"Thinking"
"Talking"
"Impactful word"
Much had happened after Shepard defeated Saren and the Alliance Navy destroyed Sovereign, thus preventing the release of the Reapers. But of course, the majority of the galactic community was kept in the dark. Bliss in ignorance, one would say.
The whole Fifth Fleet was awarded the Palladium Star and the 24th Fighter Group even got the Galactic Unit Citation. Both rightfully deserved.
The Council, these damsels in distress, seemed to hold Humanity's sacrifice in such high regard, that they discarded all their previous objections on them joining the Citadel Council. And much to the spite of the Volus, Humanity gained a seat of power among the Big Three - now regarded as the Big Four, with the newly endorsed David Anderson as Humanity's Councillor.
Akane, who at that time had been in desperate need of basic resources, made a quick stroll into the Presidium to 'borrow' some things necessary for her survival. Even though stealing didn't sit morally right with her, desperate times called for desperate measures. And given the vulnerable state of the Citadel after *cough* Saren's *cough* attack - the Uchiha had taken the slightest bit of advantage of it.
Besides, shouldn't she have been also rewarded for her unofficial participation?
Surely a few rations and a pair of clothing wouldn't have been sorely missed?
Due to the suddenness of the battle, a large population of the Citadel hadn't managed to evacuate and as a result, many lives were lost, especially in those Wards closest to the Presidium, where the geth's infiltration began. Akane always had an uneasy feeling around the supposed 'Mini-Relay Statue'. A pity the Uchiha hadn't understood what her prothean side tried to hint at.
Perhaps it could have been avoided - Nah, scratch that thought. Nobody would have believed her and she was better off not regarded as a doomsayer. Dr Manuel had been an ample example of that. Everyone just saw what their mind could comprehend. And it was evident by the galaxy's ignorance of the real threat that would come to finish what it had started - the Cycle of Harvest, masterfully orchestrated by the Reapers.
Regardless of their significant victory a week prior, their chances stood as low as imaginably possible. They certainly hadn't gotten better if everybody (namely the Council) turned a blind eye to the real problem. Only a handful of people knew better, and that group consisted of the Normandy, Admiral Hackett and Councillor Anderson. In short, not enough.
This would get them nowhere near a chance of survival.
The only way Akane could see this cycle persevere was through the military union of all races, which was not only highly unlikely to ever happen if the Council believed in the Reapers' existence in the first place but was now absolutely impossible. As long as the Council dictated how things went then the end was inevitable. But as to not paint only the Council in a bad light, it wasn't as if the Systems Alliance (or any other government in fact) kept pushing in favour of their case.
No, they were content with being given a seat in the Citadel Council. So why bother with some Reapers, right?
Her only hope laid within the human councillor, but then again, she doubted he could do much since he was new to the playfield. Whereas the members of the former status quo had a long game ongoing, based on their mutual desire to stay in power. They knew each other well and never did one of them make a move without consulting the other two. Akane begrudgingly admitted that no matter the time, the intrigues of politics never changed.
So here she knelt, in the lush grass fields of Eden Prime's cemetery. In front of Shirone's unmarked grave. Clueless in her pondering. "What should I do, Shirone?"
Even now you are looking for directions from someone else?
Her conscious was right. She shouldn't waver from her resolve to attempt living again. Even if it was only until the Reapers' imminent return. While she might not be able to convince others to do something about it, it stood within her power to lift the probability of survival.
Starting up with her power. One could only improve this much during open war and while she had gotten further than any other at her age - the Battle of the Citadel showed her own limits. Limits she needed to break in order to up her game. Her current power would only lead to the same perpetual tragedy that happened at the end of every cycle; something she refused to let happen.
Akane was painfully aware that her power wasn't going to be sufficient enough to protect the whole galaxy but it should be enough to keep it alive. Or so she hoped.
With decisiveness did she get up on her two feet, the doubts of the past making way to indomitable resolution.
The shinobi had decided - she was going to get stronger and protect this cycle!
Shepard POV
Jane felt absolutely out of place on such occasions.
Her red shoulder-length strands were combed, the black bodycon dress felt too tight and don't get her started on the footwear!
The ballroom was massive in size, holding many prominent figures within its walls. Most of them revolved around Systems Alliance, but still with a fair amount from the military branch. She was invited for— well, because who wouldn't want to invite the person who made it all possible?
Did she mention how much she hated being in the spotlight?
Jesus Christ, people had been eyeing her since she stepped out of the skycar. Social anxiety was never a thing for her but she had wanted to get the hell out of there as soon as she stepped into the room. The silence upon her entering spiked her uncomfortableness into a whole new level.
Many people approached the Hero of the Blitz, seeking an opportunity to meet Humanity's first Spectre. Jane did her best to avoid anyone else until she caught sight of a familiar face. And that face came with Anderson, at whose side she stuck for the majority of her time. Well, up until the point where he was asked on stage.
