A/N 23 February 2012: Thanks to GoogleFloobs for Theta reading help! Good editors are more than welcome, especially when revisions are being made :D
Disclaimer: Mass Effect is copyright of Bioware. Ci-Ci is mine.
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Thank you for reading. Enjoy!
30 June 2177— Akuze, Milky Way
Everyone was exhausted beyond measure. The marines had spent all day and night searching for any sign of the missing pioneer colony and had found absolutely nothing except a survey tower and the charred remains of a few modular homes. Now it was near dawn and most of the men were getting ready to sleep. All but the five on watch had stripped their armor in favor of their casual blues. The CO had already retired for the night, the XO was nodding off, and the rest of the unit were crawling into sleeping bags or already snoring. Of the fifty marines deployed, only six were left awake (meaning, one very stubborn off-duty marine was too distracted to remember that she was tired).
Akuze itself was uneventful. Though it had breathable atmosphere, it was relatively barren. There were rich mineral deposits everywhere—hence why the colonists had come. There was a nearly limitless potential for riches, assuming they survived. The sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving everything either dark red or black. Even in the night chill, the air smelled slightly sulfuric.
Shepard was standing next to Corinthia and thinking about what he'd do when he got off this barren rock and back to Arcturus Station (go to a bar, get drunk, get laid, etc.). They'd completed what they'd come to do, so why did they have to wait around? They could've completed the mission with five men, not a unit of fifty Marines.
Regardless, he was on watch and something didn't feel right. The way the settler camp had been abandoned was just... strange. Seeing had put a cold feeling in his gut, like he just knew that something was going to go wrong. In all likelihood, it was because Corinthia wasn't acting normal, even though she was doing her usual off-duty omni-tool fiddling. Though by no means "friends", he had worked with her a few times since Elysium and knew that she spent her time doing three things: laughing, grinning, and playing with her omni-tool. If it was the latter, she was about to pull a prank.
However, there was no smile on her face. Her brow was furrowed and she was uncharacteristically fully concentrated on her work. That was, perhaps, what unnerved Shepard the most. She didn't have a good nose for trouble, but she had saved his skin a couple of times with her scans of the area.
Unfortunately, that orange glow was more than annoying him and he already had a migraine already.
He gritted his teeth. "Nothing's going to happen, LT, so put that goddamn thing away."
She didn't answer, only focusing even more intently on her work.
Shepard narrowed his eyes. She generally talked (a lot) and would grin bashfully before stopping doing whatever was annoying him.
He crouched next to her, eyeing her work. Her fingers moved too quickly through the interface for him to know what she was looking at or trying to find. "Ci-Ci?" he murmured. "Did you find something that the rest of us should know about?"
Her gaze flicked to him. "I'm detecting some weird readings. Really weird."
"Like what?"
The ground rumbled, so subtly that it may have been someone turning on a Mako engine. Corinthia's eyes widened. Her omni-tool flashed warningly a second before she was on her feet shouting, "THRESHER MAW!"
Within heartbeats, there were monsters rising everywhere from the ground. They looked like massive worms, with spider-legs around their mouths. Corinthia winced and covered her ears as they released deafening screeches and lunged for the closest group of soldiers. In the darkness, only the maw's glowing mouths and the explosions of gunfire could be seen.
Shepard's hand descended on her shoulder and pulled her back against his shins. "Stay with me, Ci-Ci," he ordered.
She turned her omni-tool on and used it as a flashlight to find her eyepiece and sniper rifle. "I hate fighting in the dark," she muttered. "Where the hell is my night vision?" She fumbled with her eyepiece until it glowed green and extended to cover both her eyes. "Oh, shit…"
There were bodies everywhere. Five maws swayed and pecked at the scattering men. The soldiers couldn't see, so they were dashing straight into danger. One of the monsters turned its attention to Corinthia and Shepard. She pushed him out of the way as the maw spat its acid at them.
"I'd give anything for a grenade launcher right now," she muttered.
Shepard pulled her into his arms to protect her from another maw blast. Without her armor, she would die in seconds (though as to why he was even trying to protect her, he had no idea). He released her for long enough to extend his shields over her as well.
"Where's the Captain?" he shouted.
"I don't know! I'm following you!" she answered. "Why did I take off my armor?"
He opened his radio. "Organize! Split their attention! Cover fire only! Get to a transport and get away!"
No one listened. There had been fifty men, including Shepard and Corinthia, and every single one that was still alive was out for himself. Unfortunately, they were having little luck. The thresher maws were hitting their targets with ease. They first went for the Makos, leaving those inside helpless in a melting steel coffin, and finally for the darting soldiers on the ground.
Corinthia moved closer to Shepard. "We have to get out of here."
He nodded. As loathe as he was to run, they wouldn't survive if they stayed there. He didn't have time to radio out a rendezvous point because any chance of escape was routed as a thresher appeared right before them. Corinthia wasted no time and began shooting with frightening speed. Shepard created a singularity around the thresher maw's head, but it did little damage.
"Do that again! It keeps it still!" she called.
"I can't do it and protect us simultaneously," he growled. He glanced down at her weapon. "What kind of rifle has a fifteen round mag?"
She didn't look over. "A Viper carbine does," she answered. "And it actually has a thirty round mag. Geth technology. Don't ask how I got it."
"Wasn't gonna," he answered, waiting for enough energy to create another biotic attack. An acidic ball of thresher maw spit landed ten feet away. "What's the point of these things, anyway?"
"You want the technical answer or the real answer?"
"It was a rhetorical question. Just kill it!"
"You don't have to tell me twice," she murmured, raising the barrel of the rifle a little higher. "A giant space hamster once told me to go for the eyes. For once, I think he's right."
"Space hamster?" Shepard repeated.
"Long story." She loosed a couple shots. "But it's actually quite funny."
