"Change of plans, Commander. Urgent message coming in from the Illusive Man. Patching him through to the comm room."
Shepard frowned. Great, just what he wanted. He stepped down from the Galaxy Map and headed into the comm room. The desk sank into the deck and he stepped into the holo area.
"What is it?" he asked. The Illusive Man was sitting in his chair, casually taking a draw from his cigarette.
"Shepard. Nice to see you again."
Shepard folded his arms, leaning his weight to the side. "Yeah, same. What's the problem?"
"Horizon just went silent."
Shepard narrowed his eyes. "The Collectors?"
"If it hasn't been attacked yet, it soon will be. Has Dr Solus discovered the counter measure for the seeker swarms?"
"Not yet. Though who knows with him. He might have got distracted by something shiny."
Shepard wasn't sure, but he could have sworn the Illusive Man smiled.
"I have intel that one of your former crew, Kaidan Alenko, is stationed on Horizon."
Shepard froze. Kaidan. It couldn't be. Why would he be out in the Terminus?
"Officially, the Alliance is trying to improve relations with the Terminus colonies. But they're up to something. If they sent Alenko, it must be big."
"That can't be a coincidence. I'm investigating the Collectors and the attacks on the colonies, and Kaidan shows up?"
"Perhaps you should take it up with him. I don't want the Alliance getting in our way. Get in and get out. Once you have the situation under control, I'll contact the Alliance for cleanup."
"Patch through the coordinates. We'll head straight there. I want to find out what this is about." Shepard turned and stalked out. Mordin better have a solution to this swarm problem.
"Shepard!" Mordin exclaimed as the Commander entered the lab. "Good to see you."
"Tell me you have something. I don't want to be heading into a swarm unarmed, as it were."
Mordin smiled and gestured him over. "I think you will be most pleased."
"These upgrades had better do their job," Miranda said as they looked over the low wall. Horizon was silent.
"Should confuse detection, make us invisible to swarms. In theory."
"In theory, he says," Shepard said.
"Look forward to seeing if you survive."
"Is it alright not to like him?" Garrus asked.
"Don't tell him you heard it from me. Move out." Shepard slipped out of cover and headed down the hill towards the encampment. The seeker bugs fluttered around them, but either stayed at a distance or swooped down only to veer away last moment to rejoin the swarm. For now, at least, the new tech was doing its intended job.
"Shepard." Miranda pointed up ahead and they slipped behind cover. Collectors. The Illusive Man was right.
Out of all the strange alien races Shepard had encountered during his life, the Collectors were right up there on the creepy level. Giant bugs with glowing eyes? They were the stuff of nightmares.
"They've spotted us!" Garrus yelled from his vantage point. He fired his sniper rifle and took one down clean.
Shepard stormed out of cover, his pistol drawn. He had never been very good at defensive fighting, anyway. He approached the first Collector and kicked it while it was still startled by their attack. Two bullets to the head and it went down. He rolled back behind cover as bullets hit the ground by his feet, the dirt spraying into the air.
"Shepard! Get down!" Garrus yelled and a rocket burned past Shepard's head. He heard the boom of the sniper rifle and the Collector dropped, slumped over the wall he had hidden behind.
"All clean, Commander," Miranda said and ran to his side, crouching down in the dirt. "They weren't expecting us but they'll be on their guard now. Best to move quickly."
They headed down the path towards the main colony. It was silent except for the buzz of the Collector swarms above their heads.
"Comman—tting all kinds… -ference. We can't maintain…"
Shepard put his hand to his helmet, cringing at the sound of static. "Joker? Joker! Come in, Normandy."
"It's dead," Garrus said. "Do you think they're under attack?"
"Joker can handle himself. Let's just keep our minds down here." But saying it didn't stop him from casting an apprehensive look up towards the sky. He knew Joker could handle the Normandy but he still worried.
They ran ahead and met another Collector group. Collectors and husks. God he hated husks. They were once humans. That's what made it all the more sick. These were the colonists and he took no pleasure in destroying them, but he had no choice.
"I always thought the husks were Geth tech?" Garrus asked. He pressed the nose of his rifle into the flesh of one of the downed husks once they were clear.
