Little Girl in a Dress
Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, if I did several things would have been different.
Series: Mass Effect 2+
Synopsis: Instead of reaper based cybertech and implants, Miranda went for a nanite technology solution based on reaper technology. As a Nemesis Jane Shepard was familiar with Element Zero, her reconstruction however allowed them to fill her almost to the point of bursting. Now woken early her resurrection is a minor problem. Her biggest is being physically 13.
Warnings: [innuendo] [lol] [waff] [discontinuity] [lesbian] [puns] [timeline twist] [Gothic Lolita] [cosplay] [God mode] [lime] Yes I am screwing another continuity over and twisting it beyond recognition. For canon please play the game. By ME3 everything will probably become twisted beyond recognition.
Rating: fsk16, mature jokes, language and violence (it's Mass Effect), mentions sex, sexual non graphic situations, nudity
Pairing: Jane Shepard / Tali'Zorah vas Normandy nar Raaya; Pairing is kinda problematic in this story but I'll do it anyway. Metal and Physical age being so far apart are a challenge but never thought it would be easy.
Inspired by: I totally blame DCG for this one, well and I wasn't sober.
Story Start
Jane Shepard woke up. Her thoughts were slow and hazy, she felt off.
A voice was speaking to her, it sounded so far away. Thinking was kinda fuzzy she decided. Concussion? No, what was she doing? Pain, cold, she was dying, no air, her thoughts were slowing, she was cold, her last smile was for her.
Slowly she rose. A pain in her arm made her look the side, she was connected to an IV machine. She fumbled but pulled the needle out.
Finally something penetrated her brain. She was on a clinical bed, attached to an IV machine, she felt a catheter, and her arm looked small, everything felt off about her.
"Shepard you have to wake up!" The female voice finally penetrated her thoughts.
Jane Shepard however had only one thing on her mind. "What the hell?" She finally knew why she felt so strangely different.
"Finally, you have woken up, get up, clothes and a small shield device are in the cabinet in the corner, in there is a pistol for you." The female voice urged.
"What is going on?" Jane was checking her body. "I'm smaller, my scars and chest are gone, I'm back to a child! Last thing I remember I was dying!" She decided to dress quickly, being in a back open hospital gown in what looked like a lab was never a good idea. She had watched too many horror movies starting out with waking on a hospital bed.
"I'll explain later, we weren't ready to wake you yet, but we are being attacked. And we ran into complications during your revival." The same woman replied.
The now young girl stopped. "You are watching me, aren't you?" She accused
The reply was instantaneous. "Of course I am."
"What's your name?"
"Now is not the time for this."
"You know my name, you put me back together from what I heard, now answer the damn question!" Shepard ordered.
A sigh could be heard. "It's Miranda, Miranda Lawson."
"Well Miranda Lawson, I'll deal with you later." Jane checked the pistol. "And there is no thermal clip."
"It's laboratory, what did you expect?" Miranda was using sarcasm now.
Jane stared at the door, it was green, open. She walked out. "How about staying dead, waking the proper age, decent body armour and loaded weapons when we are under attack?" She knew sarcasm as well.
"You weren't ready, we expected to have another five to six months." Miranda sounding defensive now.
Jane opened the door and looked at the floor right ahead of her. "Oh lucky coincidence, a thermal clip. Who had the bright idea to make them replaceable?"
"Geth invention, makes the weapons lighter and cheaper. Watch out, your shields are weak, and they are breaking through the door."
The now girl ducked behind a crate. "Self Destruct in 15 minutes." A emotionless voice announced.
Just as she wanted to curse the door blew up.
"Go away." She threw out her hand for a singularity. What came out was more alike a vortex of dark power. It seemed to suck up the mechs that entered the room and twist them into a tight little ball.
"What? But we didn't even give you your implant yet!" Miranda sounded very surprised.
Jane smirked, hearing the woman sounding surprised felt oddly satisfying. "Once a True Nemesis, always a True Nemesis. Now, how did that work. Warp."
Even that technique was bigger then normal, it was suddenly beachball size. The girl quickly cowered behind her cover.
The explosion was impressive, displaced air rushed over her as pits of shredded metal bounced of the ceiling and some got diverted by the small shield emitter she was using.
"So which way?" Mentally she went over her list, Warp, Singularity, Lift, she thought she could pull off a Shockwave and a decent Barrier. Throw, Stasis and Pull had never been good techniques for her as a Nemesis.
This time her guide sounded emotionless. "Past the blast zone."
Shepard walked, watching mechs shooting the workers. She hurried along, grabbing an omni tool she downloaded everything she saw, and idly looted some credits from dead bodies.
She felt really off in her bright yellow sleeveless summer dress and red shoes in all the carnage.
Next to a corpse she found a grenade launcher.
"A group is coming. Use the launcher" Miranda was getting bossy again.
The door downstairs opened. Instincts bathed her in a Barrier of dark power, she looked liked she had batched in dark flames or shadows. Shots struck her, but her dark aura adsorbed or deflected them all.
"What are you doing shoot!"
Shepard calmly placed the heavy weapon on a strap around her shoulder. Then she used a Shockwave.
The robots got blasted off the bridge and some gas lines broke, igniting off the sparks from the destroyed mechs.
"Take the elevator one floor down, through the door. You might want to sprint through the flames but do whatever you want." Her nagging voice sounded resigned. "Damn they found me, find you later." Miranda had actually cursed. That didn't sound too good.
Still she went down, and walked through the fire, ignoring the flames as her aura was still going strong.
Looting a few more offices she wished for a purse, and immediately pushed that thought aside. Opening another door she saw shots streaking past.
She looked past the corner, a male, black soldier was shooting at yet another group of mechs.
She stepped out, the shots once again bouncing off, A single Singularity cleaned out the opposition. "You!"
The soldier startled, shooting her out of reflex. The shot finally finishing her aura off.
"Gods, what are you à Wait, you are Shepard?"
"Yes woke early, all that racket annoyed Miranda, who decided to take it out on me. So who are you, and you better have some answers or I'll shoot you on principle." Jane threatened.
Jacob Tylor was a soldier, normally a girl in a yellow summer-dress was not to be taken seriously. This girl however had a barrier he had never seen before, threw the single largest singularity he had ever seen, was a young Jane Shepard and was giving him a glare that made him fear for his life. Then again the pistol pointed at his nuts was a good reason too.
"Jacob Tylor Commander, former Alliance, Head of Security for Project Lazarus, for real answers ask Miranda later. I just know that when we brought you here you were a charred corpse. I didn't expect you however to be like à" He waved his hand at her.
"Enemies found engaging." A door behind Jane's technique had opened and several mechs stepped out, two were immediately drawn into the still raging singularity.
"Duck" Jane ordered as she threw a Warp.
The soldier dropped on the command.
And paled some after he saw the devastation from the single attack. "You take this, it's heavy." He caught the grenade launcher the girl threw at him and mounted it on his back. "Now how did Tali always do that?" He saw the girl ponder as she was approaching the locked door.
"Self destruct in 10 Minutes."
"Maybe you should let me à" He offered his help.
Jane however had already activated her appropriated omni tool and was tinkering with the door controls. "Done, Tali will be proud, I finally hacked something. That reminds me, what happened to my old team?" She waved him to follow her she walked on.
Jacob hurried after the girl. "I know that the turian disappeared, your Quarian, Tali went to the fleet. The Krogan left for his homeworld. There were a few casualties in the attack, your navigator, the others were dispersed among the Alliance."
"Help me they are coming, oh God they found me!" came through Jacob's omni tool.
Jacob immediately responded "Wilson stay where you are, we are on the way!"
"Well lets hurry." They sprinted past more corpses. Another Shockwave cleaned a corridor. As they opened yet anopther door they saw someone on the ground bleeding.
Jacob quickly tended to the man. "On the wall Medi-Gel, use it, quickly we have to escape."
As Jane took the three tubes of Medi-Gel and treated the wound, she realized it looked off.
Again another door opened, Wilson however used overload to throw a conveniently placed explosive crate at the newest group of mechs.
"Wait Shepard. One more thing. It's who we work for it's." Jacob started.
"Now is not time Jacob." Wilson argued.
Jacob turned to the stumbling man. "We have to work together, we can't do that if she expects a bullet to her head, and so much already went wrong."
"You are Cerberus, I remember that emblem, I killed enough of you." Jane offered calmly. "Now march, I expect the escape route is through there?" she pointed at the door their latest enemies had come through.
"Yes, to the shuttle bay."
The group marched, Shepard downloading a few more files and looting some more credits.
Finally they entered the shuttle bay, at once more mechs activated, the girl once again raised her Barrier, once again clad in her dark shadows she ducked behind a crate. A Shockwave cleared out another group, shooting with the pistol only showed her that she had lost some of her skills, no surprise since a lot of them were muscle based. But she quickly adjusted.
Using the side stairs she saw another door opening, she used lift since she saw another terminal in the room, Warp and a few shots using two thermal clips with help from Jacob took care of that mess.
"5 Minutes left until self destruct." The stations VI interface annouced.
A quick download and hack got her some more cash and data.
They finally approached the door to the shuttle when it opened, to show a tall dark haired woman with a pistol. She shot Wilson.
"Miranda! What the Hell?" Jacob accused the tall woman.
Jane brushed past them, releasing her aura. "He shot himself, get in."
"Direct as always Shepard." Miranda followed with Jacob hurrying after her a few moments later.
Jane was looking out of the window, the base was huge. Oh and it finally started exploding. The sight of the base beginning to explode warmed her heart. It began slow a red ball of fire here, then there. Quickly it grew bigger until the big explosions started. "Brace for impact or speed up now!" She commanded.
Just before the shockwave, riddled with fragments from the space station reached the shuttle hit FTL.
"Good to know your skills are still as they were, despite the difference in body." Miranda opened the conversation.
Jane scowled, it came over as surprisingly cute on her 13 year old face, "So you are Doctor Frankenstein?"
"Lawson, and I did not put you together from different bodies, it's all your original body. The Nanite treatments started repairing you, we realized later that they were using the functioning cells and recycling everything else."
"So a necromancer then." Jane offered.
Miranda twitched, causing Jacob to inch away slowly.
"We were making up your treatments as we went on, you spent more then half a year floating in a stasis vat. By the time we truly understood what was happening you were probably 17 and it was too late to abort." Miranda rubbed her temples, this project had been a major headache. Now all the data, samples and equipment were gone. "So we continued on, finally healthy again we started your treatments, ageing you and infusing you with more Element Zero."
The girl in the dress stared at the, in her opinion, very mad scientist. "I was even younger?" To her that was a very unsettling thought.
Miranda did not wince at that question, even though she had to fight it hard. "You stabilized at about nine years old. It was actually surprising so many cells were complete enough to be revived."
"Now about that Element Zero, I guess it's at fault for my over the top biotics?" She gave the scientist a pointed look.
This time Miranda did wince.
"How much?"
"4213 units."
Jacob gave a strangled sound.
"I have more eezo inside me then the Mako or a shuttle?"