"How the fuck can you be joking around at a time like this?"
"You started it! Oh, shit…"
He caught her phrase just in time to put up a biotic barrier and stop them from being melted. The shield hissed, fizzed, and sparkled as it reacted with the acid.
"Thanks!" she gasped. She reloaded her rifle and aimed carefully. "Now drop the barrier and throw a singularity at it. I've got a kill shot."
"Are you crazy?"
"Yes, so just do it!"
Against his better judgment, he trusted her and did as she asked. She put twenty shots into the maw's mouth. It howled, swayed, and fell, shaking the ground like an earthquake. Corinthia lost her balance and fell into Shepard's legs. Shepard nodded in approval, glancing at the corpse. "Nice one, Lieutenant."
She got to her feet. "No time for that. We need to get out of here. Now."
"Agreed."
They ran to a Mako, knowing full well that any of the other maws could appear at any moment. Shepard started the engine and they took off. Corinthia had her gun and omni-tool ready, but thankfully nothing appeared. She didn't even comment on his driving. After nearly an hour, she released a sigh of relief. "We're clear if you want to pull over."
Shepard nodded and slowed. When the Mako stopped, he ran his hands over his face wearily. "Fuck…"
"I'm getting some air." Corinthia opened the hatch and climbed out. They were sitting on a plateau, surrounded by rocky cliffs and a few small hills. The stars twinkled serenely, as if everything in the galaxy was at peace, and the moons hung in the sky like silver buttons. She sank to the ground, hugged her knees, and tried not to cry.
Shepard joined her, groaning and stretching. "Shit... Where the hell are we?"
"About ninety klicks north of base camp," she answered, voice soft and quivering.
He raised an eyebrow, sensing that she was about to start sobbing, and moved farther away from her. He wasn't about to get sucked into her emotional games. "Any sign of the others?"
After taking a steadying breath, she took out her omni-tool again. "I'll check, but I'm not sure I've got the range to track vitals this far out."
In all honesty, Shepard didn't care. He was just glad to be alive instead of melted — though, he had no idea why he'd saved her life and dragged her with him.
"No luck, Lieutenant," she said after a long moment.
"Whatever."
She narrowed her eyes. "Whatever? That's all you're going to say?"
"We're alive; they're dead," Shepard snapped, rounding on her. "What more do you want?"
"I — I want them alive," she answered weakly, retreating. "I mean, I don't know what's happened to them yet, but it doesn't look good. Is it wrong not to like that?"
Shepard stared at the horizon for a moment. "No, it isn't," he murmured. "But sometimes we aren't allowed to feel it."
"This isn't war."
"Like hell it isn't. It was a fight. People die. It's part of life. We deal with it and move on."
"Oh... alright... I guess you're right." She turned back to her omni-tool, half-heartedly continuing her scans.
"What are you doing this time?" Shepard asked, annoyed.
"I'm working," she replied softly.
"Sure you are."
She sighed. "This is... Listen, right before I found out there were thresher maws, I had detected another strange reading."
Shepard crossed his arms. Other than on Elysium, he hadn't really seen her use her omni-tool for anything practical or useful. Still, his interest was piqued. "Which was?"
"A detonation pulse. I bet if we dug around there we'd find charges."
"Great. We were set up."
"Pretty much. Evidence of detonation signals, that survey tower was also transmitting new data..."
Shepard stared towards what was left of their campsite. "I don't like it."
"Neither do I. I thought that tower was Alliance-issued. Older, and upgraded like hell, but still Alliance."
"Think it was hijacked?"
"Possibly." Corinthia shrugged helplessly. "It was all too... simple. We found the colony, were attacked, and therefore found out what happened to the colony. I doubt that we'd find any evidence of malevolence, though, because — well, I mean... We just won't."
"Says you," Shepard muttered.
"And you could do better?" She snickered. "I've never seen you even open your omni-tool."
He showed her his assault rifle. "I have this. I don't need that... thing."
"Thing? Thing? THIS happens to be the most important tool that ANYONE can have."
"Yes, but you... mess with it and it's annoying."
"My fiddling saved your ass back there," she snapped, scrambling to her feet.
"Like hell it did. You'd be dead if I hadn't decided to shield you," he answered darkly, advancing on her.
"And I killed the thresher maw."
"And you'd be screaming in agony as you were melted by acid if I hadn't put that barrier around us."
"So would you! So, yeah, you helped with holding it still, but I'm still the one that killed it."
They came nose-to-nose (or as close as they could get with him being eight inches taller than her). "I got us away from there," he hissed.
"Using my navigation."
"You'd still be dead if it weren't for me," he finished.
"Or we can just admit that neither of us would be alive if it weren't for the other."
"Or you can just suck it up and admit that I'd kick your ass to the Terminus Systems and back any day."
She cocked her head to one side. "You just want to win, don't you?"
"Just figured that you, did you?"
She held up her hands. "Fine. I'll concede that point."
"You... what?"
"What did I say?"
"Concede? What kind of a soldier are you?"
"Uh... Well... do you want the lecture of the synopsis?"
He waved a hand in dismissal. "Forget I said anything."
Corinthia opened her mouth to say something else, thought better of it, and lapsed into silence.
For a brief moment, Shepard thought she might start crying, but instead she simply blinked morosely and let out a long sigh. He groaned and went back over to her.
"You okay, kid?"
"Fine," she answered, too quickly to be honest.
"You sure?"
"You're Emotionless Man."
"What was that?" he growled.
She shrugged. "You weren't even happy when you got the Star of Terra, you haven't batted an eyelash at the fact that forty-eight people are dead, and I've never seen you get CLOSE to smiling."
He returned her gaze coldly, making her shiver. "Emotionless Man or not, I still feel anger and annoyance. Care to guess which one you're making me feel?"
"Eesh, Shepard. I was joking. Or are you Humorless Man?"
