A/N: Well, the first chapter got a measley two reviews, despite hundreds of hits. To be expected, sure, but wasn't expected was that these two reviews were long, eloquent, and overwhelmingly positive. So I've decided to continue this story and make it my primary project. That just goes to show how much of a difference reviews make, especially when they are well-written.
Thank you, and please don't forget to review. If you want the next chapter sooner, nothing motivates me like a good, long review. I'm serious, you wouldn't be seeing this chapter at all if it weren't for those two awesome ones from chapter 1.
Chapter 2: Damn Proud
It was close, even with all of their luck and skill; rescue showed up only after oxygen levels where getting dangerously low. Still, Shepard counted himself extremely lucky that the crippled Normandy hadn't been attacked while knee-deep in the Terminus systems.
Three "wolf pack" flotillas, each consisting of a cruiser and several escorting frigates, arrived in system and hailed the bridge, where Shepard stood, waiting.
"SSV Normandy, SSV Tokyo: we caught your distress call. Please respond."
"This is Normandy Actual; my ship is heavily damaged and leaking atmosphere. Requesting immediate support."
"Roger that, Normandy. We're moving in to assist. Stand by."
Docking and evacuation of the crew went uneventfully. Though he had a difficult time convincing Joker to leave the helm, reassuring him that the ship would be repaired did the trick.
Stepping aboard the Tokyo was an odd experience; he hadn't been on another Alliance vessel or Alliance station since just before Eden Prime. Hell, he figured, being on any ship that isn't mine is a bit strange these days. Pushing the odd feelings aside, Shepard moved to greet the captain standing at the airlock. He wore a standard Alliance Navy uniform, though the cap was absent. Short, black hair and dark skin weren't much of an indicator of race or nationality these days, but the sharp, brown eyes bore the sings of a competent leader. "Thanks for the rescue, Captain," Shepard said, adding a salute for protocol and respect.
Returning the gesture, the man introduced himself. "The honor is mine to assist you, Commander. I'm Captain Rodriguez, and welcome aboard the Tokyo. I'll walk you to the CIC for a debriefing."
Nodding in assent, they made their way to the nerve center of the ship. He had forgotten how much larger cruisers were in comparison to frigates; the walk took a few minutes. Following Rodriguez's lead, he said nothing, making the situation all the more uncomfortable. Despite knowing that he had done nothing wrong, and that none of his crew had suffered serious injuries, he felt like he was a child again, being escorted to his parents to be scolded for unsupervised shooting at the ship's target range again.
Entering the CIC, Shepard was once again struck by a sense of unfamiliarity. He had grown used to the turian's influence on the CIC on the Normandy, forgetting about the significant differences in ship design between the two species. Were it not for the jarring shift in what should have been a welcome sight, he would have appreciated seeing a CIC with good layout.
"We'll be at the relay shortly, Captain." Shepard shook himself from his thoughts to see a young ensign snap a salute along with the report. "The Austin and Tel Aviv battle groups are proceeding with salvage and patrol operations."
Rodriguez acknowledged her with a salute of his own before turning to Shepard. "We noticed a lot of debris and radiation out there, Commander. Our scans of your ship show damage unlike anything I've ever seen, and definitely something a mass driver would never do. The distress call also mentioned a hostile dreadnaught of an unknown type or affiliation. How you managed to destroy it with a damaged frigate is something I can't understand. I was hoping you could fill in the details. From what I already know, it must be a hell of a story."
Despite the stress and embarrassment plaguing him, Shepard couldn't help but smile. "Just another one to add to the pile, sir. Well, short version? We were ambushed, we took damage, we fought back, but at the end of the engagement, both ships were severely damaged, though we had the short end of the stick. So, we nuked 'em.
