The Omega Chronicles -26- Expect the Unexpected
"Sir, I've got a -huge- ship on radar. They just appeared out of nowhere!"
Ashley Williams ran quickly from the CIC to the cockpit and stood right next to Jeff Moreau, the very talented pilot of the Alliance scout frigate Normandy.
Her voice betrayed just a hint of nervousness, this was supposed to be nothing more than a routine reconnaissance. She didn't like surprises, especially when they came in such a big and menacing package. "Any hailing messages?"
"Not a whisper. Not a syllable. Nada." Joker's hands were flying on the controls, trying to get as much information on the alien vessel as possible. "Wait. They're charging weapons!"
"Shields up! Evasive manoeuvres! Get us out of here!"
The first hit shook the small ship, making Ashley lose balance for a moment. She grabbed the back of the pilot's seat with her hand to steady herself. "Damage report!"
"We're not doing well. At all. Hull breaches in two sectors down in the living quarters, but I suspect they're aiming for Engineering." He was desperately trying to find a flying pattern that could evade the next shot.
"Sound the evacuation alarm. They're tearing us apart, whatever weapon they're using, we can't defend ourselves. I'll gear up and try to get as many people as possible in the escape pods. Keep us ahead of them and as far from their fire as you can."
"Yessir, as if my life depended on it."
Williams ran breathlessly all the way to the lockers. Her teammate and friend Kaidan Alenko was already suiting up. He asked in one breath. "What the hell is going on? Who are they? Why are they attacking us!"
"I don't know, I don't know, and I don't know. Now get going and help me save my crew."
The second hit broke through the shields and the metal hull as if it was paper, fires were starting everywhere. The sound of the alarm was blaring as the crew of the Normandy was running to the escape pods in a barely orderly fashion.
Ashley locked her helmet on and immediately opened a comm to the bridge. "Joker! How are we doing?"
"I can't shake them off! I don't think we have much time! The next hit might be the last straw, get your ass in a pod and go, I'll try to keep them interested in what's left of the ship while the pods reach a safe distance."
Alenko ran by her. "Let's go! Go! Go!"
The young Spectre looked around, it all seemed to move in slow motion for a few moments, the realization that her ship was doomed, that there would be many casualties among her crew despite her best efforts, was quickly sinking in. Her brain clicked and she made a decision.
"Kaidan. Go. Keep everyone safe until the rescue ships arrive. I'll go get Joker."
The LT's eyes widened, he was about to object when Williams cut him off. "It's an order."
He took a deep breath. "Aye aye, Ma'am." He put a hand on her shoulder and nodded his goodbye before making his way to an escape pod himself.
Ashley sprinted on her way back to the cockpit running as fast as she could, trying to avoid any erratic pieces of metal or cables that were by now flying around along her path. The next hit knocked the Normandy hard. The artificial gravity was gone. As soon as she felt herself floating she activated her magnetic boots, when she was anchored to whatever shell of the ship was still intact, she kept going.
The emergency containment field was doing its job, keeping together what was left of the frigate, the view above her head was at the same time stunningly beautiful and scary as hell. She could see the surface of the planet they were orbiting just a few minutes earlier, from what used to be the ceiling of the CIC.
Ignoring every instinct to just save herself, she finally reached her pilot.
"Joker, we have to go."
"I won't leave the Normandy! I can still get it away from them!"
"Joker, look around. There's nothing left. If we don't go, we're as dead as the ship already is."
"But…"
"God, stop being so stubborn!" She grabbed his arm and easily swung his body onto her shoulders, then she made her way to one of the last escape pods that were still on board. She threw him inside without too much care.
A sudden explosion behind her made her fly across the deck and hit the bulkhead. With shock in her eyes she saw an energy beam cutting the Normandy in half, just a few yards from where she was floating. She realized she wouldn't make it to the pod. As quick as lightning, she reached around the metal wall and pressed the emergency pod release. At least Joker was safe, she mused, surprised by the wave of calmness that seemed to pervade her mind now.
She watched in awe as the frigate finally broke in a thousand pieces. Her body was shot into open space.
