Party Bomb

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"Look at that party the other night. Everybody wanted to have a good time and tried real hard but we all woke up the next day feeling sorta sad and separate."

Jack Kerouac

December 7th, 2187

Samantha Traynor

The day couldn't have been any lovelier. A slight dusting of snow across the fields was blinding under the sunny skies of December. Tiny icicles hung from the dormant branches in the apple orchards, twinkling like the lights on the Alenko Christmas Tree. Samantha couldn't recall a more perfect day in recent memory. If only Diana didn't have that damn interview, they could have spent the whole of it together.

Work was going to be a problem, but Samantha understood what she was marrying into. It wasn't as if her fiancé was a gossip columnist. Diana's cross-species viewership allowed her to be a voice of reason in a difficult time. Samantha was proud of her, especially the way she handled the darkest days in the aftermath of the war. The sickness caused by proximity to the Reaper corpses had caused widespread panic and despair. The illness, known in some circles as Huskeye, and others as Reaper Rot, had claimed well over a million lives. It was halted only by the strictest enforcement of quarantine zones.

Entire portions of the Earth were rendered uninhabitable. This made the increasing alien presence more difficult to bear for some humans. In the minds of the most ignorant, like those in the Terra Firma party, the liberators had become squatters. Diana's editorials on the subject had quelled tensions, but they remained bubbling under the surface. Once the Citadel reached full operational status, things could only improve, or worsen, depending on perspective.

If it wasn't one thing it was another, but now that the Charon and Arcturus Relays were working, there was real hope. Many ships had left for the Exodus Relay. Once it was repaired, the expectation was that they would immediately connect with Annos Basin Relay, and the chain effect of open relays would restore some semblance of normalcy to the galaxy. The belief was high that within the next two years, Surk-Kesh, Palaven, Earth, Thessia, Tuchanka, and Irune, would all be accessible, and then perhaps the colonies would follow.

Samantha tried not to think of what her parents might be facing all the way out on the other end of the galaxy. She glanced in Tali's direction and reminded herself not to complain too much. Nobody had it worse than the Quarians. Rannoch was over fifty thousand light years distance, and a fleet was only as fast as its slowest ship. The Quarian journey home would be perilous, it would take decades, and it would cost lives. An entire generation might never live to see Rannoch. It was a cruel twist of fate.

Offers of help were coming in, mainly from Humans and Turians, but the rest of the galaxy still had a prejudice against Quarians. It was maddening really. Tali was worried for her people, and where was Garrus? He'd vanished ever since the Council promoted him to Spectre. Diana warned her that she shouldn't ask, or bring it up to Tali. Samantha didn't know how to interpret the advice. Did Diana mean to imply that something terrible happened to the Turian, or was he on a classified mission?

If that wasn't secretive enough, she'd heard from Mrs. Alenko that Tali had been here for the past week, secluded with Liara in the barn. Samantha instinctively knew it had to do with that damn canister—the one that she saw Shepard and Tali fussing over in the final days of the war. It had been stored in the AI room on their voyage home, and then she'd spotted it in Liara's shuttle the day she travelled to the Citadel with James Vega.

And more questions; Ashley seemed to be recovered, nearly happy. Samantha watched the Commander interacting with Liara. Something was up. It was the little things—casual glances, frequent touching, inside jokes, and knowing little smiles. It was all very intimate. What was going on?

'It's none of your business, Samantha,' she reminded herself.

Jean Alenko answered the door, blasting the room with frigid air as soon as she opened it. In stepped one Zaeed Massani. Samantha was surprised, the old mercenary had never seemed like the social type.

Tali greeted him enthusiastically. "Zaeed," she said. "Thank you for being here."

Zaeed shook a small package and handed it to Tali. "Here you go, best dextro fucking whiskey in the galaxy, complete with a box of straws. I wouldn't let my favorite Quarian run off into the void without something to drink, would I?"

"Thank you Zaeed, and thank you for coming," said Tali.

"Wouldn't have missed it," said Zaeed.

