[Book Four] Chapter 16: Life happens

Chapter 16: Life happens

Life went on for everyone. Celeste Academy’s second year ended and once again it welcomed students’ relatives and donors. The former enjoyed immensely seeing their children again and didn’t waste the opportunity to spend some good time in this environment that they couldn’t hope to know back home. Even the donors enjoyed the festival this time after the now annual meeting with Kahlee about how the Academy and the students were doing. Their numbers were a bit bigger this year but nothing the meeting room could not handle.

Among all the graduates, one was very special. Hilary had gone through the whole piloting course in only two years and had respectable grades in military field activity. She had been scouted by Anderson of course with the talent she had but declined in favor of being the one and only Pilot of the Celeste and working with EDI. Joker and her father had been so proud of her that they couldn’t help but brag about her achievement to whoever was ready to listen to them to her eternal embarrassment. Anderson took the loss well as he has been prepared for it ever since he had taken the overseer job.
The man was very proud of each graduate of the military course whether they were Humans or not and so was Jane and Garrus and the others overseers. They all earned a good recommendation from them and got good offers from the diverse divisions of the army. Those that displayed excellent qualities as a leader were offered to work under the wing of a ranking officer for a year. It was a new system that Rick had proposed to allow them to get experience while having a safety net and not just be thrown to the wolves by being in charge of a unit and having heavy expectations put on their shoulders. They already have some experience in leading but it was in a control environment.
When the students all left, they did so after saluting Javik who looked at them with an unreadable face. Secretly, he was damn proud of them too as they took everything he sent their way.

With so much on his plate Rick had decided to delegate his work to some of his employees. Of course he didn’t force the projects on them if they didn’t want to work on it for something else but most of the time his ideas were so revolutionary that they seldom declined. In the end he just gave them his ideas and leads and got weekly reports about the advancement of the projects, sometimes with new ideas to make it better or new ideas to make something else based on his original one or a discovery made out of them along the way.
That freed his time by a wide margin. He also gave EDI the opportunity to replace him as Mass Effect’s director which she agreed, not as a replacement but as a co-director. She wanted to be there for the children too. If it wasn't for Dorothea being a part of her they would have rarely talked for months because of their schedules.

He worked with Mordin about studying his DNA to check for any possible irregularities or problems it may have, and so would the children. So far nothing had been found to his relief. Speaking of Mordin he revealed that he had a breakthrough on the Ardat Yakshi problem but that he needed to make some tests. Rick contacted Samara and asked for anonymous DNA samples from some of the asari in the monastery that had been rebuilt and directed by her daughters, since the war, and that were willing. He got a dozen. Considering how rare Ardat-Yakshi were, both Rick and Mordin concluded that most of the asari in the monastery had agreed. A cure was still in the works but both were hopeful.

After Arianna’s fifth birthday, all of December holidays and the welcoming of new students. Rick went on the table and got his L5n removed. Beside a temporary partial paralysis of his right arm, the dangerous procedure that he went through for the third time was successful. He felt powerless for a few months but quickly got back his biotic strength bit by bit. Jane, Ashley, Miranda and Jennifer agreed to not start the children’s biotic training until they were old enough to attend school and nothing too excessive.

Because Anderson and Hannah were part of the family they were told of Rick and the children being natural biotics. They both understood the severity of that and after some discussion agreed to pull Steven into the loop as nothing in the military was happening without him knowing, Hannah only having all authority over the civilian part of the alliance, just in case someone in the navy discovered that secret and tried to act on it in any way.

Speaking of Hannah, she was over the moon with the twins and Leeha that she took in as her own. The more grandchildren she had the more she wanted to burn down the parliament then retire. Her relationship with her son came to an ultimate climax when Jane forced her and Rick to have a real talk. A lot of aggressive words and shouting was done from the man’s side and Hannah took everything without saying anything until she broke down in tears hearing that she had hurt her baby boy so much that his own mind erased his good memories of hers. Jane, seeing her mother fall to her knees in a crying mess, reached out for her but was slower than her brother who hugged their mother with all he had crying too. She joined their crying and hug, knowing that now their family was complete and back on track, with a stupid happy smile on her face.

“Who sings a lullaby about skeletons to their children anyway? That’s fucked up!” Rick said as he enjoyed his mother’s arms around him.
“It’s not!”
“It is mom.” interjecting Jane.
“It’s not, it’s so cute and sad at the same time. It’s about not trusting strangers even if they seem nice.”
“It went way over Jane’s head. She befriends anyone she meets.” he joked while sniffing.
“And you took it too seriously!” retorted his sister.
“I didn’t even remember it until I was twenty seven!”

