Jacob

It was cooler on 2175 Aeia than he would have thought. The lush green he saw from the shuttle brought images summery locales, but the cool winds and weak star left the temperature around fifteen degrees Celsius even here near the equator. Fortunately, his armor was more than enough to keep him warm.

He briefly worried about Grunt. The krogan's armor didn't cover everything, and the wind could be bitingly cold at times. One look at the alien told him he didn't have to be concerned. Grunt acted like he didn't even notice the temperature. He should have known better to worry about how a krogan would react to something as insignificant as the weather.

Shepard never had to care about the conditions planet-side. His armor had some of the most sophisticated climate control programs he has ever seen. Some had to be his personal creations or alterations. The designs were much too specific for use in everyday equipment.

Then there was the flora. Their broad leaves and tapered trunks reminded him of the palm trees that thrived near the equator back on Earth. It was an odd sight to see such tropical plants in such a chilly environment.

He briefly wondered about the rainfall in the area before he realized what he was doing. Jacob didn't really care about any of this. He was trying to keep his thoughts on safe subjects and away from the reason why he was on some unnamed planet in the middle of an only briefly explored system.

He had been surprised at how quickly Shepard agreed to help him when he asked for the chance to investigate the distress beacon notice he received. After he finished asking Jacob some questions ranging from what he knew about the missing ship to his relationship with his father, Taylor asked one of his own.

"I have a question, Shepard. Why are you willing to agree to what could be a wild goose chase? I mean, I appreciate it, but anyone else would have wanted more information or just straight tell me no."

"You've been working for Cerberus too long," Shepard had answered. "You're part of my crew, Jacob. I'll do whatever I can to help you. Within reason, of course." He sighed and crossed his arms. "I swear, I feel like everyone on board needs to learn that."

"It's not really SOP for Cerberus. Everyone is out for themselves, protecting their own back while trying to stab others in theirs."

"Well that's not how I run my boat. You need my help, I will help. Besides. This is about your father. If I was in your place, I would do anything to figure out what happened to him."

"Thanks," was all Jacob could manage. Shepard continued to surprise him, and he was beginning to wonder about his ties to Cerberus.

A yell from up the hill brought him back to the present. He realized he had fallen behind and moved quickly to catch up. As he crested the hill from where their shuttle touched down, all hopes of keeping his mind off the mission vanished.

Before him sat the MSV Hugo Gernsback, broken nearly in half. The majority of the stern was submerged. Only a third of it was being held above the waterline, being supported by the aft portion which landing on some rocky outcroppings. The scorched hull told Jacob that the ship must have entered the atmosphere at an odd angle, and the invading moss growing all around it said the vessel had been there for quite some time.

"What the hell happened?" Jacob muttered to himself.

"Let's go find out," Shepard answered and started down the other side.

Inside the ship, they found logs in a few of the rooms they could reach. They didn't tell them much. Important parts were garbled, and the woman on the one complete one seemed confused and delirious.

Fortunately, they found a working if incomplete VI further down the beach that answered many more of their questions. It told them that the Hugo Gernsback had been hit, and the subluminal engine blah, blah, blah. Jacob got the gist of it: something hit them and caused the ship to crash. His father survived the crash and, when Captain Fairchild didn't, got promoted to acting captain. What he truly wanted to know was why it took the crew ten years to start sending the distress signal. Someone had deleted that particular record.

"Damn it," Jacob said, frustrated at the lack of answers he was getting.

Shepard was quick to reassure him. "Hey, don't get too upset. Someone had to be around to reactivate the beacon. When we find him or her, maybe we'll get the answers we're looking for."

"That might be soon. There's a human coming," Grunt said with his nose in the air. He took few more sniffs. "Female. Smells panicked."

Shepard wasted no time and headed in the direction of the wind. Jacob quickly followed. They ran into a young woman, scared and rattled just as Grunt said. Her distorted speech made it difficult for them to understand. Jacob caught something about coming from the sky and how the leader told them he will get them to safety. The neural decay the VI spoke of must have really done a number on her.

Suddenly, Shepard tackled the woman, and Jacob saw his shields flair. He looked up to see men aggressively firing. He took cover, cursing himself for being so focused on getting answers that he missed the threat.

The enemies were rabid and wild. They gave little thought to sticking to cover. The squad tried to shoot to injure, but it was no use. Even after they were hurt, they continued to fight, and Shepard's team had to protect themselves. That meant more of the Hugo Gernsback crew were dead, and they were no closer to getting answers.

They moved on, leaving the woman behind. She mumbled incoherently and viciously fought them if they tried to move her from her spot.

Once they were some distance from the woman, Grunt said, "Those men weren't decayed. They were feral."

"My father wouldn't have let this go on," Jacob said, trying to defend the man he remembered. But he was supposed to be the captain. He should have been looking out for his crew. How did it get this bad? "Something is very wrong."