"The technology came from Sovereign," Miranda said, scanning the area, her pistol raised.
"The Illusive Man was right, it seems. Proof right here that the Collectors and the Reapers are connected. Great…I was almost hoping he was wrong."
"If we take down the Collectors it will seriously hamper the Reapers progress, Shepard," Miranda said.
"These were colonists…" Shepard said with a sigh. "They don't deserve this."
"No…" Miranda said and lowered her weapon. "These aren't the colonists. On Eden Prime they used great spikes to turn people into husks. We haven't seen any here. The Collectors have taken the colonists. Alive."
"We might find survivors. Let's move," Shepard said. Whatever was going on, husks were beyond help. There was no use dwelling on their fate.
"It's just like Freedom's Progress," Miranda said as they ran. "Everyone's just gone."
They slid into cover as another group of Collectors fired at them. Shepard downed one of the advancing husks and a shot from Garrus dropped the Collector hiding behind a pillar.
"What the hell is that…?" Shepard asked, peering over the crate. One of the Collectors was pulled into the air, its skin – plates, whatever – cracking apart, infused with a bright glow.
"Assuming direct control."
"What the hell is that thing?" Garrus asked.
"No idea. Just shoot it!"
They focused their attentions on the new Collector. It walked towards Shepard, ignoring the barrage of bullets from the squad.
"Get back, Shepard!" Miranda yelled.
"Shit!" Shepard scrambled backwards as a wave of dark energy surged towards him. The crate shattered. He clicked the trigger and his pistol beeped at him. Overheated and sink expired. He reached back and grabbed his shotgun. He raised his hand and threw a biotic surge towards the Collector. It hit the Collector's shields and dissipated.
"Shepard!" Garrus yelled.
Shepard felt his fingers go slack around the shotgun. His head was pounding. It sounded like someone was shouting into his ear.
"Shepard…"
He looked up. The Collector… It knew him. It knew his name. He raised his shotgun with shaky hands and pulled the trigger. The spray hit the Collector and knocked him backwards and another shot disintegrated the fractured body. Shepard dropped his gun, breathing hard. "What the hell was that?" he yelled.
"Are you alright?" Garrus asked and held out his hand and helped Shepard to his feet.
"It knew my name, Garrus."
"What do you mean?" Miranda asked. She leaned down and picked up Shepard's weapons and handed them back to him.
"It said my name. It came straight at me. It wanted me."
Miranda shook her head. "We don't have time, Shepard. We need to keep moving."
"Easy for you to say. A crazy glowing bug didn't try to rip your head off."
Miranda looked at him with something that may have been sympathy, he wasn't sure, but the expression didn't last long before she turned and headed away. Garrus patted him on the back with a more genuine look of apology before they followed her.
"That looks like the settlement's control bunker," Miranda said and pointed across the camp. "We might be able to get access to the defences."
"That'd be nice." Shepard led the group across the camp and Garrus crouched down to bypass the lock on the doors. They swept open; it was dark inside, the only light coming from the glowing consoles and pinprick lights on the machines.
"There's someone here!" Garrus said and raised his gun.
Shepard placed his hand on Garrus' arm and shook his head. This was no Collector. "We're friends. Come on out."
A man peeked out from around one of the machines before stepping into the light. "You're human! You need to get out! You'll lead them right here."
Shepard holstered his gun. "We've cleared a path. All you're going to find out there is a bunch of dead bodies. What are you doing in here?"
"We lost our comm signals a few hours ago. I came down here to check the main grid. Then I heard screaming. They got Lilith! I looked outside and there were swarms of…bugs. Everyone they touched froze. I sealed the doors." The man paced back and forth across the floor, rubbing at his arms. "This is all the Alliance's fault! They stationed that guy here and built those defence towers. It made us a target!"
"Defence towers?" Miranda asked. "Why weren't they used against the ship?"
"Ah, those have never worked right!" he said and shook his head. "You'll need to calibrate the targeting system."
"We can figure it out. Just tell us where to find it," Miranda said.
"The main transistor is on the other side of the colony. Pretty hard to miss. The targeting controls are at the base."
