I don't own Mass Effect. Bioware does.
While their findings on Ilos were quite satisfactory…especially for Javik, Jane knew that today was the day she would make her Spectre induction in front of the Council. With the findings on Ilos making the news feeds across the Citadel, Jane examined the uniform she had been provided for the occasion. It was a deep crimson dress with enough on the shoulders to cover up Saren's bite. He quickly found a dress shop for asari and bought something that was simple but elegant. After a moment, Jane slipped into the dress and headed for the shoe rack to slip on a pair of low-heeled shoes. Saren's scent had subsided enough by now for him to feel confident that no one would suspect anything.
By the time she finished getting dressed, she stepped out of her room and met up with Saren at the front door. They exchanged reassuring glances before they pressed their foreheads together. Minutes later, they left the apartment.
After a fifteen minute walk, they walked to the elevator onto the Citadel tower and rode up for the ceremonial event. The two were surprised to see Councilor Sparatus waiting for them just outside of the elevator at the top of the tower.
"Councilor, I didn't expect to see you this long before the start of the ceremony," Saren greeted.
Sparatus cleared his throat.
"Neither did I," Sparatus replied, "however, due to a few matters that have caught my attention, I wanted to discuss something I want both of you to maintain some discretion about."
Saren shifted into a defensive position, crossing his arms.
"I understand that the activation of the Mass Relay on the Presidium was a big scare for everyone nearby at the time," Saren objected, "however, I do feel it was an important discovery."
"The relay opening is not what I had in mind. I have my eyes on the more glaring issue of the connection between the two of you," Jane followed Sparatus' gaze to her shoulders as he continued, "it's not as persistent right now, but I can still see traces of you on her."
Jane gave Sparatus a blank stare.
"Wait, do you mean…?" she paused.
The Councilor groaned.
"What, did Saren not explain to you turian biology at any point during your stay in his household?" Sparatus reminded, "males mark females with a distinct scent. Lets the others know that, and as humans say it, 'She's not available'."
Jane slowly nodded, not showing any signs of flinching.
"I'm already aware of that," Jane reassured, "and…I trust him well enough for what you're bringing up."
"Well then, the least you could do about this little office-place romance is to keep it quiet. Not all wounds from the First Contact War have healed yet. Anyways, I still have a few final preparations to make," Sparatus strolled away, leaving them absolutely silent.
For a moment, Saren and Jane exchanged glances.
"That went…swimmingly," Saren sighed.
"And another close call," Jane added.
"Still, if he knows, it'll have to come out eventually."
With minutes dwindling before the ceremony, Saren cupped Jane's face with his hand to pass the time, letting her lean into the touch and no one around to disturb them. That is until…
"Hey, Jane! Saren! Ready for the big day?" unexpectedly, Nihlus approached the two in less than formal wear with his renown idiotic grin.
Jane and Saren snapped out of their thoughts before they turned their attention towards Nihlus.
"Nihlus, I'd appreciate it if you didn't draw more attention to that than was necessary," Saren sighed.
He couldn't exert any more energy towards being angry with the younger turian.
"No no no no no, you've gotten it all wrong, Saren. This is exactly what we need. You know as much as I do that both sides are still pissing on each other over that war which, mind you, is over two decades old by now. People need to learn to move on, and this right here is what needs to happen if more are going to stop," Nihlus insisted.
Angling his head, Nihlus looked at the two through a pseudo-frame formed by his index finger and thumb like he was a photographer or vid director. By observing Nihlus's gestures, Jane understood how quickly he was able to get over the First Contact War as much as she didn't make a big deal out of it.
"Anyways, I'll be in back. This is gonna be good," he chuckled like a maniac as he walked to the back of the chamber, away from the platform in front of the Councilor's podiums.
Suspecting the Councilors would be arriving shortly, Saren and Jane stepped forward while facing the podiums. The Spectres were engaged in light banter before they arrived at their positions overlooking them.
"Jane Shepard, please step forward," Councilor Valern ordered.
After Saren nodded at her, Jane took a couple steps forward.
