Book 2, Chapter 5 - Prison Break

Waking up next to Kelly the next morning was a nice feeling. She was certainly in a good mood, waking up with a smile and a rather nice kiss. Watching her get up and stretch, showing off her body was certainly an even better way to start the day, as she turned around and asked if I wanted to join her for a shower before heading downstairs. Best idea I've heard since I woke up – both times!

Twenty minutes later, we were dressed and standing in the elevator. Sharing a brief last kiss, we walked out into the mess together. There were a few stares but no-one said anything as Gardner had cooked some bacon and eggs, and with a mug of coffee, it was a good way to start the day. Add some toast and some fruit, and I'd have plenty of energy to burn.

Taking a seat with everyone else, Garrus looked at me so I returned an innocent glance. "Something on your mind?"

He looked at Kelly then back at me. "So…"

"Spit it out, Garrus."

I was expecting a question. Instead, he simply leaned back and laughed to himself. Better reaction than I expected. I thought I was going to get a million questions or innuendos. Perhaps he knew better nowadays, or he was waiting until we were in private before I received a grilling. I did notice Miranda had joined us, though 'joining us' meant in the mess, at a table by herself, and she left before any of us were even halfway through our meal.

"I'll be dealing with her this morning," I muttered so only a select few could hear.

"About what?" Garrus asked.

"Everyone is terrified of her. That isn't how you run a ship. The crew need to find her approachable. She wants to have the title of Cerberus Officer, or Executive Officer, then she can bloody well act like one. Walking around like your shit don't stink only causes resentment. I'll deal with it once the rest are at their stations. I don't want a shouting match anyway." I glanced down the table, pleased to see Joker could hobble his way to the mess nowadays. "How much longer to the prison?"

"Just after lunchtime, Commander. We'll be at the final relay in an hour, then it's a hop, skip and jump to the system we need."

Finishing breakfast, those around me were smart to leave quickly, while the regular crew had to be at their stations by a set time anyway. Once the mess was empty except for Gardner, who would now clean the mess, start preparing lunch, and do other odd jobs around the ship, I headed to Miranda's office. It opened as I approached and she was busy at her terminal, though when she looked up and noticed it was me, she was definitely taken aback. Her fingers stopped moving. "Commander?"

"We need to talk, Miss Lawson."

She was immediately on the defensive. Her posture told me everything, but she remained calm. "What about?"

"Well, considering I have experience as an Executive Officer, I'm actually here to give you some advice."

I was expecting some sort of sarcastic retort straight away. Instead, she gestured to the empty chair across from her, and pressed a button, hearing the door into her office lock. Settling her forearms on the desk, she leaned forward slightly. "Advice, Shepard? Why do you think I need advice?"

"Honestly?"

"I'd rather you be honest than anything else."

"Your attitude around and towards the crew stinks. You walk around with a stick up your arse all the time. You treat them with barely concealed contempt, and quite frankly, your arrogance seems to know no bounds. You were offered a chance to come join us last night, to come meet the crew, sit down and actually get to know them as people, and you throw the invitation back in all our faces."

"You've made your feelings clear about Cerberus personnel, and myself, Commander."

"I was there last night, Miss Lawson, getting to know the people I will be working with, getting to know who they are as human beings, actually looking past that symbol you proudly wear."

"I had work to do, Commander."

"Bullshit. I have plenty of work to do myself but I was still there last night enjoying myself."

"What you choose to do with your time…"

"Is none of your business," I interrupted, "You're damn well right it is. But as this ship's Executive Officer, one of your primary functions is being the go-between myself and the crew, and you are ineffective if you, putting it bluntly, terrify them. Do I need to tell you what your role is?"

"I'd be thrilled to hear what you believe it is, Commander."

"Sarcasm will get you nowhere with me, Miss Lawson. Chapter 9, Section 901 of the Alliance Naval Guidebook regarding officers of the Alliance Navy, position – Executive Officer. The Executive Officer is the Second in Command. Her or she is responsible to the Commanding Officer for the general organisation of the ship and for the discipline, morale and welfare of the whole Ship's Company… Which one of those words do you think was important, Miss Lawson?"

"Discipline."

I smirked. "While true, this is not a military vessel, and even then, there are caveats. We are a civilian ship, and therefore are not bound by military regulations. And while discipline is important, officers and servicemen are generally disciplined internally as it is ingrained in them during training. What is important on missions such as this is morale. And while I may lead, they need to know that I have people around me who they can approach. You strutting around this ship like your shit doesn't stink doesn't help matters. You acting like you're better than them will do nothing but piss them off."

She shrugged. "I am better than them. I've been preparing for this role…"

I raised a hand, surprised she stopped talking. "Are you seriously that arrogant? To believe it or not isn't the point. To actually say it is something else entirely. Do you have no idea how to actually deal with people?"

"My main priority is the mission, not the crew."

I made a sound like a buzzer. "Wrong! So completely and utterly wrong, Miss Lawson. You claim to be the Executive Officer, correct?"

"Yes, because I am the XO as positioned by the Illusive Man."

"Expect a message with a series of attachments. Read them over and you will soon learn what the priorities of your role are. The mission and the safety of this vessel are my main priorities as the Commanding Officer of this vessel." I rose to my feet so I could look down at her. "I'm not actually expecting you to listen to a word I've said, but you will learn to fulfil your obligations correctly. I will be asking a colleague of ours to start monitoring your attitude towards the crew. If your poor attitude continues, measures will be taken."