Williams looked around to assess her situation, looking for an opportunity, a bit of luck, a way out of this predicament that was becoming more and more desperate by the second. As she turned her head to check her distance from the planet below her she felt something snapping behind her neck. A fast, steady stream of oxygen started shooting out of her helmet.
She tried to grab the broken tube, in a vain attempt to stop the leak.
It didn't take long for her to feel the effects of oxygen deprivation. Regardless of the stimulants being pumped into her body by the medical AI of the suit, her vision blurred, then everything went black. She gasped for air one last time, just as she was entering the planet's atmosphere.
"Shepard, sorry to bother you…" Tali's voice sounded a bit unsure over the comm as the Commander picked up her call.
"Not a problem, I'm just overseeing the delivery of a few crates of rare bottles of Noverian Rum for Aria. What do you need?"
"I…" The Quarian took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You know how I monitor several comm channels across the galaxy. I like to always know what's going on and I add to the intel collection of the Queen on a daily basis…"
"Yes, I know." Shepard noticed Tali's distress right away. "What happened?"
"You're not going to like it. It's the Normandy. They were attacked by an unidentified vessel. I picked up their Mayday, then nothing, then the messages among the Alliance ships that were first on the scene."
The Commander couldn't help being stunned. Her mouth opened and for what seemed an eternity nothing came out of it. Then she remembered how to speak. "Survivors?"
The Engineer tried her best to sound professional. "Several. The Alliance was able to salvage all the pods that were launched…" Her voice trailed off.
"But…?"
"Ashley Williams was not among them. She is listed as killed in action."
As detached and as collected as Shepard always appeared, she felt the blow. Granted, she hadn't spent much time with Williams, but the soldier had been by their side in the most intense and dangerous moments of the battle against Saren and Sovereign, she had fought and she had been wounded and she had been instrumental to their final victory. And she had made it clear, even after the war was over, that she considered the Commander a friend. Hell, she had been the one to send Shepard all the intel not only on Miranda Lawson, but also on the head of Cerberus, the Illusive Man, and on their terrorist organization in general, not two weeks earlier.
"Thank you for letting me know, Tali." Regardless of her turmoil, her voice was steady.
"Commander? Before you go, I wanted you to know that there will be a small service for the fallen of the Normandy in two days time, at Arcturus Station. Needless to say, the Inanna is ready to go at a moment's notice."
"I'll keep it in mind."
The doors to Aria's private quarters opened and Shepard walked in, lost in thought.
She was abruptly taken from her musings by the sight of her naked bondmate lying half sprawled on their bed, a datapad in her hands and a crease between her eyes. The Commander sighed a short sigh, she loved how the mere sight of Aria could invariably set her heart racing and her hormones running. She kept her desire in check and approached the Asari, a questioning look on her face.
"Commander. I was quite hoping I wouldn't have to call you back here." Aria sounded a bit annoyed.
"As I am always quite hoping to find you here, wearing nothing but your charm. How may I assist you, my Queen?" A mischievous smile was on the human's face.
"I hate to ask, just about as much as I hate being pregnant… But I have to, since this pain won't give me a fucking break. Get the bottle of oil from the bathroom, get back here, make yourself comfortable and massage my lower back. Thoroughly."
Shepard let out a short laugh, it was kind of endearing to see the Queen so bothered, not to mention being forced to ask for help. It was so completely out of character she couldn't help finding it incredibly amusing. Which was not necessarily a good idea, given Aria's bad mood, but still.
"I am so glad you find this funny, Shepard. I am also very glad that I can provide some form of entertainment to you by being in complete discomfort. In fact, I am so very -glad- I think I will wipe that smile off your face with a shockwave if you don't stop chuckling."
That was enough to make the Commander laugh out loud as she was coming back to the bed, holding the oil bottle. "Now, now. No need to get all ruffled up. I am more than happy to help you in any way I can, and you know it. It is half my fault you're pregnant, after all."
"Right you are. Now come here and get on with it, before I decide to be serious about that shockwave."
