Hello everyone! This is my first Mass Effect fanfic and I am really excited about doing this one. It starts during ME2 and will go into the 3rd and possibly beyond. I am bring in a new character, my own, she will be M!Shepard's twin sister. There will be violence and mild language (when necessary) and possible smut later on, but for now it is rated T. Nothing too bad will be going on, but when things start getting rougher I'll up the rating. Also I'll be doing slight canon dialog as well as missions, but I will probably be mixing them up a bit to fit my own story and characters. Please let me know what you think and if there is anything you think I should change or if there are any errors, I want to make this as perfect as possible. Thank you for taking the time to read this and let me know what you think.
Beta read by LakynBacon and Alan J. Worthington
"What the hell do you mean I've been gone for two years?" Dominic Shepard exclaimed as he sat across from two strangers, one named Jacob and the other named Miranda.
"You died two years ago and Cerberus has been working to bring you back Shepard," Miranda stated very matter-of-factly looking from Jacob to Shepard.
Shepard rubbed his forehead as he felt a wave of nausea come over him. Two years? Two years?! What the hell happened to me? What happened, to my sister? Oh, shit Primrose I hope…. I hope you're still you after losing me. I hope that you're okay.
"Where is my team? Where is my sister?" Shepard asked with new determination in his eyes. He needed to find her, he needed his team.
"It's been two years Shepard, they all scattered. Went into the wind after the Normandy went down," Miranda said with slight annoyance. She wondered why he couldn't see the bigger picture. Why the only thing on this mind was his sister and his team.
"Miranda, don't you think we owe this man a better explanation than what we are giving him?" Jacob said, sensing Shepard's growing annoyance.
Miranda sighed but quickly realized her old friend's words were true. They did owe him that much at least. "There's little I know, but we are taking you to someone who can at least answer some of your questions and point you in the right direction for the rest," Miranda said leaning forward, forcing Shepard to stare her in eyes. She had to admit, he was an extraordinarily beautiful man. Soft blond curls and baby blue eyes, just over six-feet tall with broad shoulders; he was the all-American poster child.
"Where are you taking me?" Shepard's blue eyes pierced through Miranda with pure determination.
"We are taking you to see the Illusive Man. He is the one that sponsored your... 'recovery'... as it were," Miranda said as she leaned back.
"Look Shepard, this is all a lot to take in, but right now you have to trust us. You were right about the Reapers," Jacob said as he tried to alleviate the tension between the two. He knew Miranda for some time now and trusted her, but he never trusted the Illusive man. However, he knew that humanity needed Shepard and Shepard needed to trust them.
"What are you talking about?" Shepard asked with confusion in his baby blue eyes.
"The Illusive Man will explain everything to you when we arrive," Miranda said as the annoyance in her voice returned. "But for now we need to do some tests to make sure that you're still you."
It felt like an eternity had passed since Shepard had stepped foot onto the shuttle that was headed toward the Cerberus facility where he was going to meet the Illusive Man, but in reality it had been little over two hours. His mind was still reeling with all the information that both Jacob and Miranda had given him, yet there were still so many unanswered questions.
Where is Primrose, my twin sister? I've been the only stable thing in her life and I left her with nothing and nobody. Growing up on Earth with no one but ourselves, we could only trust each other and I let her down when I died. I left her alone and with nothing to hope for.
Where is the rest of my crew? Are they all right? I know most of them made it off the Normandy, but what are they doing now?
And what about Liara? By God I fell in love with that woman. She understood me like no one else other than my sister, and to be honest I had never been in love with anyone until her. She showed me things I had never seen before and showed me I could be things I never thought I could be.
Shepard opened his eyes as he felt the shuttle jerk to a stop, while both Jacob and Miranda shuffled themselves to gather their belongings. His mind raced as he thought about where he was. Cerberus, damn Cerberus. I can't believe that this is the company that I owe for bringing me back. Everything they did to me and my squad back on Akuze. All those people we found and helped two years ago that had been affected by this damned company and now I am in their debt. If someone had told me that this would happen to me two years ago I would have laughed in their face. Hell, if I had known I would have been dead for two years and then brought back to life…. I don't know what I would have said.
