Milky Way/Omega Nebula/Sahrabarik/Omega
Earth year: 2185 CE --- May
After docking on Omega, Callie had taken Jacob and Miranda to the station's surface to track down and recruit the three squad members the Illusive Man had given her dossiers on. While waiting for clearance to dock, she'd spoken to both of them and been thrown off-balance by the changes in their behaviour.
Prior to boarding the Normandy, Miranda had been a cold, unfeeling bitch whose only focus was the mission to Freedom's Progress and not making friends. Jacob had been friendly and accommodating, answering her questions with patience and understanding. He'd done what he could to put her at ease. But that changed after they boarded the Normandy.
Miranda began by volunteering information about herself, her past and Cerberus. She was friendly and casual to the point where Callie thought she must be imagining it. But Miranda's behaviour wasn't nearly as surprising as Jacob's.
When she found him at his station in the ship's armoury, it went as she'd expected, at first. But when she asked again about his history, he'd become cold and distant, keeping her at arm's length with his words and posture. He had gone on to say that he wasn't big on socializing and could they could do this some other time, insinuating that she was being intrusive.
When she realized she had to bring him as part of the ground team to Omega she wasn't happy about it. She found Miranda easy to figure out. No matter how Miranda might feel about following Callie's lead, she knew Miranda would do her job. Jacob though... Callie shook her head. The abrupt, antagonistic change in his behaviour made her feel like she had a target on her back while he walked behind her and she didn't like it.
She hoped that of the three recruits they were to pick up on Omega, at least one of them would put her more at ease than Jacob had. She didn't want him in her ground team again until she knew he could be trusted. If not as a friend, but as someone who wouldn't turn on her like a rabid dog.
They didn't go far before finding the first recruit on her list. Zaeed Masani, a mercenary bounty hunter, was holding a gun on a cowering batarian as they stepped onto the station after leaving the docking tube.
Callie smiled to herself as she watched him browbeat his captive. Masani was an older man with close-cropped greying hair. When he turned to look at her, Callie was struck by the huge scar down the right side of his face, his eye milky white with blindness. She wondered how it had happened and whether or not he'd tell her if she asked. As she watched him with the batarian at his feet, she was struck by his imposing energy. Zaeed might be a gun for hire like Jacob, but from what she saw so far, she liked his style.
"Zaeed Masani?" She asked, a faint smile on her lips.
"That's me." He said, keeping his shotgun trained on the batarian. "You must be Shepard."
"Cerberus didn't mention I'd be picking up two of you."
"This is just a little unfinished business." Zaeed grumbled, his voice sounding like gravel. "Chased him halfway across the system before I caught up to him on Omega."
"Please..." The batarian begged. "You have to help me, he's crazy."
"Shut up jackass." Zaeed said, kicking him in the leg. "No one said you could talk."
"Taking on the Collectors doesn't seem like something a mercenary would be interested in."
"Your mission doesn't sound like good business. But... your Illusive Man was offering some serious credits for signing up." Zaeed answered. As they talked, the batarian on the ground scrambled away and without blinking Zaeed shot him in the back.
"I better get this cleaned up before it starts to stink." He called over his shoulder, not missing a beat. "See you on board Shepard."
Well that had gone well, Callie thought as they continued on. They were heading to Afterlife, a club on the station, where they were meeting Aria T'Loak, the self-appointed ruler of Omega. According to the batarian from the dock, Aria would know where to find Mordin Solas and Archangel, the other two recruits on her list.
After listening to Aria's speech about herself and Omega, the intimidating asari ruler directed her to Archangel who was currently being hunted by every mercenary group on the station. Mordin Solas was in a quarantine zone, working on a cure for an unknown plague that was killing everything in it's path that wasn't human or vorcha.
"Seems like we should get to Archangel first Commander." Miranda said as they took their leave of Aria. "Sounds like he might not have much time."
"Agreed." Callie said nodding. "Jacob, I want you to head back to the Normandy. Tell Zaeed to meet us at the transport terminal in ten minutes."
"What?! I mean, aye aye, Shepard." He said, before turning and stalking off.
