.
Loyalty and Limerence
Part 3
Interlude
Omega
"Ughhh… Why can't we go anywhere nice for a change?" Garrus groaned from a nearby harness as he shook his head. Jane heard him cough, the dense and noxious smoke in the escape pod making it difficult to see more than a foot or two in front of her. She quickly unlatched her own harness and pulled out her sidearm to check the heat sink. She frowned as she noticed the slight tremor in her hand and took a deep breath. It had been a while since her last stint in an escape pod, and that was an event she tried hard not to think about often.
Looking up, she saw Aria pulling herself out of her own restraints with a snarl as she unholstered her shotgun.
"Oh, cheer up, Big Guy." Jane forced a grin as she pulled up her omni-tool. "This is going to be fun!" With that, she hit the button for the escape pod's door and activated her tactical cloak before taking a running leap. She landed in the midst of a pack of Cerberus troops cautiously investigating the crashed pod, and after a few quick shots and liberal usage of her omni-blade, half of them were dead before they even knew they were under attack.
Aria flung herself from the pod a moment later, quickly followed by Garrus and the rest of the survivors. As the last Cerberus soldier fell, Aria called for them all to group up.
"I hope the other escape pods made it." She growled, and Jane looked up to see enemy reinforcements hurrying toward them. She fired off a few shots, forcing them to duck into cover.
"All right, what's our target?" She asked quickly as she turned to Aria expectantly. Nearby, Jane could see Garrus pull out his sniper rifle and take aim. Damn if she didn't love watching him work – a master at his trade.
"Need to hit the Defense System Station, shut down Omega's outer defenses so my ships can land." Aria ducked out of cover to fire off a few rounds before turning back to add, "If we don't, they'll be blown to bits like we were."
"Got it." Jane replied curtly. She readied herself to duck out of cover, but paused as a vorcha ran up and took aim at the soldiers firing at them. Before he could get a shot off, he was peppered with bullets and quickly fell to the ground as he screamed in pain. Fighting alongside vorcha, of all things, was more than a little bizarre. Jane shook herself and tried to focus.
"They know we're here. We need to get moving before they start flooding in and overwhelm us." Garrus called out, and Aria nodded curtly.
"In combat," She began as she turned back to Jane, her voice low and her eyes narrowed, "what you say goes." Jane raised a brow at her, but after a moment she nodded back.
"Makes sense. Play to our strengths."
"Never thought I'd see the day Aria agreed to take orders." Garrus muttered under his breath with a flick of his mandibles, and Jane couldn't help her amused smile. Of course this was the perfect time to antagonize the queen of Omega. The smartass was too snarky for his own good, but damn if she didn't love him for it.
Aria shot him a considering, weighing look, and Jane didn't know if she liked it or not. Aria was sharp and clever, she never would have been able to keep Omega under her thumb for so long otherwise. Jane hadn't mentioned Garrus' background when she'd insisted on bringing him along, but she suddenly found herself wondering whether that had been a good idea or not. Did Aria already know about who Archangel had been?
"You were the best damn gun I'd had on payroll in ages, Shepard." Aria turned back to look Jane in the eye. "I know you can get us where we need to go."
Jane felt oddly touched. Those words meant something coming from someone like Aria.
"Okay, let's move." Jane turned to look at Garrus, who nodded at her. Bringing him along had been good idea. She was always at her best with him at her side.
As soon as they broke into the defense system control room, Jane made straight for the control console and began the process of taking the canons offline. Through the windows, they could see the battle beyond. It wasn't pretty.
As soon as the cannons powered down, Aria began dolling out instructions for the ships to be brought in. Garrus was looking around, his brow plates drawn down in focus.
"What's up?" Jane asked him as she noticed his concern and was instantly put on edge.
"Last time I was here, I remember… Ah." His eyes landed on whatever it was he'd been looking for. Raising his pistol, he pulled the trigger once, and a security camera exploded in a spray of glass and sparks. Aria turned to look at him, a question in her gaze. Garrus just shrugged at her, and after giving him a hard look, she turned her attention back to her comm.
"When did you have business messing around with Omega's defense system?" Jane asked him in a whisper as she came to stand beside him, and Garrus turned an amused expression on her.
"There was… a reason. I can't go spilling all my secrets now, can I? It would ruin all my mystique, and we can't have that." He shifted his weight just so, and cocked his head to the side just the right amount, and Jane grinned. Garrus somehow always managed to perfectly toe the line between adorable dork and suave badass.
"What, you won't even tell me? I thought I was the love of your life." Jane leaned in and placed a hand on the front of his cowl, applying just enough weight to shift him forward, slightly unbalancing him. His eyes widened as he stumbled slightly, steadying himself with a hand on her hip. Jane leaned forward, her lips a hair's breadth from his mouth plates as she looked up at him through her lashes. "Surely you can trust me, right?"
Garrus chuckled and brought a finger up to stroke her cheek lightly. He tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear before leaning down to whisper, "Maybe if you ask very nicely, I can tell you the story sometime." Jane felt a shiver run down her spine, anticipation welling in her belly. Before she could reply, Garrus stepped back. "But perhaps we should focus on the task at hand first?"
"Okay, enough eye fucking, or whatever the hell you two are doing." Aria strode over, and Jane took a steadying breath in an attempt not to look as flustered as she felt. "We need to head for the rendezvous point."
"And where is that, exactly?"
"It's a bunker I established on D-deck for my… more sensitive operations." Aria began, and Garrus' eyes widened as his mandibles flicked. He looked away, and Jane would almost say he looked… guilty? Maybe. She was damn good at reading subtleties in turian expressions, but some of the more nuanced ones were still difficult.
"It's utterly impenetrable, with its own hanger and dock. Independent power source, life support, munitions. You'll see." Aria explained, her face more than a little smug as she smiled. As usual, her smile never reached her eyes.
