Cerberus Vessel Hamilton Mandell
Shepard stepped off the ladder he had been descending and un-slung his weapon as he checked his surroundings. The ship's Mass Effect core -an earlier version of the spherical design aboard the Normandy- dominated the chamber. The shielded core looked to be of equivalent size, although there were a larger number of coolant pipes that snaked across the deck, some twenty feet below the Spectre. The walk-way that Shepard had reached was a circular loop around the upper portion of the reactor compartment, providing access to the inverted crown of grounding rods spiking down from the overhead towards the metallic sphere. The additional external grounding rods were a safety design that had not been needed on a human vessel since the First Contact War, almost thirty years ago.
What worried Shepard was the absence of anyone alive in the chamber – the marines escorting Lieutenant Oyer should have reached the compartment long before the Spectre's own arrival. Instead there were only the bodies of the Cerberus crew, suffocated when the air in the compartment had been removed. What terrified Shepard was the thought that perhaps Richard Oyer and his marines had stumbled across Miranda Lawson, the beautiful Cerberus Operative was dangerous. If the other boarding party tried to attack or capture her, Shepard was sure she could kill them – he was just hoping that she wouldn't.
The Spectre found the ladder that led down to the engine room's deck, holstered his weapon, and slid down hurriedly; then the Spectre's pistol was in his hand. Shepard twisted away from the ladder, raising the gun towards the Cerberus hard-suit stepping from the blind spot which had hidden them. Shepard's omni-tool lit up as it was activated remotely; establishing a secure, private, communications link between himself and the person pointing a gun at him.
"Where is she?" the speaker's voice was ice-cold – and familiar, "Where is EDI – and the Normandy?"
"They're not coming," Shepard steps were careful as he moved, side-stepping away from the ladder, "I couldn't leave a pair of Cerberus cruisers at my back and I couldn't stay away."
"I asked you to help me, Shepard," the Cerberus operative's steps were smoother than the Spectre's as they mirrored his movements, "not this. Not some ill-conceived, fool-hardy, rescue attempt."
"This is was what I had to do, Miranda." The Spectre halted as he reached the position he wanted. "Cerberus…they can't come back. The Council and Arcturus are never going to accept them and now the Council are willing to destroy a Mass Relay just to make sure that station out there remains buried."
Miranda Lawson took a couple more steps; the Spectre's pistol tracked her. "The Council was never going to accept us, Shepard, we've always known that," the brunette's voice was calm, "and what occurred at Arcturus had to happen. The Alliance needs to prepare – and now we've given the politicians the excuse they've always required."
"Miri, Cerberus murdered hundreds and framed you for it," Shepard wanted to shout but managed to keep his voice level. "They didn't need to do that – they chose to do that for revenge. The Reapers are on their way, the batarians are rattling their sabres over me and my actions, the Collectors abducted -and experimented on- thousands of people. We have enough reasons."
"Most of the galaxy believes the Council when they say that you're mistaken, that the Reapers are only a myth, a fabrication of Saren Arterius" the faceless helmet of the hard-suit turned once from side to side. "No-one apart from the human colonies in the Attican Traverse are really scared by the batarians anymore. The Collectors abducted thousands and nobody but us did anything. The Alliance needed a reason to prepare, something they could show to the rest of the galaxy – something the Council and the other Citadel species couldn't conveniently ignore."
"Hackett knows the truth; Parliament had chosen him to be First Admiral. Cerberus didn't need to do what they did." Shepard told the Cerberus Operative.
"It wasn't enough." Miranda's voice sounded suddenly tired, "Hackett had too many opponents in the Admiralty; he would have been entangled by political infighting. But now…now Hackett is the sole voice of the Admiralty, with emergency powers, and a scared Parliament willing to provide as much funding as he needs."
"Miranda, Admiral Hackett isn't a Cerberus sympathiser; he will hunt down every Cerberus member – especially after Arcturus," Shepard objected.
"Hackett's a pragmatist," Miranda's seemed unconcerned by Shepard's reaction. "He'll use the opportunity to strengthen the Navy, strengthen the Alliance. Cerberus has always strived for humanity's best interests, having Admiral Hackett in command of a stronger Navy is what humanity needs now."
Shepard didn't, couldn't, respond to Miranda's argument, to the conviction in her voice. The Spectre stood motionless and the Cerberus Operative waited patiently.
"Why?" Shepard finally asked. There were so many 'whys' he wanted to ask, but the Spectre chose the most relative. "Why betray Cerberus now? You still believe in them, even after what we saw. You chose Cerberus, you chose to stay, you…" Shepard paused unwilling to continue.