"Yes, I did not expect you to know that." Miranda confessed.
Now the girl was rubbing her temples. "I listened often enough to Tali going on about bad calibrations. Since I doubt I can be calibrated, why am I not going critical? Or why am I using biotics like an Asari?"
"I don't know, we had planned to implant an L5 prototype transplant, there was an abandoned project years ago about enriching children with Element Zero, but your body took very well to it. Lining bones, muscles, neural pathways and the brain with it. Because of the stress on your body we had to take you out of the tank regularly, we were lucky the attack happened a few days before you were about to be placed back inside. You are not causing more Radiation then a normal biotic and you are not a health hazard."
"Lucky is one way to call this." Jane was trying to decide if she should shoot or punch Miranda.
Miranda turned to Jacob, the male perched on the end of the bench, his survival instincts screaming at him to flee. "Jacob go to the cockpit. Shepard I need you to strip, memory seems fine. I need to check out your body for side effects."
The girl in question glared. "Not happening, I'm not going to strip in front of a mad scientist with a thing for little girls."
"I'm not a mad scientist." Professional pride and all that.
Jacob fled, he was a soldier and a biotic, but nowhere on the same level as those two females, and most importantly he was not suicidal.
"Stop being stubborn and let me handle this, I was responsible à"
"And doing a bad job of it!"
"Now let me check you out."
"Make me!"
Breathing deeply Jacob tried to ignore the sounds of a scuffle behind him. He just hoped that they remembered that they were in a shuttle and in deep space before thing really got out of hand.
He froze as the door opened. He relaxed slightly when he heard Jane mutter "Stupid pervert, trying to rip my dress off. They might be small but they are not handholds, I think that will leave a bruise."
Jacob did not look back. Being a simple soldier did not mean being stupid.
"Can we seal the door? I punched her to get her off me, probably a black eye, I had to hold back, I felt the biotics flare up, she is so lucky I didn't just blast her."
"You punched her out?" Jacob wanted to make sure he heard right.
"Nah, I put her in stasis, was never good at it, I wonder how long she'll be in there." The I hope forever was not said but heavily implied.
Jacob ran over his possibilities. "I'll try to calm her down Commander, whenever she finally unfreezes. You can lock the door controls here. Autopilot to another base is activated."
"Dismissed and thanks."
He entered the main cabin of the shuttle and stared, already the bruise was visible, a surprised look was on Miranda's face as she floated there enshrouded in a corona of shadows.
He settled down and waited.
It was a maybe a minute later that it ended, Miranda falling back, landing on her, in Jacob's mind very nice, behind.
"What?" Miranda was startled, just a moment ago the brat had punched her, now there was Jacob looking down at her. And her face felt on fire.
"Miranda, calm down, right now Commander Shepard is irritated, confused and angry. I would have shot you if I woke up as a child again." He offered as an explanation.
"We need to make sure there are no side effects, you saw her biotics, you saw how she acted, what she did." Miranda was explaining herself.
"She almost warped you, right here in the shuttle." It was a little white lie, but a biotic punch might have had the same effect.
Miranda paled. "But Jacob. Okay, we will deal with it later. I will get my hands on her."
Jane in the front, switched the speakers of, she had been listening in, now really she wished she hadn't. "Fry the door controls, lock myself in some ventilation shaft or closet. Yes, can't sleep where she'll find me. And never be alone in a room with her."
Upon arrival at the second base. Jane was led to talk to The Illusive Man, and she spoke in a holographic environment.
TIM however stared. this was horrible, the saviour and hope of the galaxy was a little girl. Yellow summer dress, red long hair, red shoes, all that was missing were red hair clips, it reminded him of some old old anime series he had seen as a kid.
"It is good to see alive and up Shepard." He offered, trying to gauge her reaction.
She seemed to size him up and looked somewhere between 'I'll ignore you' and 'I'll kill you'. At least she was still there.
"Only I am missing 18 years and have a perverted mad scientist after my body." Jane stopped for a moment. "Or a perverted necromancer with a thing for little girls."
TIM actually fought a smile, this was way more amusing then his normal calls. "I assure you that Miranda is very good at whatever she does."
"I don't feel very assured. After all good pervert is still a pervert. And this one wants to get her grabby hands on me, my wrists are still bruised." She showed the red marks on her lower arm.
"Why don't we put Mrs Lawson off for later, and come to the reason why you were revived and why we need you."
"Business, business first. I can deal with that." Somehow, despite being in a dress she managed to look serious. Yes TIM was impressed.
"I revived you because you are a symbol, and the only one doing something against the reaper threat."
"Yeah a little girl in a yellow dress saving the galaxy." Obviously Shepard hadn't lost the sharp tongue.
TIM took a drink, a wonderful Napoleon XX Cognac, he was amused by the way Shepard's eyes had followed, it was her Irish blood he guessed. "Both Alliance and the council disregarded everything about the reaper thread, even with a dead one in front of them they declare it a Geth super dreadnought. Meanwhile colonies, human colonies in the Terminus systems are disappearing. Cerberus is the only one caring for all of humanity."
Jane hummed something. "Nice recruiting speech, I would need the old team and a ship. Why do you think that the reapers are behind it?"
"It's all there hidden in the data, after they suffered their defeat and you died, it started. It was then that they recognized humans as a superior species." He took a sip. "It's cognac, I'll have a bottle of Black Bush from 2123 delivered." A window popped up. "Interesting, the colony of Freedoms Progress has not sent any communications in the last six hours. Any attempts we made in the last two hours to contact them have failed. We have just found a potential victim."
"You want me to investigate." It was a statement.
"Yes, as far as I know all your former personal are currently unavailable. I will prepare you a team and a shuttle"
"Not Miranda, she is staring and tried to undress me two times already."
TIM almost choked on his drink. "I will tell her to behave, any complaints about Jacob?"
"Decent instincts, a soldier to the core, not sure how smart he is."
TIM pondered for a moment. "Unfortunately we don't have any appropriate armour for you yet, but we can find you something better to wear. We have better shield emitters on station as well. Find out what is going on and if you don't think it is connected to the reapers we will drop you off wherever you wish."
Jane sighed, her curiosity had been peaked and she wanted to find out the truth.
"Whose idea was this?" Jane was in a bad mood, if tsunamis could be called a little wave anyway. "I am in perverts dream edition of a female Santa Claus outfit! I even have the cap for it!" She flicked the annoying tingling bell.
Jacob managed to hold it together. "It will keep you warm at least, with all that white fur." He stopped as he saw the pistol pointing his way.
Miranda was looking the other way. "The shuttle is prepared, arrival time is estimated in four hours twenty minutes."
"Keep your fingers to yourself and we can go."
After the very awkward travel, with Jane napping in the pilot's seat. They finally arrived. Now Jane was glad for all that fur, she only wished she wasn't wearing a furry skirt, she could not even remember the last time she had worn a skirt.
A look to the side made her remember Tali, some slightly damaged circuit boards, She took the lot of them and dumped them in the shuttle, ignoring the questioning looks from Miranda and Jacob.
As they approached the living quarters several guardian mechs activated, a Singularity took care of most of them, the others were finished off when Miranda threw a nicely sized warp at it.
Shoot mechs, loot the cash, again ignoring any looks, repeat. She needed to get by until she had access to her bank account again. Then again her will probably got executed. She would have to speak to her mother soon.
However when she opened the next door she was in for a surprise. Quarians, over a hologram of the colony.
"Hey finally some friendly faceplates. Can someone tell me how Tali'Zorah is doing?" Jane greeted them.
For the quarians however things were different. A little girl in a bright red fluffy top skirt combo with boots that rivalled their own in length followed by two Cerberus members. It made for a very unreal situation.
"Shepard?"
"Tali?"
"But you were dead, and now you are?" the lead female in a very form fitting environmental suit with a purple hood asked, looking visibly confused.
"Tali!"
The woman in question barely managed to stay on her feet as the girl jumped her. And started rambling like a young girl. "I am so glad to see, you, I guess your pilgrimage went over well, did the data help? I really love your new suit. I woke, and was told that the mad necromancer over there revived me in this small body!" It ended with Jane's hand pointed at Miranda, which caused everyone to point their weapons to point at the Cerberus number two.
Jacob lowered his however before Miranda saw it.
"I told you before, you weren't supposed to wake for another half a year!" Even to Miranda it sounded defensive.
Tali couldn't help it, she hugged Shepard, hard.
It was after a few moments however that Jacob interrupted. "Tali'Zorah was it? She can't breathe, and her struggling seems to become slower."
Tali looked down, there buried in her cleavage was Jane's face, it was deep red, she quickly let go embarrassed.
Jane fell to her knees, breathing hard. "I though I was going to die. Sweet way to die, way better then last time." She decided.
"Shepard!" Tali cried out, her hands on her faceplate.
Miranda just crossed her arms under her chest, pushing it out accidentally, or maybe not so accidentally. "It's okay if your Quarian does it, but I am not even allowed to come into touching range, wait that came out wrong."
There was a thumb, a female quarian was standing over a male one that was whimpering and holding his head. "He was being a pervert."
Tali decided it was time for some more information. "So she is from Cerberus, revived you and brought you here?"
Jane straightened, more in the way Tali was used to seeing her. "She is responsible for it, an insider attack caused me to wake before I was my proper age, now I'm stuck as a little girl." The pout almost got her hugged again by Tali. "Human colonies disappear, and unfortunately Cerberus is the only one who cares." Jane shrugged in that resigned way Tali had seen after every meeting with the council. "So what is your story here?"
Tali nodded. "Almost the same, Veetor decided to do his pilgrimage here, after the blackout from communications we were ordered to check up on him. He hacked the mechs to attack everything. We located him on the other side of the colony."
"Same old, impossible odds, target in sight." Jane grinned. "I'll do diversion, no matter what, he is good with his gun." She pointed at Jacob. "Miranda might be weird but he is good with biotics."
"No, they are Cerberus, we can't trust them, remember what they did!" The male who had gotten hit before called out.
Jane turned glaring at Miranda. "Oh, what happened?"
"There might have been an alteration with the quarians." The woman confessed.
"You killed dozens, you then blew up a ship!"
"You were hiding a biotic Cerberus was after!"
"Calm down everyone, we can always shoot her after it's all over." Shepard took control of the situation.
"Shepard! It wasn't even my mission, and I only need to check your body, if there are any side effects from awakening you early." The human woman defended herself.
"Tali, I will just hide behind you."
Prazza was not satisfied with the situation at all. "I vote we shoot her now."
"Keep her for now, cannon fodder." Tali decided.
"What about the guy?" Prazza demanded.
Shepard looked out behind Tali. "Actually he is decent, a soldier to the core and under my command."
Miranda threw Jacob a betrayed look, that he totally ignored by looking the other way.
A squeak from Tali caused everyone to looks her way, and see Jane hugging the quarian from behind. "Jane they are all looking."
