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Echoes of the Past	By : ArcadiaJones Category: +M through R > Mass Effect Views: 6854 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or ideas of Mass Effect. I am not making any money writing this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Ransom
- 2-Ambush
- 3-Hunt
- 4-Memories
- 5-Hunt
- 6-Rescue
- 7-Escape
- 8-Healing
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- 2
- 3
Chapter Two
Ambush

Shepard had done well. It hadn’t been easy to school her emotions into a normal façade—knowing what she did—but she seemed to have Thane convinced that nothing was wrong. Truly, her best method of keeping her secret was to jump him every chance she got. Any time the two were alone, Shepard was on him, tearing at his clothes as she consumed him with her lust. Thane found her behavior odd, but it was hard for him to concentrate when her hand grabbed his dick unexpectedly; or her mouth.

The day of the meeting had finally arrived, and Shepard was in her room preparing. It was only 18:00, but she wanted a chance to scope the area out some before they moved in. It would take them at least another hour to reach Omega’s port, which still gave them plenty of time to get to the meeting place early. Shepard had spoken briefly to Jacob and Mordin the day before, and though they still didn’t know the whole story, they understood enough for now. She would explain everything once they landed—and once she turned off her comm link with EDI.

She had just snapped on her right pauldron when the door to her cabin swished open and Thane stepped inside. She tried not to look at him, afraid that he might take this chance to read her mind. Worry creased his brow as he approached, leaning against her desk as he watched her secure the last pieces of her armor.

“Do you have to do this?” he asked, for what must have been the hundredth time.

“Yes, I do.”

“Why don’t you want me to come with you?” The undertone of hurt in his voice stung her. Oh, how she hated herself for doing this to him.

It’s for the best, her mind asserted firmly.

“It’s not that I don’t want you to come. I just think that you should stay here and rest. Mordin just needs to pick up some supplies for his lab, and Jacob said he was beginning to feel cooped up.” She turned towards him, forcing a normal smile onto her face. Fully armored, Thane felt his loins burn. Truly, she was his siha, his warrior angel.

“Don’t worry so much,” she continued, now moving to fasten her SMG to its holster on her back and pistol to her belt. “We’ll go somewhere nice next time, just you and me. Not Omega.”

Still not convinced, Thane nonetheless nodded his consent. It was nigh impossible to change his lover’s mind sometimes. It just made him nervous when she went out alone—especially to a shithole like Omega where a man might kill his mother for a few credits. He knew that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself—had witnessed her skills on more than one account—but he couldn’t help feeling a little protective. Thane was the only one who truly saw her private face on a daily basis, the one not covered with the mask of “commander” or “hero.” The pressure of her popularity was a constant weight that seemed to take its toll some days, whether she was being hailed or scorned. But in the quiet of her chambers, Shepard showed him every aspect of herself. He knew the warrior, yes, but he also knew the vulnerable woman with several embarrassing ticklish spots.

Now fully armed, Shepard moved up the couple of steps towards him, standing before him but not touching him. She smiled at him once more, but this time he noticed how much effort it took her to keep up the gesture. Before he could question her, Shepard leaned forward and kissed him softly.

“Try to get some rest,” she murmured. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

With a wink, Shepard continued past him to the elevator. He watched her leave, wondering why it was that her smile continued to look so fake. His worry persisted long after the doors had closed and he stood alone.

“…and that’s pretty much all I know,” Shepard finished, crossing her arms over her chest as she waited for her partners to digest the enormity of the situation.

“Hmm. Complicated. Wouldn’t be in Krios’s best interest to know? Is his blood, after all.” Mordin watched her with those large, oval eyes of his. There was no judgment in their milky depths, just his usual scientist’s mind rationalizing every detail.

“I have to agree with the doctor, ma’am,” Jacob interjected. “I understand your personal feelings for Krios, but this is his son. I don’t think keeping this meeting a secret is really a good idea.”