"I can get us there fairly quickly." Garrus spoke up, finally turning to face them, his face unreadable. "There's a set of tunnels and passages that we can utilize, it should keep us off the streets and away from Cerberus eyes and ears." There was silence as they processed his words, and when Aria finally responded, her voice was carefully even.
"I'll ignore for a moment the fact that you seem to know about my personal tunnel network. What I'm more interested in learning is why you seem to think you know where my secret bunker is." The statement was delivered with a quiet and deadly calm, and Jane prayed that Garrus knew what he was doing. Garrus' bold stare met Aria's narrowed gaze unblinkingly.
"I think we have bigger fish to fry at the moment, as the humans like to say." He stated firmly, and after a moment, Aria's lips turned upwards in a triumphant smile that set the hairs on Jane's neck on end. There was a sparkle in the asari's eyes that she didn't like.
"That we do. Come on, let's get moving." Aria replied suddenly as she turned and strode off toward the door, unholstering and pumping her shotgun with one hand in a single, fluid motion. "I'm back, fuckers."
"Spirits, look who's back." The voice was amused, the hint of movement just barely visible. "It's Aria T'Loak."
"Nyreen?" Jane stared as the hooded turian stepped forward into what passed for light in the darkened tunnels. She supposed she shouldn't be surprised, and yet she was nonetheless.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Aria sneered as she lowered her weapon and glared at her ex. When Jane had left Aria's employ, they had still very much been a thing. She'd had enough smarts not to ask when she'd returned to Omega after reuniting with John and found no sign of the turian woman.
"Playing cat and mouse, mostly." Nyreen replied with a small shrug as she stepped further out of the shadows. But she kept a distance between them as she continued, "Just trying to stay alive. If it wasn't for these tunnels…"
"My tunnels." Aria corrected with a bite, and Jane couldn't help but smile. As much as she enjoyed her 'friendship' with her, there was something oddly satisfying about seeing someone get under Aria's skin so completely.
As Aria and Nyreen continued to talk, Jane chanced a glance over at Garrus. He seemed an odd mixture of at ease and on edge as he shifted his weight, watching the two deep in conversation with interest. Not for the first time, Jane wondered about the details of his life on Omega before they'd been reunited. He'd always skirted around any questions she'd asked, managing to answer them without actually giving her any useful information. As she watched him examine the female turian sharply, Jane felt a moment of curiosity that stabbed her in a vulnerable place she'd thought long since hidden away.
They eventually continued their careful journey toward the bunker, now with Nyreen in tow. Jane had some reservations about bringing her along, the main reason being that she wasn't entirely sure she could be trusted. There was obviously something Nyreen wasn't telling them, but Jane knew Aria was most likely far less trusting than she, and so she left the matter in her capable hands.
The other reason was the horrifyingly awkward tension between the turian biotic and the self proclaimed queen of Omega. They stood in a slow moving elevator, and Jane couldn't help but curse whoever decided the machine needed to move at the speed of a creeping caterpillar. On one side of the elevator stood Aria, her arms crossed as she glared at the door. On the other side, Nyreen didn't seem to know what to do with her hands as she shifted her weight from side to side.
Both of them kept shooting surreptitious glances at each other when the other wasn't looking, and it made Jane want to smack her head against the wall. Otherwise, they both seemed to be trying so exceedingly hard to ignore the other that they might as well have been staring. She and Garrus stood beside each other toward the back of the lift, and if the elevator took any longer, Jane swore she was going to scream. She turned to see if Garrus was as uncomfortable as she was, but the dork seemed completely oblivious as he tapped his foot to a silent tune. Was he listening to music in that damn visor of his again? She elbowed him and he jerked in surprise before turning to eye her questioningly.
Jane sighed before smiling and rolling her eyes. Suave badass, adorable dork. The two sides of the coin that was Garrus Vakarian. She wouldn't have it any other way.
The rest of their trip to the bunker was mostly uneventful. It remained a secret from the Cerberus forces, and thanks to the tunnel system, they managed to make their way there undisturbed. As they finally made their way in, they were greeted by-
"Bray!" Jane called out in a cheery voice, an overly large smile on her face. She thrust her arms outward in greeting, "Well, if it isn't my favorite of Aria's ladies-in-waiting!" The batarian glowered at her. Oh, how she loved pushing his buttons, it had been a fun game back during her stay on Omega. It was good to see that it remained entertaining.
"Shepard." Bray sighed, "Glad to see you survived." His voice was glum, his sarcasm not lost on her. Jane grinned widely at him, the sort of smile whose purpose was more predatory than friendly, and he rolled his eyes before turning his attention to his boss.
Aria ordered the doors shut and barricaded with biotics before turning her attention to demand answers from Nyreen. Jane wasn't keen to step in, she'd never enjoyed getting involved in lover's spats.
Garrus, however, seemed more than willing. "Nyreen obviously has military training. Given our losses so far, it seems unwise to turn her away." Both of the other women spun to eye him, their expressions hard at the interruption, and so Jane decided to back him up.
"We can put her to good use, I'm sure." she stated offhandedly, and Aria turned an amused eye on her. "Seems a shame to waste a perfectly good resource." Jane added as she brought one hand up to examine her glove with studied indifference.
"You're so quick to trust, huh, Shepard?" Aria murmured with a cold softness as she began to pace, "Nyreen never approved of Omega's-" She continued until she was standing before the turian, "-what did you call it?" She spun to face Nyreen with a dangerous half smile, but her eyes flicked to Garrus with a questioning quirk to her brow, "'Moral bankruptcy.'" She muttered the term with the disdain she clearly thought it deserved before returning her focus to Nyreen. "Are you willing to help defend it now?"
