I had my team gathered by the galaxy map as the Normandy closed on the planet of Korlus. EDI was reporting in that the surface of the planet was littered with the remnants of thousands of ships. We also knew that the Blue Suns had a heavy presence on the planet and likely in the area where we would be landing.
"Okay. Listen up, people. This mission might turn out to be a bit of a doozy. We are looking to recruit a krogan by the name of Doctor Okeer."
"A krogan doctor?" Mordin asked, "A scientist?"
"According to the information provided by the Illusive Man, this krogan is over a thousand years old. Fought in the Krogan Rebellions. And of interest to perhaps all of us is that he has some familiarity with Collector technology."
"I'm not exactly sure that I like the sound of that, Shepard," Miranda stated.
"I might agree, but the reason he might be interested in their technology is his obsession with curing the genophage. The information provided suggests that Doctor Okeer may have had direct contact with the Collectors."
"Shit, just bring the krogan in and interrogate him about that, Shepard," Garrus suggested.
"That might be a sound plan, but having a krogan in our team with possibly over a thousand years of combat experience would only be a boon. We did fight with Wrex…" I glanced around my team. "I know most of you probably have next to no experience with krogan. I've fought alongside one and I've also fought and killed plenty more. They are the toughest bastards in the galaxy. Trust me, you'd rather be fighting alongside them than against them."
"I'm guessing it's not just a case of landing and picking him up?" Amelie asked.
"Correct. He's located deep inside a Blue Suns encampment. We're not exactly sure as to his arrangement with the Blue Suns. It's possible that they have an alliance for some reason."
"Tactics, Shepard?" Miranda asked, "We have a big squad now."
"Garrus and Amelie are our snipers. They'll focus on distance. I'll be at the front leading the charge…"
"Send a lunatic to catch a lunatic, Shepard?" Garrus joked.
"You know it, my friend. Miranda and Jack… I want you to link up your biotic attacks. Georgia, assist them where possible though I'd like your support up front." I glanced at Jack who hadn't changed a stitch of clothing. "Relying on shields?"
"Georgia made sure that I've got a good pack."
"Alright. Mordin, you'll handle tech, particularly shields. What I've learned about mercs is that they have good armour. Best thing to do is light the fuckers up with incendiary ammo. Kasumi, that cloaking device you have is great. Just be careful with it when leaving our lines."
"No worries, Shepard," Kasumi replied.
"Joker, we're heading down the cargo bay to load up. Call in when we're in orbit and we'll prepare to disembark."
We gathered in the back of the shuttle and waited for word from Joker that we were in orbit. The new Normandy was significantly larger than my old ship and while entering the atmosphere of a planet was still possible, having shuttle transport meant I could leave the ship in relative safety. Given that we were operating in the Terminus Systems, I was aware that many planets would have defence systems that could turn my ship into a sitting duck.
The shuttle dropped us off and we were out and in cover quickly. I ordered the shuttle off-world immediately as I didn't want our only means of transportation destroyed. I waited until everyone checked in before I ordered anyone to move.
"There is only one measure of success: kill or be killed! Perfection is your goal."
"Are we going to be hearing her voice the entire time, Shepard?" Garrus asked.
"Well, she doesn't sound like a krogan. Assume it has to be whoever is in charge of the Blue Suns."
As we carefully weaved our way through the wreckage, I was left thinking the one thing we were going to need after our visit to Korlus was a tetanus shot. Rusting and crumbling starships as far as the eye could see. For the first couple of minutes, we ran into no opposition though I felt everyone remained loose though alert. I knew the Blue Suns wouldn't be particularly happy to see my well-armed group arriving to say hello.
"Being hired is merely the beginning. You must earn your place in the mighty army we are building."
I heard Amelie snort through our comms. "Please. This woman sounds insane. What mighty army? They're two-bit mercenaries."
We finally hit the edge of the Blue Suns encampment. We noticed those at the observation post before they saw us. Garrus and Amelie lined up two of them, but by the time they dropped, the others were opening fire on us. Although they had a slight advantage, biotics and tech drew them out of cover and left them as easy prey for the rest of us.
Passing through the observation post, we came across one of the mercs who was trying to drag himself away to safety. He stopped when noticing me and my team standing around him. I told him to call it in. That we had dispersed. If he did that, I'd give him some Medi-gel. He told us a bit of information, something about 'overflow' from the labs and the fact that the army of krogan Okeer was creating were all insane. Jedore used the 'overflow' as live ammo training. Pretty fucked up.
He called it in when someone asked for a report. He played ball. Smart.
Then I shot him in the head.
"Damn, Shepard. That's cold," Jack stated behind me.
"As I said, bastard. And just like batarians, I generally don't let pieces of shit mercenaries live."
We came across the bodies of dead krogan as we moved forward. Most of them didn't even appear to be armed though their weapons had probably been taken. But their armour appeared to be similar to other krogan that I'd dealt with in the past.
"Training is part of your contract. Failure to perform means liquidation, legal and otherwise."
"She's insane, Shepard," Garrus suggested, "Maybe you'll get along with her?"
"You mean make friendly then try and fuck her?" Georgia joked.
"Look, even in today's galaxy, you don't stick your dick in crazy."
"Yet you want to fuck me, Shepard?" Jack teased.
"You're not crazy, just misunderstood."
The base was a maze of elevation changes and walkways. We had to be careful when crossing over vast chasms. The Blue Suns created pinch points to slow our progress though the advantages I had with my squad meant they only slowed us down, didn't stop us. We continued to pass dead krogan and I was left wondering what Wrex would have thought about it. Considering his opinion of the krogan at the time, he would probably have agreed with putting them down.
We'd patched into the Blue Suns comms and what had us chuckling was the urgent voice about patrols going dark. When they suggested it was a krogan raid, I shook my head. When it was suggested that they were being raided, I knew shit was about to hit the fan.
