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Loyalty and Limerence
Part 3
Chapter 4
The Normandy SR2
The next morning, as they made their way toward the Citadel, Garrus found it easy to slip back into some of his old routines from his last stay aboard the Normandy. Granted, there was no one assigned to manage the little kitchenette, but it was easy enough to heat up his own dextro ration packs. He silently thanked Shepard's foresight to pick up a crate of them before beginning their mission to pick up the Primarch, else it would have been a hungry couple of days.
The biggest change, of course, was the crew. Once again surrounded by unfamiliar human faces, it was at least a comfort to know they were not Cerberus this time, particularly since learning about their mass indoctrination. There was the added comfort of having a number of old friends between Adams, Ashley, and Liara from the SR1, in addition to Shepard and Jane.
As soon as he was done with breakfast, however, he realized with a start that there was someone else from the SR1 aboard whom he had not yet seen. After cleaning up, he took the elevator to the CIC deck and made his way toward the cockpit, eyeing again some of the temporary ductwork, pipes, and wires laying about.
"Hello, Garrus." He registered a woman's greeting as they passed each other, her bright orange glasses catching his eye. He opened his mouth to respond, but did a double take, freezing as he spun around to watch her go. Words died before they even reached his tongue.
At first he'd thought she was naked, but then he realized she wasn't even human. Not really, not entirely, at least. She had a human form, but wasmade completely of some sort of synthetic material, not flesh. Her hair appeared to be, in fact, a single piece shaped to look like a human hair style. Or was it a single piece? On second thought, he couldn't even tell.
Garrus watched with wide eyes as she continued walking away until she came to a stop by Traynor's console. The two women began speaking, and from the human woman's lack of horrified scream or general alarm, Garrus decided that this… Mech? Cyborg? Whatever it was, it was indeed supposed to be there.
Whatever it was, it finished up its conversation with Traynor and then walked through the doors to the war room. But there was no alarm, and so Garrus slowly turned and entered the cockpit.
"Who, or what, was that?" Garrus muttered as he came to a stop, and Joker spun his chair around to face him.
"Oh, wow, yes, it's been such a long time, it's so good to see you, too, Garrus! Thank you so much for popping round to say hi as soon as you got on board, I reeaaally appreciate it. So kind." Joker replied with heavy sarcasm and an eyeroll, and Garrus huffed a sigh as he rested a hand on his hip.
"Yeah, yeah… Sorry I didn't stop by sooner. Just been a bit busy. You know, what with the war against the Reapers and everything. But it's good to see you, Joker." He finished earnestly, causing the corner of Joker's lips to twitch into a smile.
"Fiiiine, I forgive you. What was that you were saying when you came in?"
"I walked past some sort of, I don't even know what it was. Was it a mech?"
"Oh! That beautiful work of art is the body EDI now calls home." Joker announced, his joy evident as a giddy grin spread across his face. Garrus blinked, drawing back slightly in amazement.
"Wait, what? That was EDI?"
"I know! Isn't it amazing? I still can't believe it." The awe and excitement in Joker's voice made Garrus smile, despite his own incredulity. There was something sweet about the other man's elation. Until- "I mean, did you see her curves!" Joker's hands came up to trace an imaginary hourglass shape before him as he bit his lower lip.
Garrus' smile melted off his face to be replaced with a deadpan stare and a sigh. Spinning, he shoved his hands in his pockets before leaving the cockpit and the perverted pilot behind him. "Splendid as always, Joker."
"What? Oh, come on, Garrus!" Joker hollered after him, laughter in his voice. "Don't give me that high and mighty attitude, I know perfectly well what your opinion is on boobs these days!" The pilot's laughter followed him as he made his way through the CIC.
Back during their mission against the Collectors, a good deal of Garrus' time had been spent working on the Normandy's weapon systems. While this was still among his chief responsibilities, he also found much of his first day spent with Victus in the War Room as they began piecing together an understanding of the Hierarchy's current situation in the war against the Reapers. Communication with Palaven and the colonies was spotty at best, nonexistent at worst, but they were doing what they could to understand the positions and statuses of the various fleets and casualty rates.
Even hours into it, Garrus still found himself pausing to marvel at the fact that the Primarch of Palaven was stopping to listen and consider his thoughts and suggestions. The fact that anyone, let alone Primarch Victus, was listening to him was astonishing, quite frankly. Seemed like just a few minutes ago he was an angry C-Sec officer getting yelled at for roughing up criminals, but here he was, all respectable and professional. Miracles really do happen, he supposed.
Garrus blinked and refocused his attention to the conversation between Victus and Shepard as they discussed the likelihood of krogan assistance on Palaven. Honestly, he thought that it was a longshot, but maybe that was just him. Shepard seemed determined to give it a go, and if anyone could convince the krogran, it would be Shepard. So, Garrus decided to give the man the benefit of a judgment reserved.
"Garrus, can you get me any more information about the supply stockpiles your team began setting up?" Shepard began as he pulled up a holo display, scrolling through a few lists he'd begun making, "I need to know what sort of resources we will be able to use as aid should the krogan agree to give assistance when-"
"Um, Commander?" The small, tinny voice that emanated from Shepard's omni-tool was that of Traynor, and he paused as he looked down at the display above his wrist.
"Go ahead, what's up?"
