Mass Effect Project Renegade
Chapter 18: Spiraling Out of Control
Jack looks at both Ashley and Liara, with a questioning expression.
"Can I help you?"
Liara was the first one to talk.
"Miss Williams… Commander we need to talk, Ashley if we don't resolve this situation now, I'm afraid this will become awkward."
Now Jack was at a lost, what's going on between the two?
"Awkward Huh?" Ashley responded.
To Liara this was completely new, however Jack was still oblivious of the situation unfolding.
"I hope we can keep this civilized, I don't want this to become unpleasant."
Jack wondered if they were fighting over who he was taking with for the next mission. Ashley glared at Liara.
"Because it's been so pleasant between us lately, look someone in this room has to make a choice, it ain't me and it ain't you."
Before the two had a chance to look at Shepard, Zoey comes walking in.
"Hold on Girls!" Announced Zoey.
"What the?" responded Ashley.
"This has just got awkward…." Stated Liara.
Zoey stood in between the two women. Ashley just crossed her arms in defiance.
"You've got to be kidding me."
"No offense girls I have a lot of experience on this, you two aren't even in my league, especially you T'soni."
Jack was thinking they were defiantly talking about Combat.
Ashley was about to reply to Zoey's comment, but what happened next the three of them couldn't believe. Bethora comes walking in.
"And here's the part where I walk in and take out the competition."
"You've got to be shitting me!" Stated Ashley.
"Hell No!" Replied Zoey.
"Goddess…." Said Liara quietly.
Now four of the Female Ground team were in here. Bethora just looked at the three other women in the room.
"And what's wrong with a Female Turian? We're strong, capable, long lasting endurance, and have excellent flexibility."
Ashley glared at Bethora.
"You?! You're not even our same Species!"
As the Women were turning their hatred towards each other, Jack covertly escaped the comm room, and made it to his room locking the door behind him.
Five Minutes Ago…
Tali was in the mess hall answering a call from the Migrant Fleet.
"Happy Birthday Tali, how are you doing sweetie?"
Tali laid her head on her folded arms on the table.
" Hey Mom, I'm doing fine, I just turned 21 and I tried my first Turian Brandy… "
Rila eyes behind her face plate showed worry.
"Tali, what's bothering you?"
Tali took a deep breath trying not to worry her mother.
"Mom… I'm in love…"
Love? My Daughter's in love who's the lucky man?
"Well who is he?"
Tali took another deep breath for courage.
"Commander Shepard…"
Keelah what's Mother going to think?!
"Shepard? The one who you wrote about in your messages, the one on the news?"
Tali had a tear going down her face, waiting for the disapproval from her mother.
"I'm so happy for you Tali, finding him, so when do I get to meet him?"
Tali's eyes widened from her mother's approval.
Mother Approves? But we're not in a relationship.
"Mom, I-I haven't told him yet, and I'm afraid of the rejection…"
Rila felt like she wanted to grab a hold of Tali and pull her in for a hug, but she wasn't here.
"Oh Sweetie, you won't know if you don't seek him out, if he is anything like on your messages, he'll accept your love."
Tali didn't know what to do, she was too nervous to approach Shepard.
"You don't mind that he's a Human."
Tali heard her Mother giving off a chuckle.
"Tali, I don't mind if you're in love with a Human, however your Father….."
Tali's eyes widen at the mere mention of her Father, she worried he might overreact.
"Keelah, promise me you won't tell Father!"
Rila raised her right hand.
"I swear by the ancestors I won't breathe a word to your Father… until you two are actually together, bye Tali!"
"What?! No Mother not bye!" Replied Tali.
For Tali it was too late as her Mother ended the call. Tali was about to call her Mother back, but she stopped when she saw Shepard walking towards his room.
It's now or never Tali, walk to his door knock on it, and say Shepard I love you!
Tali took one last drink of Triple Filtered Turian Brandy through her Emergency Induction Port (EIP), before getting up and walking towards Shepard's door.