The chatter continued as we continued to push forward.
"The krogan are your example and your warning! As ferocious as they are, failures are expendable."
"Shit, is she talking about us?" Garrus muttered.
"I don't think any of you are expendable. But if you're stupid enough to get shot…"
"Love you too, Shepard."
Then we ran into a Blue Suns group dug in and waiting for us. Alarms started to blare and Jedore herself finally seemed to realise what was going on. Something about a Code Six, off-world hostiles and an order to kill us immediately.
Now it was going to be fun. We wiped the floor with the Blue Suns and met one of the tank krogan. It wasn't insane. It could speak to us, and when it revealed that it was only a week old, it proved that Okeer's lab was breeding them fully grown. It was an interesting conversation, particularly when it revealed that it was born still with the genophage.
The big krogan did move an enormous steel plate that would help us move forward. When I asked it if it wished to join us, it said no. It would remain and kill any Blue Suns that came its way. It knew that it would eventually die due to not being perfect. I could only imagine it had something to do with Okeer or Jedore. There was no missing the strength of this tank krogan. But its last words were it would not run away, nor would it follow me.
Now we had to deal with insane krogan as well as Blue Suns. Things were not going well for Jedore as the comm chatter suggested Okeer might have been up to no good. No doubt he heard the alarms and assumed something was going wrong.
Blue Suns comm chatter confirmed that things were going from bad to worse for them. What sounded like an army of krogan was now attacking them and more than one questioned where Jedore was. We continued to push forward, and I was left thinking that the Blue Suns were now being pressed from both sides.
"Keep it up!" I called out, "They're going to turn on Okeer eventually."
Jedore's maniacal voice continued to explode over the loudspeaker. I was left thinking that she'd be happy to sacrifice every single one of her mercenaries for her insane plans.
"Concentrate on the krogan charge or we're all dead! Who was the genius that gave them arms?"
We continued to fight as the radio barely fell silent as it was obvious the Blue Suns were now being viciously attacked by the krogan. I was left thinking that those we were fighting simply hadn't been pulled back due to our attack at the same time. But their numbers were simply not enough and we steamrolled them.
Then Jedore spoke about dealing with the 'traitor' Okeer.
"Keep pushing!" I ordered. My squad was doing well. We had taken wounds and Medi-gel was being applied, when necessary, but the Blue Suns were simply not good enough. Even those without any military training were doing well. Jack's biotics were ridiculous in their power. And Mordin's tech skills caused havoc whenever the Blue Suns were dug in.
I knew we were getting close to our target when we started to meet the better mercenaries. Their armour was certainly better. Shields were stronger. They had weaponry that made us more circumspect in how we moved from cover to cover. It took more bullets to put them down. They still died in the end though they managed to slow us down.
Hearing mercenaries die over the radio would always raise a chuckle. Others were imploring Jedore to do something to help them. Others talked about getting her off-world in the event that she was captured or killed. I thought that alone was insane, but I guess she had the loyalty of her most fanatical followers.
"Maybe she's like really hot or something?" Garrus joked.
"Maybe she fucks her men? Like just takes on a line of dicks? Gangbanged? Made airtight?" Jack wondered.
"Now I'm wondering how hot she is!" I joked back.
What I didn't expect was to run into someone I remembered quite well. Rana Thanoptis. I'd met her for the first and only time on Virmire when my squad infiltrated Saren's base. As far as I was aware, it was still a radioactive crater. It was a brief conversation as she tried to justify why I now found her helping out Jedore and Okeer.
"I remember her, Shepard. You gave her a second chance on Virmire," Garrus said behind me, "I think she's squandered that second chance."
I agreed so I put a bullet in her gut and left her to die.
"Okay, that's the example of not to fuck with you, Shepard," Jack muttered.
"You weren't there on Virmire, Jack. If you were, you'd understand," I assured her.
We passed through another couple of doors before we entered the lab itself and that's where we found Okeer waiting for us. He was old and came across as world-weary. I didn't really blame him in all honesty. His voice was gravel. He certainly had no patience for anyone. He knew who I was, at least. And he seemed to be well informed when mentioning what I did on Virmire.
"I'm guessing Rana told you?"
"Is she still alive?" he wondered. I smirked and all he did was nod. "We know who you are, Shepard. Some might agree with your methods. Whether Saren was trying to cure the genophage is now moot." I met his eyes and glared. He held up a hand. "Shepard, I actually approve of what you did. They were not true krogan. Saren was a traitor to your Council, but he never cared about the krogan either. Setting that place aflame through nuclear fire was the right decision."
He then gestured towards a tank nearby and explained his one pure soldier. All his research and sacrifices made were for this one krogan. All the other krogan were rejects. Not pure. Not perfect. As for Jedore, he simply stated that it was her inability to command that led to this day. What I realised in the end is that Okeer wasn't there to cure the genophage. It was about creating perfect soldiers.
He was absolutely fucking nuts. So the perfect recruit in many ways.
Before we could grab his tank and call in the shuttle, alarms started to ring in the lab and a now familiar voice echoed over a loudspeaker.
"Attention! I have traced the krogan release. Okeer, of course. I'm calling 'blank slate' on this project. Gas the commandoes and start over from Okeer's data. Flush the tanks!"
I walked to a nearby window and could see Jedore in the distance. Even from there, I could see the crazy in her eyes. Shame, really, as I would learn up close that was quite attractive. Shame she had to die.
Okeer stayed in his lab while the rest of us dealt with Jedore, the rest of her mercenaries, and the tank krogan that were released. It was a bitch of a fight as there was little cover and my squad was immediately pressed from all sides. Garrus and Amelie had to switch to other weapons. Jack and Miranda used their biotics to keep back the enemy. Mordin had a tech ability that allowed him to light targets on fire. Hearing their screams as they burned… I chuckled to myself.