The human quickly shed her clothes, she kicked off her boots and got in bed. As soon as her lover rolled onto her belly, very carefully, Shepard straddled her, making sure that her own legs would sustain most of her weight. She poured a generous amount of scented oil on her hands. She rubbed them together to make it warmer, then started massaging Aria's back meticulously. Her fingers revelled in the satiny texture of the Asari's skin, deliciously soft and smooth. In the beginning it had been a bit of a surprise to the human, since from a distance their skin seemed to be covered by tiny scales. She had expected it to be rougher, maybe even raspy, but it had been a deeply pleasant surprise to find out it was possibly the most luxurious thing she had ever had the pleasure to touch.
Her hands worked slowly and deliberately to undo the little knots in Aria's muscles, and she was regaled by the low, satisfied moans of the Asari. She couldn't help teasing her a little.
"Are my efforts to your liking, your Majesty?"
Aria's voice sounded sultry and relaxed. "There is a number of reasons why I keep you around, Commander. This is definitely one of them."
"My Queen is too generous in her praise."
The playful sarcasm in the human's voice was actually a source of delight for the Asari, even if she rarely let her lover know that. Her face half hidden in her pillow, she smiled and basked under the heavenly ministrations of her bondmate. "Speaking of your usefulness. Come and keep company to your daughter for a while." She closed her eyes for an instant and when she reopened them they were pitch black whirlpools.
Shepard felt her inside her mind and inhaled sharply. A jolt of pure pleasure travelled down her spine, as it always happened when Aria melded with her. The Asari's mind was so powerful, so inebriating, the tentacles of her consciousness spread through the human, welcome, savoured.
A small, bright ball of light was suddenly dancing around the Commander happily. 'Mai!'
Since the Asari language lacked, for obvious reasons, a distinct term for mother and father, the baby had adopted the generic term for parent used by the Asari, to address both Aria and Shepard.
'How is my little angel today?'
It was always amazing to the human how a mind could just appear, and learn, and communicate, and absorb, and give, even before being properly born into her own body. A true miracle in her eyes, she was always ecstatic to have the chance to interact with their daughter.
'Ecstatic. That is what you are thinking. It feels good. So me too.'
They fused and intertwined in a multi-coloured cloud, twirling, swaying, their interaction by now felt seamless and warm. Shepard continued her massage in fluid motions, her hands gliding on Aria's back in familiar patterns.
After a while the Queen gently let the meld fade, she shifted her body and turned around to look at the Commander, her soft blue palms rested casually on Shepard's thighs, while the Commander sweetly caressed her bump, which was by now quite evident.
"Have you thought of a name for her yet?" Shepard asked with genuine curiosity.
The Queen smirked and quipped. "Do I have to do everything myself? I'm sure you can come up with a decent enough name, if you really concentrate…"
"Say no more. I will put my mind to it." The human returned the grin and lowered her face to capture Aria's lips in a soft kiss, her arms by the sides of the Asari's head, propped against the mattress to sustain her weight as best she could so it wouldn't inconvenience her lover's slightly prominent belly.
The Queen's hands came up to her face to hold her there, her mouth opened and she deepened the kiss demandingly, letting their tongues brush and slide sensually, languidly.
Shepard somehow slowed the kiss down and with immense effort separated from Aria. She whispered impishly on her inviting lips. "I thought I was supposed to think of a name…?"
Aria replied in a husky tone, her voice low and tinged with lust. "There's time. Now put your sweet lips back where they belong, Commander. I have a hunger you need to fulfill." The Asari's grip tightened around her neck and she drew her back into a breathless kiss.
Setting foot again on Arcturus Station was bringing back a flood of memories not entirely welcome by Shepard. She stepped off the landing bridge, stopped and looked around. Nothing had changed since the last time she was here. Then again, things rarely changed where the Alliance was involved. To her consolation, it would make it that much easier for her to go around, regardless of how little time she was planning to spend here.
The place was busy and bustling with activity. It was a big station, housing close to 45.000 people, including the military personnel and their families, and the limited number of civilians necessary to maintain such a structure and make it run smoothly.
"Impressive. Not Citadel-level impressive, of course, but impressive nonetheless." Garrus' voice was serious and appreciative.
"Bah. Seen one shitty human station, seen them all." Jack did not share the same gracious attitude of the Turian.
