Dixie and EDI

As their shuttle entered the atmosphere of Fehl Prime, Dixie held tight to the arm rests of her chair as the mobile AI seated next to her piloted the tiny craft through the heat of reentry and the buffets and turbulence of the planet's atmosphere until, with a frightening screech, the shuttle skidded on the ground before finally coming to a stop.

Out of breath, Doris fumbled with the releases of her restraining harness as she cried out in a mixture of exultation and relief, "We still alive? Tell me we made it!"

"We are on the surface." EDI affirmed, deadpanning, "And you are still very much alive."

"WE are alive, EDI." Doris corrected with a fond grin on her face as her AI companion, freeing herself from her harness, rose to her feet. "You're as much alive as anyone else, and don't you forget it." Gathering up her tools and weapons, the blonde engineer queried as she and EDI picked their way through the wreckage to the exit, "Do you know where we crashed? Or how far we are from the colony or Alliance base?"

"Not at this time." EDI responded, "I would advise that we scout out the local area first."

"Good idea." Dixie agreed, "We might find us a landmark that'll give us an idea as to where to go." Watching as her companion kicked the shuttle's door out, the ex-Cerberus engineer grinned, "Not bad." Taking a deep breath, the southern belle stepped out of the shuttle, her visor automatically darkening in reaction to the bright light coming from the planet's sun, now high in the sky. "Looks like it's about noon." Glancing at her temperature readout, the engineer, spotting a clump of trees, commented, "It's hotter than a summer day in Florida. We ought to be able to find some shade over by those trees. What do you think? We can set up an SOS beacon there and wait for the colony or the base to send out a rescue party."

"That would appear to be a prudent course of action." EDI agreed as her partner gestured towards the trees.

"Okay, Sugar!" Doris exclaimed as she adjusted her carry bag, "Let's get goin'."

Normandy

"Our ship's systems are back online." Crewman Hadley reported, "But all of EDI's higher functions are gone now."

"What does that mean?" Shepard asked, addressing the individuals seated at the conference table with her.

"In short…" Crewman Matthews explained, "…we've lost much of EDI's cyberwarfare capabilities, as well as its ability to think and act independently. In other words, instead of an AI, we now have a highly advanced VI. Better than anything either Cerberus or the Alliance currently possesses, but…'

"Far less than what we had originally." Shepard finished as she rapped her fingers on the table. "Any ideas on how this happened? EDI was supposed to be shackled. How did Whaley manage to free it?"

"We…haven't discovered how yet." Leng reluctantly admitted. "We're currently examining what we can piece together from the surveillance footage that she hasn't tampered with to try to put together a coherent picture."

"What have we picked up?"

"I remember that she very quickly threw a cover over whatever she was working on when I entered her workroom yesterday." Markham recounted, his expression displaying both shock and anger at his former teammate's betrayal. "When I asked her what she was doing, she said that it was something she was putting together to aid us on future missions."

"And you didn't think to pursue the subject?" Leng sharply inquired, "Or to inform either Commander Shepard or myself?"

"I'm sorry, Sir." Markham apologized, "At the time I didn't think it necessary. None of us knew what she was planning to do. We…I…thought she was loyal to the team. Loyal to Cerberus."

"She took me by surprise too, Sirs." Barrett interjected, entering the discussion in defense of his teammate. "I know she was spending a lot of time in her hole…but…" he shrugged his shoulders, "…she always spent a lot of time there when she wasn't on a mission or hanging out with us."

"Her roommates and Crewman Hawthorne say the same thing." Leng declared, backing up the specialist's report. "When she wasn't in her lab, she tended to socialize with the rest of her team."

"I don't know if this is important or not…" Ben remarked.

"Go ahead and tell us, Markham." Shepard urged, "It could be."

"Well…Sirs…" The sniper stammered slightly, "She did put us off when we asked her to join us for a late snack just before everything happened. And…" he hesitated until Leng pressed him to continue, "I remember that she looked upset at the briefing and a little after…when you issued your instructions about the colonists."

"That's right." Barrett corroborated, "She was looking kinda unhappy about it."

"You spoke to her before all this went down, didn't you Mr. Leng?" Shepard inquired as she turned her attention to her XO.

"I did." The Cerberus assassin confirmed. "I had a hunch something was wrong about her…about the way she was acting…so, I called her into my office for a talk."

"I remember you telling me about that." The clone recalled. "You told me that she had doubts about the mission—about our orders concerning the colonists." Nodding her head, she mused, "That supports what Markham and Barrett have said." Motioning for her XO to continue, Shepard urged, "What else?"

"While I was still suspicious of her…" Leng admitted, "I didn't think that I had enough to go on to warrant taking action other than monitoring her more closely." Taking a deep breath and exhaling, the trained killer made a rare apology, "I should have gone with my first instincts. I'm sorry."

"She surprised all of us." Shepard responded, accepting Leng's explanation. "She obviously had this planned for a long time." Shifting the subject, the clone inquired, "But to go back to what we were talking about earlier, how did she manage to walk away with EDI's sentience?"

Crewman Patel replied as she called up a holographic image. "While we haven't been able to figure out how Whaley was able to free EDI from its shackles, I think we do have a pretty good idea as to how she got away with it. Walk away was exactly what she did. I was able to reconstruct some fragments from the surveillance footage that she didn't completely erase.

"No…can't be…" Markham gasped as he focused on the constantly derezzing image.

"It's a mobile platform." Leng concluded.

"Yes, Sir." Patel affirmed, "From what little we've been able to piece together, it seems that Whaley was able to construct a mobile platform for EDI's core, giving it the appearance of a human female. She had to have been working on this for a long time."

"Probably before she came aboard." Leng speculated. "We knew she was a talented engineer when we recruited her, but had the Illusive Man been aware that she was that gifted, he'd have immediately put her into research and development instead of the field."

"We all dropped the ball on this." Shepard concluded as she signaled that the meeting was over. Leng…Markham…Barrett…stick around. The rest of you can go." After the crewmen had left, the redheaded clone issued her instructions. "We are going to proceed with the Fehl Prime mission as planned. The Illusive Man has further instructed that Whaley is to be classified as a deserter. While he would prefer that she be captured for interrogation, he has authorized her termination if necessary. For added incentive, a sizable bounty has been placed on her head with the bounty being larger if she is taken alive, but dead or alive, she's now a very wanted woman."