"Long version? We were attacked seconds after jumping in-system and engaging stealth systems. The hostile ship was apparently capable of detecting us through our stealth systems, as it quickly plotted an intercept course. Joker init—erm, Lieutenant Moreau initiated evasive maneuvers into the nearby Alchera's atmosphere. In the process, the Normandy was hit by some sort of laser, sheering off most of the dorsal hull plating. Due to the damage sustained, we suspect we were hit somewhere else, too. Rapid atmospheric re-entry further damaged the ship, but she held together. After taking stock of the situation and damage reports, I ordered the crew, save for the bridge personnel, into the lower decks and ordered an attack on the enemy ship.
"We engaged at point-blank with JAVELIN torpedoes, our spinal cannon, and ECM for defense. We severely damaged the enemy ship, but we lost nearly all of our fuel in the process. With no more JAVELIN's, the only remaining weapons that could significantly damage the enemy vessel were the three SHRIKE nukes stowed onboard. We stuffed them into our M35 Mako, strapped a proximity sensor onto the hull of the vehicle, and shoved it out of the cargo bay at the pursuing dreadnaught. We used the last of our fuel to get clear of the blast.
"I got a personal visual of the enemy dreadnaught. It was larger than anything the Alliance has, though smaller than the Ascension. Its appearance was incredibly strange, though. It looked like it was stuffed inside a carved-out asteroid."
Captain Rodriguez stared at Shepard in disbelief. To his credit, his mouth was only open slightly, and his eyebrows only raised a fraction. "Does anything normal ever happen around you, Commander?"
Shepard chuckled at that. "I've been asking myself the same thing for quite a while, sir. It's as if someone is having fun at my expense."
"Well, I'm sure the brass will love hearing about this one." He sighed, shaking his head, as if trying to wrap his mind around the lunacy of the whole situation. "The rest of your crew is down by the mess, being treated for minor injuries. Follow me to the COM room; we'll notify Command about the situation. I imagine the Council will want to hear about this, too."
"Yes, sir," he said, grinning slyly. "I imagine they will."
"I used to serve on this ship," Chief Engineer Adams commented, his gaze drifting around the mess hall. "Only the paint job has changed, at least in here. I would love to see Engineering again, though…"
Liara only half-listened to Adams as she absently sat next to Garrus and Tali. She'd received most of the story of the attack from the crew, but they seemed preoccupied on the implications of the engagement. A large dreadnaught of a completely unknown classification and affiliation, with weapons nothing like any known race in the galaxy possessed. If that weren't enough, they speculated, it was capable of detecting the Normandy despite its stealth systems.
She, however, was in an even darker mood. For so long, the Normandy had seemed like a completely safe shelter from all of the danger that they encountered. But now…she believed the crew didn't realize how close it had been. They had very nearly been killed entirely. The thought of it disturbed her to the core. Would it always be like this?
A hand on her shoulder brought her out of her musings. Looking over to its source, she spotted Ashley smiling slightly at her. "He's fine," she said, correctly guessing where her thoughts were. "You're fine. The whole crew is fine. Hell, even the Normandy will survive. This time, they caught us completely by surprise. That won't happen again. Shepard and Pressley won't allow it. We'll be far more prepared if we have to face them again."
Liara finally managed a small smile. "Thank you, Ashley." In the recesses of her memory, a sentiment she now held to heart resurfaced. "He said that, no matter how strong we are, having friends to rely on helps us in ways we are often blind to." She paused, shifting her gaze to the ground. Despite all of her progress in breaking out of her shy shell, there were some things she doubted she would ever get over. "You have been a valuable friend to me. I am fortunate to have met you."
She managed to peek up after a few seconds, her curiosity overriding her shyness. She barely had time to react before she was swept up in a hug. "Same here, Liara. Same here."
The atmosphere in the Tokyo's mess hall was a mix of somber quiet and relief. They had faced death like never before, and made it out relatively unscathed. Their ship was damaged, but not destroyed. And, as Pressley was quick to point out, they destroyed an enemy dreadnaught despite suffering major damage in a surprise attack—a lopsided comeback victory that the Alliance had never achieved in any battle in history. This was a public relations victory, he said, and a serious warning shot to whomever had attacked them.
