"Hey Traynor" Zaeed called, "Think you can mix me a drink?". Wrex grinned at the veteran's request, knowing exactly what the man was thinking about. What Zaeed and Wrex had in common (among other things) were the fact that they had an eye for people who can truly make a drink. After years in the mercenary business, the constant visits to the bar, whether to gather information or just there for a drink, was a past-time for these two veteran.
Traynor eyed the two mercs. A grin paint her face and her posture changed; transforming shy, intellectual comm specialist Traynor into Sam the Bartender. She crouched down, disappearing behind the counter and appearing with a small cloth and two glass cup, which she wiped briefly before setting it on the counter. "What's your poison?" she said.
Zaeed smirked at the comm specialist's sudden change of attitude, "Surprise me". This had always been Zaeed's mini test on truly distinguishing the pros from those goddamn posers who only know how to pour, but never to serve.
"HAHA, I like the way you think, Massani" Wrex exclaimed, "Make that two" the Krogan battle-master raised his hand, holding out two of his three reptilian-like fingers to his potentially favorite bartender.
At the same time, the two Shepards walk towards the bar, where they met Zaeed, Javik, and Wrex sitting around the coffee table awaiting a glass of Traynor's mix and Traynor preparing the said drinks behind the counter, showing off her bar-tending skills which Shepard had no knowledge she had.
"How about some for us as well, Sam" Jared said
The unfamiliar voice and the battle-worn face enforced a sense of hostility among the group as they could tell a person from their own kind. Everyone looked at Jared for a moment, but one suddenly recognized the Admiral and stopped mixing the drinks.
Who the hell are you?" Zaeed asked. Jared's demeanor could outshine Zaeed's own scarred face. It was even worst than Garrus' scares. Jared's face looked like it could peel off any moment.
"Admiral Shepard, Sir!" Traynor saluted to the Admiral, whether out of fear or respect or both, she did so instinctively. The two Shepard who stood before her are legends in their own respect and feared by through their reputation, especially the one beside her CO.
"This primitive appears to be another Shepard" Javik stated. The Prothean's statement caught the two merc's attention, interested in this "other" Shepard. "A brother. Not of blood, but bond".
"At ease, Sam" Jared said, "I'm just here to meet with my old friend" he gestured to Shepard. He then turned to the group of exceptional warriors, not flinching a bit at the hostility they were releasing. "You must be the Prothean I heard a lot about." He glanced at Javik. "Admiral Jared Shepard, Alliance navy" Jared gave the group the widest smile he could afford, except it made him look even more menacing than his regular smile. The smile sent shivers down everyone's spine. "As the prothean said, no relations to the commander".
"If you were with Shepard, you gotta have some interesting stories" Wrex said. There is no hiding the slight gleam of excitement to meet a person that the commander deemed as 'brother'.
Jared let out a grin, "Ever heard of Torfan?"
Torfan. It was as if the word itself echoed throughout the apartment. Everyone heard of the Torfan incident from a few years back, even Javik was slightly impressed from the story of the ruthless human soldier who sent most of his unit to their deaths just to end up murdering the batarians who surrendered during the mission. His name was known and he became a symbol brutality, showing the extent of what humans are capable of.
"You're the goddamn soldier who killed my target?" Zaeed started.
"Zaeed Massani, I presume" Jared replied ,"That's right. I am the soldier who took down those batarian slavers at their own base of operation".
"I was paid a lot of credits to murder that bastard. Well, I still got paid, but there was no satisfaction from a half-ass contract"
"Are you related to a one Jane Shepard, Admiral?", Javik asked, a bit intrigued by the Admiral's past.
"Now, how the hell do you know about Jane, prothean?"
"I "read" the commander upon our first meeting. He thinks rather highly of the you two"
"Heh, I bet he does. Fortunately, you'll get to meet her soon" Jared looked at Shepard for a reaction on his latest news and he got what he wanted.
"Jane is coming!?", it was obvious that the commander was excited by the news.
"Yeah, she'll be coming a bit late. She's meeting with the councilors right now". "And Hannah sends her regards, by the way" Jared added.
Shepard looked Jared, idled for a moment, then it hit back to him. Hannah Shepard, Jane's mom. He remembered Hackett telling him that Hannah was boarding at SSV Kilimanjaro, the biggest Alliance dreadnought. That means she will be there at the thick of the war. With all that's happened, he should contact her soon. She was as close to as family, including Jared and Jane, outside the Normandy crew.
Jane is meeting the councilors?" Shepard gave Jared a confused look, bringing back the topic to his previous question.
"Ah, you didn't hear. Jane was appointed as the new Councilor for the human"
"When did this happen?"
"After Udina's treason, Hackett recommended Jane's name as the replacement to fill the Councilor seat. As it is, humanity's reputation isn't going so great. Lot's of species want the humans out of the council or leave them behind to handle the Reapers on our own. Hackett suggested that having a replacement will ensure that humanity can still stand up for itself and inspire other species that the discrimination against humanity will not benefit to anyone. Of course, the other counilors were a bit reluctant at first; appointing a new councilor while the wound is still fresh. And not to mention the war closing in. But Jane's achievements speaks for itself. Her services to the Alliance and natural-born leadership made her a model representative of the human species". "Besides, being the Admiral's daughter sort of helped"
"Damn" Shepard was left almost speechless. The idea never crossed his mind. Jane. THE Jane Shepard. The one who repelled an attack from batarian slavers single-handed back on Elysium. The star of Terra. "How did Jane react to this"
The two made their way to the bar and sat down on the stools placed at one corner of the counter at Traynor's left. Traynor placed two glass in front of them and poured the mix she was working on. "A Samantha Traynor Original, boys"
"Thanks, Traynor" Shepard said, eyeing the drink for what seems to be glowing with luminescent green.
"My pleasure, Commander"
"Jeez, John, do your people only address you by family names or rank? Where's the kinship, man?" Jared started. Shepard glared at Jared, annoyed by his friend's comment.
"Shut up, Red, or I'll kick your ass," Shepard finally said, addressing his friend by Jared's old nickname. The attitude
"Now there's the John I know and love" Jared mocked "Right back at ya, Blue"
She also placed another set of glass filled with her special mix on the empty seats beside the two Shepards. Zaeed and Wrex joined the two.
"Let me tell you, John. You have never seen Jane so bent out on refusing anything since that one time during the N7 program, when Lennon tried to tempt Jane to sleep with him for a promotion from N4 to N5.
"You're joking, right?" "Because as I recall, Jane whooped that bastard, leaving him crippled for months, unable to over see our program -"
"-and he was replaced by Anderson. Well, this time, she threatened Hackett to find someone else to replace Udina" "If it was someone else, Hackett would had that person thrown in the cell to rot for insubordination, but this was Commodore Jane Shepard. Jane wouldn't have taken the job if she knew what was at stake"
Shepard was shocked. He knew how much Jane hated politicians, more so on playing as one. And he would never had imagined Jane threatening the Fleet Admiral on anything. She respected rank, as she was taught from her spacer days.
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