Normandy- Briefing Room
Cameron Shepard leaned against the back wall of the briefing room as he rubbed his forehead trying to concentrate and think over the white noise that was filling the crowded room.
It had been nearly a month after the assault on the Collector Base, after the so called 'suicide mission'. He had just gotten back from blowing up an entire star system, and now it was time to get back to work.
He had to figure out what to do now and he had been putting it off for so long, ever since he had broken from the Illusive Man's employ.
He had called a staff meeting with everyone…and that meant all the support staff as well. In addition to the majority of his squad he had Gabby, Ken, Rupert, and Dr. Chakwas as part of the briefing, everyone who was anyone on the Normandy.
The only two major people absent were Joker and Kelly.
He wanted to get a feel for the entire situation and the state the ship was in and more importantly…what to do about it.
The ship had not even been repaired yet. They had the damage from the attack on the Collector Base and were in need of repairs. The debris had been cleared from the briefing room but Shepard could just barely make out the damaged and burnt out panels.
Finally he had enough.
"Alright people settle down." He came off the wall with a shake of the hand quieting everyone, every eye in the room turned to him.
"Commander." Jacob Taylor stated looking at him especially intently, they all looked to him for guidance and they were quite alone in the wilderness.
"OK, what is our status, how long do we have?" Shepard asked leaning over the table.
"Normandy's systems are operating within effective parameters, the stealth systems and drive systems are online at your command Shepard." Tali started. "But the shields and armor still has to be repaired or replaced from the beating we took making the attack run on the Collector base."
"Our food reserves are down to their last weeks. We needed to do a major stock up before we hit the Omega 4 relay and most of those 'special reserves' you got on the Citadel have been depleted." Rupert cut in.
"Our medical supplies will hold out for a while yet." Dr. Chakwas nodded.
"As will our thermal clips and weapons…besides those are easy to find." Jacob finished.
Shepard sighed and nodded. "OK now what? Where do we go for supplies and a chance to lie low?"
"That is up to you to decide Commander." Miranda stated shifting in her place uncomfortably.
"Is it? What your glorious leader can't ask for advice?" Shepard joked before pushing off from the table. "I have not exactly done this before. All the times in the past I have had a decision to make or a mission to accomplish. Whether it was to defeat Sovereign, look for the Geth, destroy the Collectors, or defend someone against the Batarians I have always had a mission waiting. And when I did not, I had a command base to go back to, or shore leave to do. I have never been…stuck. So now what?"
"Well that's not going to be easy Commander," Jacob cut in. "After all we do not have a wide variety of friends at the moment. The Council wants to deny they ever knew you, we have managed to piss off every major mercenary group all over the Terminus Systems, Cerberus wants us for breaking from them, and both the Systems Alliance and the Batarians want your head for blowing up a star system."
"That was nicely done by the way Shep, even in my wildest fancies I never committed planetary genocide before." Jack teased.
"That's not funny." Shepard blushed angrily.
"But it does not change the facts of the matter either," Miranda stated and when everyone looked at her she sighed. "Almost everyone who is worth something is after us. We cannot just hide; we have little supplies, little fuel, and little hope. And we have to fight the Reapers when they come."
"We are completely independent, in other words." Tali looked sideways at the Cerberus operative.
"Precisely." Miranda nodded turning to Shepard her gaze lingering. "We do not have a support base, and we are all alone. Outside of the Shadow Broker anyways and all she can give us is information."
"Any operation needs credits and resources to start up, where do we get those from? How do we make a living? With a ship this powerful we should be able to do something." Zaeed Massani cut in smoothly, finally joining the conversation from the opposite side of the room.
"Well it's not like we can't cover that." Jacob reported drawing curious looks from the room. "What? Taking on the Collectors we have picked up a lot of resources, we still have all of them, which we can sell on the open market; Eezo still goes for quite a sum…especially in the Terminus Systems."
Shepard nodded at that, finally some good news. "EDI, how much does our current supply of minerals cost on the open market?"
EDI's hologram popped up in the center of the briefing room. "About five million additional credits Shepard."
Shepard smiled "Good. That should provide us enough credits to restock, rearm, and repair."
"But we still have to figure about where do we go?" Miranda asked leaning forward allowing Shepard to get a good look at her. He closed his eyes trying to calm his impulses.
"Omega." Zaeed stated.
"What I was thinking," Shepard agreed. "We can head there and get whatever repairs we need, selling minerals, and buying supplies. Besides Aria is still somewhat friendly, and she still owes us."