"I hope I'm not interrupting, but I found something that I think you might want to see." Shepard let go of a sigh. Not annoyed, just tired.
"Sure thing. I'll be right over." He closed out his omni-tool and looked up at Garrus, "Come on, you can tell me about those stockpiles while we walk." Nodding, Garrus quickly excused himself to Victus before following the Commander as he rounded the large center console. He quickly pulled up the numbers on his omni-tool and they talked as they passed through the security checkpoint and entered the CIC.
"Ah, thank you for coming so quickly, sir." Traynor turned as they approached, and Shepard nodded to her in a quick greeting.
"Of course. What is it that you wanted me to see?" Traynor took a breath as though preparing herself, and launched right into it.
"I found something while scanning Alliance channels. Grissom Academy is requesting help. The Reaper invasion front will hit them soon." Shepard's brows furrowed at the news and he brought a hand up to his chin in contemplation. Garrus tried to remember where he'd heard the name before, it was sitting just in the back of his mind… Something about the geth…?
"I thought the war would close most schools." Shepard pointed out, and Traynor nodded.
"Grissom Academy is more specialized than a normal school. It's home to some of the smartest students humanity has to offer. Their Ascension Project is the best training facility in the galaxy for human biotics." Traynor explained with eager interest and perhaps even a small amount of pride. At the mention of the Ascension Project, recognition flashed in Garrus' brain. Flashes of dozens of eyes watching their every move, blood curdling electronic screams, and the heart breaking fusion of human flesh and machine…
"Yes, I sent a young man named David Archer there." Shepard stated quietly, his expression subdued as his mind clearly recounted the same events. "I'm just surprised they're still open."
"Some of their work has Alliance support," Traynor pointed out. "That may be why they stayed."
"What can we do?" Shepard asked, and she brought a finger up to tap her chin in consideration, her expression curious.
"A turian evac transport responded to their distress call and claims to be enroute, so normally I'd say we don't need to do anything." She said with a little shrug, but the curious expression remained as she spun to face her console. "But something sounded off in the turian signal. I had EDI perform an analysis." She turned to shoot Shepard a look, "It's fake."
Realization dawned, and Garrus felt dread anticipation begin rising. He and Shepard exchanged a glance, both of them clearly thinking back to the last time they'd responded to a fake turian signal.
"EDI thinks it's Cerberus." Traynor continued. "She said the fake turian signal was similar to the one that lured you to a Collector ship?" The last little bit of the statement jumped an octave as though inviting some sort of explanation. Shepard and Garrus exchanged another look before Shepard shook his head.
"Long story." He replied simply, causing Garrus to snort in grim amusement.
"In any event," Traynor's attention quickly returned to her console as she continued, "Whoever faked the signal wants us to think Grissom Academy is going to be evacuated, but I believe they are still in danger." Shepard turned an impressed, weighing look on Traynor as though truly seeing her for the first time.
"Good catch." Traynor flushed slightly with pleasure at the compliment, but then her smile seemed to falter.
"If this really is Cerberus," She began, sudden self doubt in her voice, "Then hopefully this operation is something worth investigating? It could be simple misinformation..." She concluded with a small shrug, her eyes averted.
"Traynor." Shepard said her name firmly, his hand coming up lightly to touch her shoulder, causing her to look up at him. "Good catch." He said firmly with a gentle smile, and Traynor seemed to glow with his confidence in her.
Garrus smiled as he watched the other man work. Back when he'd first served under Shepard aboard the SR1, he'd missed many of the more subtle acts of command that had so easily cemented their love and loyalty. Maybe it was because he'd seen more of the world, maybe it was because he now had command experience himself, or maybe he was just older now, but Garrus couldn't help but appreciate the smaller gestures when he caught them. He wondered if they were a conscious effort on Shepard's part, or whether they just came to him naturally. He suspected the latter.
"Thank you, Commander." Traynor looked back at her console with a pleased smile, and Shepard patted her shoulder lightly before stepping back again.
"Have you tried reaching out to warn them of your findings?"
"I have, but the message was blocked somehow. Cerberus must have hacked their system somehow. Nothing I send seems to be getting through."
"Okay. Keep trying, and let me know if anything changes.
"Yes, sir." Shepard dismissed her and turned to look at Garrus.
"I'm going to look into whether there's any ships closer to Grissom Academy that might be able to intervene, but I doubt it." Shepard muttered as he brought a hand up to his chin in consideration, "I think most of the ships in that area are being used to evacuate and prepare a defense of Elysium for when the Reapers arrive. If we truly are their only hope, do you think Victus will mind delaying our arrival at the Citadel so that we can provide assistance?"
"I'm not sure, but we can-"
"By all means." They both looked up to see Victus standing by the door, his arms crossed as he took a step closer. "It's still some time until the war summit is due to begin and so long as we maintain communication with the Citadel, there's very little I can actually accomplish there right now that I cannot accomplish here." He paused, his mandibles flicking slightly as a grim frown overtook his features. "I don't like the idea of someone running around pretending to be a turian ship doing spirits know what."
"Okay," Shepard nodded his understanding to Victus before pulling out his omni-tool and typing out a message as he turned to hurry toward the cockpit, "We'll change course and head toward the Petra Nebula. We're going to need to book it if we're going to make it in time, let's see what Joker can manage if I give him his head."
