Don't accept that what's happening
Is just a case of others' suffering
Or you'll find that you're joining in
The turning away"
It's a sin that somehow
Light is changing to shadow
And casting it's shroud
Over all we have known
(On the Turning Away, Pink Floyd)

December 1, 2184

Mid Content I have yet to write...

December 2, 2184

Izaias Shepard and Jeff Moreau sat in the fore cab section of the SR-71 as it exited the Mass Relay of a remote star cluster simply labelled 'XC-751'.

The shutters over the Normandy's main viewports pulled back, revealing a barely-visible collection of ships, the infamous Migrant Fleet.

"Jeff, please reduce speed to 20%."

Izaias turned back to the main CIC.

"Would someone back there hail the fleet and route the comm through Jeff's channel?!"

"Yes, commander!"

"Much appreciated!"

Jeff held a hand to his headset.

"I got static."

"Mind putting it on the local speaker system?"

Jeff pressed a switch, the speakers putting out a barely discernible static.

After a moment, a voice, with a distinct, if heavy, Quarian accent, rang out.

"Along tides of light and through shoals of dust..."

My ship went bust?

Izaias and Jeff shared a glance.

Jeff shrugged.

Izaias shrugged back.

Jeff put his hand over his mic.

"I didn't realize this was drama club."

"Do you have any idea what the heck he wants? And, could you cut engne power?"

Jeff eased the throttle back.

"I think he wants the rest of the...poem thingy."

"You wouldn't happen to know that one?"

"No, more of an 'obsolete movie' guy."

Give me the mic.

Joker handed the headset over.

"I am Izaias Shepard, commanding officer of the SR dash seven one, carrying wounded from miss Tali Zorah Vas Neema Nar Rayya's expedition on Freedom's progress to the fleet. If I were of hostile intent, I would have approached at flanking speed with my guns deployed and stealth systems engaged, not at a snail's pace hailing you. May I please dock to one of any of your ships and offload your wounded. I am hesitant to load them on to a shuttle, as several of them are still in a...fragile state."

"Please answer or leave, Cerberus vessel."

"Can I speak to your manager?"

There was a long silence.

Izaias and Jeff looked at each-other quizzically.

Jeff grinned.

"Maybe we should do that more often. Need a breather? Just ask for the manager."

Izaias shook his head, smirking.

"This whole situation is ridiculous. I mean, who uses a passphrase outside of grade school?

Izaias mumbled this more to himself than to Jeff.

Now that I think about it, I'm actually surprised I didn't hear about this from Tali before.

There was a faint rustle on the line. Izaias and Jeff stared at the headset like the new person in the room.

"I am Avram'Moreh Vas Qwib Quib. Greetings captain Shepard. May I ask why a Cerberus vessel is carrying Quarians."

"I'm an old friend of Tali's. She trusts me to keep her people safe. I am commanding a Cerberus vessel because of temporary employment with said group, and am investigating the abductions of colonists and disappearance of colonies at the hands of the 'Collectors'."

"...Oh."

"...So, Avram'Moreh, may I drop off the injured members of Tali's team?"

"Yes, please stay where you are. The Alerei will be breaking away from the fleet, and verifying your claims. Goodbye commander Shepard, and welcome to the Migrant fleet. I apologize for your...ungracious first contact."

"Thank you, sir...and goodbye."

Izaias turned to Jeff.

"I can see why they made him manager."

Jeff raised his eyebrows, reclining his chair and resting his feet on the center console.

"Yeah...oooooh...needed that. How long do you think it'll take?"

"Judging by that tiny dot breaking away from all those other tiny dots, pretty long..." Izaias pointed to a small speck of a ship on the viewport. "...I'm gonna go get an early lunch..." He snapped his fingers. "...oh, and mute EDI. Can't have her talking with Quarians aboard. They fear AI's more than germs."

Jeff held up a thumb.

"Don't need to tell me twice."

He lazily pressed a button, shifting his hat over his eyes.

Mid content I have yet to write...

Izaias, sitting at his desk, was struck by a sudden idea.

Subject: Technical Advice

To: Scopedanddropped csecnetworkmail

Can you come upstairs? I have a new idea. I don't want it overheard.

Subject: Technical Advice

To: Scopedanddropped csecnetworkmail

Yeah, I'll finish calibrations in a minute, and start looking for stairs.

I sincerely hope that was sarcasm.

The door opened in several minutes.

"You couldn't stand an evening without me Shepard?"

Izaias, paused in his chair, frozen.

"Sorry. Went too far on that one."

"No problem."

"So, why all the secrecy?"

Garrus seated himself on the sofa, resting his feet on the table, Izaias turning to face him.

"Comfy enough?"

The Turian played along.

"...Vodka wouldn't hurt."

Izaias grinned.

"...and I take it you want that shaken, not stirred?"

Garrus stared confusedly on.

"Nevermind. I...was thinking..."

"You said that."

Izaias continued, unabated.

"...what if I gave the Quarians access to the Cerberus network?"

"Why? I hope it goes beyond annoying the Illusive Man."

"Data theft. I would like to know exactly what's going on."

Garrus chuckled grimly.

"...Devious, but, as I said, Cerberus wouldn't take that too kindly...and they'd probably find out."

"...Tali's dad...Rael is even more of a software expert than his daughter. I was trying to think of a way to 'clone' my access point to the Cerberus network."

"This isn't an attempt to earn his good graces because he's Tali's dad?"

"No."

"In that case...what exactly was your plan?"

"I'd take my PC out in a suitcase after I'm sure Miranda's distracted elsewhere and EDI's and Zaeed's camera feeds are disrupted. If this access works, long-term, I'd hope to get the Quarians to send whatever data they find."

"You expect me to do the distracting and disrupting, don't you?"

"The technical bit, yes. The distracting bit, I was going to ask your advice about."

"What's a standard activity that puts Miranda out of the 'playing field', so to speak?"

"Let's just go with the obvious. Do it when she's asleep. We're docked. I'll alter the schedule, get someone I trust on CIC security duty that night. Garrus, can you go into EDI's room, and flip the 'kill' switch? Code's ''827-63362'..."

Garrus cocked his head slightly.

"What's the code again?"

He readied his OmniTool.

"Eight two seven dash six three three six two. On old displays, with letter series attached to the numbers, it spells 'VAS-NEEMA'."

Garrus, after clicking away on his device, looked at him oddly. I could swear he's grinning.

"Your ship kill code is Tali's last name?"

"Yeah. I know it's sappy. ...As for Zaeed's cams, can you just nondescriptly let him know I'd appreciate it if his cameras experience a 'error' that renders tonight's footage unusable."

"...and you can't do it because..."

"...I suck at covert subterfuge."

"Right, the subtlety of a Krogan."

"You can be so encouraging. ...Anyways, I'll tweak the roster if you can go talk to Zaeed. When it's midnight, give EDI a 'nap'."

Garrus eased himself from his seat.

"Got it."

He paused at the door.

''Never a dull moment with you, Shepard."

Izaias, accessing the duty roster already, didn't turn from the screen.

"Thanks for this. ...And you thrive on the unpredictability."

"Never said I didn't enjoy it."

The door sealed behind the Turian.

End Content I have yet to write...