Jack was checking on the Mission reports and was about to send a message to Joker on where to head to next, but before he sent the message, he heard someone knocking at his door. Jack approached the door cautiously, hoping it wasn't the event from upstairs, but to his surprise it was just Tali. Jack studied Tali's form, she was obviously shaking, nervous about something. Tali just looked up in to Shepard's eyes.
Oh Keelah, Tali Speak! He's standing right there!
Fearing that the women upstairs might of taken notice, he stepped out of the way for Tali to come in.
"Come on in Tali."
As Tali entered she was now completely speechless, Jack offered her a seat in his chair, as he sat on the bed. Tali was on fire, she was actually in Shepard's room, and she didn't know how to tell him.
Jack pulled open his drawer and grabbed a data pad out, offering it to Tali.
"Here Tali, this is for your Pilgrimage, I decrypted this Geth Data from the base."
With the Data in Tali's hands, she just looked at all the information packed in this data ready to be researched.
This… This can complete my Pilgrimage…. My heart is racing, Oh Shepard!
Tali set the data pad on his desk, she activated her Omni-Tool, with a few taps on it, she administrated antibiotics with in her system. Feeling the effect, Tali removed her faceplate revealing her face to Shepard. Jack's eyes widen from her risking health of just doing that. He was about to reach for the face plate but Tali just pounced him on the bed locking lips with him. Jack opened his drawer by his bed side taking out a glass of Project Renegade's formula. He separated their lips putting the glass in front of Tali, hoping she'd take it, fearing for her health.
"Tali for your Immune system."
Tali popped the lid off the glass and chugged it down finishing the drink quickly, she threw the glass on the floor and licked her lips then proceeded to resume her course. Tali began to unzip her top part of suit, Tali stopped kissing Shepard, as she needed to get her suit off, a few seconds later Tali unlatched her helmet revealing her short black hair, then she began to remove her suit. Fully naked, Tali climbed on top of the bed sitting on Jack's lower body, while Jack began to remove his clothing, Tali couldn't wait for it, so she decided to help Jack, by taking off his pants quickly. A few seconds later Jack's body loomed over Tali's, Her arms wrapped around his back waiting for the moment, without any notice small amount of blood traced down from her lower region, Tali cringes from the pain, digging her nails in to Jack's back.
Tears escape her eyes, as she buries her head between his neck, trying to wait for the pain to subside. Finally after a few seconds Tali began to loosen her grip around Shepard, she lowered herself on to the bed letting Shepard do the work.
Three Hours Later…
Jack awoke from his sleep as he saw Tali, not under the covers as well, but sitting up on the other side bed putting her suit back on, he could hear slight sniffling coming from Tali.
Why did I do this? I shouldn't have taken a drink of that Brandy! Wh-What's Shepard going to think of me?! Ow- Bostet Zipper!
Tali was half way of Zipping her suit, when Jack wrapped an arm around her, pulling her in.
"Sh-Shepard!"
Shepard rolled on his back holding Tali on top of him.
"Tali, your crying what's wrong?"
Tali was finding it hard to formulate her words.
"I-I can't believe I, what we just did… you must hate me for what just happened don't you?"
Jack shook his head.
"No Tali, I don't hate you, I kind of enjoyed that side of you."
That window that led to a possibility with Shepard she thought was just closed, just broke.
"Wait- What, you mean- I – Does this mean are- Are we together?"
2182 Cronos Station/Morgue.
Jack walked across the aisle of ninety-nine caskets all wearing Cerberus Colors, Jack stopped at 100[Sgt. May] Rubbing his hand along the Casket. Each Casket will remain on Cronos Station to be examined. With Jack saying his Final Goodbyes, he left the room the lights following with him.
Flash Back Ended…
"If you want to be Tali, it's just I don't have much experience with a normal relationship, because the last one I had ended up in a casket."
Was his Last Girlfriend in the Military with him?
"Any ways I don't want to dwell on that topic… You better get some rest we're heading to Terra Nova in about Two Hours."
Tali nodded and Jack trying to zip up more of her suit, but not before Jack stopped her.
"Tali if I understand relationships at all you don't have to go to the sleeper pod, you can sleep here."
Tali's eyes widened over that comment.
Tali departed from her suit again and went under the covers next to Jack wrapping her arms around him.