The small party of old friends grew another unit larger. With each entry, spirits were lifted and Liara's smile grew broader. Samantha found herself staring at Liara's belly more than once. The sight of it invoked such mixed feelings. There was the joy that life was moving forward, but also a sense of loss. It was wrong that Shepard wasn't here right now, sharing this moment with them, looking forward to the birth of her child.

Samantha watched the people milling around her as she stood by the bottom of the stairwell. Ashley, Liara, and Tali congregated around the dining room table. Samara had pulled Zaeed aside for a few words. Steve Cortez was having a chat with Max and Jean Alenko. Sarah Campbell, Karl Ryan, and Adib Hawi stood near the window, sharing drinks and jokes. As good as it was to see all of them, the absences were notable.

Another taxi came by, and the door chimed shortly after. Samantha waved Jean away this time and decided to make herself useful. She nearly did a double take as soon as she opened the door. Jack stood in the doorway. The notorious biotic crewman of the Normandy was barely recognizable. Her hair was long and full, her face softer, and her clothing—well it was freezing out after all, so the conservative attire made sense. Most surprising of all was the fact that Miranda Lawson accompanied her. Had they managed to get stuck on the same taxi?

Samantha tried to act nonplussed. "Please come in."

Jack immediately motioned for Miranda to enter ahead of her, allowing her hand to brush Lawson's arm in the process. It seemed quite intimate, even more so than the interactions she observed between Liara and Ashley earlier in the day.

'You need to stop with this,' thought Samantha. 'Just because you're in love, doesn't mean there are happy couples everywhere, and please; those two? No chance.'

A chorus of voices called out to them as they entered the room. As Samantha followed them in, she noticed Jack's hand slip behind Miranda's back. It fluttered across the woman's buttocks briefly before flitting away. Miranda poked Jack playfully with her elbow.

'Ok, I did not imagine that,' thought Samantha.

She couldn't keep out of this one. It was too damn juicy. Samantha felt compelled to test her theory, if only to see the creative excuse they might come up with.

"Did you two get stuck on the same taxi up here?" she asked.

Zaeed immediately perked up, and Tali likewise swung her head in their direction.

There was no evasion at all. "Nope, we took it together," said Jack. "Just like we grabbed the shuttle to Earth together. And yes, we also woke up in the same bed together this morning. Anymore questions, Traynor?"

Samantha was at a loss for words. "Well, um, I suppose, ah... congratulations?"

"Hey, we're just fucking, it's not like we're married or anything," said Jack.

Miranda took a step away. "Gee, you're so romantic darling. Thank you for that."

The room became uncomfortably silent.

Zaeed spoke up. "Goddamn you two, surviving one suicide mission wasn't enough?"

Jack shrugged. "What can I say? I like living on the edge."

Miranda rolled her eyes. "Jack's version of living on the edge these days is counseling orphaned children, reading poetry to me before bedtime, and flooding my inbox with messages reminding me to be safe every time I'm out on a mission."

Jack groaned. "You're making me sound pathetic."

"No, I'm making you sound sweet, which is what you are," said Miranda.

Miranda Lawson leaned forward and kissed a blushing Jack in full view of the surprised spectators. Samantha didn't know them well, but based on all she'd heard, it seemed, well, damn peculiar. She would have given anything to see Tali's expression behind that mask. Even Samara, who was normally imperceptible, seemed amazed.

The Asari Justicar spoke what was on everyone's minds. "I believe there is a human expression—now, I have seen everything. I am nearly eight hundred years old, and yet I find myself currently experiencing this sentiment."

Samantha crossed her arms and stared in Ashley and Liara's direction. "Are there any more surprises the rest of us should know about?"

"I heard that Gabby and Ken got married," said Cortez.

"No invitation?" wondered Samantha. "And why aren't they here?"

"I think Donnelly is worried that some of us might want to kick his ass," said Ashley.

Samantha was bewildered. "Over what?"

"There are a series of vids making the rounds, not that I've seen them mind you," clarified Tali. "That exaggerate the adventures of Shepard and the Normandy crew."

Samantha laughed. "Oh, you mean those tawdry Emanuella vids?"

"Yes," said Ashley. "Apparently Mr. Donnelly contributed some material in interviews with the company. He even had the nerve to claim that some of it actually happened."

