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Chapter Eleven – Crucible Pulse + Thirty One Days.
Ashley and Miranda both stood at attention in front of Shepard. All three were in Shepard's cabin at her request.
Shepard was sitting down, pouring over a data pad which had possible sinarios on what might happen when she tells Ashley that Miranda is going to be the new executive officer of the Normandy.
Shepard finally looked up at them both. "At ease both of you. I will be today handing out crew assignments since the whole gang in back together. You are both here because of the vacant executive officer position and my decision may cause an issue that I want to resolve here".
"Why would you think that ma'am?" asked Ashley. She was already coming to the conclusion that she was going to be made the executive officer and was guessing that Shepard knew what Miranda's reaction might be.
Ashley didn't know Miranda all that well but knew about her being the executive officer while she was defeating the collectors.
"Because I'm giving the xo's position to Miranda" said Shepard bluntly.
"Excuse me?" asked Ashley, she became a little agitated by what she just heard.
Shepard grunted a bit as she stood up and walked over in front of Ashley. "Ash, can you really see yourself pushing papers, monitoring crew and ship operations, handling duty assignments when you well and truly know that you are a solider. Your skill is in killing not typing". Shepard glanced at Miranda. "No offence".
"None taken ma'am" replied Miranda.
"Will all due respect captain, Miss Lawson is not even part of the Alliance and to top it all off, she is ex-Cerberus" Ashley explained.
"Hell Williams, don't start that crap again. You went on and on like this at the party on the Citadel".
The argument continued for some time with Shepard and Ashley exchanging factual evidence of Miranda's involvement with Cerberus but even with her being here and now Ashley didn't trust her as far as she could throw her.
"Enough!" Shepard finally bellowed out which in fact echoed throughout the room. She when back her desk and pick up one of the very many data pads on her work desk and brought it back to the pair of them.
"To commanding officer SSV Normandy, Captain Jane Shepard. Upon your request with Alliance Command for the complete dismissal of all charges relating to Miss Miranda Lawson's collaboration with Cerberus, she is here by exonerated in full. You have also requested that Miss Miranda Lawson be given a commission with the Human System's Alliance Navy but being able to skip basic training on the bases of her extensive training while with Cerberus. This is also approved. As of the date and time of this message, Miss Miranda Lawson is given the rank of Commander. Along with all the rights and privileges that go along with it. Your request for her to be made executive officer of the SSV Normandy is granted. Sincerely, Admiral Steven Hacket, Alliance Command" said Shepard.
Shepard looked up at Ashley and could tell she was furious with what she had just heard. Both Shepard and Miranda both knew about her strong ties to the Alliance and her complete hatred for Cerberus. In this situation, here and now, even Miranda was proving that she was right for the job. While Ashley wined and complained, Miranda just stood there and waited to be called on by her Captain.
Shepard dismissed Ashley and set her sights on Miranda. She knew she could count on Miranda completely to keep this ship running smoothly at whatever point she may be away.
"Commander Miranda Lawson, you are now executive officer of this ship. Do that voodoo that you do so well" said Shepard smiling.
"Yes ma'am" replied Miranda grinning.
Shepard sat back down at her desk and waved Miranda over, showing her a series of data pads with crew member assignments on it for Miranda to post. It was her job from here on out to make sure that the crew members assigned to these duties followed them to the letter. Miranda would do just that.
"I'll get on these right away. Anything else ma'am?".
"Just a couple. If Ashley gives you any trouble", Shepard handed her one more data pad. "Give her this and tell her to make a choice on whether she wants to be a part of this team or not".
Miranda looked at the title, "Request for immediate transfer". Miranda glanced at Shepard and nodded.
"And I will be off the ship tomorrow. I'll be on the SSV Tai Shan for the second sitting of the United Galactic Council. Don't know how long I'll be but your orders are to meet up the Batarian fleet and the Quarian heavy fleet on the perimeter of the solar system. Get a situation update and collected any reports on activity from them".
Miranda nodded and walk out of her Shepard's quarters. With the crew assignments now firmly in the capable hands of Miranda. She now had to prepare for the big meeting with UGC. The pad she had with his had a list of all the new council member, each member made up of one representative from each species.
A human representative has yet to be appointed but nearly every species now had a councillor. Shepard read down the list.
Human Councillor: Unannounced.
Turain Councillor: Councillor Quemtius.
Asari Councillor: Councillor Irissa,
Salarian Councillor: Councillor Esheel.
