Foreword
Hey guys, sorry for the long delay. Writer's block, you know how it is. Plus I was working on my other fics. I'm going in a new direction for this next arc, and it'll be interesting to see how well I can write without Bioware's storylines to give me a base. Hope I'm up to the challenge.
Enjoy!
- Finn
'The Loft'
The Normandy
On course for Sol System
Jack,
I heard about what happened. I'm furious too. They had no right to take away everything you earned and fought for without at least giving you a chance to defend yourself. There are people in the Alliance who are still on your side. And you know I'll defend you as long as I live.
It's been a hell of a wait since I sent my last letter. I hope you'll reply to this one. I know open comms are a security risk, but two and a half years is far too long a time for me not to see my son. Pick the time and the place, and I'll be there.
I love you, Jack. I'm so proud of you and what you've done. I know your father would have been proud of you too. Don't let the bastards grind you down.
Love,
Mom
I turned off the console, making the letter disappear. I sat back in my chair and stared at the ceiling for a while. It was very dark and quiet in my cabin. The only sounds that punctuated the silence were Jackie's gentle snores as she lay sleeping, huddled up under the covers.
I received the letter a few days ago, and kept opening and reading it over and over. It was nice to know that my mom was still looking out for me, despite her high rank and prominent position. Judging by what happened to Ken, Gabby, Joker and the rest, sticking up for me had to be a politically risky move at the very least.
But I knew my mom wouldn't give a damn. She'd turned down a promotion to Vice Admiral because it was the right thing for her to do. She had raised me with a similar mindset.
I wanted nothing more than to sit down and have a long chat with my mom. I knew she would give me the best advice on what to do next. There was so much I had to discuss with her. The Alliance, Cerberus, the Council, the Collector mission. My mom would be the only one capable of making sense of it all.
Yet a nagging feeling persisted in my mind that she wouldn't be too happy with my new outlook on life. She was expecting me to be devastated at the loss of my Alliance career. On the contrary, I felt better than ever before. In fact I was beginning to wonder why I'd ever signed up in the first place.
And then there was Jackie. My mom still thought I was with Ashley. I wasn't too sure how she would greet the new love of my life, who happened to be a mass-murdering former science experiment. As open-minded as my mom was, Jackie took some getting used to. I was worried that someone would say the wrong thing and either one of their feelings would get hurt.
I watched my fish swim around their tank. Stupid fish. They never had to deal with problems like these. Just wait for their food to arrive once a day courtesy of a cute young red-headed Yeoman.
"What are you up to?" asked Jackie. I didn't hear her wake up, but she was staring at me, her eyes barely visible in the darkness. She was sitting up, her knees drawn to her chest. "Come back to bed."
I left my chair and lay down next to her. Although I had pulled my shorts back on, she was still naked. The rest of our clothes were scattered all around the cabin, where we had tossed them after ripping them off each other a few hours ago.
"Nothing much," I said.
"Cut the crap will you?" she said, yawning widely.
"I was just reading a letter."
"From who?"
"My mother."
"Must be nice to have a mom," Jackie said casually. "She still checks up on you, huh? You're a little momma's boy."
"Yeah, that's me," I said. I wasn't in the mood for banter, and Jackie picked up on it.
"Okay, what's going on? You're acting more fucked in the head than usual," she said harshly. I had no choice but to come clean.
"I haven't seen or talked to her in a while. I'd like to visit, but she still thinks I'm with Ashley. I haven't told her about us."
Jackie became very still. "You haven't?" she asked.
"It's not that I don't want to," I said quickly. "The last time I wrote to my mom, you were still...you know. We weren't together then. And I haven't contacted her since then."
"So what's the big deal? Just send her a letter and tell her. Or is there a problem with that?" she asked, in a challenging tone.
"No. No, there isn't."
"Good," said Jackie shortly. She turned over, facing away from me.
"It's just that one letter's not going to be enough after two years of being away. She wants to meet me and I...I think you should meet her."
"I don't know about this," Jackie said.
"Just think about it. Please."
"Jack, I'm not exactly nice-girl-next-door. I ain't even an Alliance bitch like your last girl. What makes you think your mom will like me?"
"I can't speak for her, but I want her to meet you all the same. If you don't get along, we'll work at it. I'm never giving up on us."