"You'll find me very willing to liberate this station." Nyreen stated firmly, her eyes never leaving Aria's. The turian woman had seemingly grown a backbone and appeared completely unphased by Aria's posturing.
The small upward quirk of Aria's lips was subtle enough that Jane almost missed it. "Your combat skills seem a little rusty," She paused to let the barb sting before continuing, "but you're still a good shot. See my duty officer." With that, Nyreen nodded before walking away.
As soon as the turian's back was turned, Aria beckoned to Bray and began dolling out muttered orders as they made their way toward the command center. Jane didn't miss her backward glance at them, nor did she miss the cold calculation in her eyes.
"There's something she's not telling me, and I don't like it." Jane muttered under her breath just loud enough for Garrus to hear as she crossed her arms. She could feel her eyebrows drawing down in a frown, and forced herself to relax.
"Yeah, well. On Omega, trust is a dangerous thing." Something in Garrus' voice made her pause, and she turned to look up at him. His eyes were hard as steel, and she could see the tightness of his mandibles. "Here, trust gets people killed."
Jane could still remember the rows of body bags, neatly arranged in the nearly empty Omega apartment.
She silently placed her hand on his arm lightly, knowing words weren't necessary. His stiff posture relaxed slightly at her touch, his mandibles flicking gently as they loosened. Garrus flashed her a small, grateful smile, and together they followed after Aria.
"Hurry up, Shepard!" The asari called back at them, "We need to move fast. I'm itching for revenge." Jane jogged to catch up as a sardonic smile passed her lips.
"You'll do what you need to do." She shrugged, trying not to imagine the bloodbath Aria planned to leave in her wake. Aria flashed her a raised brow as she slowed.
"Huh, and I'd heard you'd gone soft under your brother's thumb. I almost imagined you might come here trying to change me." Her smile was pleased and dangerous.
"I'm a Spectre, not a saint." Jane snorted before continuing with a drawl, "I don't give a shit what you do with the garbage occupying this station. We have a deal – I'll do my part, you do yours. That's all that matters."
"I always did like you, Shepard." Aria smirked, "You get me."
She led them up to the command center of the bunker, and began giving out orders and demanding information. Finally, together they began outlining their situation.
"Our losses were significant." Aria growled, "We can't field an army large enough to face down Cerberus."
"Then we need to find allies." Jane grumbled, ire prickling up her neck. "A pity we didn't bring John along, he's the people person."
"Don't sell yourself short." Garrus cut in from her elbow, and she felt a stab of gratitude for his faith in her.
"We've confirmed there is a merc gang that's still active." Aria continued without acknowledging the interruption. "The Talons are resisting the occupation." She gestured to a display showing a security clip of gangsters displaying the symbol they'd encountered earlier in the tunnels. "Not my first choice," She spat with disgust, "but they're all we've got."
"We'll make them join." Jane narrowed her eyes as she watched the clips of the rebel gang. "One way or another."
"Perfectly put." Aria replied, her pleasure more evident in her voice than her emotionless face belied. At that moment, Aria's attention was diverted by Bray announcing Nyreen's disappearance, and Jane heard Garrus chuckle from where he stood behind her.
"What?" She turned to face her amused boyfriend. He shook his head, but his smile remained.
"Nothing. Shepard never could understand your friendship with Aria, but watching you guys, I think I get it."
"Oh?" Jane crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one side as she raised an eyebrow at him.
"You guys are more alike than I'd realized. It'd be funny if it wasn't so terrifying." He grinned, and Jane felt something deep in her belly warm at the intensity in his eyes. "Just remind me not to get on your bad side…" He murmured, though something in the tone of his subvocals begged for a demonstration, and they both knew he wasn't referring to her gunplay. Jane couldn't help the hum of pleasure in the back of her throat.
"Keep lookin' at me like that, and I'll show you just how bad I can be."
The Nyreen that stood before them in the Talons outpost was an entirely different creature than the woman they'd found in the tunnels earlier that day. Before, she'd stood hunched, her face shadowed by her dark hood as her eyes darted. Now, she stood tall, her shoulders squared and her expression determined and unafraid. Whether it had been an act before, or simply a result of being separated from her gang, Jane couldn't say, though she leaned toward the former. Nyreen seemed shrewd and clearly sharper than she'd initially thought.
As soon as she began barking out orders and the mercs referred to her as 'boss', it was readily apparent who they were going to need to convince if they wanted the Talons' help. But, given the cold stare Nyreen leveled on them, it would be easier said than done.
"Right. Aria, Shepard, whatever you're here for, the answer's no. Kindly escort yourselves off Talon territory." She stated firmly with a tone that implied her readiness to force the matter if necessary. Jane didn't blink as she met the turian's eyes with a steely stare of her own, her stance relaxed in a way that invited only the foolhardy to challenge her.
"We're coming with you." She pointed out as she narrowed her eyes slightly, "You get our help now in return for hearing us out later." It wasn't a question, it wasn't a demand. It was a statement about how things were going to be, despite anyone else's opinion. Nyreen held her stoney gaze for a moment longer before letting her eyes fall, and Jane knew the taste of victory as she detected the slight falter in the other woman's stance.
"She has your charm, Aria." Nyreen pointed out as she turned to the asari, who nodded and took a slow step forward.
"But not my patience." The threat in Aria's voice was thinly veiled and impossible to miss. Nyreen rolled her eyes before walking past toward the door.
"Fine. I don't have time to argue, and we can use the extra guns. Let's go." She said as she unholstered her rifle. Jane smirked and looked to Aria, who nodded to her with a small, cold smile of pleasure.
"You two just steamroll anyone who gets in your way, don't you?" Garrus chimed in a moment later, and Jane just waved her hand at him dismissively, causing him to chuckle.
