[Book One] Chapter 08: R&R on the citadel (R-18)

Chapter 08: R&R on the citadel

Ashley was doing what she was usually doing on the ship, checking on their equipment but most of all cleaning the weapons. She was currently at the workbench with her assault rifle disassembled. Every part of it neatly positioned to not inadvertently lose any of it while she had one in her hand was cleaning it with a cloth. Rick was by her side, leaning his back against a locker and watching with intensity what his friend was doing, in silence.

“Need something?” the woman asked, not drifting her eyes off the task in and on her hands.

“No.”

“Why the look then?”

“I’ve never paid attention to the care you put into it.”

“Someone has too. Can’t have a gun malfunctioning because some dirt got where it shouldn’t have.”

“That’s not what I was talking about.”

“No?”

“No. The assembling and disassembling of different parts, of different size and form, yet fitting perfectly together. The sound it makes when you put two parts together. Everything is… logically beautiful I guess… quite relaxing to watch too. It’s… a very peculiar feeling, I’m not sure I used the correct words to express it.”

Ashley put back on the table the part she just finished polishing and picked up another but before starting cleaning, she turned to Rick.

“You’re weird but… I get what you mean, the relaxing part mostly. I started doing that when I enlisted and every time I got nervous or angry for one thing or another I did that. Never stop since then.”

“...”

“...”

“What are you nervous or angry about?”

“Nothing, with time I realized I loved doing it.” she half truthly replied. She was not ready to talk about what made her nervous, not to Rick at least.

She kept cleaning every part in silence all the while Rick kept watching her. In a few minutes she had polished everything and assembled her rifle back before putting it back inside her locker. She started walking towards the elevator with her friend by her side and entered it. They’ll be on the citadel in less than a quarter hour for 3 days and she didn’t want to waste a minute of it. The moment the Normandy was docked, she was out.

“So… What are you going to do?” she began the conversation.

“About what?”

“R&R! How are you going to spend your time and relax?”

“Well, I have to buy back some supplies we used, see if there are any upgrades for our equipment and if I can resell the obsolete ones. Find an appropriate gear for Liara then…”

“I said relax. It’s R&R, rest and recreation not research and… whatever.”

“I don’t know, I never thought about resting.”

“You should, you can’t go on and on without break or you’ll burn out.

“Hmm.. you have a point. I guess… I’ll go visit a brothel.” he said in his usual monotonous voice as if it was an everyday occurrence. To Ashley it was a bomb dropped on her head.

“What?!”

“I’ve been confined in the Normandy ever since Therum. I’m a bit restless. It didn't help with my anger which I still have to deal with. Besides, I have never gone to a brothel before. It will be a new experience.”

“You’re going to pay for sex? Like seriously?”

“I’m not really good at flirting with strangers and it’s annoying and it could be a total waste of time. Going to a brothel would be more effective, time saving and a sure thing.”

She didn’t say anything but she wasn’t keen on his idea if her frown and the thin line her lips were forming was any indication. When Rick asked her back the same question, what she was going to do (not if she would be paying for sex) she curtly answered, drinking and partying.

“Where?”

“I don’t know, probably somewhere in the wards.” She didn’t bother to ask why he was inquiring. Rick didn’t drink and hated crowded and loud places. She put the question on his curiosity rather than his interest.

“Send me the location once you found out.”

“Why?” she asked intrigued.

“I know how you get when you drink, bombshell. It results in a massive headache and half the time with you waking up in an unfamiliar bed with a naked stranger by your side. Every time you spend days regretting your decision. Someone has to have your back.”

That wasn’t an answer she expected. Her cheeks were red indicating that she was embarrassed and if she were to be honest, a bit flustered. No one has ever been ready to go someplace they hated, just to make sure she was alright and not do something stupid. Once again she cursed her late friend for having all the luck but had a small pleased smile on her face.

“Thank you.” she whispered.

“No need for thanks, that’s what friends are for, or at least that’s what I believe.”