As the shuttle carefully began its approach toward Grissom Academy, the Normandy passed by overhead, hurrying toward the group of fighters to provide them with a necessary distraction. Garrus watched on the tiny monitor as it quickly darted around the fighters and picked up speed as it led them away.
"Okay, folks," Shepard began, turning to face Garrus, Jane, Liara, Ashley, and James, "We need to make this as quick an in-and-out as possible. We're going to find Kahlee Sanders and the students, and then get the hell out of here. Any questions?" There were none, and as soon as the shuttle landed and the doors opened, they stepped out into the station.
If the Cerberus cruiser and fighter ships hadn't been clue enough that something was dreadfully wrong, the sounds of far off gunshots and the charred bullet holes on the nearby bulkheads gave it away. Somewhere in the distance, an alarm sounded faintly, and the halls smelled of lingering ozone, a sure sign that biotics had been in use recently.
Garrus, Jane, and Vega moved on ahead to secure the next room, while the other three ducked into the server room that Sanders had barricaded herself in. Somewhere in the distance, someone screamed, and Garrus clutched his rifle tighter, his eyes glued to the door at the end of the hall. The door lock glowed red, but Shepard mentioned over their comm that Sanders would open it for them in a moment.
"I know Cerberus was never good, I saw that first hand while undercover. But…" Jane trailed off quietly, her fingers clutching her weapon just as tightly. Her face hardened as she continued, "The Illusive Man has a lot to answer for. I shouldn't be surprised he's sunk this low, not after what he tried to pull with the Collector Base. But not all of them were dicks." Garrus watched her for a moment, his thoughts also flicking to those few of Shepard's crew who had decided to remain with Cerberus. Were they indoctrinated now, too?
"Cerberus is getting what they deserve." Vega spat, disgust in his voice. "I have no sympathy for them." Garrus wanted to agree, but he hesitated.
"What if we'd been too late to save these students? What if they'd captured them all before we arrived? These students don't deserve whatever would have happened to them, but they'd have been indoctrinated nonetheless." He chanced a look at Vega, who seemed to be weighing his words. "Indoctrination is terrible. We're going to have to kill a lot of innocent people before this is done."
No one said anything after that and a minute later, the door lock flashed green and opened.
They froze, watching in horror as Cerberus agents dragged off a screaming teen. They darted forward to bash against the glass wall between them, to no avail. The poor boy's terrified shrieks reverberated through Garrus' skull, making his plates itch and his skin crawl.
No amount of force or gunfire seemed to do more than slightly crack the window, and before they knew it, the boy had been dragged through a set of doors and out of sight. They could still hear his blood curdling screams, though, and Garrus was pretty sure the sound would echo in his memories for months. It made him want to be sick.
They hurried into the next room in hopes of finding some way to catch up with them, only to be met with another impenetrable pane of glass.
"Fuck!" Jane growled as she smashed her fist against it, wincing as she drew back a moment later, shaking her hand in pain. The room was eerily quiet, and that was when the speakers sprang to life.
"Attention all students: Cerberus troops have taken control of this station." The voice echoed through the high ceilinged room in a calm, even voice, as though speaking to a scared and injured animal.
"What the fuck is this?" Vega muttered in distaste as they moved to hop a low barrier toward another door.
"We have no desire to hurt you. Surrender, and you will not be harmed."
"That's some bullshit." Vega hissed, his face contorting in disgust. "Do they honestly think anyone believes that?"
"Scared kids, huddling under gunfire? Yeah, they just might." Garrus sighed, and they all picked up their pace as they rushed through another set of doors. They entered into a large room that seemed like some sort of crossroads, a variety of doors leading off of it toward other parts of the station. The room was littered with couches, some overturned or scorched, books and datapads scattered across the floors.
Somewhere nearby, they heard the modulated voices of Cerberus troops as they made angry demands. Motioning for them all to be quiet, Jane took the lead and ducked down low, dodging behind a couch. The three of them stayed low as they made their way toward the voices.
The troops came into view. They had their weapons raised, but they looked as though they were trying to appear non threatening. Before them stood a man maintaining a biotic barrier, two teens huddling on the floor behind him. The younger girl seemed to be bleeding profusely, the older boy holding her up and attempting to stem the bleeding as best he could.
Suddenly, Jane was gone, her image crackling slightly as she disappeared. Garrus and Vega remained in cover, waiting for her signal. It never came though, as she reappeared a moment later, her omni-blade jammed into the soft seal at one trooper's throat.
The man screamed, the sound wet and gurgling, and Jane ripped the blade free as she spun. Her pistol came up in the same movement to rest against the other man's helmet visor. Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger, and both troopers collapsed in a spray of blood.
"Well, feels great to be useful." Vega snorted with a smile as he stood and scanned the room for remaining hostiles. Finding none, the two of them joined Jane as she motioned them over.
"It's okay, you're safe now." She said gently as she turned to face the three behind the biotic barrier. "We were sent to protect you, we're with-" She cut off, her eyes going wide the same moment Garrus' did as they both recognized the man holding the barrier. "Kaidan?"
"Back away, Jane." Kaidan hissed, anger and determination pasted upon his face as he stood tall, his barrier crackling with energy. "I mean it."