Now she smirked, leaning back and looking confident. "If you think the Illusive Man…"

"You think I'll talk to him about it? I will deal with the issue personally." I pushed the chair I'd been sitting in back into position. "We're done here, Miss Lawson. Mission briefing will be fifteen minutes before docking." I turned and strode out of her office, confident I'd got my point across. Had I been professional? Apart from one or two jabs, I think I'd held my tongue rather well. I didn't actually have anyone ready to watch her, though I was fairly sure word would filter through if her attitude improved or not.

I headed upstairs, noticing Kelly disappear and return within a couple of minutes with two mugs, one for me and one for herself. Otherwise, she was completely professional, as I would expect, heading back to her own terminal to carry on with her work, though she'd glance my way every so often and smiled. Figuring I still had a little time until we needed to depart, I headed into Mordin's lab to see how the salarian was getting on.

He was busy at work doing something though looked up as I approached. "Ah, Shepard. Glad you are here."

"Why?"

"I'm busy working on the samples you gave me. Lucky you found them. Different tech. Not organic. Not geth. Indicates outside interference."

"The Reapers?"

"Possible Collectors are Reaper constructs. Perhaps used in emergency in case vanguard ship fails."

"I'm sure there are plenty of other questions but all I'm worried about is a working sample to protect us from the swarms. Can you do it?"

"Of course. Lab provided excellent. All the materials I require. Oh, you are aware of monitoring devices?"

"I figured there would be some around. You found some?"

"Yes. Found six in this lab alone. Four more in personal quarters. Can give you machine to find more."

"Can you make a few of them?"

"Yes. Easy to make. Based on signal. Short zap, the bug stops working. Can hand pile to Miss Lawson if desired."

"Get Garrus and Kasumi to help you. Search the ship, top to bottom, finding every single monitoring device you can find. Let me know when you're done, then I'll have another word with Miss Lawson. I knew we'd be spied on, but if I can put a stop to it, you'd better be damned sure I will."

"Likely AI also spying on us too."

"Yeah, but not a lot I can do about it. And EDI might prove its worth. Just focus on the monitoring devices for now. Is it video and sound?"

"Yes. Hard to miss the bigger cameras. Smaller cameras considered invasion of privacy."

"Thanks for letting me know, Mordin."

"No problem, Shepard. Working for Cerberus unexpected. Knew they'd spy though. Need me for anything else, I'll be here."

I crossed the ship, past the conference room, to visit Jacob. I wasn't there to shoot the shit with him though. I asked if he could help with some training. He seemed to appreciate the fact I'd come to ask him, so he stopped what he was working on and we headed down to the hangar bay. I checked my watch, and we had a couple of hours, so he put me through my paces, first showing me the basics of just being a biotic, how it all worked, and then he told me the gestures and movements I could make. What he told me was that, in the end, it would just come naturally. I'd think it and it would happen. To begin with, it was simply going to be awkward because I wasn't used to it. And, apparently, with my implant, I'd be able to learn even more powerful skills with further practice.

The one thing I learned is that biotic takes up a hell of a lot of energy, and made me sweat even harder. But I was soon doing charges easily, throwing warps, pulling and throwing objects, and even shooting what he called a shockwave. Apparently there were other skills, but they would take more practice to learn and required even more effort. He suggested I focus on easier skills for now, until they were almost second nature, then add more skills to my repertoire.

Cooling off with a bottle, we were just shooting the shit, nothing too personal, when Joker reported over the comm that we were approaching our destination. Heading upstairs in the elevator, I admitted, "Jacob, this is a flawed design right here. Armoury should be in the hangar bay. More often than not, we'll be leaving by shuttle, not the docking bay door." He shrugged helplessly, so there was my answer. "Still, I think we're docking directly with the prison this time, so at least it's not too much of a problem."

I was taking Miranda, Jacob, Garrus and Zaeed with me. We'd been informed that the Blue Suns operated the prison, known as Purgatory, but I'd already had a quiet word and Zaeed assured me he would behave himself for now. I took the man at his word. Miranda turned up as I was preparing my weapons. She didn't say anything, simply clipping a shield pack to her hip while grabbing a pistol and sub-machine gun. The air wasn't tense but I think word has spread about my visit that morning.

Heading to the airlock, Joker was bringing the Normandy into position, listening into the communications between us and the prison. "Everyone ready?" I asked.

"Aye, Commander," was the reply.

"Now, while we are expecting a smooth handover of the prisoner, stay ready for anything. Garrus, watch out six as always. Miss Lawson, you have the details, you'll lead with me. Jacob, Zaeed, watch our flanks."

"Don't trust them, Shepard?" Zaeed asked.

"No. These guys are mercenaries, nothing more. I've done a little research on this prison. I'm sure it breaks just about every galactic law in Council Space, but as it's out here, nowhere cares"

The ship docked, the air cycled and pressured, and we walked out onto the docking harm. No-one was there to meet us, so we headed in the only direction we could until we were met by four turians in Blue Suns armour. One of them raised a hand, indicating we should halt.

"Welcome to Purgatory, Commander," stated the guard. I simply nodded, so the guard continued. "Your package is being prepared. It should be available to collect shortly." He then looked over all of us, particularly at the fact we were all heavily armed. "While on board the Purgatory, I must ask that you and your team relinquish your weapons. It's standard procedure."

"Not happening, Chief. I'm here to pick up a dangerous prisoner, and I'm about to be surrounded by heaven only knows how many Blue Suns mercenaries. Do I really look that stupid to you?"

