Mass Effect - A Hero Rises Ch. 34

Book 2, Chapter 15 -- Fire and Flames

*****

Zaeed felt surprisingly relaxed on the shuttle, resting his head back against the side of the shuttle with his eyes closed, feeling every little move it made. Low conversation was taking place around him. He opened his right eye a fraction, Shepard standing as always, holding onto one of the bars attached to the roof, his eyes on one of the vidscreens, watching their progress.

"How the fuck are you so calm?" Jack asked from the other side.

"No point being a nervous fuckin' wreck. I've been doin' this shit for decades now. 'Bout fuckin' time I took the fight back to 'em though."

"So is this purely personal or is this actually a contract?" Garrus wondered.

"Little of both, I guess. Guy in charge, fella named Vido Santiago, me and 'im started the Blue Suns." He paused, letting that sink in. "That's right, Garrus, my boy, you've been killin' plenty of my old colleagues. No offence taken, though. The Suns are a long way from the organisation I was once with."

"What happened?" Jack asked. He was surprised she even gave a shit. He'd noticed a change in attitude recently, she seemed calmer. But actually seemed to give a shit about anything still turned heads.

"We ran all sorts of shit. Gun running. Arson. Blackmail and extortion. But we also did some legit shit, like guard duty, security. Two faces to us, basically. Illegal shit made us creds, legal shit gave us legitimacy. Then Vido says one day he wants to get started tradin' slaves. I said right away, fuck that, fuck no. We ain't no fuckin' slavers. And definitely not for no fuckin' batarians. We had a bit of a disagreement."

"And how did that end?"

"Fucker shot me. Point blank in the face. Shoulda died, in all honesty. Guess someone upstairs likes me. That was my time at the Suns over. Been working independently ever since. Mercenary work. Bounty hunter. Even a somewhat private investigator. But I've been itchin' for a chance to get back at that slimy cunt. Perfect chance now. Soon as I got the contract for this, and knew it involved him, that was it. I was comin', with or without you lot."

Conversation ceased as he leaned back again, simply waiting for the shuttle to land. Then he'd worry about everything else. He'd been around long enough to appreciate the moments of peace and quiet. In a few moments, things were going to get very loud, chaotic, and bloody. The shuttle touched terra firma a few minutes later, Shepard opening the door and leading them out. It was stifling hot and humid, feeling sweat spread across his body within seconds. Wearing a helmet in weather like this always sucked, but better than receiving a hole in the head.

He surveyed the landing zone with Shepard as the others gathered around. Jack, Garrus, Grunt, Miranda. He figured a strong choice. He and Grunt had firepower. Miranda and Jack with biotics. Garrus with his sniper. And Shepard simply leading the way, even more of a lunatic than himself with his new abilities. He'd watch him train occasionally with Miranda, and it seemed his biotics increased his strength each time. He couldn't help be impressed.

Shepard gave the order to move out, and squad took their positions, Shepard on point, Garrus watching their six, Grunt and himself watching their flanks, Miranda and Jack in the middle, ready to warp the shit out of anything that moved. Within minutes, he knew it was far too quiet. Someone would surely have clocked a shuttle landing near the refinery. The Normandy? Not so much, as it would have been flying silent, but a shuttle isn't silent. They can be tracked.

The refinery was in the distance. For now, it was dense jungle, just adding to the oppressive humidity. Trees towered above them, blocking out natural light, leaving them in shadows. He could hear insects buzzing around them. Other sounds echoed around them, though nothing suggested that the enemy was close. Or perhaps other deadly creatures, though what also inhabited Zorya, he had no idea. Didn't care either. All that mattered was Vigo and revenge.

What he didn't expect was to find bodies dumped in the middle of the jungle. He stopped with Shepard as they crouched down to inspect them. They'd been there long enough to decompose slightly. The clothing didn't suggest who they were but he could guess they'd once worked at the refinery. The wounds suggested they'd been shot in the back of the head. Likely executed. Shepard noticed as well.

Approaching the refinery itself, they finally noticed the first mercenaries in the distance. Part of him simply wanted to charge and fire, but he wasn't the dumb, hot-blooded rookie of yesteryear. Sure, he was still hot-blooded, but that was tempered by decades of experience and the eagerness not to die on some hellhole like Zorya. He planned to die by a beach as an old man, hopefully with a cold drink in his hand and a young woman with her mouth around his cock. He didn't think a peaceful retirement was too much to ask in the grand scheme of things.