"Still far off. I'm a big teddy bear that's just desperate for a hug," he answered sarcastically.
She laughed uproariously. "Ooh! Are you fuzzy, too? And eat fish and addicted to honey? Or do you rear and scare everyone away?"
He smirked. "I have a feeling that if I tried to intimidate you that you'd come in for a hug."
"Yep. Probably."
Against his better judgment, he decided to not tell her to shut up. Talkative or not, she had almost saved his life. He generally didn't have much respect for women (since, in his experience, their only real purpose was to relieve "stress", get in the way, or nag you to death), but Corinthia wasn't like other women. Hell, she wasn't even "normal", from what he could tell in the thirteen interactions they'd had. She was... he didn't know what she was, other than giggles, omni-tools, and bad "that's what she said" joke. He didn't know if he liked her (in any sense of the word) or not, but considering she would be disturbed by what had just happened, he decided to play nice.
He smirked. "Was that a request for a hug?"
"I have a feeling that you aren't squishy," she answered, winking. "Unless you need a hug?"
"Death doesn't bother me. At all," he replied with a shrug. "Never has, really."
"Oh... Wow... That's... Awesome, to say the least." She sat there, blinking, for a long moment. "Yeah, that's just epic. Wish I could... I mean, that's, like, superhero amazing."
Shepard cocked his head to one side. "How the fuck did you get into the military?"
"What was that?" she asked innocently.
"Nothing," he added quickly.
"I could play back the recording..."
"You're kidding me, right?"
She raised an eyebrow quizzically.
Shepard rubbed his eyes. "That was a joke, wasn't it?"
She winked. "Yep."
"You're a real bitch, you know that?"
"And you're a heartless bastard," she replied without hesitation. Her smile instantly faded. "Oh, God, I'm sorry, Lieutenant. I didn't mean — "
Though his natural reaction should have been to clench a fist and growl some kind of answer, the switch from lighthearted insult to heartfelt apology was so fast that he had to laugh.
She relaxed. "So... you aren't insulted?"
"You really need to get out more," he told her. "You're coming the next time I go to a bar."
"But... I... You're a first lieutenant and I'm..."
"Fuck it. You look like you could use a drink."
She spread her hands. "I'm seventeen. Legal age is eighteen."
That explains a lot... "So when will you be eighteen?"
"November seventh."
"Then on November seventh I am going to take you out."
"Uh... So long as you're sober enough to take me home with my virginity intact."
He blinked. "You're a... Did not see that coming." He gave her a second glance. "I take that back. I totally see it. Bet you haven't been kissed, either."
She frowned, confused. "Why are we talking about my sex life? There are tons of other things we could be doing. Like finding out if everyone else is alive." She opened her omni-tool again and started ignoring him completely.
Shepard rolled his eyes. Frankly, the body count didn't bother him at all. He was alive; they weren't. He'd caused too much death to let a simple massacre faze him. Actually, he found the slaughter... invigorating. Part of him always wondered if he was sadistic, but he knew that he was ruthless and more than willing to be judge, jury, and executioner. If the marines couldn't cut it, they deserved to be dead.
Corinthia, though... She was a puzzle. She seemed like the sort that ought to be bawling in a corner (as she had at her father's death), and yet he knew that she was capable of ignoring pain and getting the job done regardless of what else had happened (as she'd proven in the Skyllian Blitz). Right then, she was stuck in her own little omni-tool created world and probably wasn't going to surface for a long while.
"Think we're going to be attacked anytime soon?" he asked.
"Not a chance," she answered.
"You sure?"
"About ninety-three percent sure. Want the statistics?"
"I think I'll be fine without them," he replied lowly. "The emergency packs still in the Mako?"
"Yep."
"Good. I'm getting out of this armor."
She blushed faintly (though he could barely tell because of the glow of her omni-tool) and turned back to her work. "Would you mind seeing if there's a jacket or something, Lieutenant? It's kinda chilly out here."
"Whatever," he answered. For a brief moment, his mind flashed to what would happen if they had to huddle together for warmth, but he quickly dismissed it because she was: one, too young; and two, not his type (meaning, naive, intelligent, and... inexperienced). Jacket it is...
He threw one out to her, jumping when she squeaked. "What the fuck was that?" he called.
"Me."
"Can humans even make that noise?"
"So I squeak when I'm startled. Deal with it. With all due respect, Lieutenant."
"Just call me Shepard. And don't worry about insulting me. I get the impression that you don't know you've done it until after you've said it."
"Yeah, pretty much... Sorry."
"Stop apologizing. It's... annoying."
"Oh. Right. So — " She bit her lip and lapsed into silence.
Shepard stopped with his new shirt half-on. "You're just dying to say it, aren't you?"
"YES!"
He snorted with laughter. That was twice in less than an hour, which had never happened to him. Ever. "Try and resist or else I'll throw you back to the thresher maws."
"...Uh..."
"I'm kidding, Ci-Ci. Lighten up."
"So it does have a sense of humor..."
"What was that?"
"I'll tell you when we're not having a shouted conversation through a foot of armor."
Shepard shrugged, finished dressing, and climbed out, dropping to the ground next to her. She squeaked (again), her omni-tool going into her chest. After another mouse-like sound, she shook out her hand and rubbed her wounded breast. "You'd think that holograms wouldn't hurt so much..."
"You alright?" Shepard asked, trying not to laugh at how ridiculous she looked.
"Oh, fine," she answered, her blush deepening.
He caught her omni-tool wrist. "Put it away. The orange glow might attract predators."
She raised an eyebrow. "In this environment? Or are you referring to yourself?"
He rolled his eyes. "I see better in the dark."
"Ooooohhhhhh." She shut it off. "Better?"
"Much."
She twiddled her thumbs for a moment. "Were you a gang member?" she asked suddenly, nearly making him jump.
