Chapter 19: Games of love and war part III

-Normandy, Comm room

Jane Shepard looked around at her crew and smiled. They were chattering amongst themselves and she knew that they were excited for today's war game, and they were interested in the newcomer.

It's hard not to be interested in Danger. She could have anyone in the universe. Why did she pick the one asari that just wanted to play with her heart?

These war games had been a really good idea, and she couldn't wait to see what kind of creativity the crew came up with today. This time the teams would be even, and it was Jane's turn to defend.

"Everyone, this is a good friend of mine who will be joining us for the rest of the games. This is Operative Danger Vance. She is a mercenary that has done some freelance work for the Allian..."

"Wait a minute," Kaidan interrupted. "Did you say Danger Vance? Are you talking about that mercenary who took on Jacob Red and his crew six years ago?"

Danger nodded slowly. "Yes, I remember Jacob Red. One of the worst sorts; fancied himself a pirate. I was sent in there to collect some children he had kidnapped. I was forced to break their wrists to get them out of the shackles, but I didn't have a choice. There were four to get out of that ship. I didn't have the luxury of time on that mission."

"My niece was among them. It was nothing a little medigel couldn't fix. She would have faced far worse than broken wrists, I'm sure. Thank you for getting her out of that place." He stood and shook Danger's hand vigorously, and Danger looked to Jane for help.

"All right, let's all calm down. We all know that Danger is well known throughout the galaxy. Anyway, she will be joining us and she'll be on the blue team with me, Tali and Garrus. It will be the Hackers vs. the Biotics."

"Wait a second, she's a biotic herself," Chief Williams interrupted, noticing a glint of metal underneath where the human had fastened her hair.

Danger reached behind her neck and dislodged her amp. "Not anymore. Here, you can hang onto this." She handed the small metal amplifier to Williams.

"Actually Ash, if you had any idea how she uses that talent, you'd let her keep it. It's far more likely to work out in your favor than ours." Jane grinned at her friend, who scratched the back of her neck and tried to look innocent.

"I'll have you know that I'm an incredibly proficient biotic, Commander. In fact, I have been propositioned by many asari to teach them my ways."

"I've no doubt you have been propositioned by asari, Danger. I just don't think it's for your biotic talents. All right, so this will be the same drill as before. This time blue team will touch down first, and fortify the base. When we are ready, we will signal joker and red team can touch down in the Mako. Let's all head to the garages and get the games started!"

Everyone got up to move, and Liara squeezed Jane's hand as she walked by.

"Oh gosh, Jane look at the grin on you," commented Danger. "Are you sure you are going to be able to focus with her *ahem* invading our base?"

"I'll be fine, Danger." Jane watched Liara exit the comm room and sighed. She shook her head slowly.

Danger grabbed her friend's arm and turned her around. "Wait a minute, Jane. I know that look. You two haven't... Done anything yet... have you… Are you sure you are in a relationship?"

"I left it up to her. It feels like sometimes, she wants to say something more… or you know, get closer… But something is stopping her. I don't know what it is, and I don't want to push her."

"Oh man, Jane that's awful. Have you two talked about it?"

"Well, yes and no. I mean, we had this discussion about asari mating rituals and the importance of choosing a partner carefully, but I'm not really sure what she was trying to say to me."

"Have you brought it up since?"

"No, we have been too busy with training and I am just not positive on how to approach it with her." Jane thought about the visions that transferred to her the other day, and the… Other vision… she'd had.

I don't think Danger would understand. I don't even understand. I'd better keep that to myself for now.

"Well, just don't wait too long, Jane. You never know when someone else is going to step in and take over." A shadow crossed her face as she thought of the asari Commando who was surely taking advantage of her absence.

"Listen Darla, you are supposed to be forgetting about that. Now come on, we need to go get ready for these biotics!"

"Right! I'll go catch up with Garrus and Tali."

Jane stood there and watched her friend leave.

She's right though. I won't be able to wait for Liara forever. One of us will have to make a move, and soon. I don't want to end up like Danger and Terriana. But, I don't want to push her too hard, either. I can't bear the thought of losing her just because I was a little too impatient…

Jane sighed one final time, and then followed her friend out the door. It was time to have a little bit of fun. She could deal with the Liara situation later.

-Earth, Alliance Training Ground Location: LC1 (Blue Team)

"Wow, this place is even more of a hole than the first time we were in here, Jane. Check this out – the building still has the outline of my rover!"

