Shepard's Contact

=The Blacklight moved through the slipstream, with no need for me to continue piloting=

May as well turn some music on. =I said out loud=

=I head down to the mess hall, and turn the speakers on=

(M4 part 2 [Faunts] starts playing over the speakers)

=I get myself a coke, and sit at the table=

In a day, I'll see her again.

=her face flashes across my mind, bringing a slight smile to my face=

Miri.........

=I flash back to when I first met her, when I was on the run=

(Memory takes place in 2550, on one of the outer colony worlds, Paradise Falls)

=I was walking around the major market in the city, doing, of all things, grocery shopping=

How many Spartans have ever actually gone grocery shopping before? I mean really, we're bred for warfare, not deciding if the fruits fresh.

=As I continue with my selections, I can't help but feel the tension of everyone in the market=

Man, i can't tell if it's me that they're nervous about, the threat of the Covenant, or hell, both.

=I finish collecting what i need, and head to the cashiers to pay=

One of the good things about being trained by ONI black ops, is the fact that you learn how hack bank accounts. Especially when those accounts are owned by pirates.

=As I finish paying, I can't help but notice the fact that the cashier seems grateful that I'm leaving=

I may as well leave now, before trouble starts.

=Walking out the store, I begin heading back to the docks=

Damn, i hope the Covenant never find this place. It certainly deserves the name.

=As I get closer to the docks, I hear a scuffle coming from an alley=

I should just stay out of it. It doesn't conce--

=I hear a woman scream from the alley=

Scratch that, now it is my concern.

=I head for the alley=

Call me chauvinistic, but I don't like seeing woman hurt.

=I enter the alley, and see two men holding a woman against the wall, a third man hitting her=

=Third man= Bitch, you think you can say no to me?

=he hits again, this time across the face=

If I want you to do something, you damn well better do it.

=The woman can't help grin and say= What, like entertain you? I've got better things to do than spend time with an insecure, tiny dicked idiot like you.

=One of the guys sees me=

Goon #1= Hey you! This is none of your concern, so beat it.

=I keep a blank look on my face, as everyone turns to look at me=

=I say= Let her go, now, and I promise not to leave you in wheelchairs.

=They look at me for one second, then start laughing=

Goon #3= yeah that's real funny, now beat it, punk.

=I hold my ground, and yell back=

Make me, you cowardly piece of shit.

=They stop laughing, and the third guy starts walking towards me, pulling out a knife=

Goon #3= You wanna go? You wanna get cut?

=I stare the guy in his eyes=

The only one about to get cut here, is you. =I say to him=

=With that, he jabs the knife at me. I easily dodge the knife, and grab the hand holding it. I twist his arm behind him, the knife still in his hand, and bring that knife into the base of his spine. His body went limp, and he fell to the ground=

Goon #3= What the fuck? i can't feel my legs!!!!

=The other two don't even hesitate. They let go of the woman, and come charging right at me. the first one swings at me, and I duck under the swing, grab the guy by the waist, and send him and myself flying with a push from my legs. we both go landing on the ground, his back hitting it at a funny angle, and him getting knocked out in the process=

Goon #2= Jesus!!!

=He kept facing me, and never noticed it when the women crept up behind him, and snapped his neck=

Damn, that's a cold woman right there =I thought=

=The woman then bends down and tears off a piece of the dead man's shirt, and wipes most of her face=

Well, =she says, between wipes= thanks for the help.

=All I can do is stare, and size the woman up. She was white, with the hint of a tan showing, and had midnight black hair. Her jacket was un-zipped, and she was wearing a shirt made of a fairly thick fabric, apparently meant to hide the gracious curves of her chest (ah libido, you are always there to distract me from such trivial things as death). She seemed to stand, however, with a kind of confidence behind herself. I could see the courage in her eyes, the same she had when she faced down the guy hitting her=

Are you okay? =I asked her= Do you need any help?

=She can't help but smile at me=

=She says to me= Well, looks like chivalry isn't dead these days. Thanks, but I'm fin-- =Her eyes went wide, and she clutched her side.= (Yes, I rhymed, is that a crime?)

Oh shit. =she said through clenched teeth= I think one of those bastards stabbed me.

