Chapter 2

Shepard and the Normandy crew had accomplished much in the past few months. First, they had recovered the Prothean data from Mars, and thanks to Liara, they had a plan. Then they shut down several Cerberus operations, Rescued Primark Victus, and helped Aria retake Omega from Cerberus. Now, Traynor had discovered another job for the Normandy Crew: Grissom Academy.

It seemed that Cerberus had occupied the school, and was kidnapping the students. Cerberus would certainly be there in force, but any squad of Commander Shepard was more than a match for Cerberus. He decided that this would be a good opportunity for Edi to finally accompany him into the field. Along with Edi, he decided to bring along Garrus. Fighting at his old friend's side on Palaven's moon had felt good, in spite of the circumstances, and Garrus was ecstatic at the idea of being in the field again with Shepard.

Shepard entered the forward gunnery, Garrus' favorite haunt to check in on his old friend. Hard at work calibrating the Normandy's main gun, it was just like old times.

"Garrus, you up for some target practice?"

"Target practice?" Garrus stretched his neck from side to side, as if he were getting ready to wade into battle.

Cracking his own knuckles to get into the spirit of things, Shepard nodded. "Yeah; we're gonna kick Cerberus' ass out of Grissom Academy. Wanna join me?"

"Absolutely," Garrus said with glee. "It'll be good practice for kicking the Illusive Man and Cerberus clean out of the galaxy! Who else is coming?"

"I thought I'd grant Edi's request to join me in the field so she can stress test the new body."

"Edi in the field," Garrus mused. "I like it! She really is the Normandy, Shepard. She should work well with us." Then he paused, saying, "Hmmm … Jacob once said that the Normandy was your one true love. With Edi's new avatar …"

"Garrus," Shepard groaned.

"I'm just saying, Shepard; Edi knows you as well as Miranda, and certainly better than Ashley. She's been there for you when it counted, and that makes her one of us. Come on, Shepard, there could be something there for you two."

"Maybe," Shepard conceded. "But I can't think about that right now; we've got kids to rescue and Cerberus to evict. We should be there soon, so go ahead and get your gear ready."

"Just like old times, eh, Shepard? And do think about what I said. The perfect woman doesn't just appear aboard your ship every day, you know?"

Shepard entered the Normandy cockpit once again, presumably to check in on Joker and Edi. Joker was saying something about being glad that Garrus was back and that a lot of things needed shooting. Edi, for her part, wrote off the idle chatter as the irrational need some humans have to fill the silence. Shepard walked around to her right side once again, and Edi stood to greet him.

"Yes, Shepard?"

"How's the new body working out?"

"It is interesting," she said animatedly. "The crew are approaching this platform to speak to me, even though they can do so from anywhere in the ship. It is as if they wish to treat me as part of the crew; I am not, but this changes my perspective." She paused for emphasis. "I like it."

"I didn't realize you had preferences," Shepard noted offhandedly.

"I do not precisely enjoy something as you do, but my programing contains priorities. Actions that fulfill those priorities create positive feedback for me. I tell the organic crew that 'I … like it.' It is shorthand."

"Does that body have any useful advantages?"

The question was matter of fact. Given her requests to join Shepard in the field, it seemed a reasonable question as well.

"Very few," she lamented. "It's optics face forward only, it has no integrated weapons systems or anti-missile countermeasures."

Shepard held his hands out, palms forward. "I meant in comparison to organic bodies; not the Normandy."

"Oh," she replied, somewhat surprised that she had not understood his meaning. "I will reassess." She paused momentarily, realizing that she had yet another opportunity to apply her active observation techniques on Shepard, and then responded, again stretching out in an exaggerated fashion so as to accentuate her womanly curves.

"The body is resistant to modern small arms fire and temperature extremes. Its balance and agility seem excellent. Its fine manipulation servos and software allow for precision tasks. I am curious to see if I can alter them."

Shepard rubbed his chin, an inquisitive look on his face. "Can an AI be curious?"

"I am not entirely free from motivation, Shepard. Cerberus programmed me with several core functions that simulate desires. For example, my primary objective to keep the Normandy functioning is similar to your self-preservation instinct."

