Chapter 3:

"Approaching Omega 4 relay. Everyone stand by." She heard Joker say over the comm as she made her way past the CIC.

"Let's make it happen!" Miranda could tell just from the way Shepard said it that Collectors had no clue what was about to hit them. He was ready. He was confident. He planned to live and surely everyone else did too.

Maybe I should have made him promise more. She let out a little smile but quickly shook it off…Time to steal your Miranda, you have to be at your best. She continued to make her way to the cockpit as EDI kept them up to date. "Reaper IFF activated, signaled acknowledged."

The ship shook as they made connection with the Relay, forcing her to slow her movements and pushed herself forward. Then she heard EDI again, "Drive core electrical charge at critical levels." Joker worked fast to fix the issue, "Rerouting!"

"Brace for deceleration!" I swear if I didn't know better EDI sounded worried. She finally had made it to the cockpit but put her back to the wall to brace herself. As things came into view Joker went to work as quickly as possible before the Normandy run head- on with debris. She saw Shepard grab onto the back of Joker's chair for support as Joker pulled the ship strait up to it out of harm's way.

The next thing she knew she was able to pull herself off the wall as the Normandy leveled off. They had made it through the relay and she heard Joker speak "These must be all the ships that tried to make it through the Omega 4 relay. Some look….ancient!" She moved up to stand behind Shepard looking out the window at all the wrecks.

"I have detected an energy signature near the edge of the accretion disk" Both Miranda and Shepard looked out the window trying to see what EDI was speaking of. "That must be the Collector base. Take us in for a closer look, nice and easy." It was still off in the distance and neither of them could tell for sure, but what else could it be.


Everyone has to be on their game; glad Joker got that memo, Shepard thought he had to focus on something as right now nothing was under his control. He just had to trust Joker and EDI to get them there so the rest of the team could do their jobs.

"Careful Jeff, we have company." Shepard turned his head endeavoring to get a view at what EDI could have been talking about. "Take evasive maneuvers!" Joker went to work trying to avoid these beams; none of them knew what was making them.

The ship twisted and turned trying to avoid taking to many hits…. That-a-boy, Joker. "They're just pissing me off," Joker said as he hit the weapon system taking two of the Oculus out. The ship then took its first hit. It was a big one causing the ship to rock. Can't take too many of those!

"As long as the new plating holds" He could hear it in her voice….She's not sure it will if we take too many more hits like that. It surprised him that Miranda would let any insecurity slip in her voice in front of Joker, but when he looked down at him he knew Joker was too focused to even hear it.

Shepard reached his hand back taking a hold of Miranda's hands. Miranda grabbed onto his hand for dear life…I know she hates this as much as I. Everything's out of our hands until we reach the base.

"Another round, let's give it to them." Joker moved up in his chair growing more confident in himself and EDI. The Normandy took another hard hit causing the ship to rock again but otherwise unharmed. Remind me later to thank Jacob for getting his hands on this plating.

Joker took the ship into a hard turn to avoiding more shots from the many Oculus behind him. The Normandy was faster than they, putting some distance between them, when one of the Oculus turned off from the rest on an interception course with the Normandy. The ship shook and Shepard was sure they took a hit the armor didn't stop, EDI's words told him his thoughts were kind of right. "Alert, hurl breach on engineering deck."

He let go of Miranda's hand and moved up beside Joker. Joker spoke up after looking at the image of the Normandy EDI had put up to alert them. "It's in the cargo hold." Shepard nodded his agreement. Guess in a way I get my wish, sick of this inaction. "I'll take a team and deal with the intruder. Keep the rest of them off our tail." He turned to go, looked at Miranda as he did. He had to stop himself from smiling as he looked in her eyes. She badly wants to go as much as I do. Sorry one of us has to stay here and I spoke up first.

He shook his head as he passed her. He realized that Miranda knew that they both couldn't leave the cockpit. He made his way to the elevator and called out to Mordin to join him as he went. Once Mordin had joined him they made their way to the engineering deck. As they both got off the elevator Shepard yelled out to Grunt, "Something to kill Grunt"

He never had seen Grunt move so fast! He was next to them almost faster than the words that just left his lips. The three entered the cargo hold looking for the intruder. It came into view as it burst through one of the holes it made before they got there. The moment Shepard saw it he pulled his M-76 Revenant off his back and unloaded a chip into it.

Mordin jumped behind one of the air vents for cover, "Shepard, heavy weapons are needed to take it out!" Listening to Mordin's advice Shepard put aside his machine gun and took out the grenade launcher and took aim.

"Heavy weapons take half the fun out of the fight." Shepard smiled but otherwise ignored Grunts words as he unloaded a few grenade rounds into the Oculus.

The Oculus put its full focus on Shepard as he was doing the most damage to it. This gave Grunt a chance to get close to it without it seeing him. Once he was directly below the Oculus he pulled out his Claymore shotgun and let loose four shots before he jumped to safety.

Mordin keep moving between cover, letting loose pot-shots here and there and using his omni-tool to set fires to the armor of the Oculus.

Shepard hit in with another grenade which made the Oculus pull back and call off its attack as it took a sharp turn making another hole in the Normandy. It will be back, they always come back.

"We're sitting ducks out here. I have to try to lose them in the debris field." Joker's voice rang over the radio piece in Shepard's ear. He made his way to the center of the cargo hold calling both Grunt and Mordin to follow side so they could all brace themselves for any evasive maneuvers Joker would have to make.