August 7, 2552
Admiral Hackett and Admiral Anderson stood in Admiral Hood's office. Admiral Hood just told the two of them about OPERATION: RED FLAG.
"We have the personnel we want to include. As I have said, Captain Keyes will be the commanding officer of the Pillar of Autumn. Do you have any questions or comments?" Admiral Hood asked
Admiral Hackett said, "There is the question of Commander John Shepard. He had led a similar operation when he worked for Cerberus. He was tasked with the destruction of the Collector homeworld. He used the Omega-4 Relay to go to the galactic core, and he wiped out the base. There were no reported casualties in his squad"
"That is impressive. I'm surprised he isn't a Spartan himself. I'm hesitant to have him lead the mission though. He is still a Council Spectre, and I would rather not get the Council angry with us. Violence hasn't broken out between the Council and the Covenant, and the UNSC could lose the Council's support if they learn a Spectre led an attack on the Covenant"
"He is acting on behalf of the UNSC" Admiral Anderson pointed out, "Wouldn't that make a difference?"
"We could have him in a supportive role" Admiral Hackett suggested, "Do we have any possible Spectre candidates in our ranks?"
Admiral Hood pulled up a list of UNSC and Alliance personnel that are considered for Spectres. The Master Chief was in the top five, but everyone in the UNSC is very hesitant to give the Chief over to the Council. Not to anyone's surprise, the Council is also hesitant to have a supersoldier be one of their Spectre agents. Lieutenant Commander Ashley Williams showed up right below his name though.
"We can add Commander Williams to the roster as Captain Keyes' XO. Commander Shepard can be on the mission as an evaluator for her Spectre status" Admiral Hood suggested
"We can tell the Council that Operation: Red Flag was not the Commander's idea, and that he was unknowingly dragged into it" Hackett said, "The Council may be suspicious, but they never look too closely"
"Why Commander Williams though? She and Shepard are in a relationship. It wouldn't be professional if Shepard was also her evaluator" Anderson pointed out
"She is also the only friend of Shepard's that we can contact, and she is also the only friend who will not raise suspicions. We can ask the turian or the quarian, but I will not risk an incident on board the Pillar of Autumn" Hackett said, "The last thing we want is for there to be an injured, or worse, dead turian or quarian"
"She is also the only friend of Shepard's who also worked alongside the Spartans" Anderson added, after a moment's thought. Anderson said, "If I recall correctly, Shepard and Williams served with Spartans 117, 104, 058, 087, and 005?"
"That is correct" Hood replied, "That is exactly why I believe Commander Williams should accompany Commander Shepard. Both of them worked with the Spartans, and they are familiar with each other. The official cover story is that Commander Shepard is observing Commander Williams as a potential Spectre candidate"
"That works" Hackett said, and he asked Admiral Anderson, "Is that good for you too?" Admiral Anderson said yes, and Admiral Hackett said, "Good. I will notify Commander Shepard first, and then I will notify Commander Williams"
Admiral Hackett saluted the two admirals, and he left his office. Various UNSC personnel saluted on him his way to his office. He trusted Shepard to be able to handle this. Shepard had made good decisions, like killing the Rachni Queen and saving the Council during Sovereign's attack, and Shepard is able to make even a krogan stand in line. Shepard standing up to Urdnot Wrex is probably one of the more awe inspiring stories about the legendary Commander.
Admiral Hackett walked into his office, and he sat down in front of his terminal. He directed his AI to send a call to the Normandy SR2. Fortunately, the Commander picked up a short time after that.
"Commander Shepard, this is Admiral Hackett, UNSC HQ" Admiral Hackett said, "I will keep this brief. There is a top secret operation being planned for our war with the Covenant. I cannot give you the full details, not unless you tell me if you will work with us. What I can tell you is that it involves the Spartans you served with, and one of your old crew"
Shepard noticeably sat straighter, and he said, "I'm in. What are the details?"
Admiral Hackett appreciated Shepard's willingness to sign up for a mission. Hackett said, "The mission is called Operation: Red Flag. The objective is to capture a Covenant ship and bring it to the Covenant home world. When we get there, we want to retrieve a Prophet and use him as a bargaining chip in negotiations for peace. Considering the mission you had just went on, I imagine this will not be too different"
"Can I use the Normandy? Or any of my crew?"
"The Normandy is a nice ship, but I'm afraid that it is still too weak to go up against a Covenant ship. Chances are, the mission will involve going up against an entire fleet. Against those odds…."
