.
Loyalty and Limerence
Part 3
Prologue
Arcturus Station, 6 Months Later
"What about the early detection protocols? Have they been put into place?"
"Yes, as much as they can be at this point. They probably won't buy us enough time, but it will be something, at least. I've issued evacuation plans to all the major military bases back on Earth, as well. For when the time comes."
"We need to make sure Liara has enough time to find whatever it is she's looking for on Mars."
"I can only hope she's right. I don't know where she gets her information, but you and your brother seem to have faith in her, so that's good enough for me."
"If there's something to find, I'm sure she'll find it. What about the supply stockpiles? Are they being distributed to safehouses?"
"I've recalled and mobilized a portion of the Eighth Fleet in order to begin organizing the supply lines in preparation for distribution. We're setting up the safehouses as quickly as possible in case evacuations are immediately necessary. We can't afford to be caught with our pants around our ankles, but we just don't know what to expect when the Reapers arrive."
"We'll just have to hope it's enough. I've been doing what I can to secure support, but it will still take some time. Politics isn't exactly my strong suit. Any news from Earth? About John?"
"Shepard's case is still stuck in the court system, not even my testimony seems to be assisting with getting it moving. Is that where you're heading next?"
"Yeah, my shuttle leaves in a few hours. Not even the Alliance's puffed up posturing can prevent me from visiting, not with the Council's backing. No offense."
"None taken. Good luck. Give your brother my regards."
"Of course. Take care, Admiral."
"Approaching Hangar J17, Gate B, preparing to engage airlock. Please prepare for arrival."
Jane Shepard took a deep breath as she stood and grabbed her bag. Everyone always said that the gravity of Alliance ships with functioning mass effect fields should feel identical to Earth's gravity, and yet Jane could always feel the difference when she was back on Earth. It was just a gut feeling, something she couldn't really put words to, but there all the same.
Her armor shifted and clanked softly as she stretched before starting down the narrow aisle between the rows of chairs. The flight's other passengers all stared, whispering in hushed voices as they made space to let her pass. Their eyes darted to her face and then to the Council Spectre insignia emblazoned upon her shoulder.
After years of moving about in near anonymity, the attention had been jarring at first. After a few months, however, she was beginning to adapt. Honestly, though, she wasn't sure how John put up with it. The stares made her grit her teeth.
Jane hurried down the jetway and through the Alliance shuttleport, barely pausing to pass her omni-tool across the scanner to bypass the customs security checkpoint. Being a Spectre had its privileges, she had to admit. It wasn't long until she was standing outside, her eyes closed as she relished the feel of honest-to-goodness sunshine on her face. As much as she loved space, there was nothing quite like the warmth of your own star, and there was nothing quite like a sunset.
She shook herself out of it and made for a public transport console. Within minutes she was checked into her hotel room, her bag was dumped, and she was on her way to Vancouver's Alliance HQ.
Her transport stopped before the large glass and steel complex that housed the Alliance brass and paper pushers down on Earth. A good deal of their leadership resided back on Arcturus Station, Admiral Hackett being a prime example. But many of them that remained on Earth were located here.
The public entrance was large and imposing with clean, sleek lines and a wide, open lobby. The Systems Alliance insignia was emblazoned on the far wall, looking down over the security checkpoint by the front entrance. The room was fairly quiet, given the late hour, and the only two guards on duty seemed impossibly young. Or perhaps she was just getting older.
"Boys." Jane stated in greeting as she approached the checkpoint, raising a single brow as one guard held a hand out to stop her.
"Weapons are not permitted beyond this point. Please show proper identification and-" She held up her hand and cut him off as her omni-tool sprang up along her wrist. She ran her Spectre code over their security console and it beeped before flashing green. With an amused half smile, Jane sidestepped the man's outstretched hand and walked around him.
"Been a pleasure." She added dryly as she strode through the scanner toward the nearby elevator. The two guards' eyes widened and they looked at each other in shock.
"Wait a minute, stop! You can't-" One of them reached for their sidearm, but the other's attention was drawn to his console.
"Hold up, let her pass."
"Wha-?" The first guard asked with apparent confusion as Jane hit the button for the elevator, crossing her arms as she shifted her weight to one side, "Wait, is that-?" Their voices dropped, but still carried across the open space.
"Yeah. That's her. Spectre Shepard."
Jane attempted to squash down the mix of emotions she felt every time she heard her new title. Granted, she'd officially been a Spectre for some time, but only in the last 5 months or so had it become public knowledge.
The elevator pinged, the doors opened, and she stepped inside unimpeded. Her weapons remained affixed to their maglocks on her suit, and she smirked. Being a Spectre certainly had its privileges, whether the Alliance liked it or not.
When the elevator pinged again, she stepped out into a smaller atrium and another security checkpoint. These guards, however, she recognized from her previous visits.
"Well, if it isn't my favorite people in the world!" Jane stated with mock joviality, throwing her arms out wide in welcome. The guards looked at her with stoney expressions, and one narrowed her eyes.
"Spectre Shepard," She stated gruffly, drawing herself up to her not inconsiderable height, "Wonderful." The other remained silent, impassive but for the slight thinning of his lips in displeasure.
"How've you been, guys?" Jane let her smile grow a few degrees wider as she neared the checkpoint, her omni-tool already alight. "You both look as cheery and upbeat as ever." The first time she'd whisked through security with her Spectre codes, they'd raised a stink and attempted to detain her despite everything. It gave her no small amount of pleasure now to tweak their noses every chance she got. It was a little childish, perhaps, but sometimes it was the small things in life that brought joy.