Then it was her against the whole attendance again. Honestly, she would rather fight Sovereign all over again if it meant never having to attend such parties ever again.
Needing to get out of this stuffed space, she gained a moment of reprieve at the deserted balcony. Staring up at the clear night sky, it was one of those rare days where it wasn't raining in London. She sighed at the sound of footsteps behind her, she thought nobody would follow her out here.
"Also trying to escape the crowd, Shepard?"
His voice was one she would recognize always out of a million. Jane didn't even feel the need to turn as her Admiral announced his presence next to her.
"This isn't really my scene."
The throaty chuckle he gave forced more shivers than the biting wind ever could and Shepard found the courage to take a look at him. Her fashion sense was a tad rusty but she thought she cleaned up nicely. Hackett on the other hand...
If she thought he looked good in dress blues, oh boy, Jane wasn't prepared for the eye candy he offered her now. The notch-lapel tuxedo looked like second-skin on his sleek figure and would further feed her naughty mind ideas for days to come.
The silky lapels formed shawl collars that pronounced his assets just about right, reflecting the moonlight in a silvery colour that suited his hair. How she wanted to run her hands through his strands that weren't covered by his usual hat.
Unaware of her prolonged visual evaluation - the man's actions matched hers fully.
Hackett POV
The moments she had stepped into the ballroom, Steven felt short on breath. The redhead was like a space-time singularity, keeping everyone in her orbit even when she wanted nothing more than push them out of it. Steven had wanted nothing more than to approach her, but he was not alone in this idea.
So Steven had remained patient until the room's focus shifted somewhere else, the poor recipient of their attention being Anderson. And so he had seized the opportunity and followed her outside to a secluded place. Away from prying eyes.
That was how he ended up trapped by her side, magically enamoured by the woman his heart longed for. Few were their interactions, which further proved the importance of cherishing every one of them. Just like now, just like always, the overall attraction he felt towards this woman propelled him to unimaginable heights.
The moonlight enhanced her most prominent features indescribably. Her red hair, although tamed, shone brighter and he could swear the green of her iris glowed under a certain angle. Or perhaps it was simply old age catching up on him. But the rest of her body arose feelings inside him that he couldn't fully push down and sparked thoughts that seemed far too improper to voice aloud.
The black tight-fitting dress hugged her figure in all the right places and accentuated parts of her chiselled body that Steven would like to see without the fabric. And the patches of skin Jane showed, at the collarbone and calves, sent his desire spiralling.
The daydream ended too soon for him to tolerate as both perked up at the sounds of applause coming from behind them.
"Anderson's speech must have ended." He watched her staring at the entrance somberly.
Steven - now's your chance! Do something!
Fearing his time with was going to be cut short because of their suspicious absence, he did the only thing that came into mind.
He reached out and grasped her smaller but no less strong hand into his and asked, "Do you want to dance?"
Shepard POV
The Earth stopped moving around its axis for a second.
Hackett asked her for a dance.
And against her better judgement, she answered with a breathy 'Yes'.
Girl, you can't dance!
Too late for that now.
Her mind was out of the game right from the moment his calloused hand wrapped itself around hers. Her feminine fingers tentatively manoeuvred between his, unsure if he wanted to proceed until he sealed them in a definitive grip. She looked up at him, forest green locked with icy blue, a silent exchange of emotions before he led her out of the balcony and back into the sea of sharks.
Although their joint hands turned many heads, the whispers were drowned out by the music and panic rose within her once they assumed the waltz stance. The warmth of his hands was distracting but his focused gaze beckoned Jane's attention to him. Hopefully, she wouldn't embarrass herself too much since it was her first time.
Hackett did a step forward and she mirrored him by taking a step backwards, then following his movements in the exact same fashion. They soon found synergy in their steps and Shepard forgot why she was so opposed to this in the first place.
For the first this evening, she felt comfortable. And it was at his side.
Hackett's faint scent calmed her nerves as his warmth radiated through the fabric of his suit. She had never been this intimate with the Admiral and relished in their close, albeit temporary, proximity. But she couldn't, for the life of her, tear her gaze from his eyes which seemed demanding of her attention.
As cliché as it may sound, the world ceased to exist as they fell into a pleasant rhythm. Not one of the two acknowledged the existence of anyone else besides them.
To any outsider, it was only a dance between colleagues. Yet to someone that knew both of them longer than anyone else. Someone like Anderson - who was observing the pair from the sidelines. The man could tell that they stood there, pretending to be friends when all the while everyone in the room should plainly see that they were existing for each other.
She loved him and he loved her, but it wasn't that simple.
Omega was... filthy.
Yes, filthy... but also a perfect place for someone without identity because let's be honest, nobody gave two shits about her here. People minded their own business and that was good so. Omega was a place that created its own laws, though the current de facto ruler was Aria T'Loak.