Quarian Councillor: Councillor Zaal'Koris.
Volus Councillor: Councillor Din Korlack (Also representing the Hanar and Drell).
Elcor Councillor: Councillor Calyn.
Krogan Councillor: Unannounced.
Batarian Councillor: Councillor Pazness.
Vorcha Councillor: Currently under dispute.
Shepard put the pad down and rub her eye, she had been working for most of the day and was sick of staring at pads all the time. She knew that for the next day or more that she would have to lay diplomat. With there being no Human representative for the council she immediately realised that they all would ask her. No doubt in her mind at all.
"Captain Shepard?" came over the com.
"Yes Miranda, is something wrong?".
"No ma'am. Just wanted to let you know that all duty assignments have been handed out and I have done my first inspection of ship operations".
"Sit-rep?".
"Tali is in the engine room with Adam's, Donnelly and Daniel's. All running smoothly. William's is with Vega and Cortez in the shuttle bay checking weapons and attending to shuttle craft maintenance. Garrus is in the main battery, calibrating of course and the rest are attending to general ship duties as required but since the loss of EDI", Miranda paused and sighed. "We have a lot of computer operated systems that we now have to operate manually. We need an extra tech hand".
"Understandable, speak with Admiral Hacket and see if a civilian tech named Grace Sato is available. She would be a great asset to the team and put Kasumi on that detail too".
"Yes ma'am. Miranda out".
Shepard moved down to her lounge and sat down with a grunt. She stretched and groaned as she tried her best to relax. Her mind began to wonder as she thought about how the gang was back together, her true friends were once again around to support her. They never wavier at any sight when following her into battle.
They never disagree with any discion she makes, they just follow her because she always does the right thing. That's what she thinks they think, there were a few deciosns that even she questioned. Letting Mordin go up to the top of the shroud, though it had to be done. Not being quick enough to stop Kia Leng before he killed Thane, letting Legion sacrifice himself for the selfishness of the Quarian people.
Then there was EDI, she didn't think about that. Suddenly she felt a cold chill that shuddered down her entire body. Everything started to go black and a voice that she had heard before filled her mind.
"Shepard, Harbinger lives".
"Leviathan? Yes I know. Why are you contacting me? What do you want?".
A flash, a loud bang and Shepard fell to her knees coughing. A blackness surrounds and encompasses her vision and a glass floor that looked like water is what she looked into. The same environment that she spoke to Leviathan the first time. She looked up and saw Mordin standing in front of her as she rose to her feet.
"We are watching, we are observing. We watched and observed your conversation with the intelligence that gave us the Harvest. We watched and observed the Crucible pulse. We know why Harbinger was immune to the effects of it".
"Will you tell me?".
"The Harvest of the pinnacle race that gave us the first Reaper, this we already told you. The intelligence unknown to us has created the first Reaper with something that was only shown through the Crucible pulse. It is completely immune to energy".
"That makes sense. If the intelligence was as smart as you claimed it was and coming to the conclusion that the Reapers being synthetic, then making Harbinger immune to energy based weapons would be appropriate. Then if you do attempt to destroy them, you can't destroy all of them and they can just start again". Blinking Mordin had changed to Legion.
"Yes. Being a machine it has no need to concern itself with time, fuel, food, water. It is forever. It can just wait for your chaotic way to consume you, weaken you enough so Harbinger can start again. The cycle, the harvest will continue".
"Do you know were Harbinger is?".
"No. It is in hiding, waiting for the right moment to strike. But there are forces still among you that it has control over and it will use them in any way possible to help the harvest".
"Will you help me, again?".
"Your determination is undeniable and so your courage. That combined with your previous efforts, what makes you think engaging the Reapers again a second time would be beneficial to us?".
"Count how many Reapers there are in the Galaxy now?".
"One".
"Correct. So we now have the advantage, it was the few against the many. Now it's the few against the little. Harbinger is the only concern, the indoctrinated forces that follow it are of no concern. I will burn them until they are nothing but glass".
"What of Harbinger? You cannot burn it but it will burn you. Never underestimate what has survived an attack by you before. It now knows you in more ways that you or anyone else could imagine".
"Well it can't know me too well then otherwise it would have killed me sooner". Legion walked around her and when he came back it was now Thane
"We have once again probed your mind and found you to be telling the truth so we will fight. This time we will fight in the open, we will fight side by side with you for a common cause that will affect galactic history as we know it. You will lead us, we will follow you to salvation. You have proved to us that you can being order to the chaos. We want to see that with our own eyes".