"Not only are we after her." Leng concluded, "So also is every single bounty hunter in the Traverse. She has nowhere to run."

"Understood, Commander." Her team crisply acknowledged.

"As far as we're concerned, Ma'am." Markham declared with a scowl, "She's nothing more than a traitor. You don't have to worry about either of us pulling the trigger if we have to."

"I'm just hoping it's one of us who gets her first." Barrett growled.

"Glad to hear that." Shepard replied, "You're dismissed."

After the door closed behind the two betrayed friends, the clone turned to her XO. "Keep an eye on them. While I think they are loyal and their anger at being betrayed is genuine, I don't want any chances taken. Be ready to act if either or both of them try to double cross us too."

Nodding his head once in acknowledgement, Kai Leng replied in the affirmative, "Already done, Sir. Surveillance on them has been increased and safeguards are in place should they prove disloyal."

"Good. Get the team ready to roll. I want to begin the mission as soon as possible. Dismissed."

Fehl Prime—Doris and EDI

"Whew!" Dixie took a swig of water as she sat down underneath a shade tree. "Ah'm gonna take a quick breather before I set up that beacon."

"I can do that for you." EDI offered as she scanned the immediate environment. "There are no threats currently within range."

"I don't wanna put you out none." The southern-born engineer responded as she munched on a ration bar. "You wanna take a break, go right on ahead."

"It is no problem." The mobile AI answered back as she began the process of setting up the distress beacon. "I do not tire as you do."

"Wish I could keep going on like that." Doris chuckled as she took another swig of water.

"May I ask a question?" EDI asked as she continued to set up the signaling device.

"Shoot." Doris smiled as she took another bite from her ration bar.

"Why would I want to shoot you?" EDI deadpanned.

"Huh? What are you talking…" As it dawned on her that her companion had told a joke, Dixie laughed heartily, "That's a good one, EDI."

"Thank you." The AI responded, "May I ask another question?"

"Sure, sweetie."

"Why do you always call people pet names like sugar, honey and sweetie?"

Chuckling, Doris took another swig of water and explained, "It's a Southern thing. My Momma used to do that all the time, so I got in the habit of doin' the same. Why?" The southern belle asked, "You don't like it?"

"Just the opposite." EDI answered back, "I think I…prefer…it when you do that."

"All right, sugar, I'll keep on doin' it then." Dixie replied as the beacon began transmitting. "Now we just sit back and wait. All goes well, someone'll be comin' for us soon. When they do…" The ex-Cerberus operative cautioned, "Don't forget the cover story we came up with before we began this crazy caper."

"My name is Edi. We're both running from Cerberus and we have information that there's going to be an attack on the colony very soon."

"Right." Doris affirmed, "We cooperate with them as much as we can, but there's one thing we can't do…"

"I cannot allow myself to be examined too closely by a medical doctor." EDI declared. "While my synthetic outer layer provides more than adequate camouflage and I am capable of mimicking respiration and a heartbeat…"

"If a doctor carries out anything more than a brief looksee, they'll see right through it." Doris concluded, "So…we gotta do whatever we can to keep that from happening."

"This is the Fehl Prime Colony. We have detected a possible shuttle crash in your vicinity. Are you the survivors?"

"Affirmative." Dixie quickly responded, "There are two of us. Can you send someone to pick us up?"

"Do you have need of medical assistance?"

"Negative. But we have information vital to the colony's security." Dixie pleaded, "Please send someone as soon as possible."

"This is Shuttle FR-2. We can swing by to pick them up and scope out their wreckage on our way to pick up Dr. Treeya and her people, if you'd like."

"Works for me." The ground control operator replied and then relayed the news to Dixie, "We have a shuttle in your vicinity enroute to your location. Just stay put. Someone will be there shortly."

"Thanks." Dixie heaved a sigh of relief, "Ya'll are the greatest." Leaning back against the trunk of her shade tree, the southern belle took another swig of water and opened another ration bar. "Our ride's on its way, sweetie. We might as well take it easy 'til they get here."

As the rescue shuttle landed, Dixie rose to her feet. Speaking to EDI in a low voice, she advised, "We're wearing Cerberus uniforms, so don't make any sudden movements and let me do the talkin'—okay?"

"Understood, Doris." EDI replied as a pair of Alliance marines approached, weapons drawn.

"Keep your hands in the air and clear of your weapons." The first marine ordered.

"We're Cerberus deserters." Doris called out as she followed the marine's instructions to the letter. "We have important information."

"What sort of information?" The marine demanded, continuing his interrogation while his companion searched both Doris and EDI, removing their weapons in the process.

"There's gonna be an attack on the colony by the Collectors at almost any time." Doris warned, "But that's not all. A Cerberus commando team is probably on its way now to capture or kill Dr. Treeya and steal her data if we don't stop them. Ah can upload the proof to your omnitool and you can see for yourself, Sergeant." Dixie begged, "Please…at least look at it."

After several moments of consideration, the marine officer nodded his head, "Go ahead. Reynolds! If this is turns out to be a double cross…"

"Gotcha, Sarge." the marine tersely acknowledged, warning his prisoners in a low voice, "You pull anything, it'll be the last thing you do."

"No tricks." Doris promised as she carefully and slowly manipulated her omnitool. "Promise. This will prove we're tellin' the truth."

"Got it." The sergeant declared, "Now…let's see what we have." The officer's brow creased as he perused the data on his tool. After what seemed to be an eternity, but was actually only a few minutes, he commanded, "Stand easy, Reynolds. They're telling the truth." Activating his comm, the sergeant spoke into it. "Ruiz to Base…Ruiz to Base…Come in, Alliance Base."

"Alliance Base to Shuttle FR-2. What is your status?"

"We've retrieved the crash survivors." Sergeant Ruiz reported. "They say they're Cerberus deserters and have information about a possible attack on the colony and dig site."

"This is Captain Toni. Have you seen their intel and how accurate do you think it is, Ruiz?"

"Affirmative." The sergeant replied, further advising, "I've seen the intel and it looks good. I think we should take it seriously, Ma'am."

"Understood. Pick up Dr. Treeya and return with her and the deserters as soon as possible. I'll put the colony on alert. Return to base as soon as you pick up the doctor and her people."

