Author's Note: Both parts of Chapter Thirty Two have been edited, as well as Chapter Thirty Three. I would recommend going back and taking a look. I think I probably added twenty to twenty five pages of new content.
Chapter Eighty Nine: With Friends Like These
"You were, um, bleeding."
"Ya, well, Cerberus wasn't exactly pulling their punches."
The clone shook his head and pointed behind him. Colt followed his finger and looked down at several black stains on his mattress. He reached out a shaky hand and touched one of the patches. It was much thicker than actual blood and had the same consistency as oil. It reminded him of the clear synthetic blood that ran through most of his veins. Although this liquid was more gelatinous.
He withdrew his hand, but continued to stare at the stains. This wasn't the first time he'd leaked this stuff. Except every other incident had produced only a couple teaspoons of the liquid. By the looks of his mattress, he'd far exceeded any previous amount. No wonder he was feeling weak. "What else happened?" He asked shakily.
"Your veins just started turning darker and darker blue until they finally turned black. Then you started leaking that shit from your nose and ears. I didn't know what the hell I was supposed to do. I thought about taking you to Huerta, but it'd be hard to explain this whole situation," the clone gestured to Colt and then himself, "In about twenty four hours, your veins went back to normal. Then Liara showed up and you woke up about five minutes later."
Colt shuddered. The pain in his dreams was obviously tied to the liquid. It was a Reaper game, like his dad said. But what was the angle?
He ran a hand through his several inches of hair in an attempt to calm his nerves. "So, uh, what day is it?" The change in subject drew the steady gaze of the clone.
"It's Saturday, January 12th," Liara said.
"Shit, the...thing, that's tonight?"
"What thing?" The clone said.
"The Galactic Peace Prize ceremony," Liara answered, "And yes, it is."
"Fuck," Colt said, leaning forward and clasping his hands together. "I needed to talk with Miranda today, not go to some bullshit ceremony. These fucks don't even think I deserve it. It's all just propaganda."
Beside him, Liara shook her head a little before saying, "Who are you? And what have you done with Colt?" She glanced over at the clone and immediately started blushing. "I-I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. Goddess." She put a hand on her forehead and closed her eyes like she was mentally scolding herself.
"No harm, no foul," the clone said with a confident smile.
She shook her head again and turned to face Colt, still a curious shade of violet. She asked, "I thought you liked ceremonies, especially ones in your honor?"
"I did. It's just now-"
"-I can still visit Miranda if you want," the clone interrupted, "I could go while you were at the ceremony. Catching her off guard might be a good idea."
Colt met the clone's icy stare and sized him up. If the dream was to be believed, then he was not to be trusted, even with Miranda. Still, the offer would help get to the bottom of at least one mystery. "You'd do that?" Shepard asked.
"Yes."
There was something off putting about his eagerness. Or maybe Colt was just reading too much into it. So far, the clone had been nothing but helpful. "Why?"
"I'm the clone."
Colt blinked once, twice, before the words registered. He looked at Liara, who looked just as dumbfounded as he felt. "What makes you think that?" Shepard said.
"For one, I wasn't the one spewing all that nasty shit and speaking in fluent Prothean. I mean, I know a few phrases, but you were mumbling perfectly put together sentences," the clone shifted his gaze to Liara, "And-"
"-Oookay, I think we get it," Colt interrupted. He wasn't quite ready for the clone to confess his undying love for the asari. "But, yes, I am the original. That doesn't make you anything less, and it certainly doesn't mean that you owe me anything."
The clone nodded slowly before saying, "So do you want me to pay her a visit?"
That was too easy. Colt was anticipating months upon months of providing evidence that he was the real Commander Shepard. At the very least, he expected some sort of blow up. Hell, if he knew he was just a copy, he'd lose his shit. Any reasonable person would. The clone was in denial. He had to be.
"No," Colt said, "I need more information before I accuse her of anything."
"What'd she do to you?" The clone asked.
Vagueness was paramount. He wasn't quite ready to completely trust the clone. "She fucked me over pretty spectacularly."
"That's saying a lot," Liara said. She shot him a questioning look. Once they were alone, he'd explain everything.
Shepard nodded his head, "Yes." He turned to study the clone. An idea was quickly mapping itself in his head.
He couldn't just swing into Miranda's apartment with a half formed accusation and fully formed anger. There had to be some sort of evidence to back up his indignation. There was a decent possibility that Miranda would deny that Cerberus had done anything to his brain. Evidence, hopefully supplied by the Alliance, would shut her down quickly. Then they could go through facts instead of being held up in denial. If need be, he could also turn the same evidence on the Alliance.