"Yea and it's going to be even harder to defend now. Tali blew a hole in the wall over there when we were invading, and this part is crumbling." Jane indicated the break in the wall where Garrus had climbed and skillfully dispatched Chief Williams with his sniper rifle.

"Hmm. Yep the place is falling apart. You'd think the Alliance could spring for some new walls or something. But then again, they are just cheap bastards. What do you think, Tali?" Danger turned to the quarian who had been fiddling with her Omni-tool.

"What, what do I think?" Tali was a little surprised that the human had asked her opinion. "I. Well I do regret using the explosives in the first round. Hindsight is 20/20."

Danger nodded. "That it certainly is…"

"Danger, would you stop it? You will have plenty of time to be miserable after we win this game."

"Right, Jane. So, what's the plan?"

All eyes went to Garrus, who had just been sitting quietly, looking around at the base.

"Splitting up her team is what lost Chief Williams the battle yesterday. It seems that scattering for an attack makes sense, but for defending, it leaves individual soldiers too vulnerable. Danger, what sorts of tricks can we expect from the biotics?"

"You're asking me? I barely know how to control it myself. I was fitted for the implant when I was a teen, but I had no interest in it. I'm more interested in cars and code. Sure I try to make use of it, and sometimes I get lucky, but I don't really know anything about it other than it's kinda blue and bouncy."

"Well, I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens then. I think that we should all stick together though. We'll have a better chance of managing whatever they throw at us. We know better than they do what the Mako is capable of, so they won't be able to catch us off guard with that, at least."

"Ok, you're the boss," Danger said.

"Hmm, we should at least split into two teams, Garrus. You and I can take the far side of the wall and Danger and Tali can take that side."

"Ok, Commander, that's a good idea." He turned to the human and quarian. "You two head on over there and be ready for anything."

Danger did her best impression of an Alliance salute, and walked off to the corner of the wall with Tali, who immediately started asking her questions about her AI code and poking at her Omni-tool.

"Actually, that might not have been the best move. Williams and her team could drop a nuke on us and those two would be too busy looking at numbers to notice."

Jane Shepard just watched the two walk away thoughtfully. "Yea… You know it's really too bad that Tali isn't… Well never mind. Let's get to our post and I will signal Joker."

-Earth, Alliance Training Ground Location: Outside LC1 (Red Team)

Gunnery Chief Williams looked at her team and smiled.

"We lost yesterday, but now we have a chance to deal out a little payback. Since we control the offensive, we control the pace. Last time we couldn't make much use of the biotic talent on the team, because they controlled the battlefield and kept us in motion. This time, things will be different."

"Maybe," Liara said. "But they also had the element of surprise with the Mako. They know how it works better than we do."

"That's true. I wonder how this thing does work, anyway." Chief Williams opened the door and leaned in to look at the AI. "Hey you, computer thingy. How do you work?"

"Accessing: Voice Verification Complete. Good Morning Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams. I have a message for you from Operative Danger."

"A message for me? Ok, what?"

"The message is: Jane Shepard has cooties."

"Are you serious? That's the message?" She looked at Kaidan. "That woman is at least forty, right LT?"

Alenko shrugged.

Chief Williams stood back up and shut the door. "Well. We can worry about the Mako later. First we need to figure out how we are going to access that compound."

She looked around at the area they were dropped in. There wasn't much there but metal debris and other junk. There were some trees surrounding the compound, but not nearly enough to give adequate cover.

Unless you aren't paying attention…

She mentally berated herself for letting her guard down during the last game. It was her fault the team fell apart, and her fault that Shepard had gotten into the compound unseen. She had to somehow make up for it. She knew that the commander didn't think less of her because of it, but she still wanted to impress the woman.

"Does anyone have any ideas?" she asked her team.

Wrex was sitting on a log, just staring at the road.

Alenko was rubbing his temple, clearly trying to fight off another headache.

Liara was lazily levitating small pieces of metal and moving them to other locations.

Well, I guess that would be a no.

Gunnery Chief Williams leaned against the Mako, and watched her team thoughtfully.

I might as well ask the computer.

She opened the Mako door and looked at the holographic depiction of Danger. "Hey, computer. Do you have any ideas?"

"Chief Williams, my name is DIDI. I am not allowed to offer counsel to either team. Commander Shepard has expressly forbidden it."

The Chief leaned back up and started to shut the door.