Described as the 'Terminus Systems' dark, twisted counterpart to the Citadel', Akane maintained a certain level of wariness but overall, felt more relaxed than at the Citadel. It was easier to move in the shadows and gain access to intel that wasn't shared throughout either Council Space.
Nothing unusual, at least for Omega's standards, happened during her stay. That was until the third day came, and she saw something that unsettled her deeply. There were kara, but not of the kind that she had encountered on her homeworld, these were prothean kara.
She recognized them from 'her' memories; they were the ones the Reapers had used to fight against the Protheans.
After she had spent some time properly researching her now-accessible imprinted prothean memories on her journey to Omega, things she hadn't understood during the Reaper Invasion became clear to her. The Kara were one of them. She never apprehended how the Reapers had always seemed to have countless stock of them when they were nowhere near as much Ryū no ha on-site.
Now that she had her answers, Akane wished to forget everything she had learned. Sometimes the truth was better off never to be discovered, for sometimes the horrors these answers encompassed almost went beyond the imaginations of reality. But Akane was used to these kinds of nightmare stuff, having lived the majority of her life encountering such atrocities. Still, it brought her no joy knowing that this cycle was doomed to share her experience.
The Uchiha pressed herself tighter into the shadows as she observed the group of 'Collectors' - as the locals dubbed them - and humans along with the local Blue Suns. Several things went through her mind as her sharp eyes surveyed the exchange, catching on swiftly at what this was supposed to be. Akane had to bear witness to many unsavoury, unjust, and despicable things during her visit to the station. Hardly reaper-level abhorrence but still, something moved inside her hardened heart at each dormant attestation. And this time around, the reaction proved stronger than in any previous instance.
She somehow found it within herself - the want to save those humans.
The whole deal went off once Aria caught a whiff of the meeting, probably investigating the disturbance. The kunoichi felt the rising tension between the fractions and her intuition simply knew how it would end. The slugs quickly left their barrels as mayhem ensued. With Akane posing once again as a passive observer.
One innocent.
Stop it!
Two innocent.
Three. Four. Five.
Stop it!
Six. Seven. Eight.
"Why am I not moving?!"
Truly, why wasn't her body moving?
And before she knew it, the slaughter was concluded. With the corpses of the humans situated on one another with the collectors, crimson blood mingling with black. If she had witnessed this before she met Shepard, the sight wouldn't evoke anything from her other than cold indifference.
Now was different.
She was different.
The Uchiha wasn't often prone to experience PTSD flashbacks, having grown to keep them in check but this one caught her perfectly off-guard.
Her mind wasn't in Omega anymore. It was brought back to the place where she had found Shirone, bloodied and barely breathing. Akane looked around herself to find the ground soiled with the blood of her friends she had once called her allies. Bodies defiled to such a point they were unidentifiable.
Snap out of it! Snap out of it!
But she couldn't, she felt trapped as her frantic eyes landed on her twin. There was her body. Torn. Beaten. Blood-stained. Dead. Dead. Dead. Her lungs inhaled too much oxygen, she felt lightheaded to the point of passing out.
"Garka! Pile those corpses on the sideway or toss them out of the airlock before their stench fills the docks!" It was Aria's voice that grounded her back to reality and Akane's whole body was sweaty from the experience. But fortunately, she hadn't given away her position and the shinobi waited until the 'Queen of Omega' was out of sight. Taking with her two bodyguards while the rest followed through with the order.
Aria's men took one corpse after another and gathered them in one place so the pathway to the docks was passable, but as a turian bodyguard lifted the corpse of one particular Blue Suns mercenary, a datapad dropped from him. And Akane sprung into action, convinced it held major intel on the Blue Suns dealings. Swifter than a shadow she moved. With two timely executed body-flickers successfully taking hold of the datapad.
Nobody suspected a thing once she faded away from sight.
Shepard POV
Jane wasn't fully focused while she stood at the CIC, waiting for something to happen. Anything would do at this point.
The Alliance sent them to root out any remaining geth resistance, currently patrolling Omega Nebula, near the planet Alchera where three ships were reported to have gone missing in the space of one month. Four days and they hadn't encountered a single geth!
The crew was getting antsy from the lack of actions and Shepard didn't reprimand them for it 'cause her mind also went to places much more enticing. Like her waltz with Hackett. This was a memory she would cherish until death.
Never before had she felt so certain in a man's arms in spite of her nervousness about the dancing part. In her earlier marine days, she had rarely participated in any events that involved such activities, rather letting herself be occupied by a drink while the others savoured their shore leave partying on the dance floor.
The CO watched her XO leave his station to stretch his legs, datapad in hand and a bored look on his face. Her eyes trailed after the retreating figure of Pressly, continuing to do so more out of short-lived curiosity than anything else. The bald man went over to the cockpit, probably choosing to relieve his eyes from staring into terminals to days end.
In her apparent boredom, part of her mind wondered where Akane might be at the moment but thought better of letting her mind get occupied by thoughts that wouldn't get her anywhere. The Uchiha had chosen her path and asked Shepard to respect it. So that was what Jane did, albeit reluctantly.