"You'd better stay here," Shepard said. He pulled his pistol and ejected the heat sink. It clattered to the ground, burning hot. "You'll be no help to us."
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking too," the man said. "I'll let you out and then I'm locking the doors. I'm not taking any chances."
They left him. There wasn't much they could do for him and he'd managed to survive this long holed up in the shed, so chances are he'd make it as long as he stayed put. Shepard couldn't be too angry with the guy – what could he have done against the Collectors? Not everyone was a biotic or a trained soldier. These were just colonists. They didn't stand a chance.
But Kaidan was somewhere here. He had to be. Had he already been taken by the Collectors? Sickness settled in Shepard's stomach. The thought of Kaidan being taken by those bugs, taken god knows where for god knows what…
They reached a set of buildings and Shepard felt the anger rising up through him. These damn things wouldn't take his friends. Everyone had a reason for fighting and this was his reason. He would protect the people he cared about; he would fight for them when no one else would. The sounds of the battle drowned out around him until everything was a blur of movement and white noise and when he heard the voice in his head calling him, taunting him, he saw red. He rushed forward, feeling gravity pull him back into space as he slammed into the Collector and knocked it to the floor. It reached up towards him and he clicked the trigger on his shotgun, the nose of the gun pressed to the Collectors head.
"Shepard! Get back!" Garrus yelled from his spot atop a crate. He was looking past Shepard towards the buildings.
Shepard looked up as the massive creature lumbered out of the building. Its grotesque physique was an amalgamation of body parts, like cancerous growths distending its form. He slipped behind a wall for cover when he heard the explosion of its cannon. He looked out just as it tore across the ground. The energy wave hit him and he flew backwards against the wall, pain tearing through his body. His HUD flashed warning signals, beeping in his ear. His shields were depleted. Shepard groaned and held his arm to his chest, wincing at the lancing pain. No blood, no broken bones, but his nerves felt like they were on fire.
"Shepard! Status?" Miranda yelled from her position across the field.
"Shields down! And…in a lot of pain." He dragged himself to his feet and picked up his shotgun from the ground where he had dropped it.
"Stay back until your shields recharge."
Like hell. That thing was massive. He pressed himself against the wall and looked out at the monstrous body that shambled down the walkway toward them. He heard the gun fire too late. The bullets struck him, punching straight through his armour. He dropped to his knees, two spots of blood dripping to the ground before his suit sealed the wounds, medi-gel oozing across his skin. He crawled backwards, pressing his eyes closed as he waited for the pain to dissipate.
"Shepard, are you alright?" Garrus asked, crouching beside him.
"Yeah… That thing's dead then?"
"Miranda got it."
"Shepard! I told you to stay back!" Speak of the devil.
"It's just a gunshot wound. I've been shot before."
"That's no excuse. What if that had gone through your helmet, or your chest plate? I don't want to be bringing you back from the dead again."
Shepard sighed as the anaesthetic qualities of the medi-gel took effect, his skin cold around the wound in his shoulder and bicep. "I wasn't about to just leave you to it, hide in a corner and wait till it all went away."
Miranda folded her arms. "You're an idiot."
"And you wouldn't have me any other way," Shepard said. He accepted Garrus' hand and dragged himself back to his feet. Miranda made a small sound and smiled – just a little bit.
They moved through the buildings but only found empty rooms and two frozen colonists, stuck in the stasis field the Collector swarms inflicted upon them, their faces etched in horror. There was nothing they could do to help them.
"This must be it," Miranda said.
Garrus easily hacked through the security system and the doors slid open. The field was empty and the GARDIAN transmitter sat in the middle.
"Well, this is a trap if I've ever seen one," Shepard said and flicked his fingers to his squad mates, indicating their positions on the field.
They got to the controls and Shepard motioned to Garrus. "Get it online."
"Just give me a second," Garrus said and began to work.
"Comma—Commander? This is Joker."
"Joker! What happened?"
"Looks like the Collectors were jamming the comms. Signals weak, but I've got you."
Shepard smiled. "Yeah, you do. Can EDI bring the defence towers online and calibrate the targeting system?"