Two Hours Later…
Tali, Nick, Shadow, and Garrus would be accompanying Shepard on stopping the Asteroid that is heading towards Terra Nova. The Normandy Dropped the Mako to the first engine. As the Crew enters the facility, the doors opening to main room reveal who the saboteurs are Batarians.
The Batarian raiders glared at the Humans, while equipping their weapons.
"Humans!" Shouted one of the Batarians as he shot a Carnage Blast at the Crew.
Shadow Ran in first, sliding under a Batarian Raider, Shadow drew his hidden blade, back stabbing the Batarian. Nick fired several Grenades from his grenade launcher, causing the fuel tank to explode, taking out five Batarians. Jack equipped his Black Widow, and started to quick scope the Batarians on the second floor. Garrus couldn't believe how good of a sniper Jack was, Garrus promised himself one day he'd be Shepard at a Sniping Contest.``` Fat Chance```
Jack accessed the console on the top floor shutting down one of the engines, he received a call from one of the hostages, saying the Batarians are planning to slam the asteroid in to Terra Nova, killing Millions.
2175 Skillian Blitz/Khar Shan
Project Renegade's Hell Dog Platoon were at the Batarian's central Government building taking out the leaders of the Hegemony as a majority of the Planet was being bombed to sunder.
Kai Leng and Jack were back to back, taking out the Batarian Muscle in Office of Defense.
"Shepard I think I have more Kills than you on this operation!"
Leng sliced a Batarian across in an angle.
Jack gave out a sarcastic loud laugh, while knifing a Batarian in the eye.
"In your Dreams Leng, I got you beat!"
A Batarian Vanguard tried to Biotically punch Leng, but failed miserably as the Biotics disintegrated around Leng, it ended with Leng cutting off his head.
"Shepard you should use the sword you have, better than a knife."
Jack thrusted his knife into the Batarians neck, his head falling off from the force of his attack.
"I'll use my sword if my knife breaks or goes dull."
As the last Batarian soldiers fall before the duo, Jack and Leng approach the Hegemony's Board member of Defense, who was hiding under his desk. Leng Sliced the Desk in half, destroying the hiding place of the Board member of Defense.
"Malask Tork, were here to negotiate the entire Hegemony's surrender, your leaders have fled in to the Terminus, and the Hegemony is no more."
Malask Tork tried to draw a handgun on Jack, but Leng quickly moved in stomping on his hand breaking it, then lifting him and slamming his body on the wall.
"This isn't over, the Hegemony will rise from the Terminus, and come back with a million ships, when your Earth is on Fire our vengeance will be complete."
Leng put his blade to Tork's neck nearly piercing his skin.
"Your race is Pathetic, even more than the Turians, we're sending your Government a message: You take our citizens as slaves we'll destroy your way of life, now sign your name on the data pad, if you don't I'm going to cut off something you're going to miss."
Tork spit in Leng's face, calling his bluff. Jack came over to hold the Board Member with his arm as Leng cut off Tork's right foot, thick green blood poured down on to the floor.
"ARGH! FUCK YOU HUMAN!"
Leng Pointed at the other foot.
"The other foot comes off next, Now sign your name!"
Tork let out a painful laugh.
"You can cut off all my body parts and I still wouldn't sign it."
Leng thrusted his blade in to Tork's right leg digging the blade in to his muscle bringing it down to his foot.
Jack looked at Tork through his Nightmare Helmet.
"We can do this all day Tork, sign your name to surrender."
Tork Growled at Jack.
"Screw you Human, you're never going to get me to sign that!"
Jack turned his head towards Leng.
"Leng hand me your sword."
Leng acknowledged the order and tossed it to Jack, Jack took a small Rectangle attachment , attaching it to the hilt of the blade, seconds later the sword started to have electricity around it. Jack threw the sword back at Leng. Leng gave out a vicious smile and thrusted the blade his his Left Knee Cap, electrocuting Tork.
The Electricity that surged through Tork's body was enough to put pain in a Krogan, Tork had enough of this nightmare he was in, he couldn't handle the torture, may his Batarian Ancestors have mercy over him. Tork Gave in to the pain, holding up his arm.
