Councilor Sparatus x Fem! Shepard
The reapers had come, and earth had been hit, hard. They came in numbers, with no mercy; I was sure the rest of the galaxy would be feeling the heat soon. Leaving mars, I peered out of the observation deck as we approached the Sol Mass Relay, to go report to my favorite people, the council. I leaned against the window, running my hand along my cheek to touch the angry red scars that resided there; everytime I act with the action that needs to be done, my scars grow, I can feel them burn, the adrenaline helps me get through the emotional pain of realizing that I would never see my home whole again. A part of me knew what it would come down to, I knew by the end of this I would be dead. Sacrifice by necessity.
"ETA ten minutes Commander." Jokers' soft voice came over the Con, he was just as shaken by this as everyone else, that means a lot, not much can shake Jeff. "Thank you Jeff." I whispered, an audible gasp came from the speaker, "Ah commander you wound me. No smart comeback? No insult just for me?" He tried desperately to cheer me up, he knew that if I said thank you I must really be going through it. I never say thank you.
"No joker, just, thank you. For everything." My eyes watered, and I choked back a sob, I hated to think how much the crew would miss me. I hated to think of the pain it would cause Thane, Garrus, Tali and Liara: but it had to be done. There was no use on fixation, so I dried my eyes and felt my scars one last time. I sat down in front of the observation window for a while until the Normandy came through the Serpent Relay, the purple haze of the Nebula had always relaxed me; it did the opposite now, it seemed like it was the last refuge for all life and there was only so much room.
Heading down to the armory, I got into my armor in a hasty flash, before signaling James to follow me. "Go find Liara, tell her to suit up and ship out to the port airlock, we're docking with the citadel. Tell Chakwas to get Kaidan to the hospital Immediately. " I pointed behind me with my thumb, " that goes for you too, bring the biggest gun you can carry, just in case. I'm done with surprises for one day." James nodded, before placing a hand on my back, "Commander, I'm sorry for earlier." The thought was sweet, and caused my scars to shrink just a tiny bit, so I replied promptly, "It's alright James, now go get dressed before you get all mushy."
I stood at the airlock, unprepared to face the horrors that lay ahead of me; the counsel races were probably too absorbed in the fight for their own planets to help Earth; I couldn't blame them if they could not lend help but I'll be damned if I don't try. The presidum looked just as sickeningly peaceful as ever, people going to and fro, about their daily lives; without a single clue of the war going on outside. The place made my gut wrench, and my mind fill with thoughts that would make my scars burn like wild fires until they consumed my whole face. I stormed past shops and restaurants, gaining speed and ferocity with every step; Vega and Liara struggled to match my pace as I made my way to the council chambers. "Shep slow down, you're like a charging krogan!" James growled from behind me, before prodding Liara, "you, talk to her, she'll listen to you." I whipped around before a word could fall from her azure lips, "James I'm sorry, I do not have time to slow down the whole fucking galaxy is on fire goddamnit!" I spun around to resume my course of action, marching up the stairs two at a time, before finally reaching the doors to the councils meeting room.
I jammed the open button repeatedly, before kicking the electronic door harshly; which finally prompted the piece of scrap to open. The council stood in disarray, arguing amongst themselves about reinforcements, strategies, and weapons; so preoccupied in their own disorder they had yet to see me approaching, which I took to my advantage. "Councilors!" I barked, gaining all of their attention, "Do you believe me now?!" I growled up at them, damn bastards always had to be on a pedestal, even Udina, the bloodthirsty mongrel. "Yes..." councilor Tevos (the asari) began with a crestfallen voice, "the reapers are attacking everything Shepard." Sparatus interrupted Tevos, gazing down at me sympathetically, with grey eyes ablaze.
