You can’t have a shield without the spear to thrust into your enemies. Which would you prefer?
Who: Shepard and Sigrun What: Recruiting Where: A Bar When: a week or two ago Status: complete Rating: Pg-13
Shepard had agreed to meet Sigrun at a little out of the way bar called the Swamp. It had been recommended to her by Scott Summers as a good place for clandestine meetings, good pool, and decent chicken fingers.
She wanted two out of the three, anyway.
Sigrun headed into the Swamp with a little shake of her head. Such places always amused her. Although it was hard to miss her, tall, blonde, limping with a black knee brace on but no crutches. She cut a striking figure even in the din of the bar. She was not a fan of bar food in general, and would probably abstain from eating, even if she was offered.
Pale eyes searched for her contact, not entirely sure what she looked like.
Shepard’s hair was it’s natural blonde again, and had been for awhile. It was also longer than she usually kept it, and a little ruffled. She was leaning back on her stool, watching people come and go with a look in her eyes that spoke of someone who’d spent most of her life in the military. Anyone and everyone could be a threat.
Despite that, her expression was welcoming.
It was an easy mark to spot when you thought about it. Sigrun found her quickly, and moved through people to stand before her. She inclined her head in a lazy nod, conveying both respect but ease, too. Sigrun was relaxed, even if she constantly watched for people.
‘I hope I am not late.”
“Have a seat, I was a little early.” She gestured to the stool next to her, straightening after giving Sigrun a once over. “I’m Shepard.” She held out her hand.
She eased herself onto the stool, moving so her left leg could rest neatly out of harms way, the brace black and bulky, and it was driving her mad. Although she gave no signs of it being more than a minor annoyance. A hand, well worn and calloused, met Shepard’s. “A pleasure, Shepard. I’m Sigrun Gard.”
Shepard’s grip was strong and commanding, and she nodded at the other woman. “Pleasure is mine. Why don’t you order a drink.” She liked to get chummy with her people. As long as they knew when to follow orders, and every one she hand picked had been more than able to do so - and smart enough to know when to get in her face when they disagreed.
“I’m on antibiotics, no drinking for me.” she smirked a bit “Despite me telling them I don’t want them.. they insisted.” she leaned over to order a coke, though. Something to sip on while talking. Sigrun followed orders, disagreed when the situation called for it, and wasn’t afraid to tell her opinion.
“You sound about as bad a patient as I am,” Shepard replied. She had far too many memories of being laid up in both worlds. Twice after dying. She’d never tell anyone she’d died on the Citadel when she’d destroyed the Reapers though, even if it had been for a short while. Let them think she was invincible.
“Probably. I hate painkillers. I hate antibiotics. Even before the dreams, I was pretty much against the use of them. I’ll heal. And besides, it was a through and through, just muscle damage and a bone chip. I don’t need babying.” she rolled her eyes a bit. “But doctors are doctors. And I can’t really argue that I don’t need them.”
“Look at it this way. Take your antibiotics or be laid out longer with an infection,” Shepard replied, grinning at her. “Painkillers though, hate those things. Can’t trust what I say while I’m on them, but I’ve been in the kind of pain where I can’t trust what I say when I’m not on them either.”
“I don’t think I need to worry about infections.” she said simply with a shrug before she smiled. “I don’t either, but thankfully I’ve always had a high pain tolerance. I really,really have to be hurting to want painkillers. Had phentyenol once. Never again. Almost spilled state secrets that time. Never again.”
Shepard grimaced. “Woke up one day with scars all over my face. They’re still there, just a lot more faint. I was...reconstructed after I burned up reentering atmo.” Like talking about the weather.
“Sounds painful.” she tilted her head a bit. “Extraordinarily so. Although I don’t think you felt it after a certain point.” she kept her focus on Shepard, but every now and then assessed the situation at the bar, keeping tabs on people. “I woke up with a nifty ability to heal faster than normal. Only reason my knee’s capable of weight right now. Probably only reason I missed losing more bone than I did.”
“That would be pretty handy. I’ve seen a few people with some amazing healing. I’m a little envious. All my tricks are either offensive or sneaky.” She was always envious of biotics.
“From what my dreams foretell, I doubt healing is the most of what I end up getting.” a shrug again, blonde hair bouncing a bit as her shoulder hit it. She smiled a bit. “Seems I get a bit of magic, too. Interesting, really once you think of it.”
“What kind of magic?” She leaned forward, the motion a little flirtatious. “And what kind of role would you like to play. I don’t put people who shy from combat on missions where there’ll be combat.”
“Rune based.” she said simply with a slow shrug. “Hoping the double bladed ax in my dreams shows up. That? Looked nifty. Also apparently I can berserk. It’s a little nuts. It’s like I’m a Valkyrie base with a bunch of upgrades.” she smirked “I don’t shy from combat. Currently I run AT it. Which is how my knee ended up looking like swiss cheese. I messed up. Been too worried about work finding out.”
“Remind me to introduce you to Dani. She’s a mutant who got empowered by Hela to be a valkryie. I admit none of it makes sense.” Shepard had already decided they would compliment each other well. “And running into suicide missions is what I do best.”
“I would love to meet her, then.” she smiled a bit the nodded. “Well you can fall in and out of being a Valkyrie. I died, got reborn, married some bloke as a Valkyrie. Really THAT doesn’t make much sense either. “ a slow grin. “I’m a big fan of running into the trouble. Probably why they called me out of retirement,.”
“Good.” Shepard slipped out of her stool. “There’s something I need to show you then, so you get an idea of the kind of trouble I invite. The more extreme things. Mostly what we do is recon and intel. Try to avoid getting into fights. But sometimes the battle comes to us.”