The shuttle door opened with a swish and Shepard found himself in an average looking shuttle bay, but he knew that this station was anything but average.
Shepard entered the communications room where he was to meet the Illusive Man, but there was no man there. Instead his own projection was sent to another room, probably in a different facility on a different planet. There he found himself in front of an older man, mid-40's to mid-50's, grey hair, in a crisp grey suit, while smoking a cigarette, drinking what appeared to be whiskey and sitting in an ordinary office chair.
"Commander Shepard," the older man said puffing on his addictive nicotine.
"Illusive man. I thought we would be meeting in person," Shepard said with mild distain.
"This is a necessary precaution for people like you and me," the man said as he took a sip of his whiskey. "You and I both know too much and that can be dangerous. You should know that."
Shepard shuffled his feet, but kept his eyes on the man in front of him. There was no way he was going to let this man think he was even the slightest intimated by him, or had wavering feelings of any sort. "I am owe you for bringing me back, but that does not mean I trust you," Shepard said.
"You need to put your personal feelings aside, Shepard. We're on the same team here," the Illusive Man said. "Humanity is up against the greatest threat of our brief existence, and infighting on our part can only quicken their agenda."
"The Reapers," Shepard said, nearly spitting on the floor.
"Good to see your memory is still intact," the Illusive Man said while he ashed his cigarette. "How are you feeling?"
"I have no intention of making you my friend, so let's cut the small talk and get down to business," Shepard cut him short with a wave of the hand.
The Illusive Man sipped on his whisky before he took a drag off his cigarette. "We're at war. No one wants to admit it, but humanity is under attack." The older man rose from his set to stand in front of Shepard. "While you've been sleeping, entire colonies have been disappearing. Human colonies. We believe that it is someone working for the Reapers, just as Saren and the Geth aided Sovereign. You've seen it yourself; you bested all of them. That is just one reason we choose you."
"This doesn't seem like Cerberus. Why are you fighting in this war?" Shepard asked as he cracked his neck.
The Illusive Man took a drag off his cigarette before he answered. "We are committed to the advancement and the preservation of humanity. If the Reapers are targeting us and trying to wipe us out, then Cerberus will stop them. If we wait for politicians or the Alliance to act, no human colonies will be left."
Shepard turned from the Illusive Man for a moment. What the hell is going on? Sovereign wanted to harvest all life in the galaxy. Why are only human colonies being taken? Turning back to the Illusive Man with fire in his eyes, Shepard stared straight through the older man. "This makes no sense," Shepard exclaimed. "Sovereign wanted every breathing thing in the galaxy to be harvested. Why are the Reapers just targeting a few human colonies?"
The older man sat back down in his chair, "Hundreds of thousands of colonists are missing. I'd say that fits your definition of 'harvesting'. No one is paying attention because the attacks are random and they occur in remote colonies." Shepard watched as the older man in front of him rubbed his brow, "I don't know why they are suddenly attacking only human colonies. Maybe you got their attention when you took one of their own down."
Shepard scratched at the invisible itch on his forehead; he still wasn't sure where he fit into all this. Why did they spend so much money and resources on bringing me back?
"So why me? You could have trained an army, maybe even two for the amount of money and resources it took for you to bring me back," Shepard stated as he paced back and forth. He was starting to get antsy and his hand was starting to get twitchy, something that never bode well for anyone.
Shepard had grown up around violence. He'd even been in a gang in his teens, but he mellowed out as he grew older. The exception was his sister; anyone who messed with her - even looking at her wrong - would get their eyes cut out without a second thought. He was glad to say even those days were past as they had grown to adulthood and enlisted. She was always the brains, always thinking and learning, while he was always the brawn. He worked hard to keep her away from the gang, but sometimes fate is stronger than will.