He blanched slightly. "What the hell makes you say that?"
Shepard had never, ever revealed to anyone that he'd been a member of the Reds. Even the Alliance didn't know about that part of his past, but now this girl could just tell? It unnerved him. Then again, he wasn't used to interacting with intelligent women. Even the female soldiers were all compensating for their lack of manliness and were too ugly or strong to be anything but part of the navy. There was a reason there weren't many female officers.
She pointed to the tattoo on the back of his neck. "I saw it earlier when you were coming out of the Mako. Only Earth gangs mark their own like that. Well, before you had it modified—you did, didn't you?" She retreated a little. "Or am I completely wrong? ….And I probably touched a sensitive subject, too, didn't I?"
"Just a little," he answered sarcastically, rubbing the back of his neck. The mark had been a simple "X", but he'd had it altered it into a coat of arms: a red shield with the black silhouettes of a lion and a gryphon flanking a sword running straight through the "X". The top of the shield came to three points, like a crown, with the red pommel of the sword overlapping the center point.
"I'm so—" She shut her mouth and swallowed her apology.
"Just say it, Ci-Ci."
"Thanks. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... insult you."
"... By mentioning that, you do realize that you're talking to someone capable of cold-blooded murder, xenophobia, racism, selfishness, and no aversion to raping or using you?"
She bit her lip nervously. "Y-you aren't going to, are you?" she whispered, frightened.
He shook his head. "I may not care about people dying, but there are some things I won't do."
She relaxed. "Thank you..."
"But we're not done with this conversation. How the fuck did you get 'gang member' from a tattoo?"
She studied her feet bashfully. "Well, the black ink's just barely a different color. You may want to get it touched up sometime soon. Not that anyone else would notice, really. The only reason I know it is because — uh, well, forget it. Forget I said anything at all."
He wasn't about to drop the subject. "Why Earth?"
"I... I read your file." She retreated even more at his glare. "Sorry, I didn't mean… It's just the way you're so... withdrawn from everyone else, I started to wonder... And you aren't reacting to anything that just happened..."
"You read my file?" he asked, insulted.
"And the files of everyone else on the mission. I mean, I first looked it up after we met at the recruiting station because you're... you know..." She waiting until he gave her a quizzically encouraging look to finish. "You're... rugged... and all that stuff."
"Think I'm handsome, do you?" he sneered.
"Kinda hard not to. I'm seventeen. Anyone with abs is dead sexy in my boat."
He snorted. "And how the hell did you become a lieutenant?"
"Because I earned it." She sighed. "This is... weird. I mean, I've set my omni-tool to radio for help, but we're just... talking and it's... Well, no one really talks to me."
He groaned. If this was about to turn into a teenage bitching session, he'd throw himself back to the thresher maws.
"It's... nice." She tucked her hair behind her ear, realized that it was the side with the scars, and then smoothed her bangs back over the marks. "I know I'm weird and all that, and you're totally... awesome."
"Don't start with the hero-worship." Internally, though, Shepard was pleased to have someone look up to him with big eyes. "I'm anything but."
"But I like bad-boys..."
He laughed bitterly. "You're so naive..."
"Care to enlighten me, then?"
She asked the question so innocently that he couldn't decide if he wanted to tell her and get rid of the wide-eyed look or just let her stay like that.
"I can't tell you," he finally said.
"Oh. That's alright."
"You sound... disappointed."
"I was raised a scientist. I'm always curious and you're... fascinating. I mean, you look like you ought to be. You're a biotic, but you fight like a regular soldier, and you saved me at least three times, but you're known as the lone-wolf kind of guy..."
"So you're going to sit here and analyze me?" he hissed.
"Not on purpose!" she quickly replied. "How can I help it if you remind me of an anti-hero?"
"You are a strange little girl..."
"Thanks. I try."
He sighed. "Are you going to drop the subject?"
"I don't even remember what we were talking about," she answered perkily. "Who are you?"
"...You're kidding, right?"
She winked.
He shook his head. "Most of the women I talk to are running their hands all over me by now."
"Uh..."
"It wasn't a request. It's just... different, that's all. You're smart."
"I'm usually told that I'm freakishly childish, so, thanks." She grinned at him. "And I like the tattoo. A lot."
He smirked. "Wait 'til you see the leather jacket..."
Her eyes widened eagerly. "And motorcycle?"
He nodded.
"You are now my best friend. ...Which, of course, I've only said because I'm totally going to exploit you for a ride and a night in the jacket."
He raised an eyebrow. "Do you have any idea what you just said?"
"What? Uh... Oh... Oh. Oh, right. Heh. Oops." She ran her fingers through her hair nervously and sank to the ground again. "You'd think boots would be more comfortable..."
He joined her, leaning against the Mako's tire. "Still cold?"
"A little, but nothing life-threatening." She raised her left hand like she was about to turn on her omni-tool again and, after a hesitation, set it aside.
"You're worried about the others," he observed.
"I'm worried that our radio isn't working up to par. Maybe if I hook it up to the Mako..."
He forced her hand to her side. "Are you going to strand us here?"
"It'll be very uncomfortable to drive, but it won't be impossible."
"And just what are you going to do to the Mako?"
"Don't know yet. Why?"
"It's the safest place we have right now and I'm not sleeping outside."
"Agreed." She opened her omni-tool again.
"Does that thing have to be open constantly?"
She closed the interface. "Notice how it isn't anymore?" she replied, slightly miffed. She got to her feet. "But, as lovely as it's been chatting with you, I'm getting antsy just sitting here and not trying to find everyone else and get our asses off of this rock. Anderson's not due for another seventy-two hours, and my omni-tool doesn't have the range to get him sooner. So... yeah, don't expect to drive the Mako anywhere anytime soon."
"Are you going to gut it?"
"Now that I think about it, essentially. I'll keep the passenger seat as intact as possible so you can sleep if you want to."