Jackie didn't say anything. No point in pushing the matter. I lay back and closed my eyes.
After a while I felt her head rest on my chest and her hand holding mine, and in the darkness I smiled.
I opened my eyes. Jackie was nowhere to be seen, but I could hear the sound of running water. I went over to my bathroom and knocked.
"Get lost!" yelled Jackie through the door.
"Come on, I'm late."
"Your fault for not waking up first."
She sounded annoyed, so naturally I opened the door and walked in.
"How long do you need to shower anyway? You don't even have any hair to wash," I joked.
Jackie glared at me. "That's it, you're dead."
"Nah, I'll just come back to life. I can do that you know. Like woman, I am a mystery." I stripped off my shorts and stepped into the shower. "Room for one more?"
"You wanna come in here Jack, you'd best start getting really creative."
I put my arms around her, feeling the water rush over both our bodies. "I live to serve."
After an enjoyable half hour, I felt we'd better get a move on once my knees began to tremble and my skin started wrinkling up. We dressed and went down to the Mess Hall together.
"Morning guys," I said to the others at the table, drawing out a chair for Jackie. She looked surprised, but sat down. I took the seat next to her and began pulling every plate within reach towards me.
"Do you mind not smoking at the table, John?" asked Miranda irritably, waving her hand in front of her face.
"Oh, sorry." I dunked my cig in a glass of juice, then gulped it all down. Everyone around the table shuddered in unison.
"What's on the agenda, sir?" asked Kelly.
"Shouldn't we do this in the Briefing Room?"
"We are running a little late."
"Oh. Right. Okay, you all know we're going back to Sol System."
"Uh-huh," Garrus said. "I've never been there."
"According to Miranda's sources, we're going to investigate a man who has definite links to Cerberus. He's likely responsible for a large part of their funding."
Miranda took over. "His name is Ransom Foley." She waited for someone to make a sign of recognition. When no one did, she shook her head and sighed.
"He's both the CEO and the Chairman of the Board of Sombra Interplanetary Corporation," she added.
"Oh, Sombra!" Tali said.
"Right, right," Garrus said.
"Hey, I love their toothpaste. They make toothpaste right?" Kasumi asked.
"No, they make chips. Yeah I definitely ate a bag of Sombra once. I think it was it sour cream and onion," Jacob said.
Miranda was massaging her temples. "Yes, it is a huge corporation. It makes practically everything. That's why it's so wealthy. But I can tell you that Foley is very likely one of the Illusive Man's biggest supporters, financially. He's had a past history of speciesism, although it's all hushed up now."
"'Very likely?'" asked Thane. "Does this mean you are not completely sure?"
"I am about ninety percent sure, Mr Krios," Miranda said. "I knew a lot of things, but the Illusive Man was a suspicious bastard and didn't let me have access to everything."
"Hey, ninety's good," I said. "I'll take ninety. Alright EDI, bring up the scans."
"Sir? You are not currently in a location where I can perform that action."
"What, you can't bring up scans at breakfast?"
"No."
"Ah damnit. Okay everyone, let's just move along to the Briefing Room."
They all did, except for Jackie.
"Oi, let's get a move on," I said, poking her shoulder.
"Screw you, I'm not done eating," she mumbled with her mouth full.
"That's the last time we have morning shower sex. We always run late."
Briefing Room
"Take it away EDI," I said, clapping my hands.
EDI brought up the necessary information on her free floating holographic screens, and Jacob passed around copies of the report that Miranda had put together. She worked fast and efficiently, and summarised everything she knew about Foley in short, clipped, double spaced paragraphs.
I looked at the file Jacob just sent me on my omni-tool. Miranda's language was clear and concise, without unnecessary adjectives or a trace of personal opinion. Just the plain facts, conveying the maximum amount of information in the minimum amount of words, a skill which few people acquired.
Ransom Foley. Age unknown, but in excellent physical condition. The hologram showed an imposing clean-shaven, bald-headed black man. His dark eyes glowed with a fierce intelligence and I immediately sensed he wasn't going to be an easy opponent.
Miranda had dug up some old surveillance footage as well as a few public appearances. Foley getting into his private shuttle, dodging the press. Foley shaking hands with the President of China. Foley attending the birthday celebration for the King of England. Foley unveiling a new corporate building. But they were few and far between. I'd seen corporate head honchos with three times as many publicity seeking videos. It was clear he went to great lengths to avoid scrutiny.