"It's standard procedure, Commander. Without it…"

"Fuck your procedure. I'm not handing over my weapons."

The guards looked between themselves. I just folded my arms, waiting to see what they'd do next. I was a patient man and in no hurry. I could stand there all day if required. However, the impasse was broken quickly as a fifth turian walked through the door behind them. "Commander, I'm Warden Kuril. This is my ship and these are my rules. As the guard has already stated, this is simply standard procedure. Your weapons will be returned once you have collected your package."

"No. Do I have to continuously repeat myself? I. Will. Not. Give. You. My. Fucking. Weapons. Capiche?"

"My translator didn't pick up that last word. What?"

"Capiche. It means do you understand. As in, I will not give you my fucking weapons. Do you understand?"

He glanced over the five of us again. Armed. Armoured. And generally not going to put up with anyone's bullshit. He eventually relented. "Let them proceed. Our facility is more than adequately equipped to deal with five armed guests. Just keep your weapons holstered, Commander. Don't want to go frightening the prisoners. Or the rest of the guards…"

"Yeah, fair enough."

We all relaxed as Kuril gestured for us to follow him into the prison. As we walked along, flanked by three more guards, the warden told us more about the prison, pretty much I think we all expected to hear. The worst the galaxy had to offer was dumped in Purgatory, the governments wiping their hands of them. Of course, the Blue Suns extracted money from the governments by threatening to release said prisoners if they were not paid for keeping them. Serial killers, mass murders, terrorists, the sort of people I might even have to deal with were housed in the prison. Scumbags was my main thought. I grew up on the streets but even we lived by some sort of code. Most of the people in Purgatory broke even the few codes I had.

As for Jack, apparently he was the most dangerous and powerful biotic in the galaxy. A complete psychopath. Ready to kill at the drop of a hate. A powder keg ready to explode, and god help you if you were in his path. To be honest, sounded perfect for the mission, long as they followed orders.

Jacob was the first one to mutter something about the cruelty on display. I certainly heard a lot of yelling, screaming, complaining. One or two prisoners copped a beating but I found it hard to sympathise. I had little doubt they were the scum of the galaxy but even Garrus started to mutter. "This all really necessary?" I finally asked.

"We live on a knife-edge every day, Commander. This is the literal scum of the galaxy. If you've read of some atrocity anywhere, families wiped out, murder sprees and massacres, bombs and explosions, there's a pretty good chance they've been dumped on us. After reading what some of these people have done, you would find sympathy is in very short supply."

Garrus wasn't particularly happy but I wasn't inclined to involve myself. "Have they all been convicted in a court of law?" he asked.

"Of course. They are escorted from Council Space to the edge of the Terminus Systems, where we review their crimes, the judgement handed down, and only then will we take charge of the prisoner, with the adequate payment, of course." He stopped and turned. "Look, the prisoners who behave, who follow orders, who simply see out their time? I won't say they're happy, who would be on a floating prison. But they accept their lot. If they behave, they receive privileges. Maybe send a letter home to mum and dad, or receive a call from a loved one, maybe even their kids. Don't behave? Then they'll either end up in the fridge or they'll be beaten until they do co-operate. Life is harsh here, people."

Moving on, some prisoners wanted to be noticed, banging on their doors as we passed by. There were threats that bordered on ludicrous. Miranda certainly received plenty of comments, plenty of then so vulgar, even I felt sorry for her. The guards would bang the doors with their sticks, forcing the prisoners back, but it was certainly loud. Probably louder than usual.

Kuril stated that Jack needed to be processed so to just proceeded through the next door. There was a lone mercenary at a terminal who gestured to a door on the far side. Kuril and the other guards disappeared, leaving us alone. Zaeed muttered it was all wrong. Garrus was agreeing. I felt something slightly off, so thought Fuck it and took the shotgun from my back.

They were proven right seconds later. The door opened to reveal an empty cell. I could only stand there and laugh. One, because I should have known better. And two, because I was about to cause a prison riot.

"Are you seriously going to try this on, Kuril? I figured you would be smarter than this?" I yelled out.

"You are out-numbered and out-gunned, on one of the most secure facilities in the galaxy, Shepard. So just save yourself the trouble. Drop your weapons and walk into the open cell. I promise that you and your colleagues won't be harmed."

I flipped the bird and showed it to any cameras I could see. "Very mature," Miranda muttered. I ignored her as we spread out into the limited cover. Blue Suns mercenaries soon arrived and that's when I put my training to immediate use, charging straight into three of them, knocking two of them down, blasting the head off the third. I quickly blasted the other two, gaping wounds in their chest, as I turned and charged at another Blue Suns approaching. Blam! Another hole in the chest of a turian as he went flying backwards.

"Leave some for us, Shepard!" I heard Garrus call, just as I had to leap into cover as I came under fire. I glanced at the rest and gestured, the five of us moving out together.

"All personnel, apprehend the fugitives at once."

"Well, hopefully they come to us and make this easier," Zaeed grunted, "Bunch of fuckin' pussies. Call yourself Blue Suns, you worthless cunts!" he yelled out.

More Blue Suns flooded forward and it turned into nothing more than a shootout. I used one of my new abilities, sending a shockwave in the direction of a trio hiding behind an overturned desk, sending all three of them flying. "Oh fuck, he's now got biotics!" Garrus yelled, "That's all we need!"

