Author's Note:Hello all, Happy Thanksgiving! THere is much to be thankful for today, and I am thankful for all of you, my readers.

so to show my gratitude I have a double dose of chapters for you today.

Thank you and enjoy!

As always, R&R please!


At the top of the stairs, Shepard has to grab the corner of the wall, leaning against it briefly as a wave of exhaustion washes over here, robbing her balance.

"Shepard?" Miranda asks, concerned as she comes over. She starts to help Shepard stand up before Shepard brushes her off.

"I'm fine. Just tired." Shepard pushes off the wall, standing straight again. "We're going to Freedom's Progress tomorrow morning. Is there somewhere I can kip for the night?"

"Yes, we've got a few vacant rooms in crew quarters. You can use one." Miranda leads Shepard down a corridor to a set of rooms, she opens the door to one, indicating inside. "I want to run a full physical in the morning before we leave for the colony. I need to be sure you're in fighting shape."

"I'm hale enough. I'll be fine for some rest." Shepard steps into the small room, looking over the rack and feeling the tug of sleep.

"We'll see tomorrow." Miranda says, "Sleep good, Shepard." The door closes, leaving Shepard alone in the room.

On her own since first awakening Shepard goes first to the small head off the room and examines her face in the mirror. Still at awe over the small red lines. She gingerly touches at them, feeling faint stings, like they were small scratches. She looks into her eyes in the mirror, still unnerved by the dim red pupils glowing there.

She shakes her head stepping away from the mirror, too tired to worry over her reflection. She splashes water over her face, lightly scrubbing away small spots of blood, doubtlessly Wilson's from when Miranda shot him. Looking down at the scrubs she's wearing she sees them streaked and splattered with blood, and oil and grease from the mechs. She sighs, unwilling to sleep this way.

Looking in the locker by the bed she finds a pair of plain back yoga pants a black tank, neither have the cerberus logo on them. She's glad of that, wanting as little to do with them as possible. She changes into them and lays down on the bed, sighing softly as she tries to relax enough to sleep. Now that she has a moment to herself her mind wants to think on all that's happened. Dead? That just seems too far fetched, even for modern medicine. But how did she die? Spaced wouldn't explain them having to 'reconstruct' her.

What happened to her team for that matter? They all survived, but where are they now? Where's Liara? She has to let her know she's back, that she's ok. She just doesn't know how to. What do you say to someone after being gone for two years? For that matter, does Liara still love her?

The questions continue to spiral around in her head, leaving her a long restless night. Dreams of the attack haunt the few hours of sleep she manages. All just flashes of memory. None of it showing what happened on the bridge. She knows something happened, something important, but she can't place what it was.

The morning sees Shepard awake and less than rested. She growls as Miranda comes through the door at oh six hundred. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?"

"Good morning to you too." She says. She lays out a under armor suit and a cerberus uniform.

"You can take the uniform back. I'll keep what I've got and that suit. Please tell me the armor doesn't have your symbol on it?"

She sighs before responding, "Yes, it's just a basic set of armor. We don't have anything better for you on this station. What is it with you and us?"

"I don't trust you. And the last thing I want is to be seen wearing your symbol and be associated with your organization." Shepard gets up from the bed, stretching. "Can we get this physical of yours out of the way. We need to get to that colony as soon as possible."

"Of course, that is our priority. But I need to make sure you're in fighting shape."

"Fine." Shepard sighs out, "What do you need to do?"

Miranda proceeds to give Shepard a full physical examination. Listening to her heart and lungs, having her stretch and move certain groups of muscles, and having her perform basic military exercises. The exertion leaves her momentarily short of breath, but it quickly passes.

"There." She says, grabbing up the under suit. "Satisfied?"

"For now. I'll need to monitor you closely on mission. Just in case anything goes wrong."

"Just in case I wreck all your hard work?" Shepard says mockingly as she goes to the head to change, not seeing the glare of exasperation Miranda throws her way.

Miranda leads her back to the docking section, showing her a set of armor she's set out on a portable work bench as well as a selection of pistols and an assault rifle. She quickly suites up and picks up a heavy pistol, machine pistol, and the rifle. Strapping them on and looking toward the shuttles, seeing Jacob similarly armed and armored. Miranda has on lighter armor and a simple light pistol strapped to her thigh.

"My biotics are more than enough." She says, answering Shepard's unasked question.

"If you say so." Shepard steps up into one of the shuttles, "Come on then. Let's go."

Miranda and Jacob follow her onto into the shuttle, Miranda takes a seat across from Shepard as Jacob moves up to the pilot seat again. Shepard spends the short trip looking out the view port, lost in thoughts as she wonders again on what's happened to her. Questions plague her thoughts, ones she doesn't have the answers to.

Landing at the colony Shepard looks it over as they settle down. "It's deserted, like everyone has just vanished. I see no signs of a fight or resistance."

"They've all been this way." Miranda says as she disembarks the shuttle in front of Shepard. "All of them have shown no signs of a struggle."

"It's like they've all just gone into thin air." Jacob says quietly as they step into the the first building of the colony. The whole colony is a young one, all of the buildings are prefab pods strung together.

"Let's go, there has to be answers here somewhere." Shepard looks at the leavings of a meal in the next pod. A family meal, half untouched and left out to the flies, the only sign of life. The living space is immaculate. Looking as if the family was just here, nothing is disturbed or scattered about in a panic.

Coming out of the building the walk straight into an ambush of three mech drones and two FENRIS mech dogs that go on the attack.

Shepard immediately pulls up her left arm and swears. "Damnit Miranda, I need an omnitool. I can't do my full job without one." Shepard drops her arm, drawing out her pistol and taking aim on the mech dogs. She leaves the drones to the two biotics as she focuses her fire on the scopes and eyes.

"We'll get you one after this mission." Miranda says as she takes cover beside Shepard behind a crate. "Surely you can manage without." she doesn't pose it as a question.

Shepard just growls in exasperation. "Only a non-techie would say that." She takes down her two mechs and looks around her cover, up the flight of stairs, to see Jacob throw the final two mechs together with a biotic slam. They explode and crash to the ground.

"All clear." he calls out as he steps over the remnants of one of the dogs and makes his way up the stairs.

Shepard grabs spare thermal clips before following Jacob. Coming to the door she palms it open and steps in, only to come up short at the sight of four quarians sitting around a table as they talk. All four turn at the sound of the door opening.

One catches Shepard's eye and has her stunned. "Tali?"