Shepard sighed, rubbing her temples. “I know, I know. Don’t think I haven’t already gone over this in my head a thousand times.” She paused, eyes downcast, and then continued in a much softer tone: “Thane’s health has been getting worse. He doesn’t need this added stress. I…I’m sure…that we’ll need him for what’s coming, so any time taken away is only helping the Reapers.”

The pair both knew her hidden motives—it was hard not to know certain things about one’s crewmates with such small quarters—but they nodded their agreement. If nothing else, keeping the assassin alive was what kept their commander’s head in the game. And they would need her as a determined warrior in the final days, not a woman with nothing to lose.

“Very well. I suggest we begin heading to meeting place. Is already 20:00 hours. Could be that contacts have also arrived early, perhaps scoping us out.”

“That could be. All right, boys—let’s get rolling!”

Joker was seated in his normal place, going through a quick maintenance check of the Normandy’s systems. There seemed to be a slight glitch in the air systems, but that was an easy fix. A quick message to the maintenance crew with the glitch’s location and they would have it smoothed out in a matter of hours. Other than that, his baby was spick, span, and sexy.

He sighed, running his hands over the pilot’s console like a lover would run his hands down a lady’s thigh. Perhaps there were few real women that drew his interest—Tali’s helmeted face flickered quickly through his mind—but that was all right. All that he really needed was the love of his ship; and the new Normandy could only be considered the sweetest of girlfriends.

“Jeff, I’m worried.”

Joker rolled his eyes as EDI’s “face” popped up on the projector next to him. He had come to an understanding with the AI, of course, and even liked her, but that didn’t excuse her interrupting his personal alone time with his girl.

“I don’t think AI’s can worry, EDI.”

“If that were true, then I wouldn’t have made the comment.”

He smiled; sarcasm, too. EDI’s abnormal personality had become a source of amusement for him, and through their journeys Joker had come to respect the AI. Given the chance to take over their ship, she had resisted—not to mention the fact that she had, in effect, saved his life. He no longer hated the pesky AI, but it was still fun to pull her…wires.

“What are you worried about this time?” he asked, humoring her.

“I have not heard anything from the ground crew in quite some time. I believe the commander even has her comm link turned off. Every time I try to contact them, I am ignored.”

“Quit being so overprotective,” Joker grumbled. “They’re big kids. I’m sure they can figure it out on their own.”

“Jeff, are you blind?”

He blinked, his mind taking a moment to digest what she had said. “What?”

“I asked if you are blind. When Shepard departed through the airlock, she was not herself. She seemed…distracted. That is very unusual for the commander. I have come to know her as a strong, level-headed individual who never lets personal matters interfere with her mission. I am worried that perhaps the reason her comm link is shut off is because she did not want us—me—to hear whatever it is she is planning, and I fear that now we cannot reach them because something has gone wrong.”

EDI may be a bit OCD about some things, but Joker could see the logic in her reasoning. He had noticed Shepard looking a little strange on her way up to the bridge, but had merely brushed it off as pent-up nerves. Either she and her boy Thane were on the outs, or she was getting edgy waiting for this big invasion. No matter the reason, it really didn’t concern him unless the commander wanted it to concern him. But he agreed that it was strange for Shepard to allow herself to get distracted, and it was strange for her to maintain radio silence. Not that she was a particularly chatty person, but there was no real reason for her to turn off the comm link unless she was hiding something.

Resolved, Joker opened up his own link, pinpointing Jacob’s comm.

“Normandy to ground team, do you copy?”

Silence.

“Normandy to ground team, please respond.”

There was a slight crackling on the other end. Joker strained to hear while EDI did her best to maximize the volume. Behind the crackling, there was the sound of labored breathing, then a sharp intake of breath.

“J-Joker…this is Jacob… We…we…compromised… She’s…g-gone…”

“What are you talking about, Jacob?” Joker’s heart was beating just a little too loudly for his comfort. “Who’s gone?”

“Shepard…”
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Echoes of the Past