"For the same reason that you lied to the Alliance about not having the Reaper IFF code," Miranda retorted, "the same reason you never mentioned Oriana in your reports – or am I wrong? Are we a mistake – something best left behind?"
"Probably," Shepard holstered his pistol, "but I'm…we're not doing that, Miranda." The Spectre took a single step towards Miranda, "I need you to unlock the ship's computer. We need to get every-one aboard into the escape shuttles."
"What are you planning to do?" Miranda asked as she moved to join Shepard.
Shepard outlined his plan, "We'll evacuate the crew and set the drive core to overload. The Normandy will pick everyone up afterwards."
"To deliver us all straight to the Alliance presumably," Miranda shook her head. "Shepard, that won't work – not for me. We both know that." Her hand found Shepard's and -despite the gloves they both wore- their fingers joined in an easy, familiar pattern, "I'll…"
"Take a shuttle," Shepard finished the brunette's sentence. A small, unconscious, smile was on the Spectre's face, softening it. "I can only give you a few moments lead; there's a squad of impatient marines on the bridge."
"That's all I need," Miranda's fingers tightened briefly, "Thank you."
Shepard released Miranda's hand and dug out the PADD he had picked up in the cruiser's control room. The Spectre tapped an icon on the display, "I found your message, by the way."
"I thought you might remember those words – and where they led," Shepard was sure Miranda was smirking.
"I'll be there in five minutes," The Spectre recited as he typed on the PADD, "I settle for nothing but the best." It was Shepard's turn to smirk as he finished typing and handed Miranda the PADD, "I remembered. That is a secure channel to EDI," Shepard explained as Miranda held the PADD, "the new crew don't know about it. Use it as soon as you're through the Relay, EDI can filter the Normandy's sensor readings – hide your shuttle from Brooks. They won't know you're there, so they won't be able to chase you."
Miranda Lawson looked at the PADD display, committing it to memory before she moved to a nearby console and started entering commands. "This will cancel my lock-out," she told Shepard, "all you need to do is confirm your identity – the password is the same one you used when we were together. You'll have full access." Miranda stepped back from the console and started walking away.
"I miss you," Shepard told her, simply, before adding, "We still need to talk, about a lot of things."
"I know," Miranda paused at the open door, "we will."
Shepard watched as the woman he loved left, walking away swiftly before the hatch slid shut and removed her from sight. The Spectre moved to stand by the console Miranda had just left and waited – he had a little time left before the marines in the control room should start improvising and he intended to give Miranda Lawson as much time as he could.
Shepard's fingers drummed against the console casing, he had waited as long as he could. The Spectre re-activated the console's display and entered his old Cerberus access code at the prompt. Shepard was unsurprised Miranda had known his Cerberus password, he had already been certain she had been -at least- reading his messages during their time together hunting the Collectors. It was one of the reasons why Shepard had never tried to contact anyone after leaving Minuteman Station; the console confirmed his access and Shepard started entering commands.
The Spectre linked his suit radio to the cruiser's communication suite and instructed it to broadcast to all receivers within range. "Attention crew of the Hamilton Mandell, I am…" Shepard hesitated, "…I am Commander Shepard of the Systems Alliance," the Spectre decided. "This vessel has been seized and a collision course with the nearby station has been laid in. It will take us just under five minutes to arrive. I am now re-engaging the environmental systems to allow you to reach the evacuation shuttles before this ship is destroyed. Do so. Now," Shepard closed the channel and ordered the ship's computer to restore the ship's atmosphere, then releasing the crew.
A new communication link opened, "Shepard did you find my marines?" asked Corporal Calleja.
"There's no sign of them – they never made it to engineering," Shepard informed the marine team leader he had left in the cruiser's control room.
"We need help," a new channel opened, with a red icon appearing on Shepard's visor denoting an emergency, "this is Lieutenant Oyer, we need help. Please…" the lieutenant's voice was pained.
"Richard, give us your location," Shepard responded.
"Deck C, near frame cinq, five…," Oyer's voice was sounding more strained, "or six; I cannot read the number – my armure is damaged."
A new alert appeared on the Spectre's visor and a synthesised voice announced, "Neurotoxin detected in exterior environment. Do not break suit seals until decontamination has been confirmed." The message kept repeating -overriding his hard suit's radio- as Shepard hurriedly accessed the Hamilton Mandell's environmental diagnostics – which reported no anomalies. Shepard acknowledged his suit's alert, finally muting it as he tried to access the feed from the cruiser's internal security grid.
