Was not expecting this chapter to be so hard to write! But I hope you enjoy it. And I hope everyone had a Happy New Year!

All copyright belongs to Bioware; I'm just taking a spin through their universe.


Chapter 28

Shepard's reaction to this news was not quite what Hannah Shepard née Brosh had been expecting. Her face went pale and cold, her blue grey eyes sparking with anger. For a moment, Hannah felt as if she were looking at the ghost of her husband.

Then Shepard let loose a string of curses, slamming her hand against the railing and Hannah sighed. Nope, that part of her temper was all Marion.

"Cerberus? You're absolutely certain?" asked Shepard, her back to her mother.

"Well, it's hard to be certain. They have tried to hide their involvement but Kahoku left evidence that he was tracking them. Based on some information you sent him, apparently."

"We believed Cerberus was behind the thresher maw attack that killed my unit on Akuze," said Shepard, her shoulders tightening.

Hannah did not gasp. That was not the type of person that she was. But in that moment, she felt a mother's heartache for her hurt child. She walked over to Shepard and laid a hand on that tense shoulder. "Oh Marion. I am so sorry."

Shepard turned back to her, the scars from her attack suddenly that much more noticeable. "Not as sorry as they are going to be. Do you have any hints as to his location?"

"We were able to pinpoint a signal from the Yangtze system but then the Alliance lost contact. We suspect that that system harbors a series of Cerberus bases. Kahoku could be anywhere in there."

"It's a good thing I command the most advanced warship in the Alliance navy then," said Shepard. She was already moving into action, heading toward the helm. Hannah followed, noticing how the crew turned to watch Shepard, not out of fear or worry but out of sheer respect for her presence. They nodded to her and returned to their work.

"Joker, set a course for the Yangtze system. As soon as our guests are on their way, I want the Normandy hot."

"Aye aye ma'am. What are we aiming for?" he asked, his fingers already moving across the screens.

"Admiral Kahoku has been kidnapped by Cerberus. I intend to go through each base of theirs until I find some sign of him. And then we're going to blow them all up."

"Well, that sounds like fun." The two grinned at each other and Hannah shook her head.

"Introductions?" she said dryly.

"Executive Officer Hannah Shepard, this is my pilot, Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau. We call him Joker. If he tells you he's the best damn pilot in the galaxy…"

"It's because I am." Joker turned slightly and doffed his hat. "Sorry, Mama Shepard, I'd turn around but the sound of cracking ribs tends to put people off."

Hannah looked properly taken aback and Shepard couldn't help but chuckle, even as she felt her knees starting to shake a little bit as the adrenaline faded. "Vrolik's Syndrome. Doesn't seem to hurt our Joker. Other than the obvious. Certainly hasn't helped his manners."

"Yup, no humble cripple over here, taking the bad things of life and suffering quietly. I like to involve everybody. Keeps my spirits up."

"Do you raise all your crew this way?" asked Hannah, one eyebrow lifted.

"My kids are well-behaved," said Shepard, affronted. "Well, except maybe Wrex. We might avoid him."

"Commander." The two Shepards turned to see Garrus walking toward them, his expression unreadable. Hannah watched her daughter warily, waiting for the explosion. "Dr. Chakwas sent me to…uh…"

"Check up on me," grumbled Shepard. She sighed. "She wants me to return to the medbay, doesn't she?"

"It would certainly make her feel better. But I think you would feel better eating something besides soup and got to yell at the Council for a little bit."

Shepard grinned. "Joker, can you get hold of the Council for me, patch them through to the comm room? It's time we touched base personally. And then I'm going to eat a hamburger." She practically smacked her lips as she followed Garrus back to the stairs. Hannah walked behind them, bemused.

"Dr. Chakwas would prefer I stay with you. So you 'don't do something stupid.'" Garrus looked much too pleased and Shepard did not disappoint.

She tried to swat at him and he ducked. "I do not need a babysitter," she said with dignity, very slowly and carefully navigating the stairs on shaky feet. "What I need is for you to put your spiked head with Liara and get me any information you can on Cerberus: their latest activities, movements, everything."

"New target?"

"No, not new. A target, absolutely."

Garrus nodded. "We'll get on it right away. How much time do we have?"

"We should be entering the Yangtze system in about 9 hours. So until then." Garrus nodded and headed for the medbay and Liara's office.

"You have a turian on board," said Hannah quietly as they re-entered the comm room.

"Officer Garrus Vakarian, formerly of C-Sec, currently a member of the Normandy," said Shepard, setting up the comm link. "I also have a quarian, asari and krogan on board if you'd like to make an issue of it."

"No issue here. Just…surprised, that's all. Usually your first reaction is to hit the turian and yell later."

"People change, Mother," said Shepard shortly. "He's an important member of my crew."

"Important. Yes, I can see that," said Hannah, glancing back at the door thoughtfully.