Seeing her children fighting like siblings made her laugh and she hugged them tighter while secretly taking a whiff of their scent, especially her son. Memories of happy times with him flooding her mind.

From that day everything was right in the Shepard family. The matriarch often came for a sleepover when the Celeste was not too far from the Citadel and that the travel time was less than two hours. Rick had given her a personal ship from Tali’s latest creation. It was powered by a battery stocking a fragment of the RED energy installed on the Celeste. It would last a year before needing to recharge or to be changed. Since the battery was so small it didn’t take much space on a ship and so Tali took advantage of it by repurposing the wasted space attributed for the reactor. The small ship was nearly twice the speed of a regular one reaching the actual speed of a Reaper. It wasn’t as fast as the Celeste but still the second fastest ship in the galaxy. Everytime that Hannah was sleeping over she slept with her children holding them tight against her.

When she bragged to Hacket about her brand new ship the man immediately contacted Rick for a contract for the technology being put on every Alliance ship. He was declined but told that there would be an announcement within the year. The RED generator being too dangerous to share, Rick wanted to control it solely and so the battery would only be sold by him. He would give plans for ship manufacturers to adapt to it but nothing more. That caused a problem with some mining Eezo company but they were just grumbling for now, thinking that Eezo would alway be the go to to produce energy and would still be on top.

Hackett got a good deal out of a new catsuit though. A team of former students had studied both the camo armor and the catsuit and combined the abilities of the former into the latter. Rick had been so amazed that he gave them full credits, a nice bonus and the freedom of choice for their next project. The price of the new catsuit was well into the hundred thousands credits however but would be reduced with time when the manufacturing would be easier. It would still be expensive though.

His new free time allowed him to spend more time with his lovers. Something that both Liara and especially Tali had appreciated a lot. The quarian was owed a good fuck from Rick since 85 and seven years was way too long a wait in her opinion. She didn’t stop at one time though and most of the time when Rick visited her personal Lab he didn’t leave until three hours had passed. It was a good thing he had more stamina than her or he would have probably died.

At Miranda’s insistence, the three of them had started having a meeting about the condition of the company every quarter of the year. In truth the ravenette just talked and the two geniuses listened to her, then made decisions when necessary. The company was doing more than well as they were the leaders in weapons, softwares and ships creation and on their way to be the leader in the medical field too. The prosthetics the students (now employees) had made were top tiers but still needed some work concerning the nerves connections. The advanced synthetic VI were beginning to become popular and sold as well.

Everything was going well until he heard from Aria that there was a new crime lord on the rise in the Terminus. So far that new guy wasn’t expending much but created a lot of trouble in the traverse. He didn’t touch Aria’s territory but instead subtly attacked Asari and Alliance space. He was especially active in the Skyllian Verge. Aria wanted to put him down before that new player in the galaxy would go after Omega but couldn’t find out his location in the terminus. That worried Rick a bit as the number of people under that new unknown was growing rapidly and he didn’t want another Elysium happening.

He shared the information with Jane who believed it was serious enough that she should share that with the council (and the alliance) through their mother. Rick kept a close eye on any new suspicious activity along the Attican’s frontier to determine where that new crime lord was hiding and just deal with him. So far he had found nothing.

He also spent more time with Kahlee so they could know each other better like they had wished. They took walks around the park or the garden to do so. She didn't like hearing about his life between five to ten one bit but let it go, there was nothing she could do about it. She was intrigued by his time on Omega with Aria. She couldn’t imagine the Pirate Queen being loving and caring but she only knew her from her reputation and only saw her once in person when Rick inaugurated the Celeste. His time as a bounty hunter and travels with Samara had fascinated her. She heard the good, the bad, the ugly and the funny. And couldn’t imagine living the adventures he had. The most difficult to speak about was his time with Analysse or rather his time with her outside of work. She really wished she could have met the woman who had not tamed her wild brother but knew him enough to temper him a bit but more importantly had given the love and care he had needed most of his life.
The blonde woman had shared a lot with him about her own life. Most notably about their father. His journals related that his greatest regret has been to fail Rick and not be part of his life because he was too stubborn and too done with the Alliance.