By the time they fought their way to the Talon base, it was clear that Nyreen had previously gone to great lengths to hide the proficiency of her combat skills and biotic abilities. Before she'd been almost a liability, able to point a gun and throw some small biotic blasts, but not much else. Now, though, she clearly demonstrated the ability to hold her own against the rest of them, with her biotic ability giving her a distinct edge.
What confidence and strength she had in combat was matched, if not overshadowed, by her backbone in standing up to Aria. Though, if Jane was being perfectly honest, it really almost bordered on idiocy.
"And if I say no?" Nyreen asked after Aria's demand for the Talons to back her attempt to retake Omega. "You'll just kill me and take over? My people won't stand for that." Around them, the Talons gang watched the confrontation from alcoves and overlooking balconies, interest and trepidation evident as the two determined women stared each other down in a battle of wills.
"Yes, they do seem…" Aria glanced around at the red clad figures around her, their faces painted in their gang colors, "nauseatingly loyal. Either way, I'll get what I want." The words were a quiet, muttered promise.
"Not this time." Nyreen growled. Beside her, Jane could feel Garrus chafe, frustration reverberating in his subvocals.
"You need to wake up." He spat, and the other turian's attention snapped to him in surprise. "Alone, none of us will be able to push Cerberus off Omega. We need to work together if we're going to stand a chance." Nyreen eyed him with searching curiosity before nodding.
"You might be right, but the people of Omega are my priority." Garrus' face softened and he opened his mouth to respond to her show of virtue, but paused as Aria snorted harshly.
"You take over one gang, and you think you're ready to decide what's best for Omega?" Aria raised an amused brow at her, but there was no warmth or fondness in the expression, only disdain. "Nyreen, watch and learn." The words were almost a whisper, a promise of things to come.
As Aria took a step toward the middle of the central platform before the hordes of onlookers, Jane saw her turn slightly to shoot Garrus a guarded look before pulling up her omni-tool. Jane narrowed her eyes as she crossed her arms. What did Aria have up her sleeve?
"Ahz." Aria called out into her comm, and a reply came a moment later.
"Everything's in place!" Came the voice of the frazzled salarian, "The entire station's connected!"
Aria nodded, and a moment later, a tiny, nearly invisible holo cam appeared before her, and she smiled as her face appeared on every display around the huge room. Most likely, her face looked down from every display on the entire station, if Jane had to guess.
"People of Omega-" Aria threw her arms up into the air in triumph, "I have returned!" Her voice echoed through the room, both from the reverberation of her booming voice and from the number of displays projecting it. Her face was exultant as she reveled in the power she wielded while cheers rose even amongst the Talons in attendance.
"Cerberus believes they have beaten you." She continued after a moment, the cam following her as she paced the platform. "They believe they have you under control." She shot Nyreen a hard look before raising a single angry fist into the air. "They are gravely mistaken."
Jane could imagine the hordes of Omega citizens cheering throughout the station, echoing the calls she could hear throughout the Talons base. Aria knew what she was about, she knew her people. This was clearly all a part of Aria's plan, she'd had Ahz set it all up ahead of time.
"You are the lawless of the galaxy." Aria stated to the masses as she gestured toward the cam. "You cannot be beaten, and you will never be controlled." Her voice was rising in volume, reaching toward a crescendo, and the cheers around her rose in intensity as well. Jane could see where it was going, she was rabble rousing. There was no way the people of Omega were going to sit around on their asses while Aria's people took to the streets. She'd just conscripted each of them into her own personal army, whether they knew it or not.
"If you want proof that our fight is worth fighting, then just look who returned from the dead to fight by our side." Aria turned suddenly and held out her hand toward them, her holo cam shifting its focus. Jane's eyes widened, for a moment thinking the cam was looking directly at her. But then the displays above caught her attention, as she bit back a curse.
"Archangel, himself, has joined my cause. The protector of the weak and the downtrodden, he's risen up to help you take back your homes!" Aria's smirk was deadly and exultant as she took in both of their shocked expressions. Garrus stood stock still, his eyes wide and his mandibles slack as his face was reflected back at them from the displays, and Jane looked around at the equally shocked expressions on the faces dotting the balconies above them.
Rage and panic coursed through Jane as she fingered her sidearm, ready and waiting for the first merc to raise their weapon. But surprisingly, they remained where they stood, listening and cheering. If anything, the cheers were louder, almost deafening as they reverberated through the base. Jane turned to Garrus again, who still stood frozen as his gaze swept the room.
"So be ready!" Aria barked suddenly, "Our chance to strike out against your oppressors is coming. Together, we will take Omega back!" She cried as she thrust her fists into the air, and she was met by a wall of cheers and excited whistles. The cam vanished and the feed on the displays cut out as she turned with a smirk and sauntered back towards them, only to freeze as Jane's fists snapped out to grab the collar of her white coat roughly.
"What the fuck do you think you're trying to pull?" Jane seethed as she pulled Aria down to her eye level, fury emanating from her in waves. "Do you think this is some sort of joke? Are you trying to get him killed?" She tried to keep her voice down, but it was hard to fight the angry desire to scream in the asari's face. Aria just sneered at her before grabbing her wrists and shoving them away. Jane let go with a disgusted snort.
"How long have you known? From the start?" Garrus asked with a quiet, dangerous growl, and Aria turned to him with an amused quirk of her brow.
"Hardly. But it wasn't hard to put together the pieces. I'm not as stupid as you seem to think I am." She looked back at Jane and added, "Before you go batshit crazy on me, Shepard, take a look around you." Aria raised her hand to gesture to the still cheering Talons gang. "The gangs who wanted Archangel dead are gone, wiped out by you, your brother, and Cerberus. All that's left are a bunch of children playing at being soldiers."