"In light of the couple of years prior, you have proven yourself to be increasingly self-reliant in whatever expertise you chose to pursue," Valern started, "for this reason, Arterius came forth and offered to prove your worth in combat and its many facets."
"Spectres are not trained, but their talent is hand-picked from the best a species has to offer," Tevos stated, "as is recognized by your mentor, you've succeeded where others failed, and have shown persistence in the face of stacked odds."
"I understand, Councilor," Jane nodded in agreement, keeping her spine straight.
"As a Spectre, you are to serve as our extended hand in maintaining galactic stability. Agents of the law. The pinnacle of what your kind can achieve. Until further notice, you are hereby recognized as a Spectre, Shepard," Sparatus finished.
Now that the Council made their speech, Jane knew that this was now the moment to swear her oath, so she placed her hand on her chest while she kept her other arm behind her back, having memorized the speech from Saren prior to the ceremony.
"I, Jane Shepard," she announced, "will do what I can as a Spectre to ensure the safety of the galaxy."
"Welcome to the Spectres, Jane Shepard. We trust you as the new hand of defense. This meeting is adjourned," Tevos concluded.
Saren wrapped his arm around her as the two left the podium and walked down the steps.
"I'm proud of you Jane," Saren praised, "I knew I'd see you up there some day."
Jane felt her chest swell with pride. At no point five years ago did she see herself living off of Earth or having earned herself such a prestigious title. With her induction accomplished, they had some time available before their next mission, even when they knew it would still be a while before the prejudice between turians and humans dwindled to the point there was no need to hold grudges. Nihlus slipped on a pair of shades as he approached them.
"If it's anything, I'm happy for the two of you," Nihlus commented.
"Thank you, Nihlus," Saren replied calmly.
"Saren, I just want to let you know that there should be no shame in loving that which you consider to be your enemy," Nihlus' omni-tool pinged with an incoming message as he turned to say, "speaking of which, that is my call. I'll see you two lateeeeeeer."
Nihlus quickly retreated to the elevator back down.
"So, this calls for an occasion," Saren suggested, "anything you wanted to do to celebrate?"
"Maybe we can go to someplace special," Jane suggested, placing her finger on her chin, "and after that, we can spend the evening in the sheets?"
The elevator hummed as they continued to ride their way down.
"I'd like the sound of that."
The elevator arrived at the base of the tower, leading them back to the Presidium. From there, they parted ways with the younger turian Spectre. Walking the other way, Saren gave one glance backwards as he watched Nihlus make greeting gestures towards someone just out of sight. Assuming Nihlus knew this person well, Saren shrugged off the thought. The two took a cab to the wards, feeling in the mood for something less fancy for lunch. It was a small noodle shop that had opened up a month prior to the ceremony that Saren was in the mood for trying out. Once they stepped into the shop, Jane took a moment to read the menu hovering above the counter. Sitting down at a table, Saren followed shortly after with cups of water and utensils. He raised his cup, prompting Jane to imitate him.
"Here's to a well-earned victory, Jane," Saren proposed, "I'm happy that you could join."
Nodding, Jane tapped her cup with Saren's before they took a sip of their water.
"You still have your mind set on trafficking operations?" Saren asked.
Jane nodded.
"That, and generally helping the Alliance do whatever I can to eventually stem the tide of poverty on Earth," Jane added, "at least until it's more manageable."
Saren nodded in agreement, reminiscing on the night they first met.
"Yeah, poverty is rather common on colonial worlds. However, I hadn't expected to see it that bad on your homeworld."
A short while later, their lunch orders arrived, so Jane and Saren started eating.
"Still, we've got the rest of the day before night properly falls. I was thinking of heading to the Armax Arena," Saren added.
After lunch, Saren and Jane headed over to the Armax Arena. Quickly suiting up in their gear, they entered a simulation of a cluster of small asteroids interlinked with prefab bridges amidst the cold dead vacuum of space. Setting the difficulty rating to 'hard', they were challenged by projections of heavily armed, unmarked projections from various races. They continued on for a few hours before slogging out of the arena to their apartment. After a brief evening meal, the sweat from the simulation was enough for them to suggest a shower. Saren offered to let Shepard go first, yet…
"Why not we both go in?" Jane suggested.