"Errors in the calibrating system are easily rectified, but it will take time to bring the towers to full power," EDI said. "I recommend a defensive posture. I will not be able to mask the increased generator output."
"Fantastic," Shepard said. "Just get it done fast, EDI. I don't want to be here longer than necessary."
"Shepard! There's a large energy signature heading your way fast," Joker said. "Better ready those weapons."
They looked up towards the large Collector vessel that hovered above the colony. Shepard squinted, his HUD sending him signals and readouts on the approaching Collector. He couldn't see it properly until it closed in on them. Like a great floating crab it hit the ground and the earth rumbled.
"Get down!" Shepard yelled and they dove for cover. The new Collector shot out a particle beam, the ground frying around them. Shepard heard the crack of Garrus' rifle nearby.
"It's just absorbs damage!" Garrus said as he loaded another round. "I'm hitting it dead on."
Shepard took a deep breath and pulled the rocket launcher from his pack. "Cover me because I'm going to do something stupid."
"Shepard!" Miranda reprimanded but he ignored her. He ran out of cover and let his biotics propel him towards the large Collector. The air was sucked out of his lungs as he felt himself dive through space and hit the wall of gravity on the other side. He dropped to his knees under the Collector and discharged a rocket. It hit the Collector's shields and he heard the emergency signals from his own suit as his shields dropped. It was risky but without risk there was no reward. He rolled out of the way behind the Collector. Another crack of Garrus' rifle and he saw the bullet tear through the Collector. Nice shot. But if that thing blew, he was way too close and without shields he'd take the full brunt of the damage. The creature dropped to the ground and he felt the rumble beneath his feet. It was now or never. He loaded another rocket and pulled the trigger. The rocket burned behind him and found its target as Shepard dove for cover behind some crates. The boom echoed around him as he covered himself.
"It's down!" he heard Garrus say over the comms. "Nice shooting."
The GARDIAN system whirred into life and the huge turrets aimed at the Collector vessel.
"Maybe this will show them that it's not as easy as they thought," Shepard said as the cannons fired upon the vessel. He pulled his helmet off and shielded his eyes. The great ship rose into the sky as the cannons fired.
"Stop them!"
Shepard looked over. The guy from before. "I though we told you to stay put."
"They've got the colonists in there! You've got to stop them."
"And how the hell am I supposed to stop that?" Shepard asked, gesturing to the huge ship. "We've done all we can."
"You were the ones that brought them here! If it wasn't for the damn Alliance…making us a target…"
"Shepard, we should leave now that the defence systems are online," Miranda said.
"Shepard…?" the man asked. "Of course. I know that name. You're some sort of big Alliance hero."
"Commander Shepard. Captain of the Normandy, the first human Spectre, saviour of the Citadel. You're in the presence of a legend."
Shepard swallowed the lump in his throat. Kaidan… So he was here, after all.
"All the good people we lost and you get left behind. Figures," the man said and shook his head. "Screw this. I'm done with you Alliance types."
"Good riddance," Garrus muttered as the man left.
But Shepard couldn't take his eyes of Kaidan. He really was alive.
"I thought you had been taken by the Collectors."
"And I thought you were dead. A ghost."
Shepard licked at his lip, running his tongue over the raised cut that he'd left to heal naturally after Grunt had slammed him into the wall. Nothing had ever happened between them, but he felt the same pull that he'd always felt in Kaidan's presence. Kaidan had a calming effect on him. He was so polished, almost stoic, but kind and pleasant and when he opened up and let go of the stuffy Alliance protocol he was…fascinating. "It's good to see you," Shepard said.
"Is that all you have to say? You show up after two years and just act like nothing happened? I thought…" Kaidan trailed off and took a step back. He looked at the ground. "Thinking you were dead tore me apart. Why didn't you try to contact me?"
"Kaidan—"
"Why didn't you let me know you were alive?" He stared Shepard right in the eyes and he could see the genuine hurt there.
"I was dead for two years. I wanted to contact you but no one could tell me where you were. Even Anderson was all hush-hush about your mission."
