Under New Ownership

The elevator door opened and Shepard walked out onto the docking platform. She spotted Udina and Captain Anderson immediately.

"I've got big news for you, Shepard," Udina said. "Captain Anderson is stepping down as Commanding Officer of the Normandy. The ship is yours now." While Udina was speaking, Shepard locked his eyes with Anderson who folded his arms, almost uncomfortably.

"She's quick and quiet and you know the crew," Anderson said. "A perfect ship for a Spectre. Treat her well, Commander." Shepard didn't say anything for a moment.

"I want the truth," Shepard finally said. "Why are you stepping down, sir?"

"You needed your own ship," Anderson answered. "A Spectre can't answer to anyone but the Council. And it's time for me to step down." Shepard looked at him for a moment.

"Saren's gone. Don't even try to find him," Anderson said. "But we know what he's after: the Conduit. He's got his Geth scouring the Traverse looking for clues."

"We've had reports of Geth in the Feros system shortly before our colony there dropped out of contact and there have been sightings around Noveria," Udina told him.

"Find out what Saren was after on Feros and Noveria," Anderson said. "Maybe you can find the Conduit before he does." Shepard sighed.

"The Reapers are the real threat," Shepard said.

"I'm with the Council on this one, Shepard," Udina told him. "I'm not sure they even exist." Shepard glanced over at him, giving a certain look that said 'I don't care what you think.'

"But if they do exist," Anderson said. "The Conduit's the key to bringing them back. Stop Saren from getting the Conduit and we stop the Reapers from returning."

"I promised him my knife would be going in his eye," Shepard said. "I intend to keep that promise." Anderson nodded while Shepard hid her enthusiastic smile.

"We have one for lead," Udina said. "Matriarch Benezia, the other voice in that recording, she has a daughter, a scientist who specializes in the Protheans. We don't know if she's involved but it might be a good idea to try and find her. See what she knows. Her name is Liara. Dr. Liara T'Soni. We have reports she was exploring a Prothean Ruin on Therum, one of the planets of the Artemis Tau Cluster."

"Looks like I should start there," Shepard said.

"It's your decision, Commander," Anderson said. "You're a Spectre now. You don't answer to us."

"But your actions still reflect humanity as a whole!" Udina told him sternly. "You make a mess and I get stuck cleaning it up."

"Wouldn't want to make your job too difficult now would we, Ambassador?" Shepard joked, and raised her hands defensively. "Relax. I'll try not to make things any harder on you."

"Glad to hear it. Remember, you were a human long before you were a Spectre," Udina told him. "I have a meeting to get to. Captain Anderson can answer any questions you might have." With that he left, leaving Anderson and Shepard to themselves. Shepard looked at him for a moment.

Shepard put down her hand and continued to stare at the hatch, still trying to think of what happened.

She walked into the Normandy, and proceeded towards Captain Anderson's old room, now her room. Changing out of her dress blues, and into Alliance Fatigues, Shepard walked up to the bridge.

"Captain Anderson survives hundreds battles and then gets taken down by backroom politics," Joker spoke up. Shepard looked at him. "Just watch your back, Commander. If things go bad on this mission, you're next on the chopping block."

Shepard approached him and looked out the window. She could see the Captain enter the elevator and leave. She sighed.

"There was nothing you could have done, Commander," Joker assured him. "Sure, the Captain got screwed, but there was nothing you could have done. No one here is blaming you. The entire crew is behind you, one hundred percent. The intercom's open. You want to say a few words?"

Shepard regarded the intercom for a moment, breathed and pressed the button.

"This is Spectre Agent Lieutenant Commander Shepard of Alliance Special Forces speaking," Shepard spoke from her heart, bringing the crew to attention. "We have our orders. Find Saren and bring him to justice. He's a rogue ex-Spectre on the run and he will not go down without a fight. But neither shall we!"

Tali looked up from her belongings to listen to the proud voice on the intercom and she knew she made the right decision when she decided to join Shepard.

"We will not go down without a fight, not because I say so, or because the Council says so, but because we say so! Humanity says so! Every individual in the galaxy says so! They have spoken and we have answered! They want us to prove that we can fight for them all and we shall prove that very thing! We shall prove that humanity is not just another race they can disregard as just another backwater race that needs to be taught a lesson! We shall prove that we won't go down without a fight!"