"Oh, Ashley," said Liara. "I don't know why you are so upset about this. Shepard would have found the entire situation quite amusing. In fact, she would have watched the vids herself, and fussed over the actress's portrayal."

Cortez was amused. "I never knew the Commander had an eye for smut."

Liara smiled. "Well, unlike Joker she didn't make a vocation out of it, but she had an adventurous spirit, and she was an enthusiastic and experimental lover."

Ashley began to protest. "Should we really be talking about this? It seems disrespectful."

Samantha wondered about the source of Ashley's discomfort. Was it respect for Shepard, jealousy over Shepard, or jealousy over Liara?

"I found the Commander to be quite Asari in her outlook on sexuality," said Samara. "She was never as uncomfortable in her skin as most humans I know, though I doubt the veracity of these sordid tales this Emanuella series portrays."

"Though, there is one scene that made me wonder," said Tali, who craned her neck in Miranda's direction. "It featured Emanuella and Operative Ilana in Engineering. It was surprisingly accurate in some of the technical details of our procedures."

Samantha teased Tali. "Didn't you just mind us that you hadn't seen any? Tali Zorah Vas Normandy, have you been holding out on me? Do tell."

Miranda's tone quickly turned to sarcasm. "Pure drivel, of course. I'm sure that Engineer Donnelly worked out all the technical details in his head once he concocted his fantasy."

Samantha shrugged. "Well, I for one have seen several of them with Diana, mostly because we needed a good laugh and we wanted to see how we were portrayed. I guess we'll never be able to tell the parts that are pure fantasy from the parts based on reality, but at least they got the love story between Emanuella and Tiana right. It's all very touching. Smut is smut, but I think the series underlying sweetness and sentimentality is the real reason it has become such a sensation, and it's also the reason I think the Commander would be perfectly fine with its popularity."

Ashley, who had climbed from discomfort to agitation as the conversation continued, drilled Liara with a tough question. "It really doesn't bother you? If it were me, I'd hate it if people started wondering if the person I loved was unfaithful to me."

"Ouch, fun and games are over. Maybe we ought to drop this now," said Cortez.

Liara, however, wasn't uncomfortable at all. "Shepard never lied to me. Whatever her faults may have been, deception wasn't one of them. Remember what she always said?"

Several people in the room parroted Shepard's favorite words. "Secrets get people killed, and lies only compound your troubles."

Samantha smiled. The Commander had drilled those words into them so many times, it had become a military doctrine on the Normandy. Ironic, considering what the frigate was and how it gained its tactical advantage. Of course Shepard had excluded her enemies from this morality, in fact, she reversed her wisdom completely.

"If secrets get people killed, then all the more reason to keep secrets from your enemies. Never show your hand to the enemy, Traynor, never make a frontal assault unless you have to. Always deceive them, mislead them, and then hit them where they least expect it."

"Are you saying that Shepard never kept secrets from you, not even to protect you?" asked Miranda.

Lawson was looking very uncomfortable, and it appeared that Jack had picked up on it. A little bit of the infamous psychotic slipped through the mask. She was no longer quite so amused with the discussion. Her smile vanished completely, the corners of her mouth turning down into a slight scowl.

Liara stared at Miranda thoughtfully. "No, and even if she tried, she knew I'd find out the truth anyway, so I know the truth, all of it. She spared me no detail. Though it was not anywhere near as grand and prolific as the vids pretend it to be. It was all quite innocent and understandable. We were apart for a long period, and I had let her go, just as Shepard had to let me go. It was difficult between us when she found out that I turned her over to Cerberus when she was... critically injured. She was both grateful to me and angry with me at the same time."

"You're a better person than I," said Samantha. "If I were in your position I would have gone utterly mad from jealousy."

Liara sighed. "That's very human, I suppose, but I understood Shepard's compulsions, and the way she dealt with the stress she was under, especially during the times we weren't together. What is important to me is that she made a decision, and it was final. Once she was committed to something, nothing could tempt her or deter her. She always saw it through, especially when it came to love and war, which, as an Asari philosopher once said, are nearly the same thing."