"I thought I had moved on…" Kaidan shook his head. "What about the reports about you and Cerberus? I got a tip that this colony might be the next hit. The Alliance believes Cerberus is behind the missing human colonies. You're working for the enemy."
"Like usual, the Alliance only has half the story. Kaidan, c'mon, you know who's behind these attacks and it's not Cerberus."
"Is that just what Cerberus wants you to think? How could you do this, Shepard? I thought you had morals…standards?"
"You've got it all wrong. I'm not working for anyone. If anything, they're working for me. I decide how we do things."
"I wanted to believe the rumours you were alive but I never expected this. You've turned your back on everything we believed in. You betrayed the Alliance…and you betrayed me."
"You know I would never compromise my morals or my standards. But the Collectors are targeting human colonies. They're working for the Reapers and I have to stop them. Kaidan…you know me."
"I thought I knew you. I was wrong. You don't know that Cerberus isn't behind this. They could be manipulating you. What if they're working with the Collectors?"
"Are you blind?" Garrus asked. He'd stayed out of it until now, respectful of Shepard's need to talk to Kaidan, but he wouldn't put up with that sort of accusation. "We're not stupid. We've seen what's going on."
"Kaidan, you're letting how you feel get in the way."
"Yeah, but maybe so are you. You've changed. I still know where my loyalties lie. I'm an Alliance soldier. I always will be. I have to report back to the Citadel and they can decide whether they believe your story or not." Kaidan turned and headed away.
"Kaidan, don't go. Join us. It'll be just like old times."
"I'll never work for Cerberus!" He looked back over his shoulder. "And you shouldn't be either. …be careful, Shepard."
"You too, Kaidan. You too."
"Shepard?" Joker asked as the doors slid open to the Starboard Observation deck. The team had arrived back from Horizon several hours ago with little ceremony. The Commander had told him to get out of the system before the Alliance showed up but that had been the last thing he said. He didn't want to make it look like he was checking up on the Commander – he was capable of handling himself and sometimes a man just needed some space – but…
Kaidan had been down there. Joker had heard the discussion over the comms. The signal strength hadn't been strong enough to get video feeds but he could imagine most of what happened amongst the conversation. How dare Kaidan question the Commander like that? They had been friends. What an asshole.
Shepard was sitting on the lounge, his head resting in his arms as he stared at the floor. His arm was bandaged, the white wraps showing just below the sleeve of his Cerberus uniform.
"Fall on a bullet?" Joker asked and closed the door behind him.
"Yeah, something like that," Shepard answered. His voice was muffled from his slumped position.
"You missed dinner. Mordin commented about it. Well actually, he wouldn't shut up about it. Had to sit through almost half an hour of him talking at me. He was going to come find you and lecture you on the importance of biotics getting their recommended daily intake of calories but I managed to talk him out of it. You should thank me."
"I didn't really feel hungry."
"I figured. Here. It's not food but it'll make you feel a bit better." Joker held out the can of energy drink. He'd tasted one once and just about gagged but apparently it was good for biotics.
Shepard sighed and held out his hand and Joker walked over and gave him the can. "I heard what went on down there," Joker said.
"I know."
Joker figured that because the Commander hadn't sent him away and was at least attempting to answer questions, he was fine with him being here. He sat down next to him on the couch, perhaps a little closer than friendly camaraderie would expect. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do, though. Yeah, he and Shepard had always been friends – good friends – but when it came to emotional things, Tris always kept mostly to himself. He would hole himself up in his room for a while to think it through. It was rare to see any sort of outward expression of belligerent emotion.
Though part of him did realize that this meant that Shepard was comfortable enough with him to show this side of himself and in his chest he felt a swell of pride.
"Kaidan had no right to say any of those things," Joker said.
"Yeah he did. Of course he did. He wasn't even that far off the mark."
"But we haven't betrayed the Alliance!"
Shepard sighed and sat back further on the couch, leaning his head back and stared up at the bright lights. "You say that…but really, we have. We're working for a crazy pro-human organization that not two years ago wanted me – all of us – dead. Yes, things change, but we are betraying the Alliance, no matter how you look at it." He popped the can open and took a drink. "It doesn't mean that we're doing the wrong thing, but Kaidan was right. At least about that."