=I see a splotch of blood begin to form on her shirt, and also notice where those men had held her: jutting out of the wall, was a piece of metal, probably part of a pipe. I kneel down next to her=

Actually, I think it was that. =I motion at the pipe=

=She stared in disbelief= Of all the --- =She fell unconscious =

=I grab her by the shoulders= Hey!!! Stay with me here. Don't fall asleep, dammit.

=She barely comes to, but barely=

Crap, =I thought= I'll have to fix her on the ship. The nearest hospital is at the center of the city, and I'm at the edge.

=I tear off another piece of the dead guy's shirt, and hold it up against the wound, applying pressure. Thankfully, I always carry a can of bio foam in my pack whenever I leave the ship for supplies=

Looks like paranoia isn't all that bad after all.

=I insert the can's nozzle into the wound, and pull the trigger. Her body tensed up, a reaction to the foam=

=With that done, I scooped the woman up into my arms, my food in my pack, and head for the docks. It takes at least a minute to get there, another two to get past the attendant, and one more to board=

Crap, I hope i'm not to late.

=Once on board, I manage to get her to the mess hall, seeing as how the designers never sprung for a full med bay, bastards. Thankfully, I get the med kit I keep in my room, and it's armed for bear. I get what I need, and patch her up. I then check her pulse, to see if she's alive. She is=

Whoooh, that was too close.

=with that done, I carry her to Kate's old room, and finally get some use for it. I lay her down on the bed, and close the door on my way out=

I should have washed her shirt, but that would have led to awkward question.

=I check on her regularly, making sure she's okay. She slept for two hours, before she woke up as I was making dinner. She came out of her room, slowly, and had a heavy object in her hand. I see this from across the mess=

Jeez, what does she think I'm gonna do? Heal her some more?

=I opened up with= Hi there. Want some food? =I put some food on a plate, and lay it on the counter in front of me=

=She considers it, but from where I stood, I could hear her stomach growling. She gave in and walked over to the counter, and picked up the plate=

Thanks. =She said= Did you.... = motions at the wound=

=I smile a little= Yeah, I fixed you up. Managed to stop the bleeding, and stitch the wound closed. You're lucky I carry a can of bio-foam with me whenever I go off ship.

=She can't help but laugh at that, and right when she was chewing too=

Dammit, I just cleaned the table. =I thought=

=I handed her a napkin and a glass of water=

Maybe I'll keep the jokes to a minimum.

=She accepts both the napkin and water with a nod=

So, where am I? =she asked=

Right to business, not bad. =I thought=

Well, we are currently on my ship, the Blacklight.

=She immediately looked worried=

Wait, does that mean we're........ =She began to ask=

No, we're still on Paradise Falls. I just brought you here because it was closer. =I explained quickly=

=She looked rather relieved=

Oh, okay. That's good. I had a job to do back there.

Listen, if you don't mind, I'd like to at least check on that cut. =I motion towards the wound= I don't want you walking off my ship, only to drop dead of an infection.

=She smiled at that=

Sure, why not.

=She finished her meal, and walked back to her room. I followed, and we both sat down. She pulled up her shirt a bit so I could see the wound=

Well, =I said, examining the wound= It doesn't look infected, so there shouldn't be any worry. =She pulled down her shirt= I'm Jason, by the way. =I held out my hand=

=She shook it, with a firm grip too= Thanks, Jason. I'm Miranda.

=And thus began a highly fruitful friendship, and later a relationship. I stayed on the planet for a bit, to make sure those thugs din't have friends. She visited often, and it was the first time I had stayed in any one place for longer than a week. After the first week, I trusted her enough to tell her my story. It shocked her, but she stayed with me.=

=She told me later what she did for a living: she was an information thief. She'd break into secure places, like UNSC posts, and copy information from the archives. She managed it all with the help of her AI partner, Argo. She plugged him in, and he did all the rest=

=Anyway, about two weeks later, she comes to me with an offer: in thanks for saving her life, she was willing to get me any information she could about my former boss. In return I'd tell her which planets to hit that housed UNSC archives of significant value. The deal was struck, and one year and four months later, things had worked out perfectly: we stayed in touch (among other things) and because of the information she gave me, I was able to not only harass Harper and the rest of Vigil, I was able to get some interesting information about them=

=It took me two days in the slipstream before I entered the Groombridge 1830 system, and from there, I docked at the planet's port. I read Miri's message again, to see where she wanted to meet: Go to the night club Nova. I'll be there every night between eight and ten.=

Leave it to her not to tell me which part of the club to look for her in.