Jane was more than compelled to join them, the sight of the real stars was preferable to a projection but was cut short when Joker alarmingly bellowed through the speakers, "Brace for evasive manoeuvres!"
The next thing she knew the Normandy was thrashing around in violent motions, explosions went off in the cockpit and she feared for her crew as the first began to fall to the ground.
"Everyone to the escape shuttles! Now!" Jane ran to get to the crew's quarters, aiming for the console at the far end of it. It wasn't long until she had sent the distress beacon that Ashley came to meet her.
"Shepard!"
The redhead put her helmet on, "The distress beacon is ready for launch."
"Will the Alliance get here in time?!"
Jane evaded getting a whip-splash from a cable, "They better be! In the meantime, we'll just have to hold on. Get everyone onto the escape shuttles."
There was doubt in her eyes, palpable even through her white helmet when Jane handed her a fire extinguisher and she could see the words the brunette mulled over, "Joker's still in the cockpit. He won't abandon the ship and I won't either!"
Their stubbornness was admirable but Shepard wouldn't have any of it. The Normandy was moments from falling apart. "I need you to get the crew onto the evac shuttles. I'll take care of Joker!"
"Commander..." The Chief looked over to her, conflicted. She really didn't have time for this.
Another explosion sent her tumbling for anything to hold on to, "Ashley. Go. Now."
Praying that whatever God coerced Ashley into complying would do the same in the case of the equally head-strong pilot. Jane knew how he valued the Normandy and wouldn't dream of abandoning her. Once she crossed the breached upper deck, the cockpit was only part held up by a hastily erected mass effect barrier.
"Come on, Joker! We have to get out of here!"
"No! I won't abandon the Normandy! I can still save her!"
It wasn't as if she hadn't anticipated such an answer but she refused to let him die here, "The Normandy's lost. Going down with the ship won't change that."
...
"Yeah... okay. Help me up."
Apparent by his pained yelp, she had grabbed his arm way too soon, presumptuous in her eagerness to get out of here. Who wouldn't when their lives were on the line? After strings of curses came from the brittle pilot as they manoeuvred to the shuttles, almost getting hit by another crackling yellow beam that went through the hull like butter.
Throwing him into the shuttle she attempted to follow right after him but she was thrown away from another blast by the unknown assailant.
"Commander!"
And before she knew it, she was harshly propelled against the wall and bounced off into open space. Jane watched as the Normandy, the ship she served on, the ship with so many fond memories, exploded into pieces whilst she was left floating in empty nothingness.
Her helmet was severed from her oxygen tank on her back and air left her quickly as she struggled with her movements to somehow reconnect the tubes back into place.
Her head began pounding, every cell in her body was screaming for oxygen. She kept fighting until she felt like her head was about to explode, Jane had to take a breath. So she did. For some reason, it didn't hurt like she thought it would, she wasn't scared anymore, it was almost peaceful actually. She began to fall. Fall further and further into the darkness until it threatened to swallow her whole.
If anyone had any knowledge of where she was, Akane certainly wasn't one of them.
She persuaded the ship's captain (a.k.a merchant) to let her tag along, going as far as working her child-like charm for him to take pity on her. Truly, how far she had fallen. Back on track - What was her alibi? Her 'family' happened to be on a fringe colony that she so happened to overhear the captain heading over to broker a trade license.
Okay. Now onto the major part.
The kunoichi had, for the past few days, monitored a particular batarian gang occupying a table at Afterlife. Sputtering things from their alcohol-loosened lips in their native tongue that her omni-tool hastily translated. They had gone to Omega for rations before planning to raid precisely the same merchant ship on which she currently resided.
Her old self wouldn't have gotten into anyone's business, only given if her involvement would contribute to her own goals. But things stood differently with her. Now that she had Shepard come into her life. One could say, Shepard's heroic mannerism began to finally rub off on her.
Akane hadn't revealed anything to the crew, knowing their involvement would disturb her carefully crafted plan. She laid a trap for the gang since she had the advantage of knowing they were after them. It was simple, truly, the only thing she had to do was wait until they took the bait and tried to board them.
It might seem manipulative, and she certainly wasn't denying it being such, but she opted to execute her plan without any casualties. This time she would do things right. Not like she had done during her ruthless days as Anbu, where she had, most of the time, been operating under the cold calculus of war.
The takeover happened after a few hours whilst Akane pretended to be asleep in a secluded place in the cargo hold, between the large crates of goods when the group barged in. The crew was being ushered forward, held at gunpoint by the slavers who promised harm if they spotted resistance.
"Let's make the humans familiar with their fortunate future." The head of the band, a batarian with a brownish-yellow skin tone, addressed his partners in crime with a malicious grin of delight, baring pointy teeth.
"You, human!" The boss pointed his finger at the captain.
"M-Me?" The poor man jumped in fright, sweat beading on his forehead from the stress.