"Fine. So we're betraying the Alliance. But we are right. They've stuck their heads in the sand and refuse to see the truth. I'm not going to sit back and let the Reapers attack if we have a chance of stopping it."
Shepard smiled. "I like your optimism."
"Hey, just call me Mr Optimistic. But you know what I mean. If there's even a chance—"
"We should take it. I agree. I don't think Kaidan's wrong in his accusations. I just wished he had tried to understand. He always tried to keep an open mind – way more than Ash. I always thought…" Shepard sighed and rubbed his forehead with his free hand. "I always thought he would trust my judgement. Like Tali. I was wrong. Again."
Joker bit his lip. What the hell was he supposed to say? He'd always been so bad with emotions and deep and meaningful conversations. Much easier to buy a couple beers and forget about it, which is generally what he would have suggested and Tris might have even taken him up on the offer but something in his gut told him that this wasn't a beer and forget about it problem.
He shuffled a bit closer and put his hand on Shepard's shoulder. "Look…they'll come around. I know it. It's just a shock, that's all. They don't hate you and this isn't your fault. We're doing the right thing, even if it does seem a little crazy."
"I appreciate the lie."
"Geez, I'm not lying. Really…they'll come around. Even if it takes people like Kaidan a little longer than others." He let his hand slide down Shepard's arm. "I know it probably doesn't mean much coming from me, but I know you're doing the right thing," he said again for emphasis.
"If your opinion didn't mean anything to me, I wouldn't keep coming to you with my problems," Shepard said. He finished the last of his drink and placed the can on the floor. "It's not that I don't understand them, I just wish they could try to see that this is better than the alternative. You got over working for Cerberus. You can see the bigger picture."
"Cerberus gave me back the one thing that I wanted," Joker said and tugged at the brim of his cap. "My morals didn't really come into it."
"You didn't deserve to be grounded."
"Yeah I did. Can't fly looking through the bottom of a bottle."
"And Cerberus let you fly again. Weren't they afraid you'd crash their new shiny ship?"
Joker smiled and shook his head. "They gave me someone to fly for. Bastards knew I would never let him down."
"Oh? Must be some guy," Shepard said. He smirked and nudged Joker with his elbow.
"Yeah…" Joker smiled in return. "He's strong, brutal in a fight, an impressive and compassionate leader and skilled soldier. Powerful biotic, weapons master, trained in hand-to-hand combat and can take a fully grown Krogan down in a bar fight. But he's kind, a real gentleman type, charming with that whole smug swagger when he's in a good mood, and killer brood when he's not. He's not above helping a young Quarian girl on her pilgrimage or picking up parts for his Engineers but I know he's going to save the world, all hero like."
"Sounds impressive."
"Totally. Though…he's had to make some tough decisions lately. Probably thinks he's completely alone. Sometimes I find him sitting alone in the Observation deck. So I take pity on him because…he's pretty important to me."
Joker gave a slight grunt of discomfort as Shepard fell against him. He held his arms out of the way, surprised. Shepard leant against his shoulder, resting his cheek there, his eyes closed. What was he supposed to do? Joker swallowed the lump in his throat. He could feel the back of his neck sweat in panic. He awkwardly settled his arm around Shepard's shoulder, his fingers resting on the edge of the bandage.
"I bet he feels pretty lucky to have you, Joker," Shepard said.
"Yeah…" Joker could hear the twinge of uncertainty in his voice. Shepard was warm against his shoulder; a comfortable weight. He wasn't accustomed to having anyone encroach on his personal space like this. The psychological implications were more profound than the physiological. He found himself instinctively stroking the edge of the bandage around Shepard's bicep with his thumb .
"…though I swear if you tell anyone about this, I'll make good on that promise of cleaning roster," Shepard said after a moment. He didn't move and didn't open his eyes.
"Oh yeah, of course. If anyone asks we were talking about Miranda's ass. Unless Miranda asks, that is. If she asks then I'm not answering."
When Shepard laughed Joker could feel the sound reverberate through his own body and a shiver ran down his spine.