Elemental
"Commander, I'm confused." Anderson frowned at her from his desk.
"Sounds like a fairly common occurrence." Shepard blurted before she could stop herself. And you thought you'd changed. Anderson massaged his temples in a way that made it seem as if he was face-palming for her. Well someone had to.
She shifted uncomfortably as Anderson let the silence grow. The awkward silence was apparently the only reprimand she was going to get before he continued. "I've read your files. Now I know, a service record doesn't tell you much about a person. Hell, it didn't say much about John Grissom, and it doesn't say much about me, but I thought I knew what to expect. Now, I get a report from Arcturus about how you're blowing up civilian establishments like fireworks on the Fourth of July."
"Sir, I can explain-" Shepard's blood ran cold. She couldn't be court marshaled. Couldn't be thrown off this ship. It was the only way she could stay with Nihlus.
"But you're not going to." Ass. Shit. Fuck. Ass. Defuse this. You have to defuse this. Think of something. Think- "Gangs, mercenaries, xenophobes, terrorists… You cleaned up the station more in a few days than security had in a few years. I can't and won't say I approve of your methods, but I thought I knew what to expect…" He smiled tiredly, "I'm glad I was wrong." He gave a light nod towards the door from his room and turned back to his desk. "Dismissed Commander."
Dazed, Shepard wasn't sure when or how she left the captain's room, only than she ran into Nihlus when she did. She stopped herself with both hands on his chest and he wrapped his hands around her shoulders. She grinned lopsidedly at him; the look he gave her blatantly asked, 'Are you well?'
She didn't care if she looked drugged. She could explain, but as Anderson had said, she wasn't going to. She had changed. Others saw it. She wasn't a Red. She didn't need the station and its window anymore. She had a new reason never to go back to Earth. A new reason never to go anywhere else.
"Excuse me Spectre," She said loudly to see if anyone was paying attention to them. No one was. Nihlus was still staring at her as if he was afraid she was going to be ill, but released her with a nod. She smacked his ass as she left, and had the satisfaction of hearing him trip and stumble in shock into Anderson's room.
Maybe it wasn't a human thing. Maybe it wasn't even her thing. But it sure as hell was her turian.
Shepard spent the rest of the shakedown run whistling through the ship and grinning like a fool. Or would have, if Corporal Jenkins had let her. The man was enamored with every mundane detail of her life she never stopped twice to think about, and followed her through the halls with "Did you really"'s and "Is it true that"'s.
Had she really graduated Officer Cadet School as an N7 First Lieutenant at twenty, and did she know that Captain Anderson was the only other person to do so, and how did she control her biotics if she'd never been to BaAT and what was Earth like because he'd never been, and what were the Theshaca Raids like because he couldn't wait to see active duty and WHERE WAS NIHLUS!
Shepard ducked into medbay and pressed herself up against the wall. The only time the Corporal ever left her alone was when he was throwing out just as many questions at Nihlus. She'd managed to escape for the moment, but wasn't sure how long she could hide before he found her. Dropping to the ground, she shimmied across the floor so no one could see her through the window to the mess. When she reached Nihlus's door, she keyed the pad and was about to duck in just as he was leaving.
One honest conversation later, and she was resting with her forehead pressed up against his. Shepard wasn't sure what the gesture meant, and barely managed to restrain herself from looking it up. If she had to guess, she'd say it was a turian hug, or kiss, or something similar, since Nihlus always closed his eyes when she did it. But he'd never done it to her before.
"Nihlus?"
"Hm?" Shepard opened and closed her mouth, a hesitation Nihlus didn't see. It probably didn't mean anything. There was no sense asking.
"It's your turn." She said instead. Nihlus groaned and pushed away from her, glancing out at the mess.
"You're a cruel sort of person." It took her a moment to realize he was quoting what she'd said to him when they first met. A few more before she remembered what his reply had been.
"You don't even know me." She grinned, crossing her arms over her chest.
He stopped halfway to the door to glance back at her, "Yes I do." Something in the intensity of his gaze and the way he'd said it made her breath hitch, but he was out the door before she could reply.
Shepard watched Nihlus leave, and then started counting. She figured if she gave him a few minutes head-start, Jenkins would latch onto him and she'd be free and clear. She glanced in his room in the meantime; it was sparse, almost empty. His terminal and any datapads he'd brought were safely stowed away in his locker, which was right next to hers and had made for an easy excuse to press up against each other.
Shepard got lost in her daydream and almost forgot she was supposed to be watching the transit with him. Mentally kicking herself, she hurried out of medbay and up to the bridge. She practically had to run to reach it in time.
"The Arcturus Prime relay is in range. Initiating transmission sequence," Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau, who everyone called Joker for some reason, announced over the intercom. Shit. She was going to miss it. And Jenkins was coming right at her.
Nihlus was already at the bridge, and Jenkins was doubtless just skipping back from whatever question he'd made him answer. "Commander," He grinned and opened his mouth, ready to flood her with questions or compliments. She side-stepped around him with a nod and kept walking.