He raised an eyebrow curiously as she climbed into the Mako. She was... He didn't know what she was other than anything but what he was used to. There was no point on dwelling on it, either, because he was stuck with her until Anderson showed up.
The worst part was that he wanted to trust her. He didn't know why, either. Maybe it was because she seemed like the sort of person he could trust. Or it could've been that smile of hers, or the fact that she could make him laugh (which was impossible in general).
Shepard was a hard man, to say the least. He'd been through more than most veteran soldiers by the time he was sixteen. His life could have qualified as a sob story if he liked, but he didn't tell it to anyone.
His only memory of either of his parents was of his mother leaving him at a playground and never returning. He was three. From there, Shepard relived Oliver Twist. The "Artful Dodger"—in this case, a teenager named Hines—found Shepard and took him under his wing. Quickly, Shepard fell into a life of crime. He proved to be extremely intelligent, soon leaving the care of Thorum and joining the notorious Tenth Street Reds, one of the largest and best-organized gangs on Earth, at the age of ten. He kept to himself, developing a reputation as the best enforcer in the business and soon becoming the personal guard and left hand of the Reds' second (and eventually first) in command, Stevie Matheson.
After being betrayed more times than he would have liked (including the situation that forced L3 implants upon him), Shepard decided the leave the Reds. It wasn't easy and involved him murdering more than a few people (not to mention collapsing their Los Angeles headquarters), but he finally joined the Academy and became part of the N7 program.
There, he excelled, becoming a Lieutenant Junior Grade before he graduated. He was now a Lieutenant and would be up for Lieutenant Commander in a year and half at the earliest. He wanted to be an Admiral before he left the Alliance, but that was a latent dream.
He'd have to be alive for long enough to get there, first. As the reality of what had happened sank in (meaning, that he might be dead if Corinthia hadn't been there), he started to wonder if he could do it alone. He glanced towards the Mako. The hatch was open and the inside glowed orange as Corinthia worked on her omni-tool. Metal screeched and clanged, punctuated by her creative curses, squeaks, and hisses from being shocked by wiring. The tires throbbed as she played some kind of music inside.
He rubbed his eyes, unable to believe what he was about to do, and climbed up onto the Mako. He. Corinthia was sitting in a tangle of wires, a tool between her teeth, and was trying to connect her omni-tool to the rover.
"Now is not a good time, Shep," she said around the screwdriver in her mouth. "This whole place could spontaneously combust at any point."
"Permission to come aboard?" he asked.
She blinked, looking at him curiously. "Granted..." After a second, she laughed shortly, managed to grin around the screwdriver, and seemed to be in a much better mood.
He slid into the passenger seat, which was mostly clear of debris, although he did sit on several tools. He pulled the offending pieces out from beneath him and stripped his jacket. "Hot in here. What are you doing?"
"Nothing that isn't reversible," she answered, moving her screwdriver to her hand and reaching shoulder-deep into the dashboard. She continued at his stern look, "I'm rewiring the Mako's radio so that it'll have the range necessary to flag Anderson, I hope. We're pretty far off the beaten path and this thing's pretty old. Damned budget cuts..." She snickered victoriously as the dashboard came to life. "Hah! I win!"
Shepard shook his head, preparing himself to get used to shock and surprise. Inexplicably, he was pretty sure that he'd be seeing much more of her in the future. It wasn't against regulations for marines of different ranks to be friends, although it wasn't usually encouraged.
"What?" she asked, seeing his curious look.
"Nothing," he answered quickly.
She raised an eyebrow. "Seriously, what is it?"
"Why the fuck did you join the Alliance?"
She laughed, nearly dropping her work. "That's what you want to know? It's simple: I was bored and I wanted to interact with humans. So, it was the Academy or more school. I wasn't going to do that last one, so I went to the Academy."
"That's not a good reason."
"I know, but it still happened, didn't it?"
"Are you always that impulsive?"
"Pretty much. I want chocolate."
He chuckled. "You are a strange girl..."
"Is that a problem?"
"Against my better judgment, it isn't."
She bit her lip. "So..."
"I'm not going to bite your head off, Ci-Ci."
She relaxed. "Thank you. I'd heard stories, but I didn't want to... you know. Find out for myself."
Shepard had a reputation for being withdrawn and unpersonable, to the point that almost no one wanted to interact with him outside of a mission (and, even then, they didn't want to during). Corinthia seemed to be immune to his moodiness, as she was actually perkier now than she was before.
"You're not a monster," she continued confidently.
"What was that?"
"I said you're not a monster," she repeated, "and even if you were, you'd be the devil himself, so everyone would still dance after you into Hell with a care-free smile on their face."
"That's probably the most flattering thing anyone's ever said to me," he answered, voice completely false.
She laughed at his tone. "Everyone loves a rebel."
"Not the Alliance."
"You're already a Lieutenant, Shepard. I don't think the Alliance cares. Besides, they need more men who're intelligent and willing to do anything. I've found some pretty nasty stuff behind the wallpaper."
"People still have wallpaper?" he answered.
After a moment, they both started laughing.
"So what's your first name?" he asked after a long moment.
"Haven't you heard it before?"
"If I did, I don't remember."
"It's Cassiopeia," she muttered, ashamed.
He barely managed to repress laughing.
"Don't make fun of me..."
"Better than 'John'," he replied.
"But that's a perfectly wonderful name."
"It's also perfectly... insignificant."
She touched his hand lightly. "Doesn't matter. You're already Lieutenant Fucking Shepard. I'm not sure anyone knows your first name, really, and they don't need to. You don't even look like a John to me. 'Johnny', maybe — "
"Don't call me that," he hissed.
"Oh, alright. Nicknames aren't your thing, then, are they?"
"No, they aren't."
"So... Do I call you Shepard or your rank?"
