Chapter Text
SSV Normandy 2—Cerberus Frigate
Shepard—late at night
Tossing and turning in her sleep, Commander Shepard dreamed…
“Commander.”
“Kaidan.” Shepard inclined her head in an effort to hide the slight smile appearing on her face as her handsome dark-haired biotic teammate approached.
“Joker says we’ll be arriving at the Citadel in an hour, Ma’am. Any plans for shore leave?”
“Not really.” Shepard replied as she brushed back a lock of red hair. “You?”
“Same situation.” Alenko grinned sheepishly. “Probably do what I always do when I’m on the Citadel—do some window shopping on Silversun Street and after that parking my rear on a bench on the Presidium and do some people watching. Then, after that, I like to hang out at the observation deck and watch the ships come in and out…and then wind things up by playing a few rounds of quasar and enjoying a round or two at Flux. You?”
“I’m gonna keep it low-key too.” Shepard grinned, “Hit some shops…cruise the food court at Zakera Ward…kill some time at the Castle Arcade. You know…” the redheaded Spectre tentatively proposed, “Since we’re doing a lot of the same stuff…we could do it together…”
“Ummm…” Kaidan stammered unsure of how to answer as the woman standing before him quickly interrupted.
“Forget I asked.” Jane apologized with a sigh, “I was out of line. I’m sorry.”
“Ma’am?” Kaidan called out as the redhead turned away, “Please.” A shy grin appearing on his face as the attractive Spectre turned back towards him, the Canadian biotic spoke softly, “You weren’t out of line. Just kinda took me by surprise—that’s all. Ummm…if you still want to…I’d like the company. After all, it’s not as if we’re violating any fraternization regs—right?”
“Right.” Shepard nodded with a bashful smile of her own. “We’re just shipmates hanging out together on shore leave.”
“Exactly.” Kaidan responded, “Just shipmates hanging out.”
“Great.” Jane grinned, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks, “I have to check on Tali in engineering…you know.”
“Yeah.” Kaidan smiled back, “I have to go too—working with Dr. T’Soni on her combat biotics.”
Tossing and turning in her sleep, Shepard continued to dream…
“You’ve been spending a great deal of time with Lieutenant Alenko.” Dr. T’Soni remarked as she and the Commander sat across from each other in the galley over mugs of steaming hot tea.
“No more than usual.” Shepard replied with a slight stammer as she took a sip of her tea.
“Uh Huh.” Liara responded, hiding the smirk on her face behind her mug of tea. “So how was shore leave?”
“It was nice.” The lovely redhead replied, a pink flush appearing on her face. “We did some window shopping on the strip and then hung out at the arcade. Finished the evening with dinner at the Zakera Café and a couple of drinks at Flux.”
“No dancing?” Liara teased.
“No way!” Shepard chuckled, her blush reddening, “You’ve seen me on the dance floor!”
Laughing merrily, Liara joked, “Yes. What was it Joker called it?”
“The Shepard Shuffle.” Jane grinned good humoredly. “You know…there’s an old saying that women are natural dancers. Well…either I’m the exception that proves the rule…or it’s all a pile of bullshit. I guess I prefer to save my dancing for the field.”
“Is this a private conversation or can anyone join?”
“Grab a seat and take a load off, Garrus.” Shepard grinned as she gestured at the empty chair next to where Liara was sitting. “So how are those calibrations coming along?” She asked as the turian former C-Sec officer sat down with a cup of turian chocolate.
“We were just discussing how bad a dancer Shepard is…” Liara chuckled, her gentle laughter soon joined by that of her friends.
“She’s right, Shepard.” Garrus grinned, “You really are awful.”
“Yeah.” Jane laughed, “But I can still outshoot you.”
“In your dreams!”
Awakening with a cold sweat, the Shepard shivered as her eyes made out a ghostly form standing the corner leaning up against the wall. “Who are you?” The redhead croaked hoarsely.
“Who do you think?” The ghost responded in a familiar, yet sad and mournful voice.
“You’re dead.”
“Maybe…” The ghost’s lips turned up in a small grin, “Maybe not as dead as you think.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Not now.” The ghost shook its head. “It’s not time yet. But soon. Very soon.”
Normandy 2—Galley
“What do you think of Markham and Barrett’s replacements?” Crewman Hadley asked as he poured a cup of coffee, sitting down opposite his friend, Zack Matthews.
“The freaks?” Matthews replied with a snort, “As far as I’m concerned, they can stay in their holes in the engineering section.”
“Yeah.” Hadley agreed. “Bart…one of the security troopers…told me that they keep ‘em locked in the port and starboard sections. They’re dangerous even with those batarian slave collars around their necks.”
“Talking about the freaks?” Mess Sergeant Gardner asked as he joined the other crewmen at the table.
“What else?” Hadley snorted. “They’re the topic of conversation all over the ship.”
Lowering his voice, the mess sergeant grumbled, “I don’t know about the two of you, but I don’t trust them. They ain’t right. You know what I mean?”
“Yeah.” Matthews whispered, agreeing with the older man. “They scare the shit outta me.”
Nodding his head, Hadley, spotting the camera in the corner out of the corner of his eye, remarked warningly, his voice lowered, “We just do what we’re told and do our jobs. Best to leave the thinking to the Illusive Man.”
Hagalaz System—the Shadow Broker’s ship
“Broker. The drell has been returned.” One of the Shadow Broker’s agents, a human male, reported, his face ashen as he delivered the details of his report. "They…did things to him.”
“Did they forward the results of their procedures as promised?” The Broker asked.
“Yes, Shadow Broker.” The agent responded, "The information has been transmitted to you.”
Another agent, this one asari, appeared on a second monitor. “Broker. I bring news from Illium.”
“Go ahead.”
“Eclipse has agreed to our terms and will aid us in dealing with Anaya and recovering Dr. Lawson’s daughter.”
“Very good. Any other news?”
“Yes.” The asari replied, “The traitor has been identified. Transmitting information to you now.”
“Transmission received that will be all.” Opening another comm channel, the Broker spoke, “Vasir.”
“Yes, Broker.”
“I have an assignment for you.”