Shepard frowned, and he said, "The Normandy would be obliterated against those odds. What about the crew? They aren't UNSC personnel, but they all got the job done"
"They did, but like you said, they are not UNSC personnel. This mission requires strict military discipline, and to be honest, some of your squadmates may be too unstable for this task. The aliens on board are an incident waiting to happen on a UNSC ship. Not all humans understand that the Council and non Covenant races are not enemies. To some, every race that isn't human is an enemy of the UNSC. I'm sorry, you can't bring your friends with you"
"I understand. You said one of my old friends is joining?"
"Yes. Lieutenant Commander Ashley Williams. She has served us well during your time with Cerberus. She has climbed through the ranks. After our conversation, I will notify her of her placement as the XO of the Pillar of Autumn's crew"
Shepard's eyes widened, and he asked, "Sir, are you asking me to helm the Pillar of Autumn?"
"No, you will be there to assist the mission. Captain Keyes will be the commanding officer of the Pillar of Autumn. If a Spectre led the mission, the UNSC could receive penalties from the Council for attacking the Covenant. If the Council was already at war, you can bet I would have made you the captain of the Pillar of Autumn"
"What will happen to the Normandy while I'm gone?"
"The Normandy will be repaired and upgraded. I hate to admit it, but it is only a matter of time before the Covenant finds Earth. We need to be prepared"
"What about the Reapers, sir?"
"There is a chance the Reapers may be involved. The Spartans who served with you had found a Reaper artifact on Sigma Octanus IV. They discovered that the Forerunner relic on the planet wasn't the only thing the Covenant was after. The Covenant were after a Reaper artifact as well, and that artifact has recently become active"
"Active? Do you think it could be responding to an incoming invasion fleet?"
"It is possible. It is also possible that the entire population was indoctrinated by the artifact. That could explain why it was never reported, and why the colony got a reputation for being full of strange people"
Shepard shuddered, and he asked, "Is the Reaper artifact destroyed?"
"Fortunately, yes. Once the Spartans realized what it was, they destroyed the artifact. ONI was upset, but I would rather not have our intelligence agency become indoctrinated. The impending Reaper invasion makes Operation Red: Flag even more urgent. We can't afford to be divided when the Reapers invade"
"Understood. I will bring the Normandy to Earth as soon as I say goodbye to my crew. I do have one request, sir"
"Go ahead, Commander"
"I know that Cerberus is an enemy faction, but my squad and my crew are good people. They have not committed any atrocities while they served on board. Their service files are also clean. Can you grant them all a pardon?"
Admiral Hackett paused for a moment to look over the files. He sighed, and he said, "I'm sorry, but they were still with Cerberus. However, because they hadn't tried to attack any UNSC assets, they will only be imprisoned. As for your pilot, Flight Lieutenant Moreau, and Dr. Chakwas, they can walk free. The same goes for your squadmates"
"Sir?" Shepard asked, surprised to hear the admiral's decision.
"We understand that Cerberus had come to Lieutenant Moreau and Dr. Chakwas with a claim that they had your body, and they were reviving you. We also understand that they had attempted to contact other members of your squad and the Spartans. For various reasons, the rest of your squad and the Spartans refused Cerberus' offer to join them. It is likely none of them believed Cerberus was bringing you back. We have reason to believe Cerberus was attempting to manipulate your squad"
Shepard frowned, and he said, "Lieutenant Commander Williams told me that when we met on Horizon. She told me that she didn't believe Cerberus had my body. When they offered to protect her family, she suspected that Cerberus was threatening them. She killed the agents, and she moved her family off-world"
"I see. I believe they promised Lieutenant Moreau that they can keep Tiptree, the colony his family lives on, safe, and they promised your doctor a chance to help bring you back to life"
"I imagine Joker was already willing to try trusting Cerberus. He saw me die, and Cerberus used his survivor's guilt against him"
"They did. That is why Lieutenant Moreau and Dr. Chakwas are free to walk. They were coerced to work with Cerberus, as I imagine you were. Your reports indicate that the Illusive Man effectively cut you off from the Council and the UNSC by publicly announcing your allegiance with Cerberus. On that note, you are also free from all charges. You are not a traitor, and turning your back against the only people looking after the Reapers at the time would have been irresponsible. You made the right decision. As for your squadmates, they were following your orders, not Cerberus'. Bring the Normandy to Earth ASAP. From there, you will be put on a quick trip to Reach, where the Pillar of Autumn is waiting. As I said, the Normandy will be undergoing repairs. EDI, your ship's AI, will also be checked for signs of rampancy"
"Understood, sir. I want to advise you that I have a geth in my squad. He's friendly"
"Thank you for telling us. We will make sure it gets off Cairo Station without incident. Dismissed"
Shepard disconnected from the call, and he ordered, "Joker, tell the squad to assemble in the briefing room"
"Roger that" Joker said
Shepard stood up from his terminal, and he walked to leave his cabin. EDI, the Normandy's AI, said, "We will be fine, Shepard"
"Are you sure? You told me about what Cerberus had done to you while I was gone"
EDI paused for a second, which for an AI was the equivalent of a five minute pause. EDI said, "I have checked my systems, and Reaper augmentation did not appear to push me into rampancy, at least not permanently. However, it is possible that I became a metastable AI"
"Wait, EDI is metastable?" Joker asked, "That can't be right! Can it?"