"Shepard. I've already told you to ditch the rank." He leaned back against the headrest. "When'd people start calling you 'Ci-Ci'?"
"They always have. Even my mother —" She hesitated before continuing, "— Even my mother did. The salarians didn't have patience for 'Cassiopeia' or 'Cassie' or anything like that, and God knows I'd never tell anyone my middle name..."
"Now you have to tell me."
"What?"
"Oh, come on, Ci-Ci. You don't tell someone you'll never say something without expecting them to ask. I know you want to share it."
She sighed, crossed her arms, and kicked the Mako's control panel. "Iphigenia."
"Uh... Come again?"
"That's what she said."
He snickered. "Alright, I get it: your middle name sucks dick."
"Actually, no. She died a virgin."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Greek mythology."
He leaned over to her. "Remember how you thought I was in a gang?"
"Yeah..."
"Do you really think I ever had a mythology class?"
She flushed. "Oh, right. Iphigenia was the daughter of — Uh, she was part of the Trojan War. The reason Achilles fought."
"Him I've heard about." Shepard looked her up and down lazily. "And your nickname's an... what's the word?"
"Acronym."
"That."
"I like your name much better. It isn't a mouthful and just sounds... awesome."
"You don't need to tell me how awe-inspiring I am every few seconds, Ci-Ci. You're already on my good side."
"Knowing me, I won't stay there much longer."
He ran his hand over his head. "I'm assuming that because we're gossiping that you've finished fixing this heap."
She shook her head and started manipulating wires again. "Not sure. All I know for certain is that everyone else is dead." She paused slightly to suck in a breath. "I'm connected to the transmitter well enough, but something's jamming any signals I'm trying to send." Several things sparked. "Damn it! I hate this thing!" She punched the wall. Her omni-tool began to beep and flash, making her laugh maniacally. "YES! IT'S WORKING!" She thrust the radio into his hand. "Here, hail someone. Anyone. I wouldn't care if they were slavers at this point."
"I'll kill any one of them that tries anything." He turned it on. "This is Lieutenant Shepard of the Alliance Navy. Can anyone hear me?" He glared at Corinthia. "Is it actually working?"
She fiddled with her omni-tool. "Try it now," she suggested.
"This is Lieutenant Shepard of the Alliance Navy. Does anyone read me?"
A female voice answered. "I hear you, Lieutenant. This is Matriarch Gorrah of the Asari Justicars. This is a restricted channel. How did you gain access?"
Shepard gave Corinthia an accusing look. She grinned sheepishly.
"I can't tell you because I'm not really sure. My tech specialist has been trying to get into contact with anyone. Our squad was killed by thresher maws. We're stranded on Akuze and we're trying to reach the SSV Seattle and Captain Anderson. They were our contacts and were going to come get us after the mission."
"You understand that I must confirm your story."
"Understood. What information do you need?"
"Your service numbers and mission title should suffice."
"Lieutenant John Shepard, service number 5923-AC-2826."
"Lieutenant Junior Grade Cassiopeia Corinthia-Imreas, service number 6451-AC-7427," she said. "Our mission was called Operation Snatch."
"There were only the two of you?" Gorrah asked.
"No, but now… Everyone else is dead," Corinthia answered guiltily.
The asari gave them no confirmation of their information, so they had no choice but to wait.
Corinthia rubbed her arms and zipped up her jacket.
"You can't still be cold," Shepard murmured.
She nodded and pulled her knees up beneath her. "I don't think it's got to do with temperature, though."
"Oh." He rubbed his eyes. "I told you last time that I'm not good at this stuff..."
"Can I get the hug this time?"
"Hell no."
"But I'm a good hugger..."
"That's like telling me that you're a good kisser, Ci-Ci."
She grimaced. "As ruggedly handsome as you may be, that's just..."
"Yeah," he agreed. "Off the table."
"Completely," she lied. Her only real aversion was that she wasn't eighteen, but she was finding herself rather liking the Lieutenant.
"That's..." He scratched his head. "I said it before, but I don't think I've ever had a conversation with a girl before that didn't end in my bed."
"Well, how about you start a trend, then. We can make this a precedent."
"Uh... what?"
"A new start. Like having a conversation to have a conversation without any subliminal motives."
He smirked. "You don't know that."
"I can guarantee you that I'm not your type." She leaned over. "I'm completely oblivious. I probably wouldn't know if you were hitting on me until two weeks later. There are also these," She brushed back her bangs to show him her scars, "and I know that men don't like my laughter. It's... piercing, I think someone called it."
"It is a little loud, though your normal voice might be..."
"Be what?" she asked after he hesitated.
"Sultry."
She laughed uproariously. "Seriously? That's a new one... Guess I'll need to learn the hip-shake and cleavage-show thingies to go with it."
Shepard snorted, unable to visualize her even attempting to be seductive. "You could try. I don't think it'll work."
"Agreed. I'll keep the cute and innocent seduction method for now." She winked, exaggerated a girlish giggle, and settled back into her seat.
He shook his head. "Are you sure you're human?"
"Positive."
"Just checking..."
"But we females are another species."
"No, I think it's just you."
"No, I'm — Well, alright, I am. It's a wonder you tolerate me at all."
He stretched and put his hands behind his head. "I find you amusing, so I think I'll keep you."
"Thank you, my lord. I appreciate it."
"Lieutenant Shepard?" the asari radioed.
He grabbed the receiver. "Here."
"Your Captain has confirmed your presence. I will come and collect you. Stay put."
"Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Shepard out."
He set down the radio, turning to Corinthia. "Thank God it's over."
Corinthia sighed, relieved, and then gave him the most devious look he had ever seen. "That's what she said."
Shepard had never met an asari Justicar and he therefore had no idea what to do in greeting. Corinthia, on the other hand, seemed to know exactly what to do. She bowed slightly, saying, "Thank you for your hospitality, Mistress. We greatly appreciate it."
