Suns, get nice 'n close to the bastard, and take him and his top men out. Got the six but fell for the slimy ass and didn't have the fucking stones to take him out too."

"Who were the six?" he asked, his voice quiet.

"Ian Campbell, Donall MacPherson, Jason Hudson, Mario Vargas, Leto Gascard, and some guy with a Middle Eastern name I couldn't pronounce on a good day."

"Those are the bastards who held me down," Zaeed murmured.

"Yeah? Well they're dead. Either way, I fell for the fucker. Was by his side for two fucking years while I did my job. Might not have been able to take him out but I did send off intel to my superiors so they knew pretty much every damned movement the Suns made. Now that I look back on it, I didn't love the bastard, just what he did to me. Eclipse didn't know it but he was the first man I ever fucked and when you put a 17 year old virgin with an experienced older man who knows what he's doing, she can get addicted to the sex pretty fucking quick. He was right, though, the shit he said in the warehouse. Even Kaidan wasn't able to touch me the way he had," she sighed softly, her shoulders slumping slightly with embarrassment.

"That little bastard's just too young to know how to truly please a woman," Zaeed growled in her ear, startling her with his closeness. Her heart tripped in her chest as his hands slid over the bare expanse of her belly, the warmth of his skin and the scrape of the calluses on his fingertips causing her nerves to tingle.

"A-Anyway, one of his 'gifts' to me when I turned 19 was to invite me into the Suns, to stand beside him as an equal. I turned him down. He asked again with the same answer. The third time he said that if I didn't give him what he wanted, the consequences would be dire. I still said no - ain't no way I'm joinin' up with a merc group that hires Batarians. Next thing I know, I'm being fingered for a Blue Sun's job that went wrong and charged with the death of two civilians. Due to my lack of criminal history the cops told me I could either go to jail or join the Alliance and learn how to be a 'productive member of society'. Fuck yeah, I joined. At least there I knew I'd have a chance at killing more Batarians, and if that asshole crossed my path, a possibility of getting him back for betraying me."

"Shit, no wonder you wanted the bastard dead. So… did he turn you off of being with us wrinkle dicks, as you called mine earlier?" his breath was warm, his laugh raspy, in her ear.

"Depends on if it's actually wrinkled or not," she huffed out her response, grinning at him crookedly through their reflection in the fish tank.

"You tell me," he ordered, his teeth scraping briefly over her earlobe before he turned her to face him, one of his hands grabbing hers and shoving it down the front of his trousers. Her hand wrapped around hot, smooth steel. Her lids grew heavy and she sucked her lower lip in between her teeth as she focused her attention on the throbbing member in her hand. The nails of her other hand dug into the nape of Zaeed's neck, using it to hold her upright as her body grew languid from the liquid heat that infused her.

"Goddamn, bitch," the merc hissed, mashing his lips down on top of hers and forcing them open to slide his tongue into her eager mouth. Her whimper as he slid his hands up and under her vest spurred him on and he began to quickly divest her of her armor, undoing the releases to her arm plating and tossing it off to the side before attacking the clasps that held the vest together. The moment she was free of the leather top, he broke the kiss and lifted her up so he could take a nipple into his mouth. Releasing her grip from his cock, she wrapped her legs around his waist and held on for dear life, her cries echoing throughout the room as he alternated between her nipples, lavishing them with equal attention.

He grinned around his mouthful at the way she rotated her hips against his, biting down against the tight bud at the exact moment she slammed her hips against his, feeling her convulse in his arms. As she slid bonelessly down the length of his body, Vali stared up at Zaeed with a mixture of dazed awe on her face.

"EDI… l-lock the doors from any possible intrusion," Vali ordered, her voice trembling.

"Understood, Shepard. Logging you out," the AI replied, the console turning from green to red.

"I'll bet Vido wasn't able to do that to you, was he?" Zaeed asked, the look in his eye feral and possessive.

"N-No, he wasn't," she replied, still unsteady.

"Good."

With quick and nimble fingers, he removed the rest of her armor then picked her up and tossed her on the bed. Stalking over toward her, he quickly stripped himself, feeling heat pooling in his groin at the way she licked her lips while watching him.

"Get on your hands and knees, sweetheart," he rumbled as he crawled on the bed. Her breath catching, she did as she was ordered. Her body shivered in anticipation, tightening as she felt his hands running from her shoulders down her spine to her waist, and then down to her thighs where he gripped them and opened them wider. She bowed back toward him as he filled her with one hard stroke, screaming out his name at the delicious feel of him stretching her insides.

"God, you're so fucking tight. Almost like Cerberus gave you your virginity back just for me," he gasped, one hand gripping her hip tight as he pulled her back to sit on him, the other wrapping itself in her hair. He rested his chin on her shoulder as he watched her pinch and roll her nipples between her fingers before sliding one of her hands down to play with her clit as he thrust himself in and out of her tight channel. Rolling his hips, he hit a spot that made her quiver, a broken moan hitching out of her throat as she pressed back tighter against him.

"Yes, that's it, Vali. Just like that," he rasped as she matched her rhythm to his. He let go of her hip to slide his fingers in with hers where she was tugging and rubbing the bundle of nerves between her legs, groaning at how wet she was and how much of her essence was coating his fingers. Keeping a tight grip on her hair, he fastened his mouth on her neck and sucked hard, leaving his mark along with those of his teeth along the olive toned expanse of skin where it couldn't be hidden by any uniform.

"You're mine now, Shepard, and I've made it so everyone will know," he growled, nipping at the skin of her shoulder.

"Z-Zaeed," she crooned his name as she spasmed around him, her body milking his manhood.

"Fuck," he groaned, spilling himself deep inside her. He collapsed on the bed, bringing her with him to fall on top of his well toned body.

"Goddamn," she shuddered.

"Got that right."

"Staying or going, Massani?" she gasped, small aftershocks still rippling through her body.

"What the fuck do you think?" he laughed, reaching down to pull the covers over both of them. Smirking at him, she rolled over on her side and tucked her hand beneath her cheek. Reaching out, he grabbed her and pulled her up against him, wrapping his body around hers as they slipped into sleep.