“Why… Why didn’t he try? I mean…. From what I understand when he started regretting not being in my life I was still with my mom and Jane.”
“Shame mostly, and fear. He knew nothing about you beyond your existence and he didn’t think it was a good idea to go back into your life. There was also Hannah and in a certain measure Jane to take into account. He feared to be rebuffed either by you or Hannah. Then one day he learned that you had disappeared and just… He gave up. That’s when he learned that you were named after him. He wrote that he felt like garbage when he realized that he didn’t even know your name until too late. He was always referring to you as ‘my son’. He also realized how much Hannah had loved him for giving you his name. His shame and guilt stopped him from ever contacting her. Or telling me.”
“It’s not like there would have been a point in telling you that you had a younger brother but was missing and presumed dead.”
“True.”
“He really loved her?”
“From what I read, yes. More than my own.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” he genuinely said.
“Don’t be. I loved my mother but… she wasn’t the nicest person and a bit shallow. Had dad not been away so much I would have asked to stay with him instead of her. I’m glad that for a short time he was happy. I’m sad that he was too stubborn to hang on to that happiness.”
“Did… Did you and mom ever talk?” he asked unsure if it was the right thing to do.
“We did. I understand why he fell in love with her. She’s strong minded and always moving forward. Very pretty too of course.”
“And? Are you.. Good?”
“We never were bad in the first place. I just had questions about their relationship, that’s all. We get along just fine. She reminds me a lot of you though. I guess you took more after her personality than dad’s. She may not be a genius like you but she’s way less reckless.” joked Kahlee.
“I’m not, usually. Proof is the past few years.”

He didn’t say anything more and just explored the thoughts that came to his mind as they both kept on walking through the garden. After a few minutes trying to discern what her little brother was thinking about by his facial expression, she spoke.

“He would have been proud of you.”
“Hmm?” he asked, coming back to the real word.
“Dad. Despite his apparent stoicism and humorless attitude he was an explorer and adventurer at heart. Had he known that at ten you took your life into your own hands… Getting on Omega, worming yourself into THE Pirate Queen’s heart. Bounty hunting, traveling with the Asari version of a knight then what you did in the fight against the Reapers. He would have been so proud of you. And be a bit jealous too.” chuckled Kahlee as she said the last part.

“... Good to know?” he replied confused.
“...”
“...”
“That… isn’t the reaction I expected from you.”
“Well… I’m curious about him and glad to hear he would have been proud of me but… At the end of the day he’s a stranger that was too stubborn and more interested in his peaceful life far from the Alliance than me, his own son. So…I’m happy, yes but I don’t really care. Had I known him, perhaps I would feel differently. I still feel like he’s your dad more than he is mine.”
“I… understand.” she answered with a sad tone.
“I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s alright. You’re not wrong to think and feel that way.”
“I’m probably going to kick his ass when I meet him on the other side though. For being a stubborn idiot.” he said and made Kahlee laugh, lifting her mood.
“That would be well deserved.”
“Why did he… pass away? He was relatively young.”
“I think he didn’t see much good in his life anymore and just let himself waste away.”
“When he had you? Yeah I’m definitely going to kick his ass hell and back.”
“Oh! Don’t misunderstand! We had a really good relationship but I was an adult and had a busy life to live.”
“Empty nester syndrome then?”
“Pretty much. I was staying in touch and encouraging him to find a hobby or just do something but he always answered that he would think about it.”

After that, the conversation stopped and they just walked side by side in a comfortable silence until it was time for lunch. They joined the overseers from each species and Javik for a good meal. They talked about implementing a new class where the military students would be joined by the biotics and medic ones to give them a real field experience. It wouldn’t be a normal class but a monthly training session. Many details needed to be hammered down but the core was there.

Summer came and Kahlee had authorized some students to stay on Celeste instead of returning home. Either because their situation at home was not ideal or down right bad or because they didn’t have a home to return to as they were orphans. Kelly Chambers, who had been recruited to act as the academy’s counselor and psychologist at the beginning of the year, had noticed some students with worrying behavior. She had shared that information with Kahlee who immediately thought about a way to make her students' lives better and keep them safe. That’s how letting them stay on Celeste came to be. Because she hasn’t been there for long and because she was alone, Kelly didn’t see even half of the students yet that’s why less than a hundred were staying behind this Summer. To Kahlee's surprise but not Rick’s nor Kelly’s or Jennifer’s, some students bonded over their bad situation despite being from different years or different fields of study or coming from different worlds. She elected to do the same thing again in the holidays at the end of the year and that got everyone’s approval.

Since it was summer it meant Sandra’s birthday. She had not asked for anything except the presence of Orianna and to learn how to swim. She didn’t like needing to have floaters to enjoy her time in the water. It was a simple request that her parents and Aunt had no problem with.
Summer was also the time where Ashley was able to come home for a couple weeks to the delight of her husband and their children.

It was the period for JJ’s second birthday but at two years old there weren't many activities for him to do, so it was a small affair.