"There's not a lot here that we can use," mused Garrus, reading the last page of the report. "Nothing solid, at any rate. Most of it's speculation and guesswork."
"I did my best," said Miranda at once. "It wasn't easy to find out what I did."
"It would be quicker and easier to simply eliminate him," said Thane.
"Let's keep that option open as a last resort. I'd like to keep things quiet this time."
No one in the room could keep a straight face. I could hear Tali snort as she tried not to laugh.
"So ten explosions then, instead of your usual twenty?" asked Garrus with a smirk.
"Very funny," I said. I chewed on a sausage stolen from the mess table while I pored over the reports. As much as I hated to admit it, Garrus seemed to be right. There didn't seem to be anything concrete we could use on him.
"How about basic surveillance?" I said to the room in general. "We follow him around, keep a few tabs on him, try to dig up even more dirt. Eventually we'll find something."
"There's a couple of problems with that," pointed out Miranda, as I knew she would. It was her gift. I didn't mind, it was part of what made her an invaluable second-in-command. "John, even if it's been nearly three years since you disappeared, you're still one of the most famous beings in the galaxy. And while the Normandymark two isn't an exact copy of the first one, enough people will be able to point out the resemblance. The return of Commander Shepard to Earth will not go unnoticed, and you can be sure that Foley will hear of it."
I didn't even bother to correct her about the 'Commander' thing. Miranda was right. I was taking a risk by personally overseeing this mission.
"What do we do, sir?" asked Jacob. They were expecting an answer.
I thought it over. "We'll take the Normandy in. There are too many ships going in and out of Earth for it to be easily tracked. We can't dock at Mars or Gagarin Jump Station, we'll stick out like a krogan at ballet class. Much easier to blend in around one of Earth's spaceports," I said.
"But Miranda's right though," I continued. "I can't personally be involved, the risk is too great. I won't leave the ship, and direct each of you from up here. We should be able to find something on Foley if we look hard enough."
We talked things over for the next few hours. Joker was setting a nice, steady pace and we had plenty of time before we reached Earth. After a while I noticed Jackie sidle into the room and curl up in an empty chair. She took a report and began reading it from top to bottom, apparently engrossed.
"I think basic surveillance is a good place to start," said Kasumi finally. "I could do it quite easily."
"Foley seems to spend most of his time in this city called Hyderabad," mused Garrus. "Where the main corporate headquarters is located. We should start from there."
"We'll dock at Singapore Spaceport," I said. "Then I want...let's see...you, Kasumi and Jacob to travel to Hyderabad by shuttle. I want daily updates. There's no rush, take all the time you need until you have something."
"Am I missing something here?" asked Grunt. "Shepard, you're a Spectre. You have complete authority to do whatever the hell you want to complete your mission. Let's go in and kill him and burn the building to the ground."
"That's completely out of the question," said Miranda.
"Why?"
"Don't think I haven't thought about it, Grunt," I replied, and from the way Miranda's head snapped back to stare at me, I knew it wasn't the answer she was expecting. "Believe me, there's nothing more I'd like than a little shock therapy, if half the rumours about this bastard are true."
"So let's do it, Shepard." Grunt said. "Then we can go find another target."
"My standing with the Council's a little rocky right now. If I raise any more hell they might cut me off. I'd be a rogue Spectre, and they'll send another team to take me down."
"We can kill them."
"Of course we can. But I don't want to have to."
"Uh, sorry Shepard, but I think you're wrong this time." It was Garrus. He actually had his arm raised, like he was back in school, and lowered it hastily as I looked at him.
"What?"
"They won't cut you off. Not while you're the only link to a substantial number of armed forces that will be crucial against the Reapers. You may have burned your bridges with the Alliance -"
"Thanks."
" - but you have the rachni, the krogan, the geth, and the Migrant Fleet personally at your beck and call. The Council won't risk antagonising you. Even if you say, blow up a planet -"
"Which is about twice a day," quipped Kasumi.
"What is it with you guys about me and explosions?"
"Ya kidding? Shepard, stuff tends to explode around you. That's not an opinion, or even an observation. That's a fundamental physical law of the universe. I think Newton added it in along with the others," said Jacob. Tali laughed, and he got a double high-five from her and Kasumi.