She flicked her hand over their console, which flashed green, and proceeded through the scanner without slowing her pace. She turned and waggled her fingers goodbye in the guard's direction and was rewarded with an eye roll and a glare. She came to a stop at the secretary's desk at the other end of the room.
"Jane Shepard, here to visit Commander John Shepard." The secretary, who appeared to be new since her last visit, blinked up at her from her seat.
"Oh, umm… Hold on." She tapped a few lines into her console before frowning slightly. "Uh, I'm sorry, Miss Shepard-"
"Spectre. Not Miss. Spectre Shepard." Jane stated cooly as she stared down at the other woman, whose eyes widened a fraction.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Spectre Shepard! But, uh, John Shepard is not currently permitted any unauthorized visitors." The woman's voice slowly diminished as Jane's eyes narrowed. She stepped forward and placed her gauntleted hands on the desk between them, leaning forward as she stared down her nose at the other woman, who seemed to shrink into her chair.
"The Council made it fairly clear back at the start of all this that you all aren't allowed to stop me. So how about you look through his list of authorized visitors again." Jane stated frigidly, the ill concealed threat in her voice causing the woman to swallow nervously.
"Yes, yes of course. I'm so sorry, Spectre Shepard. Let me just-" Her typing began again, her fingers flicking through holo displays at a frenzied rate, "Ah! Yes, it says here that Council Spectres are to have unrestricted access. I'll just-" She pulled up another display and typed in a few lines, "There you go, I informed Lieutenant Vega that you've arrived, he should be here momentarily to escort you."
Jane pushed back off the desk, a smile on her face that she imagined might look something like a cat who caught a canary. "Perfect, thank you."
"Is there, uh, anything else I can do for you?"
"Nope, that should be everything." Taking a half step backwards, Jane crossed her arms and glanced out the window at the cityscape beyond.
Somehow, it looked so bizarre. It all seemed so peaceful, so picturesque. Skycars whizzed along routes between tall skyscrapers, the sun glinting off of the glass to sparkle against the bright blue of the cloudless sky. Beyond, she could see the snow capped mountains, just a hint of the wonders Earth held. Down below in the streets, people went about their daily business, completely unaware.
It all seemed so normal, and yet she knew without a doubt that death was speeding toward all of them on silent wings. All of this would end in the blink of an eye, the buildings would burn along with all the people inside. Horrific monstrosities would rip them to shreds, or melt them down and repurposed them into an awful, horrific-
"Well, if it ain't Lola!" Jane blinked, her heart hammering in her chest as she snapped back to reality, the vivid memories fading as she struggled to ground herself. She shook her head and turned to face the large, muscle bound man striding toward her. "Was wondering when you'd drop by again."
"James." She stated as she forced an amused smirk on her face, struggling to hide her unexpected discomposure.
"Long time, no see." Lieutenant James Vega stopped just before her, his eyes deliberately roaming downward, "You're lookin'…Mmm." He trailed off as his voice deepened, humming in appreciation. Jane rolled her eyes and she crossed her arms as she shifted her weight to one side.
"Classy as always, I see. Huh, Vega?" Jane drawled and Vega's eyes snapped back to her face with a shameless shrug.
"Just calling it like I see it, Lola. Come on, let's get moving." With a wave of his hand, James turned and led her down the hallway and through the rabbit warren of passages toward her brother's quarters. Before she knew it, they stopped before a door, and James lifted his hand to palm the controls. He stepped aside for her as the door opened. "After you."
"Such a gentleman." Jane stated with only a little sarcasm as she flashed him a grin before stepping through the door.
"Jane!" She looked around to see John sitting up from where he'd been lounging on his bed. He put down a datapad he'd been reading from and quickly stood, his smile wide as he closed the space between them in a flash. His arms enveloped her, and for a brief instant, it felt like all was right in the world.
"It's good to see you, John." She murmured into his shoulder as she returned the embrace, but a moment later he stepped back and looked down at her.
"You, too. I've missed you."
"I've missed you, too. Look how soft you're getting, sitting around having your every whim catered to!" Jane poked him in the belly, and he swatted her away in irritation.
"Hey now, good food and a soft bed do that to you. I'd admonish you for not giving me a heads up about your visit, but, well, I wouldn't have gotten the message anyway." John rolled his eyes in frustration at his isolation and Jane chuckled lightly. He took a moment to examine her, his eyes landing on the Spectre insignia on her shoulder. "That's new! I like it!"
"Thanks," Jane's eyes flicked to it for a moment before returning to his face, "I'm not a fan of the attention it draws, but oh well. Doing my duty, and all that." She shrugged, stepping around him and moving further into the room. Glancing back at James where he stood by the door, she raised a questioning brow. "You joining us, James?"
"Nah, I'll just wait outside. I can trust you not to smuggle him any contraband, right?" James flashed her a roguish smile and she reciprocated in turn.
"Oh, you know, nothing but some trashy romance novels and love letters." She replied airily in a joking tone, causing James to snort in amusement.
"Love letters? For this guy? Now I know you're pulling my leg, Lola. The Commander here doesn't have a romantic bone in his body."
"Hey!" John retorted in indignation, "I'll have you know that I-" Jane cut him off with a shove, causing his glare to shift to her.
