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Title: Artful Deception
Author: Jess Gaskell
Game: Mass Effect 2,
Characters: FemShep/Miranda Lawson, Karin Chakwas, Jeff 'Joker' Moreau,
Summary: Miranda Lawson doesn't have time for heroes and Commander Leni Shepard detests everything Cerberus stands for. With the fate of the entire galaxy once more at risk from the Reapers, can they overcome their differences in time to save the galaxy?
Rating: Mature - Some explicit language.
Disclaimer: Mass Effect and all its characters belong to EA/Bioware. I am borrowing their wonderful characters and setting to put my own spin on the universe Bioware has created. Everything else is the result of my own imagination gone wild!
Powering up her console, the doctor placed a mug of freshly made English tea on her desk, slumped into her comfy chair and stared out her window at Mars' arid landscape. She sighed, was this what her life had become? A beautiful office, regular hours, and a comfy bed - this mundane life was driving her insane.
She waved her hand over the VI's interface, "Voice recognition log in Doctor Karin Chakwas."
"Good morning Doctor Chakwas, you are now logged in." the VI reported.
Karin opened up her mail, and seeing only the usual boring night shift reports in her inbox, she clicked her junk folder, because no matter how many times she marked Hannah's mail as a safe address it was still highlighted as junk mail. Karin frowned at the only mail in the folder.
[Sender: Unknown]
[Subject: FAO Dr Karin Chakwas - Urgent Communique.]
If her name hadn't been in the headline she would have assumed it was yet another phishing scam, but they never included her full name.
Unable to curb her curiosity, she clicked on the mail and read,
[Dr Chakwas,
I have vital information regarding "bright light". Please see the attached files, and when you decide you want to know more, contact the below terminal sequence and ask for Norman Dy.
04J8-50B4-5278-0P7X
Regards]
Karin sat back in her chair, rereading the mail. It couldn't be referring to what she thought, when the VI reported that the attached file was safe to open, the Doctor hesitated finding herself anxious of what she would see.
When Karin finished her third read through of the document, She opened a com-line and input the sequence.
-o-
Karin closed her eyes as she breathed in the crisp british spring air, she was a spacer at heart, but that didn't mean she couldn't appreciate Earth's fresh air. At the sound of a vehicle pulling to a stop she opened her eyes again and saw a black stretch limousine in front of her.
A tall man stepped out of the driver's side and walking round the vehicle he nodded and opened the rear door for her. Karin hesitated, what the hell was she thinking coming alone, she hadn't even told anyone of her meeting with this anonymous person or persons. Bright light, she reminded herself, that was why she followed their instructions to a T.
Taking a deep breath she gave the driver a slight smile and nod of thanks then climbed into the vehicle which was empty save for one human female; a beautiful woman with charcoal hair, pale skin and an icy cold stare.
"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me Doctor," the woman said in a crisp Australian accent. "I apologise for the mystery and anonymity, but it is an unfortunate necessity with my employer."
"And who would that be?" Karin asked.
"My name is Miranda Lawson, I am an operative working for Cerberus."
Karin recoiled slightly, "And what exactly does a xenophobic terrorist group want with me?" she said and was annoyed to hear the nerves in her voice.
"You read the document I sent you?" the operative asked, completely unphased by the less than flattering description.
"I did. From a scientific point of view it's a fascinating theory, but I'm a medical doctor not a scientist, what does this have to do with me?" And bright light she didn't add.
The Cerberus operative slid a datapad across the seat between them, "It's not just theory Doctor."
Karin frowned, what they were suggesting couldn't be possible, she stared at the datapad on the seat next to her, "What you're suggesting is impossible, and even if it was, it would take years and a preposterous amount of credits for such an undertaking."
"Indeed, a little over two years and four billion credits," the woman said motioning to the datapad, "Please Doctor."
Taking a deep breath Karin picked up the datapad, apprehensive of what she might see. Her eyes grew wide as she absorbed the information and photos in her hand. Locking eyes with the operative she said "Is this…"
"Genuine records," the operative answered "Commander Shepard is alive."