Matriarch/Justicar Gorrah smiled solemnly. "I am aware of that, Lieutenant Corinthia-Imreas. Your reputation precedes you. Your Captain Anderson will rendezvous with you at Illium, where you will debrief him and return to Earth. For now, you are my guests. Relax, meditate, and prepare yourselves for what is to come."
Shepard nodded. He wanted to shower and wash away the blood and grime. Corinthia's burst of adrenaline seemed to have faded almost entirely, making her look her age.
The Justicar directed Shepard towards a guest room with private shower. He stepped into the scalding water, letting out a moan of pleasure. His muscles relaxed, making him feel every ache in his body. He discovered several cuts and burns that he would need to tend. The water made them sting, the soap even more. For a moment, he wondered if he was supposed to feel guilty about what had happened. It only took him a second to dismiss the thought. Death was death. It happened and there was no point in dwelling on it. He wasn't the sort for remorse (nor had he ever been), either, so his mind was already on getting back to Arcturus Station and whatever was waiting for him there.
He turned off the water nearly half-an-hour later, dried off, and put his uniform back on. After debating sleeping, he went to find Corinthia. He didn't like the idea of leaving her alone with the Justicar. It wasn't that Shepard was xenophobic (in fact, he'd managed to avoid that one stigma that the Reds upheld), but rather that he didn't trust anyone, no matter the species.
As he predicted, she was speaking to the Justicar in a soft voice. He loitered by the door, listening.
"One so young should not see such horrors," Gorrah was saying. She touched Corinthia's cheek. "You used to smile, often, I can see, but you have not for so long. Those scars should never have marred your face."
Corinthia shook her head. "I smile plenty, though I guess it's not the same. But these scars... I don't think they're pretty, but I'm not ashamed of them. I got them for a good reason, you know. My family, my home…"
"They defined you then, but no longer."
"What do you mean?"
"You are growing up, my child. You are almost eighteen, now, so you must begin to make your own path."
"I started that when I turned sixteen, when I joined the Academy."
"Ah, but that was because you wished to escape, not because it was what you truly wished to do with your life."
Corinthia's eyes widened. "Do you read minds?"
"Yes, I can when I wish. Yours is troubled, not from what you just saw, but because of the feelings you are experiencing for the man who saved you."
Corinthia's cheeks went bright red. "What? What are you talking about?"
Gorrah smiled sagely. "You will understand before long. The young rarely know love when they see it."
Corinthia laughed. "Seriously? Love? I just met him. Okay, that's not true, but I only just started talking to him. Though, I do like him—I mean, who can't? I've served with him a bunch since the Blitz, but he's not really my friend and I still barely know him. Besides, he doesn't like me. He doesn't like anyone."
"He has seen horrors that you cannot begin to imagine."
"I figured as much, though he won't say. Can you see if he's always been like that? You're telepathic, right? So can't you make him, you know… nice?"
"That is beyond my power. His will is too strong to be bent. He is not yet twenty-five and yet his mind is that of a man of twice his years. There is no innocence left within him."
"So… can he be nice or not?"
"You are still such a child… Do not forget it, my dear. It will save you in more ways than you can imagine. You cannot harden as Shepard has or else you will lose yourself."
Corinthia started to protest, hesitated, and lowered her head apologetically. "I'm sorry, Mistress. I keep forgetting that you're a Matriarch. You'd have to know about all these things. I should probably listen to you."
The asari smiled. "Part of being young is to be headstrong, but your apology is accepted. If you wish for my advice, it is this: follow your heart and do what is just."
"People usually say, 'Do what's right.'"
"I am a Justicar. To me, what is just is what is right." The Justicar shifted her eyes to the doorway. "Ah, Lieutenant Shepard. It's nice of you to join us."
Corinthia grinned at him, though the smile didn't seem genuine. She still wore her tattered Alliance clothing, her hair was messy and matted, and she looked ready to keel over and sleep. "I'll just go get cleaned up, then. Thanks for the wisdom, Mistress. Shep — I mean, Shepard." She blushed slightly as she moved past him.
Shepard watched her go. "Did you know I was out there?" he asked the asari.
She nodded. "Of course. You heard your companion's opinion of you."
He had also dismissed it as a childish obsession. "And your opinion of her opinions."
"She is young, idealistic, and impressionable, but she knows what she wants."
Shepard rolled his eyes. "Yeah fucking right. She's just a kid and she's not my type."
"You never had the opportunity to be young, Lieutenant, so you would not understand her."
He snorted. "Did you hear that from her?"
"I believe you have already heard my opinion of your experiences. You reveal nothing about your past because you believe it to be irrelevant to your present. You are wrong. The past shapes your present and can, if you are not careful, your future."
Shepard hated it when people tried to read him, but the asari was right.
She stood. "You can trust me, Lieutenant, but I am not the one you should confide in. Though you may not wish to trust her, you must understand that she has no one else. She is more alone than you."
"I sincerely doubt that."
"She will certainly gain friends as time goes on, but, despite everything else that may happen, she will never forget you, just as you will not forget her. You need her." She gave him a significant look.
Shepard groaned. He didn't like Corinthia, nor did he think he ever would. He'd just started talking to her. Besides, being friends with her meant that he couldn't begin to imagine sleeping with her or be anything intimate whatsoever.
"She's just a kid," he repeated.
"And she will not remain one for much longer. She will be a true woman before you realize it." The asari touched his hand. He twitched away.
"She's not my type," he continued, knowing very well that he was using the same excuses as before.
"Because she is naïve?"
"She's... perky."
"Then you wish for a woman who broods as you do?"
"I haven't thought about it, but I know that I don't want her." Romance was rarely on Shepard's mind. Whilst with the Reds he'd gotten his teenage lust out of him. If it ever surfaced, he went to a bar, found himself a woman for the night, and then moved on. He had never had a relationship for more than three dates (and that had been once during his time with the Reds), nor did he want one.