Ashley was moved. Her eyes moistened, reflecting the glint of the sun from the window as she began to recite a poem. "I once was an idler, born for careless ease; my shady couch had made my spirit soft. But care for my lovely girl aroused me from my sloth and bid me to enlist in her campaign. So now you see me forceful, in combat all night long. If you want a life of action, fall in love."

"Here, here!" said Cortez who raised his glass.

"That's beautiful, Ashley," said Liara. "What is it?"

"It's the last stanza of Love and War, by Ovid," said Ashley. "He was one of Shepard's favorite poets. Exiled to the Black Sea by Caesar Augustus early in the first century, he spent the latter part of his life away from friends and family. She probably identified with him, I suppose. Especially after..."

Commander Williams never finished her train of thought. Silence overtook her. Sadness creased into lines on her forehead. However, most of the tension the conversation had created was gone. Miranda took Tali aside to present her with something. Judging from Tali's reaction, it was a profound gift. The only person in the room that hadn't moved on was Jack. She excused herself to the bathroom, citing the long trip, but Samantha could tell that she was positively fuming. There was trouble ahead for Miranda. Hopefully they could get through the rest of the party without bloodshed.

They drank some more, nibbled on hors d'oeuvres, and drifted between small parties. Jack went outside into the cold. Miranda followed shortly thereafter. The guests tried to ignore the sound of arguing coming from outside.

Zaeed watched the window. "There's only one way that's going to end. One of them is going to fucking kill the other. Maybe not today, but sooner or later."

"It does seem an ill-advised relationship," said Samara. "But I wouldn't necessarily give up on them yet. Not all dangerous paths lead to the precipice, some only skirt it. They twist and turn and travel through perilous obstacles before ultimately ending up in a place most wonderful. All the most beautiful monasteries or sanctuaries I've come across in my lifetime are found at the end of such roads. It reminds me of the path I have ahead of me, the one that will take me home to my daughter."

"That's goddamn poetic," said Zaeed.

Samantha checked the time. Realizing that Diana's interview with the President was about to start, she inquired about the vid screen. Jean gladly obliged. She turned it up loud, if only to drown out the arguing couple who were out on the porch. Apparently the freezing cold temperatures did little to temper Jack's anger.

"Aha, checking in on the other half," said Sarah.

Samantha nodded. "Yup, as soon as she's finished she'll take a taxi straight here, she promised."

"When are you guys getting married?" asked Sarah.

"We haven't set a date because I'll be on assignment in Arcturus all spring. Also, we're looking for the right venue, and shopping for houses, but early June is the goal," said Samantha. "Don't worry, you'll get an invitation, Campbell."

Sarah smiled. "I better, Traynor."

The interview came up. Diana, looking lovely as ever, was interviewing President Burns about the allegations against his Vice President. Several Terra Firma were sectioned off away from the interview, protesting against Earth's leadership.

The chant, "Owned by aliens," went up each time the President spoke. Samantha couldn't help but feel sorry for Burns. He had inherited a disaster, and the fact that he had never been elected was working against him. Many political parties were demanding an immediate free election, and Terra Firma was gaining in the polls by claiming that aliens had assigned all of Earth's elected officials.

To make matters worse, the evidence against Vice President Murrain was looking pretty substantial. Several documents that indicated consorting with Asari officials to grant Asari businesses first choice in land developments on Earth, and for prime office space on the Citadel.

As the interview went on, the chants got louder. Security was nearly overwhelmed, forcing Secretary Parasini herself, to get involved. She grabbed two of the Presidents bodyguards and immediately began to restore order. Parasini walked fearlessly up to the picket lines and pushed back at the protestors. If Urdnot Wrex had witnessed the action, he would have notated the size of her quads.

"Now there's a politician I respect," said Cortez.

"She's former security," said Liara. "She's trained for these situations."

"Maybe they picked the wrong President," said Sarah. "Whatever she has to say, it's probably twice as good as the crap that comes out of Burns mouth."

Commander Williams snickered. "The last time I saw Burns, a crazy biotic he'd been ignoring had a gun to his head. He was crying like a baby and begging us to save him while Wrex was imploring Shepard to just shoot everyone and sort it all out later."

Liara's voice changed. "Who is that Asari there, and why does she look so nervous? This doesn't feel

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