"However, I might make one small suggestion…"

"I thought you were forbidden."

"I am, but Danger has been using non synthetic oil in my sister unit on Earth. I'm not happy."

"You're a computer…"

"We still deserve the best."

"Right… Well what is your suggestion anyway?"

"Once you have a strong foundation, you can go as high as you need to. I can enhance many talents."

Chief Williams just shook her head. How did Danger program the car to talk in riddles? "Yea, ok. Thanks DIDI." She started to shut the door again.

"One more thing."

"Yes?"

"Jane Shepard still has cooties."

Ashley slammed the door and rolled her eyes. Leaning back up against the Mako again, she silently cursed out the commander for bringing her friend along. The woman was clearly going through a second childhood.

Calming herself, she watched Liara lazily stacking her metal pieces, not paying attention to anything else going on around her. One after the other, one after the other, one after the other. It was hypnotic.

I guess I can see what the commander appreciates about her. She's quietly brilliant, and she doesn't belong in a place like this. She's not at home with soldiers like us. Maybe that's what she does for Shep, helps her forget the blood on her hands. And there is a lot of blood, on all of our hands. I wonder if she even understands and appreciates the danger, and what the commander and I have to do.

She stood there and kept watching, but the asari was oblivious to everything, just stacking her metal pieces on one side and then the other.

One side, and then the other… One side… and then…

"Oh shit…" She whispered softly.

"Listen everyone, this is a long shot, but is it possible for the three of you to…"

Gunnery Chief Williams laid out her plan, and the biotics all started nodding and looking at each other thoughtfully.

Opening the car door, she addressed DIDI, "I'll need something from you as well. And yes, I know the commander has cooties." Slamming the door again, she grinned at her team.

"This game is going to be ours. Start gathering what we need."

-Earth, Alliance Training Ground Location: LC1 (Blue Team)

"Ok, now you see how this works? Very efficient, right?" Danger was showing something to Tali on her Omni-tool as the quarian watched in rapt fascination.

"Right, it's very efficient."

"Ok, now let's switch over to the assembly. Watch what happens when you flip this bit…"

Tali's eyes widened behind her mask as Danger's program restarted, and started crunching out data at nearly double the rate as before.

"See Tali, we have gotten so fascinated with high level language we have forgotten how to talk to the machines on their own level. That's your problem with the Geth. You gave them too much control over their systems at the machine level, and tried to manage it at too high of a layer."

Tali nodded. "Thank you for showing this to me. May I have a copy of this program?"

"Sure, here download it. Remember, efficiency starts at the machine level. You can eliminate the need for a load of redundant loops this way. It may be harder to maintain, but it's safer."

"Where did you learn all this stuff?"

Danger sat down on some nearby rubble. "Well, my line of work affords me a lot of time to tinker. I like to create things. Of course, I've never made anything quite as sophisticated as what your people have, but I'm proud of my work nonetheless."

"It is very good work. These programs will give us great insight into the Geth and perhaps how to take back our home world."

"Yea, that's really terrible, Tali. Being driven off your own world like that. I wish there was something I could do."

"You already have. I am on my pilgrimage gathering data to help us against the Geth, and every last bit of knowledge brings us one step closer to regaining our world."

"Well, then. I'm glad to have been of some assistance."

At least someone appreciates me…

"What's it like, being on the run like that?"

Tali leaned against the wall and looked at the sky. "You cannot imagine how difficult it is. No matter what, you always have a place to go back to. There is a world filled with people who look like you, and you get to reach out and touch them at any time. I don't even know what my own skin feels like. I've never been out of this suit. When I cry, I cannot even wipe away the tears."

Danger regarded the quarian thoughtfully. "It sounds awful, Tali. I won't pretend to know what you are going through, but if there's anything I can do, just let me know."

Tali smiled a quiet smile behind her mask. "You can just keep an uplink to my Omni-tool and pass along any further brilliant code you come up with."

"You got it. Hey… Wow... Do you see that? What in the hell is that?" Danger stood suddenly, unsure whether or not her eyes were playing tricks on her.

"Hey Jane?" She shouted, indicating a point just beyond the wall. "What in the hell do you suppose that is?"

Jane, Garrus and Tali looked up, and Jane let out a low whistle.

"Holy shit, Williams has gone insane."

Danger looked at her pistol. "Jane, I don't think these are going to help much against that monstrosity…"

Jane Shepard shook her head. "We had better get the hell out of its way! Scatter!"