Jedore found herself alone in the end. Weapon kicked out of her hand. She glared up at me. She really did have crazy in the eyes. Hell, if she wasn't such a fucking lunatic, I'd have taken her with me as she did have talent. And I would have probably enjoyed fucking her. But I wasn't completely crazy and didn't hesitate to put her down.
We'd been so distracted that none of us realised that the lab had been sealed and Okeer had been gassed. Thankfully, EDI could patch into the network, and she vented the air before we could enter. By the time we made it there, Okeer was dead although he'd left us a message, imploring us to take his tank krogan with us.
"Are we taking it, Shepard?" Miranda asked as we stood before it. The krogan inside was alive. EDI checked the vitals and confirmed it was 'perfect' though also carried the genophage.
The shuttle arrived to collect us nearby as Garrus and I wheeled the tank out with us. We boarded and began the short trip back to the ship. I stood up and told everyone that I was pleased that we had worked as a team. We'd smooth out any issues as we worked together more often. I also suggested that having too large a team would prove difficult to manage. I would think about a perfect number for the future. All that mattered was having the right balance of abilities.
I agreed that the best place to store the krogan was in one of the storage rooms on the engineering deck. We kept it locked and secured before we gathered together for the usual post-mission briefing. Miranda wasn't too disappointed about losing Okeer as she agreed that he was nuts. All Georgia wanted was for me to be careful when it came to releasing it. When I walked out to the CIC afterwards, Kelly admitted the same thing, worried that I could be releasing an insane krogan into the confines of the ship.
"I'll wait a couple of days, give it some more though," I assured her.
The first thing I needed after all of that was a shower to wash away the stink. I knew Miranda sent a mission report to the Illusive Man after anything we did. I changed clothes and wandered into her office a couple of minutes later. She smiled as usual before reaching into her drawer to retrieve some datapads. Handing them to me, I figured out what they were.
"Anything redacted?" I had to ask.
"No. Anything that had her name on it, I managed to get hold of."
"Any blowback and tell him to call me directly. Just say I threatened you or something."
"I don't think he'd believe that."
"Look, I'm working with you here and I'm willing to work with him as well. But I don't think Jack is making these accusations for the fun of it. Something happened…"
"I really don't know, Shepard. I haven't looked at the datapads."
"Thanks for this. I appreciate it. And although I know you're worried about Jack, she'll no doubt appreciate it too."
That made her laugh. I understood why as I noticed that although they worked together on the recent mission, they'd barely exchanged more than a few words. But their biotic combinations had proved effective. Even if they continued to hate each other, as long as they worked on the battlefield, I'd do my best to maintain things.
Jack was relaxing back on her bed as I'd arranged to have something better for her than a rather uncomfortable cot. She sat up when I approached. When I placed the datapads down next to her, she made to reach for them before pulling her hand back.
"I haven't looked at them nor has Miranda," I explained, "But whatever you want to know, it might be there."
"You trust her?"
"Yeah, I do, Jack. She hasn't done me wrong yet."
"You know that bastard will probably stab you in the back given the first chance."
"It's a chance I need to take given the mission. No one else is stepping up to do this, Jack." I gestured to the datapads. "What are you hoping to find?"
"I'm not sure. What happened to me… It's all a bit of a blur. Once I find dates, places, that sort of thing, then it'll jog my memories."
"And then?"
"I don't know. Something."
"Take your time. When you find anything that I can help with, let me know."
That made her eyes look up at me. "You mean that?"
"Of course."
I was walking away when she called out, "Thanks, Shepard." I glanced back and nodded before I returned upstairs. I spent the rest of the afternoon next to Kelly as I focused on reports and messages. I sent vague updates to the Council as I was aware that they gave less than a shit about anything going on in the Terminus Systems. As for the Alliance, I think they did appreciate that I was wiping out mercenary operations as it might keep some of the fragile colonies safer though the Collector threat still loomed large.
Dinner was the usual lively affair. I'd realised that only Mordin didn't usually join us. He didn't eat that much and preferred the peace of his lab. Jack wasn't there though she had come up while we were eating to grab a plate. The mess didn't fall silent. Kasumi called out to her as did Georgia. Jack stopped for a moment, looking a little unsure, before she disappeared.
"I'll go down and ask her if she wants to come and sit tonight," Kasumi suggested.
"I'd like to join you though I don't know if she'd want me there," Georgia replied.
"Just be friendly. I'm not sure she'll ever trust any of us, but if we're nice to her… Maybe she'll feel part of the team eventually."
"Won't give up on her, Shepard?" Miranda asked with a smile.
"I had people who didn't give up on me once I was in the services. I think she needs to find information to help her deal with whatever happened to her."
The group broke up at the end of dinner. Joining Chakwas in the med-bay, I asked for any updates on injuries sustained, but she was happy to report that despite some superficial wounds, everyone was okay. Miranda was busy with work writing up reports, so I didn't bother her for too long. Amelie admitted to getting used to working within a team having spent so long working alone.
I was upstairs in my cabin when Kasumi called to let me know that she had Jack in the lounge. I visited the armoury first and invited Georgia to come and join us. Jack and Miranda didn't mix but I hadn't heard too many negatives about Georgia. When we walked in, Kasumi glanced our way, still not able to see her eyes because of the hood. Jack glanced our way and immediately looked at Georgia.
"Better than the cheerleader," she stated simply.
I noticed Jack wasn't drinking alcohol. Kasumi sipped at wine. I grabbed a beer from the bar while Georgia made a mixed drink for herself. Kelly wandered in and grabbed herself a drink before she took a seat next to Kasumi. She gave me the eyes and then looked at Georgia. I knew what she was insinuating. I nodded and leaned into Georgia.
"My cabin tonight?"
