- Chapter 52 -

"I wasn't in favor of your diversion to Sanctuary Commander," Admiral Hackett admonished. Alexis stiffened slightly before the projection of the Admiral. She hated the talking down to but he was right. Sanctuary had been a risk. "But I was wrong," Hackett continued. "The Cerberus lab you raided hinted at something big but we never expected this. All those refugees, all that – slaughter. Just to study indoctrination."

Alexis heard the hard edge to Hackett's tone, the righteous fury at the massacre Cerberus was perpetrating in the name of Humanity. It was appalling and infuriating. She understood Hackett's rage. She was living it. "Sanctuary did need to be shut down Sir. What they learned there about the Reapers wasn't worth all those lives."

"It's useful intel Commander," Hackett remarked grudgingly. "But you're right, the cost was too high." Hackett shook his head slowly. She could only imagine the sense of needless loss he was probably feeling. She knew that feeling was certainly clawing at her. "Do we have the location of the Illusive Man?"

Alexis nodded. "Yes we were able to examine the data we took from Horizon and extrapolate a location."

"Good, that gives us a fighting chance to take Cerberus out of this war."

Alexis nodded. "Agreed. We need to end Cerberus and focus on the Reapers." Focus on destroying the synthetic monstrosities and save their future, she mused silently.

"My thoughts exactly. Hackett out."

Alexis made her way slowly to the war room. She had just taken another tour of the ship. The crew was still incensed about Horizon. She couldn't blame them. She was pretty sure her stomach would give an inevitable lurch whenever she thought of that place. And it was that sick feeling that drove her to the war room now. The Illusive Man had destroyed enough lives. It was time to end him. She punched in the commands to contact Hackett and waited.

"Shepard," the admiral called as he stepped within view of the holo emitters. "The intel you sent looks good. The fleets are ready to go."

Alexis eyed the admiral. Something seemed off. "But," she asked hesitantly.

"Once we're committed against Cerberus it won't be long before the Reapers take notice."

Take notice and send a targeted assault against the allied fleets, she thought darkly. "And the crucible?"

Hackett turned to look at something off in the distance. Alexis could only assume he was looking at the crucible itself. "Ready," Hackett answered. "Except for the catalyst. But there's no way to hide the ships we'll be sending at Cerberus. Once we attack, the Crucible won't be safe for long." Alexis swallowed. She guessed what that meant. She wasn't sure how she felt about it though. "For all intents and purposes an assault on Cerberus will be the first stage of our attack on Earth."

Alexis nodded in understanding. This was it, the final push. They would go to Cerberus and when all was said and done, make the final push to Earth. This was what they had been fighting for all along. Everything had led them here, to this point. She knew this is where she was supposed to be but part of her wanted Thane here with her. And if Hackett spoke true, there would be little to no time to divert and pick him up. Doubt crept up her spine. "What happens if Cerberus doesn't have the intel we need? Or they stop us from getting it?"

Hackett stiffened. "Then we lead the fleets to Earth and we take our chances," he barked.

Alexis stifled a flinch. His reaction, the annoyance at her question, was warranted. There was no room for doubt at this point. Not even the minutest amount. Yes she wished Thane was here. But he wasn't. He was safe though. And in the end hadn't that been what she had wanted all along? She nodded letting Hackett know she understood.

"But you're intel points to Cerberus and the Illusive Man holding the information we're looking for," he added more calmly. "And we have the element of surprise. Cerberus won't know what hit them."

Alexis took a deep breath. When she had ordered Normandy through the Omega 4 relay she'd been incensed. But she'd been concerned too. Going through the relay meant spending a few stolen moments with Thane before they committed their lives to destroying the Collectors. Back then she had thought Thane was dying. Every moment with him had been precious. She remembered thinking she wasn't going to let the Collectors steal what little time she did have left with him. She had been filled with purpose. Not only to save her abducted crew but also to save the future she had with Thane, brief though she had believed it would have been. But now, almost a year later, Thane was cured. They had the ability to conceive if they chose. Now they had the chance at a real future together and once again the Reapers were threatening to steal that from her. She wasn't about to let them. She'd destroy the Reapers. Then she'd find Thane and they would spend the rest of their lives enjoying their hard won future. "The Reapers and Cerberus started this. Now we're going to end it," she growled.

Hackett nodded. "I'll get the fleets mobilized.