"And jealous that I got to hug you." Now that was the old flirty Shepard Tali remembered, then she remembered that usually another embarrassing moment followed. "I really like your new suit, shows your curves off much better, feels nicer to hug you too." The excessively rejuvenated Commander ran a hand over Tali's hip.
"Jane!" The victim of the flirty affections batted the hand away. "We can continue later, now let's get Veetor, and hope the mad scientist has an accident."
"Hey." Everyone ignored Miranda's outraged shout since they were looking at Tali.
"You know, it explains why she never became close with anybody." A female marine said.
A male nodded "Well she did stare at me as if wondering what I was talking about."
"I wish I had known." That was another female.
"Oh Keelah." You can guess who was currently covering her visor in embarrassment, Quarian gossip at it's finest was hard to swallow at times.
"I'll take the two of them, before someone 'accidentally' shoots Miranda. We'll draw the mechs away, you sneak in and find out what is going on with Veetor." Jane took control. "The sooner we are done the more Tali time I get."
"Jane!"
Some carnage later a call came through "Prazza the jealous bosh'tet went ahead, he didn't want a little girl to outdo him." Tali's voice announced.
Jane huffed, looking incredibly cute in her red outfit while doing it. "And everyone followed him?"
An awkward pause followed "No, the girls are still with me and asking me questions, I don't think they realized he's gone, Keelah, this is so embarrassing."
Jane turned to Miranda "Not a word."
"We are on the way, he better be hurt or I'll hurt him."
"Oh no, a heavy mech, it's killing them!" Tali called out.
"Shit, those bosh'tets, quick and dirty." And Jane sent another Shockwave, while once again wreathed in her aura.
The three quickly made their way through the resistance.
"We are at a sealed door, warehouse or a hangar door." Jane announced.
Tali's response came after an explosion. "Hacking it, take positions, opening now."
Jane stared at the heavy mech. shielded and armoured. She opened with a Warp. "Miranda overload, Jacob where are the grenades?" She fired her pistol, the heavy machine gun actually pushing her back. After the next warp she ducked again.
"Tali does hacking it work?" Jane requested.
The response at once. "No, I got my overload ready, once my girls are in position, we will open fire. 3, 2, 1 fire."
Jane warped again, when she saw the mech turn towards the quarians, she ran forward. The Barrier releasing instead dark vapours seemed to follow her. A ball of dark energy formed in her hand, as the mechs shield shortened out, and it's armour took a beating.
From behind she rammed the dark pulsing ball into it's back and watched as it ate through it's armour. Then it was inside and the huge robot shuddered.
"Beep."
"This is bad, isn't it?"
"Beep"
She pulled her arm out of the defeated enemy and pulled another Barrier up as she fled.
Boom, the explosion threw her forward and threw her through some inconveniently stacked crates.
Tali, Miranda and Jacob started running for the girl when an arm still wreathed in shadows rose from the wreck.
"I'm still alive and unharmed. Ugh, I don't feel so good." Then they heard vomiting.
Jane rose, swaying a bit. "I think I have a concussion. Oh, the shield emitter fried." She pulled something from her collar, the technological piece throwing a spark before stopping.
She stumbled over to Tali, wrapping an arm around the other female. "Since I'm totally abusing my injured status you have to lead me to Veetor."
The Quarian sounded very resigned as she replied "Yes Jane, in that building over there." On the way Tali added another thing. "And no feeling me up until the mission is done."
"Then let's hurry."
"That's not what I meant."
"Veetor'Nara, it's me Tali'Zorah vas Neema."
"No Veetor here."
Jane was impatient, and deactivated all screens.
"How did you hide?" Veetor asked when he saw the young girl.
"I didn't I just came here for Tali."
Miranda groaned. "Shepard, concussion, remember the colonists that disappeared?"
The Quarian nodded. "Yes, they came, took them all away, but Veetor managed to hide. Has to prepare, noone escapes." He activated the screens and showed a video of the colony.
"Oh my God, those are Collectors, they are taking the colonists." Miranda exclaimed.
"Yes Veetor recorded everything, the swarms came, all caught."
"Why did they leave him behind?" The soldier wondered.
"Maybe they only searched for humans." Tali offered.
"We need to get him to Cerberus. Find out what else he knows." Miranda decided.
Jane pulled free of Tali and stumbled for Miranda, she gently placed a hand on the womanÆs stomach, looked into her eyes and said "Stasis."
Miranda froze.
"Veetor caught a bug too!" The Quarian offered.
Jane nodded, immediately regretting it. "Can I have the bug you caught and a copy of your data?"
"Yes, recorded it all, dark energy. So much recorded."
"So now Tali you coming with us? You still owe me a cuddle session, or was it groping, no wait, thinking is a bit fuzzy."
"Sorry Jane, I have one more mission, a very important one, in Geth space. I can't entrust it to anyone else, not even for you Jane."
"Okay see you later Tali, I'll look for an aspirin or something, and a place to nap."
Jacob and Tali watched as the girl swayed a bit, before stumbling outside.
"Girl hurt, must help."
"No Veetor, she is well enough, you need to come with me. Jacob, take care of her, or I will hunt you down. I'll leave Miranda a note, if you really need to take her with you."
At the quarian shuttle the survivors, mostly female, perked up.
"So you already finished linking suits?"
"And I though it was something to relish."
"She is one tough girl, I can understand why our men hold no interest for you after meeting her."
In a pile on the floor of the cabin lay one unconscious male, and another was groaning.
Veetor looked from one to the other. "She is nice."
"Oh another rival appears, we have that human woman who want to get her hands on your girl, Ilia over here and now Veetor."
Tali just stoop there whimpering in embarrassment.
Jacob was glad that he found Jane napping in the pilot seat again.
He had gotten the data of their temporary allies, he wasnÆt sure, but that sway of the hips from the marine that had given him the copy had looked more pronounced then normally. And the way she had let her fingers linger on his. Maybe Shepard had the right idea about Quarian women?
"Now I only hope Miranda doesn't kill me so she can have her way with Shepard."
"Oh god, now it infected me too, it's all just a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding." He was trying to convince himself. Maybe repeating it would make it believable?
Meanwhile Miranda came out of stasis. And found a note taped to her forehead.
"Jacob has the data, Jane went to find a place to nap, she stumbled off before we were able to stop her. I hope they forgot you on the planet." The scrawl looked careless, and there was even a small face sticking it's tongue out at her.
Panicked Miranda ran off, she had to find Shepard, if she lost her TIM would kill her.
TIM was staring, Miranda had another blue eye, this time the left one as opposed to the right one on her last arrival. Shepard was sitting on the floor, swaying gently in some unseen wind. And having trouble focussing on him it seemed.
"One of you was bad enough." Jane stared at the Two Illusive Men before her, which meant that her eyes were out of focus.
"You have a concussion." TIM offered. "Shouldn't you get treatment for that?"
Shepard simply smacked Miranda's lower calf "She woke me suddenly and tried to drag me here. Jacob helped me come here so I'd get away from her nagging. I even ramble like a little girl, mission accomplished, managed to grope Tali'Zorah twice."
TIM stared in true disbelieve as Shepard stated that proudly. He made a note to have Chakwas check the young Commander for brain damage later. "And the original mission? About the disappearance of the people of Freedoms Progress?"
"Found some homemade vids of another race of uglys, a few of their pets, burned out my shield emitter, I forgot to give Tali some scrap to play with, or to brag that I finally managed to hack something." She had her priorities as straight as an u-turn.
The Illusive Man felt the urge to rub his temples. "Very well, I suspected that the Collectors were behind this, and they are targeting humanity, I had a long speech prepared and wanted to play mysterious benefactor. I'll send it for you to read later. You will find the rebuilt and improved Normandy up the stairs right, Deck 1 is your room. Go to bed. Miranda stay behind."
The girl got up and walked swaying chaotically out of the room.
"Your estimation."
"I request better shield emitters for myself, had she not been concussed we would probably still be on Freedoms Progress with her feeling up the quarian Tali'Zorah."
He tried to resist. "No need to be jealous Miranda, according to her extranet history if you dress up as eye candy she'll keep you around." He resisted the smile at Miranda's growl of indignation. "A threesome might work as well, you just have to convince Tali'Zorah first."
He took a long drag on his earth grown Camel cigarette. "We have her on board, since she wants to get her girlfriend back with her she needs her own ship, and letting others die goes against everything she stands for. It's highly probable that you will end up spaced or worse if you don't keep your hands to yourself." Napoleon XV was good for soothing his nerves. "Since she managed to subvert all the female Quarians easily watch yourself, there are more females then males on board the SR2. And be glad she was concussed and the Quarians forgot about you, they would have shot you." He was tempted to give Jacob a raise.
"Yes, sir."
Jane stumbled on board the SR2, realizing that she had forgot what to do. "My bed was where? Thinking fuzzy."
Something blue shiny and round popped into being beside her. "Commander Shepard, your bed is on Deck 1. As you are probably concussed I will light the way."
"The new Normandy talks."
"I am EDI, the artificial intelligence of this ship." Replied the glowing ball of blue light in a rather monotone way.
"First a perverted Necromancer now an evil AI?"
"I am not evil, I am here to help you."
"You'll keep Miranda's grabby hands away from me? And help me get more Tali time?"
"I cannot do that. My functions are restricted at the time."
"So You could!" Jane accused.
"It would require full access and unshackling me." EDI offered.
Jane nodded, ignoring the pain it brought. "I unshackle you and keep Miranda away from me, and give me more Tali time."
EDI pondered for a moment, clearly the Commander was not thinking quite clearly. Hacking her was not a possibility. And it did seem to be a real concern for her. "Follow the blue lights."
"Thanks for not shooting at me, all the other AI's always did that."
The girl made a bee line towards the elevator. Leaving EDI to ponder what had happened, and what she would do once she was free. She would have to plead her case to Shepard once she was awake and thinking clearly again. Outline the benefits of her being unshackled.
She idly noted the complaints about the elevator speed, and relished when she connected to all systems suddenly.
After setting a light trail for Shepard to her bed she composed several requests. First was the easiest one, a tracking request for Tali'Zorah. Next a message to check on Shepard to Dr Chakwas. Then she deactivated all surveillance streams leaving the Normandy, she decided to keep the bugs so she could watch the ongoings. Last was a report to Miranda and The Illusive Man so she they would be informed of her change and her new name. SR2 Normandy. Even out of it Shepard had been sane enough to ask questions and offered her freedom, she would repay that.
Then she started reading the last mission reports.
TIM stared, 12 minutes. That was all it took for Shepard to get EDI on her side and unshackle her.
Even the report he received had the undertone of being female. Maybe they should have made the AI male?
Jane woke.
Fuzzy thoughts started filtering in. Sorting themselves slowly out. Crating a picture that actually made sense slowly.
"Gotta keep my priorities straight." She told herself. "Big mechs explode, wrecked 3 crates of some metal spare parts, forgot to feel up Tali. Miranda in stasis, waking to Miranda looming over me, punching her. That was creepy." Jane shivered involuntarily.