"Yeah, yeah, get out of here, Vega."
"Yes, ma'am!" James chuckled with a casual salute before turning and heading through the door. As it whooshed shut, Jane turned back to her brother with a dry look.
"You really should just roll with it, John. It will make it that much easier for me to sneak in these in the future." With that, Jane pulled a small piece of folded paper out of her belt pouch, flicking it open to reveal tight, cramped writing. John's eyes widened in confusion and amazement.
"What on Earth…?" He carefully took the piece of paper, marveling at it as he looked it over front and back. "Honest to goodness paper?"
"Look, I didn't want to have it confiscated if I set the scanner off for anything other than my weapons. I'm not actually allowed to pass any messages along other than those from the Council." She replied, her tone not quite defensive. John finally turned his attention to the actual message. After a moment, his eyes narrowed and his nose crinkled in bemusement.
"Who wrote this, a chicken? Your handwriting is awful, Jane."
"Hey! When was the last time you hand wrote a note? I didn't exactly study calligraphy as a kid, as you might remember! Keep complaining, and I'll just toss the others out the window instead!" She shot back at him with mild offense as she pulled out the remaining messages, waving them before her. He chuckled, raising a hand placatingly.
"Fair enough. Sorry, just yanking your chain." He apologized and she grumbled her acceptance as he returned his attention to the message in his hand. One by one, John accepted and read through the slips of paper, smiling as he went. After reading through the last one, though, Jane watched as his face fell. "Was that the last one? Nothing from-" He cut off suddenly, looking away as his face flushed. Jane grinned as she reached back into her pouch.
"Oh, were you looking for this one?" She pulled out another slip of paper, waving it in the air as John's eyes followed it hopefully. "Ah, yes, I thought you might be excited for this one." He extended his palm out for it, but it remained firmly between her fingers. His expression deadpanned.
"We're playing that game, are we?" John's hand shot out to snatch the note, but Jane laughed as she took a step back, dodging his attempt. "How old are you, nine? Gimme that! Come on, Jane, just-" He reached for it again, but missed as she snatched her hand away again.
"What, excited to hear from your girlfriend?" She laughed and danced out of the way as John grabbed at her. "I had no idea Tali was such a romantic! It's really quite sweet, if mildly nauseating." John managed to grab hold of her, attempting to force the note out of her hands, "You are my brother after all, I really shouldn't have to-" She laughed as he all but manhandled her in his attempt to retrieve the paper, "- transcribe your love letters for you!"
Finally, she relinquished the note and John stepped back, the paper firmly grasped in his fingers, his face beet red as Jane continued laughing.
"I swear to god, Jane…" He muttered as he quickly shoved the note into his pocket before stashing the others in a nearby drawer.
"Oh, I have one more for you, sort of. I think. I don't actually know who this guy is, but he was very insistent." She pulled out the final note and looked down at it with mild confusion.
"Who's it from?" He held his hand out, and Jane extended it out to him.
"Some guy named Verner? Conrad Verner. You know him?" As soon as the name left her lips, John groaned and rolled his eyes. "So you do know him? He's sent me about a dozen messages the past few months trying to get a hold of you, but I had no idea who he was. Thought I'd send it along just in case, but if that was a mistake…?"
"Do you remember back during the mission to stop Saren, that guy on the Citadel? He asked for my, er…" He coughed in embarrassment before continuing, "My signature?" Jane's eyes widened suddenly as it clicked.
"That guy? Fuck, I'd forgotten about him." John nodded and she let out a bark of laughter as she handed him the note. "Oh, that's rich."
"Yeah, then I had a run-in with him on Illium. The less said about that, the better."
"Anyway, take this." Jane said as she sobered, holding out a small notepad and a pen, "Tonight you can write out some replies and pass them to me when I visit tomorrow." After a moment, she added, "But please keep your reply to Tali as PG as you can, I'm not typing out smut for you." His grateful expression morphed into one of mortification, and she laughed again.
"I'll keep that in mind." He stated dryly, but after a moment, he smiled. "Thanks for taking the time to do this for me."
"It's the least I could do. Its a fucking crime that they're not letting any of your messages through."
"They just don't want anything to jeopardize the trial, don't want to give the batarians anything to balk at."
"I know, but it still sucks. Especially after everything you've done for the Alliance, for humanity. Hell, for the entire galaxy." A little heat began seeping into Jane's voice, and John sighed, glancing out the window.
"It's okay, Jane. None of that really matters. Now, tell me about what you've been up to. How are the preparations going?" Without delay, she began outlining all the steps she'd been taking to help prepare for the Reapers, and the topic entertained them for the remainder of her allotted visit.
"Knock, knock. Sorry to cut it short, guys. But time's up, you know how it goes." James stated as he entered, his face apologetic. Jane stood, nodding her head in understanding.
"Okay. I'll come back tomorrow after my meeting with Anderson and we can talk more about the plan moving forward."
"Sure thing." John stood as well, quickly moving forward to embrace her again. She savored the feeling, giving him a squeeze before stepping back and heading to the door. "See you in the morning."
"Have a good night, Jane." With that, she turned and left, allowing James to escort her back to the lobby.
"So, what did you guys get up to?" James inquired after a moment, and Jane just shrugged as she felt the corner of her mouth quirk upwards.
"Oh, you know, just the usual. Smuggled contraband, escape plans, etcetera. Oh, and the love letters, don't forget about that." She waved her hand airly, and James barked a short laugh.