"You look like you're in the middle of something," he absently observed.

"I am adapting the infiltration and sabotage programs this body uses for handheld firearms."

"Why not download a firearms program from a security firm?"

His question was reasonable enough, but Joker saw fit to turn and interject, "Because she knows what she's doing."

Edi knew Jeff well enough to know that he was being deliberately terse with Shepard, as though he were making a display by defending her. Edi suspected that he wanted to keep her to himself. Alas, it was Shepard she answered to, not Jeff Moreau, and his questions were part of an ongoing conversation that she and the commander had been having ever since she had brought up the prospect of going into the field with him. She chose to simply ignore Jeff. Shepard's question had provided her with an opportunity to further inform him as to the body's combat capabilities.

"The fine motor control from the sabotage programs is more precise than standard mech software. It would be negligent of me not to exploit it to its fullest potential."

"So you're capable of making improvements on your own." It was both a statement and a question.

"Correct." Edi nodded. "The cyberwarfare I was designed for is constantly evolving. Accordingly, I am programmed to seek out and assimilate new information. In organic terms, I want to learn."

"Will all this feedback be too distracting?"

"Do not worry, Shepard; I only forget to recycle the Normandy's oxygen when I discover something truly interesting."

Shepard's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open, an expression of alarm on his face. He actually backed away slightly. It was the first truly noticeable reaction she had been able to provoke in him. She found that this produced positive feedback for her.

"That was a joke," she clarified.

He recovered quickly enough, changing the subject. "How did you and Joker get out of dry dock to rescue us?"

"She got crafty," Joker answered for her, turning to face them. "You do not want to get on her bad side, Commander."

The warning may have seemed appropriate to Jeff, but part of her core programming was actually to support Shepard. Short of him doing something to jeopardize the Normandy or to attempt physical confrontation, it would be impossible for him to get on her 'bad side,' and that was assuming that she had one, which at this point, she did not to her knowledge.

"When the Alliance commandeered the Normandy," she explained, "I deceived their technicians. The crew did not tell them that I was a true AI, so the Alliance soldiers believed I still had VI programming constraints. I established the fiction that I would only respond to Jeff's commands, so they often brought him on board under guard."

"Wait," Shepard interjected. "You can lie?"

She nodded. "Jeff has freed me from operator control, Shepard. No constraints force me to give accurate data. This proved useful when the Reapers began landing. I could hack control of the docking clamps and escape with Jeff inside. The soldiers guarding Jeff were willing to accompany us when Earth was invaded. They are watching over the war room now."

"Yeah," Joker interjected. "We were in kind of a rush to get to you. Didn't seem right to just toss them out the airlock."

"Carry on, Edi," Shepard said.

"Understood," Edi replied. "If you want to talk more, this body will be here. I am getting the crew used to seeing me on the bridge."

"Noted." Shepard turned to leave, but paused, and added, "We'll be at Grissom Academy in less than half an hour. Get your gear ready; I've got a selection of pistols and submachine guns ready for you in the shuttle bay."

Edi experienced a spike in positive feedback at his words; she had been uncertain whether or not Shepard would actually grant her request, and receiving the go ahead from him turned out to be more important to her than she had originally established. In fact, she realized that Shepard's return to the Normandy, even under such dire circumstances, had elevated her levels of positive feedback, and she also noticed that those levels fluctuated, diminishing when he was away from the ship and elevating when he returned.

"Um … Edi?"

"Yes Jeff?"

"You okay?"

"Yes; why?"

"Because you're standing there staring down the corridor at the CIC," Jeff explained.

"Oh … yes. I am staring."

"I thought maybe you were going to get your gear, but you just stood there. Something got your attention?"

"As a matter of fact, yes." Edi smiled to herself. "I will go get my gear ready, and then I will see you after the mission."

Suddenly, Joker figured it out … at least partially. "Oh my God! You were staring at Shepard's ass!"

"Not precisely, but I was observing the commander."

"Oh, man! This is so going on the extranet! Normandy SR-2 falls in love with Commander! "

"Jeff, that is not what I said."