"I know, I just came from Earth," Undina stifled a gasp, as I addressed the council, " the reapers hit it hard, I watched the place where I grew up burn to the ground from orbit. That's why I came here, I need council assistance. We can win this together." I bit the inside of my lip nervously, I hated this part; the part where the usually say no. "I'm sorry Shepard, we can't, we have our own homes to defend, our own races to look after. We have to deny your request. " The delatrass spoke softly, her large eyes, cast to the floor. My scars began to burn, and with the look on Tevos' face, I think she noticed them glow significantly brighter; my anger welled up like a bellowing ash cloud from the mouth of a spewing volcano, "what does it take? What will it take for you to be on my side? I mean holy fuck! I've saved your lives, I tried to warn you but you would listen! You know what, screw you and your pretty boy attitudes! I'm going to find someone who can actually help me." I turned around fuming, while liara placed her hand on my shoulder to comfort me. I heard the councilors shuffle away, leaving me and my team alone, or so I had thought.
"Can I have a moment with the commander?" Sparatus came down from the councils perch, dismissing Liara and vega, "of course councilman." I nodded my confirmation to them, "just go ahead and report back to the Normandy."
The turian counselor, with a look of urgency on his face, turned to Shepard and spoke up, "Shepard, I have an unusual request for you." He then gestured toward the door, "Would you please come to my apartment? There's something I need to discuss with you in private. I'm feeling quite apprehensive and I believe that this is the safest way to proceed." I hesitated for a moment, but then nodded in agreement. Despite our past disagreements, I trusted Sparatus and knew that he had my best interests at heart. He gestured for me to follow him out of the dimly lit doorway and onto the busy city street, where we quickly made our way towards a rapid transit. We hopped into a cab and the musty scent of rust and stale air hit me like a wave, enveloping my senses. The smell seemed to mirror my current mood - outdated and stagnant, as if I was stuck in a time long gone. "I completely understand your frustration with the council. It's hard not to feel that way," he said empathetically, pulling up a picture of Palavan on a Turian news channel. The image on the screen showed a world engulfed in flames, much like Earth during the Reaper invasion. I couldn't help but cover my mouth in shock and horror, my mind immediately jumping to Garrus and the others back home.
"Our world is in chaos, just like yours," he added, his tone heavy with sadness and concern. The silence that followed was heavy and uncomfortable, as we both absorbed the gravity of our situation.
Finally, the transit arrived at our destination, jolting us both out of our thoughts and effectively kicking us out of the cab. As we stepped out onto the street, I couldn't help but take in the surroundings. His apartment was small and modest, but cozy and inviting in a way that made me feel instantly at ease. "Right this way," he opened the door and let me inside ahead of him, which to me was a significant sign of trust, "just sit on the couch right there, I'll get some levo and dextro tea." "Don't bother with the levo, I can tolerate Dextro, I promise." As I sat with my acquaintance, I couldn't help but reminisce about the past. "I used to know Nihlus Kryik on a personal level," I said, with a subtle shrug of my shoulders. To my surprise, my companion's brow plates shot up in response. Meanwhile, Sparatus was bustling about in the kitchen, brewing some tea. With a hint of amusement, he chimed in, "I didn't know you were into Turians, Shepard."
I couldn't help but smile, as I began to explain my appreciation for the Turian species. "What's not to like?" I said, "They are tall, imposing figures, with personalities that are larger than life. Their subvocals can be easily understood if you know them well enough, and their carapace is nothing short of impressive." Despite the pain that still lingered in my mind from the war, I felt myself begin to relax as I spoke.However, my playful teasing of Sparatus seemed to bring a sudden solemnity to the room. "What about you?" I asked, "Have you ever been interested in a squishy human before?" The question hung in the air, as a serious silence descended upon us.
He walked back into the living room, balancing a tray of steaming tea in his hands. As he approached, he spoke in a calm, measured tone. "I suppose you could say that," he said, his voice trailing off for a moment before he continued. "Just recently, though, I discovered something about myself that I had been refusing to acknowledge for years. I found myself developing feelings for a race that many consider to be 'lesser'." He set the tray down on the table and emphasized the word "lesser" with a pair of air quotes. Then, he handed me a delicate porcelain cup filled with honey-colored tea. The scent of the tea was sweet and inviting, causing my mouth to water in anticipation. "But let's focus on the issue at hand," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. His subvocals dipped low into a tone of near depression as he spoke. "If we can ease the pressure on Palavan, I can send all the troops you need to help with the effort on Earth."