"We are connected. Calculating transit mass and destination," Joker continued. Jenkins didn't follow. Shepard breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, at which Navigator Pressly nodded, assuming she was smiling at him. She almost opened her mouth to correct him before she caught herself. Idiot. How would you correct that? Why would you correct that?
"Relay is hot. Acquiring approach vector. All stations secure for transit." Shepard almost ran into an ensign, and she held up a hand to keep the two of them from colliding in a heap on the bridge. Since she didn't run into him, she had perfect timing.
Shepard stared smugly out the window at the approaching mass relay. Nihlus gave her a look she pretended not to notice. "The board is green. Approach run has begun. Hitting the relay in 3… 2… 1…" Joker counted down, likely to make the moment more dramatic. It worked.
The relay loomed, bright, blue, and beautiful, its arms spinning faster and faster as it prepared to warp the fabric of space and send them instantaneously across the galaxy. The vortex of energy expanded and burst, like a brilliant supernova, and swept them along in the shockwave.
It was breathtaking, and it was over far too soon.
Joker started going over the systems, as attentive as if he'd been picking dirt out of his finger nails. "Thrusters… check. Navigation… check. Internal emissions sink engaged. All systems online. Drift… just under 1500k." He ended his analysis with more than a hint of smugness in his voice.
Nihlus looked impressed. "1500 is good. Your captain will be pleased." Shepard tried not be jealous of the compliment. It was an impressive jump. Most pilots were lucky to get under 2000k. Nihlus turned and left, likely to inform Captain Anderson.
"I hate that guy." Joker muttered under his breath.
Alenko voiced his disbelief before Shepard could, "Nihlus gave you a compliment… so you hate him?"
Joker inhaled for what Shepard guessed would be a lengthy tirade. She guessed right. "You remember to zip up your jumpsuit on the way out of the bathroom? That's good. I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead. So that's incredible! Besides, Spectres are trouble. I don't like having him on board." Seeing neither party readily agreeing with him, he added, "Call me paranoid."
"You're paranoid," Alenko complied almost immediately. "The Council helped fund this project. They have a right to send someone to keep an eye on their investment."
Joker snorted. "Yeah, that is the official story. But only an idiot believes the official story."
"That's enough," They gossiped more than old women. "You're soldiers. Act like it!"
Alenko cringed, "Sorry, Commander."
Anderson's voice burst in over the speakers. "Joker! Status report!"
"Just cleared the mass relay, Captain. Stealth systems engaged. Everything looks solid." Apparently solid was better than good.
"Good," Anderson replied, making Shepard want to laugh. Good was apparently all Joker got. "Find a comm. buoy and link us into the network. I want mission reports relayed back to Alliance brass before we reach Eden Prime."
"Aye aye, Captain." Joker sullenly gave up on getting the praise he wanted. "Better brace yourself, sir, I think Nihlus is heading your way."
"He's already here, lieutenant," Anderson growled with all the annoyance Shepard felt. "Tell Commander Shepard to meet me in the comm. room for a debriefing"
"You get that, Commander?" Joker asked over his shoulder, likely for her snide comment.
No, I'm deaf, Shepard almost snapped. "I'm on my way."
"Pfft, is it me or does the Captain always sound a little pissed off?" She heard Joker ask obliviously as she left.
"Only when he's talking to you, Joker." Alenko chuckled.
Shepard shook her head and left the old ladies to their gossip. She stopped briefly to chat with Pressly, feeling guilty for accidentally smiling at him, of all things, and had almost made it to her destination when she was forced into a conversation with Jenkins and Chakwas. Passing him off to the doctor as quickly as she could, Shepard stepped around them and into the room.
Only Nihlus was waiting for her. Shepard was about to make a joke about a 'personal debriefing' when he turned around and interrupted her.
"Commander Shepard," Damn. Strictly professional. "I was hoping you'd get here first. It will give us a chance to talk."
"What about?" Shepard suppressed a grin. Nihlus was pacing. Likely to remind him to keep his hands to himself.
"I'm interested in this world we're going to – Eden Prime," He gestured to the hologram of the world behind him, laid out in all its garden glory. "I've heard it's quite beautiful."
"I've never been there." She shrugged uselessly.
"But you know if it," Nihlus insisted. "Eden Prime has become something of a symbol for your people, hasn't it? Proof that humanity can not only establish colonies across the galaxy, but also protect them. But how safe is it, really?"
"Are you trying to scare me, Spectre?" She raised an eyebrow at him playfully and took a few steps forward. They were still alone, so why not? The bastard was drawing it out on purpose. She could tell he was trying not to laugh at her.
"Your people are still newcomers Shepard. The galaxy can be a very dangerous place," No shit, Shepard almost said, when he kept talking, using the same teasing tone, "Is the Alliance truly ready for this?"