-o-
Karin sat in her office and sipped at the mug of tea she clasped with both hands. Leni was alive, she'd seen her with her own eyes via a live camera feed. It should be impossible, but Cerberus hadn't let that stop them. She thought back on the Cerberus research facility and her meeting with Ms. Lawson.
~
"We think you should be the first person Shepard sees when she wakes up. It will be disorienting enough and a friendly face should help ease her adjustment."
"I agree. From a medical standpoint waking from an induced coma can be a terrifying experience in the best of situations," Karin paused and weighted her next words, "and with all due respect Ms. Lawson, a Cerberus facility is most definitely not what Leni would consider a best situation. But why me and not her mother?"
"The Commander will need a physician on her ship, she won't need a second Captain, and it is much easier for you to take a leave of absence than it is for a ship's Captain to do so." the operative replied.
Karin nodded slowly, hearing what the operative had avoided saying, "You need someone that will stay and work with her so that she doesn't just walk away from Cerberus immediately after waking."
The woman met Karins gaze and opened her mouth to speak but hesitated, "We are aware that shortly before Saren's attack on the Citadel, the Commander discovered some...unsavory experiments at several labs that were labelled as Cerberus. I would like to make clear that they had been long abandoned by us due to the unethical path the project leaders had strayed down. Unfortunately they carried on without Cerberus backing but with our branding which of course has tarnished our reputation significantly. Working with us will not be something The Commander will do easily. But you of all people should be able to see that no one else is addressing the threat the galaxy faces."
Taking a deep breath the Doctor turned back to stare at the screen showing a live feed of the lab where Leni lay unconscious. Annoyingly the operative wasn't wrong, both the Council and the Alliance Brass had stuck their heads in the sand since the Saren's attack on the Citadel.
The other woman interrupted her thoughts, "Also, it has to be you, because the Commander's pilot has very specific medical needs, which I understand you have in depth experience managing."
Karin couldn't keep the surprise from her face, "Jeff?"
"Who better to fly the Commander's new ship than the pilot most experienced in flying her little sister." The woman swiped her hand across a screen and a small holoprojection popped up between them; slowly rotating before her was the Normandy. "Meet the Normandy SR2."
Karin looked up at the charcoal haired woman in front of her, and saw a glimmer of pride in her eyes. "If I do this, I'm not signing a contact with Cerberus, I would be working for Shepard. If you expect anything else…"
"We don't. Both you and Mr. Moreau are here for the Commander. There will be no contracts. No official documentation of employment to...blemish your service records any more than necessary."
Karin studied the operative, Cerberus certainly wasn't delusional about what attitudes the Alliance crew would have towards them. Looking back at the live feed Karin furrowed her brows, how could she say no? She couldn't. Locking eyes with the Cerberus operative she gave a curt nod, "Very well, I'm in for as long as Shepard is."
~
Sitting back behind her desk Karin activated her VI, "Open a new mail, to the Alliance Medical Board, subject title leave of extended absence request."
-o-
He stared out of the window, desperation etched on his face as he watched his best friend's body be flung out into space by the blastwave. It was horrific to watch the desperate Commander flailing around, trying to reach the leak in her suit, but the pilot never took his eyes off the body that grew smaller and smaller by the minute.
Eventually the escape pod rotated leaving him unable to see Shepard from it's only viewing port, instead, a field of debris and escape pods was all he could see. Then it came into view, a colossal ship like nothing he had ever seen before, their attackers. As he saw the ship's gun turn his way and begin to charge one last time, he closed his eyes, ready to accept his fate.
A noise behind him caught his attention and turning, he stumbled back at the sight of the charred corpse, almost indistinguishable except for those chestnut brown eyes that boar an accusatory stare into his soul. "It's your fault I died!" she screamed.
Jeff sat bolt upright, dripping in sweat as the mostly familiar nightmare faded from his mind and he tried to get control of his breathing. Usually his nightmares ended with his escape pod exploding, which it hadn't of course, but that didn't stop his nightmares from manifesting his guilt of surviving, or at least that's what his PTSD counsellor told him. But this was the second night his dream had finished differently, ever since he found out Leni was alive again.