The voices of Corporal Calleja and Lieutant Oyer returned as the audio warning ended; the marine calm and reassuring whilst Oyer sounded fainter and close to panic. Shepard ignored them both, instead hurriedly tapping commands into the engineering console, but some of Oyer's words - Attacked, biotic, she, and killed, clamoured for the Spectre's attention. Then the security feed appeared on the display, showing a room of corpses. Shepard selected a different recorder; one from a lab that the Spectre knew had held survivors. There had been seven living people in the laboratory – now there was a lone body, the other six lay in the corridor just outside the now unsealed laboratory's door. It was a scene repeated all over the Cerberus cruiser; the survivors had all become corpses.
"Shepard, Shepard! Spectre Shepard!" Calleja's voice grew steadily louder until he was shouting via the private channel, rescuing Shepard from his staring at the screens of the dead; people he had failed – again.
"I'm here, corporal," the Spectre started accessing the Hamilton Mandell's flight logs, "I am also busy."
"How long, really, until we crash," the marine corporal asked, "and what happened? Who gassed the Cerberus crew?"
"At this speed; about half an hour," the cruiser's flight logs showed a shuttle had launched just moments before Shepard had reactivated the environmental systems. The shuttle's manifest listed just one person – Lawson, Miranda. "As for the crew – I don't know," the Spectre erased the log entry, "but whoever it was tampered with the ship's sensors as well. According to them everything is normal."
"Crew's all dead and Cerberus thinks that's normal," Calleja's voice sounded bitter, "just what kind of psychotic asshole is the Illusive Man?"
Shepard stayed silent, letting the marine carry on talking as the Spectre accessed the controls for the cruiser's Mass Effect core.
"I've sent Ts'otsi and Nixon to help Lieutenant Oyer and Frost back to the shuttle. The sooner we're away from here the better," the corporal reported.
"As soon as they're aboard; I'll set the core to overload," Shepard responded, "then accelerate the ship so it should crash just as the core goes."
"You don't want to change the plan?" Calleja asked. "Just, without any prisoners, if you destroy the ship then we don't get any actionable intel on Cerberus."
"If one of those Cerberus cruisers gets here instead of, or even just before, the Normandy – then we lose our chance to destroy that station out there." Shepard had explained this before, during the mission briefing, "That is why we are here, that is what we have to do."
"I'll destroy the controls here and meet you on the shuttle," the marine told Shepard before closing the channel.
Alliance Shuttlecraft, Tartarus Debris Field
"We should see impact in five, four, three…" the voice of Lieutenant Steve Cortez -the shuttle's pilot- came clearly over the communication net, "two, one…impact." The screen in the shuttle's cargo compartment showed the visual footage. It was unimpressive – visually; just a sudden golf-ball sized flash of light as the unseen cruiser Hamilton Mandell crashed into a miniature alien space station. For safety the shuttle was maintaining a range of several thousand kilometres. Then there was another flash of light, larger this time, as the cruiser's Mass Effect core detonated. Afterwards everyone aboard the shuttle could see that nearly a third of the alien station had been destroyed by the blast. What was left of the station tumbled wildly through the debris of the countless wrecks that had surrounded it; tearing the station further apart as it fell deeper into the gravity of a black hole.
"Target destroyed," Shepard was calm, unemotional, as he spoke for the official mission record.
"Confirmed, target destroyed," Lieutenant Cortez seconded.
"Then we can return to the Normandie," Lieutenant Oyer stated. The front of the executive officer's helmet had been hit and a spider web of cracks effectively blinded the wounded lieutenant until his helmet could be safely removed. Something that could not happen until the survivors of the boarding party could return to the Normandy and be de-contaminated. Nobody was willing to risk unsealing their hard-suit when whatever poison had been used on the Hamilton Mandell's crew could still be present on their outer armour.
"Aye, aye, sir," the pilot responded.
SSV Normandy, Deep Space
Joker eased himself into the low couch seat in Shepard's quarters as the Spectre poured him a drink. "It's not that green stuff again is it?" the pilot asked, "Only last time we drank that…"
"It's not green," Shepard replied, "besides that last bottle was Jacob's. I think he ended up using the rest of it as grenades during our last run on the Collectors." The Spectre walked from his desk to the couch carrying a glass in each hand, he handed one to Joker before sitting on the other couch.
The pilot took a cautious sniff before sipping. "It's sweet," Joker noted, "really fruity too. What is it?"
"It's called Chambord – it's French," Shepard told his friend.
"Not too shabby, Shepard," Joker took another mouthful, "not too shabby at all." The pilot relaxed on the couch, "Well we did it. We destroyed the Collectors' base, chased Cerberus out of Omega and we didn't have to kill an entire system to do it. Maybe this time we'll actually get medals or something."