Between making a clone and the Admirals saying all that horrible shit about him, the Alliance was quickly falling out of his favor. "You have ICT training, right?" Shepard asked the clone.
"Yes. Why?"
"We all have unanswered questions that we'd like to resolve sooner rather than later," Colt replied. "Alliance HQ might just have what we all need. We need facts, we need evidence. We need to know your full story," he said while gesturing at the clone. "If we can find the files from your creation, we may be able to learn more about Lazarus."
"Why Lazarus?"
"I just want to understand the thinking that went into the project. And is it so bad to want to know more about your biology?" Colt said. It wasn't necessarily a lie, but it certainly wasn't the whole truth. Was he an AI or not? He couldn't keep running and ignoring this any longer. Not knowing was poisoning him.
"Fair enough," the clone said.
"They just got invaded," Liara said, "They'll be on high alert."
"They'll be on high alert for everyone that's not Commander Shepard. I was an Alliance hero far before I was a galactic one. He'll slip right through their defenses," Colt started, "Plus, if I'm getting the award while he gets those files, they couldn't say anything without outing that they made a clone."
"That's actually kind of brilliant," the clone laughed.
"You sound surprised."
"What can I say?" The clone said, "I know myself."
…
"Good luck," Colt said while patting the clone's shoulder, "I know you can do this. Just look like you should be there and no one will say a damn word."
"Got it."
"Alright. Call me if something happens. I don't expect it will, but the option's always there," Colt said, "We'll meet back here after the ceremony."
"Okay."
He gave the clone another pat before reaching for the door. He let Liara walk out before shutting it behind them. "Hackett said that he'll send some cars to pick us up," he told her, "They should be along soon."
She nodded but said nothing. Even without their connection, he felt irritation coming off her in waves. She'd been pissed for hours now, barely speaking a word as they got ready.
As soon as they made it into the empty downstairs bar, she turned on her heel to face him.
"Breaking into Alliance HQ?" She said, "What is going on?"
"I owe my allegiance to the people of the Milky Way first, the Council second, and the Alliance third."
She brought a gloved hand to her forehead. Her eyes closed for a moment and she took a deep breathe. "This is an incredibly bad idea. The Reapers want infighting. They want us to turn on each other. And getting Commander Shepard to turn against the Alliance? That would be huge for them. Don't let them win over a petty dispute."
"Petty dispute? They made a fucking clone. A replacement clone, by the way," he said, "Were they waiting for me to die? Or were they gonna take a more proactive approach?"
Liara's face softened a bit and she reached out for him. "I didn't mean it that way. But my point remains. The Reapers have perfected the art of division. They know that manufacturing differences pales in comparison to magnifying already existing issues. And they know that you're one of our most important leaders. They'll be looking for anything that can separate you from our allies. Do not let them," she paused for a second, "And there is no replacement for you."
"You think so?"
"I know so," she answered. He brought their hands up to his face and kissed the back of her closed fist. "And what about Miranda? How does she fit into all of this?"
He let out a long sigh before starting, "They couldn't bring me back, Liara. I think they expected me to be in a coma rather than dead. I'm not really sure why. They certainly didn't expect my brain to be fried from oxygen deprivation. As a result, they were left with three pretty limiting options. They could use cybernetics to revive my dead tissue, make an AI, or...repurpose Reaper tech."
Liara's smile quickly evaporated. "So...which one did they go with?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. That's why I need to speak with Miranda. And if it turns out I'm a fucking AI, I'll kill her."
"I-I don't even know what to say," she admitted.
"Neither do I. Hell, I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about this whole thing. I mean, I found out a few days ago and I've done nothing about it," he said, "It's just so surreal. Dying was, is, surreal, and this? Well, fuck. You know? It's a hard pill to swallow. I mean, what if I just think I'm Commander Shepard? What if the real Shepard is long gone?"
She stared at him with wide eyes. "Colt, I am so sorry. I just-Goddess."
"Don't be sorry. None of this is on you."
"But I gave your body to them."
"What choice did you have?" He asked. "You knew the Reapers were coming, and you knew that I could potentially defeat them." He paused. "And you know what? If someone told me that they could bring my dad back, or my brother, I'd say yes. I'd say yes every time. I don't blame you and I never will. I want you to know that."
"You've told me that before."
"And I'll keep saying it until you believe me."