He sighed deeply and grabbing the support bar he pulled himself up and round to a sitting position, "Lights on," he ordered, and a gentle glow appeared, gradually increasing in strength. "Stop ambient sounds space vessel playlist," and the comforting engine sounds that helped him fall asleep ceased.
After pulling on sweatpants and a hoodie, he reached for his leg braces and slid into them before pulling himself to a standing position. The floor was cold under his bare feet as he made his way through the apartment in which he'd grown up. When he reached the kitchen, a note on the worktop caught his eye,
[Needed to go in to work, we'll have to reschedule our lunch date sorry! Leftovers in the fridge and don't forget your meds, love you Mom! x]
Opening the fridge he inspected the various different leftover boxes, "Ooo mom's lasagne. Hands down winnerrrrrrr!" While he wait for the food to heat up Jeff walked to his terminal, waved his hand over the VI controls and the wine bottle sized projection of a beautiful asari popped up on his desk, "Voice recognition log in Jeff Moreau."
"Good afternoon Jeff," the VI said in it's bedroom voice, "You are now logged in, is there any other service I can provide you with?"
"Ohh if only," he sighed and waved his hand to dismiss the asari consort VI. His desktop background flashed onto the screen, and the sight of the Normandy lifted his mood a little. The old Normandy, he reminded himself. A genuine smile broke out on his face, he was going to get to fly again, and not just any old ship, but the Normandy SR2! Ever since the fucking Alliance grounded him for being medically unfit to fly, he'd been going slowly crazy.
He'd been determined to get his wings back as soon as possible, so he'd diligently attended every therapy session and even signed up to a support group for extra brownie points. The claustrophobia when in crowds was gone, the extreme fight or flight reaction to loud noises had eased, but the nightmares? They appeared to be here to stay, and thanks to the sleep monitoring device the therapist had insisted he wear if he ever wanted to fly again, he couldn't even lie about it and say they were gone.
"Well screw you Alliance." Jeff said as he made his way back to his desk, lasagne in hand.
"Excuse me Jeff," the consort's bedroom voice interrupted, practically purring his name, "You have an incoming video call from Karin Chakwas."
"What?" Jeff exclaimed in surprise, "On screen...Doc! Damn it's been a while! How ya doin?"
The friendly face on his screen smiled at him warmly, "Hello Jeff, I'm good thank you, how are you?"
"Ah ya know Doc, all's good with me."
"Mmhmm," the woman looked sceptical, "have you been taking your meds as you should?"
"I live with my mom again Karin, do you really think she'd let me forget them?" he replied while subtly sliding his hand into his desk draw and retrieving today's dose of meds, he hadn't exactly forgotten them, he just hadn't remembered to take them yet. "Anyway, how's life on Mars?"
"Yes, your mum told me you were back there, she was so pleased. I'm actually on Arcturus Station right now, I heard you recently got a new job offer and was hoping we could meet up and have a chat through some things."
Huh... "Oh, errm yeah sure, gimme half an hour and I can meet you at the usual spot?"
"Miso Hungry in half an hour, that's perfect."
The screen went dark and Jeff looked longingfully at his warm, uneated lasagne as he swallowed his meds. Miso it was.
-o-
"It's unreal right? I mean, I know it's real, I saw her on the feed, but it's totally crazy!" The pilot paused for the first time since they have sat down. He'd been babbling non-stop and Karin was certain it was in an attempt to mask his anxiety.
"Jeff," she said gently, placing a hand over his which had been relentlessly tapping the table, "you've been best friends since nursery, she loves you, she won't blame you."
For the first time since meeting up he looked her in the eyes, "She should, it was my fault." He bunched his hands into fists to stop the shake, "If I hadn't been so fucking stubborn she would have made it into the pod with me."
"Maybe, but maybe not. And either way, her priority was always everyone else. I knew Leni, and she would give her life a thousand times over to save you. We're getting her back Jeff, we're getting a second chance, something that should be impossible."
The sides of the pilot's mouth twitched and his dull eyes lightened a little, "We are," he whispered reverently and met her gaze once more, a slow smile creeping onto his face.