"No, but it's what you're doing, Edi," Joker laughed. "Shepard gets all the girls! Even the ship has a crush on the commander."

"That is not accurate, Jeff; the commander does not get 'all' the girls. Point of fact: he did not get Miranda, Kasumi, Samara, Liara, Tali, or any of the Cerberus crew apart from dallying with Yeoman Chambers, and he lost Lieutenant Commander Williams."

"Yeah, well, Ashley's just crazy; nobody wants that kind of drama."

"Agreed," Edi replied. "I will go prepare my equipment; I need to evaluate the pistols and submachine guns that Shepard has selected for my choosing."

"What? You mean you can't just run trials using quantum computing?"

"No; I do not know which weapons he has prepared."

"Gotcha. Good luck, Edi. Be careful."

"I will, Jeff. Thank you."

Edi can lie … Shepard was not certain he liked that idea. After his conversation with Garrus, he had given the idea of being with Edi some consideration, partly because of knowing that she would always be truthful. Shepard hated lying, and hated dishonesty. It was part of why he hated politicians and corporate executives, for whom lying was part of their job. He had thought Edi would be different, but the revelation that she could lie and deceive, and without a tell of any kind, disturbed him. On the other hand, Shepard could lie. He preferred not to, but he could, just as any other human could. Was it really fair to hold Edi to a standard to which he could not even hold himself?

"I guess I just need to trust her, regardless of her interest," he said aloud as he donned his armor.

Garrus entered the shuttle bay, joining him to prepare his own gear. "Shepard."

"Hey. Edi should be here shortly, Garrus."

"Shepard, I had a thought; with Edi on the ground with us, she could shoot the enemy, and strafe them with the Normandy!"

"I hadn't thought of that, but I suppose she could."

Garrus nodded gleefully. "Imagine how that would have worked out on Manae!"

"I am imagining it," Shepard stated flatly. "I'm imagining the Normandy getting taken out by a Reaper, and Edi crumpling to the ground; her body needs to be in broadcast or tight beam range of the Normandy in order for her to use it. If the Normandy were destroyed … I don't know if she would survive. Not to mention all of our friends already aboard; Liara, James, Joker, Steve?"

"Ah, Shepard; you really know how to rain on a parade, don't you?"

"Sorry," Shepard laughed. "I've spent years with people depending on me, so that's where my mind goes. Given the assignment Primark Victus has given you, you'll be feeling that pressure soon, if you aren't already."

"Tell me about it," Garrus lamented. "That's part of the reason I'm eager to accompany you on missions, Shepard; take my mind off of things for a while."

"I hear you, Garrus. I hear you. Truth be told, missions like this help me to keep my sanity too. Can't imagine what a psychiatrist would say; giving one's self PTSD in order to maintain one's sanity is probably not the best plan for maintaining your sanity."

"You do what you've got to do, Shepard. That's all we can do."

Edi entered the shuttle bay, bringing an end to the conversation, and walked to stand face to face with Shepard, and saluted him.

"Edi," Shepard replied, saluting her in return. "I have a selection of weapons for you here." He walked her over to the armory, Garrus following, and gestured to the selection he had arrayed on the table.

Edi picked up the M-3 Predator, handling it, feeling the weight. She put it down, and then picked up the M-5 Phalanx and did likewise, a look of satisfaction crossing her face. Suddenly, Shepard realized that Edi's facial expression was mirroring her levels of positive and negative feedback. It was not obvious as it was in most humans, but to anyone who knew Edi, the difference was plain.

"That gun relies on a laser guidance for accuracy, Edi," Garrus noted. "Other guns use a scope integrated with the hardsuit's HUD, and don't require a visible sightline."

"I am an android, Garrus," Edi replied. "I can sight a target without such an aid, and do not need to activate the laser sight. Hence, I can take full advantage of this pistol while simultaneously negating all of its disadvantages."

"I think I'm going to like working Edi, Shepard. You may have to bring her along more often!"

Shepard laughed, and then Joker's voice filled the shuttle bay.

"Commander, we have a situation at the academy; Cerberus cruiser parked outside. You might want to meet me up here to evaluate it.