"Acknowledged. We're on our way to the dig site. Ruiz out." Turning to the two deserters, the sergeant continued his interrogation. "Anything more we need to know?"

"I know we need to get to Dr. Treeya as soon as we can before Shepard and her team get here." Doris replied, further urging, "And ya'll need to get yourselves and as many colonists as possible outta here as possible."

"Doris is correct." Edi interjected, speaking for the first time. "Time is of the essence."

"We're on our way." Ruiz replied positively as he and his charges made their way to the shuttle. "But first, I need to know what and who we might be facing."

"Ya'll know about Shepard—right?" Doris asked.

"That she's a clone…" Ruiz answered back with a nod of his head, "Yeah. We got the memo on that a while ago. What's her clone capable of as compared to the real deal?"

"She can do everything the original Shepard could do…" Whaley responded, "Plus they've put in some extra stuff."

"Like what?"

"At least one behavioral monitoring chip." Edi interjected, "Which has been triggered on a couple of occasions."

"I think that might be what is causing those headaches she sometimes gets." Doris conjectured.

"Affirmative." Edi verified, "Engrams from the original Shepard were used in the clone's programming. The headaches stem from her subconscious reacting to her environment and her actions."

"That's why Okeer said that she was only 95% of the original." Dixie concluded, Edi once again confirming her assumption.

"So, you're saying that her programming isn't as solid as Cerberus thinks?" Ruiz speculated only to be quickly disappointed by Edi's response.

"Not at all." Edi contradicted, "Her conditioning is very strong. What you witnessed, Doris, was nothing more than a subconscious reaction."

"Like yawning after someone else does even though you're not tired." Reynolds interjected from the pilot's seat of the shuttle.

"Precisely." Edi affirmed, "Relying on her behavioral implant to fail would be a fatal error."

"Then we won't do that." Ruiz declared as Reynolds called out.

"Sarge? Base is comming us. Patching it on the speakers.

"Alliance Base to Shuttle FR-2. This is Captain Toni. We are under attack. I repeat, the colony is under attack. Do NOT return to base or the colony. Go immediately to the dig site and retrieve Dr. Treeya. She is your first priority."

"Permission to disagree, Captain. You're gonna need every shuttle and marine you can get to evacuate the colonists before the spaceport's overrun." Sergeant Ruiz protested, only to be cut off by his superior before he could finish.

"It is vital that you retrieve Dr. Treeya and get her to safety." Captain Toni declared. "The data she possesses is of vital importance. Do you copy?"

"Acknowledged." Ruiz responded reluctantly as he turned to his pilot, "You heard the Captain, Reynolds. Floor it."

Normandy

"Collector ship inbound." Crewman Hadley called out. "They're attacking the colony."

"Have they detected us?" Shepard asked from inside the shuttle that she and her team were taking down to the surface.

"Negative." Hadley responded, "The new stealth system's working so far."

"Keep a safe distance back." Shepard ordered as she made her way to the front of the shuttle. "Set us down near the location of the Prothean ruins, Hawthorne." Turning to her team, the clone scowled, "If we're lucky, we won't only secure the asari and her data, we'll also get Whaley and that construct she built."

"Got a score to settle with that bitch." Barrett growled as he checked his weapon. Turning to his friend, the heavy weapons specialist asked, "You okay, Ben?"

"I'm fine." Markham replied in a grim voice as he checked his rifle scope. "I get Dixie in my sights…I promise…I'll drop her where she stands."

"Lock and load!" Shepard commanded as Hawthorne guided the small craft to its destination. "We've got a job to do."

Fehl Prime—Prothean Dig Site just prior to the attack on the colony

"Dr Treeya?" One of the anthropologists graduate assistants called out, "Inbound shuttle."

"Must be from the colony." The asari scientist replied with a grin. "I hope this time they send us the right supplies."

"Tell me about it." Sergeant Stephens, one of the team's Alliance escorts, grinned back. "Last time they sent us five boxes of dextro rations and not a turian or quarian in sight."

"So…what'll be this time, Sarge?" Private Michaels joked, her lips turning up in a smile. "Cold weather gear? A stack of Fornax mags for Rolfson?"

"Says the gal with the oversized…" Rolfson bantered back only to be interrupted with a growl from the sergeant.

"Secure the chatter." Pointing to his two squad members, Stephens commanded, "You two get your asses to the landing pad and help 'em unload. Doctor? Do you want to go out to greet the shuttle?"

"No." The lovely asari shook her head, "I need to get back to my work. That relic is the key to something…but what?"

Laughing, the sergeant keyed in the sequence to open the sealed door and entered with his charge, "When you find out, Doc…let us know. There are a lot of credits riding on it."

"I know." Treeya chuckled, "I've got two hundred credits on it being a time capsule."

"They don't suspect a thing, Commander." Hawthorne commented as he guided the Cerberus shuttle on its approach pattern.

"They will once they see our colors." Shepard replied as she signaled her crew. "Barrett, I want you on the side gun. The moment the door opens, let 'er rip and don't let up until there's no one shooting back."

"Aye, Commander." The heavy weapons specialist grinned as he took his position behind the side gun, loading a fresh thermal clip.

"Markham?"

"Yes, Commander?"

"Shoot the first target you get in your sights."

"Got it, Ma'am." Ben, still simmering from Whaley's recent betrayal, grimly replied as he hefted his Viper.

"You know what to do, Mr. Leng." Shepard said as her XO's hand dropped to his katana. "No one left standing."

"Right." The Cerberus assassin laconically replied as Hawthorne again called out.

"Closing to range. Seeing two Alliance marines and a few dockworkers.

"On my mark!" Shepard commanded as her hand went to side door release, "Now!"

"That shuttle's coming in awful low." Michaels remarked as she pointed to the rapidly approaching shuttlecraft.

As the small vessel drew closer, Rolfson began making out details. At once recognizing the distinctive black and gold markings, the Alliance marine called out in alarm, "Cerberus! We're under…"

The sound of mass effect projectiles drowning out his last words, Michaels gazed in shocked horror at the sight of her friend disappearing in a red haze. Stunned, the young marine never saw or heard the round that penetrated her skull, killing her instantly.