A person came to a stop beside their table and they both pulled back to make room for the food. "Doctor Chakwas, Mr. Moreau," a baritone voice said. Karin looked up to see a tall, stocky man in a pressed black suit. "Would you mind coming with me, I have important and sensitive information relating to your new mission."
"Errm, did you tell anyone we were meeting?" Jeff asked looking at her quizzically.
"Absolutely not." Karin replied, concern growing.
"Look dude, I've seen the movies and leaving with some stranger who somehow knew where you were without being told, generally doesn't end well. You can say what you have to say here, in this nice, safe, public place." Karin shot a look at Jeff, but despite his almost jovial attitude, she could see he was all business, locked in a defiant staring match with the man.
The man bent forward, resting his hands on the table and for a terrifying second Karin expected him to headbutt Jeff, but instead, the man said so quietly she almost didn't hear over the bustle of the busy restaurant, "Due to an...unforeseen problem, the subject had to be woken ahead of schedule. You are needed immediately."
Karin looked at Jeff, who stared back at her, the look on his face mirroring her own shock. "Shep…" Jeff caught himself, "She's awake?" the man simply gave a sharp nod, "I-I need to pack, and let my mom know I'm leaving earlier than planned," Jeff stammered.
"I'm sorry Sir, but this is a critical, time sensitive situation. You shall both be given adequate preparation time once the current crisis is in hand. Please." The man motioned his hand to the door, and after a moment's hesitation, Karin nodded at Jeff and they both stood up.
-o-
After the bumpy ride though the first relay, Jeff unbuckled his belt and moved to the front of the small vessel, "You accelerated too soon into the jump," he stated matter-of-factly to the ship's pilot who turned and gave him a 'did I ask for your opinion' glare. "I can take over if you want?" he desperately wanted to.
"Oh yeah absolutely, here you go…or maybe not," the pilot said sarcastically.
"What's-a-matter, afraid the cripple might show you up?" he goaded with a smirk.
"Heh, as if," the pilot retorted.
The baritone voice of the Cerberus muscle came from the rear of the vessel, "This I'd pay to see, give him the helm Grant."
"You gotta be kiddin' me Hernandez," the pilot huffed and unbuckled his belt glaring at Jeff, "Come on then cripple boy, show me what you got."
Jeff smirked and climbed into the seat, the hairs on his neck standing on end as he took control of the small vessel. He hadn't realised just how apprehensive he'd been about flying again until this very moment, when, what felt like the weight of the world lifted off his shoulders dispersing around him. This ship certainly wasn't build for maneuvering, but that didn't matter for him, once he had a feel for a ship, he'd get the best performance possible from it. As they approached the next Mass Relay Jeff turned and grinned at the Cerberus pilot who sat in the co-pilot seat, "Pay close attention now."
-o-
Stepping off the small vessel onto the large space station Jeff's apprehension began to rise again. After Hernandez had shown him and Karin to their respective locker rooms, Jeff had been handed a fresh Cerberus uniform and offered the opportunity to shower, which he gladly accepted given that he hadn't had time before meeting Karin that morning, and the day hadn't exactly gone as planned.
It had been exhilarating to fly again, navigating the relays with practically zero turbulence in a way only he could. He was buzzing, if flying that brick had been exhilarating...he got goosebumps at the thought of flying the new Normandy.
He took time to properly clean himself up, neatening the facial hair he'd let get out of control since being grounded. Looking in the full length mirror, it was like looking at a memory of the person he used to be, only this time in yellow, gray and white. Lifting his head, he opened the door and stepped out.
"Well don't you clean up well," he heard Karin before he saw her standing a little further down the hallway. "It seems we have a tour to take."
Jeff frowned, "A tour? I thought they said this was a time sensitive situation, where's Shepard?"
Hernandez rounded the corner at the far end of the hallway, "It is, however we had less distance to travel and they were in a shuttle for the first half of their journey so considerably slower. We have few hours until they arrive and I thought you might like a look around your new home?" he said raising one eyebrow, "But if you're not interested…"
Jeff's face lit up "Oh no you don't," he said walking as fast as his legs would let him, "you're gonna show me my new baby."