"What are you doing here of all places?" Jane asked as she remained rooted to the spot. One of Kaidan's hands clenched and he drew it back toward himself, gathering energy as if to attack.
"Back off, Jane! We're not going with you or with any of your other Cerberus friends!" He yelled as the energy pulsed dangerously. Jane's pistol lifted up to train upon Kaidan.
"Whoa now! We're here to help!" Jane exclaimed as she took a half step backwards. Vega's weapon snapped up as he came to stand beside her.
"Kaidan, we're not here with Cerberus," Garrus stated placatingly, his free hand upturned in a gesture of peace, his weapon drawn but not raised, "We're not the enemy here."
"How can you possibly expect me to believe that?" Kaidan asked, his voice jumping upward as his eyes darted wildly between the three of them, fear and desperation creeping into his stance and expression. The energy in his palm pulsed again, and Jane tensed.
"We're here with the Alliance!" Jane growled, her frustration apparent, "We need to get you guys back to the shuttle as quickly as possible, stop being so goddamn-"
"We're not going anywhere with you! Do you really think I'm that stupid? You just happen to show up at the same time as Cerberus? Give me some fucking credit, Jane!" Kaidan snarled as he seemed to steel himself.
"Stand down, Alenko!" A voice echoed through the room and Garrus turned to see Ashley running into the room, Shepard and Liara hot on her heels.
"Ashley?" Kaidan blinked in shock, his expression growing more and more confused as he took in the identities of each of the newcomers. "Shepard?"
"We're with the Alliance," Ashley continued, slowing as she neared the group, "We caught Cerberus' phony signal and figured out they were going to attack. We're here to evacuate you and your students."
Shepard didn't stop until he was standing between Jane and Kaidan, his arms outstretched. "Stand down, both of you. We're all on the same side here. We need to work together." Jane quickly holstered her sidearm, but still eyed Kaidan warily. Kaidan closed his fist on the building energy, but his barrier remained intact.
"How can I possibly trust you, Shepard? You've been working with Cerberus, and your pals just showed up to attack us. It's all a little too convenient." Kaidan said, his voice tight with constrained anger, and Shepard sighed.
"We used them to take out the Collectors, that's it. They're not our 'pals'." Jane stated firmly, but Shepard gestured for her to step back, and she nodded, her back stiff.
"Kaidan. I've had no contact with Cerberus since we destroyed the Collector Base." He explained as he turned back to face Kaidan, who looked conflicted. It was as though he desperately wanted to believe, but wouldn't let himself.
Vega, who had lowered his rifle, nodded to confirm Shepard's statement, "Commander Shepard was under constant surveillance during his time on Earth and we had a direct confrontation with them on Mars. No way they've been in communication."
"Kaidan," Ashley's voice was soft but firm as she took a step closer, her hands open and extended almost in supplication, "You can trust them, they're not with Cerberus anymore." There was a tense moment where no one moved, the silence only broken by the sound of far off gunfire. "If you won't trust them," She murmured, "Then please trust me."
After a long exhale, the barrier finally vanished. "Okay," Kaidan breathed with evident exhaustion, "Okay."
He tensed slightly as Jane darted around him, her omni-tool activating as she kneeled before the bleeding girl on the floor behind him. She began applying medi-gel liberally to her wound, muttering gentle words of reassurance as the older boy looked on anxiously.
"You can trust me, Kaidan." Shepard stated quietly, and Kaidan seemed to struggle to meet his eyes, "We're here to help, I promise."
"I really hope so."
"What are you doing here, anyway?" Shepard asked, and Kaidan shrugged before looking down at his deep red uniform.
"The Alliance thought I would be a good fit as an instructor here. It's been… a good experience for me." Shepard smiled gently at Kaidan's explanation, but there remained a cool distance between them. "Seemed like a good idea, at the time at least."
As soon as the girl was stabilized, Shepard shifted his attention to the two scared teens. Without too much argument, they were sent back to wait at the shuttle with Cortez, Liara offering Kaidan reassurance that she would do all in her power to protect them. Kaidan thanked her before turning to Shepard with squared shoulders and a nod.
"Let's go find the other students and get them out of here."
"Commander," Sander's voice interrupted over the comm, "I just got an emergency message from the students in Orion Hall. One of our instructors is with them, but they can't hold out much longer."
"Understood, we'll be there soon." Shepard replied curtly as he pulled up his nav map on his omni-tool. "Come on, guys," He gestured for the team to follow as he jogged toward a nearby door, "Let's hurry."
The group hurried through the doors and down a long hallway. They fought off another group or two of Cerberus troops before finally finding the hallway leading to Orion Hall. Before they even had a chance to open the door, there was a loud explosion in the room beyond.
"Move, move, move!" Shepard yelled as they hurried toward the door. They opened it just in time to see a half dressed, ponytailed woman blast a number of Cerberus soldiers back with a massive biotic blast.
"What the hell…?" Ashley muttered in utter astonishment as the lean framed woman's tattooed skin and deep red lipstick registered. Garrus felt sudden recognition slam him over the head like a truck.
"Jack?" Shepard took the name right off his tongue, his own confusion clear in his voice.
"Shepard?" Jack drew back slightly at the sight of them as she wiped a bead of sweat off her forehead. Her eyes widened and her lips started to quirk upwards in a smile as she took a step toward them.