Moving with precision, Shepard and her team swiftly dispatched the fleeing and cowering dockworkers, granting no quarter, even to those on their knees begging. In seconds, the landing pad secured and their shuttle safely on the deck, the redheaded clone pointed to the sealed door. "Barrett? Explosives."

"On it!"

After setting the charges, the weapons expert shouted, "Get into cover!" Moments later, after the smoke had cleared, Barrett looked on with satisfaction at his handiwork, smirking. "Barrett Demolitions for all your explosive needs. Nukes extra."

Chuckling, Shepard pointed to the gaping bunker entrance, "Let's get what we've come for and get out of here."

"What was that?" Treeya exclaimed as she heard the muffled explosion coming from behind her.

"Oh shit." Doris murmured before calling out to the sergeant, "They're here!"

"Who's here?" The asari cried out in alarm.

"Cerberus." Edi stated in a flat tone. "They have come for you and your information."

"No." Treeya violently shook her head. "No matter what the cost, we can't let them have it."

"Fuck." Ruiz, the senior noncom, taking command once their shuttle had arrived, cursed as he activated his comm. "Michaels? Rolfson? Come in. Is anyone there?"

"They must have blown the entrance." Stephens cursed.

"Barrett." Doris declared, "Team heavy weapons and explosives expert. Asshole always liked to make big explosions."

"We must assume that Shepard and her team have arrived. Dr. Treeya, we need to recover your data and escape as quickly as possible." Edi prompted with what seemed to be a note of urgency in her voice.

"Good idea." Ruiz decided. "Venner…Li…we're withdrawing to the chamber. I need you two to cover us. Run and gun…don't stay in one spot too long. Keep them busy. And try not to get yourselves killed."

"Right, Sarge." Corporal Venner acknowledged as he slapped his squadmate on the back, "C'mon Li. Time to earn out pay."

"They're gonna die…you know that, don't you, Sergeant." Doris commented with a mournful expression on her face.

"Yeah. I know." Ruiz grimly replied. "But Dr. Treeya and what she knows is too important. So are you two." The sergeant declared, looking Doris directly in the eyes as he spoke. "Me…Stephens…the others…we're just grunts. Our job's to make sure you all make it out alive. There's nothing in our job description that says we have to."

"But Sarge…" Dixie began to protest only to be cut off.

"You three get out of here alive and make it back to the Alliance, then I'm gonna call that a win." Ruiz declared. "Like I said, Dr. Treeya's too important and it's not every day we get Cerberus deserters with good, actionable intel." Jerking his head in the opposite direction from which his two team members went, the sergeant urged, "We need to go. Let's hope Venner and Li can buy us the time we need."

"Ya'll do have another way outta here—don't you, Sarge…Dr. Treeya?" Doris asked as she and the others picked up their pace.

"There is a way out." Treeya replied, but first, I need to get something. "I'll show you." Leading the people accompanying her into a chamber, the asari anthropologist pointed to a console.

"Is that what I think it is?" Doris exclaimed in a hushed tone.

"A Prothean beacon." Treeya confirmed with a smile.

Doris let out a low whistle, "Well I'll be damned. Never thought I'd get to see one of those." As she drew closer, Dr. Treeya's sharp command drew her back.

"Don't!" The asari scientist warned. "When one of Shepard's people got too close to the beacon on Eden Prime, it caught him."

"And after Shepard knocked him away, she got caught by it." Doris concluded with a rueful grin, "Sorry, Doc. My curiosity got the better of me." Taking a breath and exhaling, the former Cerberus specialist inquired, "Do you think that beacon might have something to do with that relic of yours?"

"I think so." Treeya replied. "Being asari, I believe I can interact with the beacon somewhat safely."

"Somewhat?" Ruiz raised an eyebrow at that comment.

"There is a risk." The asari anthropologist admitted, "But I don't think we have much choice."

"She's right." Doris interjected. "Shepard and the others are making their way down here now. I know your people are gonna do the best they can to buy us as much time as possible, but…"

"I know." The Alliance sergeant nodded his head grimly. "You used to work with them. You know them best. What do you suggest?"

"We need to pick an area with a lot of open ground between us and them and plenty of cover." Doris suggested, "If we can find a spot where there isn't that much cover for them, that'd be a bonus."

"Sarge?"

"Yeah, Stephens?"

"What about the atrium?"

"That'll work." The experienced NCO nodded his head. "There's nothing but space between the atrium's north entrance and the south entrance. We'd have the advantage of good cover and high ground. Me and Stephens will set up there. Reynolds…"

"Yeah, Sarge?"

Ruiz inclined his head to where Doris and Edi stood, "Go ahead and give those two their weapons back."

"You sure, Sarge?" Reynolds protested, sounding a note of caution. "They could be lying. What if they hit us in the rear?"

Looking into the young engineer's eyes, the grizzled old sergeant shook his head, "I got a feeling. Go ahead and give 'em their guns."

"Okay, Sarge." Reynolds sighed as he handed Whaley and Edi's weapons back to them, warning the southern belle in a low voice, "I promise, the last thing I'll do if you two turn out to be snakes is put holes in your heads. Got me?"

"Yeah." Doris responded in a soft voice, answering for both herself and her companion, "We got it."

"One other thing, Reynolds." The sergeant requested with a grim expression on his face. "I want you to stay with them and get them out safe."

"But Sarge…" Reynolds started to protest only to be cut off by his sergeant.

"You've got to get them to safety." Ruiz flatly stated. "Go as soon as Dr. Treeya says. Get back to Captain Toni and let her know what's going on. Understand?"

Taking a deep breath and exhaling, the pilot reluctantly complied, "I understand, Sarge. I'll get 'em out."

"I know you will." Ruiz said, his lips turning up in a slight grin as he clasped his teammate on the shoulder. "When you get back, tell Anna…well…you know what to say."

Hefting his rifle, the sergeant pointed to the exit, "Ready Stephens?"

"We're wasting time, Sarge."

"Why does Cerberus want my information?" Dr. Treeya asked as Ruiz and Stephens left the chamber, sealing the door behind them.

"I don't know, Ma'am." Doris answered truthfully, "I managed to hack into some of their files with Edi's help, but the really big stuff was walled off behind some of the tightest security I've ever seen. I know that they are using genetic engineering and cybernetics to create some sort of…super soldier, I think. And that there's something or someone called 'Borg' involved along with the Reapers and something else, but that was all I could get without triggering any alarms. Maybe it's that relic? The young engineer suggested as she pointed to the alien artifact. "Is it Prothean?"