She looked him the eye for a long moment before giving a slight nod. She cocked her head to the side before turning to look at him again with her bright blue eyes. "Here's our car," she said.
He looked up just in time to watch a shuttle land. An Alliance officer stepped out and walked over to them. "Commander Shepard," he said with a sharp salute.
"Lieutenant," Shepard said while returning an equally crisp salute.
"Doctor T'Soni." The lieutenant extended his glove hand, which Liara graciously took.
"I'll be your driver for the evening.," he started, "Admiral Hackett requested additional guards be present tonight, so don't be alarmed when you step inside the shuttle. And please don't hesitate to ask if you need anything. Are you ready to go?"
Colt looked at Liara, who nodded. "Let's go."
He stepped in after Liara and was immediately greeted by four guards. Two were seated in the very back, one in the middle row, and one in shotgun.
"You weren't wrong about the guards," he told the driver. Since when did an N7 operative and a Spectre need a security detail? He had Liara for God's sake.
"We just want you and Doctor T'Soni to be safe, Commander," one of the guards answered. Guilt burned at his cheeks. When did he start criticizing people for doing their damn jobs?
"I appreciate that. Truly." He settled next to Liara and waited in silence as the shuttle rumbled to life. They ascended smoothly before accelerating towards their destination.
He repeated his speech nervously through his head. Liara only had to read it aloud twice for him to memorize it. Though that didn't seem to calm his nerves any.
"How do I look?" Colt asked. Thank the gods there'd been an extra set of dress blues in his apartment. While Cerberus had burned and bloodied his other blues, most of the medals stayed on. Transferring them from one uniform to the other had been a pain in the ass, but it was a price he was willing to pay for the look he needed tonight. The galaxy wanted to see the most decorated Alliance soldier in full swing, and he wasn't about to disappoint.
"Every bit the dashing Alliance officer. How do I look?"
Colt looked up from adjusting his cuff for the hundredth time. He looked Liara over, and meant it when he said, "Stunning." Action spoke louder than words. Always would. But for now, all he could offer Liara was words. "You know," he said after a moment, "There's no one I'd rather be with right now."
The look she gave him made his heart skip a beat. She smiled before saying, "I feel the same way."
The hover car's door opened, causing Shepard to jump. He was greeted with hundreds of flashes. He stepped out first with Liara not far behind.
"Congratulations on the promotion," someone shouted.
"Thank you," Colt said.
"Can you tell us how you feel about getting the Peace Prize tonight, Commander?"
"I am beyond humbled to even be considered, let alone win," he answered, "I don't take this honor lightly."
"Can we still defeat the Reapers, Shepard?"
"Absolutely, yes."
"Are you planning on enlisting the help of the quarians?"
"We need everyone in this fight," he replied, "This war cannot be won by any one race."
"Looking good, Shepard."
"Why, thank you!"
…
"Alright, EDI. Where do I need to be?"
"I'm locating the nearest terminal now."
A few Alliance guards passed him, saluting as they went past. "Commander," one said.
The clone saluted back and did his best to stand still. He was Commander fucking Shepard, fidgeting made no difference to the guards. Still, he had to get into the right frame of mind. Confidence would go a long way to putting any suspicion to rest.
"Alright, turn right in about five feet," EDI said, "Then you'll continue down that hall for awhile. I'll let you know when you need to turn again."
"Got it," the clone said. He slinked around the corner and continued down the hall. Confidence was key. Right. He straightened out and tried to put a little more purpose in his steps. He only had one shot to get this information. There was no time for screw-ups.
…
"-And that's why I karate chopped a can of beans open. Though I didn't eat dinner that night, so I guess Garrus got the last laugh."
"That might actually be the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Tevos said.
"I can promise you that I've done stupider. I mean, I've head butted at least five krogan," Colt said, "Probably more, I just can't remember because of the brain damage." He took a swig from his champagne glass before grinning at the councilors.
"I sleep well at night knowing that you're the one protecting us against Reapers," Spartacus said.
"Ah, thanks Councilor," Colt sneered, "I don't sleep at all because you ignored my warnings."
"How long do I have to keep apologizing for?"
"Until my ego has been fully restored."
"Sooo...never?" Spartacus said.
"You know me too well, Sparty," Colt said. He enjoyed making the councilors uncomfortable a little too much. He may have saved them from Saren, Sovereign, Udina, Cerberus, and the Reapers, but he never gave up the chance to piss them off. He'd known all three far before he ever received his Spectre status. He'd considered them friends. Long gone were those days, but he enjoyed the occasional throwback to friendlier times.