Georgia almost spat her drink out in surprise before kissing my cheek. "I want to wake up sore in the morning, honey," she whispered.
Kasumi was quite good at getting Jack to come out of her shell. Kelly asked probing questions that Jack recognised though she didn't remain silent. I think she was careful about some of her answers due to Georgia being in the room, but slowly but surely, Jack did start to come out of her shell. I could only be thankful to Kasumi for that, and I was amazed that the pair got along at all.
I left with Georgia while Kasumi, Kelly and Jack were still talking. I'm not sure they even noticed as the three were clearly enjoying each other's company. Georgia didn't say a word until we were walking into my cabin, turning to lay one hell of a kiss on my lips.
"Been waiting for an invite upstairs. I know Kelly makes herself at home here. Not jealous. We know why she's here. But I'm glad to stay the night."
"You realise I'm up early?"
"Don't care. I'll enjoy the comfortable bed."
We made out as clothing slowly disappeared. Georgia had wonderful dark skin and given that I didn't exactly have any colour to my skin yet, almost deathly pale in comparison, it was quite the contrast. I felt myself smiling when her breasts came free, and I couldn't help myself playing with them for a moment as she worked on getting my lower half as naked as hers.
She sat on the edge of the bed and was level with my cock. Gazing up at me, I caressed her cheek as her tongue moved up and down my shaft. I felt incredibly sensitive, my fingers running through her thick hair, feeling her hot breath on the tip of my cock before I felt her lips wrap around it. She slowly took more into her mouth with each movement of her head, eyes rarely breaking contact with mine. Her tongue worked my shaft while one of her hands worked my balls at the same time. When her head started to bob faster and faster, I couldn't help the groan that escaped me.
She hummed and even moaned while sucking me off. I enjoyed being with lovers who got as much pleasure out of it as I did. And I did enjoy it when a woman was on her knees while doing so. Georgia wasn't on her knees then though I knew she'd happily do it.
"Fuck," I grunted, "Swallow?"
She answered with another moan and nodded her head, refusing to release my cock until I had cum in her mouth. When I started to move my hips, it made her eyes simply light up. I tightened the grip on her hair as I felt my cock slide into her throat. That made me groan again. Her other hand was now resting on my arse and pulling me into her face.
"Jesus, Georgia," I groaned as I felt my orgasm approaching, "You are too good at this."
Her eyes lit up in pleasure at my compliment. Her lips tightened even more around my shaft as I felt my cock slide into her throat with each gentle thrust of my hips. Only when I knew that I was about to blow did I stop thrusting and allow her control. Her tongue worked the sensitive underside of my shaft, and with her still fondling my balls, I couldn't hold back any longer.
I loved hearing her moans as I exploded. I knew she was swallowing as she still gazed up at me. When my cock stopped throbbing, she removed her mouth though only to run her tongue up and down my shaft before she sat back enough to smile up at me.
"I love sucking your dick, Shepard," she cooed.
"I'm glad as that was fantastic. I think you'd better lie back now…"
She did just that, shuffling back on my bed and spreading her legs, giving me a wonderful view of her glistening pussy. I made her giggle as I kissed up each thigh then ignored her pussy as I kissed up her toned torso and gave her breasts plenty of attention. I felt her fingers caress the back of my head while I gave her dark nipples a lot of attention, enjoying the series of moans she released.
I felt her shudder as I kissed back down her body towards her pussy, earning a louder moan as I ran my tongue up and down her slit. I earned a giggle as I then inhaled her scent and groaned again.
"You love my scent, honey?"
"God yes."
"Different to white or asari pussy?"
"Subtle at most. You taste just as nice though."
I buried my mouth, and my tongue got to work. I had various ways of eating out a woman. Some things that I'd simply learned through trial and error. When you're a young man who is eating pussy for the first time, you're clueless and learn through experience. Some lovers will tell you what they want. Others it's a case of reading body language and listening to her reaction.
Georgia would tell me exactly what she liked, telling me where to lick, how firm or soft to use my tongue. When I slid fingers inside her, she begged me to find that special spot she had. I loved feeling her body move, her hips gyrating, her back arching as her excitement grew.
"Knew you'd love my black pussy, honey," she moaned.
"You get off on it, don't you?"
"You are whiter than white at the moment, Shepard. Milk chocolate and white chocolate. Imagine the babies!"
I chuckled as I knew she was getting close to orgasm, and when her first one hit, I'm fairly sure the rest of the ship heard her moans of pleasure. I didn't stop as I was enjoying myself too much. Georgia was barely capable of speech by now, just a series of moans and whimpers as my tongue worked her clit and my fingers massaged her special spot.
She did manage to release a curse as her next orgasm hit. She was squeezing my finger slightly though still didn't ask me to stop. My tongue and finger combination continued to work its magic. After her next one, she begged me to start fucking her.
Lifting myself up, she eagerly kissed me as I slid my cock inside her. She then had me wait as she bent her legs back so that her knees were hooked around my arms. I met her eyes and she grinned as I gave her a hard thrust. That earned a moan of absolute pleasure.
"Give me that big white cock, baby," she murmured, "Need that big white cock filling me up."
It was easy to figure out that she did get off on the interracial aspect of our relationship. It was no longer an issue back on Earth after the discovery of other species. Men and women walked around cities back home with their asari and turian partners. A white man with a black woman or vice versa? No one gave a shit any longer.
I was soon pumping away hard and fast into Georgia as her fingers started to dig into my back. She urged me to fuck her harder and harder, both of us glancing down to see my cock like a piston into her pussy. I met her eyes and she smiled before kissing me again. I broke the kiss and growled which made her giggle.
"Your pussy, honey," she moaned, "Only your cock in this pussy… At least real cock. Maybe dildos…"
"Share you with a white girl?"