The floor shuck slightly, and Garrus realized he'd been feeling the sensation slowly growing more noticeable for the last few seconds. A flash of movement caught his eye, and he turned to see an Atlas mech ducking through a doorway across the room.
Others seemed to notice at the same moment as they turned to face the new threat. Jack darted across the room, flinging herself before one of the students as she threw up an impressive biotic barrier.
"Everyone, move! Take that thing out as fast as possible! Protect the students!" Shepard yelled as weapons were raised. They opened fire, drawing its attention off Jack and her student long enough for them to get to safety, and the team quickly dispersed around the room to find cover as they fully engaged the mech.
"Everyone, get down!" Jack called out to her students as she ushered them all up a nearby staircase. "This thing's out of your league!" She turned to shoot Shepard a thankful nod before adding, "Shepard, keep it off us!"
The team began exchanging fire with the giant mech, the pilot inside clearly growing more and more frustrated as he failed to land any hits. Within minutes, Garrus could see clear signs of damage and he knew they were getting close to breaking through its armoring.
"He called for backup!" Kaidan yelled over the noise as he pointed to a group of Cerberus troops entering from the same direction the mech had come. He quickly took up the defense of the stairways leading up toward the students, throwing back any soldiers that had the stupidity to get too close.
Garrus shifted his focus to help Kaidan with the soldiers pressing to capture the students, but after a few minutes, he heard the sharp sound of shattering glass. Turning, he saw Shepard standing just before Atlas, his shotgun raised as the glass protecting the mech's pilot tumbled to the floor. Garrus raised his rifle as the mech's hand prepared to come smashing down upon the Commander, but he stopped as the pilot's head snapped backwards. He slumped forward trailing blood from the hole between his eyes, and Garrus turned to see Jane lower her rifle nearby.
"God, I want to try piloting one of those someday." He heard her mutter as her omni-tool activated and she disappeared. Garrus opened his mouth to tell her that that probably wasn't the best idea, but his attention was drawn by another few troops that had thrown themselves at Kaidan and the stairs.
After another minute of fighting, the room finally went quiet. Garrus scanned the room, but there appeared to be no more incoming reinforcements, at least for the moment. Laughter broke the silence, and he looked up to see Jack lowering the barrier surrounding her students on the landing above.
"Kahlee said she was putting out an SOS. I had no idea the King of the Boy Scouts and his bitchy sidekick sister would show up." She grinned, her voice full of fond snark, and Garrus was thoroughly flummoxed by the amount of affection he felt at the sound.
Kaidan hurried up the stairs two at a time, and Garrus wasn't sure if he'd imagined the slight biotic spark with each of his steps. Jack began a strongly worded assessment of the student's performances, but cut off as Kaidan joined them. "Okay, Daddy's here to baby you all." She muttered, "Grab juice and an energy bar, we move in five!"
With that, she grabbed hold of the railing and spun herself over it, her biotics springing up around her as she leapt down to land before Shepard and their group. Her biotics slowed her decent, and she took off quickly toward Shepard without missing a beat. The Commander opened his arms for a hug and took a step toward Jack as she hurried toward him, stopping only as her fist met his cheek with an audible whack.
"Jack! What the hell?" Jane exclaimed as she hurried toward them, but Shepard waved her off as he lifted a hand to brush his cheek with a wince.
"Damn it, how many times did I tell you not to trust Cerberus?" Jack hissed, frustration and disappointment fighting for dominance on her face.
"You're not telling me anything I haven't told myself, Jack." came Shepard's heavy reply, but Garrus could hear Jane's tsk! from where she stood nearby.
"Oh, you feel bad? Well shit, I bet that's a big comfort to all the people Cerberus has killed!" Jack sneered as anger began rising in her voice and she stepped in closer to glare up at Shepard. Jane closed the distance, coming to stand between Jack and Shepard as she used one hand to shove Jack backwards lightly.
"Back off, Jack." Jane said coldly, the picture of barely restrained violence, and the two women eyed each other up like strange cats in too small a space.
"Oh, fuck you, Princess."
"I don't know, Lola. She kind of reminds me of you." Vega grinned as he crossed his arms, causing both women to look at him and roll their eyes.
"Yeah, okay, Meat Head." Jack muttered before looking back at Jane with a raised eyebrow. "Looks like a real winner you've got there."
Garrus grinned at Vega, "Looks like you have competition for your creative nicknames." He muttered as he patted him consolingly on the shoulder, then looked over at Jack. "As charming as ever…"
"Bite me, Garrus." Jack snapped back at him, but after a moment, she glanced back at Jane, the corner of her lips threatening to lift upwards in a smile. "Better yet, bite her. Probably how she likes it." Garrus' couldn't help the amused flick of his mandibles as he chanced a look at Jane. But she just grinned back at him before winking. There was an audible disgusted groan as Shepard's head hung, his hand coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose.
"Wait, wait, hold up!" Vega brought his hands up in what had once been described to Garrus as a 'time out' gesture. "Is this who you're shacked up with, Lola?" He pointed to Jack, who looked back at him in confusion as though he'd grown a few extra heads. Jane burst into laughter.
"Her? You've got to be kidding!" Jane chuckled as she shot Jack a look, who stuck her tongue out at her.
