Merrygold

Mass Effect +1

The return to Normady was a strange one. Everyone was silent. It was mostly because of the exhaustion and partly because of Zeto. Shepard might not see woman´s face because of her mask, but she still could sense emotions that raged inside of her. There was something in her stance, in the way she moved. Something that was very familiar to Shepard. Combination of grief and anger that burned from inside. She knew that feeling very well from previous encounters and it never really left her.
She had thought about trying to comfort the Quarian in some way, maybe with gesture of some kind. It might not hurt to give her a shoulder she could cry on, but she immediately dissmissed the thought. It wouldn´t appropriate for her to do such things. She was still a soldier, despite her specter status, and comforting others just wasn´t her way of things. Besides, when she looked, Jane had seen that Tali took care of things, although it was hard to judge if she was successful.

Aboard the ship, Shepard dissmissed her strike team. They would enjoy some rest and she wanted to speak with Zeto little bit more privately. If Geth were after her, she could be useful to her hunt for Saren and Shepard always had opportunistic nature.
She took the Quarian to the nursery. Zeto didn´t look injured, at least not physically, but Shepard wanted to make herself sure. Better to be careful then sorry, that was her motto.
She briefly introduced Quarian to dr. Chakwas and told her short version of what happened, there was no need to bother doctor with petty details, and waited for results.

Mass Effect +1

Sorry for delay, there were things I had to do.

Mass Effect +1

Shepard patiently waited when Zeto tended to her wound. She was a good patient, it came with a practice she guessed. It was just minor wound, but Jane was still glad someone took care of it. A minor injury was still an injury and it was better to be careful than sorry. The wound pained like a hell but the weird gel Quarian applied on tranquilized it just into minor inconvenience, something Jane was very grateful for.
"So that huge pile of chocolate I have stored in my cabin will have to wait..." she sighed when the Quarian told her about sugar-caused side effects. She was only half joking. Because of the biotics, her body required way more ration than required bodies of usual human and the chocolate was her most favourite way of replenishing them. She would use some chocolate right now actually as the fight exhausted her almost to the limits and her stomach was already complaining about it.

At first Jane, wanted to ask the Quarian what she meant by Geth trying to capture her, but she put it aside for a while. The most important thing right now was to get out of the planet. There will be a plenty of time for questions when they will be safely aboard Normandy. She didn´t gave the dead Quarians much of a thought. She didn´t know a lot about Quarian final rites, if anything, but she was sure there was no time for it. Dead will simple had to wait.

She came out of the mine, her steps little bit more wavering, than she would admit, and hop back to the Mako, others fallowing close by.
Now they just had to find a plane large enough for Normandy to pick them up and their work here will be done.

Mass Effect +1

It made it sound kinda kinky :D

Mass Effect +1

Are you sure wanted to write a word womb in the second line?

Mass Effect +1

"I am sorry to hear that. We tried to help as fast as we could," said Shepard, even if she see no point in saying it. It were empty words, nothing more than social phrase with little bit of dull empathy on top of it. She didn´t know any of the Quarinas and their deaths meant just a little to the commander. It was harsh way of thinking, but at least it was honest. After Mindoir and Akuze, she always hated people pretending to feel for her loss. They knew nothing about how she felt or what she had endured, but their words were always full of false compassion.
From what she had seen, the Quarian wasn´t looking for a shoulder to cry on too. She had just seen almost fifty of her companions die, and she was still strong enough to stand on her feet with a weapon ready to shoot at first sight of troubles. She had to be a strong woman with a firm backbone and Jane didn´t want to offend her with empty words of comfort and sympathy.

"At least we "killed" their murderers... " She didn´t know if a word killing was appropriate for destroying the Geth, but she could that would describe the pile of bodies laying on the ground better. She wanted to introduce herself as a part of Alliance navy, but she stopped herself before doing it. She wasn´t with Alliance now, at least technically and her new tittle had a fancy jing to it. "I am commander Shepard, a spectre. I think we should leave this place before more Geths arrive. Loss of the strike force this big surely had to make them a little bit curious and I don´t think I am in a condition to fight anything they send to investigate it. And when we will be on our way, you could tell us what were you doing here and what reason Geth had to attack you."

Mass Effect +1

Jane cursed. She didn´t do it very often, quality over quantity was her motto in these things. To show her position was flat out stupid. "It looks like we are going to blast a lot more than just these doors..." she said angrily.
Three trying to shoot their way against more than two dozens? That will hell of a ride to survive. They could always back out, but leaving Quarian to her fate just didn´t feel right to her. They will have to try it. She had the power of two skilled combatants, grenades and biotics on her side, after all, if she couldn´t do it, then nobody could.
She turned to her team and gave orders "Tali start with hacking those doors, Garrus prepare to throw some grenades. We are going to make a hell of an entré."
While waiting, she prepared her biotics. First she raised her barrier, then mentally and physically prepared to do even harder things. She knew that in the end of the fight, she will be more spent than her shotgun´s magazine, but she didn´t see any other way to do things.

