Shepard's discussion with the Illusive Man wasn't terribly satisfying. She found it especially hard to believe that the Alliance was not taking the Reaper threat seriously. She wondered what had happened over the previous two years to make them so complacent. She made a mental note to investigate.
The most she could get out of the Illusive Man was that the Reapers were still active and getting help from somewhere. Entire human colonies were disappearing in remote locations. The Illusive Man couldn't answer why only humans were targeted, but regardless of the reason, Shepard knew it needed to be stopped. And if the Alliance wasn't going to deal with, she'd have to.
Shepard knew better than to believe that Cerberus had pure motives. The Illusive Man may have said that he wanted only to protect humanity, but Shepard did not trust him or his intentions. "The advancement and preservation of humanity" sounded like a bullshit line, and she was pretty sure that Cerberus was exactly as evil as she believed it to be. Nonetheless, she agreed to go to Freedom's Progress and investigate the latest colony disappearance. Not for Cerberus. But because it was the right thing to do.
Follow-up discussions with Lawson confirmed Shepard's dislike of the woman. The operative might have brought Shepard back, but she was still a pompous ass. At least Lawson revealed that she wasn't able to plant a control chip in Shepard's brain like she'd wanted. Shepard was more than a little relieved that her mind remained her own.
OoOoO
Shepard was very pleasantly surprised to see Tali on Freedom's Progress. Howerver, Tali had a difficult time accepting that Commander Shepard was alive and well.
"Yeah, it's a long story. But it's me." Tali continued to look at her with a skeptical tilt of her head.
Looking for a way to assure Tali she was, in fact, herself, Shepard asked. "So did that geth data help you finish your pilgrimage?"
Shepard could hear a smile in Tali's voice as she confirmed, "Yes, yes it did. It is you, isn't it, Shepard?" Shepard returned the smile, drawing Tali in for an embrace.
She learned from Tali that her team from the Normandy had scattered in the weeks following her death. Pulling Tali aside, out of earshot of the Cerberus operatives, she asked if Tali had any information about Ashley.
"Please, Tali. Whatever you might know. Anything. I need to find her. Soon. I have to talk to her first, before. . . She can't hear about me from someone else. It has to be me."
"I'm sorry, Shepard. I don't know where she is. I haven't heard from her since. . . since I last saw her two years ago on the Citadel."
Shepard nodded her understanding of what Tali left unsaid. "Come with me, Tali. I need someone I can trust."
Tali shook her head. "I wish it were so simple, Shepard. I'm still trying to accept that you're alive. And with Cerberus."
Shepard sighed in exasperation. "I'm not with Cerberus, Tali."
Tali waved a hand. "Whatever it is. I've got certain responsibilities right now. A mission of my own. I can't walk away from it. But when it's over, if I'm still alive, we'll see what happens."
"I understand. But please, if you hear anything about Ashley, please let me know."
"I will, Shepard. Good luck out there."
OoOoO
In her debrief with the Illusive Man, Shepard found an opening to ask about the whereabouts of her remaining team members, adding Ashley to a long list to mask her interest in the one person she most wanted information on. She was unsurprised that Ashley was still with the Alliance, and pleased that she had been promoted. Good for her. The Williams curse be damned. However, the Illusive Man said her file was classified, and he couldn't say where she was. Shepard was fairly certain he was lying, but didn't bother to challenge him.
In the end, the Illusive Man confirmed what Tali had told her - her team had all moved on to various unknown locations. It wasn't the news Shepard had hoped for, but there was nothing to be done about it just yet.
Based on what she'd learned about the Collectors and their likely connection to the Reapers, Shepard knew she'd have to work with Cerberus to stop them before it was too late. Not for Cerberus' benefit, but because it was necessary for the sake of the galaxy. She'd rather do it on behalf of the Alliance, but if they weren't going to cooperate, she'd take what she could get. Shepard wasn't above using Cerberus' resources, personnel or intel to complete the mission if that was her only option. And right now, it was.
Before he logged off, the Illusive Man promised her a ship and a pilot she could trust. Fat chance I'll trust anyone from Cerberus, she thought.
