Normandy-Briefing Room
Another day, another catastrophe, another briefing, Shepard thought grimly as he took in the newly assembled senior staff, his new and old officers sitting there shuffling their paperwork and their notes. Shepard wondered if this was something humans did, or if it were a personality quirk, always gathering to discuss things after something tragic happened.
The Normandy was resting comfortably over Mars. Immediately after arrival Shepard ordered them around the poles to vent their heat sinks and to hide out from the Reapers, with only minimal systems and the magnetic radiation swirling around them, they were well hidden.
After accomplishing this he had ordered repairs, and to attempt contact with any survivors. The holographic heads of Admiral Hackett and a squad commander in the Third fleet revolved in the center table. Hackett looking beat up having just escaped his flagship being turned into slag by a Reaper.
Finally Shepard couldn't take it anymore; he turned to face the room a scowl decorating his features.
"Alright people, settle down, status?" Shepard glanced around the room.
Ash shifted her eyes for a bit and shuffled her computer pads nervously. "The initial reports, what we can make out of them, from Earth aren't good. Casualty reports are listed at nearly a million, the Reapers have landed at multiple sites around the planet, and the fleet and orbital defenses have all but been obliterated. Only good news is that some of them have broken off the attack to head through the Charon relay."
Shepard sighed.
"That means we can mount a counter attack." The new commander of the third fleet, what was left of it, announced after a moment's pause.
Shepard arched a skeptical eyebrow at him but it was Hackett who countered the claim. "Unlikely, our forces were ripped apart."
"But we were caught by surprise!" The Admiral pressed.
Shepard handled that one sarcastically, "Yes, the first, third, fifth fleets, as well as our defenses over Earth and Archturus itself has been annihilated. Over a third of our star forces, who knows how many marines and ground personnel, all of that, ripped to shreds with only…" Shepard abruptly stopped turning to the other hologram present, "EDI how many Reapers did we manage to disable?"
"Three Shepard." EDI replied crisply.
"So…" he confirmed, "over 60 warships, many Carriers and Dreadnaughts, all lost." Shepard finished the grim tally.
"We have to do something," The Admiral snarled, "the people of Earth are counting on us. To avoid becoming Husks or to become vaporized by particle beams."
"And if we want to do something about it we shouldn't waste our time on a hopeless rescue mission. Shepard's right, we just have to hold out for a while longer and hope Earth can do the same." Hackett snapped at his colleague. "Shepard, what do you suggest?" The hologram turned to face Shepard.
Cameron's throat went dry, he was being asked to make a suggestion by one of the Supreme Commanders in the Alliance Navy, he hoped that Hackett appreciated the irony.
"We've only one chance." Cameron started. "Unite with the galaxy to take down the Reapers and reclaim back Earth, or die. We need to gather what's left of the fleet and rendezvous at the Citadel. Make a stand there, defend the Citadel, and use that as a rally point. It's only two jumps away from Earth."
"We're abandoning Earth?" The third fleet commander went bug-eyed. "What about the other colonies? The outer Colonies, the colonies in the Traverse…hell even the Terminus…you can't be suggesting we just leave them all behind?"
Shepard gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "We may have to. I doubt the Reapers will be too interested in them. Not until they've tried to cripple some of the other races first."
"That's a hell of a gamble Shepard." The Admiral snarled.
"Yes it is," Shepard admitted holding up placating hands, "but if going to Earth with the fleet is suicide then trying to defend a dozen small colonies dividing and subdividing the fleet isn't going to do them, or us, any good."
"I don't know if we can just leave those people." The Admiral sighed.
"We aren't. We'll be fighting for them to make sure some remnant of the human race survives, we have to keep the big picture in mind." Shepard tried once more.
"I understand the tactics Commander, but not the morality. It's hard to keep big picture when you know you could be sacrificing millions of lives." The Admiral shot steepling his fingers.
Shepard sighed, his thoughts fleeing to Miranda for a second, to their conversation, their last conversation. "Believe me Admiral, I know that." Shepard said softly.
"Who put you in charge anyway?" The Admiral asked rhetorically, all things considered.
"Admiral Anderson." Shepard answered.
"And how do we know this? Admiral Anderson is stuck on Earth, last I saw you were about to be charged with mass murder." The Admiral continued.
"I can personally vouch for the Commander's claims, Anderson sent me a message just before all communications were terminated informing me that in the event this happened Shepard would be promoted to Commander." Hackett explained, "Besides even if he didn't, I can... Shepard has full authority to command the Normandy and use it in ways he deems necessary for the survival of the human race."