They found a well-worn path that led deeper into the foliage. They decided to follow it and discovered a crude settlement. It was deeper than it should have been, too distant from the distress beacon, too well-hidden from search parties.

"I hope these people are less hostile than the welcoming party. I need answers," Jacob said.

It turned out the people here weren't as aggressive as the "hunters" as the woman called them, but they were just as volatile. They whispered to each other at the sight of the three new arrivals. Others even looked happy to see them until they saw Jacob. Then, they stopped and backed away, some even scrambling back to their makeshift tents.

"You have his face," one of the bolder ones said. "He promised to call the sky, but he sends nothing."

Another one spoke up as well. "He forced us to eat, to… decay. You are cursed with his face!"

Shepard turned to him. "You know how to make a first impression, Jacob."

"You heard them. They said I have 'his face.' My father forced them to eat. He's the reason behind this."

He retreated into his mind, trying to come to terms to what he had just discovered. There had to be a reason for it. There was no way his father would willingly put his crew through this unless there was a good reason.

He realized Grunt and Shepard had continued to speak. He didn't catch much of what they said, but it didn't matter. He still needed to find his answers.

"If the males get 'exiled,' they die or get stronger," Grunt said. "How else should it be? Living and dying like these females, suffering the neural decay is a weak end."

"None of this matters," Jacob interjected forcefully. "One of these people must know what my father has to do with this!"

Jacob moved through the camp, asking anyone he encountered about the man who shared his face. Most just shook their heads and shied away. A few stared at him, their eyes hard and angry. Only one woman was able to shed any light. She gave him a datapad.

"What does it say?" Shepard asked.

He didn't realize the man had been following him. Jacob read through, feeling even more and more disgusted with the man he thought he knew.

"It's a crew logbook. They talked about how the beacon was taking too long and how they were scared of running out of food. My father restricted the untainted food to himself and the officers. Everyone else had to eat the toxic food and hope for treatment later.

"The rest is a causality list. Some of the crew mutinied. My father and the officers turned the mechs on them."

Shepard nodded. "That's a hard choice, but it's better than having everyone fall to the decay. Then there's no hope in getting out."

"Maybe, but they treated the crew like cattle. All of the males were listed as dead or exiled within a year, and the women were divided up between the officers like pets. And it's been ten years. The beacon was up and running after one. They just didn't activate it. Then after that, the officers start to show up on the causality lists. After! My father is the only one left."

He lowered the datapad. "He let this happen, and, now the men are fighting back, it's biting him in the ass. Nine years, Shepard. Why didn't he set it right? I need to find this man."

Jacob gave the datapad back to the woman, and she pointed him to their leader's 'palace.' They didn't get far when a voice boomed over a PA system. It was gratingly familiar to Jacob.

"This is Captain Renald Taylor. Thank God you're here! My crew went insane. I only just got free."

His jaw started to ache, making him realize he was clenching his teeth. He forced himself to relax and was grateful when mechs appeared and started to fire at them. He needed to let out some rage on targets he wouldn't feel bad about destroying.

"Careful," the PA warned. "I had to automate my defenses when the crew turned violent. I had no choice."

Jacob couldn't hold his tongue any longer. "He had plenty of choices. Little late to blame his victims."

They finished the wave of mechs easily, but Jacob was finding it difficult to control his biotics. It pulsed out of him, reflecting bullets much more efficiently than his normal barrier. It was effective but draining. If it wasn't for the anger and adrenaline running through him, Jacob doubted he could sustain it.

Fortunately, his anger just kept getting fed.

"I had to keep them busy, distracted, but it's getting dangerous" his father said. "Thank god you've come!"

"He had his fun. Now he wants out. Son of a bitch."

They worked their way further, past more of his guards until they hit a gateway. His father must have surveillance for he knew they were close.

"It took years to train my guards. I'm afraid you're going to have to fight them to get to me."

Jacob was about ready to put a bullet in this man. "Throwing people away. This… thing is not my father."

The three ran into some heavy resistance with a YMIR and five well-trained guards. Still, the battle seemed like a dream to him, and, before he knew it, the large mech was detonating and five men were on the ground.

"Enough with the toys," Jacob said as he stalked to the large doors. "I need to look my father in the face and hear him justify all this."

They passed through the last door. The area beyond truly did look like a palace compared to the rest of the settlement. There were towers and small monuments. Jacob doubted that the man they would find offered any help to construct those.

Finally, he saw him. His stomach churned in disgust. The man was healthy and alert. With one look, Jacob could tell the man had all his faculties even if they led to such horrific actions. He couldn't look at him anymore. Jacob chose to stare over the balcony and into the great view Acting Captain Taylor enjoyed. He stopped paying attention to the lies the man was attempting to sell, only coming out of his thoughts when Shepard said his name.

"I'm sure you're acquainted with Mr. Taylor."

He turned to face the shell of the man he used to call his father. The man's eyes grew wide when he recognized him.