"Maybe we should all just remember the reason why we're here, no?" Tali brought everybody back to the bleak reality. A friend was gone. The only reason they were here was to attend her funeral. As simple, and as sad, as that.
Shepard headed for the interactive bulletin panel on the nearest wall, knowing that it would be accessible by anyone looking for directions and the latest news concerning life on the station. She typed in a few keywords and got the information she needed. "Level 4, building 257. Let's go."
Building 257 was in an area of the station dedicated to the more common aspects of everyday life on the station. There were schools, homes, sports centers and artificial parks, it was so suburban and middle class it made Shepard cringe. And ache, just a little. In the back of her mind, she was reminded of her childhood on Mindoir. Her heart clutched for the fraction of a second, then the solid cold wall she had spent her life scrupulously raising fell back into place and she shook off the memories.
The service was brief but heartfelt. The Commander had chosen for them to take seats at the back of the large room, in an attempt to avoid any unwanted attention. As they were walking out at the end of the ceremony, she heard her name being called by a very recognisable voice.
"Shepard? I need a moment of your time." Captain David Anderson was definitely not used to hearing a negative reply, and it showed in his decisive tone.
The Commander considered for a second the possibility to just keep walking and ignoring him, but then she realised that he must have a rather important reason to talk to her, since she was basically one step above a common criminal in his eyes, regardless of the fact that she helped save the galaxy.
"Wait for me outside." She nodded at her companions before turning around. "Anderson. I wish I could say it's a pleasure to see you."
"I wish so too. I see you somehow got word of Williams' death." He lowered his head almost imperceptibly, seemingly under the weight of this unexpected loss.
"Yes. I came to pay my respects. She certainly earned it, as far as I am concerned." Shepard was not in the mood to play pleasantries. "What do you want?"
Anderson diverted his attention only for a moment, to reciprocate the salute of a couple of officers on their way out, then he stared at the Commander intensely. "Something… peculiar happened. As you can imagine, after the fall of the Normandy we listened to all the surviving crew and put together their testimonies. According to Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau, the last who saw Williams alive, she put him in an escape pod and was then blown out of the Normandy as their anonymous attacker used an unknown weapon to destroy the ship. Last he saw, she was falling towards the planet surface. Of course we have consequently organised search squads to retrieve her body."
"Of course. I would expect the body of the first human Spectre to be of some importance, even just symbolically. The Alliance is especially fond of their relics. Were you planning on embalming her and putting her in a museum?" Shepard's words were designed to cut, and they didn't fail.
Anderson's face was getting red, but he controlled himself, swallowed the pride that wanted to reply to the Commander in kind, and he decided instead to address the big issue. "We didn't find her. Her body was gone."
Shepard was admittedly surprised. "Gone? Burned during the re-entry in the planet's atmosphere?"
"Come on Shepard, even you don't believe your own words. You have worn and used our combat suits. Unless you are falling into an atmosphere of sulphuric rains and acid clouds, they're not going to give in. You will die, of course, either roasted alive in them because of the attrition heat generated as you fall, or by impact once you reach the surface, but you won't -disintegrate-."
"Are you saying someone took her?" The Commander automatically lowered her voice so not to be heard by any of the other guests.
"That is what we suspect, yes. Although we can't figure out a reason why, and we certainly are surprised by how swiftly it happened."
"Alright, I'll give it to you, this -is- peculiar. But even so, why are you telling me?"
"We're keeping every option open. So if you happen to hear anything, or come across anything, you know, in -your- circles, I would be grateful if you let me know." It felt like Anderson was forcing these last few words out, not really willing to mix himself with Omega more than absolutely necessary.
"I'll keep my eyes open. There is nothing more I can do."
"Then it is all I can ask."
Outside the main doors, Garrus and Tali were having a casual conversation about how it would be possible to optimise the output of the Inanna's Thanix cannon. Jack was finding it so insanely dull she had a hard time standing still. She looked around and saw a wide opening that seemed to lead to a garden. She headed there, eager to find a peaceful corner where she could wait for the Commander away from other people.
