To: S. Traynor
From: [ENCRYPTED]
Subject: Sorry.

Sam,

I'm not very good at these things, so I apologize if this isn't romantic or endearing. I know we've already said our goodbyes, and I'm sure you're regretting even trying this in the first place; it isn't very fair of me to disappear at a time like this, but I have no choice. I hope you understand.

This might be the last time you'll hear from me. If my suspicions are correct, I am going to be walking into a hell created by my father. I know he has my sister, and I hope I'm going to make it before he has a chance to make good on his dynastic promises. If he's hurt her, I'll kill him.

I need you to know that there are very few people in this galaxy I care for. I'm glad that most of them are on the same ship, as safe and secure as they can be while taking out the monsters of the galaxy. Take care of her, Sam. She's been through too much, and she has the weight of millions on her shoulders.

I should have said this before, and I'm sorry I didn't, but I love you. Please, take care. If I make it out of here, I'll try my best to come back to you.

Miri.

Miranda closes her omni-tool at the same moment the transport VI alerts her and the other passengers to their imminent arrival. Wiping away a tear that managed to escape, she looks around at the other passengers as they begin to shuffle anxiously through pockets and luggage for their identification cards and passport papers. Parents are helping children secure their cards around their necks so they don't get lost, little faces looking around in curiosity or nervousness. Miranda notices one little girl clutching on to a teddy bear for dear life, as her mother straightens a pink bow on her head. Stress and emotional wear are evident on every single adult in the transport, as well as a palpable feeling of relief at being able to find a refuge in a galaxy torn by war. Miranda has no illusion of safety; the two-day trip to the Iera system has only helped solidify in her mind that this transport was heading to a final destination that these people weren't aware of.

She has overheard bits and pieces of conversation throughout the trip. Most people were here on borrowed money. Friends and relatives loaning them the credits so that they might be safe. Parents sending their children away for their own safety while they remain on Earth, Palaven, Thessia. The general consensus though, was that it was remarkably easy to arrange a seat and to reserve a room. Most people see it as a blessing, but Miranda knows it is no such thing. No organization is going to offer hot food, safety, and peace of mind for an undetermined amount of time, for a one-time payment of merely six thousand credits. No corporation, in a time of war, would be willing to do that on such a massive scale.

Unless that corporation was Cerberus. She knows the organization, and the CEO, all too well. The Illusive Man would see a return on his investment, and these people would not be here if they knew what that would be.

Glancing out the window, Miranda watches as a moderately-sized space station comes into view. According to her itinerary, all refugees are required to register at this station prior to moving on to Horizon. The reasoning provided was that it was easier to start registration here, in order to reduce long wait times once they arrived at Sanctuary. Miranda knows it's a ruse; people would be held and processed, ID cards checked and funds cleared. Undesirables weeded out, ensuring there are no spies or informants attempting to gain access. Anyone with particularly special talents would be 'upgraded to a separate division' of Sanctuary. Miranda knows that the Illusive Man won't pass up scientists, engineers, or any person with a talent he can exploit. She'd seen it before, a hundred times. The interview process for Cerberus is an arduous one.

Half an hour later, Miranda walks along the pristine corridors of the station, following alongside dozens of other people. The halls look familiar, the infrastructure one that she is used to. The station they are on is a Cerberus facility, she'd bet her last credit on it. She's thankful then that she took precautions before even attempting to gain passage on the ship. She's coloured her hair a deep red and has tied it into a pony tail, and contacts have made her eyes green. She's put aside her cat-suit in favour of jeans and a hoodie that is too big for her as she attempts to make herself blend in by hiding her physical assets. Her goal has been to look as normal as possible. If she weren't at risk of being caught and executed, she'd actually enjoy her time as a red-head. She feels her heart break slightly at the thought of Sam chiding her, in jest of course, for her change in hair colour, and can just picture the look on the comm specialists' face. A small smile creeps over her lips, until she remembers that this might be a one-way trip. Miranda reminds herself that it very well could end here if she wasn't careful.

Miranda soon finds herself next in line at the registration booth, a well groomed young man checking people in. Miranda breathes a sigh of relief; she doesn't recognize him, so her chances of success just increased. The woman in front of her is cleared to proceed, and the young man smiles warmly at Miranda as she approaches.

"Identification card and passport papers please miss."