"As I was saying," continued Garrus, "Even if you blow up a planet the Council won't take any action. They might be pressurised by the public to conduct a manhunt, but they won't put any real effort into it."
"Yeah, they'll send the janitor to hunt you down. Or maybe Blasto the Hanar Spectre," Jacob said.
"Blasto's not real, you know," I said.
"Now who's being naive?" Kasumi said. "Blasto's out there, keeping us safe from the scum of the galaxy. You'll see for yourself one day."
"You essentially have full political and practical immunity," commented Miranda, trying to restore some seriousness to our conversation.
"Couldn't have put it better myself, even if it was the turian who pointed it out," said Grunt. "So what are you waiting for?"
I considered Garrus's words carefully. I hadn't thought about it that way before, but he was right. Not only was I a Spectre, I was a Spectre with independent backing. I had forged alliances that the Council couldn't afford to lose. I had carte blanche to do whatever the hell I wanted.
"So is it to be assassination then?" rasped Thane.
I turned to face Jackie. Her expression was unreadable.
"No. We proceed as planned."
"Why?" asked Grunt bluntly.
"Something Samara taught me. 'Precision is the greatest skill a warrior can master.' At least that's how I think it goes. Perform the smallest action needed to achieve the biggest impact. I couldblast my way in and toss Foley out of his office window -"
"I like the sound of that," Grunt said.
"But if you use your biggest gun straight away, you sell yourself short in case something unexpected comes up. As far as we know, this could be a bloodless mission. The information you uncover might be enough to shut him down quickly and quietly. Besides, this is Earth. Home base, you know? Innocent people might be hurt."
"So if it wasn't Earth, you might be more inclined to use excessive force?" asked Thane, more forcefully than I'd heard him in some time. His cold black eyes locked in on mine.
"No," I said emphatically. "I'd do the same whether this was Earth, or Kahje or Palaven or Rannoch."
"That sounds more like the old you, Shepard," said Tali, almost joyfully.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Oh, I was just saying...you know, you've recently...changed. It's not bad, not as such. But you're different."
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jackie get up from her chair and leave the room, and I fought the impulse to go with her. This was something that needed to be said.
"Look Tali, just because I've acquired a few new 'habits and hobbies' doesn't mean I've completely changed who I am."
"Sir, let me ask you a direct question," said Kelly.
"Uh, go ahead," I said, surprised.
"Does this have anything to do with your dishonourable discharge from the Alliance? Or your relationship with Jackie?"
I glared at her.
"Sorry sir, I just thought this was important to get out in the open," Kelly said.
I dropped my gaze and sighed. "Yeah, you're right. I was pretty shook up when the Alliance told me they were dropping me like a piece of trash. I won't deny that. But I've made my peace with it. For now. In my own way."
The others were looking at each other nervously.
"Well, that's good," Garrus said carefully.
"But as for my relationship with Jackie, it's really none of anyone's business. I know you gossip and talk behind our backs, and that's fine. That's normal. Hell, I've done it myself lots of times. But I really don't see the need to discuss it right now, and that's the end of that."
An uncomfortable silence followed my words. Miranda eventually broke it.
"The mission, John?"
"Right. We'll dock at Singapore. Garrus, you take Jake and Kasumi and use any means necessary to dig up dirt. I want financial records, offworld accounts, minutes of meetings, anything we can use."
"What if we don't find anything?"
"Then it's time to stop speaking softly and bring out the big stick."
"Jackie?" I called, walking through the corridors. She was nowhere to be seen.
I went back to the crew deck, and bumped into Ken Donnelly.
"Hi Ken. Have you seen Jackie around?"
"I think your lass went to the gym, Cap'n." The engineer had taken to calling me Captain, probably as a result of Tali's influence.
"Thanks."
I went in and saw Jackie working with the punching bag. A millimetre before her fist landed, it glowed blue and the bag would rock backwards as if Grunt had decked it with all his might. But even from the doorway I could tell she was hitting wild, without thinking about where the next punch was coming from.
"Hey," I said, ducking under the ropes of the boxing ring and climbing in.
"Jack? Meeting's over?"
"Yeah," I said.
"So what did the ginger bitch say?"
"You heard her?"