"You fuck me, I eat pussy. Or you fuck her, and she eats my pussy. Prefer cock…"
"My pussy…"
"Yes, baby," she whimpered.
I pumped her harder and faster, Georgia leaving her legs exactly where they were, only she shuffled slightly to change the angle. When it did, I felt her pussy start to clench around my cock again. Her next orgasm was epic, needing to stop thrusting as she seemed to be on the verge of passing out. That's when she did have me move so she could move her legs. She chose to wrap them around me as I resumed moving, her hips moving in unison.
Realising that I hadn't cum yet, she wanted a new position, quickly changing so I was taking her from behind. And seeing that arse ready to be slapped, that's exactly what I did. My other hand caressed her back before eventually grabbing a handful of hair. The sounds she now made, I wished to record them and play them back later.
"That's it, baby. Fuck me… Own that pussy…"
I slapped her arse again and again. "Going to fuck this arse one day soon…"
"You know it's yours for the taking. Whenever you want, honey."
When I was ready to cum, part of me wanted to pull out and coat her dark skin in my white cum. But I knew she wanted me to dump my entire load inside her. Just as I was about to climax, I pulled her back so she was resting against my chest, turning her head to kiss her just as she would have felt my cock start to throb. She looked so happy feeling me cum inside her, and once my climax passed, I sagged back on my knees while she was content to sit on my lap.
My hands caressed her body. I loved her breasts, and I made her laugh as I continued to play with them. We made out and my cock barely went soft though I needed the break before we continued.
"I'll be leaking your cum all day tomorrow," she stated with humour, "No panties so I feel you dribble down my thighs."
"I was surprised about the comment… You know, babies…"
"Don't worry, Shepard. I'm not going to fall pregnant. I'm very careful about that. I don't think Miranda would be impressed if you went around knocking all of us up."
She moved off my lap and laid back, her legs spread with my cum already dripping out of her. Lying down on my back, we took a couple of minutes to catch our breath. Turning onto her side, her hand stroked me back to life quickly before she straddled my lap and my cock slipped inside her again. She rode me for at least the next half an hour, enjoying more than one orgasm, making her laugh when I hadn't cum again by the time she had enough.
"I won't be showering tonight," I told her when she relaxed on my chest, stroking my fingers up and down her back, "A surprise for Miranda in the morning."
"Are you being naughty, Shepard?"
"Very."
We finished the night making gentle love, Georgia's arms and legs clutching me tightly while I was gently sliding into her. Her moans were soft in my ear, her breathing growing quicker as her excitement grew. Even when I was close to orgasm, I didn't thrust too hard.
"That's it, honey," she whispered into my ear, "Fill my pussy again. I can't wait to feel it in my womb. Imagine how beautiful I'd look with a bump." I lifted my head to meet her eyes. She blushed slightly. "A girl is allowed to dream, and having your baby, Shepard…"
"You're not the first in all honesty."
"I know. Now fill me up as I need to sleep. And I want to snuggle with my lover."
I filled her up just as she wanted before I pulled out and laid back. Georgia draped her body across mine as I pulled her closer. Kissing her forehead made her giggle before our lips met and we kissed again. She was asleep before me. Something I was used to now. I knew that I could get a quick nap and be ready to face the next day, but I savoured the time I spent in bed with any of my lovers.
She was still fast asleep when I carefully left bed early the next morning. I watched her sleep and felt myself smile. I knew she was loyal though perhaps not as much as Miranda. She'd admitted that she had simply tired of the bullshit within the Alliance. With Cerberus, she believed that they got things done.
I dressed and took the usual pile of datapads with me down to the mess. I poured myself a coffee and checked the time, thinking I would wait another half an hour. I knew that it was going to take forever to catch up on all the news. At least it would give me something to read when things were quiet. I finished my coffee and popped a mint before I wandered into Miranda's room.
Feeling the smile widen, I walked towards her naked form as I took off my t-shirt and shorts, the gear that I'd wear to the gym afterwards. Her eyes immediately moved to my hard cock as I walked towards her position on the floor.
"Good girl," I said softly, "Show me."
Toy in her pussy and the base of the plug in her arse. She turned around and looked at me again. When I met her eyes, I took a moment to just look into them. And that's when I noticed it. It wasn't desire. Okay, there was that. It was something else. Devotion. She'd put two years into bringing me back. She'd now seen me at work. And we were growing closer.
And that made me wonder. How loyal was she? And I didn't mean to me.
When I offered my cock for her to suck, she didn't hesitate in taking it in her mouth. When she moaned, I knew she tasted pussy on it and simply didn't care.
"I fucked Georgia last night," I told her, "That's her pussy on my cock."
Her next look nearly had me lifting her up just to finally give in and fuck her. It turned her on completely. As I watched more of my cock slide into her mouth, I whispered that she could start to ride the dildo. That only caused her to moan around my cock even more. Running my fingers through her hair softened her eyes even further.
"Good girl," I whispered again. Her cheeks coloured at those two words as her head bobbed eagerly on my cock. I didn't care if she'd sucked one dick or a thousand, Miranda Lawson knew how to suck dick. Hell, it made me wonder if she had practiced when I wasn't awake. "Your choice this morning, Miranda. Mouth?" I was surprised when she shook her head. "Breasts?" Another shake of her head. "Facial?" The eager nod made me chuckle. I couldn't help it. "Want anything else afterwards?"
"Stay and watch me. But no touching," she whispered before resuming her blowjob.
"But you want me to touch you?" Another nod. "And you want to make love too." Her eyes glistened immediately before she nodded again. That had me caressing her cheek. "Whenever you're ready. Trust me, I've waited before and it's always worth it."
I knew she was enjoying the dildo in her pussy and plug in her arse. Her moaning and humming around my cock simply brought my climax on quicker. When I warned her that I was close, she removed her mouth and closed her eyes while I stroked my cock.
"Ready?"