"You know, Shepard?" Valern said while stepping towards Colt. His eyes were watching the Spectre with laser focus. The sudden intensity was a little more than worrying. "I don't think I've actually apologized to you. I've said it in public statements, but never to you personally." The salarian took a deep breathe. "So, Shepard, I am sorry I didn't believe you. If I had-," the salarian shook his head, "-things would be different."
"Thank you, Councilor."
The salarian eyed with the same intensity and took a small sip of his drink. "It's not enough, is it?"
Colt gulped down some of his own champagne. He considered Valern's resigned features and remarkably thinner face. How old was he now? He was getting up there for salarians. "No," Shepard said after a moment.
Valern sighed and nodded. He was looking for Colt to clear his conscious, but was given the truth instead. Poor guy. "I hope we can be friends again one day," the councilor said.
The damage was done-to the galaxy, to Colt. There was no going back. Their friendship was over the moment they covered up Sovereign and his Reaper ties. Colt knew it and so did Valern. "You know, I hope so too." What was one more lie?
Valern gave him one more sad smile before saying, "Well, I think it's time that I take my leave. Congratulations on getting the Peace Prize. I cannot think of anyone more deserving." The salarian nodded at Colt before heading back into the crowd.
"Shepard," Spartacus said. He shook Colt's hand before following Valern. He watched them disappear into the horde of people that were supposedly here for him.
There was no doubt that Valern was sincere. Spartacus too, and Tevos. They were truly sorry. It was etched in their faces and exaggerated in their movements. But there was such a thing as too little, too late.
He took a healthy swig of his champagne before looking around. Where the hell was Liara? He scanned the crowd for her familiar features, but came up empty.
He turned back to Tevos. Perhaps she'd seen Liara. "Excuse me," he started. A stirring in the back of his mind stopped him from continuing. He focused on the sensation and quickly realized that there were several different dull swirls of emotions. As always, Liara was the most clear. But there was someone else almost as clear. Who was it?
"Tevos," Colt said while looking up slowly. "You're scared. Is there someone here trying to hurt you?" He could feel a shift within her emotions. The fear he'd sensed earlier became more potent, almost like panic. "Who is it?" He asked, glancing around. He looked back towards the councilor only to find her staring at the ground. "...Are you scared of me?"
She shook her head no and he believed her. He closed his eyes and reached out with his mind. He'd never experienced this with anyone besides Liara and the clone. It was sort of thrilling to be able to involve yet another person.
After a moment, he became aware of the physical sensations that she tied up with her emotions. Tightness gripped her chest and made speaking impossible. She was scared, yes, but the fear was directed towards herself. What she might say, what she might reveal.
"You're hiding something," he said after a moment. "What is it? Is it about the Reapers?" Panic flared once again in Tevos. He'd hit his mark. "You can tell me, Councilor."
"Excuse me," she said. The asari turned and made her escape into the heavy crowd. Colt couldn't bother going after her. She wanted to tell him. And when the time came, he trusted that she'd be able to speak her mind.
"There you are," Liara said as she came up behind him. He kept staring at Tevos, wondering if she'd turn and come back. "Everything okay?"
"Tevos is acting pretty odd," he replied, "Do you mind keeping an extra watchful eye on the matriarchs? Something's up."
"Of course. How do you know something's wrong? Did she say something?"
Colt finally turned to face her. He took another swallow of his drink before starting, "I know we've only talked briefly about it, but you know how we're connected?"
She raised an eyebrow at him while a grin crept across her face. "I don't think we're allowed to talk about that in public."
"Oh my God," he said while letting loose an award-winning eye-roll. "You have been spending way, way too much time with me."
"And you've been spending too much time with me," she rebuffed, "I haven't heard a joke in at least two hours."
"I don't think you're the one that's made me into a permanent kill-joy."
She reached forward to grab his shoulder, which caused him to jump a little. "You're just a little wound up. No one thinks you're a permanent kill-joy. Especially not me," she said, "So, what were you saying?"
"You know how we can sort of feel each other's emotions? It's like a more subtle version of mind reading."
"Yes, I know exactly what you're saying."
"Well, I started having a similar thing happen between the clone and then Tevos just now," he said.
"Tevos?" Liara said. She narrowed her eyes and scanned the crowd.
"Now before you go off and kick the shit out of a goddamn Councilor, know that I don't think it's a special connection like I have with you. I can sorta just feel the emotion of the entire room," he said, "It's very indiscriminate. She just happened to be the closest to me when I started figuring things out."