"Please," Jackie said.
"She just wanted to ask about us," I said.
"And I bet you poured your heart out," said Jackie sarcastically, taking a wild swing at me. I shifted right and dodged easily.
"I didn't, as a matter of fact," I told her.
"Really?"
"No. Were you expecting me to?"
"Kinda," Jackie said shortly.
"Jackie, what we have is special. It's private. I'd never talk about the details with anyone else without your knowledge."
I threw a jab that stopped inches from her shoulder. Jackie looked surprised, and I grinned. She responded with a haymaker that I had to duck out of the way.
"You wouldn't?" she asked.
"Never."
"I don't see why it's a big fucking deal, that's all," said Jackie, suddenly retreating to a corner and leaning against the post. "We share a bed. We fuck. No, we make...love. You watch my back and I've got yours. End of story."
"It's natural for them to be a little curious. You said it yourself, we're not exactly the most normal of couples."
"Doesn't mean I want them interfering," she said.
"Jackie, they're our friends -"
"They're your friends. Not mine," she said.
"They're your friends too," I said.
Jack rolled her eyes, but for once she didn't argue the point.
"What I'm trying to say is that they're curious. But they mean well," I added.
"It's just that...I don't want to screw this up. I don't anything to screw this up. I don't want to be alone. Not anymore," she said.
"You won't be. Not while I'm here," I said.
"You could die at any moment, jackass."
"Yeah, I could. That's why this is special to me. I could die tomorrow. I could get my head blown clean off my shoulders. Or I could live for five centuries. But no matter how much time I have left, I'm choosing to spend every second of it with you. The choice is what gives it worth, don't you see? I'm yours."
Jackie looked at me. Then she grinned.
"Damn right you are. And I'm not letting you get away either. If you die on me I'll hunt Death down and kick her ass so hard she'll be begging to give you back."
"Death's a girl?"
"Don't you know anything?"
"I know about boxing. You fight like a girl."
"You sexist bastard! I've killed more assholes than you ever will, Spectre Boy."
"Not without your biotics you haven't. Come here, let me teach you how to punch. No, really, your timing's all off. No wait – ow! Hey, that hurt – OW! Stop hitting me, I'm not ready yet!"
'The Loft'
The Normandy
Singapore Interplanetary Spaceport
"Holy shit Jack, that was amazing," purred Jackie luxuriantly, stretching her arms.
"Unnnh," I groaned, lying on my stomach. I was completely spent and could hardly move.
"I mean, it's always amazing, but that was really fucking amazing."
"Unnnh."
"I think you're getting better with the practice. Doesn't mean you can stop though."
"Fuck's sake, give me a break, woman. I'm drained. I need to drink my own weight in water to replace my bodily fluids."
"Don't take too long, or I'll start without you."
I reached around for my cigarettes and lit one up, lying back on my pillow. It had been a week and a half since I'd sent Jacob, Garrus and Kasumi on their mission. After thinking about it I decided to send Thane along as well, for added insurance.
I needed Miranda back at 'base' to coordinate their reports, while Mordin and Tali were better off on board working on their own individual projects. I let them have free rein, anything they came up with would be far better than anything I could ever dream of. Grunt was beginning to be a bit of a problem though. According to Kelly he was restless down in the cargo hold and paced around constantly.
Miranda's latest update informed me that the team was making good progress. Kasumi had managed to break into the main building and gain entry to their data servers, although the main bulk of the archives was apparently housed elsewhere.
Meanwhile to pass the time, Thane had come up with thirty eight different ways of killing Foley and making it look like an accident. Miranda had listed them all down meticulously. With labelled diagrams in colour.
I went over the options in my mind. The information hunt was coming along, surely but slowly. My team could find something and I could break Foley to my will. Or I could simply have Thane bump him off, but that presented its own set of difficulties. The new man or woman coming in would have their own background and secrets, and it would take time to sift through them. There was no guarantee they'd be any better than Foley.
There was the scorched earth option, and some part of my brain ached for it. I overruled it. It wouldn't be prudent to indulge my violent urges. At least, not for the moment. Then realisation hit me like a bolt of lightning.
Was it Morinth? Was her presence in my mind actually causing this...change in me? I didn't hear her voice. At least I think I didn't. But I had changed, that was undeniable. I thought I had done so out of my own free will. Out of my love for Jackie.