"God yes, Shepard. Please… Do it for me, please…"
I grunted as that first spurt fired from my cock and landed directly on her face. Miranda genuinely moaned as I coated her face in my cum. When I finished climaxing, I offered my cock again and she eagerly sucked on it.
"Jesus, Miranda…"
I was quickly figuring her out and, in many ways, it made sense. And it worried me because… I wouldn't love her like she desired. I still didn't know her that well, but her desire to please me completely, and the way she would act around me when we were in private, spoke of deep and genuine feelings. Could I love Miranda? Yes. But could I love her to the detriment of everyone else? No. I still felt love for those from whom I had spent two years apart.
She had a towel nearby that I grabbed for her, and she carefully wiped away the torrent of cum that I'd left on her face. The next smile on her face… I almost chuckled as few women that I'd been with looked as happy after I'd cum on their face. Sure, they were happy to do it for me, but it was usually something they knew I wanted rather than their desire. Miranda? She'd wanted it completely.
We laid back on her bed as she started to masturbate. Her eyes were on me the entire time. I loved the moans she made. The little whimpers. The way her body moved as she moved the dildo into her. She breathed my name more than once as she enjoyed her first orgasm. I should have been recording it for later as it was one of the sexiest things that I'd ever watched, and I wasn't even touching her.
I stayed with her long enough that she enjoyed plenty of climaxes before she rested the dildo on her nightstand, carefully removed the plug and placed that next to her dildo, before she turned onto her side and snuggled against me.
"I know the day you lick my pussy for the first time, that's it, Shepard. I'll just crave it constantly. And when you slide inside me? God help me. It's over."
"Are you worried?"
"Nope. I know what I'm doing. I already know that I enjoy pleasing you, but it's the fact that you're being patient with me. I mean, you just watched me masturbate and cum numerous times, yet you remained respectful."
"I was enjoying the show."
"I like it when you watch me, Shepard. I used to masturbate alone back in my office or quarters on Lazarus and could never imagine anyone watching me. To be honest… I'd do it wherever you wanted me to. Get up on the bench in the mess, spread my legs and finger myself? I'd do it. Up in the CIC, just lying back on the floor? In a heartbeat. Hell, in the shuttle on the way to a mission?"
I couldn't help chuckling as I pulled her closer. "I'm glad you're being the real you with me, Miranda," I whispered.
Her fingers stroked my chest. "I got you wrong, Shepard. I feel so safe with you," she whispered back.
"Safe? I didn't expect to hear that."
"I'm loyal, Shepard, but I know that everyone is expendable for the cause. I get the feeling already that I'm not expendable to you. You try to keep everyone alive."
"You've already proved how important you are to all of this."
"And to you?"
"Absolutely. If we were in the Alliance, I'd already have commendations for service for my Executive Officer."
She kissed my cheek while stroking my other one. I turned to meet her eyes and pulled her closer as I kissed her properly. Rolling onto my side, my cock immediately pressed into her as one of my hands moved down to her arse. My tongue slid into her mouth as she moulded her body into mine in return. She only broke the kiss to take a breath before we resumed making out. I was ready to roll her over onto her back but knew that would lead to a hell of a lot more, and despite everything, I knew she wasn't ready for that change in our relationship. Once we made love…
"I know you want to do a hell of a lot more right now, Shepard. I'm thinking…"
"Yeah, I know."
"Sorry."
"Never be sorry. But I am going to remove myself as I think it might be best if I get up, dress and go. I think I'll go work out for a while."
"Do girls go down there and watch?"
"If they do, I'm not really paying attention. Too busy concentrating and listening to music."
I worked out solidly for two hours. Amelie eventually came to join me though she focused only on aerobics, focusing on the treadmill and cycle. Only when I was finished did I return to my cabin and have a shower. Georgia had disappeared by the time I returned so it was my first lonely shower in a while. Joining nearly everyone for breakfast, Miranda was sitting opposite me and was doing her best not to blush half the time. Georgia was sitting next to me and had no problem snuggling against me. Kelly whispered into my ear that she got to see Kasumi out of her clothing the night before.
I coughed as the mouthful of coffee nearly went down the wrong hole. "Seriously?"
"There was no fucking, Shepard," Kasumi stated, laughing at my reaction, "But I don't sleep in my clothes."
"And how was Jack after we left?"
"She stayed for around another hour or so before she wished us goodnight."
"Good. I'll check on her later. Miranda, I want to wake the krogan today after breakfast. Garrus, I want you and Georgia with me, shotguns at the ready. I'll rely on your judgement whether you shoot or not, but don't be too jumpy. Miranda, you back me up too. EDI, I want the level locked down while we're doing it. Elevator off. All engineers up in the mess."
"Understood, Shepard."
"Jack will just have to come up here while we're doing it."
I made sure that we were all kitted out for when we woke the krogan an hour later. I was in armour. I had a shotgun that I could have in hand within half a second should it be necessary. Garrus wasn't nervous. Georgia and Miranda couldn't hide theirs. I didn't really blame them. We could be waking a krogan that was going to go absolutely fucking insane the moment we woke it.
We gathered in the storage room and looked at the enormous krogan in the tank. Maybe when we got him out, he wouldn't be as large, but even asleep, he sure seemed intimidating.
"EDI, status report."
"The subject is stable, Shepard. Current neural patterns indicate minimal cognition."
"Unconscious," Miranda murmured, giving her a look that made her smile.
"What else can you tell me about him, EDI?"
"The subject is an exceptional example of the krogan species, with fully formed primary, secondary and tertiary organs, where applicable. No defects of any kind, aside from the genetic markers of the genophage present in all krogan."
"And I bet you can't read his mind so it's possible he wakes up and goes berserk. Fuck it, there's only one way to find out. Get ready, I'm opening the tank. He's either an ally or we put him down straight away."