The older man stared at Shepard while he took another sip of his whisky, "You're unique. Not just in what you've experienced or even your talent, but what you represent. You stood for humanity at a key moment in time. You're more than a soldier - you're a symbol. I don't know if the Reapers understand fear, but you killed one for their own and that has to stand for something."
Shepard stared down the older man in front of him. He knew what he had to do; stopping the Reapers was more important than anything, but he needed his crew. He needed people he could trust.
"Okay, I will work with you, not for you. This is going to be my operation and I will not have you telling me what to do," Shepard stood with pure determination in his eyes.
The older man chuckled lightly, "Miranda thought you would be more resistant. She's not usually wrong. And I agree, this is your ship, your call on who you have accompany, but I will make some suggestions. Miranda and Jacob will accompany you. They have served me well and they will do the same for you."
"How do I know I can trust them?"
"We're all on the same team here Shepard, don't forget that. Miranda is loyal to me and she will be reporting to me from time to time about your progress, while Jacob is a hell of a soldier. He has never trusted me, but he has never hidden it and I can respect that," the older man said as he took a drag from his cigarette. "They're good people, Shepard. They will not jeopardize this mission. There is far too much at stake here for such actions and everyone is aware of that."
Shepard nodded. He understood where the grey haired man was coming from. Jacob did seem like an honest man, a man that would do the right thing rather than the easy thing. Miranda, however, was the wild card to him. He still was not sure what to think of her. Only time will tell with either of them.
"I will send you dossiers of people I think you should track down, but the choice is of course yours if you want to recruit them. Before that, I need you to head to Freedom's Progress. That was the last human colony to get attacked and there may still be something there that can give us clues as to who's responsible for this sudden interest in our colonies," the older man said before he snuffed his cigarette out.
"That sounds like a feasible plan. Do you think there are any survivors?" Shepard asked with little hope. It was one thing that he always tried to keep, but continually lost.
The grey haired man shook his head, "I doubt it, Shepard. From past experiences, there's never been a single man, woman or child left behind. I wouldn't get your hopes up."
Shepard scoffed at the older man, "There is one thing that I need from you. I have a sister, a twin sister named Primrose. Do you know where she is?"
The Illusive Man shook his head, "We've known about her for some time, but she is a hard woman to find. It seems that after your death she went into hiding, something I have the feeling you taught her to do."
Shepard laughed a throaty laugh, one that he had not heard escape his lips in ages. Yes, that was his sister, always two steps ahead and three steps to the right, if it's every other day. If not then it's four steps to the left. "Yeah, that sounds like her. I want her on my team, if you happen-"
"If I happen to hear anything about her I will let you know," the Illusive Man said as he lit another cigarette. "Good luck with your mission Shepard. I hope that you find what you are looking for."
"I just want you to know that I still don't trust you with my life, but I am willing to trust that you are serious about this threat. I am tired for being ignored and I will not let this continue," Shepard said with fire in his eyes and venom in his words.
"I wouldn't have any other way," the Illusive Man said.
The two men stared each other down for moment longer before Shepard turned and walked away. He knew what he had to do-there was no denying it. He just didn't like that it was Cerberus that he had to work with. Damn Council, damn Alliance, why couldn't you believe me two years ago! But then again I would probably still be dead in that case.
Shepard walked up the stairs to meet Jacob and Miranda. They were both waiting by the shuttle that was going to take them to Freedom's Progress, their first stop.
"So, I guess we're working together," Shepard said as the three of them boarded the shuttle.
"Look Shepard, you may not like this, but this is for the best," Miranda said as she took her seat next to Jacob. "The Illusive Man has put us under your command. Just tell us your orders."
"I have no problem working with you. I just don't trust you. That is something you have to earn with me," Shepard said, raising an eyebrow to the woman.
"I think I can understand that," Jacob said as he watched the tension in the little shuttle rise. He knew what Miranda could do, and he had seen Shepard in action, but that didn't mean he wanted to see the two of them testing their skills on each other. That would just be a waste of time.