Then the sounds of a shuffling gait behind her tickled something in her memory, followed by a very familiar voice. "Hey, Commander. Just like old times, huh?"
Spinning around, Shepard confirmed the voice belonged to Joker. "No fucking way!" Seeing him brought conflicting emotions to the surface. Floating alone in space. Lungs burning. Ashley pleading with her. Last breath. Ashley. Then nothing. Joker stood a few steps away, looking suddenly very uncertain.
Shaking her head to banish the memory, Shepard stepped forward to offer a gentle welcoming hug. "Sorry, Joker. I just wasn't expecting to see you here."
"Tell me about it. I saw you get spaced."
Shepard's jaw clenched, fighting the images that sought to return. "Yeah, well. Thanks for the reminder. I guess I got lucky. Lots of strings attached, but I'm working on that. How'd you end up here?"
"It all fell apart without you, Commander. Everything you stirred up, the Council just wanted gone."
"That explains why they're doing nothing, I take it?"
"Yeah. The team was broken up, records sealed. I was grounded. How can you ground the best fucking pilot in the Alliance?"
Shepard smiled. Lowering her voice, she asked Joker, "Have you heard from Williams?"
Joker's face darkened, and he looked at his feet. "No ma'am. We, uh. . . we didn't part on the best of terms."
"Want to tell me about it?"
"Not really. Let's just say she hasn't forgiven me for you dying."
Shepard's face fell as she considered the implications of Joker's statement. "Oh."
"Yeah. Oh."
Time to change the subject. "What do they have you flying?"
That did the trick. Joker brightened. "Oh, that's the best part. They just showed this to me last night. I think you're going to like it." Joker led Shepard through a docking bay door. Her jaw dropped at the sight of a beautiful new warship bearing the designation "SR2".
She let out a low whistle. "Fuck me. That is something. I guess we'll have to give her a name."
The next day, Shepard instructed Joker to set a course aboard the newly christened Normandy to take them to the Citadel.
OoOoO
The new ship was impressive. The Illusive Man obviously spared no expense. The best part, however, was in the medical bay. As Shepard was passing through the mess, she spotted a familiar face through the med bay window. She burst through the door excitedly. "Holy shit! Doctor Chakwas!"
The doctor turned around in her chair. "Commander Shepard! It's good to see you alive."
"It's damn good to see you, doc." Shepard nearly crushed the smaller woman with her fierce hug. "What the hell are you doing on a Cerberus vessel?"
"After the Normandy went down, the Alliance reassigned the surviving crew. They sent me to the Mars Naval Medical Center. Fine for some, I suppose. But I wasn't on a starship. Colonial life isn't for me."
"But Cerberus?"
"I don't work for Cerberus, Shepard. I work for you. What you're doing is crucial, and I intend to keep you in one piece until your mission is complete. I trust you, not Cerberus."
Mindful of the fact that the ship was monitored by Cerberus, Shepard phrased her next question carefully. "Do you know where the rest of the Normandy team wound up?"
Dr. Chakwas wisely understood the hidden question behind Shepard's spoken one. "No, I'm afraid I don't. I lost contact with most. I heard from Doctor T'Soni shortly after you. . . after the Normandy was destroyed. She asked some odd questions. Some of the Alliance personnel were reassigned, and their locations classified."
Shepard raised an eyebrow, and Chakwas silently nodded.
"I see. Thanks, doc. We'll catch up later."
OoOoO
After completing her inspection of the ship, Shepard retired to her quarters. The cabin was far larger than she was comfortable with, and she couldn't figure out why in the hell anyone would want fish on a warship. But it was a place she could be relatively alone.
The first thing she did when the door closed behind her was to tear off the Cerberus uniform she wore, replacing it with grey sweats and a white tank top. She hated the sight of that uniform. She knew she had no other options at this point, but she didn't have to like it.
At least the bastards stocked the cabin with bourbon. Tonight she planned on drinking a lot of it. Although she would have almost prefered a bottle of scotch. Her last thoughts before she finally drifted to sleep were of Ashley.
