"Shepard and friends, with me."
I gave the short order and went through the CIC to the staircase, down to the deck with the quarters.
"Alright, this cabin is for the landing detachment. Right now it's me, Kaidan Alenko, and Richard Jenkins. Now you too. Drop your things here… you won't need them for now."
The girls only nodded grimly and followed me as we headed to the cargo bay.
"Joker, get Jenkins and Alenko to the cargo bay. Now."
"Yes, sir, cap!"
Joker was, as always, chipper.
"By the way, that's our pilot—Jeff 'Joker' Moreau. Be careful around him: he loves keeping tabs on everyone, so don't run around the ship naked, even if the corridors seem empty. And you might want to check the women's showers for cameras."
"Hey! Cap, sure, I like to peek, but I don't put cameras in the showers! I still value my life!"
Joker sounded offended—more outraged than hurt.
"What else…"
Stopping on the ladder, I looked up at the ceiling. I stopped sharply enough that Shepard—walking right behind me—bumped into me, but she managed to react.
"Good reflexes."
I nodded.
"Thank you, sir."
"Yeah…"
I waved a hand.
"Right, let's put the dots over the i. I don't give a damn what you had going on where you served. On this ship, for the landing party, I'm your king, your god, and your dear old father. Even the ship's captain can't give you orders. You can tell him to go to hell—though Anderson is a decent man and won't interfere."
I kept moving.
"When THIS mission is over, I can help you either get discharged—cleanly, no black mark, with time served—or stay under my command. Depends on what you want… Questions?"
"This isn't a question… more like… Sir, I'm very grateful to you!"
Jane said it, and I froze, stunned—and even glanced back at her.
"Grateful?"
"Yes, sir! I was stationed at Elysium! Back then you bought new gear for your company, and ordered the gear they'd been using transferred to other companies. I got much better equipment, and because of that I survived!"
I blinked, slightly bewildered.
"Ah… yeah… that happened. I remember I was furious with logistics back then—about what kind of garbage they were buying for soldiers. And they kept saying they'd already assigned an elite company, that it wasn't a capital world to be buying the newest developments."
I examined Jane carefully.
"So you're saying you survived because of me?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Don't bullshit me. I don't like being lied to."
She blinked, shocked.
"Why didn't hundreds and thousands of others survive, but you did? Or are you saying you alone got better gear?"
"No, but…"
"You survived first and foremost because of your own skills. And that patch on your chest proves it. N7 isn't handed out to just anyone."
Without another word, I continued toward the cargo bay.
"Alright, which of you can drive?"
"I can, sir!"
Orimura stepped forward.
"Then you'll learn that beast. By the time we make planetfall—if we have to—you should know it like the parts of your body that bring you the most pleasure when they're touched. Understood?"
"Yes, sir."
She grimaced, but didn't say anything—just headed toward the dropship. I stopped her.
"Wait… don't start training yet. The whole landing team needs introductions."
I grimaced again—and two minutes later Jenkins and Alenko ran into the cargo bay.
"Alright. Let's all introduce ourselves. Second pilot of the Normandy and, in addition, a biotic—and a member of the landing detachment—Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko. His junior partner, Corporal Richard Leroy Jenkins. My name is John Shepard. I'm also a biotic, and I'm the commander of your circus on wheels. Lieutenant Jane Shepard—starting now, she's my deputy in the landing party…"
"But sir…"
"Alenko, want to argue with me?"
I gave the kid a very kind look.
"No, sir."
"That's right. Next: Lieutenant Orimura Chifuyu—she'll be the driver of this turian monster—and Corporal Rebecca Lee. Starting now, we're one big happy family. Follow me—march."
I motioned lightly, and we all walked to a container I opened with a special keycard.
"Here's unisex armor for a full landing platoon—thirty people. So you'll be able to find a fit. The stuff supply issued you, pack it up and stuff it somewhere in the far corner of the ship. It's complete trash. Weapons—you take from here too…"
I tapped the open container door.
"…Jane…"
"I'll supervise, sir!"
She looked at me with a gaze that practically radiated adoration. Not only adoration.
I met her eyes.
"I don't know how long we'll be working together…"
Lying as easily as breathing—and I breathe often. If these girls suit me, we'll work together for a long time, and even if they want out of the military, I'll recruit them into the security service of my corporation, like I did with many worthy soldiers.
"…but I want your little gathering to become a coordinated platoon as fast as possible. Unfortunately, because of my position I can't spend all my time training, so…"
"I'll draw up a plan, then coordinate it with you, sir, so you can train with us at least once every two or three days."
"Maybe more…"
I shrugged.
"…we'll coordinate it when you have a draft. For now, start picking your gear."
"Yes, sir."
Jane stepped inside, looked around quickly, and started issuing equipment to her new subordinates. I watched with a faint smirk, then went to handle my own tasks… Ship inspection was one of them—specifically what fell under my area of responsibility—and time flew by. Soon the ship undocked and slowly left the Citadel docks, heading toward one of the human colonies where a Prothean beacon had been discovered.
"Captain Shepard, permission to speak?"
I turned slightly and saw Rebecca standing beside me.
"Ah, Corporal… go ahead. And yeah—when we're not on official business, you can just call me John."
"I'll think about it, Captain. As for speaking… I wanted to ask: you tested Lieutenant Shepard, but you didn't test me or Lieutenant Orimura. Why?"