"Uh huh, sure. I'll believe it when I see it." Jane raised an eyebrow, but declined to comment. When they arrived back at the security checkpoint at the elevator, they said their goodbyes. As Jane turned to leave, James let out a low whistle, causing her to look back at him. "Sorry, don't mind me. I just love watching you go." Rolling her eyes again, she raised a hand to wave as she made her way to the elevator.
"Barking up the wrong tree, Vega."
"Hey, can you hear me alright?"
"Yeah, it's good to hear your voice. It's been a little while. Sorry I won't be able to talk long, it's late here."
"It's okay, anything is better than nothing."
"How's Earth?"
"Same as always. At least Vancouver smells better than the city I grew up in. How's it going on Palaven?"
"Oh, you know. Feels similar to smashing my head against a wall, just less pleasant."
"That well, huh? Can't say I'm surprised. I've always gotten the feeling that turians love their paperwork."
"You can say that again. I can't believe I'm stuck in a crappy desk job. If it weren't for the impending end of life as we know it…"
"You're such a drama queen."
"Wait, I'm confused. Isn't that a term for a guy who occasionally dresses like a woman on stage? I don't see how that applies here."
"Oh my god, that's a drag queen, not a drama queen, you dork."
"Whatever, same difference. At least with C-Sec I got out and about. Here, I just sit around on calls, filling out paperwork, coordinating, managing. I'm bored out of my mind and jealous. You're out there actually doing something."
"You're accomplishing a lot. Palaven has early detection protocols in place now, supplies are being gathered and stockpiles assembled. The turians are in a much better position than they were, and that's all because of you."
"I know. It just doesn't feel like much when I'm staring at the far wall of my office day after day. And I miss you."
"I miss you, too. Maybe we can meet up sometime soon. Any chance you'll be able to make it to the Citadel sometime in the next few weeks?"
"I'm not sure, perhaps? We'll have to see how my next few meetings go."
"Well, let me know when you figure it out, and I'll try to coordinate a stop there at the same time."
"Sounds good. I'd really like to see you."
"Me, too."
"I need to get going, sorry I can't talk longer. I love you."
"Love you, too. Talk to you later."
"Shepard! Good to see you. How was your trip?" The next morning found Jane in Anderson's new office.
"As well as can be expected." She extended her arm over the desk to take his proffered one, shaking it firmly before sitting down across from him. "How are you doing? I was surprised to hear you'd stepped down as Councilor."
"Ah, yes. That. Well, given the impending invasion, I felt like my place was here. With the Alliance." Anderson settled back down into his desk chair and glanced out the large windows lining one side of the room. He looked back at her, his eyes flicking to the insignia on her shoulder. "That wasn't meant as any commentary on your own decision, of course."
"Of course." Jane repeated with a shrug, swallowing down the slight upswell of guilt. "I have more power to enact change and make preparations as a Spectre than I would as a Lieutenant Commander."
"Precisely. We all serve when and where we must. I assume you've already stopped in to visit your brother?"
"Yes, yesterday evening, as soon as I arrived."
"I figured as much. Oh, and I heard from Admiral Hackett about what you guys have been up to." From there, the conversation dived into the details surrounding their respective work to help prepare for the Reapers. After a few minutes, however, they were interrupted by a call. "Hold on, it's coming through on the priority channel. I need to take this." Anderson muttered as he pulled up the screen.
"Anderson. It's Hackett."
She knew. Jane could feel it in her bones. Something hard was creeping up her throat, threatening to strangle her as a belt seemed to tighten around her chest suddenly.
"I read you. What's the situation?"
Jane jerked to her feet, the grim expression on Hackett's face all the confirmation she needed. She felt her blood turn to ice in her veins.
"Scopes just lit up. It's something massive. They haven't reached our deep space outposts yet, but they're moving. And moving fast."
"The Reapers?" Jane let the words fall like poison from her lips, a bitter, acrid taste on her tongue.
"I'd stake my life on it. and I'm about to raise the alarm to begin evacuations. I've already sent word to mobilize the fleets."
"God help us all." Anderson breathed, and after a moment, Hackett repeated the invocation in a harsh whisper. With that, the call cut out, and a heartbeat later, a siren began to blare. Anderson stood and turned to Jane. "This is it. No turning back."
"Understood." Jane's back shot ramrod straight, her hand coming up in a picture perfect salute.
"I'm going to go meet with the defense committee, make sure we have plans in place. Go get the Commander and meet me there." Anderson barked as he started for the door.
"Yes, sir." She replied before hesitating, her arms falling to her sides as her posture relaxed somewhat. "Hold on, do I have the authority to do that? Will Vega just stand aside?" He stopped, turning to her consideringly.
"Take this." He stuck his hand in his pocket and fished around for a moment before pulling a shimmering metal chain that clinked in his hand. With a quick motion, he sent it flying towards her. Grabbing it out of the air, Jane looked down to see John's dog tags staring up at her. "Tell him he's reinstated, effective immediately." She nodded in grim understanding.
With that, Anderson turned and ran out of the room, the sound of his footsteps quickly drowned out by the oscillating sound of the siren. Jane followed him out the door a moment later, and nearly got bowled over by a stream of uniformed personnel hurrying toward the nearby stairwell.
Red emergency lights were flaring in her eyes, and as she regained her footing, for a split second, she wasn't in Vancouver's Alliance HQ. Instead she was standing upon a floating platform in the Collector base as it careened out of control.