"I like the sound of that," he grinned, stripping his own clothes off.
Jane stripped herself before she led Saren into the bathroom and stepped into the shower. Stepping in himself, he reached his hand to the knob to turn it. They stood under the warm shower spray seconds later. Not focusing so much on the soap behind him, Saren craned his head down to Jane, meeting her lips with his. Jane returned the kiss while she wrapped her arms around his neck. Wrapping his hands around her hips, their tongues twisted around each other like ice dancers. Already, he felt the day building up to this moment, allowing him to come out of his plates a bit faster than normal. He still needed to prepare her first, though, so after Jane nodded at him, Saren slid one filed talon down her stomach until he reached between her legs.
He traced his talon around her folds, earning small, excited yelps from her. Jane tightened her grip while Saren licked at her neck and slid one of his talons inside her. As he continued to lick the side of her neck, be began to trace his finger along her inner wall, feeling the slickness as his member began to stiffen. She bucked her hips and nipped at his neck, not even trying to stifle her moans.
Sticking the other finger in, he spread her folds apart to make room for his tip to enter her. Taking the hint, Jane hooked one leg around his waist. Feeling her slide onto him, he didn't bother holding back his pleasured growls either. He hooked his hand to stabilize her before pulling back to start thrusting. Carnal thrills surged through her nerves as she arched her back and mewled in Saren's embrace. He began to adjust his stance as he picked up the tempo to keep them from slipping on the white tiles under their feet. The sensation of his ridges and spines brushing against her bundle of nerves built pressure inside her core, so she licked one of his mandibles. He felt his insides boil as the water continued to pour onto them, the friction continued to build, and as the blood coursed through his body. Amidst the thrusts, Jane pulled Saren into a kiss while he held her close.
He continued to growl through their kiss, quietly contemplating the bite mark on her shoulder. Sparatus knew and Nihlus said there was no shame in the matter, and was probably engaged with a human himself. Maybe it wouldn't be bad if he marked her right now? Jane massaged his neck with her hand, breaking off the kiss and leaning her head back while she kept her eyes locked onto Saren's.
"Would…you mind…if I…?" he craned his neck down to her shoulder, mouth just hovering over her collar bone.
"Go ahead," Jane panted, "I don't mind."
Adjusting his jaw, he slowly clamped down on her as he continued accelerating the rate at which he pumped his hips. In response, Jane tightened her leg around his waist and brushed her hand along the back of his neck. He continued his pace as he felt his climax building up. He struggled to keep his bite level, not wanting to bite deeper and hurt Jane. Even when maintaining the grip of his mandibles, their hormones mixed as Jane shuddered in her climax moments later. He let loose his grip on her and panted before speaking up again.
"For now, I'd prefer if we could take this elsewhere. I'd rather not slip during our moment of enjoyment."
Jane took a moment to catch her breath while Saren shut off the water.
"I guess I'm up for a second round in the bedroom," Jane nodded.
They quickly washed the grit and sweat off, but hadn't bothered putting on a change of clothes as Saren carried Jane in his arms up to their bedroom. They may have came down from their high while the older turian Spectre lay his mate onto the bed, but their libido hasn't worn off yet. Saren sat in the middle of the bed, allowing Jane to scoot closer to him and cup his face before she leaned in to kiss him. Joining for another kiss, Saren lifted a leg up and put himself over her.
While Jane rested her back on the bed, Saren hovered over her and gazed into her green eyes. The human Spectre hooked both her legs over his hips while her mate planted his hands on the bed and ground his hips between her thighs. He made no delay shoving right back in, confident she was ready and in desperate need of more. The ensuing gasp from her and the movements of her hips to sync with his pace encouraged him to continue. He shifted himself upward so he had a better angle, shoving into her. Tightening the grip of her legs, Jane located the amp nodes on Saren's body and brushed her hand against them.
Following her train of thought, Saren's body began to shimmer with blue energy, slowly starting to stimulate her senses. Jane cried out as she buried her face into his shoulder and the biotic field sent intense bliss into her nerves. He continued to pulsate with energy seeing that it earned him greater results with each thrust. She tilted her head and leaned in to kiss him. Saren met her lips as he reached closer and closer to his climax.