Those statements, wrought with conviction and even a slight (though somewhat uncharacteristic) smile had raised the crew's spirits significantly. Pressley even congradulated Tali and Joker for saving all of their lives—even garnering a few laughs after adding "again" following a pause.
"Shepard, this call is unexpected. Is something wrong?" Councilor Tevos put enough concern into her voice that the Commander's shoulders slightly sagged, as if a weight had been removed.
Though he liked the salarian councilor best, the asari councilor came at a close second. She was frequently a mediating force between humanity and the turians—much to his appreciation.
"The Normandy was attacked on a routine patrol in the Terminus," he said. "By a ship capable of detecting us despite our stealth systems. Scans—both visual and technological—indicate that it was a dreadnaught of unknown classification and affiliation. Its weapons were also advanced; its main weapon was a laser capable of making my ship's armor irrelevant. In terms of size, it was smaller than the Ascension but larger than any dreadnaught the Alliance has. Stanger still, it looked like its hull was made partly from a carved out asteroid."
Tevos' expression did not hide her surprise, and her salarian counterpart's eyes were slighter wider than usual. Velarn's hard features were too difficult for Shepard to read.
"This news is very unsettling. Do you have sensor data?" said Councilor Raigut. Shepard couldn't tell if he was asking out of lack of confidence in the spectre's word or out of a desire to give their militaries something to work with.
"I do. The Normandy won the engagement decisively, though she suffered serious damage. We're en route to Acturus at the moment."
Velarn finally spoke—Shepard wasn't surprised to find that the turian's voice automatically sparked feelings of annoyance. "Are we actually to believe," he said, his tone condescending as usual, "that a seriously damaged frigate managed to best an advanced dreadnaught, to the point where it was destroyed before it could withdraw?"
Enough is enough. "I'm beginning to wonder, Velarn, if you hate me on a personal level or if you're just racist." That comment caused an immediate silence from the Council. Tevos seemed to be shocked that he had the gall to actually say that to one of the most influential people in the galaxy. And his boss.
He continued before the stunned councilors had a chance to recover. "I'll want an apology the next time we speak, or you can expect me to be less than civil. Until you're ready to act like a mature adult, Velarn, you can wait for a detailed report about how my crew—human and non-human alike—were badass enough to beat the odds. Again." He hit the disconnect button, to drive the point home. He turned around to see Rodriguez stare at him in shock for several moments before chuckling.
"I have to admit, I doubt anyone has the balls to call a Councilor immature and racist—let alone get away with it. You sure that wasn't a mistake?"
"I saved their lives because I was right when they were horribly wrong. That, and I'm a big goddamn hero now, apparently."
"You've been a 'big goddamn hero' since the Blitz, Shepard," the Captain pointed out with a smile. "Still, I wish I had a camera. The looks on their faces were priceless. I'm gonna have a heck of a story to spread around."
"You should have seen the time I disconnected the Council mid-conversation after a mission on Noveria. Wasn't funny at the time, seeing as Velarn accused me of enjoying genocide, but in hindsight…hilarious."
Liara waited for Shepard to arrive at the mess. She knew little of military protocol outside of the Normandy's typical operations, even if she knew where to look.
She sighed, thinking about how he must feel right now. He had more on his shoulders than anyone should have had to bear, and this mess had not helped things in the slightest. How could she change that?
The Council didn't believe Shepard's report about the Reapers, and the Alliance was very skeptical as well. Shepard had managed, however, to get the Citadel government to prepare for war, by pointing out the potential threat the geth still presented. If they were capable of building a ship like Sovereign, as the Council believed, then the rest of the galaxy needed to prepare for a large-scale war. He had managed a major victory with that argument, and the compromise allowed him a reprieve ever since.