Aria's attention shifted to Nyreen, but instead of looking irritated at the jib directed at her people, the turian's eyes were wide as she stared at Garrus in undisguised awe.
"Are you really Archangel?" She asked in a hoarse voice, suddenly seeming much younger than she had minutes before. Garrus looked stricken and glanced about as though searching for some option other than answering her honestly. Jane had seen him boast about his feats and accomplishments to James while aboard the Normandy, but here on Omega made it all seem so much more real, so much more painfully raw.
"Not anymore." Garrus finally murmured as he looked away. "That was-" He seemed to fumble for an explanation before continuing, "-another lifetime."
"We thought you were dead. Killed when the other merc gangs took out your team. They all bragged about it, those that survived." Nyreen stated thoughtfully as she took a closer look at Garrus as though truly seeing him for the first time. "Many of us saw you as a major inspiration, proof that Omega could be more than it is. More than it was. When I took over the Talons, I imagined we could follow in your footsteps to protect the people from those that would abuse and exploit them."
"Oh." Garrus blinked, a slight blue flush inching up his neck. "I didn't- uh, I'm not-" He coughed, seeming to struggle with an endearing awkwardness Jane hadn't seen in him for a while, and she felt an odd, hollow stab at the realization. Instead of acknowledging the fledgling emotion, she grabbed it and ruthlessly jammed it back down as she roughly grabbed Aria's arm and pulled her away from the two turians.
"I swear, if anyone comes hunting for Garrus now that you've exposed who he was, I will make you wish those adjutant creatures had found you instead." Jane hissed quietly as Aria shook her hand off.
"Watch it, Shepard. You're lucky I like you, but my patience only goes so far." She replied with an icey smooth voice that gave Jane a moment of pause. Aria noticed her hesitation and continued quietly, "The people of Omega – my people – love a good street fight. When it breaks loose, they'll be ready. Nyreen's code of ethics won't let her sit by if civilians are exposed. Throw in her pathetic admiration for your boy toy over there…" Aria snorted, "She's utterly predictable and therefore easy to manipulate."
"Garrus isn't just some expendable pawn in your game."
"Then you shouldn't have brought him along. I'll do whatever I need to do and use whomever I need to in order to take back what is rightfully mine." With that, Aria turned and walked away, effectively ending the conversation as Jane glared at her back. She looked back to where Garrus and Nyreen were talking with increasing enthusiasm, and she frowned.
Other than Nyreen, when was the last time she had any occasion to spend much time around a turian woman? When was the last time she'd seen Garrus in the presence of women of his own species?
Jane suddenly felt all the weight of their substantial differences. The fact that they were from different species was impossible to ignore, but for the first time she truly considered that with a level of trepidation that made her uneasy.
She didn't feel jealous, she knew Garrus loved her and had no intention of running off with some woman he'd just met. But though she successfully schooled her face to neutrality, she couldn't stop the unexpected upswell of insecurity.
Jane and Nyreen looked so different. From the elegant curve of her mandibles, to her slim neck, to her narrow waist, Nyreen was a prime example of feminine turian beauty by all standards Jane was privy to. Her limbs were slender and elegant, her plates were smooth and well defined.
Jane, on the other hand, was not what she would consider the epitome of human beauty. Sure, she was healthy, strong, and well toned, features that she usually prided about herself. But for the first time since she was a teen, she could hear a small voice in the back of her head wishing she could be one of those thin, elegant models that men drooled over in the vids. She had way too much muscle mass to ever be considered traditionally sexy, and she was riddled with other imperfections. Her freckles, hands covered in calluses, old scars, and-
She felt her heartbeat quicken and for a moment she swore she could feel a prickle of pain as envisioned the new network of marred and knotted skin stretching from her neck down one side to her thigh, encompassing much of one arm. She knew they were long since healed, but for a moment she could have sworn she felt them begin to burn all over again.
Jane pushed the tightening sensation creeping up her throat back down and forced herself not to finish that train of thought. Her attention returned to Garrus as he laughed at something Nyreen had said. He was such a wonderful person – sweet, thoughtful, funny, smart as whip, capable… The list could go on for ages. Why was he content to settle for some human, one who was far from perfect? With his current position in the Hierarchy, he could probably take his pick of women.
Just then, Garrus turned and their eyes met. He smiled that soft, gentle smile that she knew belonged to her alone, and she felt something in her shoulders unwind. The doubts ebbed and receded into the dark recesses of her mind. He loved her through and through, and that was enough. There was no point in questioning it. They'd always have each other's backs, they always had. Shepard and Vakarian, side by side to the bloody, bitter end.
Jane flashed him a grin before spinning to follow after Aria. No time to fall prey to petty insecurities. There was work to be done.
The reactor above them crackled with energy, red light reflecting from the force fields surrounding it. Jane cursed as another mech pushed through the burning barrier, its weapon raised and ready. How had they let themselves walk into such an obvious trap? Of course Petrovsky had been expecting them to attempt to take the reactor to shut down the force fields surrounding his base of operations. There was no other option for them, so of course he'd prepared for the eventuality. It seemed so obvious now, in retrospect, as these things often did.
"I can't hold this much longer!" Aria yelled from where she crouched, her arms wreathed in biotics as she held a hole in the barrier open. Nyreen stood above her, one hand raised to hold a biotic shield over the asari, the other hand gripping her rifle as she attempted to shoot any mechs she could get a shot at.
Aria's grip began to slip and she groaned as the hole shrank by a hair. Jane cursed again. "Garrus! Go!" She barked before standing and laying down cover fire. Without hesitation, Garrus turned and threw himself through the hole just before Aria cried out and released it. The barrier snapped back into position as though the hole had never existed with a sputtering sizzle.
Jane ducked back into cover and her eyes searched for Garrus, breathing only once she saw him pulling himself to his feet on the other side.