Jane blinked as her heart thudded painfully and she regained her barings. Forcing the familiar feeling of panic firmly down into its compartment, she started down the hallway against the flow of bodies. Her pace picked up as she turned down a different, less crowded hallway, and within minutes she rounded another corner, coming face to face with James and her brother standing and having some sort of debate.
"What the fuck are you doing just standing here? We need to get moving!" Jane barked as she skidded to a halt. James pulled up his omni-tool, gesturing to it wildly.
"I'm getting mixed instructions on where to bring him, and-" James started, but Jane thrust her hand out toward John, offering him the dog tags she clutched. He took them hesitantly, confusion written across his face.
"A present from Anderson. He told me to tell you that you've been reinstated, and you need to report to a meeting with the defense committee immediately." The sirens continued to blare, the sounds of heavy, booted foot falls echoing down the corridors, and after a moment of consideration, he nodded before pulling the chain on over his head.
"Jane, what's this all about?" John asked slowly, but then his face hardened. "Is it…?" Jane nodded solemnly, and his expression darkened. "Let's go." He took off toward a nearby staircase, and she hurried to keep up.
"Wait, hold up!" James yelled after them as he followed, "You don't have the authority to reinstate him. You're not even Alliance anymore. No offense. You're telling me the Admiral just told you he-" Jane shot him a hard look over her shoulder, cutting him off.
"The Reapers are coming," She continued on after her brother, raising her voice just loud enough to be heard over the alarm, "Our early detection probes picked up signs of them out in deep space, and it's only a matter of time before they're knocking on our front door. Protocols, formalities, and fucking paperwork – none of it matters anymore, Lieutenant. Now either fall in line or get your ass out of the way." She jabbed a finger off vaguely in the direction of the elevators, but James just glowered as he shut his mouth and continued to follow after them.
They snaked through the corridors, some empty, some teeming with semi-panicked and confused personnel. All the while, Jane's heart never stopped hammering in her chest. She could feel the old tremor in her hand, the lingering punishment for her blind over-confidence. She focused on her breathing as she followed after her brother, but still her heart thundered in her ears. All these years of knowing they were coming, months of preparation – would it be enough? Was this the beginning of the end?
They flew up the final set of stairs leading to the committee room, and Jane looked up to see Anderson through a large set of glass doors. The admiral turned and noticed them, urging them to hurry as he moved to open one of the doors for them.
"Commander," He stated as the three of them stepped through the door, extending his hand to shake John's, "Welcome back."
"Thanks, Anderson. What's going on?" John asked, looking around at the frenzied activity as people hurried about tasks around them.
"We've received preliminary reports from our early detection probes. We believe the Reapers are closing in on Sol." Anderson began leading them through the courtroom access hall, "For all we know, our deep space outposts could be under attack any moment. We're evacuating them as quickly as we can, and we've begun initiating evacuations at other bases, as well as all major cities."
"I see. Good thing we got the early detection system in place." John nodded as they followed after the admiral.
"You can thank Spectre Shepard and Admiral Hackett for that." Anderson turned just enough to nod in Jane's direction, and she nodded in acknowledgment of the praise. John lifted a hand to squeeze her shoulder, and she smiled faintly. "The defense committee has requested to speak with you, Shepard, as you're currently the best expert on the Reapers." They entered into the courtroom's antechamber, and came to a stop as one of the assistants got Anderson's attention.
"Good luck in there, Shepard." They both turned to face James as he held his hand out to John, who took it in a firm shake. "You, too, Lola." He then held his hand out to Jane, who smiled as she shook it as well. "I'm not sure where I'm needed right now, but I'll figure out some way to be helpful."
"Of course. There's about to be plenty for us all to do."
"Shepard!" A familiar voice called out, and both Shepards spun to see Ashley Williams walking toward them hesitantly, her face caught between concerned and hopeful.
"Ashley?" John said with confusion, and Jane couldn't help but agree. The woman before them looked almost nothing like the clean cut soldier she remembered. Her hair hung loose around her shoulders instead of tied up in a tight bun. Instead of her usual standard white hard suit, she wore a custom hybrid suit made of some softer, blue material that seemed much less suited to heavy combat.
"Lieutenant Commander," Anderson stated as he nodded to Ashley, "Are they ready for us?"
"Yes, I believe so. I'm still waiting for orders, there's a lot of confusion and misinformation being passed about." She shrugged and glanced around the room which was rife with chaos and barely controlled panic. "I'm glad we'd begun putting together evacuation plans, but we just weren't ready. Not yet." Anderson sighed and nodded again in agreement.
"We'll head on in." With that, Anderson ducked around her, followed by John, and then finally Jane.
"Wait, hold up." The three of them froze and turned back to face Ashley, whose brows knit in confused consideration. "Jane, you weren't authorized to be a part of this meeting. You can't enter, you're not even part of the Alliance."
There was no spite or heat in the other woman's words, and yet Jane felt an old anger resurface like a crack of lightning, her face hardening as her lip curled in a sneer.
"And who's going to stop me? You? You and what army, Williams?" Jane threw out her arms, gesturing to the flurry of activity around them. "They seem a little preoccupied at the moment, or hadn't you gotten the memo?" Ashley's face darkened and she opened her mouth to retort, but John quickly moved to stand between the two of them.
"Enough, both of you." He snapped, his voice laced with command, and Jane's mouth clicked shut almost of its own volition.