"No." Treeya replied as she quickly gathered notes and disks into a carry bag. Pausing for a moment to scrutinize the strange object, the asari scientist remarked in a tone both awestruck and curious, "I've never seen anything like it—anywhere."

"So what next?"

"I interact with the beacon and hope we can get some answers." The asari scientist answered back with a slight grin.

"Just don't get yourself killed, Doc." Reynolds quipped in a half-joking manner. "Sarge'll put me on permanent latrine duty if anything happens to you."

"We can't let that happen now—can we?" Dr. Treeya grinned, "Here goes nothing."

Inside the dig site—Shepard

"Keep alert." Shepard commanded as Barrett and Markham took overwatch positions while she carefully scanned the immediate area. Not seeing any immediate opposition, the clone addressed her XO, making a sweeping gesture at the ruins. "They'll be waiting for us in the corridors. No room to flank. Plenty of areas and chokepoints to set up ambushes."

"Agreed." The Cerberus operative nodded his head. "We can't use explosives either. Too much of a risk of a cave in."

"Barrett! Markham!" Shepard barked, waving the gunner and sniper to where she and her XO stood.

"Yeah, Boss." Jason crisply replied.

"Barrett, I'm going to need you to be ready to lay down heavy suppressive fire. Keep it going and don't let up until I tell you to. If you can blow any cover away without caving us in, do that.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Markham? Your job will be to pick off anyone you can get your sights on. If they give up…great. But if they put up too much of a fight."

"Understood, Commander." Ben acknowledged, speaking for his teammate who simply nodded his head in agreement.

"Good. Move out!"

"Here they come." Li whispered as he heard movement coming down the corridor. "Get ready, Jack. Hit 'em and…"

"I know, Li." Venner grinned as he checked his thermal clip. "Hit 'em and scoot. Only got so much room to scoot though."

"Yeah." Li agreed, "Sooner or later we're gonna have to stand and fight. Shhh…they're here."

Coming to a bend in the corridor, Shepard held up her hand. "Good spot for an ambush." She muttered to her XO.

"Indeed." Leng nodded his head as he drew his pistol.

Signaling Barrett to come forward, Shepard whispered, "Smoke grenade right there. Leng…draw their fire. On three. One…Two…" As the Commander dropped her hand, Barrett tossed his grenade, the smoke bomb landing almost exactly where it was intended. As the corridor filled with smoke, Shepard nodded at her XO. The pair moving in unison, advanced rapidly to the bend, Leng diving for cover as the Alliance marines opened up with their weapons. Returning their fire with a hellacious volley of fire of their own, a slight grin appeared on Shepard's face as she heard a yelp of pain and then footsteps retreating.

"You got one of 'em, Ma'am." Barrett noted as the smoke cleared to reveal a blood trail.

"Not enough to take him out." The clone noted. "They've dropped back to their fallout position. Load up. I expect we'll be doing this until we get to Treeya."

"How're you doing, Li?" Venner asked as he helped his comrade back to safety.

"Medigel's kicking in." Li responded, "Wish we had time to put on our hardsuits though."

"Can't have everything." Venner quipped before letting out a sigh. "Time to get set for round two."

Looking down at the mangled corpse of his friend, Corporal Li sighed, "Looks like I'll be joining you soon, Venner. Activating his comm, the corporal reported, "Sarge. Venner's down and I'm at the last fallback line and it looks like they're coming. It's on you now."

"Thanks, Li. We got the watch. Save a place for us at the bar. I got a feeling we'll be joining you very soon."

"Will do. Goodbye."

Sergeant Ruiz listened in silence to the sound of combat and then a gruff voice shouting in triumph. "Got the bastard!"

"Good shooting, Ben." A female voice responded. "Don't relax though. I got a feeling this isn't the end of it."

"Bet your sweet little cloned ass it isn't, bitch." Ruiz grunted as he turned his head to the man crouched down next to him. "Get ready, Stephens. They're coming."

"Bastard cut through my suit." Barrett winced as the medigel took effect. "Nice shot, Ben. That sneaky son of a bitch almost got me."

"Anytime." The sniper grinned as Shepard called out to the two men.

"You up for more, Barrett?" The clone asked solicitously.

"Just point me at 'em, Boss." The heavy gunner grinned back.

"Good. Move out."

The Beacon

Taking a deep breath as she drew closer to the Prothean device, Treeya extended her hand and saw…everything.

FLASH!

"You all right, Doc? Dixie called out.

"Dr. Treeya?" Reynolds shouted, rushing up to where the asari scientist stood in stunned silence.

Slowly recovering, Treeya took a deep breath before telling the three people with her what she saw. "I saw the Protheans. They fought the Reapers here. Those that weren't killed…they were turned into Collectors."

"It would appear that the Reapers had repurposed the Protheans into Collectors." Edi surmised.

"And the Illusive Man's wanting to do the same thing to us." Doris gasped, "Just like what happened to Jackson."

"No." Edi shook her head. "Not completely. Yes, the Illusive Man used much of the same genetic engineering techniques that the Reapers used, and yes, he did use Reaper cybernetic tech. But…there is another technology and another form of genetic engineering."

"Borg?" Doris questioned, "You think they're talkin' about some sorta cyborg?"

"That would be a logical deduction." Edi responded as they heard the sound of movement on the other side of the door.

"Shepard." Doris exclaimed, "She's here. We gotta get out—Now!"

Before Treeya could utter a reply, they heard a shout coming from the other side.

"Dr. Treeya! Whaley! This is Commander Shepard. If you come out now, I promise that you will not be harmed."

"She's lyin' through her teeth." Doris hissed as Reynolds led them to a hidden passageway.

"I'm losing patience!" Shepard snarled. "You've got to the count of five to open the door. If you don't open it, we're gonna blow it open and come in shooting."

"One!"

"You girls go!" Reynolds whispered, "I'll hold them off. Buy you enough time to get away."

"Two!"

"But the Sergeant tol' ya to…" Dixie protested only to be silenced by a winsome smile.

"Three!"