"Yes, you and the rest of you pests will begin loading the crates to our ship! I think I don't need to say what happens if one of you gets any ideas." He flexed his gun promisingly, the message was clear.
The subdued crew set out to do what was asked of them, fearful of ending up killed if they didn't abide by the slaver's wishes. The Uchiha was forgotten in their stressed minds, which made it easier for the shinobi to operate since she wouldn't have to expect any unpredictabilities from the crew.
She fell further into her cover, pressing her feeble body into one of the bigger boxes that the humans left for later as they were too heavy for one to lift. The shinobi waited for the last of them to pass from sight and almost blew her cover as one of the slavers tripped a human woman out of spite, making her drop whatever she was holding. Their vibrating sniggering might have toned out the sound of Akane's retreat into cover but it didn't fool their boss who picked it up. Setting out to check the source of the noise.
That was her cue.
Akane prepared her Sharingan as the cause of knowing that she had to be stealthy and take them out separately. Beggars couldn't be choosers. The shinobi was unarmed, hell, she was scarcely even clothed.
Add that to everything else that she had lost in the explosion on Virmire - the equation wasn't speaking in her favour. A head-on confrontation, she couldn't afford. At least not without causing collateral damage that she so decisively wanted to avoid.
The batarian came closer and Akane stilled, her dirty shabby clothing helping her merge deeper with the shadow. He was peeking into the alleyway but the kunoichi needed to get him closer, so she slightly nudged something nearby to lure him in.
With her breath held and eyes at the ready, he came warily closer and she pounced on him. Once he succumbed to the genjutsu, she lowered him slowly to the ground as to not alert the other two. But she suspected they would get alerted soon enough by the sudden disappearance of their boss so she sat out the interval for the humans to get out of earshot once more.
"Hey, Boss? You there?"
His partner murmured something under his nose when their question was met with silence, then they went out to search for him, guns held in a tighter grip. She watched them from the sidelines, hidden from view, and once one of them passed her hiding spot, she pounced once again like a predator.
The nearest one she managed to flung against a wall with an enhanced kick, but the second reacted quicker than she could have expected. At least Akane managed to shunshin away before he fired at the same position she had been at milliseconds before.
"Where are you, filthy human?!" he shouted, angrily chasing his own tail in search of her.
Akane thought about the best course to attack him. Conveniently, the humans came back and Akane fled the batarian's mind for a second as he regarded the merchant's crew with intent to kill if they wouldn't go away within the next seconds.
Yet much to the slaver's bad luck; a second was all that the veteran Anbu needed. Akane resurfaced behind him, kicking him on the backside of his knee which forced him to lose his balance and fall right into her hands. The crunch that resulted from snapping his neck felt almost uncomfortable to her own ears... and she was a trained killer.
Ensuring that he was truly dead, she waited for any kind of response from the batarian, but he remained unmoving.
"Y-You killed them?" The merchant, who was initially dubious of her, eyed her with fear but also hints of... admiration? Truly, her eyes must be misleading her?
Part of Akane would have usually rebuked with an apathetic response by now but oddly found in herself the inability to do so, which she found peculiar considering she had stuck to the same mannerism for the past five years.
Shepard strikes again.
"Honestly, how much has the redhead influenced me?"
Definitely more than your nonexistent puberty.
...
"Shut up."
This shinobi's attention rested on the merchant, who began fidgeting nervously, intimidated by her silence. "Only this one, but the other two are knocked out cold."
"Other two?" The woman who had been tripped earlier asked timidly.
Akane, knowing they had no clue what she had done prior to all this, went and dragged out the body of the slavers' boss. Surprising them even more?
Hold on a second... She had witnessed many outcomes of such situations when she killed in front of civilians, which usually ended up with expressions of shock, to fear, to utter disgust. But the merchant's crew appeared... relieved? Elated? She was having trouble reading those absurd mixed signals.
That was until another human woman trapped her in a bear-hug, spilling words of gratefulness that never seemed to end.
"Thank you so much for saving me! I don't know what my little boy would have done without his mother..."
That was certainly... unexpected.
Elite Anbu, huh?
The faint traces of shock dispersed quickly and Akane vaguely remembered hugging back. This day was getting quirkier by the minute. Akane gently dislodged the sobbing female from their embrace, setting on a neutral facade that neither displayed her habitual emotionlessness nor the subsidiary coldness that people usually felt in her vicinity.
And the kunoichi felt surprisingly fresh.
She turned her gaze at the merchant, who seemed to have calmed down by now. "Are there any other slavers left on their ship?"
"Yes, there we-"
"Boss? Boss, you went silent. Did something happen?" The whole lot went dead silent at the voice of another slaver resonating through the omni-tool of one of the unconscious batarians.
She silently gestured for them to move closer so she wouldn't have to increase her volume, "Bound those two while I go deal with the rest of them please."