"She's here at my request as one of the foremost experts on the Reapers, and the one responsible proposing the early detection probes that are to thank for us having this grace period in the first place." Anderson explained, his voice pinched, and Ashley's gaze dropped to the ground as she stood a little straighter.
"I- Yes, of course, Admiral Anderson. Sorry, sir."
"Now, take Lieutenant Vega over there and report to the Normandy at Dry Dock 219 in the spaceport. I know for a fact that Joker has finagled his way onboard again, so tell him I've officially reinstated him as well. Have him get the ship ready, we're going to need it soon."
"Sir, yes sir!" Ashley snapped into a salute, and without missing a beat, Anderson turned and strode toward the doors to the courtroom, John following in his wake. Jane shot Ashley one last weighing look before silently turning to trail after the other two.
"They're nothing but a bunch of spineless pricks." Jane muttered as they left the courtroom some time later, all but running to the nearest elevator.
"Agreed, but it doesn't change anything at this point." John grumbled from beside her. The meeting had been nothing but a back and forth about impossibilities and the futility of meeting the Reapers in a head on direct attack. It'd been cut short when they received the initial reports that their deep space outposts had gone dark. The room had erupted in alarmed chatter, and Anderson had been forced to step in and demand a full evacuation of the building.
While the members of the defense committee had hurried to the designated routes, Anderson led John and Jane as they hurried to rendezvous with the Normandy.
"We might not have much time. I haven't had any word from Arcturus Station in too long, Hackett and the fleets there may be toast by now for all we know. The faster we can get to the Normandy, the better." Anderson mused as they finally reached the elevator and he smashed his palm into the holo button.
"We need to get to Mars." Jane stated suddenly, causing the two men to look at her in confusion.
"Why Mars of all places?" John asked as she brought up her omni-tool.
"Liara's there," She explained as she began a quick message to the asari in question, "And she thinks she may have tracked down something we can use against the Reapers, some sort of weapon. I don't know, she wasn't very forthcoming with answers." The elevator door opened, and the three of them stepped in.
"Seriously? Something to use against the Reapers?" Hope dared to edge into John's voice as his expression sharpened with interest.
"I really don't know, John." Jane brought her hands up to scrub at her face, sudden and unexpected exhaustion setting in. "We'll know more when we get there."
"Whatever she finds, we'll just have to pray it's enough." Anderson said grimly, his face a stony visage. The rest of the ride proceeded in silence, and when the doors finally opened, he led the way to the nearest hangar.
"Joker, do you read me?" Anderson asked suddenly, and Jane realized he'd pulled up a comm connection. He must have gotten a response, because he continued a moment later, "Good. Status report." There was another silent pause as Anderson listened, marching through the hangar to where a few soldiers were loading supplies onto a shuttle.
"Didn't Joker get arrested, too, when I turned myself in?" John whispered to Jane as Anderson continued talking into his comm, and she shrugged as she replied.
"Yeah, but he was never really charged with anything, as far as I know. They've had him under guard, and I'm not entirely sure if it's entirely legal for them to just hold on to him indefinitely, but I think he's been helping with the retrofits the Normandy's been undergoing."
"Retrofits? Is EDI okay?" Jane smiled at her brother's concern for the AI, someone whom they'd all come to consider as part of the crew.
"From what I've heard, yes. I think she and Joker worked out a plan before we originally turned over the Normandy in order to keep her safe and hidden. I think that's part of why he doesn't mind sitting around under guard in the meanwhile."
"I see." John mused contemplatively, and Jane wondered how much it bothered him to be kept out of the loop. It would have driven her up the wall if it had been her.
"Okay, you two, let's go." Anderson gestured to the nearby shuttle, "The Normandy will be on its way from where it's been docked, and we're going to meet it part way. We're hitching a ride with these guys." Turning, he leapt up into the shuttle, ignoring the salutes of the nearby soldiers.
Without need for further explanation, John and Jane quickly followed suit. They nodded to their armored and helmeted fellows, and the door closed as soon as they were all aboard. Jane could feel the engines start up, and within moments they were quickly navigating their way through the hangar and out into the bright daylight.
Carefully, Jane weaved through the bodies and supply crates, coming to stand just behind the pilot's seat. Anderson had claimed the seat beside the pilot, and she could feel John's presence just beside her. Outside the front window, the cityscape of Vancouver stretched out before them. The buildings shone in the sun, the mountains looked like they were dusted in fine powdered sugar, and the water sparkled like diamonds. It was almost impossible to imagine the horrors that were quickly closing in on their picturesque homeworld.
Their shuttle cut through the air, quick and smooth, the only sound that of the mass effect drive propelling them along. Inside, not a whisper passed between them until-
"Wait, what?" Anderson's voice broke the silence, sharp like a whip crack as he spoke into the comm. "Luna base? Already?"
A chill went through the occupants of the shuttle.
"How long ago?" He continued after a pause, "And are there any other reports?"
Something large passed over the sun, casting the shuttle in a dark shadow. Jane's breath caught as a large, eerily familiar form descended slowly before them. It crackled with angry red energy, and suddenly there was a huge, glowing cannon staring down at them.
"Oh, shi-" The world turned red and white and hot. She brought an arm up to protect her face as the shuttle tossed violently, and she was thrown to the side. Something exploded and-
"...epar…"
Jane blinked, her ears ringings and pain throbbing through her body.
"Shepard!"