Miranda raised her eyebrows in Callie's direction. "What was that about?"
"I want to see how Zaeed operates. I need to see him in action and how he follows orders. I've already seen how you and Jacob work together, but I need to evaluate everyone."
"That's understandable." Miranda agreed. "So long as you aren't letting personal feelings cloud your judgment."
Callie said nothing. Miranda might blow hot or cold depending on the situation, but she wasn't stupid. She might not understand Miranda's loyalty to Cerberus, but her skills in combat, observation and tactics were undeniable. As far as Callie was concerned Miranda would be part of the ground team for a while, until she found a suitable replacement for her. But she wasn't going to hold her breath. Miranda was going to be hard to replace.
"Shepard." Zaeed greeted as they joined him at the transport. "Let's get this show on the road shall we?"
----xxx----
Taking EDI's advice about their next target's location, Callie sabotaged a heavy mech they passed before joining the mercenaries who'd succeeded in cornering Archangel. She then neutralized a batarian who was repairing a gun ship the merc's planned to use in their fight against Archangel. If she wanted this guy alive, she needed an advantage before they reached him and gave away their true purpose for being there.
After taking out the merc's who were part of the team meant to infiltrate Archangel's hideout, they climbed the stairs to his lookout position to talk to him. Callie lowered her weapon as the tall figure, clad head to toe in blue and white armour turned to greet them. She watched in silence as he crossed the room, taking a seat on a nearby table before removing his helmet and setting aside the largest sniper rifle she'd ever seen.
When recognition dawned, Callie was speechless with surprise, a smile spreading across her face.
"Garrus!" She cried. "What are you doing here?"
"I don't know where you came from Shepard, but damn, it's good to see a friendly face."
"How the hell did you manage to piss off every merc group on Omega?"
"It wasn't easy." Garrus drawled. "I really had to work at it. Seriously though, it's good to see you."
"Since when did you start calling yourself Archangel?" Callie teased.
"It's just a name the locals came up with, for all my good deeds." He said, shifting uncomfortably. "But please, it's just Garrus to you.
Feeling better than she had in the weeks that had passed since waking on the research station, Callie listened as Garrus laid out his plan for how to get them off the station. Everything went smoothly until the gunship Callie had thought she'd disabled took Garrus down in a spray of blue turian blood.
"Garrus!" She cried in horror before unloading her thermal clip at the gunship as mercs began dropping into the room. Zaeed and Miranda dove for cover, returning fire with the mercs as Callie focused her efforts on dragging Garrus out of range of the gunship and the merc's weapons.
As the ship exploded in a spectacular burst of fire, Callie knelt at Garrus' side while she radioed Joker.
Garrus gave a strangled wet cough as he struggled to breathe.
"He's not going to make it." Zaeed said at Callie's back.
Ignoring him, she whispered to Garrus to hold on and told Dr. Chakwas to be ready for them when they returned to the ship.
----xxx----
"Doctor Chakwas did what she could Shepard." Jacob told her in the briefing room after returning to the Normandy. "But it's doubtful he'll make a full recovery..."
He was interrupted as the door opened and Garrus stood framed in the doorway looking smug.
"Tough sonovabitch." Jacob muttered as the left the room.
"Shepard. No one would give me a mirror. How bad does it look?" Garrus asked as entered the room.
"Hell Garrus." Callie drawled, covering her smile. "You were always ugly. Slap some face paint on there and no one will even notice."
Garrus laughed. "Oh. Don't make me laugh Shepard. My face is barely holding together as it is."
"You're sure you're okay Garrus?"
"I'm fine, don't worry about me. Frankly, I'm more concerned about you. Cerberus Shepard? You remember all those horrible experiments they were doing?"
"That's why I need you here Garrus. If I'm walking into hell, I want people I can trust at my back."
"You realize this plan of yours has me walking into hell alongside you right?" Garrus said, amused. "Just like old times huh? Whatever you need Shepard, I'm here for you. If you need anything I'll be at the main batteries. I'll go see if I can make myself useful."