Yeah… You really were the luckiest bitch in the galaxy, Analysse. I hope you knew that.

When the elevator stopped, they exited it, took the stairs and walked through the bridge to the cockpit where the rest of the ground team was waiting. There, the same conversation happened and everyone shared what they were going to do. When Ashley said she’ll be looking for a nice nightclub it was Garrus who gave her the name of the Dark Star lounge in Zakera’s wards. From there it ended up with everyone agreeing to meet there at a certain time for some team building.

Once outside the Normandy the team broke up and went their separate ways. Shepard, Rick and surprisingly Ashley went to the presidium.

“I thought you said you’d go to the nearest bar.” Rick remarked

“Yeah but I have to make sure you do something other than work. The both of you; don’t think I don’t know what you intend to do skipper. You’re both the same in that regard. Work first then work second.” Ashley replied, giving a knowing look at Shepard.

“I’m just going to visit Anderson.” the redhead defended herself.

“Uh-huh.”

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The gunnery chief wasn’t believing one bit her commander. She more than anyone needed the rest with all the pressure on her shoulders. That’s why she had forgo an entire day of drinking and partying to just a night. It was Rick that had changed her mind; if he was ready to watch her back then she’ll watch his and the commander. Both were hyper focused on stopping Saren and took little time to themselves and that wasn’t good.

Arriving on the presidium Shepard went on her way to the human embassy leaving the two friends alone. When Rick went in the direction of the markets he promised to Ashley that it would be only a short trip to find materials to repair his helmet and nothing work related. A promise that she would hold him up to.

____________________________________________________________

Shepard reached Anderson’s new office. Or rather Udina’s office that he was now sharing with the captain. Fortunately for her, the former was absent but not the latter. The military man wasn’t surprised to see her here; the moment the Normandy docked in he had gotten an alert notifying him, but was glad for the visit even if he knew it wasn’t a social one. And it wasn’t, she asked about Saren and he told her about his time as a spectre candidate twenty years ago where he blew it up because of the Turian. Blaming the mission failure Anderson was being tested on, on him when it was the other way around. Saren had made sure the mission would end in a disaster while coming out of it smelling like a rose. When Shepard asked why Saren did that, the captain simply replied that the turian hated humans after having lost his brother in the first contact war despite the fact that the conflict was entirely on the turians’ shoulders. Then came the topic of Rick.

“How is it going ?”

“With Wald you mean?”

“Yes. Did you put him in line? Did you learn anything?”

Taking a deep breath, she wondered where to begin…

“You weren’t gone for a minute when he confessed to hacking the Alliance’s database himself.”

“He saw that far ahead of the reasons for his enrollment into the crew?!” asked Anderson, astonished.

“No, he was just listening to us through my omni-tool.” she simply stated and explained further when the captain raised a brow.

“He saw my reaction to me seeing him there and correctly deduced that the last part of our talk was about him, so he listened in on it through the omni-tool he gave me.”

“I see. I don’t suppose he told you why.”

“Actually he did.”

“Really?!” that time both his brows were raised.

“He wanted and needed to disappear and make sure no one would find him. So he took the name Rick Wald for himself. For him it’s his real identity.”

“Why hack the database then? A simple and legal change of name would have done the job. The person or people he wanted to escape from would not have been able to track him down as this kind of information is sealed.”

“He couldn’t because he was underage and couldn’t wait years to be able to do so. That gives us some options as to why he wanted to disappear but does not get us closer to who he is.”

“Wait, if he took his current id when underaged why is it only three years old?”

“Because he didn’t live in the council space or the Alliance’s systems and never thought he would ever come back in the latter.”

“So either lived in the Traverse or the Terminus system all those years.”

“That’s what I thought too but if I had to choose, I’d say the Terminus system. I have no proof but… a gut feeling.”

“Always…”

“Trust your guts. I know.”

“Did he tell you how he had done it?”

“No but there was no need, it was pure skills.”