It was a big green button to press that would let the krogan out of the tank. We stepped back as the tank was elevated to a standing position, the fluids inside draining away. The krogan started to fall forward as the doors opened, falling to his knees and expelling some of the fluids. His eyes were already open, and they were immediately searching his surroundings. I remained without a weapon, gesturing for those behind me to remain calm.
The krogan got to his feet and stood tall. He was almost as big if not bigger than Wrex. I was over six feet. Wrex was at least seven feet and so was this krogan. And then he moved so fast that I could barely react, meeting his tackle though his power shone through as I ended up backed up against a stack of crates.
I met his eyes and glared. "Human. Male. Before you die, I need a name."
"I'm Commander Shepard. You'd better put me down unless you want a fight. Just relax."
"Not your name. I am trained. I know things, but the tank… Okeer couldn't implant connection. His words are hollow. Warlord. Legacy. Grunt… Hmmm, 'Grunt' was among the last. It has no meaning. It'll do. So I am Grunt. If you are worthy of command, prove your strength and try to destroy me."
I gestured to the three people aiming weapons at the back of the krogan before replying. "You have no connection to Okeer? He made you."
"I feel nothing for Okeer's clan or his enemies. I will do what I am bred to do. Fight and determine the strongest, but his imprint has failed. Without a reason that's mine, one fight is as good as any other. Might as well start with you."
"We don't need to fight. I have a strong clan. Join it and make it stronger."
"If you're weak and have weak enemies, I'll have to kill you."
"Our enemies are worthy, and they are numerous. You will have your fight."
"Good. Good. I will fight for you." Then he heard a clank as I tapped my pistol against his armour. That made him laugh as he stood back. "Offer one hand but arm the other. Wise, Shepard. If I find a clan, if I find what I want, I will be honoured to eventually pit them against you."
"Fair enough. Something for the future." I glanced at my colleagues. "Weapons away. I think we're okay here now. We'll give Grunt to acclimatise to the ship. EDI, can you just keep an eye on him?"
"Of course, Shepard. I'll report if anything goes awry."
"Lockdown is over. Let everyone know they can return to their stations."
The four of us returned to the mess and took a seat. Kelly joined us rather quickly as I knew she'd been nervous. Miranda and Georgia walked over with mugs of coffee for us and sat next to me. We sat in silence for a couple of minutes as I knew the adrenaline was wearing off. That could have gone very wrong.
"Well, he seems cooperative," Miranda finally said, "I guess the mission to Korlus wasn't a complete waste."
"I'll be interested to see how he is as part of a team," I said.
"Any word from the Illusive Man, Miranda?" Georgia asked.
"Not yet. I'm sure we can keep ourselves busy until he gives us the latest intelligence. And I think Shepard has another dossier or two."
"Yeah, but it means either a return to Omega, the Citadel or heading to Illium. And I'm getting the feeling that your boss doesn't want me going there."
"If the recruit is there, Shepard, we should go. And we know Liara is there," Miranda replied.
"I'm still thinking about it. As we haven't made progress against the Collectors, visiting the Citadel feels rather pointless, and I know they'd rather not visit too often. Omega is at least close by. And Illium… Well… I know if I go, I'll be more distracted than I am right now."
"Give it some thought, Shepard. We'll go wherever you order," Miranda said.
The rest of the day was spent either busy at work, training in the cargo bay, chatting with my squad or crew, and thinking about what the next step should be. I was of the belief that the Illusive Man would have surely had something for me by now. I kept my ears on the news around the galaxy as it was though we heard little. The crew heard rumours of their own and promised to tell me if they had anything they could share if they heard it first.
After dinner, Miranda gave me a smile and gestured with her head towards her office. I waited until everyone had disappeared before we walked in. She shut the door and immediately moulded herself into my body and kissed me. It was as passionate as I'd shared with anyone else.
"What was that for?" I had to ask.
"Just wanted to. Does a girl need a reason?"
"Not at all. I liked it. Busy tonight?"
"Although my focus is on the mission, the Illusive Man does like to inundate me with work."
"You're not burning the candle at both ends, are you?"
"No, I'm okay. And I'm like you in a way. I don't need much sleep."
"Going to join them in the lounge?"
"Maybe one night, Shepard. But I genuinely have a lot of work to do."
I pulled her to me and kissed her again. I enjoyed the moan she released as I slid my tongue into her mouth, feeling her grinding against my obvious erection. When my hands moved down to her arse, I felt her grinning as she ended up back against the nearby wall. I think it was with reluctance that she placed both hands on my chest, her chest rising and falling rapidly as her eyes spoke volumes.
"Struggling?"
"Work is the best distraction. Even then… I'll probably sit there daydreaming half the time."
"Thanks for the great kiss."
"Will you come visit in the morning?"
"Of course."
"I'll be on my knees again." She walked her fingers up my chest to my chin. "I'll be a good girl again, Shepard," she whispered.
I had to stop and take a deep breath to calm down after I walked out of her office. She was such a fucking turn-on, but the fact we were driving each other crazy but waiting was good. It was just going to make the first time we were intimate so much better. Giving it some thought, I wandered over to the elevator and headed downstairs. I found Jack in her cubby hole, lying back on her bed with the pile of datapads on a table next to her. She was reading one when she noticed my approach.
"Find anything yet?" I asked as I sat down next to her.
"Just the words on these screens are jogging my memories, Shepard. I just haven't found the name of the planet yet. It's like it's somewhere in my mind but I have to see it before that memory will unlock."
"Let me know as soon as you have something. We'll deal with it immediately. What would you like to do?"
"Blow the entire complex to smithereens. I know the place was enormous."
"Are you remembering what they did?"
"I've never forgotten that. I just don't want to talk about it."
"Okay. You can talk to me though. And Kelly… Yes, she's Cerberus, but she does care. She's genuine."