Shepard sighed heavily as he leaned back into his seat. He knew that Cerberus had gone to the other colonies that had been attacked, and he needed to know what they were about to walk into. "What happened at the other colonies? Are there any clues as to what we will be dealing with? Any survivors?"
Jacob shook his head, "No, no survivors. No real evidence of what happened either. No bodies, no crash site and no trace of unusual genetic material found." Jacob rubbed his forehead before continuing, "It's like they all disappeared. No trace of anyone."
"What makes you think that we'll find anything this time?" Shepard asked with curiosity.
Jacob raised his eye brows, understanding exactly what Shepard was asking. "The other times official investigators got there first. Sometimes looters or salvage teams as well. We're hoping to be the first ones on the scene this time before anyone disrupts it. We need to find some clues as to what we are dealing with."
"Agreed," Shepard said with a nod of his head. "There may also be survivors, though, and if there are, we need to help them first and foremost."
"That is unlikely Commander," Miranda said nearly rolling her eyes. She couldn't believe that the man in front of her had such a 'tough guy' reputation when he went out of his way to help so many people. "In the other colonies, there was nobody. Nothing left behind. They were all completely deserted."
"But it would be nice to find someone alive after all this. Anything would be better than finding another ghost town," Jacob added.
Shepard nodded. At least one of them understands where I'm coming from. There was a time when I would have done anything, gone through anyone to get the job done, but I was shown a better way. My sister showed me that there was enough violence in the world and I was in a place where I could help, if not change that. My sister was always helping, going out of her way to give to the needy. She was always my 'Little Robin Hood', my little bird.
It didn't take long for them to touch down on Freedom's Progress. Jumping out of the shuttle, the sight before them was very ominous indeed. There was no life, nothing to show that there was even a fight. It was like everyone had just disappeared without a trace. By God, it's like what they said: everyone gone, and nothing left. I truly doubt now that there will be anyone here.
They made their way quickly and quietly through the settlement, seeing what was left behind. "It looks like everyone got up from their dinner. Everything is as they had left it," Jacob said with mild disappointment in his voice.
"It's the usual, Commander. No bodies. No structural damage. No signs of a battle," Miranda commented.
The trio walked through another living unit, seeing another family home left undisturbed. They all felt the ghosts around them. As they made their way out of the pod, they were attacked by FENRIS mechs.
"Why are the security systems still on?" Jacob yelled as the FENRIS mech took a shot at them.
"I don't know. They were shut off at the other colonies," Miranda commented back between pistol shots.
"At this point it doesn't matter," Shepard yelled back as he took down the first FENRIS. "We just need to take them down and try to shut them down."
"Agreed," both Jacob and Miranda stated back.
Minutes later, after taking down various FENRIS, LOKI and YMIR mechs, the trio stood around for a moment looking around at the mess of machines scattered about.
"I don't understand why these mechs fired at us. They should have recognized us as human," Jacob said as he kicked a robot over.
"Someone reprogrammed them to attack on sight," Miranda said as she reloaded her pistol. "We are not alone here."
"Agreed," Shepard said as he did the same thing. "We need to find them and see if they know anything about what happened here. They may be able to give us some insight. Stay frosty, though. They may be hostile."
As they were moving through the family units, Shepard couldn't help but feel tense. Someone had been here, and left absolutely no trace. He didn't know who he was dealing with, but had to force his nerves to calm down as he came up on the next family unit. As he opened the door, he noticed movement and brought up his assault rifle, safety off. A quartet of quarians was inside, two examining a LOKI mech, and two standing watch. At the sound of the door, the three quarians raised their rifles, alert at Shepard's sudden entrance. "Put the weapons down!" he yelled, his finger finding the trigger.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" One of the quarians yelled back, making his way to within ten feet of Shepard, his gun trained on his head.
Shepard began to feel his trigger finger itch when one of the female quarians stepped between the two.
"Prazza! You said you would let me handle this!"