She eased her frame off the stool and nodded. "Show me then." She didn't seem worried though.
Nodding, Shep headed out of the bar and walked to a large humvee. “Hop in, you’ll probably want to buckle up.” Even Tyra was aware her driving was terrifying.
Sigrun hopped in and buckled up. "Alright then. I'm curious."
Nodding, Shepard peeled out like the dogs of hell were nipping at their heels. It was about a half hour drive, through which Shepard elaborated more on some of the missions they’d been on, but she hadn’t yet brought up the Big. Things.(™)
Sigrun listened with silent patience. Getting the sense that the woman had already decided on her - she after all was telling her all these things that if you didn’t want them on the team you’d not tell them, after all.
That was generally true, but there were always those last tests… Shepard pulled up to a non-descript piece of land near the Ranch. She got out of the truck, getting a device from the back. It fit to her wrist a bit like a bracer, but when it was turned on it created an orange holographic display. She pressed a few parts of it, then turned another one. “While we wait for our ride, let me show you what really happened to Las Vegas in July.”
She projected the battle against the Reaper and the sheer destruction onto the mountain wall.
Sigrun watched in silence. She had of course seen war zones. And wholesale destruction. It didn’t bother her or even make her blink. What did was what had actually happened - the Reaper. That had her blink a bit, then the calm mask settled back into place.
“Might I ask what that is, exactly?” she sounded more curious than alarmed. Then again she was beginning to feel more like her dream self and that was much more confident and collected than her normal self.
“It’s called a Reaper. A race of synthetic beings that wrecks galactic civilization every fifty-thousand years. They kill off all the space faring races and collect their genetic material to build new Reapers.”She cut off the feed. “We only stopped that thing because of some...extraordinary measures. In my dreams, Earth lost a billion people the first day of the invasion. We knew they were coming, they just came so fast. I’d spent years warning everyone, years fighting small incursions and delaying tactics..three hundred thousand Batarians died just to buy us six months.”
The omni-tool brought up a map of the galaxy. Red lights blinked. One then ten then a thousand. “They hit Earth first, because I pissed them the fuck off, but each species’ homeworld fell, one by one. We only won because I convinced everyone to work together. And then that threat came here. I don’t have my crew, I don’t have the promises of alliances that span a hundred worlds. I just have what I have, and the dangers from a hundred other dreams to contend with. That recon bullshit? Is just cover.”
The image cut off as something rumbled overhead. The Normandy made a flyby before shooting back up towards space. “Some people like to talk about a shield to protect the unknowing. You can’t have a shield without the spear to thrust into your enemies. Which would you prefer?”
Sigrun listened and nodded lightly. “Sounds awful. Sounds like something I’d enjoy taking apart piece by piece.” not one to mince words, Sigrun. She pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes, shifted her weight to her good leg, and smirked. “Everyone has enemies that they piss off. These dreams are nothing but trouble, but good thing I like trouble then.” she was still sorting all the new information out into place in her head, but true to form she didn’t let it bug her.
Her eyes turned upwards to see what was coming in before looking back down to Shepard. “Oh that’s an easy one. Can’t win wars by being defensive. Can’t save lives by letting them attack every chance. Every shield needs a spear, or in my case a double bladed ax. Apparently it was a favored one of mine.” she grinned a bit. “I’m not afraid of the unknown. And I’d very much like to rip said unknown into pieces if it needs it.”
“Good. Because I don’t think that was the last Reaper, and I know that wasn’t the last bad thing to come.” With Dani, Shepard had realized she had a reason to fight, and she wanted to be proactive.
“Mm. Not afraid of a good fight, dirty or clean, and anything in between.” she grinned at her. “It’s never the last thing to come. There’s always more. I learned that in all the wars I’ve been in. You think you’re done for a few years but something crops back up with unnerving regularity.” she smiled.
“That about sums up my life.” So she was building her spears. And with Sydney’s Agency to act like a shield...things needed a shake up. They were going to shake things up.
“Well if you want me, I’m game for it. Sounds like a good life, more action that I’ve seen in awhile anyways. Chasing people down in Kabul just isn’t as appealing as it used to be,” Sigrun grinned.
“Of course I want you. Even if you didn’t have some kind of magic norse god-like powers, you’ve got the attitude and you’ve got the heart, and that goes a lot farther than fancy parlor tricks,” Shepard replied.
Then she nodded." Magic Norse- valkyrie powers. I'm not a god. No where the same level. But you've got me then. I have to retire again."
“True. I don’t really believe in gods. The Reapers liked to consider themselves gods.” She held out her hand. “Welcome to being officially retired.”
“I do, if only because in my dreams I know they are technically my bosses” she laughed softly. “I look forward to starting my long, vast piles of paperwork to retire officially.” she took the hand. “Ah the joys of the military. They’ve had me long enough, I think. Since I was 18, feels like forever.”
“I’ll pull a few strings to get things sped along, and ensure you still get your pension. You’ll get hazard pay and a paycheck of course, but you earned that thing too.” Shepard grinned at her.
"That would be fantastic. I rather earned my pension, I would enjoy keeping it." She laughed shaking her head. "Although someone may have to remind me to 'die' at a reasonable age so they don't get curious."
“I’m sure there are a few people who can help you with that,” Shepard said. “Lets head back. I feel like opening some champagne.”
Sigrun grinned and nodded. “I think that’s a perfect way to end this interview.” she was also eager to get off her knee. It was much better but it still ached, a lot, and she wasn’t one to complain, so she’d never say a word. “That’s good to know. Last thing I want is an angry military coming after me going why are you 150?” she laughed.