Shepard spun around at her tone, that familiar mulish expression on her face. "What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"Nothing, Marion," said Hannah, moving closer. She smiled at her daughter, pressing one hand against her cheek. "Your father would be so proud of you right now. Commander of an Alliance warship, a Council Spectre…you've grown so much."

Shepard felt her throat tighten. "Thanks, Mom," she replied quietly.


Hannah and Captain Oswalt departed shortly after that to retrieve the ExoGeni scientists and assist the colonists. The Normandy set its course for the Yangtze system and Shepard settled into the comm room for some long conversations. Joker managed to get through to the Council and Shepard stood at attention, though by now her expression was less respectful and more skeptic.

"Commander. Have you recovered from the Thorian's poison?" asked the asari councilor benevolently as the Council's images materialized.

Shepard nodded. "Our doctor assures me that the lingering effects will be minimal. We are ready to continue with our mission, provided you have more information for us."

"You would think destroying an ancient lifeform would have provided you with some sort of benefit," said the turian councilor snidely. "So you destroyed it without actually learning anything?"

"The Thorian was controlling the minds of these colonists," said Shepard hotly. "And I did learn something. I received another Prothean vision through the Thorian…sort of. I was able to receive the Cipher, as Saren was."

"So he was there?" said the salarian councilor. "And what is this Cipher?"

"Basic knowledge of the Protheans. With it, I can better attempt to decipher the vision from the beacons and hopefully figure out where Saren is trying to get to through the Mu Relay."

"If you are going to insist on keeping Matriarch Benezia's daughter on board, then you may want to make use of her knowledge of the Protheans," said the asari, her tone cool. "With a mind meld, she might be able to recognize and interpret some of what you have seen."

"Did you learn anything else about these Reapers?" asked the salarian.

"We did learn more about Saren's ship. It helps him to influence his followers. We believe it is slowly indoctrinating him and his crew to further the Reapers' goals," said Shepard.

The turian scoffed, making Shepard glare. "More vague answers. I am still skeptical that these Reapers are actually any kind of threat. Saren is our enemy at the moment."

"Believe what you want. Or better yet, I'll stop by for a visit and the asari councilor can transfer these nightmares to you. Then you can give me your opinion on their existence," snapped Shepard.

"My name is Tevos, Commander," said the asari sharply. "My turian counterpart is Sparatus, and the only one you have managed to not irritate in this conversation is Valern."

Shepard looked taken aback for just a moment. "My apologies. I guess we were never properly introduced," she said, feeling embarrassed for a moment.

"No need to antagonize her, Tevos," said Valern. "We have some information that may help as you pursue Saren. We may know where he retreated after leaving Feros."

"You couldn't have started our conversation with this?" exclaimed Shepard.

"We've received an urgent message from one of our special infiltration teams in the Traverse," he continued. "The message was garbled but it came across a channel reserved for news of the utmost importance. They were supposed to be gathering intel on Saren. They found something important. You may want to investigate the planet Virmire."

"I'll look into it," said Shepard. "We're on our way to…"

Tevos held up her hands. "We don't want to know the specifics of Spectre activity," she said. "We trust to your discretion."

"Easiest way to protect yourselves by pretending you know nothing," said Shepard with a thinly disguised layer of disgust. "Fine. Then just trust that this crew knows what it is doing. Shepard out."

She ended the link and resisted the urge to bash something. Virmire was important, she could sense it. They needed to go after Saren. But the pull to find Kahoku, to end the group that destroyed her team on Akuze and had hurt how many others…she would not be able to live with herself if she walked away from that. But damn, didn't it make her heart hurt to know that Saren could be on Virmire right now and she was flying away from him?


This conversation and thought process had not left her in the best of moods, despite the hamburger that Garrus had convinced Dr. Chakwas Shepard could eat. So when Joker messaged her to let her know that someone named 'Cleon Hobb' had contacted the Normandy, she practically growled, even as her stomach lurched a bit. "Patch him through, Joker. I'll head up to the comm room."

She limped her way up the stairs, her food already settling like a stone in her stomach. How long had it been since she had seen Cleon? Six years? Since Akuze, when he had come to see her in the hospital. That had been…awkward, to say the least.

Standing in front of the comm link, Shepard took a deep breath, willing away that feeling that she was suddenly being transported back to her confused and lost eighteen year old self. "Ok Joker, put him through. And don't let anyone else in here."

"Yes ma'am. Coming through now."

His image materialized before her, his arms crossed. He looked…different. More put together. He had grown up too. He wore a pair of mechanic's pants, looking relatively clean considering he worked on shuttles. His jacket was familiar, faded and torn in all the right places. Back when she used to steal it from him, it had always smelled faintly of woodsmoke from the fire he used to like to build in his sister's backyard. The lines of his face were harder now though. His dark blond hair was close cropped to his head, military-style. Shepard knew his eyes were a cornflower blue, though they did not come through well in the communicator. Those eyes were narrowed now, emphasizing their square shape, mimicked in the square line of his jaw. It was a handsome face.