Panel at the side of doors make its characteristical sound and doors started to open.
"Garrus, now!" Jane yelled and couple of small object flew through the opening doors. Sounds of explosions followed shortly after. Even more things flew in the air and Jane counted to three to prepare herself. She was about to do something very stupid.
She channeled her powers and then charged into the crowd of enemies like a bullet. Shockwave of her charge sent down most enemies around her and Jane systematically shoot those who were still standing, while trying to find some kind of cover.
Her squad mates joined an assault not much later. Garrus provided her with a cover fire, spraying enemies with his assault rifle. Tali disrupted enemy on other side. She put her skills into good use and Geth were soon fumbling with some kind of malfunction.

Jane´s fingers almost never left her gun´s tap. She emptied her magazine into the closest Geth, quickly reloaded while sending another Geth into air and sent him into silicon heaven shortly after. So far so good, she told to herself and peeped from cover to take down another enemy. She shot him right into flashlight, but another Geth paid her back. Jane´s barrier wavered and shot came through, it even pierced her shield and armour and burned her left shoulder. "Bloody hell!" she growled but kept fighting. It will have to wait.

"That was the last one!" Garrus shouted. And Jane lowered to her knees, exhausted. The gunfight lasted just a few more moments, but to Jane it seemed like an eternity. Her wounded shoulder pained like a hell, her stomach tried to devour itself and her lungs were desperately in need of more air. The adrenalin was all out, and she felt really tired. "Are you guys alright?" she asked with lowered voice. Their response was positive. At least something.
She found her way back on her feet and slowly walked into another part of the mine. "Let´s find that Quarian then..."

Mass Effect +1

Jane picked Tali and Garrus for a deployment. Tali was sure choice for this mission. She hoped that seeing other Quarian will have a soothing effect on any survivors they find. And Garrus was useful in any situation. He was a little bit too reckless to be a perfect soldier, but his aim was unquestioned and so was his loyalty to Shepard´s cause. This was their first action as a team, but Jane was sure they can work together with ease. And if not, she will have to burry another two comrades. She was survivor after all.

Joker dropped them pretty close to the location of the crash site and remaining distance was little to no problem for Mako. She let Tali drive. Like all Quarians, she had much better understandment for machines than could Jane ever hope to have, and this predisposition could be even seen in her driving skills. She handled an armoured tank with unnatural ease, skillfuly avoiding any obstacle in her way.
Garrus was carefully scanning surroundings with the turret. There was no sight of enemies around, but Jane was sure they were hiding somewhere and she didn´t want any nasty surprises.
With all the main positions taken, only thing left to do for Jane was to check the readings, and she was perfectly okay with it. She always required to have a detailed look on everything.

The scans didn´t register anything alive around the ship, but someone had to turn the beacon on. It could always be the Geth, but Jane didn´t think so. She was pretty optimistic in matter of surviving Quarians. First hand experiences taught her that a man can survive even against the direst odds, if he is determined enough.
There was a mine close to the crash site, with some kind of energy readings coming from there. If Jane had to bet, where were survivors hiding, her salary would went on that option.

Tali stopped Mako right next to the mine. They didn´t bother with investigating the ship. Survivors were the top priority and there would be plenty of time to investigate the ship after they rescue them.
They exited the vehicle and hurried up to the cave, trying to escape strong winds of the planet.
First doors were wide open. Recently open Jane noted when looking on only thin layer of dust. The second doors, far more deeper than first ones, were locked.
"We could blast them..." said Garrus. Always to the point.... thought Jane. "Let´s try to be more subtle first," she answered. Trying to unlock doors through hacking looked like little bit time consuming way of doing things at the time so just knocked on the metal doors, it couldn´t hurt to try it.
"I am commander Jane Shepard of Alliance navy. We heard your distress beacon and came to get you safe," she almost yelled so that whoever was inside heard her.

Mass Effect +1

I hope my post was sufficient enough :-)

Mass Effect +1

Commander Jane Shepard still felt little bit uneasy after taking the control of Normandy. She didn´t feel like she deserved such honour. The ship should belong to Anderson. He was a hero, an ideal of devoted alliance marine.
Only remarkable thing that she ever done was surviving. She survived Mindoir, she survived Akuze. Only thing that made her special was her ability to live longer than her peers and even that was more of curse than gift.

She shook her head. This was not a good time for thoughts like this. Her crew needed her. She knew they were as confused with recent changes as she was and seeing their commander weak and troubled would only make matters worse. She had obligations to them after all, to them, to her race and now even to the whole bloody universe. That though made her smile a little. It was bittersweet smile and little bit sour on the lips, but still a smile.
She was a specter now, best of the best. At least something to be proud on.
She almost finished her pre-mission preparations when Joker´s call get to her. Things get complicated as always, she was sure of it. "I am coming," she answered the call.

She quickly made her way into command deck and listened to the transmission they had recieved. Geth attacked Quarian ship, not very surprising thing. But what were Geth or Quarian doing here? "It could be trap... But if it isn´t, Quarian blood would be on our hands. I think T´Soni can wait a while. Let´s see what are Geth up to"