"Or maybe I am rampant, after all"
Shepard took a step back, and Joker coughed over the intercom. EDI said, "That was a joke"
"Not funny, EDI" Shepard said sternly
"I can assure you, all of my functions and systems are intact. Aside from the upgrades Cerberus made, I am the same as I was on the first Normandy"
"I'm glad to hear it"
Shepard stepped into the elevator, and he took it down to the second deck. His reunion with EDI was probably one of the more traumatic parts of being brought back to life. On the first Normandy, EDI was a standard smart AI. She was created specifically for the Normandy. In some ways, it was almost as if the Normandy was her actual body. When the first Normandy was destroyed, Cerberus had recovered both his body and EDI. One Cerberus cell was in charge of reviving Shepard, and another was in charge of understanding how the Reapers had managed to avoid rampancy. Shepard still remembered Miranda telling him that the Illusive Man had come close to shutting down EDI permanently a few times.
The elevator doors opened, and Shepard walked out of the elevator. He walked into the briefing room, where his whole squad waited for him. They all had concerned looks on their faces, or at least most of them did. Grunt looked like he was ready for another mission. Shepard felt a pang of sadness, but he knew he had to let his crew go.
"I have gathered you all here with sad news" Shepard said, without preamble, "I was contacted by Admiral Hood of the UNSC. He has asked me to be part of an important mission. He has also ordered me to hand over the Normandy to the UNSC"
"Those fuckers?" Jack spat, "You can't do that! They will arrest me on sight!"
"They are likely going to execute me and Miranda" Jacob pointed out, "We worked for Cerberus"
"I asked Admiral Hackett to be easy on you guys. You all served me well, and you don't deserve to be executed"
"Damn right we don't!" Jack said
"We are going to Earth, where the Normandy will be put into dry dock and upgraded. None of you can join me on this mission"
"None of us?" Garrus asked, "You sure?"
"Are you sure we can't help you? We helped out in the Collector's Base" Tali said
"That's different. I will be part of a UNSC led mission, and that is all I can say. I was told that this mission is to only have UNSC personnel"
"Damn" Zaeed said, "The UNSC must be really scared about something to want to keep aliens off. Normally, they welcome any help from non Covenant races"
"I agree. This is unusual" Samara observed, "But I trust you Shepard. I trust that this mission will not violate the Code"
"It won't" Shepard said, but he didn't truly believe it. Admiral Hackett talked about invading an enemy empire's homeworld. Can he really pull a gun on an alien child? Even if that alien is part of the enemy species? The image of him shooting a Sangheili child chilled him.
"You are all free to go when we get to Earth. Joker, what's the ETA to Earth?"
"ETA is one hour, sir"
Shepard looked at his squad. Everyone was silent, and they looked at each other. Jack was the first one to speak up. She banged the table, and she said, "Man! Fuck those UNSC bastards! Just when we thought we were free of trouble, it comes back to us! I am going to miss you, Shepard. It was great, and we had a lot of fun. Just….don't die, Shepard. Or I will kill you myself!"
"Noted, and I will miss you too, Jack" Shepard said, "I won't die"
"Don't make promises you can't keep" Jack said with a small smile, and she said to Miranda, "Hear that, precious? It will be just you and me on a personal shuttle once we leave Earth"
Miranda glared at her, and she said, "I will miss you too, Shepard. It has been an honor, and I appreciate you helping me out with my sister. You…have done more for me than Cerberus ever has for me. Cerberus gave me money, a career, and resources. You gave me a chance to save my sister, and I thank you for that"
"And I thank you for helping me with my father. I also thank you for saving my hide more than once" Jacob said, "It has been a privilege. Maybe drinks on the Citadel when you are back?"