Cleon Hobb struggled not to let his emotions get the best of him as he looked at Commander Marion Shepard. She was dressed in Alliance blues, looking like a solider, not a Spectre. Her black hair was pulled back in her favorite bun, her slightly slanted grey-blue eyes assessing him coolly. He could just make out the scars that pulled at her mouth and cheek. But there was something…off. She seemed to be leaning, not standing up straight. He could almost see…burns on the side of her face and neck when she tilted her head at him. She was injured.

"You look like hell, Rin," he finally said.

She almost smirked. "I believe that is the same line you gave me after Akuze. It's still not funny."

He shrugged. "I can try. So why did Roran drag my ass down here to talk to you? Are you having a hissy fit that I won't uproot us again?"

Shepard's fists clenched. So the antagonism was starting already. "You know I wouldn't be contacting you if there wasn't good reason," she began, her jaws tight.

"That's what you said after you took out that pirate ring when he was five. And when you were part of the team that took down that red sand gang here on Earth when he was six. Then we had a few years of peace and then when he was nine, we had to move because we were being stalked by some lowlife who had figured out the connection. I don't even want to know what happened to him." Cleon was shifting uneasily from foot to foot as he ranted. Shepard knew he wanted to pace and could not with the limited space of the communicator. "So what is it now, hmmm? What excuse am I supposed to give them now?"

"The Shadow Broker is coming for you and for him," said Shepard sharply. "He is much more powerful than some criminal Earth gang. If he gets to you or to Nate, you will never be seen again, do you understand me? I can't let that happen."

"What the hell happened this time?" Cleon demanded. "Can't you use some of those diplomatic skills, Spectre?"

"Don't use that against me like a weapon," shot Shepard back. "The Broker wants me to be his henchman in exchange for information. But I don't feel like becoming an executioner. Excuse me for having morals."

"You know he follows your career, right?" said Cleon suddenly. Shepard froze, her only movement to swallow tightly. "He made a slideshow on his holo, all different pictures of you, news of what you've done. He wanted Kate to throw a party when you got named a Spectre. You may have cut yourself out of his life, but for some reason, he follows news of you like a dying man looks for water. And he doesn't even know who you are to him! But you're his hero," Cleon added with disdain.

Shepard struggled to respond to that, her heart clenching. "You've never told him though, right?"

"Told him that his mother almost killed him as a baby," Shepard flinched, "and then abandoned him to her boyfriend's sister? That his father was so screwed up at the time that he couldn't come around for years and by then had to pretend to be his uncle so his life didn't get torn to shreds? Yeah, we told him all that," said Cleon sarcastically.

"Everything I have done has been to protect him," said Shepard through numb lips. "And that's why I am asking you to do this. One more time. The Shadow Broker is the immediate danger, and we need to make sure that Nate doesn't fall into his hands. I would do anything if he had Nate, do you understand? You want me to go rogue, like Saren?" She cut off suddenly as Cleon's posture changed.

"So it's true? That turian Spectre went rogue? That's who you're going after," said Cleon.

"Cleon, that's classified. Don't repeat that," she warned.

"Awful lot of secrecy for one mission," he commented.

"There's more to it than that. A lot more," said Shepard darkly. "I can't control that…but I can do something about this. I get you all of out of the Shadow Broker's way, and then I can concentrate on this mission. It's…Cleon, it's more important than I can express. Please. Just do what Roran asks. Stay on the Alliance base for a few weeks, until I've dealt with this. For Nate."

There was a long silence. Then Cleon sighed. "All right, Shepard. This is the last time. I'll talk to Kate and figure out a story for Nate, tell him I have an Alliance contract or something and want him and his mom to come on the base with me."

"My mother can arrange that," said Shepard. "The base near Los Angeles is one of our most secure. Any problems, and I'll use my Spectre authorization. Just let me know."

That made Cleon look a little more sour but he nodded. "Fine. Just…get rid of this Broker, get him to back off."

Shepard barked a laugh. "I'll do my best. Just keep him safe, okay? Kate too."

"And what about me, Shepard? Where do I rank in the list of priorities?" asked Cleon bitterly.

"Cleon, you know that's not what I meant…" The image disappeared. Shepard hung her head, her sigh disappearing into the cold spaces of the ship. "Joker, please delete any recordings of that conversation—and don't repeat any of that," she said quietly.

"Already taken care of, Shepard," Joker said softly. "When you want a drink, feel free to come join me."

Joker clicked off the comm and leaned back in his chair with a muttered "Shit." Then, settling his cap on his head, he sent the file to Garrus Vakarian before he could think about it too much. With a swipe of his fingers, all other traces of Cleon Hobb vanished from the Normandy.


Ouch. Poor Shep. What do you think? Does she deserve Cleon's anger? What do you think has happened between them in the past? How about Joker's interference? Your thoughts, reviews and comments always help my writing process. Please take a moment to comment. It's how I improve as a writer. See ya next week!