The crew nodded.
And now for the part that Shepard hated. "It's also a good time for those people who want to leave the ship, to get off."
The crew looked around nervously at that probability wondering the same thing, which one of us will bail?
"How are we going to handle that Shep?" Jack asked uncertainly.
Cameron seized on that, he knew the obvious answer and it felt good to make a decision. "After we get the supplies loaded and the Normandy repaired we can leave, anyone who wants to leave can meet me at the Cargo Bay for final debrief."
"Understood Cameron." Miranda spoke softly, they shared another look, Cameron and Miranda knew each other well enough by now that she knew he was in pain.
But they still had to get to it so they broke eye contact. "Everyone dismissed." He activated the intercom. "Joker, put us on a course for Omega, best speed."
"Aye aye Commander," Joker's disembodied voice floated over the intercom.
Normandy- Cargo Bay
The time had come, the repairs were completed, supplies were loaded, and they still had a huge surplus of credits to buy future supplies.
But now those who would leave were supposed to. Shepard's family that he had been building for the past five months would now be broken apart, slowly, but finally.
It was inevitable.
But it seemed everyone was hesitant.
He had been there for five minutes, and still no one had arrived.
Cameron wondered if that meant his crew would stick with him for a little while longer, until fate intervened.
But with the door whooshing open he knew that he would not be so lucky.
First up was Zaeed, "You know Shepard, signing on with you was fun, but if I sign on for a goddamned suicide mission I expect to get paid, and getting chased by everyone in the universe is not my idea of fun."
Shepard scowled but managed a nod as the man left through the airlock.
Next was Samara, Shepard was not the least bit surprised, she had only promised to stop the Collectors and now that obligation had been fullfilled.
"My oath to you is at an end, and the people here do need me to help set them free from their lives. I wish you the best of luck Shepard but a life style on the run cannot provide justice to anyone." Samara stated simply.
"I understand." Shepard smiled.
Samara looked at him uncertainly, "Find peace in the embrace of the goddess commander, and make sure your path is not a dark one."
Shepard nodded grimly, knowing exactly what she meant.
Shepard waited a few minutes, and then acknowledged; good everyone else would stay…even Jack…"Thane?" Shepard asked his voice dripping in surprise.
"Cameron," Thane nodded in greeting.
"You leaving?" Shepard asked incredulously.
"Indeed. I think it's for the best." Thane replied.
"Why?"
"I desire meditation and solitude in my final months, despite EDI's and Chakwas's advice. And besides I figure I might visit the Citadel, be with my son." Thane explained inclining his head.
Shepard nodded, feeling stunned but understanding the reasons for it.
He waited a few minutes, sitting on a cargo container wondering who would be next. He must have lost track of time.
"I assume that is it." Miranda's voice came from the darkness making Shepard jump.
"Yeah, I would assume so." Shepard replied.
"Good." Miranda came forward into the light and Shepard took her in and sighed.
"Miranda." He greeted.
"Cameron." She smiled at him uncertainly. "Now what?"
Cameron thought about it for a second. "I think we should head for the Citadel, it's still one of the safest places in the Galaxy, and we can use the stealth drive and sneak in, check in with Captain Anderson."
"Why?" Miranda asked puzzled.
"Because he is a friend and deserves to know what we have been up to." Shepard explained.
"Understood Commander," Miranda nodded.
Cameron smiled sheepishly his mind turning to personal matters. "Miranda…look it's been a while since we talked. With me having to go take care of Amanda Kenson and everything that happened with that mission. With everything that has happened and we have not really…chatted…since…you know." He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, embarrassed.
She took a couple of steps forward smiling, looking up at him, and her chest almost touching his. He could feel the heat radiating off of her.
"I know Cameron." She stated softly.
He sighed. "I am sorry…it's just that-"
She placed a finger on his mouth. "Don't be, I understand." She grinned at him. "I have not stopped being the woman that you knew just because you have had a…effect on me."
He chuckled slightly in response.
"We should talk about this later. Right now we need to get to the Citadel." She whispered.
Cameron's shoulders slumped and he looked at her. He knew that was the last thing that either of them wanted. All they wanted to do was tear each other's clothes off and catch up from where they left off.
But they needed to get there.
Shepard spoke into the intercom. "Joker, lay in a course for the Citadel, make sure we go stealth as we approach."
"Yes Commander." Joker spoke over the intercom, doing his duty.