"Spirits, Aria. How did you know you could do that?" Nyreen asked breathlessly as she pulled the other woman to her feet.
"I didn't." Was Aria's curt reply as she pulled out her shotgun. They continued taking down the mechs, only for more to appear in their wake. Garrus quickly made his way to the controls, and Jane grit her teeth as she watched Petrovsky's communicator fly off after him.
"You can't do this, Archangel." The man's hologram stated, the projected voice echoing across the expansive room, "There's more at stake than you know. That reactor powers life support systems for dozens of wards across the station. Shut it down, and thousands of people will perish."
"You hearing this?" Garrus called out over their comm system, and though it was Aria who responded harshly a moment later, Jane knew the question to be directed at herself.
"Yes, and I don't care!" Aria snapped as she threw a biotic blast at a mech, knocking it back. "Shut it down!"
"Archangel, don't! Try rerouting power away from the force fields!" Nyreen exclaimed, her face awash with panic. Jane leaned out of cover to shoot another mech, its head exploding in a shower of sparks and debris.
"Do what you need to do, we'll hold until then." Jane added, leaving the choice to him. Only Garrus could know at this point whether rerouting it was something he'd be able to do, and she had faith in him to make the best choice.
"Damn it, hold tight down there." Garrus responded a moment later, and Jane smiled grimly.
"Roger that."
"Are you crazy?" Aria yelled as she ducked, barely missing a burst of oncoming fire. "We're almost spent!" She quickly changed out her heat sink then looked up, "Nyreen, watch your flank!" Jane took aim and fired on the mech sneaking up on the turian.
"Oh, come on, Aria. I didn't think you were such a pussy. Put on your big girl pants." Jane drawled, and though she kept her eyes on the enemy, she could feel the heat of Aria's glare. They continued fighting off the oncoming mechanical army, and at the control station above, they could hear Petrovsky's continued attempts to convince Garrus to stop.
Jane gasped and grunted as a shot finally shattered her shields, grazing her hard suit's armor plating hard enough to bruise. Beside her, the two other women also showed signs of wear and tear. The mechs continued to push forward.
"What are you waiting for? Overload the reactor!" Aria demanded. "I don't have time for your idealistic turian bullshit!" Jane pulled out one of the last of the grenades Kasumi had left with her and tossed it at the next wave of mechs as they passed through the force field.
"The three of us can hold out long enough." Nyreen sent a shockwave barreling through them and Jane turned to gun down a pair coming up on her flank. "He cares about the wellbeing of the people of Omega. Unlike you, Aria."
Aria ducked just in time, barely missing an attack as her biotic barrier flickered. "Are you honestly going to fuck around with the controls while your girlfriend gets her head blown off down here? Hit the fucking overload! Now!"
A minute later, the force field flickered and died. "It's down!" Jane called out, "Let's move!" They lost no time in retreating to the control room, holding back the attacking mechs until they reached the door. As soon as they were through it, Garrus was ready and waiting to lock it down. The sudden silence was jarring.
"You all okay?" Garrus asked as his eyes fell on Jane, scanning anxiously for signs of injury. She nodded, but Aria scoffed.
"Despite your best efforts to kill me." She looked down to check her weapon before shooting Garrus a murderous look.
"Did you manage to reroute the power?" Jane asked, and Garrus nodded.
"You jeopardize the mission all for what? A few measly lives?" Aria snapped before turning to glare at Jane. "I never should have let you drag him along. His bleeding heart is a liability and nearly cost me everything." Garrus returned her glare whole heartedly, but it was Nyreen that spoke up first.
"Quiet, Aira. It worked. Archangel saved us without sacrificing innocent lives." She turned to flash a thankful smile at Garrus, "I knew you were a protector of the people. I applaud you." Aria's cold stare shifted to Nyreen.
"When are you going to learn? There are no innocents on Omega." Her voice softened slightly as she continued, but the coldness never left her eyes. "You fought bravely against those mechs in there, Nyreen. Very impressive." She trailed off, but it was obvious she had more to add.
"But?" Nyreen asked, and Aria crossed her arms as she raised a brow at the turian.
"Why can't you bring that same grit when adjutants attack?" She shook her head in disgust, "It's pathetic. You tense up at the mere mention of those abominations." Aria took a step forward and seemed to loom over her, despite being the shorter of the two. "What's going to happen if we run into more, Nyreen? Huh?"
"Leave off her, Aria. We wouldn't have been able to get this far without her." Garrus broke in harshly, his face pinched with anger.
"I'm trying to help her, Archangel." Aria sneered, the name rolled off her tongue laced with sarcasm. "Call it tough love." With a toss of her head toward the exit, Aria strode off. "The war's starting, I don't mean to miss it." With that, she was gone.
"She's never been big on thank yous." Nyreen shrugged before following after. Garrus huffed a sigh of frustration as he turned to Jane.
"What's with those two? They're constantly at each other's throats. Why can't they be civil for even a moment? We're on the same side here, but Aria has been nothing but nasty to her." He muttered as he threw his hands up, and Jane couldn't help the crooked smile.
"Physical violence is hardly the only way to hurt those we love. The closer you hold each other, the easier the knives go in."
Garrus blinked at her for a moment, "Oh." A pause, and then his eyes widened as he put the pieces together, "Oh." He turned to look after the two retreating women, his expression surprised and amazed. "The two of them? Seriously?" Jane chuckled before fondly knocking her knuckles against his chest guard.
"Come on, Archangel. We've got a station to liberate."
Jane and Aria all but ran as they fought their way toward Afterlife. After Cerberus engineers had begun setting bombs around Omega's central support column, she and Aria had split off to handle them while Garrus and Nyreen had hurried to lead the offensive against the main base of operations.