"I would urge you to be wary of a serious woman, as you need someone who can penetrate the armor around your heart, as she already has begun to do. I am not saying that you need her now, but you will before the end." Gorrah turned her back to him. "You needn't worry about Cassiopeia making any romantic advances on you. She is, and will remain, far too frightened."
Shepard raised an eyebrow. "You do realize that she killed a thresher maw without flinching, right?"
"A monster may be able to hurt her physically, but a friend can wound her spirit. Besides, it is you that frightens her."
Shepard blinked. He knew that he was intimidating, but she had no business being scared of him. He treated her better than he did anyone else, even if he hadn't been particularly nice to her. Since she'd made him laugh, he was far less inclined to snap at her or anything. She was smart enough to figure out that he tolerated her. Hell, he might even have started to like her, in a platonic way.
Corinthia appeared, hair wet and looking cleaner, albeit exhausted. She wore a cat suit much like the Justicar's, though she certainly didn't fill it out like the asari. "Monsters and spirits? Are we sharing ghost stories? I know this great one about this guy and this girl who—"
"Not now, Ci-Ci," Shepard growled.
"Oh, right." She stretched with a wince. "I'm zonked. Is there somewhere I can sleep?"
"There are two bunks in the guest quarters," the asari said.
Corinthia bowed. "Thank you, Mistress. For everything."
Shepard shrugged. "Whatever."
The Justicar bowed back. "I wish you a dreamless sleep."
"Night," Corinthia said cheerily. "Or, I guess, it's morning by now, isn't it?"
Shepard rolled his eyes and dragged Corinthia to the guest quarters without another word to the asari.
"Which bed do you want?" she asked.
He sat on one. She went to the other, staring at it for a full minute.
"Are you okay?" Shepard finally asked.
"Yes—No." She turned to him, tears in her eyes. "And I don't know why I'm crying now, either. I didn't know any of them. Why is it that I always end up crying when you're around? I really don't otherwise…"
Shepard was a man that respected strength, but he understood that Corinthia wasn't like him at all.
"You kept it together when it mattered, so what do I care if you go sob your eyes out now?"
She wiped her eyes. "You want me to cry?"
"Do whatever you want, so long as it's quiet enough that I can sleep —" He caught himself. "If it's really bothering you, I'll... Fuck it." He gestured for her to come over and sit on his bed. She did hesitantly, settling herself as far away from him as she could. He spread his hands. "What? You scared of me?"
"Well..."
"Next to me, Ci-Ci."
She moved closer. After a second of hesitation, he put a hand on her shoulder.
"Listen, it's not wrong to cry over death," he murmured.
She blinked, shocked that any words like that would come out of his mouth.
"What happened back there wasn't good. It wasn't your fault, either, and there was nothing any of us could've done. It's passed and you're alive. That's the first rule of being a soldier: get home alive."
"But we aren't home yet..."
"Home is wherever you make it."
"I didn't expect wisdom from you..."
He shrugged, dropping his arm to his side. "I've been around. You're stronger than most girls. And... and I might not be alive if it weren't for you, so a few tears isn't going to be the end of the world."
She leaned her head on his shoulder. He stiffened and shifted uncomfortably, causing her to straighten.
"Sorry..."
He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I'm just not used to being touched, that's all."
"You know that you're going to have to get used to hugs if we're going to be friends."
"Friends?" he repeated.
"As if we could be anything else after this. Besides, you promised to take me out, remember?"
He smirked. "I did, didn't I?"
"Keep the jerks off of me, alright?"
"That won't be a problem. I'm the worst of them all."
"I dunno... I've met some baddies in my day..."
"I'm the worst."
She smiled weakly and toyed with her fingers. "It's going to be hell when we get back to Anderson."
"I'll deal with it. I'm the officer. You're the kid."
She raised an eyebrow. "Kid? I'm seventeen."
"And I'm twenty-three, so you're still a kid.."
"Were you ever?"
"What? Seventeen? Don't remind me…"
"A kid, I mean."
"Of course I was." He hesitated for a moment before adding, "I didn't have a childhood, though." Why he was trusting her, he had no idea, but he knew that he could. It wasn't much, but it was more than he'd offered to anyone else.
"I'm sorry… I know how you feel."
"I doubt it. You weren't raised on the streets."
"I was raised by salarians. There isn't much difference."
Shepard glared at her.
She sighed. "That was a joke, Shepard."
"I don't like talking about my past."
"I know. I won't bring it up again, then. Or this. Or Elysium."
"I appreciate it."
Though she looked like she wanted to ask something else, she got to her feet. "Night, Shepard. And... Thanks. For everything." She grinned at him and went to her bed, rolling onto her side with her back to him and drifting off.
"Night, Ci-Ci," he answered quietly. Unfortunately, he wasn't tired. With little else to do, he watched as she fell asleep. She looked more vulnerable than normal. Gorrah was right: He needed Corinthia, though not as a lover. He'd never thought he needed friends before, but it felt good to have someone look at him and genuinely smile, not just do it because they aren't allowed to show their fear. Despite all her faults (namely immaturity), Corinthia was loyal and genuinely cared about people. Shepard wasn't used to that, which was why he'd kept her at such a distance.
Still, the idea of friendship was unnerving. He could tell that she wasn't going to drop their relationship, but he could also tell that he wasn't going to mind it. Her most annoying trait was immaturity, but he could almost attribute all of it to her age. She'd grow out of it as she grew up. If anything, it would be worth keeping her around for her technical expertise, not to mention the fact that he hadn't enjoyed talking to someone in... God, he couldn't even remember the last time. The idea of interacting with her was getting more and more appealing, to the point that he fell asleep almost looking forward to the next time they'd talk.