It was her job to remind him that the galaxy's fate did not rest solely on his shoulders as it did before the Battle of the Citadel. The attack on the Normandy had not been his fault, and she would need to tell him that in a way that got past his guilt-complex. If Shepard had a major personality fault, it was that he cared too much. His command style was highly informal; he treated the ground team like a family instead of like subordinates. It made failures, however slight or out of his control, seriously affect his mood until someone shook him out of it. Kaidan's death, in particular, had weighed on him heavily until Shepard's victory over Sovereign.
The door to the mess opened, causing Liara to jump. Shepard and the Tokyo's captain walked in, smiling. The entire crew stood up at attention. The act initially surprised him, but it was quickly replace by an even wider grin. "At ease, everyone. Now, I'm sure you guys all know by now that I have a habit of making speeches."
The crew laughed—Rodriguez noted that the interaction between the Normandy's crew was definitely less formal than Alliance standard.
"But this is an occasion that leaves many words to be said. We were attacked, caught off guard. Our snarky, crippled-badass of a pilot saved our asses throughout the fight—" he paused, allowing for some light cheers and applause. "—and our engineering team was vital to getting us out of that fight alive." More applause. "Tali had some fun strapping a few nukes into the Mako as a parting gift, so I expect you to all to buy her rolls of duct tape as memento presents for her next birthday." Laughs spread throughout the mess. "Lovell and Pressley did a good job of, you know, kicking the ass of a ship 15 times our size." Hollers and cheers went out in appreciation. Shepard took on a noticeably more serious tone. "And then there's the rest of you."
He started pacing up and down the front row, looking at each of his crewmen. "I know that some of the crew get all the glamorous action that the news vids love. But I will never forget that you guys—all of you—have the nerves of steel that secure victory time and again. This crew has achieved the impossible, and we made it look easy. This crew has overcome great challenges, both personal and precarious, and succeeded every time."
They all looked at him now, proud and standing tall. He paused, looking for the words to say. "People call me a hero. They call me a lot of things. 'The man who brought down Saren Arterius,' they say. But that's bullshit. The difference between us and them, the difference between me and Saren, are the people in this room. That's why we won. That's why we'll continue to win. And I'm seriously goddamn proud of you. You're the best damn crew a captain could ask for."
No one said a word. There were no cheers or applause this time. But the sentiment was clearer than ever. Rodriguez could almost smell it.
"Now, with that out of the way, I'm hungry. Pressley, Lovell, and Tali, I'm assigning you to pantry-raiding duty. Johnson, your cooking expertise is needed. Garrus, you're on singing duty."
"Wait, wha—"
"And someone get some music going! Something spunky!" Shepard watched the crew get into motion, all smiles and some laughter. Liara was rooted on the spot, watching him as he walked over to her.
"You know, John, I'm beginning to wonder when we'll recruit someone who can actually sing," she teased. "Garrus works hard at everything he does, but I think you've finally stumped him." A small chuckle, and then a slow, tender kiss. Breaking apart slightly, they stared into each other's eyes, conveying all of the relief and admiration wordlessly.
"Do you think we'll have quarters all to ourselves tonight?" she asked, after several moments.
"I'm sure I can invoke my Spectre authority if there's trouble," he said. She couldn't tell whether or not he was joking. "Apparently, some random people gave me the authority to do whatever I want and get away with it. Useful, that."
The next kiss was far less innocent.
A/N: Steamy.
I figure lampshading Shepard's habit of making epic speeches is a no-brainer. In case you couldn't tell, Shep/Liara is the pairing for this story, but I absolutely will NOT bash any of the possible pairings, and I will try to avoid character bashing whenever possible. Councilor Velarn, on the other hand, deserves some snark.
Thank you, and please don't forget to review. If you want the next chapter sooner, nothing motivates me like a good, long review. I'm serious, you wouldn't be seeing this chapter at all if it weren't for those two awesome ones from chapter 1.