They arrived just in time to watch the two turians gun down a pack of adjutants in order to protect a few cowering civilians in front of Afterlife.
"About time!" Garrus called out, his relieved smile evident as he changed out his heat sink.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Jane replied as Aria glanced up at the huge Cerberus logo above her club with a disdainful glower. Biotics sprang up around her as she took a menacing step forward.
"I'm sick of waiting. This ends now." Without another word, she charged forward. The doors sprang open and two Cerberus guards appeared, guns raised and ready. Before they could pull the trigger, Aria's hands flung forward and they were smashed backwards. "Tell your boss I'm coming for him!"
"Aria, wait!" Nyreen cried out before taking off after her. Jane and Garrus exchanged a nod before giving chase.
Jane paused as they entered Afterlife's main floor, the room almost completely unrecognizable. For one, it was more brightly lit than she'd ever seen it. It also lacked the numerous dancers and bright holo screens displaying asari in various lewd outfits.
Before them on what used to be Aria's loft, stood Petrovsky, his hands behind his back as he gazed down upon them with cold, steely eyes. His back was ramrod straight and his uniform starched to within an inch of its life. Behind him, the Cerberus logo was emblazoned upon the wall.
"A pity so many people had to die for your petty ambitions, Aria."
"You're a dead man." Aria growled as she took a threatening step forward, her biotics wreathing her in an unnatural glow. Nyreen, Jane, and Garrus all came to stand beside her, their weapons raised and ready.
"What now, Petrovsky?" Jane called out across the empty room. There appeared to be no other guards or personnel, which struck her as more than a little suspicious.
"You did us the favor of killing off the last of the adjutants we hadn't finished experimenting on." The general smirked as a force field suddenly sprang up around the loft. Below him, a door opened and a familiar screech echoed through the room, sending shivers down Jane's spine. "These are fully under our control – the prototypes for our future army."
With that, the creatures sprang forward and attacked.
As the final Cerberus soldier fell to one of Garrus' headshots, Petrovsky's defeated voice resounded through the speaker system. Jane cheered triumphantly as she finished hacking the door lock to the loft.
"Attention! All Cerberus forces: Surrender." The general called out as they hurried up the stairs to the loft. "Cease and desist all aggression. It's over." He stood with his back tall as he turned to face them, his face holding every vestige of dignity one could muster after such a sound defeat. His eyes moved past the queen of Omega to land upon Jane. "Spectre Shepard. I surrender myself into your custody."
"That-" Aria whispered as she stalked forward until she was standing just before Petrovsky, uncomfortably close, "-is the most pathetic thing I've ever heard." With that, she backhanded him across the face, her biotics flaring as the wave of energy threw him backwards into the console behind him. He slumped to the floor before struggling to pull himself up.
"Shepard…" Petrovsky groaned, looking up at Jane, his eyes wide and entreating as Aria slowly closed in on him. Jane couldn't stop the disgusted sneer from spreading across her face as she thought back to the destruction wrought across the Citadel by this man's compatriots. "Shepard, please!" The man begged, scooching backwards as Aria bent down to grab the front of his uniform. Jane turned away, perfectly content to let the other woman do what she wanted with the defeated man. "I'm unarmed!" He yelped, "And I can give you information on the Illusive Man!"
Jane froze and looked back over her shoulder as Aria smashed Petrovsky down onto the console, one hand firmly gripping his throat. Her eyes found Garrus, his arms crossed over his chest as he, too, averted his eyes from what they both knew was about to happen. Nyreen stood just beyond, staring in dawning horror as the man began to choke.
"You'll say anything to save your skin." Aria stated with dry amusement, her second hand coming to join the first in its attack.
"But…" Petrovsky gasped, his hands scrabbling for purchase, "I let you… escape Omega!" He struggled for breath as Aria pressed down harder, "I deserve… mercy!"
"Is this true, Aria?" Jane stepped closer as she watched the asari's face closely. Aria's eyes narrowed as a small smile touched her lips.
"Inexplicably." She stated firmly with full confidence as she leaned closer, putting her nose to nose with the general. "I think he'd agree now that it was the biggest mistake of his life." She hissed as her smile grew wider, colder.
"But… this is… murder!" Petrovsky's voice was weak, his face beginning to turn shades of purple as he struggled for air, Aria's hands gripping firmer still.
Jane's thoughts began to rush, her hand stayed by sudden conflict in her breast. She usually trusted her gut, it rarely led her astray, but right now, she had no idea what was right. She was violently thrust back into a memory of a busy shopping district of the Citadel, what felt like ages ago. Before her stood a scared, defeated, and regretful turian, and behind her was a waiting sniper, begging for his chance at revenge. She looked up at Garrus again.
"That's right." Aria whispered, her voice suddenly as gentle as a mother crooning to her newborn babe, and Jane turned and stepped away, unable to watch as she tasted something sour. "Cold blooded murder. No less than you des-"
"Aria, stop!" Nyreen stepped forward and pulled back on Aria's arm, forcing her to let up on the general's throat. "He surrendered, you can't just murder him! You've won, it's over!"
Aria shot her a murderous glare, teeth bared in a snarl, but while she didn't let go of Petrovsky, she didn't press down further either. She turned slightly to glance back at Jane and Garrus.
"She's probably right, Aria." Jane ventured carefully, "If he can get us intel and a leg up on Cerberus, then we should use it. Every little bit helps."
"There's no point in saving Omega if Cerberus causes us to lose the war with the Reapers." Garrus added with a nod. Aria glared at them both before returning her focus to the man who's neck she had her hands wrapped around. She shrugged off Nyreen's hand before slamming Petrovsky back down onto the console hard.