Shepard jumped up coughing and as her sight slowly returned she saw she wasn't in her quarters but in the med bay. She looked around as her vision got better and saw most of the crew outside the med bay windows looking in. Karin, Miranda and Sam standing around her stepped in closer.
"Jane are you alright?!" said Sam coming in close to her.
"Yes" Shepard said coughing. "Was just having a chat with an old acquaintance of mine".
"Who?" asked Miranda.
Shepard sat up on the edge of the med bay bed, throwing her legs over the side. Sam jumped up on the bed next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist. Shepard placed an arm over her shoulders and pulled her in close.
"Leviathan".
"Who's that?" asked Miranda again.
"The pinnacle race as they call themselves, the race that was first in the galaxy and unfortunately the race that gave us the Reapers".
"I never saw any reports on this Captain" added Miranda.
"That's because only the Normandy's crew at the time and Admiral Hacket were privy to the information" replied Shepard.
"What did they want?" asked Karin
"They are throwing in their support again but this time it's a little different".
A siren went off all over the ship and at that moment everyone outside the med bay bolted. Everyone in the med bay just looked at Shepard because all she had was a big smile on her face.
"Shepard, we have a communique from the defence perimeter. They are reporting three Reaper ships on a course for the Normandy's position" said Joker over the com.
"Joker, order the fleet to hold their fire and escort them in. Spectre authority".
"Captain, you did hear me when I said Reaper right? Because I didn't say ice cream truck if that's what you thought".
"Yes Joker I heard you but I was expecting their arrival. Order the fleet to escort them in".
"Yes ma'am".
"To your stations everyone".
# # #
Something had been bothering Sam ever since she had fallen in love with Jane, that she had no way of being able to protect her. Although she was quiet capable of protecting herself it was her duty to be able to protect her if she had to.
Having no combat experience and not being certified in any type of weapon, going through weapons training with the Alliance at this time would take forever but she also had no idea on what sort of weapon to take up.
She wanted to surprise Jane with this so she decided to go to Garrus and talk to him about it. As usual he was in the main battery, probably calibrating. Knocking on the main battery door she waited for Garrus to come but he didn't.
Sam opened it herself and saw Garrus with his attention squarely on the console in from of the main gun, furiously calibrating away. "Garrus?" Sam asked out loud.
Garrus turned around. "Traynor, I'm surprised to see you down here. What can I do for you?".
"Sorry I just opened the door. I knocked but you didn't answer" said Sam.
"Oh don't worry about it. I get a bit carried away with my work" replied Garrus.
Sam walked in and stood next to Garrus, rolling her hands over one another. "I was wondering if I could ask a favour?".
"Yeah sure, anything".
"Can you teach me to shoot a sniper?".
Garrus stood there shocked beyond all belief. Out of all the things that he expect her to ask him, asking him to teach her to shoot a sniper was not one of them.
"If you don't mind me asking Traynor, Why? You're a communication specialist not a foot solider".
Sam took a deep breath, turned and lent up against the control panel propping herself up with her arms. "Garrus, I have never felt so helpless in all my life. When Jane goes on a mission there is a million things running through my head about what could happen to her and I always wonder if this mission is the last I'll see her".
"Your right, I'm just a communication specialist. Jane would do anything to protect me and I want to be able to do the same for her. Hopefully you understand what I'm saying because I'm sure if you wanted to protect someone you cared about, I'm sure you would".
Garrus folded his arms and sighed deeply. "You know if Shepard finds out what either of us are doing, she'll kill me".
Sam nodded slowly. "So, you'll help me?".
"Yes. I'll go talk to Vega and get you the appropriate sniper. I'll talk to Cortez as well on getting you some armour too".
"Armour?!" Sam screeched.
"Calm down, look if you want to protect Shepard you will have to wear armour when you're out on the field. Just because you're Shepard's girlfriend doesn't make you immune to gunfire like she is" Garrus joked.
"When can we start?".
"Once I get you both your amour and sniper. I will want to train you in both at the same time and we'll have to train in the middle of the day when Shepard is on duty. We should do it late at night but since you moved up into Shepard cabin that makes that difficult to do without her noticing".
"Thank you Garrus. Let me know when you want to start".
Garrus nodded and watched Sam leave in a much calmer mood but he wasn't in a calm mood. What had he gotten himself into?.