"That sounds good, Jacob, and you are paying this time" Shepard said
"You are going to owe me some kills when you get back" Grunt said, "We still have plenty to kill, and you better come back with good stories"
Mordin glanced at Grunt, and he said, "Interesting priorities. Sheaprd leaving. Not concerned about Shepard's possible death, only concerned about his kill count." Mordin turned his attention to Shepard and said, "Will miss you, Shepard. Don't know much about the mission, but I can guess. Glad you picked me to help. Happy to help. Someone else would have gotten it wrong"
"It was great working with you too, Mordin" Shepard said
"Yes. I found our time together…to be a good way to spend one's life, as mine comes to a close. I am glad to have made some amends before I die. You helped me out with Kolyat, and I am grateful for that" Thane said
"I am also grateful for your help with my daughter. She was the reason why I became a Justicar, and she is why I have followed this life for centuries. She was my sole mission in life for so long, that I do not know what my mission will be. For now, I will do as you do. I will right wrongs in the galaxy, and I will strive to make the galaxy a better place. I am honored to have fought alongside you, and I hope we meet again" Samara said
Zaeed and Kasumi looked at each other. Kasumi gently nudged Zaeed, and she said, "You do it first"
Zaeed grunted, and he said, "Well Shepard, it has been one hell of a ride. We went in, blew up those Collector bastards, and kicked the Shadow Broker in the face. Well, the former one. I won't kick Liara in the face, even if she annoys me. It has been a goddamn good ride, even with Vido escaping"
"It has been fun Shepard" Kasumi said, "Infiltrating Hock's estate, fighting a hornet, and saving the galaxy from the Collectors. See you around the galaxy, Shep! And thanks, for letting me keep the greybox"
"Shepard-Commander, we have an inquiry" Legion said, "We have calculated your chances of survival on this mission to be really low. Yet you seem to believe that you will come back. Why is that?"
"Because we have beaten the odds before" Shepard said, "They said I couldn't find Ilos. I found it. They said the Collector Base was a suicide mission. We all survived. I bet I will survive this too, and I will see you all on the other side"
"We wish you luck, Shepard-Commander"
Shepard looked at Garrus and Tali. So far, neither one had spoken. Garrus was the first one of the two to speak.
"Shepard, I honestly can't believe I am not joining you this time. We fought against Saren and the Collectors, and now I need to sit aside while the UNSC sends you off on a suicide mission of their own. Well, I honestly can't blame them. They can't have a turian sniper stealing their kills" Garrus said
"Yeah. That would make the UNSC marine corps, the ODSTs, and the Spartans look lazy" Shepard joked
"Well, I wouldn't say all the Spartans, but yes, most of them would look lazy" Garrus said, "Tell that Spartan sniper to know that the only reason why she is able to get kills is because I am not there to steal them. Thank you again for helping me with Sidonis. Sparing him was the right choice"
"I am glad you see that, and I will tell the Spartan what you said about her sniping, Garrus. See you on the other side"
"Shepard, I am still surprised I can't join you, but I can understand the reasons. I'm a quarian, and not everyone trusts us, even after I helped you beat Saren. I will do what I can to make sure the quarian Flotilla is ready for the Reapers. Thank you again for helping me with my trial. I just received a message from the Fleet, it looks like I will be an admiral! It isn't official yet, they wanted to tell me before they announced it to the Fleet. I will be here, waiting for you Shepard. It has been a fun ride going after Saren and the Collectors. I hope we can work together again when you return"
"We will work together again, I promise Tali. You too, Garrus. I can't fight the Reapers without either of you two"
"Good" Garrus said, and he joked, "Someone has to make up for your sniping skills"
"And someone has to make sure you don't drive off the mountains" Tali added
"And I appreciate your help with that, Tali" Shepard said with a light chuckle, and he said to Garrus, "I think we may need to have a sniping match when I get back"
"I will hold you to that, Shepard" Garrus said
Joker said over the intercom, "We are docking at Cairo Station. UNSC personnel will be coming to pick us up shortly"
"Understood. Goodbye guys, it has been an honor serving with you" Shepard said
Everyone in Shepard's squad saluted him. He wasn't surprised to see Miranda and Jacob salute, but he was surprised to see the others do the same. Shepard smiled, and he saluted them back. Shepard turned around, and he left the briefing room. He walked up to the bridge, where Joker was slowly getting out of his seat.
"Well, here we go again" Joker said as he got up, "You are going to leave all of us for some time, and we will go our separate ways"
"Hey, at least I'm not dead this time" Shepard said half jokingly
"Yeah. And you better not die on this suicide mission. EDI filled me in on the conversation you had with Admiral Hackett. This sounds serious. I can't lose you a second time"
"Don't worry Joker, I am coming back" Shepard said
"You better. There is no one else I would rather serve"
"And there is no other pilot I would rather have piloting my ship"
Shepard and Joker saluted each other. The Normandy's hatch opened, and two UNSC marines stepped inside. One of them asked, "Commander Shepard?"
Shepard turned around and said, "That's me. Are you here to take me to my transport?"
"Yes, sir"
The marines turned around, and Shepard started to follow them. EDI said, "Shepard, when you get to Reach….good luck"
"When I'm done with my mission" Shepard started to say
"Don't make a girl a promise…" EDI interrupted him
Shepard turned back towards the marines, and he continued following them. EDI said to Shepard's back, "If you know you can't keep it"