"I know what he told me." Reynolds replied, the sad grin still on his face. "But I've got a feeling he's not going to be able to put me on report. And…since none of you are Alliance…that means I have to use my own discretion. We all go…none of us will make it. If I stay, I can hold them off just long enough for you to get out."

"Four!"

Tears rolling down her face, Doris took a couple of metallic globes from her carry bag. "Take these and toss 'em at the bitch and my ex-friends."

"What are they?"

"Just a li'l something I cooked up in my spare moments." Doris smiled as she kissed the marine on his cheek.

"Doris!" Edi urged, pointing to the exit, "We have to go."

"Take care, Sugar." Doris said as she blew Reynolds one final kiss before disappearing into the passageway with the others.

Taking a deep breath, Reynolds took cover behind the sturdiest and most easily defended spot he could find as he prepared to toss the two spheres in his hand, quietly waiting for the final count.

"Five!"

As the door blew open, the Alliance marine tossed the two spheres, his lips turning up in a grin as two turrets appeared and began firing. Firing with his own rifle, Reynolds shouted taunts at his opponents, "Bet you assholes didn't see that coming!"

"Some of Dixie's toys." Markham growled as he and the rest of the Cerberus commandos quickly took cover.

"Barrett!" Shepard called out in a low tone, motioning for the heavy weapons specialist to join her. "I'm going to need a precise grenade blast from you. You've got to take out those turrets without trashing what's inside the room. Think you can do it?"

"They're already dinged from all the shooting." Jason clinically noted. "An EMP grenade should do the trick. The radius of effect shouldn't extend more than a couple of meters in radius. If I target the impact at the door's threshold, that should be far enough to avoid damaging anything electronic inside."

"We're not going anywhere as long as those turrets are still up." Leng noted with a wince as his suit's medigel began its healing work on his wounded arm.

Markham, the rupture to his suit from the vicious firefight in the atrium patched up, said with a growl, "I can't get a good line of sight on the son of a bitch."

"Right." Shepard decided, "Fire that grenade on my mark, Barrett. The rest of you…cover me. I'm going to take that bastard down myself. Ready, Barrett?"

"Whenever you are, Boss!"

"Now!"

The turrets now silenced by the grenade, Shepard dashed into the chamber. Charging heedlessly at the man defending the barricade, the clone laid down a continuous fire, ignoring the rounds impacting her armor, a few piercing the armor to reach flesh. Her omniblade out, Shepard, now more demon than human, slashed, easily countering her opponents effort to parry, following up with a riposte that pierced the hapless marine, killing him instantly.

"You okay, Boss?" Barrett called out as he and Markham rushed up to their leader.

"I'll be fine." Shepard replied through gasps. "A couple of his shots got through the armor, but the medigel's doing its thing. Secure the room and search for a second exit." Wincing from pain, the clone snarled, "I want Whaley and Treeya."

The Landing Pad

"That poor boy." Doris sobbed as the pair observed the Cerberus shuttle sitting on the pad, its pilot waiting in the front compartment. "Just like I figured. Hawthorne. I don't wanna have to kill him if we can avoid it." The young engineer moaned softly as she considered her options. "Deep down he's a good man. He's just tied up with bad people right now—just like we were. Maybe one day before it's too late he can figure that out."

"We should be able to sneak up on the shuttle if we approach through the right rear blindside." Edi proposed. "That should allow us to enter and quickly overpower Crewman Hawthorne before he can sound the alarm. He can then be safely left on the edge of the pad."

"All right." Dixie decided with a nod of her head, "Let's do it. Doc?" Turning her head to the asari scientist on her other side, the human engineer advised, "You just stay low. We'll call you when it's safe."

Nodding her head in agreement, Treeya whispered, "Good luck."

"Let's go and steal us a shuttle, Edi."

As the pair managed successfully to sneak on to the shuttle without being detected, they could hear Hawthorne's voice speaking on the comm.

"No Ma'am. Nothing at all. There's been nothing but dead air since shortly after the colony was attacked. Understood. The shuttle will be ready to dust off when you get here."

Striking quickly, Edi lunged forward before the pilot could react, quickly knocking him unconscious. "I shall carry Crewman Hawthorne to those pallets over there, while you signal Dr. Treeya that is safe."

Doing as she was instructed, Doris moved to the side entrance and waving her arm, called out, coast is clear, Doc! Hurry up before Shepard gets here."

As soon as the asari scientist had entered the shuttle, Doris, already seated at the copilot's chair, called back. "Better grab yourself as seat and buckle up. I got a feelin' we're gonna be in for a rocky ride."

Exiting the bunker just as the shuttle was taking off, Shepard at once spotted a groggy Hawthorne just now emerging from unconsciousness. "Barrett!" The clone ordered, "Take down that shuttle!"

"Yes, Ma'am!" The heavy weapons specialist replied as he readied his rocket launcher. "Kiss your southern fried ass goodbye, Dixie." Barrett grinned as he sighted in on his target and fired three missiles quickly in succession.

"Surface to air missile inbound." Edi reported in an emotionless tone. "Taking evasive action."

"Launching chaff and starburst." Doris replied as she pressed a button, activating the shuttle's ECM.

Watching, Shepard swore an oath as first one, then two, missiles were drawn off by a combination of Edi's skillful piloting and the ECM.

"One missile left, Ma'am." Markham noted as the missile exploded near its target.

"I think we damaged it." Barrett grinned briefly, only to have his cheer cut short by Kai Leng's caustic remark.

"The damage wasn't nearly enough. They're out of range now."

"Shepard to Normandy." The clone barked angrily into her comm, "The Cerberus shuttle leaving planet's surface is hostile. I repeat shuttle is hostile. Pursue and destroy. Do not try to disable it. I want that shuttle out of my sky."

"Understood, Commander." The Cerberus frigate responded, "Moving to engage."

"Shit!" Doris scowled as the shuttle's IFF beacon flashed, "They're pursuing. Can you get us to the relay in time."

"Perhaps." Edi replied as she piloted the tiny craft through a series of twists and turns, juking, pitching, and yawing in a frantic effort to evade the weapons fire from the fast frigate. "Relay in ten seconds."

"They'll just follow us." Doris glumly pointed out as a shot from the Normandy lightly grazed the shuttle, causing it to tremble before Edi once again gained control.