Like every summer for the past two years, Mass Effect was about to air again for his third season. Since it was technically the ultimate arc in the fight against the reapers and the one that had touched the whole galaxy directly, there was a lot of hype. That’s why Rick did things a bit differently. He didn’t simply release the usual trailer the week before the airing but one everyday until then. The first trailer was of the usual type. What they were going to get for the whole of season three and not just season A.

The public had waited impatiently and were still analyzing the trailer when 24 hours later he released a second one. It was shorter but put focus on Liara with a different music. That had shocked everyone and the more hardcore fans began to speculate the possibility of others trailers as there was no point to just present a short teaser about one member of the crew only.
They were proven correct when on the third day a new teaser was released this time presenting James. The man had not had much coverage and wasn’t well known since he had been absent during the interview/ Q&A of the crew back in 88. Naturally people were curious. On and on it went, one teaser every day. EDI’s was kept a strict mystery. The people knew that something had happened with her but didn’t know what. It was done so her synthetic body was a surprise. Dorothea’s appearance was also not shown. All people knew was that the crew was releasing someone from a pod but couldn’t see who was inside. The fans speculated it was either Javik or Dorothea and settled on Dorothea when Javik’s teaser was available on the 8th day. They were very curious about her since they only saw her in the interview and no question had been asked of her since nobody knew who she was. With more of the members being revealed and the three most popular being at the end, the hype had reached a new record on the extranet and the news were now making a small mention of what was happening every day.
Jane had been mighty impressed by what her brother was doing but again she knew first hand that pushing people’s buttons to make them feel how he wanted was an art he had perfected.
After Garrus’ teaser with a badass cowboy theme (that the turian was very pleased with) it was Rick’s turn. For the first time there was a voice over (done by Lyn at Rick’s askance) and some old industrial metal could be heard simmering in the background.

“There is no chance for the subject of study to be indoctrinated. His actions against the Reapers is proof enough. He hacks through their never ending hordes as if they were made of paper. Maybe… Maybe he represents humanity’s rage... He’s uncompromising, a relentless being of violence, his fury consuming them all and making him stronger, faster, deadlier…”

The footage then showed Rick dealing with a group of repears easily before a cut to black happened and the music changed, taking it up several notches.

“I do not know how the war will end but I know one thing. There is only one dominant life form in this universe and he has waited long enough for his vengeance. All, hail the coming of the destroyer. The slayer’s time… is now.”

The teaser ended with Rick riding Kalros, lightsaber in hand, jumping onto Tuchanka’s Reaper in slow motion but cut to black before landing. The public went from crazy to completely nuts after that and wondered how Jane's own teaser could top that. Some naysayers were trash talking him a bit for hyping himself but they were few and sparse. Finally Jane’s teaser aired and Rick posted a three word message one hour before that to introduce it.

“Are. You. Ready?”

Fans answered positively of course but in the end…

They were not ready.

It started with a male voice saying ‘I’ll never surrender’ with a single piano playing single notes after single notes. The voice kept singing but it was supplanted by a female one, talking about Jane.

“The only thing they fear… is her. Her will to persevere, to overcome what threatens our survival…”

The female voice stopped talking and Jane was shown fighting hard and taking down reaper troops, the music evolving until it ‘charged’ up and exploded adding drums and violins.

“I believe her now… to be… more than just a soldier. She’s the guide to our salvation. Our shepherd.”

Then the music calmed down and the singing kept up for a moment until the woman spoke again as the footage turned black out and only the slow piano alone could be heard in the background.

“Can she overcome them? If she can’t… our species, all species will not survive.”

The footage then showed a battered and wounded Jane, alone, in the middle of a destroyed battlefield looking straight at a gigantic white pillar of light protected by the biggest Reaper anyone had ever seen. The music stopped but the lyrics went on with a single ‘I’ll never surrender’, then the teaser ended with Jane taking a step forward and the scene fading to black, the title Mass Effect 3 appearing for a moment.

All over the internet people commented on it frenetically. If Rick’s teaser had been a nuke Jane would have been a supernova exploding.

“I can’t believe you presented me like that! Wasn’t making me an icon during the war already enough?” She had shouted at him in the privacy of their bedroom that very evening. She was angry but also mighty embarrassed.

“No.”
“Why?!”
“Because I want the whole Galaxy to know that you are the best and to never forget it. Think of it as a love letter from me to you.” he simply answered, cutting any response she may have had.

Instead, she just threw herself at him and tried to melt herself into his chest; the embarrassment and happiness she was feeling being the greatest she had ever felt. He embraced her and picked her up. Ashley having been gone earlier in the week, they were alone to share the bed. As they lay there in silence feeling the other warmth with Rick letting his fingers go through her now long red hair, Jane made a decision.