Some of them insisted on going with her, but she quickly shut down their courageous offers, convincing them to not endanger their lives unnecessarily. She would handle it.
"Please be careful." The teary-eyed woman said softly and Akane's mind flashed back into the past when someone precious said something very much like this.
(Flashback)
„Yes, Miss nar Rayya?"
„Just... be careful, alright?" Tali said quietly, her gaze fixed on the floor while fiddling with her hands. The sentiment made Akane warm around the heart. It had passed some time since anyone cared for her well-being.
„I will and your meal is on fire." Akane pointed out. Chuckling to herself as Tali called out, "Keehla!"
(End of flashback)
The memory brought a genuine smile to her lips, one which the crew could have seen wasn't it for her averted back. With an inhale of air, she brought her mind back into a state of concentration.
Her mission wasn't yet finished.
Hackett POV
He felt his galaxy crumbling, piece by agonizing piece.
As soon as he had received the news of the Normandy's mayday call he set out, uncaring if he was going against Command or not. This was too important to postpone, Jane was too important.
The Admiral deployed a fraction of the Fifth Fleet for the retrieval of the SSV Normandy SR-1. Only to find almost nothing left of it; a few spare parts which weren't within the planet's pull. There was also no sight of the enemy as well, meaning that they came too late.
But there was still hope. Hope that she was amongst the survivors who they were about to retrieve. Jane had to be.
"All evac shuttles identified. Shall we proceed with the extraction?"
"Bring them in." The words passed hoarsely through his throat, displaying a sort of tenseness that wasn't from military drills.
It took a while and for Steven, they were to most painful minutes of his entire life, because each time they brought one shuttle in, he dangled on a fragile edge of hope and despair. No one from the already retrieved escape pods knew of the Commander's fate, claiming that they were the first to evacuate. It was the last pod they could find and the ever stern Admiral felt led on by his spiralling emotions.
One by one he watched as the crew members Steven knew by name entered his ship. Chakwas, Williams, Joker and... no.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Jane wasn't there which meant only one thing.
Joker stared at him as the Admiral stood as still as a statue. Guilt and sorrow weighing heavily on his face as he said something that would crush Steven beyond recovery, "Shepard's gone."
She moved carefully forward, not letting herself get over her head. The slavers' ship was dark, which allowed her to apply haste in her transition. There was no doubt that the rest of the slavers who were left supervising were growing suspicious by their partners' silence in the comm channel.
Rightly so. Some time had passed since their last reply and she wouldn't... well, she had a fair idea what they might do if they discovered the truth.
The Anbu needed to cut their numbers sooner ere they would realize what was going on. For the humans' sake.
Exchanging one Sharingan for the Byakugan, she was about to plan the most effective route for her assassinations but the visual input she was getting stopped her in her tracks. She was zooming in on how a batarian had some 'fun' with one female slave. A human, unsurprisingly.
Clothes ragged. Body unhealthily thin. A collar around her neck as if she was just some pet.
It roused something within the teen. Something dangerous.
Akane wasn't prone to aggressive behaviour, wasn't prone to let her emotions overtake her rational mind, wasn't prone to act on random impulses... but the blood in her veins positively boiled at the sight. Regardless of her refuting mind to seize advantage of the slaver's occupation by taking out his partners, she couldn't witness another second of this... abhorrence.
So she made haste towards the room where all of the slaves were being held and stopped at the entrance, her silhouette outlined from the light of the corridor against the darker complexity of the room.
A normal person wouldn't have seen much, lest the cages filled with slaves. Some beaten, some occupying the farthest corner of their cages that hosted more than one occupant. Some looking dejectedly without any life flickering in their eyes, their minds trying to flee the misery of life. Only some of them took notice of her presence but otherwise displayed no sign of acknowledgement whatsoever.
Granted, the Uchiha possessed a range of vision unlike anyone else and she... Saw. It. All.
"Hey, what's the matter? You're through already? Eh?" The guttural voice taunted into the soundlessness of the room, bouncing off the walls and cages.
He was tugging at the chain once he stopped punching her, playing to his heart's twisted content with the female human who was turning black and blue from all the physical abuse. Her breathing was irregular and Akane's trained eye could see that her bones were on the verge of breaking at some places.
The woman's chapped lips parted but no sound came from her other than the faintest grunt but she still tried to put a distance from the batarian who, in return, tore at the chain more forcefully as he hurriedly peeled off his armour - his intent clear.
Akane's skin prickled with unbidden rage but she wasn't the type to go on a rampage - no - she was the kind that let it simmer and amplify her actions.
"What are you doing?"
The tone that came from her was rich in venom and her killing intent leaked in lengths and potency that left others paralysed by fear. But on the main subject of her murderous gaze, Akane inflicted images of death as if they were real and he was visibly shaking and struggling to stay on his feet.
"W-W-Who a-are you?" She heard him ask while slumping down on his ass, gasping. He shouldn't be able to get a word out, but she suspected that him seeing her as a mere child left him enough punch to do so.