As soon as they were close enough, Shepard gave the signal and he charged ahead, disappearing in a flash. As soon as he collided with the first mercenary, hell came to Zorya. Over the sound of his own rifle, he heard the thump of biotics from the two women, while Grunt roared as he thundered ahead, almost flinging mercenaries out of his way. There was the occasional crack of a sniper rifle at the same time, Garrus communicating over the comm each time he took out a target.

The sound of gunfire echoed around them, and soon there were loudspeakers announcing their arrival. He recognised the voice. He knew Zaeed had come for him, though probably didn't figure he'd brought Shepard and some other friends as well. Zaeed had been forced to retreat alone. Vigo thought he was facing a motley crew of rejects, little knowing he'd brought people harder than himself, harder than those he'd once fought alongside.

The refinery was enormous. Blue Suns were running security, but he had no doubt they were running the whole place while siphoning credits off for themselves. Just enough to make it profitable, not enough for the owners to be concerned. As they moved, Miranda was also working to patch into their communications. Once she finally got them linked, they could hear the flow of orders, which simply made their lives easier.

He noticed the number of batarians who now wore blue. The main reason why they'd fallen out. Some had gone so far as to call him racist. He didn't give a shit. Batarians were cunts. Any people that still had slavery as part of their culture deserved to be a pariah. He may have been a mercenary, but at least he still had principles. He'd turned down jobs because of what people wanted him to do. He was a mercenary. Men and women? Fair game. Kids? No. Slaves? Definitely not.

Heading deeper into the facility, cutting down swathes of Blue Suns as they moved, he couldn't help but chuckle at the workrate Shepard put in. The man was absolutely insane, charging and firing, charging and firing. His shields failed more than once. His armour was scuffed. He was likely bleeding. But he was grinning the entire time. He couldn't help but glance at Miranda.

"He's fuckin' insane, and that's on you."

"We made him better. You can't deny how effective he is."

He could only grunt in agreement. The only person matching his kill count was Grunt, his shotgun nearly blasting people apart if they were too close to him. It was obvious a small army was stationed at the refinery. They numbered only six, but having Shepard and Grunt by his side was like having ten warriors. Add Jack and Miranda with their biotics, Garrus with his accuracy... Yeah, he had the better army.

Before they entered the building proper, there was a locked door ahead, Miranda moving to a nearby terminal to being hacking it. As she was busy doing that, they kept watch, and only then did he see him for the first time in decades. Before he could raise a weapon, he felt the aim of further weapons at them. Shepard started to laugh. A strange time, but then again, Shepard had probably been in worse positions.

"Shepard?"

"Keep going, Miranda."

His eyes were only for Vido. He wanted to aim his weapon, but figured if he did that, they shoot immediately. Video looked down at him with undisguised disdain. The smirk on the face he wanted to remove with a knife. "So, Zaeed. Managed to track me down? Only taken you twenty years."

"Go fuck yourself, Vido."

Vido laughed. "That's all you have to say after twenty years." Vido then looked over the squad. "And who are all your friends?"

"Garrus, want to tell him what you were up to on Omega?" Shepard suggested.

"Killed a lot of you blue uniformed fucks there," Garrus muttered. He was behind them in cover, his weapon aimed but he wasn't going to fire. Not without a signal.

"Archangel?" Vido growled.

"And I could quite easily put a bullet right through your forehead now. I won't. I know our friend has been dreaming of doing that for twenty years."

"He won't take the shot now. He's not that dumb. I have more guns, men and firepower. If he takes the shot, he will die. As will all of you."

Zaeed looked around and saw the opportunity. They were in a refinery, so what could they use to their advantage? Fire. Burn the entire place down and catch Vido before it exploded. There were probably better plans, but it was the best one he could think of at that moment. He raised his rifle and opened fire before anyone could react. Shepard couldn't charge vertically, so simply moved back and fired up, hearing the cries of a mercenary who no doubt took a shot to the crotch.

From behind rudimentary cover, he watched as Vido issues instruction. "Hey, Vido!"

"Will someone kill that piece of shit!"

"Burn, motherfucker!" he growled, firing a burst into a fuel line just above his head. Somehow, the bastard survived as the fire incinerated a trio of mercenaries next to him. The line then exploded, knocking Vido from his feet. He was ready to move when there was another explosion, and he could only see Vido through the flames. "Shit!"