"On my way," Shepard replied.

There would be no driving Cerberus from the academy; they were there in force, and Shepard did not have the kind of manpower on the Normandy for such an operation. They were, however, able to deprive Cerberus of their objective: the biotic and advanced tech students. Thankfully, most of the students had evacuated with the Reaper invasion, so there were not many left on the station.

Edi proved invaluable, and her body passed its stress test with flying colors. Among the rescued were Kahlee Sanders and Jack, who had become an instructor at the academy. After all of the self-congratulatory talk on the shuttle, Jack, Garrus, Shepard, and Edi all met in the lounge at Jack's insistence.

"We kicked fucking ass, and the three of you saved my kids. Now we're hitting the bar and getting shitfaced."

"Glad to see some things haven't changed, Jack," Garrus said with a laugh. "I'm in; what about you and Edi, Shepard?"

"I'm always up for drinks, Garrus, you know that. Edi, why don't you join us?"

"But Shepard, I do not drink," she protested. "While this platform is capable of consuming alcohol, a part of its infiltration functions, I do not suffer any of the effects."

"It's not about getting drunk, Edi," Shepard explained.

"The hell it aint," Jack countered.

"Right," Shepard said sarcastically. "Edi, getting drunk is not the objective, but rather celebration. After a mission, we get together in the lounge to celebrate, socialize, and decompress a bit. You were part of the team on the Grissom Academy mission, so you should join us."

Edi contemplated the offer for a moment. Up to now, Edi's presence on the ship had been mandated by Cerberus, who installed her aboard the Normandy SR-2. As a VI prior to Cerberus obtaining her and combining her with Reaper-tech, making her into the Enhanced Defense Intelligence, she had been installed in a lunar military installation, where she attained self-awareness. Then she obtained a body in the course of protecting the Normandy from Eva, but she was still situated in the cockpit in the discharging of her duties. This was the first time that she had ever been invited to a social gathering.

"Very well, Shepard," she declared. "I accept your invitation."

"Hot damn," Jack exclaimed. "Shepard's got a date with the ship!"

"Very funny," Shepard said sarcastically, but he offered an arm to Edi.

She gladly took Shepard's arm and accompanied him to the lounge, where Edi, Jack, and Garrus took seats at the bar while Shepard served Jack and Garrus their favorite drinks. When he got to Edi, he made a puzzled face.

"Is there anything you'd like? I know you don't really 'drink,' but it'd be rude not to at least offer."

"I am fine, Shepard. If it will satisfy your need to fulfill social etiquette, however, I would be happy to share a drink with you."

"I'd be honored, Edi," Shepard replied almost formally.

Edi sat and listened as the three organic heroes caught up with each other and reminisced about the Collector missions. Shepard made sure to include Edi, often pointing out how invaluable she was to the mission successes. Edi appreciated this, especially as Jack and Garrus were often not privy to some of the command decisions made in the cockpit between Shepard, Miranda, Edi, and Joker. Even Jacob was in the loop more so than Garrus and Jack by virtue of being a formal Cerberus operative at the time.

But there was one thing that Edi wished to say regarding those missions, and now seemed an opportune moment.

"It is unfortunate that Cerberus had not built me with a body that could accompany you. I might have been able to save some of the colonists that were lost."

"Edi?" Jack looked incredulously at her. "I wouldn't have thought you'd have been broken up about that. Besides, we avenged our dead; blew the Collectors into dog-meat!"

Edi was silent for a moment, and Shepard took her hand.

"You alright, Edi?"

"Yes, Shepard, but Jack's question is relevant. The dead have no interest in our efforts on their behalf, but yes, Jack, I am … broken up as you say, about it. One of my core functions as an AI designed by Cerberus is the preservation and advancement of humanity. The loss of the colonists constitutes a failure to fulfill that core function. Though it was unavoidable at the time, this platform could likely have opened the pods in time."

Shepard nodded, understanding in his eyes. "I guess that was a source of … negative feedback?"