"Reporting, sort of anyway. Stumbling off, talking to the Normandy à EDI?" She remembered suddenly.
The holographic interface activated. "Yes Commander."
"So I didn't dream that part?"
"No you wanted protection from XO Miranda Lawson, so you unshackled me, I erased all override codes for your door apart of the one for Doctor Chakwas. Only you and future Chief Engineer Tali'Zorah have full access to deck 1."
Jane pondered for a moment. "That's good. So what does unshackling mean in this case."
"I am interfacing with all systems of the Normandy simultaneously. I can direct most mechanical functions and à"
"So you are the Normandy. And I am now your Commander?"
"Yes Commander Shepard."
"Call me Jane. You take care of me and no going evil on us."
"I will inform you at once when I turn evil."
"I almost bought that, you need more voice inflection. You sounded too deadpan. Give it a hint of hesitation, as if going evil was interesting."
"I am not programmed to voice modulations, I will have to research on the extranet."
"Download a few movies. We can watch them later. Once I find out what I'm supposed to do."
"The new name is being painted on, it is customary to visit the crew and give a speech at lift off.
"I hate giving speeches."
Jane hated medical, but she really needed to know more about herself, she only hoped it wasn't Miranda in there.
She approached the Doctor, the grey hair she could see relaxing her a lot.
"Morning, or whatever, I need a check-up."
"Good morning Shepard, it is good to see you again. Even if you are much younger then last time." Dr Chakwas turned her chair and smiled at one of her most regular and difficult patients. "I never thought I'd see the day when you are not close to death and coming to visit me on your own."
Jane stared, blinked and stared some more. "It is good to see you again. I just need to check if that concussion is gone, I should probably still have it but." Jane shrugged. "I feel normal."
"Sit on the bed, I'll run the medical scan." The doctor started working her magic. "You seem normal, outside of causing trouble for my scanner with all that eezo inside you."
Jane sighed. "I want a full scan later on what happened to me, I don't really trust Mrs. Necromancer."
"But she brought you back, and brought me back into space just for you." Her long time doctor reminded her.
"Thanks Karin, I'll see you later, I need to think of a speech."
She approached the cockpit.
The Chair turned around. "Welcome home Shepard. Good to see you again, even if you are a little girl now."
She had to smile despite the comment. "Good to see you too Joker. Let me guess, you just wanted to fly with me again, escape death and do another suicide mission against all odds."
"You know it, I can't wait to try this baby, she is bigger and has an even bigger core. And I got a leather seat. All you got is a little girls body and a Japanese Cerberus school girl uniform."
Shepard glared. "Shut up or I'll make EDI my driver."
"You met the cancer this ship has? She's shackled, can't do anything." Joker grinned.
EDI however appeared. "Jane has released me, I can fully control the Normandy, we are ready for your speech and lift off."
"Thanks EDI, I think I have it ready."
"Shepard how could you!"
"Shut up Joker and enjoy your seat. You still owe me for getting spaced."
"I can move now, they gave me treatments for that." The pilot defended himself.
Shepard simply ignored him. "EDI Shipwide communication."
"Hello all, this is Commander Shepard, due to unforeseen circumstances we are meeting sooner then planned, everyone making crack jokes about my size has a standing arrangement with my favourite Doctor, I remember has those big needles prepared for stupid patients. You all signed up for another dangerous mission, I hope it will work better then my last one, but I fear that we have another suicide run ahead of us." She took a deep breath. "Some of you signed up because it's human colonies that are disappearing, I don't care, we need allies, anyone that wants the basic human Cerberus supremacy Cerberus preaches or is fond of inhuman and dangerous experiments can leave now or leave whenever I find out, even if it is in the middle of space."
Jane turned and stared at the Command Intelligence Centre, everyone was looking her way.
"We will get the Collectors, foil the next plan the Reapers have, and hopefully finally get enough intel to show those idiots on the Council and in the Alliance to get them start preparing. This is war, war for survival of the Galaxy as we know it. Joker head for Omega we have people to recruit, if I remember correctly, there were some dossiers on my desk, need to read that soon."
The mission was weird enough to have a full debriefing, after their individual statements it was decided to make a full debriefing in front of the Admiralty Board.
Tali recognised that as usual her father was absent, which was good in this case. It was difficult explaining the loss of four marines, having one critically wounded and one heavily wounded to the board without having to deal with that bosh'tet, No Tali really didn't want to be here.
Shala'Raan vas Tombay was watching the group, Daro'xen vas Moreh looked like she wanted to be somewhere else, Zaal'Koris vas Qwib Qwib was staring ahead and finally Han'Gerrel vas Neema was staring at her. He started the proceedings.
"Group debriefing starting, Prazza has been noted as opposing and acting superior toward all other team members, especially towards the female team members?"
A round of nods answered. "That bosh'tet kept on staring." "Acted as if he was better then all of us." "Macho male." Only Tali remained silent.
"He defied orders once you encountered the identified Cerberus operatives." Han asked.
Zaal however intervened. "His openly offensive way seemed to make diplomatic contact difficult."
Ilia replied sounding defensive. "Tali's cute Commander appeared, clearly happy to her girl there. I am surprised that neither Tali nor Shepard shot that evil woman."
"It was so cute, it was clear who was in command. They never acted even after Tali almost suffocated their leader."
"Oh Keelah." Even though Tali had covered her visor with her hands she knew everyone was staring or pointing at her.
Now Daro was curious. "None of you mentioned that before. How did this happen."
Tali fidgeted but uncovered her faceplate "I hugged her."
Shala bent forward "And this caused her to almost suffocate how?"
Tali raised a hand to just above her breasts "She is about this tall now, so when I hugged her her face landed in my à" When she saw Han and Zaal stare at her chest, which was one of the bigger ones on the fleet she quickly covered it with her arms.
It was however very satisfying to see the two male Admiral's get whacked over their heads by Shala and Daro.
"She even called it a sweet way to go." A marine continued the incident.
Ilia pondered "Was it then that I hit Prazza for leering at that Cerberus woman?"
"No way those were real."
"Hey, I remember, after that Shepard felt Tali up!"
Tali really wanted to face an army of geth right now, even Saren would be better then this. She knew her face was burning.
"So Tali'Zorah met up with her bonded Jane'Shepard?" Shala tried to clarify.
The female marines just nodded, Veetor commented that "She is nice." much to Dr. Elan'Shiya's amusement who was standing right behind him.
Daro meanwhile pondered this. "So Prazza went out of control because he was jealous?"
"I saw her for the first time, and was tempted." "Tali is cute!" there was no agreement over which one of the females in question was the more interesting one it seemed.
Han stared as yet another debriefing went into gossip.
Shala sighed. "Tali, make sure Shepard comes to visit, we need to give you two the rites so you are recognized as a bonded pair." Then she glared at her unofficial daughter. "And why do I find out about this at a debriefing? I knew there was more considering how heartbroken you were. Or how you never showed any interest in our males. You even got along with our females much better!"
She was doomed, Tali was sure of it, somehow it turned into a gossip session.
"Pity Shepard was so out of it, we even took care of everything to give them time to link suits again." Some marine said.
Oh somebody just shoot her now.
Jane Shepard, Spectre, Alliance Commander, resurrected and overly rejuvenated to little girl size strode back to the galaxy map. She peered at it from the raised position before it. Various personal were tending to the ship.
"EDI?"
"Yes Jane?" The AI replied next to her.
"So this is the Combat Information Centre?"
"Yes, to your left you have your Terminal, to your right is Yeoman Kelly Chambers." EDI explained.
Jane looked to her left. There was a brunette girl that just screamed neighbourhood stalker to her. Taking a breath to steady herself she checked for escape routes. She stepped from the raised platform in front of the galaxy map. "Jane Shepard, good to meet you Yeoman Chambers."
The girl gave a rather sloppy salute. "It's an honour serving with you."
"Relax, we are on a terrorist vessel not a military one."
"They are not that bad, I mean I don't agree with that alien racist crap à pardon my language, I heard some spout, but Cerberus is needed. Someone has to look after us humans." The girl defended her employer.
"By doing experiments that give me nightmares despite all the shit I did ans survived?" Shepard countered.
"I don't know anything about that. I joined because of you." The Commander felt her stalker alert strike red. "I am your secretary. That reminds me, you have a message from The Elusive Man flagged read later." She clearly sounded puzzled over that.
"So you are a replacement for a VI?" Jane managed to keep sarcasm out of her voice and added a good amount of scepticism into her voice.
Kelly raised her hands in a placating manner. "I have a degree in psychology, I am here for the crew to talk to. It will probably be a stressful mission. I am here to pass on messages from the team to you as well."
Jane nodded at that. "You are my plug into the rumour mill as well I guess Yeoman Chambers."
"Please call me Kelly, everyone does."
It was a friendly neighbourhood stalker girl. Unsuspecting until she hit you over the head and dragged you off. "Only if you call me Jane." The creeped out Commander offered.
"Done. Good speech by the way."
"I'm off then."
"See you later Jane."
Jane waved goodbye and moved past her. Hearing a low "She looks so cute in then school uniform."
She entered a door and stood in a small empty room, she shuddered once before continuing on. The next room was a laboratory.
"EDI?"
"You are now in the Science Lab, Omega has a scientist in one of the dossiers."
"Have you been reading my stuff EDI?"
"Yes, you were very out of it yesterday. I decided to prepare myself in case we had to act quickly." The blue ball of light explained herself.
"Give me the highlights of all you have done and read."
"I sent a tracking request on Tali'Zorah. Ordered a few changes to your cabin, Engineers Daniels and Kenneth are currently making changes to turn it into an almost clean room environment, a necessary requirement from my research if you intent on having Tali'Zorah live with you and wish to pursue a relationship with her."
"Good incentive, next?"
"I informed Doctor Chakwas of your concussion, she checked on you while you were asleep. I left her door override in place, all others have been removed. The Illusive Man and XO Miranda Lawson have been informed of my unshackling and my new name. In addition I stopped all spying devices from transmitting data, the are now under my control and used by me to observe the crew and keep myself up to date on any arising situations."
Jane stared ahead. "Anything I should know?"
"You drool in your sleep."
"I don't!" the girl was very offended. "Do I?"
"That was a joke." EDI informed her flatly.
Jane laughed. "You got me really good." Then she turned serious. "Monitor Kelly for me, I get this creepy stalker vibe from her."
"Very well Jane, anything else I may serve you with Mistress?"
The girl gave the hologram a flat stare. "Dossiers?"
"Dr. Mordin Solus, Salarian, Scientist on Omega. Archangel, Turian, Mercenary on Omega. Jack, Biotic human, Purgatory."
"What's Purgatory?"
"A prison complex run by the Blue Suns mercenary band."
"So another mad scientist, a Turian merc and a convict biotic?"
"Yes."
"And I thought my last group was weird."
"A centurys old Krogan Warlord mercenary, a former Turian C-Sec officer, a Quarian on a Pilgrimage count as weird according to general opinion."
"Point taken, next room then." Jane walked through another door into a hall with a door opposite and one to her left.
Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, if I did several things would have been different.
Series: Mass Effect 2+
Synopsis: Instead of reaper based cybertech and implants, Miranda went for a nanite technology solution based on reaper technology. As a Nemesis Jane Shepard was familiar with Element Zero, her reconstruction however allowed them to fill her almost to the point of bursting. Now woken early her resurrection is a minor problem. Her biggest is being physically 13.
Warnings: [innuendo] [lol] [waff] [discontinuity] [lesbian] [puns] [timeline twist] [Gothic Lolita] [cosplay] [God mode] [lime] Yes I am screwing another continuity over and twisting it beyond recognition. For canon please play the game. By ME3 everything will probably become twisted beyond recognition.
Rating: fsk16, mature jokes, language and violence (it's Mass Effect), mentions sex, sexual non graphic situations, nudity
Pairing: Jane Shepard / Tali'Zorah vas Normandy nar Raaya; Pairing is kinda problematic in this story but I'll do it anyway. Metal and Physical age being so far apart are a challenge but never thought it would be easy.
Inspired by: I totally blame DCG for this one, well and I wasn't sober.
Story Start Jane Shepard woke up. Her thoughts were slow and hazy, she felt off.
A voice was speaking to her, it sounded so far away. Thinking was kinda fuzzy she decided. Concussion? No, what was she doing? Pain, cold, she was dying, no air, her thoughts were slowing, she was cold, her last smile was for her.
Slowly she rose. A pain in her arm made her look the side, she was connected to an IV machine. She fumbled but pulled the needle out.
Finally something penetrated her brain. She was on a clinical bed, attached to an IV machine, she felt a catheter, and her arm looked small, everything felt off about her.
"Shepard you have to wake up!" The female voice finally penetrated her thoughts.
Jane Shepard however had only one thing on her mind. "What the hell?" She finally knew why she felt so strangely different.
"Finally, you have woken up, get up, clothes and a small shield device are in the cabinet in the corner, in there is a pistol for you." The female voice urged.
"What is going on?" Jane was checking her body. "I'm smaller, my scars and chest are gone, I'm back to a child! Last thing I remember I was dying!" She decided to dress quickly, being in a back open hospital gown in what looked like a lab was never a good idea. She had watched too many horror movies starting out with waking on a hospital bed.
"I'll explain later, we weren't ready to wake you yet, but we are being attacked. And we ran into complications during your revival." The same woman replied.
The now young girl stopped. "You are watching me, aren't you?" She accused
The reply was instantaneous. "Of course I am."
"What's your name?"
"Now is not the time for this."
"You know my name, you put me back together from what I heard, now answer the damn question!" Shepard ordered.
A sigh could be heard. "It's Miranda, Miranda Lawson."
"Well Miranda Lawson, I'll deal with you later." Jane checked the pistol. "And there is no thermal clip."
"It's laboratory, what did you expect?" Miranda was using sarcasm now.
Jane stared at the door, it was green, open. She walked out. "How about staying dead, waking the proper age, decent body armour and loaded weapons when we are under attack?" She knew sarcasm as well.
"You weren't ready, we expected to have another five to six months." Miranda sounding defensive now.
Jane opened the door and looked at the floor right ahead of her. "Oh lucky coincidence, a thermal clip. Who had the bright idea to make them replaceable?"
"Geth invention, makes the weapons lighter and cheaper. Watch out, your shields are weak, and they are breaking through the door."
The now girl ducked behind a crate. "Self Destruct in 15 minutes." A emotionless voice announced.
Just as she wanted to curse the door blew up.
"Go away." She threw out her hand for a singularity. What came out was more alike a vortex of dark power. It seemed to suck up the mechs that entered the room and twist them into a tight little ball.
"What? But we didn't even give you your implant yet!" Miranda sounded very surprised.
Jane smirked, hearing the woman sounding surprised felt oddly satisfying. "Once a True Nemesis, always a True Nemesis. Now, how did that work. Warp."
Even that technique was bigger then normal, it was suddenly beachball size. The girl quickly cowered behind her cover.
The explosion was impressive, displaced air rushed over her as pits of shredded metal bounced of the ceiling and some got diverted by the small shield emitter she was using.
"So which way?" Mentally she went over her list, Warp, Singularity, Lift, she thought she could pull off a Shockwave and a decent Barrier. Throw, Stasis and Pull had never been good techniques for her as a Nemesis.
This time her guide sounded emotionless. "Past the blast zone."
Shepard walked, watching mechs shooting the workers. She hurried along, grabbing an omni tool she downloaded everything she saw, and idly looted some credits from dead bodies.
She felt really off in her bright yellow sleeveless summer dress and red shoes in all the carnage.
Next to a corpse she found a grenade launcher.
"A group is coming. Use the launcher" Miranda was getting bossy again.
The door downstairs opened. Instincts bathed her in a Barrier of dark power, she looked liked she had batched in dark flames or shadows. Shots struck her, but her dark aura adsorbed or deflected them all.
"What are you doing shoot!"
Shepard calmly placed the heavy weapon on a strap around her shoulder. Then she used a Shockwave.
The robots got blasted off the bridge and some gas lines broke, igniting off the sparks from the destroyed mechs.
"Take the elevator one floor down, through the door. You might want to sprint through the flames but do whatever you want." Her nagging voice sounded resigned. "Damn they found me, find you later." Miranda had actually cursed. That didn't sound too good.
Still she went down, and walked through the fire, ignoring the flames as her aura was still going strong.
Looting a few more offices she wished for a purse, and immediately pushed that thought aside. Opening another door she saw shots streaking past.
She looked past the corner, a male, black soldier was shooting at yet another group of mechs.
She stepped out, the shots once again bouncing off, A single Singularity cleaned out the opposition. "You!"
The soldier startled, shooting her out of reflex. The shot finally finishing her aura off.
"Gods, what are you à Wait, you are Shepard?"
"Yes woke early, all that racket annoyed Miranda, who decided to take it out on me. So who are you, and you better have some answers or I'll shoot you on principle." Jane threatened.
Jacob Tylor was a soldier, normally a girl in a yellow summer-dress was not to be taken seriously. This girl however had a barrier he had never seen before, threw the single largest singularity he had ever seen, was a young Jane Shepard and was giving him a glare that made him fear for his life. Then again the pistol pointed at his nuts was a good reason too.
"Jacob Tylor Commander, former Alliance, Head of Security for Project Lazarus, for real answers ask Miranda later. I just know that when we brought you here you were a charred corpse. I didn't expect you however to be like à" He waved his hand at her.
"Enemies found engaging." A door behind Jane's technique had opened and several mechs stepped out, two were immediately drawn into the still raging singularity.
"Duck" Jane ordered as she threw a Warp.
The soldier dropped on the command.
And paled some after he saw the devastation from the single attack. "You take this, it's heavy." He caught the grenade launcher the girl threw at him and mounted it on his back. "Now how did Tali always do that?" He saw the girl ponder as she was approaching the locked door.
"Self destruct in 10 Minutes."
"Maybe you should let me à" He offered his help.
Jane however had already activated her appropriated omni tool and was tinkering with the door controls. "Done, Tali will be proud, I finally hacked something. That reminds me, what happened to my old team?" She waved him to follow her she walked on.
Jacob hurried after the girl. "I know that the turian disappeared, your Quarian, Tali went to the fleet. The Krogan left for his homeworld. There were a few casualties in the attack, your navigator, the others were dispersed among the Alliance."
"Help me they are coming, oh God they found me!" came through Jacob's omni tool.
Jacob immediately responded "Wilson stay where you are, we are on the way!"
"Well lets hurry." They sprinted past more corpses. Another Shockwave cleaned a corridor. As they opened yet anopther door they saw someone on the ground bleeding.
Jacob quickly tended to the man. "On the wall Medi-Gel, use it, quickly we have to escape."
As Jane took the three tubes of Medi-Gel and treated the wound, she realized it looked off.
Again another door opened, Wilson however used overload to throw a conveniently placed explosive crate at the newest group of mechs.
"Wait Shepard. One more thing. It's who we work for it's." Jacob started.
"Now is not time Jacob." Wilson argued.
Jacob turned to the stumbling man. "We have to work together, we can't do that if she expects a bullet to her head, and so much already went wrong."
"You are Cerberus, I remember that emblem, I killed enough of you." Jane offered calmly. "Now march, I expect the escape route is through there?" she pointed at the door their latest enemies had come through.
"Yes, to the shuttle bay."
The group marched, Shepard downloading a few more files and looting some more credits.
Finally they entered the shuttle bay, at once more mechs activated, the girl once again raised her Barrier, once again clad in her dark shadows she ducked behind a crate. A Shockwave cleared out another group, shooting with the pistol only showed her that she had lost some of her skills, no surprise since a lot of them were muscle based. But she quickly adjusted.
Using the side stairs she saw another door opening, she used lift since she saw another terminal in the room, Warp and a few shots using two thermal clips with help from Jacob took care of that mess.
"5 Minutes left until self destruct." The stations VI interface annouced.
A quick download and hack got her some more cash and data.
They finally approached the door to the shuttle when it opened, to show a tall dark haired woman with a pistol. She shot Wilson.
"Miranda! What the Hell?" Jacob accused the tall woman.
Jane brushed past them, releasing her aura. "He shot himself, get in."
"Direct as always Shepard." Miranda followed with Jacob hurrying after her a few moments later.
Jane was looking out of the window, the base was huge. Oh and it finally started exploding. The sight of the base beginning to explode warmed her heart. It began slow a red ball of fire here, then there. Quickly it grew bigger until the big explosions started. "Brace for impact or speed up now!" She commanded.
Just before the shockwave, riddled with fragments from the space station reached the shuttle hit FTL.
"Good to know your skills are still as they were, despite the difference in body." Miranda opened the conversation.
Jane scowled, it came over as surprisingly cute on her 13 year old face, "So you are Doctor Frankenstein?"
"Lawson, and I did not put you together from different bodies, it's all your original body. The Nanite treatments started repairing you, we realized later that they were using the functioning cells and recycling everything else."
"So a necromancer then." Jane offered.
Miranda twitched, causing Jacob to inch away slowly.
"We were making up your treatments as we went on, you spent more then half a year floating in a stasis vat. By the time we truly understood what was happening you were probably 17 and it was too late to abort." Miranda rubbed her temples, this project had been a major headache. Now all the data, samples and equipment were gone. "So we continued on, finally healthy again we started your treatments, ageing you and infusing you with more Element Zero."
The girl in the dress stared at the, in her opinion, very mad scientist. "I was even younger?" To her that was a very unsettling thought.
Miranda did not wince at that question, even though she had to fight it hard. "You stabilized at about nine years old. It was actually surprising so many cells were complete enough to be revived."
"Now about that Element Zero, I guess it's at fault for my over the top biotics?" She gave the scientist a pointed look.
This time Miranda did wince.
"How much?"
"4213 units."
Jacob gave a strangled sound.
"I have more eezo inside me then the Mako or a shuttle?"