Hell of a mandate Shepard thought to himself with a wan smile.
The Admiral on the com link tapped his mouth in thought looking distant, but he was quiet, uncomfortably so.
Hackett cleared his throat.
Shepard turned to EDI, "How long do we have to complete this mission before the population of Earth is fully exterminated?" He tried to keep his tone nonchalant but his stomach twisted painfully, they were talking about the life and death of humanity's home world.
"Based on current casualty projections we have between four to five months to complete our mission. However, I must urge caution; it is more than likely to be four months given that our defenses will be degrading over that time." EDI explained.
"Four months to save the human race." Hackett mused grimly, frowning, "that doesn't give us a lot of time."
"No." Shepard sighed.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that though, Earth's defenses are strong, most of the major cities and strategic hard points have been upgraded by high level Kinetic Barriers. They'll hold out." The Third Fleet Commander stated confidently.
Shepard exhaled loudly and turned to him, "The Reapers hardly use Kinetic based weaponry though. They use almost exclusively Directed Energy Beams from what we've seen."
The Admiral moaned wearily and arched back into his chair, the camera bobbled for a second as it tried to keep him in its sights. "Well, I think we've discussed this issue to death. And we need to go. Ultimately the decision is mine what to do with my military force, the Commander cannot order me certainly. I'll take your recommendations into advisement but I will not just forget the people stranded throughout the Galaxy. Third fleet command out." His image faded, Hackett's grew to fill its place.
Shepard regarded the Admiral with a skeptical look, "What do you think he'll do?"
"He's in a difficult position Shepard, we all are. He'll try and have it both ways, I think. He can't ignore the logic of trying to unite and make a stand, and to gather our forces. But he also can't ignore the suffering on the outer colonies." Hackett theorized.
"He'll further divide the fleet?" Shepard asked dubiously.
"That's likely." Hackett grunted. "But the fifth fleet is with you, whatever forces I can command will gather at the Citadel."
Shepard leaned over the table. "Exactly! What do you have left?"
"We took a beating," Hackett admitted, "I think I can scrape together at least another Carrier battle group that survived Archturus. Besides I'll be sending out a general order passing your suggestion along. It's likely we can get at least one, maybe two of the other fleets to join us at the Citadel."
"Can't you just order them?" Shepard offered the obvious.
Hackett shook his head in response, "No, one thing that Admiral was right on, being a protégée of Admiral Mikhailovich, this is a tough decision. No orders. We'll have to make our own decisions, at the fleet and squadron level. Hell maybe even down to the individual ships."
Shepard nodded, "I understand, and you're right. Good luck out there Admiral."
Hackett nodded grimly. "Same to you, Hackett out."
His image faded into oblivion.
"So now what skipper?" Ashley asked after Shepard failed to offer any orders. "Where do we go from here?"
Shepard frowned, stunned into indecision. No one had truly united the Galaxy before. Even the member races of the Council had their own agendas. He didn't know where to begin or where to go for help. The impending catastrophe should lend some credence to his claims and pleas, that if they didn't stand together they'd all die separately.
But, there was always one option, the most obvious option.
He tapped on the intercom. "Joker, what's our ETA for the Citadel?"
"Not long, 28 hours since we're forced to use our normal drives to attempt escape from our current position." Joker reported after a pause.
28 hours, Shepard winced. Time was of the essence, every second brought hundreds of people to their deaths, and it was going to take 28 hours before they could start their mission in earnest.
"We have no choice," Shepard announced, "we go to the Citadel, spread word about the attack on Earth, our plans, and to design our strategy from there."
"Understood Commander." Vega nodded.
"Dismissed, we have a lot to do before we arrive." Shepard ordered signing everyone else out.
The assembled crew saluted, turned on their heels, and left the room one after the other; leaving Shepard alone with his thoughts. However, he did not have the luxury to ponder, he had to lay in their course on the Galaxy map. He sighed and started walking.
The door opened as he nearly bumped head long into Ashley.
"Ashley?" He choked. Up till now he could avoid her but now she was right here, in his face. He steadied his nerves, not that he had anything to feel guilty about, but he couldn't quell these feelings around her. "Do you need something?" He queried tenuously.
"Look Shepard…Commander…C-Cameron." Ashley stuttered, she sighed and looked at him defiantly. "I know about you and Miranda. I read your logs."