Having less than a flicker of intention in answering him, she worked on closing the distance. The tension magnified with each purposeful step she took towards him. Akane's wrath had reached its peak and the fire that burned through her reminded her of what she once had used to be. How she had used to be a slave to the kinds of anger and hatred.
"Now," she began calmly, "I feel no need to spare your life. You are going to die here."
"W-W-Wait! Why are you doing this?!"
"You don't know?! Even in the light of all you've done?"
"Eh?"
Even now he wasn't even aware of his wrongdoings. She let out a short sigh at his confusion, closing her eyes in pity. Was there truly no hope for him? There was a clear way so why didn't he see it? Was he too blinded by his own shortcomings?
When he saw that Akane wasn't going to change her mind he resorted to begging, "I can give you money, just don't kill me!"
There was none.
She opened them again and slit his throat with her chakra scalpel. He clutched at his throat as if it would help him contain the flow of blood.
"Stay here and die."
Retracting her chakra scalpel to minimise chakra exertion, she walked over to the human who this scum had abused for Kami knew how long. Mindful of her current condition she approached carefully, tenderly but she still flinched as she saw her frame. Akane retaliated by halting her movements, aiming to avoid upsetting her by her actions.
Just in time for the leftover slavers to get up to speed. The kunoichi looked once again at the beaten woman on the ground, then at the other slaves in the room, "I will come back for you," she vowed, her voice strong and her will unrelenting.
And so the Anbu set out to do what she had promised and took them out. Slaver after slaver fell to her skill, unlike the slow death she had granted their previous member, their deaths were rash but quick in succession, as to not keep neither the slaves nor the merchant's crew waiting.
When she came back to the hiding crew she must have posed quite the gruesome sight, with all the red blood splattered all over her modest clothing. Eyes back to their inborn colour.
The merchant already looked as if an entire boulder had fallen off his shoulders, whether it was because of Akane's reassuring appearance or his genuine worry, "You're back!"
As always, Akane, being a woman of few words, didn't answer when it wasn't necessary. But slackened her nature in favour of asking for help with freeing the slaves. The sooner they would get out of this oppressive environment the better. Kami knew for how long those god-forsaken slavers had kept them there.
Whilst those who were willing in assisting were taking care of the caged individuals - the kunoichi focused on the seriously injured. The woman she had saved earlier came to the forefront. Lowering herself next to her, she worked first on removing the chain around her neck.
She was by no means, an expert on medical ninjutsu, but she grasped the basics enough to perform the Shōsen Jutsu and Chakura no Mesu for simple yet useful application. Akane felt conflicted about healing the humans because she feared how her chakra would affect them, but on the other hand, Liara had seemed to have responded well to her treatment back on Therum.
That had been an exception.
Plus, you weren't in the right mind at that time.
Yeah, the massive headache did a number on her back then.
And you felt guilty because that one geth escaped your radar and hurt Liara.
In other words, she hadn't been thinking about the consequences at all. Which had been incredibly careless of her but luckily didn't affect the blueish asari's health in any form. Thank the universe for small miracles. Akane wouldn't have been able to live with another burden on her conscience.
But this time, she was of clear mind, except for her battling thoughts. Akane looked around and waited for a moment of temporary seclusion so she could turn on her Byakugan.
Vanishing the Byakugan, she let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. There seemed to be nothing life-threatening going on inside her body, which left Akane massively relieved that she had evaluated her health correctly in spite of her unconventional fit of anger. But there was still the issue of relieving her pain or waiting for...
"Please..."
Attentive eyes snapped towards the woman's, palpable pain and misery behind her semi-closed eyelids that moved Akane's heart in ways that she thought herself impervious against. Another beg left the suffering human, more desperate than first.
She knew what the woman pleaded for and a memory - oh so painful - wretched the kunoichi's body like a tactless pulse.
Every person had a breaking point - and the woman had just reached hers. It was a point where death seemed like the only escape from life. She had watched people - people she loved - being driven to the sharp edge of a knife, the narrow edge of a cliff too steep.
For many of her people, in many cases shinobi, the struggle against the Reapers had become too much. Had stretched past their limits to handle and so they had simply... lost their will to live. Those who had been on the frontlines knew how bleak their chances of survival stood in reality. And every ninja of the SSA had acknowledged the importance of discretion in an effort to retain morale.
But this woman... this human... deserved not to perish this way. There was still so much that life had in store for her. She needed to convince her, help her - to see past the pain life bestowed unto a person. And suddenly, something inside her mind just clicked...
The answer she had failed to realize... was empathy.
Something so simple yet she had done all to walk the opposite way. It wondered her not that she found out all too late, after all, who was it that upheld the creed of shinobi to an almost religious extent?
"A coward."
That was who she was; who she had been.
Hiding behind rules that had been created by people who lacked the courage to confront, to accept their emotions stemming from the ramifications of their actions.
"It helped me to follow them, made my job - the killing - easier."