She went through the big open gates and her mouth slightly fell in surprise. It was beautiful. She found herself in a huge square garden, surrounded on all four sides by a portico. At the center was a rather large fountain, she mused it must be considered 'art', but to her it looked like a lump of metal that had been fused and allowed to cool in whatever shape it was. She decided to go sit on the grass. She rested her back against one of the columns that sustained the roof of the porch and allowed her mind to just relax. She picked up a blade of grass and distractedly started ripping it apart in thin slices with her fingers. She was happy that no one seemed to be around. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the silence.
"Fancy meeting you here."
Jack's brain jumped at the angelic female voice, and it took her just the fraction of a second to recognise it. She turned her head in the direction of the sound, just to make sure her mind wasn't playing tricks. Her eyes widened at the sight of an impossibly beautiful Asari slowly walking towards her, a sexy swing in her step.
"Liselle…"
"Hey Jack. I have to say I'm a bit surprised to see you here, but nevertheless very happy. It's been a while." She elegantly sat down next to the biotic and gave her a smile that could have outmatched a bonfire.
As it never happened with anyone else, Jack found herself stuttering. "I… Yes… We…" She physically shook her head for a second. "We came for Ashley's funeral." Finishing that sentence felt like a small victory.
"Yeah, me too." Whereas it was true that Liselle didn't need to put much effort in order to obtain that same reaction out of anyone, she was particularly glad to see that she had this effect on Jack. She was undoubtedly attracted to the young biotic, and she had been aware of it since the Battle of the Citadel.
Jack couldn't stand feeling this way. But it was so hard to control. She had always been deeply suspicious of the Asari in general, she did not like in the least the idea of anyone being able to enter her mind and roam in there at their heart's content. Liselle however… she had always been kind to her, and sweet, and it felt like she really cared, she had helped her so much after the battle against Saren, while she was recuperating from her minor wounds, and to top it all she was so damn pretty… Jack felt she was about to blush and diverted her gaze, pretending to be interested in that ugly metal fountain.
Liselle noticed, but instead of mocking her because of it, she smiled and casually caressed Jack's arm. "I see you're still wearing the clothes I helped you choose back at the Citadel…does that mean you really like them?"
The biotic almost jumped at the touch, she turned to stare at Liselle's hand and she took a moment to collect herself before she replied. "They're fucking rad. Of course I like them." She tried to play it smoothly. "And they remind me of you."
It was the Asari's turn to feel heat rising to her face. "I'm happy to hear you say that…"
Their eyes met and words suddenly failed them, a silly smile pasted on their faces.
"Come on Jack, time to go." Shepard's peremptory voice broke the spell. As the Commander walked into the garden she saw the biotic was not alone. She recognised Aria's daughter right away. "Liselle. Are you here for a last goodbye to Williams?"
The young Asari's lips opened in a big smile, she sprang to her feet, ran to the human and hugged her tightly. "Shepard! I thought you couldn't be too far!"
The Maiden had grown overly fond of the Commander, after a rather rocky beginning to their acquaintance, and being her very tactile, very sweet and very exuberant self, she could never help smothering the human with her affections whenever she could.
"Watch it! You'll crack my ribs if you squeeze a bit more." Shepard instinctively liked her, especially after being able to crack through the Asari's shell and finding a lovely person underneath a protective surface of snottiness and sarcasm. She returned the hug wholeheartedly.
As they separated, Liselle batted her eyes coyly at the human. "Actually, I was -hoping- you wouldn't be too far…"
Shepard knew that look. "But of course. What do you need?"
"May I have permission to come aboard, Commander? I'd love to get passage back to Omega, and travelling with you is so much more fun than a common transport…"
The human's lips opened in a lop-sided grin. "Oh, you're going to have to pay."
Liselle all but frowned for a moment. "Pay…?"
"Indeed. I expect you in my cabin for a couple of rounds of Skillian 5. Tali is still hoping to win her money back from you after her debacle the last time we played."
The Maiden smiled again. "Oh… in that case, it will be my pleasure, Commander."
"Looks like we have a deal, then. Now let's get moving, I've already spent way too long in this nest of Alliance vipers."