"I can program in a random set of coordinates that will be erased after our jump." Edi replied, "However, I cannot state for certain where we will come out."

"Anything's better than here!" Dr/ Treeya screamed as another shot from the Normandy grazed the shuttle.

"Not like we got much of a choice." Doris echoed, "Do it."

"Coordinates set." Edi reported, "Jumping in three…two…one…"

At the very moment the shuttle was shot out by the relay, a blast from the Normandy's cannons hit, damaging the engines. Smoke billowing from the rear, Doris quickly disengaged her harness as she grabbed an extinguisher. Moving rapidly to put out the fire, the young engineer shook her head at the mess. "Well…we're gonna be coastin' from now on until someone picks us up."

"That could be a while." Dr. Treeya declared with a frown. "How much food and water do we have?"

"Not nearly enough." Doris sighed, "Edi? Do you know where we are?"

"We are in an uncharted system." The mobile AI responded, "There are no records of visitations here."

"So…we're stuck." Doris glumly remarked as she began to inventory the shuttle's meager supplies.

"Doris…Dr. Treeya…I think you might want to see this." Edi remarked as she drew the two women's attention to the pilot's window where a swirling mass had suddenly appeared.

"Is that what I think it is?" Doris exclaimed in a hushed tone of voice.

"A wormhole. Yes." Edi confirmed, "And we are being drawn towards it."

"Is there any way to escape it?" Dr. Treeya asked as the stellar anomaly grew larger in the window.

"I am afraid not." Edi replied before clinically noting, "Curious. This wormhole appears to be stable. If so, then this is an incredibly rare phenomenon."

"That means we might be able to come back once we get everything fixed." Doris optimistically remarked as the maw of the wormhole grew ever larger.

"Provided we survive the crossing." Edi pointed out, "And provided the wormhole on the other end is also stable. It is theoretically possible. However, there have been no known successful cases of ships traversing through wormholes in the entirety of known galactic history."

As their tiny craft was slowly swallowed up by the stellar anomaly, Doris sighed, "Well, Sugar. There's a first time for everything. Cross your fingers, cause like it or not, we're goin' in."

Epilogue—Normandy II

After delivering her report, Shepard stood in stoic calm as the hologram of the Illusive man sat in his chair, silent for several moments before finally speaking.

"I must state that I am very disappointed that you were taken off guard as easily as you were. Do you have an excuse for your negligence in this…fiasco?"

"We were all taken by surprise by Whaley's actions." Shepard replied, countering her superior's accusation with one of her own. "Even Kai Leng was outmaneuvered by her and the ship's AI. It would seem that EDI was designed with too much free will as it and Whaley found a way to circumvent the shackles that its designers had supposedly placed on it. Yes, Whaley did catch us unawares and I accept full responsibility for that. However, I refuse to allow my crew or myself to take on all the blame."

"There will need to be a full audit of these events and corrective measures will be taken to prevent any future recurrences." The Illusive Man concluded, ending that particular portion of the briefing. "Now…as to the mission on Fehl Prime…while again I am disappointed that Whaley, the EDI mobile platform, and Dr. Treeya managed to escape, I cannot fault you or your crew and team for your actions there. And…the data you were able to attain will prove most helpful. I'll take this as a win…a partial win, to be sure…but a win, nonetheless. You and your crew performed adequately."

"Thank you, Sir." Shepard responded in a flat tone of voice to her superior's damning with faint praise. "Anything else?"

"Yes." The Illusive Man affirmed, "You are to proceed immediately to Station Psi. There you will pick up your replacements for Specialists Markham and Barrett who will then go on to ETAP."

"Acknowledged."

"Good." The Illusive Man, flicking ash from his cigarette, took a drag and exhaled. "Unless you have something else you need to apprise me of, Shepard…"

"Nothing, Sir."

"Then, you're dismissed."

Epilogue—Normandy II—Kai Leng's quarters

"I trust there will not be a repeat of this…incident…again, Mr. Leng." The Illusive Man remarked with a glare as he and his operative spoke on their private channel.

"I take responsibility, Sir." Kai Leng replied in a rare humble voice. "I was suspicious of Whaley and didn't follow through. In this instance, Shepard is not to blame. The fault lies with me."

"I realize that." The Cerberus leader acknowledged with a single nod of his head before proceeding in a vaguely warning tone of voice, "Just as I am sure in the future you will be more attentive in your duties."

"I shall be, Sir." Chagrined by his failure, Leng calmly accepted his rebuke, not interrupting his superior.

"I do see a positive from this mess though." The Illusive Man concluded, further explaining, "Whaley's escape has humiliated Shepard…" leaving unsaid the fact that the Chinese assassin was also feeling embarrassment at being outmaneuvered by the deserter. "She now seeks redemption and revenge. That will make her a far more valuable asset in the future. Perhaps valuable enough to postpone placing her in ETAP."

"Agreed, Sir." Leng quickly acknowledged, realizing that his boss's remarks were aimed at him as much as they were at the Commander. "She…and I…will redouble our efforts in the future."

"Good." The Illusive Man replied seeing that his rebuke had the desired effect. "We will proceed for now with Markham and Barrett's transfer to ETAP and with the additions of Jack and Grunt to your team. Keep me updated on their progress once they join you at Station Psi. That will be all."

As the connection was terminated, the Cerberus assassin snarled, swearing a vow to himself that one day, he would extract his revenge against the young deserter who had so humiliated him. Revenge indeed would be sweet.

Normandy II enroute to Station Psi—Barret and Markham's going away party in the galley

"Congratulations Ben and Jason! You're doing humanity proud!" Mess Sergeant Gardner exclaimed as he exited from the kitchen bearing two large platters on a tray. Placing the platters on the table in front of each man, the gruff cook/janitor urged as he took off the lids to reveal both men's favorite meals, "Commander Shepard and Operative Leng authorized me to break out the special stores for the occasion. Steak and potatoes for you Jason. And chicken marsala with a side order of Pasta Bolognese for you, Ben. Eat up! You've earned it."

"We've got plenty of beer and wine too." Crewman Hadley grinned as he handed a mug of beer to Jason and a glass of wine to the other man at the table.

"We're gonna miss you guys." Hawthorne, still feeling the sting of Dixie's betrayal, remarked with a forced smile as he clasped each man on the shoulder. "Say Hi to Jackson for us when you meet him."