"Commander, Jacob and I can work together. You can help out. You pull or lift them like Jacob, I can warp them. Or send a shockwave, and I can add my own."

"Good thinking, Miss Lawson. But I do like my charging as well."

We moved out after mowing the bastards down, Zaeed slapping some medi-gel on a wound, but otherwise we'd managed to get out relatively unscathed. We had no schematic of the prison so were currently blind, but found a room nearby that had what we needed. Miranda got to work at a nearby terminal, keying a few commands. "Okay, I've got the layout, Commander. And I've located Jack. Now, I can simply release him or I can open every door in the place."

"Every door, Miss Lawson. They want a riot, they can have one. We're leaving with Jack, so we grab him, and get the fuck out of here quickly. We'll leave the prisoners and Blue Suns to fight each other."

We stepped forward together, looking below as it appeared the Blue Suns had kept Jack in the fridge, so to speak. After what we were told, I didn't really blame them, in all honesty. As he was retrieved, it soon became obvious that Jack wasn't what we expected at all. "Jack's a bird!" Zaeed exclaimed.

Then we watch the biotic power we'd been told about on display. She tore through at least three giant mechs like they were paper, and she quickly disappeared in a biotic surge. We all shared a glance and ran after her, listening as explosions started to echo around the prison.

"Kill any Blue Suns. As for the prisoners, if they attack us, kill them. If they're not bothering us, leave them."

Within minutes, the prison was tearing itself apart. I spent half my time biotic charging around the yard, blasting away Blue Suns and the occasional prisoner. Most of the latter were just looking to escape. Fat chance of that happening, but they were helping us distract the guards, which we killed far more easily than we would have otherwise. In the corridors, I linked up with Jacob and Miranda, learning how to combine biotic attacks. I always found training useful, but it was doing it out on the field, under pressure, even with your life on the line, when you definitely proved and even excelled at a new skill. We soon had biotic combo's ripping apart the Blue Suns defences.

"All prisoners. Return to your cells immediately or I'll open ever airlock on this ship!"

"He's bluffing," Zaeed stated, "He'd immediately lose his leverage."

As we moved on through what seemed like the dead centre of the prison, another message suggested we should probably work faster.

"Warning! Power plant damage has led to overload. Core systems failure imminent."

"Shepard, are we ever going to complete a mission where you don't blow something up?" Garrus wondered ever so sarcastically.

"Don't say I never do anything nice for you."

He barked a laugh before firing his rifle, blasting the head off a mercenary in the distance. As for Jack, we barely saw any sign of her, simply following the trail of destruction and dead bodies, whether they were Blue Suns or other prisoners. There was the occasional explosion as she did something or other. It usually ended up in flames or blow apart.

"Find Jack! Full alert! Find Jack!"

"Did the money transfer go through?" I wondered.

"The Illusive Man wouldn't have authorised the transfer until we had Jack back on the ship," Miranda replied. I didn't really care if he lost money or not, it was simple curiosity.

The Blue Suns were pulling back, eventually making a final stand. I had a feeling more than half the prisoners were probably dead by now, killed by us, them, or Jack. The five of us converged where he was. He had maybe a dozen mercenaries left, though a few of them were carrying wounds. "Stand down, Kuril, and I'll make your death quick."

I was boasting as the bastard had the high ground. Making a series of gestures, we split up into small teams and opened fire, Garrus disappearing as I knew he'd only have eyes for his fellow turian. The Blue Suns worked smart together, so I chose to cause some confusion, charging quickly between them, blasting away before retreating the same way I'd arrived. It caused my shields to fail more than once as they learned after I'd shot three of them. As for Kuril, he was firing at my colleagues though didn't seem able to get a shot off at me at least.

Then there was the crack of a sniper, nearly everyone looking up at Kuril. His shields failed, and before he could even think about diving into cover, the next shot slammed through his head, causing half of his face to practically cave in, before he collapsed to the ground. With their commander gone, the Blue Suns wilted and we slaughtered the bastards. We didn't take delight in it, we were simply doing our job.

Ignoring the riot that was still in progress, Miranda was able to direct us towards a nearby passage that allowed us onto the original corridor where our ship was. That's where we met Jack, clearly deranged. She wasn't armed with a gun, she was holding a bloodied knife that she'd clearly used with relish, as besides the body art all over her body, she was also covered in blood. Her head was shaved, she had dark eyes, and her small breasts were strapped down so tight, she had the body of a boy, not a woman. She didn't even notice our arrival, pacing almost nervously, swearing to herself. Then she stopped and turned towards us, coming to an immediate halt. Her eyes rested on me for all of a second before they moved to the side, and her face turned into one of such rage, I worried she was going to try and charge at us. "Cerberus," she growled.

"Do you always get that reaction, Jacob?" Garrus asked, obviously rhetorically. I guess he knew better than to joke with Miranda.

When she summoned her biotics, that's when I raised my weapon. "Calm the fuck down, Jack. We're not here to harm you unless you need it."

"You're Cerberus. Go fuck yourself."

I pointed at my chest. "Nope, wrong answer. No symbol on my chest here. Just black with a nice red and white stripe down my arm. Not Cerberus. I'm currently of no affiliation."

She pointed the knife to my side. "She's Cerberus," and it moved to my other side, "And so is he."

"Correct. But the turian isn't. Nor is the old guy in the yellow armour."

"Old guy?"

"Just go with it, Zaeed. So, anyway, this prison is about to blow up, Jack. So you have two options. One, you can come with us. You're not our prisoner, but I will need to talk to you on the ship."