"We'd better move, Zaeed. This place is going to blow!" Shepard stated.

"He's gotta have a way of here. We'll have to go right through."

"You're fucking crazy," Jack stated.

"Takes one to know one, and I've done crazier and stupider shit," Shepard said, "Let's haul arse and hope the plant doesn't explode while we're moving through it."

They moved on as a tighter group now. The fires were raging, and explosions were rocking the facility. He was fairly sure he could hear the cries of the workers. He didn't pity them, though didn't want all of them to die just so he could catch one man. But it seemed like a good idea in the heat of the moment. He was surprised Shepard hadn't chewed his arse out about it, though Shepard had shown a ruthless streak of his own at times. He wasn't the poster boy many expected of him.

Very few mercenaries were around to stop their progress. But when they did come across a whole bunch of trapped workers, even he came to a halt. "Fuck," Shepard muttered, before he turned, "Right, Zaeed and Grunt with me. Vido doesn't get away. Jack, Miranda, Garrus, see if you can help the workers get out of here. Looks like enough of them have died already. Plan has gone tits up. It happens. We'll keep moving, keep in contact."

"Okay, Shepard. Stay safe," Miranda replied.

As those three disappeared to do what they could with the workers and fire, he moved on with Shepard and Grunt. The three were an effective force as the mercenaries rallied, and were soon putting up a more effective defence. But with his two colleagues, they didn't stand a chance. Shepard seemed to relish blasting away Blue Suns, showing particular dislike for batarians. He understood why. He'd read about Elysium. It might have been organised by a turian, but it was mostly batarians who attacked, primarily looking for human slaves. It explained what happened on Torfan. He'd discussed the topic with Shepard, who said the Butcher deserved a fucking medal and a statue.

So the Blue Suns wilted despite their superior numbers. Shepard must have been exhausted by now. Zaeed felt the strain nowadays, particularly in the heat they were experiencing, but with age came experience. He knew enough to ensure he survived. And he definitely enjoyed taking on those wearing blue. If he had to, he'd taken the organisation apart piece by bloody piece, until there was nothing left. He'd built it, and he'd happily destroy it.

Moving from room to room, there was still the occasional explosion, but a message from Miranda suggested they were managing to control the fires, and that workers were being evacuated. It was only after their communication that Vido thought taunting him was a good idea. First he ordered his men to bring his head. That certainly wasn't going to happen. Then he thought mocking Shepard was a good idea, which was only going to piss him off, and certainly cause more destruction. Then Vido thought getting really personal was a sensible idea.

"I took your Blue Suns. I took your life. And now I'm taking it again."

"Okay, I'm hoping you're considering a slow, painful death for this cunt," Shepard muttered.

"Was he always like this? A pathetic weakling, hiding behind his men?" Grunt asked.

"He was always an arsehole, but I thought I had control. I paid for that. Now I will pay it back in kind."

"Take a knee now, Zaeed, and maybe I'll forget this ever happened!"

He ignored him, of course, focusing on killing more mercenaries. Vido had either gone a long recruiting drive, or he'd simply brought an entire battalion of mercenaries to the refinery. Fuck knows where or how he'd got the numbers. But it didn't really matter as the three of them were wiping them out. Anyone who came investigating afterwards would only find a line of bloody corpses.

"Let that loser die, Shepard! You can walk out of here alive!"

It was the only time he gave Shepard a careful look. Shepard simply returned it and grinned. "Good thing I like you, Zaeed," he joked. Zaeed couldn't help chuckle, despite it all. Shepard was cut from similar cloth, he seemed. He guessed, if he'd still been Alliance, their paths would never have crossed. He might fly a Cerberus ship, but he didn't wear their symbol, while his opinion of the Alliance wasn't high. He'd spoken about simply becoming a mercenary once all was said and done. Generally, a 'good' one, where he'd help people rather than do some of the jobs Zaeed did, but Shepard was certainly a more noble character at times.

Not all the time, though.

"You never should have come after me, Zaeed. Did you not learn your lesson last time we met? Did you forget who you are dealing with?"

"You could only take me down because I was betrayed. You have no honour, Vido," he yelled back. He doubted Vido could actually hear him. He didn't care too much about honour himself, but there was still a certain expectation in the trade. And it was rare to find someone like himself betrayed in such a manner. He would make sure it never happened again.