"Hmmm," she hummed, "And could you always do this?"
"No. I think it has something to do with those dreams and what happened this morning."
"So you think the Reapers have allowed you this...what? Ability?"
"I don't know. I only just noticed the change. But it would seem likely that they're involved somehow," he replied, "I mean, it seems that they're always somehow involved."
"Commander," a voice behind him interrupted. Both him and Liara turned around. "It's time for your speech. Come on, I need to get you backstage."
Colt nodded at the young human woman. "Wish me luck," he said while turning back to Liara.
"Good luck," she said with a smile.
...
"This terminal?"
"Yes. And you need to hurry before the next patrol arrives. They're only a few minutes out."
The clone sighed and got out his data chip. He almost jogged towards the console. "All right, I'm starting." He pushed the data chip in, half expecting an alarm to sound. It was a pleasant surprise when the air remained still.
"Okay," EDI said, "I'll do the rest. I'll let you know when the download is completed."
"Alrighty then," he replied. He stood in front of the terminal for a few moments before crossing his arms. How long was this supposed to take?
"Security just entered the other room," EDI alerted.
"Shit." He looked around for any immediate cover, but the room only had a conference table and a few chairs to offer. "Fuck." He looked up to find a couple ventilation pipes. They would have to do. He leaped up, grabbed a hold of one, and pulled himself up so he was horizontal with the ground.
…
Applause never failed to invigorate Colt. And this time was no different. The hall thundered with the sound of a thousand hands clapping. He looked over the crowd, enjoying the site for a few seconds before he had to leave the stage.
He spotted Liara, Hackett, and-
He nearly broke his neck doing a double take.
A shadow clung to the edge of the crowd and seemed to form its own space. The other people seemed to avoid it almost subconsciously. Certainly, no one seemed alarmed as they moved past it. It had no face, but if he tried to look at it with his peripheral vision, he could make out the beginnings of a nose and mouth. What the hell?
He turned promptly and headed off stage. Maybe he could catch whatever it was.
"Incredible speech, Commander."
"Thank you," he said, not bothering to look at the speaker. "Just give me one moment."
He strode through the stage's back entrance and emerged into the crowded audience. As soon as the crowd saw him reappear, they started to converge on his location. He sidestepped quickly and made it to the room's edge before it was too packed. He gazed down the length of the wall, but saw nothing like the earlier apparition. He continued looking before bursting into laughter.
They were mocking him. Plain and simple. No matter what he accomplished, the Reapers would always be there. To mock him and unsettle. It was their quiet reminder. You can give all the speeches you want, drink all the champagne you can hold, but there's no stopping the inevitable.
He almost preferred an outright attack.
…
"How was it?"
"Amazing," Liara said.
"Unnerving."
The clone turned towards him, shooting him a look that was simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar. "And why was that?" He asked.
"The crowd. You know?" Colt lied. "I just get so damn nervous before these things. I could hardly keep my dinner down."
"I see," the clone answered. "Well, while you two were sipping asari wine, I was able to retrieve that data you asked for. With EDI's help, of course."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you. Maybe we can put at least one mystery to rest. Let's see the data chip."
The clone placed it gently in Colt's hand. As he was reaching for a data pad, EDI started speaking from the clone's omni-tool. "I tried to organize the most pertinent data towards the top, Commander."
"Thanks, EDI."
"There is something else. This information was relatively easy to find. I expected that I would not be able to successfully download anything on Project Encore. It's classification calls for far more cyber security than was present."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning that someone wanted us to find this information."
Colt looked up and immediately found Liara's eyes. Her words echoed in his mind. The Reapers have perfected the art of division. They know that manufacturing differences pales in comparison to magnifying already existing issues. And they know that you're one of our most important leaders. They'll be looking for anything that can separate you from your allies.
She was right. EDI's revelation only confirmed what Liara had already pointed out. Whatever was on the data chip, it would not paint the Alliance in favorable light.
"Okay," he said, swallowing hard, "Let's see what's on this thing." He plugged the chip into the data pad. Almost immediately, an audio file started playing.
"As ordered by Admiral Jones, we are starting Project Encore. I know that not many of you have been briefed on the project's details, so I'll start from the beginning. Project Encore, at its core, is about stability. We learned from the Protheans that constant upheaval of their leadership was a major reason for their demise. When new leadership came in, they would fail to integrate past orders and messages. The Prothean people started to care less and listen less to their leaders. Who would when the leadership would get killed off several times a year? It caused a splintering of their society and made it even easier for the Reapers to kill them off. The purpose of Encore is to avoid this possibility."