Shepard's back stiffened perceptibly. He was hoping for the chance to tell her himself, in a while, after they had started their mission in earnest and their gear stowed away.
"Look Ashley, I'm sorry…just… too much time had passed, you were so distant on Horizon and I never heard from you." Shepard pleaded haltingly, his hands suddnely not knowing what to do with themselves, either flutteringly nervously, or scratching the back of his neck.
She frowned. "I know. Not that it makes it any easier of course. We still need to sort this out, both of us, our feelings, if we have any. And I know the mission is too important." She finished, her eyes now pleading with his searching for some answers…any answers.
She hesitated.
Shepard pressed, "But?" His body was beginning to catch up.
She sighed. "We're in control of the most unique warship prowling the stars. With a stealth drive capable from hiding from any threat, an AI, and plenty of reserve Ezo. The universe is coming down around us; there is little hope in hell that we can actually stop the Reapers. We could always…look for her."
A fire arched through Shepard's body, burning his insides and his senses. An unholy cocktail of pain, desire, embarrassment, and shock flooding his system.
Here was a woman that he once loved and probably still did, offering to give up everything just for the chance to save Miranda.
"I mean I read the mission reports," she continued glancing to one side and blushing, "I know what happened to her. I know how much she means to you. And if that person you love is not me. I understand, no matter how much it hurts."
Shepard growled internally, grappling with himself. She had opened Pandora's Box and let the thought run around free and lose in his head. To damn the human race, to damn the galaxy, just to go off on a wild goose chase in a hope of finding Miranda. Sacrificing everything, even his own life, with the small chance of being with her, even for only a second.
But I can't do it. The thought slammed into him like ice water, dousing his fire and letting his reason return. It would be an abject betrayal of her. Of her ideal, of what she wanted him to do and what she had become, of everything, the person she had become, the person he had become. As much as he wanted to fight for her and only her he knew that he couldn't. He had to keep the big picture in perspective. She would loathe him if he didn't. So would Ashley.
This was supposing Miranda was even alive in the first place.
Shepard smiled at her with genuine gratitude leaning in towards her. "Thanks for the offer…Lieutenant? is it now?"
"Yes, sir." She stated with bated breath.
"It's tempting, but no thanks, I made a promise to her once and I must keep it. No matter what." Shepard stated trying to relax his tensed neck muscles.
She smiled nervously, "Just checking, making sure you were the Shepard I remembered."
"Good," He grinned, clapping her on the back and then looking at her seeing the pain on her face, causing him to withdraw his hands cautiously.
"This is not over yet, we still have a lot to solve Shepard, a lot of time to repair something of what we had once, if anything at all." Ash offered hopefully.
Shepard nodded, "Well, let's get this show on the road."
They marched to the CIC, to the Galaxy map, the crew giving him nervous looks. He needed to reassure them.
"EDI give me ship wide." Shepard ordered, a tone sounded letting him know he could proceed. "Crew of the Normandy, this is Commander Shepard. We have fought long and hard, but there is a greater fight to come. I know you're scared, hell I am. But if we do our jobs, and complete our mission, we have a chance. This is about survival, as much for us, as it is for the human race. As long as there is one ship fighting…humanity continues. And that ship is this ship…the Normandy, this ship will be our home and the beacon in the night. You have your orders, do your duty, and we'll make it through. Shepard out."
Loose applause broke out on the deck and died down quickly as if scaring itself with the impropriety. Shepard grinned at the display.
"Joker, set a course for the Citadel, best possible stealth speed." Shepard ordered, straightening in deep resolve.
"Aye-aye." Joker replied over the intercom.
Shepard looked at Ashley again before leaning over the Galaxy map and with an almost smirk on his face he grunted out, "Now let's do this!"
The Normandy rushed out from their cover, and onto their destiny.
Final AN/ C:
First of all sorry for the delay on this chapter, primarily trying to come up with something to say and other real life issues. But its here now. Enjoy.
I would like to thank everyone who has read this, or will read this and has reviewed. I want to thank my editor for helping me grind out the kinks. And that it was a joy writing this and reading your reviews.
But I have two requests.
I have noticed many people has favorite this story, or alerted it. Thank you. But, tell me what you like, what you hate about it, and just any general comments. I always enjoy and appreciate getting reviews from people greatly. And if you love it that much, spread it around.
Hope to see you and continue to provide you with more entertainment through the years.