“Are you sure of that?”

“Anderson, I saw him hack a geth rocket trooper in the middle of a fight in a minute. I think that’s proof enough. Even Tali, our quarian geth expert and engineering genius was dumbfounded.”

“What you’re telling me is worrying, Shepard.” said Anderson, pensive.

”On an unrelated note I tried to pry on his apparent fortune.”

“And?”

“Nothing, he just said that he had a life before arriving on Eden Prime, that he lived frugally and didn’t break any laws to make that much money. Did Admiral Hacket find anything?”

“Absolutely nothing. The tech guys even hacked the marchands terminals to get the bank account he used to pay for everything. It led them to a shell company that led to another shell company that led to another and another… until finally they arrived at a 1300 years old bank account  belonging to an asari who’s been dead for more than 700 years with no living relatives.”

“Damn.”

“You could say that again. From what Hackett told me his people went into depression when they found out. Anyway, what about himself? Did you get him in line?”

“Not exactly.” she reluctantly said.

“Meaning?”

“He’s at the same time a CO worst nightmare and the best XO any CO could dream to have.”

“It seems, there is a juicy story behind that.”

“Well at first, I laid it out to him. He either followed my leadership or he’d be out to which he agreed unless my orders went against his morals or were illogical and stupid. That was good enough for me so I went along. From there well… his work has been above perfect; you were right to force him on me. His ability to gather and more importantly analyze and cross analyze information is terrifying and very useful. We just arrived at Artemis Tau, ready to begin our search for Dr. T’soni that he came to me with her exact location, information of the terrain, the infrastructures, and the hostiles we would encounter… Everything relevant and more? He had. That’s not all, on the ground his fast thinking saved our lives.”

“Yes, Hackett shared with me your report on what happened in those protheans ruins. It was insightful of him. You share the good, what about the bad?”

“When he’s not at work… well he is an ass. He took pleasure in pissing me off, though to be fair we hashed it out and he’s been a lot better ever since he promised to work on it. He relapses sometimes but it’s very rare.”

“So everything is good or on its way to be like that?”

“Yes, it seems so.”

“Anything else?”

“Apart from the fact that he’s my strongest element on the team? No.”

“Had it been anyone else I wouldn’t have believed the part with the krogan in your report.”

“I didn’t witness the fight myself, but Dr. T’soni testimony and his injuries were proof enough for me.”

“Is he still hostile to the Alliance? Do you think we could recruit him?”

“Yes and no. His relation with the Normandy crew is nonexistent with the exception of Joker, Dr. Chakwas and in some regards Chief engineer Adams and again it’s only because of Adams’ relation with Tali’Zorah. However he is very friendly with the ground team, especially the non-humans. As for Alenko and Williams… Well, he has some sort of camaraderie with the former since he learned Alenko had L2 implants and had begun to advise some training regimen for him on possibly reducing the side effects of the implants. While he cares about the lieutenant I think he did it more to see if it was possible. As for Williams, they're very close, closer than I thought at first.”

“Are they in a relationship?” Anderson asked. He knew that was improbable, not with Rick’s wife’s death less than two months old but the possibility was there. He may have had a relationship with Williams while married or simply enter a relationship with her to move on. People dealt differently with the death of their significant other.

“No, though I believe Williams wished it to be the case. What I meant by that was; she was supposed to be his daughter’s godmother.”

“He has a daughter?!”

“Unborn.”

“You mean…”

“Yes ” she replied, cutting him off not wanting to talk about that particular subject further.

“Damn, he really lost everything when Saren attacked Eden Prime.” he stated in a bitter tone.

“There is one more thing which plays against the Alliance.”

“Which is?”

“The Alliance itself.”

“Who do you mean by that?”

Shepard went on to tell him about the story of the previous commanding officer of the military forces on Eden Prime. How Rick uncovered his crimes and what he did about it. All the while Anderson kept an impassive face. After the tale was over he took a few minutes to think. There was something more about Rick’s distaste of the Alliance but whatever it was that situation with that CO didn’t make it better far from it. The small hope of ever recruiting him in the Alliance was dashed in the captain’s mind. Done with his thoughts, he asked Shepard a question.