=I exited the port, and hailed a cab. I was still early, with at least two hours to go before she'd arrive at the club, so I told the cab to take me into the city, somewhere that was good for tourists. A half hour later, I found myself in the city's park, looking at the planet's memorial, a dedication to the men and women who died fighting off the covenant from this system. Thankfully, there were vendors around selling food, so I got myself something to eat, plus a soda to wash it down with=

Oh man, I hope this food doesn't do to me what the last vendor's food did. It took me a week to fix the toilet.

=After walking around for a few hours (damn this place has lots to do) I check the time and see that it's already 8:15, I hail a cab, and give them the directions. A few minutes later, and I'm waiting in line to get in to Nova, apparently one of the more popular night clubs. Thankfully though, the bouncer at the door sees me, and waves me over=

=the bouncer says to Jason= Your name Jason?

=I answer with caution= Yes, yes it is.

=He nods, and opens the door for me= Someone left an invite for a man of your description. You can on ahead of the lines. They also wanted me to tell you that the dance floor's not to bad.

=I walk towards the door, and give the guy a tip= Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.

(techno music blares over the speakers)

=I see the dance floor down below, after passing through a very crowded hall=

Damn, this place attracts quite the crowd.

=I pass a bar with quite an extensive selection, and walk onto the dance floor=

Sometimes, I really hate the fact that she knows I can't dance.

=I struggle to dance in time with the rhythm, and after a few seconds of looking like an idiot, I decide to stick with what everyone else is doing: just shuffle back and forth, and wave my hands above my head=

=A voice behind my ear= Geez, I'd have thought that by know you'd have learned how to dance. =they can't help but laugh=

=I feel her hands move across my back, trying to get me to relax= You've got to relax Jason. =she chuckled again= God, two years on the run, and you still hold yourself like your on a parade ground.

=I turned around, and faced her, for the first time in two months=

I've missed you. =I said, now moving in time to her=

=She gives me a wicked little smile=

Well, who wouldn't?

=I couldn't help it. I kissed her, again, for the first time in two months. her lips were warm, soft, and *cough* eager. We parted after the kiss, and kept on dancing=

@ Miranda- So, I hate to mix business with pleasure, but you said you had some new information?

=She smiled again, but I knew that smile: it was the one she used to hide the hurt=

@ Jason- Really? We can't have just one night together anymore? I was hoping for a nice dance, maybe something to drink, and then we end it with a night at, ohhh, I don't know? My place?

@ Miranda- Okay, now that is an offer even better than the original.

=I kissed her again, savoring the moment. Moments like this were becoming scarce. We continued to dance, our bodies moving almost as one=

@ Jason- Do you want to leave soon? =She asks me after a half hour of dancing=

@ Miranda- Sure, why not? Let's find somewhere quieter to drink.

=She and I leave the dance floor, and then leave the club. We manage to hail another cab, and she gave the guy directions for the bar she had in mind=

@ Jason- So, how have you been? I heard some rebel planet nearly shot down a UNSC prowler trying to save some troops.

=I can't help but let out a little bark of laughter=

Yeah, that was me. It's a long story, but the short version is that I may have found some people to hang with.

=She looks at me, with a look of interest in her eyes=

What do you mean? Did you find them, or did they find you?

=I feel the grin on my face=

Eh, a little of both. I ran into them right as they landed near my ship. One of them was a Spartan.

=I see a smile spread across her face=

Uh oh, I can see where this is going.

=With laughter in my voice= Yeah, I nearly shot the guy right there, but then he looks up, back to me, and tells me to run. So, that's what I did.

=She gave me a weird look=

And you just took his words at a whim?

@ Miranda- Yeah, I know, it was dumb. Point is, he and I had a nice little chat after he followed me, and I came to partially trust him. So, I gave him, and his men, a ride back to their ship, seeing as how their transport was busted. From their, it was just a crazy few days, most of them involving me staying in my ship. =I didn't tell her about the ex-ONI agent, only to keep her from worrying=

=We got to the bar when I finished my story, and we both sat down for that drink=

=She and I got a small booth, somewhere close to the back=

@ Miranda- So, Miri, how have you been? I mean, how's your job been doing?