"And why would I? Corporal, maybe this disappoints you—or maybe it pleases you—but I don't care how the rest of the crew follows orders. If Jane had ignored the order or punched me, then I'd have tested Chifuyu. And if she failed too… then this landing party wouldn't have had a chance of staying near me, and I'd have transferred you off this ship under one pretext or another soon enough."
"Sir?"
It was obvious that speaking respectfully didn't come easily to her, but she was trying.
"Sigh… My job is to pick a competent deputy and give her tasks. Jane's job is to grind you so hard that if you hear an order to fuck, you start stripping first and only mid-process ask—timidly—with whom and for how long, and the thought 'Why?' never even enters your head."
"Um…"
Rebecca blinked, disoriented.
"…would you give that order?"
"Ask stupid questions and I'll knock you out, drag you to the berthing, and personally fuck you. I'm not some nice uncle, you know. I've been through so many hot zones… you couldn't even dream of it. And my childhood was a special kind of shit."
"Ahem… my apologies, sir."
"Forget it. Now march to Lieutenant Shepard—no, that's too long. Need a call sign or nickname… something cute and embarrassing, so every time she hears it she's torn between wanting to sink through the deck and wanting to kill me. Anyway—march to Jane. Let her handle you and the others."
"Yes!"
By her eyes, it was obvious she wouldn't resist sharing her "not quiet enough" thoughts with Jane.
"Joker…"
Once she was far enough away, I addressed the pilot.
"…send me the recording of how Jane reacts to my thoughts about a cute, embarrassing nickname."
"Sir, I—"
"Joker, I'm not asking you to send me their lesbian orgies. Just my deputy's reaction. Either you do it, or all your secret porn folders become known to Anderson."
"What?!"
The panic in Joker's voice was music to my ears…
** Third-person view. Cargo Bay. **
"Up!"
Jane gave the order, and her subordinates immediately started getting to their feet.
"Around the cargo bay! Run! Move!"
She led by example, running around the not-very-large bay at a speed that forced everyone else to push hard to keep up.
"Lieutenant, permission—"
"Fall in! Now!"
Rebecca didn't get to finish; she was ordered and joined the training. She'd stepped away "to the restroom" during a short break and returned after training resumed. Understanding it wasn't the time, she shoved her thoughts as deep as she could.
"Flash right!"
Everyone dropped so their feet faced the "flash" and their heads were as far from it as possible—everyone except Jenkins, who stayed standing, blinking in confusion.
"Jenkins! For fuck's sake! On the command 'flash,' a soldier drops, covers his head with his hands, and points his feet toward the flash! Why the hell are you standing?!"
"But… ma'am, we're on a ship…"
"Jenkins…"
Jane's voice became very kind, and Rebecca and Chifuyu—who knew her—tensed slightly. No one, not even Alenko, even thought about standing up; Alenko actually pressed his temple to the deck, enjoying the coolness.
"…my dear subordinate… I've heard about Captain Shepard's methods, and if you don't know, I'll enlighten you. Soldiers who get wounded because of laziness and lack of training get hit with a discharge without benefits. Do you know what that means? No pension… no combat awards… nothing. Your whole life in the military, all your training—turns into nothing."
Jenkins froze, staring at Jane.
"And lieutenants get busted down to enlisted—again, if there are losses because of their idiocy and inability to teach subordinates proper combat behavior. If I don't give a damn about your life, you can file a report right now and I'll ask the captain to sign it, but I'm not eager to get busted down, and I'm not eager to get thrown out either. So when I give the command FLASH!"
Jane hit Jenkins hard in the stomach and he doubled over.
"You, goddamn it!"
She grabbed him by the neck and shoved him so his face slammed into the deck.
"First you fall! And then! ONLY THEN! You can curse me in your head! Do you understand me!"
There was no answer—he was trying to collect bloody snot off the floor.
"And THIS is what I got for a landing party?"
Jane shook her head.
"Revi!"
Rebecca sprang up and snapped to attention in front of the lieutenant.
"Get him to the medical bay."
"Ma'am, may I note—we haven't learned the layout yet…"
"I… will… lead…"
Alenko struggled up from the deck.
"…if Lieutenant Shepard permits, of course."
"Permission granted. And don't make him pretty—just fix the consequences of the fall. Then both of you back here."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Alenko snapped to attention for a moment, then helped Jenkins up and the two of them headed for the medical bay.
"Jane…"
Rebecca addressed her friend and commander once the men left.
"…I've got bad news for you."
"And what news is that?"
"They decided to pick you a cute nickname."
"What?"
"Well, I ran into Captain Shepard and he wasn't exactly quiet while thinking that calling you 'Lieutenant Shepard' is inconvenient, and he doesn't want to use just your name. So he wants to come up with a cute, embarrassing nickname for you."
Jane clenched her fists, inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly.
"As long as he doesn't stick his hand down my pants, he can do whatever he wants…"
"Even that?"
Chifuyu rose from the deck as well and looked at her friend and commander.
"Exactly."
Jane nodded decisively. And in her head she smirked—because, honestly, a man like that could be allowed to put a hand down her pants. Strong, stands up for his people, rich… what else does a girl need from a man? Well, maybe that he fucks her senseless.
Shaking her head and pushing away thoughts that were more inspired by the past—when she'd seen him fighting on a planet against batarians… covered in their blood and guts—she focused on the task at hand, deciding she'd think about the rest later.