Still, that wasn't an excuse for hiding behind a mask of apathy when her co-workers, her team, her friends, her kin... had needed her the most.
"So I have failed in more ways than one?"
You did. But the important thing is, you don't have to anymore, right?
"No, I don't."
Don't waste this chance. Help her. Help them. Tell them that you understand. Give them a reason to hold on. Show them that there is still an opportunity to grow and heal.
Like Shirone would. Like Shepard would.
"Yes."
An unknown time passed on the outside of her mind when Akane gently cradled the woman in her arms, cupping her bruised cheek with her right and letting a warm feeling spread through her as she let the chakra flow. Sporting an expression of tenderness that had her face only adorned in Shirone's or Haruko's presence. The kunoichi gathered all her focus
"I know the pain is immense but don't give up." The apathy slowly ebbed away from her eyes as did the alarming colouring on the woman's face.
"Hold on, you are stronger than this and even if you aren't, I will stay by your side." The bruises began dimming under her skin but Akane didn't let it stop her from continuing.
"You are not alone in this."
"I wasn't either."
This seemed to be the last straw for the woman's tears to soak her hand unrelentingly.
"Thank you." The woman's lips quivered, body shaking with suppressed emotions, "Thank you so much."
Akane accommodated the woman when she went for an embrace, pouring some more chakra to her torso to dampen the pain. Even if she was still much reserved with public affection, she was aware of what the woman desperately needed so she wouldn't deny her comfort.
"There, there," once she finally felt it safe to interrupt her abundant sputtering of gratitudes, she did so, "tell me your name."
The woman went to dry her tear-ridden face with her arms, giving Akane a small smile. "Amara," she sniffed, "Amara Dawson."
"Now, Amara, I know I may be nothing but a stranger to you but can you stand up?"
She sniffed one last time, swishing her tear-stricken face to get rid of the wetness, then made an effort to stand up, clawing at Akane's arms for support in case she fell. Grimacing, Akane was there to support her through each painful step until they reached the cargo hold where she let her sit back down with the other humans.
Amara clutched at Akane's arm when she saw her leaving, nails biting into hairless skin unpleasantly. "Please. Please don't leave me."
The kunoichi threw another tender glance at Amara, "I will get you something to eat, okay?"
Much against the Anbu's suggestion, the woman insisted she needed her company more than food, forcing the Uchiha to ponder over a compromise. At last, she decided on giving Amara her cloak. A shabby and torn thing, now dyed red at some places. But it was the best she could offer in terms of possessions and assurance, for the thought behind was meant as such.
The black-haired woman appreciated the gesture and much to Akane's relief was enough to let her be off. There was much to discuss as the merchant watched in dismay at the number of people in his cargo hold.
"What should we do with them?" That earned him a not-so-subtle jab from the woman who had strangled Akane into a death embrace not all too long ago.
"For Christ's sake Peter! Look what they've been through! This could have been our fate weren't it for the girl! By the way, dearie, I didn't catch your name?"
After much speculation, Akane divulged her first name, "Akane."
"Well, Akane, I believe this must be said: Thank you for saving us!"
Akane shrugged it smoothly off, "No big deal."
The next days went by quite fast. Amara's skin took on a healthier colour, just like her fellow captives, although the shinobi doubted that their mental wounds would leave them just as quick. She could make an effort of offering words of comfort deriving from her own traumatic experiences but she wasn't yet prepared to openly talk about them. How could she hope to help others when she bled out in the process? Would that even help anyone?
No - she needed to help herself first.
For once in her life... she was the priority.
"Do I have any hope of healing too?"
If you allow it to be, then yes.
Words dictionary:
Chakura no Mesu チャクラのメス / Chakra Scalpel - This medical technique forms one's chakra into a small, sharp blade. The chakra scalpel can also be used offensively, although it requires great precision to be effective. Because of this requirement, using the chakra scalpel offensively is highly unusual. In heated combat, even the greatest medical-nin won't be able to exert the precision needed to make fatal cuts, but it can still effectively cut muscle tissues and tendons, rendering the target immobile.
Shōsen Jutsu 掌仙術 / Mystical Palm Technique - The user applies their hand to the afflicted or wounded part of the body and sends chakra into it, accelerating the body's natural healing abilities. Although its most obvious use is as a way of treating external wounds, it can also be used for internal illnesses. Users must be careful to only use as much chakra as is needed for the specific injury. If too much chakra is sent into the body, this can disrupt the body's circulation, putting it into a comatose state.
Author's note:
I will not keep you long, however, I feel that I need to dash out a big shout-out to Chinchi37, who has diligently reviewed and supported me throughout my journey as an author. There are more of you that continue to read my fanfic so you have my gratitude as well. Please, constructive criticism is always welcomed because I am inexperienced and fare without a beta-reader so I am pretty much on my own. Although I doubt that I would have the courage to work with one either. Anyways, I hope you like the chapter!