Miranda hands the documents over without a word, and the young man begins typing her information into the computer.

"Miss Kate Chapman, welcome. Where are you coming in from?"

"Earth."

"Ah yes, it says here on your paperwork that you're from the United North American States. Heard it got pretty rough there. Rest assured, you will be well looked after here."

Miranda smiles politely as the young man continues his typing, glancing down every once in a while at the information Miranda has provided. She wills herself to remain calm; she knows the documents are rock solid, she had paid a small fortune to ensure they would pass the tough screening she knew she would encounter. After a few moments, the young man hands her the identification card and paperwork.

"Thank you for your patience, Miss Chapman. If you will follow the signs to your left, one of our staff will show you to your temporary room. Your next scheduled flight will be in three days' time, where you will be on your way to safety and security. And once again, welcome to Sanctuary."


o.o.o

Shepard was irritated. Her ribs hurt, she hadn't had a coffee yet, and she was stuck waiting in line. She'd been waiting for what felt like a century, and wondered to herself if a private docking bay meant anything anymore. It was all well and good to be allowed to dock at a moments notice, but what was the point when you had to wait just to get on the elevator? The Normandy sat quietly in her docking clamps, most of the crew disembarked and attempting to enjoy a few hours of freedom, and Shepard grew more and more irritated with each passing second. Liara stood patiently at her elbow, her hands folded in front of her as she calmly watched the people around them. Shepard noted with even more irritation that the waiting didn't seem to have any impact on Liara whatsoever. She looked as calm and poised as ever. Shepard frowns as she looks from Liara back to the elevator, noticing that the line still hadn't moved.

"I'm going to kill something." She mutters quietly.

"Shepard, you cannot kill something. Goddess, we've been waiting for five minutes."

"It's gotta be a hell of a lot longer than that. Seriously, what genius thought only one elevator at a docking bay was a good idea."

"Well, next time you speak with Harbinger, perhaps you could ask why it designed the Citadel the way it did."

"Very funny."

Shepard watches the corner of Liara's mouth turn up with a smile, and she's pleased to see that Liara looks much better than she had two days ago. Shepard had taken the day after Lesuss off, and they had spent most of that day hiding away in Liara's room. Shepard had felt the threads of their bond being strained, and knew that if they hadn't taken a day to themselves, it would have gotten worse. Liara was now back to her cool, confident self, and Shepard was still just irritated.

"That's it. We're not waiting here anymore." Shepard grabs Liara's hand in the same moment Liara gives her a questioning look. She then starts moving towards the elevator, gently but firmly pushing people out of the way.

"Spectre coming through. I've got important Spectre stuff to take care of. I am authorized to use lethal force. Please move away from the elevator."

Civilians and military people alike quickly move out of the way, and Shepard smiles to herself as she notices the disgruntled looks she is fielding. In seconds, she is leading Liara into a now vacant elevator, pressing the button for deck three as the stunned looks of dozens of people vanish behind the closing doors.

"Shepard!" Liara exclaims, slapping her lover gently on her arm.

"What? I never get to pull the Spectre card."

"Because you shouldn't! They were there before us."

"Yeah, well. They aren't going toe-to-toe with Reapers. Or killing husks by the dozens. Or getting shot at by Cerberus. Or dealing with everyone's problems. I should have my own damn elevator." Shepard replies nonchalantly with a shrug. She smiles in amusement, watching Liara do the same. She reaches out and pulls Liara into her, placing a chaste kiss on her lips.

"Also, I like the elevator better when it's just you and me in it. This is one of the slow ones too…" Shepard says, raising her eyebrow with a smile. She watches a faint blush spread across Liara's cheeks, which surprises Shepard. Liara is capable of things that would make a krogan blush if she were to talk about it. Before she can continue her train of thought, the elevator chimes and the doors open to the Embassies.

"Hm. I really thought I had a few more minutes." Shepard says with a frown as Liara slowly breaks the shared contact.

"That isn't one of the slow ones, Shepard." Liara replies with a wink as she makes her way out of the elevator.

"Damn. Well, better luck next time I suppose."

Shepard and Liara slowly make their way towards the Council offices, and Shepard notices immediately that the space is packed with people from various species. The coup had increased security, and as more and more worlds fell victim to the Reapers, more people were coming here to petition the Council for aid. Most of the requests were falling on deaf ears; the Council had a thousand problems and no way to solve any of them. Shepard herself had helped the situation on Palaven, but there was only so much that could be done. Only Thessia still hadn't felt the immediate effects of the Reapers, but they would be closing in soon.