At the sound of her voice, Shepard hesitated, lowering his rifle to better look at the quarian. "Tali?"
The quarian looked back, and from working with one for nearly a year, Shepard could tell through her body language that she was surprised. "Shepard? Wait...is that you
"I don't want to take any chances with Cerberus operatives," the man Tali called Prazza said.
"Put down those weapons!" Tali exclaimed as she stood between her men and Shepard.
Tali turned back to Shepard with a pause. "Shepard… I…. I can't believe it's you. You're alive!"
Shepard smiled as he put down his weapon. It was good to see a familiar face...well, a familiar mask. "It's me Tali. Remember, I helped you with your Pilgrimage with the Geth tech I gave you. Did that information help your fleet?"
Tali signed with great relief. "Yes, it did. It gave us a great advantage," Tali said before she turned to her comrade. "Prazza, tell your men to put down their weapons."
"Damn it Tali, this is bullshit. Why would your old Commander be working with Cerberus?" Prazze spat back at her. Shepard could tell that Tali was in charge here, but none of the men were happy about the arrangement. He had to say he was very proud of his little Tali. It wasn't too long ago she was a lost little girl on her way to becoming a woman.
Tali shook her head, "I don't know….. But I know Shepard, and he would have a reason."
Shepard rubbed his forehead, how the hell is he going to explain this? 'Oh Tali I know that we fought and took down countless Cerberus facilities two years ago, but they brought be back from the dead and now there are missing Colonists and they're the only ones who care to find out what is going on?! "Let's just say it's a long story, but the short version is that they brought me back from the dead and now there are hundreds of thousands of Colonists missing with no one doing anything about it," Shepard said without taking a breath. "I don't like it much either, but I need help and they're the only ones who are willing to trust me and believe what I have to say."
"Tali, you are not seriously thinking about trusting Cerberus are you?" Prazza exclaimed with growing frustration.
"I am not Cerberus!" Shepard exclaimed, his own frustration out-doing Prazza's. The two men bearing their teeth as the tension in the room became bitter.
"This is Shepard, Prazza, if I can't trust him then I can't trust anyone!" Tali said standing her ground between the two groups growing tension. "Besides, we need help searching the area." Tali turned to Shepard. "One of our people was here on Pilgrimage. His name is Veetor. We've come to bring him home."
"Why did Veetor come here, to a human colony?" Shepard asked trying to relieve the tension a bit.
"We can do Pilgrimage anywhere we think we can get information or help for the fleet," Tali explained.
"Do you think he is still alive?" Shepard asked, afraid of the answer he was going to get. It would be nice to find someone, anyone, alive in his mess.
"We saw him when we landed," Prazza spat, his true feelings for Shepard and his companion very clear in his voice.
"What, you saw him? Why isn't he with you already?" Jacob asked.
"Veetor was injured and he was… ah… always a bit nervous," Tali explained as she rubbed her hands together nervously.
"What she means is that he Veetor has always been a little unstable. Combine that with the damage to his CO2 scrubbers and a growing infection, and it is likely that he is delirious," Prazza chimed in.
"When he saw us land he ran into a warehouse on the far side of town. We suspect that he reprogrammed the mechs to fire at anything that moves," Tali said. It was very clear to Shepard that she was nervous about her friend and she only wanted to get him home safely.
"We'll find your friend Tali. Do you think your friend might know what happened here?" Shepard asked while trying to comfort his former teammate.
"Like hell! We're not letting Cerberus get their hands on our people!" Prazza exclaimed with fire in his voice.
"We need the help Prazza, and like I said before, I trust Shepard, not Cerberus." She turned back to Shepard. "I hope that he will have some answers for you," Tali said her growing frustration for her teammate becoming more and more evident. Head to the warehouse on the far side of town. We'll try and distract the drones to clear you a path."
At this point Shepard couldn't help his annoyance any longer. "What happened that made the fleet hate Cerberus so much? I mean I remember what happened two years ago, but that was us, not the fleet," Shepard asked rubbing his thumb into his palm.