=she smiled a little at the use of her nick name=

@ Jason- Well, business has been good. I've been careful not to take anything that might result in ONI sending agents after me, and the information I have gotten has payed the bills. You wouldn't believe how much rebels pay for information on fleet movements.

=We shared some lighthearted conversation, and stayed in that bar for a bit, each enjoying the others presence. We left a little while after that, and she took me back to her place, where she and I *cough* slept. All in all, it was a good night=

=The next morning, as we were eating breakfast, she told me what information she had gathered: Vigil, and therefore Harper, was making a major move. Apparently, they had also gotten word of my ship's appearence on the rebel planet, and were preparing a team to track me down. My former squadmates were going to be the backbone of the team=

@ Jason- So, they're finally coming for you, huh? And they're even sending your old team? =she just sat there with a stunned look on her face=

=what could I say? My former teammates, the people I had treated like a family (a mildly insane, sociopathic family) were coming to try and kill me. If nothing else, that certainly killed the mood at the table=

@ Miranda- *sigh* Looks like it. Granted, they'll have a hard time finding me. All they have to go on are rumors. When I stole the ship, I removed any trackers that were onboard, or attached for that matter. Add to that the fact that this is the most advanced stealth ship built by human hands, and I've still got a good advantage. =I took a swig of the orange juice=

=she wasn't convinced. She straightened herself in her chair, and looked me in the eye=

@ Jason- So you have a head start, but we both know that will only slows them down. They are determined to kill you, and make sure you never breath a word of what they did.

=she paused for a moment, in order to take a breath=

And it's not just that they're afraid of what might happen if you get this information out. They want to kill you, and plant evidence that will make it look like you're responsible for everything they did. That way you die a villain, and they become the heroes.

Okay, I gotta admit, that thought chilled me to the bone. Dying to make sure the truth got out didn't really bother me. (though in the company of Miranda, the thought of staying alive was appealing) It was the thought of not only dying in vain, but of being remembered only for the crimes I would be accused of, especially seeing as how I did do most of the deeds.

@ Miranda- Well, when you put it like that, it seems like it would be better to simply run and hide with my tail between my legs.

=Miranda's jaw just opens in shock, and I can't help but feel a little guilty for that statement. She closes her mouth, and thinks carefully about what to say=

@ Jason- I never said you should hide, Jason. But like you told me, these people are dangerous, well funded, and have at least three more people in their employ that are basically you, only they don't have a conscience. Believe me, I would love for this information to get out, so that the bastards behind this whole thing get what they deserve.

=she placed her hand on mine, and I could feel the warmth of it=

=Miranda continues= But you shouldn't have to die for that to happen. You owe the dead justice, but not your life. =she smiled a bit= Hell, anyone that looked at you can tell you've already tortured yourself over this. I heard you last night...... You still have nightmare about that boy, don't you?

=My stomach writhed a little, the memory of that mission still fresh in my mind. I looked at her, and she could see the answer in my eyes=

@ Miranda- Your right. I do still have nightmares. And I know that no matter what I do, they will never go away. But that won't stop me from making sure these people, these victims, get justice. =My hand balled into a fist at this point, but Miri kept her hand on mine= I'm gonna make sure these sons of bitches get what they deserve.

=We sat there for a bit, in silence, letting my last comment hang in the air. That was about the time that the window for the kitchen exploded in a shower of glass, and a bullet, mere centimeters from my head, slammed into the wall in front of me=

SON OF A BITCH!!!!!!!!! =I yelled at the top of my lungs=

=We both ducked for cover, Miranda diving for cover behind a cabinet, and staying low. Me, I turned over the table (not that it would help) and leapt for cover behind both that and a nearby wall for good measure=

=Miri poked her head out a little bit, just enough to see me=

Is it them? =she yelled=

=shaking my head= No, I don't think so. If it was one of my old teammates, I wouldn't even have a head right now.

=I risked a quick peek, and nearly got hit by a bullet for it=

Dammit, he's got us pinned. =I looked around= Miri, you got any weapons/

=she gave me a look that simply read: what do you think?=

=I raised my hands in apology= Sorry, how silly of me to forget. Where are they?