I took a sip of the sweet tea in my cup and voiced my doubts. "I'm not sure how I can do that. There are no spare soldiers lying around that I could throw at you," I said, my voice trailing off. The tea tasted wonderful, and I couldn't help but appreciate the unique flavor that resulted from the dextrose molecules rotating to the right, reversing the taste of Levo foods and drinks.Sparatus set his cup down and his mandibles began to flicker in uncertainty. "But there is another option," he said.I nearly choked on my tea, looking at him incredulously. "The krogan? Do you know the price they will ask for something like that? You're asking me to solve a grudge that is nearly 600 years old," I said, my voice betraying my feelings of disbelief.Sparatus shook his head, rubbing the back of his scaly neck in unease. "I understand your concerns, but there's no other way."
I thought about it carefully, and no matter how much I hated to admit it, he was right, "Alright, where do I start?" I spoke reluctantly. "Go to palavans' moon, there you'll find the primark, you'll need him for diplomatic work. " I nodded, already developing a strategy and a plan of action to charge into the reapers ranks, "alright, I'll try my best." I leaned forward, setting my cup down, and breathing out a heavy sigh with slumped shoulders. "Shepard?" Sparatus sat forward, hesitantly placing a hand on my back. Tears streamed down my face as I collapsed into a chair and buried my face in my hands. "I'm sorry, Sparatus," I whispered, my voice choked with emotion. "It's just all too much to bear."
I felt him stiffen behind me, surprised by the sudden display of vulnerability. But I couldn't help it. Something about him made me feel safe, made me feel like I could let down my guard and show my true self - even if that meant showing him my tears.As the sobs wracked my body, I couldn't help but wonder why it had to be him that I broke down to. Why him, out of all the people in the world? But in that moment, it didn't really matter. All that mattered was the comfort and support he offered me, even though he didn't have to.
As I cried into my hands, I thought about Ashley and Kaidan, I thought about Garrus. The tears just kept coming, pouring down my cheeks like an endless cascade; pooling in my hands as an salty ocean. "Spirits Jane," Sparatus pulled me towards him by the shoulder, "Come here, cry on my crest." His warm embrace enveloped me, as I cried into his formal attire; staining it with tears. I tried to suck it up but it only made my thoughts go further off the deep end, "Oh, Sparatus...I just know by the end of this I'll be dead," I sobbed into him muffled and shuddering with the force of my emotions. He stayed quiet but I could feel his mandibles go slack atop my head, he knew what I was saying was most likely true.
"Jane, theres something I need to tell you," his arms tightened around my shoulders as he drew me closer to his chest, "I'm in love with you, ever since the first time you stood up to me." I could hear his subvocals portraying what he was saying was true, accompanyed by the race of his heart, the thunderous beat of his life. I new wave of emotions wracked my brain before translating to my body, "oh, Sparatus I-" he cut me off with a single talon to my lips, before lifting my chin to peer up into his storm blue eyes; then he slowly leaned in to give me a turian style kiss. So we sat there, forehead to forehead, both of us with eyes closed and breathing ragged; I placed a single calloused hand smoothly over his cheek plate, just above the mandible. "Jane, Be mine tonight, please," the question caught me extremely off guard, "Be my bond mate." I broke our kiss to stare into his eyes once more, only to find a relentless amount of certainty in those steely ice hued eyes.
"Yes," I matched his ferocious gaze, "Take me, Sparatus." Before I knew what happened, he toppled us, landing on top of me with just the right amount of weight.
After a night to remember....
Sparatus gave me a new casual outfit, with a low neck; there was a fresh double row of little circular marks from last night, Sparatus' bond mark. As promised, the turian counselor got a transport to the Normandy, allowing us as much time as we could possibly need. The crew ogled my neck suspiciously, James was confused, while Liara simply blushed and muttered a quiet 'congratulations'.
Word count; 2250
I hoped you liked it.