“I’m ready.” were the words she said.
“For?”
“Trying for a son.”
“Okay. Are you sure? We already have four boys.”
“I love them like my own but they are Ash’s. I want one that I can call mine.”
“Then we’ll try for a son.”
“Not now.” she said as she felt his free hand grab the back of her thigh and slowly go up. “After Arianna’s sixth birthday.”
“No sex then.” He teased her.
“Nu-huh. No baby making sex. Normal sex is still on the table.”
“Alright. If we have another girl though, let’s wait a bit before trying again.”
“I’d be thirty eight by then… I won’t be able to have many more tries. I’d be too old.”
“Let’s try artificial procreation in that case, just to make sure.”
“... Okay.”
“And for the record, you look twenty eight.”
“For a moment I thought you’d miss it.” She replied with a smile and gave him a small kiss that turned to a big one.

That one kiss led to other things and it was fortunate that Jane was on the pill.

____________________________________________________________

The season three premiere was followed by even more than the one of season two. Rick wondered for a moment if the whole Galaxy wasn’t there behind their screen watching but dismissed the idea. The show was rated R in the first place meaning all children were out if not a good portion of them. The destruction of the Batarians’ Alpha Relay was explicit, explaining in detail (minus the true involvement of the alliance) why she had to destroy it at the price of three hundred thousand Batarian’s lives. In truth most of those lives were slaves since it was a colonial agricultural colony but nobody really cared. People finally got familiar as to how and more importantly why Jane had escaped Earth despite the Reapers’ invasion… They also got to know Act!James and his hot tempered attitude. 

The episode ended with Act!Rick’s helmet being removed for emergency treatment and Act!Jane called his name in surprise. His face was never revealed, however.

“That was cruel of you.” Liara said from her seat in front of him.
“It builds suspense and riles up the public. Take a look at the chat and you’ll see.” replied Rick
“The flood of Jeff’s memes showing his unamused face aside, they are really angry or begging for the next episode to start immediately.” EDI said.

“What did you go with in the end?” Jane whispered in his ear from his side.

“That we met on one of the alliance ships when we were young. You were eleven, I was five but already ostracized because I was biotic. You sometimes talked to me when you came to pick up John as my own big sister was always late. We also spent a bit of time with me when I was skipping class and that you were free to cheer me up and we got close to the point you saw me as a second little brother. Then your family got transferred and we didn’t see each other again until Eden Prime. You recognized me because of my scar on the head and my very distinct blue eyes.” he whispered back.
“Your family?”
“Mother and sister killed on Mindoir in 70. It was a few months after my leaving and they were there to meet some relatives to grieve. Your own brother’s disparition was making the news so my own went under the radar.”
“That’s good. Though if people look into it…”
“Mom took care of it. Apparently the batarian not only destroyed the settlement but also all data about the colonists. She also created a fake identity for my mother and sister. Constantly changing ships, a common family name. Nobody will ever find out. At best they will find out it’s bullshit but not who I am.”

Jane nodded a bit reassured.

The second episode started and it didn’t take long for the female population and gay male population to flame the chat when Act!Rick exited the shuttle totally naked without a care in the world and for everyone to laugh at James and Steve's reaction about it. Act!Rick’s face has still not been seen. It finally appeared when both Act!Ashley and Act!Jane were talking in front of the elevator and its door opened. Since the both ladies were roughly the same height and the camera was at their eye level, the only thing we saw of Act!Rick was his naked muscled chest. Both ladies are around 5'9” while Rick is 6’5”. When both ladies turned their heads they finally looked up and Act!Rick’s face was revealed.

Once again the reaction from the female and gay male population was felt in the chat. Ryan, the actor playing Rick, was a rather handsome man. Rick had really been lucky with him. He was unknown, had lost his parents during the war and had no other relatives. Out of suspicion Rick had done a thorough background check on the man but he was clean and so perfect for his role.

The episode went on and ended with Act!Jane and the team arriving back on the Normandy after retrieving Garrus and Primarch Victus. The last scene was of EDI appearing through the smoke to Act!Jane in her servers room.

“Now let them stew, wondering if it’s the Cerberus bitch or EDI.” said Rick laughing.

Looking at the chat he saw many unwelcome comments about how sexy EDI’ synth body was and laughed even louder than before when he saw the message she posted.

“EDI: Perverted comments will not be tolerated and the users deleted from existence.”

Then a massive deconnexion of users follow suit. Before the remaining users could say anything. She posted the “That was a joke.” meme but this time with her synthetic body instead of her blue ball appearance. She posted a second post to reassure everyone.

“EDI: Of this chat* For a period of a week.”

Rick laughed louder at the prank.