"Which flies Cerberus colours."

"Yeah, just ignore that for now."

"Second option?"

"We leave you here and go on our merry way."

"Third option, I kill all of you and take your ship."

"Oh, I like her, Shepard. She's got spunk," Zaeed stated with humour.

"Wait, Shepard? Why do I know that name?" I gave her a few moments then it seemed to click. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

"Long story. Yes and no. I'm back. Issues to deal with. Things to kill. You're invited along. Want to join?"

"You're serious?" There were a series of explosions that suggested we didn't have long. "Fuck it, you're the only way off this tin can. But I want information if I'm coming along. About Cerberus. I want to see files. That's my bargain."

I shrugged. I didn't really care what files she wanted. Miranda was bound to bitch at me, but I didn't care what she said either. "Sure, no problem." I gestured with my weapon. "Now, if we're done here, I think leaving with haste would be the best idea." She slid the knife into the band of her pants and approached, though stopped and gestured for the rest to move first. "You're going first," I said, gesturing again, "I'm not even close to even considering trust yet."

"Pussy."

"Just move, Jack."

We ran down the docking bay, keying a series of commands onto a terminal before I stepped into the airlock. Once the compression cycle finished, Joker pretty much shoved the ship into reverse, turned it around and stepped on the gas. We were rocked by the explosion that blew the prison to smithereens. If there was a news report to follow, it would have said There were no other survivors.

It was obvious Jack was not comfortably being a ship, surrounded by Cerberus personnel, with giant Cerberus logos on the ship. Knowing only a limited part of her history, and taking a good look at her, I suggested we go to the med-bay first, dismissing the rest of the team, asking them to wait while Jack and I descended alone. "Why, so your doctor can experiment on me?"

"No. Any idea how long you were on ice? Considering you were in a prison, some sort of rudimentary exam might be a good idea. See a few scars too, and you're covered in blood. Some of it might be yours. Once we're done there, we'll find you a place to bunk then we'll go over some ground rules as I explain why you're here."

"Rules? Fuck off."

"Rule number one. Don't tell me to fuck off unless it's in jest. And even then, there are limits."

"Think you're some sort of hard nut? Taken on harder than you."

"Maybe you have, but don't think that because you're a woman I won't leave you bloodied and battered on the ground. Fought enough mercenaries to take sex and gender completely out of the equation by now."

The elevator doors opened and I gestured for Jack to move, walking her towards the med-bay. Chakwas took one look at Jack and thought she'd been shot. I told her that probably wasn't the case but I'd like her looked at. "Will she be any trouble?"

"If she lifts a finger in your direction, Doc, I'll be sure to know and deal with it personally. That's a warning to behave, Jack. And try to be honest. It's for your benefit, after all."

"Fuck you very much."

The rest of the team appeared as I was grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, leaning against the counter as looked through the window into the med-bay. Jack appeared to be co-operating at least, though I could see Chakwas was keeping a little distance between the pair of them. Didn't blame her, in all honesty.

"I'm struggling to see the benefit of this," Miranda stated, "She's clearly unstable and I doubt how effective she will be as part of a squad."

"Don't underestimate my abilities to mould people into an effective team, Miss Lawson. I managed to get a turian, an asari, a quarian and a krogan to work together. We know little about her, only what Kuril told us, which appears somewhat truthful, but we don't know her story."

"Her biotic power was off the scale," Jacob stated, "Never seen anything like it."

"And certainly had a bone of contention with Cerberus. Wonder why?" Garrus wondered. If the bastard could smirk, it would have been enormous.

"Anyway, mission report. Good job, people. We retrieved the prisoner… or recruit. Possibly saved the Illusive Man some cash… not that I care. And we worked effectively as a unit. Still things to work on but, considering the betrayal, which I guess we expected, we came out better than when we arrived. So I'd chalk that one into the win column."

"What's next, Shepard?" Garrus asked.

"One more recruit then I'm not sure. I'll have to check the dossier and figure out how far it is from here. Might be a couple of days. I'll let you know as soon as I have the information."

The other four eventually returned to their quarters, or disappeared to one of the lounges. Jack was in the med-bay for a while before she eventually wandered out, coming directly towards me. "Don't suppose I can have a shower, get rid of all the blood?"

"Want some new clothes?"

"Um… Do you have any black trousers at least?"

"I'm sure we do. What about a shirt or jacket?"

"Do my tits offend you, Shepard?"

"No, I'm thinking that the temperature in here is on the cool side, don't want you catching a cold unnecessarily." My comment made her laugh so I just shrugged. "Suit yourself. Showers are around the corner. I'll speak to someone about getting you some trousers. Underwear. Socks. And I'll get you're a shirt or two just in case."

She was in the shower for quite a while after I'd managed to locate the spare clothing, also handing her some body wash. When she walked back out, she certainly looked cleaner, a lot less dirt and blood, and at least her trousers didn't appear stained with blood either. "Hungry?" I wondered.

"Yeah, I guess."

"There's plenty of food in the fridge over there. Fill up a plate if you want, then I'll show you where you can lay your head."

"I'm not sleeping in the crew quarters."

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Fine, I guess I can't complain when others requested the same. Where?"

"I don't know. Somewhere private. No through traffic."

"Well, upstairs is out. This level is always busy. So you've got engineering or the hangar bay."

"Let's try engineering."

"It's loud."

"I'd prefer loud."