"Cerberus attacked the fleet," Prazza spat stepping closer to Shepard.
"That is not entirely true Shepard," Miranda chimed in.
Shepard waved his hand to cut both Prazza and Miranda off. "Save it, you two," He didn't need the two of them going at it anymore. "Perhaps that should wait until after the mission." They were here for a reason and there was no choice between the two groups but for them to work together.
"Let's move out. We'll meet you at the warehouse," Shepard said as the quarians and his own team moved out.
Shepard watched as the quarians went around, pulling the smaller drones in their direction with a couple of potshots. His own team started to head for the warehouse dead ahead.
"The quarians were an unexpected variable. They could help us, or they could grab Veetor and run," Miranda said as she readied her weapon.
Shepard stopped in front of Miranda, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Listen to me very carefully," he started, and he saw her usually stoic demeanor fall. "I understand that you don't believe in my motives. I understand that you have very different methods. What I don't understand is how you think you can mouth off at every moment available." His brow furrowed and his voice rough, he knew he made for an intimidating figure. Miranda was speechless as he continued, "I don't believe that the Illusive Man's best agent is whining every five minutes like a school girl, and I really don't give a damn to hear it even if she wants to! As my executive officer, you are to maintain efficiency on my ship, keep my crew in line, keep your mouth shut and your ass in line. Do I make myself clear?"
Miranda nodded almost imperceptibly. "Perfectly," she whispered. Shepard nodded back and continued toward the warehouse.
Tali kept in contact, telling Shepard and his team where security drones where located, how many there were and their position. It didn't take long for their little team to make it through the drones and mechs that were scattered around, Tali's intel helping them along the way. Plus, a few well-placed bullets and Overload always helped.
Things were going good until Tali came on the comm a few minutes later. "Shepard! Prazza and his squad rushed ahead. I told them to wait, but they wouldn't listen! You'd better hurry if you want to talk to Veetor," Tali said through the intercom. It was clear to anyone listening that she was done dealing with Prazza.
"Thank you for trying Tali. We'll get that and help them get to Veetor," Shepard said as he quickened his pace. Those damn foolish quarian are going to get themselves killed! They have little fire power for a frontal assault. They'll get massacred.
"We should have expected something like this," Miranda said. Shepard ignored the woman. Her voice seethed with venom, and he knew that she was right, but he just didn't want to give her the satisfaction in knowing that.
Shepard moved along the pods, up and down stairs trying to get through to Prazza's squad.
"Hurry Shepard! Prazza is at the loading docks," Tali exclaimed, the fear rising in her voice. "Veetor reprogrammed the heavy mechs and they are tearing apart Prazza and his squad!"
"Did they get to Veetor first?" Miranda asked.
"That doesn't matter right now Miranda. We need to get there to cover them!" Shepard spat back.
"Get your team in cover and I'll open the loading bay doors," Tali said.
Shepard and his team did as she instructed. Miranda and Jacob covered the door while Shepard took point, all three of them waiting for Tali to open the doors.
Moments later, Tali opened the door and they all watched as Prazza and his team was executed by the heavy mech inside. Miranda, Jacob and Shepard all moved to cover, while Tali worked on the last door.
"That mech's got heavy armor plating. Those Quarians didn't stand a chance!" Jacob yelled through heavy fire.
"That's going to be one tough son of a bitch to take down!" Miranda yelled back.
Shepard didn't know what else to say, but he fully agreed with their assessment of the situation. "We'll throw as much Overload power as we can and keep hitting him with the big guns!" Shepard yelled as he started to make his move. Shepard was an N7 soldier. There wasn't a weapon out there he didn't know how to fire or a vehicle he couldn't drive; a YMIR mech wouldn't stop him.