-o-
Standing in the cockpit of the SR2 Jeff was awestruck, he'd been told she was bigger and better, but whatever he had imagined, didn't even come close. The fastest ship in the galaxy had gotten faster, quieter, and leather seats...real, leather seats. On top of that Cerberus had managed to make space for a bedroom and bathroom right next to the cockpit. Granted the bedroom was literally that, a bed with just enough room between it and the wall for him to stand in. But he didn't need more than that. And no more needing to set off half an hour in advance of needing a bathroom break. They had actually designed this cockpit with him as the pilot in mind, support railings and all. It was insane and amazing, Shame they're terrorists.
"Mr Moreau," a slightly mechanical, yet sultry voice said. Jeff looked around him and noticed a blue hologram, a sphere with a neck like stand.
"Hello?" Jeff said cocking his head, the ship's VI?
"The Commander has just arrived, your presence is required in the main docking bay. And Mr Moreau, welcome to the Normandy SR2, I look forward to working with you."
Jeff furrowed his brow, "Since when does a VI look forward to anything?"
"They don't, however I am an AI, you may call me EDI."
Jeff's head dropped forward, "What the shit?" he moaned.
-o-
As they stood in the elevator he turned to Karin, "Does Hannah know?" she sighed and looked away from him.
"The Kilimanjaro is currently on a deep space mission, I wanted to tell her face-to-face so we had arranged to meet up next week when they return."
Jeff nodded understandingly. "It's not exactly the type of thing you just drop in a mail that's for sure." He rested a hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile, which she returned with a slight nod, placing her own hand on top of his. He turned to face the elevator door again, taking a deep breath he let his hand drop as the door opened.
The room before him was as stark as the rest of the station, metal walls and floors, but as he stepped out of the elevator, he saw a wall of windows giving a panoramic view of the enormous hangar bay below. The only two other people in the room looked up from where they stood studying a datapad. He recognised the female immediately, the stunning Ice Queen that had recruited him. Something Lawson, Amanda was it?
The woman broke away from the muscled man she stood with and stode in their direction. She shook both their hands in turn, "Doctor Chakwas, Mr Moreau, thank you for coming at such short notice."
Jeff wanted to ask where Leni was, but Karin spoke up before him "We were told there were unforeseen complications and Leni was woken early, what happened? Is she ok?"
The Ice Queen held up a hand to halt the Doctor's torrent of questions. "The Commander is fine, granted, not as healed as we had aimed for her to be upon waking, and it certainly wasn't how we'd planned it, but she is fine." The Ice Queen paused, seemingly giving then a chance for that to sink in. Waving her hand towards a door at the other side of the room she continued, "She is currently in a holo-meeting with my boss the Illusive Man, she shouldn't be long, until then you might as well take a seat."
"Ok then, thank you." Karin said her eyes transfixed on the doorway.
There was a bleep and Jeff watched the Ice Queen raise her omni-tool and accept the incoming call, "Ok, well you're a nurse, can't you treat him?" with a heavy sigh the woman turned to Karin, "Doctor, there's been a minor accident during a test of the FTL couplings and one of the Normandy's engineers has received burns to his face. The nurse claims that she can't treat them alone without leaving him with significant scarring."
Jeff saw the Doctor was torn, staring towards the doorway where Leni would soon appear from. The woman continued, "It's just a bit of scarring, I'll tell the nurse to handle it best she can. This has priority."
Wow, ice cold indeed. Jeff thought to himself, and saw a similar expression of dismay form on Karin's face.
"No, no I'll go. You can greet her Jeff," Karin said turning to him, "and then send her straight to me ok?"
A knot formed in Jeff's stomach at the thought of experiencing Leni's first reaction to seeing him alone, but tucking his anxiety away, Jeff put on his cocky smile "You can count on it, I mean, in truth, I'm more than enough of a greeting party!"
As Karin walked past him she gently squeezed his arm and whispered, "She would never blame you, trust me, you'll be fine."
Continued Here...