Kaidan was receiving migraine medicine from Dr. Chakwas, but now listened to his Commanding Officer's booming voice. Dr. Chakwas smiled as she listened as well.

"Saren attacked one of our colonies, but that does not mean that this is a grudge against our race alone! He has declared war on all species, on all races and he will not stop until we are all wiped off the face of the galaxy! So we shall not stop until he and his Geth army are wiped away from this galaxy!"

The crew paid full attention, not because it was their Commanding Officer speaking, but because they wanted to hear this. They wanted to know what they were up against and Shepard was telling them just that.

"Saren is waiting for us! I say we don't let him wait any longer! I say we let him know just how strong we are! I say we let him know just how powerful we are! And before this is over, he will make him wish he hadn't attacked Eden Prime!"

Ashley smiled as she stood beside Wrex. Garrus, and Michael Sykes looked up from modifing the Mako IFV.

Shepard released the button and breathed again, out of breath.

"Well said, Commander," Joker said. "Captain would be proud."

"The Captain's not here now, Joker," Shepard told him. "He gave up everything so I could have this chance. We can't fail! I won't fail!"

"Have the servicemen returned from the academy yet?" Shepard asked Joker.

"Yes, Commander, the returned through the cargo bay while you were talking with Captain Anderson and Udina.

She turned sharply and walked briskly away.

As Shepard walked, she felt an old energy return to her. It was power; the power and drive to destroy whatever crossed her path. Her eyes burned with the fury of this power as she decided where to go. Her eyes continued to burn as the Normandy left the Citadel and made their way to the Artemis Tau Cluster. She examined the codex of the planet Therum.

"Therum is one of the Alliance's rich, industrial worlds due to the high amount of heavy metals found on the planet. Core samples rich with the fossils of simple silicon-based organisms indicate Therum was more habitable in the past than it is at present. As of now, its surface is much more barren and rocky with areas where molten lava has broken through the surface. The colony was founded by the Alliance in 2167 with the capital of Nova Yekaterinburg. It takes around 6.4 Earth Years for Therum to complete one circuit around Knossos, has a radius of around 6,724 kilometers, has 28.3 hour days, has an atmospheric pressure of 0.68 atmosphere, has a surface temperature of around 59 °C, it's gravity is around 1.12 g's and has no satellites orbiting it."

"Where's the largest Prothean dig site?" Shepard asked. Pressly checked his readings.

"Around 50 kilometers due west of Outpost 7B, here," Pressly pressed a button and the area was highlighted in bright green on the holographic image of the planet.

"What's the closest the Mako can get?" Shepard asked.

"Around 3 miles south of it," Pressly replied. "Can't find anything closer, the entire area is covered in lava and mountains, sir."

"Good enough," Shepard said. She glanced over her shoulder. "Get the team ready, Sykes. We leave in ten."

"Listen up," Shepard raised her voice. "We've arrived at planet Therum. Now, according to our information, Dr. Liara T'Soni will be on this planet, doing research on the Prothean Ruins. She is the daughter of Matriarch Benezia, the female voice on that recording Tali found. She may have information of Saren's whereabouts. If not, she'll have information on the Prothean. Maybe then we'll find out what the Conduit is."

"And if she proves hostile?" Wrex asked.

"We need her alive," Shepard told him. "If she is a part of Saren's crew, we need to disarm her and interrogate her."

"Whatever you say, Shepard," Wrex shot back, smiling. Shepard nodded and glanced over at the Mako. She grinned. How she loved it.

"We'll use Makos to get to the ruins," Shepard nodded towards the machines. "Ashley, you'll drive the second Mako, Wrex is your gunner, and Kaidan will keep it moving. Garrus, you'll be Sykes' gunner, and Tali keep it moving. I will perform a halo jump and meet you at the dig site. Everyone clear on what they'll be doing?" Everyone voiced their agreement. "Move out," Shepard ordered.

"Hang on!" Sykes shouted. The SSV Normandy flew through the air and opened the cargo bay doors. As it did, Mike, and Ashley punched the gas and the Mako's roared to life. They shot forward from the garage and began to free-fall.