"I think it's time we told the Commander was really going on." Anderson. Shepard almost sighed. No more playful banter then… unless it was subtle playful banter…
"This mission is far more than a simple shakedown run." Nihlus was trying to be serious. Likely to remind her to be serious. Too late.
"I already figured that out." She frowned.
"We're making a covert pick-up on Eden Prime," Anderson explained, "That's why we needed the stealth systems operational."
"What's the payload, Captain?" Now they were both drawing everything out. Men.
"A research team on Eden Prime unearthed some kind of beacon during an excavation. It was Prothean." He murmured sagely. Well, that explained Nihlus's interest. He had a strange Prothean fetish.
"What else can you tell me?"
"This is big, Shepard," Anderson insisted. He must have noticed she was paying more attention to Nihlus's eyes than what they were talking about. Focus, Shepard. Focus. "The last time humanity made a discovery like this it jumped our technology forward two hundred years. But Eden Prime doesn't have the facilities to handle something like this. We need to bring the beacon back to the Citadel for proper study."
"Obviously, this goes beyond mere human interests, Commander. This discovery could affect every species in Council space." Nihlus continued.
"Are we expecting trouble?" She grinned at him. Nihlus wandered over to stand next to her.
"I'm always expecting trouble." He folded his arms over his chest.
"There's more Shepard," Anderson's voice called her back to herself. So much for subtle. They couldn't stop staring at each other for more than a few seconds. Maybe Anderson wouldn't notice… "Nihlus isn't just here for the beacon. He's also here to evaluate you."
"Guess that explains why I bump into him every time I turn around," Nihlus kept a stubborn straight face at the joke. Shepard cleared her throat to cover up her embarrassment.
"The Alliance has been pushing for this for a long time. Humanity wants a larger role in shaping interstellar policy. We want more say with the Citadel Council. The Spectres represent the Council's power and authority. If they accept a human into their ranks, it shows how far the Alliance has come."
Shepard stopped listening halfway through Anderson's speech. Nihlus had recommended her to the Spectres. Her immediate reaction was to snap about how she didn't like people making decisions for her, before she gave it a little more thought.
She could invoke the Council like the right hand of God and get away with almost anything. She'd have free reign to do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted at the expense of a little extra paperwork. No more psych evaluations, no more superiors second guessing her allegiances or competence…
But to her credit, Shepard wasn't thinking about any of that. All she could think about was the way Nihlus was looking at her, waiting for her answer.
"Just tell me what I have to do." She whispered. Whispered? Since when do you whisper?
"I need to see your skills for myself, Commander. Eden Prime will be the first of… several missions together." He whispered the rest of his sentence. Since when did he whisper? Why were they whispering?
"You'll be in charge of the ground team. Secure the beacon and get it onto the ship ASAP. Nihlus will accompany you to observe the mission."
"Just give the word, Captain," Someone replied. Shepard guessed she did. She wasn't paying attention to Anderson.
"We should be getting close to Eden-" Then Joker interrupted with a distress signal that changed everything.
Shepard had seen distress calls before. She'd made distress calls before, buried under enemy fire radioing for a backup that always came too late. The call Anderson had brought up on the screen didn't look much different. A woman in Phoenix armor was carrying her small team, shouting orders in the background.
What did look different were the reactions Anderson and Nihlus had to seeing the distress call. Nihlus's mandibles flickered close to his face in an expression she'd never seen before. She tried to place it, but her guess didn't make any sense. Shock. Maybe fear.
Shepard looked back at the screen. Anderson had frozen it on a massive alien ship, with a design the likes of which she'd never seen before. It crackled with energy, flickering red lightning over a violet hull like a storm.
That didn't explain his fear. It was just a ship. Anderson and Joker were talking; she ignored them, and it finally clicked into place. A ship. A massive, advanced, unidentified ship. The signal for their assassination had come from a ship.
"Take us in, Joker. Fast and quiet. This mission just got a look more complicated." Anderson had no idea. Shepard looked at Nihlus, waiting for him to say something, explain how this had changed things. Explain how this changed everything.
"A small strike team can move quickly without drawing attention. It's our best chance to secure the beacon." But that was it. He turned around and left the comm. room.
Like hell that was it. Shepard nodded to an order Anderson gave her, and moved to storm out after Nihlus when his voice halted her.
"Shepard. I'm old, but I'm not that old," He nodded towards where Nihlus had gone, but had the good grace not to elaborate, "Your medical report from Chakwas a few interesting annotations that didn't make sense until now. Is there anything I should know?"
"Don't ask, don't tell, sir." Shepard muttered, staring at a point beyond Anderson's shoulder. If he had a problem with it, Shepard could think of a few places he could go. And go quickly. This was a waste of time. She had to talk to Nihlus.
Anderson folded his arms, eyebrows knitted together as he tried to stare through her. "That's not an answer."
"Permission to speak freely, sir?"
"Granted."
"You're not getting one."