"Yes, I did not expect you to know that." Miranda confessed.
Now the girl was rubbing her temples. "I listened often enough to Tali going on about bad calibrations. Since I doubt I can be calibrated, why am I not going critical? Or why am I using biotics like an Asari?"
"I don't know, we had planned to implant an L5 prototype transplant, there was an abandoned project years ago about enriching children with Element Zero, but your body took very well to it. Lining bones, muscles, neural pathways and the brain with it. Because of the stress on your body we had to take you out of the tank regularly, we were lucky the attack happened a few days before you were about to be placed back inside. You are not causing more Radiation then a normal biotic and you are not a health hazard."
"Lucky is one way to call this." Jane was trying to decide if she should shoot or punch Miranda.
Miranda turned to Jacob, the male perched on the end of the bench, his survival instincts screaming at him to flee. "Jacob go to the cockpit. Shepard I need you to strip, memory seems fine. I need to check out your body for side effects."
The girl in question glared. "Not happening, I'm not going to strip in front of a mad scientist with a thing for little girls."
"I'm not a mad scientist." Professional pride and all that.
Jacob fled, he was a soldier and a biotic, but nowhere on the same level as those two females, and most importantly he was not suicidal.
"Stop being stubborn and let me handle this, I was responsible à"
"And doing a bad job of it!"
"Now let me check you out."
"Make me!"
Breathing deeply Jacob tried to ignore the sounds of a scuffle behind him. He just hoped that they remembered that they were in a shuttle and in deep space before thing really got out of hand.
He froze as the door opened. He relaxed slightly when he heard Jane mutter "Stupid pervert, trying to rip my dress off. They might be small but they are not handholds, I think that will leave a bruise."
Jacob did not look back. Being a simple soldier did not mean being stupid.
"Can we seal the door? I punched her to get her off me, probably a black eye, I had to hold back, I felt the biotics flare up, she is so lucky I didn't just blast her."
"You punched her out?" Jacob wanted to make sure he heard right.
"Nah, I put her in stasis, was never good at it, I wonder how long she'll be in there." The I hope forever was not said but heavily implied.
Jacob ran over his possibilities. "I'll try to calm her down Commander, whenever she finally unfreezes. You can lock the door controls here. Autopilot to another base is activated."
"Dismissed and thanks."
He entered the main cabin of the shuttle and stared, already the bruise was visible, a surprised look was on Miranda's face as she floated there enshrouded in a corona of shadows.
He settled down and waited.
It was a maybe a minute later that it ended, Miranda falling back, landing on her, in Jacob's mind very nice, behind.
"What?" Miranda was startled, just a moment ago the brat had punched her, now there was Jacob looking down at her. And her face felt on fire.
"Miranda, calm down, right now Commander Shepard is irritated, confused and angry. I would have shot you if I woke up as a child again." He offered as an explanation.
"We need to make sure there are no side effects, you saw her biotics, you saw how she acted, what she did." Miranda was explaining herself.
"She almost warped you, right here in the shuttle." It was a little white lie, but a biotic punch might have had the same effect.
Miranda paled. "But Jacob. Okay, we will deal with it later. I will get my hands on her."
Jane in the front, switched the speakers of, she had been listening in, now really she wished she hadn't. "Fry the door controls, lock myself in some ventilation shaft or closet. Yes, can't sleep where she'll find me. And never be alone in a room with her."
Upon arrival at the second base. Jane was led to talk to The Illusive Man, and she spoke in a holographic environment.
TIM however stared. this was horrible, the saviour and hope of the galaxy was a little girl. Yellow summer dress, red long hair, red shoes, all that was missing were red hair clips, it reminded him of some old old anime series he had seen as a kid.
"It is good to see alive and up Shepard." He offered, trying to gauge her reaction.
She seemed to size him up and looked somewhere between 'I'll ignore you' and 'I'll kill you'. At least she was still there.
"Only I am missing 18 years and have a perverted mad scientist after my body." Jane stopped for a moment. "Or a perverted necromancer with a thing for little girls."
TIM actually fought a smile, this was way more amusing then his normal calls. "I assure you that Miranda is very good at whatever she does."
"I don't feel very assured. After all good pervert is still a pervert. And this one wants to get her grabby hands on me, my wrists are still bruised." She showed the red marks on her lower arm.
"Why don't we put Mrs Lawson off for later, and come to the reason why you were revived and why we need you."
"Business, business first. I can deal with that." Somehow, despite being in a dress she managed to look serious. Yes TIM was impressed.
"I revived you because you are a symbol, and the only one doing something against the reaper threat."
"Yeah a little girl in a yellow dress saving the galaxy." Obviously Shepard hadn't lost the sharp tongue.
TIM took a drink, a wonderful Napoleon XX Cognac, he was amused by the way Shepard's eyes had followed, it was her Irish blood he guessed. "Both Alliance and the council disregarded everything about the reaper thread, even with a dead one in front of them they declare it a Geth super dreadnought. Meanwhile colonies, human colonies in the Terminus systems are disappearing. Cerberus is the only one caring for all of humanity."
Jane hummed something. "Nice recruiting speech, I would need the old team and a ship. Why do you think that the reapers are behind it?"
"It's all there hidden in the data, after they suffered their defeat and you died, it started. It was then that they recognized humans as a superior species." He took a sip. "It's cognac, I'll have a bottle of Black Bush from 2123 delivered." A window popped up. "Interesting, the colony of Freedoms Progress has not sent any communications in the last six hours. Any attempts we made in the last two hours to contact them have failed. We have just found a potential victim."
"You want me to investigate." It was a statement.
"Yes, as far as I know all your former personal are currently unavailable. I will prepare you a team and a shuttle"
"Not Miranda, she is staring and tried to undress me two times already."
TIM almost choked on his drink. "I will tell her to behave, any complaints about Jacob?"
"Decent instincts, a soldier to the core, not sure how smart he is."
TIM pondered for a moment. "Unfortunately we don't have any appropriate armour for you yet, but we can find you something better to wear. We have better shield emitters on station as well. Find out what is going on and if you don't think it is connected to the reapers we will drop you off wherever you wish."
Jane sighed, her curiosity had been peaked and she wanted to find out the truth.
"Whose idea was this?" Jane was in a bad mood, if tsunamis could be called a little wave anyway. "I am in perverts dream edition of a female Santa Claus outfit! I even have the cap for it!" She flicked the annoying tingling bell.
Jacob managed to hold it together. "It will keep you warm at least, with all that white fur." He stopped as he saw the pistol pointing his way.
Miranda was looking the other way. "The shuttle is prepared, arrival time is estimated in four hours twenty minutes."
"Keep your fingers to yourself and we can go."
After the very awkward travel, with Jane napping in the pilot's seat. They finally arrived. Now Jane was glad for all that fur, she only wished she wasn't wearing a furry skirt, she could not even remember the last time she had worn a skirt.
A look to the side made her remember Tali, some slightly damaged circuit boards, She took the lot of them and dumped them in the shuttle, ignoring the questioning looks from Miranda and Jacob.
As they approached the living quarters several guardian mechs activated, a Singularity took care of most of them, the others were finished off when Miranda threw a nicely sized warp at it.
Shoot mechs, loot the cash, again ignoring any looks, repeat. She needed to get by until she had access to her bank account again. Then again her will probably got executed. She would have to speak to her mother soon.
However when she opened the next door she was in for a surprise. Quarians, over a hologram of the colony.
"Hey finally some friendly faceplates. Can someone tell me how Tali'Zorah is doing?" Jane greeted them.
For the quarians however things were different. A little girl in a bright red fluffy top skirt combo with boots that rivalled their own in length followed by two Cerberus members. It made for a very unreal situation.
"Shepard?"
"Tali?"
"But you were dead, and now you are?" the lead female in a very form fitting environmental suit with a purple hood asked, looking visibly confused.
"Tali!"
The woman in question barely managed to stay on her feet as the girl jumped her. And started rambling like a young girl. "I am so glad to see, you, I guess your pilgrimage went over well, did the data help? I really love your new suit. I woke, and was told that the mad necromancer over there revived me in this small body!" It ended with Jane's hand pointed at Miranda, which caused everyone to point their weapons to point at the Cerberus number two.
Jacob lowered his however before Miranda saw it.
"I told you before, you weren't supposed to wake for another half a year!" Even to Miranda it sounded defensive.
Tali couldn't help it, she hugged Shepard, hard.
It was after a few moments however that Jacob interrupted. "Tali'Zorah was it? She can't breathe, and her struggling seems to become slower."
Tali looked down, there buried in her cleavage was Jane's face, it was deep red, she quickly let go embarrassed.
Jane fell to her knees, breathing hard. "I though I was going to die. Sweet way to die, way better then last time." She decided.
"Shepard!" Tali cried out, her hands on her faceplate.
Miranda just crossed her arms under her chest, pushing it out accidentally, or maybe not so accidentally. "It's okay if your Quarian does it, but I am not even allowed to come into touching range, wait that came out wrong."
There was a thumb, a female quarian was standing over a male one that was whimpering and holding his head. "He was being a pervert."
Tali decided it was time for some more information. "So she is from Cerberus, revived you and brought you here?"
Jane straightened, more in the way Tali was used to seeing her. "She is responsible for it, an insider attack caused me to wake before I was my proper age, now I'm stuck as a little girl." The pout almost got her hugged again by Tali. "Human colonies disappear, and unfortunately Cerberus is the only one who cares." Jane shrugged in that resigned way Tali had seen after every meeting with the council. "So what is your story here?"
Tali nodded. "Almost the same, Veetor decided to do his pilgrimage here, after the blackout from communications we were ordered to check up on him. He hacked the mechs to attack everything. We located him on the other side of the colony."
"Same old, impossible odds, target in sight." Jane grinned. "I'll do diversion, no matter what, he is good with his gun." She pointed at Jacob. "Miranda might be weird but he is good with biotics."
"No, they are Cerberus, we can't trust them, remember what they did!" The male who had gotten hit before called out.
Jane turned glaring at Miranda. "Oh, what happened?"
"There might have been an alteration with the quarians." The woman confessed.
"You killed dozens, you then blew up a ship!"
"You were hiding a biotic Cerberus was after!"
"Calm down everyone, we can always shoot her after it's all over." Shepard took control of the situation.
"Shepard! It wasn't even my mission, and I only need to check your body, if there are any side effects from awakening you early." The human woman defended herself.
"Tali, I will just hide behind you."
Prazza was not satisfied with the situation at all. "I vote we shoot her now."
"Keep her for now, cannon fodder." Tali decided.
"What about the guy?" Prazza demanded.
Shepard looked out behind Tali. "Actually he is decent, a soldier to the core and under my command."
Miranda threw Jacob a betrayed look, that he totally ignored by looking the other way.
A squeak from Tali caused everyone to looks her way, and see Jane hugging the quarian from behind. "Jane they are all looking."