"What do you think about it?"

"Wald is very honest, he never tells lies or half-truth as far as I can tell. Evasive yes, lying no. What bothers me is… he told me he never broke any laws yet he murdered someone. So either he wasn’t talking about the penal laws but the one of the system or he didn’t consider the CO as a sentient being but an animal he had put down, which is legal.”

”What bothers you the most? That he killed a scumbag or that he had to kill a scumbag.”

”Sir?” she asked, clearly not getting where Anderson was going with his question.

”Did your view on things change after Torfan? Do you think that CO should have been reported or do you think Wald made the right call? Obviously, if that CO had escaped justice once he would have escaped it a second time and kept on doing his activities.”

That was an excellent question that Shepard had no direct answer to. She knew what the answer would have been before Torfan. She would have arrested him on the spot. But she didn’t know at the time how the system worked, how criminals with the right connections were acquitted or sometimes even rewarded and applauded for their crimes when the story was spinned in a certain way. Now… Now she knew better.

“I… don’t know. A part of me thinks it was wrong, another… that it was for the best.”

“Good.”

“Good?”

“You’ve learned that sometimes going by the book is not always the right choice even if it has been hammered into your head that it's the right thing to do. You’re not a mindless grunt anymore, Shepard, but a soldier and soldiers do what they have to do. It’s soldiers that win wars.”

“Wald told me something similar the first day on board.”

“Oh?”

“He blew up on me saying that I was a disappointment; the Alliance and council’s bitch, doing what I was told and how I was told. And that with this attitude I would not be able to stop Saren. That a soldier does what has to be done regardless of the rules as long as they didn’t have to sell their soul to do it because if they did then perhaps it wasn’t worth doing.”

“While his choice of words were harsh, he’s correct. Sometimes the sacrifice is not worth it. Many people say that in a lose-lose situation there is no right choice but I believe that’s not true, it’s all about which choice’s results you will be able to live with.”

Shepard nodded in understanding. She didn’t back then but now after hearing that CO story, she did. And she knew that if such a situation arose, she’d make the right choice.

____________________________________________________________

Ashley and Rick were the first to arrive at the Dark Star lounge. The former window shopping spree had annoyed the latter so much that he was the one to suggest to go get a drink early. They only waited half an hour while talking for the other members of the team to show up. Wrex had complained that they should have gone to Chora’s Den, which had reopened under a new management after the previous owner was mysteriously murdered. A vicious smile was on his face when he related the last part. Small groups formed themselves naturally. Kaidan was discussing biotic with Liara who was a natural one since she was an asari and was much more knowledgeable. Wrex, despite hating turians for the sterilization of his species, exchanged stories with Garrus in some kind of verbal dick contest. Rick was sharing some ideas with Tali who in turn shared their viability or lack thereof. They were being the perfect nerd cliché. And finally Shepard and Ash were exchanging their life and experiences as women in the military.

After enough talking and plenty of alcohol the table they were sitting at was left with only Shepard and Rick, the others choosing to have fun on the dance floor, Wrex having been coaxed into it by Liara and Tali then finally dared by Garrus.

“Not much into dancing?” the redhead asked the helmeted man.

“No, I’d rather begin a career in politics.”

That made her laugh as she remembered that he’d rather die than get into politics.

“I could ask the same of you, red.”

“Nah, I’m good, not really in the mood for it.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, I’d rather sit here and enjoy this nice glass of brandy and the music.” She said, raising her drink in a salute.

“I share the sentiment, I’d do without the crowd and the music though. Way too loud.” he said, taking a sip of his green colored drink, the visor of his helmet having rescinded a bit, just above the tip of his nose and the armature at the jaw, which separated in the middle, retracted around the back of his head.