"Well, sooorry! She seems to have some intimate inside information regarding how spicy you like it in bed! I just thought…" Vega trailed off as a few people leveled disbelieving looks at him. He held his hands up in submission with a shrug. Garrus couldn't help but wonder if this was the point at which he should say something? But Jane seemed to enjoy giving Vega a hard time.
"Ugh!" Shepard glared at Vega, pinning him with a look of utter disgust, "Can we, for just a goddamn moment, not talk about my sister's sex life?" Vega looked properly contrite, his back straightening as his gaze lowered to the floor.
"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."
"How about we return our focus to the mission at hand." Shepard gestured to the dead Cerberus agents littering the floor around them, his lips pursed with his irritation, and more than one person had the decency to look sheepish.
"Right now, all I care about is getting my guys out of here." Jack interjected, her voice suddenly serious and focused in a way Garrus wasn't sure he'd ever heard from the mildly deranged biotic.
"'Your guys'?" Jane asked with a raised brow and a half smile, her voice interested and not unkind. Jack chuckled as she turned to look back up at the loft above where Kaidan was gently comforting an anxious student.
"Yeah." She murmured, her voice soft and affectionate, "I guess so."
In that moment, Garrus realized that the woman standing before them was an entirely different creature than the snarling, hissing beast they had plucked off the burning Purgatory prison station. She'd evolved, matured into this confident, responsible teacher, standing tall and proud as she protected those put under her charge. It was astonishing, and for a split second it made him think back to some of the villains he'd encountered during his C-Sec days. Had they all had this capacity for growth and reformation? Or was Jack unique?
"I can't think of anyone who could care about them more." Shepard replied warmly, a kind smile on his face as he lifted a hand up to clasp her shoulder. Jack flashed him a half smile before rolling her eyes and shrugging him off, but Garrus could tell she was pleased.
"Well, I had some free time when you were off playing hero." She flicked her hand flippantly, making her feelings on how he'd spent the last six months apparent. "Alliance brass knew I helped you. They offered me this," She turned to look back up at her students, "and apparently the students 'responded well to my teaching style'."
"Ha! That's one way to put it." Kaiden called down from where he leaned against the railing above, his arms crossed. A few of the students that had been listening interestedly to the conversation below laughed.
"The psychotic biotic!" One yelled with a laugh, and another thrust her fist into the air with dramatics.
"'I will destroy you!'" She called out, and Garrus could distinctly remember Jack yelling something similar during a battle months prior.
"Okay, okay, guys, I-" Kaidan gestured for them to calm down, but was interrupted by a laugh from Jack.
"Drink your juice, Rodrigeuz. You couldn't destroy wet tissue paper." She said with a snort and a roll of her eyes. Turian parents had a joke they told their gullible children about how eyes could get stuck if you rolled them too much, and Garrus wondered with a chuckle if humans had anything similar.
"Jack, you don't need to be callous. They all did a wonderful job and should be proud of themselves." Kaidan rebuked with mild disappointment, causing Jack to release an exaggerated sigh.
"Yeah, yeah. Okay, Wonder Bread." Jack muttered with amused disdain. Garrus' browplates furrowed as he considered the oddly translated phrase. He looked at Jane, who looked just as perplexed. They both turned a look of confusion on Jack, who shrugged with an air of nonchalance.
"What? He's white, soft, and bland. Just like that nasty ass retro style bread from Earth." Jane snorted a poorly contained laugh at Jack's explanation, and Garrus could hear the giggles of the students above in addition to Kaidan's very put upon sigh.
"Real classy, Jack." Kaidan replied with laughter in his voice. As the two instructors began bickering about professionalism, Garrus heard their team's comm channel spring to life as Cortez informed them of the Cerberus cruiser's return.
After a little back and forth, and a quick conversation with Sanders, Shepard informed the room that they would be fighting their way through the atrium toward a hangar with additional shuttles that they could use to escape. They all gathered near the exit to Orion Hall as Shepard worked on getting the door open.
"Everyone be ready. We'll go in first and draw their fire." He finally announced, and instantly Garrus could see the nervous shuffling of feet amongst the students. Jack must have noticed, too.
"We'll shadow you from the second level and hit those fu- oof-" Kaidan cut her off with a swift elbow, causing her to glare back up at him with a mixture of indignation and contrition, "-err, those guys from above."
"Gives them some cover, too." Garrus murmured quietly to Shepard, who nodded his understanding.
"Just time your shots and stay safe!" He instructed the students, and Jack nodded before rounding on them.
"All right, we didn't bust our asses training you so you could die now." Her voice gained a serious edge, and Kaidan nodded as he surveyed their group of students.
"Many students left to return to their families when news arrived of the Reapers." Kaidan began slowly, picking his words carefully. "Those of you who remained to continue training to assist the Alliance are amongst the best, brightest, and bravest I've ever met. You can do this."
"Keep low, pick your targets." Jack finished succinctly, nodding as she stared down each of her students. Before Kaidan could follow her statement up, however, each student's omni-tool sprang to life as Cerberus began their next intimidation attempt.
"Damn it, they're messaging everyone." Sanders hissed angrily over a different comm channel, "Students, switch your omni-tools to privacy mode so they can't track you." She demanded, but the damage was done. The students glanced between each other, nerves showing stronger than before.