An enormous YMIR mech might have caused concern, but Shepard and Grunt both came prepared, heavy weapons wiping that out with ease. Another few mercenaries seemed to be the last resistance as they came to a heavy door. Bursting through that, ahead was a landing pad with a gunship resting on it, clearly waiting for Vido. Grunt laughed as he jogged forward, took a knee, and fired his heavy weapon again, the rocket flying past Video and connecting with the gunship, which exploded into a fireball. Vido came to a stop, his shoulders slumping, before he turned around to face them.

Zaeed aimed and put a bullet though his left knee, Vido collapsing to the ground, crying out in agony. He walked forward with Shepard and Grunt alongside, the three forming a circle around Vido, who looked up and immediately started to bargain for his life. Shepard laughed in his face as Vido offered credits, weapons, even the organisation itself, suggesting Zaeed could be let back in, become brothers once again. Zaeed nearly spat in his face.

So he shot him in his other knee, enjoying the howl of pain. Then he aimed and shot him in his left shoulder, then his right shoulder, aiming for the most painful part. His ears were greeted with a mixture of howls and almost sobs. Then he aimed lower, Vido crying out as he shot him right in the crotch. Even Shepard made a sound, nearly turning away, as Vido curled into a ball, or tried to at least. He didn't have long left anyway.

"Vido," he said. Vido looked up as he pushed him with his boot so the mercenary was lying on his back. He took a moment to replace the heat sink in his rifle, before he stepped forward, placing a foot on his chest, leaning down slightly, seeing his face through the iron sights. There were no final words. He simply feathered the trigger, took a deep breath, then pulled.

He unloaded the heat sink, even single bullet entering the face of Vido Santiago. By the time the heat sink popped, they wouldn't even be able to establish who he was due to dental records. His head was pulp. He stepped back, placed the rifle on his back, and patted down his armour, looking for what he wanted. Taking out a trio of cigars, he offered one to Grunt, who waved it away, but Shepard took the one offered, and after he'd lit both, they stood there in silence, enjoying a couple of puffs.

"All in a day's work, eh?" Shepard said.

"Twenty fuckin' years I've been waiting to do that, Shepard. Twenty fuckin' years. And I can honestly say thank you."

"No complaints. Did a good thing. One more scumbag taken care of." He took another puff. "Good cigar too."

"Carried them for nearly twenty years, waitin' for just this day. I promised myself I'd shoot the fucker in the face, then I'd smoke a cigar right next to his corpse."

Jack, Miranda and Garrus appeared. They took one look at the body and looked away. It was rather gruesome, even he could admit that. As he puffed, Shepard called in the shuttle to come pick them up. They hadn't finished the cigars by the time it arrived, stubbing them both out before they boarded. As the shuttle took off, he looked down upon the refinery, figuring it would likely burn for some time until people arrived to put the fires out.

Back on the Normandy, he thanked Shepard again, and also the others for tagging along, before he headed to his quarters. He had few mementoes of his past life. The only reminder of the Blue Suns was a tattoo on his neck that he now kept hidden. Other than that, the memories were only of life since the Blue Suns. He thought he could now start a new collection, almost a celebration of his life after killing Vido Santiago.

He wasn't at peace. Someone like him would never be at peace. But he'd had his vengeance, which is all he wanted. He now owed Shepard for giving him that. His mind was now focused on the mission. All he wanted to do now was survive that and move on.

*****

I'll admit something now. I think my life was going to get complicated soon. I was pretty much in a full time relationship with Kelly by now. She was living in the cabin, which we were now calling 'our' cabin. Rarely was it that we didn't go to bed together at night. Miranda was obviously interested in me and clearly wanted regular fun with me, which I was all for to a point. After that night and morning with Kasumi, we'd certainly become closer and friendlier, but I wasn't going to push for anything more than that. I would leave the choice to her. Tali was back on board, and though she said no to anything physical, she still liked to flirt with me. I gave as good as she gave. Jack was making progress, but she still wanted our physical side to continue. I went so far as to speak to Chakwas about that. She didn't really know how I should approach it. She thought keeping it professional would probably be best, but it was clear Jack liked me and that I would be a 'safe' partner for her. She'd noticed how my attitude had completely changed, and I admitted it was due to overwhelming guilt about everything before Teltin.