Alexis blinked to clear her vision. It was dark. So dark she could barely see. She blinked again and caught a glimpse of white from the corner of her eye. Instinctively she pivoted and began to run. The area around her began to materialize from out of the shadows. She was chasing a boy, a small boy with a white hoodie. A cold sweat broke out all over her body. This place and the boy, they all seemed so familiar. Rustling ahead spurred her forward. She spotted the child and gave chase. She had to reach the boy. Shadows appeared out of the mist as she followed. Her movements were slow, sluggish. She wanted to run faster – needed to run faster but no matter what she did still her pace didn't change. It was like she was wading through molasses. Yet the urgency remained. She felt the bitterness saturate her tongue. She had to reach the boy before it was too late. Shadows grew thick around her, whispering to her. She frowned at the sound of voices. They seemed familiar. But she didn't have time to try to figure it out now. It was the boy who was important. She had to get to the boy. She was so close, so very close. She slowed as she saw the boy approaching a dark figure. The pair came in to sharp view just as another voice came to her through the mist.

Alexis woke with a start, her heart racing, sweat coating every inch of her body. She glanced around disoriented. Had it been a dream? It had seemed so real. She glanced up to the overhead window and the stars blazing by. She was on the Normandy. She had decided to get a few hours shut eye while the fleets mobilized. She remembered stripping down and crawling into bed. She remembered thinking of Thane before she finally dozed off. The next thing she remembered was being in that dark forest, the forest of her dead. She sat up still thinking of the nightmare. She hadn't had that nightmare since Thane came back to her. She understood the voices in the forest were the friends she had lost. But who was the boy? Did he somehow symbolize her future, the child she and Thane could one day have? This time when the boy had burst into flames she had been right there beside him, holding him. She hand looked on as her mirror image held the boy, flames consuming them both. Was her subconscious trying to tell her she was doomed? Was that why the last voice of the dead she heard had been Thane's? Alexis buried her head in her hands, her stomach bottoming out in dread. What did it all mean?

"Shepard," Edi called through the comm. "We've arrived. The crew is waiting."

Alexis stood on shaky legs. The dream had rattled her. She still had no idea what it could mean. What she did know was that she had a job to do. Regardless of the outcome to her, there was a fleet, hell and entire universe, out there counting on her and her team to get this done. And by all the deities of the known galaxy she was going to do it.

"What's our status Joker," Alexis called as she approached the cockpit. After Edi reported their status she had splashed some water on her face in an attempt to dispel the effects of the nightmare. It hadn't worked. The dark sense of foreboding had clung tightly making her heart skip a few beats. She had dressed quickly and rushed to the war room to monitor the fleet movements. It sounded like controlled chaos causing her adrenalin to spike through her. But at least it was something else to focus on. Hackett was expertly maneuvering the fleet in an effort to create an opening for the Normandy. She had listened for a few moments then quickly made her way to the armory to suit up. She knew it was a matter of time before Hackett created the opening they needed and she wanted to be sure they were ready to deploy.

"We've got a foothold but it's not much Commander. Lot of fighters guarding the launch bays."

Gee what a surprise, Alexis mused darkly. "Can you get us in?"

Joker glanced back to where she stood and gave her a droll stare. "Hey I got us to Ilos. I can do this," he responded facing forward again. "Might be a bumpy ride though," he added his cockiness reasserting itself again."

"Do what you can," she remarked shaking her head at her overconfident pilot.

"Shepard, I am ready," Edi reported. Alexis faced the AI just as Joker shifted in his seat again. "Wait! What? Are you crazy," he barked. "You can't go to Cerberus Headquarters. They could have a virus or a kill switch or…"

"I will be fine Jeff," Edi responded cutting off his tirade.

Alexis watched as Joker snapped his mouth shut and turned in his chair. She could only imagine what was going through his mind at the moment. "Head to the shuttle Edi," she ordered.

"5th fleet cut through their line. Now's as good a time as any," Joker announced back to business.

Alexis approached his pilot seat. Joker had watched countless crewmates head into danger while he was forced to stay aboard Normandy. That would be hard on anyone. As soldiers they wanted to be in the thick of it, doing their part. That had never been an option for Joker because of his disease. He made up for that by being the best damned pilot in the Alliance, hell to have ever flown. But this was different. Joker was in love with Edi. And he was being forced to watch as she went into a highly dangerous situation without him. Alexis could sympathize. "I know it hurts, not being able to go with her." Alexis offered into the strained silence.

"Yeah it sucks. Thanks for bringing that up." Alexis let out a slow breath. Joker was retreating back into his sarcasm. It was how he dealt with stress. She knew there wasn't more she could say to make it any better. Pivoting on her heel she began to leave the cockpit when he stopped her.

"Hey Shepard. Keep her safe."

Alexis nodded. "Same to you."