But now I had to consider the possibility that it wasn't the case. That this new me, the person Jackie loves, was something artificial. A creation of an alien intruder. I wondered if I should talk to someone. Maybe contact Samara.
Fuck it. I breathed out the smoke and felt better.
"Jack?" Jackie asked.
"No, I can't go again, I'll die of exhaustion. I'm genetically enhanced, not superhuman."
"I'm not talking about that, you jackass! Tell me about your Mom."
"My mother?"
"Yeah. The famous Hannah Shepard, captain of...what was it again?"
"The SSV Orizaba. One of only eight dreadnoughts in the Alliance fleet. My mom could blow up a planet if she wanted to."
"I knew you got it from somewhere."
"What do you want to know about? Her career?" I asked.
"Why would I want to hear about her career? No, the time you spent with her. What she's like as a Mom."
I thought of my Mom. How her presence was always felt even when she wasn't around. I don't know how she did it, but somehow she managed it so that either dad was home with me, or she was. Or once in a great while, both of them at the same time.
Home was never permanent, always shifting from station to ship to station again. My friends were other military brats. We learned to swear almost as soon as we learned to talk, giggling at the echoes from the Drill Sergeants as they abused their trainees. We learned to fight immediately after learning to walk.
But mom put the fear of God in me, and I quickly learned to keep a civil tongue in my head and my hands to myself whenever she was around. Dad might have been the frontline marine, trained to kill, but at home it was mom's word that was law.
When it came to my mom, I mostly remembered isolated incidents here and there. Sitting at the kitchen table while she patiently showed me how to differentiate an equation. Jumping up and down with me when the London Knights won the Superbowl.
Yelling at me when I sneaked into the house at three in the morning, having discovered the joys of a driver's license. Making out with my dad like a teenager when they thought I couldn't see them. Her pride when I was accepted into the Academy. Her hand holding mine during Dad's funeral.
Throughout my hectic and constantly changing life, my Mom was a rock that never moved, not even for a moment. I trusted her, and I could always, always count on her no matter what fresh hell I managed to land myself into.
I realised I'd been speaking for a quarter of an hour only when my lips ran dry. Coughing, I reached for a glass of water and gulped it down.
Jackie had been staring at me throughout, completely absorbed in what I was saying. She cuddled a little closer to me under the covers.
"Wow. You really love her, huh. And it's clear that she loves you."
"Mom and Dad taught me almost everything I know. They're responsible for who I am."
"Must be nice," Jackie said. I thought I could tell what was running through her mind. Jackie never knew her parents, or ever had someone she could trust in or count on. I held her hand and squeezed it.
"Hey, you know what?"
"What?"
"You don't have to miss out, if you want to. You could...you would make a great Mom one day," I said slowly.
Jackie's eyes grew wide, and she pushed herself away. I had become accustomed to her sudden silences. I berated myself mentally for saying the wrong thing yet again, far too soon.
"Hey. Don't do that."
"Piss off," said Jackie, but without real malice. It was almost like an automatic response.
"I'm serious," I said.
"Don't joke about things like that, Jack."
"I wasn't joking."
"Can you hear what you're saying? Me? I've had the most fucked up childhood ever. I couldn't...I can't..."
"You won't be alone," I said. "I'd be there too."
Silence.
"That is, if you wanted. Just...just think about it."
"Jack, now I know you're more fucked in the head than I am. We've been together for what, a few months? Why are you laying this on me? Why are you saying this now?"
"I just want to let you know that you don't have to be afraid. Of the future. Of us, of the future we're going to have together. This is what's real, I know it is," I said.
More silence.
"Look, I'm sorry. Maybe I spoke too soon," I said, getting up from the bed. I leaned down and kissed Jackie on her forehead. "I won't talk about it if you don't want to talk about it, but just think it over."
I wrapped a towel around myself and went down in the elevator. Looking around furtively, I dashed across the crew deck in the direction of the lounge to search for more liquor.
"Sir," came a disembodied voice from the speaker above.
"Jesus! EDI, you scared the hell out of me."
"I'm sorry sir. Ms Lawson asked me to contact you. She says it's urgent."
"But I'm not dressed..."
"She says it's very urgent."