They arrive at Udina's old office, C-Sec personnel still combing through mountains of data and endless paperwork in order to find a shred of information. Councillor Tevos was overseeing the process, and Shepard immediately notices the look of concern and stress on the councillors face. Shepard has spent years speaking with the council, years of denied threats and quelled investigations. But she has never seen Tevos look as nervous as she does now.

"Commander Shepard, Doctor T'Soni, thank you for joining me. I have information for you that might help your Crucible project." She says once Shepard approaches.

"It should be considered our Crucible project, considering the asari are now assisting, Councillor." Liara says by way of greeting. Shepard notices that Liara's demeanor has changed to one she's not witnessed before. She's holding her head higher as though she regards Tevos an equal, not as someone who holds a superior position.

"Yes, I suppose you are correct, though I wish we could devote more resources to it. The situation on Thessia is growing dire." Tevos responds, now turning her attention towards Shepard. There is a look of anxiety in her eyes that Shepard cannot ignore. Though the Council has been a thorn in her side from day one, Shepard always preferred working with the asari councillor. She was straightforward and honest, and Shepard could tolerate her much longer than she could Sparatus.

"Have the Reapers landed?" Shepard asks.

"No, however we are receiving reports of Reaper contact on some of our colonies, and of course Lesuss. We are aware that you are missing a key component for the Crucible, and I feel that it is time that you be made aware of it."

"Wait, you have information on the Catalyst?" Shepard asks incredulously. Tevos nods shortly, and directs Liara and Shepard towards the balcony overlooking the lakes of the Presidium. Shepard can almost feel Liara processing, attempting to piece together what it is Tevos could be referring to.

"Not exactly, but there is an artifact on Thessia known only to the highest levels of my government. The Matriarchs have worked hard to ensure no one knows of it."

"I've not heard of any artifact on our home world. Benezia never spoke of such a thing, and given my profession, I would assume she would have. What is it, Councillor?" Liara asks, her interest piqued.

"Lady Benezia was sworn to secrecy, and would not have revealed the existence of it. With any luck, it is a means to help you locate the Catalyst. I cannot tell you more about it than that. The artifact itself is located in a temple at these coordinates. I've ordered a science team to meet you there."

Tevos hands Shepard a data pad, and she scans it quickly. There is little information, and Shepard feels her frustration mounting. She knows that Tevos has known about this artifact since they started building the Crucible, and finds her anger growing over the fact that she has kept this a secret until now.

"So let me get this straight. This artifact has been there for what, thousands of years? We start building the Crucible months ago, and you damn well know we are missing the crucial component, and you only now tell me where to find it? Now that your home world is in danger? What about us, Councillor? Earth was being ravaged well before Thessia, and you turned our plea for help down. Now you're asking me to help you in your time of need?"

"Shepard…" Liara says quietly.

"You're right, Commander Shepard." Tevos interrupts, deflating most Shepard's anger immediately. "I am afraid the Council has not been as supportive of you as we should have been, and for that I apologize. In the beginning, we did not comprehend what kind of threat the Reapers would pose. I thought I would be able to keep Thessia safe, but I have failed. For the first time in our history, Thessia is vulnerable."

Shepard watches despair and anxiety cross the features of Councillor Tevos, and can feel the same emotions coming from Liara. The genuine apology was something Shepard never expected she would receive, and regards the strong, protective Tevos in a new light.

"Alright. We'll head to Thessia." Shepard says quietly with a frown, some of her anger still lingering.

"Thank you, Commander. Whether you know it or not, you've become the sole ray of hope in a very dark night. Goddess be with you." Tevos says as she places a hand on Shepard's shoulder, a look of pure relief in her eyes. Shepard nods, and she and Liara leave the office.

"I need a fucking drink."

"Well, we have a couple of hours before we leave. Let's go see if we can find my father." Liara says, before stopping and looking up at her lover. Liara's brilliant blue eyes hold a concern for her people in their depths. Despite all her bluster and anger, Shepard knows she would go to Thessia simply for the woman standing in front of her. "Thank you, Shepard." Liara says quietly, grabbing hold of Shepard's arm.

"It's all for you, babe."