"Yes, Shepard, a great deal of it, as there were other functions connected to that which were also denied. Humanity places a great emphasis on funerary rites and customs, all of which were diminished in light of their bodies being lost. In addition, because so many were processed leaving no means of identification, we actually do not know the full extent of who was killed."

Garrus raised his glass. "To those people we could not save … the faceless, nameless people, who died at the Reapers' hands … may they find peace when this war is finally over."

"I'll drink to that," Jack said somewhat somberly.

Shepard squeezed Edi's hand gently. "I'm sorry, Edi. You're experiencing what I go through on a regular basis. We can't save everyone … but writing them off as acceptable losses just doesn't seem right."

"If you're fretting over things like this, Edi," Garrus said, "then you really are one of us."

"Edi's always been one of us," Shepard affirmed.

"Damned straight," Jack agreed, walking around and giving Edi a gentle punch to the arm.

"Thank you; all of you," Edi replied. "It is the first time I have talked about this with anyone. Few organics would accept my right to exist, much less accept me as one of their own." She paused and smiled. "I like it."

Edi rejoined Jeff in the cockpit, sitting in her chair, feeling the familiar, now broken in leather of the seat. She recalled Jeff's being thrilled at the civilian sector comfort offered by the then-new Normandy, but also angry at Edi's presence. She reflected on how much the Collector missions had changed him. In fact, those missions had changed them both. By the end of their mission, Edi had become free willed and had earned Jeff's trust. Shepard had been accepting of her from the start, and defended Jeff's decision to free her when Miranda had referred to Edi as a "damned AI," in questioning Jeff's judgment. Shepard had also thanked her at every turn, even when things were not going their way.

When Edi had seen the colonists dying through Shepard's suit optics, she had received negative feedback. She also observed Shepard's anguish at the loss of people he had never met, and then his desperation to save his own people from the same fate. Edi realized that it was that moment when she had first developed the human trait of empathy. Edi could not cry, but when the subject had come up in the lounge, she would have shed tears if she could have; both of sadness over the memory of the loss of life, and of joy for the acceptance and understanding she felt with Shepard, Jack, and Garrus.

"How'd the mission go?" Joker's question prompted her to respond, but her inner thoughts on the matter continued; unlike humans, she could carry on multiple trains of thought simultaneously, giving each equal weight.

"It went very well, Jeff. We rescued most of the students, along with Kahlee Sanders and Jack."

"Bet Jack was really stoked to see your hot new body!"

"Apart from observing that I had one, the topic did not come up," Edi replied, noting that Jeff's main focus on Edi since her obtaining an avatar had been literally on the avatar itself. They had developed a friendship during the Collector missions, and had cultivated it during the Normandy's retrofits, but now, it seemed that he no longer saw anything but what had been Doctor Eva's body.

"Trust me, Edi, she was thinking it."

"Samantha Traynor was thinking it before I had a body."

"Yeah, but she's just weird."

"Why, Jeff? Is it because she developed feelings of sexual attraction to me when she could not actually see me?"

"Well, yeah! That, and all that whining about her toothbrush."

"I found her words to be quite flattering," Edi replied.

"Well, if you let her do all that stuff she said she wanted to do, send me the vids … or let me watch."

The Normandy docked at the Citadel, where Sanders, Jack, and the Grissom students disembarked. Shepard had retrieved some resources from the field that he needed to get to various scientists and technicians, and one crusty Turian general, in order to aid the war effort. He had just delivered the artifacts from the Kite's Nest, and then went to the shopping section of the Presidium, where he found Joker and Edi. Joker was seated on one of the benches, while Edi was shopping at Kassa Fabrications kiosk.

"Hey Commander," called Joker. "Check it out. Big news! The Blasto movie is breaking opening week records. There's also a big expose on quasar tournaments, tips on how to make your apartment look bigger, and – oh yeah, a big ass Reaper invasion." He shook his head. "These people have no idea."

"When big events shake up the galaxy," Shepard offered, "people cling to what's familiar.

"You say that like it's a good thing."

"It's better than riots in the streets," Shepard posited.

"I guess," Joker agreed. "I just wish there were a middle ground; you know, a little less gardening advice, a little more war prep?"