=she crawled towards a far wall at the other end of the room, and pulled aside a panel. I whistled. SMG's, pistols, and at least one battle Rifle=

Damn, you came armed for bear didn't you?

=she smiled again= Well, you know me. I like to have an insurance policy.

=I stood up, still covered by the wall=

Okay, listen: I'm going to make a run for you, okay?

=She gave me another look that said: You crazy son of a bitch=

=I almost laughed= Isn't that why you love me?

=I sprinted, and a bullet missed me yet again, and I made it to the weapons cache. I grabbed a two pistols, and the Battle Rifle=

Okay, let's head for the door. The front door is out of the window's line of sight, so we should be safe.

=She didn't say anything. She just picked up an SMG, and nodded=

=We both headed for the door, though the sniper kept firing, not that it mattered. We got to the door, and managed to exit the room=

Miri, could you tell where the sniper was?

=she looked back at me=

I couldn't see them, but i think i know where they are. There's only one building that side of the kitchen that could let them get that shot.

=I nodded= Got it. Can you show me? This guy may be working for Harper.

@ Jason- Do you really have to ask? This guy shot up my apartment, and nearly killed you. No way I'm letting that slide.

=I can't help but grin= I like how you started with your apartment on the list of things this guy did to piss you off.

=We managed to exit the building, and onto a back alley. We kept to the alleys, with Miri guiding the both of us to the building she was talking about: a fairly tall office building=

@ Jason- Dammit, there's not even an emergency door! How the hell are we supposed to get to them?

=I looked at the side of the building, and noticed that it had a fire-escape, and quite a few pipes sticking out=

@ Miranda- I have an idea =I strapped the Battle Rifle to my back= wait here.

=I ran towards the wall, and ran up its side for three feet, before I grabbed the nearest pipe, and swung myself onto the fire escape. At the same time, I could already hear the sirens of police, most likely responding to the shots=

@ Jason- Well it took them long enough to respond!

=I didn't respond. i just kept climbing the fire escape. If this guy was trying to kill me, he was probably working for Harper, ergo, he had information. It took me nearly a minute to climb that damn thing, but I managed to get to the roof=

Okay, let's not get are head blown off.

=No sooner did that thought cross my mind, before a bullet clipped me in shoulder. I went down, cursing=

HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!! MY FUCKING SHOULDER, GODDAMMIT!!!!!!

=In between words, I heard something that was no less than divine intervention: the sound of an empty clip being ejected. I didn't have much time. I picked up a fallen pistol in my left hand, and rose, adrenaline fueling my rise. I saw the shooter, and emptied the entire clip, with three shots hitting him in the legs, and one more in his shoulder. The man screamed=

=As the sniper went down, I rushed forward, and got to him before he could pick up his rifle. I kicked the damn thing away=

@ sniper- Oh no no no, no more shooting from you.

=just for good measure, I pistol whipped his head, and the guy went out like a light=

Now, I better get my arm bandaged or else I'll bleed out

=I looked around, and saw that the sniper had a backpack. I searched it, and was pleased to find a mini med kit. It even had a small canister of bio-foam, and I mean small. I got the nozzle into the hole on my arm, and squeezed the trigger (it felt like someone dumped a bunch of salt in the wound, but it numbed after a bit)=

And now the real problem: how the hell do I get this guy down?

=I dragged the guy with me, and got back to the fire escape. I slung his arm over my shoulder, and we both climbed down the stairs. After five minutes, we got to the bottom of the escape, and I dumped him into a dumpster

@ Miranda- You still there?

@ Jason- What do you think?

=I grinned, and got the ladder loose from the fire escape. I climbed down, and Miri and I got the sniper out of the dumpster. For some reason though, she sounded like she was trying not to laugh=

@ Miranda- What's so funny?

@ Jason- I just noticed that this whole time, we've still been wearing the clothes we wore in the kitchen.

=I practically dropped the sniper right there in shock, and I just realized she was right. I was still wearing a wrinkled t-shirt, boxers, and a pair of socks. Miri was wearing the same shirt I wore last night, her own underwear, and some pink slippers. It took us three seconds, but we were on the ground, laughing so hard that tears came to our eyes=