Shrugging, I went over to Miranda's office, but before I could buzz the door it slid open and she ran out, colliding into me.
"For the love of – John! There you are! We need to get to the Briefing Room right away!"
"What's the rush?"
"Jacob missed the deadline for his daily report about half an hour ago. I've been trying to contact him and the others without success. Then I received a message from Ransom Foley."
"What, directly from him?"
"Yes. I've got a bad feeling about this," Miranda said.
We hurried towards the Briefing Room.
"Um John, why are you wearing a towel?" she asked.
"You really don't want to know."
"I suppose not."
We reached the Briefing Room, and at Miranda's command EDI began to play the holographic message from Ransom Foley.
His image hovered in the air, almost a head taller than I was. It was a recorded message, not real-time, yet I could feel the menace as clearly as if he was standing there right before me.
"Commander Shepard. Apparently you have seen fit to take an interest in my affairs. You could have arranged a pleasant face-to-face meeting, but instead you resort to criminal activity."
His lip curled in a sneer. "I expected better from the so called saviour of the galaxy. With all your power, with your Spectre status, and yet you dare not challenge me openly."
I was itching to set the record straight, but he went on. "I've captured your 'associates'. They're currently being held in a secure location, enjoying my hospitality. It would be well within my rights to tear them to pieces. I'm sure you would wish to avoid that, so I'm making you an offer. You contact me and arrange a meeting. Then we can discuss business. You have twenty four hours."
The hologram fizzled and disappeared.
"Goddamnit!"
"They must have been careless," said Miranda, her face very white. "I would never have imagined Jacob and Thane being discovered by corporate security."
"Okay. Contact everyone, inform them of the situation, tell them to prepare for possible combat. Foley might attack us. Tell Tali to prep the engines and Joker to get his ass back in that chair. I want scanning done for the team, maybe we can pick up a trace -"
"Sir?" interrupted EDI.
"What is it, EDI?"
"Yeoman Chambers has just forwarded another message. It's from the Alliance."
Miranda and I glanced at each other.
"Play it."
It wasn't a hologram this time, but a message.
To:
Agent John K. Shepard
Special Tactics and Reconnaissance
Citadel Council
Intelligence confirms that Ransom Foley has apprehended three individuals believed to be associated with your crew. We were in the process of conducting our own investigation into the activities of Foley when your operatives were discovered. We believe there is much to be gained by working together on this case. If you wish to meet with our own agent in the field in charge of this investigation, contact us.
Alliance Intelligence Agency
"It's a trap," Miranda said immediately.
"I don't think so," I said. "If they wanted me dead they wouldn't resort to something so clumsy. I'll say yes, we don't have the slightest idea where Foley's taken the others."
"The letter said three individuals, not four. Who escaped? And if so, why didn't he or she contact us?"
"I don't think we're going to like the answer to that question."
I sent back a reply in the affirmative, and barely a minute had passed before another one arrived. It stated that the Alliance agent would be arriving in Singapore in about a couple of hours.
"Brief the crew, please. I need to go put on some pants."
I waited on the Bridge for the agent, Miranda alongside me. Jackie and Mordin and Tali and Grunt and Legion were waiting in the Briefing Room. Joker was already in his pilot's chair, complaining loudly about his shore leave being cut short.
"...and I picked up this chick? She had the most amazing body, you would not believe it. And now I'm stuck back here! Can you imagine all the sex I could be having?"
"Shut up Joker, you already had a week of leave on board the Citadel," I said. "Time to earn your keep."
"On this salary? You've got to be kidding."
"Airlock engaged," announced EDI. The hatch opened and in stepped two very serious looking men in impeccable suits and ties.
"Hello, I'm John Shepard," I said, walking towards them. "Let's get started, shall we?"
But the men ignored me. One of them tapped an omni-tool, checked for something and having been satisfied, nodded at the other. Number two tapped his communicator.
"Ma'am? All clear, you may enter."
A woman stepped in and my heart literally stopped beating. My blood froze in my veins.
Dark hair in a neat bun. Warm brown eyes. Olive skin, and long coltish legs that seemed to go on forever. She was in civilian wear, a flight jacket over a tight t-shirt, tighter jeans and combat boots. An outfit almost exactly like mine.
She looked at me and I fought to stay conscious.
"Hello, John."
"Ash?"