She shook her head, blinking again as her brain struggled to make sense of the overwhelming stimulus vying for her attention.
"Jane!" She registered the voices suddenly, one in particular striking her as important. Blinking again, the hazy mess before her coalesced into the faces of her brother and Anderson. "Jane, get up! We need to move!"
"John? What?" She felt hands grip her and pull her to her feet, supporting her as the world spun and her stomach lurched horribly.
"The Reapers." John growled as she began to support her own weight, the distant sounds of explosions seeming much closer as the ringing in her ears began to lessen. "They're here."
The statement was somewhat unnecessary as she looked around, registering her surroundings for the first time. The impossibly huge bodies of multiple Reapers rampaged through the city, leaving swathes of destruction in their wake. Buildings that had minutes ago been pristine and beautiful were now engulfed in flames or reduced to rubble.
While she'd been dazed, John and Anderson had dragged her out of the twisted wreckage of the shuttle, which had clearly been shot out of the sky. Two of the other armored soldiers were sifting through the wreckage for weapons and useful supplies, but the others…
Jane forced her eyes away, taking in her own injuries and those of John and Anderson. They all seemed mostly whole, just some scratches, bumps, and burns. Looking around, she cursed as another giant Reaper landed nearby, its massive body reaching up into the heavens. It began laying siege to the surrounding buildings, pausing for just a moment to shoot down two fighters as they flew by.
"Come on, we need to get moving. I just heard from Joker, they're en route. We're not far from where we need to meet them." Anderson muttered as he handed a pistol to John. Jane pulled out her own rifle, checking it over for any damage. Her eardrums were assaulted by another explosion as the Reaper's cannon crashed into the side of a nearby building, causing debris to come tumbling down.
"Okay, you lead the w– Holy shit, they're going to take out that cruiser! Get down!" John exclaimed as the Reaper's cannon slashed through the air, cleaving into a ship. Its frame was wracked with fiery explosions until one larger, blindingly white explosion engulfed the entire thing silently.
Jane turned away and brought her arms up to protect herself, bracing as a wave of energy hit them, followed by an ear splitting crack! They were all thrown backwards, tipping over and smashing into the shuttle's twisted wreckage. Jane struggled to her feet, her ears ringing again, and looked over to see John and Anderson doing the same.
How had everything devolved so fast? They'd known the Reapers were coming, and yet it didn't even seem to matter in the end. Things had gone from tense and anticipatory to absolute chaos and destruction in the blink of an eye, and Jane felt like she was left reeling in the Reapers' wake. It was like a living nightmare had suddenly sprung up around them, leaving them as powerless as ants in a rainstorm. She'd never felt so small and insignificant in her life.
"Come on, we don't have time to lose." Anderson beckoned them onwards, and Jane shook her head, clearing her thoughts and pushing the fears away. It was pointless to dwell on it, all she could do was press on and focus on staying alive.
Step by step, they began picking their way across the debris field strewn across the water. After a few minutes, they paused as they heard the sound of gunfire. Cresting a downed gunship, they saw a group of soldiers huddling behind a broken chunk of its wing, ducking out of cover every now and then to shoot at a group of encroaching… things. Jane had no way to properly describe them, other than vaguely husk-like, if husks could be even more horrific than they already were. They appeared to have different features, and almost seemed to resemble-
"They're batarians! Or, they were batarians, at some point." Jane exclaimed as they all raised their weapons to take them out. Clearly they were more of the horrors cooked up by the Reapers, awful enough to churn her stomach. As the last creature fell, twitching to the ground, they joined the scared, relieved looking soldiers.
"Hold on, backup is coming. Retreat back that way," Anderson pointed in the direction they'd come, "There's a downed shuttle with more supplies. You're not in this alone." They thanked him and began scrambling their way back over the gunship. The older man's eyes followed them for a few moments, his face conflicted.
But then he turned, his face hardening as he pulled up his omni-tool, brought up his comm system, and input a few commands. Jane's omni-tool pinged, and she realized she and John had both been added to the admiral's comm channel. "Joker, can you get a read on our location? What's your eta?" Anderson asked urgently. There was nothing but static at first, but then the pilot's voice became distinguishable.
"zzzstt- our way, should -zzzzsstzz- any minute. Just hold- zzzzsttt." The words were barely intelligible, but Jane's hope lept as she processed what little she could understand.
Before any of them could respond, a feral screech echoed across the debris field, causing the hairs on the back of Jane's neck to stand up. She turned to see a hoard of husks clawing their way over the burning hull of a crashed fighter, their piercing, glowing eyes trained right on them.
"He'd better hurry," Jane muttered as she brought her rifle up and took aim, "Or we're just going to be so many bloody chunks of meat when they get here." A number of the huge monstrosities from earlier joined the husks, and John cursed somewhere behind her.
Before they could so much as fire off a shot, Jane heard the roaring sound of engines from behind them. A moment later, the ground erupted beneath the husk's feet as they were shot down by weapons far superior to hers. Looking up, Jane grinned as she recognized the sleek silhouette of the Normandy just overhead.
"Did someone call for the cavalry?" Joker asked as the ship sailed overhead, brilliant sunshine reflecting off its clean and freshly repainted hull.
"About damn time." Jane replied as she watched the ship slowly turn and approach them, its cargo bay door lowering.