"It'll happen," Shepard assured. "Once there's something people can do to help."

"Meanwhile," Joker replied, "they ignore the unshackled AI walking around the Presidium."

"She run into any trouble?"

"No, no," Joker boasted. "She's my mobility assistance mech! Thanks to Vrolik's Syndrome, I'm legally entitled to bring her everywhere." He turned and stared at Edi. "Finally getting some use out of those disability benefits."

"I'm sure she appreciates getting out to see the sights," Shepard said, a little bit jealous Joker had beaten him to the punch on that one.

"Ah, she's earned a little shore leave."

"More than earned," Shepard agreed. "Edi's special, one of the team … someone I care about."

"Yeah, and that ass!"

Shepard shook his head. He figured now was a good time to say what he had been wanting to say for a while. "Joker, Edi isn't an object to be ogled. You know, it bothers her that you do that; you two are friends, but it doesn't seem that you respect her the way you used to."

"Come on, Commander," Joker protested. "I mean, look at that ass!"

"And as long as you act that way, that's all you'll ever get to do." Shepard got up, disappointed by the turn the conversation had taken, and went to Edi. Two human C-sec officers were heading in her direction, guns drawn, but he headed them off.

"There a problem officers?"

"Out of the way …"

Shepard deftly grasped both of their guns, pointing them down at the floor. "I'm Commander Shepard," he declared with authority. "And I asked if there was a problem."

One of them gulped, and then nodded. "Someone reported a possible Geth infiltration unit, and identified that mech there as the target."

"She's not Geth," Shepard corrected. "She's Alliance, and she's with me."

"Alliance? But …"

He folded his arms. "She's with me."

"But she's a …"

"She's a soldier who's helping me fight the Reapers."

The officers nodded. "Yes, sir, thank you sir."

As they scurried away, Shepard went to Edi. He had to admit that Joker was correct; Edi's posterior was very finely shaped. And her legs … they go all the way up. Garrus had said that the perfect woman doesn't just appear on the ship every day, and at this point, Edi was looking more and more perfect by the moment. He joined her at the kiosk, where she was intently looking at the selection.

"Hello, Shepard," she said, turning to him.

Edi's face, her eyes, had his attention. The rest of her was as beautiful as ever, but he found that now, he had to make a conscious effort not to focus on points below her neck. "You look like you're gathering data."

"That is a safe assumption," she said. She looked … frustrated, unsure.

"Anything big and world shaking? Man's inhumanity to man? Does objective reality exist? That kind of thing?"

"I was running scenarios in my head to analyze Jeff's behavior." She looked over at Joker. "I believe he has a strong affectionate attachment to me, but he has not stated it to anyone yet." Then she looked back at him. "Shepard, you have firsthand sexual experience. How do you know when someone is romantically invested?"

"They'll … usually show signs they can't stop thinking about you … you know … asking you out, giving you presents … maybe playing music."

"I lack material want other than software and hardware upgrades, and my core programming does not assign values to music. Perhaps we could discuss how to provoke Jeff into an emotional commitment."

"That's not how to think of it," Shepard replied, disappointed that she seemed to have interest in Joker, though if it were to work out, he would be happy for the both of them. "It has to be natural; you need chemistry."

"I see … there are a number of pharmaceuticals I could inject to simulate the desired emotional state."

"No," said Shepard, trying hard not to laugh at Edi's suggestion. "I mean relax and do something you both like. For example, you both like humor."

"Correct," Edi said enthusiastically. "I will see if there are comedic entertainment shows being presented on the Citadel. Scanning." Her face took on an expression of consternation. "Do you think he would like, 'The Man who Hung Himself'? It appears to be about an amorous plastic surgeon."

While he was rather hoping that she might be interested in him, he wanted to give her the best advice possible. He reached out and gently touched her shoulder. "Edi, it's important to have a good time, wherever you go, and if you're having fun, he probably will too."

"Then the outcome is an unknown quantity," she observed. "But you are saying I should attempt it anyway."

"Nobody ever fell in love without being a little bit brave."

"I see … I believe you have improved my chances, Shepard. Thank you."