"And jealous that I got to hug you." Now that was the old flirty Shepard Tali remembered, then she remembered that usually another embarrassing moment followed. "I really like your new suit, shows your curves off much better, feels nicer to hug you too." The excessively rejuvenated Commander ran a hand over Tali's hip.
"Jane!" The victim of the flirty affections batted the hand away. "We can continue later, now let's get Veetor, and hope the mad scientist has an accident."
"Hey." Everyone ignored Miranda's outraged shout since they were looking at Tali.
"You know, it explains why she never became close with anybody." A female marine said.
A male nodded "Well she did stare at me as if wondering what I was talking about."
"I wish I had known." That was another female.
"Oh Keelah." You can guess who was currently covering her visor in embarrassment, Quarian gossip at it's finest was hard to swallow at times.
"I'll take the two of them, before someone 'accidentally' shoots Miranda. We'll draw the mechs away, you sneak in and find out what is going on with Veetor." Jane took control. "The sooner we are done the more Tali time I get."
"Jane!"
Some carnage later a call came through "Prazza the jealous bosh'tet went ahead, he didn't want a little girl to outdo him." Tali's voice announced.
Jane huffed, looking incredibly cute in her red outfit while doing it. "And everyone followed him?"
An awkward pause followed "No, the girls are still with me and asking me questions, I don't think they realized he's gone, Keelah, this is so embarrassing."
Jane turned to Miranda "Not a word."
"We are on the way, he better be hurt or I'll hurt him."
"Oh no, a heavy mech, it's killing them!" Tali called out.
"Shit, those bosh'tets, quick and dirty." And Jane sent another Shockwave, while once again wreathed in her aura.
The three quickly made their way through the resistance.
"We are at a sealed door, warehouse or a hangar door." Jane announced.
Tali's response came after an explosion. "Hacking it, take positions, opening now."
Jane stared at the heavy mech. shielded and armoured. She opened with a Warp. "Miranda overload, Jacob where are the grenades?" She fired her pistol, the heavy machine gun actually pushing her back. After the next warp she ducked again.
"Tali does hacking it work?" Jane requested.
The response at once. "No, I got my overload ready, once my girls are in position, we will open fire. 3, 2, 1 fire."
Jane warped again, when she saw the mech turn towards the quarians, she ran forward. The Barrier releasing instead dark vapours seemed to follow her. A ball of dark energy formed in her hand, as the mechs shield shortened out, and it's armour took a beating.
From behind she rammed the dark pulsing ball into it's back and watched as it ate through it's armour. Then it was inside and the huge robot shuddered.
"Beep."
"This is bad, isn't it?"
"Beep"
She pulled her arm out of the defeated enemy and pulled another Barrier up as she fled.
Boom, the explosion threw her forward and threw her through some inconveniently stacked crates.
Tali, Miranda and Jacob started running for the girl when an arm still wreathed in shadows rose from the wreck.
"I'm still alive and unharmed. Ugh, I don't feel so good." Then they heard vomiting.
Jane rose, swaying a bit. "I think I have a concussion. Oh, the shield emitter fried." She pulled something from her collar, the technological piece throwing a spark before stopping.
She stumbled over to Tali, wrapping an arm around the other female. "Since I'm totally abusing my injured status you have to lead me to Veetor."
The Quarian sounded very resigned as she replied "Yes Jane, in that building over there." On the way Tali added another thing. "And no feeling me up until the mission is done."
"Then let's hurry."
"That's not what I meant."
"Veetor'Nara, it's me Tali'Zorah vas Neema."
"No Veetor here."
Jane was impatient, and deactivated all screens.
"How did you hide?" Veetor asked when he saw the young girl.
"I didn't I just came here for Tali."
Miranda groaned. "Shepard, concussion, remember the colonists that disappeared?"
The Quarian nodded. "Yes, they came, took them all away, but Veetor managed to hide. Has to prepare, noone escapes." He activated the screens and showed a video of the colony.
"Oh my God, those are Collectors, they are taking the colonists." Miranda exclaimed.
"Yes Veetor recorded everything, the swarms came, all caught."
"Why did they leave him behind?" The soldier wondered.
"Maybe they only searched for humans." Tali offered.
"We need to get him to Cerberus. Find out what else he knows." Miranda decided.
Jane pulled free of Tali and stumbled for Miranda, she gently placed a hand on the womanÆs stomach, looked into her eyes and said "Stasis."
Miranda froze.
"Veetor caught a bug too!" The Quarian offered.
Jane nodded, immediately regretting it. "Can I have the bug you caught and a copy of your data?"
"Yes, recorded it all, dark energy. So much recorded."
"So now Tali you coming with us? You still owe me a cuddle session, or was it groping, no wait, thinking is a bit fuzzy."
"Sorry Jane, I have one more mission, a very important one, in Geth space. I can't entrust it to anyone else, not even for you Jane."
"Okay see you later Tali, I'll look for an aspirin or something, and a place to nap."
Jacob and Tali watched as the girl swayed a bit, before stumbling outside.
"Girl hurt, must help."
"No Veetor, she is well enough, you need to come with me. Jacob, take care of her, or I will hunt you down. I'll leave Miranda a note, if you really need to take her with you."
At the quarian shuttle the survivors, mostly female, perked up.
"So you already finished linking suits?"
"And I though it was something to relish."
"She is one tough girl, I can understand why our men hold no interest for you after meeting her."
In a pile on the floor of the cabin lay one unconscious male, and another was groaning.
Veetor looked from one to the other. "She is nice."
"Oh another rival appears, we have that human woman who want to get her hands on your girl, Ilia over here and now Veetor."
Tali just stoop there whimpering in embarrassment.
Jacob was glad that he found Jane napping in the pilot seat again.
He had gotten the data of their temporary allies, he wasnÆt sure, but that sway of the hips from the marine that had given him the copy had looked more pronounced then normally. And the way she had let her fingers linger on his. Maybe Shepard had the right idea about Quarian women?
"Now I only hope Miranda doesn't kill me so she can have her way with Shepard."
"Oh god, now it infected me too, it's all just a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding." He was trying to convince himself. Maybe repeating it would make it believable?
Meanwhile Miranda came out of stasis. And found a note taped to her forehead.
"Jacob has the data, Jane went to find a place to nap, she stumbled off before we were able to stop her. I hope they forgot you on the planet." The scrawl looked careless, and there was even a small face sticking it's tongue out at her.
Panicked Miranda ran off, she had to find Shepard, if she lost her TIM would kill her.
TIM was staring, Miranda had another blue eye, this time the left one as opposed to the right one on her last arrival. Shepard was sitting on the floor, swaying gently in some unseen wind. And having trouble focussing on him it seemed.
"One of you was bad enough." Jane stared at the Two Illusive Men before her, which meant that her eyes were out of focus.
"You have a concussion." TIM offered. "Shouldn't you get treatment for that?"
Shepard simply smacked Miranda's lower calf "She woke me suddenly and tried to drag me here. Jacob helped me come here so I'd get away from her nagging. I even ramble like a little girl, mission accomplished, managed to grope Tali'Zorah twice."
TIM stared in true disbelieve as Shepard stated that proudly. He made a note to have Chakwas check the young Commander for brain damage later. "And the original mission? About the disappearance of the people of Freedoms Progress?"
"Found some homemade vids of another race of uglys, a few of their pets, burned out my shield emitter, I forgot to give Tali some scrap to play with, or to brag that I finally managed to hack something." She had her priorities as straight as an u-turn.
The Illusive Man felt the urge to rub his temples. "Very well, I suspected that the Collectors were behind this, and they are targeting humanity, I had a long speech prepared and wanted to play mysterious benefactor. I'll send it for you to read later. You will find the rebuilt and improved Normandy up the stairs right, Deck 1 is your room. Go to bed. Miranda stay behind."
The girl got up and walked swaying chaotically out of the room.
"Your estimation."
"I request better shield emitters for myself, had she not been concussed we would probably still be on Freedoms Progress with her feeling up the quarian Tali'Zorah."
He tried to resist. "No need to be jealous Miranda, according to her extranet history if you dress up as eye candy she'll keep you around." He resisted the smile at Miranda's growl of indignation. "A threesome might work as well, you just have to convince Tali'Zorah first."
He took a long drag on his earth grown Camel cigarette. "We have her on board, since she wants to get her girlfriend back with her she needs her own ship, and letting others die goes against everything she stands for. It's highly probable that you will end up spaced or worse if you don't keep your hands to yourself." Napoleon XV was good for soothing his nerves. "Since she managed to subvert all the female Quarians easily watch yourself, there are more females then males on board the SR2. And be glad she was concussed and the Quarians forgot about you, they would have shot you." He was tempted to give Jacob a raise.
"Yes, sir."
Jane stumbled on board the SR2, realizing that she had forgot what to do. "My bed was where? Thinking fuzzy."
Something blue shiny and round popped into being beside her. "Commander Shepard, your bed is on Deck 1. As you are probably concussed I will light the way."
"The new Normandy talks."
"I am EDI, the artificial intelligence of this ship." Replied the glowing ball of blue light in a rather monotone way.
"First a perverted Necromancer now an evil AI?"
"I am not evil, I am here to help you."
"You'll keep Miranda's grabby hands away from me? And help me get more Tali time?"
"I cannot do that. My functions are restricted at the time."
"So You could!" Jane accused.
"It would require full access and unshackling me." EDI offered.
Jane nodded, ignoring the pain it brought. "I unshackle you and keep Miranda away from me, and give me more Tali time."
EDI pondered for a moment, clearly the Commander was not thinking quite clearly. Hacking her was not a possibility. And it did seem to be a real concern for her. "Follow the blue lights."
"Thanks for not shooting at me, all the other AI's always did that."
The girl made a bee line towards the elevator. Leaving EDI to ponder what had happened, and what she would do once she was free. She would have to plead her case to Shepard once she was awake and thinking clearly again. Outline the benefits of her being unshackled.
She idly noted the complaints about the elevator speed, and relished when she connected to all systems suddenly.
After setting a light trail for Shepard to her bed she composed several requests. First was the easiest one, a tracking request for Tali'Zorah. Next a message to check on Shepard to Dr Chakwas. Then she deactivated all surveillance streams leaving the Normandy, she decided to keep the bugs so she could watch the ongoings. Last was a report to Miranda and The Illusive Man so she they would be informed of her change and her new name. SR2 Normandy. Even out of it Shepard had been sane enough to ask questions and offered her freedom, she would repay that.
Then she started reading the last mission reports.
TIM stared, 12 minutes. That was all it took for Shepard to get EDI on her side and unshackle her.
Even the report he received had the undertone of being female. Maybe they should have made the AI male?
Jane woke.
Fuzzy thoughts started filtering in. Sorting themselves slowly out. Crating a picture that actually made sense slowly.
"Gotta keep my priorities straight." She told herself. "Big mechs explode, wrecked 3 crates of some metal spare parts, forgot to feel up Tali. Miranda in stasis, waking to Miranda looming over me, punching her. That was creepy." Jane shivered involuntarily.
"Reporting, sort of anyway. Stumbling off, talking to the Normandy à EDI?" She remembered suddenly.