Shrugging, she headed to the fridge first, eventually piling up her plate with leftovers from the previous couple of meals, grabbed two bottles of water at the same time, then I escorted her to the elevator, taking her down one level. I pointed out where Zaeed was, the other storage room was locked up tight, full of crates, so she ended up heading into where Ken and Gabby worked, walking down steps underneath. "Ah, this will do. Get a cot down here and it'll feel like home."

I shrugged helplessly, but if that's what she wanted, fine. "Okay, do I need to go over some ground rules?"

She sat down on the ground with the plate on her lap, munching away as she looked up. "Yeah, whatever, Shepard. Talk away."

"You take drugs?"

"Recently? No. Have I done them before? Yes, of course. Usually red sand. Being a biotic, it's a better high."

"Do drugs while on this ship and I'll throw you out the airlock. Only warning."

"No plans on dabbling, Shepard. I have a feeling taking a red sand in this sort of atmosphere would kill the high."

"Can I trust you around the others?"

"If you mean the cheerleader and the boy scout, those two idiots that were with you on the ship, sure, long as they stay out of my way. Don't expect me to be friendly, Shepard. I don't do friends. I get what's going on here though. Guess you're building some sort of squad?"

I raised my eyebrows at her perception. So she obviously had some brains. "I'll put it simply. There's a species called the Collectors. They're invading human colonies, kidnapping the inhabitants. Already kidnapped thousands. The whole purpose of this is to build a squad, go through the Omega Four relay, and destroy them."

"Sounds good to me, Shepard." Then she looked up again. "Thought you were Alliance?"

"I was. I died. Woke up. Cerberus spent money on me. They've given me what I need to do the job."

"You realise they're lying cunts and will turn on you the minute your back is turned."

"I plan on being long gone by the time that happens. For now, this is my reality. And the same goes for you. But you'll be getting paid by them all the same."

"I want files, Shepard. I guess you're wondering about the hate? Why I am the way I am is because of them. So I want files on me. Someone on this ship will be able to give me access. Bet the cheerleader will know how. I'll go ask…"

"I'll ask. I don't want you two near each other if not on mission."

"Sensible decision, Shepard."

"Meals are served three times a day. There is a lounge. If you want to drink, don't get drunk. Try not to cause fights and arguments. I would ask you be civil, but…"

"I'll spend most of my time down here. Anywhere I can train?"

"Hangar bay. I'm usually down there in the morning. There's a gym and other things you can use."

"Good. Least I can practice my biotics. Is that it, Shepard, or do you want something else?"

"That's it for now, Jack. What did Doctor Chakwas say?"

"She said I was surprisingly healthy for someone who'd just been in the fridge and with the number of scars on my body. Before you try, don't even bother asking. They're not for you to know about."

Shrugging, I said, "Sure, Jack. No problem. I'll leave you alone for now. I'll either see you at meal times or I'll ensure the information you want is sent down."

She nodded, stuffing her face again so I left her to it. I wasn't expecting a thank you and I certainly didn't get one. Walking past Ken and Gabby, I said if she was causing trouble to let me know, but I figured she'd probably spend most of her time down there alone. And I knew why she wanted it loud. She didn't want to be alone with her thoughts. That bit was easy to figure out.

Heading upstairs to the mess again, I headed straight for Miranda's office. This time, she didn't seem surprised to see me. "I know what you're here for, Commander. I never agreed…"

"You're going to do it, Miss Lawson. I have no doubt you're fucking organisation is behind whatever happened to her, so I know I probably can't order you to do it, but maybe you can show you have a conscience, or perhaps a heart beating under that ice cold exterior, and you'll meet the terms of her agreement and pass across the information she needed. The dossier told us her name was Subject Zero. I reckon the Illusive Man knows exactly who she is so your databases are going to have information about her."

She set her jaw again, glaring at me. She had two choices. Agree, and I'd walk out happy. Disagree, and we would be having one hell of an almighty argument, where I'd probably get rather angered and do something I would regret afterwards. It was a silent battle of wills but she eventually relented. "Fine, Commander. I will obtain what information I can and deli…"

"Ah, no. Give the information to Kelly. I'll deliver it myself."

"You don't trust…"

"I don't trust either of you, but if you were to head down there, it would end with significant damage to the engineering department, and either one or both of you either injured or dead. So as I told Jack, stay away from her. Her dislike for anyone wearing that symbol is obvious. You seemed to have a pre-conceived opinion of her that seems to have been backed up by what we found."

"You are right there, Commander. Very well, I'll collate the information and give it to Kelly."

"Thank you."

I think the fact I said those two words surprised her as I turned around, about to leave, when she asked, "Why do you hate us so much?" The question brought me to a halt, turning around slowly as she was now leaning forward, looking rather pensive about the answer I would give. "I would have thought you'd be grateful that it was Cerberus who brought you back to life, that you'd be… thankful to me that I led the mission to bring you back. But all we've received since the moment we woke you up is hostility. I want to know why?"

"Miss Lawson, I'm not even sure where to begin. But it's quite obvious the files you had on me completely whitewashed anything I discovered in relation to Cerberus during my mission in regards to Saren."

"I read those files. The Illusive Man…"

I held up a hand. "I'm going to stop you right there, Miss Lawson. He's spitting bullshit."

"He insists they were rogue cells."

"And I guess you just believed him without any evidence to back that up?"