"I'd settle for them forking out the cash for the repairs," Shepard dead-panned, "Those engines aren't cheap Joker." The Normandy's helmsman winced at the referral to the missing engine pod, destroyed in the battle between the Normandy and the two Cerberus cruisers that had been orbiting Omega. But that had been the only damage the Normandy had suffered – and she had crippled one cruiser and damaged the other.
"So what did Miranda say," Joker asked "what happened? Did the two of you kiss and make up?"
The Spectre took a drink before responding. "I was in a sealed hard-suit and standing in a de-pressurised ship, Joker," Shepard reminded the inquisitive pilot, "kind of makes it impossible to kiss someone."
"Well what is the quarians do – hook their suits together or something? Anyway," Joker learned forward, "the other part was make up – You did that at least, right?"
"The quarians link their suit environments," Shepard stalled, "it's a gesture of incredible trust and dedication. Because of their weakened immune…"
"I know," Joker all but rolled his eyes in exasperation, "but something must have happened; 'cause she was there, right?"
Shepard fixed his eyes on his glass, "She wasn't there, Joker – she must have left before I went through the Relay."
"Right," Joker sceptically drawled out, "My advice – don't try that with Brooks. Cortez's report mentions a shuttle leaving the ship and heading for the Mass Relay – before you, Oyer, and the marines all returned. So unless some other Cerberus flunky talked you into letting them go, I'm guessing it was Miranda."
Shepard swore then lamely said, "Could have been Jacob."
"You told me that Leng asshole said he'd gone AWOL," Joker stated, "it was Miranda – and before you embarrass yourself further, EDI told me they'd talked."
Shepard downed the rest of his drink, "Alright. Yes she was there, yes we talked, yes I let her leave." The Spectre's empty glass clinked on the coffee table as he put it down, "End of topic."
"What is it with you and her?" Joker asked. "First something happens on the Collector Base and right afterwards you take off with only me and EDI into batarian space – leaving her, and everyone else, in Mordin's clinic on Omega. Then she somehow springs you from the stockade in Siberia, in time to stop this Kai Leng from abducting me and EDI – only for her to turn around and destroy the Admiralty. You go to Omega and set a trap to capture her, but she sends some 'bot instead; which ends up triggering an invasion." The pilot paused to take a drink, "Then finally when you've cornered her – you let her walk. No," Joker shook his head, "you help her escape." Joker finished his drink, "What are you two doing, Shepard? Because I can navigate a ship half-way across the galaxy to hit a target smaller then a gnat's lapel pin – and I'm lost." The best pilot in the Systems Alliance pushed his glass across the table towards Shepard, "I'll take another."
Shepard stood up and walked off with both empty glasses. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore," he told Joker as he poured a refill for himself and the still seated pilot. "The Reapers are still coming and the only people who seem to care are fanatics," Shepard walked back to the couch and handed Joker his refilled glass before sitting down again.
"Yeah, yeah," Joker waved his hand, "big picture stuff – all above my pay-grade and not the question I asked."
"Damn-it, Joker," Shepard snapped, "it's the same answer! I don't know!" The Spectre blew out his breath then repeated in a softer tone, "We don't know, alright? Just…we need some time…we need to sit down somewhere together and talk."
"Well if Brooks and the Alliance ever catch wind of you two. Maybe you could have adjoining cells in the brig." The pilot took a large gulp of his drink, "Only tell me where you can buy this stuff first – it's good."
"I tell you – you've got no reason to keep helping me," Shepard joked, "So unless you want to start sharing Chakwas' Serrice Ice Brandy, we had better keep me out of the brig."
"You realise I have a serious medical condition," Joker objected, "Which effectively means the first human Spectre is blackmailing a guy with a disability." The pilot shook his head and said, "This team sucks."
"We'll figure it out," Shepard responded, "We just need to get ahead of everyone else for once."
"The universe would implode first," Joker noted, "beside how can we get ahead when Brooks is aboard. For that matter what are you going to tell her about Miranda?"
"Nothing," Shepard decided, "I'm a Council Spectre – I don't answer to her; and if she doesn't like that, she can ask Hackett for a transfer somewhere else."
"You really think it's going to be that easy?" Joker finished his drink as Shepard shook his head, "Great, me neither. It's going to be a long flight back to the Citadel," the pilot got up to leave, "Thanks for the drink."
"You're calling it early," Shepard noted.
"Brooks changed the shift rotas," Joker told Shepard, "I'm back on duty in a few hours and after today I could do with some sleep." The pilot limped up the stairs and left, leaving Shepard sitting alone in his cabin."