“What are you drinking there?”

“I honestly have no idea. It’s some fruit juice from an asari world.”

“Fruit juice?! What are you five?” she said laughing.

“There is nothing wrong with a man drinking some fruit juice. Being over 18 doesn’t make it mandatory to drink alcohol.”

“You don’t drink at all?!” she gasped in shock.

“No. Sometimes on special occasions but otherwise no.”

“You don’t drink, you don’t dance, you don’t like the crowd or the music, why are you here then?”

“I’m here to watch over a friend.” he replied while looking at Ashley sensually dancing in her Alliance uniform.

“She’s a big girl, Rick. I’m sure she can handle herself.”

“And I know she can’t when she’s partying.” he stated his eyes still fixed on his friend.

The redhead had no retort to that. He knew her way better than she did, so she just drank in silence watching the other have fun. Fun that lasted far into the night with some breaks. One by one everyone left, tired but happy with how the night went. The last ones to go were Ashley and Rick. They did when two men tried something with Ashley who was inebriated enough that she didn’t reject their advances. Rick stood up and went for her. When he grabbed her wrist she turned around and jumped on him, melting in his arms. That didn’t sit well with the two men; one grabbed Ashley and pulled her back while the other tried to intimidate Rick by pushing him away with one arm. That was the wrong thing to do for him as he was soon knocked out on the ground with a dislocated elbow and a broken kneecap in less than two seconds. When Rick approached the second man he just pushed Ashley towards him and ran away leaving his friend behind without looking back.

Walking out the club side by side with an arm under each other for support Ashley was voicing her discontent at Rick.

“That’s not fair! I don’t stop you going into a brothel, why are you stopping me? I wanted to get laid tonight!”

“We both know why.”

“I don’t care!”

“You would have tomorrow.”

“I would not be drunk and in search of a one night stand if you had made a move on me, you idiot!””

“Wh..”

He could finish his exclamation as Ashley grabbed him by his shirt and kissed him forcefully, freezing him in place, throwing his mind in utter confusion. His body, however, reacted. Breaking the kiss she looked at him intensely.

“You don’t need to go to a brothel, you have me!”

“Ash, you’re…”

“I’m horny, you’re horny. I need to get laid, you need to get laid. I say, let’s fuck.”

“I…”

“Don’t you dare deny it. Your body is honest about it.” She replied as she had her hand on his crotch rubbing his erection up and down.

Rick didn’t say anything thinking deeply about the ramifications the choices he now had would lead to. In the end the choice was taken from him.

“I said let’s fuck so we fuck. I wasn’t giving you a choice.” she said with authority before putting her arms in a lock behind his head and kissing him and started grinding herself against his dick. That did the trick and Rick kissed her back. Seeing he was responsive she pulled herself up with her arms and put her legs around his waist making him instinctively reach for her ass with his hands to support her. After a minute or two, they broke the kiss, panting heavily, feeling each other's hot breath.

“I am very rough.” was all he said.

“All the better. Now you have five minutes to bring me to an hotel room or I fuck you in the closest back alley.”

In no time he flared his omni-tool up and looked at the citadel’s map. They were in luck as the nearest one was just on level below. He may not have made it in five minutes but definitely under ten. When they entered the room that had rented for the night Ashley was all over his body kissing him passionately but briefly for his lips to his lower jaw to his neck. Going lower and lower until reaching the top of his clothes. At that point she stopped and pulled back and urgently began to remove his shirt then shared another kiss before her own shirt then her bra was removed and the kissing resumed. She let her hands roam his torso appreciating those muscles who made her drool plenty of times while one of his hands reached her back on the other one groped roughly one of her breasts, making her moan in appreciation inside his mouth. When Rick stopped groping and pinched her nipple hard she screamed in a mix of pleasure and pain. That was it for her, she needed him and needed him now.