"What if… What if they're not lying?" The girl, Rodrigeuz, whispered hoarsely, fear lacing the words. Kaidan stepped up to her and placed both hands on her shoulders gently.
"You can do this." He reiterated, his voice firm with conviction. "Cerberus can't be trusted, they've made that clear time and again."
Jack gave her a hard look, but her voice was gentle when she added, "They're only asking nicely cause you scared 'em in that last fight." She raised an eyebrow, her voice switching to playful ribbing as she continued, "So take your balls out of your purse and kick some ass."
"Jack," Kaidan groaned as he brought a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose in exasperation, "You can't just say that to students." Jack grinned at him challengingly.
"Watch me, Hair Gel." Kaidan frowned, bringing a hand up to brush his hair self consciously.
"Hey, leave my hair out of this."
"Okay, enough flirting, you two! Let's get moving!" Jane called out as she pulled out her rifle, not looking back at them as she grinned and checked her heat sink. Garrus, however, was able to observe the delicate blush that overtook both their cheeks as they turned away from each other to further address their students.
Now that was something interesting.
As they finally entered the large entrance hall just before the shuttle bays, Cerberus seemed to realize how close they were to losing them and began throwing every last soldier they had at them. Sanders was doing her best to hack the Cerberus shuttles she'd found when she'd arrived and Shepard directed his team to protect the shuttle bay and students until they could make their escape.
Jack and Kaidan had the students sheltering under a biotic barrier, and the rest of them were placed strategically to easily take out the troops as quickly as possible. There were multiple entrances into the high ceilinged room, making it difficult to keep up with the waves of enemies as they arrived, but with their numbers and defensive position, it wasn't unmanageable.
"Just like old times, huh?" Ashley laughed as they ducked out of cover to take out enemies as they floated slowly through the room, enveloped in biotic fields. Garrus chuckled, enjoying the easy shots as his targets rotated slowly in place.
"You can say that again!" Kaidan exclaimed from above, and Garrus had a moment of quiet in which to wish Wrex and Tali were there, too. Truly like old times. Though, he supposed Liara was safely back aboard the Normandy not fighting alongside them at the moment, but still.
A biotic blast engulfed a nearby trooper, causing him to scream in pain. "Glad to see your time teaching hasn't made you soft, Kaidan!" Garrus called out, and he heard a bark of laughter from the landing above.
"Soft? You worked with Jack, didn't you? You think it's possible to be weak while she's around? She'd kick my ass in a heartbeat if she saw even a moment of weakness!"
"Point taken!"
After what felt like an age, but had probably only been a few minutes, Sanders informed them that she'd gotten access to the shuttles, and was loading what students she had with her onboard.
"Okay, we're clear!" Kaidan called out. "Move it, before more reinforcements show up!" With that, he began ushering the students toward the door to the shuttle bay, and Shepard called in the team to provide cover fire. One by one, the students ducked into the shuttle bay, protected by an enormous pane of seemingly impenetrable glass.
"Hurry, Commander!" Garrus could hear Sanders yelling from a nearby shuttle, "The Normandy has pulled the cruiser out of position. We need to leave now!" They all began running toward the door, but the previously relentless oncoming fire seemed to have been reduced to a dribble, maybe a single soldier or two. Before they knew it, they were all through the doors and heading toward the open shuttle doors.
"Take the controls, and get the students onboard!" Shepard barked as he directed everyone forward. Garrus watched as the red uniformed teens hopped on, followed by Sanders, Ashley, Vega…
"Wait." Garrus froze, fear suddenly a hammer in his ears as he quickly scanned the room, "Where the hell is Jane?" Shepard seemed to stiffen, his head suddenly whipping around, his eyes wide.
"And where's Jack?" Kaidan ducked his head into the shuttle, doing a quick head count. "Goddamn it, where's Rodriguez?" He cursed again, running a hand through his hair as he took a fear filled breath.
The three of them turned to face the large window looking out over the entrance hall they'd been fighting in until recently, and someone gasped as the door at the far side of the large room opened. A scream loud enough to pass through the glass made Garrus' plates want to peel as Rodriguez sprinted into the room, a whole team of soldiers running after her.
She screamed again, this time in pain as a bullet caught her in the arm, and she hit the ground hard. Despite the blood splattering the floor around her, Rodrigeuz fought tooth and nail against three large Cerberus troopers as they grabbed at her, an additional four holding weapons drawn on her. One raised the butt of his rifle and brought it down hard against the side of the girl's head, causing her to whip backwards and slump, dazed and limp as the men began dragging her back toward the door they'd just come through.
"We need to get in there!" Shepard yelled as he ran up to the window, ramming the butt of his own rifle against it, causing nothing more than a small ding in the glass.
"Goddamn it!" Kaidan screamed as his biotics erupted around him and he unleashed a ball of energy against the window. The energy dissipated, leaving behind a large crack, but the glass stood. "Where the hell is Jack? If she were here, she could-"
The door behind the guards opened again, but to their evident surprise, before them stood an Atlas mech. Garrus felt words die on the tip of his tongue as he noticed the shattered glass that covered the cockpit of the mech.
Even from across the room, Garrus could see Jane sitting behind the controls, her eyes narrowed at the soldiers standing before her. Her crooked feline grin advertised her predatory satisfaction as she tugged on the controls, bringing the mech's large weaponed arm up to level on the men before her.