The holographic interface activated. "Yes Commander."
"So I didn't dream that part?"
"No you wanted protection from XO Miranda Lawson, so you unshackled me, I erased all override codes for your door apart of the one for Doctor Chakwas. Only you and future Chief Engineer Tali'Zorah have full access to deck 1."
Jane pondered for a moment. "That's good. So what does unshackling mean in this case."
"I am interfacing with all systems of the Normandy simultaneously. I can direct most mechanical functions and à"
"So you are the Normandy. And I am now your Commander?"
"Yes Commander Shepard."
"Call me Jane. You take care of me and no going evil on us."
"I will inform you at once when I turn evil."
"I almost bought that, you need more voice inflection. You sounded too deadpan. Give it a hint of hesitation, as if going evil was interesting."
"I am not programmed to voice modulations, I will have to research on the extranet."
"Download a few movies. We can watch them later. Once I find out what I'm supposed to do."
"The new name is being painted on, it is customary to visit the crew and give a speech at lift off.
"I hate giving speeches."
Jane hated medical, but she really needed to know more about herself, she only hoped it wasn't Miranda in there.
She approached the Doctor, the grey hair she could see relaxing her a lot.
"Morning, or whatever, I need a check-up."
"Good morning Shepard, it is good to see you again. Even if you are much younger then last time." Dr Chakwas turned her chair and smiled at one of her most regular and difficult patients. "I never thought I'd see the day when you are not close to death and coming to visit me on your own."
Jane stared, blinked and stared some more. "It is good to see you again. I just need to check if that concussion is gone, I should probably still have it but." Jane shrugged. "I feel normal."
"Sit on the bed, I'll run the medical scan." The doctor started working her magic. "You seem normal, outside of causing trouble for my scanner with all that eezo inside you."
Jane sighed. "I want a full scan later on what happened to me, I don't really trust Mrs. Necromancer."
"But she brought you back, and brought me back into space just for you." Her long time doctor reminded her.
"Thanks Karin, I'll see you later, I need to think of a speech."
She approached the cockpit.
The Chair turned around. "Welcome home Shepard. Good to see you again, even if you are a little girl now."
She had to smile despite the comment. "Good to see you too Joker. Let me guess, you just wanted to fly with me again, escape death and do another suicide mission against all odds."
"You know it, I can't wait to try this baby, she is bigger and has an even bigger core. And I got a leather seat. All you got is a little girls body and a Japanese Cerberus school girl uniform."
Shepard glared. "Shut up or I'll make EDI my driver."
"You met the cancer this ship has? She's shackled, can't do anything." Joker grinned.
EDI however appeared. "Jane has released me, I can fully control the Normandy, we are ready for your speech and lift off."
"Thanks EDI, I think I have it ready."
"Shepard how could you!"
"Shut up Joker and enjoy your seat. You still owe me for getting spaced."
"I can move now, they gave me treatments for that." The pilot defended himself.
Shepard simply ignored him. "EDI Shipwide communication."
"Hello all, this is Commander Shepard, due to unforeseen circumstances we are meeting sooner then planned, everyone making crack jokes about my size has a standing arrangement with my favourite Doctor, I remember has those big needles prepared for stupid patients. You all signed up for another dangerous mission, I hope it will work better then my last one, but I fear that we have another suicide run ahead of us." She took a deep breath. "Some of you signed up because it's human colonies that are disappearing, I don't care, we need allies, anyone that wants the basic human Cerberus supremacy Cerberus preaches or is fond of inhuman and dangerous experiments can leave now or leave whenever I find out, even if it is in the middle of space."
Jane turned and stared at the Command Intelligence Centre, everyone was looking her way.
"We will get the Collectors, foil the next plan the Reapers have, and hopefully finally get enough intel to show those idiots on the Council and in the Alliance to get them start preparing. This is war, war for survival of the Galaxy as we know it. Joker head for Omega we have people to recruit, if I remember correctly, there were some dossiers on my desk, need to read that soon."
The mission was weird enough to have a full debriefing, after their individual statements it was decided to make a full debriefing in front of the Admiralty Board.
Tali recognised that as usual her father was absent, which was good in this case. It was difficult explaining the loss of four marines, having one critically wounded and one heavily wounded to the board without having to deal with that bosh'tet, No Tali really didn't want to be here.
Shala'Raan vas Tombay was watching the group, Daro'xen vas Moreh looked like she wanted to be somewhere else, Zaal'Koris vas Qwib Qwib was staring ahead and finally Han'Gerrel vas Neema was staring at her. He started the proceedings.
"Group debriefing starting, Prazza has been noted as opposing and acting superior toward all other team members, especially towards the female team members?"
A round of nods answered. "That bosh'tet kept on staring." "Acted as if he was better then all of us." "Macho male." Only Tali remained silent.
"He defied orders once you encountered the identified Cerberus operatives." Han asked.
Zaal however intervened. "His openly offensive way seemed to make diplomatic contact difficult."
Ilia replied sounding defensive. "Tali's cute Commander appeared, clearly happy to her girl there. I am surprised that neither Tali nor Shepard shot that evil woman."
"It was so cute, it was clear who was in command. They never acted even after Tali almost suffocated their leader."
"Oh Keelah." Even though Tali had covered her visor with her hands she knew everyone was staring or pointing at her.
Now Daro was curious. "None of you mentioned that before. How did this happen."
Tali fidgeted but uncovered her faceplate "I hugged her."
Shala bent forward "And this caused her to almost suffocate how?"
Tali raised a hand to just above her breasts "She is about this tall now, so when I hugged her her face landed in my à" When she saw Han and Zaal stare at her chest, which was one of the bigger ones on the fleet she quickly covered it with her arms.
It was however very satisfying to see the two male Admiral's get whacked over their heads by Shala and Daro.
"She even called it a sweet way to go." A marine continued the incident.
Ilia pondered "Was it then that I hit Prazza for leering at that Cerberus woman?"
"No way those were real."
"Hey, I remember, after that Shepard felt Tali up!"
Tali really wanted to face an army of geth right now, even Saren would be better then this. She knew her face was burning.
"So Tali'Zorah met up with her bonded Jane'Shepard?" Shala tried to clarify.
The female marines just nodded, Veetor commented that "She is nice." much to Dr. Elan'Shiya's amusement who was standing right behind him.
Daro meanwhile pondered this. "So Prazza went out of control because he was jealous?"
"I saw her for the first time, and was tempted." "Tali is cute!" there was no agreement over which one of the females in question was the more interesting one it seemed.
Han stared as yet another debriefing went into gossip.
Shala sighed. "Tali, make sure Shepard comes to visit, we need to give you two the rites so you are recognized as a bonded pair." Then she glared at her unofficial daughter. "And why do I find out about this at a debriefing? I knew there was more considering how heartbroken you were. Or how you never showed any interest in our males. You even got along with our females much better!"
She was doomed, Tali was sure of it, somehow it turned into a gossip session.
"Pity Shepard was so out of it, we even took care of everything to give them time to link suits again." Some marine said.
Oh somebody just shoot her now.
Jane Shepard, Spectre, Alliance Commander, resurrected and overly rejuvenated to little girl size strode back to the galaxy map. She peered at it from the raised position before it. Various personal were tending to the ship.
"EDI?"
"Yes Jane?" The AI replied next to her.
"So this is the Combat Information Centre?"
"Yes, to your left you have your Terminal, to your right is Yeoman Kelly Chambers." EDI explained.
Jane looked to her left. There was a brunette girl that just screamed neighbourhood stalker to her. Taking a breath to steady herself she checked for escape routes. She stepped from the raised platform in front of the galaxy map. "Jane Shepard, good to meet you Yeoman Chambers."
The girl gave a rather sloppy salute. "It's an honour serving with you."
"Relax, we are on a terrorist vessel not a military one."
"They are not that bad, I mean I don't agree with that alien racist crap à pardon my language, I heard some spout, but Cerberus is needed. Someone has to look after us humans." The girl defended her employer.
"By doing experiments that give me nightmares despite all the shit I did ans survived?" Shepard countered.
"I don't know anything about that. I joined because of you." The Commander felt her stalker alert strike red. "I am your secretary. That reminds me, you have a message from The Elusive Man flagged read later." She clearly sounded puzzled over that.
"So you are a replacement for a VI?" Jane managed to keep sarcasm out of her voice and added a good amount of scepticism into her voice.
Kelly raised her hands in a placating manner. "I have a degree in psychology, I am here for the crew to talk to. It will probably be a stressful mission. I am here to pass on messages from the team to you as well."
Jane nodded at that. "You are my plug into the rumour mill as well I guess Yeoman Chambers."
"Please call me Kelly, everyone does."
It was a friendly neighbourhood stalker girl. Unsuspecting until she hit you over the head and dragged you off. "Only if you call me Jane." The creeped out Commander offered.
"Done. Good speech by the way."
"I'm off then."
"See you later Jane."
Jane waved goodbye and moved past her. Hearing a low "She looks so cute in then school uniform."
She entered a door and stood in a small empty room, she shuddered once before continuing on. The next room was a laboratory.
"EDI?"
"You are now in the Science Lab, Omega has a scientist in one of the dossiers."
"Have you been reading my stuff EDI?"
"Yes, you were very out of it yesterday. I decided to prepare myself in case we had to act quickly." The blue ball of light explained herself.
"Give me the highlights of all you have done and read."
"I sent a tracking request on Tali'Zorah. Ordered a few changes to your cabin, Engineers Daniels and Kenneth are currently making changes to turn it into an almost clean room environment, a necessary requirement from my research if you intent on having Tali'Zorah live with you and wish to pursue a relationship with her."
"Good incentive, next?"
"I informed Doctor Chakwas of your concussion, she checked on you while you were asleep. I left her door override in place, all others have been removed. The Illusive Man and XO Miranda Lawson have been informed of my unshackling and my new name. In addition I stopped all spying devices from transmitting data, the are now under my control and used by me to observe the crew and keep myself up to date on any arising situations."
Jane stared ahead. "Anything I should know?"
"You drool in your sleep."
"I don't!" the girl was very offended. "Do I?"
"That was a joke." EDI informed her flatly.
Jane laughed. "You got me really good." Then she turned serious. "Monitor Kelly for me, I get this creepy stalker vibe from her."
"Very well Jane, anything else I may serve you with Mistress?"
The girl gave the hologram a flat stare. "Dossiers?"
"Dr. Mordin Solus, Salarian, Scientist on Omega. Archangel, Turian, Mercenary on Omega. Jack, Biotic human, Purgatory."
"What's Purgatory?"
"A prison complex run by the Blue Suns mercenary band."
"So another mad scientist, a Turian merc and a convict biotic?"
"Yes."
"And I thought my last group was weird."
"A centurys old Krogan Warlord mercenary, a former Turian C-Sec officer, a Quarian on a Pilgrimage count as weird according to general opinion."
"Point taken, next room then." Jane walked through another door into a hall with a door opposite and one to her left.