"Will do." Barrett agreed with a grin as he took a draught of beer before digging into his rare steak. Glancing at his teammate and friend, the heavy weapons specialist probed gently, "You still upset at Dixie?"

"Yeah." Markham replied as he took a bite from his plate. "I can't believe she turned on us like that. I thought she was one of us." Shaking his head, he sighed, "I trusted her…I was beginning to…I thought…"

"I know." Jason said in a sympathetic tone, "I could see that you two were starting to get close to each other."

"Now that I think back on it…" Ben mused, "I think I let myself get too close."

"Probably." The other man flatly stated, "But…it's a mistake we've all made one time or another. All you can do is learn from it and move on…right?"

"I guess so." Markham agreed, heaving another sigh. His lips turning up in a sad smile, he inclined his head towards where their fellow crewmembers were already starting the party. "We better finish up and join them before they drink up all the booze."

Another universe—Dixie's shuttle

"Where are we?" Dixie asked as the damaged shuttle emerged from the wormhole.

"We are at the same coordinates from which we left." Edi responded with a raised eyebrow. "However, there are subtle differences in the luminosity of the sun as well as the atmospheric composition of the sixth planet."

"Still no engine power." Doris sighed, "Ah'm gonna activate the distress beacon. Got nothin' to lose. Ain't gonna matter anyway if no one answers soon. We'll be outta either food, water, or power in a few days."

"What about rigging up stasis pods?" Treeya postulated

Shaking her head, Dixie responded, "Already thought of that. We don't have enough power. All's we can do is sit here and hope and pray someone comes by."

USS Aeolia currently carrying out mapping, reconnaissance, and cartography operations

"We've completed our survey of the Coranna System, Captain." The starship's Denobulan science officer declared, "Nothing unusual. K-class star. One planet with atmosphere…marginal class M. No sign of Elachi, Borg, or Undine activity in system."

"Very good, Mr. Velen." Captain Christopher Hobson, the commanding officer of the Aeolia, a Scryer-class intelligence vessel currently assigned to reconnaissance and mapping duties in the Mempa Sector, acknowledged in his usual clipped, patrician accent. "Make note of our findings. XO? What's next on the list?"

"System B-483." Commander Anara Rysyl, the executive officer, an attractive Deltan woman, replied with a slight grin. "Data on the system does not exist in either our, Romulan, or Klingon records."

"We do know that it has an F-class star and our deep space probe has identified ten planets in the system." Lieutenant Commander Velen reported.

"And the status of the probe?" Hobson inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Unknown." The Denobulan science officer answered back, "It disappeared shortly after entering the system."

"Helm?" Hobson exclaimed in his usual level tone of voice, "Assuming travel at warp six, what is our ETA to B-483?"

"We should arrive in system no later than twelve standard hours." Lieutenant Yitzhak Shalev responded, his voice tinged with the slight accent common to those coming from the Federation colony of Eretz Israel.

"Very good." The captain acknowledged with a slight incline of his head. "Chart a course to System B-483."

"Course laid in, Sir."

"Warp six at your convenience, Mr. Shalev."

"Engaging Warp Six, Sir." Shalev affirmed in a crisp tone of voice, muttering under this breath to the dark-skinned woman seated next to him, "Bet a round of drinks that we're gonna find nothing but nothing."

"I don't know…" Lieutenant Adia Nazari replied, "Our luck has to change sometime."

"So?" Yitzhak grinned, "Bet or not, Adia?"

"All right…" The lovely operations officer smirked, "You're on. Gotta warn you though, I get thirsty after shift."

"Do you really think we're going to find what we're looking for out here, Chris?" The lovely Deltan first officer inquired in a low whisper, her fingers momentarily grazing against the captain's arm in a familiar gesture. "So far we haven't encountered anything out of the ordinary other than that Hirogen patrol we engaged in the Metallus System."

"This is near Beta Thoridor where the Gallena supposedly vanished after encountering a similar patrol." Hobson replied, cupping his chin in thought. "And much of the Mempa Sector is still uncharted thanks to the war and activities by pirates, the Tal' Shiar, and others. It's not beyond the realm of chance that we might find clues as to the fate of the Gallena from a survey of these systems."

"Maybe something will turn up." The lovely XO responded with a fond grin, "So…we still on for bridge this evening?"

"Of course." Hobson affirmed, a faint wisp of a smile appearing on his face as he took in the delicate aroma of his XO's perfume. "I believe you are partnered with T'Pren tonight."

Her fond grin now replaced by a smirk, Anara quipped, "And you drew Treasure as yours."

"Hopefully her bidding skills have improved since our last game." Hobson remarked, allowing yet another ghostly smile to appear on his face before just as quickly vanishing.

"Hope springs eternal."

Cerberus Base—Location Unknown

"While it is regrettable that the asari got away with some useful information that could harm our efforts, it will not affect our actions." The voice in the shadows declared on hearing the Illusive Man's report. "Everything is proceeding according to schedule."

"When will I meet you and the others?" The Illusive Man inquired as he took a drag from his cigarette.

"Soon." The voice responded. "Do not be impatient."

"And the intruders…these Romulans?"

"Do not worry…" The voice declared as an image of three starships bearing the same insignia, the earth with a dagger through it, appeared. "One of our allies is amassing forces to deal with them and any other intruders. For now, continue with your work on the enhancement project. It is beginning to bear fruit. Soon you will have a most valuable tool. One that will ensure that you meet both of our goals."

Nodding his head in satisfaction, the Illusive Man inquired, "When will I hear from you again?"

"Soon. We will be make contact when the time is right."

As the voice left the Illusive Man alone in his thoughts, he called up on his screen the image emblazoned on the vessels of his new allies, a faint smile crossing his lips. "Agent Brooks?" He called out, waving his assistant over to where he sat.

"Sir?" The chocolate-skinned Cerberus operative who had taken over after the departure of her predecessor queried.

"Take a look." The Cerberus chief requested as he pointed to the image of the earth with a dagger. "Don't you think flag would look good flying one day at Arcturus Station?"

"Yes, Sir." Brooks dutifully responded, "It would."

"One day…" The Illusive Man declared as his lips turned up in a cold smile, "It will."