"Oh no. Not you, Jacob."

He couldn't hold it in any longer. "Why not me? Would ten years look better to anyone else in the galaxy?"

"You have to understand. This isn't me. The realities of command, they change you. I wasn't ready for that. I made sure you were taught right, before I left. I hoped to leave it at that."

The man was actually trying to defend his actions. It sickened him. He couldn't even respond.

Shepard did, however. "I'm not biting, captain. At some point, you chose to do this to your crew. You."

"What was that moment?" Jacob demanded from the other Taylor. "I want to know there was an actual reason."

"There was resistance to the plan. A mutiny. We had to take a hard line to keep order. Then things settled down. As the decay set in, we made sure the crew were comfortable. Some even seemed happier. Ignorance is bliss, right?"

Jacob nearly tossed him over the railing right there.

"And they were grateful for guidance," Acting Captain Taylor continued. "Like an instinct. Pure authority was easy. At first. Months in, the effects lowered inhibitions. They got territorial. Rank, protocol. They couldn't understand. We had to establish dominance. After a while, the perks seemed normal."

"That's it!" Jacob cried when the man didn't continue. "You created your harem and played king? Ten years in a juvenile fantasy?"

"I can't tell where it all went wrong. But when the beacon was ready, revealing what happened didn't seem like a good idea."

He wanted to cover it up. He wanted to cover it up! He chose to hide instead of facing the consequences of his actions. And now they were there, he expected them to save him from the mess he created.

Shepard must have seen how close he was to letting his rage get the best of him. He stepped between them.

"We can help these people," he said. "We can get ships here in days and get everyone out."

But the generous notion did little to help slow Jacob's anger.

"He's not worth the fuel to haul him out," he said as he pointed his pistol at the man. "He's not even worth the air he's breathing."

Jacob paused, holding his gun to the man he once called his father. He could squeeze his finger and make the man pay the ultimate price for his actions. He wanted to do it. The man deserved it. But he couldn't, and he didn't know why.

He lowered his pistol. "He's damned lucky I don't even think he's worth pulling the trigger. I don't know who you are. Because you're not any father I remember."

"Well secure him for an Alliance court," Shepard said. "For every year here, he'll have ten to think about it."

"Give him all the time in the galaxy," Jacob spat. "A man who does this doesn't know right from wrong."

He walked away. He was done with him.

"I'm sorry, Jacob," he heard Taylor say. "I did the best I could."

He didn't answer.

Jacob hit the call button on the locked door leading to Miranda's office. It slid open, revealing Miranda sitting at her desk, working as she always did.

"Jacob, I'm surprised it took you this long to come see me."

He laughed lightly. She always was too good at reading him.

"Yeah, I've been distracted lately. Messing up some routine stuff in the armory. I wanted to double check for anything that may cause problems out in the field."

She nodded as if she understood completely. Something must be distracting her as well if she so readily agreed with him. She wasn't the only one who learned how to read the other person in this relationship.

"And now you are no longer preoccupied?" Miranda asked.

"You know the answer to that. Why did you send me that distress signal?"

Jacob had told Shepard he didn't want to know which promise Miranda was referring to, but it had been bugging him for the last hour and a half. He simply had to know.

"I already told you. Forwarding you that notice felt like keeping a promise."

"Yes, but which promise? You didn't make a lot of them back then. It's frustrating that I can't remember this one."

She looked at him, but he could tell she was debating whether or not she should tell him. She must have decided it was safe enough to say.

"You checked in on Oriana while I was on site and couldn't get away."

No wonder he didn't remember the promise. It seemed like such an insignificant occurrence to him. Miranda was busy so she asked him to make sure Oriana was safe. It took him three days to complete, and most of that time was spent traveling.

Of course, learning about Miranda's sister was a treat for him. She gave relatively few details about her past that might comprise her security, and any tidbit of information felt like a resounding victory. That was also when Jacob told her about his family and about his father going missing…

"Oh. You mean when you said that if you ever find anything on my father, you'll pass it along."

She nodded.

"I told you that you didn't need to. We're friends, Miranda. You don't need to repay me for doing something as important as checking up on your sister. I'm happy to do it for you."

"Then, I am willing to pass on important information about your father's whereabouts to you. Since we are friends," she said with a small smile.

He smiled back. "Well, thank you. I appreciate it."

She nodded but more solemnly this time. "I am sorry it didn't turn out better."

"Don't worry about it. I've made my peace with it. I am choosing to remember him as the father I knew before he left. Whoever that man was on Aeia, it wasn't him."

He turned to leave. "I should get back to cleaning the guns. Thanks again, Miranda."

"Of course, Jacob. Anytime."

Author's Note:

During Jacob's loyalty mission, you get to see the calm, collected guy lose it a little bit. It's interesting to watch and even more interesting to write. I'm hoping to get three more chapters out this week, but don't hold me to it.

Thanks for reading and please review!