She pushed him down forcefully on the bed and removed the rest of her uniform in no time, way faster than Rick we followed her lead. When all he had left was his underwear, Ashley was suddenly above him, straddling his stomach with one leg on each side of his side, stopping him from removing it. Rick could feel how excited she was by the drenched area her pussy was resting on.

“I’ll do that myself.” was all she said before kissing down his whole body until she arrived at the top of his last piece of cloth. She had an idea of what was awaiting her behind it, after grinding herself and stroking him through his pants, she knew she would not be disappointed. With a burning fire of lust in her eyes she removed the last barrier between her and the fuck she had wanted for the past eighteen months. With his boxer down she was hit in the jaw hard by a very big and angry dick that had sprouted to life. She had to take a moment to understand what exactly hit her.

He wasn’t the longest nor the largest she ever had but it was pretty damn close for both categories. At least 9 inches in length and a good 5 inches in girth, making his, the biggest cock she’d ride on to date. Her analysis of this orgasm maker done, she put it in her mouth with no ceremony whatsoever and went as far as she could making its owner moan in pleasure. She Locked her lips tightly around it and very slowly pulled back. She wasn’t in for a blowjob, no her pussy was itching too much for that; she was just lubing him with her saliva.

Once Rick’s cock was completely out of her mouth, she straddle him again, and with one hand around the base of what will probably ruin her trooper of a pussy forever for any other men, she threatened her friend.

“I’ll kill you if you come before I do.” she said with murder in her eyes which elicited an arrogant smirk on his face. Feeling challenged she raised her ass and finally impaled herself on the cock she had wanted inside of her the most in her life, letting out a loud and guttural moan.

She was not crazy though, she didn’t take everything in one go, that would have been insane and very painful. No, she stopped after a couple inches letting her hungry pussy adapt to the intruder’s size, then little by little took more of Rick until her ass rested on his thighs. He gave her a minute to get accustomed to his size. He knew he was stretching her, perhaps to her limits, and that if he wanted this night to last a minimum of preparation was needed. After enough time passed he slapped her ass hard making her scream.

“Is that it, gunnery chief?”

*slap*

“I remember you talking about fucking.”

*slap*

“So do it!”

*slap*

Always rising up to the challenge, she raised her hips a bit and lowered them down. Again and again each time raising them higher. At a certain point she fell forward on him to have better support and he grabbed her by her breasts, immediately treating them like they were some dough to be handled. Pretty quickly, Ashley sped up and up, used to what she believed was the ultimate pussy stretcher inside of her. Letting go of one of her tits he grabbed the back of her head with his free hand and pulled her down for a very deep kiss, Ash never stopping the frenzy of her hips. The rate of her moans were increasing and he knew she was close to orgasm, letting her go, she raised herself, pushing on her hands against his torso, she straightened up and focused on reaching the incoming release. Rick brought his idle hand back on the free tit and began to pull lightly on her hard as diamond nipples. When the time was right Rick pinched them really hard starting Ashley’s orgasm and making her scream the loudest she ever had during her fuck session. Her back arched violently, her eyes rolled back in her head that was thrown backwards and her pussy contracted making itself a lot tighter than it already was. Her body quivered for half a minute before it fell forwards as if all the strings holding it up had been cut in one fell swoop.

Her breath was rough and beyond panting. After a couple minutes she raised her head from his chest and gave him a very appreciative kiss.

“Wow! That was… that was… even better than in my dreams. I… really needed that, thank you.” she said before kissing him again. Still feeling him hard as steel inside of her very content pussy, she asked for more.

“You said you were very rough but slapping my ass a few times and pinching my nipples is not rough.” she said, trying to bait him.

She suddenly found herself on her back Rick above her.

“I wasn’t, it was just for you to have it out of your system. Just a warm up to  get used to me. Now that it’s done, it’s time for you to let your hair down…” he began untying her hair.

“And to bring your A-game, because you’re going to need it. After all, I didn’t cum yet.” he finished with a very sadistic grin that worried Ash a bit.

Oh boy! You might have bitten more than you can chew, girl.