"As dictated by the brass, Commander Shepard is to be the consistent voice and leader against the Reapers. Unfortunately, the Reapers also know his importance. And because of that, there is a very real possibility that the Alliance would have to deal with his death prior to ending the Reaper threat. Our job here is very simple, we must create a replacement. One that is physically and mentally indistinguishable from the real Commander Shepard. In the likely event that the real Shepard is killed, our replacement would need to seamlessly be able to take over. But more than that, he must believe he is Commander Shepard."
"We were able to acquire the detailed records of Project Lazarus, the secret Cerberus operation that revived Shepard after his death over Akuze. This is important because there are a number of key physical traits that changed after Lazarus. Some of the more obvious are increased strength, flexibility, and reaction times. The Commander was also given two hearts and stands one inch taller than his natural height. Believe me when I say that there are countless tweaks that Cerberus made. This makes our job much harder. We cannot simply clone the Commander and call it a day. Each improvement adds to the clone's authenticity and makes it easier for him to take over. This will also prove difficult because of our limited time frame. We will have to start with the obvious and work our way down to the smallest changes."
"As for replacing the Commander mentally, well, that will also be a challenge. We will have to perfectly replicate the Commander's memories in order to get as close to the original as possible. We have simulation programs that will allow the clone to experience these events while in a coma. Obviously, we don't want him awake until he can replace Shepard."
"Alright, thank you. That's it for now. I have sent more detailed packets to each of your omni-tools. Let's get started people."
There was a slight pause before another audio file started.
"I have talked with the neurological team about the changes made to Shepard's brain. According to Lazarus, it was impossible to revive Shepard's brain after he died. The oxygen deprivation killed all of his cells. So conventional methods would simply not suffice. Lazarus came up with three possible alternatives to reboot, and even replace, his brain. The alternative that won is derived from the Reaper technology found in what is commonly called 'Dragon's Teeth.' Cerberus was able to repurpose that tech into bringing back the Commander's brain into full working order. The Cerberus reports state that Shepard's memories and personality were retained completely through this method. Our own reports corroborate this claim."
"However, we do not have copies on how they repurposed the Dragon's Teeth. This information must either be tightly guarded or we somehow missed it in our intelligence gathering processes. As far as I can tell, trying to figure it out will take years that we simply don't have. My recommendation is that we stick with an organic brain for our clone. As far as we can tell, there were no significant changes or advantages to the Commander due to the repurposed Reaper tech. It was simply a revival of his organic brain. Please let me know one way or the other, sir."
The clone shifted behind Colt and Liara scratched her neck. After a few seconds, another audio file started up.
"I have received orders from Admiral Rogers to go ahead and continue the project without the use of repurposed Dragon's Teeth. That's good news for the neurological team, as they can start pooling their resources into producing accurate memory simulations. That's it for today, everyone. Let's get to it."
Another recording started playing immediately.
"Major, make sure Hackett and Anderson don't find out about this. They'd shut it down before it even got started. They don't realize the legitimacy of our project. They're too blinded by their loyalty to Commander Shepard to understand the importance of Encore. Because of this, updates cannot go through our normal channels. I'll send someone your way that can help set up something...more subtle. Your discretion is appreciated. I'll be in contact."
Colt let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding. If Hackett or Anderson had been involved, it would be impossible to salvage their relationship. Before he could fully realize his relief, a video started to play.
Two humans were setting up what looked like a hospital bed in an otherwise empty room. "So, what do we teach him?" One asked. "The art of drinking martinis and brooding in a corner?"
The woman laughed. "Have you ever met Commander Shepard? He's chatty as hell and thinks he's funny. He's like a wind up toy that won't shut the fuck up. And he can't dance worth shit."
"Alright, was that really necessary?" Colt asked. Liara patted his shoulder. "Why did you prioritize this, EDI?"
"The next audio is playing, Shepard," the AI answered.
"EDI.."
"No time to talk. The next file is playing."
Before Colt could interrogate EDI any further, a man started speaking over the data pad. "The shuttle is in place, Major."
"And the recognition software?"
"Fully uploaded and ready to go. All the Commander has to do is come within scanning distance and it'll trigger. Are you sure Udina knows what he's doing?"
"No, but that's not our concern. Our orders are to take Shepard out discreetly. If Cerberus is our cover, then so be it. We have to trust that they'll be eliminated before they can fully take the Citadel over."
"Understood."