"Shepard," EDI's voice broke the silence, "I have a message that was to be delivered when you where alone. It is from Operative Lawson."
The Spectre froze for an instant, not even breathing. "Put it on the big screen please, EDI," Shepard asked the AI when he had recovered.
"Of course, Shepard," the AI responded. The cabin's lights dimmed slightly as Miranda Lawson's face replaced the lonely model of the original Normandy.
"Shepard, I…" Miranda hesitated, then started again. "Shepard, thank you. I'm glad I saw you, glad we could actually talk. I just wish we had had more," Miranda's eyes blinked rapidly, trying to hide a sudden shimmer, "I wish that I could have been completely honest with you, especially after what you had done. I know it couldn't have been easy for you, sending that message, telling me that you were coming." The brunette paused before continuing, "I know, I know you weren't sure if you could trust me, after what happened on the Collectors' station; but you did and I'm glad. But you should know there was a second message, warning me about you, from the Illusive Man. Someone aboard the Normandy sent a message to Cerberus, Shepard, be careful, please."
The Spectre took another drink from his glass, emptying it, before putting it down on the table.
Miranda's message continued, "There is something else I should have told you on the Hamilton Mandell, but I couldn't – not after what you said, not then, not right after seeing you again, not after talking to you, hearing you. I should have, but just actually being with you…" The Cerberus Operative fell silent for a moment before speaking again, "I'm sorry, Shepard, I am sorry. Cerberus didn't frame me, I was there. I was at Arcturus. I gave the order to fire. I…"
"…murdered my family," the voice was Shepard's, he couldn't hear the actual words Miranda used. The recording continued, oblivious to the Spectre's reaction.
"I'm sorry. You have to believe that, Shepard. We didn't know your mother was there, I didn't know." Miranda's face had become haunted, "It was what we had to do; it wasn't what I wanted, what I hope for." Miranda's voice shrank, "What you and I had hoped for." Miranda's hands rose to cover her face as her voice broke, "I shouldn't tell him, not like this, not in a recording. I…we…he…" her voice trailed off.
"Operative Lawson," the voice was EDI's – a part of the recording, "is your recording complete?"
Miranda flinched a little, lowering her hands away from her stricken face, but her voice recovered – slipping into her familiar cool tone. "EDI, delete the message," Miranda ordered the Normandy's AI, "I…I think it would be better if Shepard and I talked personally."
"Are you sure, Operative Lawson," EDI queried, "given the current circumstances it is unlikely…"
"Yes, EDI," the brunette interrupted, "delete the recording – that's an order." Miranda's face vanished and the cabin lights returned to normal.
Shepard remained motionless, silent. The Spectre's eyes closed as he started speaking, "EDI?"
"Yes, Shepard?" the AI's voice was as inflectionless as normal.
"Why?" the Spectre wanted an explanation, "Why did you show me her message? She obviously ordered it deleted."
"Operative Lawson's message contained information essential for the security of the Normandy," the AI answered. "If Cerberus do have an agent aboard, then we should begin investigating – immediately." The cabin fell silent again. "Operative Lawson's emotional distress appeared genuine," the AI added, "she was exhibiting several key…"
"She can be very convincing," The Spectre's voice sounded cold even to his ears, "delete the message, EDI." Shepard's voice wavered as he added, "Please."
"Shepard, Operative Lawson's warning is a valid security concern. Also, deleting the recording may hamper an investigation," EDI objected.
"Encrypt it then – and leave it in secure storage," Shepard conceded, "just keep that message away from me, EDI. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Shepard," the AI paused. "Shepard, it was not my intention to destabilise your romantic relationship with Operative Lawson," EDI explained, "I believe her actions demonstrate her continued emotional attachment to yourself; as do yours to her."
"That'll be all, EDI," Shepard told the AI.
"Very well, Shepard, logging you…"
"EDI, wait," the Spectre interrupted, "transfer a copy of the crews' service records to my desk-top, please." Shepard hands came up to dry-wash his face, "I doubt I'll sleep tonight; might as well get started looking for the Illusive Man's spy."
"Of course, Shepard," the AI responded, "the requested files have been duplicated. Is there anything else?"
"That's all, EDI," Shepard leaned back on the couch, tilting his face upwards his eyes open again, "and, EDI? Thank you."
"Very well, Shepard, logging you out."
The cabin suddenly seemed emptier as EDI fell silent and Shepard sat for a moment – arms stretched along the back of the couch staring upwards; seeing nothing. The Spectre let out a long breath and then picked himself up; moving away from the comfortable couch and up towards his desk.