"I'll think about it."
I was about to leave when the next question surprised me. "Shepard, the cheerleader… I know you're interested in her. What's she actually like?"
I walked back towards her and sat down. "Why do you ask?"
"I mean… I don't like her because her loyalty is obvious. Even Georgia doesn't seem brainwashed. But you see something in her and that confuses the fuck out of me. I've done a little reading up on you."
"I think she's a genuinely good person and her heart is in the right place. Your first meeting didn't really take place under the greatest of circumstances. As I said, I'm not expecting anyone to be friends. I just want you to work together."
"You fuck her?" I met her eyes, and she smiled. "Come on, Shepard. You think I'd actually do anything about it?"
"No, I haven't fucked her, Jack."
"Do you want to?"
"Yes."
She blushed. She definitely blushed when she asked quietly, "Do you want to fuck me?"
"I want to help you, Jack."
"Please answer the question, Shepard," she whispered.
I leaned over and left a soft kiss on her cheek. "Yes, I do want to fuck you, but not in the way you might think. I'd treat you right, I know that much. I wouldn't kick you out of bed afterwards. I'd make you feel safe."
That's when she hugged me, and I ended up lying next to her as she clutched me as tightly as any woman had done before. She wasn't crying. I think she was genuinely happy to hear that someone cared about her. I caressed her back and felt her settle down next to me. I knew I was smiling as our first meeting only a few days previously hadn't been all that great. But she'd seen us work together, and the people on the ships had made her feel welcome despite her prickly nature. And the tough girl thing was an act. I knew that deep down she was scared of Cerberus. Just being on one of their ships no doubt kept her up at night. I think she was learning to trust me at least somewhat.
I stayed with her for quite a while as I knew she needed the comfort. When she finally leaned back, there was an intense look in her eyes before she leaned up to kiss me. It didn't last long but it was a further step in the right direction.
"I'd better go…"
"Ah, Kelly will be waiting for you?"
"Probably though I might have a surprise."
"How does she like to be fucked?"
I leaned down to her ear. "Fucking hard," I growled lightly, "Just pound her pussy for hours. And then when I'm in her arse…"
"Harder?"
"So hard that she's better off standing at her laptop while working because sitting down would be impossible."
"You can fuck me like that, Shepard," she breathed, "I meant it. I fucking love anal sex."
I moved to sit up and spun her over onto her stomach. She knew what I wanted as she lifted herself up onto her knees with her arse raised as I pulled down her pants. Two perfect cheeks appeared and I took a moment to just to just look and appreciate the view. When I gently squeezed each cheek, she moaned softly before I ran my thumb over her rosebud. I did that quite a few times and noticed that her pussy was getting wetter with each passing motion of my thumb.
She would have felt my hot breath up her back as I rested my head next to her shoulder and pressed my groin against her. She moaned as I left my lips near her ear. "You have a wonderful arse, Jack," I breathed. She shuddered at the feeling of my hot breath, "I can only imagine how good it will feel when I slid my cock inside it."
I felt her push back against me. "You're such a fucking tease, Shepard," she whispered, "But I like it a lot."
"Good. If it makes you feel better about yourself…"
I kissed back down her back until I reached her arse, earning the first genuine laugh when I left a big kiss on each cheek. She kicked off her trousers and rolled over as I relaxed next to her. Running my fingers down her side to her leg and again her arse, she sighed and moved closer towards me. "When I'm like this, I can forget it all… Even if it's only for a few minutes…"
She made sure that I stayed with her for longer than a few minutes. It was only when she was about to sleep that I made a decision. I called Kelly and let her know what I was doing. I could hear the smile in her tone as she loved the idea. Once Jack was asleep, I slid off her bed and easily picked her up in my arms. She only woke up when I was walking into my cabin.
"Shepard?"
I gently shushed her as I laid her down. I quickly stripped off and slid into bed with her, moulding her much smaller body against mine. I held her gently in return as she fell asleep almost straight away. Then I thought that I needed to send a message to someone else.
ML: You're doing a good thing, Shepard. It's fine. Be there when she wakes up. I'll look forward to the morning after.
Shep: I'll make it up to you. It was a spur of the moment decision as we were talking.
ML: Never apologise for being a decent man. I don't know her at all. Only have her file. You're getting to know her.
Shep: What I know is that she doesn't actually hate you.
ML: That's nice to read. I'm not expecting us to be friends. Long as we can work together.
Shep: We'll talk in the morning and decide where to go next.
She slept like a log all night. I had about four hours myself, only moving onto my back as she moved in her sleep to remain as close to me as possible. When she did finally wake up a few hours after I did, she looked around confused for a moment before she realised where she was. Lifting her eyes towards mine, the genuine smile had me smiling back at her in return.
"Want to use my shower?" I offered.
"Can you come and scrub my back?"
"I guess my nudity…"
"Shepard, I felt your cock pressing into me when I was spooned against you. Trust me, I know what you're packing. I'm not worried about it. And I can only assume your shower is better than those that the crew get."
"I've probably had worse on ships in the Alliance fleet."
Jack enjoyed showering with me. She laughed whenever my cock swung into her as I was hard the entire time. More than once, she looked ready to touch me although she hesitated each time. She did enjoy running her hands over the rest of my body. As for washing her, the look in her eyes as I gently ran my hands over her would have melted nearly anyone else.
I gave her a t-shirt of mine to wear as her clothes were downstairs. She didn't have underwear either. I knew she'd likely flash people in the mess. This time, the mess did fall silent when she walked in alongside me. We grabbed a tray and filled it up with food before I walked towards everyone else. Jack stopped for a moment. Took a deep breath. Then walked over and asked if space could be made so she could sit next to me. Kelly immediately moved aside and patted the free seat.
It was only the start, but I had a good feeling that things would slowly get better for all of us.