"I am one of his most trusted operatives, Commander. The Illusive Man does not lie…"

"No, he manipulates." I gestured as I added, "We are all pawns on a chessboard in regards to his ambitions of dominance."

"He only wants what is best for humanity. Surely the reaction of the Council to your return should suggest to you that Cerberus are at least partially right in regards to their objectives?"

"If you mean ensuring humanity is equal to every other race in the galaxy, I'd applaud your efforts. But those of us who haven't been brainwashed know this is nothing but a human-supremacist organisation, yet while they aim for that achievement, they also conduct horrific experiments on the very humans they are trying to apparently save from 'the aliens'. And I think that young woman downstairs is one of his victims. As for the Council, I'd agree with you in the fact they show little interest apart from themselves, but then again, I'd say they simply share a very human trait. They look out for themselves first above all others."

"I believe what we are doing what is right for the human race."

"And one day, that belief may just blow up in your face, Miss Lawson."

She paused a moment, considering what she was going to say next. "I do believe we just had a five-minute conversation with yelling at each other, Commander." I just shrugged. Then she asked, "I know you've been getting to know everyone on the ship but… well, I have noticed you haven't approached me."

I shrugged again. "I didn't think you'd be receptive."

"Why?"

"Because of what I mentioned, the fact you do not make yourself approachable, and I'm not going to bother approaching someone who gives off the distinct aura of not wanting to discuss anything beyond the mission."

"I already know everything about you so I just thought…"

"You think you do, but like I told Kelly, reading about my life on paper isn't the same as getting to know my inner-most thoughts and feelings. The one thing I can thank you for is that you have brought me back as pretty much the same man. Physically, I'm different. Psychologically, I'm still the same. Memories haven't really changed. Still think I have the personality. Can already tell I'm less tolerant of bullshit."

"I see you like coffee, Commander. Tomorrow morning, after breakfast. Would you like to join me in here, for a chat? Over coffee? No talk of the mission. You can ask some questions, get to know me, if you'd like." This was an olive branch. I could see why she was doing it. Smart woman. If we were constantly at loggerheads, the mission would probably work, but the tension would make it untenable for some people. Communication was key, and although she was card-carrying Cerberus, I had looked past that symbol with everyone else so far.

"I accept, Miss Lawson. Tomorrow morning, after breakfast."

"I'll have the information ready for you then. I can't promise the world but I'll do what I can. A peace offering, I guess."

Walking out of her office, I felt a little better about things. I wasn't sure if I could ever trust the woman, and having someone like that as your XO would make things difficult, but it was an olive branch and I wasn't stupid nor callous enough to throw it back in her face. Checking the time, it was definitely past dinner time by now, but chanced a visit to the CIC, somewhat surprised to see Kelly at her terminal. She was happy to see me again though and I asked if she wanted to join me in my cabin for dinner.

"Only dinner, Shepard?"

"No." Why lie or beat around the bush? We both knew why she was being invited up. "But we'll definitely eat first as we'll need the energy for later."

"I just have a few things to finish up, so I'll grab a plate from the mess and meet you upstairs?"

"That works for me. I'll see you in a few minutes."

After grabbing a plate of food from downstairs, I headed upstairs and plonked myself down on the couch, dragging the coffee table closer so I didn't have to eat off my lap. There was still of information I was processing so read through that. I had a few other interests outside of just shooting people every day. I'd always been sport and had found a real passion for rugby while I was training. Certainly helped toughen me up in addition to all the training, so I was busy looking past the results of the previous two years when Kelly did come strolling through the doors, taking a seat next to me and devouring her food quickly.

"Don't choke, Kelly. We have all night."

She gave me a look, and I was expecting something corny, but she simply grinned and focused on eating a little more. I was starving, realising I'd used up plenty of energy while within the prison. Probably something I could speak to Miranda about the next morning, as I'm sure she probably packed away the food before and after a heavy use of biotics.

Finishing my meal, I leaned back and waited for Kelly to finish. Once she did, she spun around so she could sit on my lap, immediately leaning forward to kiss me. Though I could taste the meal, I'm sure she tasted the same. "Well, not wasting anytime tonight."

Her shirt disappeared quickly as my mouth quickly found areas of skin that look promising, removing her bra so I could focus on her breasts, her hands wrapping around my head as I nibbled on her nipples, earning gasps when I grabbed one with my teeth and gently pulled. "Not too hard, but that's good," she whispered.

She was soon grinding against my obvious erection as we both worked at getting her pants off so she was only sitting on me in her panties. I definitely enjoyed the feeling of her soft skin. My hands were still regaining their definition, as I only ever wore gloves on mission. I eventually stood up, Kelly grabbing on as I carried her over to the bed. She sat on her knees on the edge as she helped me off with my shirt, her hands trailing up and down my chest before she focused on getting my trousers off as I kicked off my boots and socks. Once she had me naked, her hands and mouth were immediately at my groin, her tongue against my shaft as she looked up. "Keep doing that," I whispered.

She teased me for a long time before finally taking my cock in her mouth, groaning as I heard her slightly choke more than once before I felt her nose bump against me. She pulled back and smiled. "Did it first go this time," she stated proudly.

I ran my fingers through her hair as I leaned down to kiss her. "You're an extremely talented young woman, Kelly Chambers."

She kissed me back before kissing down my body back to my cock, and she proceeded to give me a wonderful blowjob, her head bobbing up and down at various speeds, able to read the rate of my breathing, the noises I made, my general body language as to how close I was getting. Her teasing was relentless, stopping more than once to simply stroke me, looking up and talking dirty to me. The only reason I didn't grab her, turn her over and fuck her is because I wanted her to make me cum with her mouth, intrigued as to what she'd do.