Pressure also built up in her stomach, her blush apparent on her freckled face and beads of sweat trickling along her skin. Using one hand, Jane brushed it along her small nub between her legs. Saren grew impatient as he moved faster and faster, angling himself for the most optimal results. Moments later, Jane cried out as she reached her climax and Saren released into her a split second later.
After they came down from their high, Saren withdrew from her before he stood from his bed and headed for the bathroom to retrieve dextro allergy meds. He handed the mess to Jane with a glass of water shortly afterwards. Once she washed down the meds and set the glass aside on the night stand, Saren climbed onto the bed and Jane scooted closer to him, allowing him to run his talons through her red hair. He gazed into her eyes, smiling as she returned her gaze.
"I love you, Saren," Jane whispered.
Jane scooted closer into Saren's gentle embrace.
"I love you too, Jane," he mumbled, holding her close.
Enjoying the serene moment of the artificial night sky out the window, they nestled under the covers.
"With you being the first human Spectre, how far do you see our relationship going?" Saren asked, continuing to enjoy the night sky.
Jane nuzzled her face against Saren's.
"I don't mind waiting a couple more years before we make our bond official on paper," Jane replied.
"If you'd be more comfortable with the long-game, I'm fine with that," he hummed, "we shouldn't take this too quickly."
Sleep started clouding their eyes, so Saren and Jane started dozing off.
The following morning, news of Jane's induction had already spread, and the Alliance already invited the two to a meeting concerning the Alliance's relations. By the time Anderson and Hackett arrived at the office building, Saren and Jane were there to greet them.
"Spectre Shepard, it's good to hear of your most recent accomplishment," Hackett greeted as Saren and Jane entered.
"Thank you, Admiral Hackett," Jane nodded.
"Now I don't want to force your hand with anything, but due to your unique position, we figured maybe we could at least establish an embassy on the Citadel," Anderson added.
By now, Saren, Jane, Anderson and Hackett stepped into an elevator.
"With Shepard as a Spectre, she'll need someone on the political side to represent the Alliance. We'll get to work on arrangements," Saren acknowledged.
Hackett folded his arms behind his hands.
"With all due respect, Arterius," Hackett asked, "who would you recommend as the human Councilor?"
"That depends. Who are the candidates?" Saren paused.
Anderson pinched the bridge of his nose.
"There's myself," Anderson clarified, "Ambassador Udina, and Admiral Hackett."
The answer was easy.
"Anderson," Saren offered, "I hope you can deal with the significant stress politics have to offer."
"That was…fast," Hackett hummed as he raised a brow.
"Simply put, I have respect for Anderson and trust he knows what he's doing," Saren added, "you're too important to give up your position, and I don't want to note all the flaws with Udina."
Anderson and Hackett exchanged glances. Captain Anderson was the first to break the silence.
"I've dealt with bigger messes before, Admiral," Anderson said.
"Godspeed, Captain. So it's decided."
Soon, the elevator reached its destination and its door opened, so Saren, Jane, Anderson and Hackett stepped out into the corridor.
"So, Spectre Shepard, what's your first act in the field going to be?" Anderson asked.
"Considering my background," Jane answered, "I'll be keeping an eye out for any trafficking operations that might be going on…and the homeless might need some help."
"With the vast majority of impoverished on Earth, I suggest looking at pirates and raiders at our fringe colonies. Resources heading back to Earth have troubles returning, and easily set us back," Hackett explained.
It wasn't long before Jane, Saren, Anderson and Hackett stepped into the office.
"Do you, at any point wish to achieve someone in the Council?" Saren inquired, "seeing your current motives…"
"We're not ready yet, Arterius," Anderson interrupted, "we still have yet to search for candidates, and I'm not jealous of the man or woman who is inevitably chosen for the job."
Saren nodded in agreement. Maybe humans could use a little more time before the Council could accept a human into their fold.
Well, I do have one more chapter to go. Be sure to check back tomorrow!