"Alright…. Alright you win, give me the datapad."
Leng handed it to him, within seconds Tork signed it, and the Hegemony's fate was sealed.
Jack dropped Tork and Leng stood over him, with a devious smile.
"Say Hello to the Thousands of Dead Batarians and Turians for me… In Hell."
Leng's blade came down faster than lighting, cutting off Tork's head cleanly. With that done, Leng approached Jack as they walked towards the extraction in the hanger.
"So Shepard drinks on me tonight?"
"Sorry brother, not tonight, I got a date night tonight." Replied Jack.
Leng secured his sword behind him.
"That's right you and may entered a relationship, next time then."
"You got it."
Flash Back Ended…
With Jack shutting down all the engines on the asteroid it was time to secure the hostages in the main facility of the Mining facility. Stepping through the front door was a death trap for some, but not for the team of the Normandy, with Jack on their side, The Batarians tried to overwhelm the ground team with numbers, it failed miserably as they were shot down. Garrus tapped on Jack's shoulder to get his attention.
"Commander Shepard, look at all these bombs here."
Garrus was right the room was littered with these high explosives, the Batarians had a fall back plan, if their troops failed here they would detonate the facility, killing the hostages. Jack wouldn't give the Batarians the satisfaction of a choice.
[Operation Command]:/Target Explosive Hardware/[Acknowledged]
Explosives Targeted:/Emergency Shutdown[Confirmed]
Explosives Shut Down:/ System Going to Stand by.
The last Batarian fell before the crew, Jack was about to issue the order of spread out to look for the hostages, but was interrupted by the Leader of this Attack.
"You Humans are more trouble than your worth."
Jack cracked his knuckles.
"I'm just warming up."
Balak scoffed at that comment
"Figures, but that doesn't matter, I'm leaving and if you tried to follow me you're going to have to clean your friends off the wall."
Jack reloaded his Black Widow.
"You don't get to leave Balak, not after what you did."
Balak's eyes glared down at Jack.
"What I've done?! This is nothing compared to what you've done to the Batarians! We've been forced in to exiled, forced to survive on what we can scrounge up of what we can find in the Terminus…. It's been like this for years. "
Jack wasn't buying it.
"Don't act like you're the innocent party here, you brought it upon yourselves."
Balak's hand tightened on the detonator he was holding.
"Really?! You and your Systems Alliance, invaded our space, took our resources, when we asked the council for aid, they brushed us off! But the Humans were stronger than us, we knew that, the Council knew that, but it doesn't matter, not anymore. It was you, you and your kind forced us in to this position."
"How does killing innocents help you?"
Balak, crossed his arms across his chest.
"I could ask you the same thing, how many innocent Batarians did you execute after you threw off our invasion of Elysium."
Jack was observing the units behind him, waiting for a shot to take Balak out.
"None of those Batarians were innocent, they were slavers, Torfan was also in retaliation for the attack on Elyisum, you pushed, we pushed back."
Balak had it, with the Commander.
"Enough! You couldn't possibly understand…. Actually you just don't want to understand, and I'm done wasting my breath…. Now if you want your friends to live step aside."
Jack pointed the Black Widow at Balak.
"I don't think so, Balak you're not going anywhere."
Balak, glared at Jack.
"Fine I hope this is worth it—What the Hell?!"
Jack pointed his Black Widow up at the Fuel Canister above Balak, and firing a single round killing his body guards, and Attack Varrens, the explosion knocked Balak in to the energy field electrocuting him.
As the Energy shield shutdown Balak rolled down the stairs, Jack puts his foot up to stop him at his feet. Jack kicked Balak to slide across the metal floor covered in Batarian blood, until he hit a box.
"Don't worry Balak, Terra Nova has a large Detention center down there, you'll feel right at home as they painfully extract information out of you."
Jack contacted Joker to extract them, Jack knew that the Batarian's would not stop their attacks on Human Territories, but hopefully seeing their agent defeated will send a message to the remnants of the Hegemony.
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Writers Note: Tali will look like the art made from DemiSir on Deviant Art.