As the men all stared down the barrel of the Atlas' main weapon, they appeared to go slack jawed, and without warning they were hit with a massive biotic shockwave, blasting them away from the injured teen as Jack slid through the mech's legs at full speed. Getting to her feet, she instantly threw up a barrier around herself and Rodrigeuz.
The second the barrier was up, Jane opened fire. Missiles flew, and high powered shots sent troopers flying. Kaidan sent another blast toward the window, causing the cracks to spiderweb outwards. One more hit, and the glass shattered outwards, falling as they sparkled in the light of the biotic attack and the explosions of the mech's missiles hitting their targets.
The smoke and dust settled, and what remained of the Cerberus soldiers was scattered across the floor surrounding the blue bubble of Jack's biotic barrier. Garrus, Shepard, and Kaidan took off running toward them as Jack lowered the barrier and Jane carefully extracted herself from the Atlas' ruined cockpit.
"Get her out of here! Come on, move!" Shepard yelled at them as he approached, skidding to a stop beside Jack. He took Rodrigeuz's into his arms and started back toward the shuttles, and Garrus brought his rifle up as he backed up, scanning the room for additional reinforcements. A door on the upper level opened, and he laid down cover fire as Jane and Jack darted after Shepard. Kaidan threw up a barrier, and he and Garrus ran after the rest of them, vaulting through the shattered window.
They all flung themselves into the waiting shuttle, stray bullets hitting the hull as the door closed behind them. The instant the door latch clicked, the engines flared and they all hurried to grab a hand hold they were thrown about. They picked up speed quickly as they shot out into space, Vega at the controls.
"Joker, we flew out on a Cerberus shuttle." Shepard activated his comm, still catching his breath. "Watch your fire."
"Right, I've got you on sensors. Should just be a minute." Came the pilot's curt reply, and the shuttle fell into a tense silence for a minute as Kaidan began applying medigel to Rodrigeuz' wounds.
"Thank you, Commander." Sanders stood and approached Shepard. "We'd never have gotten off that station if you hadn't come."
"Fu-" Jack started, but cut off as Kaidan turned and swatted her leg, causing her to sneer in his direction before continuing with a slight word choice change, "F-forget that. We kicked some ass. Next place we dock, you're all getting inked. My treat."
"Jack!" Kaidan stood, his expression shocked and outraged. "You can't get them tattoos! Most of them are just teenagers!" Jack scoffed and rolled her eyes, waving a hand dismissively through the air between them.
"Whatever, that never stopped me." She turned to grin at their students, "What do you guys want? Ascension Project logo? Glowing fist?" Turning to look down at the patched up student sitting nearby, she added playfully, "Maybe a unicorn for Rodriguez?"
The teen grinned, winced, and snapped back, "Screw you, ma'am!" Kaidan sighed.
Chatter broke out throughout the shuttle as it continued on its trip toward the Normandy, but Garrus found himself focusing in on the continued debate between the two biotic teachers.
"They're not getting tattoos, that's completely inappropriate!" Kaidan began again, taking a half step closer to Jack, looking down at her with evident frustration and exasperation.
"Come on, take that stick outta your ass and live a little, Wonder Bread!" Jack smirked up at him, poking him in the chest, causing his eyes to widen in indignation.
"Would you stop calling me-"
Suddenly, Garrus registered Jane just beside him, their shoulders brushing in the small, cramped space of the shuttle. She was shaking with suppressed mirth as she, too, watched the exchange between Jack and Kaidan. He quirked a brow plate at her in silent question, and she grinned up at him, her smile still enough to make his heart flutter.
"She's got it baaaad." She whispered, "Now I get to be the one to give her shit about it. This is just too perfect." Garrus was about to ask, but was interrupted by Joker over the shuttle's speakers announcing that they were about to dock.
"Hey, Jack, now that you're military, you gonna wear a uniform?" Joker asked a moment later. The question seemed innocuous enough at first, until he continued, his voice full of laughter, "Or are you just getting the officer's bars tattooed on?"
Kaidan opened his mouth to reply, but Jack smacked him lightly in the chest before snapping back, "Screw you, f-" Kaidan smacked her in return, a warning in his eyes. "F-flight lieutenant." She finished begrudgingly as she looked away with frustration, a slight blush coloring her cheeks.
As the rest of the shuttle laughed at Joker's astonishment and swear jar jokes, Jane grinned as she leaned into Garrus and whispered, "Never thought I'd live to see a tame Jack. Love's a bitch, isn't it?"
Garrus felt his face soften as he leaned into her in turn. "Oh, I don't know. I think it's been pretty kind to me so far." He replied quietly, and her grin faded as she looked up at him with earnest eyes.
"Is that so?"
"Hmm, perhaps it's not always smooth sailing, though. Love turns a guy like me into a wreck with something to lose." Garrus whispered as he lost himself in her deep gaze. "And the aim to make sure he doesn't. Nobody better hurt you is all I'm saying…"
As the occupants of the shuttle continued chatting, laughing, and joking around, nobody noticed as Jane leaned up onto her tip toes and placed a quick kiss on his marred mandible. He hummed contentedly at the feel of her warmth.
"With someone like you watching my back? How could they?"