Jacob rained incendiary rounds onto the mech with his shotgun, while Miranda used Overload to over whelm the mech's shields and Shepard used his rocket launcher until he was empty before switching to his assault rifle, his own incendiary shots active. They dodged incoming fire between numerous cargo crates scattered around, with Shepard drawing much of the mech's fire. Miranda wore no armor whatsoever, just some executive suit, and so a direct hit without shields would do devastating damage to her. There was no way he was going to lose one of his men so early in the game.
Minutes later the team heard the heavy mech finally hit the floor. Shepard and his team searched the area, finding Tali with her fallen team trying to save who ever she could.
"This is your chance to go find Veetor. Go while I tend to the wounded," Tali muttered as she bent down over one of her comrades.
Shepard nodded as he turned and made his way with his team to the warehouse. Quickly the trio found the warehouse, and when they opened the door they heard the fractured muttering of the missing quarian in front of the computer screens.
"Monsters coming back. Mechs will protect. Safe from swarms. Have to hide. No monsters. No swarms. No-no-no-no-no-no-no," Veetor stammered completely oblivious to Shepard and his team.
"Veetor?" Shepard said as he walked up behind the young man.
"No Veetor. Not here. Swarms can't find. Monsters coming. Have to hide," he said as he continued to type on the computer.
Shepard stepped closer, his voice reassuring. "No one's going to hurt you anymore Veetor. You're safe, the monsters are gone."
Veetor ignored Shepard as he continued his work.
"I don't think he can hear you Commander," Jacob said as studied the man in front of the computers.
Shepard glanced at his omni-tool and reprogrammed it to turn off the computers. He needed Veetor to listen to him. He needed to know what was going on here and there was nothing that was going to stop him from figuring this out.
After a minute Veetor realized that nothing was going to bring the computers back on, and when he rose from his seat he found himself in the presence of three humans.
"You're human. Where did you hide? How come they didn't find you?" Veetor asked as he nervously rubbed his hands together.
"Who didn't find us?" Miranda asked. She was obviously getting tired of the games.
"T-the monsters. The swarms. They took everyone," he said nervously.
"Veetor I need to know what happened here. Why didn't the colonists fight back?" Shepard asked as he took a step closer to Veetor. He was doing everything in his power to make the young man feel comfortable, but his own patience was running thin.
"Y-you don't know? You didn't see? I see everything," Veetor said as he started to pace back and forth.
Veetor then turned back to the computer screens on the wall and switched them to the recorded video surveillance from earlier. The three of them observed the pieced together vid, trying to understand what they were watching. The young Quarian had put together several vids all showing the same area. Frozen humans and something that looked like pods scattered around the outside of a living pod.
"What the hell is that?" Jacob asked.
They watched as an unknown alien came into view. "Oh my God. That's a Collector," Miranda said with complete shock in her voice.
Shepard viewed the alien placed human bodies inside a pod. "What the hell is it doing?" Shepard asked.
No one answered, the only thing they could do was watch the vid.
It didn't take long for Tali to show up. She had lost her entire squad and her defeat was shown in her posture. Shepard couldn't help but feel bad for his young friend. So young and she has lost too much.
"Their dead Shepard, all of them," Tali said, nearly weeping with her words.
"I'm sorry Tali," Shepard said as he placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you Shepard," Tali responded back to him. "Can I take Veetor back to the fleet now?"
"What? No! He might have more information," Miranda protested.
"No. He's been through enough. He needs medical care and his people," Shepard said as he waved Miranda off. "Take him home Tali, and if you could please send me any more information you may find, that would be great."
Tali nodded and said her thanks. Shepard and his team watched as the two young people left. He couldn't believe what had taken place here. The Collectors? I thought those damn things were a myth. What the hell do I do about a damned myth?
The trio made their way back to the shuttle silently. Miranda was obviously upset about the fact that Shepard had let the kid go and Jacob was still in shock about the Collectors.
So what now? I guess I have to talk to the Illusive Man again. Maybe he can lead me in the right direction. Shepard sighed as he thought about talking to the Illusive Man again. If I'm going to be working with this man, we will be working under my rules, and my team. I have to try and find people I can trust…. I need to find my sister.