"Do you feel that, Oleg? That's death, only inches away. Remember this feeling." Aria muttered darkly before easing up slightly. "I'm letting you live – As a favor to Nyreen and for the war against your master." She squeezed tightly for one last moment as she added, "You'd better cooperate."
With that, Aria let go and stepped back from the console, leaving Petrovsky spluttering and gasping. She turned to Jane before nodding her head towards the general. "Take him, Shepard. You and your Council can decide his fate." She turned and strode away angrily, "Just get this filth off my station."
Jane watched as Petrovsky coughed and pulled himself to his feet, a hand coming up to feel his throat with a wince. Aria was out of earshot as she began barking out orders to Bray, who'd just arrived.
"Shepard." The general looked up at Jane with weighing eyes, and she crossed her arms as she met his gaze. There was something about his expression that she didn't like. "I'm amazed to see that you, the Butcher of Torfan, had such a… calming effect on Ms. T'Loak." Jane felt her jaw clench, her eyes narrowing as her fists tightened. "I tried talking sense into her one time. I'm looking forward to hearing how you pulled it off."
Jane snorted, "You think you understand a lot more than you actually do."
"What?" Petrovsky shrugged flippantly, "From what I understand, high-ranking P.O.W.s lead fairly comfortable lives. Who knows? You and I may even become friends."
Jane wasn't exactly sure what it was – perhaps his flippant words, or the lightness of his voice, or the hint of a shrewd smile – but suddenly she saw red. The self control she'd spent the past few months carefully constructing snapped in an instant. Her fist whipped up and collided hard with the man's cheek bone, sending him sprawling back down onto the ground with a cry.
"Shepard!" Nyreen gasped in shock, disapproval apparent in her outraged eyes, but Jane just turned away.
"Bray, get this piece of shit out of here." She growled, and instead of his usual sarcasm and disdain, the batarian only nodded quickly before hurrying forward to grab the groaning general.
"Some things never change, huh?" Garrus chuckled as he raised a brow plate at her, and she rolled her eyes with a smile.
Aria was standing at the railing looking out over Afterlife when Jane joined her. Beyond, both Aria's troops and civilians alike filtered into the club as they cheered in victory. Omega's queen turned enough to shoot Nyreen and Garrus both angry looks.
"I've been waiting to kill that man for months." Her eyes remained on Nyreen for a moment longer before shifting her gaze back out over her people. "Walk around with you lot for a few hours, and I go all soft. You're like a disease."
"A lot of people died for this victory, Aria." Nyreen replied reproachfully as she came to stand on her other side. "It's important to keep their sacrifice in mind as we go forward." Aria snorted and eyed her for a moment before smiling slyly. She turned quickly and before Jane could react, Aria had grabbed her shoulders and pulled her in for a hard kiss on the lips.
Jane stood there in complete and utter shock, managing nothing more than a muffled noise before Aria thrust her backwards again like a rag doll. She fought to keep her balance, the sudden whiplash nearly throwing her off her feet. As soon as she had her barings, she leaned away from the asari, her hands held up before her in a show of innocence as she turned to look back at Garrus.
Her boyfriend was utterly motionless, staring with his mouth agape, no emotion other than pure surprise on his face. "Not my fault!" Jane stated quickly, her voice an octave or two higher than she was generally used to hearing from herself, and Garrus nodded slowly, his mouth closing with a click. Nyreen's eyes were also wide, her mandibles held close against her face as she struggled to keep her face neutral. Aria stood with her hands on her hips as she rolled her eyes.
"It was a pleasure to work with you, Shepard, as always." The statement was pointed, a clear distinction from the other two. "Thanks to you, I have Omega back."
"It was a team effort, really." Jane shrugged, still reeling, and Aria grumbled a noncommittal agreement.
They began discussing the terms of their agreement along with Aria's plans going forward, but finally it was time for them to go. There was little else for them to do, and Jane was itching to get back to the Normandy and to John. She didn't like straying too far from him these days, and they'd been separated long enough during her time recovering on the Citadel. At the very least, she'd clearly demonstrated that she was indeed ready to get back into the fight, that much was for sure.
After a heartfelt goodbye from Nyreen – perhaps directed more at her idol, Archangel, than Jane – they took their leave from Omega's queen. As Jane and Garrus made their way through the throngs of people flocking into Afterlife to celebrate, they could hear the beginnings of Aria's victory speech.
"So, are we going to talk about that kiss or…?" Garrus quipped with a grin, and Jane shot a deadpan glare at him as her cheeks burned.
"Shut up, Vakarian." Her words were met with an amused chuckle that warmed her chest, and she couldn't help but the answering smile.
Standing before the entrance to the docks was Bray, and he motioned them over. "Ah, running Aria's shuttle little service now? What'd you do that landed you with all the crap details?" Jane asked with a smirk, her words designed to poke at his ego. Surprisingly, the man didn't rise to her bait.
"Come on, Shepard. Let's get you both back to the Citadel." He stated evenly, something almost resembling a smile tugging at his lips. "You've got a galaxy to save. Let's get you off this rock."
Jane's smirk softened into something more friendly as she held her hand out. Bray took it in a firm shake before releasing it and turning to lead them toward the shuttle.
"You ready to get back to it?" She asked as she turned to Garrus, and he chuckled as they followed after Bray.
"Ready as I'll ever be."
(Note: I love doing these little (or not so little, yikes) insights into other characters. It is primarily Garrus' story, but I do really love writing Jane, too. I hope my Tumblr friends enjoyed the sneak peak I posted last week. I've also reblogged some things with hints about things coming up in the next few chapters (if you pay attention to the tags), so please consider joining me there is you're interested in that sort of thing! Thank you so much to all my readers, I'd really love to hear from you if you have the time! Any and all feedback is appreciated, even if it's just mashing your keyboard at me to tell me you're enjoying this. I also welcome your thoughts if you have suggestions.)