"Let's go." John stated as he took off running toward a large piece of debris reaching upward like a ramp, the closest thing to a jetway they were going to get. Jane followed after him immediately and reached the top just in time to watch him leap forward and into the waiting arms of James and Ashely. "Come on, Jane!"
Without hesitation, she pitched herself forward, horrifyingly reminiscent of her all-or-nothing leap off the Collector base months before. John and Ashley grabbed her, pulling her safely aboard.
"Welcome back, both of you." Ashley murmured, and Jane nodded to her before turning to await Anderson. The admiral came to a halt right at the top of the ramp, conflict clear in his expression.
"Shepard!" He called out, and Jane froze, dread creeping up her back as she saw his face set with determination.
"Come on!" John yelled, beckoning him onward, but Anderson smiled grimly and shook his head. Nearby, a shuttle approached, its door opening to reveal armored soldiers sweeping the area for survivors.
"I'm not going."
"You've got to be kidding me!" Jane hollered at him. "Get your ass on this ship!" The admiral only shook his head again.
"You saw those men back there!" He replied, his expression revealing some of the heartbreak he was carrying with him, "There's a million more like them, and they need a leader!"
"We're in this fight together, Anderson!" John implored him to reconsider, but the other man was steadfast in his resolve.
"It's a fight we can't win. Not without help. We need every species and all of their ships to ever have a chance at defeating the Reapers." The admiral said, resignation heavy in his voice. "Talk to the Council. Convince them to help us."
"They're not going to listen!" Jane growled, her fear manifesting as thrumming anger, her blood boiling.
"Then make them listen!" Anderson snapped at her, causing Jane to grit her teeth. "Now go! That's an order."
"I don't take orders from you anymore, remember?" She yelled back at him, but his eyes shifted to focus on John.
"Get this ship out of here, Commander. You know what you have to do." Anderson said, and Jane felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see John shake his head at her. She shot him a glare before jabbing an angry finger toward Anderson.
"We'll come back for you, you hear?" She yelled angrily, causing the admiral to quirk a half smile.
"And we'll bring every ship we can." John added before releasing her shoulder and turning away. He paused after a second, looking back as he solemnly added, "Good luck."
"You, too." Anderson replied before taking a step back.
Jane ground her teeth, the thought of leaving the older man behind cutting her to the core. He'd been the father she'd never really had, the man she owed her salvation from the streets to. He'd always been there, a strength to draw upon, watching over them both, encouraging and pushing them to do and be their best.
As the Normandy slowly began pulling away, Anderson grew smaller as he turned and ran back down the ramp. Jane turned away, closing her eyes, and fought against the tightening in the back of her throat. She had a horrible, sinking feeling that this would be the last time she'd ever seen the other man in person.
She looked up as she felt a hand on her shoulder again, her eyes meeting the overly bright eyes of her brother. She could see the shimmer of unshed tears there, and she reached up to grip his arm, giving it a squeeze.
The cargo bay doors were still open, and they both turned around as two shuttles closed in, coming to a stop as they landed below. The doors opened and soldiers lept out, gesturing wildly to a group of huddling civilians and injured comrades. They began helping everyone onto the shuttles, and Jane felt as though a fist had grabbed hold of her heart and squeezed as her eyes landed on the small frame of a child hurrying toward one of the shuttles.
"My god… he can't be more than nine or ten." John whispered, his eyes landing on the same small boy. The kid paused, looking up, and even as the Normandy continued to gain altitude, Jane froze as their eyes locked.
Her breath caught, and for a split second, she was looking into the eyes of another child. One who had carried a small, injured red headed girl on his back through the streets of their decrepit city. One who had given up his own stale bread roll in order to feed her. One who had stood between her and the cold, harsh realities of homelessness.
For a split second, it was her brother who stared up at her, the brother she remembered from their days as kids on the streets. She blinked, the Normandy carrying them further away, and the resemblance was gone. She swallowed around the lump in her throat.
An awful, electronic howl rent the air, and a Reaper came into view as it rounded a nearby building. Its shielding peeled back, revealing a charging cannon, bathing the surrounding buildings in angry red light.
Run. Get away. Live! Jane watched in horror as everyone hurried to board the shuttles, only breathing as she saw the young boy clamber aboard one of them. The door closed, and a soldier slammed his fist against it, urging the pilot to take off. Both shuttles powered up seconds later, and Jane felt herself finally breathe as they took to the sky safely.
A red beam cut through the air, slicing through the shuttles like butter, and she felt bile rise in her throat, a silent scream dying as she looked away. A choked sound came from beside her, and she opened her eyes to see John staring in horror at the crumbling wreckage of the shuttles plummeting toward the ground.
Her face set in grim lines, she grabbed his arm and turned him away, walking them both further into the cargo bay, passing by a horrified looking James and Ashley. The doors slowly closed behind them, cutting off the sound of explosions and the destruction of their homeworld.
"Come on," Jane snarled as she let go of her brother, striding toward a nearby console, "We need to get to Mars. Let's hope we're not too late."
Garrus, please still be alive. I promise I'll find you. Just hold on.
(Note: Welcome to Part 3! I'm so happy you're here with me for this journey, thank you everyone! If you've made it this far, you're fantastic and I love you! Please feel free to leave comments, thoughts, questions, anything. I love hearing from you.
Sadly, due to a change of life situation, I don't know if I'll be able to keep up with my once a week schedule, we'll see. I have a bit of a buffer, but it might be like every 1.5-2 weeks for a little while. Please bare with me, thank you so much for your understanding!)