When I warned her, she made no move to take my cock from her mouth and a last warning I was about to cum was ignored. So she took my load in her mouth, humming away rather happily as I grabbed the back of her head gently, more to steady myself than anything. When my slightly softening cock dropped from her mouth, I felt her lips kiss back up my body until she was on her knees as I hugged her. "Very tasty, Shepard," she whispered into my ear. I couldn't help chuckle at how eager she sounded.

I live by the rule with women in that I will always return the favour. So I gently threw her back on the bed, almost ripped off her panties in my haste, and spread her legs. She was already very excited, her pussy glistening in the low light of my cabin. "I take it you enjoyed that?"

"I enjoyed blowing you, Shepard."

I returned the favour, and then some. My teasing was relentless. She was partly frustrated as I brought her to the brink of orgasm more than once before I'd slow down, earning a groan first before she knew what I was doing. I used nothing but my tongue and mouth on her, my hands keeping her knees back as I ate her out. Her entire body shuddered as her first orgasm arrived, and she didn't bother even attempting to hide her cries, definitely shouting my name, which simply made me smile as I kept on going.

"Holy shit," she stated with a giggle, "Another one or do you want to fuck me now?"

"What would you like?" I asked, placing my chin just above her sex, looking up her body.

"You, Shepard."

So I crawled up the bed, kissing her body along the way, before I could kiss her lips as I slid my cock inside her. She then practically ordered me to fuck her, so that's what she got. Nothing slow or gentle about the next few minutes. Kelly Chambers was fucked hard by former Commander Shepard, and she seemed to love every second of it. She had me stop though, flipping over to her hands and knees, wiggling her arse in my direction, so she got fucked that way next. That allowed me to fondle her at the same time, and she was soon resting her head on the bed as she couldn't hold herself up any longer.

I couldn't last much longer myself, far too excited and, with another loud groan, I left a load inside her before I simply had to pull out and collapse onto the bed next to her. Breathing deeply, I heard her giggle as she threw an arm over my chest.

"So, is it always like this with your lovers?"

"Sometimes." I paused and then told her something very few others knew. "With Annie, the first few times we got together… One time, we booked a hotel room for when I had a forty-eight furlough. We entered the room Friday evening, didn't leave until the Sunday night. Ordered room service. Otherwise, neither of us travelled with baggage as we knew what we were meeting up for. I was exhausted by the time I returned to base the Monday morning."

"Your file…"

"Wouldn't tell you how I really thought and felt about her, Kelly. It would simply state her name, birthday, where she was from, what she did, where she died. Nothing could ever explain what she meant to me, how her loss affected me… Guess it would state I dealt with the guy responsible though. That was a righteous kill."

"It does explain your…" She paused, no doubt unsure how to put it.

"My lack of commitment nor how I don't like monogamy? Perhaps. First time I fell in love, she was taken from me. So while I would hope it happens again, I'm not looking for it and I'll know when I'm ready to settle down, and right now, I'm not. And this isn't the job to have a wife and kids back at home. Far too many horror stories for both men and women in the service. Better off staying single and just enjoying your life when you have the chance."

"A girl in each port?" she asked with humour.

"No, nothing like that. Well… Before I died, there was Emily on the Citadel. Gianna on Noveria. But then there was Ashley, Liara, Shiala on the ship. Also enjoyed one or two times with Tali and even Benezia. Then there was Doctor Ross, that was a weird one considering how we met, but she was keen and sometimes I just can't say to a beautiful woman. Helena Blake, who was an older woman. Don't mind a beautiful mature woman. Shai'ra, the Consort on the Citadel."

"Your file had information on most of those, Shepard, so it's not surprise to me. As I said, I knew what I was getting into by jumping into the sack with you."

To prove her words, she straddled my lap, rubbing herself against my shaft, which was already hard again but just to tease me. She couldn't do it too long herself before wanting it, and I eventually watched my cock disappear inside her again. Watching Kelly ride me again was a beautiful sight, and again I had slight reminders of days now long past, so I tried to put them out of my mind and just focus on Kelly. She waxed lyrical about my cock, how great it felt, and the usual things I would hear from most of my lovers. She was pretty damned good herself. I loved going down on her because she tasted divine, and she was nice and tight, so I certainly had plenty of enjoyment as well.

We didn't quite orgasm together, as she came first, then came a second time before I emptied another load inside her. She collapsed onto my chest after that, both of us now feeling rather hot, sticky and sweaty, and I was pretty beat by then. So after we'd calmed down, I suggested a shower to clean up before going to sleep. There was plenty of cuddling and making out in the shower, distracting ourselves as we tried to wash, before we headed back to bed. Spooned back into me that night, she was certainly in a good mood, chatting away about life on the ship, telling me about the crew and the lives they led. It was at moments like that I understood why she'd been hired. Her personality was infectious. Little wonder I liked her. Eventually, I just held her close, feeling the smooth skin of her back against my chest, and I felt her calm down.

"I really like you, Shepard."

"Well, I really like you too, Kelly."

"I'll see you in the morning. Maybe I'll wake you up with a certain treat…"

"Well, something to look forward to then."

She giggled as I kissed her cheek. "Goodnight, Shepard," she whispered.

"I'll see you in the morning. Right here next to me."

Yeah, I really did like her.